Sitting of 25 February 2002

Preamble
The House met at half-past Two o'clock
PRAYERS
[MR. SPEAKER in the Chair]
Oral Answers to Questions
  CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT
  The Secretary of State was asked—
  CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

    Tourism (Kent)
    Dr. Howard Stoate: What steps the Government are taking to promote tourism and support the tourist industry in Kent Thames-side. [34227]
    The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell): With the agreement of the Chief Secretary, I am delighted to inform the House that we will make available up to £20 million of additional public funds to promote Britain abroad as a tourist destination. This campaign will benefit Kent Thames-side. It will be targeted at our seven key markets, including the United States as well as France, Germany and the Netherlands.
    This is the first time that the Government have created such a powerful public-private coalition with industry organisations. The industry has already committed about £5 million in cash, and we will match industry funds pound for pound. It is a fantastic opportunity for recovery from the blows of foot and mouth and the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on New York on 11 September. It is also a model for the overdue modernisation of the industry as a whole. I hope that the House will welcome that announcement.
    Dr. Stoate: I thank my right hon. Friend for that news, which my constituents will welcome.
    As my right hon. Friend will know, Kent Thames-side is one of the most rapidly developing economic-regeneration areas in Europe. It is struggling hard to shake off its old industrial image and become a vibrant, modern, forward-looking region. What can the Government do to ensure that Kent Thames-side—particularly my constituency—is put on the tourist map, so that those who do visit this country can benefit from its many charms?
    Tessa Jowell: My hon. Friend is himself a powerful advocate of those charms. Moreover, as he will know, the successful investment of lottery funds has brought about the regeneration of Chatham dockyard, and the Channel tunnel international railway station at Ebbsfleet, which
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    will attract more visitors to the area, will be completed in 2003. An industry that already brings £195 million into Kent is set to grow.
    Tim Loughton: I hope that my question will not be misconstrued as unparliamentary language.
    Has the Secretary of State received the same response as me when raising the subject of the British Tourist Authority's new tourism promotion campaign, especially from Americans—not so much "UK OK!" as a bemused "UKOK?"? How does she think that will help to promote tourism in Kent Thames-side and the rest of Britain? Does she consider it a worthy successor to Cool Britannia?
    Tessa Jowell: Let me deal with that question as constructively as I can. The slogan "UKOK" and the marketing that accompanied it were subjected to the usual rigorous testing. There are decisions that professionals make about marketing slogans and marketing content; I am prepared to accept the judgment of those professionals, and then to reach conclusions about effectiveness judging by results. All the feedback that we have received from the United States suggests that the "UKOK" campaign has been marketed very well there, but proof will be provided by the number of additional visitors that it brings to Britain.
    Mr. Tom Clarke: Given the British Tourist Authority's commitment to promoting the whole of Britain overseas, does my right hon. Friend share my concern at the opinions attributed to Mr. Philip Riddell of VisitScotland, who says that this year the American market should be regarded as a lost cause for Scotland? Will she join me and the people of Scotland in disagreeing profoundly with that view and encouraging the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting—who I understand is going to America this week—to promote Scotland as well as the rest of the United Kingdom this year? We want to make a new start in presenting a new Britain to the Americans.
    Tessa Jowell: I unreservedly oppose the view taken by VisitScotland. It is a dismal, pessimistic view that is simply not borne out by the evidence of an increasing number of American visitors who want to visit Europe. We particularly want to persuade them to visit Britain in this jubilee year to celebrate the Commonwealth games. There is always a good reason to visit Britain; this year, being American is a particularly good reason.
    David Burnside: Does the Secretary of State agree that the most effective form of marketing is the press and public relations, which are more cost-effective than advertising? This year, do we not have the greatest news peg in the Queen's golden jubilee? Will the right hon. Lady try to persuade the marketing experts and gurus—who have not been very impressive up to now—to use it to bring tourists into England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland—indeed the whole of the British Isles? Will she also make representations to the palace to the effect that all members of the royal family

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    should act as ambassadors this year, especially in the United States and the Commonwealth, and encourage tourism into the United Kingdom?
    Tessa Jowell: Marketing and press coverage go together. The funding that I have announced today will do just that. The jubilee year is a great opportunity to increase the number of tourists from America, which is particularly important because on average for every £1 a domestic tourist spends, an American visitor spends £6. It is important for the economy. We want tourists to visit the whole of the United Kingdom. Prince Charles has already signalled his support by writing a foreword to the heritage map in support of the marketing campaign to bring people to Britain.
    Mr. Derek Wyatt: I know that most hon. Members feel that they are national treasures, but may I draw my right hon. Friend's attention to north Kent again? My constituency has the largest wetland in Britain, yet we do not market it at all. We are struggling to understand how best to work with the tourist authorities to obtain the full value of tourism. The White Paper did not explain whether we needed more museums, art galleries or whatever else we have in our constituencies. Will she comment on that?
    Tessa Jowell: My hon. Friend is right. In his constituency and throughout the UK there are unexplored and hidden treasures. I hope that a more aggressive approach to marketing, more streamlined communications and putting more information on line will help to deal with that, but the regional development agencies have a tremendously important part to play. Their performance in this area is somewhat variable, but he should urge his RDA to conduct an audit of unrecorded visitor attractions in his constituency and beyond to ensure that they are part of the marketing information that is developed.
    Mr. John Greenway: We warmly welcome the Secretary of State's announcement of matched funding for the BTA, which we advocated more than two years ago, although it has taken two major crises to persuade the Government to take an interest in tourism. Does she recognise that 80 per cent. of visitors to English regions, such as Kent Thames-side with its unique facilities, are domestic tourists, and that there is nothing in the announcement to encourage people in England to take holidays and short breaks at home? When will the Government put tourism in England on the same footing as tourism in Scotland and Wales by restoring the marketing role to the English Tourism Council, which the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting has acknowledged should never have been taken away by the Government?
    Tessa Jowell: I am delighted that today's announcement has attracted such strong cross-party support. It is a pity that the Opposition did not invest in tourism when they were in government. However, the hon. Gentleman has been generous in support of the announcement. I and my hon. Friend the Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting agree that we need a more vigorous and focused marketing organisation for England. We are discussing with the various organisations how that will be achieved.

    Museums (Nottingham)
    Mr. Graham Allen: When she plans to meet the Council for Museums and Libraries to discuss the funding of regional museums in Nottingham. [34228]
    The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Dr. Kim Howells): My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts regularly meets Lord Evans of Temple Guiting, the chairman of resource, the Council for Museums and Libraries, to discuss the funding of museums in all the English regions, including the east midlands.
    Mr. Allen: My hon. Friend will be aware of the rich diversity of museums in Nottingham: there is not just the traditional Robin Hood, Nottingham castle, Newstead abbey and Wollaton hall, but contemporary shows such as the Warhol exhibition and very good outreach work by the city council in the education sector. Will he take the opportunity to visit Nottingham in the near future, above all to discuss the co-ordination between the four counties of Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire on the renaissance in the regions fund? There is £267 million in that fund, and I assure my hon. Friend that if he comes to Nottingham we will make a good case as to why we should have at least our fair share of that.
    Dr. Howells: I look forward to that visit, and I am sure that my hon. Friend will make a good case; he always does.

    Sports Arenas
    Mr. Ian Liddell-Grainger: If she will provide grants to local authorities specifically for sports arenas and multi-use arenas in rural areas. [34229]
    The Minister for Sport (Mr. Richard Caborn): May I crave your indulgence at the start of my response, Mr. Speaker, and ask the House to join me in congratulating the athletes and coaches and rest of the staff of Team GB, including the people in the British Olympic Association, on such a successful and professional performance at the winter Olympics. I know that the whole nation and everybody in the House feel proud of their achievements—the best since 1934. Even "Question Time" was moved so that people could see the curling final.
    All local authorities are eligible to apply to the lottery sports fund for grants for the development of sports facilities, including sports arenas. In administering the fund, Sport England recognises the need to provide sports facilities in rural areas, particularly those that are deprived, and addresses that need through its priority area and sport action zone initiatives.
    Mr. Liddell-Grainger: Is the Minister aware that Sedgemoor district council, which is not one of the largest in the country, is trying to build a multi-sports arena? The problem is that Sport England has to cover an enormous area of the west country, and has not enough resources. Sedgemoor is not in a position to fund it either, and is

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    therefore looking for external money. As it is a very rural area, has the Minister any other ideas about where it could raise the money?
    Mr. Caborn: I do not know about that specific scheme, but I do know that in rural areas, about a quarter of the lottery money—about £1.2 billion since 1994—has gone into sports facilities, of which £40 million has gone to rural areas. If the hon. Gentleman wants to write to me, I will consider what he says and speak to the Sport England officials about it.
    Mr. Tim Yeo: I join the Minister in warmly congratulating the winter Olympics team on its performance in Salt Lake City, which is a cause of celebration for the whole country. However, is he aware that on 13 February 2002 a written answer from him showed that lottery-funded spending on sport had fallen by one third since 1997—a drop of more than £100 million a year? When more than £3 billion in unspent lottery funds is sitting unused, the rejection of proposals, such as that by the university of Hertfordshire to build an olympic swimming pool, is profoundly discouraging for budding sportsmen and sports fans. It also undermines the chances of future British Olympic success.
    Mr. Caborn: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I are dealing with the question of the uncommitted funds—as the hon. Gentleman knows, those funds are allocated—through the lottery distributers. We are having separate meetings with the chief executives and chairs of the distributing bodies to see how we can use the funds more effectively. I remind the hon. Gentleman that during the next two years, the overall Exchequer contribution to sport will more than double. He will know that because of the reduction in participation in the lottery, all lottery funding streams have been reduced. I was speaking to Camelot only last week, and it now hopes that the relaunch will bring the lottery receipts back to what it was envisaged they would be when the licence was applied for.

    Wembley Stadium
    Sir Sydney Chapman: If she will report progress on the redevelopment proposals for the Wembley stadium site. [34230]
    The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell): I made clear to the House on 19 December 2001 the Government's commitment to support the Football Association's national stadium project, subject to the FA meeting a number of conditions that I set out at the time. The Government fully recognise that—as Patrick Carter made clear in his interim report published on 19 December—the project will not be delivered without Government support. The project is now in a process of due diligence with the FA and Wembley National Stadium Ltd. undertaking the necessary work to fulfil the Government's conditions and working with the lead bank on financing the project. Sport England is progressing the study on athletics in consultation with UK Athletics, the British Olympic
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    Association and the International Association of Athletics Federations. I expect the FA's work to be completed in April.
    Sir Sydney Chapman: I am grateful to the right hon. Lady for that comprehensive reply. On reflection, does she agree that the decision to exclude athletics from a rebuilt Wembley stadium has turned out to be a disastrous misjudgment? Will she confirm beyond any doubt that when the stadium is rebuilt it will have athletics facilities? Does she agree that the delay in coming to a conclusion about the form that the stadium should take means that football will not have been played at Wembley stadium for five years?
    Tessa Jowell: The design of the stadium is athletics capable. The FA is now acting on that and Sport England is in the lead. I made it clear in December that there is a difference between being athletics capable and actually being able to host athletics events. The important fact is that money was awarded as part of the lottery grant, which, if the stadium cannot host athletics events, would have to be returned; so in order to complete the negotiations and settle the future of the national stadium project once and for all, discussions are under way. I have made it clear that a condition of finalising the Government's support for the national stadium project is that the position in relation to athletics be clarified. If athletics events are not to be hosted at the stadium, the money—as the FA has always made clear—would be returned. If, however, the stadium is capable of hosting athletics events—because of the improved technology of a more easily dismantled platform—obviously the money would be retained. That is part of ensuring that the project makes progress and that by the end of April we know once and for all whether the national stadium will be built at Wembley.
    Mr. Gerald Kaufman: Will my right hon. Friend give the House a categorical assurance that she will not repeat the blunders of her predecessor by getting ensnarled in this such that the Government will not be able to evade responsibility for the culpability of Wembley National Stadium Ltd. and the Football Association? Will she give the House an absolute assurance that not a penny of Government money will go directly or indirectly into subsidising the FA and Wembley National Stadium Ltd. and that the Government will not support any effort by the FA and Wembley National Stadium Ltd. to raise money in the markets? The organisation should do that on its own credit and in no other way. Will she make it clear that, if the stadium does not go ahead by April at the latest, legal action will be taken to recover the £120 million to which the FA is clinging like a leech and which it will have no possible legal right to retain?
    Tessa Jowell: A number of my predecessors have concerned themselves with the national stadium project. At various times, each of them took decisions on the basis of the best advice and consideration available to them.
    On my right hon. Friend's second point, there is absolutely no question of any further Government contribution to the financing of the national stadium.

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    As I have made clear and will continue to make clear, the additional Government support is limited to a further sum of up to £20 million to meet infrastructure costs.
    Thirdly, there is no question of the Government bearing any of the risk in relation to the borrowing. The full risk will be borne by the FA.
    Mr. Tim Yeo: I am afraid that the Secretary of State's answers will have raised more doubts in the minds of most listeners in the past few minutes than she perhaps wished. Anxieties already exist about the progress of this project and the achievement of the timetable in April to which she referred. Will she say categorically whether the Government are still committed to rebuilding Wembley stadium and to incorporating an athletics facility? Will she also say whether she is completely happy with the proposed roles of Multiplex, IMG and the FA in this project? Will she confirm that the infrastructure spending that she mentioned involves the rebuilding, not just the upgrading, of Wembley Park tube station? If she is in doubt about whether that is needed, I invite her to do as I did last Tuesday and pay a visit by tube to Wembley.
    Tessa Jowell: The hon. Gentleman's contribution makes it clear why the second world war was won in about the same time that it has taken to achieve no progress at all on Wembley. This project was initiated in 1996 by the last Conservative Government, who began with a catalogue of errors.
    I set out clearly to the House on 19 December the four conditions that the FA had to meet, in the light of the David James report on the procurement of the stadium, in order for Government support to be settled with a further investment of £20 million. That has been clearly established. Brent council gave planning permission to the stadium in 2000 without any precondition requiring an increase in the capacity of Wembley Park tube station. If new conditions are to be introduced by Brent or, rhetorically, by the hon. Gentleman, they should realise that they are once again putting the national stadium project at risk.
    Mr. Bill Olner: Does my right hon. Friend agree that Wembley was very prematurely closed by the FA? Does she also agree that the FA is still prevaricating about a national stadium for one of our most popular games, association football? While prevarication about Wembley continues, there are two excellent sites in the west midlands, at Coventry and at Birmingham, which are less expensive than the Wembley alternative.
    Tessa Jowell: In fairness to the FA, there is no prevarication. It is now engaged with the lending banks in the process of due diligence and is proceeding to meet the four conditions that I set out to the House before Christmas. That process will conclude with the signing or not of binding contracts by the end of April. Work is in progress, and my job—and the Government's job—is to provide every possible support, to ensure that the national stadium is realised.

    Golden Jubilee
    Mr. Gregory Barker: What progress has been made in the Government's plans to celebrate the golden jubilee in London. [34231]
    The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell): London will be the focus of the national events during the golden jubilee weekend. Full details of the programme have not yet been published, but events will include concerts in the grounds of Buckingham palace; the lighting of the jubilee beacon and a fireworks display; the state procession to St Paul's cathedral for the national service of thanksgiving; a lunch at Guildhall; and a carnival pageant in the Mall.
    Mr. Barker: All Conservative Members hope and believe that Her Majesty's golden jubilee will be a great success. I welcome the extensive programme of activities that has been arranged for the jubilee bank holiday weekend, but will she assure us that the main celebrations will be a Cool Britannia-free zone, and that the military bayonets-drawn and breastplate-shining pageantry for which this country is world-renowned, and in which our service men and women excel, will be in pride of place? Can she further assure us that there will be no fewer armed service participants in the parade than there were in the silver jubilee celebrations in 1977? If not, will she lobby her colleagues at the Ministry of Defence to invite Commonwealth troops to come to London and fill the gap?
    Tessa Jowell: The Conservatives say one thing and do another. It is not for the Government to tell people how to enjoy themselves during the jubilee; people will decide that for themselves. It is the Government's role, however, to support the palace and the public so that the many ideas and ambitions that communities throughout the country have to celebrate the jubilee can flourish. All the signs are that people are engaging with the prospect of organising jubilee events. For instance, the number of hits on the golden jubilee office website tripled in the past two months, more than 500 beacons are planned and street parties are being organised. Events are being organised despite the best efforts of the Opposition to talk down the jubilee.

    Film Production (UK)
    Mr. Andrew Lansley: What recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of grants made by the Film Council in increasing UK-based film production. [34233]
    The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Dr. Kim Howells): The Film Council has been awarding lottery funds for only a relatively short time but it has already produced a notable success in "Gosford Park", which received a British Academy of Film and Television Arts award last night after being released to critical acclaim. I am sure the hon. Gentleman will agree that the main criterion is not the number of films that are backed, but that those that are supported are of a much higher quality and reach an appreciative audience.
    Mr. Lansley: I am grateful to the Minister for that reply. I enjoyed seeing "Gosford Park" and wish it well

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    in the, I think, five Oscar nominations that it received. Does the Minister agree, however, that there is no evidence of an increase in the number of UK-based productions as a result of the Film Council's support? Does he also agree that the training fund and the development of scripts in the UK is one of the best long-term investments and possibly the most cost-effective way to secure not only UK productions, but United States investment in UK productions, which of course makes up the largest part of our film production?
    Dr. Howells: Yes, I agree entirely. The basis of all good films is a good script. Support for scriptwriters to develop films in that way has been sadly lacking. That is why we have made money available to develop scripts.
    James Purnell: Does the Minister agree that as well as supporting the commercial infrastructure, it is important that the Film Council supports the more risk-taking innovative cultural films that are part of its mandate? Will he do everything that he can to encourage it to put money not merely into developing those films for production, but into ensuring that they are distributed as well?
    Dr. Howells: It is not easy to get such films distributed, and that is one of the main tasks that the Film Council faces. We do not have production companies like we used to have; nor do we have the integrated organisations that Hollywood has, not only to make films but to ensure that films are properly distributed, which has always been a great weakness.
    My hon. Friend puts his finger on an important weakness in the British system. Banks and other financial agencies are unwilling to realise that films are a good investment, although they are willing to put their money into far riskier investments. Witness, for example, the dot.com crashes and problems with bonds—ventures that the banks were eager to pour their money into. They do not invest in films in the same way, which is a great shame.
    Michael Fabricant: I am glad that the Minister shares my concern about lack of British investment in what are essentially British films. He will be aware that "Gosford Park", which I saw last night, was essentially an American production and that "The Lord of the Rings", which starred British people, sadly had to be shot in New Zealand and was also funded by the United States of America. What steps can the Government and the Department take to ensure tax breaks to enable people to invest in the United Kingdom in British films, to promote not only the British film industry but the generation of money to be ploughed back into the industry, creating an ever-increasing growth of British films in both the UK and worldwide?
    Dr. Howells: The hon. Gentleman makes a good case for investing in British films. We have great actors and scriptwriters and very good directors. A large amount of Film Council money was put into "Gosford Park", and he should not underrate that. Very often, such seedcorn money can be used to develop a good idea and attract capital. After all, film draws its investment funding from all over the world, whether the films are made in this country, New Zealand or anywhere else. This is a great
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    country in which to make films. We have some of the best post-production facilities anywhere in the world and, as I say, some of the best actors, scriptwriters and directors. I urge everybody on both sides of the House to talk up the British film industry, not to talk it down or to try to smear its good name.
    Mr. Tim Yeo: Does the Minister believe that the process by which projects are selected for cash help by the Film Council is entirely objective? Does he think it right that a very high proportion of the lottery money distributed by the Film Council goes to projects in which the directors of the Film Council have an interest? Will he confirm that several of the Film Council directors whose projects have been helped in that way have also been appointed to advise Ministers about film policy?
    Dr. Howells: I was expecting that question from the hon. Gentleman because I had heard that he had visited the Film Council, where I understand that he was as nice as pie to everyone. He did not tell them that he would be dragging the good name of British film through his manufactured mud. All the mechanisms are in place to ensure objectivity when it comes to deciding which projects should get the money that the Film Council is there to distribute.
    It is a great shame that BAFTA did not have an award for the hon. Gentleman last night. The trouble is, of course, that it could not have presented one of those faces; it would have had to have presented a two-faced award.

    Theatres (London)
    Mr. Neil Gerrard: What action she is taking to support the development of theatre with specific reference to London theatres outside the west end. [34234]
    The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell): This is a matter for London Arts. Following the 2000–01 theatre review, London Arts' annual support for the independent theatre sector in London will rise to more than £15 million by 2003–04, which represents an increase of 88 per cent. over last year's figure.
    Mr. Gerrard: My right hon. Friend obviously recognises the work of London theatres outside the west end, such as the Theatre Royal, Stratford East, which is based in Newham and serves a lot of east London, but does she agree that such theatres, which aim to do innovative work and to develop new productions, must take greater risks, and greater financial risks, than those that rely purely on touring productions and revivals, and that that is not always sufficiently recognised by the current funding systems? Will she consider what specifically can be done to help producer theatres?
    Tessa Jowell: The answer to my hon. Friend is yes, we recognise that producer theatres take greater risks and yes, we want to support them in doing that. That is precisely why an additional £25 million per year will be available from 2003–04. That is a fund of money from which Stratford East will rightly benefit, and it will benefit

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    theatre throughout the country in pursuing the important objectives that he outlines: innovation, promoting excellence and risk taking.

    Amateur Sports Clubs
    Mr. Lindsay Hoyle: What measures she will take to assist amateur sports clubs through tax allowances. [34235]
    The Minister for Sport (Mr. Richard Caborn): Proposals for easing the financial burdens on clubs were included in the consultation paper "Promoting Sport in the Community", published in November 2001. As well as setting out a possible tax exemption regime, the paper included revised Charity Commission guidance which should allow many clubs to take advantage of the tax and other benefits of charitable status. That consultation ended on 1 February and the Treasury is reflecting on the responses.
    Mr. Hoyle: I thank my right hon. Friend for that answer. I am sure that he is aware that the Treasury may need some assistance. I hope he will use his good offices to work with the Treasury to ensure that that relief is given to the amateur sporting clubs which are home to the country's future stars.
    Mr. Caborn: I will use my good offices. A tax working party has been set up, with representatives from the Central Council of Physical Recreation, my Department and the Treasury. If charitable status was granted to more amateur clubs, they would benefit from exemption from inheritance tax, reclaiming basic rate tax on monetary gifts from gift aid—a very important institution—and payroll giving, in addition to mandatory rate relief. There are many other advantages in achieving charitable status. To that end, on 12 February I met the Chief Commissioner of the Charity Commission, John Stoker, to see whether we could work out a formula that would allow more amateur clubs to have charitable status.
    Nick Harvey: Does the right hon. Gentleman agree that the one and a half million volunteers who are the backbone of amateur sports clubs up and down the country are spending a disproportionate amount of time raising the funds for those clubs to pay their tax bills? Can it be right that they should have to do that when they should be organising sports? Is he aware that giving the mandatory 80 per cent. rate relief would cost only £28 million? He talks about the Charity Commission and about making these clubs charities. Are sports club really charities, or will it become a bureaucratic nightmare? Can he grant the clubs what they want, which is parity with charity, but not the bureaucracy that goes with it?
    Mr. Caborn: The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right. That is why I am talking with the CCPR and Sport England about a regional structure that will allow sports an easy passage and a less bureaucratic way of achieving charitable status. If charitable status had been offered two or three years ago, it would have been accepted. It is my intention to ensure that where charitable status is offered to small clubs, they are given as much assistance as
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    possible. John Stoker and I agree that this needs to be looked at, and I hope that we bring amateur clubs nearer to that position than they are at present.
    Mr. Chris Bryant: I welcome everything that my right hon. Friend has said. At a time when diabetes is recognised as a problem among young children, does he agree that it is ever more important to ensure that increasing numbers of young people take part in sport? However, that will be impossible, especially in poor areas such as my constituency, where many people find it difficult to make ends meet, let alone find additional funding for rugby boots or sports equipment, which is why it is so important to make sure that organisations such as the Rhondda Rebels or the Ferndale rugby football club attract support.
    Does my right hon. Friend also agree that if we are to make progress in providing charitable status for amateur sporting clubs, it is not helpful when local authorities such as Rhondda Cynon Taff, which is run by the nationalists, increase the amount of money that clubs have to pay just to play on the football pitches?
    Mr. Caborn: I cannot comment on my hon. Friend's last point, as I do not know about that particular local authority. On the wider issues of sport and health, however, he is absolutely right. The National Audit Office report that came out only a few weeks ago showed that obesity in this country costs the economy something like £2 billion and that the financial burden on the health service is about half a billion pounds. A cost-benefit analysis would clearly show that investment into sport would address health and education issues. That is why my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer made it a point in the last Budget statement about looking at bringing financial relief and support to amateur clubs and volunteers up and down the country. They do a sterling job and without them, the sports infrastructure would not exist.
    Bob Spink: Does the Minister agree that amateur sports clubs are important to the very fabric of our society? Will he come to Castle Point and join me in a visit to Benfleet cricket club? It is one of many amateur sports clubs around the country that are suffering at the hands of councils that, under best value, are doubling, trebling or quadrupling ground rents and other charges. Those charges are putting such clubs at risk, and it would be a great shame if we threw the baby out with the bath water in that regard.
    Mr. Caborn: If the previous Administration had done a little more for amateur clubs, we would probably not be in this position, but I should make it clear that we will do something about the cricket club to which the hon. Gentleman refers. If we can secure charitable status and the type of tax regime to which I have referred, that club will probably be much better off than it was under his party's administration.

    Arts (North-east Essex)
    Mr. Ivan Henderson: What steps the Government are taking to support regional theatres and arts organisations within north-east Essex. [34236]
    The Minister for Tourism, Film and Broadcasting (Dr. Kim Howells): That is a matter for East England Arts, as the regional body for north-east Essex. By 2003–04 East England Arts' budget, including the regional arts lottery programme, will rise to £12.4 million. That is an increase of 18 per cent. on its current level.
    Mr. Henderson: I welcome the Minister's comments and I note the level of Government investment in the Mercury theatre in Colchester, to which many of my constituents enjoy going. However, what support have the Government given to theatres in seaside resorts? Clacton-on-sea has two such theatres: the West Cliff theatre, which is run by the West Cliff theatre trust—a volunteer group that does an excellent job—and the Prince's theatre, the budget for which the local, Tory-led authority has just cut. What support and encouragement will the Minister give to such theatres, which play a major part in the tourism and leisure industry in seaside resorts?
    Dr. Howells: I think that an 18 per cent. rise in East England Arts' budget should guarantee the future of perfectly good theatres such as those. If it does not, that will smack of the usual incompetence and heartlessness of Tory-led local authorities.
    Bob Russell: I advise the Minister that the cultural capital of Essex appreciates all the support for live theatre in Britain's oldest recorded town. Will he join me in welcoming the imminent opening in Colchester of the Headgate theatre, an amateur theatre that will occupy the premises previously occupied by a failed Labour club?
    Dr. Howells: I bet there were some great actors there, as well.

    Community Sport (North-west)
    Mr. Andrew Miller: What plans she has to assist the development of sport at community level in the north-west. [34239]
    The Minister for Sport (Mr. Richard Caborn): The Government are committed to increasing opportunities for participation in sport in every part of the country. The strategy for sport—"A Sporting Future for All"—and the Government's plan for sport set out an action plan on how we intend to achieve those objectives. We also plan to restructure Sport England to improve the delivery of sport at the regional level.
    Mr. Miller: My right hon. Friend will know that, despite the latent talent that exists in the north-west, we face an acute shortage of decent facilities for many of our young people. Will he look carefully at projects such as that proposed for Stanney high school—a partnership involving education, the single regeneration budget, West Cheshire amateur athletics club and the private sector—which will provide a new, purpose-built athletics track? Such partnerships, making best use of the money available, are surely the way forward in helping our young people.
    Mr. Caborn: I could not agree more. Indeed, as my hon. Friend knows, the project at Stanney high school has been given stage 1 approval by the Sport England lottery
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    panel, and work is moving ahead. Sport England believes that that project is important; it is working with the partners to which my hon. Friend referred to try to make sure that the plan is realised, as it will be a major asset to that part of the north-west.
    Mr. Graham Brady: The Minister will be aware of concern across Greater Manchester and Cheshire about the proposed closure of the ice rink in Altrincham. Will he take a personal interest in what might be done to ensure that funds are made available for a replacement regional facility somewhere in Greater Manchester or Cheshire, which is important for ice skating, ice hockey and other sports?
    Hon. Members: Including curling.
    Mr. Caborn: I think that the hon. Gentleman could have mentioned curling; I gather that 6 million people up and down the country now want curling lanes, which is to be welcomed.
    I do not know all the details of the case to which the hon. Gentleman referred, but if he writes to me I will make sure that it is looked into. However, I can assure him that as a result of our investment in the Commonwealth games, Manchester and the north-west are regarded as a priority for sports facilities; indeed, a tremendous legacy will be left after we have had a successful games later this year.

  The hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—
  CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

    Investments
    Mr. Andrew Lansley: What the impact on their investment returns of their investment in (a) property and (b) equities has been, in the last five years. [34263]
    Mr. Stuart Bell: Over the five years from 1996 to 2000, the commissioners' UK equities portfolio achieved a return of 17.2 per cent. per annum. Their overseas equities achieved 15 per cent. per annum, and the commissioners' commercial, residential and agricultural property holdings contributed to the outperformance, achieving returns of 15.1 per cent., 28.4 per cent. and 10.9 per cent. per annum respectively over the five years.
    Mr. Lansley: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his reply. In assessing the return on equities to the Church Commissioners, can he tell the House what is the loss resulting from the Government's change to advance corporation tax in the first Budget after the 1997 general election? How does it compare with the cash value of any reductions in the obligations which the Church Commissioners are taking on in the years ahead and transferring to the dioceses?
    Mr. Bell: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his question. I should add that the total return from our stock

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    exchange and property investments over the five-year period was 15.9 per cent. As for the advance corporation tax, matters relating to it were discussed with the actuary. I am happy to make a study for the hon. Gentleman and let him have a copy.
    Mr. Robert Key: Is the hon. Gentleman aware of the serious upset in the dioceses, especially the large rural ones, that any reduction, however small, in the support that the Church Commissioners can give the dioceses is passed straight on to the parishes, which not only have the burden of maintaining the fabric of ancient parish churches, but are now faced with the distinct possibility of not being able to afford a priest?
    Mr. Bell: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. He should know that our legal duties are numerous; our commitments are to clergy and bishops, both in cathedrals and areas of need. We have a policy on areas of need and opportunity. If the hon. Gentleman has a particular case in mind, I should be glad to look at it and give him a response.

  ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE
  The right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission, was asked—
  ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

    Compulsory Voting
    Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: If the Electoral Commission will review compulsory voting in parliamentary elections. [34264]
    Mr. A. J. Beith: I understand from the chairman of the Electoral Commission that it believes that there is merit in opening up the question of compulsory voting for wider debate and that it should be examined in more detail as one of a series of options that may help to contribute to higher rates of participation in elections.
    Mr. Thomas: I am very grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his response. Does he recognise that compulsory voting works perfectly well in Australia, Belgium and many other countries? Is it not time to recognise that compulsory voting, albeit with the opportunity to register an abstention, would not put an onerous burden on our citizens, as some would have us believe?
    Mr. Beith: The hon. Gentleman must not infer from my reply any enthusiasm on my part for compulsory voting. The commission has decided, as the Select Committee on Home Affairs recommended, to open the matter up for debate, in which the hon. Gentleman has already participated extensively. One of the first steps is to look at the operation of compulsory voting in other countries.
    Mr. Paul Goodman: Is it not fundamental in a free society that people should not be forced to the polling booths if they do not want to vote?
    Mr. Beith: That is a view which a number of us hold, and I am sure that it will be one of the views that the
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    Commission considers. In the end, of course, it would be a matter for legislation if compulsory voting were introduced.

  The hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, was asked—
  CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

    Housing (Retired Clergy)
    Mr. Lindsay Hoyle: If the Church commissioners will take measures to assist retired clergy with housing provision. [34265]
    Mr. Stuart Bell: The Church Commissioners already do so. Housing in retirement is the responsibility of individual clergy, and the level of pension allows for that, but it is the Church Commissioners who provide most of the capital for the Church's scheme of housing assistance for retired clergy, which aims to widen the choice available to them.
    Mr. Hoyle: That is an interesting answer. Is my hon. Friend aware of the plight of someone who comes late into the clergy, does not build up a pension fund and does not get assistance? Local authorities have to help with accommodation for retired clergy. I do not think that that is the right way forward. There ought to be a rethink by the Church Commissioners, and more assistance ought to be given.
    Mr. Bell: I am grateful to my hon. Friend. He ought to know that clergy stipends and housing for retired clergy are very much on the mind of the Church. Wide-ranging recommendations were made in a report on clergy remuneration, a copy of which is in the House of Commons Library. Those were considered by the General Synod in November 2001 and are now with the dioceses for further discussion. The comments made by my hon. Friend today will be sent to the appropriate quarter and will become part of the consultation process.
    Simon Hughes: I support the suggestion of the hon. Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle). Will the hon. Member for Middlesbrough (Mr. Bell) ask his friends the Church Commissioners to consider how they could use their funds to assist clergy who need help with housing after retirement, and also lay people who are paid by the Church and who often find themselves in similar difficulties when they come to the end of their careers? If the Church Commissioners assessed the position nationally, they could make a positive decision about whether they could help, and that would be very welcome.
    Mr. Bell: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman. He widens the question somewhat to include those who are lay persons within the Church. As I mentioned earlier, there is a study going on which will be read by the

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    General Synod. The hon. Gentleman's suggestion that it should be widened to cover the persons to whom he referred will also be considered.
    Mr. Peter Pike: Does my hon. Friend accept that many of the retired clergy play an ever-increasing role in enabling the Church to provide services on Sunday and cover for absences for various reasons? Is it not therefore important that we ensure that wherever possible, instead of having to move to different areas, they can continue to live in the area that they know well and which they may have served well for a number of years?
    Mr. Bell: I am grateful to my hon. Friend for pointing out the work that many retired clergy do after their retirement. The recommendations to which I referred include the one that there ought to be the possibility of providing capital to help clergy with the cost of a deposit payment on the purchase of a house, which they could let before retirement and later occupy themselves. If such a recommendation were accepted, they could live in the community, probably better. I should say, however, that by that response I have not in any way committed the Church Commissioners.

    Church Maintenance
    Bob Spink: If he will make a statement on the programme of church maintenance and improvement. [34266]
    Mr. Stuart Bell: Programmes of maintenance and improvement to Church of England churches are matters for individual parochial church councils.
    Bob Spink: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that answer. Does he agree that we owe it to future generations to maintain our historic and beautiful churches and, if possible, to improve the facilities, such as toilets, in those churches? Could not the Church Commissioners devise a scheme for the future to provide help with maintenance and improvements?
    Mr. Bell: The hon. Gentleman is of course aware of the listed places of worship grant scheme recently launched by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, which allows listed churches to apply for a grant equivalent to a reduction in VAT to 5 per cent. That was a measure introduced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer last year. It has been acted upon and I am hopeful that it will address the kind of situation to which the hon. Gentleman referred.
    John Cryer: Is my hon. Friend aware that many churches in my constituency have needed a great deal of work and maintenance in the past and will do so in the future, especially St. Nicholas church in Elm Park, which had the roof burned off? The rate of VAT that he mentioned has obviously had implications. Is there any chance of further action on that, or a wider scheme to institute church repairs on a national basis, which would help the churches in my area?
    Mr. Bell: My hon. Friend should be aware that in addition to the listed places of worship grant scheme,
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    English Heritage and the heritage lottery fund have each contributed grant aid of about £10 million per annum. Clearly that and the relief of VAT on church affairs are not sufficient, but the Church of England, along with other faiths, is continuing to work on this problem. I hope that we will even make some progress within the European Union.

  The Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission was asked—
  PUBLIC ACCOUNTS COMMISSION

    Sharman Report
    Mr. David Rendel: What proposals he has to request an increase in the budget of the National Audit Office to take account of the recommendations of the Sharman report. [34267]
    Mr. Alan Williams: The extent of any increase in the budget of the National Audit Office to take account of the Sharman report will depend on the Government's response to the recommendations. It is now 12 months since Lord Sharman reported. I understand that the Government have been in extensive discussions with the NAO about the practical arrangements that the Government believe are needed to accompany Lord Sharman's recommendations. Any cost implications will be reflected in the annual corporate plan that will be submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General in the summer. The Commission will consider that report before the summer recess.
    Mr. Rendel: Does the Chairman agree with me that 12 months is an intolerably long time to wait for these recommendations to be put into place? They should have been put into place before now. What assurances does the right hon. Gentleman have that they will be put into place in the near future?
    Mr. Williams: I agree with the hon. Gentleman that 12 months seems to be an abnormally long time. We must hope that it is justified by a favourable reception. If it is, we would want that accompanied by a guarantee of early implementation.
    Mr. Edward Leigh: Does the Chairman agree that it is vital that the Government accept all the recommendations of the Sharman report? In particular, it is important that we make progress to ensure that the BBC comes under full audit by the House. After all, the BBC effectively imposes a poll tax on virtually every member of the population. The House should have the right to hold the BBC to account.
    Mr. Williams: I agree with the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. There are many extremely important elements in the Sharman report, which would extend considerably Parliament's power of scrutiny. We want full implementation and early implementation. I hope that we may get a response from the Government in March.

Yarl's Wood Fire
3.32 pm
The Secretary of State for the Home Department (Mr. David Blunkett): With permission, Mr. Speaker, I wish to make a statement on the fire at Yarl's Wood removal centre.
Before setting out what happened on the night of Thursday 14 February, I want to make my position absolutely clear. I am not prepared to let Government policy be determined by those intent on creating disorder and destruction. Having removed asylum seekers from prison, we now find that our reward is the burning down of a substantial part of the facility. This is deplorable.
The new nationality, immigration and asylum policy, which I set out on 7 February, remains unchanged. In particular, I intend to press ahead with expanding the number of places in secure removal centres to 4,000. There will be no uncertainty and no misunderstanding. We will implement our comprehensive policy as set out to the House on 7 February.
I shall set out the facts as we know them. The unrest, involving a number of detainees, started on the evening of 14 February. At that stage the sequence of events is not entirely clear. However, it has been established that during the disturbance control of the centre was wrested from the staff, allowing detainees to gain keys providing access to restricted areas, including a property store. At the same time, damage was being caused inside the centre, including to the operation of CCTV. The detention contractors, Group 4, faced with substantial disorder, called for assistance from public services.
A number of detainees moved outside the accommodation blocks and a smaller number of these breached the perimeter security round the site. The earliest police units to arrive worked to restore perimeter security, and a number of detainees were apprehended at this stage. Further detainees were taken into custody later in the night in the Bedford area. Our latest estimate is that 22 remain at large.
An initial fire in the reception area was extinguished, but fires were started in separate blocks and in more than one location. The fire service was unable to tackle these blazes because detainees prevented it from gaining access to the buildings. By the time order had been restored on the compound, the fire had taken significant hold in one part of the centre and it proved impossible to save those buildings. I am pleased to tell the House that despite speculation to the contrary, we do not believe that there were any fatalities. However, I have authorised continuing investigation to be undertaken until we are absolutely certain that that is correct. I should tell the House that we still have dogs inside the site this afternoon.
In the appalling circumstances of that evening, the men and women of the Bedfordshire police and fire service acquitted themselves with dedication and courage. So too did members of the Prison Service and the Yarl's Wood operators. I know that the whole House will want to express its gratitude to them.
Since the events of 14 February, I have taken a number of immediate steps to strengthen security and protection in the service. First, I have sought advice from the chief inspector of fire services on safety at Yarl's Wood and other removal centres. Subject to immediate remedial
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action, the undamaged sections at Yarl's Wood have been declared safe. I therefore intend to continue their use. Similar advice has been given in respect of Harmondsworth, and other removal centres are also being assessed. Secondly, as a further precaution, detainees with a history of violent or criminal behaviour and those considered a danger to safety have been transferred to prison. Detailed contingency plans have been put in place should further disorder arise, and I have given direct instructions to improve both staffing and security.
Bedfordshire police and fire rescue services have begun investigations into the events of that night—they will take some weeks to complete—and Group 4 has instituted an internal investigation. I have also initiated a Home Office overarching investigation to inquire into the causes of the events and draw together the other reports, which will include recommendations on design and future fire and security measures. The investigation will, of course, be conducted in a manner that does not impede any criminal investigation. It will be headed by Stephen Moore, a senior and experienced Prison Service official. I would encourage hon. Members to make any observations directly to that inquiry.
I know that the House would want me to deal with the issue of the absence of sprinklers at Yarl's Wood. The decision not to fit sprinklers was informed by advice from a number of different expert sources. Sprinklers have not been used in other similar establishments, owing to operational and practical issues associated with managing sprinkler systems in such an environment. Nevertheless, a review into their use was already ongoing.
The review and recent events have led me to believe that increased precautionary measures are necessary. I have therefore taken a preliminary decision to install sprinklers in all new removal centres and will take the necessary steps to install them at Yarl's Wood, as well as Harmondsworth and other facilities.
It is now clear that a small number of people will take any step to prevent their removal from this country. We therefore have no option but to toughen the regime and instruct the immigration and nationality directorate further to speed up removal of those in the centres to their country of origin.
It would be unthinkable to allow violent and disruptive behaviour to put the safety of staff, other detainees or the public at risk. I shall also consider the criteria for allocating particular individuals to specific removal centres. That will entail considering different levels of security appropriate to the individuals who are held.
Although I take my obligations under the 1951 convention seriously, many claimants fail to meet the standards required. Those with no right to remain must be removed if our overall policy is to stand any chance of success. I therefore reiterate my determination to provide a coherent and seamless process in which rapid removal, and thereby prevention of absconding, must play an essential part.
The lessons of 14 February will be learned, but the message must also be clear. No one will be permitted to engage in behaviour that puts lives at risk and destroys first-class facilities, built at public expense and created as an alternative to prison. That is the message that I intend to convey this afternoon. I know that the House will back that stance.
Mr. Oliver Letwin: I am grateful to the Home Secretary for early notification of his statement.

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The event that we are considering is exceptionally serious, and the House's sympathy goes to those who were injured and to local residents who may be living in fear.
The event has an unhappy background. It occurred in a recess during which an appalling rise in street crime was announced and the Home Secretary's relationship with the police at all levels virtually collapsed.
I have repeatedly made it clear that I agree with the Home Secretary about the need for an asylum regime that is much more effective than the system that his predecessor, the current Foreign Secretary, bequeathed him. However, the disaster at Yarl's Wood raises fundamental questions about the effectiveness of the new strategy.
The new strategy contains three critical elements: reception centres, accommodation centres and removal centres. However, we must ask whether removal centres are being managed in a way that will make sense of the rest of the process. Questions fall into three straightforward categories: why, who and when?
Why were there no sprinklers? In the light of Lord Rooker's comment that their absence was extraordinary, and warnings by Labour Members 15 months ago, which experts, to whom the Home Secretary referred, disagreed with the Bedfordshire fire service? Why was there so little co-ordination with the police? Is it true that they had no immediate access when they arrived? Given the new tightening of security, which we welcome, why did the Home Secretary not authorise further tightening? Why did a break-out occur at Harmondsworth? Why was no heed paid to anxieties that my hon. Friend the Member for North-East Bedfordshire (Alistair Burt) and unions raised about pressures and tensions in Yarl's Wood? Why was there no adequate response to rioting in Yarl's Wood?
Let us consider the "who" questions. Who was in Yarl's Wood? Were repeated reassurances to the local populace that everyone there was low risk correct? How many had exhausted the appeals process and were due to be removed? How many were still engaged in the appeals process? Were legal advisers and other facilities available for the latter? How many of those who remain at large were due for removal and how many were engaged in the appeals process? What are the Home Secretary's intentions for those who are apprehended?
Let us examine the "when" questions. How long was it taking to remove those who were due for removal from Yarl's Wood? Were there any whom it took more than a few days to remove once the appeals process had been exhausted? Was the local population misled about the average length of time people would stay? What was about to be done to enable an institution that turns out to be incapable of dealing appropriately with 380 inhabitants to deal appropriately with its full capacity of 900? Is the Home Secretary's policy of building a small number of large centres still the right one? When will Yarl's Wood be operational again? Has the Home Secretary now revised his target of 30,000 removals a year? If not, how is he going to achieve it with Yarl's Wood non-operational or partly non-operational?
Perhaps the Home Secretary—who is amazingly good at this task—will answer some of those questions today in the House. I cannot see, however, how even he can possibly be expected to answer them all in full today. It seems clear that only a proper, comprehensive, public inquiry can be expected to provide the answers that can
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teach us the comprehensive lessons that we will need to learn if there is to be any realistic chance of putting back together the pieces of the Home Secretary's removal policy. Will he now assure the House that he will hold such an inquiry without delay?
Mr. Blunkett: First of all, I shall entirely ignore the hon. Gentleman's opening remarks, which were not worthy of him. We all know that, when we are taking difficult decisions in difficult circumstances, people will be aggravated about them. That has nothing to do with the issue that we are dealing with this afternoon. It is also important, in addressing the hon. Gentleman's perfectly reasonable questions, that we should be aware that the Conservatives' previous policy was that all asylum seekers would be held in centres similar to Yarl's Wood. I am glad that they have now abandoned that policy, because it was never viable or practical. I have said—I am prepared to acknowledge it again this afternoon—that holding people outside prison in secure circumstances is a difficult task, but a necessary one if we are to have any semblance of a removals policy.
The hon. Gentleman asked me a number of questions about who was there. I have said that there needs to be a review of the way in which those who are put into centres are assessed in terms of their suitability for the particular centre. I implicitly acknowledge, therefore, that some people who are violent should remain in prison rather than in a removal centre. Some people who are still going through the fast-track appeals process should be placed separately from those about to be removed from country; and when we are about to remove people from the country—I acknowledge the hon. Gentleman's question on this point—it should be done very speedily indeed, to minimise the organisational capacity of those who wish to create havoc and to minimise the difficulty for those with children.
The hon. Gentleman's "when" questions will form part of the review that will be undertaken, but I acknowledge with hindsight that if people had been able to act more speedily and access had been more readily available—even though the detainees were responsible for preventing access—the fire could have been minimised. That is self-evident. It is also self-evident, however, that to blame the police, the fire service or the operators for what was started by detainees would be to blame those trying to get a grip on the situation rather than those who caused it.
I also want to acknowledge—in relation to the "who" and the "when" and the "why" questions—that local people's interests need to be safeguarded, and that when statements are made to reassure them, they are honest, open and transparent. It is my intention to go to Yarl's Wood in the next month with the local Members of Parliament who have an interest in this issue, to talk to local people, to get feedback from them and to ensure that reassurances that are given are fulfilled.
I say again that, if we are to learn the lessons and do the job well, we need to ensure that the inquiries that have been started can be properly co-ordinated. The reason I am not establishing a long-term public inquiry is that many of the facts can be quickly and easily ascertained. The need for greater security can and will be acknowledged by me. The staffing improvements which had already been set in train not just at Yarl's Wood but at Harmondsworth by the operators, UK Detention Services, have now been put in place. Given that Yarl's Wood

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opened only in November and that we were piloting the way in which it operated, it is a tragedy of the first order that this incident should happen within three months of that opening.
With hindsight, I fully acknowledge that some of those issues might have been resolved, but I want to make one other point clear. Those who try to remove their own responsibility, including insurers and underwriters, do no one a service by passing the buck—in this case to the public purse—for the liability. They were happy enough to carry it when making a profit, but are not happy to do so when making a loss.
Ms Diane Abbott: The fire at Yarl's Wood endangered the lives of hundreds of people, including hundreds of innocent detainees. The Home Secretary refers to hindsight, but the question of sprinklers is not one of hindsight. The relevant fire authorities advised at the time that sprinklers should be installed at such a facility. He says that it will be relatively easy to ascertain the facts of that issue. Can he tell the House whose advice the authorities took over and above that of the fire service in not installing sprinklers?
Mr. Blunkett: The Minister responsible took advice not only internally, but from a number of fire services, given the different locations of the centres. There was conflicting advice from different fire services about the likelihood of such an outbreak. Again with hindsight, and given the particular fabrics of Yarl's Wood—this is true of Harmondsworth, but not of other centres, which are built on a different model and do not rely on wood—I believe that my predecessors would have installed sprinklers. That is what I am intent on doing, but no individual placed in such circumstances—outside prison in centres built to provide not prison conditions, but comfortable living conditions—is in any way exonerated from choosing to burn it down.
Simon Hughes: I join the Home Secretary in condemning the criminal activity that occurred in the centre and thanking and paying tribute to the public servants, particularly the fire and police services, who came to do their work immediately, without thought for their own safety.
On the events of 14 February specifically, has the Home Secretary decided the terms of reference of the inquiry that he has announced? If so, will he publish them? May I urge on him what I accept is a halfway house between his proposals and those of the hon. Member for West Dorset (Mr. Letwin)—an inquiry chaired or led by somebody independent of the Prison Service that does not necessarily take as much time as a full-scale public inquiry, for reasons that I entirely understand, would take?
In that context, I follow the question of the hon. Member for Hackney, North and Stoke Newington (Ms Abbott): will the Home Secretary publish as soon as possible all the advice and correspondence on sprinklers? That clearly ought to be in the public domain. Will he ensure that the terms of reference include the reasons for and the allegations about the delayed entry of the fire and police services, and the allegations about handcuffing and detention before any fire broke out in the centre?
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In relation to individuals, the Home Secretary has rightly said that he cannot yet give the House a final indication of whether there have been any fatalities. What is he being told as to when the police and fire services expect to be able to reach a final decision on whether anybody has lost their life?
Were the only records of who was in Yarl's Wood kept in Yarl's Wood? If so, will the Home Secretary give the House an undertaking that, although institutions may hold their own records, from today onwards there will be a centrally held record for every single reception, detention and removal centre and prison, so that people know from day to day who is in those places? If nobody outside knew who was there, that is scandalous.
The Home Secretary said that he wanted to review allocation between centres, and I agree that that seems to be necessary. Can it be made clear that those who are returned to prison will be only those with either a criminal conviction or something else that justifies their imprisonment? Will the Home Secretary also tell us how many people he has decided should go back to prison?
Does the Home Secretary accept that there is a clear psychological difference between those who are in the process of putting their case, and are therefore far less likely to prove troublesome and try to find ways of escaping, and those who have already had their last opportunity to appeal? If any categories are to be separated, it should be those. In that context, will the Home Secretary review his decision—it is the only decision that I ask him to go back on—to remove the right to an automatic bail application? People who know that their cases will be reviewed regularly are much less likely to cause trouble in the system.
I stand to be corrected, but I gather that Her Majesty's inspectorate of prisons now has authority to inspect detention and removal centres. Will the Home Secretary ask the inspector, as a matter of priority, to authorise an inspection of the whole detention and removal estate, and also to give advice on the way in which such inspections will be planned and carried out in future?
Mr. Blunkett: The inspector is independent, and will undoubtedly undertake that task with the vigour that she has demonstrated since taking over last year.
It is not true that the only records that existed were in Yarl's Wood. It is true, however, that the records are held on paper and not computerised. That is why it took a few days to ascertain their coherence in terms of what was known at Yarl's Wood itself. Investment is needed to update the information held and exchanged in the immigration and nationality directorate.
I am prepared to publish the criteria for the reviews. I am prepared to consider allowing an independent member to work with Stephen Moore, who does not have responsibility for or run the immigration and nationality directorate estate but is from the Prison Service. I am not prepared to publish private advice and material given to my predecessors, any more than any other Minister has been or would be; but I am prepared to ensure that Members are updated regularly on what we are doing and on how quickly we can secure the necessary protection.
Only those who warrant being in prison will be transferred to prison accommodation. So far, 25 of those who sought to abscond have been removed to prison. I have already acknowledged that those who are still at the

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appeal stage should be considered differently from those who have been demonstrably willing to abscond, and who therefore find themselves in secure removal centres.
That, I think, answers a great many of the hon. Gentleman's questions, but I will write to him, and to the hon. Member for West Dorset (Mr. Letwin), about the questions with which I have not dealt.
Alistair Burt: I am grateful to the Home Secretary for making a statement to the House at the earliest opportunity. Let me associate North-East Bedfordshire with his thanks to all who put their lives at risk in dealing with the criminal, deplorable and potentially lethal incident the other week, including my constituents who work at Yarl's Wood.
In view of what the Home Secretary said about insurance, is he not startled by the fact that the firm of loss adjusters Capita McLaren, acting for the insurance syndicate D.J. Pye, has been able to express its thanks to Bedfordshire police by announcing its intention to proceed against them to the tune of £43 million? Surely those who have had a facility like Yarl's Wood imposed on them with no opportunity to object should not run the further risk of having most of their police budget stripped away the following year? Will the Home Secretary go further than he did a moment ago, and condemn that sharp practice as deeply offensive? Will he ensure that it will not succeed in bankrupting Bedfordshire police or council tax payers?
Will the Home Secretary reconsider the timing of his visit to North-East Bedfordshire? Could he visit as soon as possible, in order to meet constituents who, through the Yarl's Wood liaison committee, worked hard and openly with the Home Office and Group 4 to ensure the success of Yarl's Wood? They had to endure the disruption caused by the building of the facility in a rural area, and they now feel rather slapped in the face by a situation which, it turns out, they predicted rather more accurately and confidently than those whose salaries they pay so that they can advise the nation.
Mr. Blunkett: I pay tribute to the hon. Gentleman for the way in which he dealt with and handled the situation before the events of 14 February and the way in which he has done so since. I will try to come to the area as quickly as possible. I take entirely his last point about drawing on the wisdom, knowledge and intelligence of those at local level and heeding it more closely.
I thought that I had gone quite a long way in relation to the insurers and their underwriters. All I can say is that I share entirely the hon. Gentleman's views about protecting the police and those whom they serve from the impact. Like him, I was astonished.
Mr. Patrick Hall: I thank my right hon. Friend for the measured and positive attitude that he is adopting today and for his robust support for the excellent work of Bedfordshire police and fire services, which acted superbly under extremely difficult circumstances. It is important that we all adopt a measured and positive approach, because there is much anger, disbelief and concern across the country, including in the Bedford area, and because some people may have lost their lives—although I am delighted to hear that that is unlikely.
That brings me to the question of sprinklers, which is a serious concern. My right hon. Friend will be aware that I wrote to the Home Office a year ago asking that
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sprinklers be installed at Yarl's Wood. He will know that the reply acknowledged the importance of the issue but said that it would be decided only following the outcome of the review of fire safety protocols across the detention and prison estate.
May I ask my right hon. Friend to think again with regard to releasing the review documents? I would like the opportunity to see the experts' reasoned justification that led to the conclusion that sprinklers should not be installed. It is important that these matters be out in the open so that we can learn. That does not detract from his welcome and commonsense announcement regarding the installation of sprinklers as soon as possible at Yarl's Wood.
I thank my right hon. Friend for his announcement that he will come to Bedfordshire to meet local people who have legitimate concerns about Yarl's Wood and indeed about the implementation of the Government's detention policy. I have also called for a public inquiry at the appropriate time so that all these matters can be examined in depth and public confidence can be restored.
Mr. Blunkett: I thank my hon. Friend for his questions and the way in which he has dealt with the situation since 14 February. I make it clear that restoring public confidence, particularly in the locality, is a priority— hence the wish to come to talk to local people and to ensure that we provide not just verbal reassurance, but visible reassurance of the changes and improvements that have been made and the lessons that have been learned.
I believe that the review that was initiated in spring last year—of fire safety and the role of sprinklers—should inform the overarching inquiry, and that we should publish the inquiry so that people can see the determination and the facts as they have been laid out. I would like to see how we can draw those various elements together before determining the form in which that should be done.
Sir Brian Mawhinney: Does the Home Secretary accept that the preface to his statement has got to be right and commands support on both sides of the House? He referred to being in touch with the immigration and nationality directorate to speed up the process.
He will know that most people think that those processes take far too long and that lawyers do well out of them, but virtually nobody else does. What specific steps does he intend to take to speed the process up, bearing in mind the fact that the longer people are in the process and are detained, the more likely it is that there will be more disorder, regrettable though that would be?
Mr. Blunkett: Despite the fact that the process here is speedier than that in most other parts of Europe, I agree that most people expect it to be faster than it is at the moment. The comprehensive programme laid out in the White Paper three weeks ago is intended to make a contribution in that respect. The right hon. Gentleman asked a specific question about the speed of operation within the removal centres, and again, that comes down to the avoidance not only of prevarication with administration and bureaucracy but of legal prevarication, which is why I doubt whether not the entitlement to claim bail, but the automatic right of lawyers to intervene at

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every stage, even when removal has been determined and appeals have been turned down, is right. We are bedevilled by a process that, although it is transparent, fair and open, allows someone to make money at every stage out of preventing this country from removing from its borders those who are not entitled to be here.
Mr. Kelvin Hopkins: First, I add my support to that of my fellow Bedfordshire Members for the police and fire services of Bedfordshire—I hold them in the highest regard—but my question is about sprinklers. It is an irony, or possibly a coincidence, that about three years ago the senior fire officers of Bedfordshire, who were seriously concerned, asked me to lobby the Government to press for sprinklers to be installed in public, commercial and industrial buildings throughout the country. I was one of the Members who lobbied Ministers at that time, and had action been taken then we might have saved millions of pounds at Yarl's Wood, and in other circumstances lives might have been saved. That is as may be, and perhaps we are closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. None the less, there are lessons for the future. Many other buildings in the private and public sectors throughout Britain need sprinklers, and I hope that the Government will give urgent consideration to what needs to be done. In my meeting with the fire officers three years ago, they made a specific point about the density of sprinklers. In some buildings, although sprinklers are fitted, there are too few of them to do the job properly. The fire officers emphasised strongly that for sprinklers to be effective, the density needs to be sufficient, and I hope that my right hon. Friend will take note of what they said.
Mr. Blunkett: I congratulate my hon. Friend on his foresight. However, an assessment is made for each particular facility not simply because of the cost of sprinklers but to determine their appropriateness. Obviously, where there is open accommodation and it is unlikely that people will deliberately commit arson, the need for a universal sprinkler system is reduced. I have acknowledged this afternoon that I believe that it was a mistake not to understand the nature of the secure removal centre facility, and the likelihood that people would behave as they did on 14 February, so the lesson has been well learned.
Miss Ann Widdecombe: I echo the Home Secretary's congratulations to the public services involved in coping with the situation, and also his statement that the blame lies fairly and squarely with those who started the fire and behaved as they did. Nevertheless, the way in which he is operating his detention policy means that he is gathering together in one place several hundred people who are without hope, because they are at the end of the process. A high degree of volatility is built in; he is dealing with desperate people. I entirely understand and echo his wish that such centres should not be run as prisons, but given the nature of the population that they are holding, may I ask him to tell the House what the ratio of staff to prisoners is at
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those centres in comparison with category C prisons, and what degree of supervision was being exercised within the perimeters when the outbreak took place?
Mr. Blunkett: I thank the right hon. Lady for her opening remarks.
The size of Yarl's Wood is slightly misleading, in the sense that it is, and will be again, two 450-bed units. In other words, two centres are on one site, rather than 900 detainees being held in one substantial center—hence the ability to have saved part of it. In fact, as of this morning, 143 detainees are in the unaffected block.
I do not accept that we could have expected the behaviour of the detainees, even though their hope of remaining had been removed; but I accept that more could have been done—not least in relation to the latter point made by the right hon. Lady about the area between the perimeter fence and the buildings. That is something that I will take on board and will ask Stephen Moore to investigate particularly.
I shall write to the right hon. Lady about the ratio of staff and the comparison with category C prisons.
Dr. Phyllis Starkey: Most people in my constituency would accept the need to detain people whose applications for asylum have been refused and who are awaiting deportation, but there are persistent rumours that not everybody in Yarl's Wood was in that category. Will the Home Secretary confirm that all the people in Yarl's Wood had at least had their initial application for asylum refused?
Mr. Blunkett: I must be extremely careful not to give an answer that may prove misleading to the House.
I am aware that there were people in Yarl's Wood who had not completed their appeals process. As my hon. Friend will have heard, I dealt earlier with the issue of ensuring that we get that right in future, so that there is different security and accommodation for people who are being fast-tracked but have not completed the process. However, it is my belief that all those who were there had completed the first stage of their application process, but I shall write to my hon. Friend and place a copy in the Library if what I have said proves incorrect
Andrew Selous: May I also add my tribute to the men and women of the Bedfordshire police service and fire authority who handled the tragedy last week so expertly?
May I press the Home Secretary once more on the question of insurance? Has he taken any advice as to whether he or the House need to do anything to ensure that the insurers cannot be successful in recouping the £43 million from Bedfordshire police? Will he give the House an assurance that Bedfordshire county council and the other local authorities involved will not have to foot any of the bill for rebuilding Yarl's Wood?
Mr. Blunkett: For legal reasons I cannot give the assurances for which the hon. Gentleman asks. However, I can say that it is my intention—as I have made clear—that we should take whatever advice is necessary, and that we should work with the police, who are, of course, operationally independent, to protect their interests and those of the people they serve in the county. We must

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ensure that the police do not find themselves liable for that bill. At this stage, we must be very careful not to address the need to amend the Riot (Damages) Act 1886 in these circumstances, as no doubt the clever lawyers for the underwriters would use such indications as vindication of their stance.
Mr. Gwyn Prosser: My right hon. Friend will be aware that there is already a busy induction centre in my Dover constituency and that the Dover young offenders institute is being converted to a removal centre. Can he assure me that that facility will not open until he is completely confident as to the security of people both inside the centre and in the locality? Does he share my relief that the centre in Dover will be fully staffed by highly experienced prison officers rather than private security guards?
Mr. Blunkett: The answer to my hon. Friend's first question is, unequivocally, yes. On the second question, I expect operators, whether the Prison Service or independent operators such as Group 4 or UK Detention Services, to display the important levels of training and professionalism needed to undertake that difficult task.
Mr. Michael Weir: First, like other speakers this afternoon, I unreservedly condemn the violence and destruction at Yarl's Wood. I note that the Home Secretary referred in his statement to a small number of people who will take any step to prevent removal from the country. He went on to talk about toughening the regime. Will he tell us this afternoon what steps he has in mind for toughening the regime? I appeal to him not to be pushed down a route whereby the majority will suffer because of the action of an irresponsible few.
Mr. Blunkett: I look to the inquiries to indicate the particular changes that will be required. I have already said in response to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) that we will need to consider external security in terms of what is available immediately outside the centre. All of us would agree that we need to clarify the nature of what happens at the centres in the evening and at night. The need to increase surveillance and staffing is now self-evident. Until we are satisfied that we have introduced the kind of security that will prevent incidents of that sort occurring again, there will inevitably be a greater degree of security and surveillance than would otherwise be necessary. While that is unfortunate for other residents and detainees, albeit for a shorter and shorter period before removal, they have made it inevitable.
Martin Linton: Does my right hon. Friend agree that while detention places are needed for those awaiting deportation, those who still await a decision or an appeal need a system that affords them dignity and
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respect? What progress is he making on the reforms already announced for a changeover from vouchers to cash?
Mr. Blunkett: I am particularly grateful to my hon. Friend for giving me the opportunity to say something cheery. I desperately need that opportunity, as the shadow Home Secretary sought to point out at the beginning of his contribution. I still retain a sense of humour somewhere deep inside.
I have laid proposals before the House that, subject to parliamentary approval, under section 96(5) of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 will accelerate the removal of vouchers. Consequently, instead of being removed in the autumn, the voucher system will be replaced by a cash system on 8 April this year. That will ensure a sensible, speedy and effective administrative changeover.
Mr. Andrew Lansley (South Combridgeshire): In the course of his statement, the Home Secretary referred to the review of fire safety in the removal centres. Will he confirm that he will also examine fire safety arrangements in Oakington as a detention centre? Will he also report on that to the House in due course? When he is considering the changes that he must make, he will be aware that, as a reception centre, Oakington has had a low level of people absconding up to now. However, if the regime is to consist of fast removals for those who are refused on the initial decision, which is followed by a fast-track appeal while they are housed in a removal centre, the pressure on the security of a place such as Oakington may increase. Will he also undertake to consider the appropriate level of security there?
Mr. Blunkett: On the hon. Gentleman's primary concern, I am prepared to consider security at Oakington. However, it is worth pointing out that anyone who behaved in a fashion that gave rise to danger to others or insecurity at Oakington would, prima facie, damage severely their case for advancing further in the process on which they have embarked. It is in the best interests of those in Oakington to display their desire to remain in this country through behaviour that would allow us to want them in our country.
Mrs. Ann Cryer: Will my right hon. Friend add to the comments that he has already made about the general opinion that property insurance policies are nullified by a riot? My concern is for Bradford, West Yorkshire police and West Yorkshire council tax payers in the wake of last year's riots in Bradford.
Mr. Blunkett: I know that my hon. Friend and other hon. Members are deeply concerned about the impact of such events on insurance and liability. I want to make it absolutely clear that no one declared a riot at Yarl's Wood; it is important that people understand that, and those who choose to use quite different circumstances in public places as a benchmark would be wise to think again. The issue that my hon. Friend raises is valid, and outside the context of what happened at Yarl's Wood we will need to examine it very rapidly.

Points of Order
4.21 pm
Sir Brian Mawhinney: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. One of the most serious allegations that can be levelled against a Member of this House, Back Bencher or Minister, is that we are lying; indeed, it is so serious that you would not permit us to personalise it in this Chamber. I cannot remember in my service in this House a weekend during which more people have alleged that a right hon. Member has been telling untruths than the weekend through which we have just lived. Can you tell the House whether the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions has sought to make a personal statement to the House today or indicated to you that he may seek to do so later this week?
Mr. Speaker: As the right hon. Gentleman knows, I am bound by the rules of the House. What happens outside the House is not a matter for me. I say to the right hon. Gentleman that no one has sought to make a statement or approached me about making a statement.
Mrs. Alice Mahon: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. I have given you notice of this matter. You will have seen the many reports in the press this weekend and today that the Prime Minister is to attend a summit in America with President Bush to plan a new military onslaught on Iraq. Given the growing unease in Britain and the uncritical support that our Prime Minister seems to be giving to President Bush's military adventure, surely the British people have the right to know if the Prime Minister is about to commit us to yet another war. May I ask you, therefore, whether the Prime Minister or the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs will come to the House and make a statement about the reports that we have been reading?
Mr. Speaker: I can inform the hon. Lady that neither the Prime Minister nor the Foreign Secretary has approached me on this matter.
Mr. Crispin Blunt: On a point of order, Mr. Speaker. On Thursday 14 February, the last day on which the House was sitting before the recess, the Leader of the House said in reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Bromley and Chislehurst (Mr. Forth):
"He asked for a denial of the story in The Mirror. I am pleased to give him the categorical denial that the e-mail that appears in The Mirror today is a fabrication; there was no such e-mail; there was no suggestion that the report should come out on Friday; and there was no disagreement on the matter between Mr. Sixsmith and Jo Moote".—[Official Report, 14 February 2002; Vol. 380, c. 314.]
That afternoon, as it became clear that this story was unravelling, and following the Lobby briefing from No. 10 to the press, the Press Association carried stories that the position had materially changed from that of which the Leader of the House had advised the House at business questions. I raised the matter as a point of order with the First Deputy Chairman of Ways and Means, asking whether she knew whether the Leader of the House was coming to the House to correct the record, so it cannot come as a surprise to the right hon. Gentleman that I am raising this point of order.
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"Erskine May" says, on page 63, that
"it is of paramount importance that ministers give accurate and truthful information to Parliament, correcting any inadvertent error at the earliest opportunity. Ministers who knowingly mislead Parliament will be expected to offer their resignation to the Prime Minister".
I am not suggesting that the Leader of the House has advertently misled Parliament, but plainly he has inadvertently misled Parliament, having been drawn into this tangled mess by the nonsense between No. 10 and the shambles in the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. Plainly he has to come to the House to correct the record of Thursday 14 February. Has he given you any indication that he will do so, and if not, why not?
Mr. Speaker: I am not responsible for the words of a Minister. However, the hon. Gentleman has put the matter on the record and I am sure that the Leader of the House will take note of his comments.
Mr. Nicholas Soames: Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Are you aware that it is well known in the House that the Secretary of State for Transport behaves like a total cad towards his officials? Are you also aware that he has traduced the reputation of his permanent secretary, Sir Richard Mottram, who was permanent secretary at the Ministry of Defence when I was a Minister and is a man of the highest integrity and probity? Are you further aware, as I am sure you are, that outside the House it is generally held that the right hon. Gentleman is a stranger to the truth? In the light of those circumstances—
Mr. Speaker: Order. The hon. Gentleman is using another term for liar and he must withdraw that remark.
Mr. Soames: If that is your wish, Mr. Speaker, of course I withdraw it.
May I conclude by endorsing the comments of my right hon. Friend the Member for North-West Cambridgeshire (Sir Brian Mawhinney), who asked why you are not able to insist that someone who has dragged his Department into utter chaos and public contempt is called before the high court of Parliament to give account of himself.
Mr. Speaker: The hon. Gentleman is well aware of the rules of the House. I do not have that power.
Chris Grayling: Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. May I seek your guidance on what mechanisms are available to hon. Members when there is clear evidence of confusion and questionable statements being made by a senior Member of the House? What can we do to seek the presence of that Member to address those issues?
Mr. Speaker: There are many mechanisms but, as I have said before, a question raised during points of order is not the time for me to give such advice. However, I am willing to give advice in a more private situation.
Derek Conway: Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Rather than seeking advice, I seek your guidance. Would you look kindly on a request by an hon. Member who has an Adjournment

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debate, however brief, scheduled for this week for its title to be changed so that the House can reflect on the actions of the Secretary of State for Transport? That would allow the Chamber to call the right hon. Gentleman to account for his shameless actions of the past week.
Mr. Speaker: On Adjournment debates, I am guided by certain rules. If the hon. Gentleman is referring to an Adjournment debate in his name, he can apply to my office for guidance.
Miss Ann Widdecombe: Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Regardless of what you can insist on, will you confirm that in any circumstances in which a Minister faces serious questions about his conduct and the general situation in his Department, you would expect such a Minister to give an account of himself to the House at the earliest opportunity?
Mr. Speaker: That is a matter for the Minister.
Dr. Julian Lewis: Further to that point of order, Mr. Speaker. Has the Minister for the Cabinet Office indicated that he wants to make a statement in the House on the unprecedented situation of a senior serving civil servant giving a press conference this very day to explain away the disastrous mishmash that has resulted from shenanigans in the Transport Department?
Mr. Speaker: I have had no such approach.

Orders of the Day
  Homelessness Bill
  Lords amendments considered.
  Homelessness Bill
    Clause 5

      PROVISION OF ACCOMMODATION for PERSONS NOT IN PRIORITY NEED WHO ARE NOT HOMELESS INTENIONALLY
      Lords amendment: No. 1.
      4.29 pm
      The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Ms Sally Keeble): I beg to move, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.
      Mr. Speaker: With this it will be convenient to consider Lords amendments Nos. 9 to 11.
      Ms Keeble: The amendments were tabled in response to concerns raised during the Bill's consideration in another place and in this House on Second Reading and Report. The concerns centred on the fact that not all local housing authorities deliver a good service when discharging their duties to provide assistance and advice to homeless applicants who have been found not to have priority need for accommodation or to be intentionally homeless or threatened with homelessness.
      The Government believe that it is extremely important that local housing authorities provide a good service and ensure that they meet their statutory obligations under homelessness legislation. I am mindful, however, that much of the concern expressed stemmed from the perception that some authorities are not doing what they are already required to do by statute.
      The Bill strengthens the duties to provide advice and assistance, but the amendments will take that further. They will require an assessment of the applicant's housing need before any advice and assistance is provided, with a clear inference that the assessment must be taken into account in the advice and assistance proffered.
      The amendments will also require that the advice and assistance given include information about the type of accommodation that would be appropriate for applicants. That in turn must include information about the likely availability of accommodation in the local authority area, where applicants should go and to whom they should apply in order best to locate it. I must emphasise that those requirements will not be exhaustive and will not mean that advice and assistance is confined to such matters. Examples of other issues on which applicants may need advice and assistance will of course be covered in guidance.
      Amendment No. 1 is minor and consequential to amendments Nos. 11 and 12, which insert new subsections (6), (7) and (8) in section 195 of the Housing Act 1996. One effect will be to displace what would have been new subsection 195(6), as inserted by clause 5(2), and to renumber it as new subsection 195(8).
      The Government feel strongly that there must be increased emphasis on the provision of good quality, properly tailored and timely advice for those experiencing

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      or facing homelessness. Those issues were raised, among others, by the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster). The amendments will help to locus local housing authority minds on what must be done. Clearly, placing statutory duties On local authorities may not always be sufficient to ensure that good quality and consistent results are delivered on the ground, so we shall reinforce our message through clear statutory guidance. I commend the amendments to the House.
      Mr. Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: This is the last opportunity that the House will have to discuss the Homelessness Bill. The Bill started its life under the guise of the Homes Bill, which included provision for the seller's pack—the controversial part 1 of the Bill. Part 2 of that Bill, which has become the Homelessness Bill, was uncontentious and, had it been a Bill on its own, would have become law before the election. So, in a sense, the huge number of hours that both Houses have spent debating these matters has been unnecessary. Nevertheless, Her Majesty's official Opposition welcome the Bill—although we also welcome the opportunity to discuss the amendments.
      The amendments will strengthen the duties on local authorities to assist homeless people who ale not in priority need. When providing advice and assistance, an authority will have to assess the applicant's need and provide information about the availability, location and sources of accommodation appropriate to the applicant's needs. As well as applying to those who are unintentionally homeless but not in priority need, the amendments apply to people who are intentionally homeless and to those who are threatened with homelessness but not in priority need.
      On Second Reading, I asked the Minister when she would publish the list of those in priority need. We were assured, in this House and in another place, that it would be published by Third Reading—yet here we are, considering complicated Lords amendments, which is difficult to do without having seen the list of priority homeless. We think that we know what will be on it, but it would have been helpful to see it.
      Before the election, the Prime Minister promised everyone the chance of a decent home, and we all say amen to that. He also vowed:
      "Our approach will be founded on the basic aim of ensuring that everyone bas a chance to a decent home".
      [Interruption] Whatever Labour Members are saying, the Government's own statistics show that homelessness in England has increased by almost 12,000 in the past four years. The number of priority homeless has risen from 102,650 in 1997–98 to 114,350 in 2000–01—an increase of 11,700 or 11 per cent. under the Government's stewardship.
      The Lords amendments are welcome, but the number of homeless is going up, the number of social housing units being built is going down and the number of empty homes is going up. The situation is getting worse and may be appreciably worse than the Government's official statistics indicate. Crisis—the charity formerly known as Crisis at Christmas—estimates that there might be up to 400,000 hidden homeless. The Government are aware of those figures, and I ask the Minister to instigate some proper research so that we can find out the true situation.
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      The number of people in bed and breakfast accommodation has soared. Since the election, it has increased by 9 per cent., from 11,340 to 12,290. It is all very well Lords amendments Nos. 1, 9, 10 and 11 requiring guidance to he given, but if the Government do not know the true state of homelessness it will be difficult for local authorities to give guidance and come up with strategies. A huge amount of money is wasted on short-term bed and breakfast accommodation. If a proper capital budget could be formulated so that private rented leased accommodation could be purchased, we could begin to get some people into long-term, decent homes, which was the Prime Minister's aspiration before the election.
      Shelter strongly supports the Lords amendments. Throughout the Bill's passage, and that of its predecessor, the Homes Bill, it raised concerns about the quality of advice and assistance given to non-priority homeless applicants. Some local authorities are very good at providing such advice, but some—the laggards—are pretty poor, which is why we welcome the Lords amendments.
      Shelter's concerns were highlighted in its report "Singles Barred" and were taken up by right hon. and hon. members. Under current arrangements, it is common for applicants simply to be given a list of bed and breakfast hotels, irrespective of their needs. Given the deteriorating homeless situation and the fact that the number of people in bed and breakfast accommodation is rising alarmingly, there is an even greater need for the amendments. I hope that the Minister will be able to give us an idea of the true situation and what the Government are doing about it.
      The bed and breakfast unit is trying to reduce the number of homeless people, but without the proper budget to do so. The rough sleepers unit has reduced the figures, but in a similar count of rough sleepers the Simon Community found the same number in just a few streets rather than the whole capital. The accusation is that, to get the count down, the rough sleepers unit has been deliberately massaging those people who are sleeping rough. That is a pretty serious accusation, and we want to ensure that we know the true number of hidden homeless.
      In mentioning the hidden homeless, perhaps I should take a minute or two of the House's time to describe what Crisis and other organisations are getting at when they refer to the estimated 400,000 people who, despite the Prime Minister's aspirations, have no proper roof over their heads. They include all those who sleep anywhere—rough, in bed and breakfast accommodation, or on somebody else's floor or sofa—other than in a permanent house of their own. The number of such homeless is rising all the time because more and more people are not in a stable marriage, because they aspire to own a home at a younger age, because they are living longer and because a certain number of legal and illegal immigrants are taking up houses that would otherwise be used to accommodate the homeless.
      Ms Dari Taylor: Shame!
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: The hon. Lady says "shame", but it is a fact of life that people are coming into this country and taking up houses that would otherwise be used for the homeless. Until the Government recognise that fact—
      Ms Taylor: Disgraceful!
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: It is not disgraceful. It is a fact of life, and if the Government do not recognise it, how will they provide a proper policy for the homeless?
      Mr. Adrian Sanders: Is it not true that there are two other factors that the hon. Gentleman has not mentioned: house prices rising beyond the pocket of most people, and the failure to use funds derived from the sale of council houses to provide replacement social housing? They are much more significant factors than the ones that he mentions.
      Madam Deputy Speaker (Sylvia Heal): Order. I am afraid that we are engaged not in a general debate on homelessness, but in a discussion of the amendment, to which we must revert.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: I am grateful to you, Madam Deputy Speaker. We are discussing amendments that will give powers to, and impose duties on, local authorities, against the background of a general deterioration in the homelessness situation. Given that the Government have not provided the list of priority homeless that they promised, it is a little difficult—
      Ms Keeble: Did the hon. Gentleman look at the draft order that was consulted on between August and October? If he did, what does he think of the different categories that it sets out, which are exactly those proposed?
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: Exactly what I said—we have a good idea of what is in those categories because the Government published a consultation paper. Having consulted, the Government ought now to be able to tell us the results and publish the order. That is what we asked for on Second Reading, but we still have not been given it. To ask us to discuss the amendments when we do not know what the order will contain is a pretty shoddy way to treat the House. A statutory instrument could easily have been tabled and the matter could have been discussed upstairs before dealing with the amendments.
      The amendments build on an earlier Government amendment, tabled during the passage of the Homes Bill, to strengthen the current duty to provide advice and assistance. Taken together, they should ensure that the quality of advice and assistance provided to non-priority homeless applicants will meet the basic minimum standards. We will all agree that that is a worthy aspiration, and I should like to hear what the Minister has to say before deciding how to proceed.
      Glenda Jackson: The hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) says that he supports the Bill, but proceeds to rubbish it, which will come as no surprise to anyone in this House. If we have heard anything shoddy this afternoon, it is his level of debate. In so many such areas, a corporate amnesia strikes all members of the Conservative party. The concern that the hon. Gentleman expressed for those categories of people in inadequate housing or without a home comes as something of a surprise. I cannot remember him ever voicing his concerns when the Conservative Government were in power and laid the foundations for the housing crisis that we undoubtedly now have in London.
      4.45 pm
      Chris Grayling: If the hon. Lady believes that the record of the previous Government was so bad, will she explain why we maintained a substantial level of new build in social housing, a total that has almost halved—
      Madam Deputy Speaker: Order. I have already reminded all hon. Members that the debate is on the amendment.
      Glenda Jackson: I will, of course, abide by your ruling, Madam Deputy Speaker, but it breaks my heart because I have the figures at the tip of my tongue to show just what damage was inflicted on affordable house building, not least in London.
      I most earnestly support the Government's clear commitment to making a sizeable part of housing socially affordable, and the amendments are therefore welcome, but I hope that my hon. Friend the Minister will be able to answer some of my questions on these amendments. The provision of advice is essential in preventing homelessness and in assisting those people, of whatever category, who face the fact that they are or will soon become homeless. A properly integrated advice service is necessary to all local authorities. We have many good examples in some London boroughs of how such an integrated service can work. It requires integration not only by local authority housing departments but by social services and health departments.
      Given the categorisation that is increasingly used in order to try to identify the most vulnerable in terms of housing need, local authorities need to be able to incorporate those advice centres that deal specifically with one category of person, be it the single homeless, women or the elderly. In future, local authorities should not automatically refer someone seeking advice to one of those single category advice centres, because there must be some way to integrate the advice provided, especially as local knowledge is so important to the issue.
      The central point that I wish to make is that we are asking local authorities to take on a greater and more complex burden than the one with which they currently attempt to cope. I hope that the Government will consider providing the additional resources for local authorities that will undoubtedly be needed, not least to train their front-line staff once the strategy has been introduced and the advice service has been finalised and defined. In that way, the staff—who, day in and day out, will meet desperate and distressed people—will be able to provide the quality of service that will be essential to the strategy.
      We should also have some way in which to monitor whether advice services are up to date with the most recent advice and statutory changes—
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: Will the hon. Lady give way?
      Glenda Jackson: No, I will not give way to the hon. Gentleman.
      Such advice and statutory changes may impact on people who face the possibility of homelessness or who are already homeless. The most obvious example for those of us who represent London constituencies is the changes that have been made to the housing benefit system. It is not unusual for someone giving advice to be unaware of

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      the changes that have been made, but advice must be accurate and up to the minute. Therefore, while I welcome the amendments, I strongly urge that the Government consider the issue carefully, especially the need for additional support and resources for local authorities.
      Mr. Don Foster: I agree with the hon. Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Glenda Jackson) that we are now putting great pressure on local authority housing departments. The Bill will place significant additional burdens on the housing departments of local councils, so extra resources, were they to be made available by the Government, would be most welcome. I entirely agree with the hon. Lady that advice must be up to the minute, comprehensive and accurate; many housing departments will be required to improve significantly the range of training opportunities for their staff so that they can provide that advice.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for his generosity in giving way early in his speech. Is he aware that the Bill's money resolution provided £8 million, which has already been used up? The Association of London Government reckons that £20 million is required to implement the Bill, including the Lords amendments, in London alone? The cost for the entire country is therefore likely to be £40 million, which will largely be borne by local authorities up and down the land.
      Mr. Foster: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for making that point, as it is the next point that is logical for me to make. He will be well aware that the Government have accepted the new burdens principle: if additional burdens are placed on other bodies, the Government will make funds available to meet those requirements. There is growing concern in local government, not just in London but across the country, that the new burdens placed on it by the legislation, welcome as it is, will not be sufficiently met by the sums currently allocated in the money resolution, as the hon. Gentleman said.
      I agree with the hon. Gentleman about that, but there is an area of disagreement between us. In his opening remarks, he said that had the homelessness provisions of the Homes Bill been dealt with separately, the measure would have gone through the House and another place very quickly indeed, and that there would have been no need for our subsequent lengthy debate. I fundamentally disagree; one of the great merits of that debate is that it enabled a large number of amendments to be tabled by parties on both sides of the House and considered by the Government.
      The Government have considered many proposals and accepted some of them, sometimes reluctantly. As a result, the Bill has been significantly strengthened in a number of areas. The issue of the advice and guidance to homeless people was first raised in early discussions of the Bill; initially, proposals by Members on both sides of the House were rejected by the Government. I am delighted that at long last we are considering those proposals in the Lords amendments, because they strengthen the Bill significantly. As the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) pointed out, although many councils and their housing departments provide an
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      excellent service in delivering clear, timely, up-to-date and comprehensive advice and guidance to homeless and potentially homeless people, sadly, as the Shelter report points out, a number of local authorities are not in the same league; some of them have not been providing particularly helpful advice and guidance. The Lords amendments strengthen the legislation, making it a requirement for all local authorities to provide high-quality advice and guidance, so I very much welcome them.
      Like the hon. Member for Cotswold, I am concerned that providing advice and guidance to homeless people will be of minor assistance in tackling the problem, unless there is a significant increase in the availability of affordable housing for the many people who are either homeless or who have an unacceptable standard of housing.
      Like many other Members, I am concerned about the availability of affordable housing. A small step that the Government sensibly took was the new deal for communities plan, which was designed to help to improve the quality of the housing stock. Unfortunately, although the Government made a commitment that £240 million would be available for the current financial year, the amount spent under the scheme, as a result of a range of difficulties that were apparently unforeseen by the Government, will probably be less than half the money allocated. There is a real problem, and the Government may fail to achieve their sensible target of bringing all housing up to a decent standard by 2010. I shall be grateful if the Minister comments on that issue.
      The Minister will be well aware of some of the commitments that Lord Falconer made in another place. I know that the Government are keen on recycling. Part of the Minister's speech today is word for word the speech given by her noble Friend, although there is nothing wrong with that. She told us that the Government feel strongly that there must be increased emphasis on the provision of good quality, properly tailored and timely advice to those who are experiencing or facing homelessness. I suspect that she carries the entire House with her in that regard.
      In another place, my noble Friend Lady Maddock asked Lord Falconer to give assurances that there would be clear indications of how local authorities' work in this area and their performance would be monitored. In response, Lord Falconer referred to plans to introduce a homelessness directorate within the Department. He said that part of the directorate's job would be to monitor the advice and guidance given by local authorities. When the Minister responds, I hope that she will say how that work is progressing.
      The Minister in another place referred to existing inspection arrangements for local authorities as a second strand of monitoring. He referred specifically to the Government's plans for a national homelessness strategy and the relevance of that to the inspection of local councils' work. I shall be grateful if the Minister is able to give us any more up-to-date information about that work.
      The amendments refer only to the advice and guidance that is to be given by local authorities. The House will be aware, however, that an increasing proportion of affordable housing is no longer in the hands of local

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      authorities. We know that within the next three or four years more than 50 per cent. of affordable housing will be in the hands of registered social landlords.
      The Minister will be well aware that throughout our deliberations on the Bill I have stressed the importance of close co-operation between local authority housing departments and registered social landlords. What thought have the Government given to ensuring that registered social landlords will be helped and enabled to increase the quality of advice and support that they are able to offer, preferably in conjunction with local authority housing departments? I hope that the Minister will be able to comment on that and on whether advice and guidance will form part of the Housing Corporation's guidance to registered social landlords.
      I know that the Minister believes that the link between registered social landlords and housing departments is an important one, for she has said so on several occasions. I hope that we can have her assurance that the issue of advice and guidance will form part of a close working relationship.
      We listened with interest to the hon. Member for Cotswold. I suspect that some of us disagreed with some of his remarks. Perhaps some of us strongly disagreed with his remarks about people who come in from outside this country and take the homes of the people already here. I hope that the hon. Gentleman will reflect on whether those were wise remarks for him to make. He might also wish to reflect on the wisdom of his reference to the massaging of people sleeping rough. Many of those people need a great deal of help and support. Massaging may be a small part of their requirements, but they need far more.
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      Mr. Clifton-Brown: The hon. Gentleman is quoting me out of context. He knows very well that Crisis used similar language when the counts were made. It implies no lack of caring for those people; quite the reverse. We want to know accurately how many there are, so that we can take the appropriate action.
      Mr. Foster: The hon. Gentleman is compounding his earlier error. There is a reasonable debate to be had about the massaging of the figures in relation to the number of people sleeping rough. That is not precisely what he said.
      Ms Oona King: On the point raised by the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown), does the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) agree that although housing asylum seekers is a factor, it is by no means the main factor? Is it not right to reflect on the impact of the right to buy?
      Madam Deputy Speaker: Order. Interesting though that may be, I remind hon. Members once again that they must confine their remarks to the amendment under discussion.
      Mr. Foster: I accept, Madam Deputy Speaker, that I am not allowed to say anything in response, other than that I entirely agree with the hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Bow (Ms King).
      I have made it clear that my party and I support the amendments. The record will show that they were originally introduced by Liberal Democrats in both
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      Houses of Parliament. We are therefore delighted that they are to form part of important legislation, which I hope will be on the statute book in a very short time.
      Chris Grayling: I give the amendments a cautionary welcome. I have no doubt that the Minister's words and those of Lord Falconer in the other place about the aspiration underlying the amendments are well founded, but the Government need to be mindful of the consequences of such legislation, not because its motives are wrong, but because if it is implemented thoughtlessly, it could add considerably to the burden faced by local authority officers who are already hard pressed. It is difficult to legislate best practice into existence, which I assume is the aim of the amendments.
      Speaking about the amendments in the other place, Lord Falconer said, and the Minister said similarly this afternoon:
      "The concerns centred on the fact that not all local housing authorities deliver a good service when discharging their duties to provide advice and assistance to homeless applicants who have been found not to have a priority need for accommodation or to be intentionally homeless or threatened with homelessness."—[Official Report, House of Lords, 15 January 2002; Vol. 631, c. 994.]
      The key words are
      "not all local housing authorities".
      Around the country there are many well-run local authorities and housing departments, with first class officers who do as effective a job as they can in extremely difficult circumstances. There is a danger that in the detailed way in which the Government choose to implement the amendments, they risk imposing an undue extra burden on local authorities that are doing a good job. I seek the Minister's reassurance this afternoon that she will endeavour to ensure that that does not happen.
      Problems of poor management can never be solved by legislation, but it is all too easy to place an additional burden on a hard-working officer who is already having difficulty getting the job done in the hours available, not because of anything to do with that person's job, but because of a small minority of problem cases in individual authorities.
      Mr. Andrew Love: The hon. Gentleman will be aware of reports suggesting that, to date, the advice and assistance of some local authorities has been merely to refer people to Shelterline. Is he suggesting that we do not need the amendments? Clearly, the facts deny that view.
      Chris Grayling: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his comments. I am not for a moment suggesting that we do not need the amendments. However, if the Government get the practicality of their implementation wrong, they could place an undue burden on housing officers who are doing a first-rate job. I am sure that he would agree that first-rate authorities are doing a first-rate job in many parts of the country. Such authorities would not countenance delivering an inadequate response to somebody who approached them with genuine need, but would do their best to deliver a practical, effective and

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      proper solution. We need to support such people and guide towards better practice the authorities that take the actions that he describes.
      Mr. Love: I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way again. Does he accept that we legislate and provide guidance on best practice not for those who achieve it, but for those who do not?
      Chris Grayling: I fully accept that the role of such legislation and of the amendments is to set a clear signpost for local authorities about what is expected of them. However, difficulties can arise in terms of the minutiae of implementation and how the provisions are put into practice. Many local authorities are delivering best practice. I spoke to a local authority officer today who said, "We are doing these things already; the first thing that we do when somebody comes to us with a problem is sit down, talk through their needs and work out their individual situation, so we can look at the options that are available to them." There is no doubt that that is already happening in many local authorities, although as the hon. Gentleman said, some do not follow such procedures.
      Will the Minister explain what local authorities will have to do differently as a result of the amendments? Will they have to follow new procedures and check what they do against new guidelines as they work through the process of greeting somebody? How will the process differ from the way in which they currently handle such matters? Will their work in this area be subject to additional scrutiny? That point is significant, because if officers need to spend more time preparing paperwork for inspection, an additional burden will inevitably be imposed upon them. Thus, the detail of how the Government implement the provisions is extremely important. It is all too easy for a zealous project team to impose on authority officers a pile of paperwork and a process that is vastly too onerous and represents overkill rather than an effective solution.
      My hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) mentioned cost and highlighted the situation in London. The process has cost implications, and the Government always need to be mindful that every step they take potentially has such an implication. Costs may arise in terms of man hours rather than direct cash investment, but none the less, the Government need carefully to consider the matter when they think through implementation. In addition, if a case is simple—housing officers deal with some simple and straightforward cases—will the process create much more complexity for applicants? They also need to be mindful of that issue. Furthermore, as hon. Members have mentioned, it is all well and good having an excellent advice process for applicants with genuine needs, but in many parts of the country—my local boroughs of Epsom and Ewell, Reigate and Banstead and Mole Valley certainly fit the bill—the housing options do not necessarily exist to enable officers to deal with the problems that arrive on their doorsteps, even if advice processes are excellent. Regrettably, in the past four or five years, the number of new social houses built in this country has fallen dramatically.
      My message to the Minister—I hope that she will respond to some of the points that I have made—is that the Government have a habit of imposing extra work on
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      local authorities. I am still a councillor in the London borough of Merton and I have seen directly that that is the case. It is all too easy for 15 different small initiatives to create a significant block of extra work load for a local authority, especially when they come from different parts of Government. I seek the Minister's assurance that the legislation provides a signpost and will be handled lightly, except in the most pressing cases, and not impose huge amounts of unnecessary bureaucracy and time-consuming work on good, effective and hard-working local authority officers. I seek her assurance that it will be not an imposition on the best, but a route to tackle the worst.
      Mr. Mark Field: I, too, will speak briefly, because hon. Members have covered several of the main points.
      I share some of the concerns of my hon. Friend the Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) as regards the implementation of the provisions. The issue of London, where homelessness is a massive problem, was powerfully discussed by the hon. Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Glenda Jackson). The burden falls occasionally on the shoulders of London Members of Parliament, but most often, unfortunately, on locally elected councillors who do not necessarily have the wherewithal or the time to deal with such a large number of cases. I am worried that the provisions have been insufficiently thought through, and I hope that the Minister will be able to pacify my fears. I agree with the hon. Member for Hampstead and Highgate that we in London require considerably more resources. I represent a central London seat. Asylum seekers place a great burden on the city of Westminster in relation to housing.
      As a quick aside, I want to say that the rough sleepers unit has been a great success during the past three or four years. Although concerns have been expressed about the massaging of figures, that should not detract from its achievements. Ms Casey and the Metropolitan police have played an important role in helping to clear up the streets in central London. I hope that they have done so in an effective and long-term way. I shall move off that subject, Madam Deputy Speaker, as I can see that your tolerance has been taken almost to breaking point.
      There is a particularly acute homelessness problem here in London. I hope that consideration will be given to increasing central Government resources or to targeting one or two experimental schemes to ensure that the right policy is put in place, not one that will cost a lot of money and create more bureaucracy further down the line.
      The homelessness problem in London turns not only on asylum seekers. Many young people see London as a honeypot—an exciting area to live. They take casual labouring jobs, working initially on a part-time basis, and are then unable to afford to pay rent, start to sleep rough and spiral downwards. That leads to problems deeper than those that are dealt with by housing departments.
      Will the Minister provide for an opportunity within a fairly short time—say, two or three years—to judge whether the provisions are working correctly? Will she ensure, through the new burdens principle, that, notwithstanding the remarks of the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster), any ongoing problems do not place undue burdens on local council taxpayers here in London?
      Ms Keeble: Opposition Members' explanation of their position on the Bill was more than a little bogus. It was

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      always a good Bill that advanced the rights of homeless people, which is why it met with such strong support on both sides of the House. We must all recognise that a Bill can be improved in the course of its progress through Parliament; that is what this process is about.
      This is an example of a good Bill having been made better by careful scrutiny during its passage. The amendments are a case in point. The issues that they deal with have been argued about right from the start, and we have tabled amendments that address some of the concerns that have been raised. This must be about the fifth or sixth time that we have debated the Bill, but hon. Members are still expressing those concerns. That makes me think that if we went through it another a half a dozen times we would still go on producing refinement after refinement.
      5.15 pm
      This group of amendments is important because it deals with those who are homeless but who do not have priority needs. We all know that the homelessness figures, and those for people living in bed and breakfast accommodation, have been going up. The Government are extremely conscious of those figures, and of the fact that hon. Members on both sides have constantly raised them, and we have taken action to deal with them. I shall not go into the details of that action, because I might be ruled out of order. We have, however, taken action very quickly, and the numbers—hard and sad though they are—are not a patch on those of 10 years ago.
      In response to the points made by the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) about the priority needs order, I would expect there to be a likelihood that some of the figures could get worse once such orders are in place. I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman is asking questions about the orders, because draft provisions have been consulted on and were widely known. He must know about the different categories involved, which include homeless 16 and 17-year-olds, care leavers who are vulnerable as a result of having been in care, people who are vulnerable as a result of institutionalisation—including those who have been in custody, about whom some Conservative Members were concerned—and those who are vulnerable as a result of fleeing domestic violence.
      Mr. Don Foster: I am sure that the Minister will understand that, following the draft provisions and the consultation, the House is still waiting for the Government's response to the consultation. Is the list of categories that she has just outlined to be the final list? If it is, I welcome it warmly—as, I suspect, will the vast majority of those who responded to the consultation—but we have not heard that officially yet.
      Ms Keeble: I take the hon. Gentleman's point. We have a very good working idea, if I can put it that way, of the categories of people involved in these provisions.
      The point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Glenda Jackson) illustrates why these amendments are so important. The advice will be available not only to people with priority needs, which is why it is so important that we improve the quality of this service, and I understand why the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) and others pressed so hard to table amendments of this kind.
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      The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) asked a question about the nature of the advice and what exactly it would mean. The amendments represent progress because they would enshrine in the legislation the processes that should be gone through in giving advice to people who do not have priority needs. That would include making an assessment of their needs, and providing information on the location and sources of certain types of accommodation. The proposals would be effective because they set out the processes that those without priority needs need to go through to get the right quality of advice.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: The Minister has admitted that, when these categories of priority needs are published, the amount of homeless people with those priority needs will rise. I have told the House today how the figures have risen in the last three years. Is the Minister able to give the House any clear guidance on how far the homelessness figures will rise further as a result of these specific amendments?
      Ms Keeble: No, that is not possible. The hon. Gentleman will see what I said when he reads Hansard, but what I think I said was that the figures would rise in some areas. It is possible that the work that needs to be done to get the homelessness figures down will produce rapid results, and that by the time the priority needs orders come into effect the figures will have gone down, so that there will be a slight increase at that point from a lower base. It is impossible, however, to give an accurate estimate of the numbers, largely because this involves categories of people who have not been recognised under previous legislation. Therefore, we obviously do not know how many are involved, but common sense tells us that if more people are regarded as homeless and given rights to housing, the numbers are likely to go up. We shall look closely to see what happens in terms of those figures.
      Chris Grayling: To pick up the Minister's point relating to my comments, will she reassure me that any new process will not require all those authorities that are doing the job properly to make changes, but will set an alternative benchmark for those that are not?
      Ms Keeble: That depends on whether they are going through the process as it is now. The proposal sets out the procedures that should be gone through to ensure that people who are homeless but not in priority need get the advice and help that they require to secure accommodation. Local authorities will be able to decide quickly as to whether they already go through such a process—the matter is for them to judge—but the proposal represents an effective way to specify outcomes and ensure that people know what they have to do to provide an effective service. More detail will be given in guidance.
      On monitoring, as has been said in another place, housing departments undergo best value inspections and work will be done through the new homelessness unit. My hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate asked about money. Already, £8 million has been allocated to local authorities to administer the new legislation and I understand that discussions are taking place around the possibilities of making additional

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      provision. The spending review process is also in place. That, I hope, deals with the points raised by the hon. Member for Bath.
      Dr. Brian Iddon: Will my hon. Friend give way?
      Mr. Clifton-Brown rose—
      Ms Keeble: I hear the voice of my hon. Friend behind me. I give way to him.
      Dr. Iddon: Does my hon. Friend find it staggering, as we on these Benches do, that the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mr. Field) is whingeing about the extra burden that may be placed on his public sector housing authority? The City of Westminster did everything possible to flog off every council house there. Should not we also remind him that there is the matter of £48 million outstanding? Will the City of Westminster chase—
      Madam Deputy Speaker: Order.
      Ms Keeble: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker, but I must say that I cannot help agreeing with my hon. Friend.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown rose—
      Mr. Mark Field rose—
      Ms Keeble: I give way to the hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mr. Field).
      Mr. Field: On the basis of that brief exchange, may I point out that the sum concerned is about £24 million?
      Madam Deputy Speaker: Order. I am sorry, but that is not germane to the debate.
      Ms Keeble: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown rose—
      Ms Keeble: I want to make progress, but I shall come back to the hon. Gentleman.
      The hon. Member for Bath was right to refer to the Shelter report, which highlights the need to give extra thought to advice for non-priority people. I am pleased that it has been possible to introduce what I think are simple and workable amendments that will improve the quality of service for those groups. He also asked about the decent housing target. The Government have made a huge commitment to that challenge and we are assured through all the local authority returns that we are still on target to meet it.
      The hon. Gentleman also asked about the relationship between the housing associations and the local authorities and, in particular, responsibility for advice in areas where large-scale stock transfers take place. I have two points to make. First, the Department continues to work closely
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      with the Housing Corporation, at both official and ministerial levels, to ensure that those in social housing are given a good service—a seamless robe, as it were—when that it is humanly possible. Secondly, a number of local authorities do not always appreciate that they will not lose all responsibility for housing functions in their areas just because they have transferred their stock. They will still be responsible for procurement.
      I take the point of the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell about the need to have aspirations, while ensuring that they are practical. As I have said, the amendment would guarantee—without giving rise to a great pile of bureaucracy—that those needing advice received it, and that the advice was of a uniform standard throughout the country.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: May I return the Minister to an issue that was raised before she was interrupted by the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) and ruled out of order? She said that the Government had provided £8 million in compliance costs. Can she confirm that the money has already been used up in preparations for the Bill? Does she agree with the Association of London Government, which estimates the compliance cost for London alone at £20 million? By extrapolation, we can expect the Bill to cost authorities in England and Wales some £40 million. Are the Government likely to give that amount to local authorities, or will it be yet another of the burdens on authorities that the council tax payer will have to fund?
      Ms Keeble: As I have said, £8 million has been allowed for and allocated, but I understand that it has not been used up. Obviously, officials are constantly discussing the costs of implementing this and other legislation with local authorities, and we continue to keep the matter under review; but we are committed to funding new burdens, and that commitment has been recognised in this Bill as in others.
      The hon. Member for Cities of London and Westminster (Mr. Field) thought that the implications of the amendments had not been thought through properly. Some of us may think that they were thought through for rather too long. Certainly it took an inordinately long time for the proposals in the Bill to be accepted. The hon. Member for Bath laughs, probably because he knows how long the discussions have taken.
      I realise that Westminster is experiencing serious difficulties—some caused by the disposal of council houses mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon)—relating to homelessness and bed and breakfast accommodation. That is one reason why measures of this kind are so important. Hard though it may be to provide permanent accommodation for homeless people, and to deal with the awfulness of being housed in bed and breakfast accommodation, there is also the category of people who have no housing, who have no priority under the legislation, and who are finding it extremely difficult to find somewhere to live. Those are the people who should benefit from measures such as this, which will enable them to receive advice and be pointed towards accommodation.

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      5.30 pm
      I hope that that deals with hon. Members' queries. It is a small, practical but important provision which will go a long way towards improving what is an already good Bill. I commend the amendment to the House.
      Lords amendment agreed to.

    Clause 7

      EVENTS WHICH CAUSE THE DUTY TO CEASE
      Lords amendment: No. 2.
      Ms Keeble: I beg to move, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.
      Madam Deputy Speaker: With this we may also consider amendment (a) in lieu of the Lords amendment.
      Ms Keeble: Again, this is a small but important amendment that ensures that people understand the consequences when they are offered accommodation.
      At Committee stage in another place, concern was expressed that local housing authorities should not be able to bring the main homelessness duty to an end with a qualifying offer of an assured shorthold tenancy with a private landlord before it was absolutely clear that the applicant had understood the written statement that explains that that person has no obligation to accept the offer and that, if they do accept it, the homelessness duty will end.
      The Government had a lot of sympathy with that concern. I think that hon. Members will agree that the crucial point is that the applicant must confirm that he or she has understood the statement. That may involve the person reading the statement themselves or someone else reading it to them. However, it may involve translating the statement into another language, or explaining to the applicant step by step what the effect of accepting an offer would be.
      The Government are therefore of the view that it is unnecessary for the Bill to refer to the means by which an applicant must come to understand the content of the statement. All that is needed is the central requirement that the person has understood it.
      Amendment No. 2 would achieve that and simplify the Bill. It would have the benefit of emphasising the key requirement that the applicant has understood the statement. I therefore commend amendment No. 2 to the House.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: I suspect that we all agree with the Government's aspiration. It is a question of how it is done and what may happen if it is not done correctly, which is why we have tabled an amendment in lieu.
      The to-ing and fro-ing that took place in the Lords is very interesting but perhaps I should explain what is in the Government's mind and what is in our mind. New subsection (7B) in clause 7 states:
      "The authority shall also cease to be subject to the duty under this section if the applicant accepts a qualifying offer of an assured shorthold tenancy",
      It is an important part of the Bill's operation. The moment the applicant has accepted the offer, the local authority will not be under any of the obligations that we have
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      talked about: to give advice, assistance and everything else. So it is important that the applicant has read and understood it. For some reason the Government want to take out the words in new subsection (7E) "read and understood". To the contrary, we would like to strengthen this whole matter and insert the words:
      "the statement mentioned in subsection (7D), or that it has been read to him, and that he understands it."
      We want to be crystal clear that, in accepting the offer, the applicant, who may not be able to read or may be of limited learning, understands what is being put in front of him. We all have constituents who come to our surgeries and articulate what their fear or their particular problem is, but who, if we asked them to put it down in a letter, would not be able to do it. It is thus an important matter.
      In supporting the amendment in another place, my noble Friend Baroness Hanham said:
      "On amendment No. 15, as my noble friend Lord Brooke of Sutton Mandeville has already said, there should be no question that somebody has understood the words relating to the qualifying offer."
      Those are important words. My noble Friend continued:
      "I know it is common practice in Parliament to suggest that somebody should sign in relation to what they have read and understood. In relation to the world in which we are trespassing at the moment—those who are homeless and many of whom are vulnerable—it would be correct not to assume that they could have read. Indeed, somebody should have ensured that they understood the matter and that, if they could not read, it was read to them",
      We all agree with that, and our fear is that it will not happen.
      I do not understand why the Government want to take the words out. One would expect that when an offer was put in front of somebody, he would be asked—in a non-intimidatory way—whether he could read it and understand it. If there was any doubt whatever about whether he could read or understand it, he should have it explained to him—with patience, and for as long as it took.
      In replying to my noble Friend Baroness Hanham, the Minister, Lord Falconer, said:
      "Finally, Amendment No. 15 seeks to protect the position of applicants who, for whatever reason, would be unable to read a statement from the local housing authority about the qualifying offer. I am grateful to the noble Baroness for raising this point. I give an undertaking to consider it and come back with some form of solution to the problem at Report stage because a solution is clearly required."—[Official Report, House of Lords, 10 December 2001; Vol. 629, c. 30–32.]
      What is the Government's solution? To take out the words "read and"—in other words, to weaken the provisions. Later, on Report in the House of Lords, Lord Falconer moved amendment No. 12, to leave out the words "read and", so the amendment was agreed to in another place. I cannot understand why the Government want to take those words out. [Interruption.] Does the hon. Member for Bolton, South-East (Dr. Iddon) or the hon. Member for Edmonton (Mr. Love) wish to intervene? Apparently not.
      It is extraordinary that the Government now want to weaken the clause. It is a serious matter when a qualifying person is made such an offer, because he could lose all his existing rights. If he has not properly understood that, the situation is serious. I look to the Minister to provide us with a real explanation of why the Government are doing this, so that we can consider whether we want to vote on the amendment.
      Mr. Don Foster: I am grateful to the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) for having spent a few

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      minutes with me before our deliberations explaining his and his party's thinking on this issue. I listened with great care to what he said, and I note with considerable interest that he shares my concern that the important factor is the understanding. It is vital that the person concerned has understood the question on which he has to make a decision.
      I also note, however, that the hon. Gentleman's proposed amendment in lieu would make no change whatever concerning understanding. The words
      "and that he understands it"
      appear in his amendment, just as the words "and understood" appear in the wording proposed by the Minister. Although I agree with the hon. Gentleman that the crucial word is "understands", neither his amendment nor the Minister's proposed wording gives full details of how it is to be checked that the person has understood, so that is the issue that the Minister must deal with in responding to the debate. I shall listen with great interest to the assurances that she can give the hon. Gentleman and me that procedures will be in place to ensure that the applicant has understood the issue before him.
      Inevitably, as one might expect, I have had discussions with Shelter. As I am sure that the whole House is aware, Shelter has played a valuable role in determining on and proposing amendments. I am delighted that on many occasions—sometimes after a lot of to-ing and fro-ing—those amendments have been accepted by the Government.
      There is no doubt whatever of Shelter's view: "understanding" is the crucial word. Shelter's briefing makes the point succinctly and clearly:
      "By omitting the requirement to read the statement, the amendment will ensure that those who are unable to read it are given a proper opportunity to fully understand it by having it translated or read to them."
      Those are almost the same words as the Minister used in her introductory remarks, so it is clearly the Government's intention that alternative procedures will be set up to ensure that translation is available and that there are opportunities for someone to read the documentation to the applicant.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: I should be most grateful if the hon. Gentleman explained one simple point: how is a person supposed to understand the offer if he has not read it? Without the amendment, the Bill makes it clear that he has both to read and understand the offer. He should then be asked whether he has read and understood it.
      Mr. Foster: The hon. Gentleman and I agree that the crucial issue is understanding. Various mechanisms can help someone to understand: the individual could read the document himself; a translation could be prepared for him to read; or the document could be read to him. The amendment proposed by the hon. Gentleman suggests that the person would have read the offer or would have had it read to him.
      The Minister went further. She said that a translation would be made available and that there would be an explanatory discussion. That strikes me as a better way of proceeding. All those points will pale into insignificance,
      474
      however, unless we make it clear that a variety of strategies will be offered to ensure that the person has understood.
      The hon. Gentleman asks me how we shall know for certain that a person really has understood. His amendment does not address that question any more than the Government's proposals. Let us hear what the Minister has to say to reassure us. If we can be assured that there will be strategies to ensure that people understand, we may be able to make some progress.
      Chris Grayling: I want to say a few words in support of the amendment proposed by my hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown). He has articulately set out the problems as regards literacy and the implications for someone who is illiterate or not fully literate in understanding often complex matters. Two further points need to be addressed. Before I do so, I should point out that—as we have been discussing private lettings—I am a small-scale private landlord, as listed in the Register of Members' Interests, although that is not specifically relevant to the detail of this debate.
      In the few months I have been a Member of Parliament, my experience—like that of many hon. Members—is that at constituency level housing issues are much more complex to deal with than they first appear. There are always two sides to every argument, debate and discussion: for example, whether someone was allocated an appropriate property; or whether a housing application has been dealt with appropriately.
      A stipulation that relies entirely on the use of the word "understand" leaves open a broad area for debate and discussion if things go wrong. Who said what to whom? Was something fully explained? Did the person read the documentation or not? If something goes wrong with a private letting after a few months and the tenant seeks additional help from the authority, matters of dispute in the initial discussion—for example, what was communicated to whom and when, or what was read or not read—could have significant implications for future housing. The Lords amendment, residing as it does entirely in the word "understood", leaves too much room for dispute at a later stage. It would not be prudent or sensible for the House to go forward on that basis.
      5.45 pm
      The second point is fundamentally important. The hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) touched on it. It relates to the ethnic community, either people already in this country or those who come to the UK seeking accommodation. Anyone who has been involved with local authorities knows that nowadays they often have to produce documentation in a considerable number of languages.
      As many people with housing problems have little or no knowledge of English, how can we be sure that an applicant who does not have a first-rate command of English and is dealing with an English-speaking housing officer is able fully to understand the legal implications of what they are doing? In those circumstances, if the legislation relies only on the use of the word "understood", it will open up a mine field at a later date.
      Mr. Don Foster: The hon. Gentleman may have a valid point about relying only on the word "understood",

      475
      but his amendment relies entirely on the use of that word. He rightly stresses the importance of translation for ethnic minority groups. Incidentally, such groups include not only people who come to this country from elsewhere, but many people born in this country for whom English is not their first language. That is crucial. After further reflection on that point, does he want to say anything about the new burdens principle and the cost of that translation service to some authorities, including his own?
      Chris Grayling: I thank the hon. Gentleman for those comments. Perhaps he did not hear me say that I was not talking only about those people who come to this country but also about people who are English nationals. There is no automatic assumption that people who are either naturalised Britons or who were born in this country have an excellent understanding, knowledge and use of the English language.
      It is entirely appropriate for the hon. Gentleman to refer to the new burdens principle. As I said during our discussion of the previous group of amendments, the Government need constantly to be mindful of new burdens. Whether we like it or not, it is certainly true that local authorities already carry a burden of translation as regards vast amounts, if not all, of their official documentation. There would be no exception in the circumstances that we are discussing.
      I would like to correct the hon. Gentleman in his remarks on the use of the word "understand". Understanding is part of the amendment proposed by my hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold and his colleagues. The amendment still specifically provides either for someone to read or to have read to them the documentation relating to their case. There are thus three dimensions, not one.
      The Government's amendment relies specifically on understanding alone and casts aside the issue of reading. Surely it is right and proper that anyone entering into a legal agreement should have read it or have had it read to them, and should have clearly understood it. If that is not the case, far too many grey areas will be left open.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: No doubt my hon. Friend, with his local government experience, knows what will happen. Some of the most vulnerable people in our society will be wheeled in and given an offer. According to the terms of the Bill, they will have to sign a statement acknowledging that they have read and understood the offer. By its nature, that whole process is intimidatory. Housing officers are busy people. They are not likely to give the applicant much time, so we need to take the greatest possible care in respect of these provisions.
      Chris Grayling: I thank my hon. Friend for that cogent point on which the Minister would do well to reflect.
      There are important issues as regards literacy and the grey areas that frequently exist in debates over individual housing problems.
      Mr. Love: I thank the hon. Gentleman for giving way. He is the second Member to speak in favour of the amendment, but unfortunately I am still having some difficulty in understanding it. Even if I asked him to read it out I am not sure whether that would help me to understand it any better.
      476
      Surely the crucial point is whether the person has understood the contents of the letter. It is not explanation that is important, as has been suggested. The issue is not about reading but about understanding. If people understand the letter, surely they will be able to make a decision.
      Chris Grayling: I should point out to the hon. Gentleman that in the vast majority of cases in our daily lives when we encounter a terms and conditions document, we are supposed to tick a box to indicate that we have read and understood it. I suspect that, like me, he probably never bothers to read the terms and conditions document, and checks the box at the bottom of the page to move on. However, that document has legal force. If it says that one has no right to expect any service whatever from the person with whom one contracts, the law will fall on the side of that person. That is a fundamental issue in relation to the housing of people who are homeless or who are on the verge of becoming homeless. Very often, such people will not have a full grasp of the legal and regulatory issues, and it is surely right and proper that the law should at least ensure that they have read the terms and conditions document, or that it has been read to them, so that they know exactly what they are letting themselves in for.
      Mr. Bill Wiggin: The Government have spent a huge amount of money on promoting adult literacy—indeed, there are radio advertisements about literacy gremlins. It is therefore tremendously important that terms and conditions should be read to people with literacy problems. I hope that my hon. Friend will continue to support that approach.
      Chris Grayling: I thank my hon. Friend for those comments. Literacy is one of the three fundamental points, as my hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold outlined, which means that to rely simply on the word "understanding" is, legally, too grey. Knowledge of the English language or lack of it affects many of the people who have come to this country or who live in this country, besides many of our ethnic minority groups, which includes many of those who are most affected by the issues in this Bill. There are also those cases that present a potential for a dispute between an applicant and an authority. All those are realities.
      The amendment in lieu goes some way to addressing pitfalls down the road for local authorities—pitfalls that are not addressed by the Lords amendment. I hope that the Minister will change her mind and allow the amendment in lieu to be made.
      Mr. Mark Field: I support my hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown). This amendment represents a belt and braces approach. Perhaps I would understand if the Minister read the whole Bill out to me, but I still do not understand and appreciate her statement that the Lords amendment, which deletes two words, improves matters. I cannot see how that can be the case. However, I appreciate entirely that there is a thought in the Minister's mind that there may be a correct process to

      477
      follow, particularly in London, where many people speak English not even as a second but as a third or fourth language.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: Does my hon. Friend agree that it is extraordinary that the Lords accepted precisely the amendment that we are now being asked to reverse?
      Mr. Field: That was going to be my second point. It concerns me not least because the Conservative spokesmen in the Lords have local government experience in London, where there are clear and understandable concerns that people who do not speak English as a first language need to have such a statement read to them as a belt and braces approach to make sure that they understand it. Such people must understand the implications for their housing situation of declining an offer. I am perplexed about how the Minister can come to the view that by removing two words the rights of the most vulnerable in our society—who are homeless—will be safeguarded. I also share the constitutional concern expressed by my hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold. If the Lords discussed and proposed the amendment that we are suggesting in lieu, why was the deletion made in amendment No. 2 accepted?
      Ms Keeble: There has been a lot of discussion about not very much, and hon. Members will need to read and understand the Hansard record of the debate. I shall not deal in turn with each of the hon. Members who has spoken because they all said similar things, and they all agreed with what I said previously, which is that people should understand their position, what it means for them to get an offer and, more importantly, what will happen when they accept or refuse the offer.
      It was originally proposed that people should read and understand the statement. Lords amendment No. 2 simply requires them to understand the statement, and the means by which they come to understand it should be left to the judgment of local authorities. Both the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) and the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) said that the Government should come up with strategies to ensure that people understand the statement and they helpfully suggested some, including the use of an appropriate language. The hon. Member for Cotswold also said, with menace, that the statement should be explained to people very nicely until they understand it. Both hon. Members made it clear that they understand completely what it means to take people through the terms of a document so that they understand it.
      The amendment in lieu, tabled by Conservative Members, would mean that the statement must be read by the person concerned or read to him, and understood. The Government believe that that would restrict the strategies that could be adopted to ensure that people understand the statement.
      Mr. Mark Field: Does the hon. Lady appreciate that the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 contains similar safeguards, which ensure that any statement made by a defendant is not only understood by him but read out to him before he signs it?
      Ms Keeble: We are discussing how to ensure that someone understands what is meant by a housing offer.
      478
      As several Conservative Members and the hon. Member for Bath have said, these are complex issues that people need to discuss in detail. That is why we proposed that there should be a burden on the local authority to ensure that people understand the housing offer and the consequences of their decision to accept or reject it. It should be left to the local authority to make arrangements as to the methods by which people acquire that understanding, whether it be by reading the statement themselves, having it read to them in English or, if different, their mother tongue or having it explained to them gently step by step as the hon. Member for Cotswold recommended.
      Although some Conservative Members keep saying that they have been in the House only a short time, they show every sign of understanding that it is a big issue to take a person through the process of receiving a housing offer and making a decision. That is why we tabled the amendment in the other place. It arose from debate in the other place, and had not been raised earlier in this place. It is an improvement because it will not restrict housing officers to one or other means of making sure that people understand the process; it will place on local authorities the burden of ensuring that understanding.
      Chris Grayling: Will the Minister give way?
      Ms Keeble: Yes, but we have gone over the issue a few times and I have set out clearly the available choices.
      6 pm
      Chris Grayling: Does the Minister realise that her approach places the burden of responsibility for explanation entirely on the shoulders of the housing officer without requiring applicants to take responsibility for themselves? Amendment (a) would provide an appropriate balance of responsibility between the two.
      Ms Keeble: The burden of responsibility lies with the people concerned because they have to decide what to do about an offer. Their choice has to be informed, however, and on that basis it is important that people understand the process, what is happening and the consequences. That is why the Lords amendment No. 2 has been couched in terms that place a duty on local authorities to ensure that people understand. My winding-up note merely repeats that.
      Mr. Don Foster: Perhaps I can help the Minister with her winding-up speech. Will she give a categorical assurance that the burden of responsibility will be on the local authority housing department to ensure that applicants fully understand what is put before them? Will she also assure us that guidance will be provided to each local authority on a range of strategies that they are expected to use in different circumstances to ensure that that happens, including reading the document to applicants, translating it to their mother tongue, having an independent expert explain it to them or, as the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) said, taking them through it step by step?
      Ms Keeble: I assure the hon. Gentleman that the purpose of Lords amendment No. 2 is to place a duty on the local authority housing officer to ensure that applicants understand what is happening. I also assure him

      479
      that guidance will be introduced. However, I cannot give a date for that or be specific about the range options that it will include because that would be restrictive.
      We have had a good discussion on the different methods available to ensure that someone understands the process. It is in everyone's interest, including that of the local authority, to ensure that applicants understand what they are doing and the consequences of their decisions. As all hon. Members know, if someone does not understand what is happening, they complain or appeal.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: We have had a—
      Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Alan Haselhurst): Order. I did not realise that the hon. Gentleman had spoken. He cannot speak again.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: On a point of clarification, Mr. Deputy Speaker. Is it in order either to oppose the amendments or to agree to them?
      Mr. Deputy Speaker: I am advised that the hon. Gentleman has spoken to this group of amendments so he does not have the right to speak again. The debate has come to its conclusion.
      Question put, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment:—
      The House divided: Ayes 292, Noes 97.

      Division No. 168]

      [6.4 pm

      AYES

      Abbott, Ms Diane

      Buck, Ms Karen

      Ainsworth, Bob(Cov'try NE)

      Burden, Richard

      Allan, Richard

      Burgon, Colin

      Allen, Graham

      Burnett, John

      Anderson, Rt Hon Donald (Swansea E)

      Burstow, Paul

      Cable, Dr Vincent

      Anderson, Janet (Rossendale)

      Cairns, David

      Armstrong, Rt Hon Ms Hilary

      Campbell, Alan (Tynemouth)

      Atherton, Ms Candy

      Campbell, Mrs Anne (C'bridge)

      Atkins, Charlotte

      Campbell, Ronnie (Blyth V)

      Bailey, Adrian

      Caplin, Ivor

      Baird, Vera

      Carmichael, Alistair

      Baker, Norman

      Caton, Martin

      Banks, Tony

      Cawsey, Ian

      Barnes, Harry

      Challen, Colin

      Barrett, John

      Chapman, Ben (Wirral S)

      Barron, Kevin

      Clapham, Michael

      Battle, John

      Clark, Mrs Helen (Peterborough)

      Bayley, Hugh

      Clark, Paul (Gillingham)

      Beard, Nigel

      Clarke, Rt Hon Tom (Coatbridge)

      Begg, Miss Anne

      Clarke, Tony (Northampton S)

      Beith, Rt Hon A J

      Coaker, Vernon

      Bennett, Andrew

      Cohen, Harry

      Benton, Joe

      Coleman, Iain

      Berry, Roger

      Cook, Frank (Stockton N)

      Best, Harold

      Cook, Rt Hon Robin (Livingston)

      Betts, Clive

      Cooper, Yvette

      Blackman, Liz

      Corston, Jean

      Blears, Ms Hazel

      Cotter, Brian

      Borrow, David

      Crausby, David

      Bradley, Peter (The Wrekin)

      Cruddas, Jon

      Bradshaw, Ben

      Cryer, Mrs Ann (Keighley)

      Brake, Torn

      Cryer, John (Hornchurch)

      Breed, Colin

      Cummings, John

      Brennan, Kevin

      Cunningham, Jim (Cov'try S)

      Brown, Russell (Dumfries)

      Dalyell, Tam

      Browne, Desmond

      Darling, Rt Hon Alistair

      Bryant, Chris

      Davidson, Ian

      480

      Davies, Rt Hon Denzil (Llanelli)

      Kemp, Fraser

      Davies, Geraint (Croydon C)

      Kennedy, Rt Hon Charles (Ross Skye & Inverness W)

      Dawson, Hilton

      Dean, Mrs Janet

      Khabra, Piara S

      Denham, Rt Hon John

      Kidney, David

      Dhanda, Parmjit

      Kilfoyle, Peter

      Donohoe, Brian H

      King, Ms Oona (Bethnal Green)

      Doran, Frank

      Kirkwood, Archy

      Drown, Ms Julia

      Knight, Jim (S Dorset)

      Dunwoody, Mrs Gwyneth

      Kumar, Dr Ashok

      Eagle, Angela (Wallasey)

      Ladyman, Dr Stephen

      Edwards, Huw

      Lammy, David

      Efford, Clive

      Lawrence, Mrs Jackie

      Ellman, Mrs Louise

      Lepper, David

      Ennis, Jeff

      Leslie, Christopher

      Farrelly, Paul

      Linton, Martin

      Field, Rt Hon Frank (Birkenhead)

      Llwyd, Elfyn

      Fisher, Mark

      Love, Andrew

      Fitzpatrick Jim

      Luke Iain

      Fitzsimons, Mrs Lorna

      McCartney, Rt Hon Ian

      Flint, Caroline

      McDonagh, Siobhain

      Foster, Rt Hon Derek

      MacDonagh, Calum

      Foster, Don (Bath)

      McDonnell, John

      Foster, Michael (Worcester)

      McGuire, Mrs Anne

      Francis, Dr Hywel

      McIsaac, Shona

      Gapes, Mike

      McKechin, Ann

      Gardiner, Barry

      McKenna, Rosemary

      George, Rt Hon Bruce (Walsall S)

      McNulty, Tony

      Gerrard, Neil

      Mactaggart, Fiona

      Gibson, Dr Ian

      McWalter, Tony

      Gilroy, Linda

      Mahmood, Khalid

      Godsiff, Roger

      Mahon, Mrs Alice

      Goggins, Paul

      Mandelson, Rt Hon Peter

      Griffiths, Jane (Reading E)

      Mann, John

      Griffiths, Nigel (Edinburgh S)

      Marris, Rob

      Griffiths, Win (Bridgend)

      Marsden, Gordon (Blackpool S)

      Grogan, John

      Marshall—Andrews, Robert

      Hain, Rt Hon Peter

      Martlew, Eric

      Hall, Mike (Weaver Vale)

      Michael, Rt Hon Alun

      Hamilton, David (Midlothian)

      Milburn, Rt Hon Alan

      Hanson, David

      Miliband, David

      Harris, Dr Evan (Oxford W)

      Miller, Andrew

      Harris, Tom (Glasgow Cathcart)

      Mitchell, Austin (Gt Grimsby)

      Harvey, Nick

      Mole, Chris

      Healey, John

      Moonie, Dr Lewis

      Heath, David

      Morley, Elliot

      Henderson, Doug (Newcastle N)

      Mullin, Chris

      Henderson, Ivan (Harwich)

      Munn, Ms Meg

      Hepburn, Stephen

      Murphy, Denis (Wansbeck)

      Naysmith, Dr Doug

      Heppell, John

      Norris, Dan

      Hermon, Lady

      O'Brien, Mike (N Warks)

      Heyes, David

      O'Hara, Edward

      Hill, Keith

      Olner, Bill

      Hodge, Margaret

      Organ, Diana

      Hope, Phil

      Owen, Albert

      Hopkins, Kelvin

      Pearson, Ian

      Howarth, Rt Hon Alan (Newport E)

      Perham, Linda

      Howarth, George (Knowsley N)

      Pickthall, Colin

      Hoyle, Lindsay

      Pike, Peter

      Humble, Mrs Joan

      Plaskitt, James

      Iddon, Dr Brian

      Pond, Chris

      Illsley, Eric

      Pound, Stephen

      Ingram, Rt Hon Adam

      Prentice, Gordon (Pendle)

      Jackson, Glenda (Hampstead)

      Prosser, Gwyn

      Jamieson, David

      Pugh, Dr John

      Jenkins, Brian

      Purchase, Ken

      Jones, Helen (Warrington N)

      Purnell, James

      Jones, Jon Owen (Cardiff C)

      Quin, Rt Hon Joyce

      Jones, Kevan (N Durham)

      Quinn, Lawrie

      Jones, Lynne (Selly Oak)

      Rapson, Syd

      Kaufman, Rt Hon Gerald

      Rendel, David

      Keeble, Ms Sally

      Robertson, John (Glasgow Anniesland)

      Keen, Alan (Feltham & Heston)

      Keen, Ann (Brentford & Isleworth)

      Rooney, Terry

      481

      Ross, Ernie

      Thomas, Gareth (Clwyd W)

      Roy, Frank

      Thomas, Gareth R (Harrow W)

      Ruane, Chris

      Tipping, Paddy

      Ruddock, Joan

      Todd, Mark

      Russell, Bob (Colchester)

      Tonge, Dr Jenny

      Russell, Ms Christine (Chester)

      Touhig, Don

      Ryan, Joan

      Trickett, Jon

      Sanders, Adrian

      Truswell, Paul

      Sarwar, Mohammad

      Turner, Dennis (Wolverh'ton SE)

      Sedgemore, Brian

      Turner, Dr Desmond (Kemptown)

      Shaw, Jonathan

      Turner, Neil (Wigan)

      Sheerman, Barry

      Twigg, Stephen (Enfield)

      Shipley, Ms Debra

      Ward, Ms Claire

      Simon, Siôn

      Wareing, Robert N

      Simpson, Alan (Nottingham S)

      Watson, Tom

      Skinner, Dennis

      Watts, David

      Smith, Angela (Basildon)

      Webb, Steve

      Smith, Jacqui (Redditch)

      White, Brian

      Smith, John (Glamorgan)

      Whitehead, Dr Alan

      Smith, Sir Robert (W Ab'd'ns)

      Wicks, Malcolm

      Soley, Clive

      Williams, Rt Hon Alan (Swansea W)

      Southworth, Helen

      Squire, Rachel

      Williams, Mrs Betty (Conwy)

      Starkey, Dr Phyllis

      Williams, Hywel (Caernarfon)

      Steinberg, Gerry

      Williams, Roger (Brecon)

      Stewart, David (Inverness E)

      Wills, Michael

      Stewart, Ian (Eccles)

      Winterton, Ms Rosie (Doncaster C)

      Stinchcombe, Paul

      Woodward, Shaun

      Stoate, Dr Howard

      Wright, Anthony D (Gt Yarmouth)

      Strang, Rt Hon Dr Gavin

      Wright, David (Telford)

      Stringer, Graham

      Wright, Tony (Cannock)

      Stunell, Andrew

      Wyatt, Derek

      Sutcliffe, Gerry

      Younger-Ross, Richard

      Tami, Mark

      Taylor, Rt Hon Ann (Dewsbury)

      Tellers for the Ayes:

      Taylor, Ms Dari (Stockton S)

      Mr. Nick Ainger and

      Taylor, David (NW Leics)

      Mr. Phil Woolas.

      NOES

      Ainsworth, Peter (E Surrey)

      Green, Damian (Ashford)

      Bacon, Richard

      Greenway, John

      Barker, Gregory

      Grieve, Dominic

      Baron, John

      Hammond, Philip

      Bercow, John

      Hawkins, Nick

      Beresford, Sir Paul

      Heathcoat-Amory, Rt Hon David

      Blunt, Crispin

      Hendry, Charles

      Boswell, Tim

      Hoban, Mark

      Bottomley, Peter (Worthing W)

      Howard, Rt Hon Michael

      Brady, Graham

      Howarth, Gerald (Aldershot)

      Burnside, David

      Jack, Rt Hon Michael

      Burt, Alistair

      Jenkin, Bernard

      Cameron, David

      Key, Robert

      Chapman, Sir Sydney (Chipping Barnet)

      Kirkbride, Miss Julie

      Laing, Mrs Eleanor

      Chope, Christopher

      Leigh, Edward

      Clappison, James

      Letwin, Oliver

      Clifton-Brown, Geoffrey

      Lewis, Dr Julian (New Forest E)

      Collins, Tim

      Liddell-Grainger, Ian

      Conway, Derek

      Lidington, David

      Curry, Rt Hon David

      Loughton, Tim

      Davis, Rt Hon David (Haltemprice)

      Luff, Peter

      Djanogly, Jonathan

      MacKay, Rt Hon Andrew

      Duncan, Peter (Galloway)

      Maclean, Rt Hon David

      Duncan Smith, Rt Hon Iain

      McLoughlin, Patrick

      Fabricant, Michael

      Malins, Humfrey

      Field, Mark (Cities of London)

      Mawhinney, Rt Hon Sir Brian

      Flight, Howard

      May, Mrs Theresa

      Flook, Adrian

      Moss, Malcolm

      Francois, Mark

      Murrison, Dr Andrew

      Gale, Roger

      Norman, Archie

      Garnier, Edward

      O'Brien, Stephen (Eddisbury)

      Gibb, Nick

      Osborne, George (Tatton)

      Gillan, Mrs Cheryl

      Ottaway, Richard

      Goodman, Paul

      Paice, James

      Gray, James

      Paterson, Owen

      Grayling, Chris

      Pickles, Eric

      482

      Prisk, Mark

      Tyrie, Andrew

      Redwood, Rt Hon John

      Waterson, Nigel

      Robathan, Andrew

      Watkinson, Angela

      Robertson, Hugh (Faversham)

      Whittingdale, John

      Robertson, Laurence (Tewk'b'ry)

      Widdecombe, Rt Hon Miss Ann

      Roe, Mrs Marion

      Wiggin, Bill

      Ruffley, David

      Willetts, David

      Sayeed, Jonathan

      Wilshire, David

      Selous, Andrew

      Yeo, Tim

      Soames, Nicholas

      Young, Rt Hon Sir George

      Spicer, Sir Michael

      Spink, Bob

      Tellers for the Noes:

      Syms, Robert

      Mr. Julian Brazier and

      Taylor, Sir Teddy

      Mr. Desmond Swayne.

      Question accordingly agreed to.
      Lords amendment agreed to.

    After clause 11

      A NEW CLAUSE
      Lords amendment: No. 3.
      Ms Keeble: I beg to move, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.
      The issue of accommodation for children in need and their families under section 17 of the Children Act 1989 has arisen repeatedly during the consideration of this Bill, both in this House and in another place. It is an important issue—probably the most important that we will discuss this evening—and will also be considered in relation to the Adoption and Children Bill. Lords amendment No. 3 will address the central concern—namely, it must be clear that social services authorities have the power to provide accommodation for children and their families under section 17 of the 1989 Act. There is also the separate question of ensuring good co-operation between the housing and social service departments in working to meet the needs of such children and their families.
      The Minister for Housing and Planning, my noble Friend Lord Falconer, has met a number of social services directors and was impressed by their arrangements to ensure that their department works together with the housing authority—or housing department, in the case of unitary authorities—to find an appropriate solution for the whole family when dealing with families with children who are intentionally homeless or ineligible for housing assistance.
      Lords amendment No. 3 would ensure that all local authorities adopt similar co-operative arrangements. The amendment, which would insert a new section, 213A, in the Housing Act 1996, would require housing authorities to have arrangements in place to ensure that social services authorities were made aware when a housing authority was dealing with an applicant whose household included a child under age the age of 18 and had reason to believe that the applicant might be homeless—or threatened with homelessness—intentionally, or might be ineligible for housing assistance. The housing authority would also have to inform the social services department of the decision taken on the homelessness application. These requirements would be subject to the applicant's consent, although withholding consent would not affect the housing authority's ability to alert the social services authority in any case when it was concerned that a child might be at risk of suffering significant harm.

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      Lords amendment No. 3 would also place a new duty on housing authorities. They would have to provide advice and assistance to the social services authorities where the latter were aware of a decision by a housing authority that a household that includes a child under 18 was unintentionally homeless, or threatened with homelessness, or ineligible for housing assistance and the social services authority asked for assistance in the exercise of its functions under part III of the Children Act 1989. That new duty would not prejudice the current provisions on co-operation between authorities in section 27 of the 1989 Act.
      Lords amendment No. 3 would also place a requirement on unitary authorities to have similar arrangements in place. They would have to ensure that, subject to the applicant's consent, the facts of such cases and the decision on the homelessness application were referred to the social services department by the housing department. They would also have to ensure that the housing department provided advice and assistance, such as is reasonable in the circumstances, to the social services department on request.
      As my noble Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning undertook to do in another place, my Department and the Department of Health propose to issue joint guidance to housing and social services departments about co-operative working in the context of the new provisions. The provisions should ensure greater safeguards for families with children and address some of the issues that were debated at some length on Second Reading and Report. I am sure that hon. Members will have no hesitation in endorsing these actions, and I urge them to support Lords amendment No. 3.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: Lords amendment No. 3 is a new clause, to be inserted in the Bill after clause 11. On a minor administrative note, I am not sure why it has been inserted after clause 11, which deals with appeals, when it would have been better placed after clause 8 on the review of decisions as to suitability of accommodation. Such an administrative problem arises because this is a new area that was not discussed when the Bill was previously debated on the Floor of the House or in Committee. This provision has been debated in the House of Lords and is now inserted in the Bill in the form of a new clause. Having said that, we broadly welcome the new clause, although we have a number of reservations that I should like to raise with the Minister.
      The new clause would strengthen the current duty on housing and social services authorities—housing and social services departments in unitary authorities—to co-operate when a family will not be provided with accommodation under the main homelessness duty and children are involved. Such a situation most commonly occurs when a family is found to be intentionally homeless or when they are ineligible for assistance due to their immigration status.
      The new clause specifies that the housing authority must, with the applicant's consent, inform the social services authority about the facts of the case and, at an early opportunity, notify it of its subsequent decision. The new clause also requires the housing authority to provide such advice and assistance as is reasonable in the circumstances in helping the social services authority exercise its function to children in need under the provisions of the Children Act 1989 when requested to do so.
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      Such a power already exists in the 1989 Act. Section 20(1) provides:
      "Every local authority shall provide accommodation for any child in need within their area who appears to them to require accommodation as a result of"
      certain reasons. Subsection (3) provides:
      "Every local authority shall provide accommodation for any child in need within their area who has reached the age of sixteen and whose welfare the authority consider is likely to be seriously prejudiced if they do not provide him with accommodation."
      Section 22(1) states:
      "In this Act, any reference to a child who is looked after by a local authority is a reference to a child who is
      (a) in their care; or
      (b) provided with accommodation by the authority in the exercise of any functions".
      Given that such a power is already enshrined in law, why is the new clause necessary? It will ensure that social services co-operate with housing authorities, but they already have to do so under the 1989 Act.
      Mr. Don Foster: The hon. Gentleman may be able to help me. My understanding is that the Children Act 1989 requires social services to provide housing for the children, not the entire family. That is the nature of the amendment that I understand the Government intend to make.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: That is precisely the point—the new clause deals with the children. As the duties of the local authority are already enshrined in the Children Act, I cannot see the necessity of the new clause. The only reason for it that I can see is that it will make social services and housing departments work more closely together. Perhaps the Minister will confirm that.
      It is relatively easy for social services and housing departments to work together closely in a unitary authority. However, when a county authority provides the social services and a borough or district council provides housing functions, two councils will have to have mechanisms for dealing with each other. There will be an awful lot of people producing bits of paper and watching their back in case one or other council are sued.
      Something might be fine as an ideal, but once it is enshrined in law, the compliance cost can be significant. We do not think that the Government will allocate sufficient funds to local authorities to enable them to implement the provisions properly and that the burden will fall on council tax payers. Can the Minister give us an idea of the compliance cost of implementing the new clause? What mechanisms will need to be put in place in district and borough council housing authorities and county council social services authorities? What protocols and disciplines will need to be put in place to make the new clause work?
      6.30 pm
      Having said that, we welcome the Government's recognition of the need to protect children, particularly those intentionally made homeless, and often through no fault of their own. Excellent work is being done by some housing associations in dealing specifically with vulnerable children. I visited the Cirencester young person's housing association the other day, and met a young constituent of mine who had been abused by his

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      parents. Through a friend, he secured a place in a little house provided by that association, which is divided into several separate bedrooms for such children. He is obviously flourishing and will eventually be able to move to a flat of his own. Housing authorities are becoming cleverer at dealing with such people, and we need to provide them with more support.
      We need to be clear about where the Government will place such people in their list of priority needs. How will that list dovetail with local housing authorities' strategy on homelessness?
      Mr. Love: The philosophy at the centre of the Children Act 1989 is that the child should be the first priority. Everyone would assume that, in most cases, the best way for such children to be brought up is for them to remain with their natural parents. Does the hon. Gentleman accept that bringing together social services and housing is the best way to ensure that housing authorities are aware of that priority?
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: I accept the thrust of what the hon. Gentleman is saying, but I am probing the Minister as to how that will work in practice. We have all heard of shocking cases of children falling through the net and being abused. The West case, which occurred in my constituency, was one of the worst in history. Obvious mistakes were made, but having discussed the matter in detail with Gloucestershire social services, I am sure that such a thing is unlikely to happen today. Let us all hope and pray that it cannot. We welcome the amendment in principle, but we want to see how it will work.
      The amendment makes it clear that social services can act only with the consent of the applicant. Again, the question is one of understanding and of who said what at a particular time. For example, what will happen if a child, for whatever reason—they might be fearful or might not understand what is going on—does not give consent for social services to act on their behalf? The child could still be vulnerable, but the import of the amendment will be circumvented if they do not wish to give consent. What will happen in such situations?
      If local government is to be reorganised along more regional lines, will regional assemblies have a role in this matter? The sharing of such responsibilities between a plethora of local government tiers would lead to increasing difficulties. I ask the Minister to explain, when she winds up the debate, how the amendment will work in practice.
      Glenda Jackson: I seem to be speaking to an entirely different amendment from the one that the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) has just defined. My hon. Friend the Minister will correct me if I am wrong, but I understand that the amendment will ensure that a child cannot be taken away from its family under the current statutory requirements of the Children Act 1989. If, for a variety of reasons, a family is deemed intentionally homeless, it will be the duty of the housing authority, working closely with social services, to ensure that the family can be kept together. The hon. Gentleman seems to think that the amendment deals with abused children, but I suspect that they are already protected under the 1989 Act. I am aware of only one instance in
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      which someone who was in desperate need of housing refused to approach the local housing authority because that person had been told that its response would be to place the children in care. However, I am sure that my hon. Friend the Minister is aware of a growing belief—I speak from my direct experience in London—that if a family with children are deemed to have become intentionally homeless, the housing authority's first step will be to contact social services to take the children into care. I understand that the amendment would prevent that.
      Close working between the social services and housing departments—I am happy to say that such a relationship between the departments already exists in Camden—that will have a responsibility to assist such families means that the family will not be marooned and left to attempt to find their own housing and that children will not be taken into care. Children should be taken into care if there is clear evidence that they are being abused or are in danger within the family, but they should not be put into care simply because of a shortage of housing.
      Chris Grayling: The hon. Lady will realise that no hon. Member would wish to see children taken into care purely for housing reasons, but surely she recognises that in some cases—happily small in number—a social issue that could lead to a child being taken into care comes to light only because of a housing issue. The housing department may be the first to get wind of a problem.
      Glenda Jackson: I have already told the House that I have had only one direct experience of someone who refused to approach their local authority because they believed that their children would be taken into care. I am not clear about the case that the hon. Gentleman makes. I have already said that if clear evidence shows that a child—whether homeless or not—is in danger from their family, for whatever reason, social services have a responsibility to act. However, if the hon. Gentleman was suggesting that the danger to the child was the fact that the family had nowhere to live and that the child should be taken from an otherwise caring family and put into care, I would strongly disagree. It is my perception that the amendment would ensure that that could not happen.
      Chris Grayling: I do not wish to describe the case I mentioned in detail, for obvious reasons, but a social issue that should have led social services to question whether to take a child into care arose only because of a housing-related matter being dealt with by the housing department. That is a very specific example.
      Glenda Jackson: The hon. Gentleman makes the case for much closer working between housing and social services departments. I know from my experience of my local authority that such close working already takes place. When housing families, local authorities should work more closely not only with the Department of Health—as my hon. Friend the Minister said—but with education departments. It is almost impossible for local authorities in Greater London to rehouse every family within their own borders, so they must work closely with all the boroughs within the London conurbation.
      I welcome the amendment. It will do much to allay the genuine or perceived fears of family members—not all local authorities have Camden's excellent record—and I ask my hon. Friend the Minister to disseminate its

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      contents, even before the Bill receives Royal Assent, to local authorities that have not yet introduced closer working between social services and housing departments. Families should not fear that if they present themselves their children will be taken from them and put into care, and they will still be homeless. That can create enormous tensions and strains in a family and, inevitably, it is the children who suffer.
      Mr. Don Foster: The hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) is right that there has been relatively little discussion during the passage of the Bill of children and homelessness. Today, we have already heard about the many homeless households, and recognise that a large proportion of them live in inappropriate temporary accommodation. Indeed, many homeless households live in extremely inappropriate bed and breakfast accommodation. We must recognise that those households include many children. The recently published Shelter report "No Room to Play: Children and Homelessness" states:
      "More than 100,000 children in England become homeless every year."
      It is therefore right that the House should address concerns about the support that legislation can provide for such children.
      The hon. Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Glenda Jackson) rightly hoped that the Lords amendment would go a long way towards addressing some of the current problems. We must recognise that there are already many examples of good practice, whereby local authority housing departments and social services departments work together to meet the needs of homeless children and their families. However, that is not true of all local authorities, so we should include in the Bill a requirement that all local authority housing and social services departments co-operate in a way already practised by the very best departments.
      I therefore welcome the Lords amendment, but I am conscious that it will not solve all the problems. During deliberation on the amendments in another place, reference was made to difficulties resulting from the Children Act 1989 and a number of court cases and judgments that have led to homeless families being under threat of their children being taken into care. I understand that the Government have made a clear commitment to reverse the effect of those judgments by amending the Children Act through an amendment to the Adoption and Children Bill. I should be grateful for an assurance from the Minister that that remains the Government's intention and an explanation of the way in which the change will be introduced.
      I am conscious that the Lords amendment will require sensitive handling by social services departments. If a local authority social services department is to become involved, the agreement of the family concerned will be required, so sensitivity is essential. In another place, Lord Falconer said on 24 January at column 152 that he fully accepted the need for sensitivity and gave an assurance that appropriate guidance would be issued on the way in which that sensitivity would be exercised by local authorities. I should be grateful if the Minister told the House a little more about Government intentions on that guidance.
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      6.45 pm
      The issue is important, but it is wrong of the hon. Member for Cotswold to suggest that there has been no deliberation on it during the Bill's passage. I am sure that the Minister will confirm that on a number of occasions in Committee I spoke to amendments I had tabled, expressing considerable concern about, for example, a parent's behaviour leading to a family being refused priority housing. Lord Falconer and the Minister expressed concern about that, and promised to amend the Bill. I am delighted that as a result of subsequent deliberation, Lords amendment No. 3 was tabled, but by itself it will not be sufficient to meet all the concerns of the hon. Member for Hampstead and Highgate. I hope that the Minister will give us assurances and guarantees that the amendments to which I have already referred will be made.
      Chris Grayling: I should like to raise three issues, the first of which relates to the concerns that I outlined in relation to the first group of Lords amendments.
      The new clause proposed in Lords amendment No. 3 has the admirable aspiration of providing protection for children in families who become intentionally homeless. I very much agree with many of the sentiments expressed by the hon. Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Glenda Jackson), who spoke about the importance of protecting children in such circumstances. However, there will be times when the reasons for a family becoming intentionally homeless lead to significant attention from social services departments regarding the nature of the family and their suitability to care for their children. God forbid that that should happen frequently, but it should necessarily involve close collaboration between social services departments and housing departments.
      The essence of what the new clause proposes already occurs in the vast majority of local authorities as a matter of course. Undoubtedly, some local authorities do not come up to scratch but, as one of my local authorities says, "We do it anyway as a matter of course." If there is a problem case, the authority always talks to social services about the issues surrounding it. I should hate an admirable provision to impose an unnecessary bureaucratic burden on the best authorities. I therefore repeat my question to the Minister: what processes will be imposed on housing officers and social services departments to deliver the requirements of the new clause? What specific requirements will she place on officers, and what additional paperwork will they have to deal with? In particular, what burden of regulation, supervision and assessment will be placed on authorities as a result of the new clause?
      When the Minister responds to our debate, will she give an assurance that she will not allow the imposition of new processes to make the life of the better local authority officers more difficult than it is at the moment? As we all know, anyone who has any contact with, or knowledge of, local government knows how hard-pressed many of our local government officers are. I should hate a well meaning and well thought-out new clause to be implemented in a way that made matters much worse for them. As my hon. Friend the Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) rightly said, there are resource implications, which often involve time rather than money. The Government needs to be mindful of them as they set about implementing the Lords amendment, particularly in

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      areas not covered by unitary authorities, where the social services department and the housing authority are miles apart and it is not simply a question of having a conversation down the corridor. Those organisations have contact points, but they lack the benefit afforded by unitary authorities of sitting within the same management structure in the same building.
      There are two other specific issues that I would like the Minister to address when she replies, one of which involves the use of the word "assistance". A local housing officer has expressed concern to me. What does the word mean in this context? There is some concern within the profession that in reality social services will be given the right to resubmit an application to the housing department with a heavy lean in favour of it being accepted. That led to the comment, "If that is to be the case, if social services will become the arbiter in these matters, we will not bother to declare anyone intentionally homeless in the first place."
      What are the requirements for the housing department in providing not only advice but practical assistance to the social services department in the implementation of these provisions? I focus on that point because it has a resource implication for many small district councils. If a county council's social services department is able to say, "No, these decisions are not right, you need to house these people", when the district council has decreed that the people concerned are intentionally homeless, the district council will end up in some instances funding accommodation, when under current legislation it would not be doing so. The Government should be mindful of that as they push through the amendment.
      Secondly, I ask the Minister to be watchful of unitary authorities. The division between unitary and non-unitary authorities is not quite as clear cut as it would seem. An example within my constituency highlights that point. The Preston estate in Tadworth is one of the problem areas of Surrey. It is an area of some deprivation and there are significant social problems. The estate is divided between three different housing authorities. It is covered by a fourth authority, which provides the social services input. The estate itself is controlled one third by the London borough of Sutton, one third by Merton and one third by Reigate and Banstead. Surrey county council provides social services at present.
      London boroughs such as Sutton or Merton have the vast majority of their housing stock within their own borders. The small offshoots that for historical reasons they control can often be easily forgotten. I suspect that the Minister would find quite a significant number of unitary authorities that have social services and housing under one roof but which have some property outside their boundaries. As she proceeds to implement this legislation, she will find that there is not always a split between the unitary authority and the non-unitary authority, which is articulated in the new clause. The clause suggests that for a unitary authority everything is under the same roof, but that is not the case.
      The Government must be careful about the way in which they frame regulations and guidance notes. They must ensure that areas that do not fall within the boundaries of unitary authorities do not slip through the net because no
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      one thinks clearly about their presence. I hope that the Minister will bear that in mind as the Bill becomes law and as the Department begins to implement it.
      I welcome the principle behind the amendment. It is admirable that we should provide proper protection for children. However, I hope that the Minister will take care to ensure that implementation works with rather than against local authorities.
      Ms Keeble: I shall try to answer all the queries that have been raised. However, some of them involve quite detailed, complex legal issues. If hon. Members still have concerns after my response, I shall ensure that they are dealt with in writing. The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell (Chris Grayling) raised a particular case, and it should be considered in some detail outside this general discussion.
      The hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) is not right when he says that the issue before us has not been discussed clearly. The general principles and concerns that underpin the discussion have been some of the most hotly contested points in our discussions as the Bill has passed through its various stages.
      The central issue is the welfare of families with children, not children on their own. It is about the interrelationship between homelessness legislation and legislation that affects children. At the same time, there is a series of complex issues. The issue was probably first raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (Ms Buck) and by Shelter, which held out the prospect that if we got things wrong, or if we got the relationship wrong between responsibility under the Children Act 1989 and homelessness legislation, we would see a return to the days of "Cathy Come Home", when families were split up. As my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Glenda Jackson) said, homelessness would be a recipe for children ending up in care in those circumstances. We must deal with the issues that revolve round the family.
      The hon. Member for Cotswold and others will remember that we had much discussion on Second Reading, in Committee and on Report about the possibility of amending in part the Children Act 1989. There was also much discussion about the fact that despite the test cases—the ones to which I think my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate was referring—and despite various assertions to the contrary, the power remained for social services, in considering the welfare of the family or of the child, also to promote the upbringing of the child by his or her family. During these discussions arguments were advanced by myself and by my noble Friend Lord Falconer in another place.
      That was one of the key responsibilities. The knock-on effect of that was that of providing housing for a family, and not only for the individual child. It was the families with children who were intentionally homeless under the Act that did not qualify under housing legislation and homelessness legislation.
      We are dealing with one of the most important amendments that we will consider this evening. It puts in place arrangements to make existing powers work properly. It is right that such powers are in place. It is also correct that some local authorities are already doing what we would wish. I stressed in my opening remarks that we have examined best practice and what local

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      authorities are doing when they have to deal with these matters. The amendment has been tabled to ensure that other authorities act in the same way. I hope that explains from where the amendment has come.
      Families that might be affected by the intentionality rules will be, for example, those who have been evicted for rent arrears or antisocial behaviour. The children of such families are vulnerable. I am sure that there are hon. Members who are familiar with such cases from their advice surgeries.
      The hon. Member for Cotswold asked about consent and the consent of the child. That is not the issue that is before us. My hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate was right when she said that we are not talking about specific issues that involve children being taken into care and housed. We are talking about the housing of families with children, and that is made clear in the amendment. If the hon. Gentleman reads the proposed section 213A(1), he will see that it refers to
      "where a local housing authority have reason to believe that an applicant with whom a person under the age of 18 normally resides".
      That is basically a family with children.
      The issue of consent involves the exchange of information between two different departments or two different local authorities. The new clause deals with that and with the specific circumstances in which the social services or housing department makes an exemption where a child may be at risk. That is perfectly proper and in line with all the standard procedures and legislation affecting local authorities. I hope that that deals with the concerns of the hon. Member for Cotswold.
      7 pm
      My hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate spoke about the dissemination of information to local authorities. My noble Friend Lord Falconer and I have repeatedly discussed the powers of local authorities and their responsibilities under the existing legislation, which have not changed, despite the test cases known to my hon. Friend. I hope that we have already clarified the position, but steps will be taken to ensure that the information is properly disseminated. A further issue is the extent to which people know their rights. That comes down to advice and assistance, which we have discussed.
      The hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) spoke about an amendment under the Adoption and Children Bill. That is a matter for my colleagues in the Department of Health, and I shall not tread on their toes. The hon. Gentleman is right to say that there has been a great deal of discussion about the matter. I pay tribute to his own role, and to that of my hon. Friend the Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North, who has pursued the issue vociferously, because of its importance for her constituency and also because of her concerns about child welfare in general.
      Mr. Don Foster: The Minister said that she did not wish to tread on other people's toes, and I understand that. Will she confirm that she agrees with her noble Friend Lord Falconer, who said that
      "the critical issue is to ensure that the social services directorate has power, when appropriate, to house the family and not only the children. As my hon. Friend the Minister of State at the Department of Health said in the Commons, on 17th January, and to which I referred on Report, we"—
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      presumably meaning the Government—
      "have undertaken to bring forward amendments to the Adoption and Children Bill to address that issue"?—[Official Report, House of Lords, 24 January 2002; Vol. 631, c. 152.]
      Can the Minister confirm to the House that it is still the Government's intention to do that?
      Ms Keeble: My noble Friend and I have spoken repeatedly about the matter, on which we agree completely. We are as one. We have discussed in detail the complexities of this part of the legislation.
      The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell spoke again about aspirations and what the process would be. The new clause is all about process. It is all about making sure that the families do not slip between two departments or two local authorities, as often happens. The new clause will make sure that the two departments or the two local authorities communicate. As the hon. Gentleman knows, there are some local authorities that do that extremely well, there are cases in which it will require something of a culture change to get two local authorities to talk to each other. The new clause will ensure that that happens, in the best interests of the families and the children concerned.
      The hon. Gentleman says that that happens in his local authority, which is excellent, but it clearly does not happen in every local authority, given the anxieties that have been raised by Shelter, voluntary organisations and hon. Members about what happens to children or families when they are batted about between pillar and post. As my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate said, such families are often afraid that the children will be taken into care, so they are unable to access the kind of housing that is their right.
      It would be worth the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell and other hon. Members checking the procedures and protocols in their own local authorities or between the local authorities in their areas, to make sure that such cases are dealt with. There is a small number of cases, but they are difficult.
      The hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell also asked about assistance. That relates to the various bits of legislation to which I referred earlier. We are not discussing the ability of a social services department to reverse a housing department's decision. The decision taken by the housing department involves intentionality, vulnerability, priority needs and so on, under the housing legislation. There is no question of the social services department saying that the housing department has got it wrong, if the family is intentionally homeless.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: Will the hon. Lady give way?
      Ms Keeble: No. I am in the middle of replying, and I might forget what I intended to say.
      Responsibility for housing in that instance rests with social services. Different legislation applies, so the provision for assistance and advice does not mean that the clients get passed from one department to the other. The social services department exercises its powers under the relevant legislation. The issue is how different departments or local authorities work together to realise that. Having completed my reply, I give way to the hon. Member for Cotswold.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: I am grateful to the Minister. Can she say how the new clause will work in practice? It deals

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      with those who are intentionally homeless and have children under the age of 18. The hon. Lady gave the example of people who are grossly in arrears of rent or who are subject to antisocial behaviour problems. Given the scarcity of housing resources, will such people have priority over people in a similar situation or people who are unintentionally homeless, but who have otherwise behaved perfectly properly?
      Ms Keeble: We are discussing a small group of people, who are not being housed under the homelessness legislation. Because they are intentionally homeless, the powers rest with social services, which wants to promote the upbringing of the child by his family. The aim is therefore to keep the family together. I thought that I had explained that. The new clause sets out in detail how that will be achieved. It specifies the joint protocols and the level of contact and liaison that is necessary between the different departments or local authorities to make sure that that happens. The process is exactly what the new clause is about. It does not mean that one group of people leapfrogs over another on the housing list because it is being catered for by social services.
      Ms Karen Buck: I apologise to my hon. Friend for not being in the Chamber earlier. I warmly welcome the new clause. Subject to the further underpinning of it, as we have discussed, it shows that the Government have listened and taken note of the problem. One of the ways in which the new clause may be implemented by local authorities is that it will allow a social services department to put time and sometimes a small sum of money into accessing a private tenancy for families who do not have the resources or the ability to access their own accommodation. In that way, social services departments may be able to help, as my hon. Friend said, without such families going back into the housing department system that has already failed them.
      Ms Keeble: There are a number of ways in which the powers can be exercised. The main point that I was making to the Opposition is that the powers are exercised by social services, not by the housing department. The procedure is slightly different because it is not under housing legislation. As the housing department and the authority will have responsibility for the homelessness strategy and will know where the housing is, they will be in a position to assist. I am told that they will be able to provide assistance, within the normal meaning of the word, to social services in exercising their powers. I take the point about properties that are located in other areas. Clearly, the issue will have to be taken into account. Of course, when families enter the system, they will be dealt with by social services, as their position will be considered under the Children Act 1989.
      Chris Grayling: In a borough that has a housing block in another area, it is conceivable that the natural instinct of the unitary authority will be to turn to its own social services department when a particular problem arises, even though the department covering the geographic area
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      containing the block may have a much greater knowledge of local circumstances and about how to deal with the issue.
      Ms Keeble: I take that point and I shall ensure that it is addressed.
      I think that I have dealt with the details and technicalities of this difficult but extremely important area. I am absolutely sure that the amendment will improve the Bill and the safeguards that are provided. In particular, it will improve the safeguards for one of our most vulnerable groups—families who are intentionally homeless, in relation to whom the interests of the child must be carefully considered and proper arrangements made. I am very pleased indeed that it has been possible to bring the amendment from the other place and I urge all hon. Members to support it.
      Lords amendment agreed to.

    Clause 15

      ALLOCATION SCHEMES
      Lords amendment: No. 4.
      Ms Keeble: I beg to move, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.
      Mr. Deputy Speaker: With this it will be convenient to consider Lords amendments Nos. 5 to 7.
      Ms Keeble: Amendment No. 4 is a minor drafting amendment. The Bill gives local housing authorities powers to take account of unacceptable behaviour when making decisions about applicants for the allocation of housing. Clause 13 constructs a test of unacceptable behaviour that is serious enough to make the applicant unsuitable to be a tenant of the authority. Where an authority has decided that an applicant is guilty of such behaviour, it will either have power under clause 13 to decide to treat them as ineligible for an allocation altogether, or it may decide to treat them as eligible but not to give them any preference under clause 15.
      The policy intention is that the test of unacceptable behaviour should be exactly the same whether it is a basis for treating a person as ineligible or for deciding that he or she does not deserve to be given any preference. The test is deliberately constructed to be a very high one and it incorporates two main elements: first, the authority must be satisfied that the applicant or a member of his household has been guilty of unacceptable behaviour; and secondly, in the circumstances when the case is considered, it must be satisfied either that the applicant is unsuitable to be a tenant or that he deserves not to be given reasonable preference by reason of that unacceptable behaviour.
      The qualification
      "by reason of that behaviour",
      which the amendment inserts in the clause, is essential to ensure that authorities do not have a broad power to decide to treat applicants as ineligible or not to give preference for reasons that are not linked to the unacceptable behaviour. The qualification appears in clause 13 in new section 160A(7)(b) to the Housing Act 1996. The provision deals with the treatment of an applicant as ineligible for an allocation, but was omitted from clause 15, which deals with the treatment of an

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      applicant as deserving not to be given any preference. The amendment would merely insert that qualification in the clause and ensure that the provisions on unacceptable behaviour are clear and symmetrical.
      As I said, clause 13 allows an authority to decide to treat an applicant as ineligible for an allocation because it is satisfied that he is guilty of unacceptable behaviour that is serious enough to make him unsuitable to be a tenant of the authority. When an authority is satisfied that an applicant is unsuitable to be its tenant, it may decide to treat him as ineligible or instead to consider his application but not give any preference for an allocation. As the Bill stands, the authority must notify the applicant of a decision to treat him as ineligible and of the grounds on which it has been made. With regard to a decision not to give preference, applicants have the right to ask to be informed, but the authority is not required to notify them unless it is requested to do so.
      7.15 pm
      In another place—and, indeed, in this place at an earlier stage—there was pressure for an amendment to require authorities to notify applicants about such decisions. Unfortunately—this is where the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) was misguided—the proposal's construction meant that it would also have required authorities to notify applicants about routine decisions taken about the facts of their application. [Interruption.] I know that the hon. Gentleman is very entertained and is about to say that he was right all along. That is not the case. The Government reflected on the points that were raised in debate about his amendment. We saw the force of the argument that in areas where pressure on housing is high a decision not to give preference could have the same practical effect as a decision to treat an applicant as ineligible; that is to say, it could remove any realistic opportunity of his being allocated accommodation. [Interruption.] Again, the hon. Gentleman indicates that he is right. We have shown simply that the Government are prepared to listen and cherry-pick his amendments so as to take the good bits while still rejecting the wider and totally impractical elements.
      The additional requirement should not add significantly to authorities' work load. We anticipate that, overall, only a small proportion of applicants will receive such decisions and our understanding is that the local authority associations support this proposal. The Government have therefore decided that authorities should be required to notify the applicant when they decide not to give any preference because of unacceptable behaviour, but they will not be required to deal with the confetti of decision papers that the amendment of the hon. Member for Bath would have required. Amendments Nos. 5, 6 and 7 will help to achieve those effects. I urge hon. Members to support the amendment.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: We heard a lot in Committee about the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) sending his wife postcards when his amendments succeeded. I have no doubt that his wife will be receiving a postcard in the morning. Tribute where tribute is due: he pushed the matter in Committee and it is now being dealt with.
      The official Opposition broadly welcome the amendments. For too long, tenants who have exhibited patterns of unacceptable behaviour have been given
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      preference when other people who have behaved perfectly properly are disadvantaged thereby. We welcome the amendments and the fact that the inconsistency between clauses 13 and 15 is being done away with, and the requirement for the local authority to notify people for whom preference has been withdrawn because of unacceptable behaviour.
      I have one question for the Minister: what will happen in relation to the Data Protection Act 1998? Will one authority be able to give information on unacceptable behaviour to another authority so that it can judge how to treat people when handling preference?
      Mr. Don Foster: May I thank the Minister for accepting at long last the amendments that I tabled many months ago and tidying them up in the way that she has described? I am sure that honour is now satisfied and that at least a brief postcard can now go to Mrs. Foster.
      Ms Keeble: I shall be brief, so perhaps it will be just half a postcard. [Interruption.] That is for the hon. Member for Bath and his wife to settle between them.
      In relation to data protection, I was trying to envisage the circumstances in which such a situation would arise. As people would normally make applications to separate housing authorities, I cannot seriously think that it is an issue, but I shall check to make sure.
      I urge hon. Members to support the amendment.
      Lords amendment agreed to.
      Lords amendments Nos. 5 to 7 agreed to.

    Schedule 1

      MINOR AND CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS
      Lords amendment: No. 8.
      Ms Keeble: I beg to move, That this House agrees with the Lords in the said amendment.
      Mr. Deputy Speaker: With this we may discuss Lords amendments Nos. 12 to 14.
      Ms Keeble: The amendments are complex, so I shall introduce them with some care. I hope that hon. Members will bear with me.
      During consideration in another place, attention was drawn to gaps in the existing provisions, which give the local authority the power to accommodate certain applicants pending a review by the authority of its homelessness decision and pending an appeal to the county court on a point of law.
      The policy that underlies the current provisions is that pending a review by the local authority or an appeal to the county court, the authority should have the power to accommodate applicants who have a priority need for accommodation—that is, those who are most vulnerable. We think that that is the right policy, and it accords with the central thrust of the Bill; that only this group are owed the main homelessness duty to secure accommodation.
      An assessment of the current provisions reveals two main gaps in the achievement of that policy, however. The first applies in respect of those applicants who have a priority need, but are considered by the authority to have become homeless, or be threatened with homelessness,

      497
      intentionally and who, for whatever reason, were not provided with accommodation under the section 188 interim duty pending inquiries. That will include, for example, priority need applicants who were threatened with homelessness pending the inquiries and so did not need to be provided with accommodation. Where the authority finds that they became threatened with homelessness intentionally, the applicant may request a review of that decision and may become homeless during the course of the review. However, at present the authority has no power to accommodate in such circumstances.
      The second gap applies more broadly to applicants who are pursuing an appeal to the county court. The current provisions—namely, those in section 204 of the Housing Act 1996—leave some doubt as to whether there is a power to accommodate applicants if the authority has not already exercised its power to accommodate pending the review.
      Amendment No. 12 will close the first gap and provide authorities with a specific power to assist applicants who the authority have decided have priority needs but have become threatened with homelessness intentionally. The power will allow the authority to take steps to prevent homelessness or, if the applicant actually becomes homeless, to secure accommodation, pending a review of the homelessness decision.
      Amendment No. 14 amends section 204 of the 1996 Act and makes it clear that, pending an appeal to the county court, the authority has a power to accommodate the same categories of applicant as it has a power to accommodate pending a review. It includes a specific reference to the new power provided by amendment No. 12. Amendment No. 14 also makes it clear that the power to accommodate an applicant pending an appeal to the county court applies whether or not the power to accommodate pending a review had been exercised.
      Amendments Nos. 8 and 13 amend sections 188(3) and 200(5) respectively. Those provisions give authorities the power to continue to secure accommodation for certain applicants pending a review. The concept of being able to continue to secure accommodation limits the scope of power and is unduly restrictive. Amendments Nos. 8 and 13 therefore change that to a freestanding power to secure accommodation.
      The change to section 188(3) will clarify in particular that, pending a review, authorities have the power to accommodate applicants who have priority need but have been found to be intentionally homeless. Under section 190(2)(a), such applicants must be secured accommodation for such a period as will give them a reasonable opportunity to find accommodation themselves, but that duty may end before a review of the homelessness decision has been completed. There is currently some uncertainty as to whether authorities have a power to accommodate that category of applicant during the period after the section 190(2)(a) duty has ended and until the review is completed. That is because there is no explicit provision giving a power to continue to accommodate under section 190, and it is questionable whether the power to continue to accommodate under section 188 should apply in a case where the applicant is being accommodated under section 190.
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      I should add that the local authority representative bodies were consulted and are content with the thrust of the amendments. They do not add new burdens or provisions, but largely clarify, rationalise and consolidate powers that currently exist in a variety of different places.
      I hope that hon. Members agree that the amendments close the current gaps and achieve the right policy, and I commend them to the House.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: I challenge the Minister to repeat what she just said without notes.
      Ms Keeble indicated assent.
      Mr. Clifton-Brown: As she says, these are technical amendments. Although they are complex, we broadly welcome them. They clarify the powers that are available to local authorities to accommodate applicants pending review or appeal of the homeless decision, and they respond to concerns raised by the Housing Law Practitioners Association.
      As this is the last time we will be able to speak on the Bill, I crave your indulgence, Mr. Deputy Speaker, to say that the official Opposition wish the Bill good speed and hope that it will be placed on the statute book with all possible alacrity. It is needed, because homelessness is a pressing problem that affects people in the greatest need of help in our society.
      I press the Government to bring forward their homelessness strategy and to introduce the statutory instrument on priority need and a Bill licensing houses in multiple occupation. Those are all essential strands of the Government's strategy for dealing with this ever-increasing problem.
      Finally, I pay tribute to all those who have provided the Opposition with assistance and advice, especially Shelter, which has provided invaluable advice and has made our debate much better informed—which has, I hope, contributed to a much better Bill.
      Mr. Don Foster: I, too, welcome the amendments, which plug several gaps that were identified by the Housing Law Practitioners Association and others.
      It was perhaps slightly unwise of the Minister to nod her agreement that she would be prepared to repeat everything that she said without reference to notes. I say that not least because when Lord Falconer was similarly challenged, he said that it would not be possible, because
      "For this, one would need a wet towel and every section of the Bill in front of one."—[Official Report, House of Lords, 15 January 2002; Vol. 630, c. 1022.]
      The amendments do not entirely close all the loopholes that have been identified. Nevertheless, most people are prepared to accept that they go a long way towards doing so and are therefore welcome.
      Like the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown), I pay tribute to the many organisations that have done the House a great service by providing briefings to all parties during our lengthy deliberations on this important Bill. I, too, wish the Bill a speedy progress to the statute book. It is much needed and many people have been arguing for it for a long time. I am delighted that it can now move rapidly to Royal Assent, and rightly so.
      7.30 pm
      Ms Keeble: When I nodded in response to what the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) was saying, I was suggesting that he was making a good joke, rather than that I could repeat all that I had said without notes. He asked about the homelessness strategy; it will be out very soon. Following on from that will be the priority needs order, setting out the new categories of people who will be entitled to housing, and other broad strategies to improve the provision of social housing and the position of people in the private sector.
      People have repeatedly stated—as did the hon. Member for Bath just now—that this is the last time we shall debate this Bill, but there has been a continuous process of improving the Bill in all our discussions and debates, which shows that scrutiny in this place works. It has worked to great effect, even at this late stage, to improve the position of homeless families, children and people who are not in priority need, and of groups who previously had no help from the state with their housing.
      I echo what other hon. Members have said about the enormous service that all the Officers of the House have given to us. I also echo what they have said about the importance of the Bill; it will lead to a dramatic improvement in the rights of people to housing and to housing advice. Despite some of the things that have been said, there has been all-party support for the Bill, and I look forward to seeing those rights in action out in the community.
      Lords amendment agreed to.
      Lords amendments Nos. 9 to 14 agreed to.

  Social Security
  7.32 pm
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (Mr. Alistair Darling): I beg to move,
  That the draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2002, which was laid before this House on 6th February, be approved.
  Mr. Deputy Speaker (Sir Alan Haselhurst): I understand that with this it will be convenient to discuss the draft Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2002.
  Mr. Darling: These orders will uprate most benefits in the normal way, but, as in every year since 1998, this year I am able to increase some benefits by more than the rate of inflation. We are able to do that because of our success in helping people into work. By making work pay and by making work possible, we now have the lowest unemployment rate of any of the major industrialised countries for the first time in more than half a century.
  Since 1997, claimant unemployment has fallen by over a third, and long-term unemployment is down by more than two thirds. As a result of that, we have saved £4 billion on the cost of unemployment and £0.5 billion has been saved by getting more lone parents into work, thanks, to a large extent, to the new deal. We have also started to bear down on fraud. All that has meant more money to invest in front-line public services, and more money to provide extra help where it is needed.
  Our objective is to ensure that we do everything that we can to help all those who can work to do so and provide greater security for those who are unable to work or who are retired. I shall set out briefly how we are able to do more in line with our priorities. First, we want to do more to help families with children, and to enable parents to balance their work and home lives. So, from this April, we are raising the standard rate of maternity allowance and statutory maternity pay from £62.20 to £75 a week. As I told the House in November, that is the largest increase in maternity benefit since 1958.
  Next year, we will raise maternity benefit again, to £100 a week, and at the same time we will also increase the payment period from 18 to 26 weeks, and increase the ordinary maternity leave to 26 weeks followed by the option of a further 26 weeks unpaid. That will allow women to take up to a year off work when their children are born. At the same time, we shall introduce a new right to two weeks paid paternity leave, and a new right to 26 weeks paid adoption leave plus a further 26 weeks unpaid leave.
  We want to do more for families with children, as we have done in each of the last four years. Our objective is to end child poverty in a generation, and to halve it in 10 years. That is why we have increased child benefit by 25 per cent. more than inflation since 1997, and it will rise again this year. We have also increased the income support allowances for children under the age of 11 by 80 per cent. in real terms, which provides real help to families on low incomes.
  As a result of these and other tax and benefit measures, along with policies that are helping more parents into work, we have started to make significant inroads into tackling child poverty. Next year, in addition to further measures, the child tax credit will also help us move along

  501
  the road to eradicating child poverty. This year—as I said to the House last November—I want to do more to help parents who are bringing up children with disabilities, and who face considerable extra costs.
  We have already extended benefits for severely disabled three and four-year-olds. Some 6,000 children and their families are now better off by more than £38 a week. But we want to do more than that to help those on the lowest incomes. When we came to office, the extra money paid to low-income families with a disabled child was just £21 a week. Last year, we increased that by more than £7 a week. This year, we intend to increase it by a further £5 on top of the normal uprating to a new rate of £35.50, which will benefit about 80,000 children. Next year, it will rise again by a further £5 more than inflation, to more than £40 a week, benefiting a large number of children who need that help. That will help families on low incomes, both in and out of work, and provide greater security where it is most needed.
  I can also confirm that the orders include the provision to remove barriers to work for severely disabled people, by making sure that work pays. From April we will no longer take into account the earnings of disabled people, or their partners, in the independent living fund. For the small number of families affected, that will be worth an average of £130 a week. We have also set out plans substantially to increase the capital limits, by extending help to people with savings of up to £18,500.
  There is one new measure that I would like to draw to the attention of the House, which we propose to introduce alongside the pension credit. Members on all sides have argued that the hospital downrating rules can cause difficulties and distress for those affected, and for their families. Indeed, I am sure that most of us have come across cases in our constituencies in which that has happened. We said that we would review the rules, and we have. Amendments to the State Pension Credit Bill in another place urged us to change the rules for pensioners, and we have decided to go further and include other benefits paid to help people with the cost of everyday living.
  The principle of avoiding double payment, which has been a feature of the welfare system since 1948, is important, and I do not intend to undermine that principle. But we recognise that people have continuing financial commitments when they go into hospital. I have therefore decided to change the rules, so that no reduction in pensions occurs until someone has been in hospital for 13 weeks, rather than the current six weeks. An estimated 26,000 people will benefit from this measure, at a cost of around £40 million a year.
  On pensions, it is important to look at the uprating measures as part of the wider pensions strategy. The basic state pension is, and will remain, the foundation of pensioner incomes, and this year it will rise again in real terms by £3 for single pensioners and £4.80 for couples, on top of the last year's increases, which makes a total rise of 7 per cent. above inflation. We have also guaranteed that future rises in the basic state pension will be at least £100 a year for single pensioners and at least £160 a year for couples, and I can confirm that today.
  Increases to the basic state pension alone would not be sufficient to tackle the pensioner poverty that we inherited. That is why we have radically improved the
  502
  minimum income guarantee, benefiting more than 2 million pensioners. It is worth reminding the House that in 1997, the poorest pensioners were expected to live on just £68.80 a week. From April this year, the guarantee for a single pensioner will rise by £6 to £98.15. That is £30 a week more than it was in cash terms five years ago.
  Next year, the minimum income guarantee will rise again to at least £100, and it will rise in line with earnings for the rest of this Parliament. That represents real progress towards ending pensioner poverty. Around £2.5 billion of the cost of this uprating will go to the poorest third of pensioners, which is three times more than an earnings link would have given them. Since 1997, 98 per cent. of pensioners are better off than they would have been if we had returned to an earnings link.
  The House will shortly debate the principles and details of the State Pension Credit Bill, which has now passed through all its stages in another place. That will, of course, remove the disincentives inherent in the system that we inherited, because it addresses the long-standing tension between providing a floor below which pensioner incomes should not fall and encouraging people to save for retirement. It will also reward thrift and about 5 million pensioners on low or modest incomes will gain, on average, £400 a year. More than half the beneficiaries are women. Those who oppose the pension credit might want to reflect on what a difference its success would make. The pension credit will rectify a long-standing anomaly in the social security system and benefit a large number of pensioners.
  The state second pension will also be introduced in April, which will benefit some 18 million people—2 million disabled people, 2 million carers and 14 million people on low earnings. A combination of what we have done on the basic state pension; the minimum income guarantee, which will rise again; the pension credit, which will reward savings; and the state second pension means that we can do far more than ever to ensure that we help all pensioners, but especially those facing poverty and those living on modest savings and modest incomes, who ought to be helped for their efforts rather than held back by the system that we inherited.
  The measures before the House will be welcomed by a large number of people of working and of pension age as well as by families with children. They mark another stage in our reforms of the welfare state. We have been able to release funds by getting more people into work and by cutting fraud. We are able to spend more money where it is needed most. I commend the orders to the House.
  7.41 pm
  Mr. David Willetts: I am grateful to the Secretary of State for his crisp and short speech—I shall do my best to be almost as brief—and I assure him that we shall not divide the House. We shall not make the Liberal Democrats' famous mistake of trying to prevent the uprating of the basic pension, so, if there is to be any drama in the debate, it will not be a knife-edge vote initiated by us. Instead, we shall press the Secretary of State and his ministerial colleagues for information on various aspects of the social security system, as the debate presents an opportunity to achieve clarification.
  First, let us consider some measures that the Secretary of State did not refer to. We have been waiting for the package to help new carers, which he announced on

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  3 October 2000 by saying that new carers over the age of 65 would be eligible for invalid care allowance and the carer's premium in income support. That seems to be slowly making its way through the Whitehall machine, so we are interested to hear from the Minister when new carers might receive those higher benefits, which the Government announced to a general welcome.
  I should apologise to the Minister, because I may have to leave to catch the train to my constituency before the debate ends, but my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell), who will make the Opposition winding-up speech, is looking forward to hearing the answer to that question.
  The Secretary of State also omitted any reference to housing benefit. I remember the days, only a couple of years ago, when it was to be the next big welfare reform target. On 29 June 1999, he said that
  "the present Housing Benefit can't continue…So whether it is tax credits wholly or partly…people who need help with housing costs will get help".
  He was clearly expecting housing benefit reform to be part of the wider tax credit reform to which he referred, but it is clearly not to be. We and many outside the House are interested to know whether the Government intend to announce any housing benefit reform. Instead of that, we have had this evening's announcement on the hospital downrating rules in response to a campaign pressed by Age Concern in particular and by many Members on both sides of the House over the past few months.
  We welcome the change, which is not a U-turn, but, perhaps, a J-turn that tackles a genuine concern for many pensioners. [Interruption.] A J-turn is shorter than a U-turn, because it runs to only 13 weeks. We have to be Kremlinologists with this Department, because the quality of its parliamentary answers is, sadly, so low that we cannot always get the information to which we are entitled. We have been following its answers on this subject with great care over the past few months. First, we had one from the previous Minister of State, now Lord Rooker, who said:
  "We have no plans at present to revise the rules regarding the payment of Retirement Pension to people who remain in NHS hospitals for longer than six weeks."—[Official Report, 22 March 2000; Vol. 346, c. 600W.]
  That was the original position, but then we had the review, which involved an answer from the Minister for Pensions, who said:
  "The Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, is looking at issues affecting hospital in-patients, including the rules governing the downrating of benefits."—[Official Report, 11 December 2001; Vol. 376, c. 781W.]
  Everybody followed the review with great interest.
  Miss Anne Begg: Will the hon. Gentleman remind the House of his position on that policy when he was in government?
  Mr. Willetts: Since 1948, the position has been that, in principle, people should not receive two separate benefits in respect of the same need. Conservative Members, not least my hon. Friend the Member for Daventry, have drawn the House's attention to practical proposals for tackling that problem. [Interruption.] Perhaps I should explain to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Miss Begg). A significant part of the
  504
  problem has been not just the rules, but the way in which they are administered. The distress among pensioners has been greater because they were not confident that, if and when they left hospital, their benefits would be reinstated as promptly and efficiently as they ought to be.
  The Minister for Pensions made another response:
  "The Department, in conjunction with the Department of Health, has looked at issues affecting hospital in-patients, including rules governing the downrating of benefits.
  This rule prevents double provision from public funds as the publicly funded NHS maintains people while they stay in hospital as well as providing free treatment. Social security maintenance benefits are also paid from state funds. They are therefore not paid in full indefinitely…
  The double provision principle is a key cornerstone of the system of national insurance introduced over 50 years ago."—[Official Report, 8 January 2002; Vol. 377, c. 699W.]
  The review seems to have been concluded with a decision against doing anything, which is why today's announcement is such a pleasant surprise. We welcome it, but may I ask the Minister how it compares with the regime for pensioners in care homes?
  Bed blocking is a significant problem in the NHS, so I would be grateful for clarification of the rules as they now apply. My understanding is that a pensioner or, as we know from what the Secretary of State said, any person in hospital will receive for up to 13 weeks their full basic state pension and their full income support. How does that compare with the position of a pensioner in a care home, who will receive £16.80 a week pocket money, as it is called, but who will not receive the full basic pension or the full value of income support?
  In the process of tackling a grievance, the Secretary of State may have created another and different one—a wider gap between the treatment of people in hospitals and people in care homes. One problem for Ministers is their care homes blind spot, which is apparent in their winter fuel payment proposals. They still say that every pensioner gets a winter fuel payment. That is not true. Pensioners on income support in care homes do not get winter fuel payments.
  There is the same problem with the pension credit. The Secretary of State referred to it, but we know that local authorities will take account of pension credit income in setting the income of pensioners in care homes. They will not get the benefit of the pension credit, which will be absorbed in higher charges from local authorities with hard-pressed social services departments. The contrast between today's announcement on hospital downrating and the wider care homes regime is striking.
  David Winnick: The hon. Gentleman may have a point, but the Secretary of State's announcement on pensioners in hospital is very welcome, certainly on the Labour Benches. Why were the Conservative Government so adamant up to 1997 that under no circumstances should pensioners receive any assistance on winter heating, apart from the cold weather payments, which were limited to those on income support and had several disadvantages? The issue was raised time and again from the Opposition Benches, and not just by me. Why was there no shift? Of course, we know what happened the moment that Labour came to office.
  Mr. Willetts: I know that the hon. Gentleman has pressed for such measures for a long time. In developing

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  our philosophy, we learned much from the Christmas bonus, an attempt to achieve a similar result nearly 30 years ago. We thought it better for such payments to be part of the overall pension, rather than being special payments separate from the wider rules on indexation.
  I do not wish to detain the House, but one striking feature of what we have heard today is the absence of an uprating of the winter fuel payment. I suspect that in 30 years it will be as the Christmas bonus is today. We will see whether I am wrong—but who knows whether either the hon. Gentleman or I will still be in the House then? It is one of those forecasts that can be made confidently by those who may not be around to see what happens. I think, however, that whether the winter fuel payment is an important and continuing part of pensioners' incomes or goes the way of the Christmas bonus is open to debate, and I remain sceptical.
  David Winnick: Do I take it that, despite all the hon. Gentleman has said in comparing the winter fuel payment to the Christmas bonus, he now accepts the former?
  Mr. Willetts: We believed all along that it would have been far better to consolidate the winter fuel payment in the basic state pension.
  David Winnick: Subject to tax.
  Mr. Willetts: We are revisiting old arguments. The Conservative party said from the start that there would be no tax increase for pensioners as a result of consolidation. We now live in a world in which the winter fuel payment is widely received by pensioners, and, recognising that, we have no plans to take it from them.
  I hoped that we would hear rather more from the Secretary of State about the decline of pensions. We did not hear a word about what is perhaps the most significant change that will affect benefits, benefit expenditure and the incomes of those who retire, although it is taking place dramatically day by day. Two measures in the uprating order show that we are heading in the wrong direction. The minimum income guarantee is rising in line with prices, which will extend means-testing, and the pension credit will take it further up the income scale.
  At the same time, we have contracted out rebates that create a significant risk of companies' re-entering the second state pension, because the value of the rebates is unlikely to match the cost of the liabilities from which they are escaping. I shall not detain the House with all the arguments, but I was struck by information from William Mercer, a leading firm of actuaries, which said only recently that it did not believe the contracted-out rebates would be adequate.
  Companies may well end their current contracting-out arrangements, and enter the state second pension instead. We shall also have more means-tested benefits. Those two developments will mean that we shall not move into a world in which—this being the Secretary of State's own aim—60 per cent. of pensioners' incomes come from genuinely funded savings and 40 per cent. come from the state. Conservative Members entirely support that aim, but we are heading in the opposite direction.
  506
  A stream of companies are now announcing that they are closing occupational pension funds to new members: Alliance and Leicester, AstraZeneca, Barclays, BT Group, British Airways, Boots, Cable and Wireless, Capita, GlaxoSmith-Kline, HSBC, ICI—I could go on. Many companies now say that their final salary schemes will not be available to people joining them.
  I was disappointed not to hear from the Secretary of State any recognition of the significance of the change that is taking place around him. What it means is that many people will retire with pension incomes much below what they expect, and will depend on means-tested benefits. Does the Secretary of State accept that there is a problem, when so many companies are announcing closure of their occupational pension schemes to new members? Do the Government recognise that there is an issue, or are they going to bury their head in the sand? We have heard nothing from the Secretary of State about the subject today, or over the past weeks and months during which it has become a matter of public concern.
  I know that there are many factors behind the change, which pre-date 1997. Not just one factor but the burden of regulation, the burden of taxation and the impact of FRS17 led to it. Clearly, however, the consequence of a combination of ever-heavier regulation, ever-heavier taxation and, now, the new accountancy rules is that those who retire cannot expect to enjoy the incomes for which they hoped. Instead, they will depend on means-tested benefits. The pension credit about which the Secretary of State boasted will embrace more and more people as a substitute for what Conservative Members want them to enjoy—a more valuable funded occupational pension.
  Rather than providing more generous occupational pensions and less dependence on means-tested benefits, we are heading in the opposite direction. We have yet to hear anything from the Government that shows that they recognise the scale of the problem, or can produce any measures demonstrating their willingness to tackle it. I am sorry that the Secretary of State has not intervened; we hoped that we might at least hear some reflection from him on the significance of the change that is taking place.
  We need to hear more about credits and tax credits, which the Secretary of State did mention. His speech will have been the last to cover some of the benefits that are being uprated, and I think it important for those in all parts of the House to understand how measures for parliamentary scrutiny and parliamentary debate will function in future. According to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, there has been a
  "lamentable lack of public discussion and openness"
  in regard to the Government's proposals for credits and tax credits. What will be the arrangements for scrutiny of the value of such credits in future? What will be the parliamentary procedures? My understanding is that, unfortunately, we will not have the procedures that we have for the uprating of benefits.
  At present, social security benefits are uprated by Standing Orders that are subject to the affirmative procedure. That includes the working families tax credit. Now, the new tax credits in the Tax Credits Bill will be subject to the negative procedure, and debated only if they are prayed against. It looks as if there will be similar arrangements for pension credits. The level of parliamentary scrutiny of the value of those credits will be much lower than the level of parliamentary scrutiny of the value of the benefits they are replacing.

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  I am pleased to see the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood). He chairs a Select Committee that has already done useful work on pension credits, and we hope that it will be able to perform a role in the absence of full parliamentary scrutiny.
  How will the credits be treated in the public accounts? We know from the Office for National Statistics that there will be a move towards the European and OECD conventions, but does the Secretary of State seriously claim—I am thinking here of the working families tax credit conventions—that, for example, child premium and income support, with which all Members have been familiar for a long time, will miraculously become a tax cut? Will it appear in Government expenditure figures? Will it disappear from expenditure figures, and appear on the other side of the balance sheet as a tax reduction? Is that what will happen to the benefits whose uprating we are discussing? It seems an extraordinary proposal, but if working families tax credit is anything to go by it is what the Government envisage. Miraculously, the Secretary of State will be able to claim that he has saved money on the social security budget and that the Government are cutting taxes. It will have been done entirely with smoke and mirrors.
  What about the other features of the system? Will the benefits be available, have the circumstances changed, what constitutes a significant change in circumstances, will people who may be on modest incomes lose as a result of a change in their finances of which the Inland Revenue will not take account until the end of the year? Those are important questions that will affect people who currently receive the benefits we are discussing, but we have had no clear explanation from Ministers.
  I hope that Labour Members will pursue the issues as strongly as we have, because it is important to consider what happens in future years to people on modest incomes who experience a change in circumstances with no matching adjustment of what was their benefit entitlement. That is what happens if one tries to make a benefit into a tax. It does not work. Many people, including some of the most vulnerable members of society, will lose as a result.
  This may be the last uprating statement on some of the benefits, which are going to disappear into the Treasury and become tax reductions. I hope that the Treasury and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who will take responsibility for these measures, will ensure that they at least apply the level of scrutiny and sensitivity to the needs of our constituents that has been displayed over the years by the social security system.
  8 pm
  Mr. Steve Webb: I am pleased to follow the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) and wish him well if he is off to spend an evening in a council house. I hope that he will report back to the House on that.
  The orders deal with the benefits for the coming financial year and the guaranteed minimum pension. With one or two exceptions, they involve indexation in line with inflation and some above-inflation increases in the retirement pension, which we welcome. However, the House will be aware that, alongside the order, the Government Actuary prepares a report on the state of the national insurance fund. I listened carefully to the Secretary of State; I do not recall him mentioning the fund
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  once. The document makes interesting reading. It shows what money the Government had available when they sat down to decide what to do with benefits this coming year.
  I was startled to read—perhaps I should have been aware of it beforehand—that when the Government Actuary sat down in November 2000 to forecast national insurance revenue for the current financial year, he estimated that it would total £55.5 billion. The outturn is more likely to be £57.9 billion, or £2.5 billion of extra revenue in a year. Therefore, we must set some of the Secretary of State's announcements in the context of a £2.5 billion overshoot of revenue to the national insurance fund.
  The Government Actuary indicates that the balance of that fund in the year ending 2001 was 41 per cent. of benefit expenditure and payment; in 2002, it will be 47 per cent; and in 2003, it will be 52 per cent. Therefore, the balance in the national insurance fund is substantial and growing. Set against those huge sums and the fact that there is £2.5 billion more than was budgeted for, do we judge this as a generous or a mean settlement?
  We must look at the welcome announcement of the relaxation of the hospital downrating rules. Perhaps I am not the only hon. Member who discovered that—as usual, not in the form of a statement from the Secretary of State but about four hours earlier through a press release that mysteriously appeared on my fax machine, which said:
  "McCartney acts to help those on benefits".
  [Interruption.] The Secretary of State says from a sedentary position that we were sent it by the Department. We were not. We never are. We were sent it by a newspaper. That is the way in which we get information. He should check with his officials to find out why hon. Members find these things out from the press rather than in the House.
  Mr. Darling: On that point, the announcement was made in another place properly by one of my ministerial colleagues.
  Mr. Webb: I am grateful for that confirmation. I am rather confused as to why the Secretary of State does not feel able to ensure that Members of this House are notified at the same time.
  Hospital downrating rules have been relaxed somewhat, so instead of pension being cut after spending six weeks in hospital, it is cut after 13 weeks in hospital. Clearly, that is a step in the right direction. The Secretary of State said that that would cost £40 million a year. The overall cost of the pension downrating is about £60 million a year. When we set that against the £2,500 million that the Government had not expected a year ago, we start to see how parsimonious the concession is. The Government could have paid for the abolition of the downrating of pensions over the next 40 years but they chose not to go the extra mile; they have moved barely an extra inch.
  Although a few pensioners will welcome the announcement, when they read the small print they will discover that if they go into hospital this week they will still have their pension downrated after six weeks. Next month—indeed, this time next year—they will still have it downrated after six weeks.
  According to the press release, the changes coincide with the introduction of the pension credit in autumn 2003, so although we have had the announcement today

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  the Government will continue to take money off pensioners who have spent six weeks in hospital. We will hear the same announcement several times in the meantime, yet the measure will be implemented fully only in October 2003. I hope that the Minister who responds to the debate will tell the House why the change has been introduced in this way. It has nothing to do with the pension credit. It could have been brought in quickly. Could it not have been brought in sooner, sparing some pensioners the misery of having pension taken away from them?
  Mr. Tim Boswell: Will the hon. Gentleman reflect on the possibility that, unless the transitional rules are very carefully scoped, a pensioner who falls within the six-week period before the operating date in April 2003 may have benefit withdrawn, but a pensioner who falls after that time may not? That could create a further anomaly.
  Mr. Webb: I am sure that the hon. Gentleman is right. I understand that the changes come into force in October 2003 when the pension credit is introduced. The argument in principle is simply not there. People have paid for their pensions all their lives. If they have paid for a private pension they are allowed to keep it, but if they get a state pension some of it is taken away from them.
  The Government say that there is double provision, but where is the evidence? What studies—I hope that the Minister will tell us when he responds—has the Department done of the costs that people incur as a hospital in-patient? The Department may say that they save money on food, but what about the extra costs that they incur? What about when a spouse comes to visit and pays for hospital car parking or for transport? What about the other costs, regardless of whether someone is in hospital? Has the Department any evidence that people are better off during a hospital stay? I suspect that it has no evidence whatever, and until it produces such evidence there should be no hospital downrating, not merely the half-hearted concession that we have heard about.
  I mentioned that not all the rates in the orders have been uprated in line with inflation. I looked long and hard, and there it was on page 16 of the order: the age addition to the pension mysteriously remains at 25p. Year after year Ministers acknowledge that it is absurd and an insult to pay people 25p, yet they do nothing about it. Is not it clear that the poorest pensioners in the land are not merely the oldest but the oldest who fail to claim their minimum income guarantee? They do not get the MIG. They do get their pension. Twenty-five pence is all they get on top of their basic pension.
  Mr. Howard Flight: Does the hon. Gentleman agree that, as several pensioners in my constituency have pointed out, the cost to them merely of updating their pension book will be more than that pathetic 25p?
  Mr. Webb: It is absurd. The fact that the cost of a first-class stamp exceeds that amount highlights how absurd it is, yet it is a perfectly good mechanism for delivering guaranteed cash to poor pensioners. In fact, it is the only genuine guarantee. When I take over from the
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  Secretary of State, I shall rename it the guaranteed age addition. It is the only feature of the system that is truly guaranteed. [Interruption.] I should have added hastily that I shall be deputy to my hon. Friend the Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood).
  The Government Actuary's report on the orders highlights another worrying factor that the Secretary of State again glossed over. It refers to the lack of information before the House about some key elements of the pension and benefit system because of national insurance recording system 2. Page 10 of the report says:
  "The introduction of NIRS2 has meant that there is a lack of data showing current numbers contracted out…there is, at present, uncertainty about the numbers of people contracting-out."
  Therefore, the House does not have information, despite the fact that we are always assured that the computer system is sorted, there is nothing to worry about, and it is so good that the same people will be given the contract. Years after the system was introduced we still cannot obtain the basic information that we require to assess what the Government are doing.
  Likewise, the information is uncertain about statutory sick pay and statutory maternity pay. Page 27 of the report states:
  "Estimates of both SSP and SMP have suffered greatly from a lack of reliable data since the transfer…to the NIRS2 computer system. It has been some years since the data on SSP and SMP has been free of problems and there may be substantial revisions to estimates…once sufficient reliable data on amounts of SSP and SMP recovered…is available."
  When will we know? Perhaps the Minister can tell us. When will this be sorted out? When will the House have reliable information from that multi-million pound computer system? When will it work properly? That is what the House wants to know. Will the Minister tell us?
  All the benefits in the orders are fine if people receive them. However, far too many of our constituents fail to get the benefits that they are being promised today. The Secretary of State has had his advertising campaigns, and Thora Hird, and people ringing up—but how many people, especially pensioners, are still not getting the money that they are entitled to? That number is still nearly half a million for the minimum income guarantee—[Interruption.] Does the Secretary of State question that number? I do not know why he is shaking his head.
  Nearly half a million people are not getting their minimum income guarantee, and probably double that number are not claiming their council tax benefit. Year on year, successive Governments have used council tax to bring in extra cash through a mechanism of taxation for which they do not get the blame, so that has become an increasingly heavy burden for pensioners in all parts of the country. The fact that council tax benefit misses so many pensioners is an increasing source of concern.
  What plans do the Government have to get the council tax benefit to pensioners? It has one of the lowest take-up rates of any benefit, yet it can be critical for pensioners just beyond the reach of the other means-tested benefits. What is the Government's strategy?
  Vernon Coaker rose—
  Ms Karen Buck rose—
  Mr. Webb: I shall give way first to the hon. Gentleman, and then to the hon. Lady.
  Vernon Coaker: Has the hon. Gentleman considered whether part of the problem with the take-up of benefits may be that—for perfectly understandable political reasons—both he as a Liberal Democrat spokesman and the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts), who speaks for the Conservatives, always use the term "means-tested" in a derogatory way? Does he not think that that might sometimes influence pensioners, for whom, rightly, means-testing has certain connotations? Does he not think that if he talked instead about "targeting" benefits, that might encourage people to take up those benefits?
  Mr. Webb: I understand the point that the hon. Gentleman is making, but I have some doubts about whether even my oratorical powers could affect benefit take-up rates. The key point is that resistance to means-tested benefits does not come from me. Actually, I am moderately comfortable with filling in long complicated forms—it is the sort of thing I do in my spare time—but that is probably not the sort of thing that many older folk want to do. They regard such questions as intrusive.
  I freely accept that means-testing every five years is better than means-testing every week. Clearly, that change has the potential to be a step in the right direction. However, the principle that we all want for our old age is to know what our income will be, rather than depending on the whim of a Minister. We want to know with certainty, and that is possible only with a definite firm foundation from the state, reliable indexation rules and a good second pension on top to get us clear of means-testing altogether. We do not want to have to rely every year on documents such as those before us now, which nobody really understands, yet which can have a dramatic effect on people's living standards.
  Vernon Coaker: If the hon. Gentleman were Secretary of State for Social Security, would his Liberal Democrat Government do no targeting at all?
  Mr. Webb: The hon. Gentleman has heard me speak before on such subjects, so he probably knows that we do not regard targeting as synonymous with means-testing—[Interruption.] There are perfectly good reasons for that, as I shall explain.
  There is a strong relationship between poverty and old age, especially advanced old age. Our ideas may not be perfect, but neither is targeting through means-testing, because of all the people who miss out, and the disincentive effect on savings. We are talking about not a choice between a perfect system and an imperfect system, but a choice between two imperfect systems.
  We say that if we target primarily by age, while keeping a safety net for the recently retired poor, we cover most of the poor, including many of those who do not get their means-tested benefits—that is, half a million on one count alone. We would get through to those people with a guaranteed take-up, no administrative cost, and no disincentive to save—indeed, quite the contrary, because people's savings build on their guaranteed state pension. That seems to us a better trade off than mass means-testing—
  Miss Begg: Will the hon. Gentleman give way?
  Mr. Webb: I shall, but first I shall finish the point that I was making—and then I must give way to the hon. Member for Regent's Park and Kensington, North (Ms Buck), because I have already said that I would.
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  To give an idea of the scale of the failure that the Government are building into the proposals, I must remind the House that Baroness Hollis said that one in three of the people entitled to the proposed pension credit would not claim it in the first year. She said that take-up would build up as people became familiar with the credit, and I hope that she is right—but that still means that one in three of the 5.5 million pensioners will miss out on what they are entitled to. That is planning for failure, and it is no way to guarantee pensioners a decent standard of living in old age.
  Ms Buck: Will the hon. Gentleman cost the proposal to provide an income at the level of the minimum income guarantee for all pensioner households, which is effectively the corollary of what he suggests when he says that the entitlement should be available to everybody?
  Mr. Webb: The gap between the pension proposed in the regulations before us—£75.50—and the MIG figure, which is more than £90, is not very different from the pension rises that we proposed in our costed manifesto, which contained a £3 billion package of increases in pensions financed by the proceeds of the 50p rate of income tax on incomes over £100,000 a year. We asked the Treasury what money would be raised by such a rate of income tax, and were told that it would be well in excess of £3 billion. Our political choice would be that those most able to do so should pay for pension rises, which would go predominantly to older pensioners. That would enable us to fill the gap between the basic pension and the means-tested pension.
  We do not propose that the pension rate would be the same for every pensioner at every age. We are saying that we want to get as many pensioners as we can clear of the MIG level, starting with the oldest pensioners. That is our strategy.
  Mr. Darling: How does the hon. Gentleman square that with the fact that his party leader recently said that he hoped to go into the next election as a low-tax party?
  Mr. Webb: As the right hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well, that is not what my party leader said—[HON. MEMBERS: "Oh!"] He may be aware that we have set up a review commission, of which I am a member, to consider the future of the public services, with a broad remit to examine both the role of the public and private sectors, and funding levels. That remit is wide, and there is an open debate going on within the party. The options of higher spending, lower spending, and a greater role for the public or the private sector, are all on the table at the start; otherwise, why bother with the review? However, our policy stance is that we are clearly committed to higher pensions across the board, particularly for older pensioners. That remains our position.
  Mr. Darling: The hon. Gentleman is not in a position to make a promise that his party would increase pensions, either for pensioners as a whole or for some pensioners, at the same time as saying that all those promises are up for grabs. Even the Liberals cannot get away with going into the next election saying that they will increase spending here, there and everywhere, yet also cut taxes for everybody else. That does not make any sense; it has no credibility.
  Mr. Webb: The right hon. Gentleman seems to have forgotten the fact that we have in front of us a document

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  written by the Government Actuary showing that the Government have just found £2.5 billion—probably a recurrent £2.5 billion—in addition to what they expected. That would cover the vast bulk of what I am saying that we would do, even if nothing else, with no additional 50p tax rate. The suggestion that we could not do more for older pensioners is absurd.
  Miss Begg: I am sure that the hon. Gentleman would agree that the national insurance fund funds not only pensions but unemployment benefits and a range of other contributory benefits. At the moment unemployment is very low; more people are working, so more people are paying into the fund. However, although I hope that that will remain the case, it may not. In five years' time the position might be reversed. Is the hon. Gentleman really saying that we should spend all that money today and have nothing to spare in the piggy bank for tomorrow? I do not think that that would do great things for pensioners tomorrow, when the fund will have been spent.
  Mr. Webb: If we were suggesting blowing the entire national insurance fund I should agree with the hon. Lady—[Interruption.] No, I did not suggest that. The £2.5 billion that I am talking about is excess revenue—the amount above which the Government budgeted, presumably on the sober, cautious basis to which the hon. Lady referred. As I pointed out earlier, at the year ending March 2001 the national insurance fund was already 40 per cent. of the annual benefit expenditure. Next year, that figure is set to rise to 52 per cent. How high are we going to let that amount rise? The proportion of benefit expenditure is constantly increasing. It would be irresponsible to blow the lot, but at some point we might say that national insurance revenues are going well and they should be spent on pensioners.
  Mr. Willetts: I was struck by the fact that the Secretary of State, who does not feel able to intervene on the subject of the current state of occupational pensions, intervened twice on the subject of Liberal Democrat tax plans. It is a pity that he devoted more effort to intervening on that subject than on the most important social change currently taking place.
  I do not agree with the figures given by the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) but I support his philosophy. As he knows, we have in common the view that there is a difference between means-testing and targeting. Does he agree that when he pointed out that difference it was disappointing that so many Labour Members laughed as though they thought that was manifest rubbish? In fact, the crucial insight of Beveridge—the most important single insight in the Beveridge report, about which at least one Minister sitting on the Treasury Bench has written eloquently—is precisely that under a smart social security policy we can target without means-testing, if we identify categories of claimant carefully enough. That is a powerful point and it is a pity that the Government do not recognise it.
  Mr. Webb: I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for those comments. He is right. I should acknowledge his parentage of that idea—I do not always manage to do so. As an impressionable early twenty-something, I studied
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  one of his pamphlets for a little bedtime reading. It was called "The Age of Entitlement", and seemed like a good idea at the time, although the Conservatives never adopted it with any gusto, but I welcome the hon. Gentleman's reconversion. Perhaps that will give us the basis for consensus on both sides of the House. One of the things that has bedevilled pensions policy is the constant to-ing and fro-ing and the ripping up of previous promises. If we can find a basis for agreement—I know that some Labour Members are sympathetic on that point—it would be a step in the right direction.
  I have been greatly heartened by the careful attention accorded to Liberal Democrat proposals as an alternative to those of the Government. The serious scrutiny that they have been given reflects our position as a Government in waiting, so I very much welcome that attention. We assure the House that we shall not oppose the regulations, but we feel that the measure on hospital downrating is a grudging concession made to deal with what was going to be a rebellion in this place. The Government had the money to go further; they should have had the grace to go further.
  8.21 pm
  Vernon Coaker: I have a few comments on the uprating statement and want to draw attention to a few points. When we consider the amount of spending proposed under the orders, it is extraordinary that the Chamber is not packed. Furthermore, these are social security orders, so whatever the rights and wrongs of the proposed measures, when we consider the thousands and thousands of people in each of our constituencies who are affected by the scale, uprating and receipt of benefits, the debate is hugely important.
  Something must be happening to me because this is the third debate on this subject that I have attended and I actually enjoy them. The reason is that although there are differences between the Opposition and the Government and indeed between the Opposition parties, we none the less hold careful, intelligent debates—as we have just heard—on the fundamental issues that affect us.
  Although I do not agree with everything that was said by the hon. Members for Northavon (Mr. Webb) and for Havant (Mr. Willetts), there are aspects with which I agree and which challenge us all. If we were all to be honest, I suspect that Opposition Members would say that some of the Government's views challenge them to reconsider their position. I make these points because we need to remember how fundamental this subject is and that our debate is important.
  I want to make a couple of points about the minimum income guarantee for pensioners. Whatever the furore about the rate of the basic state pension—which, as we have heard, is to be uprated again in April—I know that the minimum income guarantee has meant that about 2,000 pensioners in my constituency have received a considerable addition to their income.
  When we talk to people about the minimum income guarantee and pensions, for obvious reasons they do not put up their hands and say "I get the minimum income guarantee and what the Government have done means a significant increase in my income". In each and every one of our constituencies, a considerable number of pensioners will have benefited from the introduction of the minimum income guarantee. The hon. Member for Northavon was right to draw attention to the problem with

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  take-up. However, if we can ensure that people take it up when they meet the rules—the capital savings rules have been relaxed—a single person will receive £98.15 and a couple will receive £149.70 from next April, which is a considerable improvement on the income that they would have had before the minimum income guarantee existed.
  We can debate the difference between means-testing and targeting, but the word "means-testing" has a particular connotation for the pensioner age group. In a few years, when people who are now in their 50s and 60s become pensioners, it may not have the same connotation. However, the continual discussion in the House about means-testing being bad does not help to encourage people to claim means-tested benefits. It merely reinforces people's feeling that those on means-tested benefits have something wrong with them, are not the sort of people to whom others will look up, and have failed. Although the hon. Member for Northavon mocks his own oratorical skills, I was not saying that he was speaking passionately about the evils of means-testing all over the country. However, he consistently points out that means-testing is wrong, which, I believe, impacts on the number of people who claim the minimum income guarantee.
  Through the minimum income guarantee, the Government have targeted support on thousands of the poorest pensioners in our constituencies. We can debate the basic state pension and take-up, but the Government deserve a great deal of credit for not taking the easy option of putting a few pounds on the basic state pension for everyone. Instead, the minimum income guarantee has added a considerable amount by targeting help on the poorest pensioners in the community, many of whom are older pensioners who do not have an occupational pension, or are older women. Far from being critical of the Government for doing that, we should credit them with a great deal of courage for saying that their policy will be to try to ensure that money goes to the poorest pensioners in our community. Through targeting, we can ensure that those pensioners receive a considerable amount of money. Of course, the problem of take-up remains, and hon. Members will need to continue to raise that issue.
  The pension credit, to which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State referred, was designed to tackle one of the real problems of the minimum income guarantee—a small amount of savings, a small income or a modest occupational pension might take people just above the level at which they could receive the minimum income guarantee. That caused a considerable feeling of injustice and unfairness. The hon. Member for Havant mentioned the genuine concern about occupational and private pensions. In discussing reform, a judgment must be made on pensions and social security uprating. The Government have said that their policy is to target resources on the poorest pensioners through the minimum income guarantee—Opposition Members will say that that is flawed—and that the next group that they shall try to help is those pensioners who feel left out because of the minimum income guarantee rules, on whom they will target resources through the pension credit.
  Mr. David Heath: The hon. Gentleman is making a careful and sensible speech, and I agree with much of it. Given that hon. Members on both sides of the House share some of the same objectives, our argument centres on the delivery system. At what point will the hon. Gentleman accept that we are not delivering
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  the benefit to the poorest pensioners? At what point will he accept that an alternative delivery system might achieve the same objective more effectively and efficiently so that we reach the pensioners whom we want to support?
  Vernon Coaker: The hon. Gentleman makes a fair point. I do not think that we have reached that stage. In general, the policy has been effective for a considerable number of pensioners in our constituencies. It is clear that there is a problem with take-up, but that does not mean that the policy has failed. The problem is the way in which we talk about means-testing—to be frank, it is sometimes used for political reasons as an easy way to attack the Government—and how it is perceived. That does not help the take-up of the minimum income guarantee. The targeting of resources to ensure that the poorest members of our community are supported does not have the same stigma attached to it and commands much greater support.
  Ms Buck: I share the concerns of hon. Members about take-up and we need to address that problem. However, there is evidence—anecdotal in my experience—that a substantial number of the people who could claim for income-based benefits are eligible for only small amounts. The case remains to be proven that a large number, let alone all, of the people who are missing out on the minimum income guarantee or the working families tax credit would be entitled to a substantial amount or all of the sum that would make up the difference. We have to weigh that up. Many people are on the margins of a claim that would not necessarily give them a large amount of additional income.
  Vernon Coaker: My hon. Friend's intervention needs no comment from me: she proves the standard of the debate by making an important and fair point that is probably true. However, it is difficult to ascertain how many people do not take up the minimum income guarantee for that reason.
  I am pleased that the Government have announced a change to the rule on the downrating of benefits when people are in hospital. Many hon. Members have been contacted by people who think that it is unfair that their benefits are reduced when they are in hospital for longer than six weeks. I am pleased that the Government have increased that to 13 weeks. A constituent who was in Nottingham City hospital recently contacted me about that. I am sure that all hon. Members have similar constituency examples.
  We often talk about the minimum income guarantee in terms of pensioners and the take-up of benefit, but the attendance allowance is one of the most important benefits for pensioners. In my experience, not everyone is fully cognisant of the fact that it is possible to claim attendance allowance to cover care needs. The higher rate for that will be £56.25 from next week and it enables people to get help so that they are looked after in their own homes. I cannot stress how crucial that allowance is for pensioners.
  Mr. Flight: I fully agree with the hon. Gentleman, but is he aware of one of the resulting problems? People who may be old and not that mentally clear go into nursing homes, the costs of which have risen dramatically particularly in the southern half of the country, without

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  realising that they will lose their attendance allowance. I have had many constituency cases of people who thought that they had done their arithmetic, settled in a nursing home and then found that they could not afford the care. Relatives had to be dug out to try to help. Therefore, such a worthy benefit illustrates one of the problems of means-testing.
  Vernon Coaker: The hon. Gentleman makes a reasonable point about attendance allowance and nursing homes. As I said, points about various benefits can always be made, and that argument has been put to me and no doubt to many hon. Members. We often talk about the fact that many pensioners and others who are entitled to the minimum income guarantee do not claim it. Indeed, I have tabled a question on the matter for Monday's Question Time. My point is that a substantial number of elderly people who live in their own home do not claim the non-means-tested attendance allowance available—or claim the allowance at the lower rate when they are entitled to the higher rate. That benefit is hugely important and should be mentioned when discussing benefits and supports available.
  I broadly welcome the social security uprating order, and I am to a certain extent pleased with the way in which the Government are trying to integrate the tax and benefits systems and with the work that has been done on tax credits. I say that because one important thing that a Department for Work and Pensions should do is to try to address a problem that we all recognise: the need for the social security system to avoid creating a culture of dependency. It should create a culture that not only, of course, supports people when they are out of work or in need, but encourages people back into work, because that is the best form of welfare.
  One of the most depressing things which I am sure we all experience when we visit some houses, estates, streets and parts of our cities—as well as, indeed, some rural areas; the problem is not just in cities—is seeing generations of people who have become dependent on benefit. Entire families have become dependent on benefit and have been workless for a considerable time. Indeed, whole communities have been workless.
  The Government are trying more effectively to integrate the tax and benefits systems, so that work truly pays. One problem with the benefits system is that when people return to work and gain pay, they lose benefits, which means that it is not worth their going to work—
  Madam Deputy Speaker (Sylvia Heal): Order. The debate is about increases in social security benefits and pensions rather than the wider points that the hon. Member is making.
  Vernon Coaker: Thank you for bringing me back to the debate, Madam Deputy Speaker.
  In the context of wider Government policy, I support the orders.
  8.39 pm
  Mr. Howard Flight: I am disappointed by the uprating order. First, it illustrates, as my hon. Friend the Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts)
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  said, that the Government have given up tackling the more difficult areas such as housing benefit. Secondly, although no doubt with the best will in the world the hon. Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) would rather means-tested benefits were called something else, the reality is that the hassle of filling out forms means that individuals perceive them as means-tested benefits. There is a major difference between targeting and means-testing. The order shows the Government going further in reshaping the welfare state into one that is means-tested. The children's tax credit and working tax credit yet to come increase that likelihood.
  In addition, it is clear, as the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) said, that the Government view national insurance merely as an alternative tax source. The Government should be more honest—if they want to take welfare in that direction, people should be aware of it. Many elderly people still believe that national insurance is national insurance. That is the system under which they paid, and their children are now doing the same to pay for broadly universal entitlements to benefits in their later years.
  I want to focus particularly on pensions, the pensions credit and the minimum income guarantee. This is a serious mess—if Ministers had set out to smash private pensions, they could not have done it better. It is worrying that on several occasions when the Secretary of State has had the opportunity to express his concerns or thoughts about the major rundown in occupational pensions and final salary schemes, he has apparently not done so, although admittedly we await the findings of the Pickering report. Candidly, the alleged target of provision for pensions coming from private pensions savings—increasing from 40 per cent. to 60 per cent.—is becoming a farce.
  There are many good things in the stakeholder arrangement. However, the minimum income guarantee and pension guarantee mean that for more than half the people for whom stakeholders were intended, there is no point in saving for one. As has been demonstrated in Canada, people do not want to be forced to sink their precious pension savings in an annuity where the real returns are nearly halved.
  Many people have not realised that the shift from final salary to money purchase pension savings—
  Madam Deputy Speaker: Order. I remind the hon. Gentleman of my earlier comment. We are debating the increases in social security benefits and pensions.
  Mr. Flight: I thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. However, the point that I am coming on to is that the Government's response to what is happening in private sector pension provisioning is shown in the increases to the minimum income guarantee made in the order. That takes us, as a nation, in the opposite direction from, the one that I think right hon. and hon. Members on both sides of the House want to go in.
  The Government looked to stakeholder pensions to boost private sector pension saving, but that is not happening. Instead, we are seeing a very generous increase in the minimum income guarantee. It is well intended because it is designed to deal with the problem now. However, what worries me is that it leads to behaviour that is simply not sustainable. On the assumption that the minimum income guarantee continue

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  as it is, the reaction of the public to perceiving that they will have a very adequate income in retirement is, if anything, not to bother with private sector pension saving, or to do less of it.
  The right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field) has said that, by 2005, the costs of such an approach would be the equivalent of something like 5p on income tax, rising to about 11 p by 2050. It would cost about £26 billion in today's money. Some 65 per cent. of the population would be dependent on a means-tested pension. Surely that is the exact opposite of the Government's intended pensions policy. I am particularly worried that, economically, it will take us into the very territory that has proved so problematic for continental Europe. Employment taxes are high, growth is relatively disappointing and overall taxation is higher than continental Europe would wish because pensions have to be financed on a pay-as-you-go basis.
  Geraint Davies: Is the hon. Gentleman's basic thesis that it is wrong to give the poor more because it encourages them to be poor?
  Mr. Flight: I am surprised that the hon. Gentleman should make such a crass observation. My point is essentially the same as that made by the right hon. Member for Birkenhead. The policy that addresses the immediate issue of providing an adequate income in old age for those with inadequate private sector pension provision is shaping the future. It will affect behaviour and take us down a relatively unsustainable path. There are other ways to address the issue.
  Madam Deputy Speaker: Order. Once again, I remind the hon. Gentleman that he is going rather wide of the scope of this debate.
  Mr. Flight: Thank you, Madam Deputy Speaker. I was endeavouring to deal with the intervention from the hon. Member for Croydon, Central (Geraint Davies).
  Some Conservatives have welcomed the minimum income guarantee and pension credit increases as a well intentioned attempt to address a current problem. However, targeting would be much more appropriate than means-testing, and we should consider treating older pensioners as a block, which would be better than giving them the ridiculous 25p increase that many of them regarded as a joke. I fear that, unknowingly and with good intent, the Government are presiding over what will become a major problem in the area of pensions. They are adopting an approach that, economically and in terms of the effect on private sector pension saving in particular, is the very opposite of their alleged policy, which we all want: healthy and rising private sector pension saving.
  8.48 pm
  Andrew Selous: I wish to look at some of the order's consequences for couples, families and the care of children in particular, and to consider the philosophy and structure that underpins the uprated benefits.
  I welcome the increases in individual benefits, but I want to draw the House's attention to the overall collective impact of such benefits, particularly on couples and children. I ask the House to focus on the reason why
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  a quarter of dependent children in the UK live in households headed by a single adult. The European Union average is 14 per cent., and even in northern European nations such as the Netherlands and Luxembourg, the figure is only 10 per cent. One main reason for that difference is the structure of our tax and benefits system.
  Britain bases tax on an individual assessment, with no allowance for the number of dependants whom one income must sustain. The benefits system that we are looking at is based on joint assessment, which carries penalties for marriage or stable cohabitation. Remaining in an undeclared or informal partnership means that each partner is assessed separately for benefits. I shall come on to a couple of examples in a moment, but generally it is the case that openly cohabiting couples have a reduction in their welfare entitlements of about £70 a week. Although the Government, and, indeed, all parties talk about supporting family life and stable relationships, they must realise the penalties in the current system of which the benefits are part.
  Madam Deputy Speaker: Order. The hon. Gentleman should relate his remarks to the order, which is about increases.
  Andrew Selous: I shall do so, Madam Deputy Speaker. If I may, I would like to come to two examples relating to the benefits.
  Madam Deputy Speaker: If the examples are germane to this debate, that would be appropriate.
  Andrew Selous: With permission, Madam Deputy Speaker, I shall deal with those examples relating to the benefits, increases to which we are discussing tonight.
  A lone mother living with a one-year-old child in local authority housing and not in paid work would currently qualify for child benefit, housing benefit, council tax benefit and income support of £157.80. The father of her child who is living on his own in a local authority flat and not in paid work would qualify separately for benefits of £103.97, which means that the two of them have a combined weekly income, before paying rent and council tax, of £261.77. If the couple married or established a stable cohabitation, their income under the current system would fall by £70.47, and they would have a joint income of only £191.30, which is a considerable disincentive.
  Mr. Webb: The hon. Gentleman has done his research, looked at the figures and thought this through. However, if those two people were living together, the second rent would not have to be paid at all, so the difference in their disposable income is not £70, but probably £20 or £30. A couple with any commitment is not going to live apart for £30, although it is fair to say that they may try not to disclose the fact that they are living together. Surely, the only alternative is for the rates we are discussing today to be not 160 per cent. for a couple but 200 per cent. That would be a huge increase in expenditure which I do not suppose the hon. Gentleman's Front Benchers would allow him.
  Andrew Selous: I accept that the hon. Gentleman made a relevant point about the costs of second property. However, in the figures I looked at, £70 a week is significantly more than the cost of renting an additional

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  property. We have a problem with the fact that the household's taxation is based on an individual, but assessment of the benefits whose uprating we are discussing tonight is based on the whole household. I am trying to illustrate the fact that that fundamental mismatch is the nub of the problem. My thesis is that that is the core reason why a quarter of children in this country—
  Mr. Webb indicated dissent.
  Andrew Selous: The hon. Gentleman may shake his head, but he needs to explain why 25 per cent. of children in this country live in households headed by a single adult; the European average is 14 per cent, and in the Netherlands and Luxembourg it is only 10 per cent.
  Madam Deputy Speaker: Order. May I once again remind the hon. Gentleman that the scope of this debate is quite narrow; it is about the increase in the levels of benefit, not eligibility criteria?
  Andrew Selous: I willingly accept your guidance, Madam Deputy Speaker. I was merely responding to the intervention of the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb).
  The policies that I have been talking about and the perverse incentives that are their result are responsible for tying up unnecessarily a large amount of our housing stock. There is the cost to the Government in terms of council tax and housing benefit. I am aware in my constituency, as are other Members who represent other constituencies, of extreme pressure on housing. The motions that we are considering are in part responsible for tying up housing stock.
  8.56 pm
  Mr. Tim Boswell: As the hon. Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) said, in the only Back-Bench contribution made by a Labour Member, this has been an enjoyable debate. It has also been an interesting debate, if one that has not as yet extended itself as far as it might.
  The debate was introduced by the Secretary of State in a terse, though not perhaps peremptory, manner. He had some good news to bring to the House about increases in benefit, which are always welcome where they are obtainable, although they were somewhat rubbished by the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb), who made a characteristically interesting speech. I did not agree with much of the detail, but I did agree with some of the broad sweep.
  We have had some heavyweight contributions from those on the Opposition Benches. The first was from my hon. Friend the Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts), who has apologised for having to leave the Chamber early to fulfil another engagement. He made a powerful speech of analysis of what was wrong with benefits and the present structure.
  Perhaps my hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight) prevented me from speaking even more discursively than I might have been minded to. Indeed, he even lifted one of the quotations that I was about to share with the House. I shall not repeat it.
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  With characteristic concerns, my hon. Friend the Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous) referred to some of the moral hazards within the present system, while not perhaps having yet reached a completely watertight solution that would resolve the situation.
  All this suggests that there is much life in what most of us have learned to call social security, which we must now learn to call work and pensions. This is a worthwhile and important debate. The Government have lessons to learn; indeed, they have been taught some sharp lessons in the past, and they would be well advised to keep their ears and eyes open to the changing tides of opinion.
  I am conscious that there is a fine line to draw. You have already rightly reminded the House, Madam Deputy Speaker, that we are discussing uprating motions that are about mathematical adjustments to benefits that have not broadly been changed in scope on this occasion. They may have been altered in their sweep and their effect by substantial changes in one or two instances, but the structure remains largely unchanged.
  It is very much within the sweep of Government policies that there should be a parallel consideration of the current state of the private sector in terms of the provision of retirement incomes. I shall have occasion to refer to the Government's objective to rebalance the financing of people's income in retirement between state provision and private sector provision. All of us on both sides of the House agree that those should operate like two blades of the scissors. We will not immediately remove one blade; we may just put one blade on top, instead of underneath.
  There are genuine concerns, which is hardly surprising. The right spirit, especially when the Government have a reasonable amount of time to respond to the debate, is that they should take seriously the points that are being made and answer them.
  The House would not expect me to be over-solicitous of the interests of Ministers. It must be extraordinarily distasteful for any Work and Pensions Minister to have to read the recent press, particularly the weekend press, with the cornflakes.
  The Minister for Pensions (Mr. Ian McCartney): Porridge.
  Mr. Boswell: Indeed. The right hon. Gentleman rightly reproves me. There is nothing wrong with porridge. It no doubt accounts for his achievements today in the hospital downrating issue, to which I shall return.
  At the beginning of our constituency week of absence, under the rather terse headline "Pensions crisis deepens", The Sunday Telegraph reported:
  "Stakeholders have bombed, annuity rates are tumbling and companies are ditching final salary schemes".
  More pointedly, in an article to which my hon. Friend the Member for Arundel and South Downs referred, in The Times last Saturday, under the heading, "Poor get poorer as Whitehall meddles with retirement", Graham Searjeant posed the simple question:
  "How did it all go wrong?"
  Tonight's debate is about the uprating of the state side of retirement income through the benefit system. The relevance of the general torrent of concern that has built

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  up in the past few weeks is that it exposes the huge difficulties that Ministers face in their avowed—and perfectly sensible—objective of rebalancing the mix, which is currently 60 per cent. state-provided and 40 per cent. private-provided, so that the percentages are broadly reversed.
  I have no quarrel with that objective of the Government's, but along with the authorities whom I have already mentioned, there is the palpable fact that companies are bailing out of defined benefits schemes and replacing them with defined contributions, with generally less generous employer contributions to pensions. That means that any realistic prospect of achieving that objective is fast receding. The reliance on state benefits may well increase, not diminish, in future.
  I toss in two other points. The first is that a major culprit in all this was that disastrous decision in Government's very first Budget in 1997 to remove payable tax credits from dividends, at a cost of some £5 billion a year to pension schemes alone. I happened to be serving on our Treasury team at the time and alongside my right hon. Friend the Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory), we fought hard in Committee to explain the dangers, though perhaps not many were listening at the time. They are now. The Government were then prepared to rejoice in what they felt was an entirely painless stealth tax. Now they are living to regret it.

  My second point, to which we shall properly return in another context shortly, when the State Pension Credit Bill reaches the House, is that the Government's vaunted pension credit legislation will make matters worse, by both increasing complexity and providing direct disincentives to long-term saving.
  The right hon. Member for Birkenhead (Mr. Field), who is an unusual absentee from tonight's debate, was quoted in the article in The Sunday Telegraph to which I referred as saying that
  "it would be madness for anyone in Labour's target stakeholder group to even think of buying one."
  He was reported as saying:
  "There's no way they can save enough to provide a better pension than they'd get from the minimum income guarantee."
  Very well then—what of the state pension itself? Of course, the current situation is a bit better for Ministers than their somewhat scarring experience with regard to the April 2000 uprating of 75p. There is a school of thought that goes under the simple caption "Never again 75p." One assumes that that experience will not recur. As a matter of fact, the Secretary of State said that it was the right thing to do and that he did not argue for more. However, he is arguing for more tonight, so we will not blame him for that. The change in retirement benefits comes alongside a number of changes that I personally welcome, including those affecting disabled people, not least in relation to independent living funds, for example.
  This year—let us make no bones about it—;the basic pension will increase by £3 for single pensioners and by £4.80 for couples. Effectively, the Government have committed themselves to a 2.5 per cent. minimum increase in future years, regardless of the rate of inflation. At the same time, however, the risk remains that the minimum income guarantee, which is tied to earnings, certainly for the remainder of this Parliament, may outstrip even the ratcheted-up basic pension increase. I notice that the Institute for Fiscal Studies has suggested
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  that by 2038, the MIG could be worth twice the value of the basic pension. To put it another way, the value of the MIG at that time would be equivalent to an implied pension pot that would, if converted into an annuity, approach a six-figure sum. People would have to save at least that sum to get more than they would have done from the minimum income guarantee.
  The first result is more means-testing, however it is described. I accept that there is a difference between careful targeting and means-testing. The issue has to be handled with very great sensitivity and, dare I say it, a degree of scepticism. The second consequence is a downgrading of the value of the basic pension, so that it becomes a mere supplement to other sorts of income, including those generated by the minimum income guarantee. 'IN e must also consider poor take-up—perhaps only two thirds of the MIG target group. The Secretary of State referred to a figure of 2 million, but I understand that some previous official take-up figures have suggested a level of 1.7 million. If he has improved take-up, that is welcome. It has also been suggested that, as pension credits develop, about two thirds of all pensioners could be sucked into what is a means test by any standards. A final concern, which was raised by the hon. Member for Northavon, is that all these arrangements still give very little acknowledgement to the growing number of elderly patients, with their distinctive needs and characteristically high poverty.
  It is interesting to contrast what is happening now with the long-term figures, which suggest that one third of all benefits are means-tested—I refer not only to pensions—compared with only 8.5 per cent. of total benefit spending at the initiation of the modern scheme under the Attlee Government. Today, one modestly encouraging concession has been given: extension of the qualifying period for hospital downrating to 13 weeks. However, I have never seen a concession so rushed out, having been so unexplained, by any Department at any time.
  The Minister for Pensions will have some time for his reply. Perhaps he can clarify the figures that the Secretary of State gave earlier and confirm the maths. There is a confusion between pensioners and other beneficiaries, but can he tell us the number of people who will benefit and at what cost in terms of the £60 million that is currently raised through hospital downrating? How many will remain in the scheme and at what cost to them? When we prepared our case on hospital downrating, I did some figure work. The total disallowance could be £2,000 a head. That means a sharp descent when benefit is withdrawn.
  As my hon. Friend the Member for Havant said, restoring benefit remains a genuine administrative problem, to which Ministers need to pay more attention. For example, they should consider what are technically called the outliers in distributing the restored benefit. It is all very well saying that the average time taken to restore benefit is three or four days, but reapplying for benefit is not the first matter that a pensioner leaving hospital considers. Uneven distribution may mean that some pensioners lose out for an inordinate length of time.
  Although the Government's concession is welcome, they should explore further with representative organisations whether flaws, especially administrative flaws, remain in the system. Now that they have taken the heart out of the system in terms of cost, they should consider how much benefit and revenue they continue to get from it.

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  Our emphasis tonight has been on the pension increase above inflation, but we should not overlook some of the wider implications. Everyone knows the financial strains of the current system; they will not go away. They were well set out in the context not only of this country but of the world in a recent survey in The Economist. If all hon. Members studied the table that shows the change in distribution of pensioner numbers in Japan between 1950 and today, they would understand why Secretaries of State will always have a problem of containment.
  Of course the Government want to relieve some of the burden of dependency. I doubt whether they will admit to wanting to adopt the method of increasing the retirement age, or, to put it more positively, removing some of the disincentives to continuing to work. We may have further comments to make about ageism and age discrimination. Employers' simple acceptance of continuing to employ fit and able employees will be an important social change. It matches the wider objective of encouraging people to stay on at work while they feel able to do that and thus enhance their pension. They may need to do that.
  Some unfairness and potential policy hazard is buried in uprating. Although the basic pension is increasing by more than 4 per cent., the extra components such as the additional pension and the graduated pension allowance continue to increase by 1.7 per cent. If the Government are prepared to be generous on the one hand, the imbalance will increase and convey the worst possible signal to those who contemplate staying on at work.
  No one has commented on the new pension service that will come into play in only a few weeks and provide the benefits. Ministers may choose to reflect and, indeed, comment on the fact that, now that we have had the press release and the characteristic flood of adjectives about the new service—it is "modern", it is "high quality", etcetera; that is all I get in written answers on the subject—they now have to provide the service for pensioners.
  I am a keen reader—and, dare I say it, a modest advocate—of the Department for Work and Pensions newsletter for advisers, intermediaries and other professionals. I am not sure whether I qualify as one of those, but I do my best. The newsletter is known as Touchbase, and we can all get it if we ask for it. The edition that has just reached me is the winter 2001–02 edition, so it is a bit late, rather like the winter fuel payments—but we will leave that aside. An article in the newsletter makes it clear that 26 new centres are to be provided for the pension service. These centres are only just getting under way, and claims will not, in the rather charming phrase of the article, even begin to "migrate from local offices" to the pioneering centre in Burnley until mid-April.
  By 2005, however, everything will be all right, because the article concludes that all sites should be operating the optimum best-practice model, and that the policy of the Government is clearly one of continuous improvement. Of course, that will be the case only if one happens to be a pensioner who can send an e-mail or succeed in getting through to the centre by phone.
  More seriously, perhaps, there are genuine concerns among the retirement associations and those representing older people about the division of departmental responsibilities implicit in the division between the
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  pension service and Jobcentre Plus. Pensioners have an interest not only in pensions. For example, they may well have dependents, and some might still be in receipt of child benefit. Others might be at work, or might need to access disability services.
  Vernon Coaker: Does the hon. Gentleman not agree that a pension service dedicated to pensioners is more likely to attract them to contact it when they need to than is the current arrangement? Is this not a good change that is taking place?
  Mr. Boswell: I hope that I can agree with the hon. Gentleman, but Ministers must handle this matter with more attention than we have publicly been aware of, or at least allow us to have a debate about the issues. If this service works seamlessly as a one-stop shop, and if people in the service are capable of answering questions on child benefit, for example, or of getting a prompt answer delivered to a pensioner, that will be fine. If it does not work properly, however, and pensioners are shuffled from, say, Burnley to Bootle, it will be very bad news.
  Implicit in this debate has been a concern on both sides of the House about take-up, and the way in which the system works in practice. It will be great if it works, but it is quite clear to all of us that it does not work as it is intended to. It may even be clear to some of us that if it did work as it was supposed to, take-up would increase to a level that might give rise to concern for the Chancellor in relation to some of the benefits being paid. However, that is perhaps an argument for another day.
  More attention should be paid to the delivery of the pension service than it has hitherto received. Let me be positive, however, and say that I am pleased that Ministers propose to involve the voluntary sector in the delivery of services, but that must be genuinely bureaucracy-free and comprehensive. That is my response to the point made by the hon. Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker).
  The Minister has ample time to reply and I shall be friendly to him, as I hope I always am, by reminding him that the late Iain Macleod—a great fellow Scot, though a Conservative, whom I admired immensely—always advised young politicians against shooting Santa Claus even when Santa Claus was one legged. I do not suggest that Ministers have been tremendously generous, but they have made advances and a further concession has been wrung out of them today.
  Although there are matters that can be welcomed—we shall not divide the House on the orders—it is clear from the tone of the debate that there are serious questions to be answered by Ministers. Frankly, the climate for pensions generally and for the income of pensioners, whatever its level and whatever their status and way of life, is deteriorating. If Ministers remain in denial and do not address that, we could all end up losers.
  9.21 pm
  The Minister for Pensions (Mr. Ian McCartney): I thank hon. Members for what has been, for the most part, a useful and interesting debate—it says here. Before proceeding, I must tell Opposition Members and my colleagues that I shall answer the points made tonight, so I give the hon. Member for Daventry (Mr. Boswell) a word of caution. I do not intend to go over the ground covered in our previous two pensions debates in the past few weeks.

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  I do not say that as a criticism, but much of the hon. Gentleman's contribution and of his hon. Friends' speeches was about general pension issues, which I am more than happy to debate on Second Reading and in Committee when we discuss the State Pension Credit Bill and when we examine over the coming months a range of issues, such as the simplification review, the Sandler review and the rest of it.
  Mr. Boswell: I feel particularly generous tonight and I am also conscious of the rather tight nature of the orders and the debate that flows from them. I am content for the Minister to reserve his responses on the wider matters for other and perhaps more appropriate occasions, but will he at least undertake to consider seriously the points made by a number of colleagues about the current situation, which genuinely concerns us? Ministers must not resort to denial.
  Mr. McCartney: I thank the hon. Gentleman for his kind remarks and reassure him that my colleagues and I always take the comments of hon. Members seriously, even when they do not deserve the seriousness that we attach to them. A number of specific points have been raised and I shall try to answer them.
  My hon. Friend the Member for Gedling (Vernon Coaker) raised issues about attendance allowance, and I am happy to meet him to discuss them. His point was about take-up, which relates to the pension service, and I shall write to colleagues about the next stage of its development. I remind the hon. Member for Daventry that at each stage we have written either directly to the Members of Parliament for the constituencies concerned or to Members generally.
  I have no problem with maintaining a close working relationship with colleagues during the delivery of the pension service in a rolling programme over the next few years. I want Members on both sides of the House and their staff to be involved proactively so that we are as one on that. This Government are not a secret society, believe it or not, and we want to engage with colleagues in respect of development and delivery of the service.
  The orders confirm our conviction that it is essential to provide effective support for those who cannot work or are retired, while promoting the principle of work for those who can. We are continuing to put right the wrongs of the past. Over the 18 years before we came to power, millions were discarded to a life of poverty. Listening to the hon. Member for Daventry, I would never have thought that the Conservatives were in government for 35 of the past 50 years. In government, we have done something about hospital downrating, we have done something about means-testing and we have done something about pensioner poverty—to cut it rather than to create it. That is an aside. I shall not get partisan. [Laughter.] I shall try my best not to be too partisan.
  There are some key figures. The estimated cost of the uprating for 2002–03 is £2.985 billion: £2.06 billion for the elderly, £480 million for the sick and people with disabilities, £330 million for families, £65 million for the unemployed, and £50 million for widows and others with special needs. We are taking action to cut the costs of economic and social failure with a combination of sound economic management and policies to increase employment. We are investing in public services to tackle issues such as health inequalities and poor housing, and to get extra help to priority groups.
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  We were not prepared to allow generation after generation to suffer the indignity of poverty, be it relative, absolute or persistent. We have addressed the legacy of pensioner poverty head-on, introducing the minimum income guarantee so that poorest pensioners will be at least £15 a week better off. Rough and ready the guarantee may have been, but we were the first Government ever to challenge pensioner poverty. From a standing start, 1.7 million pensioner households and 2 million individual pensioners are now receiving the minimum income guarantee. We are the first Government to intervene in the cycle of pensioner poverty—a cycle for which I refuse to apologise. The Conservative party created it; the Liberal Democrats talk about it; at least this Government are doing something about it.
  We have made significant progress towards reaching our long-term objective of ending child poverty within a generation, and halving it within 10 years. We have introduced a range of tax and benefit reforms to give help at the time when families need it most. We have made record increases in child benefit, extended the mobility component of disability living allowance to three and four-year-olds, and delivered wide-ranging reforms to ensure that work pays and to make work possible. Measures such as the national minimum wage and working families tax credit have helped to ensure that people are better off in work.
  The history pages will make clear the Tories' legacy. They failed to provide help for those who needed help most; it is now up to us to do so.
  We know that it is particularly hard for families on low incomes to bring up children with disabilities, so we are again providing substantial extra help for disabled children. The order gives an additional £5, on top of normal uprating, for the poorest families, bringing the disabled child premium to £35.50 a week. There has been an increase of more than £15 a week since 1996. That will benefit about 80,000 children.
  To help remove the barriers to work from people with severe disabilities and to make sure that work pays for them, their earnings or their partners' earnings will no longer be taken into account for independent living fund assessments. The hon. Member for Daventry acknowledged that. The change will be worth an average of £130 a week to those families. We will also extend help to people with savings of up to £18,500 by increasing capital limits in relation to the fund. That is in addition to the increase in the independent living fund from £109.6 million in 1996–97 to £131.3 million in 2000–01.
  We are doing more than ever to help families balance their work and home lives. That was raised by the hon. Member for South-West Bedfordshire (Andrew Selous), although I think he took a somewhat different line. We actually believe in helping families. It does not matter to us whether they are single-parent families, or whether a parent is absent; children are the most important aspect. They are our future, and every child in the country counts.
  The standard rate of maternity allowance and statutory maternity pay will rise from £62.20 to £75 a week. That will benefit about 340,000 families a year, and is the largest weekly increase in the benefit since February 1958. The sure start maternity grant will rise from £300 to £500, giving a further substantial increase to mothers on low incomes. The new deal and other measures have already helped 100,000 single parents into employment and out of poverty.
  [Mr. McCartney]: We are again giving significant help to the elderly. We are committed to the demise of pensioner poverty. We will, as promised, increase the minimum income guarantee in line with earnings, to £98.15 for a single person and £149.80 for a couple. That shows our continuing commitment to ensuring that our pensioners benefit directly from the growing prosperity of this country. As a direct result of the minimum income guarantee, a single person will be at least £15 per week better off and a pensioner couple £23 per week better off than in 1997. In conjunction with winter fuel payments and free television licences, that will make a single pensioner at least £18 per week better off, while a pensioner couple will have gained more than £27 per week.
  We shall debate pension credit soon. That is another significant measure in the modernisation of the welfare state, giving positive support to more than 5 million pensioners.
  Between now and the introduction of the credit, we will continue to ensure that those on low and modest incomes can share in the growing prosperity. The transitional arrangements introduced in last year's order and continued in this year's order allow for that. As promised, the basic state pension will be increased by £3 to £75.50 a week in April 2002 for single pensioners and by £4.80 to £120.70 for couples.
  The state second pension that is being introduced this April will, as it builds, give more help to those on lower earnings or with broken work records such as carers and people with disabilities. That will mean additional help to 18 million people who are left out of the current system because of the modernisation of the pension system through the introduction of the state second pension.
  As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced earlier, we have reviewed the rules governing the reduction in benefit when one of our clients goes into hospital. Put simply, we will no longer downrate benefit, whether it be for pensioners or other customers, after the recipient has been in hospital for six weeks. In effect we have doubled the six-week rule so that benefit will continue to be paid in full for 13 weeks. As most hospital stays, including those of pensioners, are shorter than 13 weeks, most people will not see a reduction in their weekly income. An estimated 26,000 people will benefit at a cost of around £40 million. Approximately 20,000 of those beneficiaries will be pensioners.
  One would have thought from the churlish response of Opposition Members, whether Liberal Democrat or Conservative, that they had debated the matter, done something about it, or even spoken about it. The truth is that they said nothing and did nothing until a public statement only a few months ago by organisations representing older people.
  However, we had already made it clear in the public domain that we were reviewing the matter. We have not responded to older people's organisations. Their contribution to the debate came after I had made it clear that we were going to look at the matter with the Department of Health. We have done that. We have been honest and loyal to that pledge. Having done it, we have come forward with proposals.
  The hon. Member for Daventry asked what other beneficiaries were affected. This has been a comprehensive statement by the Government. It has related not just to the
  530
  retirement pension but to bereavement allowance, widow parents' allowance, widow mothers' allowance, widow's pension, age-related widow's pension, incapacity benefit, severe disablement benefit, unemployment supplement, industrial death benefit, income support, the minimum income guarantee, pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit. I would have thought that the hon. Gentleman would be less churlish.
  Mr. Boswell: We will not debate the tone of our response, but the Minister of State has given information that was not in his press release. I ask him to go back to the organisations representing older people and look with them long and hard at whether he can to some extent either ease the requirements or improve the performance of the Department in ensuring that benefit is restored quickly where it is withdrawn. That is the major outstanding concern. It would help everyone if he gave an assurance that he will at least look at that.
  Mr. McCartney: We have a common approach in our Department. We work with all the stakeholders regularly. That work is about not just policy but how we can manage the service better. If the hon. Gentleman wants an assurance, that is exactly what we are doing. We are involving stakeholders in the design of the pension service locally. There is potential for them to be involved in our outreach work in the community with older people. It is part of the Government's strategy of engaging with older people: not just providing services passively but being proactive and involved where pensioners are based—in their local community—working with pensioner organisations and stakeholders. It has been an ongoing policy of the Government since we won the general election in 1997.
  We have created the better government for older people project and a Cabinet sub-Committee on older people. We are the first Government ever to have a strategy for people over 50, working across Government to introduce better services, to develop policy and initiatives. This Government are alive to the needs of pensioners—unlike the previous Government, who ignored them.
  The hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) asked about long-term care and hospital downrating. Those in long-term care are generally left with a personal expenses allowance after paying their care home fees. That is intended to strike a fair balance between financial help and state providers, and avoid double provision.
  In addition, a great deal of work has been done in connection with residential care in nursing homes. The abolition of preserved rights gives registered protection for local authorities' contractual arrangements for the first time. The phasing out of residential and part III accommodation rates will provide a fairer system of funding for long-term care. At the moment, about half of all preserved rights customers do not have enough public support to cover their fees. Many have to pay some of their personal allowance towards the fees. The new arrangements will mean that those customers no longer have to do that.
  Some questions were asked about the uprating of disability and carers benefits in connection with invalid care allowance. The regulatory reform order currently before the deregulation Committees of the House of Lords and the House of Commons will provide for the removal

  531
  of the upper age limit for claims for invalid care allowance, and the introduction of a caring entitlement condition for people over 65. We have said that, with parliamentary approval, we want to introduce that by autumn 2002.
  The hon. Gentleman also asked what had happened to housing benefit reform. The strategy for housing benefit was set out in response to the consultation on the housing Green Paper in December 2000. First, we are working with local authorities to drive up standards of service, tackle fraud and error and reduce barriers to work. Secondly, we have begun rent restructuring in the social rented sector. We believe that it is essential to level those two stages before considering more fundamental structural reform.
  The hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs (Mr. Flight) asked about improving the take-up of housing benefits. Local authorities have been given a legal duty to encourage take-up of housing benefit and council tax benefit. Much of that is achieved in day-to-day business rather than through special campaigns—but we are not complacent, and we support local campaigns when they take place.
  We do a lot of campaigning about entitlements—but when we do, the Opposition usually complain that we are spending money. What is wrong with giving people an entitlement and then telling them about it? When we do that the Opposition complain, but when they come to a debate here, they complain that we are not doing enough of it. What do they want? Do they want us to let people know or not? My colleagues and I are prepared to work with the stakeholders to produce effective innovative approaches to campaigning on take-up, and we continue to do that on a regular basis—and when we do, the Opposition spokesman complains.
  I think that on pensions strategy we agree that there must be partnership, but I must make one point about the scaremongering that we have heard: 66 per cent. of large employers still have some form of pension provision. We have introduced the simplification review, the Myners review, the minimum funding requirement and the Sandler review. We are the first Government in history to take seriously the need to carry out a fundamental review of ways to help the providers of pensions to continue to provide them on a basis of partnership.
  I think that we will come back to this debate when the Sandler review is in the public domain. There is also the simplification review, and the implementation of the minimum funding requirement arrangements following the Myners report, to which we are already committed.
  Let us be clear: the Government support and are alert to the need to increase the pool of employees who have a vehicle for their pension, whether that be a stakeholder pension, a defined benefit, a defined contribution or some other form. It is important to work with employers to continue that provision.
  It is interesting to note that contributions to non-state pensions are at their highest ever—£ 19 billion up in real terms since the 1997 election. We are not complacent, but we are the first Government ever to participate effectively with the industry on an ongoing basis to find ways of improving and maintaining pension funds and access to pensions. For those who did not have access, we have created the stakeholder pension to give them access for the first time. Six hundred thousand people who this time
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  last year had no access to a pension fund now have access because of the stakeholder system—and that will continue to grow. More than 80 per cent. of the targeted employers who last year had no vehicle to create a pension fund for their employees now have one.
  That is progress. This is the first Government in a generation to make progress and benefit large numbers of people who were abandoned by the Conservatives with no hope of a pension—and the Liberals had no view about that at all.
  Sir Robert Smith: On defined benefit pensions and final salary pensions, some companies are saying that times are hard and that they are going to get rid of the schemes—as a constituent who visited my surgery on Friday has been told—so will the Minister point out to those companies that when times were good they took a contributions holiday? The Government will have to work with such companies to honour the moral contract. At present, employers are saying, "I wasn't around then so I don't have to pay the consequences".
  Mr. McCartney: Another Liberal Democrat campaign tactic! We have held Adjournment debates on those issues recently and the hon. Gentleman's party did not participate. If the hon. Gentleman had serious points to make, he should have listened to his hon. Friend the Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) who spoke earlier and whose pensions policy was economic illiteracy. The Liberals' pensions policy is economic illiteracy. The problem for the Liberals is that the hon. Member for Northavon cannot agree with the leader of his party on their policy for the next election. He came to plead for support from the House because he cannot get it from the leader of the Liberal Democrat party.
  I ask my hon. Friends to support both orders. I commend the orders to the House. We are the first Government in more than a generation with a strategy to end poverty among children, a strategy to tackle and end poverty among older people and a strategy to make work pay. At last, we have a Government who are on the side of all the citizens of this country—not like the last Government, who abandoned them.
  Question put and agreed to.
  Resolved,
  That the draft Social Security Benefits Up-rating Order 2002, which was laid before this House on 6th February, be approved.

  PENSIONS
  Resolved,
  That the draft Guaranteed Minimum Pensions Increase Order 2002, which was laid before this House on 6th February, be approved.—[Mr McNulty.]

  EUROPEAN COMMUNITY DOCUMENTS
  Motion made, and Question put forthwith, pursuant to Standing Order No. 119(9) (European Standing Committees),
  EUROPEAN COMMUNITY DOCUMENTS

    EQUAL TREATMENT DIRECTIVE
    That this House takes note of European Union Document No. 14492/01, the Opinion of the European Commission on the European Parliament's amendments to the Council's common

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    position regarding the draft Directive amending Council Directive 76/207/EEC on equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions; and supports the Government's aim of maintaining the Council's common position which updates the Equal Treatment Directive in line with case law and developments in European law—[Mr. McNulty.]
    Question agreed to.

  BUSINESS OF THE HOUSE
  Ordered,
  That, at the sitting on 5th March, paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 31 (Questions on amendments) shall apply to proceedings on the Motions in the name of Mr. Elfyn Llwyd and Mr. Alex Salmond as if that day were one of the Opposition Days allotted under paragraph (2) of Standing Order No. 14 (Arrangement of public business)—[Mr. McNulty.]

  Agriculture (West Dorset)
  Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn—[Mr. McNulty.]
  9.42 pm
  Mr. Oliver Letwin: I am grateful to the Minister for Rural Affairs for spending time late in the evening listening, yet again—as has been the custom once a year—to the condition of agriculture in West Dorset. I wish that I could say that there would be a shorter list of problems than in previous years and that I could signal an end to this series of debates, but that is not so.
  I am sure that these facts will be entirely familiar to the Minister. Farm profitability in West Dorset remains—without hyperbole—abysmal. Smaller farmers continue to leave in droves. As the older farmers leave their family farms their children do not take over. More worryingly, even in our mid-sized farms—of between 200 and 500 acres—where considerable value-added is going on, trading is at close to break even.
  Production looks set to reduce further. As the Minister knows well, beef self-sufficiency in the United Kingdom has fallen generally by about 25 percentage points. That is reflected in what is going on in West Dorset beef farming. My pig farmers remain hugely concerned that they are at the tail end of an international price war and that Danish and Dutch pigs will see them out.
  Underneath all that lies a severe set of price pressures—again, the Minister is well aware of them. The price of milk heading downwards—from about 19.5p a litre to about 18p—puts most of my dairy producers at severe risk of unprofitability next year. Pigs are now at 89p a kilo and the price may be headed down. Cereal prices are tumbling out of bed.
  Some of that is entirely beyond the Minister's control: the temporary high level of the pound versus the euro—a frequent lament during recent years. Some of it is also certainly due to the demoralisation that attended foot and mouth disease. My farmers join the rest of the farmers in the UK in hoping that there will be—as there certainly should have been—a public inquiry.
  A great part of the problem remains structural. It is structurally impossible for my livestock producers to manage to be profitable in circumstances in which there is a huge differential in animal welfare standards and in the costs imposed by those standards between them and their competitors on the mainland. There is also a huge and similar difference in environmental regulations that affect cereal production.
  That is the lament. Although I suppose that I would have sought this debate to make that lament alone, I could have spared the Minister a few more minutes and ended there, were there only that bad news. So far, the picture has been similar to last year, and the year before that and the year before that. However, there is a further reason for requesting this debate tonight.
  As any Member representing a rural area will have done in the past months, I have met a range of farmers, including, most recently, the National Farmers Union representatives in my area.
  Mr. Eric Martlew: That is no surprise.
  Mr. Letwin: Indeed, it is no surprise.

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  The good news is that the prominent farmers in my area see a ray of hope and believe that the Curry commission report points the way to a future for them. I want to draw out the critical elements of a way forward in the light of Curry, which might prevent me, many other Members and the Minister from having to have such debates on many occasions in the coming years. More importantly, the recipe, if adopted, might prevent the destruction of farming as we know it in West Dorset and similar areas.
  The first point that I want to draw out from Curry is an observation that almost merits the term "profound". He has given us a different picture of the way in which we ought to regard agriculture in the UK. Until now, romantics have seen UK agriculture as a nostalgic and delightful business, and have argued the case for subsidising it without regard to profitability, whereas those who have thought of themselves as realists have seen agriculture as much the same as any other competitive industry. By and large, as an economic realist about a wide range of industries, I would say, as the agricultural realists have been prone to say, that it does not matter too much whether Britain produces one kind of widget or not, or whether some widgets are imported and others produced locally.
  What we want, by and large, across industries, is an efficient, well-functioning economy that is open and competitive—one in which competitive advantage dictates whether we produce a given good or service or somebody else does. The realists have argued that the same applies to British agriculture. If British pig farmers, dairy farmers or other kinds of British farmer cannot compete with an outsider on the same rules of open markets obtaining in the UK, so be it—let our agriculture disappear. That struggle between the romantics and realists has pervaded the scene over many years.
  Curry offers us a way out of the morass of unproductive debate between an unsustainable nostalgia and a cryptoeconomic realism that is also unsustainable because there is no prospect of continued farming in the UK on the basis of sheer open markets with no subsidies and no national defence mechanisms. Curry offers us the possibility that we might regard farming in the UK, particularly in a place such as West Dorset, as a national environmental asset that can be sustained only if we treat it in a certain way and make it profitable on a long-term basis. Curry makes us consider the sustainability of farming in a place such as West Dorset as part of a UK-wide approach to a regulated industry, parallel in many respects to the utility industries.
  The best way to conceptualise that is to imagine the dreadful moment when the whole nation is turned into a park that is cared for by paid park keepers who are the minions of the Minister. In that scenario, Sir Humphrey presents the Minister with the wonderful prospect of diminishing the costs of keeping the park by allowing the keepers to keep animals and grow things. If we see farming on a regulated basis, as a United Kingdom-protected industry that is sustained as a single national enterprise over and against competitors on the continent and elsewhere, there is a hope of putting the fragmented pieces together into a coherent strategy that makes sense only because farming is the cheapest and most sensible way to preserve the rural character and the environmental advantages of our countryside.
  What elements does Curry identify that need to be put in place and that my farmers have alighted on to construct such a coherent national strategy? First, there needs to be
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  a serious approach to research and development and to model farms—the New Zealand approach. New Zealand understands that it is a small country battling against the odds of the deficiencies of being far removed from most of its markets. The economy is in every other respect open.
  In the case of agriculture, New Zealand has expended huge efforts on enabling its farmers to learn from models and research and development, and to benefit from national direction and strategy, so that ordinary farmers can see how to go about their business in a way that is coherent with what is going on elsewhere in the country.
  The second element, which is allied to the first, is the need to develop the home market for home produce by producing high-value-added local niche products—to put it parochially, Dorset cheeses and Dorset hams in Dorset. Other counties would have their own products.
  The third element, which is perhaps more important than the other two, is a changed attitude to regulation. The comparison and contrast with the utility industries is constructive in this regard. Almost every utility regulation Bill has imposed a duty on the regulator to consider the interests of consumers and producers. He has to balance one against the other and to consider the return on assets that is achieved by the regulated entity. If a new regulation—be it environmental, health and safety or whatever—s imposed on the regulated utility, it becomes the duty of the economic regulator to assess the cost of that extraneous regulation on the industry that he is regulating and to allow it to recoup the cost as a return in its charging structure.
  No such system is in effect for British farming. I am not making a partisan attack; that has been true under Labour and Conservative Administrations alike for many years. If well intentioned Members introduce Bills and persuade Governments to impose a new regulation on my farmers in West Dorset, there is no corresponding allowance for that in any feature of the subsidy regime, the crypto-price control regimes or the tax regime. The farmers bear the double cost—the direct cost and the competitive cost.
  Economic impact assessments are febrile documents, as the Minister and I know. My farmers estimate that the figures in the impact assessment for the recent imposition of nitrate vulnerable zones are wrong by a factor of broadly four. That is typical. It has been the case over the years in many domains outside agriculture that the economic impact assessments presented to the House are the ludicrous fictions of optimistic officials who are guided by intense Ministers. Again, that is not a partisan remark. I regret to say that it has been true under regime after regime.
  If our regulatory arrangements for farming were so designed that the Treasury had to buy increases in exogenous regulation of our farmers by paying specific subsidies to the value of that regulation, the battle royal between the Treasury and DEFRA or other Ministers taking up an environmentalist or animal welfare standard on behalf of members of the ruling party's parliamentary party would be huge. The Treasury would then demand to understand whether the regulation in question was worth buying and the farmer would be recompensed. The likelihood is that, on both competitive and direct-subsidy grounds, a plethora of animal welfare and environmental

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  regulation that is not matched by parallel regulation in our competing markets and unmatched by subsidy would no longer be imposed on our farmers.
  Fourthly, there must be a serious attitude on the part of the nation as a whole to animal health. At the moment, we have no serious, single national body responsible for policing animal health standards at our ports. The evidence from everyone who has ever visited a UK port or airport in pursuit of the agency or agencies that are controlling the import of dangerous substances is that there is no such single agency and that there are indeed no such agencies effectively policing those frontiers. I have wandered fruitlessly around both ports and airports attempting to find the agencies seriously involved.
  I do not say that efforts are not being made—they are—but by comparison with the scale of the problem, as recent reports have made clear, they are pathetically inadequate. The problem will not be solved until there is a single agency of government, rather than one of the seven or eight currently partially responsible, that becomes alone responsible for policing the frontiers.
  While we are at it, we need an agency specifically charged with the remit of producing contingency plans for disasters that occur as a result, as there always will be, of imperfections in border controls, even where those have been improved. The fact of the matter, as the Minister will very well be aware, is that whereas the Ministry of Defence has typically had contingency plans for hundreds of kinds of events that are unlikely ever to occur, MAFF and its successor DEFRA have traditionally—I fear that it is still so—had no contingency plans for many events that are almost certain to occur. We saw that most recently with foot and mouth, and we shall see it again in other spheres. Indeed, we shall see it until we have a single agency, whether the Food Standards Agency or another, charged with the business of contingency planning.
  Finally, if we are to see a changed attitude and to offer a prospect of sustainability, we must, as the Curry report clearly indicates, have a serious attitude to replacement of old farmers by young. There must be a serious effort to replace manpower. At the moment, there is no strategy for that, but until there is, we cannot expect a sustainable industry.
  Those five themes are small but crucial. My farmers see this as a decisive moment—not in the sense that it is noticeably worse than in years past. They have been so bad that this year is no worse. Rather, my farmers see this as a decisive moment in the sense that there is now a ray of hope in the shape of the Curry report. There is a way forward for the industry which has not previously been part of the political currency. It is up to the Government whether they will grasp that challenge or evade it.
  It being Ten o'clock, the motion for the Adjournment of the House lapsed, without Question put.
  Motion made, and Question proposed, That this House do now adjourn.—[Mr. McNulty.]
  Mr. Letwin: Only a minute more, Mr. Speaker.
  If the response of the Minister's Department at this juncture is to evade the challenge by doing what the rumour mill has it the Secretary of State has in mind and inaugurating that wonderful Sir Humphreyesque device of
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  a report on the report, my farmers will go into a state of despondency akin to despair. This is the moment at which the new Department needs to show that it is a new Department—that it has a new attitude, that it is willing to take the challenge of the Curry report and willing to offer my farmers, for the first time in many years, a realistic prospect of a sustainable future which will be to the huge advantage of our environment and our society.
  10.1 pm
  The Minister for Rural Affairs (Alun Michael): I thank the hon. Member for West Dorset (Mr. Letwin) for managing to surprise us. He said that this was his annual debate, so that was not the surprise. He said that he had not come simply to lament, and that was true, given the nature of his contribution. He did not just repeat himself; in general, he gave what I can only describe as an endorsement of the Government's approach.
  In his initial remarks, the hon. Gentleman was right to say that we could hardly be totally positive about farming, given the horrendous time that farmers and the non-farming members of rural communities have experienced over the past 12 months. I am glad that he acknowledged that not all is within the power of the Government to change, and certainly not an individual Minister. He then gave a dutiful nod in the direction of a public inquiry. Without the Government's decision to have three specific inquiries—one dealing with the lessons to be learned, one dealing with the science in a searching way, using some of our most senior scientists, and one that establishes the commission on farming and food to look at the way forward for the industry—the hon. Gentleman could not have been as positive as he was in responding to the outcomes of the Curry commission's report.
  The hon. Gentleman spoke of meeting farmers who are still positive, despite their horrendous experience and the reasons they have to feel damaged and depressed—the months of foot and mouth disease and the difficulties faced by the industry. I have had the same experience in recent weeks. When I met farmers at a conference organised by the Bishop of Hereford, I expected a negative response. Instead, they were exchanging views on how to make themselves more competitive and how to bring more of the end-shelf price back to the farm and into the local community. In many ways their arguments were the same as those of us who argued for fair trade on the international scene. They want the opportunity to get a fair return; they are not looking for feather bedding.
  I agree with the hon. Gentleman that there are some rays of hope. That is not to be over-optimistic, because we face a challenging period over the coming months and years in moving to a sustainable farming and food industry for the long term. The hon. Gentleman is right that the Curry commission report points to the way forward. I assure him that the Government's response to the report will be thoughtful, as it should be. It will engage the stakeholders—the farmers and others—in designing the response, as it should do. It will also be practical and positive about the future.
  I liked the hon. Gentleman's description of romantics and realists, although I think that it should be romantics and pessimists, because the realists are now winning. Those who want a bright future for the farming and food industries, enormously important though they are

  539
  recognise that it must be achieved in the context of the world as it is, rather than as it was or as we wish it to be. That involves the ability to be competitive and imaginative, to provide quality and to market goods produced through a quality process.
  There are good examples of such initiatives in the hon. Gentleman's area. The local action group and partnership for rural economic development, "Dorset chalk and cheese", is aiming to add value to local products and to develop local employment opportunities. It is bringing together diverse stakeholders such as the Prince's Trust, the National Farmers Union and Weymouth college. In many ways, the west country as a whole has shown the way by branding the region through the "taste of the west" initiative, while retaining the personalities of individual local products, be they from Dorset, Cornwall or Devon. I am impressed by that approach.
  The hon. Gentleman considered different ways in which we might deal with the countryside, but let us be absolutely clear: we do not want to turn the countryside into a museum. The whole point of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is sustainable development. Sustainability means getting matters right environmentally, economically, and socially in the local communities. In our view, those three objectives—environmental, economic and social—are not alternatives. They are not options to be chosen from, but targets to be pursued in harmony with each other.
  That process needs the engagement of the whole community—the farming community and, indeed, the urban community. We should aspire to a better understanding between the urban and rural communities, and the hon. Gentleman certainly did not speak as if there are worlds between them. I hope that he agrees that we should remind both that they need each other, or that we need each other, depending on how one wants to put it. We should therefore see the positives in the countryside.
  The hon. Gentleman may be aware of our response to the recommendation of the rural taskforce, which was established at the height of the foot and mouth disease, and which I have had the honour to chair since the general election. The taskforce recommended taking action to attract people back to the countryside, but we recognised fairly quickly that people were indeed returning. In many cases, the tourism industry—which includes many farmers who have diversified—is experiencing stronger advance bookings than for a number of years.
  However, it was necessary to remind people of the benefits that the countryside provides. I am proud of the way in which the "Your Countryside, You're Welcome" campaign has developed. It is not a top-down Government publicity campaign but a Government-backed initiative—involving some 50 organisations such as the NFU and the Country Landowners Association—to remind people of the countryside's attractions. In doing so, it offers a positive image for farming and countryside communities, rather than simply being critical or looking on the downside. In many ways, that reflects the ray of realism but optimism that the hon. Gentleman has brought to the debate.
  The hon. Gentleman is right to point to the example of New Zealand and a move away from dependence on subsidy. It is a different country with different pressures, but our need to move from production-related subsidy to an effective and competitive farming industry is at the
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  heart of the Curry commission's recommendations. The report conveys realism and the fact that there are many environmental benefits, which are not financially productive as they do not pay the farmer for his work. It is right that those public benefits should be paid for by the public purse. There are increasing moves towards reform, both in the common agricultural policy and the England rural development programme. The Curry commission's proposals mapped out the more distant future, and we should respond to that.
  The hon. Gentleman referred to the problem of imports, which of course is divided into two; large imports—lwe need to make sure that regulations on them are properly observed—and small quantities that are brought into the country for personal consumption. Both kinds of import involve problems. We recognise the strength of concern about illegal imports and action is being taken. A high-level imports forum has been convened for next month to discuss what action, in addition to that which has already been taken, can be taken to detect and prevent illegal imports. However, the United Kingdom can never reduce the risk of importing disease to zero, so we must be prepared to deal with any outbreaks.
  The hon. Gentleman was a little unfair to suggest that there were no contingency plans, because there were. The lessons learned from the foot and mouth outbreak of the 1960s led to plans being drawn up and visited from time to time. However, no one anticipated the speed and virulence of the foot and mouth outbreak that we experienced last year. One positive was that it led many people and organisations to look afresh at the way we do things. Supermarkets, for instance, have looked at the way in which they procure their foodstuffs, which is extremely positive.
  The hon. Gentleman rightly referred to the problem of low farm incomes and pointed to the way forward. We need to help farmers, as the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is doing, to reach a position in which their farm business is viable. For some people, that means organic conversion and being able to compete in a market with a large of proportion of imports; there is a market to be won back for British producers.
  Some people may have to get involved in a niche market, producing and marketing things so that more comes back to the primary producer; other people may have to look at the expansion of farmers markets, which we are strongly encouraging. Farmers markets come in many shapes and sizes, and I have seen a number of them around the country in recent months. There is a good example in Bristol; in the heart of the city, foodstuffs from the surrounding area are being marketed to people, who benefit from high-quality foodstuffs being brought into the city in an attractive way. There is also a benefit for the hinterland of the city. Sometimes an individual opens a shop, developing something on behalf of the wider community of farmers and their families.
  There are therefore a number of approaches to the problem; it is not just a question of farmers diversifying and everybody having one or two bed and breakfast rooms. Each business must find the right solution and choose the right options, given the support available through the England rural development programme, the rural enterprise scheme and other available options. We must encourage and help farmers to take those options. Recently, we have had a positive announcement from my noble Friend Lord Whitty, who has ministerial

  541
  responsibility for farming, about increased optimism among farmers, who are restocking and going back to business now that they can see an end to foot and mouth.
  I have responded mainly to the tenor of the hon. Gentleman's speech, which was about looking forward, not backwards. It would be wrong not to acknowledge the fact that farmers have experienced a devastating period.
  There was the impact of foot and mouth disease, even in areas such as the one that the hon. Gentleman represents where there were few immediate cases, although the disease was not too far away. The farming community as a whole has been enormously damaged. In many instances, as we have seen through the excellent work of the rural stress network, individuals were traumatised by their experience. It is greatly to the credit of farming communities that they are responding positively to the recommendations that we have seen in the Curry commission's report. They are responding often not with over-optimism, but with a gritty determination to succeed in the business that they have chosen, and to meet the challenges of the future.
  I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on making his points in a positive way. I am certain that that is the best way to represent the interests of the farming community. We should take forward the ideas that have been outlined in the policy commission's report. We should consider issues of efficiency and recommendations such as the establishment of a food chain centre to improve efficiency. For instance, we should consider ways of developing the red meat sector. We should examine demonstration farms so that lessons can be learned and carried forward in a more positive way.
  The hon. Gentleman referred to adding value, and I agree with him. It is not a matter of competing only for the market that is there, but developing markets for local
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  and regional foods and engaging, for example, the regional development agencies, which have responded extremely positively to the challenge of helping rural communities and the rural economy cope with the results of foot and mouth disease. It is difficult to believe that we would have been able to respond so quickly and effectively without the work of the RDAs.
  We must examine diversification. That includes non-food crops, an integrated approach to businesses and the support of farmers through business advice that is effective and co-ordinated. We are considering how the inward rural development programme can be simplified and made easier to access. That is not without its problems, but we intend to do all that we can in that direction.
  Finally, there is the road, which the commission stressed, of supporting reform of the common agricultural policy. I know that the hon. Gentleman has taken an interest in the shifting of priorities away from the first pillar subsidy to the second pillar, and that is something that we shall pursue actively through the CAP's mid-term review.
  I congratulate the hon. Gentleman on initiating the debate and on discussing some of the issues that are for the future and how we implement the Curry commission's findings. These are issues on which the Government will report before long. We shall respond positively. I hope that from both sides of the Chamber we shall receive encouragement to help the farming community to develop, stand on its own feet and be successful for the future. That is the best way to have a thriving and living countryside that all can enjoy, and a successful farming industry. That is in the interests of everyone in this country, whether they live in rural or urban communities.
  Question put and agreed to.
  Adjourned accordingly at eighteen minutes past Ten o'clock.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Church Maintenance
  John Cryer
  To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent representations he has received regarding the cost of church repairs. [34269]

  Mr. Bell
  I have not received any particular representations on church repair costs following the launch of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme in December 2001.

  Church Lands (Deconsecration)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, how many(a) graveyards and (b) other church lands have been deconsecrated since 1972 and sold for development. [34271]

  Mr. Bell
  Since 1972 the Commissioners have completed 634 pastoral schemes to enable surplus churchyard or burial ground to be used for some other purpose, in most cases removing the legal effects of consecration. Very few of these cases have involved sale for development.

  Clergy
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if he will make a statement on clergy conditions of service. [34262]

  Mr. Bell
  Conditions vary slightly from dioceses to diocese. But, in addition to their stipend, based on a National Stipend Benchmark of £17,420 from April 2002, clergy receive free accommodation or a housing allowance, and membership of a non-contributory pension scheme. Their working expenses should be fully reimbursed.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

  Referendum (Euro)
  Norman Baker
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission if he will set out the Commission's responsibilities in respect of a referendum relating to membership of the euro. [34268]

  Mr. Beith
  The role of the Commission in the conduct of any national or regional referendum are set out in the Political Parties, Referendums and Elections Act 2000. In summary, the Act provides that broadcasters must have regard to views of the Commission before making any 682W
  rules with respect to referendum campaign broadcasts; the Commission shall consider the wording of the referendum question; the Commission shall receive declarations from and maintain a register of permitted participants; the Commission may designate one representative campaign organisation for each outcome of a referendum, and provide assistance in the form of grants and the provision of free facilities; the Commission shall ensure compliance with financial controls governing referendum expenditure and donations; the Chairman of the Commission (or his delegate) shall be the Chief Counting Officer for the referendum (except for a referendum held only in Northern Ireland, in which case the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland is the Chief Counting Officer) and shall appoint counting officers in each relevant local government area who will be responsible for certifying the result in that area; and the Commission shall be consulted by the Secretary of State before the making of Orders regulating the conduct of referendums, the Commission shall prepare and publish a report on the administration of referendums.

  Referendums (Questions)
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what reviews they intend to carry out relating to the wording of referendum questions. [34270]

  Mr. Beith
  The wording of a national or regional referendum question will normally be specified in the Bill providing for the holding of the referendum. As soon as reasonably practicable after the Bill is introduced, the Commission, as required by the Political Parties, Referendums and Elections Act 2000, will consider the wording of the question and publish a statement of its views, if any, as to the intelligibility of the question. A recent Electoral Commission paper on the conduct of mayoral referendums reported some concerns about the wording of the question, and I understand that the Commission is in discussion with the Government as to whether it might be improved.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Communications
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee (1) what plans she has for the provision of(a) Braille translation facilities, (b) Braille typing facilities, (c) lip reading training and (d) lip speaking training for hon. Members and their staff; [37458]

  (2) what steps she is taking to promote awareness of the services available to the blind and visually impaired for contacting hon. Members; [37088]

  (3) if there is provision for a constituent writing to an hon. Member in Braille to have their letter translated into print and the subsequent reply translated from print into Braille; [37089]

  (4) what steps she is taking to promote awareness of the services available to the deaf and hard of hearing for contacting hon. Members; [37087]
  683W
  (5) pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2002, Official Report, columns 507–08W, and following the resolutions of the House of 5 July 2001, what proportion of the new general services budget is earmarked for (a) the provision of special telephone equipment and Braille equipment and (b) training in their use, for the purpose of constituents contacting their Member of Parliament and vice versa. [37454]

  Mrs. Roe
  I refer the hon. Member to the replies given to him on 31 January 2002,Official Report, columns 507–08W. These areas are not strictly the responsibility of the Administration Committee; however, I understand that the Director of Finance and Administration will be happy to assist the hon. Member with any queries or concerns.

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the President of the Council by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in his Department to(a) himself and (b) his fellow Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36280]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  Ministerial boxes originating from my Department are transported to the House or to my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary's home by Government car. My staff and I sometimes take papers to my home on foot. No private courier firms are used.

  Legislation
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the President of the Council how much Government legislation in this Parliamentary session concerns(a) the UK, (b) Great Britain only, (c) England and Wales only, (d) England only, (e) Northern Ireland only and (f) Scotland only. [37047]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The following table sets out the number of Bills introduced so far this session, as they apply to the United Kingdom and its constituent parts. The totals given include those Bills that contain provisions relating to all the relevant constituent parts, whether or not all the provisions within such Bills have the same territorial extent.

  Extent

  Number of bills

  United Kingdom

  18

  Great Britain

  2

  England and Wales only

  7

  England only

  0

  Northern Ireland only

  3

  Scotland only

  0

DEFENCE

  British Army (Germany)
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the establishment against actual strength of British army units in Germany; and how many requests for transfer there are for each of these units. [29650]
  684W
  Mr. Ingram
  [pursuant to his reply, 28 January 2002, c. 24–26W]: I regret the information provided was incomplete. The table omitted figures relating to 102 Logistics Brigade, which is provided. All other figures remain correct.

  102 Logistics Brigade and 1 Regiment Army Air Corps

  Unit

  Establishment

  Actual strength

  HQ 102 Log Bde

  43

  43

  6 Sup Regt RLC

  773

  343

  7 Tpt Regt RLC

  577

  352

  1 Regt AAC

  299

  1366

  1 Drawdown to new establishment to be completed by October 2002

  Theft and Fraud
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what additional security measures are planned by his Department to deter and detect theft and fraud. [31798]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Ministry of Defence has in place a range of measures to deter and detect fraud and theft. Through our internal fraud policy, and response plan, it is made clear to line managers, at all levels, that dishonest behaviour will not be tolerated and that all suspicions will be investigated, many of them by the MOD Police or Service Police Authorities. Where suspected perpetrators can be identified, appropriate criminal or internal disciplinary action will be taken. Staff are encouraged to report suspicions and are also aware that the MOD has in place long established controls such as separation of duties, spot checks and physical security.

  Additional measures introduced over recent years include the creation of the Defence Fraud Analysis Unit, which is responsible for overseeing fraud policy, maintaining data, promoting fraud awareness and encouraging a proactive response to fraud, including the use of private sector consultants and specialists in the fields of quantity surveying and data mining.

  Invoice Payments
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the instances in which his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2000–01. [32030]

  Dr. Moonie
  The majority of the Ministry of Defence bills (some 95 per cent.) are paid by the Defence Bills Agency (DBA), which paid 100 per cent. of correctly presented bills within 30 days in the financial year 2000–01. The balance of the MOD's payments was made by the MOD's Trading Fund Agencies. Their performance against the 30 day target was as follows: Defence Evaluation and Research Agency 94.4 per cent.; Meteorological Office 99.9 per cent.; and the Hydrographic Office 98.5 per cent.

  Royal Ordnance
  Mr. Kevan Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for Royal Ordnance to source ammunition from overseas for MOD needs. [33028]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Ministry of Defence places contracts with RO Defence as the prime contractor for ammunition. The sourcing of ammunition and its component parts is a
  685W
  commercial decision that rests with the prime contractor. RO Defence is contracted to supply ammunition which is safe and suitable for use, provides both value for money and security of supply, and meets all the stringent requirements for UK service.

  Data Protection Act
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the Department's procedure is for responding to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [33482]

  Dr. Moonie
  Subject Access Requests (SARs) can be received at any level within the Ministry of Defence. Guidance on answering SARs has been cascaded throughout the MOD and its Agencies to a comprehensive network of data protection focal points for data protection issues. Different areas will have their own procedures to ensure compliance with MOD Guidance and the Data Protection Act. Departmental Guidance is regularly reviewed and updated as we continue to evaluate and develop our procedures. A copy of the current Guidance Notes will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what administration fees are charged by the Department for information requests made under the Data Protection Act 1998; [33461]

  (2) how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days of receipt of, (b) between 40 and 60 days of receiving and (c) over 60 days after receiving the £10 administration fee; [33563]

  (3) how many responses the Department has completed to requests for information made under the Data Protection Act 1998 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation; [33575]

  (4) what percentage of responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days of receipt of the £10 fee, (b) between 40 and 60 days of and (c) over 60 days after receiving the administration fee; [33468]

  (5) what the policy of the Department is for ensuring responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 are completed within 40 days; and what their procedure is to achieve this; [33475]

  (6) what the period of time elapsed is for the oldest outstanding request for information under the Data Protection Act 1998, since receipt of the (a) original request and (b) administration fee; [33450]

  (7) what his estimate is of the average cost of processing each information request under the Data Protection Act 1998; [33440]

  (8) how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 have been completed (a) within 40 days, (b) between 40 and 60 days and(c) over 60 days after receiving the original letter; and how many are still outstanding; [33570]
  686W
  (9) what the longest period of time elapsed is between receiving (a) the administration fee and providing the information requested and (b) a request for information and providing the information requested, under the Data Protection Act 1998; [33454]

  (10) how many requests the Department has received under the Data Protection Act 1988 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation. [33582]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Ministry of Defence does not hold information centrally relating to the number or format of Subject Access Requests (SAR) received. Nor do we hold information centrally about the type of documentation requested. There is no requirement in the Act, or by the Information Commissioner to collate such information centrally therefore we have not set up such an arrangement.

  However, Guidance on answering Subject Access Requests in compliance with the Data Protection Act 1998 has been cascaded throughout the MOD and its Agencies to a comprehensive network of nominated data protection focal points for data protection issues who monitor performance in their own area. As SARs can be received anywhere within the MOD, to collate this information would require us to contact all the different areas and assemble the information in a compatible format. Such an exercise would involve disproportionate effort. The Act provides that a data controller is not obliged to answer a SAR unless he has received a request in writing, the fee payable and sufficient information to confirm the identity of the applicant and to locate the information sought. The MOD currently does not make a charge for SAR.

  Golden Jubilee
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what events(a) he is and (b) other Ministers in his Department are planning to attend as part of the Golden Jubilee celebrations; and what events his Department is planning to arrange to celebrate the Golden Jubilee. [33256]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 4 February 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on 11 February, Official Report, columns 58–59W.

  Golden Jubilee Medal
  Mr. Djanogly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reason members of the RAF Reserve are not eligible to receive the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. [36499]

  Dr. Moonie
  The RAF Reserve is divided into two broad categories, volunteer member and those former members of the Regular RAF who have a liability for a period of reserve service. Those volunteer members who were in effective military service on 6 February 2002 and had completed five annual bounty earning training years prior to that date are eligible to receive the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal (QGJM).

  Ex-Regular members of the RAF Reserve will not have qualified for the QGJM unless on 6 February 2002 they had been called out for permanent service and their

  687W
  aggregated Regular service and/or Volunteer Reserve service totalled five years. Some Ministry of Defence civil servants who are required to wear service uniform as part of their terms of employment, are commissioned into the RAF Reserve (Civil Component). They are employed on civil service terms and conditions and so will not qualify for the medal, as is the case for civil servants generally.

  Public Bodies (Chairmen)
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the appointments made by his Department since 1 May 1997 of chairmen of(a) non-departmental public bodies, (b) commissions, (c) inquiries, (d) agencies and (e) task forces; and if he will list their (i) term of office, (ii) salary and (iii) known political affiliation (A) past and (B) present. [33891]

  NDPB chairman appointments in MOD since 1 May 1997

  Name of body

  Chairman

  Date of appointment

  Appointment ends

  Salary

  Advisory Committee on Conscientious Objectors

  His Honour Judge Rogers1

  27 October 1997

  23 October 1999

  £178 per day

  Advisory Group on Medical Countermeasures

  Name withheld2

  1 February 1998

  No date3

  £265 per day

  Animal Welfare Advisory Committee

  Dr. Robert Hubrecht

  13 July 2000

  April 2002

  £250 per day

  Armed Forces Pay Review Body

  Right hon. Baroness Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde

  1 April 1999

  31 March 2002

  Nil

  Dartmoor Steering Group

  Mr. James Woollcombe

  18 December 2000

  17 December 2003

  Nil

  Defence Nuclear Safety Committee

  Dr. Sam Harbison CB

  1 January 2000

  1 January 2005

  £315 per day

  Defence Scientific Advisory Council

  Professor Anthony Ledwith

  11 August 2000

  31 March 2003

  £315 per day

  Independent Board of Visitors to the Military Corrective Training Centre

  Mr. R Jacklin

  1 January 1998 and 4 April 2001

  1 June 2006

  Nil

  National Army Museum

  General Sir John Waters GCB CBE JP

  1 July 1997 and 30 March 2001

  30 March 2002

  Nil

  National Employers Liaison Committee

  Mr. John Bridgeman CBE TD DL

  1 December 1997

  1 December 2002

  Nil

  Nuclear Research Advisory Council

  Dr. Derek Robinson

  1 October 2001

  1 October 2006

  £315 per day

  Oil and Pipelines Agency

  Dr. John Hastie

  8 July 1999

  7 July 2002

  £9,800 per year

  Review Board for Government Contracts

  Sir Peter Webster

  17 March 1999

  30 September 2001

  £10,990 per year

  RAF Museum4

  AM Ian McFayden

  4 May 1999 (elected Chair September 1999)

  February 2001

  Nil

  ACM Sir Richard Johns

  7 December 2000 (elected Chair February 2001)

  6 December 2003

  Nil

  Royal Marines Museum

  Lieutenant General Sir Henry Beverley

  1 May 1997

  1 May 2003

  Nil

  Royal Military College of Science Advisory Council

  Mr. Peter Gershon

  9 October 2000

  8 October 2005

  £110 per day

  Royal Naval Museum

  Vice Admiral Sir Barry Wilson KCB

  15 March 1999 and 9 January 2002

  15 March 2003

  Nil

  Royal Navy Submarine Museum

  Vice Admiral Sir Roy Newman

  1 August 1999

  1 August 2004

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—Northern Ireland

  Major Gordon Dodds MBE

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—West of Scotland

  Mr. Derek Evans

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—East of Scotland

  Mr. Arthur Oliver

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—Yorkshire and Humberside

  Mrs. Jane Gummer MBE JP DL LLB

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—North West England

  Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Overton

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—East Midlands

  Mrs. Irene Shiels

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—West Midlands

  Mr. Anthony Hartley-Woolley

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—Eastern England

  Lieutenant Colonel Ray Holland OBE

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—South East England

  Ms Penny Melville-Brown

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—London

  Air Commodore Jack Hargreaves

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  War Pensions Committees—South West England

  Major Tim Tyler

  1 January 2001

  31 December 2003

  Nil

  1 Appointed by the Lord Chancellor

  2 Name withheld under Exemption 12 (privacy of an individual) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  3 The AGMC was not an NDPB at the date of this appointment, and there was no specific term of office stated. Now that AGMC was classified as an NDPB, all members' terms of office will be reviewed formally to specify appropriate length of service.

  4 Ministers appoint Trustees to the Board of the RAF Museum, which then elects a Chair from among its members.

  688W
  Dr. Moonie
  Details of the appointments of Chairmen of Ministry of Defence-sponsored non-departmental public bodies are set out in the table. Information is not collected on the political affiliation of appointees.

  The MOD has not appointed a Chairman to any commissions, public inquiries or agencies since 1 May 1997.

  Information on the number, remit and membership of task forces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews is published by the Cabinet Office on a regular basis. The first report was published on 11 January 2000 and gives information for the period from 1 May 1997 to 31 October 1999. A second report was published on 27 July 2000 and covered the period 1 November 1999 to 30 April 2000. A third report was published on 13 December 2000 covering the period 1 May 2000 to 31 October 2000. The most recent report, "Task Forces, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups and Reviews", was issued in October 2001 and covers the period of the financial year 2000–01. Copies of these reports have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Departmental Events
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the(a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by his Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in each of the last four years, giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each. [34180]

  Dr. Moonie
  This information is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I regret I am therefore unable to provide a substantive answer under the terms of Exemption 9 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Civilian Locums
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of civilian locums in each of the last five years. [34643]

  Dr. Moonie
  The cost of civilian locums incurred by British Forces Germany and the Defence Secondary Care Agency (DSCA) in respect of its directly managed units in the last five financial years is shown in the table. The cost of providing civilian locums in place of military personnel at the Ministry of Defence Hospital Units is met by the host trusts. It is not possible to provide information for the cost of civilian locums employed in primary care as the information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Financial year

  £ million

  1997–98

  2.34

  1998–99

  2.72

  1999–2000

  4.03

  2000–01

  5.85

  2001–02

  3.67

  Note:

  The figure for 2001–02 is to end of December 2001.

  Defence Medical Services
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many conversions from short to(a) intermediate and (b) full career commissions there were within the Defence Medical Services in each of the last five years. [34642]

  Dr. Moonie
  The number of conversions from short to intermediate commissions and from short to full career commissions within the Defence Medical Services in each of the last five years are shown in the table.

  Short to intermediate commission

  Short to full career commission

  1996–97

  17

  45

  1997–98

  16

  37

  1998–99

  82

  36

  1999–2000

  55

  25

  2000–01

  48

  33

  Hawk Aircraft (India)
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what provision has been made for British aircrew to train 690W
  Indian pilots in the use of Hawk aircraft if British Hawk aircraft are sold to India. [34077]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: Details of BAE Systems bid to sell Hawk advanced jet trainer aircraft to India, including any provisions for training support, are a matter for the company and the Government of India. In line with its role of supporting legitimate defence exports, and a policy of offering spare training capacity to overseas customers, the Ministry of Defence may make UK aircrew and facilities available if requested.

  Exports (Subcontinent)
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contracts for UK defence exports are expected to be signed with(a) Pakistan and (b) India in 2002. [34079]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The signing of contracts for UK defence exports is a matter for the commercial companies involved and their proposed customers.

  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what defence exports the Government is engaged in promoting to Pakistan. [34078]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: Details of commercial companies' marketing strategies and promotions are a matter for the companies involved. It does, however, remain Government policy to support the promotion of legitimate defence exports to Pakistan that are compatible with our export control criteria.

  Working Conditions and Practices
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are employed in his Department on a job share contract; and what percentage of vacant positions was advertised on this basis in the last 12 months. [35357]

  Dr. Moonie
  I assume that the hon. Member is referring to civilian employees of the Ministry of Defence. the MOD is committed to the work/life balance of its civilian staff. A range of flexible working patterns including part time working, flexible working hours, home working and job sharing is available to staff by agreement with their management. United Kingdom Defence Statistics 2001, Chapter 2, Section 2.20 shows 4,533 staff (excluding those in Trading Funds) employed on a part time basis at 1 April 2001. Of these, 596 are recorded centrally as being employed formally under job share arrangements. Figures are not available on the number of vacant positions advertised on this basis although our general policy is that, unless specific job requirements prevent it, positions should be open to flexible working arrangements including job sharing.

  RAF Eurofighters
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Eurofighters are planned to be delivered to the RAF in each of the next five years. [35649]
  691W
  Dr. Moonie
  The Tranche 1 Eurofighter production contract with industry calls for six aircraft to be delivered to the RAF in financial year 2002–03, 14 in 2003–04, 19 in 2004–05 and 13 in 2005–06. Three additional aircraft will be procured for development purposes but will not enter service with the RAF. The Tranche 2 production contract is expected to be placed next year with deliveries commencing in 2006.

  QinetiQ
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if development on QinetiQ land is covered by Crown immunity; and if he will make a statement. [35643]

  Dr. Moonie
  Property transferred to QinetiQ, and developed by them, is not subject to Crown immunity.

  I assume that this question arises from the recent announcement by the Home Office that land owned by QinetiQ near Pershore is being considered as a potential site for an asylum-seeker accommodation centre. Assuming Pershore is one of the sites chosen, as soon as the Home Office purchase the land it becomes Crown land, and therefore any subsequent development would be covered by Crown immunity.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he is the owner of QinetiQ; what powers he has to influence the disposal of property owned by QinetiQ; if these powers extend to the power to instruct disposal; and if he will make a statement. [35642]

  Dr. Moonie
  At present the Ministry of Defence wholly owns QinetiQ plc and its subsidiaries. Under the terms of the Business Transfer Agreement (BTA), signed on 1 July 2001, MOD, as a special shareholder, enjoys a number of rights that could be used to prevent the company from disposing of strategic assets and facilities. However, these assets, deemed important to the national defence interest, are small in number. No special shareholder rights exist which could be used to instruct disposal of property owned by QinetiQ.

  In the short-term, MOD, as the majority shareholder, does have additional rights which could be used to instruct the company to undertake a certain course of action. However, it has always been our intention that the company should fully develop commercial opportunities and income, and maximise the use of its assets. Commercial development of the company's real estate is in keeping with this, is good for the company and its shareholders, and will be welcomed by future potential investors. Therefore, unless an over-riding defence interest arose, MOD would not contemplate using its majority shareholder rights to influence the company's normal day-to-day operation.

  Sir Michael Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to make an announcement on the details of the privatisation of QinetiQ. [36847]

  Mr. Hoon
  The decision on the precise timing and nature of a sale transaction for QinetiQ will be based on achieving best value for money for the taxpayer. In conjunction with specialist advisers and QinetiQ's management we are reviewing the way forward and I expect to make an announcement shortly.

  City of London Corporation (Events)
  John McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those functions, engagements and events which Ministers, his officials and advisers have attended which have been sponsored, funded, promoted and hosted by the City of London Corporation since 1997. [35708]

  Dr. Moonie
  This information is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Underwater Capability
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the maritime underwater capability; what this will involve; and when the project will begin. [35718]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Maritime Underwater Future Capability, previously known as the Future Attack Submarine, is the project looking into the range of future capabilities required by the United Kingdom for the control and denial of the underwater battlespace into the third and fourth decades of the century. We will be considering a range of concepts, including innovation solutions combining unmanned underwater vehicles, ships, airborne and land assets, as well as submarines. The project has already begun.

  Future Surface Combatant
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consideration is being given to the replacement of the Type 23 frigate with the Future Surface Combatant; and if he will make a statement. [35717]

  Dr. Moonie
  We currently plan for the Future Surface Combatant (FSC) to succeed the current Type 22 and Type 23 classes of frigate. The assumption is that FSC will be an operationally versatile, affordable warship that can be deployed through life across the full spectrum of defence missions. The project has already begun.

  Offshore Protection Vessels
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the three offshore protection vessels that are to be procured and their(a) capabilities and (b) cost. [35716]

  Dr. Moonie
  The first vessel is due to enter service with the Royal Navy around the end of this year, with the others following at roughly six-monthly intervals. They will replace the five vessels of the Island class, the capability and availability of which they will match. The new vessels are being built, following competition, by Vosper Thorneycroft at Southampton. They will be leased to the RN and will be maintained by the shipbuilder for five years, subject to extension. The vessels will be based at Portsmouth as part of the Fishery Protection Squadron. The total cost of this innovative lease package is approximately £60 million.

  Equipment Sales
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the benefit to the UK was from the sale of naval equipment and platforms in each year since 1997. [35722]
  693W
  Dr. Moonie
  Information in the Ministry of Defence publication UK Defence Statistics 2001 at Table 1.13 shows that for each of the years since 1997, the value of export orders in the sea sector was as follows:

  Year

  Total (£ million)

  1997

  368

  1998

  738

  1999

  148

  2000

  475

  In addition to the economic benefits from the sale of naval equipment and platforms, the Government's policy of supporting legitimate defence exports contributes to our wider defence and international security interests, including by reducing the costs of Royal Navy procurement. Defence exports help support a strong defence industry and contribute to the security of our friends and allies overseas.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many warships and submarines have been sold to foreign states since 1997; what type they were; and which states bought them. [35720]

  Dr. Moonie
  Information relating to defence exports in categories published in the UN Nations Conventional Arms Register (UNCAR) and exports of surplus Government defence equipment is set out in Part III of the Government's annual report on Strategic Export Controls. Details of individual exports of new equipment, other than those in UNCAR categories and small arms, are not published for reasons of commercial and customer confidentiality. A summary of information taken from the annual reports on Strategic Export Controls published since 1997 is set out in the table.

  Exports of naval vessels and submarines 1997–2000

  Country

  1997

  One type 22 frigate

  Brazil

  Four (56 m) Barzan fast strike craft

  Qatar

  1998

  Four River Class minesweepers

  Brazil

  1999

  Two LEKIU frigates

  Malaysia

  2000

  One Upholder submarine

  Canada

  In addition to those transfers recorded in the Government's annual reports, three Royal Navy Peacock class patrol craft previously based in Hong Kong were transferred direct to the Philippines in 1997, and a refurbished ex Royal Navy Hunt class mine counter measure vessel was transferred to Greece in 2000 under a commercial arrangement with Vosper Thorneycroft UK Ltd.

  Secondments
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the names of staff who have been seconded 694W
  to his Department from the private sector since May 1997, indicating (a) the names of the organisation from which each has come, (b) their responsibilities and civil service grades within his Department, (c) the organisation responsible for paying their salary and (d) the start and end dates of their secondment. [35840]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 12 February 2002]: Secondments and attachments form a valuable part of interchange, through which the civil service and other organisations exchange people and good practice to mutual benefit.

  The Ministry of Defence has a significant programme of interchange, involving all parts of the economy. Since May 1997, 57 staff has been seconded to the MOD from private sector companies; of these 15 were in place prior to May 1997 and continued beyond that date. Three of the secondees were at Senior Civil Service level, though the majority was brought in at middle management level (civil service grades HEO to Grade 6). The MOD reimbursed the parent company for 46 of the 57 secondments.

  It is our practice to respect the privacy of our personnel, including those on secondment, and to withhold the names of individuals except where the seniority of the individual or the nature of the post warrants a formal announcement. I am therefore withholding that information under Exemption 12 (Privacy of an Individual) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  I will however write to the hon. Member with the other details of these secondments as requested, and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in his Department to(a) himself and (b) his fellow Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36279]

  Dr. Moonie
  Ministerial boxes originating from this Department are transported to the Ministers' homes either by Government car or by a service provided by the Royal Mail.

  Statutory Instruments
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the statutory instruments issued by his Department in the last 12 months, indicating(a) the purpose of each and (b) the cost of each to (i) public funds, (ii) businesses and (iii) individuals. [36236]

  Dr. Moonie
  The HMSO Statutory Instrument Registrar can provide a list of statutory instruments issued by individual Departments. Statutory instruments which have been originated by Departments but eventually made by the Privy Council are listed only under the Privy
  695W
  Council Office. However, between 1 January 2001 and 7 February 2002, the Ministry of Defence issued the following 11 statutory instruments:

  SI 2001/1165
  The Defence Aviation and Repair Agency Trading Fund Order and

  SI 2001/1246
  The Defence Scientific and Technological Laboratory Trading Fund Order. These orders gave both organisations trading fund status.

  SI 2001/3234
  The Armed Forces Act 2001 (Commencement No.1) Order 2001 that commenced sections of the Armed Forces Act 2001.

  SIs 2001/542; 1520; 1521 and SI 2002/201
  Four statutory instruments entitled Terms of Service (Amendment) Regulations. These instruments amended service regulations in consequence of the previously mentioned commencement order.

  SI 2001/1015
  The Injuries in War (Shore Employments) (Compensation) Scheme 2001 updated the rate of pension payable to recipients.

  SIs 2002/229; 230 and 231
  The Courts-Martial (Amendment) Rules. These instruments made amendments to court-martial rules in consequence of the Armed Forces Act 2001.

  Any costs to public funds arising from the above instruments are minimal. As the Ministry of Defence is not a regulatory body there are few, if any, costs to businesses and individuals. Any costs relating to instruments made by MOD are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Claymore Mines
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if records are kept of locations in which Her Majesty's armed forces deploy Claymore mines; and if such records include details of in which mode of operation the Claymore is deployed. [36937]

  Mr. Ingram
  The locations in which Claymore mines are deployed are recorded. Claymore mines are used only in the command detonated mode of operation, which requires a soldier to initiate the munition.

  45 Commando Royal Marines
  Patrick Mercer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what mission has been given to(a) HMS Ocean and (b) W and Z companies of 45 Commando Royal Marines. [36587]

  Mr. Hoon
  HMS Ocean, with W and Z companies of 45 Commando Royal Marines embarked, has been deployed in support of the continuing campaign against international terrorism. HMS Ocean will relieve HMS Illustrious and HMS Fearless and elements of 45 Commando will relieve elements of 40 Commando. The deployment of HMS Ocean ensures that the UK capability in the region is maintained.

  Armed Forces Pension Group
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations he has received from the(a) Armed Forces Pension Group, (b) individuals and (c) others in support of the Group; and if he will make a statement. [36381]
  696W
  Mr. Ingram
  No representations have been received directly from the Armed Forces Pension Group. However, since the start of 2001, around 230 individual representations have been received on the subject of pension rights for service prior to 1975. It is thought that the vast majority was from members of the Group or supporters of its objectives. We have also receive representation from a pensioners' federation.

  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what action he has taken in response to representations by the Armed Forces Pension Group that service in the armed forces should count towards their civil service pensions; and if he will make a statement. [36380]

  Mr. Ingram
  Service in the armed forces and service with the civil service are different employments with different terms, conditions and career patterns. It is reasonable that each should be covered by a separate occupational pension scheme.

  Whether service with the armed forces may count towards the civil service pension scheme is a matter for the Cabinet Office, who is the managers of the scheme. It should be noted that service covered by one occupational pension scheme cannot count directly towards the occupational pension scheme of another employer. However, a facility is available to enable the pension rights earned under one employer's occupational pension scheme to be transferred to the occupational pension scheme of another employer, but this is only possible where a transfer of the preserved pension benefits is made. Prior to 1 April 1975 there was no legal requirement for any pension scheme to preserve pension rights for those who left service before reaching the normal retirement age, therefore transfers did not take place before this date.

  ABRO
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was of(a) setting up and (b) maintaining the ABRO Challenger 2 overhaul line at Bovington in each of the last five years. [35036]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]: The costs of setting up a Challenger 2 Base Inspection Repair line at the Army Base Repair Organisation Bovington are as follows:
  Financial year 2000–01—a sum of £14,329 was spent on set-up tooling for pilot activity.
  Financial year 2001–02—ABRO working towards a contract with VDS have committed £251,276 to Base Inspection Repair of Challenger 2.

  There were no costs prior to these years.

  A Base Inspection Repair contract let by the Tank Support Systems Integrated Project Team is still under negotiation. With full production yet to commence, and pilot activity only undertaken to date, the maintenance costs have been negligible.

  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements exist for ABRO to act as a strategic partner with manufacturers for the repair of military vehicles. [35037]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]: There are no formal arrangements in place for the Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO) to act as a strategic partner with manufacturers for the repair of military

  697W
  vehicles. ABRO is having discussions with industry to develop future opportunities and currently has signed agreements to this effect with ALVIS and VDS which encourage the parties to discuss potential future projects.

  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what military equipment ABRO maintains surge production capacity for times of conflict. [35039]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]: The Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO) does not maintain dedicated surge capacity for any specific equipments. The requirement for military surge capability is protected by both the diversity of the Ministry of Defence work placed with ABRO and the working regime that ABRO has in place to meet this.

  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the work allocated to ABRO in each of the last four years was put out to tender for competitive bids; and if he will make a statement. [35040]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]: The following work was won by the Army Base Repair Organisation as a result of competitive bids:

  Financial Year

  £ million

  1998–99

  11.987

  1999–2000

  0.216

  2000–01

  4.749

  2001–02

  NIL

  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement setting out the strategic purpose of ABRO. [35041]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence after careful review has decided that the Army Base Repair Organisation (ABRO) should vest as a trading fund with effect from 1 April 2002. This will be the subject of debate in Standing Committee on 26 February 2002. ABRO provides a comprehensive engineering and logistics support service, principally repair and maintenance, for land-based equipment of Her Majesty's armed forces. The work ranges from the complete overhaul and modification of major military vehicles to upgrades to radios and weapons. ABRO provides independent equipment advice, support to obsolete equipment no longer provided by industry and a unique surge capacity. The need to meet military surge capacity is safeguarded by both the diversity of the Ministry of Defence work place with ABRO and the working regime that the agency employs. Trading fund status will enable the MOD to realise a broad range of benefits, including a clearer customer/supplier relationship through hard charging, while retaining the flexibility to support operations, which MOD ownership provides. Trading fund will also enable ABRO to sustain its operations in support of MOD by providing similar engineering services to industry under commercial arrangements.

  Officer Job Evaluations
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officer job evaluations were carried out in 2001; and if he will make a statement. [36825]
  698W
  Mr. Ingram
  80 officer jobs were evaluated in 2001. A significantly larger programme is planned for 2002 and additional resources have been allocated to achieve this.

  Service Entitlements
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department's studies examining disparities between entitlements of married personnel and those living in partnerships will be completed. [36827]

  Mr. Ingram
  Disparities in the entitlements of married and unmarried personnel have reduced over the years. In its 2002 report the Armed Forces Pay Review Body commented that this was not a clear-cut issue for the services and that there was concern among married personnel that offering parity of treatment to partnerships will result in scarce resources being spread more thinly. Work on a number of related aspects of conditions of service, including pensions and allowances, is likely to continue for at least some months.

  Single Living Accommodation
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review the removals package for single living accommodation to take account of trends in respect of personal possessions. [36833]

  Mr. Ingram
  With effect from 1 April 2002 the current rank-based unaccompanied baggage entitlements for single and married unaccompanied personnel posted within the UK or to and from north-west Europe (defined for these purposes as Belgium, Denmark, Germany and the Netherlands) will be superseded by an improved standard entitlement of 6 cu m for all ranks. This will more than double the entitlement for junior personnel (Privates and Lance Corporals and their equivalents). There are no current plans for a further review.

  Strong Resolve 2002
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about British military involvement in NATO's forthcoming exercise Strong Resolve 2002. [36550]

  Mr. Hoon
  Exercise Strong Resolve is NATO's largest exercise and is carried out every four years. This year, it is taking place between 1 and 15 March and involves some 26,000 troops from 26 nations. The United Kingdom is making a significant and balanced contribution to Strong Resolve 2002, including maritime, land, air and many specialist assets, such as signals units and other combat service support elements. Around 2,500 UK military personnel are taking part.

  Health and Safety (Computers)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many employees in his Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to(a) current and (b) new staff. [36689]
  699W
  Dr. Moonie
  The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, effective January 1993, require employers to provide and pay for, upon request from an employee, an eye and eyesight test. There is a requirement for further tests at regular intervals; the optometrist doing the first test can recommend when the next one should be. In addition, employers must pay the cost of special spectacles required where normal ones cannot be used. The Ministry of Defence meets all these obligations.

  We do not record centrally how many employees who regularly use computers have been provided with a free eye test and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. As with all aspects of health and safety legislation MOD has auditable procedures in place to ensure that the system is properly managed. The requirement is defined in the MOD's health and safety handbook, and is publicised extensively in local and MOD wide newsletters and publications. It is also included in induction training courses for all new staff.

  Sierra Leone
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many UK personnel are deployed in Sierra Leone; what has been the cost of deployments; and if he will make a statement. [36954]

  Mr. Ingram
  We currently have some 360 shore-based personnel deployed in Sierra Leone, and we will maintain our presence at that level over the period of presidential and parliamentary elections scheduled for May 2002. We are also contributing 15 military observers and seven headquarters staff to UNAMSIL, the UN operation in Sierra Leone. The cost of the deployments, excluding the provision of equipment to the Republic of Sierra Leone Armed Forces (RSLAF), was £16.9 million in the last financial year, and is estimated to be around £30 million in the current financial year.

  On the current situation in Sierra Leone, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave in the House on 11 February, Official Report, columns 15-16 to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent (Hugh Robertson) and the right hon. Member for North-East Hampshire (Mr. Arbuthnot).

  Battle of Trafalgar
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar; and if he will make a statement. [36554]

  Dr. Moonie
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 15 January 2002,Official Report, columns 125-26W to the hon. Member for Aylesbury (Mr. Lidington).

  Service Applications
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the increase in other ranks applications to the three services in 2000–01 which has not led to entries; and if he will make a statement. [36826]
  700W
  Mr. Ingram
  Records of the numbers of Other Ranks applications and intakes for the years 1999–2000, 2000–01 and part of 2001–02 show the following:

  Services

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–021

  Naval

  Applicants

  13,251

  13,034

  8,579

  Intake

  4,545

  4,175

  3,227

  Conversation Rate (per cent.)

  34.3

  32.0

  37.6

  Army

  Applicants

  37,992

  33,812

  25,590

  Intake

  15,436

  13,843

  9,384

  Conversion Rate (per cent.)

  40.6

  40.9

  36.7

  RAF

  Applicants

  16,218

  15,997

  10,984

  Intake

  3,613

  3,193

  2,506

  Conversion Rate (per cent.)

  22.3

  20.0

  22.8

  1 Figures for 2000–02 only cover the period up to 31 December 2001

  It should be remembered that not all successful applicants may necessarily join the armed forces in the same year that they applied, due to the time needed to process the applications fully.

  The figures demonstrate the conversion rates of applicants to intake has remained reasonably constant for the Naval Service and for the RAF. The change in conversion rate for the Army is associated with the introduction of an enhanced selection scheme aimed at reducing wastage during initial training. Only those assessed at Recruit Selection Centres as having more than a 90 per cent. chance of passing Phase 1 training are now selected. The higher quality of recruits ensures that final output to the field army (ie. the gains to the trained strength) remains largely the same despite the smaller intake.

  House Purchase Assistance
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to review his policy with respect to making long-service advance of pay for house purchase available to the Royal Navy at the age of 23 and to the Army and RAF at the age of 35. [36829]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 7 February 2002,Official Report, column 1086W, to the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson).

  Unaccompanied Tours (Military Units)
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the interval between six-month unaccompanied tours is for units; and if he will make a statement. [36828]

  Mr. Ingram
  The table shows the average interval between six-month unaccompanied tours broken down by individual corps over a 12-month period, as at 31 December 2001, the most recently available information.

  Average tour intervals (as at 31 December 2001)

  Arm

  Months

  Royal Armoured Corps

  15

  Royal Artillery

  49

  Royal Engineers

  24

  Royal Signals

  23

  Infantry

  18

  Royal Logistic Corps

  24

  Average

  24

  701W
  Tour intervals are calculated on the basis of deployments of six months. The latest average unit tour interval in the Army is consistent with the Strategic Defence Review target of 24 months. However, there are variations between units within the Arms, with some units not achieving the SDR target.

  Afghanistan
  Hywel Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his latest estimates are of civilian casualties as a result of US and UK military action in Afghanistan. [37300]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence gave on 12 December 2001,Official Report, column 860W, to my hon. Friends the Members for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) and for Coventry, South (Mr. Cunningham).

  Pay 2000
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many budget holders have not received budgets for the 2002–03 financial year which take full account of the costs of Pay 2000; and if overspend on this item will be an allowable expense. [36844]

  Mr. Ingram
  Budgets for the 2002–03 financial year have not yet been finalised. When they are, they will take full account of all aspects of pay costs.

  Recruitment
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which regiments have had their recruiting capped in the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [36846]

  Mr. Ingram
  Individual regiments are not capped with regard to recruiting, but their priority for recruiting effort will vary dependent on their manning position at any particular time. The Army is currently recruiting to all employment areas.

  Operation Amber Fox
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had regarding the possibility of the EU taking over Amber Fox in Macedonia; and if he will make a statement on his assessment of this development. [36845]

  Mr. Hoon
  I have had a number of discussions about the future of Operation Amber Fox. The Macedonian Government have invited NATO to extend the mandate of Task Force Fox for a further three months from 25 March 2002, with an option to extend for a further three months beyond that. NATO has accepted the invitation and Germany will continue to lead the operation. Therefore Task Force Fox remains a NATO mission.

  Attributable Invalidity Pensions
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel in receipt of service attributable invalidity pensions incorrectly paid tax but had the mistake rectified by the Army Pay Office in Stanmore before the case of Major Perry was identified. [34475]
  702W
  Dr. Moonie
  The Army Pensions Office at Stanmore was closed in 1983 and the pension work transferred to the Army Pensions Office in Glasgow. To establish the number of service personnel in receipt of service attributable invaliding pensions who incorrectly paid tax, but had the mistake rectified by the Army Pay Office at Stanmore, would require a manual search of all pension files where awards were made before 1983. This could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Kirkcudbright
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the development of new accommodation facilities at Kirkcudbright range will be completed. [37386]

  Mr. Ingram
  The development of new accommodation facilities at Kirkcudbright Training Camp will take place in three phases. We had hoped that Phase 1 of the new accommodation would be completed by the end of March 2003, but the restrictions on access to the site caused by the outbreak of foot and mouth disease prevented the survey and other preparatory work being carried out, and it is unlikely that this work will be completed until the end of October 2003. We estimate that Phase 2 will be completed by the end of 2007, and the final phase by the end of 2009.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Departmental Events
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the President of the Council if he will list the(a) conferences, (b) seminars,(c) workshops,(d) exhibitions and(e) press conferences which have been sponsored by his Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in each of the last four years, giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each. [34185]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  There were none.

  Entertainment Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the President of the Council if he will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the amount spent by(a) his Department,(b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by his Department and how much reclaimed. [34451]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The available information is for the Privy Council Office, which has no agencies or non-departmental public bodies:

  cost in £

  Financial year

  Food provided

  Alcohol provided

  1997–981

  1,172

  2,356

  1998–991

  2,096

  7,666

  1999–2000

  2,089

  2,257

  2000–01

  1986

  6,259

  2001–022

  1,700

  950

  1 The figures for these financial years include refreshment costs incurred by the Lord Privy Seal's office which was then part of the Privy Council Office.

  2 To date

  703W
  The additional, disaggregated information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Prime Minister by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from his private office; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [362811]

  The Prime Minister
  The majority of my ministerial boxes remain within No. 10. However, when they are transported it is either by a No. 10 driver or the Government car service.

  My office does not use a private courier service for such duties.

  Business Contracts
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions in the past two years he has written to the(a) Head of State and (b) Prime Minister of a foreign Government about the award of contracts to companies with British interests. [36802]

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) if he will set out the criteria that he applies in determining in which cases he writes to foreign Heads of State in support of particular businesses; [36513]

  (2) if he will list the occasions in the last 12 months in which he has personally written to foreign Heads of State in support of particular businesses; and if he will set out in each case (a) the recipient of the letter and (b) the businesses referred to. [36514]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave the hon. Member for East Carmarthen and Dinefwr (Adam Price) and the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 14 February 2002,Official Report, columns 610-11W.

  Single European Currency
  Tony Wright
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 28 January 2002,Official Report, column 25W, on single European currency, if he will explain the connection between the question to him of 25 January and his answer of 28 January. [36528]

  The Prime Minister
  I referred my hon. Friend to an answer which sets out the Government policy on the euro.

  Voluntary Work
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Prime Minister how many members of his staff in each of the past two years have been granted a day's paid leave to work as a volunteer; and if he will make a statement. [36383]

  The Prime Minister
  The Government aim to have 1 million people more involved in their communities under the "Prime Minister's Challenge on Volunteering", March 2000, which also urged employers to allow staff to take one day's paid leave to undertake some form of voluntary activity.
  704W
  In my office the project began in the summer of 2000 with approximately 24 staff arranging on their own initiative to link up with a school, where they helped out for a day and followed up with mentoring and training initiatives.

  PIU Energy Review
  Tom Brake
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2002,Official Report, column 689W, on the performance and innovation unit energy review, if he will list those companies whose responses are not available on the PIU website; and for what reason these have not been placed on the PIU website. [36957]

  The Prime Minister
  All companies which responded to the PIU energy review within the deadline set had their submissions placed on the website. In some cases, parts of the submissions were held back, at the request of the companies, owing to the commercially confidential nature of the material.

  Departmental Energy Policy
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what measures have been taken to deploy renewable energy technologies and energy efficiency measures at(a) 10 Downing street and (b) Chequers. [36477]

  The Prime Minister
  Since 1 October 2001 100 per cent. of the electricity supplies to 10 Downing street have been generated from renewable energy sources.

  Where appropriate, 10 Downing street purchases only equipment that conforms to the latest environmental standards for low emissions.

  The management of Chequers is the responsibility of the Chequers Trust, not the Government.

WALES

  Theft and Fraud
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what his estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to(a) his Department,(b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [27977]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  None to my department since its creation in July 1999. The Wales Office has no agencies or non-departmental public bodies.

  Prior to that date:
  in 1997–98: £307 to the Welsh Office; £9,405 to its NDPBs; £14,000 to its agencies
  in 1998–99: £9,936 to its agencies.

  Statistics
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make representations to the Office for National Statistics to increase the frequency of preparing figures on productivity and economic indicators for Wales. [32228]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  No. The Office for National Statistics is actively working to improve the quality and timeliness of economic estimates for Wales. They are liaising closely with the National Assembly to take
  705W
  account of the particular needs of Wales and to help inform the National Assembly's economic development strategy.

  Fair Trade Fortnight
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to encourage participation by his Department in Fair Trade Fortnight from 4 to 17 March. [33547]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  My Department has no plans to participate in Fair Trade Fortnight. The Department for International Development is providing £120,000 to the Fair Trade Foundation over 2001–03 in support of its efforts to target new groups through its annual Fair Trade Fortnight campaigns.

  Mr. Weir
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 16 November 2001,Official Report, column 939W, on fair trade goods, if, during Fair Trade Fortnight, he will review the amount of fairly traded goods used in his Department. [35449]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  My Department has very limited requirements for the type of goods which are subject to fair trade schemes and therefore has no current plans for a specific review during Fair Trade Fortnight on the use of fairly traded goods.

  City of London Corporation (Events)
  John McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those functions, engagements and events which Ministers, his officials and advisers have attended which have been sponsored, funded, promoted and hosted by the City of London Corporation since 1997. [35696]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The information is not held centrally and collating it would involve disproportionate costs.

  Attendance at events, engagements and functions by Ministers and civil servants is undertaken in line with the guidance and principles set out in the Ministerial Code and departmental staff handbooks.

  Fraud
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the cost to its budget since 1 May 1997 of fraud; and if he will make a statement. [27297]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  There were reported thefts against the former Welsh Office in 1997–98 of £307. There was no known theft or fraud against the Welsh Office in the remainder of its life; nor has there been against the Wales Office since its creation.

  Euro
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the Treasury and the Minister for Europe with regard to the impact of the euro on Wales. [35624]
  706W
  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I have regular discussions with my right hon. Friends the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Minister for Europe when we discuss a range of issues including the impact of the euro on Wales.

  The Government are committed to undertaking an economic assessment of the likely impact of joining the euro, within two years of the start of this Parliament.

  Meanwhile, the Euro Taskforce has been established to help businesses take forward preparations and to raise awareness of the opportunities already presented by the introduction of euro notes and coins by a number of our European partners.

  Sand Dredging
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with secretaries in the National Assembly for Wales with regards to the practice of sand dredging off the Welsh coast. [35633]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I regularly meet Assembly Secretaries; we discuss a range of issues.

  The Assembly issued a draft marine aggregate dredging policy for consultation last year. The 1,200 responses received are being considered and a final version of the document will be published in due course, setting out a framework within which the Assembly will determine applications to dredge for sand.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Public Libraries
  Mr. Miliband
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public libraries are not on-line. [34241]

  Dr. Howells
  67 per cent. of all UK public libraries now offer public internet access. All will do so by the end of the year. £120 million of lottery money is being made available to equip libraries with ICT to support learning and to train library staff.

  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to improve public libraries; and if she will make a statement. [34243]

  Dr. Howells
  The Government have encouraged better planning and accountability in public library services through the introduction of Annual Library Plans and a more rigorous enforcement of the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964. Standards of service for library authorities were introduced from 1 April 2001.

  Through the New Opportunities Fund Community Access to Lifelong Learning Programme, £120 million of lottery funding is being made available to enable all public libraries to offer public internet access and ICT learning facilities by December 2002. The DCMS/ Wolfson Public Libraries Challenge Fund made available over £2.3 million in 2000–01 for British history and reader development projects.

  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of library provision within East Sussex. [34254]
  707W
  Dr. Howells
  East Sussex along with all other English library authorities submitted their Annual Library Plan at the end of September 2001. Individual and confidential feedback was given to each of the 149 library authorities in December, and a general appraisal of all the plans will be published in the near future. A copy of this appraisal will be placed in the House Library.

  Museums (English Regions)
  Caroline Flint
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will include millennium landmark projects in discussions on supporting museums in the English regions. [34242]

  Tessa Jowell
  Recommendations for a new framework for museums and galleries in England's regions were set out in Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries' report "Renaissance in the regions: a new vision for England's museums", published last October. Although that report was concerned only with museums, which have been recognised through Resource's Museum Registration Scheme, we anticipate that the new framework should allow museums to form partnerships with other relevant organisations. Such partnerships might include millennium landmark projects.

  BBC (Finances)
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to change the financing arrangements for the BBC. [34244]

  Tessa Jowell
  I have no plans to change the financing arrangements for the BBC.

  Diving
  Hywel Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the safety of sports diving, with specific reference to the recent deaths of divers at the Dorothea quarry. [34246]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Government recognise that all sport contains an element of risk, and it would be neither possible nor, in many cases, desirable to remove that challenge. The sport of sub-aqua diving is an adventure sport and therefore subject to such risks.

  However, it is essential to look at how sport can reduce and manage unnecessary risks and, in particular, reduce the incidence of serious illness, injury, permanent disablement or death. The recognised governing body of the sport of sub-aqua diving in the UK, the British Sub-Aqua Club (BSAC) has compiled recommendations for safe diving practices. The Government would expect those taking part in diving activities to heed the guidance produced by the sport's governing body to ensure their safe participation.

  I understand that the police, in liaison with other agencies are making inquiries into the incidents at the Doreathea quarry. I would not want to say anything further that might prejudice those inquiries.

  Sport is a devolved matter and as I understand it the Minister for Sport in the National Assembly for Wales would welcome the opportunity to discuss the hon. Gentlemen's concerns with him.

  Olympic Games 2012
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support the Government will give to an English bid to host the 2012 Olympic games. [34247]

  Mr. Caborn
  The decision on whether or not to launch a bid for the Olympic Games is a matter principally for the British Olympic Association which has yet to decide whether to make a bid for the 2012 Games. The issue of whether there should be any Government support for such a bid will only be taken once the decision to bid has been made.

  My Department in conjunction with the BOA, UK Sport, London Development Agency and Sport England has commissioned Arups to undertake a cost-benefit analysis of a possible London bid for 2012. That consultancy will include an assessment of the level of public and private funding that would be required to mount a successful bid and, if successful, to stage the Games.

  English Heritage
  Jim Dobbin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the review of English Heritage. [34248]

  Tessa Jowell
  The review of English Heritage was announced on 16 October 2001 and is being undertaken as part of the Department's programme of quinquennial reviews of its public bodies. A public consultation exercise has been carried out and we are evaluating the many helpful responses that were received. The review will be completed and published later this year.

  Tourism
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans her Department has to encourage and extend best practice in the UK tourism and hospitality industries. [34249]

  Dr. Howells
  My Department is working closely with the Best Practice Forum, which was launched on 25 September 2001 to identify, encourage and spread best practice throughout tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses in England. The programme includes a £500,000 research study of best practice in the UK and abroad as well as access to best practice clubs and master class seminars.

  In addition, seaside resorts continue to represent a very important sector of our domestic holiday market and sharing good practice between resort destinations is essential to their future success. The English Tourism Council's Sea Changes report, published in response to the Government's tourism strategy, highlighted a variety of areas of good practice within resorts, including examples from Blackpool.

  Philosophy
  Mr. McWalter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what activities and funding decisions by her Department provide support for philosophy as a cultural activity. [34250]
  709W
  Dr. Howells
  The Department for Culture, Media and Sport funds both directly and indirectly many organisations that engage in philosophical activity through their programming, performance or exhibitions. The exploration of philosophical themes is an important part of many cultural bodies' work and it is a matter for them as to how best to approach the subject. Support for philosophy as an academic discipline is a matter for the Department for Education and Skills.

  Athletics
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to establish a centre of excellence for British athletics. [34251]

  Tessa Jowell
  In line with the requests of UK Athletics, a network of 11 regional indoor athletic tracks is being developed as part of the United Kingdom Sports Institute. These facilities will also include state of the art sports medicine and sports science support. With the exception of the facilities in Northern Ireland the sites are all due for completion by the summer of 2003 at a cost of over £50 million and will help our top athletes and their coaches compete and win at the highest level.

  Local Sports Clubs
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the Government's plans for local sports clubs. [34252]

  Mr. Caborn
  Local clubs remain at the heart of the Government's sports strategy. As I outlined in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Chorley (Mr. Hoyle),Official Report, 25 February 2002, column 433, DCMS is taking forward work to advance the interests of local clubs as the Government consider the responses to the Treasury consultation document, "Promoting Sport in the Community".

  Amateur Football Clubs
  Mr. Cameron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Football Association on promoting the establishment of new amateur football clubs in England. [34253]

  Mr. Caborn
  Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have discussed the promotion of new amateur clubs with the Football Association, though I have discussed the issue of funding support for existing amateur clubs with the Association. Both new and established clubs may apply for funding to the Football Foundation's Grass Roots Advisory Panel or, where appropriate, to the Community and Education Fund.

  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to encourage amateur football clubs. [34240]

  Mr. Caborn
  The importance of amateur clubs to the health of football at all levels is recognised by the Government and the Football Foundation. With the Football Association and the FA Premier League, the Government continue to fully support the Foundation's work in funding the development of the sport at the grass roots.

  Sport Development
  Derek Twigg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to improve the development of sport at grassroots level in areas of deprivation. [34255]

  Mr. Caborn
  "A Sporting Future for All" (Department for Culture, Media and Sport, April 2000) set out the Government's strategy for sport, and formed the basis for the subsequent "Government's Plan for Sport". The strategy addresses all levels of sport, including the grassroots level, and both documents explore how sport can promote the social, economic and environmental well being of communities. More specifically, Sport England have launched a number of Sport Action Zones (SAZs) which, with assistance from lottery funding, are aiming to improve sports provision in deprived areas. To date £1.6 million has been invested in sport from partner funding as a result of SAZ initiatives. In addition, Sport England's Space for Sport and Arts programme is providing £130 million for new of modernised sport and arts facilities in 300 primary schools across the most deprived areas of 65 LEAs, and the level of multiple deprivation index accounted for 50 per cent. of the weighting when the New Opportunities Fund allocated its £581 million for new opportunities for PE and school sport to LEAs across England.

  National Lottery
  Dr. Francis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many lottery applications have been made in Wales by parliamentary constituency(a) since its inception and (b) since January 2001. [34256]

  Tessa Jowell
  Comprehensive information on applications for lottery grants is not centrally held at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on progress being made to improve distribution of lottery funds. [34259]

  Mr. Caborn
  Reforms introduced under the 1998 National Lottery Act, revised policy directions issued to lottery distributors in the same year, and targeted programmes introduced by distributors are designed to improve the distribution of funds and our data show that there has been some improvement. We recognise, however, that there is still more to be done and that is why I have announced a new £150 million initiative to target funds at some 50 areas which are both deprived and have received less lottery funding than other parts of the country. The scheme, which is UK wide, will begin later this year.

  Paul Goggins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many lottery tickets have been purchased; and what the value is of grant made in Wythenshawe and Sale, East since November 1994. [34260]

  Tessa Jowell
  National Lottery tickets sales total just over £35 billion. Since the start of the lottery, 75 awards have been made to Wythenshawe and Sale, East worth just over £5.4 million.

  Court Cases (Children)
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with representatives of the media on their treatment of children in court cases. [34257]

  Tessa Jowell
  None.

  Orchestras
  Mr. Bacon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on her Department's financial support for orchestras. [34258]

  Tessa Jowell
  This is a matter for the Arts Council of England and the regional arts boards. As well as increasing the core grant-in-aid to each of the regional orchestras, awards of nearly £27 million have been made from the Arts Council's Stabilisation programme to help secure orchestral provision across the country.

  National Football Stadium
  Ms Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent meetings she has had with Mr. Patrick Carter, the Football Association and other interested parties regarding the new national football stadium. [34261]

  Mr. Caborn
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State last met Patrick Carter on 13 February 2002 and the Football Association's Communication Director on 4 February 2002, where discussion included the National Football Stadium.

  In addition we are receiving regular updates and briefings from our officials who are working closely with the FA, Sport England and others to help them resolve the issues we have asked to be addressed before we can give our final commitment to the FA's plans.

  Golden Jubilee
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much financial and administrative support her Department has allocated to the Golden Jubilee events. [34237]

  Mr. Caborn
  £10.5 million over three years was transferred to my Department by the Home Office from their existing vote. There was therefore no additional call on the exchequer. The sum includes the cost of the 21 staff of the Golden Jubilee office.

  Mr. Swire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received on the Golden Jubilee celebrations; and if she will make a statement. [34238]

  Tessa Jowell
  During the last month I have received letters and questions from hon. Members and the public about the regulations governing street parties and the exclusion of various groups from the criteria for the award of the Golden Jubilee medal.

  Wembley Stadium
  Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to her statement of 19 December 2001,Official Report, columns 291–93, if she will require Wembley National Stadium Ltd. to
  712W
  publish the findings of the report into its relationship with Multiplex as a condition of the Government's continuing support for the development of the national football stadium at Wembley. [35571]

  Tessa Jowell
  [holding answer 13 February 2002]: As I explained in my statement, the disclosure of the report produced for the Wembley National Stadium Ltd. Board into the procurement processes relating to the National Stadium project is affected by issues of legal professional privilege and confidentiality. I have asked the Football Association and WNSL to publish it, but because of these issues they are unwilling to do so. The Government do not intend to make its publication a requirement of the Government's support for the project but I will not grant ultimate support unless I am fully assured that the concerns highlighted by the David James/Berwin Leighton Paisner report have been satisfactorily addressed.

  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the projected increased costs are for a proposed new Wembley Stadium; and how much extra funding the Government will be required to contribute. [37561]

  Mr. Caborn
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State set out the Government's position on the Football Association's national stadium project to the House on 19 December 2001,Official Report, columns 291-303. My right hon. Friend also laid before the House on that day the interim report of the English National Stadium Review Team which set out the costs of the revised World Stadium Team design at £715 million including sunk costs. The interim report also set out how these costs would be funded including a Government contribution of up to £20 million for non-stadium infrastructure costs.

  Museums and Galleries (North-west)
  Mr. Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to support the creation of a regional hub for museums and galleries in the north-west. [34245]

  Tessa Jowell
  My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts announced on 22 January the timetable for the selection of regional hubs in accordance with the recommendations of the Regional Museums Task Force as set out in the report "Renaissance in the Regions: a new vision for England's museums" which was published last October. Resource: the Council for Museums, Libraries and Archives has subsequently published draft criteria for the selection of regional hubs. It is for the museums in each region, including the north-west, to determine the nature of the application to resource to form a hub.

  Listed Buildings
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what steps she has taken to press for the establishment of a differentiated rate of VAT for repairs and renovations to listed buildings in the European Commission review of reduced rates of VAT; [30781]
  713W
  (2) what steps she has taken to establish an action plan and timetable to consider the establishment of a differentiated rate of VAT for repairs to listed buildings, in line with paragraph 4.20 of Force for Our Future. [30784]

  Dr. Howells
  EC law already allows a reduced rate of VAT for works to housing but does not permit a reduced rate to other types of building. whether listed or not. However, in response to representations made by the Government, the European Commission has indicated that it will consider a reduced rate of VAT for listed places of worship in their general review of the reduced rates, which is due to take place in 2003. In the meantime the Government have introduced a grant scheme, which will return in grant aid the difference between 5 per cent. and the actual amount spent on eligible repairs and maintenance to listed places of worship. We intend to publish an implementation plan for A Force for Our Future shortly.

  Advertising
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what the cost was of media advertising in each of the past five parliamentary Sessions including the current Session, for her Department in(a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland; and for the last two parliamentary Sessions and the current parliamentary Session, what the media advertising expenditure was per month in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland; [37404]

  (2) what the expenditure was per campaign for the five most expensive media advertising campaigns her Department undertook in the past five parliamentary Sessions including the current parliamentary Session in (a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and for the last two parliamentary Sessions and the current Session, when each advertising campaign (i) began and (ii) ended in (A) Scotland, (B) England, (C) Wales and (D) Northern Ireland. [37393]

  Dr. Howells
  No media advertising campaigns were run by the Department during this period.

  Minority Sports Teams
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what sources of funding are available from the public sector to cover the cost of overseas international matches for teams representing Great Britain in minority sports. [36266]

  Mr. Caborn
  My Department provides Lottery and Exchequer funds to UK Sports who in turn make these funds available to governing bodies of sport in recognised activities for the support of teams representing Great Britain.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what rules for the allocation of funding to international minority sports teams representing Great Britain relate to the(a) age and (b) sex of the participants. [36239]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Sports Councils do not have rules for the allocation of funding to sports teams representing Great Britain relating to either age or sex of the participants.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many overseas visits have been undertaken by parliamentary private secretaries in her Department at departmental expense in each of the last four years; and at what cost to public funds. [36809]

  Mr. Caborn
  The only overseas visit by a parliamentary private secretary at this Department's expense occurred on 20-21 January 2002 when my hon. Friend the Member for Harlow (Mr. Rammell) attended the MIDEM conference in France on my behalf as I was unable to attend at short notice. We have yet to be invoiced for these costs.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the(a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant. [37501]

  Dr. Howells
  In DCMS travel and subsistence administration is contracted out and there is no electronic record maintained regarding mode of travel. To provide this information would involve a manual check of each travel and subsistence claim which could be undertaken only at disproportionate costs.

  Arts and Community-based Programmes
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what role arts and community-based programmes are playing in helping sectarian and racial problems in divided cities in Northern Ireland. [36984]

  Dr. Howells
  This question relates to a matter which is the responsibility of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive.

  Regeneration (Northern Ireland)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on how lottery money is used to promote regeneration in Northern Ireland; and how much has been given to North Belfast. [36955]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Government has asked lottery distributors to use lottery funding to encourage regeneration where possible. Revised policy directions issued to lottery distributors in 1998 require them to take into account the scope for reducing economic and social deprivation. As of 15 February 2002, 276 awards have been made to Belfast North worth over £67 million.

  Playing Fields
  Joan Ryan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of playing fields lost to development in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and how many were(a) school playing fields, (b) owned by other public bodies and (c) owned privately. [36378]
  715W
  Mr. Caborn
  The Department for Education and Skills does not collect information on the number of school playing fields lost to development. Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act in October 1998, was brought in to halt the policy of forcing state schools to sell off playing fields. Local authorities and governing bodies of all maintained schools now need to ask consent for the sale of school playing fields from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. In making her decision my right hon. Friend will take into account a number of criteria including consultation with the community and user groups, whether the proceeds will be used for education or used to enhance sports provision, and whether the remaining playing fields fully meet the needs of local schools and the communities. Since October 1998, My right hon. Friend has approved the following applications to dispose or change the use of school playing fields:

  Number approved

  Year

  Sports pitch applications

  Areas less than a sports pitch

  1998

  6

  3

  1999

  37

  40

  2000

  28

  29

  2001

  27

  5

  2002

  5

  —

  No such estimates have been made on the number of playing fields sold to development, which are either privately owned or owned by public bodies as this information is not collected. Sport England do however, monitor the number of planning applications concerning playing fields in their role as statutory consultee. The Government intend to publish, with Sport England, detailed national statistics on planning applications concerning playing fields when the data are finalised in the spring.

  Industrial Action
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [36187]

  Dr. Howells
  The information in respect of DCMS and its agencies is contained in the table.

  Number of staff1

  How many days allocated

  Cost to public funds (£)

  1997–98

  21

  316

  72,100

  1998–99

  21

  316

  74,695

  1999–2000

  15

  256

  62,570

  2000–01

  15

  256

  75,475

  1 In DCMS and agencies receiving paid leave to undertake union duties

  The time scale for response to this question does not allow for this information to be obtained for non-departmental public bodies.

  Union Duties
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid 716W
  leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years. [36211]

  Dr. Howells
  During this period there was no industrial action in the Department or its agencies. The time scale for response to this question does not allow for this information to be obtained for non-departmental public bodies.

  Publicity Expenditure
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the total real terms expenditure of her Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on publicity in each of the years(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99,(c) 1999–2000, (d) 2000–01 and (e) 2001–02 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole of the present year; and if she will break these figures down to indicate expenditure on (A) advertising and (B) press and public relations. [36164]

  Dr. Howells
  Using the GDP deflators notified by HM Treasury, the Department's real term expenditure on press and public relations since 1997–98 based on 2001–02 prices was:

  £

  1997–98

  541,483

  1998–99

  503,476

  1999–2000

  795,289

  2000–01

  795,302

  2001–02

  1602,700

  1 Estimated outturn

  No advertising expenditure was incurred by the Department during this period.

  The information requested for the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally and the costs of collating it would be disproportionate.

  Health and Safety (Computers)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees in her Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to(a) current and (b) new staff. [36697]

  Dr. Howells
  Computer use is almost 100 per cent. across the Department. Of a staff of 450 some 67 (14.8 per cent.) have availed themselves of the free eye test provision during the 10 months of this financial year. The availability of, and entitlement to, eye test vouchers is set out in an induction pack and on the induction session given to all new staff. Office notices are used to draw attention to all staff matters including eye care vouchers and the subject is a permanent item on the departmental intranet accessible by all staff.

  Throckmorton Airfield
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what consideration is being given to
  717W
  designating land on and around the Throckmorton airfield as an ancient monument; and if she will make a statement. [34655]

  Dr. Howells
  Under the Monuments Protection Programme, this Department and English Heritage are undertaking a systematic review of England's archaeological resource, with a view to providing statutory protection, through scheduling, to those sites identified as being of national importance. Once a site has been scheduled, specific consent has to be obtained from my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State before any works can be carried out that could damage the monument.

  We are, of course, prepared to look at sites, which are under threat, or of particular significance, out of sequence. I understand that English Heritage is currently considering whether land on and around Throckmorton airfield merits scheduling, following archaeological investigation work undertaken there last year in response to the excavation of foot and mouth mass burial pits. English Heritage will be making recommendations to my Department shortly.

  Camelot
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action the Government propose to take if Camelot fail to achieve its target of £15 billion for good causes over the seven year length of the contract. [36730]

  Mr. Caborn
  Camelot's bid for the second National Lottery licence forecasts sales at a level which would yield £15 billion for good causes over the licence period; but this was not a contractual commitment. It is for the National Lottery Commission, exercising its independent responsibilities under the National Lottery Acts 1993 and 1998, to supervise Camelot's operation of the licence and enforce its conditions.

  Government Expenditure (Sports Associations)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the total Government expenditure, excluding National Lottery grants, to sports associations within Great Britain in each financial year since 1994–95. [36722]

  Mr. Caborn
  Government funding for national governing bodies of sport and other sports organisations is channelled through the Sports Councils. The exchequer funding provided for such bodies in England and for UK wide bodies is as follows. Funding for sport in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a devolved matter and an issue for those Administrations.

  £ million

  1994–95

  11.34

  1995–96

  13.24

  1996–97

  11.12

  1997–98

  14.75

  1998–99

  13.69

  1999–2000

  13.81

  2000–01

  14.37

  Departmental Website
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost of her Department's website was in real terms in each of the last four years; and how many hits it received in each of those years. [36143]

  Dr. Howells
  The website was redeveloped two years ago at a cost of £81,134. Prior to that, the site was developed in-house at zero cost. The website is maintained in-house at zero cost. The hosting cost is £5,000 per year.

  We do not retain website statistics beyond the current year. The number of hits over the year is of the order of 4,160,000.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Afghanistan
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to ensure that British citizens detained(a) by United States, (b) United Front and(c) other local forces in Afghanistan (i) have their rights respected, (ii) are not subjected to cruel or unusual conditions or punishments and (iii) are not placed in other jurisdictions against their will. [27226]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We are in regular contact with the US authorities about British nationals detained by them. They have said that the detainees are being treated humanely and consistently with the principles of the Geneva Conventions. The question of jurisdiction is a matter for the US as the Detaining Power. We have asked the interim Afghan authorities to notify us of any British nationals detained by them and have said that all prisoners must be treated in accordance with international practice.

  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether British officials will have access to UK nationals held in Guantanamo Bay and Afghanistan without the presence of representatives of the US. [36512]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  Access to the detainees is a matter for the US as the Detaining Power.

  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to ensure that UK citizens held prisoner in Guantanamo Bay are sent before a competent tribunal to determine whether they are entitled to prisoner of war status. [36509]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  That is a matter for the US as the Detainng Power. The US authorities said in their statement of 7 February that they have no doubt that the Taliban and al-Qaeda detainees are not prisoners of war and that the Geneva Convention requires a tribunal only if there is any doubt.

  They also confirmed that, notwithstanding the question of status, all detainees would to be treated humanely and consistently with the principles of the Geneva Conventions.

  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the two British nationals who are detained in Kandahar by the US authorities are being held under the conditions of the Geneva Convention. [36511]
  719W
  Mr. Bradshaw
  The two British nationals who were being detained in Kandahar were transferred to Guantanamo Bay on 11 February. The US authorities have said that all detainees are being treated humanely and consistently with the principles of the Geneva Conventions.

  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will urge the US authorities to charge the UK citizens who are detained in Guantanamo Bay with violations of criminal law. [36522]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  That is a matter for the US authorities once evidence has been gathered and analysed. The US is aware of our desire that this should proceed as quickly as is practicable.

  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the US Administration regarding the application of Article 5 of the Geneva Convention to prisoners held in US custody in Cuba and Afghanistan. [37062]

  Mr. MacShane
  We remain in regular contact with the Americans on many aspects of this matter.

  The US authorities said in their statement of 7 February that they have no doubt that the Taliban and al-Qaedi detainees are not prisoners of war and that the Geneva Convention requires a tribunal only if there is any doubt.

  They again confirmed that, notwithstanding the question of status, all detainees would continue to be treated humanely and consistently with the principles of the Geneva Convention.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the annual cost of the United Kingdom's role and responsibilities in Gibraltar. [31873]

  Peter Hain
  The main costs arising from the UK's role and responsibilities in Gibraltar fall to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence. The approximate cost to the two Departments in the financial year 2000–01 was £63.5 million. £3.5 million of this total was the cost of maintaining the Governor's office, the cost of the staff in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office dealing directly with Gibraltar, and also funding for projects and secondments under the Gibraltar Project Fund. The remainder of the cost was attributable to Commander British Forces Gibraltar.

  Contracts
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many contracts were let by his Department and agencies for which he is responsible to(a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young; (c) Deloitte & Touche; (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case. [33849]
  720W
  Mr. MacShane
  The number of contracts let by FCO and its agency to these companies and the payments to each of them over the period concerned is as follows:

  (i) Ernst and Young: 4 contracts:

  year

  £

  1997–98

  nil

  1998–99

  58,441

  1999–2000

  55,107

  2000–01

  nil

  2001–02

  47,00

  (ii) KPMG: 5 contracts:

  year

  £

  1997–98

  nil

  1998–99

  nil

  1999–2000

  308,874

  2000–01

  4,093,390

  2001–02

  2,013,554

  (iii) PWC consulting/Pricewaterhouse Coopers:

  1 contact:

  year

  £

  1997–98

  nil

  1998–99

  759,520

  1999–2000

  54,337

  2000–01

  nil

  2001–02

  nil

  No contacts were awarded to Deloitte & Touche or Anderson during this period.

  Departmental Events
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the(a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by his Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in each of the last four years, giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each. [34183]

  Mr. MacShane
  The information requested is not held centrally by any one department in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, and could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

  Entertainment Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff; [34391]

  (2) if he will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the amount spent by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and

  721W
  (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by his Department and how much reclaimed. [34449]

  Mr. MacShane
  Information is not held in the form required and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the publications issued by his Department in each of the last four years; and what the(a) circulation, (b) cost and (c) purpose of each was. [34190]

  Mr. MacShane
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 December 2001,Official Report, column 825W and to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Moray (Angus Robertson) on 10 December 2001,Official Report, column 627W.

  Details of current FCO publications are available on a dedicated website at www.informationfrombritain.com.

  It would incur disproportionate cost to list the circulation and unit costs of all individual publications for the four years.

  Trade Deals (India)
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what trade deals were(a) discussed and (b) finalised during the Prime Minister's recent visit to India. [35860]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  During the recent visit to India by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister a number of trade issues were discussed. He gave the keynote speech at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) conference in Bangalore and signed the New Delhi Declaration with Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee which highlighted the success of the growth, to £5 billion a year, of bilateral trade since the Indo-British Partnership was introduced in 1993. The declaration stated that we will focus together on key sectors where we share world class expertise, such as IT and healthcare, and announced the plan by the CII and CBI to hold a major economic seminar in London in July 2002 involving senior CEOs from both countries, to look at the global challenges we face together and to explore future opportunities for enhancing the trade and investment relationship.

  The Prime Minister discussed a number of defence and security matters while in India, including defence export opportunities. The Government continue to support the proposals that BAE Systems has made for the supply of Hawk jets to India.

  Western Sahara
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Government of France concerning oil exploration licences in the western Sahara by French companies; and if he will make a statement. [36615]
  722W
  Mr. Bradshaw
  The issue of contracts for oil exploration in western Sahara signed by Morocco with US and French companies was referred by the President of the United Nations Security Council to the United Nations legal adviser, who concluded that the specific contracts at issue were "not in themselves illegal".

  This matter has not been raised with the French Government.

  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he and his officials have had with representatives of the Government of Morocco to discuss the occupation of the western Sahara; and if he will make a statement. [36625]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs met His Excellency Mohammed Benaissa, the Foreign Minister of Morocco, during his visit to the UK on 21 February 2002.

  They discussed the situation in western Sahara. My right hon. Friend stated our position: that we continue to support the efforts of James Baker, the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary General, in trying to find a just and durable resolution to the dispute.

  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the expenditure in each of the past five years by the UK Government have been on the western Sahara people by(a) bilateral projects, (b) UN arrangements and (c) direct funding; and what is expected for the next financial year. [36627]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  UK Government expenditure on the western Sahara people under UN arrangements for the past five years is as follows:

  £

  1996–97

  641,173

  1997–98

  934,360

  1998–99

  2,369,371

  1999–2000

  1,014,550

  2000–01

  1,984,177

  In the next financial year, the expenditure is expected to be £2,018,815.

  I refer my hon. Friend to the Secretary of State for International Development for information on expenditure on the other categories.

  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he and his officials have had with the UN Secretary-General and his special representative concerning the future of the western Sahara; and if he will make a statement. [36626]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The Secretary-General recently reported to the UN Security Council on his continuing discussions with the parties in the dispute concerning western Sahara. In these discussions he has been supported by James Baker his Personal Envoy.

  He observed that the parties, despite assertions to the contrary, had not been willing to co-operate with the UN either to implement the Settlement Plan or to try a `political solution' to their dispute. He set out four options

  723W
  and recommended that the council extend MINURSO's mandate for two months while these were considered. The options were:

  Option 1

  The UN could try and resume implementation of the Settlement Plan, but without requiring the concurrence of the parties before action could be taken. The UN could still face the same problems it had already encountered and might not be able to hold a free and fair referendum whose results would be accepted by both sides. There remained the issue that there was no enforcement mechanism set out in the plan.

  Option 2

  Mr. James Baker, the Personal Envoy of the United Nations Secretary-General, could revise the draft Framework Agreement, taking into account the concerns expressed by the parties. But Mr. Baker would not seek their concurrence. The revised draft would be submitted to the council, and would then be presented to the parties on a non-negotiable basis.

  Option 3

  The council could ask Mr. Baker to explore with the parties one final time whether they would be willing to discuss a possible division of the territory, under his usual negotiating rule of nothing agreed until everything was agreed. If this option were chosen and the parties were unwilling to agree to a division by 1 November 2002, Mr. Baker should be asked to show the parties a proposal for division of the territory that would also be presented to the council. The council would then present this to the parties on a non-negotiable basis. This approach would give each side some, but not all, of what it wanted and would follow the precedent, but not necessarily the territorial arrangements, of the division agreed to in 1976 between Morocco and Mauritania.

  Option 4

  The council could decide to terminate MINURSO, thereby recognising and acknowledging that after more than 11 years and half a billion dollars expenditure that the UN was not going to solve the dispute without requiring that one or the other of the parties do something voluntarily that they did not wish to do.

  In responding to the Secretary-General's report the UK will agree to the two month roll-over of the MINURSO mandate to allow consideration of the options. The UK position remains as previously stated, that we continue to support the efforts of Mr. Baker in trying to find a just and durable resolution to the dispute.

  European Council (Barcelona)
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the Government will be making to the European Council at Barcelona on the furthering of the e-Europe initiative; and if he will make a statement. [35851]

  Mr. Alexander
  I have been asked to reply.

  There has been encouraging progress since the Lisbon summit of March 2000 towards its goal of making Europe the most competitive knowledge-based economy in the world. As the Commission has stated in its report to Heads of State and Government for the Barcelona Spring European Council on Economic Reform, telephone calls are cheaper and there is a greater choice of operators
  724W
  everywhere. The number of homes connected to the internet has doubled. In all but one member state, over 90 per cent. of schools have access to the internet. These results show that the eEurope Action Plan 2002 is well on track towards its objective of bringing the internet within reach of all European consumers, businesses, schools, and Governments by the end of this year. The next stage must be to maintain this momentum by encouraging the conditions for it to be used as fully as possible. A key step will be encouraging widespread broadband technology. Higher-speed, "always on" connections will make using the internet more attractive and will stimulate the development of new interactive services.

  I attended an Informal Council of Information Society Ministers on 22 February. We discussed the progress of eEurope and how it should be followed up. I expect that the results of these discussions will be forwarded to the forthcoming Barcelona summit.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what proposals the Government will be making to the European Council at Barcelona on the liberalisation of the European energy market; and if he will make a statement. [35854]

  Mr. Wilson
  I have been asked to reply.

  We will continue to press for early adoption of the Commission's proposals, which require full liberalisation of EU electricity and gas markets by 2005.

  EU Accession Criteria
  Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of(a) the ratio of borrowing to GDP and (b) the proportion of public debt to GDP as laid down by the treaty of Maastricht and the growth and stability pact in 2004 of each of the countries applying for EU membership. [36433]

  Ruth Kelly
  I have been asked to reply.

  The multilateral surveillance procedure set out in Article 99 of the EC treaty and in the stability and growth pact applies only on accession to the EU.

  Assessment of applicant countries' readiness for EU membership will be based on the criteria agreed at the Copenhagen European Council in 1993.

  Missile Threat
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the states which he estimates have the capacity to launch missiles that could reach the territory of the United Kingdom. [36476]

  Mr. Hoon
  I have been asked to reply.

  We assess that there is currently no significant ballistic or other missile threat to the United Kingdom and that only the four other nuclear weapon states (the United States, Russia, China and France) have ballistic missile systems with the range to reach the United Kingdom mainland. We continue to monitor developments closely.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Statutory Instruments
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the statutory instruments issued by her Department in the last 12 months, indicating(a) the purpose of each and (b) the cost of each to (i) public funds, (ii) businesses and (iii) individuals. [36222]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  [holding answer 13 February 2002]: A list of the statutory instruments issued by the Department in the last 12 months and the purpose of each has been placed in the Library.

  Information about the cost of statutory instruments made to public funds is not held centrally and would cost a disproportionate amount to establish. Similarly, the cost to businesses and individuals is not held centrally and is not available.

  As from 1 March 2002, Explanatory Memoranda will be provided for all affirmative statutory instruments as announced by the Leader of the House on Friday 1 February 2002.

  Public Appointments
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people have been appointed by her to official bodies and NDPBs coming under the aegis of her Department in the last three years; and who they were. [33347]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The total number of public appointments made to non-departmental public bodies since 1 January 1999 is 312. The details of each appointment are contained in tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

  Post-16 Education (Funding)
  Mrs. Browning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what was the gross funding of the (a) Further Education Funding Council and training and enterprise councils in the last full financial year and (b) Learning and Skills Council in its first financial year. [36028]
  John Healey
  [holding answer 13 February 2002]: The Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) accounts for 2000–01 are not yet available, but planned total funding for the FEFC for all purposes in 2000–01 was £3,530 million, excluding student support funds and employer contributions. The Department for Education and Employment (DfEE) paid a total of £1,270 million to Training and Enterprise Councils in 2000–01.

  The Learning and Skills Councils budget for 2001–02 is £5,493 million, excluding assumed employer contributions. This represents a 9 per cent. real terms increase compared to plans for 2000£01 in the same area.

  Housing (Teachers)
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for each local education authority, how many specialist housing units for teachers have been created in the past year. [36623]
  726W
  Mr. Timms
  The Department for Education and Skills has not created any specialist housing units for teachers in the past year. However, as part of the £250 million Starter Homes Initiative, more than 3,500 teachers will receive assistance in purchasing homes in areas of high demand or high price. In September 2001 we announced the first round of the Initiative, which aimed to help more than 2,800 teachers. In January of this year we announced that a further 700 teachers would receive help in the second round of the Initiative. Assistance will be in the form of equity loans, interest free loans and shared ownership. The tables set out the numbers of teachers who will receive assistance, by LEA, for each of the two rounds of the Initiative.

  Round one—Starter Homes Initiative

  Area/LEA

  Teachers

  London (covering all London boroughs

  1,588

  Berkshire

  132

  Buckinghamshire

  85

  Oxfordshire

  87

  Hampshire

  200

  Kent

  142

  East Sussex

  129

  Surrey

  157

  Cambridgeshire

  50

  Hertfordshire

  68

  Bedford

  19

  Essex

  98

  Covers Bournemouth, Bristol, South Gloucestershire, Cheltenham, Christchurch, Swindon

  60

  Total

  2,815

  Round two—Starter Homes Initiative

  Area/LEA

  Teachers

  Dorset

  18

  Milton Keynes

  10

  Southampton

  10

  Warwickshire

  25

  Wiltshire

  21

  Bedfordshire

  21

  Buckinghamshire

  25

  Cambridgshire

  26

  East Sussex

  22

  Essex

  66

  Hertfordshire

  57

  Kent

  70

  Oxfordshire

  28

  South Gloucestershire/City of Bristol

  13

  Surrey

  46

  Swindon

  10

  Hampshire

  59

  Medway

  30

  Portsmouth

  17

  Thurrock

  15

  Luton

  10

  Bath and North East Somerset

  10

  North Somerset

  10

  Bracknell Forest

  10

  Brighton and Hove

  10

  Isles of Scilly

  1

  Poole

  10

  Reading

  10

  Slough

  10

  West Berkshire

  10

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  10

  Wokingham

  10

  Total

  700

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many overseas visits have been undertaken by parliamentary private secretaries in her Department at departmental expense in each of the last four years; and at what cost to public funds. [36811]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  Parliamentary Private Secretaries supporting Ministers in this Department have travelled overseas on Government business on two occasions; both visits took place in 1998, at a total cost of £940. All travel complied with the requirements of the Ministerial Code.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many new entrants to the Civil Service were employed in her Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 and over. [36492]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister,Official Report, 25 February 2002, column 879W.

  Teachers' Pay
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which establishments qualify for the Teachers' Pay Initiative in(a) South Tyneside and (b) Tyne and Wear [36133]

  Margaret Hodge
  All further education sector colleges in South Tyneside and Tyne and Wear are eligible for support under the Teaching Pay Initiative (TPI). The following six colleges have submitted "declarations of intent" for TPI and are being paid by the Learning and Skills Council: City of Sunderland College; Gateshead College; Newcastle College; North Tyneside College; South Tyneside College; and Tynemouth College.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what funding is available for the higher pay spine; [36604]

  (2) if she will make a statement on the future funding of the Leadership Group. [36605]

  Mr. Timms
  Schools fund the bulk of teachers' pay from their delegated budget provided by their local education authority using resources distributed through Education Standard Spending Assessments. The total of Education SSAs will rise to £23.8 billion in 2002–03—an increase of 5.7 per cent. in cash terms. On top of this, schools will continue to receive special grant to meet the extra cost of teachers who have moved to the first point of the upper pay scale by crossing the threshold. They will also receive a new special grant worth £250 million over the next two years to help meet the cost of performance points they award to classroom teachers—including those on the upper pay scale—and to members of the leadership group.

  Excluded Pupils
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to ensure that all excluded pupils enter full-time education from September. [36020]
  728W
  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  [holding answer 13 February 2002]: In 1999 the Government made a commitment that all LEAs would offer full-time education to pupils excluded for 15 days or more by September 2002. All LEAs have reported making progress against meeting this commitment. This year LEAs received more than £36 million for the Social Inclusion: Pupil Support grant to help with the provision of full-time education for excluded children compared to some £26 million last year. In addition, LEAs can transfer funding from schools when a permanent exclusion occurs in order to support the reintegration of the excluded child into a new school or to pay for education outside of school. We are supporting LEAs in meeting the commitment, visiting some LEAs to identify whether there are any barriers to achieving the commitment and what further support we might offer them; and involving education advisers and HMIs in this programme of support. We shall publish a good practice guide for all LEAs by the end of February.

  Industrial Action
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [36193]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  No days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in the Department for Education and Skills (DfES), or its predecessor the Department for Education and Employment (DfEE), or its non-departmental public bodies over the last four years.

  Pay Scales
  Richard Ottaway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the differential between pay scales in further and secondary education in the last three years for which records are available. [36289]

  Margaret Hodge
  The main scale pay ranges for teachers in secondary education over the last three years are as follows: 1999 (£14,658 to £23,193); 2000 (£15,141 to £23,843); 2001 (£16,038 to £24,843). The recommended salaries for main scale lecturers in general further education colleges over the two years for which we hold figures are: 2000 (£13,745 to £24,907); 2001 (£14,254 to £25,289). Although the scales are broadly comparable, as independent corporations colleges have their own pay policies and the way in which the recommended pay scales are used will vary from college to college.

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in her Department to(a) herself and (b) her Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36272]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  Ministerial boxes originating from this Department are transported to Ministers' homes either by Government car or by a service provided by the Royal Mail.

  Sixth Form Funding
  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what formula is used by the Learning and Skills Council to fund(a) school sixth forms and (b) sixth form colleges. [35981]

  Margaret Hodge
  The formula for funding school sixth forms and further education sixth form colleges is the responsibility of the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked John Harwood, the council's chief executive, to write to the right hon. Gentleman providing the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.

  City of London Corporation (Events)
  John McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the functions, engagements and events which Ministers, her officials and advisers have attended which have been sponsored, funded, promoted by her Department and hosted by the City of London Corporation since 1997. [35707]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. All attendance by Ministers and civil servants at events, engagements and functions is undertaken in line with the guidance and principles set out in the Ministerial Code and departmental staff handbooks.

  Tuition Fees
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what percentage of tuition fees collected since 1997 has been paid directly to universities; [35434]

  (2) what the total amount is of tuition fees collected since they were introduced; [35435]

  (3) what the total amount is of tuition fees that have been used to fund higher education since the introduction of tuition fees; and by what percentage funding for higher education would be received if the total amount of tuition fees collected had been used to fund extra higher education; [35967]

  (4) what the increase in university funding has been since tuition fees were introduced. [35968]

  Margaret Hodge
  All tuition fees, whether paid by students or the taxpayer, are paid directly to higher education institutions. Introducing contributions to tuition fees in 1998 has helped the Government to fund the further expansion of the sector while maintaining and increasing the unit of funding per full-time equivalent student from 2001–02. The estimated total amount of private contributions to tuition fees collected by English institutions from 1998–99 to 2001–02 is £963 million. Over the same period, the total of publicly planned expenditure for higher education institutions was over £21 billion. The increase in publicly planned funding from this Department between 1998–99 and 2001–02 was £1,124 million, an increase of 12 per cent. in real terms. Planned public expenditure for the higher education sector in England in the six years to 2003–04 is set to grow by £1.7 billion. This represents a cash increase of 37 per cent. and a real terms increase of 18 per cent.

  Part-time Employment (Universities)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many part-time employees were recruited in UK universities in each year from 1999 to 2001; and how many non-EU students were recruited(a) as part-time employees and (b) for more than 100 hours of employment in a year in UK universities in each year from 1999 to 2001 [35371]

  Margaret Hodge
  The available information for the three most recent years, covering part-time academic staff, is shown in the table. Details of the actual number of hours worked is not held centrally.

  Part-time academic staff1 recruited by HE institutions in the UK

  Academic year

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Number of part-time staff recruited2

  2,940

  3,260

  3,420

  of which:

  Those from outside the EU

  100

  140

  160

  1 Covers staff who are wholly financed by the institution, and include those who whose primary employment function, according to their contract, is teaching, research, or teaching/research. Only covers part-time staff whose total work commitment exceeds 25 per cent. of a full-time equivalent.

  2 Including staff recruited from other HE institutions.

  Source:

  Higher Education Statistics Agency's Staff Record. Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 10.

  Individual Learning Accounts
  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations she has received from the Association of Colleges concerning losses sustained in the further education sector following closure of the ILA scheme; and what response her Department has made. [35206]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: I received correspondence dated 25 January 2002 from David Gibson, Chief Executive of the Association of Colleges, about the closure of Individual Learning Accounts. I was able to send a full reply on 8 February 2002.

  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice she received from the Further Education Funding Council in May 2000 concerning the setting up of the individual learning accounts scheme; and if she will make a statement. [35207]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: Further Education Funding Council staff discussed a number of aspects of the design of the ILA programme at liaison meetings with the Department. These included issues about the quality assurance and audit arrangements for providers. In the final design of the ILA programme, there were light touch quality assurance arrangements so that the scheme could be as simple and non-bureaucratic as possible. Successor arrangements for ILAs will be based on stronger quality assurance arrangements for providers.

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many learning providers in the individual learning account scheme fall into each decile
  731W
  measured by the amount owed to them by her Department on 31 January; what was the range of each decile; and what was the total owed. [36484]

  John Healey
  The figures for amounts owed on 31 January 2002 include amounts withheld from providers already suspended prior to the closure of the programme on 23 November and amounts withheld pending validation checks on claims. The total amount withheld is £14,723,997.

  Amounts owed to providers on 31 January 2002

  Decile

  Range start (£)

  Range end (£)

  Number of registered providers

  1

  1

  100,826

  113

  2

  100,826

  201,651

  22

  3

  201,651

  302,477

  9

  4

  302,477

  403,303

  6

  5

  403,303

  504,128

  0

  6

  504,128

  604,954

  2

  7

  604,954

  705,780

  0

  8

  705,780

  806,606

  1

  9

  806,606

  907,431

  0

  10

  907,431

  1,008,257

  1

  Total

  154

  Working Conditions and Practices
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people are employed in her Department on a job share contract; and what percentage of vacant positions was advertised on this basis in the last 12 months. [35358]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The Department does not specifically employ staff on job share contracts; however, 12 per cent. of staff are employed under a range of part-time working patterns.

  Job sharing is only one of a number of alternative working patterns that staff can take up. The Department promotes and supports the use of a range of flexible working patterns to enable staff to balance home and work responsibilities; other examples, besides part-time working, include condensed hours and home working.

  Advertised vacancies in the Department are open to all staff, irrespective of their working arrangements or pattern of work.

  School Review (Harrow)
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the system of school review used by Harrow local education authority; and if she will make a statement. [35066]
  Mr. Timms
  Assessments of the way in which local education authorities perform their functions are made by Ofsted and the Audit Commission during inspections of those authorities. Harrow local education authority was inspected in September 2001 and the inspection report is available from Ofsted's website at: www.ofsted.gov.uk.

  Entertainment Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the amount spent by(a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by her Department and how much reclaimed. [34462]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis: This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Events
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the(a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by her Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in each of the last four years giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each. [34298]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  We organise a large number of events for different target audiences and purposes each year, ranging from small-scale workshops to introduce practitioners to new procedures or initiatives, to larger-scale events to promote policy initiatives or present the bigger picture of the Department's activities to external partners.

  Examples of these range from the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership roadshows—a series of local seminars organised annually in the autumn for LEAs and child care providers to share best practice—to the conferences held with LEAs and teachers in autumn 2001 on the proposals set out in the White Paper "Schools: achieving success".

  To give details of every event held over the last four years would be possible only at disproportionate cost.

  Data Protection Act
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many requests the Department has received under the Data Protection Act 1988 for(a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation. [33581]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The Department has received 31 requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998.

  Requests for information to the Department for Education and Skills have usually asked for all information held on the individual, irrespective of medium.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many responses the Department has completed to requests for information made under the Data Protection Act 1998 for(a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation. [33574]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The Department has completed 26 responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998.
  733W
  Requests for information usually ask for all information held on the individual, irrespective of medium.

  Playing Fields
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list applications made to her Department in the last three years for consent to allow development on school playing fields giving in each case(a) the outcome of the application, (b) what steps were taken to ascertain whether adequate sports facilities would remain if permission were granted and (c) where consent was given, what assurances were secured as to how proceeds of sale would be used. [33633]

  Mr. Timms
  Although the Department does not collect information in the form requested, the following table lists applications to dispose of areas equal to, or larger than, a sports pitch, together with their outcome.

  Before October 1998, there was nothing to prevent a local authority selling a school playing field if it wanted to. Section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 was introduced in October 1998 to stop the

  Applications to dispose of school sports pitches which have been approved by the Secretary of State

  Local education authority

  School

  Date applied

  Barnet

  Ashmole School

  15 December 1998

  Bedfordshire

  Silver Jubilee Middle School

  30 April 1999

  Bedfordshire

  Ashton St. Peter VA School

  29 September 2000

  Birmingham

  Broadway School

  11 June 2001

  Blackpool

  Collegiate High School

  13 December 1999

  Bolton

  St. James's CofE School

  24 July 1998

  Bristol

  Monks Park Secondary School

  28 October 1998

  Buckinghamshire

  Bellfield First and Middle Schools

  22 February 1999

  Buckinghamshire

  Terriers County First School

  10 May 1999

  Buckinghamshire

  Downley Middle School

  12 January 2000

  Buckinghamshire

  Heights First School

  12 January 2000

  Calderdale

  Brooksbank School

  1 July 1998

  Cheshire

  St. James CofE Junior School

  30 November 1998

  Cheshire

  Colshaw CP School

  30 June 1999

  Cheshire

  Westlands High School

  17 November 1999

  Cheshire

  Manor Park Infant School

  27 November 2000

  Cheshire

  Brookside County Infant School

  5 February 2001

  Croydon

  Haling Manor High School

  4 January 1999

  Derbyshire

  Noel Baker Community School

  2 November 1998

  Derbyshire

  Western Mere School

  2 February 1999

  Derbyshire

  Pingle School

  26 July 2000

  Devon

  Highweek Primary School

  17 August 1999

  Dorset

  Fosters School

  7 December 1998

  Dudley

  Colley Lane Primary School

  11 October 2001

  Dudley

  Summerhill Secondary School

  11 October 2001

  Durham

  The Avenue Comprehensive School

  19 May 1999

  Durham

  Westwood Primary School

  31 July 2000

  Essex

  The Stanway School

  17 November 1998

  Essex

  Moulsham High School

  18 January 1999

  Essex

  Oakview Special School

  10 April 2000

  Essex

  Tabor High School

  29 January 2001

  Gloucestershire

  Churchdown School

  3 December 1997

  Gloucestershire

  The Catholic School of St. Gregory the Great

  26 July 1999

  Gloucestershire

  Oxstalls Community School

  25 November 1999

  Halton

  Ashley Special School

  6 November 1998

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  Gibbs Green Special School

  8 March 1999

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  Burlington Danes School

  16 March 1999

  Havering

  Frances Bardsley School for Girls

  13 August 1999

  Kent

  St. Thomas' Special School

  12 May 1999

  Kent

  St. Simon Stock School

  13 December 1999

  Kent

  Allhallows Primary School

  12 July 2001

  Knowsley

  Sylvester School

  12 August 1999

  Lancashire

  St. Richards RC High School

  15 December 1998

  Lancashire

  St. Thomas Acquinas RC High School

  5 February 1999

  Lancashire

  Baines High School

  15 November 2000

  Leeds

  Lawnswood School

  21 November 2000

  Leeds

  Oakwood Primary School

  21 November 2000

  734W
  indiscriminate sale of school playing fields. Local authorities and governing bodies of all maintained schools are now required to obtain the Secretary of State's consent before disposing of playing fields or any part of a playing field. Applications to dispose, or change the use, of school playing fields are assessed against the following criteria;

  (a) schools' needs: that playing field provision and curriculum requirements at the school making the disposal, and at other schools in the local area, will be met;

  (b) community needs: that community use of a school's playing fields is taken into account, with alternative facilities made available if necessary;

  (c) finance: that any sale proceeds are re-invested to provide new or improved sports facilities at schools, or are used to help to raise standards by providing better educational facilities.

  Only those applications that meet the criteria are approved. Since July 2001, all applications have been scrutinised by the independent School Playing Fields Advisory Panel to make sure that they conform to the published criteria. The Panel comprises representatives from the National Playing Fields Association, the Central Council of Physical Recreation, the education organisation Learning through Landscapes, the National Association of Head Teachers and the Local Government Association.
  735W

  Applications to dispose of school sports pitches which have been approved by the Secretary of State

  Local education authority

  School

  Date applied

  Leeds

  Roundhay School

  21 November 2000

  Leeds

  Wetherby High School

  19 September 2001

  Liverpool

  Childwall Comprehensive School

  9 April 2001

  Milton Keynes

  Denbigh School

  16 November 1998

  Milton Keynes

  Castles First School

  6 August 1999

  Norfolk

  Redgate Middle School

  12 April 2000

  North-East Lines

  Hereford Technology College

  13 November 2000

  North Tyneside

  St. Mary's Roman Catholic School

  22 December 1998

  North Yorkshire

  Settle CE Primary School

  20 November 1998

  Northamptonshire

  John Lea Secondary School

  14 August 2000

  Northumberland

  St. Benet Biscop RC Aided High School

  5 February 1999

  Northumberland

  Gallowhill Hall Special School

  18 February 2000

  Nottinghamshire

  Manor Comprehensive School

  14 April 2000

  Nottinghamshire

  Lincoln Street Infant School

  14 July 2000

  Oldham

  Kaskenmoor Secondary School

  29 October 1999

  Oxfordshire

  Wallingford School

  16 June 2000

  Peterborough

  The King's School

  8 May 1998

  Peterborough

  Deacons School

  28 July 1998

  Peterborough

  The King's School

  27 September 2000

  Rochdale

  Spring Hill High School

  7 May 1999

  Rochdale

  Middleton Technology School

  28 March 2001

  Sefton

  Litherland Moss County Primary School

  22 March 1999

  Shropshire

  Lower Grove School

  2 February 2001

  Somerset

  King Arthur's Comprehensive School

  24 March 1999

  Somerset

  Ladymead Comprehensive School

  6 April 1999

  Staffordshire

  Sir Graham Balfour High School

  25 June 1999

  Surrey

  Rosebery School

  6 January 1998

  Surrey

  Okewood District CE School

  30 November 1998

  Surrey

  Merland Rise CP School

  8 January 1999

  Surrey

  Banstead County Junior School and St. Anne's RC Primary School

  27 May 1999

  Surrey

  Park Mead Junior School

  8 March 2000

  Surrey

  Boxgrove Primary School

  13 April 2000

  Tameside

  Egerton Park High School

  17 January 2000

  Telford and Wrekin

  Blessed Robert Johnson School

  26 March 1999

  Wakefield

  South Elmsall Middle School

  10 December 1998

  Wakefield

  Kinsley First School

  13 January 1999

  Wakefield

  Kinsley First School

  30 July 1999

  Walsall

  Beacon School

  18 December 1998

  Walsall

  St. Thomas More Catholic Comprehensive School

  18 April 2001

  Warwickshire

  Attleborough First School

  11 December 1998

  Warwickshire

  Exhall First School

  21 July 1999

  Warwickshire

  Binley Woods First School

  3 August 1999

  Warwickshire

  Stratford-upon-Avon High School

  14 August 2000

  Warwickshire

  Marie Corelli School

  21 August 2000

  West Sussex

  Hazelwick School

  7 February 2000

  Wigan

  Hindley Borsdane Brook Special School

  11 February 1999

  Wigan

  Rose Hill Special School

  11 February 1999

  Wigan

  Tyldesley Highfield Special School

  11 February 1999

  Wigan

  Orrell Holgate Primary School

  4 December 2000

  Wiltshire

  Castle Combe Primary School

  7 August 2000

  Wolverhampton

  St. Peters Collegiate School

  25 November 1998

  Wolverhampton

  Aldersley High School

  4 December 1998

  Worcestershire

  Callowbrook First School

  6 November 2000

  Notes:

  1. Sports pitch' means areas of open grassed land which are equal to, or larger than, the Football Association's recommended area for games played by under-10s, that is 2,000m2 and which have a configuration making them suitable for sports pitches (whether they are so laid out or not).

  2. The table excludes applications withdrawn by the applicant and applications where schools would retain the same, or a better, level of access to the same sports pitch or to an equivalent sports pitch.

  3. The table includes applications from grant-maintained schools, where the application was made under section 231 of the Education Act 1996 but the decision was made in accordance with the draft criteria and then the criteria published in Circular No. 3/99, "The Protection of School Playing Fields". It also includes applications in respect of foundation and voluntary schools considered under Schedule 22 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 since 1 September 1999.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) colleges of further education and (d) local authorities have (i) playing fields, (ii) sports pitches, (iii) swimming pools and (iv) athletic tracks; and if she will provide the figures for each year since 1992. [36726]

  John Healey
  As part of the data collected for local education authorities asset management plans, the Department has information on the numbers of playing 736W
  fields, team game playing fields and swimming pools at primary and secondary schools. The team game playing field data do not distinguish between sports pitches, athletic tracks, or other outdoor team game areas. The Department is currently validating the data with a view to publishing the analysis later this year.

  The data referred to above were collected mainly in 2000. The Department does not hold data for previous or subsequent years.
  737W
  The Department does not hold the requested information for colleges of further education or for local authorities.

  Research Assessment
  Alan Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her policy is in respect of the latest research assessment exercise. [33699]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Department's policy is to strengthen research excellence and support world-class research. The Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) is a mechanism devised by the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the other UK funding bodies to establish the relative quality of research in higher education institutions and to provide a mechanism to allocate the funding available. The RAE does not of itself lead to an increase in resources. Nevertheless, in the light of the significant increase in the quality of research in the 2001 RAE, my Department has made available an extra £30 million in 2002–03 to allow the Higher Education Funding Council for England better to support high quality research in higher education.

  University, East Lancashire
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will establish a university in East Lancashire; and if she will make a statement. [32991]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Secretary of State has no such plans. This would initially be a matter for the interested bodies in the region to consider with the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

  Arthur Andersen
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what contracts her Department has had since 1997 with(a) Arthur Andersen and (b) Accenture for (i) accountancy, (ii) audit and (iii) consultancy work; and what staff have been seconded (A) to her Department from and (B) from her Department to these firms. [32428]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  Arthur Andersen was part of a consortium (including Birmingham City Council and APS Keele) contracted to the Department to provide consultancy services to failing local education authorities following critical Ofsted inspections. The contract was agreed in May 1999; Arthur Andersen withdrew from the consortium in January 2001. Apart from that, the Department has had no contracts with Arthur Andersen or Accenture for the services specified, nor have any staff been seconded to or from my Department to these firms during the period in question.

  University Staff
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of additional university staff required to meet the target of increasing the proportion of 18 to 30-year-olds who take higher education courses to 50 per cent. by 2010. [28527]

  Margaret Hodge
  There will need to be a significant increase in the number of university staff. The extra staff needed in each year will depend upon: the number of 738W
  students each year as we progress to the target; the number of students to each member of staff; and staff turnover. The number of students each year will be affected by the following factors: the size and age distribution of the population; the proportion of the population attaining the qualifications necessary for higher education; and the proportion of those qualified who choose to enter high education. This will in part depend on the funding levels that are subject to discussion in the spending review. The outcome of the review will be announced in the summer of 2002.

  MMR Vaccine
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent guidance her Department has given to nursery schools and other providers of early years education and child care about accepting children who(a) have and (b) have not had the MMR vaccine. [36503]

  Margaret Hodge
  The MMR vaccine is the safest and most effective way to protect children against measles, mumps and rubella. Though strongly recommended, the MMR is not compulsory and we have issued guidance to local Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships to say that child care and nursery education providers should not exclude a child who has not had the vaccination.

  Level 3 Qualifications
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people undertook level 3 qualifications in 2000–01 who already had level 4 or 5 qualifications; and what the average cost per student of these level 3 courses was in (i) tuition costs and (ii) maintenance support; and if she will make a statement. [36578]

  Margaret Hodge
  Information from the Labour Force Survey suggests that approximately 60,0001 people undertook level 3 qualifications in 2000–01 who already held a level 4 or 5 qualification. Average costs per student for these courses are not available.
  1 The 95 per cent. Confidence Interval for the LFS estimate of 60,000 is 60,000 ±9,000.

  Skills Shortages
  Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the level of skill shortages in(a) the building industry and (b) the road haulage industry [36868]

  John Healey
  Employers and their representative bodies have the lead responsibility for identifying and tackling skill needs in their sector. The Department does however monitor broad trends and supports National Training Organisations, Industry Training Boards and the new Sector Skills Councils in carrying out this work. A number of recent assessments have been made.

  The Employers Skill Survey 2001 covers 27,000 employers, is commissioned by the Department and carried out by independent researchers. This work reported on skills shortages and skills needs across all sectors of the economy, including the two sectors in

  739W
  question. This shows that 7 per cent. of employers in the construction industry, and 6 per cent. in the Other Land Transport' industry reported skill shortage vacancies, compared to 4 per cent. of employers overall.

  Each sector is also assessed in a series of Skills Dialogues, reports resulting from collaboration between National Training Organisations, Government, funding agencies and education and training bodies to discuss skill needs and skill gaps in the major industrial, business and service sectors. Two relevant assessments from this series are:

  An Assessment of Skill Needs in Construction and Related Industries (2001)

  An Assessment of Skill Needs in Transport (2001).

  Copies of all three reports are available in the House of Commons Library.

  1 Other Land Transport includes road passenger transport as well as freight transport by road as the data are not disaggregated to the level of road haulage.

  Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps she is taking to address the shortage of skilled workers in(a) the building industry and (b) the road haulage industry. [36867]

  John Healey
  Arrangements for training in these industries are a matter for the employers, as in any other industry. A network of National Training Organisations (NTOs), set up by employers and formally recognised by the Government, provides strategic leadership and practical guidance about the learning, skills and qualification needs for a defined sector. The Construction Industry Training Board is the NTO for the building and civil engineering sector and the Road Haulage and Distribution Training Council covers the road haulage industry.

  The Government recently announced plans to build a stronger sector network that will engage employers more fully in the planning and delivery of learning and skills. Sector Skills Councils are being set up which build on the achievements secured by NTOs.

  The Government have introduced a clear vocational pathway from key stage 3 through Modern Apprenticeships, Foundation Degrees and Graduate Apprenticeships to provide high-level vocational skills across sectors. In addition, it is the Government's intention that 50 per cent. of Further Education Colleges will become Centres of Vocational Excellence. Our commitment was strengthened through our proposals to provide more high-quality, rigorous vocational qualifications at GCSE level as set out in the consultation document "14-19 extending opportunities, raising standards".

  Additionally, DfES is supporting three projects totalling £5 million funded by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions as part of the £100 million Road Haulage Modernisation Fund. These are a feasibility study into Transferable Loans Scheme, the Expansion of Young Drivers Scheme and the Demonstration Modern Apprenticeship (MA) Based Project in Road Haulage.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Cran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when a substantive reply will be given to Mrs. F. Cuthbert's letter of 6 November 2000, concerning PC repairs and maintenance. [36837]

  John Healey
  I replied to the hon. Member's letter of 19 November 2001 on the 14 February 2002.

  Sector Skills Development Agency
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she expects to appoint a chief executive and chairman of the Sector Skills Development Agency. [37020]

  John Healey
  On 14 February I announced the appointment of Margaret Salmon as chair of the Sector Skills Development Agency. Margaret Salmon is currently a non-executive director with Kingfisher plc and a director of the University for Industry. She is a former chief executive officer of BBC Resources and group personnel director, the Burton Group. Her appointment takes effect from 14 February.

  We shall announce shortly the appointment of the chief executive of the agency.

  SSA Estimates
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will estimate the size of SSA and expenditure on relevant functions in Newcastle upon Tyne in 2001–02 which is implied by the transfers of SSA expenditure to the Learning and Skills Council and the National Care Standards Commission for 2002–03. [36704]

  Mr. Timms
  The Learning and Skills Council allocation for Newcastle upon Tyne for 2002–03 is £9.137 million, which is equivalent to £8.914 million of the authority's 2001–02 Education SSA. Figures for expenditure on post-16 education by the authority for 2001–02 are not available. The transfer of funding for the National Care Standards Commission is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will estimate for each local education authority the SSA per student provided for 11 to 15-year-old pupils in real terms. [37044]

  Mr. Timms
  The information requested is in the following table.

  SSA per secondary pupil aged 11 to 15 for 2002–03

  Local education authority

  £

  201

  City of London

  7,606

  202

  Camden

  4,766

  203

  Greenwich

  4,650

  204

  Hackney

  5,381

  205

  Hammersmith

  4,857

  206

  Islington

  5,176

  207

  Kensington and Chelsea

  4,813

  208

  Lambeth

  5,623

  209

  Lewisham

  4,912

  210

  Southwark

  5,030

  211

  Tower Hamlets

  5,320

  212

  Wandsworth

  4,458

  213

  Westminster

  4,507

  301

  Barking

  4,050

  741W

  SSA per secondary pupil aged 11 to 15 for 2002–03

  Local education authority

  £

  302

  Barnet

  3,757

  303

  Bexley

  3,589

  304

  Brent

  4,399

  305

  Bromley

  3,518

  306

  Croydon

  3,945

  307

  Ealing

  4,185

  308

  Enfield

  3,936

  309

  Haringey

  4,587

  310

  Harrow

  3,823

  311

  Havering

  3,562

  312

  Hillingdon

  3,741

  313

  Hounslow

  3,946

  314

  Kingston on Thames

  3,554

  315

  Merton

  3,837

  316

  Newham

  4,520

  317

  Redbridge

  3,801

  318

  Richmond on Thames

  3,475

  319

  Sutton

  3,534

  320

  Waltham Forest

  4,211

  330

  Birmingham

  3,721

  331

  Coventry

  3,457

  332

  Dudley

  3,182

  333

  Sandwell

  3,531

  334

  Solihull

  3,119

  335

  Walsall

  3,334

  336

  Wolverhampton

  3,533

  340

  Knowsley

  3,924

  341

  Liverpool

  3,816

  342

  St. Helens

  3,357

  343

  Sefton

  3,304

  344

  Wirral

  3,454

  350

  Bolton

  3,316

  351

  Bury

  3,222

  352

  Manchester

  4,015

  353

  Oldham

  3,424

  354

  Rochdale

  3,472

  355

  Salford

  3,541

  356

  Stockport

  3,163

  357

  Tameside

  3,310

  358

  Trafford

  3,232

  359

  Wigan

  3,185

  370

  Barnsley

  3,371

  371

  Doncaster

  3,441

  372

  Rotherham

  3,274

  373

  Sheffield

  3,392

  380

  Bradford

  3,574

  381

  Calderdale

  3,351

  382

  Kirklees

  3,389

  383

  Leeds

  3,346

  384

  Wakefield

  3,249

  390

  Gateshead

  3,405

  391

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  3,606

  392

  North Tyneside

  3,317

  393

  South Tyneside

  3,482

  394

  Sunderland

  3,414

  420

  Isles of Scilly

  6,164

  800

  Bath and NE Somerset

  3,064

  801

  City of Bristol

  3,465

  802

  North Somerset

  3,168

  803

  South Gloucestershire

  3,087

  805

  Hartlepool

  3,437

  806

  Middlesbrough

  3,722

  807

  Redcar and Cleveland

  3,416

  808

  Stockton-on-Tees

  3,375

  810

  Kingston-upon-Hull

  3,563

  811

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  3,197

  812

  North East Lincolnshire

  3,424

  813

  North Lincolnshire

  3,352

  815

  North Yorkshire

  3,244

  816

  York

  3,191

  820

  Bedfordshire

  3,408

  821

  Luton

  3,708

  825

  Buckinghamshire

  3,411

  742W

  SSA per secondary pupil aged 11 to 15 for 2002–03

  Local education authority

  £

  826

  Milton Keynes

  3,523

  830

  Derbyshire

  3,196

  831

  Derby City

  3,429

  835

  Dorset

  3,179

  836

  Poole

  3,133

  837

  Bournemouth

  3,274

  840

  Durham

  3,378

  841

  Darlington

  3,338

  845

  East Sussex

  3,497

  846

  Brighton and Hove

  3,596

  850

  Hampshire

  3,321

  851

  Portsmouth

  3,532

  852

  Southampton

  3,650

  855

  Leicestershire

  3,094

  856

  Leicester City

  3,649

  857

  Rutland

  3,039

  860

  Staffordshire

  3,144

  861

  Stoke

  3,407

  865

  Wiltshire

  3,219

  866

  Swindon

  3,200

  867

  Bracknell Forest

  3,498

  868

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  3,431

  869

  West Berkshire

  3,280

  870

  Reading

  3,642

  871

  Slough

  4,147

  872

  Wokingham

  3,177

  873

  Cambridgeshire

  3,225

  874

  Peterborough

  3,480

  875

  Cheshire

  3,148

  876

  Halton

  3,546

  877

  Warrington

  3,147

  878

  Devon

  3,289

  879

  Plymouth

  3,314

  880

  Torbay

  3,316

  881

  Essex

  3,464

  882

  Southend

  3,520

  883

  Thurrock

  3,681

  884

  Herefordshire

  3,313

  885

  Worcestershire

  3,157

  886

  Kent

  3,470

  887

  Medway

  3,440

  888

  Lancashire

  3,319

  889

  Blackburn

  3,574

  890

  Blackpool

  3,394

  891

  Nottinghamshire

  3,219

  892

  Nottingham City

  3,744

  893

  Shropshire

  3,227

  894

  Telford and Wrekin

  3,363

  908

  Cornwall

  3,335

  909

  Cumbria

  3,299

  916

  Gloucestershire

  3,186

  919

  Hertfordshire

  3,503

  921

  Isle of Wight

  3,600

  925

  Lincolnshire

  3,310

  926

  Norfolk

  3,325

  928

  Northamptonshire

  3,232

  929

  Northumberland

  3,288

  931

  Oxfordshire

  3,399

  933

  Somerset

  3,245

  935

  Suffolk

  3,221

  936

  Surrey

  3,466

  937

  Warwickshire

  3,172

  938

  West Sussex

  3,365

  Note:

  All figures rounded to the nearest £

  Advanced Skills Teachers
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many advanced skills teachers there are. [36607]
  743W
  Mr. Timms
  There are 1,234 Advanced Skills Teachers. This figure is based on the annual 618g survey (January 2001) and all those successfully assessed since then up to 13 February 2002.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding is being made available to enable schools to recruit advanced skills teachers. [36606]

  Mr. Timms
  Funding for Advanced Skills Teacher (AST) posts is available to maintained schools through the Standards Fund. In the current financial year, £40,391,000 is available to enable schools to recruit ASTs, and in 2002–03 this figure will rise to £56,658,850. This total Standards Fund AST grant includes contributions from local education authorities (LEAs) as well as DfES.

  Schools are able to claim the additional cost of placing an AST at an appropriate point on the AST pay spine and a fixed amount towards the cost of outreach work. In addition, the grant includes funding for each LEA to use for the co-ordination of AST outreach work and to support and develop its cadre of ASTs.

  While specific allocations for ASTs have been made available to LEAs, the Standards Fund does allow some virement between grants.

  Primary Schools
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many primary schools had over 600 pupils in 2000. [36099]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]: In January 2000 there were 132 maintained primary schools in England with over 600 full-time pupils.

  Skills Policies
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on her policies to improve the UK's skills base. [33794]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]My Department has a wide range of policies designed to improve the UK's skills base. There are four key elements to our strategy for achieving a high skills, high value added economy. They are to:

  strengthen the links between learning and employment;

  create excellence in vocational learning;

  work with employers to boost skills and productivity;

  promote the adult basic skills strategy.

  We will strengthen the links between what people learn and the jobs they will have in future. We will extend the Connexions Service to all parts of England by 2003, and we are investing £5.5 billion in the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) budget to encourage greater participation and attainment in learning. We are addressing the under-representation of certain groups in Higher Education (HE) and have developed initiatives to widen participation and equip the country with the high level skills that will be needed in the 21st century. By 2010, I want to ensure that young people and adults in England have knowledge and productive skills that match the best in the world. We will use the new Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) to identify and
  744W
  anticipate sector skills needs, building an effective employer network to reduce skills gaps and to improve productivity and performance.

  The vocational ladder will offer young people wanting to follow programmes of vocational study a clear set of routes that will allow them to progress to further and higher study, as well as being relevant to work. We are putting in place a new generation of Modern Apprenticeships, forming part of a coherent vocational learning system from age 14 which meets the needs of the individual, is broader and more coherent than before, and offers greater opportunities for progression. We have introduced—and will be developing—Foundation Degrees, Graduate Apprenticeships and Centres of Vocational Excellence. The Green Paper "14-19: Extending Opportunities, Raising Standards" published 12 February 2002 sets out proposals designed to enable all pupils to fulfil their potential, and put an end to the waste of young talent in this country.

  We are working with employers to boost competitiveness and productivity by giving everyone the chance to develop their skills and realise their potential. We are promoting Investors in People and Learndirect, we are reviewing ICT qualifications and actively encouraging links between SSCs, the LSC and all those organisations who have a role in identifying and delivering the skills the UK needs.

  'Skills for Life', the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy, was launched on 1 March 2001. By 2004, I aim to have reduced by at least 750,000 the number of adults who have difficulties with literacy or numeracy. My policies are designed to increase demand for basic skills courses and reduce barriers to learning so that those needing to improve their skills feel empowered to take up learning and are helped to succeed.

  Health and Safety (Computers)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many employees in her Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to(a) current and (b) new staff. [36698]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, effective January 1993, require employers to provide and pay for, upon request from an employee, an eye and eyesight test. There is a requirement for further tests at regular intervals; the optometrist doing the first test can recommend when the next one should be. In addition, employers must pay the cost of special spectacles required where normal ones cannot be used.

  This facility is published on the Department's intranet and within its staff handbook.

  Information is not held centrally by my department on the number of employees who have taken up this provision and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Student Support
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the assessed contribution of parents to student fees and loans for 2002–03 implied
  745W
  by her proposals for new loan, grant and fees rates for 2002–03 is; and if she will set out the allowances against gross parental income she proposes to allow in 2002–03, including those for other dependent children, which determine the residual income for assessment of loans and fees. [31471]

  Margaret Hodge
  The residual income threshold above which parents are assessed for a contribution towards higher education student tuition fees and loans is raised annually in line with the latest forecast change in the Retail Prices Index. In 2002–03, parents will not be expected to contribute towards their children's fees or living costs support if their residual income is below £20,480. If their residual income is higher than £20,480, they will be expected to make a contribution towards their children's fees, rising with every pound of residual income. The maximum level of contribution towards tuition fees will be £1,100, which is broadly 25 per cent. of full tuition costs. If their residual income is higher than £30,502, parents will be expected to contribute towards their children's living costs support as well as their fees.

  The calculation of a parent's residual income in 2002–03 will allow the following specified sums to be deducted from the parent's gross income:

  In respect of any person other than the student who is dependent upon the parent: £2,360

  If the parent is also a student and is eligible for support: £950

  If the parent being assessed is incapacitated: £1,850

  If the parent has a cohabiting spouse or cohabiting partner who is incapacitated and is financially dependent upon the assessed parent: £1,850.

  Schools (Portsmouth, South)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children have been excluded from school in the constituency of Portsmouth, South in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [35445]

  Mr. Timms
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  Permanent exclusions from primary, secondary and special schools in the Parliamentary constituency of Portsmouth, South

  Acadamic Year

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Portsmouth, South

  Number of permanent exclusions

  48

  26

  19

  9

  Percentage of school population1

  0.40

  0.22

  0.15

  0.07

  England

  Number of permanent exclusions

  12,668

  12,298

  10,438

  8,323

  Percentage of school population1

  0.17

  0.16

  0.14

  0.11

  1 Number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of full and part-time pupils of all ages (excluding dually registered pupils in special schools) in January each year.

  Source:

  Annual Schools Census

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children have been statemented as having special needs in the constituency of Portsmouth, South in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [35446]
  746W
  Mr. Timms
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs in schools in the constituency of Portsmouth, South1 (position at January each year)

  2001

  2000

  1999

  1998

  1997

  Pupils with statements of SEN

  207

  216

  225

  225

  229

  Percentage of pupils with statements

  1.66

  1.74

  1.83

  1.87

  1.93

  Total pupils

  12,437

  12,380

  12,288

  12,010

  11,877

  1 Includes maintained primary and secondary schools and all maintained special schools

  Source:

  Annual Schools' Census

  Sector Skills Council
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how long it will take to review and respond to the bids submitted for the Sector Skills Council. [37022]

  John Healey
  Employers wanting to form a Sector Skills Council (SSC) will submit an expression of interest to the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA). A reply will be made normally within six weeks. Expressions of interest accepted by the SSDA will lead to a development period of up to six months. At the end of this period a firm proposal to form an SSC will be submitted for consideration by the SSDA. There is no set time limit for the consideration of a proposal. If the proposal is acceptable the SSDA will make a positive recommendation to the Secretary of State for Education and Skills and the responsible Ministers in the devolved Administrations for the award of a SSC license.

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills by when the Sector Skills Council bids have to be submitted. [37021]

  John Healey
  A deadline for the submission of an expression of interest to form a Sector Skills Council has not been set. It is important that a Council has influential employer leadership and broad support from its sector. The Sector Skills Development Agency therefore will consider an expression of interest from employers when they have committed to deliver action to drive up skills and productivity performance in a sector.

  Higher Education
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students are taking higher education courses in further education colleges(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the overall total number of higher education students. [31555]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 30 January 2002]: The latest available figures for the 2000–01 academic year show that there were 218,200 students on HE courses in FE colleges, which represents 10.8 per cent. of the total number of HE students in the UK.

  Chris Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many students entered(a) higher education and (b) further education in each of the last 20 years. [25126]
  747W
  Margaret Hodge
  Information on entrants to higher and further education courses in English institutions is not available for all the years requested. The available information on total student numbers is shown in the table.

  Number of students on higher and further education courses England

  Academic year

  Higher education1

  Further education2

  1981–82

  702,400

  1,385,200

  1982–83

  717,600

  1,419,100

  1983–84

  735,400

  1,495,100

  1984–85

  742,800

  1,527,800

  1985–86

  765,900

  1,561,500

  1986–87

  796,200

  1,629,500

  1987–88

  811,500

  1,672,300

  1988–89

  842,600

  1,755,100

  1989–90

  896,500

  1,799,800

  1990–91

  968,100

  1,767,900

  1991–92

  1,071,400

  1,815,300

  1992–93

  1,188,200

  1,761,400

  1993–94

  1,301,900

  1,929,100

  1994–95

  1,419,300

  2,924,200

  1995–96

  1,494,200

  3,399,800

  1996–97

  1,533,900

  3,802,100

  1997–98

  1,568,200

  3,767,200

  1998–99

  1,591,500

  3,662,300

  1999–2000

  1,610,000

  3,608,100

  2000–013

  1,651,600

  3,671,500

  1 Census count as at December 31 in years up to 1993–94, and as at December 1 in subsequent years. Includes HE students in FE colleges and the Open University.

  2 Includes FE students in HE institutions in all years, and sixth form colleges as from 1993–94. Due to a change in data collection, the figures for FE sector colleges for the years 1994–95 to 2000–01 are not comparable with those for earlier years; as from 1994–95 the figures are based on a whole year count of students, whereas in previous years they a based on a snapshot count at November 1. As from 1994–95, includes funded and non-funded students.

  3 Provisional. The figures for FE sector colleges are estimated.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will state for each local education authority the size of special grant paid where funding changes as a result of the transfer of functions to learning and skills councils of responsibility for post-16 education occurred. [37042]
  748W
  Mr. Timms
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentford and Isleworth (Ann Keen) on 30 January 2002,Official Report, column 412W.

  Post-16 Education
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will express, in real terms, the SSA per student in respect of post-16 education in each local education authority in(a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02; and what her estimate is of SSA per student transferred to the Learning and Skills Council in 2002–03. [37043]

  Mr. Timms
  The Post-16 SSA cannot be expressed meaningfully as a per pupil amount because education for this group is not compulsory and a large part of the post-16 SSA is determined on the basis of population aged 11 to 15. For local education authorities without school sixth forms, and consequently with very small numbers of post-16 pupils, this would produce disproportionately high figures. Participation rates in schools post-16 can also vary significantly in authorities with sixth forms, which would make the figures for post-16 SSA per pupil vary significantly from year to year.

  Amy Gehring
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether her Department received correspondence about Amy Gehring prior to the circumstances that led to the recent court case. [36602]

  Mr. Timms
  The Department received a letter on 20 November 2000 from Surrey police which contained factual information about allegations made against Miss Gehring, and stated that no further police action would be taken. This was the first notification the Department received of her case.

  Prior to this, on 1 November 2000, Timeplan had already allowed Miss Gehring to return to teaching in Surrey on a supply basis. On 9 November 2000 Surrey Child Protection Unit wrote to Timeplan warning them that the unit considered that Miss Gehring was a serious risk to children. Timeplan did not withdraw Miss Gehring from her teaching post and failed to inform the LEA, DfES or the schools of this warning.

  The allegations considered by the court are alleged to have taken place between 19 November 2000 and 31 December 2000.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Restricted Videos (Mail Order)
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Solicitor-General what action she plans to take to combat the breach of the provisions of the Video Recordings Act 1984 by those selling Restricted 18 videos via mail order advertisements. [35653]

  The Solicitor-General
  It falls to the police to investigate the possible commission of any offences under the Video Recordings Act 1984 by those selling Restricted 18 videos via mail order advertisements. I share your concerns over this issue and shall refer the matter to the Home Office.

  Where the police have instigated proceedings, or referred a case to the Crown Prosecution Service for advice, the CPS will decide whether a prosecution should follow having applied the tests set out in the Code for Crown Prosecutors.

  Discontinuance in magistrates courts—Table 1

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Total

  Discontinued

  Percentage

  Discontinued

  Percentage

  Discontinued

  Percentage

  P01 Avon and Somerset

  164,682

  12.1

  166,001

  12.8

  172,398

  13.1

  P02 Bedfordshire

  1,132

  10.5

  1,148

  11.9

  1,575

  14.4

  P03 Cambridgeshire

  1,537

  9.1

  1,249

  8.5

  1,153

  10.4

  P04 Cheshire

  1,915

  8.6

  2,140

  10.1

  2,028

  9.8

  P06 Cleveland

  2,206

  11.2

  2,002

  10.0

  2,326

  11.5

  P07 Cumbria

  1,627

  9.7

  1.315

  9.6

  1,287

  9.5

  P08 Derbyshire

  2,290

  11.7

  2,215

  12.0

  2,167

  11.1

  P09 Devon and Cornwall

  3,473

  12.2

  3,438

  12.1

  3,089

  12.2

  P10 Dorset

  1,269

  9.6

  1,636

  12.0

  1,471

  11.6

  P11 Durham

  1,740

  9.7

  1,536

  9.8

  1,509

  10.1

  P12 Dyfed Powys

  1,696

  11.5

  1,716

  12.5

  1,717

  13.7

  P13 Essex

  3,477

  12.0

  3,432

  13.7

  2,997

  11.5

  P14 Gloucestershire

  2,254

  15.1

  2,410

  16.9

  2,318

  16.4

  P15 Greater Manchester

  9,480

  10.6

  9,410

  10.8

  9,985

  11.1

  P16 Gwent

  2,364

  12.5

  2,303

  12.3

  2,217

  12.0

  P17 Hampshire

  4,333

  10.1

  3,842

  9.2

  3,769

  10.0

  P18 Hertfordshire

  1,695

  10.0

  2,161

  11.1

  2,280

  11.8

  P19 Humberside

  1,852

  8.1

  1,962

  9.1

  2,121

  9.9

  P20 Kent

  4,793

  14.4

  4,390

  13.8

  3,816

  12.1

  P21 Lancashire

  8,769

  15.5

  9,064

  16.3

  8,834

  17.0

  P22 Leicestershire

  2,925

  12.6

  2.658

  12.3

  2,714

  12.2

  P23 Lincolnshire

  1,651

  11.0

  1,804

  12.1

  2,463

  13.1

  P24 Merseyside

  5,022

  10.9

  5,655

  12.3

  5,074

  12.5

  P25 Metropolitan and City

  20,779

  12.3

  19,945

  12.8

  21,477

  12.9

  P26 Norfolk

  1,472

  8.4

  1,939

  11.1

  1,850

  10.6

  P27 Northamptonshire

  1,672

  12.9

  2,060

  13.9

  2,324

  14.7

  P28 Northumbria

  6,030

  11.4

  6,659

  12.8

  6,090

  12.0

  P29 North Wales

  1,579

  9.3

  1,614

  9.6

  1,944

  11.9

  P30 North Yorkshire

  1,938

  11.3

  1,707

  11.6

  1,577

  12.0

  P31 Nottinghamshire

  3,795

  12.5

  4,103

  13.9

  3,866

  13.7

  P32 South Wales

  6,308

  13.8

  6,276

  14.6

  6,349

  14.6

  P33 South Yorkshire

  4,049

  11.4

  4,192

  11.7

  4,464

  12.6

  P34 Staffordshire

  3,882

  13.0

  3,536

  12.7

  3,357

  13.2

  P35 Suffolk

  1,220

  9.3

  1,361

  11.7

  1,487

  12.1

  P36 Surrey

  1,660

  10.2

  1,924

  12.1

  1,998

  13.0

  P37 Sussex

  3,480

  12.9

  3,942

  15.4

  4,043

  15.7

  P38 Thames Valley

  5,449

  13.7

  5,250

  14.5

  8,623

  16.1

  P39 Warwickshire

  714

  8.4

  685

  8.5

  786

  9.1

  Discontinued Cases
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Solicitor-General how many criminal and magistrate court cases were discontinued per year in absolute terms and as a percentage of all cases, in each region and as a percentage of the total acquittals; and how many arose(a) from the jury and (b) following an order or direction of the judge. [35961]

  The Solicitor-General
  [holding answer 14 February 20021 Table 1 shows the number of defendants whose cases were discontinued in each of the last three years, and expresses these as a percentage of completed cases in magistrates courts.

  Table 2 shows for the same period the number of defendants whose case resulted in a judge ordered acquittal after the prosecution offered no evidence; the number resulting in a judge directed acquittal; and the number acquitted on the verdict of the jury after a full trial.

  Each of these outcomes is also shown as a percentage of completed cases in the Crown court.
  751W

  Discontinuance in magistrates courts—Table 1

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Total

  Discontinued

  Percentage

  Discontinued

  Percentage

  Discontinued

  Percentage

  P40 West Mercia

  2,969

  11.4

  2,987

  11.4

  3,415

  12.6

  P41 West Midlands

  12,320

  15.3

  11,659

  14.8

  11,607

  13.7

  P42 West Yorkshire

  12,142

  14.4

  14,275

  18.0

  16,528

  20.6

  P43 Wiltshire

  1,159

  9.2

  1,056

  8.7

  1,155

  9.00

  Crown court acquittals—Table 2

  Judge ordered acquittals (percentage)

  Judge directed acquittals (percentage)

  Acquittals after trial (percentage)

  1999

  Total

  9,331 (10.7)

  1,849 (2.1)

  6,958 (8.0)

  P01 Avon and Somerset

  220 (9.7)

  48 (2.1)

  178 (7.8)

  P02 Bedfordshire

  69 (9.6)

  27 (3.8)

  86 (12.00

  P03 Cambridgeshire

  69 (6.6)

  19 (1.8)

  81 (7.8)

  P04 Cheshire

  121 (7.6)

  35 (2.2)

  119 (7.50

  P06 Cleveland

  112 (9.2)

  14 (1.2)

  55 (4.5)

  P07 Cumbria

  60 (9.0)

  9 (1.3)

  35 (5.2)

  P08 Derbyshire

  102 (7.7)

  16 (1.2)

  70 (5.3)

  P09 Devon and Cornwal

  214 (11.9)

  41 (2.3)

  111(6.2)

  P10 Dorset

  72 (8.5)

  15 (1.8)

  74 (8.7)

  P11 Durham

  84 (7.8)

  18 (1.7)

  59 (5.5)

  P12 Dyfed Powys

  58 (9.0)

  18 (2.8)

  68 (10.5)

  P13 Essex

  250 (12.7)

  39 (2.0)

  212 (10.8)

  P14 Gloucestershire

  68 (13.1)

  10 (1.9)

  32 (6.1)

  P15 Greater Manchester

  623 (11.2)

  144 (2.6)

  477 (8.5)

  P16 Gwent

  80 (7.6)

  12 (1.1)

  89 (8.5)

  P17 Hampshire

  346 (11.3)

  82 (2.7)

  321 (10.5)

  P18 Hertfordshire

  124 (10.4)

  32 (2.7)

  128 (10.8)

  P19 Humberside

  82 (6.5)

  18 (1.4)

  57 (4.5)

  P20 Kent

  281 (13.8)

  80 (3.9)

  179 (8.8)

  P21 Lancashire

  402 (13.8)

  51 (1.8)

  153 (5.3)

  P22 Leicestershire

  174 (11.0)

  17 (1.1)

  103 (6.5)

  P23 Lincolnshire

  56 (8.2)

  11 (1.6)

  35 (5.1)

  P24 Merseyside

  399 (11.6)

  49 (1.4)

  259 (7.5)

  P25 Metropolitan and City

  1,864 (13.7)

  461 (3.4)

  1,888 (13.9)

  P26 Norfolk

  78 (10.5)

  16 (2.2)

  53 (7.1)

  P27 Northamptonshire

  111 (12.0)

  8 (0.9)

  41 (4.4)

  P28 Northumbria

  337 (11.2)

  55 (1.8)

  131 (4.3)

  P29 North Wales

  45 (6.8)

  11 (1.7)

  39 (5.9)

  P30 North Yorkshire

  103 (9.7)

  9 (0.8)

  67 (6.3)

  P31 Nottinghamshire

  252.(9.1)

  23 (0.8)

  101 (3.7)

  P32 South Wales

  212.(8.3)

  45 (1.8)

  192 (7.5)

  P33 South Yorkshire

  268 (9.2)

  40 (1.4)

  119 (4.1)

  P34 Staffordshire

  170 (11.1)

  35 (2.3)

  99 (6.5)

  P35 Suffolk

  41 (5.1)

  22 (2.7)

  98 (12.1)

  P36 Surrey

  97 (11.8)

  15 (1.8)

  86 (10.5)

  P37 Sussex

  182 (11.4)

  43 (2.7)

  152 (9.5)

  P38 Thames Valley

  125 (8.8)

  35 (2.5)

  151 (10.6)

  P39 Warwickshire

  16 (4.6)

  6 (1.7)

  5 (1.4)

  P40 West Mercia

  114 (9.5)

  24 (2.0)

  75 (6.3)

  P41 West Midlands

  678 (11.8)

  121 (2.1)

  369 (6.4)

  P42 West Yorkshire

  542 (8.5)

  71 (1.1)

  271 (4.2)

  P43 Wiltshire

  30 (7.1)

  4 (0.9)

  40 (9.4)

  Judge ordered acquittals (percentage)

  Judge directed acquittals (percentage)

  Acquittals after trial (percentage)

  2000

  Total

  10,070 (11.9)

  1,789 (2.1)

  6,729 (8.0)

  P01 Avon and Somerset

  255 (12.3)

  38 (1.8)

  177 (8.5)

  P02 Bedfordshire

  75 (10.5)

  22 (3.1)

  101 (14.1)

  P03 Cambridgeshire

  89 (8.3)

  10 (0.9)

  97 (9.0)

  P04 Cheshire

  135 (8.4)

  47 (2.9)

  144 (9.0)

  P06 Cleveland

  113 (9.5)

  9 (0.8)

  76 (6.5)

  P07œ @'bria

  57 (7.6)

  14 (1.9)

  58 (7.8)

  P08 Derbyshire

  184 (11.3)

  32 (2.0)

  122 (7.5)

  P09 Devon and Cornwall

  196 (11.8)

  40 (2.4)

  129 (7.8)

  752W

  Judge ordered acquittals/percentage

  Judge directed acquittals/percentage

  Acquittals after trial/percentage

  P10 Dorset

  62 (8.6)

  36 (5.0)

  62 (8.6)

  P11 Durham

  113 (11.7)

  27 (2.8)

  44 (4.6)

  P12 Dyfed Powys

  40 (8.5)

  22 (4.7)

  54 (11.4)

  P13 Essex

  155 (10.6)

  26 (1.8)

  147 (10.1

  P14 Gloucestershire

  47 (11.1)

  9 (2.1)

  44 (10.4)

  P15 Greater Manchester

  727 (12.9)

  144 (2.5)

  399 (7.1)

  P16 Gwent

  81 (7.6)

  13 (1.2)

  77 (7.3)

  P17 Hampshire

  390 (12.2)

  101 (3.2)

  364 (11.4)

  P18 Hertfordshire

  127 (12.1)

  20 (1.9)

  135 (12.9)

  P19 Humberside

  87 (7.4)

  18 (1.5)

  60 (5.1)

  P20 Kent

  254 (12.1)

  54 (2.6)

  212 (10.1)

  P21 Lancashire

  430 (14.7)

  40 (1.4)

  139 (4.7)

  P22 Leicestershire

  207 (12.4)

  14 (0.8)

  59 (4.1)

  P23 Lincolnshire

  68 (9.7)

  16 (2.3)

  37 (5.3)

  P24 Merseyside

  524 (14,4)

  61 (1.7)

  263 (7.2)

  P25 Metropolitan and City

  1,853 (14.4)

  411(3.2)

  1.668 (13.0)

  P26 Norfolk

  100 (12.4)

  17 (2.1)

  83 (10.3)

  P27 Northamptonshire

  124 (15.4)

  11(1.4)

  45 (5.6)

  P28 Northumbria

  327 (11.5)

  38 (1.3)

  108 (3.8)

  P29 North Wales

  40 (5.4)

  12 (1.6)

  72 (9.7)

  P30 North Yorkshire

  119 (13.6)

  13 (1.5)

  47 (5.4)

  P31 Nottinghamshire

  300 (11.8)

  38 (1.5)

  96 (3.8)

  P32 South Wales

  194 (7.8)

  41 (1.7)

  214 (8.6)

  P33 South Yorkshire

  251 (8.7)

  24 (0.8)

  96 (3.3)

  P34 Staffordshire

  201 (13.4)

  31 (2.1)

  85 (5.7)

  P35 Suffolk

  60 (8.0)

  15 (2.0)

  70 (9.3)

  P36 Surrey

  88 (12.2)

  14 (1.9)

  70 (9.7)

  P37 Sussex

  219 (14,0)

  32 (2.0)

  140 (9.0)

  P38 Thames valley

  95 (6.8)

  44 (3.2)

  161(11.6)

  P39 Warwickshire

  23 (6.9)

  (0.0)

  12 (3.6)

  P40 West Merica

  93 (7.2)

  39 (3.0)

  79 (6.1)

  P41 West Midlands

  858 (13.7)

  106 (1.7)

  388 (6.2)

  P42 West Yorkshire

  685 (12.5)

  75 (1.4)

  260 (4.8)

  P43 Wiltshire

  24 (7.0)

  16 (4.3)

  23 (6.7)

  Judge ordered acquittals/percentage

  Judge directed acquittals/percentage

  Acquittals after trial/percentage

  2001

  Total

  11,292 (13.7)

  1,495 (1.8)

  6,630 (8.0)

  P01 Avon and Somerset

  243 (13.7)

  31(1.7)

  151 (8.0)

  P02 Bedfordshire

  43 (6.7)

  6 (0.9)

  83 (13.0)

  P03 Cambridgeshire

  68 (7.3)

  17 (1.8)

  58 (6.2)

  PO4 Cheshire

  142 (9.7)

  22 (1.5)

  148 (10.2)

  P06 Cleveland

  172 (12.1)

  18 (1.3)

  86 (6.0)

  P07 Cumbria

  88 (10.7)

  8 (1.0)

  65 (7.9)

  P08 Derbyshire

  210 (12.9)

  27 (1.7)

  98 (6.0)

  P09 Devon and Cornwall

  186 (13.3)

  31 (2.2)

  109 (7.8)

  P 10 Dorset

  74 (10.5)

  20 (2.8)

  72 (10.2)

  P11 Durham

  170 (14.7)

  12 (1.0)

  61 (5.3)

  P12 Dyfed Powys

  62 (12.3)

  5 (1.0)

  33 (6.6)

  P13 Essex

  159 (12.1)

  12 (0.9)

  138 (10.5)

  P14 Gloucestershire

  42 (8.9)

  6 (1.3)

  49 (10.3)

  P15 Greater Manchester

  808 (14.5)

  131 (2.3)

  368 (6.6)

  P16 Gwent

  71 (7.3)

  12 (1.2)

  100 (10.2)

  P17 Hampshire

  363 (13.9)

  71 (2.7)

  293 (11.2)

  P18 Hertfordshire

  138 (10.9)

  24 (1.9)

  158 (22.5)

  P19 Humberside

  92 (7.7)

  16 (1.3)

  64 (5.4)

  P20 Kent

  220 (12.6)

  52 (3.0)

  173 (9.9)

  P21 Lancashire

  477 (16.0)

  52 (1.7)

  210 (7.0)

  753W

  Judge ordered acquittals/percentage

  Judge directed acquittals/percentage

  Acquittals after trial/percentage

  P22 Leicestershire

  217 (14.3)

  9 (0.6)

  70 (4.6)

  P23 Lincolnshire

  56 (9.7)

  14 (2.4)

  34 (5.9)

  P24 Merseyside

  613 (17.1)

  64 (1.8)

  330 (9.2)

  P25 Metropolitan and City

  2,245 (16.7)

  376 (2.8)

  1,675 (12.5)

  P26 Norfolk

  63 (8.9)

  11(1.6)

  56 (7.9)

  P27 Northamptonshire

  82 (12.0)

  7 (1.0)

  46 (6.8)

  P28 Northumbria

  362 (12.1)

  30 (1.0)

  118 (3.9)

  P29 North Wales

  66 (9.7)

  6 (0.9)

  41 (6.0)

  P30 North Yorkshire

  68 (8.0)

  19 (2.2)

  29 (3.4)

  P3I Nottinghamshire

  329 (15.1)

  16 (0.7)

  65 (3.0)

  P32 South Wales

  295 (11.7)

  33 (1.3)

  204 (8.1)

  P33 South Yorkshire

  397 (12.8)

  32 (1.0)

  146 (4.7)

  P34 Staffordshire

  159 (11.9)

  11 (0.8)

  76 (5.7)

  P35 Suffolk

  55 (7.7)

  23 (3.2)

  103 (14.4)

  P36 Surrey

  95 (11.6)

  19 (2.3)

  80 (9.8)

  P37 Sussex

  292 (16.1)

  29 (1.6)

  164 (9.0)

  P38 Thames Valley

  157 (10.4)

  51 (3.4)

  133 (8.8)

  P39 Warwickshire

  18 (5.6)

  I (0.3)

  9 (2.8)

  P40 West Mercia

  134 (11.0)

  29 (2.4)

  88 (7.2)

  P41 West Midlands

  1,248 (18.1)

  88 (1.3)

  389 (5.6)

  P42 West Yorkshire

  480 (12.4)

  47 (1.2)

  222 (5.7)

  P43 Wiltshire

  33 (9.0)

  7 (1.9)

  35 (9.5)

  Discontinuance 1992–2001

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  Total

  %

  Total

  %

  Total

  %

  Total

  %

  Total

  %

  42 Areas

  193,110

  13.3

  175,025

  12.8

  159,803

  11.7

  156,628

  12.0

  153,274

  12.0

  P01—Avon and Somerset

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3,941

  —

  3,833

  17.6

  P02—Bedfordshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,563

  —

  1,665

  18.3

  P03—Cambridgeshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,686

  —

  1,636

  14.8

  P04—Cheshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,567

  —

  1,655

  10.6

  P06—Cleveland

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,821

  —

  2,598

  23.8

  P07—Cumbria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,705

  —

  1,715

  13.9

  P08—Derbyshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,009

  —

  2,606

  19.3

  P09—Devon and Cornwall

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,796

  —

  3,179

  16.1

  Pl0—Dorset

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,383

  —

  1,898

  16.0

  P11—Durham

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,811

  —

  1,355

  16.2

  P12—Dyfed Powys

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,513

  —

  1,511

  15.9

  P13—Essex

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,400

  —

  2,669

  14.1

  P14—Gloucestershire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,009

  —

  2,312

  24.5

  P15—Greater Manchester

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  7,454

  —

  9,101

  13.3

  P16—Gwent

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,049

  —

  2,178

  21.3

  P17—Hampshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,374

  —

  3,084

  11.3

  P18—Hertfordshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,782

  —

  1,973

  17.0

  P19—Humberside

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,748

  —

  1,909

  12.7

  P20—Kent

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3,336

  —

  3,529

  17.0

  P21—Lancashire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4,113

  —

  4,532

  15.2

  P22—Leicestershire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4,389

  —

  3,606

  23.0

  P23—Lincolnshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,016

  —

  1,783

  20.9

  P24—Merseyside

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4.032

  —

  4,176

  13.5

  P25—Metropolitan and City

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  31,338

  —

  25,339

  17.5

  P26—Norfolk

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,409

  —

  1,578

  14.0

  P27—Northamptonshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,073

  —

  1,819

  23.1

  P28—Northumbria

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6,056

  —

  5,123

  17.2

  P29—North Wales

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,998

  —

  2,091

  15.3

  P30—North Yorkshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,474

  —

  1,401

  13.5

  P31—Nottinghamshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3,281

  —

  4,095

  20.0

  P32—South Wales

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5,597

  —

  6,074

  19.6

  P33—South Yorkshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5,725

  —

  4,919

  21.5

  P34—Staffordshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3,461

  —

  3,068

  15.4

  P35—Suffolk

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  905

  —

  1,210

  13.8

  P36—Surrey

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,913

  —

  1,926

  16.1

  P37—Sussex

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3,146

  —

  3,023

  15.4

  P38—Thames Valley

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4,744

  —

  4,854

  16.7

  P39—Warwickshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  926

  —

  852

  11.8

  P40—West Mercia

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,543

  —

  2,416

  14.6

  P41—West Midlands

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6,636

  —

  7,035

  14.3

  P42—West Yorkshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  11,473

  —

  10,503

  20.2

  P43—Wiltshire

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,432

  —

  1,420

  13.2

  754W
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the groups of crimes to which discontinuance statistics apply and provide statistics for these crimes on a regional basis for each year since 1992. [35959]

  The Solicitor-General
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]: Discontinuance statistics apply to the full range of crimes handled by the Crown Prosecution Service. Any offence, from relatively minor traffic matters to the most serious crimes, may lead to discontinuance if the evidential and public interest criteria specified in the Code for Crown Prosecutors are not met.

  However, the CPS holds no central record on the outcome of particular crimes: the information is held on individual files and could be retrieved only at disproportionate cost.

  The table therefore shows the total number of discontinuances in each year since 1992, and expresses this as a proportion of cases completed in magistrate's courts. The same information is also shown for each of the 42 Areas of the Service since present records began.
  755W

  Discontinuance 1992–2001

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Total

  %

  Total

  %

  Total

  %

  Total

  %

  Total

  %

  42 Areas

  161,461

  12.2

  162,661

  12.0

  164,682

  12.1

  166,001

  12.8

  172,398

  13.1

  P01—Avon and Somerset

  3,922

  12.5

  4,152

  12.0

  4,574

  13.1

  3,345

  10.4

  2,548

  8.3

  P02—Bedfordshire

  1,784

  12.4

  1,451

  11.6

  1,132

  10.5

  1,148

  11.9

  1,575

  14.4

  P03—Cambridgeshire

  1,734

  10.0

  1,667

  9.5

  1,537

  9.1

  1,249

  8.5

  1,153

  10.4

  P04—Cheshire

  1,617

  7.3

  1,776

  7.6

  1,915

  8.6

  2,140

  10.1

  2,028

  9.8

  P06—Cleveland

  2,421

  13.8

  2,418

  12.9

  2,206

  11.2

  2,002

  10.0

  2,326

  11.5

  P07—Cumbria

  1,848

  10.3

  1,582

  9.2

  1,627

  9.7

  1,315

  9.6

  1,287

  9.5

  P08—Derbyshire

  2,472

  13.3

  2,666

  12.1

  2,290

  11.7

  2,215

  12.0

  2,167

  11.1

  P09—Devon and Cornwall

  3,589

  12.5

  3,651

  13.0

  3,473

  12.2

  3,438

  12.1

  3,089

  12.2

  P10—Dorset

  1,643

  12.1

  1,453

  11.0

  1,269

  9.6

  1,636

  12.0

  1,471

  11.6

  P11—Durham

  1,391

  11.5

  1,631

  10.9

  1,740

  9.7

  1,536

  9.8

  1,509

  10.1

  P12—Dyfed Powys

  1,423

  11.1

  1,389

  10.1

  1,696

  11.5

  1,716

  12.5

  1,717

  13.7

  P13—Essex

  3,170

  11.2

  3,042

  10.4

  3,477

  12.0

  3,432

  13.7

  2,997

  11.5

  P14—Gloucestershire

  2,390

  17.4

  2,369

  15.3

  2,254

  15.1

  2,410

  16.9

  2,318

  16.4

  P15—Greater Manchester

  8,588

  9.9

  9,410

  10.3

  9,480

  10.6

  9,410

  10.8

  9,985

  11.1

  P16—Gwent

  2,605

  14.8

  2,494

  13.0

  2,364

  12.5

  2,303

  12.3

  2,217

  12.0

  P17—Hampshire

  3,530

  8.9

  3,196

  8.2

  4,333

  10.1

  3,842

  9.2

  3,769

  10.0

  P18—Hertfordshire

  2,214

  13.0

  2,238

  13.0

  1,696

  10.0

  2,161

  11.1

  2,280

  11.8

  P19—Humberside

  1,841

  8.8

  2,042

  9.4

  1,852

  8.1

  1,962

  9.1

  2,121

  9.9

  P20—Kent

  3,932

  13.4

  4,356

  14.0

  4,793

  14.4

  4,390

  13.8

  3,816

  12.1

  P21—Lancashire

  8,417

  14.9

  8,806

  15.2

  8,769

  15.5

  9,064

  16.3

  8,834

  17.0

  P22—Leicestershire

  3,466

  14.3

  2,965

  12.8

  2,925

  12.6

  2,658

  12.3

  2,714

  12.2

  P23—Lincolnshire

  1,807

  13.9

  1,746

  12.0

  1,651

  11.0

  1,804

  12.1

  2,463

  13.1

  P24—Merseyside

  4,418

  9.7

  4,479

  10.2

  5,022

  10.9

  5,655

  12.3

  5,074

  12.5

  P25—Metropolitan and City

  24,834

  12.7

  20,985

  11.4

  20,779

  12.3

  19,945

  12.8

  21,477

  12.9

  P26—Norfolk

  1,790

  10.9

  1,591

  9.8

  1,472

  8.4

  1,939

  11.1

  1,850

  10.6

  P27—Northamptonshire

  1,492

  14.2

  1,860

  13.8

  1,672

  12.9

  2,060

  13.9

  2,324

  14.7

  P28—Northumbria

  5,183

  11.9

  5,677

  10.9

  6,030

  11.4

  6,659

  12.8

  6,090

  12.0

  P29—North Wales

  1,939

  11.6

  1,648

  9.9

  1,579

  9.3

  1,614

  9.6

  1,944

  11.9

  P30—North Yorkshire

  1,724

  10.7

  1,624

  10.6

  1,928

  11.3

  1,707

  11.6

  1,577

  12.0

  P31—Nottinghamshire

  3,685

  13.8

  4,258

  13.6

  3,795

  12.5

  4,103

  13.9

  3,866

  13.7

  P32—South Wales

  6,642

  14.1

  6,850

  14.5

  6,308

  13.8

  6,276

  14.6

  6,349

  14.6

  P33—South Yorkshire

  4,732

  14.3

  3,998

  13.1

  4,049

  11.4

  4,192

  11.7

  4,464

  12.6

  P34—Staffordshire

  3,670

  13.2

  3,796

  13.1

  3,882

  13.0

  3,536

  12.7

  3,357

  13.2

  P35—Suffolk

  1,255

  10.3

  1,190

  9.9

  1,220

  9.3

  1,361

  11.7

  1,487

  12.1

  P36—Surrey

  1,849

  11.1

  1,464

  9.6

  1,660

  10.2

  1,924

  12.1

  1,998

  13.0

  P37—Sussex

  3,468

  12.3

  3,604

  12.8

  3,480

  12.9

  3,942

  15.4

  4,043

  15.7

  P38—Thames Valley

  4,616

  11.8

  5,407

  13.4

  5,449

  13.7

  5,250

  14.5

  8,623

  16.1

  P39—Warwickshire

  729

  8.0

  717

  8.4

  714

  8.4

  685

  8.5

  786

  9.1

  P40—West Mercia

  2,283

  10.5

  2,613

  10.8

  2,969

  11.4

  2,987

  11.4

  3,415

  12.6

  P41—West Midlands

  8,934

  11.8

  10,714

  13.3

  12,320

  15.3

  11,659

  14.8

  11,607

  13.7

  P42—West Yorkshire

  11,070

  14.3

  12,108

  15.0

  12,142

  14.4

  14,275

  18.0

  16,528

  20.6

  P43—Wiltshire

  1,344

  9.4

  1,578

  10.8

  1,159

  9.2

  1,056

  8.7

  1,155

  9.0

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Solicitor-General what research has been carried out to investigate the reasons for differences in the discontinuance rates for charges of violence against the person, criminal damage and motoring offences. [35953]

  The Solicitor-General
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]A survey of discontinuance was conducted in six branches of the Crown Prosecution Service during the period October to December 1998.

  Data were collected on a matrix of 25 reasons for discontinuance and 11 types of offence, as shown in the table. The survey showed that 18.5 per cent. of all discontinuances related to violence against the person, 7.9 per cent. to criminal damage, and 29 per cent. to motoring offences.
  756W
  The survey showed considerable variations in the reason for discontinuance for the various types of offence. The most common reasons were as follows.

  In offences of violence against the person most discontinuances were recorded where a victim refused to give evidence or retracted a complaint. These amounted to almost 9 per cent. of total discontinuances for the period. In offences of criminal damage the most common reason was the lack of an essential legal element in the prosecution case. These amounted to 1.4 per cent. of all discontinuances. In motoring offences the most common reason was the lack of an essential legal element in the prosecution case: these amounted to 7.4 per cent. of all discontinuance. Other significant reasons were unreliable evidence of identification (4.5 per cent.) and the likelihood of conviction resulting in only a small or nominal penalty (4.5 per cent.).
  757W

  Discontinuance survey October to December 1998—Reasons for discontinuance as percentage of all discontinuances

  Reason for discontinuance

  Violence against person

  Sexual offences

  Burglary

  Robbery

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  Fraud and forgery

  Criminal damage

  Drug offences

  Motoring offences

  Public order

  Other offences

  Total

  1. Inadmissible evidence—Breach of PACE

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  2. Inadmissible evidence—Other

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.2

  3. Unreliable confession

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.2

  4. Conflict of evidence

  0.7

  0.2

  0.8

  0.0

  0.7

  0.0

  0.2

  0.1

  1.1

  0.6

  0.1

  4.4

  5. Essential legal element missing

  2.3

  0.3

  1.9

  0.2

  6.4

  0.4

  1.4

  0.7

  7.4

  1.8

  1.6

  24.4

  6. Unreliable witness (es)

  2.9

  0.5

  0.3

  0.1

  0.6

  0.1

  1.1

  0.0

  0.3

  0.2

  0.1

  6.1

  7. Identification unreliable

  0.4

  0.0

  1.0

  0.4

  0.7

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  4.5

  0.7

  0.3

  8.1

  8. Effect on victims health

  0.2

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.4

  9. Defendant elderly/suffering significant ill health

  0.1

  0.5

  0.4

  0.0

  0.7

  0.0

  0.2

  0.0

  0.4

  0.3

  0.2

  2.7

  10. Genuine mistake or misunderstanding

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.4

  0.1

  0.2

  0.8

  11. Loss/harm minor and one incident

  0.1

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.2

  0.1

  0.1

  0.5

  0.2

  1.1

  12. Loss/harm put right

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.2

  0.0

  0.4

  0.0

  0.6

  0.1

  0.0

  1.4

  13. Long delay between offence and charge/trial date

  0.5

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.1

  0.1

  0.1

  0.4

  1.1

  0.0

  0.0

  2.3

  14. Very small/nominal penalty likely

  0.3

  0.0

  1.1

  0.0

  3.2

  0.6

  1.1

  0.6

  4.5

  1.4

  1.6

  14.4

  15. Information likely to harm national security/international relations

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  16. Caution more suitable

  0.4

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  1.3

  0.1

  0.9

  0.6

  0.1

  1.6

  0.5

  5.4

  17. Youth of offender

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.4

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.5

  18. Case not ready/adjournment refused

  0.3

  0.1

  0.1

  0.0

  1.1

  0.1

  0.1

  0.1

  1.0

  0.2

  0.1

  3.1

  19. Offence taken into consideration elsewhere

  0.1

  0.0

  0.1

  0.1

  0.2

  0.0

  0.4

  0.0

  0.2

  0.1

  0.1

  1.2

  20. Victim refuses to give evidence/retracts

  8.9

  0.2

  0.5

  0.0

  0.9

  0.1

  0.9

  0.0

  0.3

  1.0

  0.3

  12.9

  21. Other civilian witness refuses to give evidence/retracts

  0.4

  0.0

  0.1

  0.1

  0.4

  0.0

  0.2

  0.0

  0.2

  0.0

  0.0

  1.4

  22. Victim fails to attend unexpectedly

  0.8

  0.0

  0.2

  0.0

  0.3

  0.0

  0.2

  0.0

  0.2

  0.1

  0.0

  1.7

  23. Other civilian witness fails to attend unexpectedly

  0.2

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.2

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.2

  0.0

  0.0

  0.6

  24. Police witness fails to attend unexpectedly

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  1.1

  0.1

  0.0

  1.2

  25. Documents produced at court

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.1

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  0.0

  5.3

  0.0

  0.0

  5.4

  Total

  18.5

  1.7

  6.7

  1.0

  17.0

  1.7

  7.9

  2.5

  29.1

  8.7

  5.4

  100

  Victims Charter
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Solicitor-General when the Victims Charter was last revised. [35963]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Victims Charter was last revised in 1996, and is currently under review. A new Charter, or equivalent document, will take account of recent developments, and will reflect the Government's success in improving support and services for victims.

  Crime Statistics
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Solicitor-General if she will make a statement on how the balance of serious crime and minor crime changed since 1992 as a percentage of total crimes committed. [35948]

  Mr. Denham
  I have been asked to reply.

  According to the British Crime Survey (BCS), the proportion of violent crime was 18 per cent. in 1991, 20 per cent. in 1993 (there was no survey undertaken in 1992), and 20 per cent. in the year 2000. The British Crime Survey also shows that the number of violent offences has decreased by 28 per cent. between 1993 and 2000.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Prison Service Medal
  Mr. Cawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will publish the Royal Warrant for the Northern Ireland Prison Service Medal. [37658]

  Dr. John Reid
  I am pleased to inform my hon. Friend that the Royal Warrant for the Northern Ireland Prison Service Medal was published today and I have placed copies in the Libraries of the House.

  I am delighted that the staff of the Northern Ireland Prison Service are being recognised for the invaluable work they have carried out on behalf of the community over the last 30 years, often at great personal cost.

  Twenty nine officers have been murdered and others, and their families, subjected to threats and intimidation. Despite that they have continued to act professionally and have provided an invaluable service to all the people of Northern Ireland.

  Saville Inquiry
  Mr. Gregory Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public funding has been
  759W
  provided to the legal representatives of the families appearing at the Saville Inquiry, broken down by each (a) barrister and (b) firm of solicitors involved. [34444]

  Mr. Browne
  The payments made to the legal representatives appearing at the Bloody Sunday Inquiry on behalf of the families or the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association (NICRA) are set out in the following

  Period covered

  Payments made (£)

  From

  To

  Senior counsel representing the families1

  Lord Gifford

  309,944

  October 1998

  September 2001

  Arthur Harvey

  398,855

  July 1998

  November 2001

  Michael Lavery

  215,317

  November 2000

  December 2001

  B. J. MacDonald 2

  142,101

  September 1998

  September 2000

  P. T. MacDonald 3

  65,800

  April 1998

  June 1999

  Michael Mansfield

  296,857

  March 1999

  October 2001

  Elish McDermott

  105,309

  March 2000

  June 2001

  Seamus Treacy 4

  370,301

  March 1998

  June 2001

  Senior counsel representing NICRA

  Sir Louis Blom-Cooper

  190,647

  December 2000

  December 2001

  Junior counsel representing the families

  John Coyle

  213,931

  September 1999

  May 2001

  Fiona Doherty

  92,967

  October 2000

  May 2001

  Ciaran Harvey

  165,969

  December 2000

  November 2001

  Richard Harvey

  101,463

  October 2000

  March 2001

  Brian Kennedy

  303,498

  July 1999

  November 2001

  Philip Magee 5

  83,175

  June 1998

  September 2000

  Kieran Mallon

  361,005

  March 1999

  December 2001

  Brian McCartney

  319,512

  July 1998

  June 2001

  Karen Quinlivan

  84,169

  March 1999

  June 2000

  Patricia Smyth

  241,096

  October 1998

  September 2001

  Michael Topolski 6

  139,940

  November 2000

  June 2001

  Junior counsel representing NICRA

  Paddy O'Hanlon

  101,106

  November 2000

  January 2001

  Solicitors representing the families7

  Barr and Co.

  170,061

  February 1999

  August 2001

  Brendan Kearney

  531,452

  July 1999

  November 2001

  Desmond Doherty and Co.

  553,320

  November 1998

  December 2001

  MacDermott and McGurk

  529,944

  November 1998

  December 2001

  Madden and Finucane

  4,511,193

  January 1998

  November 2001

  McCann and McCann

  183,834

  October 1998

  December 2001

  McCartney and Casey

  535,084

  November 1998

  December 2001

  Solicitors representing NICRA8

  1 In addition, the following senior counsel have represented/are representing some of the families but have yet to submit fee claims: Kevin Finnegan, Eoin McGonigal, Declan Morgan and Reg Weir.

  2 Left the case (as a junior) in September 2000 and rejoined the case (as a senior) July 2001.

  3 Left the case June 1999.

  4 Having started as a junior in March 1998, became a senior counsel in September 2000.

  5 Left the case September 2000.

  6 Left the case June 2001.

  7 Includes payments made in respect of witness statement-taking work.

  8 The firm of solicitors representing NICRA, Francis Keenan, has yet to submit a claim for payment.

  Health and Safety (Computers)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees in his Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to(a) current and (b) new staff. [36684]

  Dr. John Reid
  115 officers who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test since 1 April 2001.
  760W
  table. The figures include VAT, where that is paid, and, in most cases, expenses as well as fees.

  The figures represent the position as at 12 February 2002. The prospective Judicial Review on Banisters' fees and the prospective judgment of the Senior Costs Judge on Solicitors' fees could affect the level of payments already made in respect of the period of work covered.

  As eyesight testing procedures are revised staff are notified by an internal circular.

  New staff are advised of the provision of free eye tests at the induction session, which takes place within two weeks of an officer joining the Department.

  IT Contracts
  Richard Younger-Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year
  761W
  from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been (a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and

  Year

  England and Wales

  Northern Ireland

  Total IT systems and support expenditure (£)

  1997–98

  Ramick Computing (NI) Ltd.

  3,048,148

  1998–99

  Bull Information Systems Ltd.

  2,030,657

  HCP Electronics

  EDC Communications

  1999–2000

  Compaq Computers Ltd.

  4,050,710

  Hallmark Solutions (NI)

  Core Systems

  Sanderson (NI) Ltd.

  2000–01

  Pecaso Ltd.

  5,848,049

  Photobase (UK)

  Elite Training

  2001–02

  PA Consultants Ltd.

  12,686,083

  Partnerships UK

  Compaq Computers Ltd.

  ICS Computing Ltd.

  1 Estimate, figures unavailable until the end of this financial year

  No contracts have been let to companies in Scotland or abroad except a contract with Microsoft (2000) where the contract office is Dublin.

  Police Service
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on progress with the Public Service Agreement target of increasing Catholic representation in the police service. [24834]

  Jane Kennedy
  The response from the Catholic community to the recruitment competitions for the Police Service of Northern Ireland has been very positive. At present this is enabling the chief constable to appoint significantly greater numbers of recruits on a 50 per cent. Catholic 50 per cent. non-Catholic basis than was envisaged by the Independent Commission on Policing. The recruitment arrangements will be kept under regular review, with regard to the progress made towards achievement of a police service which is representative of the Northern Ireland community.

  Departmental Sickness Absence
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will commission and publish an independent report on the reasons for the level of sickness absence in his Department. [26964]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Cabinet Office already commissions and publishes an independent annual report "Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service". This report includes details of the causes of absenteeism. The report for the year 2000 will be published shortly.

  The Northern Ireland Office is committed to meeting the targets for reducing sickness absence which form part of the Department's service delivery agreement.

  Interpreters
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) in-house and(b) external
  762W
  (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a). [33672]

  Dr. John Reid
  The following table relates to contracts exceeding £50,000.

  (i) Irish-English and (ii) other language translators and interpreters have been employed by criminal justice agencies in the most recent year for which records are available; how many hours of work were contracted externally and at what cost; and what steps he is taking to produce the common list of interpreters recommended by the Criminal Justice Review. [29949]

  Mr. Browne
  None of the criminal justice agencies employ in-house interpreters or translators.

  Provision of translators and interpretation for the police was contracted to a private agency on 1 February 2001. Records show that since 1 February:

  Four Irish-English translators have been used;

  25 interpreters were used for other languages;

  Approximately 1,271 hours of work has been contracted out;

  Costs stand at £48,300.

  In respect of the Northern Ireland courts service, specific costs are not available. Records show that from March 2001 requests have been made on 14 occasions for translations and, since April 2001, 24 requests have been made for the provision of interpreters. None of these have involved Irish.

  Figures provided by the Northern Ireland prison service indicate that 140 minutes of work at a cost of £4,079.68 was contracted externally in the financial year 2000–01. A payment of £300 was also made to a Mandarin interpreter. In addition existing staff are used to provide Irish/English translations when necessary.

  The development of a common list of interpreters is being considered jointly by the agencies.

  Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to commission the production of a child-friendly guide to the proposed changes under the Justice (Northern Ireland) Bill in the event of its legislative passage. [34848]
  763W
  Mr. Browne
  The Government will be considering this as part of the work being taken forward on the recommendation, under the review of the criminal justice system, that there should be a public information and education strategy for the criminal justice system. Features proposed by the review (recommendation 14) include the production and distribution of guides to various aspects of criminal justice to target specific groups, including children; publication by all agencies of codes of practice in accessible language; consideration of innovative methods for increasing public understanding such as open days at courts for schools, colleges and the public, and the creation of videos explaining aspects of the criminal justice system; and the inclusion of a criminal justice module in the school civics curriculum.

  Private Medical Insurance
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many employees in(a) his Department and (b) his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have had private medical insurance provided for them in each year since 1997–98; what the total cost is; and if he will make a statement. [32324]

  Dr. John Reid
  No employees in either(a) the Department or (b) the Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have had private medical insurance provided for them in any year since 1997–98.

  Departmental Retirement Ages
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the retirement ages that apply to the employees of his Department and its agencies, including how many and which categories of employees are affected by each; and if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on flexible retirement. [32827]

  Dr. John Reid
  The information is as follows:

  Northern Ireland civil servants (NICS)

  Maximum retirement age

  Number of staff in post

  Grade D2 and D1 appointed before 1 April 1996

  65

  318

  Grade D2 and D11 appointed after April 1 1996

  60

  267

  All grades (excluding D2 and D1)1

  60

  912

  Exceptional cases1

  65

  8

  1 The Department may, in exceptional cases, retain an officer, who would otherwise be required to retire at 60 where it is satisfied that it is in the overriding interest of the service to do so.

  Home civil servants (HCS)

  Category

  Maximum retirement age

  Number of staff ain post

  All grades

  60

  176

  Exceptional cases at departmental discretion

  0

  10

  NICS retirement policy

  The current normal age of retirement rules require that all staff, with the exception of those in grades below grade C who were in post on 31 March 1996, are normally retired at age 60. This policy was adopted in 1996 after
  764W
  detailed analysis of business needs indicated it was necessary, in light of severe financial pressures and to help avoid the need for compulsory redundancies.

  Conditions have changed since then and the policy is currently under review, although it is too early yet to give any indication of what the outcome might be.

  HCS retirement policy

  The normal age is 60 for all grades. However, retention beyond age 60 in exceptional cases remains at departmental discretion.

  Secondments
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff were seconded between(a) PWC Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst and Young, (c) Deloitte and Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen and his Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. [33870]

  Dr. John Reid
  No staff have been seconded between PWC Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers, Ernst and Young, Deloitte and Touche, KPMG, and the NIO in 1999–2000, 2000–01, or April 2001 to date.

  Legal Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what legal costs have been incurred by his Department in each of the last four years. [34292]

  Dr. John Reid
  The legal costs incurred by the Northern Ireland Office in each of the last four years are:

  £

  1998–99

  6,300,016

  1999–2000

  6,646,533

  2000–01

  7,386,657

  2001–02

  5,652,899

  These figures do not include any figures relating to the Bloody Sunday Inquiry.

  Police Secondments
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent steps he has taken to encourage secondments between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Garda. [32990]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Government are working closely with the Irish Government to take forward the implementation of North/South co-operation measures, including lateral entry and secondment, on a reciprocal basis. The two Governments published a timetable on 13 December. Negotiations are progressing on an intergovernmental agreement with the Irish Government, which we hope to sign shortly. This will provide a framework for the development of formal protocols between the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Garda Sfochana covering issues such as long-term personnel exchanges and co-operation on training. Amendments to the legislation will also be taken forward in both jurisdictions, as required.

  Right of Silence
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the terms of reference are for the proposed research into the effect of Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 and restrictions on the right of silence at the stage of police questioning; what measures he has proposed to address the needs of those at risk with particular reference to(a) children, (b) members of ethnic or linguistic minorities and (c) people with disabilities; and what steps he has taken to ensure an (i) independent, (ii) cross-community and (iii) lay dimension to the (A) management and (B) evaluation of the research. [29783]

  Jane Kennedy
  Research into the impact of PACE at the stage of police questioning of juveniles is due to be commissioned in March 2002 following the usual competitive tendering procedures. The terms of reference aim to address recommendations 13 and 180 and of the Criminal Justice Review and are currently being finalised. Advice from a leading academic has been sought on the development of the research plan.

  Management of the research will be undertaken by a group comprising, at a minimum, the independent researcher(s), a representative of the commissioning police division, and a representative of the statistics and research branch.

  A report on the research will be published in due course following a process of peer review.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list his Department's total expenditure by month in each financial year since 1997–98. [32792]

  Dr. John Reid
  Details of my Department's, including its agencies, total gross expenditure by month in each financial year since 1997–98:

  £

  1997–98

  11,012,450,000

  1998–99

  April

  55,894.107

  May

  64,395,682

  June

  93,772,629

  July

  92,608,368

  August

  76,573,205

  September

  81,194,294

  October

  74,110,636

  November

  82,771,176

  December

  79,652,458

  January

  80,805,693

  February

  79,482,183

  March

  124,729,274

  Total

  985,989,705

  1999–2000

  April

  49,516,855

  May

  93,721,010

  June

  100,974,430

  July

  81,889,640

  August

  78,134,679

  September

  80,617,464

  October

  74,467,946

  November

  82,728,769

  December

  86,010,979

  766W

  £

  January

  74,319,563

  February

  95,166,969

  March

  146,783,865

  Total

  1,044,332,169

  2000–01

  April

  58,102,920

  May

  79,050,965

  June

  66,382,783

  July

  84,767,165

  August

  70,880,829

  September

  63,154,414

  October

  2226,044,615

  November

  65,891,921

  December

  81,588,559

  January

  109,426,975

  February

  80,303,727

  March

  3214,022,763

  Total

  1,199,617,636

  2001–02

  April

  119,824,120

  May

  97,830,738

  June

  93,147,672

  July

  102,700,197

  August

  80,643,315

  September

  93,488,332

  October

  90,034,565

  November

  93,312,082

  December

  85,091,525

  January

  4 140,674,727

  February

  4 99,674,727

  March

  4 99,674,727

  Total

  5 1,196,096,727

  1 In total—unable to provide monthly breakdown for this financial year.

  2 Includes greater than £100 million for prison redundancy costs.

  3 Includes greater than £100 for police redundancy costs.

  4 Estimate.

  5 Estimate only-exact figures not known until end of financial year.

  President of the Irish Republic
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) official and (b) working visits have been carried out in Northern Ireland by the President of the Irish Republic in each year since 1990. [35306]

  Dr. John Reid
  Since 1990 the President of the Irish Republic has visited Northern Ireland on 75 occasions. None of the visits was classified as official visits: all were either working or private, although a number included an element of both. A breakdown of those visits by calendar year is shown in the table.

  Visits to Northern Ireland by the President of the Irish Republic:1990–2001

  Number of visits

  1990

  2

  1991

  0

  1992

  3

  1993

  1

  1994

  3

  1995

  3

  1996

  5

  1997

  3

  1998

  8

  767W

  Visits to Northern Ireland by the President of the Irish Republic:1990–2001

  Number of visits

  1999

  16

  2000

  17

  2001

  14

  Total

  75

  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the costs to the public were of each visit to Northern Ireland by the President of the Irish Republic in each year since 1997. [35333]

  Dr. John Reid
  Apart from the usual security requirements, any costs arising from visits to Northern Ireland by the President of the Irish Republic since 1997 were borne by the organisation visited.

  Police Vehicles
  Mr. Donaldson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many armour-protected police vehicles have been taken out of service in the past 12 months. [30416]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Chief Constable advises me that no armour protected police vehicles have been taken out of service in the last 12 months.

  Section 42 Certificates
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his answer of 12 November 2001,Official Report, column 516W, how many section 42 certificates have been issued in each year since 1976; what further consideration he has given the terms of the Devlin judgment; and how many cases involving section 42 certificates are being considered by a fair employment tribunal. [29810]

  Jane Kennedy
  The information pertaining to section 42 certificates is not recorded centrally but a check of our records shows that 43 certificates have been issued, in respect of 39 individuals, under section 42 of the Fair Employment (NI) Act 1976. The following table gives a breakdown by year.

  Year

  Number of certificates

  1977

  1

  1978

  3

  1980

  2

  1981

  4

  1982

  1

  1983

  1

  1984

  16

  1985

  2

  1986

  1

  1987

  2

  1988

  7

  1989

  1

  1990

  3

  1991

  4

  1993

  4

  1994

  11

  1 Of the certificates issued in 1984 and 1994, four were reissues.

  No further certificates have been issued since 1994.
  768W
  Following further consideration of the implications of the Devlin judgment, it has been decided not to seek a reference of this case to the Grand Chamber of the Court in Strasbourg.

  We are aware of seven outstanding section 42 cases before a fair employment tribunal, five of which we believe are being handled by the devolved Administration in Northern Ireland.

  Police Service Recruitment
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the cost was of the first and second recruitment competitions for the PSNI; and how many recruits were taken on. [29812]

  Jane Kennedy
  The recruitment agent is contracted to run two recruitment competitions, with the costs spread across both competitions. It is not therefore possible to quantify the costs as appointments are still being made from the qualifying pool in competition one, and the section process for competition two is not expected to be completed before the end of April. Around 300 recruits from the first competition will be appointed on a 50:50 basis.

  Heads of State (Visits)
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who decides whether a visit by a foreign head of state to Northern Ireland is categorised as(a) official, (b) private and (c) working; and what criteria are applied in each case. [35307]

  Dr. John Reid
  When a visiting head of state is invited by Her Majesty's Government, the visit is described as a guest of Government or official visit. Working or private visits take place on the initiative of the visitor or at the invitation of third parties.

  Industrial Action
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [36184]

  Dr. John Reid
  None.

  Union Duties
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years. [36204]

  Dr. John Reid
  The figures are as follows:

  For Civil Servants

  In 1998, 19 staff received paid leave to undertake union duties. The total days taken were 56 at a cost of £2,511.

  In 1999, 14 staff received paid leave to undertake union duties. The total days taken were 56 at a cost of £2,348.

  769W

  In 2000, nine staff received paid leave to undertake union duties. The total days taken were 49 at a cost of £2,036.

  In 2001, 11 staff received paid leave to undertake union duties. The total days taken were 43 at a cost of £1,960.

  Local paid absence from work is granted where the duties are of a limited extent (normally for absences of up to half a day). Paid special leave may also be granted within the limit for each leave year of 15 days.

  For Prison Officers

  The Prison Officers Association has 31 staff who receives paid leave for union duties, and a full-time area chairman. The Prison Governors Association has six staff who receive paid leave for union duties.

  In 1998, staff spent a total of 7,391.30 hours on union duties at a cost of £120,478.

  In 1999, staff spent a total of 7,863.00 hours on union duties at a cost of £131,390.

  In 2000, staff spent a total of 7,066.30 hours on union duties at a cost of £122,247.

  Figures are not yet available for 2001.

  The annual facility time entitlement for the Prison Officers Association, excluding the area chairman, is 572 days. In addition, other accredited representatives are afforded time off (no set figure) for trade union activities to meet local requirements.

  The annual facility time entitlement for the Prison Officers Association is 44 days.

  Departmental Secondments
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many staff in his Department have been seconded to jobs in the(a) private and (b) public sector in each of the last four years. [31773]

  Dr. John Reid
  The number of staff who have been seconded to the private and public sector in the last four years is as follows:

  Year

  Private sector

  Public sector

  Total

  1997–98

  1

  46

  47

  1998–99

  2

  5

  7

  1999–2000

  5

  6

  11

  2000–01

  3

  4

  7

  Lisnevin Juvenile Justice Centre
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what arrangements have been made to

  Telephone helplines—2000 (May to December)

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  Benefits Agency Chief Executive's helpline

  0

  0

  0

  0

  182

  287

  329

  292

  Employment Service Direct

  208,291

  255,045

  242,992

  213,441

  273,842

  228,299

  223,030

  161,457

  CSA National Enquiry Line and Client Helpline (NEL)

  73,583

  95,232

  77,755

  79,269

  92,333

  69,653

  67,395

  47,936

  National Benefit Fraud Hotline

  21,674

  18,212

  17,440

  20,289

  15,851

  13,980

  15,243

  9,073

  Disability Allowance Customer Care helpline

  363,113

  359,069

  352,325

  336,994

  347,049

  362,133

  359,659

  258,494

  Retirement Pensions Teleclaim Line

  0

  0

  2,611

  5,888

  10,239

  14,736

  22,120

  18,194

  Pensions Direct

  79,142

  74,873

  69,703

  70.798

  69,885

  76,988

  100,998

  81,511

  Customer Liaison Team1

  7,955

  9,436

  11,208

  9,253

  10,283

  12,754

  10,561

  8,964

  Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) Claimline

  0

  0

  0

  65,269

  49,162

  44,864

  78,170

  24,347

  Retirement Pension Forecasting and Advice (RPFA)

  29,206

  27,351

  25,841

  27,018

  30,104

  26,818

  28,298

  15,989

  Public Enquiry Office

  6,124

  5,107

  6,552

  5,954

  5,427

  6,699

  5,758

  3,368

  Employer Direct

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Medical Benefit

  3,578

  4,238

  4,304

  4,373

  3,954

  3,805

  3,332

  2,090

  770W
  ensure the closure of Lisnevin juvenile justice centre by autumn 2002; and what subsequent use will be made of the building. [34847]

  Mr. Browne
  The project is being advanced in two phases. Phase 1, an interim measure until the purpose-built centre is constructed and successfully commissioned, involves upgrading security and refurbishing the accommodation on the existing Rathgael site and transferring the boys currently in Lisnevin. Phase 2 will be the provision of the purpose-built juvenile justice centre. Phase 1 is currently under way and a building contractor has been appointed to complete the work by early autumn 2002. In tandem with the building work, the Juvenile Justice Board is addressing the operational and staffing issues associated with the development of a single centre. It is anticipated that the interim centre will be commissioned before the end of 2002. At that time, children will transfer from Lisnevin. Discussions are on-going at present between Criminal Justice Division, NIO and the Northern Ireland Prison Service addressing the short and medium term use of Lisnevin. At present, the Northern Ireland Prison Service has no long term plans for the building.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Winning the Generation Game
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out for each of the conclusions in section 6.4 of the Performance and Innovation Unit report, 'Winning the Generation Game',(a) what progress his Department has made and (b) what future plans his Department has for acting on them; and if he will set out against each of the conclusions the targets and deadlines that have been set. [24208]

  Mr. McCartney
  [holding answer 19 December 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Barbara Roche) on 19 December 2001, Official Report, column 335W.

  Departmental Helplines
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls have been received by each telephone helpline administered by his Department in each month since May 2000. [27764]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  The information on the number of calls answered by each current helpline is set out in the tables.
  771W

  Telephone helplines—2000 (May to December)

  May

  June

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  New Deal for Lone Parents

  2,158

  2,022

  2,370

  1,736

  2,106

  2,334

  1,671

  1,222

  BA Publicity Register

  1,235

  4,753

  1,352

  2,130

  1,050

  875

  1,187

  423

  Inherited SERPS Enquiry Line

  1,708

  1,279

  777

  3,008

  2,223

  2,807

  3,218

  911

  Winter Fuel Payment Orderline (WFP)

  0

  0

  0

  826

  2,264

  663

  642

  564

  Pensioner Guide Orderline

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Winter fuel payment Helpline

  78,960

  109,812

  83,136

  100,125

  84,255

  84,429

  157,594

  122,653

  Pensions Information line

  4,414

  3,198

  3,279

  3,560

  3,712

  5,121

  4,682

  4,636

  Child Benefit Enquiry line

  164,238

  187,530

  191,635

  195,484

  189,830

  186,836

  180,218

  135,993

  Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL)

  93,584

  115,008

  92,595

  105,683

  95,307

  91,634

  117,619

  60,888

  Client Help Line (CHL)

  273,969

  314,703

  252,824

  253,399

  323,135

  247,701

  240,207

  242,189

  1 Formerly Overseas Customer Service helpline

  Telephone helplines—2001 (January to June)

  January

  February

  March

  April

  May

  June

  Benefits Agency Chief Executive's helpline

  359

  250

  305

  250

  267

  281

  Employment Service Direct

  268,050

  274,128

  340,913

  260,997

  264,149

  360,616

  CSA National Enquiry Line and Client Helpline (NEL)

  53,379

  51,641

  63,187

  42,394

  43,279

  54,482

  National Benefit Fraud Hotline

  17,340

  18,191

  27,580

  17,261

  18,461

  14,086

  Disability Allowance Customer Care helpline

  369,324

  333,297

  361,665

  312,256

  335,885

  331,229

  Retirement Pensions Teleclaim Line

  30,603

  28,861

  31,398

  41,000

  48,500

  43,500

  Pensions Direct

  96,040

  103,691

  123,515

  92,948

  94,321

  82,661

  Customer Liaison Team1

  14,238

  10,333

  10,516

  8,855

  9,842

  12,054

  Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) Claimline

  15,290

  13,202

  52,814

  25,061

  13,843

  10,723

  Retirement Pension Forecasting and Advice (RPFA)

  35,640

  32,650

  36,496

  30,994

  31,330

  20,609

  Public Enquiry Office

  6,017

  4,741

  5,130

  5,248

  2,727

  3,708

  Employer Direct

  0

  0

  0

  18,183

  59,907

  108,707

  Medical Benefit

  3,378

  2,678

  3,188

  2,343

  3,213

  3,628

  New Deal for Lone Parents

  2,160

  2,284

  12,167

  6,831

  2,565

  2,348

  BA Publicity Register

  1,338

  1,729

  1,149

  1,226

  1,454

  1,588

  Inherited SERPS Enquiry Line

  690

  1,933

  4,636

  1,615

  1,023

  508

  Winter Fuel Payment Orderline (WFP)

  228

  194

  71

  0

  0

  0

  Pensioner Guide Orderline

  0

  771

  6,470

  1,496

  1,832

  1,186

  Winter fuel payment Helpline

  143,162

  78,820

  73,487

  30,317

  19,313

  13,857

  Pensions Information line

  23,970

  23,339

  23,525

  14,956

  5,516

  5,000

  Child Benefit Enquiry line

  224,406

  190,057

  201,576

  169,933

  184,934

  204,969

  Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL)

  125,715

  105,292

  107,656

  91,520

  108,469

  92,295

  Client Help Line (CHL)

  247,059

  248,327

  337,343

  223,630

  223,366

  277,883

  1 Formerly Overseas Customer Service helpline

  Telephone helplines—2001 (July to December)

  July

  August

  September

  October

  November

  December

  Benefits Agency Chief Executive's helpline

  283

  287

  310

  395

  407

  342

  Employment Service Direct

  326,002

  388,892

  322,932

  338,596

  422,070

  197,595

  CSA National Enquiry Line and Client Helpline (NEL)

  44,664

  52,883

  45,728

  44,722

  56,039

  28,776

  National Benefit Fraud Hotline

  13,360

  14,503

  25,001

  21,363

  19,535

  9,738

  Disability Allowance Customer Care helpline

  333,211

  305,652

  294,536

  335,118

  329,134

  238,877

  Retirement Pensions Teleclaim Line

  51,000

  50,000

  43,999

  45,091

  28,565

  27,134

  Pensions Direct

  84,145

  84,337

  78,755

  88,502

  106,923

  73,849

  Customer Liaison Team1

  15,145

  11,597

  16,361

  13,512

  13,958

  11,169

  Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) Claimline

  7,906

  7,509

  7,638

  10,003

  16,583

  8,572

  Retirement Pension Forecasting and Advice (RPFA)

  30,378

  30,923

  27,323

  32,946

  29,366

  15,448

  Public Enquiry Office

  5,250

  5,389

  5,246

  6,191

  4,598

  4,321

  Employer Direct

  100,691

  135,768

  125,684

  116,182

  144,363

  66,428

  Medical Benefit

  3,888

  4,225

  3,988

  4,365

  3,741

  2,457

  New Deal for Lone Parents

  2,624

  1,864

  2,645

  3,055

  2,139

  1,373

  BA Publicity Register

  1,171

  1,278

  1,093

  857

  1,647

  692

  Inherited SERPS Enquiry Line

  432

  10,980

  10,044

  3,166

  3,385

  1,861

  Winter Fuel Payment Orderline (WFP)

  0

  0

  1,675

  1,024

  595

  185

  Pensioner Guide Orderline

  3,389

  1,834

  2,036

  1,478

  5,081

  1,436

  Winter fuel payment Helpline

  24,929

  33,849

  30,046

  37,340

  162,673

  92,974

  Pensions Information line

  8,061

  9,684

  13,420

  7,410

  4,543

  3,010

  Child Benefit Enquiry line

  222,978

  223,995

  225,073

  262,668

  214,731

  158,633

  Benefit Enquiry Line (BEL)

  86,139

  91,250

  90,612

  116,650

  92,632

  61,519

  Client Help Line (CHL)

  216,045

  244,198

  223,648

  221,737

  285,016

  182,787

  1 Formerly Overseas Customer Service helpline

  772W

  Ministerial Trips
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list each of the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his ministerial team in each of the last four years specifying the purpose and cost of each trip. [30185]

  Mr. Darling
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister gave him on 4 February 2002,Official Report, column 707W.

  Pensions Service
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff will be employed by the new Pensions Service; how he plans to advertise the service; and if he will make a statement. [32621]

  Mr. McCartney
  Departmental allocations for 2002–03 are being finalised but the current assumption is that there will be the order of 13,500 front line staff in the Pension Service next year. We will promote the Pension Service using a variety of different media targeted to the specific needs of individual audiences. Our plans include leaflets, individual letters, internet, interactive digital television, radio, as well as continuing our involvement with partner organisations who are crucial to the successful delivery of the Pension Service.

  Pensioners
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households there are in England and Wales. [32721]

  Mr. McCartney
  There are 6.7 million pensioner households in England and Wales.

  Notes:

  1. We have defined a pensioner household as any household containing a person of state pension age.

  2. Figures rounded to nearest 100,000.

  Source:

  2000–01 Family Resources Survey.

  Bereavements Benefit
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many widowers are estimated to have failed to claim bereavement benefit as a result of the confusion over form BD8. [32742]

  Malcolm Wicks
  [holding answer 5 February 2002]: The information requested is not available.

  Winter Fuel Payments
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in(a) Lancashire, (b) the north-west of England, (c) Wales and (d) the UK have (i) received winter fuel allowance for the 2001–02 season and (ii) are deemed eligible for the winter fuel allowance and are yet to receive the payment for the season 2001–02. [32924]

  Mr. McCartney
  Figures for the number of payments made this winter are not yet available and information will not be available in the format requested. Last year's figures are shown in the table and we expect that the number this year will be similar.
  774W

  Number of people receiving a winter fuel payment in Lancashire, the north-west of England, Wales and GB in 2000–01

  Thousand

  Number

  Lancashire

  223.6

  North-west England

  1,336.0

  Wales

  614.0

  GB

  11,123.5

  Notes:

  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

  2. Figures exclude Northern Ireland cases.

  Source:

  Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service Winter Fuels Payment 2000–01 exercise.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many instances in the last five years his Department has recorded of overpayment of winter fuel payments. [36919]

  Mr. McCartney
  The amount paid to individuals depends on their household circumstances. Provisions in regulations allow for the automatic payment of a Winter Fuel Payment based on records held by the Department. If departmental records need updating, or the customer has failed to report a change in circumstances affecting the payment, the Department can accept the return of the payment. However, we do not collect centrally the reasons for the return.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment his Department has made of the impact of overpayment of winter fuel payments to some households on other eligible households awaiting payment. [36921]

  Mr. McCartney
  In order to receive a Winter Fuel Payment, certain conditions have to be met. Payment is, therefore, based on the individual's entitlement rather than the circumstances of other, non-related, households.

  Entertainment Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the amount spent by(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by his Department and how much reclaimed. [34447]

  Mr. McCartney
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Public Bodies (Contracts)
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the appointments made by his Department since 1 May 1997 of chairmen of(a) non-departmental public bodies, (b) commissions, (c) inquiries,

  775W
  (d) agencies and (e) task forces; and if he will list their (i) term of office, (ii) salary and (iii) known political affiliation (A) past and (B) present. [33886]

  £

  Chairmen

  Bodies

  Name

  Term of office

  Salary

  (a) Non-departmental public bodies

  ACDET—Advisory Committee for Disabled People in Employment and Training

  Sue Maynard-Campbell

  July 1999 to March 2000

  Nil

  DLAAB—Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board

  Rodney Grahame

  April 1993 to April 2003.

  1 280

  Re-appointed: April 1995, April 2000

  IIAC—Industrial Injuries Advisory Council

  Anthony Newman Taylor

  July 1996 to July 2002.

  1 227

  Re-appointed: July 1999

  OPRA—Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority

  John Hayes CBE

  April 1996 to March 2001

  2 95,672

  Harriet Maunsell OBE

  April 2001 to March 2006

  2 53,000

  PCB—Pensions Compensation Board

  Dr. Julian Farrand

  August 1996 to August 2001

  2 8,824

  Sir Bryan Carsberg

  September 2001 to August 2004

  1 343

  PO—Pensions Ombudsman

  Dr. Julian Farrand

  August 1996 to August 2001

  2 89,216

  David Laverick

  September 2001 to August 2004

  2 100,000

  Remploy Ltd.

  David Heywood CBE

  September 1993 to September 1999

  14,250

  Alan Pedder

  January 2001 to January 2003

  2 72,500

  SSAC—Social Security Advisory Committee

  Thomas Boyd-Carpenter

  August 1995 to August 2001.

  1 277

  Re-appointed: August 1998

  (b) Commissions

  DRC—Disability Rights Commission

  Bert Massie, CBE

  January 2000 to March 2004

  2 69,528

  (c) Inquiries

  Hosker Inquiry

  Sir Gerald Hosker

  February 2001 to May 2001

  39,307

  (d) Agencies

  The Appeals Service TAS (previously the Independent

  Judge Michael Harris

  October 1999 to September 2002

  2 107,346

  Tribunal Service—ITS)

  1 Per day

  2 Annually

  (e) Information on the number, remit, and membership of task forces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews has been published by the Cabinet Office on a regular basis. The first report was published on 11 January 2000 and gives information for the period between 1 May 1997 to 31 October 1999. A second report was published on 27 July 2000 and covered the period 1 November 1999 to 30 April 2000. A third report was published on 13 December 2000 covering the period 1 May 2000 to 31 October 2000. The most recent report, "Task Forces, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups and Reviews", was issued in October 2001 and covers the period of the financial year 2000–01. Copies of these reports have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Mobile Telephones
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) for telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff. [34318]

  Mr. McCartney
  Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
  776W
  Mr. McCartney
  The information requested is as follows. It excludes past and present political affiliation which is not collected.

  Mobile telephone running costs for DWP (formerly DSS)

  £000

  Year

  Departmental total

  1997–98

  1,330

  1998–99

  1,213

  1999–2000

  1,447

  2000–01

  1,344

  2001–021

  1,423

  1 To date

  Benefits
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on GP compliance with the appeals system for benefit reduction. [34424]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  General Practitioners (GPs) play an important role in providing factual information to this Department about patients who have claimed a state incapacity or disability benefit. Where necessary, information is obtained by the Department to ensure that initial decisions on benefit entitlement are based on appropriate medical evidence. In relation to state incapacity benefits NHS GPs are required to provide information to a DWP medical officer where they have issued a medical statement to the patient. GPs are not required as part of the NHS terms of service to provide their patients with medical evidence to support an appeal against benefit disallowance.
  777W
  Chris Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many recipients of benefits there were by region as(a) a percentage of population and (b) a total number, in descending order according to percentage figures in 2000. [30606]

  Malcolm Wicks
  [holding answer 30 January 2002]: The available information is in the table.

  Recipients of key benefits1 by Government office region—May 2000

  Benefit recipients2

  Percentage of the population

  England (North East)

  820

  32

  Wales

  920

  31

  England (North West)

  2,030

  29

  Scotland

  1,510

  29

  England (Yorks and Humber)

  1,400

  28

  England (South West)

  1,370

  28

  England (West Midlands)

  1,450

  27

  England (East Midlands)

  1,100

  26

  England (Eastern)

  1,340

  24

  England (London)

  1,760

  24

  England (South East)

  1,910

  24

  Notes:

  1. Key benefits are jobseeker's allowance, retirement pension, incapacity benefit, housing benefit, council tax benefit, severe disablement allowance, disability living allowance (DLA), minimum income guarantee and income support.

  2. Figures are expressed as thousands and rounded to the nearest ten thousand.

  3. Although a person can receive one or more of these benefits, double counting is eradicated. However, it is possible that some under-16's receiving DLA may live in the same family as an adult receiving a key benefit.

  4. Figures exclude cases where people receive national insurance credits only.

  Source:

  Client Group Analysis of DWP Information Centre 5 per cent. statistical samples—May 2000, Extract of Disability Living Allowance Computer System, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System Annual 1 per cent. sample taken in May 2000. Population figures are provided by Office of National Statistics.

  Lost/Stolen Property
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years. [34214]

  Mr. McCartney
  Under Government Accounting, Management of Assets, Departments are required to record assets above the capitalisation threshold limit (currently set at £2,000) for the purpose of their accounts. In addition, they are required to maintain records of "attractive" items (eg: those vulnerable to theft) whose value falls below the agreed capitalisation threshold. Guidance within the Department for Work and Pensions outlines the requirement for offices to list and control such items. However, items of nugatory value, for example stationery, are numerous and time consuming to record. Therefore, the Department does not have records for all the items that may be lost/stolen within this category.
  778W

  Recorded thefts under £50 in DWP and the former DSS in last four years: 1998–2001

  Year/category

  Quantity

  1998

  Computer mouse

  5

  Telephone

  8

  Computer memory

  1

  Scanner

  1

  Tape

  1

  Memory chip

  1

  Floppy disks

  99

  Disk drive

  1

  Keyboard

  5

  1999

  Computer mouse

  7

  Keyboard

  1

  Pair of speakers

  1

  Microphone

  1

  2000

  Computer mouse

  2

  Computer keyboard

  1

  Cat B

  1

  Wallet and business cash card

  1

  2001

  Computer mouse

  3

  Keyboard

  2

  Floppy disks

  2

  Tomorrow Project
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what is the(a) remit and (b) estimated cost of the report his Department has commissioned from the Tomorrow Project; and what plans he has to publish it. [35280]

  Mr. McCartney
  The Department has not commissioned a report from the Tomorrow Project. The project is an independent organisation proposing to examine the future of retirement in the UK. In recognition of our interest in this wide ranging review we will make a small financial contribution to the Tomorrow Project, subject to funds from other sources becoming available. Findings from the review will be published by the project, not by the Department.

  Minimum Income Guarantee
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners qualify for the minimum income guarantee; and how many are in receipt of it. [35622]

  Mr. McCartney
  As at August 2001 there were 1,736,200 pensioners claiming the minimum income guarantee (MIG). Figures for the number of pensioners who may be entitled to but who have not claimed the MIG are contained in the publication "Take Up of Income Related Benefits: Statistics for 1999/00".

  Mr. Stevenson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners claim the minimum income guarantee in each parliamentary constituency in Stoke-on-Trent. [37268]
  779W
  Mr. McCartney
  The information requested is in the table:

  Income support MIG claimants by parliamentary constituencies in Stoke-on-Trent, as at August 2001

  Thousand

  Parliamentary constituency

  Number of claimants

  Stoke-on-Trent, Central

  2.8

  Stoke-on-Trent, North

  3.1

  Stoke-on-Trent, South

  3.4

  Benefit Take-up
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefit take-up campaigns have been launched since 1997; and what the cost was of each. [15153]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  The MIG take-up campaign was launched in spring 2000. It has resulted in 127,000 extra MIG claims in addition to the 1.7 million pensioner households already receiving MIG. These newly eligible pensioners are on average an extra £20 per week better off. The advertising and media costs of the campaign have amounted to £4.015 million.

  Pensions
  Mr. Lepper
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the pension situation of people with periods of residence in Australia started during the currency of the social security agreement between Australia and the UK who retire permanently in the UK; and when he expects to introduce primary legislation in relation to this group. [31583]

  Mr. McCartney
  Arrangements are in place to protect the pension position of those people with periods of residence in Australia who retire permanently in the United Kingdom. Such periods of residence before 6 April 2001 can be converted, if necessary, to qualifying years to enhance the basic retirement pension of these people. We shall be looking to legislate at an early opportunity.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the(a) number and (b) proportion of widows in each region and nation who are in receipt of occupational pension payments. [37041]

  Mr. McCartney
  The information is in the table.

  Government office region

  (a) Number of widows and widowers

  (b) Percentage in receipt of occupational pension payment

  North East

  217,000

  50

  North West and Merseyside

  413,000

  53

  York and Humberside

  309,000

  55

  East Midlands

  259,000

  49

  West Midlands

  302,000

  49

  Eastern

  289,000

  56

  London

  376,000

  50

  South East

  379,000

  59

  South West

  263,000

  51

  Wales

  219,000

  52

  Scotland

  357,000

  53

  England

  2,807,000

  53

  Great Britain

  3,383,000

  53

  Source:

  Family Resources Survey 2000–01

  Child Poverty
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made towards achieving the Government's objective of halving child poverty by 2010. [35619]

  Malcolm Wicks
  Details of the progress being made can be found in our third annual report on poverty and social exclusion, Opportunity for all—making progress (CM 5260), which was published on 19 September 2001.

  Hospital Stays (Pensions and Benefits)
  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement regarding loss of entitlement to pension and other benefits of the elderly who are hospitalised. [28063]

  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the downrating of pensions and benefits during hospital stays on the elderly and the sick. [29255]

  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to revise the legislation reducing benefit payments to patients after six weeks residence in hospital. [34857]

  Mr. Prosser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement regarding loss of entitlement to pensions and other benefits of elderly people during hospital stays. [37732]

  Mr. McCartney
  [holding answer 28 January 2002]: As previously promised we have considered carefully the impact of the current rules which reduce certain benefits paid to pensioners and people of working age after six weeks of hospitalisation. The downrating of benefits preserves the principle that the state should not make double provision. It also recognises that a substantial number of people leave hospital before six weeks.

  However, we also recognise that people have on-going financial commitments while in hospital, and although we consider the six week rule strikes a fair balance between what the state should provide financially and the provision individuals should make for themselves, we have none the less decided to extend the period before benefits are downrated by a further seven weeks to the 13 week stage. This will mean that people previously affected by the six week rule will be able to keep their benefits untouched if their period of stay in hospital is under 13 weeks.

  We will introduce this change to coincide with the introduction of Pension Credit.

  Secondments
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff were seconded between(a) PWC Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen and his Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. [33874]
  781W
  Mr. McCartney
  We have had no secondments between this Department (including Employment Service and the former Department of Social Security) and PWC Consulting and PriceWaterhouseCoopers, Ernst&Young, KPMG and Andersen for the periods listed.

  However, as part of the One Project to pilot welfare reform options for clients of working age, a number of staff from the Benefits Agency and Employment Service have been seconded into Deloitte Consulting, which is an operating arm of Deloitte&Touche. The numbers are set out in the table.

  Secondments to One pilots run by Deloitte Consulting

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  Benefits Agency

  45

  67

  101

  Employment Service

  84

  69

  64

  Total

  129

  136

  165

  Theft and Fraud
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional security measures are planned by his Department to deter and detect theft and fraud. [31797]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Department takes its responsibilities to protect its assets from theft and fraud very seriously and has put in place a wide range of security measures designed to deter and detect such events.

  We have appointed a senior accountable official to ensure that we have effective measures for deterring internal fraud and for investigating it vigorously if it should happen. A central probity team supports the senior accountable official and provides guidance and advice to managers and staff, security specialists and internal investigators. Our recruitment security measures fully meet Cabinet Office requirements.

  Staff have a policy statement setting out their personal responsibilities in combating internal fraud and theft, and detailed guidance outlining what to do if they suspect fraud. Later this year we shall be publishing a guide to security for all managers and a guide for staff emphasising their duties and responsibilities, and introducing security awareness induction training for all new staff. Our whistleblower's hotline allows staff to report, in confidence, any suspicions they may have about possible fraud or abuse by staff.

  Our management controls include mandatory checks and audit trails targeted at areas of high risk. As well as acting as a deterrent, these checks allow us to identify and tackle potential weaknesses in our systems. We have a network of security specialists to help managers identify risks and put in place counter measures, and teams of internal investigators to investigate cases of suspected internal fraud and theft when they arise.

  To emphasise to staff that we will not tolerate wrongdoing, we publish within the Department the outcomes of internal investigations. Penalties may include dismissal and prosecution for serious offences.
  782W
  We keep all of these measures under review to ensure they continue to support our vigorous approach to tackling fraud and theft.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions. [32009]

  Mr. McCartney
  Less than a third (31 per cent.).

  IT Contracts
  Richard Younger-Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year from May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been(a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and (b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a). [33687]

  Mr. McCartney
  The Department of Social Security and the Employment Services both had made their own contractual arrangements for Information Technology (IT) prior to the formation of the Department for Work and Pensions.

  Department of Social Security

  The Department spent £1.6 billion on Information Technology (IT) between May 1997 and December 2001.

  The Department has let four contracts from May 1997 to date. These contracts were the ACCORD IS/IT contract let to three main parties, EDS (let 23 February 1999), ICL (let 25 February 1999) and BT plc (let 25 March 1999), all of whom have their registered offices in England and the SASA contract let in August 1997 to SEMA Group UK who also have their registered offices in England. Under the ACCORD contract there have been four specific businesses allocations awarded to date.

  Employment Service

  The Department spent £286 million on Information Technology (IT) between May 1997 and December 2001.

  On 1 August 1998 the Employment Services (ES) entered into a partnership agreement with EDS (Electronic Data Systems). The registered office for EDS is Stockley Park, England.

  ES entered into an IT contract with International Computers Ltd. (ICL) between 1 April 1997 and 30 September 2000. The ICL registered office is in England.

  On 3 February 1997 ES entered into a contract with Siemens Nixdorf Systems Ltd. The SNS registered office is in England.

  Retirement Pension Payday
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of retirement pension payday beginning on the Monday after the person's birthday there were in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [35993]
  783W
  Mr. McCartney
  The information requested is in the table.

  Estimated number of newly retired pensioners whose pension
  payday began on the Monday after the person's birthday

  Thousand

  Number

  1997–98

  410

  1998–99

  400

  1999–2000

  400

  2000–01

  410

  2001–02

  400

  Note:

  Numbers rounded to the nearest 10,000.

  Source:

  September PSCS data, 5 per cent. sample.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money has been saved in each year since 1997 through starting retirement pension payday on the Monday after a person's birthday; and if he will make a statement. [35994]

  Mr. McCartney
  There are no overall savings under the current regulations which provide for the payment of retirement pension in whole weeks at the start and end of a claim.

  If payment were made for part weeks at the start of a claim only, and there was no recovery of overpaid benefit at the end of a claim, we estimate that this would have incurred a cost of up to £20 million per annum in each year since 1997.

  Compulsory Retirement
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on compulsory retirement of employees before the legal retirement age; [37428]

  (2) what regulations exist to permit companies to enforce retirement on male employees at the age of 60 instead of 65. [37426]

  Mr. McCartney
  There is no legal retirement age and there are no regulations covering retirement age. The employer sets the age of retirement from a company, often based on the state pension age. If the employer has an occupational pension scheme, the retirement age may be linked to the normal age at which the pension becomes payable.

  The Department encourages employers, through the Code of Practice on Age Diversity in Employment, and the Age Positive campaign, to adopt flexible approaches to retirement that benefit both them and their employees. Flexible retirement policies can bring business benefits to employers, and give individuals the opportunity to remain in work longer.

  Departmental Overseas Visits
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many overseas visits have been undertaken by parliamentary private secretaries in his Department at departmental expense in each of the last four years; and at what cost to public funds. [36820]
  784W
  Mr. Darling
  Parliamentary private secretaries supporting Ministers in this Department have not travelled overseas on Government business on any occasion within the last two years. Information requested for the two preceding years is not available.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

  Public Sector Transport Activities
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much private finance has been raised for public sector transport activities in the last month; and how much he plans to raise by the end of this financial year. [9778]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 23 October 2001]: In 2001–02 to date, we have signed an £85 million contract for the Highways Agency's traffic control centre project. Public-private partnership contracts for transport signed since May 1997 will deliver new capital investment in excess of £1,180 million. In addition, the National Air Traffic Services PPP, signed last year, is expected to deliver £800 million of new investment over the next 10 years. London Underground's Tube Modernisation Plans, the contracts for which are expected to be signed shortly, will deliver £13 billion of investment over 15 years.

  Railtrack
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether Mr. fain Coucher is(a) drawing a salary and (b) receiving another form of payment for working on the establishment of a company limited by guarantee to bid for Railtrack. [30238]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The services of lain Coucher are obtained through a contract with the Strategic Rail Authority and Coucher Pender Ltd.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what basis Mr. lain McAllister is employed to develop a company limited by guarantee to bid for Railtrack. [30239]

  Mr. Jamieson
  lain McAllister has been appointed to give strategic direction to the CLG team. He continues to be employed by Ford Motor Company Ltd., who have agreed his availability for this part-time role.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the Government have received a request to guarantee or underwrite the finances of the proposed company limited by guarantee for Railtrack. [33997]

  Mr. Spellar
  Discussions between Government and potential bidders for Railtrack are commercially confidential.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether his Department has a right of veto over the recommendations of an interim review by the Rail Regulator into the financial requirements for Railtrack in administration for Control Period 2. [36611]

  Mr. Jamieson
  No.
  785W
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will hold an inquiry into the dealings between Railtrack and Newt International of Portsmouth; what(a) working relationship and (b) outstanding contracts there are between Railtrack and Newt International; and if he will make a statement. [36307]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today [Ref: 35005].

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what contingency plans he has made for the provision of extra funding to the Railtrack administrator if the administration period is not over by the end of September. [36312]

  Mr. Jamieson
  We keep the progress of administration under close scrutiny.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the total amount of the application for state aid consent from the European Commission for Railtrack was communicated to the Financial Times. [36314]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Financial Times has not been briefed by my Department on this matter.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the allocation of the projected funding requirement by the Railtrack administrator by the end of September. [36311]

  Mr. Jamieson
  This is a matter for the administrator.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his latest estimate is of the public sector(a) direct and (b) indirect financial support expected to be required by Railtrack in administration. [34614]

  Mr. Spellar
  Railtrack will continue to receive income from grant and other sources as set out in the regulator's October 2000 periodic review and in the 2 April 2001 agreement between Government and Railtrack.

  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 2002,Official Report, column 1188W, on Railtrack, if he will provide examples of failure for each of the key areas of failure listed; what lessons have been learned from each of the key areas of failure listed; and what assessment of those examples of companies limited by guarantee listed has been conducted by his Department. [37581]

  Mr. Jamieson: The failures are well known and well documented. Examples are set out in the report of the Select Committee on Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs, entitled "Rail Investment: renewal, maintenance and development of the national rail network" (Sixth Report of Session 2000–01, 29 March 2001) and in the Transport, Local Government and the
  786W
  Regions Select Committee report on "Passenger Rail Franchising and the Future of Railway infrastructure" (First Report of Session 2001–02, Vol 1, 31 January 2002).

  It will be for potential bidders to set out their proposals for addressing them in the light of the guidelines issued by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 31 October 2001.

  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions which(a) train operating companies and (b) trade union bodies are to be represented on the board of the proposed company limited by guarantee that seeks to be Railtrack's successor. [37239]

  Mr. Spellar
  It is for the team developing a bid based on the concept of a company limited by guarantee to make a proposal to the administrator, including proposals on the membership of the proposed company.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how much the Government have invested through(a) Railtrack, (b) Ernst and Young and (c) other associated individuals and organisations since Railtrack was put into the hands of receivers; and if he will make a statement; [36724]

  (2) since Railtrack was put into the hands of receivers whether an upper limit (a) has been and (b) will be put on the amount the Government will invest in Railtrack. [36723]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Railtrack plc is currently in railway administration, not receivership. During this period the Government have entered into a loan agreement with the administrator, copies of which were placed in the House Library on 17 October 2001, and through support set out in the October 2000 regulatory settlement and the 2 April 2001 agreement between Government and Railtrack.

  Departmental Salary Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the departmental expenditure limit in 2001–02 will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions. [32005]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The proportion of the departmental expenditure limit for 2001–02 that will be accounted for by salary costs and pension contributions will be 2.7 per cent.

  Greenhithe Rail Station
  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if his Department will make a financial contribution towards the cost of the planned reconstruction of Greenhithe rail station; and if he will make a statement. [31754]

  Mr. Spellar
  We plan to make an announcement on this in the near future.

  Financial Irregularities
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent financial irregularities in the Department have been
  787W
  brought to his attention in the last three months; for how long investigations have been conducted; what action has been taken in response; and what external auditors or other advisers will be appointed to investigate. [34474]

  Dr. Whitehead
  I am aware of five investigations which have commenced in the last three months, all of which are on-going. All are being led by appropriately qualified staff in the Department, agency or non-departmental public body concerned. Where necessary, the in-house resource will be supplemented by expert advice.

  It is too soon to say what the outcomes will be. In each case the evidence will be weighed carefully and, where appropriate, further action, which may include reference to the police, will be initiated.

  10-Year Transport Plan
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will provide an updated version of Table A3 from the 10-year transport plan of July 2000 that accounts for changes which have taken place between its publication and the present time. [34557]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I have placed an updated version of Table A3 from "Transport 2010: The 10-Year Plan" in the House Library today.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what date his Department allocated £290 million of unused rail provision in 2000–01 to the 10-Year Transport Plan. [36795]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The transfer of resources through end year flexibility arrangements were sought through the summer and winter supply supplementary procedures.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason rail provision budgeted for use in 2000–01 was not allocated to the 10-Year Transport Plan from the date of publication of the plan. [36798]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The 10-Year Plan for Transport, published in July 2000, covers spending plans for the 10 years from 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2011. As such, rail expenditure in 2000–01 falls outside of the plan period.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if there was unused rail provision in 2000–01 in excess of the £290 million now allocated to the 10-Year Transport Plan. [36794]

  Mr. Jamieson
  No. Unused rail provision in 2000–01 was less than the End Year Flexibility transfers to the rail budget in 2001–02.

  London Underground
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he sent Transport for London(a) detailed risk registers
  788W
  and (b) London Underground Ltd.'s Business Plan in connection with the financial risk of the public private partnership of the London Underground; and if he will make a statement. [34893]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The provision of information by London Underground Ltd. to Transport for London is a matter for those two organisations.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 7 November 2001,Official Report, column 289W, on London Underground, if he will place the letters of comfort which have subsequently been issued in the Library; on what date they were issued; and if he will make a statement. [37045]

  Mr. Jamieson
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is considering issuing a comfort letter in relation to the tube modernisation contracts, but has not yet done so. Such a letter will only be issued after it has first been reported to Parliament.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in the plans for modernising London Underground, how many stations the Government will ensure are wheelchair accessible; and what increase that is on the present figure. [36729]

  Mr. Jamieson
  London Underground and the Government remain committed to improving accessibility of the underground and the modernisation plans will result in real improvements.

  I understand from London Underground that 29 of their stations currently provide full step-free access (a further seven stations with step-free access are served by London Underground trains but not owned by London Underground). In addition, 16 stations provide partial step-free access, usually to one platform only. Five stations will gain full step-free access this year. The modernisation contracts specifically require a further 13 stations, where designs are sufficiently developed, to be made step-free. The contracts also provide for London Underground to take forward further schemes as designs are developed. London Underground plans to develop a network of around 100 stations with step-free access by 2020. Once London Underground has transferred to Transport for London, decisions on priorities will be for the Mayor and TfL.

  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many broken down escalators there were on London Underground stations in each of the last 10 years. [37574]

  Mr. Spellar
  This is an operational matter for London Underground who inform me that they track escalator performance through keeping records of the percentage of machines available for service. They believe that these figures give the best indication of service levels but, because they include the effects of planned works (overhauls and renewals) as well as faults, this means that in practice it would be virtually impossible to achieve 100 per cent. availability.
  789W
  The figures are as follows:

  London Underground escalator availability 1994–95 to 2000–01

  Year

  Escalator availability (percentage)

  1994–951

  93.1

  1995–96

  92.7

  1996–97

  92.8

  1997–98

  93.3

  1998–99

  92.7

  1999–2000

  92.0

  2000–01

  91.4

  1 Data for years prior to 1994–95 could be provided only at disproportionate cost

  Escalator availability across the network fell in the last two years because cracks were detected in the top-shafts and steps of three types of escalator at various stages in 1999 and 2000. 52 escalators were affected by these faults, and all have now been repaired and are back in service. The completion of these works has had a notable impact on recent escalator performance—with performance comfortably above 93 per cent. since the beginning of 2001–02.

  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the(a) maintenance backlog at London Underground and (b) speed at which the maintenance backlog would be dealt with under a public-private partnership of the tube. [37228]

  Mr. Spellar
  I understand that in 1997 London Underground estimated that there was a backlog of £1.2 billion. The Government have provided sufficient funding to prevent any worsening of the backlog and to enable renewal and replacement of essential assets. It is only possible to eliminate the backlog through a stable, long-term investment programme, which the 30 year modernisation plans are designed to provide. The plans will eliminate the maintenance backlog and deliver increased capacity, improved reliability and higher quality as quickly as is possible without excessive disruption to current services.

  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the average number of trains in service was broken down by line on London Underground in each of the last 10 years. [37242]

  Mr. Spellar
  This is an operational matter for London Underground, who inform me that information is not available in the form requested, because they measure service reliability by total train kilometres operated, rather than the number of trains in service.

  London Underground use this measure because the provision of a full schedule requires trains to enter and be withdrawn from service continuously and follow diverse journey patterns. Consequently, the number of trains operating on each line varies considerably by hour, as trains are put into or are withdrawn from service.

  Rail Inspection
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what assessment was made of the suitability of the U14 Ultra 790W
  Sonic line inspection equipment used to inspect railway lines for gauge and corner cracking; and if he will make a statement; [35005]

  (2) on what basis the assessment by Railtrack representatives was made regarding Lizard rail inspection technology in a meeting with the Office of the Rail Regulator on 4 January; and if he will make a statement [35193]

  (3) what tests were conducted on the U14 Ultra Sonic line to ensure that it could detect flaws and cracks in rails; and if he will make a statement; [35004]

  (4) how much of the rail network has been checked using the U14 Ultra Sonic line inspection equipment; when he expects the task to be completed; and if he will make a statement; [35003]

  (5) who manufactures the U14 Ultra Sonic rail track inspection equipment; how many units are involved in inspecting the track within the equipment; and if he will make a statement. [35006]

  Mr. Jamieson
  These are operational matters for Railtrack plc in railway administration, which remains subject to regulation by the rail regulator in respect of its network stewardship and maintenance and renewal practices; and by the Health and Safety Executive in respect of health and safety.

  Affordable Housing
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many units of affordable housing have been built through the exceptions site policy in each year since 1991. [35076]

  Ms Keeble
  Local authorities are asked to provide information on affordable housing delivered through the planning system as part of their annual Housing Investment Programme returns. On the basis of their responses, there were 466 affordable homes completed in 1999–2000 and 321 in 2000–01 on rural exception sites. In previous years this information was not collected centrally.

  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how he intends to evaluate the results of the proposed local development frameworks and the action plans in the provision of sufficient affordable housing. [35074]

  Ms Keeble
  Planning policy guidance note 3: 'Housing', sets out guidance on monitoring, including the supply of affordable housing delivered through the planning system. Further advice is given in "Monitoring provision of affordable housing through the planning system: towards better practice". We propose no change in these arrangements.

  Council Properties
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the net change has been in each rural community with a population of less than 3,000 in England in the number of council-owned rented properties since 1991. [35056]
  791W
  Ms Keeble
  Stock data at 'settlement of population' level is only collected centrally in the Census, but initial results from the 2001 Census are being processed and are unlikely to be available until early spring next year.

  Humber Bridge
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what has been the cost to his Department of the suspension of debt payments on the Humber Bridge since 1 April 1998. [34781]

  Mr. Jamieson
  [holding answer 8 February 2002]: Since 1 April 1998, the suspension of debt payments on the Humber Bridge has cost the Department interest on the debt of approximately £70.7 million.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much debt in respect of the Humber Bridge has been repaid to his Department in each of the last four years. [34782]

  Mr. Jamieson
  [holding answer 8 February 2002]: The Department has received the following capital repayments:

  £

  1998–99

  5,000,000.00

  1999–2000

  5,355,000.00

  2000–01

  10

  2001–02

  10

  1Capital repayments between 2000 and 2002 have been waived so that essential maintenance work at the Humber Bridge can be undertaken.

  The Department has also received the following interest repayments:

  £

  1998–99

  9,149,432.38

  1999–2000

  9,614,432.38

  2000–01

  8,782,894.88

  2001–02

  15,352,479.44

  1The Department is due to receive a further £5,552,479.44 by 31 March 2002.

  Rail Safety
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list each occasion on which a vehicle has encroached on to a railway line causing disruption to rail services in the past three years. [32774]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The information held by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) showing the number of incidents over the last three years where vehicles have encroached on to railway lines is contained in the table. The figures provided do not however include information on whether there was any consequent disruption to services, as this information is not provided to the HSE's Railway Inspectorate. A list giving details of individual incidents over the last three years has been placed in the House Library.
  792W

  Incidents of road vehicles obstructing the line not at a level crossing

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  Total

  Motorist losing control of vehicle

  13

  10

  11

  34

  Loss of control from road over rail bridge

  0

  1

  5

  6

  Criminal intent/vandalism

  15

  12

  11

  38

  Other

  5

  5

  4

  14

  Total

  33

  28

  31

  92

  Closed-circuit Television
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what percentage of(a) underground station entrances, (b) railway station entrances and (c) bus stations in London have CCTV installed; what plans exist to extend CCTV coverage at such locations; when it is expected all such areas will have CCTV; and if he will make a statement. [33377]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I understand that 80 per cent. of London Underground station entrances, all entrances to London main line stations directly managed by Railtrack and all major bus stations owned by Transport for London (TfL) have CCTV installed.

  Stations that are the responsibility of train operating companies, and do not currently have CCTV, will generally have CCTV installed when they undergo refurbishment.

  Under PPP proposals all underground station entrances will be equipped with CCTV over eight years. TfL is currently considering how smaller off-highway bus parking facilities, some of which are used by passengers, can be installed with CCTV systems.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Mark Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if it is his policy that the revaluation of domestic properties for the purposes of council tax should be yield-neutral within each local authority. [33702]

  Dr. Whitehead
  Revaluation will not affect the overall yield from council tax nationally, but yield in individual local authorities may go up or down. Central Government grant will take account of changes in authorities 'local tax base'.

  Railway Industry
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps has he taken to prevent a conflict of interest between officials in(a) his Department and (b) the SRA working on the company limited by guarantee and decision making about the future of the industry in order to satisfy the requirements of the administrator. [35798]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Steps have been taken to ensure appropriate demarcation between officials involved with policy relating to a CLG bid and those who will advise my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on the appraisal of a transfer scheme put forward by the administrator. In addition, my Department has appointed an independent
  793W
  Compliance Officer to establish and administer ground rules for the flow of information between Government and the CLG team and other bidders. This is to ensure that the CLG bid is not unfairly advantaged and that commercially confidential information provided to Government by any bidder is handled correctly. The Compliance Officer will report directly to my right hon. Friend on this. The SRA is putting in place similar arrangements to ensure fairness between bidders.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions from what budget additional financial support to Railtrack and the administrator will be provided to cover costs from 15 April to 30 September. [35800]

  Mr. Jamieson
  It is anticipated that the administrator will shortly repay the current loan facility provided by the Government and that by 15 April the finance required by him will come from commercial banking facilities. Railtrack plc will continue to receive income from grant and other sources as set out in the regulator's October 2000 periodic review and in the 2 April 2001 agreement between Government and Railtrack.

  Congestion Charging
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what his latest estimates are of the contributions that will be made to infrastructure investment under the 10-year plan by revenue from congestion charging schemes; [35801]

  (2) if he will list the locations in which he expects congestion charging schemes to be in operation by 2010; [35813]

  (3) how many congestion charging schemes he expects to be in operation by 2010. [35812]

  Ms Keeble
  The information can be found in Annexe 3 of Transport 2010: The 10-Year Plan.

  Coal Wagons (Speed Limits)
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the reasons for different rail speed limits for coal wagons in England and Scotland. [35714]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The maximum permitted speed for coal wagons on class one routes in both England and Scotland is 60 mph. On other routes the maximum permitted speed is 45 mph. Most coal wagons in Scotland do not operate on class one routes, which have higher maintenance standards than other routes.

  E-Government
  Margaret Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will publish local authorities e-Government implementation reports; and if he will place these in the Library. [35467]

  Dr. Whitehead
  I am making arrangements for copies of 'Implementing E-Government' statements to be placed in the House of Commons Library, and in my 794W
  Department's own library. At the same time we will be asking local authorities to place their statements on their website, though many have done so already.

  Trans-European Transport Networks
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the Government's position is on Trans-European Transport Networks; and if he will make a statement. [35855]

  Mr. Spellar
  On 3 October 2001, the European Commission adopted proposals to amend the guidelines which govern the development of the network. An explanatory memorandum (12597) on the proposals was submitted to Parliament on 2 November 2001. A public consultation exercise was mounted on 17 January and the closing date for responses is 28 February. The Government will determine their formal position on the Commission's proposals in the light of the comments they receive. On 3 January 2002 the Commission adopted a proposal to amend the regulation which lays down general rules for Community financing of the trans-European networks. An explanatory memorandum (15111) on that proposal was submitted to Parliament on 31 January. The memorandum makes clear that the Government support the development of the trans-European network but do not support the Commission's proposal to increase the maximum level of EU support for certain transport projects from 10 per cent. to 20 per cent. of total investment costs.

  RMT Action
  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many days have been lost to industrial action since 1 January 2002 as a result of action taken by the Rail, Maritime and Transport union. [35987]

  Mr. Spellar
  There have been four days of industrial action on Arriva Trains Northern and six days on South West Trains by members of the RMT.

  Union Duties
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years. [36202]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The number of staff who received paid leave to undertake union duties (excluding health and safety activity) in my Department and its agencies1 in each of the last four years are set out as follows, the majority of whom are part-time representatives:

  Number

  1998

  277

  1999

  267

  2000

  263

  2001

  270

  795W
  The total number of days allocated to the staff above in each of the last four years are as follows:

  Number

  1998

  7,138

  1999

  7,064

  2000

  7,043

  2001

  7,090

  The costs of time spent on industrial relations and/or trade union activities, based on average salary costs, in each of the last four years are as follows:

  £

  1998

  625,000

  1999

  655,893

  2000

  605,380

  2001

  684,166

  1 The figures given do not include the Fire Services College who only became an executive agency within DTLR as a result of the Machinery of Government Changes in June 2001.

  Publicity Expenditure
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the total real terms expenditure of his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on publicity in each of the years(a) 1997–98,(b) 1998–99,(c) 1999–2000,(d) 2000–01 and (e) 2001–02 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole of the present year; and if he will break these figures down to indicate expenditure on (A) advertising and (B) press and public relations. [36167]

  Dr. Whitehead
  For details of how my Department assesses its campaigns, I refer the hon. Member to the reply by the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for Stretford and Urmston (Beverley Hughes), to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 20 December 2000,Official Report, columns 168-69W.

  For details of expenditure on advertising over the years requested and our estimate for expenditure in the current financial year, I refer the hon. Member to the above reply and to my reply to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 24 January 2002, Official Report, column 1037W.

  For details of expenditure on PR consultants in support of our campaigns, I refer the hon. Member to my previous reply to the hon. Member on 15 January 2002, Official Report, column 207W. Following the change of Department responsibilities after the last general election, figures for 1997–98 could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  The details requested for DTLR's Agency and NDPB expenditure are not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Website
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total cost of his Department's website was in real terms in each of the last four years; and how many hits it received in each of those years. [36140]
  796W
  Dr. Whitehead
  The estimated cost of the main DTLR website (www.dtlr.gov.uk) in 2001–02 is £396,000. This covers the period from 8 June 2001 to 31 March 2002 and includes direct staff costs (e.g. salaries), development and HTML coding costs. Overhead costs, such as accommodation are not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Since the creation of DTLR, to 31 January 2002, this site has had approximately 22,700,000 page requests. The estimated total to 31 March 2002 is 28,700,000.

  Information, prior to 8 June 2001, relating to DTLR's ambit of responsibilities, is not available in a comparable format and could not be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

  Channel Tunnel (Freight)
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he expects the full resumption of channel tunnel freight services to be announced; what discussions he has had with the French authorities on the resumption of channel tunnel freight services; and what compensation is available to British companies denied full access. [36044]

  Mr. Spellar
  Early resumption of full services is dependent on the implementation of additional security measures—both physical and police resources—at the Calais Fréthun yard so that SNCF can effectively prevent disruptions to operation.

  My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions and the Home Secretary have all written to their French counterparts to ask that all necessary measures are put in place as soon as possible, to enable full rail freight services to resume. The Home Office and their French opposite numbers are working together closely to deal with the underlying immigration issues. I am keeping closely in touch with developments. The British Ambassador visited Calais on 31 January and discussed the problem with the Prefect.

  Compensation is a contractual matter between SNCF and its customers.

  Health and Safety Laboratory
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost of the PFI project to rationalise the estate of the Health and Safety Laboratory has been in each year since 1997. [36288]

  Dr. Whitehead: The resource accounting costs of external advisers to the project, as provided in HSL's published annual report and accounts, are:

  £000

  1997–98

  496

  1998–99

  554

  1999–2000

  732

  2000–01

  890

  Information for 2001–02 is not yet available.

  The internal staff costs of the Department and of HSE have not been separately maintained.
  797W
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the cost of the delay in taking forward the PFI project to rationalise the estate of the Health and Safety Laboratory. [36287]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The work of the Health and Safety Laboratory (HSL) is varied and often unique. It has been important, therefore, to ensure that both the output specification for the laboratory has been carefully defined and that the preferred bidder's response has fully reflected the specialist nature of the requirement. This has taken some time to achieve. The costs associated with these activities have not been separately kept, nevertheless the overall scheme has been shown to be affordable to HSL and to represent best overall value for money both for the tax payer and for HSL. It is anticipated that negotiations will now be successfully concluded very shortly enabling construction work to begin, with anticipated completion in the late summer of 2004.

  Rail Passenger Numbers
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) of 23 January 2002,Official Report, column 872W, on railways, what estimate he has made of the likely resource requirements generated by growth in passenger numbers when setting the level of annual resource spending. [36319]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Revenue support to train operators is projected on the basis of a basecase growth scenario, as set out in the 10-year plan background analysis, plus anticipated additional growth through investment at a sectoral level. The actual levels of subsidy to or premiums from a passenger train operator are set through commercial franchise negotiations.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate he has made of the relationship between projected rail passenger growth in the 10-year plan and inter-urban fares if such fares rise by more than the retail prices index. [36451]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Strategic Rail Authority is carrying out a review of fares regulation, which will include an assessment of the relationship between fares levels and patronage.

  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2002, Question 32547, on future rail passenger demand, if he will place a copy of the spreadsheet reports and the report on future rail passenger demand for Eurostar in the Library. [37224]

  Mr. Jamieson
  No. It is not normal practice to disclose such information under Section 13 of Part 2 of the code of practice on access to Government information.

  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the target increase in passengers on the railways over the next 10 years is accounted for by population increase in the south-east. [37460]
  798W
  Mr. Byers
  The modelling of passenger rail demand is detailed in the 10-year plan year background analysis document. Changes in population will be closely correlated with and will impact upon the principal factors driving future demand but this impact cannot be separately identified.

  Rail Investment
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason the public sector capital investment in the railways falls on a year by year basis between 2005–06 and 2010–11. [36318]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The fall in public investment in the railways in the latter years of the 10-year plan is primarily due to the completion of the Channel Tunnel Rail Link. Capital grants in respect of this project will greatly reduce when the link is completed in 2007.

  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the planned investment in the railways, at today's prices, over the next 10 years as at(a) 20 July 2000, (b) 14 January 2002, (c) 29 January 2002 and (d) 7 February 2002. [37524]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The planned public sector revenue and investment funding to rail over the 10 years to 31 March 2011 at the particular dates was:

  (a) £29.1 billion, as set out in Table A.3 of the Ten Year Plan for Transport.

  (b) £33.5 billion, incorporating a £4.5 billion increase in public funding for rail since the 10-year plan. This total was included in the SRA Strategic Plan, and its profile is set out in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 23 January 2002, Official Report, columns 871-72W.

  (c) the same as(b).

  (d) the same as (b).

  The totals are given in cash prices. At each date the projected private sector investment in rail over the same 10 year period is £34.3 billion.

  Car Traffic Growth
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what changes his Department has made to the projection for car traffic growth in the period covered by the 10-year plan; and if he will make a statement. [36310]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The 10-year plan was developed on the basis of a modelled forecast increase in all traffic in England between 2000 and 2010 of 17 per cent., compared to an increase of 22 per cent. without the plan ("Transport 2010: The Background Analysis", figure 13). The plan did not include separate figures for different vehicle types, but car traffic accounts for about 80 per cent. of vehicle kilometres travelled. No new traffic growth forecasts have been issued by the Department since the 10-year plan was published in July 2000.

  The current review of the plan is being informed by further modelling, using our national model that we have been revising over the past year. We intend to publish the review in the summer.

  Rail Strategic Plan
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 4 February 2002,Official Report, column 730W, on what calculations the assumption about peak period growth in London was based; and on what basis his Department reached the assumption about inter-city growth detailed in the footnote. [36238]

  Mr. Jamieson
  It reflects the Department's judgment, as set out on pages 8 to 10 of the background analysis, of the estimated basecase growth in rail passenger traffic by the particular sectors and on the current and expected capacity without the additional 10-year plan investments.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 2002,Official Report, column 1190, on the strategic rail plan, if he will list the projects to which contractual commitments have been made; and in what years the remaining £8.1 billion has been provisionally allocated. [36320]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Contractual commitments for public investment support have been entered into for around £7 billion of network grants, £3.5 billion of capital grants to the CTRL and around £30 million of freight facilities grants. These commitments are included in the profile of public investment support set out in the reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) on 23 January 2002,Official Report, column 872W.

  Port Charges
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to reduce port charges in the UK; and if regional ports will receive subsidies to help alleviate port charges and increase their competitiveness. [36132]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I have no plans to intervene in the commercial operations of harbour authorities, which charge users of harbours for the services that they provide. We believe that port operations should not in general need public subsidy.

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in his Department to his Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36269]

  Dr. Whitehead
  Currently all ministerial boxes are carried by the Royal Mail. On one occasion (3 February 2002) a private company was used to transport the boxes of the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, North (Ms Keeble), boxes due to local difficulties due to the late opening of the Northampton office. The cost of this was £147.00 compared to £70.83 plus unspecified charges for bringing staff in to open the depot and collect the boxes. The courier firm used was Racer. Local difficulties have now been resolved and the Royal Mail are now again collecting the boxes.

  Departmental Staffing
  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his staff complement dealing with walking and cycling policy in May 1997 was; and what the complement is now. [36155]

  Mr. Spellar
  I have recently increased the complement of full-time posts wholly or mainly concerned with cycling and/or walking from 11 to 12. The number had been 11 since early 1999. Comparable figures for earlier years are not available.

  In addition I am at present inviting tenders for a three-year contract to promote the cycling strategy in the English regions. I expect the contractor to employ about 20 people on this task.

  Sir George Young
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the complement in his cycling and walking division to be able to meet the demands to deliver the national cycling strategy target of raised cycling levels. [36153]

  Mr. Spellar
  I keep all staff complements under regular review. My assessment is that the present complement for cycling and walking, together with the contract mentioned in my reply to the right hon. Member's previous question, is adequate for the task in hand.

  Statutory Instruments
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the statutory instruments issued by his Department in the last 12 months, indicating(a) the purpose of each and (b) the cost of each to (i) public funds, (ii) businesses and (iii) individuals. [36232]

  Dr. Whitehead
  My Department was responsible for making 216 general statutory instruments in the year 2001. A list identifying these has been placed in the Libraries of the House. Included on each instrument is an explanatory note which explains the purpose of the instrument in general terms and, where a regulatory impact assessment is appropriate, indicates from where a copy may be obtained. Copies of regulatory impact assessments are routinely made available in the Libraries of the House on publication of the relevant instrument.

  The remainder of the information is not held centrally in a form which would enable my Department to answer it without incurring disproportionate costs.

  Disability Discrimination Act
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what responsibility(a) train operating companies and (b) Railtrack have for railway stations to be compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [36717]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Most railway stations are operated on a day to day basis by train operating companies who lease the stations from Railtrack. The largest stations are operated directly by Railtrack. In respect of the DDA the operator of the station is regarded as the service provider and they are responsible for ensuring compliance. Where
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  Railtrack's role is solely that of landlord they are required not unreasonably to withhold consent to any proposed changes to meet DDA requirements.

  Coastguard
  Mr. Alan Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many incidents were dealt with by each coastguard station in 2001. [36772]

  Mr. Jamieson
  During 2001, HM Coastguard dealt with a total of 12,518 incidents. A breakdown for each coastguard station is given in the table.

  Coastguard Stations

  Total incidents

  2001

  Aberdeen

  851

  Belfast

  331

  Brixham

  828

  Clyde

  653

  Dover

  654

  Falmouth

  805

  Forth

  346

  Holyhead

  653

  Humber

  648

  Liverpool

  751

  Milford Haven

  462

  Portland

  985

  Shetland

  300

  Solent

  1,405

  Stornoway

  383

  Swansea

  833

  Thames

  595

  Tyne Tees1

  394

  Yarmouth

  641

  Total

  12,518

  1 MRSC Tyne Tees was decommissioned from 29 September 2001 as part of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's wider introduction of digital communications technology.

  Road Safety (Mobile Phones)
  Valerie Davey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to raise public awareness about the dangers of using a hand held mobile phone while driving. [36463]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Highway Code makes it clear that drivers should never use hand-held mobile phones while driving and that it is best not to use hands-free phones. The Department will continue to educate drivers about the dangers of using a mobile phone while driving. Over 2 million copies of its advisory leaflet, "mobile phones & driving", have been issued to road safety officers, the police and others on request. A new campaign is planned for the spring.

  Solway Harvester
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much has been paid by his Department for the salvage and subsequent storage of the fishing vessel, Solway Harvester, to(a) the Government of the Isle of Man and (b) other parties; and if he will list them. [36748]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Following the salvage of the fishing vessel Solway Harvester the marine accident investigation branch has paid £124,136.77 to the Government of the 802W
  Isle of Man. This payment was 50 per cent. of the costs incurred for the final raising of the wreck and subsequent work. No money has been paid to any other organisation.

  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will consider delaying releasing the marine accident investigation branch report into the Solway Harvester until the conclusion of the Isle of Man police investigation into the vessel's sinking. [36734]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The chief inspector of marine accidents has received a letter from the Attorney General of the Isle of Man requesting he defer the publication of the marine accident investigation branch (MAIB) report into the loss of the Solway Harvester. The request has been made to enable the Attorney General to consider both the MAIB report and the Isle of Man report into the same accident. The chief inspector has acceded to this request.

  Norwich Airport
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make it his policy to permit Norwich city council to borrow to allow for airport expansion. [36444]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Statutory control over Norwich airport's borrowing was removed in 1999. The airport company's ability to borrow now depends on its financial position rather than on central Government borrowing limits.

  Rail Safety (Asylum Seekers)
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what action his Department is taking to ensure that rail safety is not compromised by asylum seekers entering the UK through the channel tunnel. [36610]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The safety of the channel tunnel system is the responsibility of Eurotunnel, overseen by the Channel Tunnel Intergovernmental Commission with the advice and assistance of the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority. The Safety Authority regularly receives reports from Eurotunnel on the activity of asylum seekers, and makes reports to the Intergovernmental Commission on the changing situation and on Eurotunnel's preventive measures. It keeps the position under regular review.

  The safety authority remains satisfied that Eurotunnel has taken reasonably practicable measures to ensure the safety of the channel tunnel system, including the safety of passengers and crew.

  Housing
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions whether he took into account new housing plans for the south-east in developing the 10-year plan; and if he will make a statement. [36609]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The analysis carried out for the 10-year plan included an allowance for regional differences in population growth, and thus in car traffic growth and resulting congestion. It did not address the detailed location of new housing.
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  Decisions on allocation of resources to major projects will be based on detailed scheme or programme appraisals, which will reflect regional housing strategies.

  An improved model is now under development, and will be used in analysis to support the current review of the 10-year plan. This will allow better account to be taken of the predicted growth in the number of households in urban areas in the south east.

  Vehicle Inspectorate
  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many traffic examiners and vehicle examiners were employed by the Vehicle Inspectorate in each of the past 10 years. [36843]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The numbers of traffic examiners and vehicle examiners employed by the Vehicle Inspectorate since 1991–92 are given in the table. The figures are calculated on the basis of the average number of staff in post over a full year.

  Year

  Number of vehicle examiners

  Number of traffic examiners

  1991–92

  261

  160

  1992–93

  263

  171

  1993–94

  247

  166

  1994–95

  229

  163

  1995–96

  241

  164

  1996–97

  243

  165

  1997–98

  248

  166

  1998–99

  252

  169

  1999–2000

  276

  175

  2000–01

  289

  185

  Road Safety
  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the Government plans to implement the(a) primary and (b) secondary recommendations in the Health and Safety Executive's Work-Related Road Safety Task Group report entitled "Reducing at-Work Road Traffic Incidents (2001)". [36557]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Health and Safety Commission have been asked to consider the recommendations of the task group, and to report to Ministers in May 2002. We will need to consider that advice carefully before any decisions on implementation can be taken.

  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much his Department intends to spend in 2002–03 on(a) road safety publicity and (b) the forthcoming radio and television campaign on driver tiredness; and if he is planning to run the campaign at peak listening and viewing times. [36558]

  Mr. Jamieson
  For the fiscal year 2002–03 £13.4 million has been allocated for the year round Think! road safety publicity campaign.

  The driver tiredness element of the Think! campaign which comprises television and radio advertising will be broadcast from March 27 to 7 April at appropriate times for the specific audience and message. This will cost approximately £720,000. The message will, however
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  continue at suitable times throughout the year as part of the wider campaign. Over the year, the advertising will be supported by proactive public relations activities and publicity materials for use locally.

  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will introduce similar obligations to those in Scotland on local highway authorities to take reasonable steps to prevent ice or snow making roads unsafe in winter. [37281]

  Mr. Spellar
  We are continuing to consider the legal position on the winter service provided by local highway authorities in England. In the meantime we expect them to implement winter service provisions on their roads in accordance with the code of practice for maintenance management "Delivering Best Practice in Highway Maintenance" which was published on 10 July 2001.

  Rail Capacity Study
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 January 2002,Official Report, column 1051W, on the rail capacity study, what was the conclusion of the first stage of the study commissioned by the Strategic Rail Authority to aid them in deciding their strategic priorities on rail capacity which reported in September 2001; when the study into the second stage is due to commence; and when that second stage study is due to be completed. [36529]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The study identified a number of key locations where the rail network is currently or soon to become congested. The study is now assessing possible options to relieve congestion, or to provide additional capacity at key "pinch-points". The Strategic Rail Authority expects to have an assessment of the options after Easter.

  Central Railway
  Mr. Malin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on Central Railway's application for a hybrid Bill; and what the Government's response has been. [36598]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Government are considering carefully Central Railway's proposals for a hybrid Bill. We will take a view on the issues raised by the proposals and respond to Central Railway and to Parliament in due course.

  Railways (Scotland)
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the planned expenditure is by the(a) Government and (b) private sector for the introduction of the new lines (i) Milngavie to Larkhall, (ii) Stirling to Alloa and (iii) Edinburgh Crossrail, announced in the recent SRA proposals; [37030]

  (2) what the planned expenditure is by (a) Government and (b) the private sector for the additional capacity increase for the lines between Glasgow and Kilmarnock announced in the recent SRA proposals; [37026]
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  (3) what the planned expenditure is by the (a) Government and (b) private sector for the upgrading of the 140 smaller stations in Scotland, stated in the recent SRA proposals;

  (4) what is the planned expenditure by (a) Government and (b) the private sector on the refurbishment of the 318 electric trains and the reliability improvements for the 170 diesel trains announced in the recent SRA proposals;

  (5) what the planned expenditure is by the (a) Government and (b) private sector for the upgrading of Waverley station in Edinburgh, stated in the recent SRA proposals;

  (6) what the planned expenditure is from (a) Government and (b) the private sector for the introduction of the six new stations and interchange improvements at Partick, Gourock and Markinch announced in the SRA proposals. [37025]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The total public sector expenditure proposed by the Strategic Rail Authority's (SRA's) strategic plan is £33.5 billion. The SRA has not attempted to break this down on a regional or route basis.

  Airport Rail Links
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what discussions are planned between the UK Government and(a) the Scottish Executive and (b) the Strategic Rail Authority to consider the introduction of airport links between Edinburgh and Glasgow airports and their respective cities. [36959]

  Mr. Jamieson
  No such discussions are planned. This is primarily a matter for the Scottish Executive and the Strategic Rail Authority.

  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 28 January 2002,Official Report, column 54W, on airport rail links, what the time scale is for the receipt of information from the Scottish Enterprise, BAA and the SRA concerning the introduction of rail links between Edinburgh and Glasgow airports and their respective cities. [36958]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Scottish Executive, in association with BAA, Scottish Enterprise, the Strategic Rail Authority and the Government have commissioned Sinclair Knight Merz to undertake a detailed economic and engineering study into rail links to Glasgow and Edinburgh airports. The Scottish Executive is expecting to receive their report in the autumn.

  Rail Expenditure
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what financial safeguards will be in place to prevent the Government spending more than the allotted £33.5 billion on the specific programmes mentioned in the recent Strategic Rail Authority report on unforeseen costs between now and the completion of any of the planned projects; and who would be liable for such extra unforeseen costs. [37051]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The £33.5 billion of Government support to the railways over the 10 years to 31 March 2011 will be delivered through franchise and other 806W
  contractual agreements that are subject to value for money considerations and, where applicable, appropriate risk transfer. Discussions on the transfer and management of risks, on a case-by-case basis, would influence the liability for any unforeseen costs.

  Selby Rail Crash
  Ms Ward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the reports will be made available of the two working groups set up in response to the accident at Great Heck, near Selby, on 28 February 2001; and if he will make a statement. [38046]

  Mr. Spellar
  The reports will be published today. Both reports emphasise how rare this accident was and responses to the risks of a similar accident must be measured. The reports of the two groups contain 19 separate recommendations. I have accepted all of them and, in one case, have asked the Highways Agency to adopt the recommended approach more widely and, in another, have asked for the recommended work to be expedited. I must stress how important it is that highway authorities and rail infrastructure providers work together to assess the sites on their networks where vehicles might get onto the rail network and to take what action, if any, they consider necessary to try to prevent this. I commend to them the risk assessment framework prepared by the CSS and Railtrack to prioritise any necessary work at local roads over rail bridges. This framework will be developed to cover other circumstances where vehicles might get onto the rail network.

  I accept the conclusion of the Highways Agency report that there are no serious shortcomings in the current standards for safety barriers but nevertheless commend their plans to convene a technical project board to take forward any necessary changes to barrier standards for national roads. I welcome the recommendation of the working group for a clearer and more open procedure for updating the standards relating to safety barriers and have asked the agency to adopt this more open approach for "all" standards.

  I have asked that the HSC's recommended timetable for the development of a protocol to apportion responsibility and costs of improvements made at locations where roads meet, cross or run close to railways should be expedited. This is so as not to delay the carrying out of any necessary work. I have, therefore, decided that the protocol should be developed for England by June 2002. I will review the working of this protocol, as recommended by the HSC, once action on the other recommendations is underway. The work necessary to implement the 19 recommendations of the two reports will be steered by my Department and I have asked for a report on progress by 25 July 2002.

  Free Travel (Pensioners)
  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the estimated cost is of free public transport nationally for all those of pensionable age. [37533]

  Ms Keeble
  We estimate the cost of providing free local travel to those over 60 years of age and disabled people would be in the region of £900 million per year. We have no estimate for pensioners separately.

  Concessionary Travel (Pensioners)
  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what estimate has been made of the number of pensioners benefiting from concessionary bus fare schemes introduced in the last two years. [37512]

  Ms Keeble
  Since June 2001, local authorities have been required to offer a minimum of 50 per cent. reductions for all pensioners and disabled people on local bus services with a free bus pass to the benefit of 5.5 million pensioners in England and Wales.

  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with local authorities regarding an extension of concessionary fares for pensioners using public transport. [37518]

  Ms Keeble
  My ministerial colleagues and my officials regularly meet with the local authority associations to discuss a wide range of transport-related issues, including concessionary travel.

  Planning Green Paper
  Mr. Baron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received from county councils on the Planning Green Paper. [37261]

  Ms Keeble
  A number of representations have been made either as formal responses to the Green Paper proposals; through letters from county councils to their Members of Parliament who have passed on the correspondence to Ministers; through meetings with Ministers; or from the preliminary views of the county councils network of the Local Government Association. All have drawn attention to the importance of the strategic planning role of the county councils. The consultation period on the Green Paper ends on 18 March.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what was the(a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant. [37507]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The amounts spent by DTLR(C) are set out in the table. As much information as can be readily retrieved has been set out. Further detail, including a breakdown by grade of staff, is not available without incurring disproportionate cost.

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  (a)

  Percentage first class journeys

  n/a

  n/a

  47

  46

  Number of first class journeys

  n/a

  n/a

  7,101

  7,051

  (b)

  Average cost of first class rail journey (£)

  n/a

  n/a

  103

  115

  (c)

  Total cost of rail travel (£000)

  n/a

  1,064

  1,184

  1,206

  808W
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many new entrants to the civil service were employed in his Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 years and over. [36490]

  Dr. Whitehead
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office.

  Town and Country Finance Issues Group
  Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what basis the Minister for Local Government cancelled his meeting with the parliamentary co-chairman of the Town and Country Finance Issues Group on 13 February; and what plans he has to rearrange it. [37301]

  Mr. Raynsford
  No such meeting was arranged. We will continue to work with local government on reforming the formula grant distribution. Ministers will be ready to meet with TACFIG and other special interest groups in due course as we develop our proposals for the new grant distribution system.

  Local Councillors' Pay
  Mr. Cameron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will publish figures for the average pay of(a) council leaders and (b) the cabinet members of local authorities which operate cabinet Government in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [37104]

  Dr. Whitehead
  My Department does not collect information from councils on the allowances paid to council members.

  The average special responsibility allowances in those local authorities in England which made the information available to the Improvement and Development Agency, as of 4 December 2001, are as follows:

  Council leaders: £12,528

  Members of the council executive: £6,560.

  Source:

  www.idea-knowledge.gov.uk, Member Allowance Summary Survey.

  Rail Budget
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) to what purpose the £290 million rail provision in 2000–01 now allocated to the 10-Year Transport Plan was originally allocated; and for what reason it was unused in 2000–01; [36796]

  (2) how much unused rail provision in 2000–01 was carried forward to 2001–02 under the arrangements for end of year flexibility. [36797]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The summer and winter supplementary supply estimates transferred a total of £284.993 million to the rail budget in 2001–02 through the End Year Flexibility arrangements. I refer the hon. Member to the Supplementary Supply Estimates for a detailed analysis of the transfers.

  NATS
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what expenditure the Government have made on the NATS PPP; on what dates; for what purpose; and what further expenditure is planned. [37055]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Since October 1998, the Government have so far incurred costs of £52.2 million in the setting up of the NATS PPP. It is estimated that remaining residual costs amount to £3.5 million.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what payments have been made to the NATS employee Share Trust Ltd. to date; and when they will be completed. [37056]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The allocation of the first tranche of shares to staff was completed on 21 September 2001. The second allocation, which has been triggered by the successful introduction into service of the Swanwick Centre, will proceed once a further valuation of the shares has been completed and Inland Revenue approval obtained.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the Government received the NATS business plan. [37060]

  Mr. Jamieson
  A draft of the NATS business plan was received at the end of last November.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has had concerning the NATS price cap since 11 September 2001. [37058]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The price cap for en route air navigation services provided by NATS is a matter for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). I understand that NATS applied to the CAA on 4 February seeking a relaxation of the price cap over the period 2003–05.

  Mr. Pound
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the consequences for National Air Traffic Services arising from the terrorist acts of 11 September 2001 have been; and if he will make a statement. [38047]

  Mr. Byers
  The terrorist attacks in the United States on 11 September led to a downturn in air traffic which has had a serious impact on NATS' revenues. Since that time, NATS' financial position has been regularly discussed by NATS, the Airline Group, the Government as the other main shareholder, the Civil Aviation Authority as regulator and the banks. All these parties are making a contribution to ensuring that NATS has a robust financial structure for the foreseeable future.

  The banks and Government are being asked to make a contribution through the provision of short-term financial support, likely to be in the form of commercial loans. The terms of the Airline Group's contribution are being discussed. This needs to be settled before the terms of the loan are finalised.

  I will report the outcome of those discussions to the House.
  810W
  Without the PPP, the Government would have borne the full shareholder and financing risk of the downturn in revenue.

  Swanwick
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what representations he has received regarding the operability of the Sony air traffic control screens at the new en route centre at Swanwick; how many employees have expressed difficulties in reading these screens; what steps he has taken to ensure that these screens are not compromising air navigational safety; and if health and safety concerns expressed by staff are being addressed. [37061]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Just prior to the opening of the Swanwick centre on 27 January, a few air traffic control officers (ATCOs) expressed concern about the legibility of the screens which they would be using. I understand one ATCO wrote to the NATS Board on the subject and as a result, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) was asked to make an inspection.

  The findings were presented to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), who as the independent aviation safety regulator had to take a view on the air safety implications. On 22 January the CAA gave National Air Traffic Services (NATS) its full and final approval to take Swanwick into operation.

  Prestwick
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what stage discussions on building the new scottish centre for air traffic at Prestwick have reached; and when he expects this centre to be built. [37059]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Site preparations continue, as does the evaluation of systems. The Centre is now expected to be completed during 2008 or 2009.

  Braunstone Community Association
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the aims are of the Braunstone Community Association, Leicestershire New Deal regeneration project; what the estimated cost is; for what period it will run; for what reason his Department has sent in departmental auditors; how long the investigation will take; and when the result will be published. [36960]

  Ms Keeble
  The New Deal for Communities (NDC) programme addresses local regeneration needs by putting residents at the heart of processes to develop community led solutions. In 1998 Braunstone in Leicester was one of 17 areas selected to be a round 1 NDC pathfinder. Braunstone is the most deprived ward in the East Midlands on the National Index of Local Deprivation.

  The Braunstone Community Association (BCA) was formed as a company limited by guarantee to deliver the NDC programme. A majority of the BCA Board is made up of residents who have been elected through a democratic process. Following community consultation, the BCA produced a Braunstone NDC delivery plan, which identified key issues affecting Braunstone. The delivery plan sets out a vision centred around the

  811W
  five cornerstones of regeneration: work, crime, health, education and the physical environment. On the strength of the delivery plan, the BCA was allocated NDC funding of up to £49.5 million for the regeneration of Braunstone over at least seven years.

  The Braunstone NDC programme is now in its second year of project delivery. It has already implemented a range of projects and initiatives to begin to tackle some of the key issues affecting Braunstone, with further projects under development. Over half of the people employed by the BCA in delivering the NDC Programme are local residents.

  In November 2001 the BCA Board established an Independent Investigation Panel to examine various stories appearing in the local press that related to its internal relationships. The BCA Board considered the report of investigation panel at its meetings on 20 December 2001 and 7 January 2002. As a result, the BCA has adopted various resolutions to improve processes and partnership working.

  In view of the nature of some of the unsubstantiated allegations the Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM) commissioned an audit of the Braunstone NDC Programme by a Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) audit team. The audit team expects to report to GOEM early in March. It is not customary to publish findings of internal audits.

  The audit findings, together with evidence arising from the findings of the independent investigation, will allow the Government Office to decide what further steps it needs to take in order to secure the future of the Braunstone NDC Programme.

  Capital Receipts (Islington)
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the total income from capital receipts of the London Borough of Islington was for each of the past three years from non-right to buy sales. [36630]

  Ms Keeble
  The available information reported by Islington LBC is as follows:

  Gross income from housing capital receipts

  £000

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  Sales of fixed assets

  20,412

  33,843

  46,852

  of which:

  Right to Buy sales1

  12,522

  n/a

  n/a

  Capital Repayments/leasing disposals

  1,305

  676

  1,048

  Total housing capital receipts

  21,717

  34,519

  47,900

  1DTLR Pl (B) quarterly housing activity returns

  Source:

  DTLR Capital Outturn Return (COR) returns, except for 1DTLR P1(B) quarterly housing activity returns

  Local Authority Houses
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what information he has on the cost of promoting ballots of council tenants on stock transfer; and if he will state the cost for each English housing authority area of ballots during the past year. [36617]
  812W
  Ms Keeble
  The costs of housing transfer ballots are met by local authorities from their housing revenue accounts. The Department does not hold information on the amounts involved.

  Galileo Satellite Navigation System
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what funds have been committed to the Galileo satellite navigation system; and what estimate he has made of the total final cost of the system to(a) public and (b) private funds. [37292]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Galileo satellite navigation programme is being carried out jointly by the European Union (EU) and the European Space Agency (ESA). They are each planning to contribute euro 550 million to the development and validation phase (2001–05). In April 2001 the Transport Council released euro 100 million of the EU contribution. A decision on whether to release the remaining euro 450 million may be taken at the Transport Council on 26 March. A declaration for subscriptions to ESA's share of the costs was opened at the ESA ministerial meeting held in November 2001. A majority of ESA member states subscribed but the UK indicated that it would await the outcome of the Transport Council's decision before finalising its contribution.

  Originally, the European Commission estimated that the capital costs of Galileo would be euro 3.25 billion (2001–08) with annual operational costs of euro 220 million from 2008. The public sector would provide euro 1.75 billion of the capital costs, the private sector the balance of euro 1.5 billion, and operational costs would be met from revenues.

  A recent study carried out by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC) on behalf of the Commission has put the capital cost at euro 3.4 billion, with annual operating costs of euro 224 million over a 20-year concession period. PWC considered that the programme would require some continued public funding for deployment of the system and payments during operation. Total public sector funding was estimated at some euro 3.8 billion, depending on the private sector assessment of revenues and risks, and subject to the outcome of a competitive tendering process.

  Rent Officers
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many appeals against the decision of rent officers covering the Greater London area there have been in each of the last three years. [37111]

  Ms Keeble
  The number of appeals against the decision of rent officers covering the Greater London area in each of the last three years was as follows:

  Number of appeal

  Housing benefit cases

  Fair rent cases

  Total

  1998–99

  2,970

  2,583

  5,553

  1999–2000

  2,856

  2,607

  5,436

  2000–01

  2,166

  1,780

  3,946

  813W
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people with an ethnic minority background serve as rent officers in the Greater London area. [37110]

  Ms Keeble
  The Rent Officer Service (TRS) currently employs 13 rent officers in Greater London who belong to an ethnic minority. In percentage terms this is 13 per cent. of the overall number of rent officers.

  Train Speed Restrictions
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many train speed restrictions are in force in the UK rail network system. [37265]

  Mr. Jamieson
  At the end of January 2002 there were 652 temporary speed restrictions on the network.

  Number of vacant residential dwellings in London on 1 April 2001, by local authority and tenure

  Local authority

  LA1

  of which: vacant over six months2

  RSL3

  'Other public' sector1

  'Other private' sector1

  of which: vacant over six months1

  Total vacant dwellings

  Barking and Dagenham

  479

  101

  102

  1

  747

  380

  1,329

  Barnet

  154

  33

  120

  59

  2,820

  1,545

  3,153

  Bexley

  0

  0

  163

  0

  1,819

  942

  1,982

  Brent

  146

  65

  380

  244

  4,734

  2,757

  5,504

  Bromley

  0

  0

  448

  0

  3,870

  2,083

  4,318

  Camden

  377

  161

  205

  0

  3,753

  2,143

  4,335

  City of London

  3

  3

  3

  11

  14

  —

  31

  Croydon

  154

  8

  180

  3

  4,064

  2,739

  4,401

  Ealing

  272

  74

  183

  4

  1,990

  44

  2,449

  Enfield

  280

  131

  228

  —

  3,361

  —

  —

  Greenwich

  526

  222

  274

  20

  2,238

  1,296

  3,058

  Hackney

  1,028

  616

  1,237

  5

  984

  377

  3,254

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  297

  72

  321

  37

  3,902

  1,981

  4,557

  Haringey

  245

  64

  160

  0

  4,410

  2,936

  4,815

  Harrow

  63

  8

  49

  27

  1,079

  1,062

  1,218

  Havering

  299

  55

  49

  3

  2,351

  1,387

  2,702

  Hillingdon

  114

  24

  60

  237

  2,100

  806

  2,511

  Hounslow

  287

  136

  63

  12

  688

  238

  1,050

  Islington

  548

  288

  292

  6

  2,391

  2,351

  3,237

  Kensington and Chelsea

  108

  25

  219

  0

  5,740

  219

  6,067

  Kingston upon Thames

  97

  16

  16

  —

  1,028

  —

  —

  Lambeth

  970

  680

  524

  59

  1,019

  917

  2,572

  Lewisham

  1,000

  518

  190

  0

  2,835

  1,700

  4,025

  Merton

  60

  3

  79

  19

  1,956

  891

  2,114

  Newham

  321

  114

  193

  12

  4,576

  3,203

  5,102

  Redbridge

  86

  33

  145

  —

  2,500

  1,418

  —

  Richmond upon Thames

  0

  0

  146

  6

  1,605

  1,201

  1,757

  Southwark

  1,773

  1,215

  381

  3

  4,210

  —

  6,367

  Sutton

  103

  7

  30

  0

  2,105

  499

  2,238

  Tower Hamlets

  661

  331

  402

  4

  4,362

  3,049

  5,429

  Waltham Forest

  120

  30

  193

  120

  2,306

  1,020

  2,739

  Wandsworth

  290

  43

  251

  28

  1,510

  —

  2,079

  Westminster

  224

  84

  355

  0

  2,378

  1,114

  2,957

  1 Housing Investment Programme (HIP) data from the 2001 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix.

  2 Housing Investment Programme (HIP) data from the 2001 Business Plan Statistical Appendix.

  3 Annual Regulatory and Statistical Returns (RSR 1) made by RSLs to the Housing Corporation.

  Notes:

  1. RSL—Registered Social Landlord.

  2. 'Other public'—includes Government Department, public sector agencies and dwellings owned by other local authorities within the area.

  3.'—' not known/available data.

  Empty Properties (Greater London)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many properties have been empty for up to five years in each Greater London borough. [37108]

  Ms Keeble
  Information for the number of dwellings that have been vacant for five or more years is not available centrally.

  The number of all vacant local authority and Registered Social Landlords' dwellings in each local authority area in London on 1 April 2001 (the latest available data) are set out alongside the local authorities' estimates of 'Other private' and 'Other public' sector dwellings. Also included are the number of local authority dwellings that have been vacant for more than six months and the estimated number of 'Other private' sector dwellings vacant for more than six months.
  815W
  There will always be a certain level of empty property for operational reasons, including those vacant for very short periods between tenants.

  Exhaust Emissions
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many roadside tests of car exhaust emissions have taken place in the UK during the last 12 months. [37113]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Such tests are undertaken by the Vehicle Inspectorate and by certain local authorities piloting a scheme to improve air quality. The Inspectorate conducted 68,549 tests in 2000–01, and expect to complete a similar number in 2001–02. Local authorities have conducted 1,514 tests since April 2001.

  Freight Modelling
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the contract for research commissioned by his Department from ME&P on freight modelling was awarded; when the research project began; what research questions are to be answered; when the study is to conclude; what form the final research report will take; and if he will place related documentation in the Library. [37527]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The review of freight modelling was awarded to ME&P on 2 November 2001. It began at the start of December 2001 and the end date of the contract is 31 May 2002.

  Methods used for modelling and forecasting freight both in the UK and abroad will be reviewed and recommendations made on the most appropriate techniques for use by the Department, having regard to the availability of UK data and the opportunities for collecting additional data. The review will include road, rail and other freight modes and will also include the modelling of light goods vehicles.

  The review will in particular examine the scope for modelling the effect on freight movements of changes in the location of activities such as manufacturing, retail and warehousing.

  The findings of the review will be assembled in a final report and this will be placed in the Library.

  Research Documents
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will provide a classification of the different categories of written and printed documentation from research conducted by and commissioned by his Department; and if he will state which of these are(a) available to the public, (b) available to hon. Members, (c) regarded as commercially sensitive and unavailable externally and (d) other. [37094]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Information about all my Department's research is made widely available through publications, websites and events. Each programme, however, selects the best method of publication which can range from formal publication of full reports to simple availability on demand, depending on subject matter and likely interest.
  816W
  The exceptions to this policy are work related to national security or which involves issues of commercial confidentiality.

  Full details of my Department's policy on publication of research material are included in the science and innovation strategy on the website. The website also includes details of the research programmes (including for most programmes summaries of research results).

  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the titles of all(a) unpublished research reports, (b) other documentation from research and (c) other work (i) conducted and (ii) commissioned by his Department (A) between May 1997 and March 2001 and (B) since 1 April 2001. [37095]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I have given today [ref: 37094]. Details of the Department's research are available on the website, except where it relates to matters of national security or commercial confidentiality. Currently a complete record of research is not held centrally. An improved database facility is near completion.

  Train Delays
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2001,Official Report, column 524W, on train delays, if he will place in the Library the latest information available on delay and cancellation information, distinguishing between peak and off-peak, as referred to in his reply. [37577]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The SRA publishes every quarter a bulletin (National Rail Trends) which includes Public Performance Measure (PPM) data by network sector, the overall network and for London and the south-east peak hours. This information is placed in the Library and on the SRA web site.

  I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 741W.

  On Monday 18 February my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State published the DTLR rail performance scorecard which includes PPM information on train operating companies (TOCS) as well as by sector, overall and for London and the south-east peak hours. The information is on the DTLR website and can be accessed through http://www.railways.dtlr.gov.uk. A copy of the press release has been placed in the Library of the House.

  The next report (showing punctuality and reliability for the period from October to December 2001) will be published on 18 March, alongside the SRA's quarterly performance figures for the period.

  Train Drivers
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 30 January 2002,Official Report, column 323W, on train drivers, whether the plan, including the part relating to the recruitment and training of 800 new drivers, was agreed with the industry in November 1998; what the timetable is for recruitment and training of the new drivers in this plan; and what progress has been made towards this.[37582]
  817W
  Mr. Jamieson
  There was no fixed timetable for the new driver training and recruitment announced in 1998. As at 5 January 2002, 2,433 new drivers have been recruited since November 1998 of whom 1,168 are currently being trained.

  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2002,Official Report, column 25W, on train drivers, if he will list the enforcement action taken by the strategic rail authority against (a) South West Trains in 1997 and (b) on Arriva Trains Northern at the end of 2001; and what timetable for increasing driver numbers was agreed between the Strategic Rail Authority and GNER. [37578]

  Mr. Jamieson
  In 1997, South West Trains were threatened with enforcement action and a £1 million penalty. However, as performance improved the penalty was not enforced.

  In October 2001 the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) consulted on a £2 million penalty and final order against Arriva Trains Northern. The SRA are currently considering and evaluating the responses received from the consultation exercise and will be making a further announcement in due course.

  The SRA and GNER have discussed GNER's need for increased driver numbers, but the SRA has not sought to agree any particular timescale for recruitment.

  Rail Freight
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 12 February 2002, ref 32546, on rail freight, if he will place the written report in the Library. [37573]

  Mr. Jamieson
  No. It is not normal practice to disclose such information under Section 13 of Part 2 of the code of practice on access to Government information.

  Regional Assemblies
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what local authorities have written to his Department to(a) support the establishment of regional assemblies based on a Government defined region, (b) support the establishment of regional assemblies not based on Government defined regions, (c) oppose regional assemblies based on Government defined regions and (d) oppose the policy of setting up regional assemblies. [36961]

  Dr. Whitehead
  Since the general election in 2001 the Department has received four representations from local authorities in support of the establishment of regional government based on the Government office regions, and one in support of the establishment of regional assemblies not based on a Government office region. We have not received any under(c) and (d) above.

  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people have indicated their support to him for the setting up of a regional assembly for their region, whether Government-defined or not, through(a) letters, (b) meetings, (c) partitions and distributions and (d) other means in the last six months. [36634]
  818W
  Dr. Whitehead
  The Department has received 29 written representations in favour of directly elected regional government for their region since the general election in 2001, including a petition signed by over 50,000 people in Cornwall, 17 per cent. of whom gave addresses outside of Cornwall. The Secretary of State and Ministerial colleagues have met many individuals and organisations that have expressed support for regional government, but numbers for these are not recorded.

  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what meetings he has had with representatives of constitutional conventions and similar bodies seeking to achieve regional assembly status since the general election. [36635]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The Secretary of State and Ministerial colleagues have met formally with representatives of a number of campaigns and constitutional conventions since the general election. These include the Campaign for the English Regions (whose membership includes the constitutional conventions from the North East, North West, West Midlands and South West and the Campaign for Yorkshire), as well as the Cornish Constitutional Convention.

  Disused Railway Lines
  Mrs. Humble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what financial support is available in 2001–02 to re-open disused railway lines; [37282]

  (2) what support is available from his Department for feasibility studies to examine the possibility of re-opening disused railway lines. [37283]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Projects to reopen disused railway lines would be eligible to apply for Government support from the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme. Already the RPP scheme has supported reopenings in the Vale of Glamorgan, Swanage and Beaulieu station.

  The RPP scheme was re-launched in December 2001 with an extended budget of £430 million over the next 10 years.

  Transport (Salisbury)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what was the local transport plan capital settlement for the Salisbury transport package; and how much was identified for(a) roads and (b) the non-roads element of the scheme; [36786]

  (2) what annual spending profiles have been agreed for (a) the roads and (b) the non-roads elements of the Salisbury package of the LTP capital settlement. [36785]

  Ms Keeble
  The annual spending profiles agreed for the road and non-road elements of the Salisbury transport package are as follows.

  £ million

  Non-road

  Roads

  2001–02

  3.58

  0.0

  2002–03

  5.8

  0.0

  2003–04

  3.72

  1.38

  2004–05

  0.35

  11.05

  2005–06

  0.13

  0.650

  819W
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what date the Government office of the south-west(a) signed a contract with and (b) issued a decision letter to Salisbury district council specifying the annual percentage increase in the city parking changes to be imposed as part of the Salisbury transport capital settlement; in what way those increases are conditional on the opening of the first to the fifth park and ride sites; and if he will place a copy of that document in the Library. [36784]

  Ms Keeble
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions has not signed a contract nor issued a decision letter to Salisbury DC specifying the annual percentage increase in the city parking charges. A failure to implement any significant part of the package of measures, including both the park and ride sites and the increase in parking charges, contained in Wiltshire's LTP for Salisbury could undermine the benefits that the £13.7 million we have earmarked for this scheme will provide.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason the A36T detrunking has been delayed; when it will come into effect; and what are the implications for(a) the Wylye Valley relief road, (b) the Brunel Link in Salisbury and (c) the Harnham relief road. [36787]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Secretary of State confirmed in December 2000 that the A36/A46 route was to remain non-core, and would be detrunked in due course. Negotiations on detrunking between the Highways Agency and the local highway authorities commenced early in 2001. However, the South West Regional Assembly placed a holding objection to detrunking, pending the outcome of a further study into the management of the route and the traffic problems in Bath. This study, entitled the "Bristol/Bath to South Coast Study" is to be commissioned shortly, and is due to report at the end of 2002. Detrunking negotiations are therefore likely to be on hold until early 2003.

  The Wylye Valley relief road will be constructed by Wiltshire county council as a local road scheme following detrunking.

  The Brunel Link and the Harnham relief road is a local road scheme promoted by Wiltshire county council and is not directly affected by the detrunking of the A36.

  Alternative Fuels
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when the regulatory impact assessment will be agreed and published on the(a) Commission Communication on alternative fuels for road transportation and on a set of measures to promote the use of biofuels, (b) draft directive on the promotion of the use of biofuels for transport and (c) draft directive amending Directive 92/81/EEC with regard to the possibility of applying a reduced rate of excise duty on certain mineral oils containing biofuels and on biofuels. [R] [37237]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Government will shortly be publishing a preliminary regulatory impact assessment covering the draft directive on the promotion of biofuels for transport, copies of which will of course be laid in the Library of the House; there are no plans to publish 820W
  a regulatory impact assessment for the Commission Communication on alternative fuels as this has no formal legislative implications for the United Kingdom.

  The draft directive amending Directive 92/81/EEC with regard to the possibility of applying a reduced rate of excise duty on certain mineral oils containing biofuels is fiscal legislation and the responsibility of Her Majesty's Treasury.

  Lorry Parks
  John Mann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans his Department has for the development of new lorry parks. [37086]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I am concerned to ensure that lorry drivers have the facilities they need. We have already agreed to provide signs from motorways to nearby lorry-only facilities where existing motorway service areas are unable to meet the demand for lorry parking. My officials will shortly be meeting service area operators and representatives of the haulage industry and drivers themselves to explore what more might be done to provide more and better facilities on both motorways and other roads.

  Strategic Rail Authority
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many meetings he has had with the chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority since 24 October 2001. [37459]

  Mr. Byers
  I, and other departmental Ministers, meet the Chairman of the Strategic Rail Authority on a regular basis.

  Haven Gateway
  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the improvements to the road and rail infrastructure needed to support the contribution that the Haven Gateway sub-region can make to the economic and social regeneration aspirations of the Eastern Region. [37226]

  Ms Keeble
  The London to Ipswich Multi-Modal Study is investigating ways in which the road and rail network in the Al2 and Al20 corridors between London and Ipswich and Harwich can be improved. This will help to increase the accessibility of the Haven Gateway sub-region. The study will shortly be presenting options to the public and is expected to report in the summer.

  The Cambridge to Huntingdon Multi-Modal Study has identified improvements to the A14 which will also assist in improving access to Felixstowe, and the SRA is assessing the work required to upgrade the railway line between Felixstowe and Nuneaton to enable trains carrying the larger containers which are now being utilised to run on that particular stretch of track.

  The results of all these studies will be incorporated into the Regional Transport Strategy for the East of England which is currently being prepared and will form the basis of transport policy in the Region in future.
  821W
  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking to support the work of the Haven Gateway Partnership; and if he will give to the Partnership recognition similar to that bestowed on the Thames Gateway Partnership. [37225]

  Ms Keeble
  We warmly welcome the Haven Gateway initiative and when it begins to show some concrete achievements I would be happy to include an engagement with the Partnership as part of a visit to the area.

  The Government Office for the East of England is participating in a number of the initiatives which are being undertaken and is represented at all partner meetings of the Partnership.

  Advertising
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the expenditure was per campaign for the five most expensive media advertising campaigns his Department undertook in the past five parliamentary sessions including the current parliamentary session in(a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland; and for the last two parliamentary sessions and the current session, when each advertising campaign (i) began and (ii) ended in (A) Scotland, (B) England, (C) Wales and (D) Northern Ireland; [37399]

  (2) what the cost was of media advertising in each of the past five parliamentary sessions including the current session, for his Department in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland; and for the last two parliamentary sessions and the current parliamentary session, what the media advertising expenditure was per month in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland; [37411]

  Dr. Whitehead
  For details of my Department's five most expensive campaigns over the years requested, I refer the hon. Member to my reply to the hon. Member for Isle of Wight (Mr. Turner) on 24 January 2002,Official Report, column 1037W; and to the reply by the then Under-Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport, and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Stretford and Urmston (Beverley Hughes), to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 20 December 2000, Official Report, columns 168-69W.

  Expenditure on our "Think!" road safety campaign is ongoing and covers England, Scotland and Wales as too is our fire safety campaign which covers England and Wales. "Are you doing your bit?" campaign expenditure commenced in March 1998 and focused on England following budgetary transfers to the Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly. Responsibility for that campaign transferred to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs after the last General Election. Foot and mouth public information ran in March to April 2000 in England and Wales. "Traveline" campaign expenditure commences in three English regions in March 2002.

  UK campaign spend is normally divided by region by percentage of population, although advertising on satellite TV is carried nationally.
  822W
  Campaign expenditure occurs at various times during the year. While campaign budgets are monitored constantly, we do not keep records of individual campaign expenditure on a monthly basis. Such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Rail Routes (Scotland)
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what recent discussions his Department has had with the(a) Scottish Executive and (b) Strategic Rail Authority concerning the re-introduction of the rail route from Edinburgh to the Borders; [37562]

  (2) what plans he has to meet representatives from the (a) Scottish Executive and (b) Strategic Rail Authority to discuss the re-introduction of the Edinburgh to the Borders rail route. [37563]

  Mr. Jamieson
  There have been no such discussions. This is primarily a matter for the Scottish Executive and the Strategic Rail Authority.

  Terrorism
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what UK Government-supported schemes exist and at what expense to offer terrorism and war risk cover in the aviation and shipping industries; and what representations he has made about extending such schemes. [37284]

  Mr. Jamieson
  In relation to the maritime sector, a scheme under the Marine and Aviation Insurance (War Risks) Act 1952 has been in place for many years by which the Secretary of State provides reinsurance in return for the payment of a premium which, during periods of low risk, is waived.

  In relation to the aviation sector, the Government introduced a scheme in September 2001 to address the withdrawal of third party war risk and terrorism cover by the insurance industry in the light of the terrorist attacks in America. In accordance with guidelines adopted by the European Commission, the UK charges a premium of up to $1 per passenger per flight, depending on the amount of cover requested by the airline concerned. Airports and other ground service providers are charged a proportion of the premium they paid before cover was withdrawn. The total costs to Government are unquantifiable at this time, as they depend on potential claims, if any, made under the scheme. There are also legal costs, the final amounts of which are not known. The Government will consider whether any residual insurance support may be justified after the present arrangements expire on 20 March.

  The Secretary of State has received representations from the British Air Transport Association, seeking an extension of the scheme until the insurance market has stabilised or other arrangements have been put in place.

  A3
  Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what representations he has received about the A3 at Hindhead; and if he will make a statement; [36905]
  823W
  (2) when he estimates that construction on the A3 at Hindhead (a) will commence and (b) will be completed. [36904]

  Mr. Spellar
  We continue to receive a number of representations about the A3 Hindhead scheme covering a wide range of topics. The two most important current issues are the proposal to close the existing A3 across Hindhead Common once the new tunnel is completed and the possibility of additional traffic using local roads in and around Grayshott to access the new A3 route.

  The Highways Agency has been carrying out further work on both these issues which is nearing completion. The results will be presented to the Project Advisory and Wider Reference Group meetings later this month. Details will also be contained in a newsletter to be issued shortly.

  Subject to the satisfactory completion of the necessary statutory procedures, we aim to start construction on the scheme in 2005–06. Work will take three to four years.

  Rural Services
  Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with Town and County Finance Issues Group concerning the additional costs of providing services in rural areas; and if he will make a statement. [36931]

  Dr. Whitehead
  I met with the Town and Country Finance Issues Group last September to discuss the review of local government finance, in particular revenue grant distribution.

  Our aim is to make the revenue grant distribution system fairer and more intelligible. The rural case will be considered carefully, alongside others, before we decide the way forward. Groups representing both counties and districts are on the working groups.

  Aircraft Noise
  Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what steps he is taking(a) to monitor and (b) to reduce aircraft noise in the Dunsfold vicinity; what representations he has had on this subject; and if he will make a statement. [36909]

  Mr. Spellar
  Discretionary noise monitoring (in addition to the monitors specified by the Secretary of State for the purposes of the departure noise limits) is the responsibility of the relevant aerodrome, in this case principally Gatwick airport, to whom requests for deployment of mobile monitors should be addressed.

  The Secretary of State has set requirements for controlling noise from aircraft using Gatwick by notice under s.78 of the Civil Aviation Act 1982. Recently the Department, together with BAA and others, has jointly issued a code of practice on noise from arriving aircraft.

  The Department has received and replied to a small number of representations about aircraft noise near Dunsfold since the Adjournment debate on 11 January 2000.

  Health and Safety (Computers)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many employees 824W
  in his Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to (a) current and (b) new staff. [36694]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992 require employers to ensure that employees are provided at their request with an appropriate eyesight test. The procedures for such eyesight testing within my Department are publicised periodically in the weekly staff Bulletin. Details are also available on the Department's 'Health and Safety—Good Practice' site on the InfoNet and the Departmental Staff Handbook. Eyesight testing is also covered during the risk assessment process, which is undertaken for all new members of staff and for staff who move or have a major change of hardware, software or workstation furniture. Local line managers' hold budgets for eyesight testing. Information on the take-up of this facility is not held centrally.

  Passenger Transport Authorities
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the cost of each PTA in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [36460]

  Ms Keeble
  PTAs are funded through a levy on constituent district councils and grants from central Government, as in the following table

  Cost of PTAs in 2001–02

  PTA

  District Levy

  Grants

  Total cost

  Greater Manchester

  102.2

  60.3

  162.5

  Merseyside

  81.0

  45.3

  126.3

  South Yorkshire

  60.7

  13.9

  74.6

  Tyne and Wear

  43.4

  12.9

  56.3

  West Midlands

  111.6

  28.7

  140.2

  West Yorkshire

  54.1

  35.6

  89.7

  Public Transport
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions by what means the relative efficiency of different regimes for public transport provision as between shire counties, unitary and metropolitan authorities, and cities is measured. [36459]

  Ms Keeble
  The Transport Act 2000 places specific requirements upon all local transport authorities to formulate transport policies and publish them as a local transport plan (LTP). It also requires them to prepare as part of their LTP, a bus strategy containing policies detailing how they will carry out their functions in order to secure the provision of bus services.

  Our guidance to authorities on LTPs sets out a range of detailed criteria against which each LTP is assessed. These criteria include the development of a bus strategy and the contribution of passenger rail services. The overall assessment of LTPs forms part of our consideration of authorities' bids for capital resources.

  In addition, the Local Government Act 1999 places a specific requirement on local authorities to produce Best Value Performance Plans (BVPP) each year. The BVPP should include a summary of the authority's assessment

  825W
  of its performance in the previous financial year with regard to a range of Best Value performance indicators, including those for transport, along with comparisons with similar authorities.

  South East England Development Agency
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what account he has taken for planning purposes of SEEDA's decision to seek to alleviate pinch points in respect of traffic congestion in the south east region, as discussed in the Agency's regional Economic Strategy document, and in particular for a bypass around Arundel; and if he will make a statement. [36457]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Transport objectives set out in SEEDA's Regional Economic Strategy include selective investment to alleviate pinch points on the road and rail network, pursued within the framework of the Regional Transport Strategy.

  A multi-modal study of the transport problems of the South Coast Corridor is currently being undertaken. As well as providing an over-arching strategy for the corridor, the study is required to consider a number of schemes specifically remitted to it, including the proposed bypass at Arundel. The study is expected to report in summer 2002.

  Traffic Congestion
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Arundel and South Downs, of 10 December 2001,Official Report, column 566W, on traffic congestion, whether the consultation exercise on fast-track procedures for building roads in excess of 30 kilometres has been undertaken; and if he will make a statement. [36479]

  Ms Keeble
  Our consultation paper "New Parliamentary Procedures for Processing Major Infrastructure Projects" covers a wide range of major infrastructure projects; including construction, on a new route, of a dual carriageway trunk road in excess of 30 kilometres in length. An announcement was made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my right hon. Friend the hon. Member for Copeland (Dr. Cunningham), on 17 December 2001,Official Report, column 22W. Copies of the consultation paper were placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The deadline for responses is 22 March 2002.

  Mineral Planning Guidance
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) when he expects to publish the new MPG6; [36873]

  (2) if he will make an interim statement on MPG6. [36871]

  Ms Keeble
  The Green Paper "Planning: delivering a fundamental change" has proposed that all planning guidance, including that for minerals, should be reviewed. The consultation on the Green Paper will end on 18 March 2002 after which decisions will be taken, in the light of the responses, on the nature of future guidance and appropriate timetables for producing it. The Green Paper proposes that current minerals planning guidance notes 826W
  (MPGs), including those on specific minerals such as MPG6 on aggregates, should become technical or system notes to support a statement of core policy in MPG1. Given that this could delay the present revision of MPG6, whatever form that might take, it has been decided that the quantitative national and regional guidelines for aggregates provision within MPG6 should be revised as a matter of urgency, ahead of the revision of policy in MPG1. Work is currently taking place on that basis and it is hoped that a consultation draft of this revision will be published in the late spring of this year.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what the timetable is for the review of MPG1; [36872]

  (2) if he will make an interim statement on the review of MPG1. [36876]

  Ms Keeble
  The Green Paper "Planning: delivering a fundamental change" has proposed that all planning guidance, including that for minerals, should be reviewed, and that priority should be given, among the minerals planning guidance, to the headline guidance on mineral working and restoration in MPG1. The Green Paper proposes that these reviews should be time-tabled over the next two years. The consultation on the Green Paper will end on 18 March 2002 after which decisions will be taken, in the light of the responses, on the action to be taken on its proposals.

  Planning Policy
  Mr. Ivan Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will assess the merits of making it compulsory for developers to install dropped kerbs at junctions in new building developments as part of the review of planning policy. [36576]

  Ms Keeble
  The Green Paper, "Planning: delivering a fundamental change" is principally concerned with the operation of the planning process. The provision of dropped kerbs is a matter for highways authorities, who would normally be involved in discussions about new developments. My Department has issued guidance to local authorities to encourage the provision of dropped kerbs to assist people with impaired mobility, and those in wheelchairs or with prams, to cross the road.

  Playing Fields
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the Government will extend to all playing fields the procedural protection provided for school playing fields; and if he will make a statement. [36379]

  Ms Keeble
  I have no plans to extend the provisions of the Town and Country Planning (Playing Fields) (England) Direction 1998 to cover all playing fields. Development or change of use of playing fields already requires planning permission from the local planning authority. In considering such applications, planning authorities must have regard to the policies in their own development plans and the guidance set out in Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) Note 17: "Sport and Recreation". PPG17 makes clear that playing fields should be protected unless there is an excess of provision.

  Neighbourhood Renewal
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made in implementing the Urban White Paper for neighbourhood renewal and its impact on the inner cities. [36981]

  Ms Keeble
  The Urban White Paper "Our towns and cities: the future" set out the Government's vision of a better quality of life for all in urban areas. We have provided an account of progress to date as well as the key objectives we aim to deliver on over the next two years in a six-monthly Implementation Bulletin. The next edition is due to be issued in March 2002. We also have an Implementation Plan which tracks progress on all 198 new initiatives and policies in the White Paper. Both documents can be found at www.regeneration.dtlr.gov.uk/policies/ourtowns/action.

  The Urban White Paper promised that in 2002 Ministers across Government would host an Urban Summit. This will take place on 31 October and 1 November at the ICC in Birmingham. The Summit will provide the opportunity to establish and reconfirm the Government-wide commitment to urban renaissance, identify and celebrate progress by individual towns and cities, underline that there is much to do and identify where further action is needed and evaluate the recommendations of the White Paper.

  The Government's vision for neighbourhood renewal was set out in the Neighbourhood Renewal Strategy Action Plan, launched by the Prime Minister in January 2001. It aims to deliver economic prosperity, safe communities, high quality schools, decent housing, and better health to the poorest parts of the country.

  The approach will focus main Government Programmes explicitly on deprived areas, many of which are located in inner-city areas, and will require local people and public and private sectors to work in partnership. The strategy is being spearheaded by the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit, a cross-cutting unit based in DTLR and staffed by officials from across Whitehall and the public sector, with secondees from the private and voluntary sector. The Unit has started to roll-out the Government's 10 to 20-year commitment to turn round our most deprived areas.

  Further information on the National Strategy for Neighbourhood Renewal, including updates on progress, can be found on the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit website: www.neighbourhood.dtlr.gov.uk.

  Transport-Safety Legislation
  Mr. John Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to introduce transport legislation relating to safety this Session; and if he will make a statement. [36597]

  Dr. Whitehead
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 19 October 2001 Official Report, column 1364W.

  London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason the 828W
  Private Finance Initiative Credit for the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority integrated clothing project was rejected; and for what reason this funding is not provided as a statutory requirement. [36719]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The indicative bid which London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority submitted on behalf of a number of fire authorities for an Integrated Clothing Project was not selected for support in the third round of the Private Finance Initiative for the fire service. The bids were assessed according to the criteria set out in Fire Service Circular 3/2001, a copy of which is in the Library. The Integrated Clothing Project did not score as highly as some of the other bids received. The unsuccessful bidders were given feedback on their bids.

  As regards funding, statutory responsibility, under section 1(1)(a) of the Fire Services Act 1947, for securing the services of a fire brigade and its supporting equipment rests locally with the fire authority. The authority receives funding under the revenue support grant arrangements and has the responsibility for setting a budget which will allow it to meet its obligations.

  Social Services Spending
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list for shire counties the social services standard spending assessment for the elderly, divided by the number of pensioners, adjusted for inflation at current values, in the years 1990–91 to 2001–02 and projected for 2002–03. [36763]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The Department does not keep data on people of pensionable age covering the entire period. A table showing the elderly personal social services standard spending assessment per person aged 65 and over, adjusted for inflation at current values, has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will list for Cambridgeshire(a) the difference between the social services budget and that county's social services block SSA in each year from 1992–93 to 2002–03 and (b) that sum divided by the total population financed by that social services department, adjusted for inflation at current values; [36764]

  (2) if he will list the Cambridgeshire County Council spending on social services for (a) the elderly, (b) child protection and (c) groups other than the elderly and children under 18 (i) above SSA and (ii) in total, for 1990–91 to 2001–02 and projected for the financial year 2002–03, adjusted for inflation at current values. [36759]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The information requested is as follows:

  Cambridgeshire Personal Social Services SSA and Net Revenue Expenditure (NRE) at 2001–02 prices1

  SSA (£000)

  NRE2 (Outturn) £000

  Difference (NRE-SSA) £000

  Total population3

  Difference per head (£)

  1990–91

  49,552

  63,030

  13,478

  651,626

  21

  1991–92

  57,392

  65,469

  8,077

  655,047

  12

  1992–93

  59,993

  66,842

  6,850

  664,520

  10

  1993–94

  60,990

  69,097

  8,107

  669,898

  12

  1994–95

  72,327

  80,234

  7,907

  677,689

  12

  1995–96

  79,653

  88,824

  9,171

  682,640

  13

  829W

  Cambridgeshire Personal Social Services SSA and Net Revenue Expenditure (NRE) at 2001–02 prices1

  SSA (£000)

  NRE2 (Outturn) £000

  Difference (NRE-SSA) £000

  Total population3

  Difference per head (£)

  1996–97

  86,772

  96,018

  9,246

  686,864

  13

  1997–98

  90,606

  100,501

  9,895

  693,871

  14

  1998–994

  68,061

  75,794

  7,733

  544,948

  14

  1999–2000

  70,200

  79,832

  9,632

  555,684

  17

  2000–01

  72,837

  83,0405

  10,204

  563,794

  18

  2001–02

  72,934

  86,6225

  13,688

  568,407

  24

  2002–036

  73,974

  —

  —

  573,730

  —

  Notes:

  1 Figures at 2001–02 prices using GDP deflators. NRE is expenditure funded by council tax, general Government grants and use of reserves.

  2 NRE is used to compare with SSA.

  3 SSA figures are based on population figures two years previous. For example 2000–01 population figures are used in calculating 2002–03 SSA figures and so the population figure recorded for 2002–03 in the table is actually the level of population at 2001–02,

  4 1998–99 reorganisation of authority. Former authority included the current city of Peterborough.

  5 Budget figures.

  6 Expenditure figures are not available for 2002–03.

  Sources:

  1992–93—1999–2000 Revenue Summary (RS) and Revenue Grant (RG) returns. 2000–01—2001–02 General Fund Revenue Accounts Budget Estimate return (RA) and RA(SG) (Income from Specific, Special and Supplementary Grants).

  The authority provides figures on expenditure and grant income on the quoted sources. However, in the calculation of Net Revenue Expenditure, certain adjustments are made, which in particular include an estimate of Capital Expenditure Charged to Revenue Account (CERA). It is not possible to provide this analysis at the sub-block level. However, the authority does provide figures on Net Current Expenditure (NCE) separately for children and families, and for older people services. This includes expenditure funded by all specific grants inside aggregate external finance (AEF). It therefore can not be compared with SSA. The table gives the required breakdown by NCE.

  Cambridgeshire Personal Social Services Net Current Expenditure (NCE)1 at 2001–02 prices

  £000

  Childrens and families

  Older people services

  Total other PSS

  Total PSS

  1990–91

  13,608

  23,305

  26,476

  63,389

  1991–92

  14,023

  24,309

  28,324

  66,656

  1992–93

  15,136

  23,490

  29,879

  68,505

  1993–94

  16,209

  26,400

  34,490

  77,098

  1994–95

  27,925

  37,778

  25,636

  91,339

  1995–96

  31,268

  39,760

  27,220

  98,248

  1996–97

  32,692

  41,091

  29,202

  102,984

  1997–98

  35,870

  39,407

  31,001

  106,279

  1998–992

  22,926

  32,625

  24,732

  80,283

  1999–2000

  21,158

  35,634

  29,077

  85,869

  2000–01

  20,369

  38,923

  30,160

  89,452

  2001–023

  22,490

  40,091

  31,617

  94,198

  Notes:

  1 NCE is running expenses plus employee expenses minus sales, fees and charges and other (non-grant) income. Figures at 2001–02 prices using GDP deflators.

  2 1998–99 reorganisation of authority.

  3 Budget figures.

  Sources: 1990–91—2000–01 Revenue Summary (RS). 2001–02 General Fund Revenue Account Budget Estimate return, (NCE) column.
  830W
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list for shire counties, for the financial year 1990–91 to 2001–02, and projected for the year 2002–03, adjusted for inflation at current values(a) the total spending, (b) SSA spending and (c) under or over spending on social services for (i) the elderly, (ii) child protection and (iii) other categories. [36758]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The relevant information has been placed in the Libraries of the house.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what is the standard spending assessment for social services for elderly people, per pensioner, for (i) Cambridgeshire and (ii) Suffolk in each year from 1990–91 to 2001–02, adjusted for inflation at current values; and what is the Standard Spending Assessment for social services for child protection, per child under the age of 18, for (i) Cambridgeshire and (ii) Suffolk in each year from 1990–91 to 2001–02, adjusted for inflation at current values. [36757]

  Dr. Whitehead
  The Department does not keep data on people of pensionable age covering the entire period. The table gives the Elderly Personal Social Services (PSS) Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) per person aged 65 and over together with the Children's PSS SSA per child aged 0 to 17, adjusted for inflation at current values1, for Cambridgeshire and Suffolk. The SSAs have been averaged over the number of people for the period used in calculating the SSAs ie for 2001–02, the mid-1999 population estimates have been used.

  £ per head

  Elderly PSS SSA per person aged 65 and over

  Children's PSS SSA per child aged 0 to 17

  Year

  Cambridgeshire2

  Suffolk

  Cambridgeshire

  Suffolk

  1990–91

  270.85

  264.04

  89.46

  82.84

  1991–92

  313.57

  306.72

  98.98

  92.18

  1992–93

  320.24

  320.50

  104.10

  96.73

  1993–94

  318.00

  320.49

  106.92

  99.92

  1994–95

  374.16

  369.86

  131.49

  114.93

  1995–96

  439.80

  429.71

  128.47

  109.23

  1996–97

  494.24

  483.29

  124.30

  107.31

  1997–98

  533.58

  517.89

  117.06

  103.95

  1998–99

  528.18

  533.30

  102.84

  105.23

  1999–2000

  549.29

  551.14

  95.68

  104.30

  2000–01

  564.21

  566.68

  97.10

  106.89

  2001–02

  565.25

  574.07

  91.50

  100.42

  1 Deflated using the GDP Deflator, 2001–02 equals 100.

  2 The Cambridgeshire (City of Peterborough) (Structural, Boundary and Electoral Changes) Order 1996 came into force on 1 April 1998. Prior to this Cambridgeshire county council also provided services for the area now covered by Peterborough city council.

  County Councillors
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much county councillors with cabinet responsibility are paid(a) in Lancashire and (b) on average in the UK. [36428]

  Dr. Whitehead
  My Department does not collect information from councils on the average allowances of council members. No statistics are available for the average special responsibility allowance paid to county councillors in Lancashire.
  831W
  The average special responsibility allowance for county councillors with cabinet responsibility in those councils which made the information available to the Improvement and Development Agency, as of 12 October 2001, is £11,643.

  Source: www. idea-knowledge.gov. uk, Member Allowance Summary Survey.

  Parish Councils
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will take steps to allow postal ballots for communities which have a parish meeting and are holding elections for parish councils. [36454]

  Dr. Whitehead
  A postal vote is already available to any eligible elector who requests it for the election of parish and community councils. Postal votes are not currently available for parish or community polls demanded at parish or community meetings, but as part of our initiatives, following the Rural White Paper (Cm 4909) to strengthen local democracy at parish level, we will be reviewing the operation of parish polls, including the issue of allowing postal voting.

  Arthur Andersen
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) how many contracts have been let to Arthur Andersen by his Department since 1997 on(a) matters relating to the railways and (b) other matters; [33045]

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 8 January 2002, Official Report, column 584W, on departmental consultants, on what matters relating to Railtrack his Department is continuing to receive advice from Arthur Andersen. [33046]

  Mr. Byers
  [pursuant to his reply, 7 February 2002, c. 1097W]: I have further information on the number of contracts awarded to Arthur Andersen. The additional contract was for auditing work on the Railways Pension Scheme.

  The number of contracts that have been let to Arthur Andersen since 1997 are as follows:
  Three—two on accountancy and taxation issues relating to the administration process and on the restructuring of Railtrack plc. One as external auditors for the Railways Pension Scheme (appointed by the corporate trustee of the scheme, Railway Pension Trustee Company Ltd.
  Three—two are framework agreements (framework agreements do not guarantee work; each firm on the agreement has to bid for individual tenders). One housing research project was also completed in 1999.

  Archaeological Services
  John McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's proposals to encourage local government archaeological services in protecting and promoting the historic environment. [35665]

  Dr. Howells
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government's policy statement on the Historic Environment, A Force for Our Future (December 2001), recognises that archaeological remains are an integral part of the historic environment. It acknowledges that the sites
  832W
  and monuments records maintained by local authorities are a valuable resource with potential to be a powerful educational tool, both for professional and academic users and also for the general public. The Government consider that the services offered by the records should be enhanced and integrated with other records relevant to the historic environment, and that access should be facilitated through the use of electronic media. Accordingly, we will publish a consultation paper covering a range of options in the summer.

  The Government also recognise the role played by local government archaeologists in the effective implementation of PPG16, and welcome English Heritage's work in establishing the Archaeology Training Forum to develop an education and training strategy for these and other members of the archaeology profession.

  Economic Regeneration
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what further plans he has to support economic regeneration in regions dependent on declining traditional industries. [36982]

  Alan Johnson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Department is responsible for the Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in England. They have established regional economic strategies which consider, among other issues, the role of traditional industries and the measures which can be taken to modernise these and to broaden the region's economic base. In doing this, the RDAs work closely with sector directorates in my Department and in others with an interest and with the Small Business Service and Invest.UK. The total RDA budget is increasing from £1.3 billion in this financial year to £1.7 billion in 2003–04, and they are being given greater freedom in deploying this money.

  In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the matters covered by the RDAs are the responsibility of the devolved Administrations.

  Tower Blocks (Coventry)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many tower blocks have been(a) demolished and (b) constructed since 1997 in (i) Coventry and (ii) the UK. [34923]

  Mr. Wilson
  I have been asked to reply.

  Information on the demolition and construction of tower blocks is not held centrally.

  Public Transport Insurance
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the number of insurers prepared to accept the provision of insurance for fleets of buses in the United Kingdom; and if he will refer the insurance industry to the Office of Fair Trading for investigation of competition conditions in the transport insurance industry. [36043]

  Ruth Kelly
  I have been asked to reply.
  833W
  Insurance companies are responsible for determining the terms, conditions and price of their products, within a legal framework which aims at preserving a free and open market in which insurers can compete with each other in the provision of services.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Reporting Procedures
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what reporting procedures exist between the Northern Ireland Court Service and her office. [33288]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  There is the closest possible working relationship between the Northern Ireland Court Service and the Lord Chancellor's Department both at official and ministerial level. This reflects the fact that the Northern Ireland Court Service is a department of the Lord Chancellor's and undertakes similar policy and administrative responsibilities to those undertaken by the Lord Chancellor's Department in England and Wales.

  The Northern Ireland Court Service contributes to the Lord Chancellor's Department report. It also publishes an annual report to the Lord Chancellor detailing performance against its strategic objectives as set out in the court service's corporate plan. In addition, the Northern Ireland Court Service provides routine briefing on current issues to the Lord Chancellor on a monthly basis. Other policy and administrative issues are brought to the attention of the Lord Chancellor or of the LCD Parliamentary Secretary, as appropriate, by way of regular submissions.

  Officials of the Northern Ireland Court Service hold regular meetings on current issues with the Lord Chancellor, the LCD Parliamentary Secretary, and with the officials of the Lord Chancellor's Department and its agencies.

  Statutory Instruments
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the statutory instruments issued by her Department in the last 12 months, indicating(a) the purpose of each and (b) the cost of each to (i) public funds, (ii) businesses and (iii) individuals. [36228]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  A list of statutory instruments has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. It includes those signed by or on behalf of the Lord Chancellor during the 12 months to 12 February 2002, and also Orders in Council made during that period for which the Lord Chancellor's Department was responsible. A list of Northern Ireland statutory rules signed by or on behalf of the Lord Chancellor is also included. The lists include a brief summary of the purpose of each instrument: further details will be found in instruments' explanatory notes.

  Policy decisions implemented by secondary legislation may increase, reduce or have no effect on costs to others. It is not possible, save at disproportionate cost, to attribute specific cost increases or reductions to specific statutory instruments.

  Lost/Stolen Property
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from the Department in each of the last four years.
  [34213]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  I refer the hon. Member to my answer to the right hon. and learned Member for North-East Fife (Mr. Campbell) 22 January 2002,Official Report, column 805W.

  Public Guardianship Office
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many complaints she has received about the performance of the Public Guardianship Office in each month since it was established. [32046]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Public Guardianship Office (PGO) was established on 1 April 2001. The number of complaints received about the performance of the PGO is as follows:

  Number

  April 2001

  47

  May 2001

  45

  June 2001

  62

  July 2001

  54

  August 2001

  41

  September 2001

  34

  October 2001

  35

  November 2001

  50

  December 2001

  39

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many new entrants to the civil service were employed in her Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 and over. [36493]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  New entrants employed in the civil service in the Lord Chancellor's Department (including agencies), and those aged 50 years or over, in each of the last five years were as follows.

  New entrants

  Aged 50 and over

  1996–97

  422

  81

  1997–98

  661

  142

  1998–99

  1,004

  145

  1999–2000

  689

  120

  2000–01

  824

  134

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the(a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant. [37500]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Legal Aid
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Government propose next to review fully the(a) salaries and (b) salary structure of (i) legal aid lawyers, (ii) legal aid support staff and (iii) legal aid solicitors; and if she will make a statement. [36728]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Legal Services Commission (LSC) employs a small number of lawyers (barristers and solicitors) and support staff in the Public Defender Service. The first office was opened in May 2001 and there are no immediate plans to review salary structures.

  Other than this, the LSC does not pay salaries to lawyers (barristers or solicitors) or support staff carrying out publicly funded work. The Department and the Commission are, however, concerned that the levels of remuneration paid to lawyers by the Commission from the Community Legal Service Fund and the Criminal Defence Service should ensure appropriate provision of legal advice and representation.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Government last fully reviewed the legal aid system; and when they propose to do so next. [36727]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Modernising Justice White Paper, published in December 1998, set out proposals for major reforms to the legal aid system in England and Wales. These reforms, which were introduced by the Access to Justice Act 1999, were largely implemented on or after April 2000. We are confident that the system is meeting its stated objectives. We have no plans for a full review of the system, although we do keep aspects of the system under regular review.

  Freedom of Information Act
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he estimates all the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 will be implemented. [36938]

  Mr. Wills
  I announced the timetable for implementation of the Act on 13 November 2001,Official Report, column 692W. This timetable means that the Act will be fully implemented in January 2005; 11 months before the deadline set by the Act.

  Asylum Appeals
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many asylum appeals to adjudicators were(a) heard and (b) adjourned in (i) 2000

  Lord Chancellor's Department and its agencies—percentage of correspondence answered within target (target in working days)

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  Percentage

  (Target)

  Percentage

  (Target)

  Percentage

  (Target)

  Percentage

  (Target)

  Percentage

  (Target)

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  77

  (20)

  72

  (20)

  88

  (20)

  84

  (20)

  85

  (15)

  Court Service

  2—

  —

  98

  (20)

  93

  (15)

  87

  (15)

  92

  (15)

  Public Guardianship Office1

  95

  (20)

  96

  (20)

  92

  (20)

  89

  (20)

  92

  (15)

  HM Land Registry

  96

  (5)

  96

  (5)

  96

  5

  96

  (5)

  96

  (5)

  Public Record Office

  99.5

  (10)

  98.5

  (10)

  98.5

  (10)

  99.6

  (10)

  99.3

  (10)

  1 Formerly Public Trust Office

  2 Not available

  836W
  and (ii) 2001 to the latest convenient date; and how many adjournments were at the request of (A) the appellant and (B) the Home Office. [36429]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Of the asylum appeals to adjudicators:

  between 1 October and 31 December 2000 (earliest reliable information available):

  13,127 appeals were heard, of which 3,520 cases were adjourned at hearing.

  between 1 January and 30 June 2001:

  25,418 appeals were heard, of which

  6,691 cases were adjourned at hearing.

  Comprehensive information on "adjournment by reason" is only available for cases after 1 July 2001.

  and between 1 July 2001 and 31 December 2001:

  29,881 appeals were heard, of which

  7,914 cases were adjourned at hearing.

  4,168 cases were adjourned by reason of the appellant or their representative.

  1,397 cases were adjourned by reason of the Home Office. The remaining 1,938 cases were adjourned for other reasons.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the average response time was for responding to departmental correspondence; what percentage of letters took longer than one month for a response; and what percentage took longer than three months for a response in each of the last five years. [37452]

  Mr. Wills
  The Department and its agencies deal with and monitor correspondence in different ways, and these involve a range of time limits and targets. Information on average response times and answering letters within target is set out in the following tables. Information on percentage of letters that took longer than one and three months to respond is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Lord Chancellor's Department and its agencies—average time response to correspondence

  Working days

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  2002

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  15

  13

  14

  13

  9

  Court Service

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Public Guardianship Office1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Land Registry

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Public Record Office

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1 Formerly Public Trust Office

  Information from Court Service, HM Land Registry, Public Guardianship Office and Public Record Office on average response time is not readily available and could be only at disproportionate cost.

  Power of Attorney
  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department whether the Public Guardianship Office intends to increase the charge for registering an enduring power of attorney. [R] [35473]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Public Guardianship Office has recently conducted a review of all the fees charged. Some fees will need to be increased to reflect costs. The results of the review are being considered and the outcome will be announced in due course.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff left the service of her Department and its agencies in the year ended 31 March 2001; how many left before attaining the formal retirement age of 60 years; and in respect of how many her Department and its agencies assumed responsibilities for making payments until retirement age. [37547]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  (a) in the year ended 31 March 2001, 1,086 staff left the service of the Lord Chancellor's Department and its agencies; (b) 864 staff left before attaining the formal retirement age of 60 years, of which 74 per cent. resigned, 12 per cent. transferred to other Government departments, 6 per cent. retired on ill health grounds and 3 per cent. were dismissed; (c) the Department and its agencies assumed responsibility for making payment until retirement age for 18 members of staff.

  £

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–021

  Item 12

  Court Service

  n/a

  36,131

  90,179

  99,411

  66,142

  Item 23

  LCD HQ

  n/a

  354

  2,038

  1,803

  1,032

  Court Service

  n/a

  10,206

  38,832

  52,280

  52,345

  Public Guardianship Office (formerly Public Trust Office)

  n/a

  0

  1,870

  2,130

  1,684

  Legal Services Commission (formerly legal Aid Board)

  21,125

  14,578

  27,653

  61,422

  n/a

  Information Commissioner

  1,069

  1,273

  2,189

  1,492

  1,185

  1 To December

  2 Mobile line rental costs are shown. These figures include the cost of handsets which are provided by the supplier as part of the mobile line rental contract.

  3 The cost of mobile telephone calls are shown.

  Entertainment Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) if she will list for 1997–98 and each subsequent financial year the amount spent by(a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies in respect of hotel and other similar privately-provided accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad for (A) Ministers, (B) staff and (C) other persons; if she will list the proportion of this cost incurred in respect of (x) food and (y) alcohol in each case; and if she will list the average cost per hotel room or similar unit of accommodation provided in each case; [34384]

  Sentencing
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will review the training received by judges in order to encourage consistent sentencing. [34658]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Judicial training is the responsibility of the Judicial Studies Board (JSB) which is an independent non-departmental public body. It is chaired by Lord Justice Waller.

  All judges hearing criminal cases attend a residential induction course upon appointment and regular residential continuation seminars thereafter organised by the JSB. These include lectures and discussions on sentencing, one of the objectives of which is to encourage consistency. Recorders and Circuit Judges also attend annual circuit based seminars specifically devoted to sentencing issues. The content of the training received at these courses is kept under constant review by the Criminal Committee of the JSB, and updated to take in current issues where necessary.

  Mobile Telephones
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) her Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff. [34407]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Not all the information requested is available.

  (2) if she will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the amount spent by (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by her Department and how much reclaimed. [34459]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Court Dress
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on her plans for the future of wigs as part of court dress. [34064]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Discussions between the Lord Chief Justice, the senior judiciary, the legal professional bodies and other interested parties are continuing. The Lord Chancellor will want to consider with the Heads of Division the final results of that consultation before deciding what action, if any, it would be appropriate to take.

  Legal Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what legal costs have been incurred by the Lord Chancellor's Department in each of the last four years. [34344]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Legal Costs (including VAT) incurred by the Lord Chancellor's Department and the Court Service in each of the last four years were as follows:

  (a) 1998–99: £1,482,297

  (b) 1999–2000: £2,296,799

  (c) 2000–01: £2,170,675

  (d) 2001 to date: £1,775,568.

  Health and Safety (Computers)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many employees in her Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to(a) current and (b) new staff. [36685]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, effective January 1993, require employers to provide and pay for, upon request from an employee, an eye and eyesight test. There is a requirement for further tests at regular intervals; the optometrist doing the first test can recommend when the next one should be. In addition, employers must pay the cost of special spectacles required where normal ones cannot be used.

  The eye-care scheme is publicised in the employee handbook and is mentioned to all new staff on the induction for new entrants event. In addition the scheme is regularly advertised in departmental publications which are circulated to all staff and on the departmental IT system.

  In 2001 a total of 2,267 eye-test vouchers were applied for and issued. This figure represents 17.8 per cent. of the staff employed by the Department.

  Bail
  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what plans the Government have to review the guidelines given to magistrates on granting bail to repeat offenders; [36105]

  (2) what recent guidelines he has given to magistrates on granting bail to repeat offenders. [36106]
  840W
  Mr. Wills
  Bail is a matter solely for the court before which a defendant appears. It would not be right for a Government Minister to interfere with the process of independent judicial discretion which magistrates exercise under the Bail Act 1976, which governs the granting of bail. Accordingly, no guidelines have been issued by the Lord Chancellor's Department in relation to the granting of bail to repeat offenders and there are no plans to review this position.

  Judicial Appointments
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary. Lord Chancellor's Department what consultation has taken place between(a) the Northern Ireland Court Service and (b) the Commissioner for Judicial Appointments with the Equality Commission concerning judicial appointments; and what recommendations have been made. [29947]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Northern Ireland Court Service, through its Diversity Unit, has regular contact with the Equality Commission in respect of appointments.

  The Commissioner for Judicial Appointments for Northern Ireland, Mr. J. V. Simpson took up office on 11 December 2001. The Commissioner is undertaking an initial programme of familiarisation meetings and will be contacting the Equality Commission in this context.

  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many staff are employed to advise the Lord Chancellor on judicial appointments; and at what annual cost. [33745]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  In January 2002 there were approximately 190 staff employed in the Judicial Group advising on appointments including, in addition to those working on the more than 800 specific appointments per annum, those advising on related matters such as appointments policy, terms and conditions of service including pensions, correspondence about judges and the promotion of a more diverse judiciary. The total expected pay bill cost for the financial year ending 31 March 2002 is approximately £4,700,000 including the estimated cost of new members of staff expected to take up positions with the Group before 31 March 2002.

  Immigration Appellate Authority
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Appellate Authority received notice of an appeal in the case ISB/IMM/G6193; when he intends to notify the appellant of a hearing date; and if he will make a statement. [32307]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  This case was received by the Immigration Appellate Authority on 8 February 2002. It has been listed for a first hearing and for a full hearing at Hatton Cross. Notice of Hearing was sent to the appellant on 13 February 2002.

  Immigration and Asylum Appeals
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how she plans to consult on proposals to change the immigration and asylum appeals system. [36430]
  841W
  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Secure Borders, Safe Haven—Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain White Paper was published on 7 February 2002. Copies have been supplied to Parliament. The Home Office had an extensive list of consultees that included ministerial colleagues, relevant Opposition spokespersons, non-governmental bodies, and other interested parties. The consultation period ends on 21 March 2002.

  County Courts
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many county courts Ministers in his Department have visited since 7 June 2001. [31862]

  Mr. Wills
  I have visited the following County Courts since 7 June 2001:Newcastle Combined Court Centre on 28 November 2001; and Swindon Combined Court Centre; on 16 January 2002.

  My ministerial colleagues have undertaken the following visits:

  Baroness Scotland of Asthal QC: Central London County Court, on 23 January 2002; and Edmonton County Court, on 18 October 2001;

  Parliamentary Secretary, my hon. Friend for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton): Brighton County Court on 11 September 2001; Leeds Combined Court Centre, on 26 September 2001;

  The following Court Houses in Northern Ireland: Limavady, Londonderry, Larne, Antrim, Bandridge and Newry, on 22 January 2002; and Bangor and Newtownards, on 6 September 2001.

  The Lord Chancellor visited the Birmingham Civil Justice Centre, which encompasses Birmingham County Court, on 7 December 2001.

  Hereditary Issues
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many hereditary issues have been referred to him since taking office. [32592]

  Mr. Wills
  Under the House of Lords Standing Order 10, made on 26 July 1999, the Clerk of the Parliaments maintains a register of hereditary peers, other than peers of Ireland, who wish to stand in any by-election held to fill vacancies occurring due to the death of any of the 90 elected hereditary peers expected from the provisions of the House of Lords Act 1999. House of Lords Standing Order 10A, made on 13 November 2000, requires any hereditary peer who has succeeded to a title since the making of the standing order to petition the House. These petitions are referred to the Lord Chancellor to consider and report on whether a peer has established the right to be included in the register.

  Since the making of Standing Order 10A, the House of Lords has referred five such petitions to the Lord Chancellor relating to the Dukedom of Sutherland and to the Baronies of Aldington, Cawley, Combermere and Terrington.

  The Lord Chancellor has, in addition, considered two claims in relation to Irish peerages: the Earldom of Roden and the Barony of Dunsany.

  Solway Harvester
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what representations he has received from the Isle of Man Government regarding the timing of the publication of the MAIB report into the Solway Harvester. [36733]

  Mr. Wills
  I have received no representations from the Isle of Man Government on this matter.

  Departmental Website
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the total cost of his Department's website was in real terms in each of the last four years; and how many hits it received in each of those years. [36144]

  Mr. Wills
  The total annual cost of the LCD website could not be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs because website related work is not differentiated from other work in the production and publication of departmental material.

  The number of unique visitors (a more reliable indicator of individuals accessing web pages than hits) to the Department's website, www.lcd.gov.uk is as follows:

  Number

  1997–98

  54,688

  1998–99

  147,958

  1999–2000

  291,582

  2000–01

  358,161

  Public Bodies (Chairmen)
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the appointments made by his Department since 1 May 1997 of chairmen of(a) non-departmental public bodies, (b) commissions, (c) inquiries, (d) agencies and (e) task forces; and if he will list their (i) term of office, (ii) salary and (iii) known political affiliation (A) past and (B) present. [33881]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The non-judicial appointments made to the chairmanship of the Lord Chancellor's non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997 are set out in the following tables. Information on political affiliation is not collected.

  There are no appointments to be reported under (b), (c) or (d).

  Information on the number, remit and membership of task forces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews has been published by the Cabinet Office on a regular basis. The first report was published on 11 January 2000 and gives information for the period between 1 May 1997 to 31 October 1999. A second report was published on 27 July 2000, and covered the period 1 November 1999 to 30 April 2000. A third report was published on 13 December 2000 covering the period 1 May 2000 to 31 October 2000. The most recent report: Task Forces, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups and Reviews, was issued in October 2001, covers the period of the financial year 2000–01. Copies of these reports have been placed in the Libraries of the House.
  843W

  Non-departmental public bodies

  Chairman

  Committee

  Appointed

  Retirement

  Advisory committees on justices of the peace

  Mr. James Tidmarsh (LL)

  Avon

  1 May 1997

  2007

  Mr. James Tidmarsh (LL)

  Bristol

  1 May 1997

  2007

  Mr. Keith Gorton

  North Cleveland

  2001

  2006

  Mr. Alfred Illingworth

  South Cleveland

  2001

  2006

  Mr. Eric Dancer (LL)

  Devon

  1998

  2015

  Mr. David Libby

  Plymouth

  2001

  2004

  Captain M. Fulford-Dobson (LL)

  Dorset

  1999

  2006

  Sir Paul Nicholson (LL)

  Durham

  1998

  2013

  Mr. Alan Willett (LL)

  Kent

  2002

  2011

  Mr. Raymond Harris

  Leicester

  1999

  2005

  Lady Juliet Townsend (LL)

  Northamptonshire

  1998

  2011

  Sir John Riddell (LL)

  Northumberland

  2000

  2009

  Lord Crathorne (LL)

  North Yorkshire

  1999

  2014

  Dr. Sheila Filshie

  Nottingham

  1 November 1997

  2006

  Lady Elizabeth Gass (LL)

  Somerset

  1999

  2015

  Mrs. Sarah Goad (LL)

  Surrey

  29 October 1997

  2015

  Mrs. P. Stewart-Roberts (LL)

  East Sussex

  2000

  2008

  Mr. Hugh Wyatt (LL)

  West Sussex

  1999

  2008

  Mrs. C Wellingbrook

  North East London

  2001

  2004

  HH Judge Ellis

  South East London

  2000

  2005

  HH Judge Mitchell

  South West London

  2001

  2007

  Mr. Keith Goodall

  Barnsley

  2000

  2003

  Mr. Christopher Dorries

  Sheffield

  2000

  2003

  Mr. Paul Bryan

  North Tyneside

  2001

  2004

  Mr. K. Ahmed

  South Tyneside

  2000

  2003

  Mr. D. Cocking

  Solihull

  1999

  2005

  Mr. C. Sykes

  Sutton Coldfield

  1999

  2002

  Mrs. E. Rawling

  Walsall

  1999

  2002

  Mrs. R. Tyler

  Warley

  2001

  2002

  Mr. G. Dobson

  Bradford

  2001

  2004

  Mrs. E. Bavidge

  Calderdale

  1998

  2001

  Mrs. Valerie Pace

  Huddersfield

  2001

  2004

  Mr. J. Bancroft

  Keighley

  2001

  2007

  Mr. T. Moran

  Leeds

  1998

  2004

  Mr. A. Mills

  Pontefract

  2002

  2004

  Mr. Trefor Jones (LL)

  Clwyd

  2001

  2012

  Mr. G. J. Morgan

  Ceredigion

  2001

  2002

  Mr. S. Watkins

  Pembroke

  1998

  2001

  Mr. Simon Boyle (LL)

  Gwent

  2001

  2011

  Professor Eric Sunderland (LL)

  Gwynedd

  2000

  2005

  Advisory committees on general commissioners of income tax

  Mr. James Tidmarsh (LL)

  Avon

  1 May 1997

  2007

  Lord Crathorne (LL)

  Cleveland

  2001

  2014

  Mr. Eric Dancer (LL)

  Devon

  1998

  2015

  Captain M. Fulford-Dobson (LL)

  Dorset

  1999

  2006

  Mrs. Julia Davidson

  Durham

  2000

  2003

  Mrs. P Stewart-Roberts (LL)

  East Sussex

  2000

  2008

  Mrs. A Baglin

  London Blackheath

  1999

  2005

  Mr. T. Watson

  London Middlesex

  2000

  2003

  Mr. Peter Banks

  Greater Manchester

  1999

  2002

  Mr. Alan Willett (LL)

  Kent

  2002

  2011

  Mr. James Glynn

  Lancashire

  2001

  2002

  Lady Juliet Townsend (LL)

  Northamptonshire

  1998

  2011

  Sir John Riddel (LL)

  Northumberland

  2000

  2009

  Lord Crathorne (LL)

  North Yorkshire

  1999

  2014

  Lady Elizabeth Gass (LL)

  Somerset

  1999

  2015

  Mrs. Sarah Goad (LL)

  Surrey

  29 October 1997

  2015

  Mr. Nigel Sherlock

  Tyne and Wear

  2001

  2011

  Mr. L. Tomkins

  West Midlands-1

  1999

  2002

  Mr. Hugh Wyatt (LL)

  West Sussex

  1999

  2008

  Mr. Colin Beard

  Wiltshire

  1998

  2002

  Mr. Trefor Jones (LL)

  Clwyd

  2001

  2012

  Mrs. Lort Philips

  Pembroke

  1998

  2007

  844W 845W

  Non-departmental public bodies

  Chairman

  Committee

  Appointed

  Retirement

  Mr. Simon Boyle (LL)

  Gwent

  2001

  2011

  Professor Eric Sunderland (LL)

  Anglesey

  2000

  2005

  Professor Eric Sunderland (LL)

  Caernarfon

  2000

  2005

  Professor Eric Sunderland (LL)

  Meirionnydd

  2000

  2005

  Mrs. L. R. Peate

  Powys

  1999

  2004

  Mr. A. Mossford

  South Glamorgan

  1999

  2005

  Notes:

  Lord Lieutenants (LL) hold office until their 75th birthday.

  Others are appointed for a maximum of nine years on a Committee. The position is unpaid

  Other NDPBs

  Individual

  Dates

  Current remuneration(£)

  Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service

  Anthony Hewson OBE

  January 2001 for 4 years

  400 per day

  Council on Tribunals

  Lord Newton of Braintree

  1 October 1999 for 3 years

  43,1401

  Insolvency Rules Committee

  Mr. Justice Evans-Lombe

  October 1997 to September 2002

  Unpaid

  Judicial Studies Board

  Lord Justice Waller

  17 May 1999 for 3 years

  2—

  Law Commission

  Lord Justice Carnwath CVO

  1 February 1999 to 31 July 2002

  2—

  Legal Services Commission

  Peter G. Birch CBE

  1 April 2000 for 4 years

  37,062

  Legal Services Consultative Panel2

  Lord Justice Potter

  1 January 2001 to 31 December 2004

  Unpaid

  Strategic Investment Board

  Dr. Colin Price

  1 January 2001 for 3 years

  15,0001

  1 Annual retainer

  2 Continues to draw judicial salary

  3 The Panel replaced the Advisory Committee on Legal Education and Conduct, to which Lord Justice Potter was appointed as chairman on 27 May 1998. Fees were paid to members, but he continued to draw his judicial salary.

  Lord Chancellor (Duties)
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department on how many occasions(a) the Lord Chancellor and (b) her ministerial colleagues have refused to meet hon. Members to discuss constituency matters in the last 36 months; and what criteria she uses to arrive at such decisions. [30848]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The information requested by my hon. Friend is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In deciding whether a meeting should or can take place, the Lord Chancellor's policy is to take account of (a) the nature of the issue concerned, any relevant background history, and surrounding circumstances; (b) pressure on his, and other Ministers' diaries; and (c) whether the matter can be fully and satisfactorily dealt with in correspondence.

  Working Conditions and Practices
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what assessment has been made of the effect of the working time directive on her Department's employees; how many employees are working in excess of 48 hours per week; what steps she is taking to reduce this number; and if she will make a statement. [35890]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Since the working time directive was introduced we have sought to reduce the number of staff working in excess of 48 hours a week (by adjusting working hours or re-designing jobs) to an absolute minimum. Currently, of all the staff in the Lord Chancellor's Department and its agencies (the Court Service and Public Guardianship Office), around 30 staff regularly work in excess of 48 hours on a voluntary basis. They are principally based in the private offices and press 846W
  office. Some other staff may work in excess of 48 hours from time-to-time to cover peaks of work or because their work is of a cyclical nature.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people are employed in her Department on a job share contract; and what percentage of vacant positions was advertised on this basis in the last 12 months. [35364]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  2,291 staff currently work reduced hours in LCD headquarters, the Court Service and the Public Guardianship Office, a large proportion of whom are engaged on a job-share or job-split arrangement.

  Job-sharing is only one of a number of alternative and flexible working patterns that employees are welcome to take up under the Department's work-life balance policies. The flexibility of the pattern is decided in conjunction with local management to suit an individual's need and the needs of their work.

  95 per cent. of all vacancies advertised over the past 12 months have been suitable for job-sharing. The expectation is that jobs will be available for job-sharing unless line managers can justify otherwise.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in her Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [35930]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Detailed sick absence statistics are derived from the recording of medical and self-certificates, which are completed by staff or their
  847W
  GPs. While certain illnesses, such as "depression", "anxiety", "general debility" and even "stress" may be indicated on certificates, it is not possible to determine levels of "work-related stress". Consequently, we have no details on the number of working days lost due to work-related stress or the cost to the Department.

  However, we know from recent staff attitude surveys and an audit conducted in 1995 that undue stress at work is a problem for a small minority. To deal with this we have introduced a range of stress management courses for both managers and non-managers. Our in-house welfare service is fully trained, and ideally placed, to deal with issues involving work-related stress.

  Both the Court Service and LCD headquarters also introduced new work-life balance policies during 2001, enabling staff to adopt more effective working patterns to better balance their work and home life.

  We have a legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for all our staff and are committed to meeting targets for reducing the number of working days lost generally to work related injuries and illnesses arising from the Government's Revitalising Health and Safety initiative.

  Public Record Office
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what official visits abroad officials from the Public Record Office have made since 1997; at what cost; and for what purpose. [32402]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The official visits abroad by officials from the Public Record Office are as follows:

  £

  Visits

  Average cost

  1997

  15

  1,000

  1998

  21

  1,100

  1999

  25

  650

  2000

  29

  800

  2001

  24

  1,900

  The visits were made for the following purposes:

  1. Collaboration, joint projects, research and benchmarking mainly with national archives in USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

  2. Service on international committees relating to archives; mainly the International Council or Archives and the European Union, but also the International Standards Organisations; almost all within Europe.

  3. Attendance at conferences on archival topics, mainly in Europe.

  4. Supervisory visits to Mauritius in connection with transcriptions of the PRO on-line catalogue (PROCAT).

  5. Supervisory visits to India and Sri Lanka in connection with transcriptions of the 1901 census.

  Departmental Events
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the(a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by her Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in each of the last four years giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each. [34303]
  848W
  Ms Rosie Winterton
  This information is not held centrally in the categories required and could be assembled only at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list the publications issued by the Department in each of the last four years; and what the(a) circulation, (b) cost and (c) purpose of each was. [34200]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The information requested is not held centrally in the categories requested; the information could be assembled only at disproportionate costs.

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in her Department to(a) the Lord Chancellor and (b) her fellow Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36275]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Ministerial boxes originating from this Department are transported to Ministers' homes either by Government car or by a service provided by the Royal Mail.

  City of London Corporation (Events)
  John McDonnell
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will list those functions, engagements and events which Ministers, officials and advisers in the Lord Chancellor's Department have attended which have been sponsored, funded, promoted and hosted by the City of London Corporation since 1997. [35700]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Theft and Fraud
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her estimate is of the cost of theft and fraud to(a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [27972]

  Ms Hewitt
  The estimated cost of theft and fraud to(a) the Department, (b) its agencies and (c) NDPBs is as follows:

  Theft

  Year

  £

  1998

  11,267

  1999

  10,985

  2000

  5,870

  2001

  18,782

  849W
  These figures do not include returns from agencies or NDPBs. The information from agencies will be provided as soon as possible. The DTI does not hold information on thefts within NDPBs.

  The annual fraud returns to the Treasury detailing losses relating to fraud are as follows:

  Fraud

  year

  £

  1997–98

  2,776

  1998–99

  56,150

  1999–2000

  2,589

  2000–01

  46,461

  The Department's agencies and NDPBs are included in these figures.

  Postal Deliveries
  Mr. Russell Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many properties in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Scotland, and (c) Dumfries and Galloway were exempt from the normal six days a week postal deliveries during the past four years; if she will investigate the reasons for these exemptions; and what action she will take to reduce the number of exemptions. [28059]

  Mr. Alexander
  [holding answer 17 January 2002]:The question of exceptions to the universal service is a matter for the postal regulator, the Postal Services Commission (Postcomm). Under the Postal Services Act 2000, Postcomm has the primary duty to ensure the provision of a universal postal service; that is at least one delivery of relevant postal packets is to be made every working day to the home or premises of every individual or other person in the United Kingdom or to such identifiable points for the delivery of relevant postal packets as Postcomm may approve.

  However, the legislation does provide for the possibility that some addresses will receive less than this but only in exceptional circumstances. Such exceptions must be justified and agreed with Postcomm. Under the terms of the European Postal Directive these must also be notified to the European Commission. Since the establishment of the regulatory regime it has become clear that the incidence of exceptions is more widespread than was previously envisaged.

  So, working closely with Postwatch (the postal consumer council), Postcomm is currently formulating a long-term policy on this matter and Postcomm intends to publish a public consultation paper, in the spring, setting out a long-term approach.

  However, in the interim, and to avoid Consignia being in breach of its licence obligations, Postcomm issued a Direction on 23 March 2001 under section 4 of the Postal Services Act 2000 which designated exceptional conditions and circumstances under which Consignia plc was not obliged to comply with the every working day delivery requirement of the universal postal service. That Direction expired on 23 September 2001 and on that date Postcomm issued a second interim Direction (which is still in force). I am placing in the. Library of the House a copy of that Direction.
  850W
  The Annexe attached to the Direction outlines the geographical exceptions to the Direction. One of these relates only to parcel deliveries. One additional delivery point, was added to the Annexe to the Direction issued on 23 September 2001.

  It is a matter for Postcomm to determine whether or not postal areas fall within any of the other exceptional designations outlined in the Direction.

  Mr. Weir
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will give a breakdown by parliamentary constituency of the number of homes in Scotland from whom Consignia plan to withdraw postal services; and from how many homes in the Angus local authority area Consignia proposes to withdraw postal services. [28307]

  Mr. Alexander
  Consignia would need Postcomm's authorisation to make changes to the way it carries out the universal postal service obligation in Scotland and Postcomm is not aware that Consignia plans to make such changes in Scotland. Subject to Consignia's universal service obligations, the number and timing of deliveries is an operational issue for Consignia.

  Mr. Weir
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with Consignia regarding their proposal to withdraw postal services from some rural homes in Scotland. [28306]

  Mr. Alexander
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has had no discussions with Consignia on this issue. Consignia would need the postal regulator the Postal Services Commission's (Postcomm) authorisation to make changes to the way it carries out the universal postal service obligation in Scotland and Postcomm is not aware that Consignia plans to make such changes in Scotland. Subject to Consignia's universal service obligations, the number and timing of deliveries is an operational issue for Consignia.

  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures the Government are taking to protect the(a) price and (b) frequency of postal services in remote and rural areas from the pressures resulting from increased competition in delivery of mail, with particular reference to the Highlands of Scotland; and if she will make a statement. [34051]

  Ms Hewitt
  Under the Postal Services Act 2000 the Postal Services Commission (Postcomm) has the primary duty to ensure the provision of a universal postal service. The obligation consists of a service provided at an affordable price determined by a public tariff uniform throughout the UK and includes the delivery each working day to the home or premises of every individual in the UK and a collection each working day from access points.

  Subject to this primary responsibility, Postcomm is also under a duty to exercise its functions in the manner which it considers is best calculated to further the interest of users of postal services, wherever appropriate, by promoting effective competition between postal operators. In performing this secondary duty Postcomm shall have regard to the interests of, among others, individuals residing in rural areas.
  851W
  Currently Postcomm requires Consignia plc, in the licence, to provide a universal postal service. Subject to Consignia's universal service obligations, the number and timing of deliveries is an operational issue for Consignia. The prices that Consignia can charge for specific postal services, in particular prices for first and second class postage, are controlled by its licence granted by Postcomm on 23 March 2001. Postcomm is currently in the early stages of reviewing this price control and expects to publish initial proposals this summer.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many households do not receive a daily post delivery, broken down by postal area; and what measures she plans to take to overcome this. [28313]

  Mr. Alexander
  [holding answer 18 January 2002]I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I have given today to Question 28059 from my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Mr. Brown).

  Manufacturing Summit
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the responses received regarding the Manufacturing Summit of 5 December 2001; and if she will place the responses in the Library. [33979]

  Mr. Wilson
  A number of organisations provided written evidence to the Summit and a number of less formal comments were received. I have arranged for copies of the written evidence to be placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Departmental Publications
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the publications issued by her Department in each of the last four years; and what the(a) circulation,(b) cost and (c) purpose of each was. [34205]

  Ms Hewitt
  A list of those DTI publications produced since 1 December 2000 that have been notified to my Department's Publications Unit has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The listing includes the total cost incurred by the Department in production of each publication (where notified centrally), and excludes publications produced for internal use. For a list of publications published to December 2000, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 12 December 2000,Official Report, column 79W.

  Circulation and purpose varies for each individual title. Information at the required level of detail is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, purposes include: guidance on legislation, informing people on a variety of issues such as consumer protection, and providing information to help small businesses.

  Working Practices and Conditions
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in her Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what 852W
  procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [35933]

  Ms Hewitt
  Data on work related stress are not collected separately in my Department. However we are committed to maintaining a safe working environment for staff and to reducing absences caused by any sickness or injury.

  The Department offers an in-house counselling and advice service, with referrals to an outside specialist service where needed, which helps both managers and staff tackle work-related stress. Workshops are held for groups of staff and training is available.

  Departmental Investment Measures
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's preferred measure of investment. [35297]

  Alan Johnson
  The DTI look at total investment and its components, including Government, business and manufacturing investment. The DTI competitiveness indicators publication compares both Government and business investment over time with the other G7 countries, using data sourced from the OECD.

  Consignia
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the timescale for the appointment of the new chairman for Consignia. [35298]

  Mr. Alexander
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare (Brian Cotter) on 11 February 2002,Official Report, column 72W.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from the manufacturing industry on the effect of the level of the pound against the euro since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [35301]

  Mr. Wilson
  I and my ministerial colleagues understand the difficulties that the weakness of the euro and the slowdown in the world economy are causing for British industry, particularly manufacturing. We often receive representations from manufacturers on a wide range of issues, including those relating to the euro, and we value their insights.

  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of manufacturing industry. [35626]

  Mr. Wilson
  The stable macro-economic framework we have established—together with our policies to promote the spread of best practice, encourage innovation, raise skills levels and improve the transfer of ideas from the science base—are the best way to ensure the future competitiveness of the UK's manufacturing industry.

  Combined Heat and Power
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she is taking to ensure that
  853W
  the Government's CHP target is reflected in her Department's aims and objectives on sustainable development; and when she intends to issue them to the non-ministerial Government Departments for which she is responsible. [35387]

  Mr. Wilson
  I believe the question is referring to guidelines on sustainable development and I should say that my Department has not issued any such guidelines. However, the DTI's Sustainable Development Strategy was published in October 2000 and is available on the DTI website. The Government remain committed to supporting CHP and my Department is working with colleagues in DEFRA and industry to improve the economic conditions for CHP and we are actively contributing to the development of the Government's CHP strategy.

  New Electricity Trading Arrangements
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the extent to which the new electricity trading arrangements are encouraging for combined heat and power and renewables. [35385]

  Mr. Wilson
  Ofgem's Report to DTI on the Review of the Initial Impact of NETA on Smaller Generators issued on 31 August 2001, indicated that prices for the export of power from smaller generators had reduced by around 17 per cent. since the introduction of NETA. Ofgem also found export volumes reduced by 44 per cent. compared to a year previously. Ofgem suggested the lower export prices for electricity were one factor, but that higher costs (especially gas prices) may also have contributed.

  The Government believe that NETA should form part of its longer-term aim for encouraging a move towards a more cost-reflective and efficient system within which the benefits of embedded generation are recognised.

  On 1 November 2001, I issued a consultation document in response to Ofgem's reports 'The New Electricity Trading Arrangements—Review of the First Three Months' and 'Report to the DTI on the Review of the Initial Impact of NETA on Smaller Generators' of 31 August 2001. This consultation closed on 1 December 2001.

  The Government's key proposals are, broadly,

  To ensure imbalance prices are genuinely cost reflective; and

  To ensure that effective consolidation services emerge.

  The Government are carefully considering responses on the proposals set out in their consultation document and will be issuing a response shortly.

  City of London Corporation (Events)
  John McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the functions, engagements and events which Ministers, her officials and advisers have attended which have been sponsored, funded, promoted and hosted by the City of London Corporation since 1997. [35698]

  Ms Hewitt
  This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Arthur Andersen/Accenture
  Mr. Edward Davey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which partners or senior employees of(a) Andersen,(b) Arthur Andersen, (c) Andersen Consulting and (d) Accenture have been appointed to (i) informal roles giving advice to the Department of Trade and Industry, (ii) task forces reporting to the Department of Trade and Industry, (iii) ad hoc advisory groups reporting to the Department of Trade and Industry and (iv) other formal roles reporting to Department of Trade and Industry Ministers since 1997; and if she will make a statement. [32916]

  Ms Hewitt
  Information on the number, remit and membership of taskforces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews has been published by the Cabinet Office on a regular basis. The first report was published on 11 January 2000 and gives information for the period between 1 May 1997 to 31 October 1999. A second report was published on 27 July 2000, and covered the period 1 November 1999 to 30 April 2000. A third report was published on 13 December 2000 covering the period 1 May 2000 to 31 October 2000. The most recent report: "Task Forces, Ad Hoc Advisory Groups and Reviews", issued in October 2001, covers the period of the financial year 2000–2001. Copies of these reports have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  The Department has numerous informal contacts with its stakeholders at different levels.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Carmichael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which radioactive materials are held in B30 nuclear waste storage ponds at Sellafield. [35999]

  Mr. Wilson
  I understand from the company that the pond currently holds unreprocessed used nuclear fuel residues, and intermediate level waste in the form of sludges and various solid wastes.

  European Fusion Development Scheme
  Mr. Carmichael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the UK has given to the European fusion development scheme in the past 10 years; and what the UK's financial commitment to EFDA is in the next 10 years. [36002]

  Mr. Wilson
  The European Fusion Development Agreement (EFDA) began in 1999. Over the four-year period 1999–2002 the UK's direct contribution to EFDA activities is projected to be £23 million. In this period 1999–2002, European income to the UK under EFDA for facility operation and research is likely to be £104 million.

  The budget for EFDA in the next Framework Programme (2003–06) is still under discussion and hence no commitment has yet been made.

  Pakistan (Imports)
  Jim Dobbin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason the UK has chosen to give Pakistan a duty free assistance package rather than offering aid to Pakistan in the form of cash grants. [36249]
  855W
  Mr. Wilson
  The decision by the EU to give Pakistan duty free assistance was part of a package of measures that also included a renewed EC-Pakistan Co-operation Agreement and economic assistance in the form of euro 50 million in development aid in 2002. The whole package was given in response to the exceptional economic and political circumstances faced by Pakistan as a result of its support for the coalition against terrorism following the events of 11 September.

  Jim Dobbin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how the duty free access for finished goods originating from Pakistan will be controlled to ensure that Pakistan improves(a) working conditions, (b) environmental controls and(c) human rights. [36248]

  Mr. Wilson
  Pakistan will have duty free access for many products as a drugs regime country under the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP). This regime has comprehensive monitoring and evaluation criteria covering social development and environmental policy. Annual reports will be considered by the GSP Committee, and the European Commission will undertake a general review at end of 2004. In addition, there are provisions to withdraw any GSP country's benefits in the event of serious problems in a variety of areas, such as fraud, inadequate drug controls, human rights abuses, and labour rights violations.

  Jim Dobbin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the number of jobs that will be lost in the UK following the decisions by the Government and the European Union to allow duty free access for finished goods originating from Pakistan. [36251]

  Mr. Wilson
  An assessment carried out by my officials last October suggests that the impact of the EU decision to offer duty-free access to Pakistan for made up textiles and clothing is likely to be modest but that it is not possible to say precisely how many jobs will be affected. One reason for this is because any resulting increase in exports from Pakistan will represent at most about a 1 per cent. increase in the value of overall supply of clothing and textiles to the EU market. A second reason is that increased exports from Pakistan are in many instances likely to displace exports from other third country suppliers

  Jim Dobbin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the level of imports of cloth from Indonesia and China sent via Pakistan to be made into apparel goods in order to avoid the duty payable if the cloth had been imported direct to the UK. [36247]

  Mr. Wilson
  No assessment has been made of the level of imports of cloth from Indonesia and China sent via Pakistan to be made into apparel goods as such goods will remain liable to full duty on entry to the UK.

  Union Duties
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years. [36218]
  856W
  Ms Hewitt
  The cost for my Department and its agencies for the last four years for which figures are available (financial years 1995–96 to 1998–99) was £77,000; £49,000; £44,500 and £59,000, respectively. Information about staff numbers and time allocated is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Information for non-departmental public bodies is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Steel Industry
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the balance of trade was in steel in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and what the main contribution of origin of steel imports were by volume. [36061]

  Mr. Wilson
  The information is given in the following tables:

  UK balance of trade in steel 1996 to 2000

  Year

  Tonnes 000

  1996

  2,814

  1997

  2,662

  1998

  815

  1999

  835

  2000

  185

  UK imports of steel 1996 to 2000—top five sources

  Tonnes 000

  Countries

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  Germany

  1,514

  1,518

  1,394

  1,394

  1,455

  France

  738

  824

  893

  864

  740

  Belgium1

  579

  686

  698

  661

  698

  Sweden

  526

  454

  577

  524

  588

  Spain

  397

  348

  384

  385

  435

  1 Data for Belgium include imports from Luxembourg in years 1996–98

  Source:

  Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau.

  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her assessment is of the effects of stage 1 and stage 2 enlargement of the European Union on the British steel industry. [36062]

  Mr. Wilson
  Enlargement of the European Union will strengthen its position in the global market and provide excellent opportunities to increase trade.

  It is important that applicant countries, particularly in the first wave of enlargement, move towards a market orientated economy as quickly as possible. It is vital that they bring their competition and state aid regimes into line with other member states to ensure a level playing field is created and we support the Commission's efforts to achieve this. In this context, there has undoubtedly been much progress in reducing subsidies and introducing privatisation and restructuring in the steel industry in the first and second wave applicant countries.

  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether her Department was consulted as to the effect of LNM Holdings acquisition of the Sidex Plant in Romania on the British steel industry. [36732]
  857W
  Ms Hewitt
  My Department's position on the privatisation of Romanian steel plants is well established. We have for some time supported the interests of the British steel industry by encouraging the completion of privatisation in order to eliminate state subsidies and create a level playing field for British companies.

  Industrial Action
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [36194]

  Ms Hewitt
  None in my Department or its agencies. Information on non-departmental public bodies is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in her Department to(a) herself and (b) her Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36282]

  Ms Hewitt
  Ministerial boxes originating from this Department are transported to Ministers' homes either by Government car or by a service provided by the Royal Mail. In exceptional circumstances the departmental contracted courier service has been used to deliver urgent papers but this is not routine practice.

  Regulatory Impact Assessments
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether a regulatory impact assessment, which adheres to the Cabinet Office model, has been published for the Work and Parents Framework documents and latest consultation document. [36979]

  Alan Johnson
  The regulatory impact assessment carried out for the current Employment Bill contains figures relating to maternity, paternity, adoption and the flexible working provisions. Copies of this are available from the Libraries of the House.

  It is likely that a revised regulatory impact assessment will be available in the next few days. Copies of the updated version will also be available from the Libraries of the House.

  Parental and Maternity Leave
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent legislation has been introduced on the provision of parental and maternity leave and pay with particular reference to returning to work part-time. [36980]

  Alan Johnson
  There are no provisions in parental and maternity leave and pay legislation which specifically cover return to work on a part-time basis. Existing legislation provides for the rights of an employee (whether full-time or part-time) to return either to the 858W
  same job in which he/she was employed before taking leave or, in certain circumstances, to an alternative job which is suitable and appropriate.

  A new duty on employers to seriously consider requests for flexible working, including part-time working, from parents with young children is being introduced as part of the Employment Bill which is currently going through Parliament.

  Inward Investment Projects (North East)
  Mr. Alan Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value of inward investment projects into the North East was in each year since 1996. [36777]

  Ms Hewitt
  The figures in the table are based on information provided by companies at the time of the announcement of the decision to invest in the UK. They are based on the companies' best estimate, at that time, of the number of jobs associated with each investment.

  There is no requirement on companies to notify inward investment decisions to Invest. UK and so the figures include only those projects where Invest. UK or its regional partners were involved or which have come to their notice. They are therefore likely to be an underestimate. Invest. UK is not always given financial information relating to inward investment decisions and therefore such information is not provided, as it is incomplete and would give a distorted impression against the number of projects for each year.

  The UK is the No. 1 location in Europe for inward investment and the Government will continue to do all they can to maintain the UK's attractiveness as a location so our economy can continue to enjoy the substantial benefits from inward investment.

  Successes in the North East

  Number of projects

  Number of associated jobs

  1996–97

  46

  7,618

  1997–98

  48

  12,654

  1998–99

  35

  9,257

  1999–2000

  49

  11,910

  2000–01

  38

  7,959

  Free Eye Test
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees in her Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to(a) current and (b) new staff. [36696]

  Ms Hewitt
  Five hundred and eight (508) staff have taken up the provision of a free eye test within the last two years. Staff who regularly use computers are entitled to a free eye test every two years, unless an optician recommends more frequent testing. The service has been brought to the attention of current staff through the distribution of a health and safety notice. A reference copy of the notice is also available on the Department's intranet. Guidance on the use of display screen equipment and the entitlement to a free eye test forms a part of the health and safety induction procedures for new staff.

  Oil and Gas Directorate Posts
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many oil and gas directorate posts there were in(a) Aberdeen, (b) London and (c) elsewhere in each of the last 15 years; and what the running costs for the oil and gas directorate were in total and by location in the most recent years for which figures are available. [36447]

  Mr. Wilson
  The number of oil and gas directorate posts located in Aberdeen, London and elsewhere since the establishment of the Aberdeen office in 1994, together with associated running costs was as follows:

  £000

  Aberdeen

  London

  Elsewhere

  Running costs

  1994

  4.1

  118.5

  0

  6,560

  1995

  44.2

  120.8

  0

  7,582

  1996

  45.5

  118.9

  0

  7,425

  1997

  53.6

  105

  0

  6,709

  1998

  56.3

  102.3

  0

  7,060

  1999

  60.3

  99.3

  0

  7,158

  2000

  72.3

  103.8

  0

  8,409

  2001

  84.5

  96.6

  0

  9,961

  Notes:

  1. Running costs expenditure is not recorded on the basis of the location of the office. A breakdown of the costs between Aberdeen and London is not therefore available.

  2. There have been some changes in the functions of Oil and Gas Directorate over this period. For example, responsibility for the collection of oil and gas royalties was transferred to the Inland Revenue in 2000, leading to 14 posts transferring from Oil and Gas Directorate's Aberdeen office to the Inland Revenue's Aberdeen office.

  Energy and Lobbying Companies
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 11 February 2002,Official Report, column 63W, on meetings with energy companies and lobbying companies, what criteria she uses to decide whether to place records of his meetings in the public domain; and if she will make a statement. [36997]

  Ms Hewitt
  The criteria are set out in the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. I have no plans to make a statement.

  Public Private Partnerships
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which public private partnerships with a capital value in excess of £1 million are under negotiation by her Department; and if she will make a statement. [36369]

  Ms Hewitt
  There are no PPP contracts currently under negotiation in my Department.

  TRIPS Agreement
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans the Government have to propose revisions to the TRIPS agreement regarding the patenting of staple food crops under WTO rules; [36462]
  860W
  (2) what representations she has made to the World Trade Organisation regarding the TRIPS agreement in relation to the patenting of staple food crops; and if she will make a statement. [36436]

  Ms Hewitt
  The TRIPS agreement confirms the established principle that it is not possible to be granted a valid patent for something which is already known. According to this principle, neither naturally occurring genetic resources as they exist in the natural environment, nor related traditional knowledge can constitute patentable matters in themselves. Genetic resources such as staple food crops can serve as a basis from which inventions may be developed. Those inventions may be subject to intellectual property rights, and in particular patents.

  With the UK's agreement and that of our EU partner, the European Commission presented a communication to the TRIPS Council dated in April 2001 concerning the two most relevant international agreements in this field: the TRIPS agreement and the Convention on Biological Diversity. The document bears World Trade Organisation reference IP/C/W/254 and a copy is available in the Libraries of the House.

  This communication highlights the role of patents in encouraging and protecting technical inventions based on genetic resources, and invites all WTO Members to bring forward proposals to address their specific concerns.

  In addition to the World Trade Organisation, issues concerning intellectual property rights and access to genetic resources, including staple food crops, are also under discussion in an Intergovernmental Committee set up by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). The Government have also set up a Commission on Intellectual Property Rights to look at how intellectual property rights can work better for poor people and developing countries. It is due to report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development in June.

  Any plans to propose revision of the TRIPS agreement will depend on the outcome of these activities.

  Liabilities Management Authority
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what liaison her Department's Liabilities Management Unit has with the ALFA Group within BNFL. [36471]

  Mr. Wilson
  When established, I expect the Department's Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) and the ALFA Group within BNFL to have a close working relationship. One of the LMU's roles will be to monitor BNFL's performance and the ALFA Group will be the LMU's main contact point within BNFL. I expect the two bodies to work together to develop new measures and approaches aimed at improving BNFL's performance as a liabilities manager and delivering the sharper focus on clean up which the Government wish to achieve.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she plans to transfer the UK Atomic Energy Authority laboratories at Sellafield to the new Liabilities Management Authority. [36473]

  Mr. Wilson
  As my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry indicated in her statement to the House on 28 November 2001, the Liabilities
  861W
  Management Authority will be responsible for all public sector civil nuclear liabilities. This will include all of the UK Atomic Energy Authority's liabilities including those at Windscale (adjacent to Sellafield).

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether current contracts for Thorp and SMP at Sellafield will be made public as part of the transparency process in setting up the Liabilities Management Authority. [36470]

  Mr. Wilson
  The contracts between BNFL and its customers for Thorp and SMP are commercially confidential.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department has taken to recruit a director for the Liabilities Management Authority. [36472]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Liabilities Management Authority will be established by legislation. No action will be taken to recruit a Director for the Authority until the founding legislation has been scrutinised by Parliament and has passed Second Reading in the House of Commons.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken to establish an embryonic board for the Liabilities Management Authority. [36474]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Liabilities Management Authority will be established by legislation. No action will be taken to recruit board members for the Authority until the founding legislation has been scrutinised by Parliament and has passed Second Reading in the House of Commons.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what resources have been committed by her Department to the establishment and development of the New Liabilities Management Unit. [36469]

  Mr. Wilson
  My officials have had discussions with BNFL about working relationships between the Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) and the company and action is in hand to recruit senior staff and to appoint a partner contractor with top quality technical, operational and strategic management skills. As yet, however, no decision has been taken about the overall composition of the LMU or its budget.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the shadow Liabilities Management agency will be covered by the rules governing non-departmental public bodies. [36466]

  Mr. Wilson
  I assume that my hon. Friend is referring to the Liabilities Management Unit which is currently being set up.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry indicated in her statement to the House on 28 November 2001 that DTI would strengthen its existing capacity for overseeing work on the nuclear legacy prior to the creation of the Liabilities Management Authority. The Department is creating a Liabilities Management Unit to play this role.

  The Unit will be part of the Department and, therefore, not covered by the rules governing non-departmental public bodies.
  862W
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's liabilities management unit with specific reference to(a) its role, (b) its level of staff, (c) its annual budget and (d) the expected length of its existence. [37083]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Department's Liabilities Management Unit (LMU) is in the process of being established. Action is in hand to recruit senior staff and to appoint a partner contractor with top quality technical, operational and strategic management skills. As yet, however, no decision has been taken about the overall composition of the LMU or its budget.

  The LMU is intended to strengthen DTI's capacity for overseeing work on the nuclear legacy prior to the creation of the proposed Liabilities Management Authority (LMA). This includes, in particular, acquiring a more detailed knowledge of BNFL liabilities and working with BNFL to develop measures for monitoring BNFL's performance as a liabilities manager.

  We envisage that the LMU will be wound up once the LMA is operational.

  Imported Equipment
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures her Department takes to detect imported equipment which is sold as British-made. [36832]

  Ms Hewitt
  It is an offence under the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 to describe goods in a false or misleading way as to their origin. The Act also prohibits the importation of goods falsely marked as to their origin. Local authority trading standards officers have the powers to investigate and where necessary prosecute offences under the Act. The prohibition on importation is enforced by HM Customs and Excise at ports of entry.

  Regional Development
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses the RDA helped to set up in(a) Somerset and (b) the South West region in 1999–2000. [36455]

  Alan Johnson
  The RDA has no direct delivery role in relation to business start-ups. It does, however, have a strategic role in creating an environment where businesses can start, survive and grow in the region. The Agency works with regional public and private sector partners, including the Small Business Service and Business Links, developing collaborative networks to integrate the work of all those agencies that provide support to business in the region.

  BNFL
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the issue of the insolvency of BNFL was discussed at the meeting of the Energy Minister with Hugh Collum and Norman Askew on 15 November 2001. [37048]

  Mr. Wilson
  I meet Hugh Collum and Norman Askew regularly to discuss a range of issues, including financial issues, relating to BNFL.

  Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Power Stations
  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to her answer of 30 January 2002,Official Report, column 389W, on CCGT power stations, how she intends to discharge her responsibilities on power stations under sections 34 and 35 of the Electricity Act 1989. [37049]

  Mr. Wilson
  Sections 34 and 35 of the Electricity Act allow my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to issue various directions to power station operators and transmission companies. This would generally be in preparation for, or for the possibility of an emergency in generation, distribution or supply. The directions may include demanding information on stocks or making contingency arrangements for certain fuels and materials and how they are used. The choices would depend on the circumstances at the time.

  The Department will shortly be reviewing the emergency arrangements for electricity. All consultation papers etc. will be available on the DTI website throughout the period of the review—www.dti.gov.uk/energy.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff left the service of her Department and its agencies in the year ended 31 March 2001; how many left before attaining the formal retirement age of 60 years; and in respect of how many her Department and its agencies assumed responsibilities for making payments until retirement age. [37544]

  Ms Hewitt
  912 staff left the Department and its Agencies in the year ended 31 March 2001. 804 staff left before attaining the formal retirement age of 60 years and the Department and its Agencies assumed responsibility for making payments until retirement age for 25 staff.

  This answer covers DTI headquarters and the Insolvency Service Agency, the National Weights and Measures Laboratory, Employment Tribunal Service,

  Year 2000

  Year 2001

  Colliery

  Total Aid (£)

  £/tce1.2

  Total Aid (£)

  £/tce1.2

  Anthracite Mining Ltd. (Aberpergwm Colliery)

  0

  1,031,000

  15.4

  Betws Anthracite Ltd. (Betws Colliery)

  870,200

  41.4

  1,966,000

  51.7

  Blenkinsopp Colliery Ltd. (Blenkinsopp Colliery)

  470,500

  3.7

  1,168,000

  7.2

  Celtic Energy Ltd. (East Pit Extension)

  2,977,500

  24.8

  0

  —

  Coalpower Ltd. (Hatfield Colliery)

  0

  —

  951,750

  —

  Ffynonau Duon Mines Ltd. (Blaentillery N#2)

  112,800

  10.6

  217,000

  19.2

  Hatfield Coal Company Ltd. (Hatfield Colliery)

  3,931,900

  19.4

  2,855,250

  7.7

  HJ Banks (Central Mines)

  661,100

  3.4

  0

  —

  HJ Banks (North East Mines)

  703,200

  5

  0

  —

  J Flack and Sons (Hay Royds Colliery)

  78,900

  4

  264,000

  8

  Mining (Scotland) Ltd. (Longannet Mine)

  19,652,800

  50.9

  21,525,000

  23.4

  Moorside Mining Ltd. (Eckington Colliery)

  88,200

  5.04

  286,000

  10.25

  Tower Colliery Ltd. (Tower Colliery)

  3,317,200

  8.3

  0

  —

  UK Coal (Rossington Colliery)

  3,207,200

  8.44

  0

  —

  UK Coal Plc. (Harworth Colliery)

  14,722,100

  27.7

  0

  —

  UK Coal Plc. (Maltby Colliery)

  13,559,700

  21.7

  0

  —

  UK Coal Plc. (Selby Complex)

  23,186,500

  8.4

  20,324,500

  5.1

  1 For the purpose of this table, one tce (tonnes of coal equivalent)= 29.302GJ

  2 In 1999 prices

  864W
  Patents Office, Radiocommunications Agency, ACAS and Companies House Agency.

  Departmental Overseas Visits
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many overseas visits have been undertaken by parliamentary private secretaries in her Department at departmental expense in each of the last four years; and at what cost to public funds. [36818]

  Ms Hewitt
  Parliamentary private secretaries supporting Ministers in this Department have travelled overseas on Government business on one occasion at a total cost of £6,184. All travel complied with the requirements of the Ministerial Code.

  UK Coal Operating Aid Scheme
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in relation to the UK Coal Operating Aid Scheme, how much aid was paid to coal producers(a) for each mine and (b) on a £/per tonne basis in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001; what determinations were made by the Import Parity Price Panel in (A) 2000 and (B) 2002; and whether any members of the Panel did not take part in an individual determination owing to a conflict of interest. [37122]

  Brian Wilson
  The table at annexe A details the total payments made under the UK Coal Operating Aid Scheme, by colliery and on a £/tce (tonnes of coal equivalent) basis.

  Payments have been made in respect of two tranches: Tranche 1 (17 April 2000 to 31 December 2000) and Tranche 2 (1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001).

  The Import Parity Price Panel has given advice on IPPs for contracts relating to Tranche 1 applications under the UK Coal Operating Aid Scheme. A summary of this advice is given in the table at annex B. No advice has yet been submitted in relation to Tranches 2 and 3.

  David Brewer, having declared an interest, did not participate in the IPP determinations for Moorside Mining Co. Ltd. (Eckington Colliery).
  865W

  Summary of Panel's Advice on IPPs

  Contract reference

  Purchaser Business1

  Purchaser Region2

  Date Contract entered into (dd/mm/yy)

  Calorific value (GJ/tonne)

  Sulphur content (percentage)

  Total Volume of contract (000 tonnes)

  Duration of contract (mm/yy to mm/yy)

  IPP pene/GJ

  00-01

  Industrial Heating

  Yorkshire/ Humber

  31 January 2000

  25.38

  1.24

  2.6

  February 2000 to January 2002

  101

  00-02

  Public Authority

  Yorkshire/Humber

  31 February 2000

  28.4

  1.2

  5.00

  March 2000 to February 2001

  144

  00-03

  Cement Producer

  North West

  16 February 2000

  31.17

  1.18

  240 to 300

  July 2000 to June 2002

  97

  00-04

  Industrial Process

  East Midlands

  27 March 2000

  28.39

  1.27

  0.9

  April 2000 to March 2001

  154

  00-05

  Coal Producer

  Yorkshire/Humber

  31 March 2000

  26.1

  2.0

  5.6

  April 2000 to September 2000

  103

  00-06

  Transport

  Wales

  5 April 2000

  28.80

  1.10

  0.1

  March 2000 to February 2002

  217

  00-07

  Industrial Heating

  Yorkshire/ Humber

  20 April 2000

  28.39

  1.27

  4.3

  May 2000 to April 2003

  132

  00-08

  Industrial Heating

  East Midlands

  12 May 2000

  28.39

  1.27

  0.3

  April 2000 to March 2001

  146

  00-09

  Transport

  South West

  15 May 2000

  28.80

  1.10

  0.4

  April 2000 to March 2001

  198

  00-10

  Public Authority

  East Midlands

  2 June 2000

  26.0

  1.2

  1.50

  July 2000 to June 2001

  115

  00-11

  Industrial Heating

  Yorkshire/Humber

  2 June 2000

  28.4

  1.2

  0.05

  July 2000 to June 2001

  142

  00-12

  Industrial Heating

  Yorkshire/Humber

  2 June 2000

  28.4

  1.2

  0.03

  July 2000 to June 2001

  142

  00-13

  Public Authority

  Yorkshire/Humber

  2 June 2000

  28.39

  1.27

  1.5

  July 2000 to June 2001

  149

  00-14

  Public Authority

  Yorkshire/Humber

  2 June 2000

  28.39

  1.27

  1.6

  July 2000 to June 2001

  152

  00-15

  Industrial Heating

  Yorkshire/Humber

  27 June 2000

  28.39

  1.27

  0.7

  July 2000 to June 2001

  128

  00-16

  Public Authority

  East Midlands

  22 August 2000

  28.39

  1.27

  5.0

  September 2000 to August 2002

  149

  00-17

  Industrial Heating

  Yorkshire/Humber

  1 September 2000

  28.39

  1.27

  1.0

  October 2000 to September 2001

  140

  00-18

  Briqueting

  Wales

  5 September 2000

  29.5

  41.0

  20

  September 2000 to August 2001

  146

  00-19

  Energy Trader

  Yorkshire/Humber

  15 September 2000

  24.10

  11.20

  330

  November 2000 to March 2001

  113

  00-20

  Briquetting

  Wales

  26 September 2000

  30

  n/a

  5

  September 2000 to August 2001

  143

  00-21

  Quarrying

  East Midlands

  9 October 2000

  31.17

  1.18

  80 to 110

  November 2000 to October 2002

  125.5

  00-22

  Generator

  East Midlands

  19 October 2000

  25.8

  2.0

  20

  September 2000 to March 2001

  96

  00-23

  Generator

  Wales

  10 November 2000

  25

  0.9

  48.4

  November 2000 to March 2001

  95

  00-24

  Briquetting

  North East

  17 December 2000

  30

  41.0

  20 to 40

  April 2000 to March 2001

  104

  Notes:

  1 Business of purchaser to be recorded in generic terms: e.g. generator, coke manufacturer, industrial heating, steel production.

  2 Region of purchaser should be one of the nine English regions as used by Government Offices/RDAs (North West, North East, Yorkshire and the Humber, East Midlands, East of England, West Midlands, South East, South West, London), Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Other.

  3 Maximum.

  4 Greater than.

  Nuclear Clean-up
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what expenditure she incurred on the decommissioning, management and clean-up of nuclear materials, equipment and facilities in each year since 1997; and how much she expects to spend in this financial year. [37247]

  Mr. Wilson
  Expenditure on the Department's decommissioning and radioactive waste management programme is incurred by way of grant to the UK Atomic Energy Authority.

  £ million

  UKAEA nuclear decommissioning

  1997–98

  162.2

  1998–99

  256.9

  1999–2000

  183.5

  2000–01

  219.9

  2001–021

  262.5

  1 Planned

  Note:

  All figures in cash of year

  Environmental Accounting Guidelines
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she has taken to implement the EU recommendation on environmental accounting guidelines. [37290]

  Mr. Wilson
  The recommendation from the European Commission concerns specific environmental expenditure disclosures in company annual accounts. We have promoted it by asking the accountancy profession, business organisations (including the banking sector) and others to encourage their clients and member companies to take account of the recommendation in the preparation of their financial statements.

  In addition, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister recently challenged the top 350 companies to produce Environmental Reports and the DTI/DEFRA also launched Guidelines on Environmental Reporting with the CBI last year.

  Miners' Compensation
  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many home visits for medical
  867W
  assessment purposes to former miners have been conducted in (a) St. Helens, South, (b) Merseyside, (c) the north-west, (d) England, (e) Scotland and (f) Wales for (i) vibration white finger and (ii) respiratory diseases. [35586]

  Mr. Wilson
  The number of domiciliary visits undertaken in those regions is as follows:

  Number of vibration white finger domiciliary visits

  Number of respiratory disease domiciliary visits

  (a) St. Helens South

  1

  15

  (b) Merseyside

  5

  33

  (c) North-west

  28

  173

  (d) England

  201

  1,815

  (e) Scotland

  48

  389

  (f) Wales

  63

  982

  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners' compensation claims for(a) respiratory disease and (b) vibration white finger have been prioritised in (i) St. Helens, South, (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the north-west, (iv) England, (v) Scotland and (vi) Wales. [35585]

  Mr. Wilson
  The number of high priority respiratory disease claimants who have been prioritised and medically assessed is as follows:

  Region

  Number

  St. Helens, South

  46

  Merseyside

  129

  North-west

  591

  England

  7,278

  Scotland

  871

  Wales

  3,400

  The Department is unable, in the time given, to provide a breakdown of prioritised priority vibration white finger, VWF, claims. However, GB-wide, 346 claimants have been prioritised and received domiciliary visits.

  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate the Government have made of the number of claims for(a) vibration white

  Regional breakdown of number of new claims for vibration white finger

  2001

  St. Helens, South

  Merseyside

  North-west

  England

  Scotland

  Wales

  January

  1

  8

  46

  812

  47

  56

  February

  3

  10

  30

  723

  24

  84

  March

  8

  14

  63

  1,574

  39

  104

  April

  2

  35

  132

  1,763

  112

  128

  May

  2

  6

  31

  1,370

  91

  89

  June

  1

  14

  50

  1,323

  80

  108

  July

  2

  15

  64

  1,398

  93

  95

  August

  1

  8

  37

  1,255

  49

  76

  September

  2

  16

  59

  1,068

  55

  103

  October

  6

  23

  71

  1,544

  173

  195

  November

  11

  37

  107

  2,183

  138

  95

  December

  8

  22

  61

  1,108

  93

  75

  868W
  finger and (b) respiratory diseases for (i) former miners, (ii) widows of former miners and (iii) other eligible estate claims for former miners in (A) St. Helens South, (B) Merseyside, (C) the north-west, (D) England, (E) Scotland and (F) Wales. [35590]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Department has received nationally 177,000 claims in respect of respiratory disease and 135,000 in relation to vibration white finger, VWF. The Department continues to receive over 600 new respiratory disease claims and over 360 new VWF claims per week. As such, the Department is unable to provide an estimate of the number of claims to be received on either scheme.

  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the average waiting time has been for former miners for an appointment for a medical assessment for(a) respiratory disease and (b) vibration white finger in (i) north-west England, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Wales in the last 12 months. [35589]

  Mr. Wilson
  Claims are being processed according to priority as set out in the handling agreement. The average waiting time between completion of medical records recovery and an appointment to undergo a medical assessment is as follows:

  (a) Respiratory disease

  Average waiting time in days

  (i) North-west

  (ii) Scotland

  (iii) Wales

  Live cases

  76

  48

  123

  Deceased cases

  39

  56

  52

  (b) Vibration white finger

  (i) North-west

  (ii) Scotland

  (iii) Wales

  Average waiting time in days

  86

  47

  53

  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many new claims were lodged by former miners for(a) vibration white finger and (b) respiratory diseases by month throughout 2001, in (i) St. Helens, South, (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the north-west,(iv) England, (v) Scotland and (vi) Wales. [35591]

  Mr. Wilson
  New claims were registered as follows:
  869W

  Regional breakdown of number of new claims for respiratory disease

  2001

  St. Helens, South

  Merseyside

  North-west

  England

  Scotland

  Wales

  January

  14

  29

  115

  3,783

  341

  906

  February

  15

  49

  114

  2,485

  271

  768

  March

  15

  52

  187

  3,658

  217

  1,280

  April

  27

  62

  156

  2,461

  188

  480

  May

  21

  54

  152

  2,972

  365

  659

  June

  11

  33

  114

  3,551

  245

  278

  July

  14

  32

  145

  3,088

  259

  274

  August

  13

  34

  152

  2,629

  183

  328

  September

  14

  46

  146

  3,074

  193

  409

  October

  32

  103

  339

  3,544

  184

  503

  November

  50

  136

  343

  2,379

  227

  279

  December

  19

  63

  161

  1,637

  151

  169

  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many expedited payments were made to former miners with respiratory diseases in(a) St. Helens, South, (b) Merseyside, (c) the north-west, (d) England, (e) Scotland and (f) Wales; and what the average expedited payment award was in each case. [35588]

  Mr. Wilson
  The number and average expedited payments were made in the above regions as follows:

  Region

  Number of expedited payments

  Average payment £

  (a) St. Helens, South

  40

  3,978

  (b) Merseyside

  146

  4,464

  (c) North-west

  674

  4,523

  (d) England

  8,661

  4,117

  (e) Scotland

  943

  4,424

  (f) Wales

  1,201

  3,630

  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners pursuing compensation claims have had a medical assessment for(a) respiratory diseases and (b) vibration white finger in (i) St. Helens, South (ii) Merseyside, (iii) the north-west, (iv) England, (v) Scotland and (vi) Wales. [35587]

  Mr. Wilson
  The number of miners who have attended an appointment to undergo the medical assessment is as follows:

  Number of miners1

  Number of miners2

  St. Helens, South

  330

  207

  Merseyside

  790

  681

  north-west

  3,234

  2,328

  England

  37,055

  62,326

  Scotland

  7,326

  4,069

  Wales

  17,945

  8,814

  1 Who have attended a respiratory disease medical assessment

  2 Who have attended a Vibration White Finger medical assessment

  Mr. Barron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid to claimants through each of the top 10 claims handlers involved in the compensation claims for(a) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (b) vibration white finger of former coalminers. [37424]

  Mr. Wilson
  The amount paid to claimants through each of the top 10 claims handlers for respiratory disease and Vibration White Finger is as follows.
  870W

  (£ million)

  Solicitor

  Total damages paid

  Respiratory Disease

  Thompsons

  62.2

  Hugh James Ford Simey

  47.6

  Union of Democratic Mineworkers

  16.1

  Raleys

  27.4

  Mark Gilbert Morse

  4.3

  Browell Smith & Co

  20.9

  Graysons

  10.1

  Watson Burton

  7.2

  Irwin Mitchells

  12.4

  Randell Saunders

  3.3

  Total

  211.3

  Vibration White Finger

  Thompsons

  70.1

  Browell Smith & Co

  40.5

  Union of Democratic Mineworkers

  43.8

  Raleys

  28.5

  Hugh James Ford Simey

  28.6

  Graysons

  22.0

  Moss

  14.2

  Watson Burton

  23.1

  AMS Law

  12.8

  Towells

  16.6

  Total

  300.4

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many jobs were(a) created and (b) safeguarded; and how many projects were completed as a result of inward investment in (i) the UK and (ii) the areas covered by the regional development agencies over the last five years. [37105]

  Nigel Griffiths
  The UK is the No. 1 location in the EU for inward investment and the Government will continue to do all they can to maintain the UK's attractiveness as a location so our economy can continue to enjoy the substantial benefits from inward investment.

  There is no requirement on companies to notify inward investment decisions to Invest. UK and so the figures include only those projects where Invest. UK or its regional partners were involved or which have come to their notice. They are therefore likely to be an underestimate.
  871W

  Number of:

  Region

  projects

  new jobs

  safeguarded jobs

  1996–97

  UK

  497

  46,400

  51,939

  English RDAs

  352

  21,940

  44,544

  1997–98

  UK

  631

  46,562

  82,771

  English RDAs

  477

  30,541

  73,007

  1998–99

  UK

  668

  45,147

  75,523

  English RDAs

  534

  29,824

  70,792

  1999–2000

  UK

  799

  54,335

  81,587

  English RDAs

  657

  37,093

  73,146

  2000–01

  UK

  884

  71,585

  52,358

  English RDAs

  751

  52,885

  45,385

  Note:

  1. All figures are revised from those published in Invest. UK Annual Reports.

  2. The figures in the table above are based on information provided by companies at the time of the announcement of the decision to invest in the UK. They are based on the company's best estimate, at that time, of the number of jobs associated with each investment.

  Source:

  Invest. UK Database.

  Employment Rights Act
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether section 51 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 has been used; and if she will make a statement about its purpose. [37425]

  Alan Johnson
  Six applications to employment tribunals have been registered under section 51 since 1997. The purpose of the section is to allow employees to seek redress from the tribunals if their employers refuse them time off work for public duties under section 50.

  Music Copyright
  Mr. Sedgemore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of music copyright. [34232]

  Ms Melanie Johnson
  The protection of music copyright will be further improved by the EC Directive on copyright in the Information Society which is due to be implemented by 22 December this year. The Government are also supporting a Private Member's Bill

  Objective area

  Number of projects

  Committed grant (£ million)

  Committed grant as percentage of total

  grant paid (£ million)

  Grant paid as percentage of total

  South Yorkshire

  192

  198.2

  27.96

  48.5

  6.84

  Merseyside

  674

  152.0

  18.00

  78.9

  9.34

  Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly

  180

  75.6

  24.57

  10.6

  3.45

  West Wales and the Valleys

  441

  301.2

  26.4

  68.2

  5.98

  872W
  that increases the criminal penalties for music piracy. The Government will continue to maintain close contact with the music industry on copyright issues.

  Barking Power Station
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what dates in the past 12 months Barking power station came within 10 per cent. of its maximum generating output. [36789]

  Mr. Wilson
  This is a commercial matter for the company involved.

  Nuclear Energy Technology
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to host a conference on the future of nuclear energy technology. [36790]

  Mr. Wilson
  Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry nor I have any plans to host a conference on the future of nuclear energy technology. However, on 18-19 February, my Department's officials hosted the fifth in the series of Generation IV International Forum (GIF) meetings in London. Government officials and technical experts from the 10 member countries attended. GIF was started by the United States Department of Energy (USDOE) to promote the development of better longer-term nuclear reactor designs.

  Objective 1 Regions
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment she has made of progress in delivering objective programmes in each of the four European Objective 1 regions in input of(a) numbers of projects offered support, (b) total amount of money offered, (c) proportion of total seven year European fund budget offered, (d) total amount of money actually drawn down by successful applicants and (e) proportion of total seven year European funding drawn down. [36633]

  Alan Johnson
  Officials continually monitor European Structural Funds and the four UK Objective 1 programmes are on target to achieve the required expenditure by 31 December 2002. The latest Objective 1 statistics requested by the hon. Member are contained in the table.

  The management of the Objective 1 programme for West Wales and the Valleys is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales. However, I understand from the National Assembly that the figures for the region are as set out in the table.

  Biotechnology Companies
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many proposals for the creation and incubation of biotechnology companies have been received from Scottish bidders since the establishment of the Biotechnology Mentoring and Incubation Challenge; and how many have been successful. [36744]

  Mr. Wilson
  The four calls under the Biotechnology Mentoring and Incubator (BMI) Challenge resulted in four proposals being submitted from Scottish bidders. The BMI Challenge Independent Advisory Panel recommended that the DTI make an award to one applicant. However, due to complications between the 10 collaborating organisations the project did not proceed.

  Motor Vehicle Registrations (Edinburgh)
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many motor vehicles were registered to people living in the(a) Edinburgh, west, (b) Edinburgh, central, (c) Edinburgh, east and Musselburgh, (d) Edinburgh, Pentlands, (e) Edinburgh, north and Leith and (f) Edinburgh, south parliamentary constituencies or for the most appropriate geographical areas for which figures are available at the latest date for which figures are available. [35786]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The number of currently licensed motor vehicles registered to keepers with addresses in the Edinburgh constituencies is shown in the table. The totals include vehicles registered to companies and other entities as well as to individuals. The table shows the figures for each ward, as some wards (marked 1) straddle two constituencies. The volume data is for December 2000, but the analysis to wards was available only by the pre-1996 definition of wards in Edinburgh. No split of volumes is available for the straddling wards and the total for the ward has been included in the constituency in which the greater part of the ward falls.

  Constituency/electoral ward

  Number of motor vehicles

  Edinburgh, central

  Dalry

  3,143

  Dean

  2,987

  Fountainbridge

  1,734

  Holyrood

  2,059

  Moat

  2,743

  Murrayfield

  3,959

  Shandon

  2,410

  Southside

  1,298

  Stenhouse

  2,376

  Tollcross1

  1,398

  Total

  24,107

  Edinburgh, East and Musselburgh

  Musselburgh, central/Inveresk1

  1,963

  Musselburgh, east/Pinkie1

  1,613

  Musselburgh, north-west

  1,849

  Musselburgh, south

  2,203

  Craigmillar

  1,812

  Duddingston

  3,088

  Leith Links1

  2,511

  Meadowbank1

  2,458

  Milton

  2,589

  Mountcastle

  2,259

  Portobello

  3,277

  Restalrig

  1,948

  Total

  27,570

  874W

  Constituency/electoral ward

  Number of motor vehicles

  Edinburgh, North and Leith

  Broughton

  3,206

  Calton

  1,905

  Granton

  2,211

  Harbour

  2,228

  Lorne

  2,694

  New Town

  3,842

  Newhaven

  2,601

  Pilton1

  1,875

  Stockbridge

  2,576

  Trinity

  3,002

  Total

  26,140

  Edinburgh, Pentlands

  Baberton

  3,560

  Balerno

  3,911

  Colinton

  4,042

  Craiglockhart1

  3,206

  Fairmilehead

  3,870

  Firrhill

  2,126

  Murray Burn

  32,417

  Parkhead

  1,865

  Sighthill1

  3,149

  South Morningside1

  3,391

  Total

  61,537

  Edinburgh, South

  Alnwickhill

  3,066

  Gilmerton

  2,864

  Kaimes

  2,609

  Marchmont

  2,078

  Merchiston

  2,420

  North Morningside

  3,489

  Prestonfield

  1,500

  Sciennes

  2,420

  Total

  20,446

  Edinburgh, West

  Cramond

  3,901

  Dalmeny/Kirkliston

  4,252

  Davidsons Mains

  4,332

  East Craigs

  2,648

  Gyle

  4,702

  Muirhouse

  1,342

  North-east Corstorphine

  2,969

  Queensferry

  3,848

  South-east Corstorphine

  3,621

  Total

  33,717

  Climate Change Levy
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government propose to exclude nuclear plants from paying the climate change levy. [36715]

  Mr. Boateng
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) on 15 January 2002, Official Report, column 225W.

  Tourism Exports
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the level of tourism exports in the last five years from each region of the country. [35304]

  Dr. Howells
  I have been asked to reply.
  875W
  Tourism exports are largely comprised of expenditure by overseas residents during visits to the United Kingdom. Data on this are available from the International Passenger Survey.

  Expenditure by overseas' residents during visits to the UK is shown in the table. These data cover the years of 1996 to 2000 for Regional Tourist Board areas in England and for the countries of the United Kingdom. Regional data for 2001 will be available in May 2002.

  Spending by overseas' residents during visits to the UK

  £ million

  Tourist board region/country

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  London

  6,007

  5,993

  6,298

  6,760

  6,901

  Northumbria

  158

  190

  129

  167

  169

  Cumbria

  58

  59

  45

  67

  52

  North West

  381

  455

  395

  441

  448

  Yorkshire

  280

  304

  286

  264

  259

  Heart of England

  646

  640

  624

  704

  771

  876W

  Spending by overseas' residents during visits to the UK

  £ million

  Tourist board region/country

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  East of England

  510

  531

  585

  575

  683

  West Country

  518

  477

  494

  485

  553

  Southern

  739

  702

  773

  797

  775

  South East England

  699

  662

  827

  755

  705

  All England1

  9,998

  10,026

  10,468

  11,030

  11,359

  Wales

  198

  210

  164

  269

  267

  Scotland

  839

  799

  882

  817

  789

  Northern Ireland2

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  107

  UK1

  11,244

  11,275

  11,723

  12,370

  12,672

  1 Figures may not sum due to spending not attributable to regions/countries, e.g. in 2000 £110 million was spent on day trips to the UK but was not allocated to region/countries of the UK for reasons of questionnaire simplicity.

  2 Comparable data not available.

  Source:

  International Passenger Survey, Office for National Statistics

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Re-offenders
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the planned timetable is for the completion and publishing of the Social Exclusion Unit's project on re-offending by ex-prisoners; which organisations and individuals have been consulted in relation to the project; and if he will make a statement. [37673]

  The Deputy Prime Minister and First Secretary of State
  The Social Exclusion Unit is finalising its recommendations, based on extensive research and analysis and expects to publish its report on reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners by spring 2002. The Unit is currently contributing to the Spending Review.

  The Unit has consulted with an extremely wide range of organisations and individuals. There were 265 responses to the Unit's written consultation and the Unit has visited over 50 prisons and young offender institutions and had extensive discussions with staff and prisoners. There have been 11 regional seminars involving a very wide range of local practitioners, including health, housing, employment, education, voluntary sector, social services and police representatives. The Unit has also drawn on surveys of prisoners, both before leaving prison and after release.

  HM Prison Service and the National Probation Service, as well as other government departments, are key partners. The Unit is working closely with the leading national organisations in the field and has drawn on their expertise throughout the project.

  Accountancy Services
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost to his Department was for accountancy services in each of the last four years. [34166]

  Mr. Leslie
  This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Fair Trade Fortnight
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to encourage participation by his Department in fair trade fortnight from 4 to 17 March. [33538]

  Mr. Leslie
  My Department will publicise the event to its staff.

  The Department for International Development is providing £120,000 to the Fairtrade Foundation over three years (2001–2003) in support of its efforts to target new groups through its annual fair trade fortnight campaigns.

  Departmental Events
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the(a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by his Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in each of the last four years, giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each. [34187]
  878W
  Mr. Leslie
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  'Creating Knowledge: Creating Wealth' Conference
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice the Cabinet Office gave to HM Treasury regarding the sponsorship of the 'Creating Knowledge: Creating Wealth' conference; and if he will make a statement. [32799]

  Mr. Leslie
  The Cabinet Office document Guidance to Departments on Sponsorship of Government Activities, sets out the principles that Departments should follow when seeking sponsorship for Government activities and events. I have placed copies of the guidance in the Libraries of the House.

  Regional Bodies
  Andrew George
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the(a) quasi-autonomous boards, (b) commissions, (c) agencies and (d) committees and arms of national bodies which are accountable to Government and Parliament and operate on a geographical basis smaller than nation, but larger than district/unitary authorities for each of the Government's defined nations and regions and grouped by (i) economic development, (ii) arts, (iii) sports, (iv) health, (v) training and education, (vi) agriculture, (vii) environment and rural/urban affairs, (viii) transport, (ix) planning, (x) co-ordination of local government, (xi) European Structural funds and (xii) other sectors. [36631]

  Mrs. Roche
  This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Andrew George
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what(a) total budget and (b) per capita funding has been provided for each of the last three years for which records are available to each (i) quasi-autonomous board, (ii) commission, (iii) agency and (iv) committee and arms of national bodies which are accountable to Government and which operate on a geographical basis smaller than nations, but larger than district/unitary authorities for each of the Government's defined nations and regions, grouped by sector. [36632]

  Mrs. Roche
  This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Civil Defence Grant
  Mr. Pound
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what consultations he has had with local authority representatives on the formula to allocate civil defence grant in 2002–03. [38044]

  Mr. Leslie
  I have today written to the Local Government Association seeking their views on the formula that the Government are minded to use to allocate civil defence grant between eligible authorities in the next financial year. I am placing a copy of my letter (which makes clear that the use of such a formula is dependent upon the Civil Defence (Grant) Bill securing Royal Assent) in the Library of the House.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many new entrants to the civil service were employed in his Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 years and over. [36494]

  Entrants 2 April 1996 to 1 April 2001 by Department and age

  Permanent staff

  1996–97

  1997–98

  50+

  Others

  Total

  50+

  Others

  Total

  MAFF

  51

  639

  690

  76

  747

  823

  Cabinet Office (including the Office of Public Services)

  14

  102

  116

  13

  153

  166

  Inland Revenue

  219

  2,173

  2,392

  241

  2,650

  2,891

  DCMS

  2

  56

  58

  10

  93

  103

  MOD

  1,683

  9,472

  11,155

  1,458

  7,435

  8,893

  DfEE

  252

  3,532

  3,784

  89

  953

  1,042

  DETR

  66

  643

  709

  72

  794

  866

  Home Office

  46

  512

  558

  46

  496

  542

  LCD

  85

  399

  484

  149

  567

  716

  Scotland

  36

  247

  283

  37

  310

  347

  DSS

  683

  9,299

  9,982

  483

  5,225

  5,708

  DTI

  38

  285

  323

  49

  389

  438

  National Assembly for Wales

  5

  141

  146

  6

  59

  65

  Treasury Solicitors

  0

  18

  18

  1

  24

  25

  DfID

  0

  2

  2

  2

  41

  43

  Charity Commission

  1

  37

  38

  5

  29

  34

  GAD

  0

  10

  10

  0

  11

  11

  Privy Council Office

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Public Record Office

  6

  36

  42

  0

  0

  0

  National Investment and Loans Office

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  HM Treasury

  0

  29

  29

  2

  51

  53

  Office of Fair Trading

  2

  18

  20

  2

  23

  25

  Northern Ireland Office

  2

  10

  12

  1

  11

  12

  Scottish Courts Administration

  1

  4

  5

  1

  8

  9

  Legal Secretariat

  0

  1

  1

  1

  1

  2

  Crown Office and PFS

  1

  66

  67

  3

  45

  48

  Health and Safety Executive

  11

  117

  128

  8

  134

  142

  Registry of Friendly Societies

  1

  16

  17

  0

  5

  5

  ACAS

  2

  37

  39

  0

  23

  23

  General Register Office (Scotland)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  5

  5

  ECGD

  0

  16

  16

  3

  21

  24

  Customs and Excise

  65

  1,145

  1,210

  74

  1,153

  1,227

  Parliamentary Counsel Office

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  DNS

  1

  21

  22

  2

  12

  14

  Crown Prosecution Service

  12

  133

  145

  15

  312

  327

  OFGAS

  0

  6

  6

  0

  12

  12

  OFWAT

  1

  16

  17

  0

  0

  0

  OFER

  2

  10

  12

  2

  17

  19

  OFSTED

  4

  55

  59

  3

  28

  31

  OHMCI

  0

  0

  0

  1

  5

  6

  Central Drugs Coordination Unit

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Office SOS for Scotland

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Office SOS for Wales

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Scottish Executive

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  OFGEM

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  HMSO

  13

  156

  169

  0

  0

  0

  COI

  4

  22

  26

  8

  65

  73

  Department for Registers of Scotland (SO)

  7

  34

  41

  2

  21

  23

  Royal Mint

  1

  50

  51

  0

  53

  53

  OS

  1

  18

  19

  7

  110

  117

  Land Registry

  0

  47

  47

  14

  344

  358

  Public Record Office

  0

  20

  20

  12

  31

  43

  Scottish Prison Service (SO)

  23

  460

  483

  29

  396

  425

  HM Prison Service

  333

  2,133

  2,466

  352

  3,400

  3,752

  National Archives of Scotland (SO)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  PGO (HMT)

  2

  11

  13

  0

  0

  0

  Intelligence Services (GCHQ)

  1

  69

  70

  8

  68

  76

  ONS

  6

  141

  147

  24

  122

  146

  Def Geog Img Intel Agency (MOD)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  880W
  Mr. Leslie
  The figures are shown in the table and represent the data reported to mandate during the years from 1996–97 to 2000–01, based on headcount, for the number of permanent staff in each Department. The figures shown are the overall figures for Departments including any departmental agencies, and are based on the Departments as they were prior to the structural changes made as a result of the 2001 election.
  881W

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  50+

  Others

  Total

  50+

  Others

  Total

  50+

  Others

  Total

  MAFF

  86

  916

  1,002

  80

  721

  801

  132

  1,110

  1,242

  Cabinet Office (including the Office of Public Services)

  22

  260

  282

  25

  274

  299

  22

  278

  300

  Inland Revenue

  341

  3,663

  4,004

  597

  6,253

  6,850

  418

  4,222

  4,640

  DCMS

  6

  42

  48

  3

  41

  44

  6

  46

  52

  MOD

  1,330

  6,065

  7,395

  1,276

  6,991

  8,267

  1,296

  6,124

  7,420

  DfEE

  226

  2,653

  2,879

  262

  3,626

  3,888

  314

  3,070

  3,384

  DETR

  70

  890

  960

  90

  1,313

  1,403

  116

  845

  961

  Home Office

  62

  770

  832

  146

  1,559

  1,705

  252

  3,431

  3,683

  LCD

  174

  973

  1,147

  206

  1,289

  1,495

  207

  1,111

  1,318

  Scotland

  51

  530

  581

  16

  137

  153

  4

  130

  134

  DSS

  840

  9,629

  10,469

  1,063

  10,918

  11,981

  700

  6,117

  6,817

  DTI

  56

  502

  558

  47

  585

  632

  110

  665

  775

  National Assembly for Wales

  21

  110

  131

  30

  267

  297

  43

  353

  396

  Treasury Solicitors

  4

  31

  35

  3

  55

  58

  2

  48

  50

  DfID

  5

  78

  83

  7

  72

  79

  7

  94

  101

  Charity Commission

  1

  30

  31

  3

  56

  59

  5

  67

  72

  GAD

  2

  15

  17

  0

  1

  1

  2

  13

  15

  Privy Council Office

  0

  1

  1

  0

  2

  2

  1

  1

  2

  Public Record Office

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  National Investment and Loans Office

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  HM Treasury

  1

  48

  49

  0

  37

  37

  0

  0

  0

  Office of Fair Trading

  3

  22

  25

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  Northern Ireland Office

  0

  19

  19

  2

  19

  21

  4

  55

  59

  Scottish Courts Administration

  0

  5

  5

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Legal Secretariat

  0

  5

  5

  1

  1

  2

  0

  0

  0

  Crown Office and PFS

  3

  51

  54

  12

  117

  129

  7

  108

  115

  Health and Safety Executive

  11

  189

  200

  17

  253

  270

  16

  279

  295

  Registry of Friendly Societies

  0

  5

  5

  0

  8

  8

  0

  0

  0

  ACAS

  0

  0

  0

  5

  43

  48

  11

  34

  45

  General Register Office (Scotland)

  0

  13

  13

  1

  10

  11

  5

  14

  19

  ECGD

  0

  7

  7

  1

  30

  31

  1

  45

  46

  Customs and Excise

  38

  586

  624

  31

  573

  604

  49

  1,067

  1,116

  Parliamentary Counsel Office

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  3

  0

  2

  2

  DNS

  0

  10

  10

  1

  21

  22

  1

  34

  35

  Crown Prosecution Service

  16

  355

  371

  16

  345

  361

  18

  259

  277

  OFGAS

  2

  32

  34

  3

  102

  105

  0

  0

  0

  OFWAT

  0

  0

  0

  2

  26

  28

  6

  45

  51

  OFER

  0

  21

  21

  0

  16

  16

  0

  0

  0

  OFSTED

  6

  32

  38

  6

  67

  73

  15

  80

  95

  OHMCI

  2

  7

  9

  3

  15

  18

  1

  1

  2

  Central Drugs Coordination Unit

  0

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Office SOS for Scotland

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  2

  1

  13

  14

  Office SOS for Wales

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  2

  Scottish Executive

  0

  0

  0

  31

  413

  444

  32

  448

  480

  OFGEM

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4

  49

  53

  HMSO

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  COI

  4

  44

  48

  1

  54

  55

  12

  87

  99

  Department. for Registers of Scotland (SO)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Royal Mint

  3

  61

  64

  1

  101

  102

  2

  74

  76

  OS

  1

  107

  108

  3

  87

  90

  13

  125

  138

  Land Registry

  16

  330

  346

  21

  342

  363

  23

  360

  383

  Public Record Office

  7

  31

  38

  6

  53

  59

  11

  83

  94

  Scottish Prison Service (SO)

  28

  458

  486

  14

  224

  238

  15

  107

  122

  HM Prison Service

  301

  2,838

  3,139

  294

  2,845

  3,139

  296

  2,178

  2,474

  National Archives of Scotland (SO)

  4

  8

  12

  3

  14

  17

  5

  15

  20

  PGO (HMT)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Intelligence Services (GCHQ)

  15

  239

  254

  15

  272

  287

  18

  262

  280

  ONS

  20

  165

  185

  21

  169

  190

  40

  410

  450

  Def Geog Img Intel Agency (MOD)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  22

  25

SCOTLAND

  Friends of Scotland
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many of the advisory board of Friends of Scotland accompanied her on her visit to the Far East. [36743]

  Mrs. Liddell
  None.

  A77
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations she has received on the level of speed limit imposed on heavy goods vehicles on the A77 between Ayr and Stranraer. [36742]

  Mrs. Liddell
  Neither I nor my right hon. Friend of the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions have received any representations on this matter.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Angola
  Tony Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reason humanitarian assistance to Angola has fallen by one third over the last year. [37084]

  Clare Short
  The levels of DFID humanitarian assistance provided to Angola in recent years have depended on the nature of requests put to us, and also on competing claims for our resources elsewhere in the continent.

  September 1998 to March 1999

  April 1999 to March 2000

  April 2000 to March 2001

  April 2001 to January 2002

  Totals

  Number of first class journeys by rail

  737

  2,037

  1,712

  1,448

  5,934

  As percentage of all rail journeys

  61.72

  66.87

  52.59

  51.75

  57.65

  Average cost of first class journey (£)

  133.18

  103.88

  121.28

  160.71

  126.41

  Total cost of all rail travel (£)

  111,995.18

  245,661.61

  244,868.22

  275,987.55

  878,512.56

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many new entrants to the Civil Service were employed in her Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 and over. [36496]

  Clare Short
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff left the service of her Department and its agencies in the year ended 31 March 2001; how many left before attaining the formal retirement age of 60 years; and in respect of how many her Department and its agencies assumed responsibilities for making payments until retirement age. [37548]

  Project

  Funding (£)

  Construction work

  Birzeit Food Quality Control Unit (1997)

  425,872

  No

  Group Guaranteed Lending (1997)

  1,820,000

  No

  Assistance to the Education Sector (1997)

  3,225,700

  No

  Population Census (1997)

  80,000

  No

  Newcastle University—Hydrology (1997)

  715,000

  No

  Primary Health Care (1997)

  950,000

  No

  Gender and Law (1997)

  1,628,128

  No

  Economic Protocol (1997)

  5,000

  No

  VAT Audit Training (1997)

  102,000

  No

  Economic Protocol (1998)

  730,281

  No

  Southern Area Water Appraisal

  45,000

  No

  Strengthening Parliamentary Democracy (1998)

  775,000

  No

  Assistance to the Legal Sector (1998)

  12,500

  No

  Rural Water Schemes Appraisal (1998)

  110,000

  No

  Legal Sector Assistance—Phase 2 (1998)

  70,252

  No

  Health Management Strengthening (1998)

  3,600,000

  No

  Bethlehem 2000 Doha Sewerage (1999)

  1,400,000

  Yes—the construction of sewerage pipes was completed in July 2000

  Save the Children Fund Water and Sanitation Project—Dura (1999)

  1,678,092

  Yes—work on piped water supplies, sewerage pipes and drains, is now in its third year

  Rail Journeys (Staff)
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what was the(a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant. [37498]

  Clare Short
  Details of rail travel booked by DFID's in-house travel agent are given for the period from September 1998. Detailed figures before that date, or for travel by grade throughout the period, or for travel booked by other means are not available without disproportionate costs.

  Clare Short
  The information requested is as follows:

  59 staff left the service during 2000–01. Of these, 50 left before the retirement age of 60 years and two are early retirement cases in respect of whom DFID is making payments until retirement age.

  Projects (Palestinian Authority)
  Angus Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects her Department has funded from 1997 to 2002 in the territory controlled by the Palestinian Authority; what the annual amount of funding was for each of these projects; how many of these projects included construction work; what the status of the building funded by her Department is; and if she will make a statement. [37257]

  Clare Short
  The following table sets out the information requested. The funding column shows the total project allocation. Annual disbursement figures could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.
  885W

  Project

  Funding (£)

  Construction work

  Save the Children Fund Water and Sanitation Project—Jabalia (1999)

  908,905

  Yes—work on piped water supplies, sewerage pipes and drains, is now in its third year

  Save the Children Fund Water and Sanitation Project—Anabta (1999)

  1,610,859

  Yes—work on piped water supplies, sewerage pipes and drains, is now in its third year

  Unification and Development of Legislation (1999)

  775,000

  No

  Assistance to the Negotiations Affairs Department (1999)

  4,200,000

  No

  Tele-Cardiology (Peres Centre) (1999)

  850,000

  No

  Sustainable Management of West Bank and Gaza Aquifers (1999)

  1,971,308

  No

  Gaza Midwifery (1999)

  545,000

  No

  Hebron Water Access and Storage (1999)

  513,572

  Yes—the construction of cisterns and latrines has now been completed

  Economy and Trade Policy Development (1999)

  495,057

  No

  Save the Children Fund Water and Sanitation Project-Rafah (1999)

  2,013,836

  Yes—work on piped water supplies, sewerage pipes and drains, is now in its third year

  Census Reports (1999)

  92,500

  No

  Legislative Council Library (1999)

  353,700

  No

  Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees Women's Health (2000)

  987,000

  No

  Public Administration Institutional Development (2000)

  1,900,000

  No

  Primary Health Care—Phase 2 (2000)

  1,550,000

  Yes—small scale remodelling work for lecture rooms and library now completed

  Participatory Poverty Assessment (2001)

  500,000

  No

  Utilisation of Census Data (2001)

  700,000

  No

  Union of Palestinian Medical Relief Committees Emergency Response (2001)

  520,000

  No

  World Bank Employment Generation Programme (2001)

  1,500,000

  No

  OXFAM Humanitarian Grant (2001)

  34,000

  No

  Mental Health and Trauma Counselling (2001)

  450,000

  No

  World Food Programme Appeal (2001)

  500,000

  No

  Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs Grant (2001)

  300,000

  No

  Supporting Literacy (2001)

  290,000

  No

  Child Health Development (2001)

  1,215,000

  No

  World Bank NGO Project—Phase 2 (2001)

  4,500,000

  No

  Reducing the Impact of Violence on Palestinian Children (2001)

  517,000

  No

  Palestinian Hydrology Group—Water Sector Grant (2001)

  250,000

  Yes—work on a number of cisterns is nearing completion

  Economic Policy Programme—Phase 3 (2001)

  1,015,000

  No

  Hebron Water Access and Storage—Phase 2 (2001)

  5,000,000

  Yes—the construction of numerous cisterns and latrines have recently begun

  Reproductive Health Programmes
  Angus Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what population reproductive health programmes are directly run by her Department in(a) Africa, (b) south and central America, (c) the middle east, (d) central and eastern Europe, (e) Asia and (f) Oceania; and if she will make a statement. [37234]

  Country

  Programme

  (a) Africa

  Nigeria

  Sexual and Reproductive Health programme; life planning education programme; HIV/AIDS programme

  Kenya

  Family health programme; HIV/AIDS programme; safe motherhood demonstration project

  South Africa

  Reproductive health programme; social marketing of condoms; Soul City multi media initiative

  Mozambique

  Social marketing of condoms

  Zambia

  HIV/AIDS and reproductive health programme

  Uganda

  Support for TASO—AIDS Support Organisation

  Malawi

  Sexual and maternal health programme

  Tanzania

  Safe motherhood programme; family planning programme; support for health sector reform including sexual and reproductive health

  Zimbabwe

  Sexual and reproductive health programme

  Ghana

  Ghana HIV/AIDS programme

  886W
  Clare Short
  Reproductive health is a priority for my Department. The target of achieving access to reproductive health for all by 2015 is at the core of our reproductive health policy. We are working with partners to ensure that the international community and developing countries continue to give the issue the priority it demands.

  The following is a list of current reproductive health programmes (over £1 million) funded by DFID:
  887W

  Country

  Programme

  Mozambique

  HIV/AIDS and maternal health programme

  Sierra Leone

  Strengthening reproductive health provision

  Ethiopia

  Social marketing of condoms

  Africa Regional (Ethiopia, Rwanda and Burundi)

  Support to International Partnership Against AIDS in Africa

  Southern Africa Development Co-ordinating Committee

  Regional HIV/AIDS Programme

  (b) South and Central America

  Central America: regional

  Improving sexual and reproductive health services

  Bolivia

  Health and Sexual Education programme

  Peru

  Reproductive Health programme

  (c) Middle East

  None

  (d) Central and Eastern Europe

  Russian Federation

  STD programme; HIV/AIDS programme; support for Russian Family Planning Association

  (e) Asia

  China

  HIV/AIDS programme

  Bangladesh

  Reproductive health and disease control project; contraceptive social marketing; HIV/AIDS programme; CARE-RASTTA Bondor STD/HIV project

  India

  Support for National AIDS Control Programme, Orissa reproductive health project

  Nepal

  Reproductive health programme and rights-based response to HIV/AIDS

  Pakistan

  Reproductive health programme; social marketing of condoms; private sector population project; community based family planning project

  Asia Regional

  HIV/AIDS prevention in Asia

  f) Oceania

  None

  Contraceptive Commodity Support Programme
  Angus Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contribution the UK has made to the United Nations Family Planning Agency's Contraceptive Commodity Support programme in(a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002; and if she will make a statement. [37236]

  Clare Short
  No Contribution was made in 2000 to the United Nations Population Fund's Contraceptive Commodity Support programme. My Department contributed £25 million in 2001. A decision has not yet been made about a contribution in 2002.

  Afghanistan
  Angus Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects her Department is supporting in respect of maternity clinics in Afghanistan; what steps her Department is taking to improve the conditions in(a) Malalai Maternity, (b) Rabia Balkhi Women's Hospital and(c) Kheikhana Hospital in Kabul; and if she will make a statement. [37235]

  Clare Short
  Maternal mortality in Afghanistan is the second highest in the world, and one in four children dies before reaching the age of five. Recent surveys have highlighted the weaknesses in Kabul's MCH services, which are mirrored elsewhere in the country.

  Our support of £8 million to UNICEF includes assistance to MCH clinics including those in Kabul, by providing training on pregnancy and childbirth. We have also contributed £3 million to the World Health Organisation for public health surveillance and disease control. In addition, we are providing £1 million to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies, to support the Afghan Red Crescent Society's
  888W
  nationwide network of 48 clinics offering MCH services; and supporting a number of quick impact recovery projects to rehabilitate MCH clinics.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on humanitarian aid to Afghanistan disbursed through the Central Asian Republics. [36122]

  Clare Short
  Significant quantities of food and other assistance have been delivered to Afghanistan through the Central Asian republics by the United Nations, the Red Cross movement and non-governmental organisations. The main routes are the Friendship Bridge from Uzbekistan, the Nizhny Pianj barge crossing from Tajikistan, the land route through Krgyztan and Tajikistan into Badakhshan via Ishkashim (used by the Russian Ministry of Emergencies with DFID funding), and the land route from Turkmenistan to Herat. In addition, the World Food Programme has flown food supplies into Faizabad from Kulyab Tajikistan.

  The Central Asian routes were of particular importance while southern routes from pakistan and Iran could not be used for security reasons. With the improvement in the general security situation, the southern routes are now the main supply routes into Afghanistan.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action her Department is taking to help internally displaced people surrounding Herat in western Afghanistan return to their homes. [36125]

  Clare Short
  The area surrounding Herat in western Afghanistan is home to the largest gathering of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the country. The largest organised camp is at Maslakh in Herat with an estimated population of 200,000. Assisted by the United Nations
  889W
  High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the International Organisation for Migration is currently re-registering the IDPs in Maslakh as the first step in returning them to their homes.

  We have committed over £3.5 million to the IOM and £3 million pounds to UNHCR to include provision for displaced people in the region; including for facilitating their safe return home.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of levels of malnourishment amongst internally displaced people in Afghanistan. [36124]

  Clare Short
  There have been a number of nutritional surveys conducted by humanitarian agencies. These indicate that some remote areas are facing difficulty in receiving sufficient food aid.

  The World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and other humanitarian agencies are continuing to do their best to deliver life-saving assistance to those in need. WFP have recently launched rapid assessment helicopter missions to investigate reports of food shortages and other urgent needs in difficult-to-access areas of Afghanistan, especially western Afghanistan. We have contributed £6 million towards WFP's operations inside Afghanistan, for both direct procurement and transportation of food and for logistical support to help speed up the movement of food aid into the country. We have also supported a number of agencies—the United Nations, Red Cross and non-governmental organisations (NGOs)—for supplementary feeding and secondary distribution of food inside Afghanistan.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the levels of humanitarian aid disbursed via the friendship bridge between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan. [36123]

  Clare Short
  The Friendship Bridge crossing from Termez, Uzbekistan to Hairaton, northern Afghanistan, has been operational since it was reopened by the Uzbek authorities on 9 December 2001. Useful quantities of food and other relief assistance have been transported by United Nations agencies and non-governmental organisations across the bridge, which is an important route into the north for both humanitarian and commercial traffic; for example, earlier this month over 3,700 tonnes of assistance were transported in one week across the bridge.

  Advertising
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the expenditure was per campaign for the five most expensive media advertising campaigns her Department undertook in the past five Parliamentary sessions including the current Parliamentary session in(a) Scotland, (b) England,(c) Wales and (d), Northern Ireland; and for the last two Parliamentary sessions and the current session, when each advertising campaign (i) began and (ii) ended in (A) Scotland, (B) England, (C) Wales and (D) Northern Ireland. [37397]

  Clare Short
  DFID does not run a programme of media advertising campaigns.
  890W
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the cost was of media advertising in each of the past five parliamentary sessions including the current session, for her Department in(a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland; and for the last two Parliamentary sessions and the current Parliamentary session, what the media advertising expenditure was per month in (i) England, (ii) Wales and (iii) Northern Ireland. [37409]

  Clare Short
  DFID does not undertake media advertising campaigns. The bulk of our media advertising expenditure is in relation to recruitment advertising, on which we spend around £1 million per year. It would involve disproportionate cost to break this figure down to the level of detail requested.

  In addition, DFID commissioned a 12-page supplement in The Independent on the subject of globalisation to accompany the Government's second White Paper on International Development. The report was published on 12 December 2000 at a cost of £40,276.

  Union Duties
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies receive paid leave to undertake union duties; how-many days they are allocated; and what has been the cost to public funds in each of the last four years. [36215]

  Clare Short
  There are 18 members of staff who are entitled to paid leave to undertake union duties in addition to two full time representatives of the Public and Commercial Services Union; in practice, one of two may take up that entitlement in any one year. There is no formally agreed number of days, each case being handled on its merits. The estimated cost to public funds in each of the last four years has been as follows:

  Year

  £

  1998

  356

  1999

  96

  2000

  155

  2001

  175

  Website
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost of her Department's website was in real terms in each of the last four years; and how many hits it received in each of those years. [36146]

  Clare Short
  The total costs for the DFID website for the financial years 1998–99 to 2001–02 (to date) were as follows:

  1998–99: £40,305

  1999–2000: £42,731

  2000–01: £61,612

  2001–02: £131,381.

  These figures include salary costs for the website manager, but exclude the costs of centrally provided departmental services (e.g. telephone charges). The figures for the current year include one-off costs for a

  891W
  complete redevelopment of the website to allow for a significant expansion in departmental material made available in electronic form, and in response to an increasing interest in the work of the Department.

  The average weekly assessed hits for the same periods were:

  1998–99: 37,000

  1999–2000: 38,000

  2000–01: 40,257

  2001–021: 77,8411

  1To date

  Publicity Expenditure
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the total real terms expenditure of her Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies on publicity in each of the years(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000, (d) 2000–01 and (e) 2001–02 (i) to date and (ii) as estimated for the whole of the present year; and if she will break these figures down to indicate expenditure on (A) advertising and (B) press and public relations. [36160]

  Clare Short
  Expenditure in relation to paid publicity in the years in question was as follows:

  £000

  1997–98

  410

  1998–99

  697

  1999–2000

  880

  2000–01

  1,487

  2001–021

  1,194

  2001–022

  1,410

  1 To date

  1 Estimated

  The annual totals given include expenditure on departmental publications, exhibitions, visits and displays, photography, video production and internet services. The increase over the period reflects our commitment to greater openness, as well as to promoting greater public awareness and understanding of international development issues.

  We hold a separate budget for Press Office running costs (other than salary costs), for which expenditure in the years in questions was:

  £000

  1998–99

  70

  1999–2000

  151

  2000–01

  119

  2001–021

  126

  2001–022

  175

  1To date

  2Estimated

  Figures for 1997–98 are not obtainable without involving disproportionate cost.

  DFID does not hold a specific advertising budget. However the bulk of our paid advertising relates to recruitment advertising in newspapers and journals, costing around £l million a year.

  Industrial Action
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in her Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [36191]

  Clare Short
  There have been no days lost owing to industrial action.

  Russia
  Jim Dobbin
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who conducted the recent study in Russia on the provision of reproductive health services funded by the Department for International Development; if there were independent assessors; what the results of the survey were; if she will place a full report in the Library; and what contraceptive and abortion facilities were made available to women who took part in the survey. [36246]

  Clare Short
  My Department engaged John Snow International (LW' s Centre for Sexual and Reproductive Health to undertake a review of literature on maternal health in Russia and the former Soviet Union from April 2000 to June 2001. The purpose of the project was to identify, review and summarise information that would form a basis for a future plan of action on maternal and reproductive health in the region. The reviewers made a number of recommendations on the development of Russian evidence-based guidelines on reproductive health. A copy of the project's final report will be placed in the Library of the House. The project did not assess reproductive health facilities in Russia or survey users of such facilities.

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in her Department to(a) herself and (b) her fellow Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36278]

  Clare Short
  The ministerial boxes for the Secretary of State and the Under-Secretary of State are conveyed using the Government Car Service, Royal Mail and trains as required. Private courier firms are not used.

  Iran
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's work in Iran. [36129]

  Clare Short
  We do not have a development assistance programme with the Government of Iran. However, we are providing humanitarian assistance for Iraqi refugees in Southern Iran, which to date has amounted to £1.45 million. This is being channelled through an international NGO, The AMAR International Charitable Foundation.

  We are also providing support through the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) to education and

  893W
  health services for Afghan refugees in urban areas of Iran, and to the World Food Programme for feeding programmes in Afghan refugee camps. Our assistance to date has totalled almost £1.5 million.

  Refugee Camps
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the conditions in(a) Jalozai and (b) Shalman refugee camps; and what action her Department is taking to improve conditions in these camps. [36127]

  Clare Short
  UNHCR and the Government of Pakistan recently completed the voluntary relocation of all 45,000 residents of Jalozai refugee camp to five new sites in Pakistan, which had been purpose built to offer better conditions. Officials from my Department visited one of these camps, Shalman, last week and reported it to be well run, with good security and a considerable improvement on conditions at Jalozai.

  We have provided £3 million to UNHCR for its programme in response to the Afghan crisis, this has included a site planning specialist and other practical as well as financial support.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the number of rape incidents in refugee camps in(a) Afghanistan and(b) Pakistan. [36126]

  Clare Short
  We are not aware of any quantitative assessment by humanitarian agencies of the number of rape incidents in IDP camps in Afghanistan nor refugee camps in Pakistan.

  The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has established guidelines on the Protection of Refugee Women (details of which can found at www.unhcr.ch) of which we are fully supportive. We have provided £3 million to UNHCR for its regional programme for humanitarian assistance for Afghans. We are also supporting other agencies including the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and international non-governmental organisations who manage IDP camps in Afghanistan using similar guidelines for minimum standards in humanitarian protection and care.

  Development Assistance
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she had made of the Government's progress towards the target of 0.7 per cent. of GNP for development assistance; and if she will make a statement. [36089]

  Clare Short
  The UK has increased official development assistance (ODA) by a third in real terms since 1997. In 2000 net official development assistance from the UK to developing countries was £2.974 million which represented 0.32 per cent. of gross national income (GNI)—up from 0.26 per cent. in 1997. This made us the fourth largest bilateral donor in volume terms. We have pledged to raise ODA as a percentage of gross national income (GNI) to 0.33 per cent. by 2003–04.
  894W
  Our position after 2003–04 is under discussion with the Chancellor as part of the current public spending round and will not be determined before June. We are committed to making substantial further progress towards the UN 0.7 per cent. target.

  Sudan
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Government supports the resumption of EU aid to Sudan; and whether it supports attaching to this aid clear benchmarks in the EU-Sudan dialogue. [36419]

  Clare Short
  We support the EC making preparations for the resumption of aid to Sudan so that aid can be disbursed when the time is right. But it would be premature for the EC to begin disbursing assistance, other than that which is intended to meet urgent humanitarian need, before there are substantial moves towards peace.

  Uganda and Rwanda (Extradition)
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on a bilateral extradition treaty between Uganda and Rwanda. [36567]

  Clare Short
  We have been working hard to reduce tension between Rwanda and Uganda. I met Presidents Museveni and Kagame again last week to review the progress on the Memorandum of Understanding signed between them in November. The MoU covered the need for an extradition treaty on which they are now working. The UK stands ready to offer advice on this if it is needed.

  Rwanda
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what action she has taken to encourage Rwanda to withdraw its troops from the Democratic Republic of Congo. [36568]

  Clare Short
  Rwanda has legitimate security concerns in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Since those responsible for the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 are fighting to invade Rwanda. The UK supports the full implementation of the Lusaka Peace Agreement from which links the need for progress on the formation of a transitional Government and a target date for elections in the DRC, the disarmament and demobilisation of the rebel forces seeking to destabilise Rwanda and Burundi and the withdrawal of foreign forces.

  Democratic Republic of Congo
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the next stage of the inter-Congolese dialogue in Sun City, South Africa. [36569]

  Clare Short
  The next stage of the inter-Congolese dialogue, due to start next week in Sun City, is a crucial step in the implementation of the Lusaka Peace Agreement which is the only viable solution to the long-running conflict in the DRC. It is important that the dialogue, should lead to agreement on a transitional Government and a date for democratic elections in the DRC.
  895W
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the outcome of the UN talks in Geneva on the peace process in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [36570]

  Clare Short
  The talks in Geneva, in advance of the Sun City meeting, failed to achieve agreement between the parties to the conflict. It is important that all parties should be encouraged to attend the talks in Sun City and to agree on the formation of a transitional Government and a date for democratic elections in the DRC.

  Tony Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what further help her Department will provide for aid agencies dealing with the provision of water sanitation in Renseraki, Republic of Congo. [31666]

  Clare Short
  We are not currently funding any projects with NGOs or other aid agencies in the Republic of Congo, and have no plans to do so. I understand that the ICRC plans to continue working on the rehabilitation of water and sanitation supplies to certain towns in the Republic, but that Renseraki does not currently feature in their plans at present.

  World Summit on Sustainable Development
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans her Department has to work with other Government departments to raise awareness(a) before and (b) during the World Summit on Sustainable Development. [36435]

  Clare Short
  My Department is represented at Cabinet Committee (MISC 18), chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, which has been set up to develop, co-ordinate and deliver the Government's strategy for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). We are also represented on the WSSD inter-departmental group and a high level steering group, both chaired by DEFRA. All Government Departments have agreed through MISC 18 a communications strategy for WSSD to raise awareness of the summit. We are working with other Departments to take it forward.

  Development Awareness Fund
  Dr Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of her Department's Development Awareness Fund is given in grants; and what percentage is spent on her Department's internal work. [36434]

  Clare Short
  Our budget for public information and awareness raising activities in 2001–02 is £7.25 million. Within this, the Development Awareness Fund has a budget in 2001–02 of £5.69 million (78.5 per cent. of the total) and is all grant based. Our wider public services work (which includes our publications, Development policy Forums, the DFID website, DFID Public Inquiry Point and DFID exhibitions and display activities) has a budget in 2001–02 of £1.56 million (21.5 per cent.).

  Working Conditions
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many people are 896W
  employed in her Department on a job share contract; and what percentage of vacant positions was advertised on this basis in the last 12 months. [35363]

  Clare Short
  The Department currently employs 18 staff on official job share contracts. Two such posts out of a total of 348 (0.57 per cent.) have been advertised through our internal procedures in the last 12 months.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment has been made of the effect of the working time directive on her Department's employees; how many employees are working in excess of 48 hours per week; what steps she is taking to reduce this number; and if she will make a statement. [35896]

  Clare Short
  DFID has no recorded incidence of employees working in excess of 48 hours per week and none who have been required to sign a waiver under the terms of the working time directive. The Department is conscious of its responsibilities under this legislation and is committed to ensuring that staff do not exceed the 48 hour limit.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many cases of work-related stress have been reported in her Department; how much compensation has been paid to employees; how many work days have been lost due to work-related stress, and at what cost; what procedures have been put in place to reduce work-related stress, and at what cost, in each of the last three years; and if she will make a statement. [35928]

  Clare Short
  The information requested is not held and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  DFID is conscious of its legal obligation to provide a safe working environment for employees and is committed to meeting targets for reducing the number of working days lost generally due to work related injuries and illness.

  Fair Trade Goods
  Mr. Weir
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to her answer of 16 November 2001,Official Report, column 931W, on fair trade goods, if she will review and increase the amount of fairly traded goods purchased by her Department during Fair Trade Fortnight. [35919]

  Clare Short
  As mentioned in my answer of 16 November 2001, my Department has supported FT initiatives for a number of years, both in developing countries and in the UK. This support forms part of a wider dialogue with the private sector to encourage them to adopt more socially responsible and ethical business practices. As companies and consumers become more aware of the connection between the way business is done and its impact on the livelihoods of people in developing countries, so the pressure for positive change grows.

  Primarily for this reason, DFID is providing £120,000 to the Fair Trade Foundation over three years (2001–03) in support of its efforts to target new consumers through its annual Fair Trade Fortnight campaigns. In addition, Hilary Benn will be attending the launch of this year's campaign on 4 March 2002.

  897W
  We also continue to serve FT coffee at all our official meetings and our in-house caterers will be actively promoting FT goods during the fortnight.

  Consultants
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total cost to her Department was of the use of external consultants in each of the last four years. [35025]

  Clare Short
  DFID expenditure on consultancies from the development programme over the past four financial years is given in the table:

  £ million

  1997–98

  204

  1998–99

  199

  1999–2000

  198

  2000–01

  209

  Financial Year 1997–98

  Financial Year 1998–99

  Consultant

  New contracts

  Value £

  Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts

  New contracts

  Value £

  Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts

  PricewaterhouseCoopers

  28

  5,575,135

  14,910,760

  38

  11,193,643

  12,158,276

  Ernst &Young

  9

  445,792

  444,823

  15

  838,429

  734,951

  Deloitte & Touche

  1

  4,185

  54,815

  5

  269,070

  36,852

  KPMG

  19

  7,104,728

  3,317,440

  17

  2,548,237

  4,087,979

  Arthur Andersen

  0

  0

  0

  3

  24,558,244

  2,745,702

  Financial Year 1999–2000

  Financial Year 2000–01

  Financial Year 2001–021

  Consultant

  New contracts

  Value £

  Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts

  New contracts

  Value £

  Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts

  New contracts

  Value £

  Cost billed to DFID for all current contracts

  PricewaterhouseCoopers

  42

  13,405,142

  1,012,668

  31

  19,018,515

  16,252,770

  21

  3,075,210

  11,014,066

  Ernst £Young

  6

  286,800

  531,170

  1

  11,610

  57,636

  5

  43,023

  47,614

  Deloitte £ Touche

  6

  749,262

  184,577

  9

  8,478,352

  1,481,185

  6

  633,884

  1,733,079

  KPMG

  23

  12,773,757

  3,097,485

  17

  4,700,110

  5,626,769

  15

  2,185,931

  3,977,785

  Arthur Andersen

  1

  27,724

  6,655,157

  1

  83,721

  6,616,784

  2

  114,162

  5,528,055

HOME DEPARTMENT

  English Language
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of the population is fluent in the English language. [34673]

  Mr. Healey
  [holding answer 8 February 2002]: I have been asked to reply.

  We have no reliable data regarding the proportion of the population who are fluent in the English language. Research undertaken by the Institute of Education and MORI in 1995 for the Basic Skills Agency suggested that around 450,000 people living in the UK, whose first language is not English, have little command of the English language. However, more recent research indicates that the figure could easily be twice this amount. Later this year, we will be conducting a survey of literacy, language and numeracy needs in England as part of our "Skills for Life" strategy to improve adult basic skills. This will provide a more accurate and current assessment of the extent of English language need.
  898W
  Expenditure on consultancy funded from DFID running costs has been around £2 million in each year.

  Contracts
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many contracts were let by her Department and agencies for which she is responsible to(a) PWC Consulting or PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst £Young, (c) Deloitte £ Touche,(d) KPMG and (e) Andersen for consultancy services for the financial years (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000, (iv) 2000–01 and (v) 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available, indicating the remuneration in each case. [33852]

  Clare Short
  Details are given in the following table:

  Teacher Vacancies
  Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which 10 education authorities have(a) the highest and (b) the lowest number of teacher vacancies; what the numbers of teachers involved are; and whether she is taking steps to remove the inequality. [36910]

  Mr. Timms
  I have been asked to reply.

  The 10 local education authorities in England that reported the highest number of teacher vacancies1 for maintained nursery, primary, secondary and special schools in January 2001, and their number of vacancies, were as follows:

  Education authorities

  Essex

  220

  Kent

  196

  Hampshire

  175

  Tower Hamlets

  157

  Surrey

  104

  Newham

  103

  899W

  Education authorities

  Hackney

  101

  Southwark

  100

  Barnet

  100

  Suffolk

  89

  Ten local education authorities reported no teacher vacancies. They were as follows:

  City of London

  Cornwall

  Isles of Scilly

  Liverpool

  Manchester

  Northumberland

  Nottinghamshire

  Rutland

  South Tyneside

  Trafford.

  In 2001–02, the Government made £33 million available to fund local teacher recruitment and retention initiatives. Almost 80 per cent. of those funds went to schools in London and the South East. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State recently announced a further £44 million for 2002–03. More than 3,500 teachers will also receive assistance to purchase homes in areas of high price or demand as part of the Government's £250 million Starter Homes Initiative. 2,890 of these teachers will be in London and the South East. My right hon. Friend has also proposed to accept the School Teacher's Review Body's recommendation to award a fourth successive above-inflation pay increase for all teachers from 1 April 2002.
  1Vacancies are recorded for posts which have been advertised for full-time appointments of at least one term's duration, that exist on the survey date of the third Thursday in January. A post would not be recorded as a vacancy if someone appointed to that post on a full-time contract of one term or more has filled the post.

  Refugee Accommodation
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his oral statement of 7 February 2002,Official Report, columns 1027–29, on nationality, immigration and asylum, if he will make a statement on the future of other providers of accommodation for refugees. [35559]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 12 February 2002]: The trial of accommodation centres is expected to provide for 3,000 places. Asylum seekers requiring accommodation who are not offered a place in one of the accommodation centres will be dispersed in line with current policies. National Asylum Support Service (NASS) will continue to work with its existing contractors to provide accommodation in these circumstances.

  National Asylum Support Service
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much it cost to run the National Asylum Support Service in 2001. [35995]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is not available in the format requested. For the financial year 2001–02 National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has been allocated 900W
  £17.8 million1 to cover pay and related administration costs and £22.1 million1 for grants to voluntary organisations working with asylum seeker.

  1All figures are rounded to the nearest £ million.

  Electronic Tagging
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women were electronically tagged in England and Wales as at 1 February. [35998]

  Beverley Hughes
  59,509 people have been electronically tagged in England and Wales between the start of the current electronic monitoring contracts on 28 January 1999 and 1 February 2002. Of these 53,764 were male and 5,745 were female. On 1 February 2002, a total of 3,391 persons were still being monitored. Of these 3,073 were male and 318 were female.

  Prison Officers (Suspension)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officer in England and Wales are suspended from duty because of allegations of cruelty to prison inmates; and what is the average period of time these officers have been suspended for. [35997]

  Beverley Hughes
  There are currently 29 prison officers suspended for this reason. The average length of time they have been suspended is 7.25 months.

  Suspects (Mental Illness)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision exists in(a) England and Wales and (b) Devon, for police and social services to liaise on matters concerning suspects suffering from mental illness. [16685]

  Mr. Denham
  Under the Codes of Practice issued under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984, when a suspect who is suffering from a mental illness is in police custody the custody officer must, as soon as practicable, inform the appropriate adult of the grounds for detention and his whereabouts and ask the adult to come to the police station to see the person. An appropriate adult includes someone who has experience of dealing with mentally disordered or mentally handicapped people, such as an approved social worker as defined by the Mental Health Act 1983 or a specialised social worker.

  Where a person has been detained at a police station under section 136 of the Mental Health Act 1983 an approved social worker and a registered medical practitioner shall be called to the police station as soon as possible in order to interview and examine the person. The person should not be released until he has been seen by both the approved social worker and the registered medical practitioner.

  I am informed by the chief constable that in Devon and Cornwall there is formal multi-agency policy, containing practice and procedural guidelines, which addresses issues relating to arrest, detention, assessment and care plan arrangements under the Mental Health Act 1983.

  Local mental health issues, ranging from resources to specific care management reviews are addressed through four locally based multi-agency "Mentally Disordered
  901W
  Offender (MDO)" groups. A county level Multi-Agency Public Protection Panel (MAPPP) provides for a multi-agency problem solving approach to the management of high risk and potentially dangerous mentally disordered persons. These are linked to a Peninsula (Devon and Cornwall) Criminal Justice Strategies Group.

  Informal case review meetings may be called at short notice by any of the representative bodies on the MDO groups when an actual or potential case management problem is identified. Such meetings allow for joint agency agreement on appropriate early intervention and, if necessary, referral to an MDO group or MAPPP.

  Formal multi-agency information exchange protocols are still being developed for lower risk patients, but the Devon Approved Social Worker (out of hours) Service ensures that Devon and Cornwall police officers have 24 hour access to professional, informed advice on any known individual if required.

  European Arrest Warrant
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what changes in the text of the European arrest warrant have been made since it was debated in the House; and if he will place the new text in the Library. [36042]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  On 10 December 2001 European Standing Committee B held a debate on the basis of document 13425-01, COPEN 65, which at the time was the latest available full English text of the Framework Decision on the European Arrest Warrant. The current text, which reflects discussions at the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council on 6-7 December, is numbered 14867/1/01, COPEN 79 REV 1. This version contains a number of changes. In addition to the revised wording of Article 5(1) concerning guarantees to be given for requests based on convictions in absentia, the most significant changes concern scope (Article 2) and time limits (Article 17).

  The current text and Explanatory Memorandum were deposited in Parliament by the Home Office on 11 December 2001. As a matter of procedure copies of all deposited texts are sent to the House of Commons Library as well as to the Commons European Scrutiny Committee. Version 14867/1/01, COPEN 79 REV 1 was considered by the Committee and cleared from scrutiny on 12 December.

  Sentencing
  Mr. Hurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many prison sentences of 28 days or less were imposed by courts in England and Wales in(a) 1998, (b) 1999 and (c) 2000;[R][34850]

  (2) how many prison sentences of local custody were imposed by magistrates courts in England and Wales in (a) 1979, (b) 1989 and (c) 1999. [R][34849]

  Beverley Hughes
  The Home Office Court Proceedings database show that 7,586 persons were sentenced to custody for 28 days or less in 1998 in England and Wales. Figures for 1999 and 2000 were 8,553 and 8,525 respectively.

  The expression "prison sentences of local custody" is not recognised.

  Death Sentence (Reburial Applications)
  Ian Lucas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications by relatives of people, upon whom judgment of death was executed, for reburial outside the prison in which they were last confined have been refused since 1979. [34523]

  Beverley Hughes
  It has been the practice since 1965 for successive Home Secretaries to consider such applications sympathetically; none appears to have been refused over the period in question.

  Asylum Accommodation Centres
  Shona McIsaac
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if(a) education, (b) health care and (c) legal services will be provided on site at asylum seeker accommodation centres; and who will be responsible for the costs of providing such services. [34582]

  Angela Eagle
  Health care and education facilities will be provided on site in the trial accommodation centres and will be funded by the Home Office.

  Legal advice will be available to asylum seekers housed in accommodation centres and may be provided on site, depending on the particular circumstances at each centre. Arrangements at each centre will be decided and funded by the Legal Services Commission.

  Shona McIsaac
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to consult local authorities on the proposed siting of asylum seeker accommodation centres; [34579]

  (2) what plans he has to involve residents in the vicinity of proposed asylum seeker accommodation centres in consultation about such plans. [34580]

  Angela Eagle
  Home Office officials are in the process of meeting with planning officials from the local authorities where the potential sites are sited.

  They will, in the near future and in agreement with each planning authority, embark on a consultation exercise with all relevant parties including local authorities, providers of local services and members of the local community.

  Immigration Service (Lincolnshire)
  Shona McIsaac
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Immigration Service staff are employed in(a) north Lincolnshire and (b) north-east Lincolnshire; and what proportion of those employees speak (i) Arabic, (ii) Hindi, (iii) Urdu, (iv) Farsi/Dari and (v) Pashtu. [34585]

  Angela Eagle
  As at 1 February 2002 there were 12 Immigration Service staff based in north and north-east Lincolnshire.

  The details of the languages spoken by immigration staff of all grades is not held centrally and could be collected only at disproportionate cost. We recognise this shortfall and are in the process of addressing it by creating a database of training received and qualifications held by Immigration Service staff. However, interpreting and

  903W
  translation services for those in the care of the Immigration Service are largely provided by external translators, who are called upon to travel if required.

  As my hon. Friend is aware, we have identified a potential site for an asylum seeker accommodation centre in her constituency. We intend that staff for accommodation centres will be provided by the contractor running the site.

  Migrants
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce a quota for all categories of migrant. [34151]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 7 February 2002]: Our immigration system is not generally based on applying quotas but on requiring conditions set out in the Immigration Rules and associated concessions, to be met for permission to enter or remain in the United Kingdom to be given. Two exceptions are our bilateral youth exchange scheme with Japan and the longstanding Seasonal Agricultural Workers' Scheme (SAWS) for which there is an annual quota. We plan to introduce new quota-based routes of entry to the United Kingdom. As we said in our White Paper, "Secure Borders, Safe Haven: Integration with Diversity in Modern Britain", published on 7 February:
  "We will build on the principles of [SAWS] to meet the demand for short-term casual labour in other sectors of the United Kingdom economy. As with the SAWS, we envisage quotas will be a key feature of any similar schemes that would be carefully targeted at specific sectors and closely managed. Entry would be for a short period of up to six months and applicants would not have the right to bring dependants with them".

  We also plan to reform the existing SAW scheme.

  Illegal Immigrants and Overstayers
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to remove illegal immigrants and overstayers over the last 12 months. [34147]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 7 February 2002]: We have taken a range of measures to apprehend and remove illegal entrants and overstayers. These include a substantial increase in the number of immigration officers engaged on removals work, an expansion of the detention estate, creation of additional immigration arrest teams, the development of a network of reporting centres and the use of chartered flights.

  In line with the police service, the immigration service is embracing the National Intelligence Model as a disciplined tool for using intelligence to drive effective strategy in the delivery of our business objectives, including the removal of overstayers and illegal immigrants. Intelligence lies at the heart of business planning. It provides an accurate picture of the business, the nature and extent of the problems, trends and where the main threats lie.

  The most recent published figures show that in the calendar year 2000 there were 8,370 persons removed from the United Kingdom after enforcement action had been initiated. This includes those persons who departed
  904W
  voluntarily after enforcement action had been initiated against them, or who left under an Assisted Voluntary Return Programme.

  Additionally, 38,275 persons were refused leave to enter at port and subsequently removed in 2000.

  Life Sentences
  Mr. Stinchcombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the offences for which(a) men and (b) women are serving life sentences in England and Wales; and how many are serving such sentences for each offence. [34592]

  Beverley Hughes
  The number of men and women serving life sentences in England and Wales at 31 December 2001 and the offences for which they were sentenced are shown in the table.

  Offence

  Males

  Females

  Murder

  3,399

  125

  Other homicide and attempted homicide

  122

  7

  Manslaughter

  159

  6

  Rape

  468

  0

  Wounding

  265

  6

  Arson

  94

  16

  Buggery and indecent behaviour between males

  36

  0

  Other sexual offences

  12

  0

  Gross indecency with children

  2

  0

  Kidnapping

  22

  0

  Robbery

  124

  0

  Other offences of violence against the person

  68

  0

  Drug offences

  4

  0

  Burglary

  12

  0

  Affray

  2

  0

  Other thefts

  2

  0

  Threatening/disorderly behaviour

  1

  0

  Cruelty to children

  1

  0

  Other criminal offences

  25

  0

  Offence not recorded

  5

  0

  Total number of inmates

  4,823

  160

  Mr. Stinchcombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women are serving(a) mandatory and (b) discretionary life sentences in England and Wales for non-homicide offences. [34594]

  Beverley Hughes
  There were(a) 125 women serving mandatory life sentences and (b) 35 women serving discretionary life sentences on 31 December 2001.

  Under section 2 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 offenders convicted of a second serious sexual or violent offence must be sentenced to life imprisonment. These sentences are known as automatic life sentences. There is currently no centrally held data to differentiate between automatic and discretionary life sentence inmates. Mandatory life sentences are passed for murder only.

  Mr. Stinchcombe
  To ask the Secretary of state for the Home Department how many men are serving(a) mandatory and (b) discretionary life sentences in England and Wales for non-homicide. [34595]

  Beverley Hughes: There were (a) 3,399 men serving mandatory life sentences and (b) 1,424 men serving discretionary life sentences on 31 December 2001.
  905W
  Under section 2 of the Crime (Sentences) Act 1997 offenders convicted of a second serious sexual or violent offence must be sentenced to life imprisonment. These sentences are known as automatic life sentences. There is currently no centrally held data to differentiate between automatic and discretionary life sentence inmates. Mandatory life sentences are passed for murder only.

  Immigration and Nationality Directorate (Lost Passports)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passports were lost by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate in(a) 1999, (b) 2000 and (c) 2001. [34618]

  Male (full-time equivalents)

  Rank

  White

  Black Caribbean

  Black African

  Black other

  Chinese

  Pakistani

  Indian

  Other

  Total

  Chief Constable

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Deputy Chief Constable

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Assistant Chief Constable

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Chief Superintendent

  8

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  8

  Superintendent

  6

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  7

  Chief Inspector

  17

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  18

  Inspector

  80

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  83

  Sergeant

  239

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  8

  1

  249

  Constable

  1,294.3

  11

  3

  7

  1

  8

  22

  13

  1,359.3

  Total

  1,647.3

  14

  3

  8

  1

  8

  31

  15

  1,727.3

  Female (full-time equivalents)

  Rank

  White

  Black Caribbean

  Black African

  Black other

  Chinese

  Pakistani

  Indian

  Other

  Total

  Chief Constable

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Deputy Chief Constable

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Assistant Chief Constable

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Chief Superintendent

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Superintendent

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  Chief Inspector

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  Inspector

  4

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4

  Sergeant

  20.8

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  20.8

  Constable

  299.6

  1

  0

  3

  0

  2

  5

  3

  313.6

  Total

  329.5

  1

  0

  3

  0

  2

  5

  3

  343.5

  Total (full-time equivalents)

  Rank

  White

  Black Caribbean

  Black African

  Black other

  Chinese

  Pakistani

  Indian

  Other

  Total

  Chief Constable

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Deputy Chief Constable

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Assistant Chief Constable

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  Chief Superintendent

  8

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  8

  Superintendent

  8

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  9

  Chief Inspector

  19

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  20

  Inspector

  84

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  87

  Sergeant

  259.8

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  8

  1

  269.8

  Constable

  1,593.9

  12

  3

  10

  1

  10

  27

  16

  1,672.9

  Total

  1,976.8

  15

  3

  11

  1

  10

  36

  18

  2,070.8

  Asylum Seekers
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will(a) list the sites which are being considered by his Department to build accommodation centres for asylum seekers and (b) list
  906W
  Angela Eagle
  The information requested is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost. However, the Integrated Casework Directorate's (ICD's) Return of Passport Unit, which was set up in October 1999, issued 97 lost passport letters in the year 2000 and 103 in 2001.

  Leicestershire Police
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many members there are in the Leicestershire Constabulary, broken down by rank; and how many are(a) women, (b) black and (c) Asian. [34619]

  Mr. Denham
  The information in the tables has been provided by the Chief Constable and reflects the position in the Leicestershire Constabulary on 8 February 2002.

  sites which have already been considered and have been deemed unsuitable. [32515]

  Angela Eagle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff) on 11 February 2002,Official Report, column 57W.
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  So far, none has been deemed unsuitable.

  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria the Government have set for selecting sites for accommodation centres to house asylum seekers within the UK; and which of these criteria have been met by RAF Turnhouse in Edinburgh. [32519]

  Angela Eagle
  The criteria are set out in the answer I gave the hon. Member for Mid-Worcestershire (Mr. Luff) on 7 February 2002,Official Report, column 1134W. The Royal Air Force (RAF) Turnhouse site appears to meet these initial criteria.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people seeking asylum have been located in the Portsmouth, South constituency since the introduction of the Government's dispersal policy; and if he will make a statement. [35444]

  Angela Eagle
  Figures are not available by constituency for those asylum seekers accommodated by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS).

  Statistics from NASS for the end of September 2001, show that 1501.2 asylum seekers (including dependants) were being supported in NASS accommodation in Portsmouth.

  1Figure rounded to the nearest 10.

  2 Cases where support has been ceased are excluded from this figure.

  Essex Police Authority
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the complement is for Essex Police Authority; and how many officers were in post at 31 December 2001. [29757]

  Mr. Denham
  The chief constable of Essex Police informs me that the full time equivalent strength at 31 December 2001 was 2,978.

  Essex police continue to recruit strongly. Force strength rose by 119 officers (4.2 per cent.) to 2,937 in the year to 30 September 2001 and the information provided by the chief constable shows a further strength increase.

  Arthur Andersen
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with Arthur Andersen about terminating contracts. [33092]

  Angela Eagle
  The Home Department does not currently hold any contracts with Arthur Andersen and therefore no discussions on termination have taken place.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 16 November 2001,Official Report, columns 963-64W, on police resignations; if he will make a statement reconciling the figures for resignations in 1996–97 with the figures given in a previous answer to my Friend the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) of 11 December 2000, Official Report, column 64W (UIN: 41401). [17257]
  908W
  Mr. Denham
  The figures for total police wastage and police resignations given in the answer to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe) of 11 December 2000,Official Report, column 64W, were those collected by the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate (RDS) and published as Police Personnel Statistics. For the purpose of these statistics, wastage is collected on a headcount basis (ie the number of persons) in the following categories: retirements, resignations and other. Other wastage includes officers transferring to forces outside England and Wales, but not those transferring to forces within England and Wales.

  In addition to the information collected by RDS, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) collects information annually about wastage from the police service broken down into the following categories:

  Dismissals from force (including requirements to resign)

  Voluntary resignations

  Medical retirements

  Ordinary retirements

  Transfers from force

  Deaths.

  Forces are asked to provide these figures on a full-time equivalent basis, not on a headcount basis. The HMIC category "Transfers from force" includes transfers to any other force.

  There is no specific category of resignation for medical reasons. If an officer is permanently disabled for police duties there is provision for retirement on ill-health grounds. The number of such medical retirements is recorded in the HMIC statistics. In the circumstances the answer of 16 November 2001, Official Report, column 963W showed the number of medical retirements and the number of officers who left the police service for other reasons—ordinary retirements, dismissals including requirements to resign, and voluntary resignations.

  As the two sets of statistics collected by RDS and HMIC are gathered on a different basis, they cannot be reconciled directly with one another. We are aware of the inconsistent basis between the two sets of figures and established a task force to consider these issues. The task force report was issued for consultation on 18 December 2001. The report of the task force proposes a comprehensive revision to the current requirements on police personnel statistics. Following consultation with the police service we will implement the necessary changes from September 2002.

  West Mercia Police
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans the Government have to increase funding for West Mercia police to the average level for English shire forces. [33732]

  Mr. Denham
  I announced the police funding settlement for 2002–03 on 30 January. Through the settlement West Mercia will receive grant of £101.3 million, an increase of 2.3 per cent. over this year. The average increase for English shire authorities is 2.5 per cent.
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  In addition, the West Mercia Police Authority will receive £3.5 million through the Crime Fighting Fund, £2.3 million through the rural policing fund and £2.8 million capital allocation.

  Grant for police authorities is mainly determined by the police funding formula. The formula aims to allocate resources fairly between authorities, taking account of the circumstances of each. The formula has many strengths and is generally acceptable to much of the policing community. It does however have well recognised limitations and we have decided to undertake a wide ranging review of the formula to ensure that it satisfactorily allocates funding in future. I intend that, where possible, changes to the formula should be introduced in time for the 2003–04 police funding settlement.

  Zimbabwe
  Mr. Ancram
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which members of the Zimbabwe Government and their family members(a) hold and (b) are entitled to hold British passports. [36104]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]: We have no record of having issued a British passport to any current members of the Zimbabwe cabinet. Eligibility for British passport facilities depends on the application of the terms of the British Nationality Act 1981 to the facts of a person's birth and descent. This information in respect of members of the Zimbabwe Government and their families is not held by the Passport Service. I understand that Zimbabwean nationality law now prohibits dual nationality and that in order to retain Zimbabwean nationality, Zimbabweans were required by January this year to renounce formally any other nationality they held.

  Cheshire Police Authority
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will make a statement on the level of the Cheshire Police Authority's grant within the 2002–03 provisional settlement; and what(a) representations he has received and (b) assessment he has made of the implications of the level of grant increase for (i) the effective policing of Cheshire and (ii) the future level of council tax to be levied in Cheshire; [31870]

  (2) what representations he has received about the 2002–03 provisional grant settlement for the Cheshire Police Authority. [31869]

  Mr. Denham
  The provisional police funding settlement was announced on 4 December 2001. Representations were subsequently received from Cheshire Police Authority and from Cheshire MPs.

  I announced the final police funding settlement for 2002–03 on 30 January. Through the settlement Cheshire will receive grant (Home Office and the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR) grant) of £99 million. This is an increase of £2.4 million
  910W
  or 2.5 per cent. over 2001–02. In addition Cheshire will receive £3.3 million through the Crime Fighting Fund, £0.2 million through the Rural Policing Fund and £2.7 million capital allocation.

  It is a matter for the police authority to set a budget and council tax.

  Police Pay and Pensions
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the level of increase in grant settlement necessary for police authorities to cover police service personnel pay and pensions; and if he will make a statement. [31872]

  Mr. Denham
  Police pay and pensions costs are taken into account when the level of funding for the police service is taken into consideration during each spending review.

  Police
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time police officers there were in Wales in each year since 1997. [36421]

  Mr. Denham
  Police numbers for Wales since 1997 are set out in the table. On 30 September 2001 Wales had record numbers of officers.

  Year

  Number of officers1

  Number of civilian support staff1

  31 March 1997

  6,592

  2,455

  31 March 1998

  6,617

  2,429

  31 March 1999

  6,646

  2,559

  31 March 2000

  6,632

  2,457

  31 March 2001

  6,873

  2,706

  30 September 2001

  7,134

  2,829

  1 Strength is full-time equivalents.

  Drug Traffickers
  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much is expected to be recovered by the confiscation of assets of drug traffickers in each of the next five years; and if he will estimate the percentage that this will represent of the total value of illegal drug sales. [36560]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  The national Asset Recovery Strategy, which I announced on 28 November, sets out the Government's objectives for meeting the challenging financial investigation target of recovering £60 million in receipts from asset recovery orders of all kinds by the 2004–05 financial year, compared with £29.5 million during 1999–2000. This would achieve the Government's objective of doubling the amounts recovered from drug traffickers and other major criminals. We estimate that between a half and two thirds of these receipts will come from drug trafficking cases.

  It is not possible to provide a meaningful estimate of the percentage these receipts will represent of the total value of illegal drug sales. What I can say is that the value of such sales is very much greater even than the increased receipts set out in the current target, but that effective

  911W
  application of the new powers in the Proceeds of Crime Bill, including those that will be exercised by the proposed new Assets Recovery Agency, should enable a major increase in the recovery of drug trafficking proceeds. Targets in this field will be reviewed when the strategy has operated for a year, in the light of the outcome of the Bill's passage.

  A copy of the strategy is available in the Library.

  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of setting up the unit for confiscation of the proceeds of drug trafficking; and what the anticipated annual cost is of running it. [36561]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  The Proceeds of Crime Bill, which is shortly to have its Report and Third Reading Stages in the House of Commons, provides inter alia for the setting up of an Assets Recovery Agency. The agency will be empowered to apply for confiscation orders in relation to any category of crime, including drug trafficking.

  As I explained in my answer to the hon. Member for Poole (Mr. Syms) on 11 December 2000, Official Report, column 837W. It is currently estimated that the agency will cost £3 million to set up, with running costs of some £13 million per annum. These estimates are subject to revision as planning for the agency progresses.

  Based on current assumptions about caseloads and amounts available for recovery, the Government expect that the agency's receipts will exceed its running costs.

  Juvenile Offenders
  Mr. Grieve
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many secure unit places for juvenile offenders in(a) young offender institutions, (b) local authority secure units and (c) secure training centres there are in (i) England and Wales and (ii) Greater London; what the occupancy rates are for each; and if he will make a statement. [36097]

  Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 14 February 2002]: The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales commissions and purchases secure accommodation for remanded and sentenced young people. They have provided the following information. The table details the number of secure juvenile places within England and Wales and Greater London and the occupancy rates on Thursday 31 January 2002.

  Type of secure accommodation

  Number of places

  Percentage occupied

  England and Wales

  Young offender institution

  3,072

  84

  Local authority secure unit

  256

  95

  Secure training centre

  130

  85

  Greater London

  Young offender institution

  240

  93

  Local authority secure unit

  16

  100

  Secure training centre

  0

  —

  TETRA
  Mr. Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place a copy of the full TETRA standard specification documents in the Library. [36591]

  Mr. Denham
  The suite of documents which comprise the Terrestrial Trunked Radio System (TETRA) standard specification is published by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI), based in Sophia Antipolis, France. The suite currently contains over 200 separate items and the documents may be downloaded from the ETSI internet website www.etsi.org. These documents are updated as the standard evolves and this method of access ensures that the latest version is always available for consultation. Alternatively, the documents may also be accessed via the library of the British Standards Institute, 389 Chiswick High Road, London W4 4AL Tel: +44 (0) 20 8996 7004, Fax: +44 (0) 20 8996 7005.

  Mr. Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to commission further investigations into possible health risks associated with the use of the TETRA communications system by the emergency services. [36593]

  Mr. Denham
  In early 2001, the Home Office commissioned a report from the National Radiological Protection Board on the potential health risks from Terrestrial Trunked Radio System (TETRA) technology.

  The report concluded it was unlikely that the special features of TETRA posed a hazard to health and made recommendations for further research in the remaining areas of uncertainty. The Home Office has accepted the report and is taking forward all its recommendations in a comprehensive programme of work which is already well under way. This includes a large study commissioned by the Home Office from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory on the possible effects of TETRA signals on cell biology. The initial results of this work are expected by April, 2002.

  Mr. Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has given to police officers to reduce the possible health risks of using TETRA handsets. [36592]

  Mr. Denham
  The Home Office has issued guidance to police forces recommending a maximum output power of 1 watt for Airwave Terrestrial Trunked Radio System (TETRA) handsets.

  This power limit ensures that transmissions from the handsets comply with exposure guidelines.

  Mr. Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many TETRA masts(a) have been and (b) are due to be set up in constabularies using the Airwave Communications system. [36590]

  Mr. Denham
  The number of Terrestrial Trunked Radio System (TETRA) masts commissioned by mm02, the operator responsible for the development of Airwave, totalled 369 at 15 February 2002.

  As the Airwave service is still under development, is not yet possible to give a precise figure for the overall number of masts required for England, Wales and

  913W
  Scotland. However, outline planning studies estimate that 3,500 masts will be needed to meet the police requirement for Airwave.

  Mr. Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent representations he has received from scientific(a) organisations, (b) journals and (c) institutions expressing concerns over the possible health risks of the TETRA communications system; and if he will make a statement. [36595]

  Mr. Denham
  No representations have been received to date from the scientific community, or the scientific press, concerning the possible health risks of Terrestrial Trunked Radio System communications systems (TETRA).

  Correspondence
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the correspondence from the right hon. Member for Berwick-upon-Tweed dated 30 August and 28 November 2001, regarding delegates to the World Methodist Conference. [34157]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: I wrote to the right hon. Member on 19 February 2002 on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary. I am very sorry for the delay in replying.

  Prison Population
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the prison population was in England and Wales on 31 January. [35323]

  Beverley Hughes
  On 31 January 2002 there were 67,870 people in prisons in England and Wales.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the United Kingdom prison population was in(a) 1990, (b) 1992, (c) 1994, (d) 1996, (e) 1998 and (f) 2000; and if he will make a statement. [35324]

  Beverley Hughes
  The average population in prisons in England and Wales for every other year between 1990 and 2000 is shown in the table.

  Average population

  1990

  45,636

  1992

  45,817

  1994

  48,794

  1996

  55,281

  1998

  65,298

  2000

  64,602

  Information relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Scotland and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Prison Officers
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many vacancies there are for prison officers in prisons in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [35327]
  914W
  Beverley Hughes
  On 31 January 2002 there were 866 vacancies for prison officer grades in England and Wales. Recruitment is currently running in the areas of greatest need, with a programme of recruitment throughout 2002–03.

  Victims and Witnesses
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the Home Office reports since 1972 which refer to the treatment of victims and witnesses. [35956]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  Information is not collected centrally on the subject and sub-topics of Home Office reports since 1972. It is likely that a large number will refer to the treatment of victims and witnesses.

  HMIC Reports
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list Her Majesty's Inspectorate and Constabulary thematic reports undertaken since 1978. [35955]

  Mr. Denham
  The practice of undertaking thematic inspections is a relatively recent one. The 31 reports published to date on thematic inspections conducted by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) (either alone or in partnership with other inspectorates) are:

  1993

  Equal Opportunities in the Police Service

  The Administration of Firearms Licensing

  1995

  Developing Diversity in the Police Service

  Facing Violence—The Response of Provincial Police Forces

  Obtaining Value for Money in the Police Service

  1996

  An Examination of the Police Force Drugs Strategies: Tackling Drugs Together

  A Review of Crime recording Procedures

  1997

  Lost Time—The Management of Sickness Absence and Medical Retirement in the Police Service

  Masefield's Progress—How Heavy is the Administrative Burden on the Police now?

  Officer Safety—Minimising the Risk of Violence

  Policing With Intelligence—Criminal Intelligence

  A Special Relationship—Police Forces, the Special Constabulary and Neighbourhood Watch

  Winning the Race—Policing Plural Communities

  1998

  Beating Crime

  How Long Youth Cases Take1

  Road Policing and Traffic

  What Price Policing

  1999

  Casework Information Needs Within the Criminal Justice System Vols. 1&21

  Child Protection

  Keeping The Peace—Policing Disorder

  Managing Learning—A study of Police Training

  Police Integrity

  Winning the Race—Revisited

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  2000

  Calling Time on Crime

  The Implementation of Section 1 of the Magistrates' Courts (Procedure) Act 19981

  On the Record

  Under the Microscope

  2001

  Open All Hours

  A Report on the Joint Inspection of the Progress made in Reducing Delay in the Youth Justice System1

  Winning the Race—Embracing Diversity

  2002

  Training Matters

  1 Report produced in conjunction with other inspectorate(s).

  Drugs (Portsmouth, South)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the percentage of recorded crime in the Portsmouth, South constituency that was drug-related in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [35442]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  Information is not available in the form requested. However, the New English and Welsh Arrestee Drug Abuse monitoring (NEW-ADAM), a national research programme, confirms the link between drugs misuse and crime. Summary data published in September 2001 based on eight sites in 1999–2000 found that up to 65 per cent. of arrestees tested positive for an illegal drug with up to 29 per cent. testing positive for opiates (including heroin) and/or cocaine (including crack).

  We are determined to break the link between drug misuse and crime and have introduced a number of initiatives to get offenders out of crime and into treatment. These include, for example, arrest referral schemes and Drug Treatment Testing Orders in the Portsmouth courts of which 47 have been made since they became available in December 2000.

  The allocation of funding to Hampshire constabulary in 2001–02 for arrest referral schemes in their force area, including Portsmouth, was £188,323 for arrest referral workers and £108,240 towards treatment. In addition, we have allocated £166,939 to the Portsmouth Crime and Disorder Partnership in 2001–02 from the Communities Against Drugs fund, to put in place targeted, locally determined measures to strengthen the community, disrupt the local drugs market and generally tackle drugs and drug related crime.

  Learning Disabilities
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional steps are being taken to protect children and adults with learning disabilities from sexual abuse; and if he will make a statement. [35545]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  Tackling sexual offending is a top priority for this Government and we intend to ensure that the legislative framework enables firm action to be taken against those who abuse others.

  One of the key themes of the Sex Offences Review is the protection of children and vulnerable people. The independent review body recommended new offences to
  916W
  protect the more vulnerable members of our society. including those with learning disabilities, and a new scale of penalties. We are actively considering all of the recommendations in the consultation document on reforming the law on sex offences, 'Setting the Boundaries', in the light of over 700 responses received during the consultation period. We intend to legislate as soon as parliamentary time allows.

  Pornography (Sex Offences)
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the link between the viewing of pornography and the committing of sex offences. [35725]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  In 1990 the Home Office commissioned a review of available research evidence on the effects of pornography. The report by Howitt and Cumberbatch entitled "Pornography: impacts and influences: A review of available research evidence on the effects of pornography" was published in 1990.

  The review evaluated existing literature and concluded that there was no convincing evidence for a link between pornography and sex offending. It found that trends in sex offending were not clearly linked to the availability of pornography. Also, use of pornography often appeared to post-date the emergence of deviance. However, one of the difficulties of research in this area is that sex offenders are not a homogenous group, and it is therefore difficult to try and establish consistent relationships with external factors (ie in this case availability of pornography) and offending behaviour.

  Obscene Publications Act
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Government will review the Obscene Publications Act 1959, with specific reference to its definition of obscene. [35727]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  We have no plans to review the Act.

  Under the Obscene Publications Act 1959, an article is obscene if its effect is, if taken as a whole, such as to tend to deprave and corrupt persons who are likely, having regard to all the relevant circumstances, to read, see or hear the matter contained or embodied in it.

  The existing test is flexible enough to be used in respect of all broadcast and published works, including material published via the internet. It also avoids potential conflict with wider principles of freedom of expression by requiring that the effects of the material on those who are exposed to it should be taken into account. Attempts to reach consensus on changes have been unsuccessful. The most recent of these was by the late Lord Halsbury in 1999 in another place, when he tried to replace the general test by a comprehensive list of proscribed material.

  Illegal Activites (Websites)
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what action he has taken to investigate whether special websites are used by hooligans to orchestrate football violence; and if he will make a statement; [35437]
  917W
  (2) what recent discussions he has had with (a) police and (b) internet service providers to ensure that football hooligan websites cannot be set up; [35436]

  (3) what investigations he has made into the number of football websites with links to paramilitary groups; and if he will make a statement. [35448]

  Mr. Denham
  The National Criminal Intelligence Service (NCIS) monitors websites associated with football hooliganism and shares information with local police forces. There is no evidence that the sites are used to orchestrate football disorder, or that individuals who set up or visit the sites are directly involved in the phenomenon. Some sites do have information technology (IT) links with paramilitary websites and some hooligans do have links with racist and other extremist groups. However, football hooligans come from all social and cultural backgrounds and there seems to be no necessary connection between football disorder generally and political extremism.

  Government and the police liaise closely on all matters connected with football disorder, including on internet and other communication issues. There are no plans to discuss hooligan websites with internet service providers. Material appearing on the internet is subject to the same laws as material distributed by other means, providing it falls within United Kingdom jurisdiction. The sites are monitored and, at present, the material posted on net servers based in the United Kingdom appears to reproduce information and opinions which, however unpalatable, are already published legally in the United Kingdom. Material posted on websites hosted abroad, which includes a number associated with football hooliganism, falls outside United Kingdom jurisdiction. NCIS liaises closely with overseas law enforcement agencies on this matter and mutual assistance arrangements are being developed as a requirement of the G8 Action Plan on 'high tech' crime.

  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce legislation to define criminal material on websites. [35447]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  Legislation already exists to combat the publication and distribution of illegal material and those laws apply equally online and offline. There are no plans to introduce legislation specific to websites.

  Domestic Violence
  Margaret Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what policies his Department has for dealing with domestic violence; and if he will publish them. [35466]

  Mr. Denham
  The Home Office and the Women's Unit jointly published the policy document "Living without Fear: an integrated approach to tackling violence against women" in June 1999. The document set out the Government's goals for tackling violence against women which include:

  to reduce crimes of violence against women and fear of violence as measured by the British Crime Survey;

  to help today's children grow up in a society where violence is not part of family life and relationships are built on greater mutual respect; and

  within five years to see effective multi-agency partnerships operating throughout England and Wales, drawing on good practice demonstrated in the mentioned publication.

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  Within the last two years we have also issued new multi-agency guidance on dealing with domestic violence, specific guidance to health service professionals and a new Home Office circular to the police which has been widely welcomed.

  We have provided £120 million additional capital funding for a new Safer Communities Supported Housing Fund and increased funding for Victim Support. Over £l 0 million has been provided for a violence against women initiative within the Crime Reduction Programme to help us identify what interventions in what circumstances are the most effective and cost-effective.

  In addition, an informal ministerial group on domestic violence involving representatives from seven key Departments is working closely together to consider the development and implementation of preventative strategies to address domestic violence. The group has highlighted five areas for priority action, which include piloting early interventions by health professionals and ensuring that the civil and criminal jurisdictions co-operate to best effect in domestic violence cases.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  MOX Plant, Sellafield
  Mr. Weir
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions she had with the Governments of(a) the Irish Republic, (b) Norway and (c) Iceland prior to the approval of the MOX plant at Sellafield; [21821]

  (2) what discussions she had with the (a) Executive of the National Assembly for Wales, (b) Executive of the Northern Ireland Assembly and (c) Scottish Executive prior to the approval of the MOX plant at Sellafield. [21820]

  Margaret Beckett
  My officials have had discussions with Irish Government officials about the publication of 1997 data on MOX, and hold six-monthly meetings at which they and the devolved Administrations for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland brief one another on a range of radioactivity issues; but otherwise no such discussion has taken place.

  I also refer the hon. Member to my answer of 4 February 2002, Official Report, column 752W.

  Foot and Mouth
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will provide a breakdown of his latest estimate of the total cost to public funds of the foot and mouth outbreak; and if she will make a statement. [31593]

  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated final cost is of the foot and mouth epidemic. [28745]

  Margaret Beckett
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Lord Whitty, in another place, 4 February 2002,Official Report (House of Lords), column WA65.
  919W
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what arrangements are in place for the extension of rate relief to businesses affected by foot and mouth disease. [36485]

  Dr. Whitehead
  Local authorities can give discretionary rate relief to any business suffering hardship. Many authorities have used this power to give rate relief to businesses affected by foot and mouth disease. Normally, the Government meets 75 per cent. of the cost of such relief. However, special arrangements have been in place during 2001–02 whereby the Government have met 95 per cent. or 98 per cent. of the cost of hardship rate relief granted by 151 rural local authorities to small businesses affected by food and mouth disease. As part of the Government's response to the rural task force report on 13 December 2001, we announced that these arrangements would be extended to 31 March 2002. A special grant report giving effect to that extension will be laid before the House shortly. The Government have no plans to extend these arrangements beyond 2001–02, but local authorities will retain their powers to grant hardship relief, with 75 per cent. of the cost met centrally.

  Refrigerators
  Mrs. Brooke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of refrigerators per day being added to storage by local authorities; and when she expects appropriate recycling plants to be operating in this country. [30320]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 29 January 2002]: It has been estimated that around 2.5 million domestic refrigeration units are disposed of in the UK each year. Not all these arisings will require storage—any fridges in working order may be refurbished for re-sale and re-use on the domestic market. Fridges can also be incinerated in the UK or exported to other Member States for treatment. We anticipate that a specialist fridge recycling plant will be operating in the UK by spring.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if it is her policy to require major distributors of refrigerators who collect used refrigerators to return each one to the local authority in the area from which it originated. [36253]

  Mr. Meacher
  Most retailers and other distributors no longer collect used refrigerators. We are looking at the options available to reinstate retailer take back. However, it is not my Department's policy to require the return of fridges to the local authority for the area from which they originated.

  Airport Runway Capacity
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what discussions she has had with the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions concerning proposals to expand airport runway capacity in the South East; and if she will make a statement; [31970]

  (2) what arrangements are in place between her Department and the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions concerning the timing of the
  920W
  public release of information on the study into airport runway capacity in the South East; and if she will make a statement. [31969]

  Margaret Beckett
  [holding answer 31 January 2002]: The Government have been considering how to respond to the demand for air travel over the next 30 years and intends to publish a series of regional consultation documents, including one for the south-east and east of England, for public consultation in the spring. These consultation documents will set out possible options for developing airport capacity at airports across the UK. At the same time, to support these consultation documents, the Government intends to make the regional studies and supporting technical documents publicly available. The consultation will be followed by the publication of the Air Transport White Paper at the end of this year.

  I am working closely with my colleague, the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, on all the regional studies, including the south-east and east of England Regional Air Services study, and on the development of the Air Transport White Paper. Our two Departments have developed a framework for working together, to formalise our working and liaison arrangements. This is set out in an exchange of letters between our respective Permanent Secretaries, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. DEFRA will be fully consulted on the content and timing of publication of the consultation documents, the supporting technical material and the White Paper.

  Ministerial Meetings (Energy Industry)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings(a) she and (b) her senior departmental officials have had with Enron and its subsidiaries in the last two years. [32434]

  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what occasions she and her Department have held meetings since May 1997 with representatives from(a) BP, (b) Shell, (c) Exxon-Mobil, (d) Enron, (e) Conoco, (f) Texaco and (g) TotalFinaElf; if she will state the purpose of each meeting; and if she will provide details of the outcomes and agreements reached as a result of each meeting. [33219]

  Margaret Beckett
  Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, the Civil Service Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with Lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis, and in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

  EAGA
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the complaints procedures EAGA have in force. [33130]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 5 February 2002]: EAGA Partnership is one of the two scheme managers for the Government's Home Energy Efficiency Scheme

  921W
  (HEES) in England. HEES is marketed as the Warm Front Team and is the Government's main programme for tackling fuel poverty in the private sector.

  EAGA Partnership's complaint procedure is accredited to British Standard ISO 9002. A copy of the procedure is attached and a copy will be placed in the Library of the House. EAGA is currently reviewing its complaint system and an updated version will be sent to the hon. Member for Stroud and placed in the Library of the House.

  Over 250,000 householders have been assisted since the launch of the Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES) on 1 June 2000. The number of complaints received by the Department since that date concerning EAGA Partnership's three regions is 330 or 0.1 per cent. of work completed.

  EU Noise Directive
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the EU Noise Directive; and what restrictions this will place on sources of excessive noise apart from aircraft. [34633]

  Mr. Meacher
  The proposed directive relating to the Assessment and Management of Environmental Noise would establish common methods for measuring and assessing environmental noise. As presently drafted it would also require member states to designate authorities to map noise levels in local areas and develop noise action plans. Maps would be publicised locally and local people consulted in drawing up the action plans. The requirement for mapping and action plans would apply to major roads, railways and airports and urban agglomerations. Summary information would be collected by the European Commission and used to inform future Community noise policy. It would not be the purpose of this directive to place restrictions on sources of noise.

  Hazardous Waste
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the adequacy of treatment and disposal facilities in place to handle hazardous water and waste banned from landfill under the forthcoming Landfill Regulations. [34488]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Department in conjunction with the National Assembly for Wales, the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly has undertaken an assessment of the implications of the landfill directive for the future management of wastes banned from landfill.

  The aims and objectives of the study were:
  to identify and evaluate the potential impact of the landfill directive on the management of hazardous wastes and liquid wastes in the UK, and
  to identify and assess the alternative waste management options that may be available to ensure the continued safe management of wastes for which landfilling will be restricted under the landfill directive.

  The study found that there was sufficient alternative disposal systems (in use or planned) to cope with the large volume of organic process waste streams requiring
  922W
  diversion from landfill. It also suggested that additional facilities might be required for oily wastes, contaminated soils, and inorganic chemical wastes.

  Copies of the study have been disseminated widely.

  Chemicals (Controls)
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the proposals being prepared by the European Commission covering control of chemicals in household products. [34542]

  Mr. Meacher
  The European Commission presented a White Paper on a Strategy for a Future Chemicals Policy in February last year. This proposes a new regulatory regime for chemicals used in household and other products. We have published the following assessments of it:

  an Explanatory Memorandum on the proposals (23 March 2001);

  a partial Regulatory Impact Assessment (May 2001);

  a report by the Institute for Environment and Health on the Testing Requirements for Proposals under the EC White Paper "Strategy for Future Chemicals Policy" (April 2001).

  These documents have been deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

  In June last year the UK and other member states agreed Council Conclusions endorsing the White Paper proposals. The conclusions called for the proposals to be strengthened in a number of respects. They emphasised the need for a more streamlined process to obtain the essential information required to speed up action on the chemicals of most concern and to phase out those that pose unacceptable risks with the minimum delay. Ministers also agreed that chemicals that are persistent, bioaccumulative and toxic and those that are very persistent and very bioaccumulative should be added to the list of chemicals of very high concern that will be subject to the most stringent controls.

  Following the agreement of the Council Conclusions a number of working groups made up of stakeholders and representatives from member states were convened to consider in detail how the proposed regulatory system should operate. The Commission is now drawing up proposals for legislation and expects to publish draft proposals later this year.

  GM Crops
  Joan Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of farm-scale trials of GM herbicide tolerant crops is; and what the contribution to the cost from public funds is. [34478]

  Mr. Meacher
  The costs of the Farm Scale Evaluations (FSEs) of Genetically Modified Herbicide Tolerant crops are shared between Government and the industry body SCIMAC.

  SCIMAC are responsible for providing, managing and disposing of the crops grown on the test sites. I do not have information on these costs.

  Government collectively meets the costs of the ecological studies carried out by the Research Consortium, which are expected to total about £5.38 million over the five years of the programme.

  Mercury Vapour
  Ian Lucas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the amount of mercury vapour emitted in each of the last five years by the burning of mercury (II) thiocyanate in pyrotechnic products. [34522]

  Mr. Meacher
  There is a wide range in estimates of the tonnage of fireworks used annually in the UK. However on current information our best estimate is that emissions of mercury from this source may be in the order of 150kg per annum.

  Ian Lucas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the amount of mercury vapour emitted in each of the last five years by the detonation of caps in toy cap guns. [34524]

  Mr. Meacher
  Currently there is only limited data available on emissions of mercury from toy caps, but it is an area in which we are looking at ways to improve our estimates. Our current best estimate is that emissions from this source may be in the order of 150kg per annum.

  Manufacture of 2,4,5-Trichlorophenol
  Ian Lucas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what quantity of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol was manufactured in the United Kingdom in the latest year for which figures are available. [34519]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Department has no records of the quantity of 2,4,5-trichlorophenol manufactured, but we believe it is no longer used (or manufactured) in the UK.

  Ozone-Depleting Substances
  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information she has collected on the(a) UK standards and (b) collected standards of the other EU countries on the recovery of ozone-depleting substances; and if she will make a statement. [34603]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Department published draft UK standards for the recovery of ozone depleting substances from fridges in December last year. These have been widely endorsed and are currently being worked into technical guidance by the Environment Agency. The draft UK standards drew heavily on work already under way with the United Nations (UN) TEAP Task Force and considered those standards and technology used elsewhere, including the German DIN and RAL standards.

  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how recovered ozone-depleting substances removed from the insulation foam from redundant refrigerators and freezers is to be disposed of; and if she will make a statement. [34604]

  Mr. Meacher
  Under Regulation 2037/2000 controlled ozone-depleting substances must be disposed of by technologies approved by the Parties (to the Montreal Protocol), or by any other environmentally acceptable destruction technology. These technologies include destruction by liquid injection incineration, reactor cracking, gaseous/fume oxidation, rotary kiln incinerators,924W
  cement kilns, municipal solid waste incinerators (for foams containing ODS) and radio frequency plasma destruction technology.

  Refrigerator Insulation Foam
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer given by the Minister of State for the Environment on 31 January 2002,Official Report, column 414, if she will place in the Library the correspondence between the Government and the European Commission regarding the removal of chlorofluorocarbons from the insulation foam of refrigerators. [34531]

  Mr. Meacher
  There have only been two pieces of correspondence related to this specific issue exchanged between UK officials and the European Commission. All the other instances referred to in my reply given to the hon. Member on 31 January 2002,Official Report, column 414, were either in the form of minuted discussions at Management Committee on EC Regulations 3093/94 and 2037/2000 or in the margins of another meeting. Since the minutes of Management Committee are produced by the European Commission, we understand that we are not in a position to be able to place them in the Library.

  I have today placed in the Libraries of the House, a faxed letter of 11 September 2000 and a letter of 30 January 2001 from a UK official dealing with the EC Regulation on substances that deplete the ozone layer to officials at the European Commission.

  Badgers
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her latest estimate is of the badger population. [34504]

  Margaret Beckett
  There are likely to be in the region of 300,000 to 400,000 badgers in Great Britain. This figure is derived from the National Badger Survey which took place in the mid-1990's.

  Angling Licences
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what angling licences are granted for waters where there is a statutory right of navigation. [34953]

  Mr. Meacher
  Anyone aged 12 years or over who fishes for salmon, trout, freshwater fish or eels in England and Wales must have an Environment Agency rod fishing licence. Rod licences are required for fishing in both navigable and non-navigable waters. Agency rod licences do not confer a right to fish; a permit from the owner of the fishing rights is required before angling can take place.

  River Thames
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there is a statutory right of navigation along the full length of the River Thames. [34954]

  Mr. Meacher
  There is a public right of navigation on the River Thames from Cricklade to the sea, but the river above Lechlade is not fully navigable.

  Peat
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps her Department is taking to meet the Biodiversity Action Plan target for the replacement of peat in the horticultural industry by 2010; [34487]

  (2) what steps her Department is taking to meet the Biodiversity Action Plan target for replacement of peat in the horticulture industry by 2010. [35380]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Biodiversity Action Plan commits the Government to undertake and promote research and development into sustainable alternatives to peat and provide advice on the development and marketing of peat alternatives. The aim of the plan is for 40 per cent. of the total market requirements to be peat free by 2005 and 90 per cent. by 2010.

  Peat is a major constituent of growing media used in gardening and commercial horticulture. It is well suited to a wide range of uses and comes from a variety of sources in the UK, the Republic of Ireland and the Baltic States.

  There has already been some substitution of peat by other materials, such as coir and bark, but there are still considerable difficulties to be overcome in producing alternative growing media of sufficiently reliable and consistent quality to replace peat in the full range of its present uses.

  We are funding seminars to increase awareness of and to examine the potential for using reduced-peat and peat free alternatives and to encourage growers and others to take them up where they are already available.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what progress is being made in safeguarding the proposed special areas for conservation of lowland raised peat bogs which are awaiting ratification; [34489]

  (2) what progress has been made in safeguarding the environmental interests of the proposed special areas for conservation lowland raised peat bogs that are still awaiting ratification. [35379]

  Mr. Meacher
  Further to my answers of 14 January 2002,Official Report, columns 116-17W, concerning the Hatfield Moor site, I anticipate that English Nature's report on their consultations on the designation of that site and three other sites, together with recommendations to Government, will be presented within the next two months. If justified as Special Areas of Conservation, the sites will be notified to the European Commission and afforded immediate legal protection under national legislation.

  Combined Heat and Power
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what costs were incurred in setting up her Department's quality assessment programme for combined heat and power to 31 March 2001; [35390]

  (2) what the anticipated operational costs are of the Department's quality assessment programme for combined heat and power for the financial year 2001–02; [35391]
  926W
  Mr. Meacher
  The costs incurred in setting up and running the Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance programme (CHPQA) to 31 March 2001 was around £765,000. The anticipated operational costs of the CHPQA for 2001–02 is around £625,000.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimates her Department has made of the operational costs for the running of the CHP Club in 2001–02; [35394]

  (2) what costs were incurred in setting up the Department's CHP Club; and what its operational costs were in the financial year 2000–01. [35393]

  Mr. Meacher
  The CHP Club provides a one-stop shop for independent information and guidance for potential and new users on the design, implementation, and operation of CHP schemes. Responsibility for the management of the Government's Energy Efficiency Best Practice programme including the CHP Club will soon be passed to the Carbon Trust. The total cost of setting up and operating the CHP Club in 2000–01 was around £200,000. The cost of running the club in 2001–02 is expected to be a similar amount.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure that the Government's CHP target is reflected in her Department's aims and objectives. [35388]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government target of 10,000 MWe of installed CHP by 2010 will make a significant contribution to DEFRA's objectives to promote sustainable management and prudent use of natural resources domestically and internationally. The CHP target will also contribute to DEFRA's future public service agreement targets.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the procedure is by which applicants qualify for inclusion in the Government's quality assessment procedure for combined heat and power; and whether this procedure requires periodic re-assessment. [35392]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Combined Heat and Power Quality Assurance programme (CHPQA) provides a practical, determinate method for assessing CHP schemes. Operators are required to self-assess their scheme, based on actual performance data, which is subject to validation and verification. A CHPQA certificate is then issued detailing the parameters qualifying as "good quality" CHP. All CHPQA certificates are valid to 31 December of the year of issue, whereupon applicants must submit a fresh self-assessment based on the previous year's data.

  Waste Management
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the(a) levels and (b) mix of waste required to make a modern high-temperature incinerator commercially viable. [35396]

  Mr. Meacher
  The levels of waste that make a modern high-temperature incinerator commercially viable will depend on the gate fees charged. Its viability is likely to be enhanced by the availability of sufficient quantities of high calorific value wastes to ensure full combustion of material with lower calorific value.

  Landfill
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to reduce the amount of hazardous and industrial waste sent to landfill sites for disposal. [35631]

  Mr. Meacher
  The forthcoming landfill regulations which will implement the EC Landfill Directive in England and Wales reduce the amount of hazardous waste going to landfill by banning, from July 2002, the landfilling of hazardous liquid wastes and any hazardous wastes which in the conditions of landfill are explosive, corrosive, oxidising, highly flammable or flammable.

  More widely, in Waste Strategy 2000, we have set a target to reduce the amount of industrial and commercial waste sent to landfill by 2005 to 85 per cent. of that landfilled in 1998.

  Annual Environmental Reports
  John McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the top 350 companies have responded to the Prime Minister's challenge in October 2000 to publish an annual environmental report by the end of 2001. [35663]

  Mr. Meacher
  Not all companies have yet published their reports for 2001, but we currently estimate 71 of the top 350 companies have produced a stand alone environmental report, including quantified environmental performance data, or otherwise published this information.

  A further 84 have also taken at least one step towards meeting the Prime Minister's challenge such as publishing an environmental policy or environmental performance targets. We will be writing to all companies shortly to check our estimates and will make the final tally public as soon as possible.

  European Commissioners Communications (EU 2037/2000)
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will place in the Library copies of European Commissioners Communications received by her Department from June 2001 about matters that were covered under EU 2037/2000. [34841]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: In June 2001, the European Commission sent the Department minutes of the meeting of the Management Committee on EC Regulation 2037/2000 of 11-12 June 2001. Since the minutes were produced by the Commission, we understand that we are not in a position to make them available to the Library of the House. We have received no other Communications from the Commission regarding matters covered under 2037/2000 since June 2001.

  Parishes
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the relevant district and borough councils regarding sleeping and barely active parishes under their jurisdiction. [35817]
  928W
  Alun Michael
  We have had a great deal of discussion with both the Local Government Association and the Natural Association of Local Councils about how best to promote the level of activity and effectiveness of parish and town councils. We have not had direct discussions with district or borough councils, but our initiatives have received a warm welcome from many local authorities. Our strategy to help parish and town councils develop a new role and give communities the opportunity to shape their future is set out in the Rural White Paper, published in November 2000. We have made considerable progress in putting in place measures to help local councils develop their potential to lead and invigorate their communities. Over the three years this includes: £15 million for Community Service Grants to help projects to maintain or introduce services which are local priorities; £15 million for Parish Transport Grants scheme for small scale projects to meet local needs; a further million to help up to 1,000 parishes draw up their own town or village plans to set out local needs and aspirations. The Countryside Agency and the National Association of Local Councils have published a national training and support strategy for parish and town councils, towards which we have allocated £2 million. In November we published a consultation paper on putting the Quality Parish and Town Council concept into practice. This sets out our detailed proposals for enhancing the role of local councils, giving their communities a better deal on local services and a stronger voice in the decisions that affect peoples lives.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what action she recommends that those parishes deemed(a) sleeping and (b) barely active should take. [35816]

  Alun Michael
  This Government are giving unprecedented encouragement to all parish councils to aspire to the standard of the best, that is why we have put in place a range of measures to encourage all rural communities, parish and town councils to take action to shape their own future. I refer the hon. Member to my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 31 January 2002,Official Report, column 471W, for further information.

  Radioactive Waste
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2002,Official Report, column 566W, what records the Department has of (a) the total number of containers, (b) the weight of waste contained within the containers and (c) the proportion of (i) high level, (ii) intermediate level and (iii) low level radioactive waste in each of the 10 North Atlantic disposal sites used by the UK between 1949 and 1982. [35266]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The Inventory of Radioactive Waste Disposals at Sea published in 1999 by the International Atomic Energy Authority includes details, provided by the UK, of the weight and activity of the radioactive material disposed of by the UK in each of the sites in the North Atlantic. The total weight and amount of activity dumped at each disposal site are set out in the table. It should be noted that the great majority of this weight (usually around 90 per cent.) was accounted for by packaging.
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  Disposal site centred on co-ordinates

  Latitude

  Longitude

  Total weight (tonnes)

  Total activity (GBq)

  48 30'N

  13 00'W

  9

  37.0

  55 20'N

  11 20'W

  33

  222.0

  55 08'N

  12 10'W

  57

  148.0

  32 37'N

  14 05'W

  1,453

  1,665.0

  32 42'N

  19 30'W

  7,098

  131,191.0

  32 38'N

  20 05'W

  4,360

  81,141.0

  46 27'N

  6 10'W

  253

  6,660.0

  45 27'N

  6 16'W

  5,809

  275,243.0

  45 27'N

  6 36'W

  4,392

  574,758.0

  48 20'N

  13 16'W

  7,641

  4,170,381.0

  42 50'N

  14 30'W

  722

  65,601.0

  49 05'N

  17 05'W

  1,878

  665,260.0

  46 15'N

  17 25'W

  9,647

  8,855,475.0

  46 00'N

  16 45'W

  14,141

  20,191,963.0

  Around 150,000 packages of radioactive waste were disposed of by the UK in the North East Atlantic between 1949 and 1982. A breakdown of the number of containers dumped at each disposal site is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. I am not aware that any high level radioactive waste was disposed of by the UK in the North Atlantic. The inventory includes details of the actual amount of activity disposed of at each site (as set out in the table), rather than the proportion of the waste which was categorised as low level or intermediate level. This information is not readily available and an estimate could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2002,Official Report, column 566W, which of the 10 radioactive waste disposal sites in the North Atlantic contains high level radioactive waste by (a) number of containers and (b) weight. [35267]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: I am not aware that any high level radioactive waste was disposed of by the UK in the North Atlantic. The "Report of the Independent Review of Disposal of Radioactive Waste in the Northeast Atlantic" (HMSO 1984) includes details of the activity of the waste disposed of by the UK, and explains that the disposals carried out between 1949 and 1982 involved low and intermediate level waste. Copies of the report are available in the Library of the House.

  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2002,Official Report, column 748W, what efforts (a) have been, (b) are being and (c) will be made to monitor the state and safety of the 10 radioactive waste disposal sites in the North Atlantic used by the UK (i) through the UK's own efforts, (ii) through the OECD, (iii) through OSPAR and (iv) by other authority or means. [35265]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The radiological impact of the North Atlantic disposal sites was assessed under the OECD's Co-ordinated Research and Environmental Surveillance Programme (CRESP). The UK played an active part in this programme which ran from 1980 to 1995 and included
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  direct monitoring of the main North Atlantic disposal site, which was used up until 1982. The UK has not been involved in any direct monitoring of the Atlantic disposal sites since that time and we have no plans to do so. With regard to the results obtained under CRESP and the coastal monitoring carried out by the UK, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 6 February 2002, Official Report, columns 974W. No direct monitoring of the disposal sites has been carried out through OSPAR.

  It should be noted that the drums used in the North Atlantic disposal operations were designed to reach the floor of the deep ocean intact but in the knowledge that the radioactivity would leak out over a period of years and be dispersed into the sea, by which time the radioactivity would have been somewhat reduced by natural decay. Assessments of the radiological impact of the disposals undertaken by CRESP and others have taken full account of this.

  Carbon Dioxide
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average amount is of carbon dioxide produced per(a) car, (b) motor vehicle and (c) household in each of the last five years in the United Kingdom. [35785]

  Mr. Meacher
  The following table shows the average amount of CO2 produced per car, per vehicle and per household for each year during the period 1996–2000. (The last complete set of annual data is for the year 2000).

  Average CO2 produced each year, per car/vehicle/household

  Tonnes

  Car

  Vehicle

  Household

  1996

  3.28

  4.42

  3.77

  1997

  3.22

  4.36

  3.43

  1998

  3.12

  4.24

  3.48

  1999

  3.07

  4.15

  3.43

  2000

  2.99

  4.04

  3.42

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Carmichael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what forms of renewable energy generation take place on the Government estate. [36005]

  Mr. Meacher
  Renewable energy generation technologies used on the Government estate in England include: wind power, active and passive solar thermal systems, "ambient energy" heat pumps and waste heat from incinerators.

  A number of Departments are investigating the possibility of installing renewable energy generation technologies on their estates, such as the Defence Logistics Organisation scheme to install a 12 MW wind energy project in the west of Scotland.

  Mr. Carmichael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of electricity used within the Government Estate is supplied from renewable generators. [36006]
  931W
  Mr. Meacher
  The Government are keen to encourage the use of renewable energy on their estate and a significant step forward was made with the agreement, in May 2001, of the following renewable energy target across Government:"All Departments will ensure that, by 31 March 2003, at least 5 per cent. of their electricity comes from renewable sources that are exempt from the climate change levy, or from self generation. provided this does not entail excessive cost. This will rise to at least 10 per cent. supply from such sources by 31 March 2008, but will be reviewed after 31 March 2003 to take account of market conditions following the introduction of the renewables obligation.
  The review of 2003 will include consideration of increasing or bringing forward the target".

  In 2000–01 nine Departments purchased energy from renewable sources. We estimate that the Government estate purchased about 3 per cent. of its electricity from renewable sources that are exempt from the climate change levy. In addition, there were also small purchases of electricity from other "green" sources not exempt from the climate change levy.

  Progress by individual Departments is partly dependent upon the expiry date for their current energy contracts. However, all central Government Departments in England report that they are in the process of considering how they will go about purchasing renewable energy or are considering self-generation options.

  John McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what funding has been made available for the development of renewable energy initiatives within urban areas; [35666]

  (2) if she will make a statement on the production of wind turbine renewable energy sources in urban areas. [35662]

  Mr. Wilson
  I have been asked to reply

  The Government are taking vigorous action to promote renewable energy, including the introduction of the Renewables Obligation, the exemption of renewable energy from the climate change levy and over £260 million in direct support over the period 2001–04. This action will encourage new proposals for renewable energy generation in urban as well as rural areas.

  Initiatives that may prove particularly relevant for urban areas include the £10 million fund to support renewable energy projects with a strong local community or household interest and the £20 million fund for the first stage of the new scheme to promote solar photovoltaics (PV). These were among the proposals announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in November for the deployment of an additional £100 million for renewable energy. Scheme details are being prepared for publication later in the year. The DTI is already putting over £5 million funding into 30 PV housing projects totalling over 500 homes across the country in its Domestic PV Field Trial.

  Earlier examples of wind energy development in industrial settings include a windfarm in the Mersey docklands and an onshore windfarm at Blyth harbour in Northumberland. As an example of a new, large-scale urban initiative, three national companies, Corus, Northern Electric Generation and AMEC Border Wind have submitted detailed proposals for a 47.5MW
  932W
  windfarm on an industrial brownfield site on the south bank of the River Tees, within the Redcar and Cleveland borough. The proposals have been developed by the companies in close liaison with Regional Development Agency One NorthEast and Redcar and Cleveland borough council. I trust that Government action to encourage the establishment of renewable energy targets for each region will stimulate more brownfield site proposals.

  On a smaller scale, the supermarket chain Sainsbury's, for example, has installed a 600 KW wind turbine to power its distribution depot at East Kilbride, and is promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency at its other sites.

  Private Sewers
  Paddy Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research she has commissioned into the scale of the problems caused by private sewers; when that research was commissioned; what body is undertaking it; and when the research will be published. [34690]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 13 February 2002]: We have appointed outside consultants to undertake research into existing private sewers, the main objective of which is to establish their extent, identify and examine the problems associated with them, and to produce workable solutions. The research began in December and is due to last 18 months. Further details will be provided in an announcement that I will be making at the end of this month.

  Lead
  Mr. Laxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the extent to which lead in the atmosphere has been reduced following the introduction of unleaded petrol. [36255]

  Mr. Meacher
  Ambient lead concentrations are currently measured at 23 national monitoring network sites. Sales of unleaded petrol have increased since 1987, particularly as a result of the increased use of cars fitted with catalytic converters. The sale of leaded petrol was banned in 2000. Since the mid 1980s annual average levels of airborne lead in urban areas have reduced by about 95 per cent. from a broad range of 0.18 to 0.81 micrograms per cubic metre to maximum values less than 0.1 (0.008 to 0.032) micrograms per cubic metre in 2000 (latest published data). Annual average level at roadside sites have also declined by about 92 per cent. from the mid 1980s from a broad range of 0.18 to 0.81 micrograms per cubic metre to between 0.022 and 0.032 micrograms per cubic metre in 2000. Annual average rural levels, as expected, are smaller and ranged in 2000 from 0.003 to 0.009 micrograms per cubic metre.

  Results from the Government's monitoring network are published at http://www.aeat.co.uk/netcen/airqual/data/ nonauto/pbdata.html

  Regional Events (Isle of Wight)
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of the regional events to promote "Your Countryside—You're Welcome", will take place on the Isle of Wight. [36486]

  Alun Michael
  It is open to all organisations which have an interest in encouraging visitors to the countryside, including businesses, local authorities and voluntary organisations in any part of England, to be a part of the "Your Countryside—You're Welcome" campaign which is being led by some 50 national organisations. Over 120 organisations are already involved and some imaginative events have been arranged at a regional and local level in many parts of England. I recently wrote to all MPs asking them to engage with local aspects of this initiative, which arises from a recommendations of the Rural Task Force. I have also written to all local authorities. This is not a top-down initiative, nor is it just another publicity campaign. The theme "Your Countryside—You're Welcome" creates an opportunity to publicise local initiatives.

  For instance, the Countryside Agency and the National Trust will hold a joint event at Dimbola Lodge, Tennyson Down on the Isle of Wight on 1 March to celebrate the purchase by the trust, with help from the agency, of land at Farringford Farm: the event will also be used to promote "Your Countryside—You're Welcome". Dimbola Lodge is the former home of Julia Margaret Cameron, the first prominent woman photographer, and the surrounding area was popular with nineteenth-century writers and artists. The land acquired will improve access to the coast and will be managed to enhance its landscape quality and biodiversity. I hope that further events may be arranged later in the year to promote the message that visitors are welcome to the Isle of Wight.

  Warm Front Scheme
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she has received on the grant levels available under the Warm Front scheme; and what proposals she has to increase the maximum grants payable. [36400]

  Mr. Meacher
  The new Home Energy Efficiency Scheme (HEES), marketed as the Warm Front Team, was launched on 1 June 2000. It provides two levels of financial assistance for the installation of insulation and heating measures dependent upon the needs of the householder and property type:

  HEES—£1,500 for low income households with children under 16, disabled persons or suffering long-term sickness on a qualifying benefit; and

  HEES Plus—£2,500 for over-60s on an income-related benefit.

  In addition, HEES Plus recipients who live in Home Office designated high crime areas may be able to have security measures—door and window locks—provided from a separate Home Office grant.

  The Department recently reviewed the individual grant maximum, taking advice from the scheme managers on expected rates of labour and materials for the coming year and representations from trade associations. As a result of this, from 15 February the grant maximums have been increased from £1,000 to £1,500 and from £2,000 to
  934W
  £2,500 respectively. Eligibility has also been extended to include pregnant women on low-incomes in receipt of a maternity certificate.

  Radon Gas
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to her statement of 30 January 2000,Official Report, columns 123-26WH, on radon gas, what the location is of the area that has over 5,300 Bq/m3 of radon gas emissions. [36432]

  Mr. Meacher
  The radon level of 5,300 Bq/m3 was found in the electoral ward of Cornwood and Sparkwell in South Hams district council's area. I quoted this level to illustrate the highest concentration of radon that has been measured in an area of South Devon. Although radon levels have been found to be significantly above the Action Level (200 Bq/m3) in other parts of South Hams district council and other local authority areas in Devon, the radon concentration measured in Cornwood and Sparkwell is exceptional.

  Waste Disposal Incinerators
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take further measures to ensure that emissions from waste disposal incinerators are effectively monitored; and if she will make a statement. [36706]

  Mr. Meacher
  Emission standards apply throughout the EU to all incineration facilities, applicable to both old and new facilities. Monitoring is carried out to ensure these emission standards are met and to identify breaches of these standards, which may lead to enforcement action.

  We are currently transposing the new waste incineration directive, which will further tighten the emissions standards. The older generation of incinerators has now been replaced with newer, cleaner technology, and most municipal waste incinerators in this country already meet the tough standards that will be introduced with the new directive. Incinerator emissions of all air pollutants are now less than 1.5 per cent. of total UK emissions.

  Additionally the Environment Agency has recently varied the authorisations for existing Municipal Solid Waste Incinerators to reduce the dioxin emission limit to 0.1 ng/m3 (ie no more than one part in 10 billion). This is ahead of the timetable required by the recently adopted waste incineration directive. At this stage we do not consider that further measures are required.

  Grazing
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if the Government intend to change the rules on common grazing rights after the Bettison v. Langton ruling in 1998. [36437]

  Alun Michael
  Following a judgment delivered in another place in the case of Bettison and Others v. Langton and Others on 17 May 2001, It is conclusive in law that rights of common for grazing, registered for a fixed number as requited by the Commons Registration Act 1965, are severable from the land to which they were originally

  935W
  attached. In the consultation paper "Greater Protection and Better Management of Common Land in England and Wales" launched in February 2000, the Government included an outline proposal to prevent severance of rights of common grazing. We hope to announce our conclusions on this, and all the other issues raised in the consultation paper, in the spring.

  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for. Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will take steps to prevent people using common grazing as a transit stop for sheep and cattle. [36453]

  Alun Michael
  Powers already exist to control the unlawful turning out of animals on common land. The landowner or the holders of common rights could take action in the courts to prevent this activity. Where the owner of registered common land is not known, any local authority in whose area the common lies has a discretionary power under section 9 of the Commons Registration Act 1965 to act in the capacity of the owner to prevent unlawful interference, and may bring proceedings in respect of any offence concerning the land. Where the common is subject to a scheme of management under the Commons Act 1899, the local authority may make byelaws to prevent any person from turning out animals on to the common without lawful authority.

  Rights of Way
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when section 4 of the Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000 will be implemented. [36417]

  Alun Michael
  Section 4 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 came into force on 30 January 2001. It requires the Countryside Agency (in England) and the Countryside Council for Wales to prepare maps of open country and registered common land for the purposes of the statutory right of access under that Act. The Countryside Agency has recently concluded consultation on draft maps for part of the south-east and lower north-west regions. A draft map for southern England is due to be issued in June this year. Further information about the Agency's mapping programme is contained on its website, at: www.countryside.gov.uk/access/mapping/.

  Discharges from NHS hospitals in England where the patient's main diagnosis was malnutrition, 1995–96 to 1999–2000

  All discharges

  Age

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  0–4

  1,131,637

  1,111,261

  1,131,555

  1,126,564

  1,107,961

  10–14

  520,258

  504,506

  515,462

  511,176

  506,246

  15–44

  3,611,179

  3,542,691

  3,607,351

  3,670,575

  3,659,975

  45–64

  2,093,679

  2,111,733

  2,228,626

  2,366,588

  2,434,419

  65–74

  1,377,965

  1,368,162

  1,432,555

  1,489,842

  1,527,800

  75–84

  1,151,994

  1,178,939

  1,247,991

  1,309,570

  1,353,941

  85 and over

  473,121

  556,468

  603,873

  563,039

  576,802

  Not known

  4,445

  9,080

  16,209

  23,156

  25,285

  Total

  10,364,278

  10,382,840

  10,783,622

  11,060,510

  11,192,429

  Note:

  The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.

  Data in this table are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/invalid data, except for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 which are not yet adjusted for.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

HEALTH

  Nutrition
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the(a) number, (b) percentage and (c) age of people (i) admitted to and (ii) discharged from hospital who were malnourished, in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [12918]

  Yvette Cooper
  The tables show figures on the number of admissions and discharges of people whose main diagnosis was malnutrition from 1995–96 to 1999–2000.

  The discharges figures are slightly higher than the admissions figures. This may be that the main diagnosis prior to discharge may be different from the admission diagnosis. For example, a patient could be admitted for treatment of a condition resulting from malnutrition, and moved to another consultant afterwards to be treated for the malnutrition. It is also possible that a patient is admitted for an unrelated condition, but also have malnutrition diagnosed while in hospital and be treated for this before discharge.

  Discharges from NHS hospitals in England where the patient's main diagnosis was malnutrition, 1995–96 to 1999–2000

  Malnutrition discharges

  Age

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  0–4

  11

  13

  15

  6

  11

  10–14

  7

  14

  13

  15

  6

  15–44

  60

  71

  59

  74

  54

  45–64

  57

  45

  59

  61

  67

  65–74

  43

  34

  36

  47

  30

  75–84

  54

  47

  45

  39

  45

  85 and over

  37

  25

  27

  30

  27

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Not known Total

  270

  249

  253

  272

  240

  Note:

  The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. Data in this table are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/invalid data, except for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 which are not yet adjusted for.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health
  937W

  Discharges from NHS hospitals in England where the patient's main diagnosis was malnutrition, 1995–96 to 1999–2000

  Malnutrition discharges per 100,000

  Age

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  0-4

  1.0

  1.2

  1.3

  0.5

  1.0

  10-14

  1.3

  2.8

  2.5

  2.9

  1.2

  15-44

  1.7

  2.0

  1.6

  2.0

  1.5

  45-64

  2.7

  2.1

  2.6

  2.6

  2.8

  65-74

  3.1

  2.5

  2.5

  3.2

  2.0

  75-84

  4.7

  4.0

  3.6

  3.0

  3.3

  85 and over

  7.8

  4.5

  4.5

  5.3

  4.7

  Not known

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  2.6

  2.4

  2.3

  2.5

  2.1

  Note:

  The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. Data in this table are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/invalid data, except for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 which are not yet adjusted for.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

  Admissions to NHS hospitals in England where the patient's main diagnosis was malnutrition, 1995–96 to 1999–2000

  All admissions

  Age

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  0-4

  1,132,151

  1,097,885

  1,123,059

  1,124,564

  1,098,320

  10-14

  523,318

  493,916

  509,949

  507,001

  501,534

  15-44

  3,585,082

  3,496,224

  3,547,914

  3,636,100

  3,619,428

  45-64

  2,070,659

  2,050,262

  2,180,458

  2,333,056

  2,400,880

  65-74

  1,353,144

  1,322,310

  1,390,765

  1,459,225

  1,500,357

  75-84

  1,122,025

  1,129,724

  1,196,840

  1,271,028

  1,319,641

  85 and over

  456,147

  530,710

  574,593

  539,601

  556,687

  Not known

  4,476

  7,929

  13,958

  18,397

  29,097

  Total

  10,247,002

  10,128,960

  10,537,536

  10,888,972

  11,025,944

  Note:

  The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.

  Data in this table are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/invalid data, except for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 which are not yet adjusted for.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

  Admissions to NHS hospitals in England where the patient's main diagnosis was malnutrition, 1995–96 to 1999–2000

  Malnutrition admissions per 100,000

  Age

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  0-4

  1.0

  1.0

  1.1

  0.4

  0.9

  10-14

  1.3

  2.8

  2.4

  3.0

  1.2

  15-44

  1.5

  1.9

  1.6

  2.0

  1.5

  45-64

  2.7

  2.2

  3.0

  2.7

  2.6

  65-74

  2.8

  2.1

  2.2

  2.9

  1.9

  75-84

  4.0

  3.8

  3.5

  3.0

  3.1

  85 and over

  7.7

  5.1

  5.4

  4.1

  4.3

  Not known

  0.0

  0.0

  0,0

  0.0

  0.0

  Total

  2.4

  2.3

  2.4

  2.4

  2.0

  Note:

  The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. Data in this table are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/invalid data, except for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 which are not yet adjusted for.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

  Strategic Health Authorities
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who will be responsible for the appointment of the chief executives of the new strategic health authorities. [15051]
  938W

  Admissions to NHS hospitals in England where the patient's main diagnosis was malnutrition, 1995–96 to 1999–2000

  Malnutrition admissions

  Age

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  0-4

  11

  11

  12

  5

  10

  10-14

  7

  14

  12

  15

  6

  15-4

  53

  65

  57

  72

  54

  45-64

  56

  45

  65

  63

  63

  65-74

  38

  28

  30

  43

  28

  75-84

  45

  43

  42

  38

  41

  85 and over

  35

  27

  31

  22

  24

  Not known

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  245

  234

  249

  258

  226

  Note:

  The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital. Data in this table are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/invalid data, except for 1998–99 and 1999–2000 which are not yet adjusted for.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 15 November 2001]: The appointment of the chief executives designate of strategic health authorities was through a process of open competition. The chief executives posts were advertised nationally. The appointment process included the NHS chief executive, regional commissioners from the national health service Appointments Commission, the directors of health and social care in the Department, patients' representatives and the health authority chairs designate. The NHS chief executive had overall responsibility for the process. Chief executives will be formally appointed to health authorities on the basis of their franchise plans, following the establishment of the new health authorities in April. Franchise plans will specify how chief executives propose to deliver the functions for which the health authorities are responsible.

  Health Council
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the outcome was of the Health Council held in Brussels on 15 November; what the Government's stance was on each issue discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. [16530]

  Ms Blears
  My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health represented the United Kingdom.
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  The Council reached political agreement to adopt a common position on the directive setting standards of quality and safety for blood and blood components. Although a few member states were disappointed that there were no strict requirements for donations to be voluntary and unpaid agreement was reached on an acceptable compromise form of words.

  In the orientation debate on the directive on tobacco advertising and sponsorship all the delegations, which spoke, stressed the need to ensure that its basis be legally sound so that it is not struck down by the European Court Judgment as the previous directive had been. The UK, along with other member states expressed support for the directive. The UK raised concerns that global sponsorship should benefit from derogation until 1 October 2006. The UK also mentioned the need to ensure that the directive was compatible with other legislation pertaining to e-commerce. There was some discussion of the scope of the directive and Commissioner Byrne explained that it did not cover indirect advertising. Some states felt the advertising ban should not apply to local press and publications. There was no opposition to the inclusion of advertising for cigarette papers within the scope of the ban.

  Member states discussed the health aspects of bio-terrorism agreed presidency conclusions on the need for a comprehensive programme of co-operation in this area; strengthening existing networks and exploring other opportunities to ensure a coherent approach in support of national plans.

  Commissioner Byrne made a statement on recent developments in cross-border healthcare. Member states expressed concern over recent ECJ rulings that treaty provisions on freedom to provide services applied to health services, which had previously been thought to lie outside treaty competence. The Commission called for further discussions on the detail and will produce a discussion document for the Spanish presidency conference in February. The UK explained that the rulings had implications for domestic legislation, to which we were responding, and that there was a need to look further at competence boundaries. Other member states were of the same opinion.

  Commissioner Byrne gave an update on preparations for the next round of negotiations on the World Health Organisation framework convention on tobacco control. He indicated that the Community position on agriculture subsidies would need to be updated to take account of references to phasing out of tobacco subsidies in the communication to Gothenburg on sustainable development. The planned Commission communication on 'Health and Poverty policy' will help pave the way for financial support for implementation of the convention in developing countries.

  Council adopted unanimously a Recommendation on the prudent use of anti-microbial agents; and Conclusions on stress and depression related problems.

  The Council noted the Commission's updates on the revision of the medical devices Directive 93/42/EEC and the current state of play in the process of setting up the European Food Authority.
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  Commissioner Byrne explained that the Scientific Committee investigating the impact of electro-magnetic fields thought there may be a link with DNA damage and multiple exposure, but there was insufficient evidence as yet. The Commission will recommend further studies to fill the knowledge gaps.

  Patient Consultations
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average patient consultation times were in each health authority area for(a) general practitioner and (b) hospital consultant appointments in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [19293]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 29 November 2001]: The data are not collected either routinely or by health authority. The latest figure available, for general practitioners only, was in the GP Workload Survey of 1992–93. This showed the average GP consultation time with a patient was 8.4 minutes.

  Public Service Agreements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in meeting the Public Service Agreement target of efficiency and other value for money gains in personal social services expenditure of two per cent. in 1999–2000 and 2000–01 and three per cent. in 2001–02. [14947]

  Jacqui Smith
  Information provided by councils during in-year monitoring suggests that for social services in England the estimated efficiency gain was 2.1 per cent. for 1999–2000, 2.3 per cent. for 2000–01 and 2.5 per cent. for 2001–02. The total estimated efficiency gain over the three years was therefore 7.1 per cent, all but meeting the total of the efficiency targets over three years of 7.2 per cent.

  "Removing Barriers"
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 15 October 2001,Official Report, column 1042W, concerning the report, "Removing Barriers", which of the report's recommendations were acted upon and with what result. [11957]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 5 November 2001]: The two recommendations included in the report which related to the Department of Health were that there should be additional funds provided to local authorities and there should be a dialogue between the Department of Work and Pensions, the Local Government Association and the Department.

  Pensioner Mobility and Safety
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what initiatives there are to improve pensioner mobility and safety. [19355]

  Jacqui Smith
  We recognise the importance of improving and maintaining the mobility and safety of older people. A number of initiatives within both health and social care will contribute to these aims. Of prime importance are the National Service Frameworks for Older People and Coronary Heart Disease, which stress the importance of physical exercise. Other initiatives of particular importance to older people include intermediate
  941W
  care and the integration of community equipment services. Also, to reduce the incidence of serious injuries caused by falls in older people, the Department is funding several pilot schemes that help frail older people in nursing homes and sheltered accommodation improve their ability to walk without falling.

  EU Health Expenditure
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his latest assessment is of the average(a) private, (b) public and (c) total spending on health in EU member states expressed as a percentage of GDP; and what he expects those figures to be in 2004–05. [21058]

  Mr. Hutton
  The latest figures for the European Union member states are as follows:

  Average health care expenditure as a percentage of gross domestic product

  Expenditure

  1998

  Private

  2.0

  Public

  5.9

  Total

  7.9

  Source:

  OECD data 2001

  There are no projections for changes in the balance between public and private health care spending. There is no evidence to suggest that in 2004–05 the average total health spending as a percentage of gross domestic product will be any different to current levels.

  Ambulances
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the average time ambulance crews have waited over the last 12 months with the patients they have brought to the accident and emergency unit at Oldchurch hospital in Romford. [22882]

  Mr. Hutton
  Ambulance crews wait longer at Oldchurch hospital before they are ready to go to their next call than at other London hospitals. While it is not acceptable that patients are kept waiting before being booked in at accident and emergency, they are receiving medical care during this time.

  The London Ambulance Service (LAS) is working together with the local NHS organisations to further improve turnaround times. The LAS records turnaround times as the time taken from the crew arriving at the hospital to telling central ambulance control that they are ready to receive another call. This includes any time taken to complete paperwork on the patient, clean the vehicle, do a clinical handover to A&E staff or have a bathroom break.

  Action being taken to improve turnaround times at Oldchurch hospital include:
  London Ambulance Service liaison officer based at Oldchurch to work closely with A&E staff to identify where the hold-ups are for patients in the handover system.
  A process mapping exercise being undertaken by Barking and Havering health authority to look at patient access to A&E to see where are the hold-ups in the system.

  Recent additional funding will help address pressures in A&E and emergency services.
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  On 25 October 2001, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced a £118 million investment for reducing long waits in A&E. This includes £50 million to implement the reforming emergency care strategy and £40 million to fund an additional 600 A&E nursing posts. Out of this money, Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals national health service trust will receive £154,206 this year to provide additional nurses for its two A&E departments and a further £632,243 next year.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he plans to give child benefit to foster carers who look after children under the age of 16. [34629]

  Malcolm Wicks
  I have been asked to reply.

  Financial support for looked after children, including those placed with foster carers, is proved by local authorities under section 23 of the Children Act 1989. Foster carers receive an allowance under section 23 and are therefore not eligible for Child Benefit.

  24-hour Community Services
  Ms Shipley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on 24-hour community services care. [23700]

  Jacqui Smith
  People's needs can arise at any time and we expect councils with social services responsibilities to have arrangements in place to enable them to respond appropriately and promptly.

  A recent report "Out Of Hours" from the social services inspectorate recommends councils should review their out of hours services. The report gives a range of good practice examples.

  In addition, the Care Direct helpline, which is currently being piloted, will provide information and practical help for older people around the clock, and the NHS Plan announced our commitment to establish crisis resolution teams which can be accessed 24 hours a day by those with specialist mental health needs. The provision of intermediate care should include a rapid response service, available out of hours, to ensure people may remain independent at home.

  Public-Private Partnerships (Trusts)
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's answer of 12 December 2001,Official Report, column 889W, on capital assets, if he will place in the Library information on the accounting treatment of the public-private partnership projects relating to (a) Leicestershire and Rutland Headquarters NHST, (b) York Health Services NHST Provision of MRI Service, (c) Leeds Community and Mental Health NHST Information System, (d) Rotherham General Hospitals NHST Entrance Redevelopment, and (e) Royal National Orthopaedic NHST; and if he will make a statement. [24177]

  Mr. Hutton
  We have today placed in the Library information on the accounting treatment of the public-private partnership (PPP) projects for Royal National Orthopaedic National Health Service Trust; York Health
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  Services NHS Trust (provision of Magnetic Resonance Imaging service); Leeds Community and Mental Health NHS Trust (Information System) and Rotherham General Hospitals NHS Trust Concourse.

  There is no formal written audit opinion for Leicestershire and Rutland Headquarters NHS Trust although the accounting treatment of this building has regularly been discussed with the trust's auditors. The trust have confirmed that it is accounted for as an operating lease.

  Mental Health
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital admissions there were in the most recent year for which figures are available in respect of(a) a disabling anxiety disorder, (b) clinical depression, (c) manic depression and (d) schizophrenia. [24539]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 8 January 20021: The information is not available in the format requested.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met Ministers from the Department for Works and Pensions to discuss ways of helping those with mental health problems to find paid employment. [36879]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Department of Health and the Department for Work and Pensions officials continue to work very closely together to ensure that policies are implemented across Government to empower all disabled people, including those with mental health problems, to make the most of their abilities at work and in the wider society.

  Drug Awareness Programmes
  Chris Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on drug awareness programmes in England in each of the last 20 years. [25124]

  Ms Blears
  The Department for Education and Skills (DfES) has made the following amounts available to directly support drug, alcohol and tobacco education in schools through the Standards Fund, Grants for Education and Support Training, and Education Support Grants. The figures in the table are from 1986–87 to 2002–03. DfES may have made moneys available prior to 1986–87 and will have also made other moneys available to support drug, alcohol and tobacco education in schools indirectly, but these figures could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  £ million

  1986–87

  2.0

  1987–88

  2.0

  1988–95

  0

  1995–96

  5.9

  1996–97

  5.8

  1997–98

  5.8

  1998–99

  7.0

  1999–2000

  7.5

  2000–01

  7.5

  2001–02

  13.1

  2002–03

  13.2

  The following table details the DfES moneys allocated to the Health Education Authority (HEA) through the Standards Fund for Drug Education. These figures taken
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  from the HEA's annual reports indicate how much was spent in the year beginning 1995 to 2000 on drug awareness programmes. These figures are taken from funding for drug education programmes as a whole.

  £ million

  1995–96

  3.8

  1996–97

  4.7

  1997–98

  4.8

  1998–99

  2.0

  1999–2000

  1.3

  The Department also funded the HEA's National Drugs Campaign. Before 1998–99, the figure for the HEA National Drugs Campaign was £5 million per year. For 1998–99 the Department paid £2.0 million. For 1999–2000 and in 2000–01 the HEA had finished its work.

  Ambulance Waiting Times (Havering)
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time is for an ambulance in the London Borough of Havering, in response to an emergency 999 call. [26458]

  Ms Blears
  Information about the response times to emergency calls and other requests for transport is collected by the Department by ambulance service and not by borough. Information for London Ambulance National Health Service Trust, which covers the London Borough of Havering, and all other ambulance trusts are contained in the Department of Health Statistical Bulletin "Ambulance Services, England 2000–01". A copy is in the Library and available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0115.htm.

  Foster Care
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which date legislation making unregistered foster care a criminal offence came into force. [27356]

  Jacqui Smith
  Foster carers are not registered with the local authority. Instead they are approved by a panel set up for the purpose of approving foster carers. Once approval is confirmed the local authority is required to enter in a register the particulars for each foster parent in their area who is approved, and each person not being an approved foster parent with whom a child is placed under regulation 11 in their area. This is not intended to mean that foster carers are 'registered' with the local authority.

  In the case of private fostering arrangements, there is no requirement for private foster carers to register with the local authority. Both the private foster carer and the person with parental responsibility have a duty to notify the local authority that a private fostering arrangement is in existence, or about to take place, in order for that local authority to fulfil its obligations under Part 9 of the Children Act 1989.

  The role of the local authority is to satisfy themselves that the welfare of the child is being satisfactorily safeguarded and promoted by supervising, regulating and advising in respect of the private placement. The local authority is required to visit at specified intervals and to report on these visits. They have the power to impose requirements, or if there are serious concerns, to prohibit the fostering arrangement.
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  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on which date the code of practice on recruiting, selecting, training and supporting foster carers came into force. [27355]

  Jacqui Smith
  Joint work on a code of practice for the recruitment, assessment, approval, training, management and support of foster carers was carried out by the United Kingdom Joint Working Party on Foster Care. The document setting that code out was published in June 1999, and was intended to be implemented from that date.

  EU Treatment (English Patients)
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the treatment of English patients in other EU countries. [28019]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 22 January 2002): In the light of rulings of the European Court of Justice, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced in August 2001 that national health service health authorities and trusts could commission treatment for their patients overseas. Since October 2001 three test-bed sites in the south east of England have been working through the legal and practical issues involved in sending patients abroad. The first patients to go abroad for routine NHS-funded surgery travelled to Lille on 18 January. By the end of the test bed scheme in March this year around 200 patients are likely to have travelled to France and Germany for treatment. Guidance for the NHS will be published, based on the experience of the test bed sites.

  The Department plans to launch a tender exercise later this year for surgical procedures overseas, as part of its wider strategy to reduce waiting times and enhance patient choice.

  It is also possible for patients to be referred to Europe under the long-standing E112 arrangements described on pages 36-37 of the Department of Health leaflet "Health Advice for Travellers", copies of which are available in the Library and to the public from post offices.

  Secondments
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff in his Department have been seconded to jobs in the(a) private and (b) public sector in each of the last four years. [31776]

  Ms Blears
  Interchange is a key component of the reform agenda. The Modernising Government White Paper committed us to increasing interchange, in particular by bringing in more people on secondment and sending more of our people out. Secondments and attachments are part of the interchange initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. All sectors of the economy are involved: voluntary, education, health, public and private.

  Central Records are held on the following secondments commenced in the years shown:

  Public sector

  Private sector

  Total

  1998–99

  19

  1

  20

  1999–2000

  53

  2

  55

  2000–01

  85

  1

  86

  2001–021

  31

  2

  33

  Total

  188

  6

  194

  1 To date

  Health and Social Care Act
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what announcement he made on the powers in Section 4 of the Health and Social Care Act 2001 to establish and support private firms to undertake tasks within the National Health Service, prior to the conclusion of the Second Reading of the Bill in the House of Commons. [28678]

  Mr. Hutton
  On 6 December 2000, in a press notice which accompanied the announcement of the Health and Social Care Bill in the Queen's Speech, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said:"Primary care is the first port of call for patients. The biggest hospital building programme in the NHS is already well under way, thanks to the success of the Private Finance Initiative. This Bill will provide for a complementary programme of public private partnership to be invested in primary care services—improving access in the most needy areas of the country".

HEALTH

  Theft and Fraud
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what additional security measures are planned by his Department to deter and detect theft and fraud. [31796]

  Ms Blears
  The Department takes theft and fraud prevention very seriously. Our existing arrangements for deterring and detecting theft and fraud include internal control systems, auditor scrutiny, asset holder accountability, and investigation of losses. Some examples of our existing security controls are:

  security awareness training for new entrants

  a range of guides and advice for staff on the electronic notice board

  tight physical security measures on the Department's estate, with 24 hour guarding

  specialists who are responsible for preventing, detecting and investigating fraud

  appropriate action taken against perpetrators.

  Following a recent departmental security review, we have strengthened our arrangements, including:

  the setting-up of a cross-Department senior security management forum to strengthen policy and compliance

  the involvement of a professional specialist unit for the national health service in departmental fraud casework

  an increased input by building managers in countering theft of the Department's assets

  more direct involvement of senior management in security measures

  an annual security awareness week targeted at the entire department and its agencies.

  Nursing Care
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities since 1 October 2001 have revised their contracts with nursing homes to ensure that the payment for free nursing care is passed on to the self-funding resident in the form of a reduced fee. [31300]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 30 January 2002]: The guidance on implementation of free nursing care makes it clear that nursing home residents should not be charged for services funded by the national health service and that the NHS locally will develop contracting procedures with homes that the financial benefit of the NHS payment should be discounted in any fee payable by the resident to the home. Information is not available centrally on how each health authority or primary care trust has handled this.

  Health Clinic (South Woodham Ferrers)
  Mr. Francois
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has to establish an X-ray facility in the health clinic at South Woodham Ferrers. [31640]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 30 January 2002]: Maldon and South Chelmsford Primary Care Group put forward a bid towards the end of the 2000–01 financial year to the then National Patients' Access Team (now part of the National Health Service Modernisation Agency) for digital imaging facilities to be made available at South Woodham Ferrers clinic. The National Patients' Access Team considered the bid and although there was some
  948W
  capital funding available at that time unfortunately there were insufficient funds available to fund the purchase of this equipment.

  The overall concept of providing an X-ray facility in the local general practitioner clinic is a good one that would appear to enhance local patient services. However the overall cost of setting up a service with a digital X-ray machine is a lot greater than that of the equipment alone. There would be significant recurring staff and maintenance costs involved in the provision of such a service. The primary care trust would have to be able to meet these recurring costs from within their existing resources. Further more the type of X-rays that could be done out of a main X-ray department is limited to chest and extremity radiography only.

  While the modernisation agency does not have funds available to support this, the PCT may wish to prioritise its own funds to purchase such equipment. The Medical Devices Agency would be able to advise on suitable equipment that could provide a simple service at a lower cost than a full digital system.

  Cancer
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of years of life lost following the potential blocking of the use of irinotecan in first line use for advanced colo-rectal cancer; and if this criteria is a feature of NICE assessments; [32772]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the NICE guidance on the colo-rectal cancer drugs (a) irinotecan, (b) oxaliplatin and (c) ralitrexel in relation to cancer survival rates; and what figures on European survival rates he has collated. [32771]

  Yvette Cooper
  The National Institute for Clinical Excellence has not yet issued guidance on the appraisal for colo-rectal cancer drugs and the draft guidance is currently subject to appeal.

  Figures on European survival rates from colon and rectal cancers are given in the tables.

  Colon cancer—age standardised relative survival (percentage) Europe 1985–891

  Males

  Females

  Country

  1 year

  2 year

  1 year

  2 year

  Austria

  75.0

  54.7

  60.5

  44.0

  Denmark

  63.7

  39.2

  64.0

  42.7

  England

  61.6

  41.0

  60.5

  41.3

  Estonia

  51.5

  36.5

  52.7

  38.0

  Finland

  68.6

  47.6

  68.8

  50.0

  France

  73.7

  51.8

  72.5

  54.0

  Germany

  66.4

  49.6

  70.0

  49.9

  Iceland

  61.6

  48.7

  67.4

  51.8

  Italy

  67.3

  46.9

  68.5

  47.0

  Netherlands

  75.7

  58.7

  72.4

  55.7

  Poland

  43.4

  24.8

  43.1

  22.6

  Scotland

  61.5

  41.1

  61.3

  41.1

  Slovakia

  58.7

  38.9

  54.1

  38.3

  Slovenia

  50.1

  33.2

  53.9

  38.1

  Spain

  66.6

  49.5

  66.5

  49.4

  Sweden

  71.4

  51.8

  73.4

  55.2

  Switzerland

  74.6

  52.3

  73.7

  49.4

  Europe 1985–89

  66.3

  46.8

  66.4

  46.7

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  Rectal cancer—age standardised relative survival (percentage) Europe 1985–891

  Males

  Females

  Country

  1 year

  2 year

  1 year

  2 year

  Austria

  71.7

  46.7

  75.6

  54.2

  Denmark

  69.7

  38.2

  69.7

  41.5

  England

  67.4

  40.1

  68.2

  41.0

  Estonia

  56.8

  34.1

  61.4

  35.5

  Finland

  80.4

  49.3

  75.5

  46.1

  France

  78.6

  48.4

  79.6

  48.4

  Germany

  74.5

  43.5

  72.4

  43.6

  Iceland

  —

  —

  80.8

  52.5

  Italy

  72.4

  43.0

  74.0

  44.2

  Netherlands

  79.0

  52.4

  80.4

  53.8

  Poland

  52.9

  21.2

  53.1

  21.9

  Scotland

  65.5

  36.3

  65.2

  38.7

  Slovakia

  60.0

  35.1

  62.4

  37.1

  Slovenia

  60.4

  28.6

  60.3

  31.3

  Spain

  71.9

  43.3

  70.3

  43.1

  Sweden

  76.1

  49.2

  79.5

  51.9

  Switzerland

  75.9

  52.6

  82.9

  51.6

  Europe 1985–89

  71.9

  42.6

  71.8

  42.9

  1 Survival of Cancer Patients in Europe: the Eurocare-2 Study 1999

  MMR
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people contracted(a) measles, (b) mumps and (c) rubella in each of the last five years. [32981]

  Yvette Cooper
  The number of confirmed cases of measles, mumps and rubella between 1996 and 2000 are shown in the table. The data for 2001 are provisional and are therefore subject to change.

  Measles

  Mumps

  Rubella

  1996

  112

  94

  2,759

  1997

  177

  180

  99

  1998

  56

  118

  122

  1999

  94

  366

  161

  2000

  100

  697

  60

  20011

  69

  753

  39

  1 Provisional data

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the single measles vaccine ceased to be available on the national health service; and for what reason it was withdrawn. [34357]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 7 February 2002]: Measles vaccine was replaced with MMR from October 1988. Since then each of the manufacturers have advised the Department that they no longer intended to supply single measles vaccine to the United Kingdom.

  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures he has collected for MMR vaccination rates in the October to December 2001 quarter in the UK, broken down by health authority area. [34877]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The information requested is not yet available.

  When published the information about coverage rates by region for children who have received a primary MMR vaccination by their second birthday and a booster vaccination by age five is contained in the Statistical Bulletin "NHS Immunisation Statistics,
  950W
  England: 2000/01". A copy of the bulletin will be placed in the Library and can also be found on the Department of Health website www.doh.gov.uk/public/sb0121.htm.

  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has collated on the countries in the EU which license single vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella. [35423]

  Yvette Cooper
  We do not keep a database of single component MMR vaccines licensed in European Union member states. However, all EU member states recommend a two dose vaccination schedule with MMR vaccine. None routinely recommend single vaccines instead of MMR.

  There is no comprehensive list available of measles, mumps and rubella combination vaccines, two-component vaccines or single component vaccines that are currently licensed in Europe. The Medicines Control Agency has obtained the following information from "The European Drug Index" (1997 edition), from national compendia of licensed medicinal products in France, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden (1998 to 2000 editions), and from two companies. While these references indicate that such products are currently licensed as listed in the named countries, it is not known whether or not they are on the market at the present time.

  In the EU and Switzerland

  There are combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccines currently licensed in all countries in the EU, including the United Kingdom.

  Measles plus rubella vaccines are licensed in at least Italy, Switzerland and the UK.

  Measles plus mumps vaccines are licensed in at least Germany, Portugal and Switzerland,

  At least one measles single component vaccine is licensed in Italy, Belgium, France, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Greece and the UK.

  At least one single component mumps vaccine is licensed in Italy, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal and the UK.

  There are numerous single component rubella vaccines licensed across the EU, including the UK.

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he collects on the number of children who have received single measles, mumps and rubella inoculations since the introduction of the triple MMR vaccine(a) privately and (b) on the national health service. [34496]

  Yvette Cooper
  From the information collected it is not possible to distinguish whether vaccinations were done privately or on the national health service.

  Patient Malnutrition
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what statistics his Department collects concerning(a) (i) primary and (ii) contributory diagnosis relating to malnutrition and (b) the weight of patients on (1) admission and (2) discharge from hospital by age. [32624]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 4 February 2002]: The Department collects information on in-patients as part of the hospital episodes statistics (HES) system, which contains details of patients admitted to and treated in

  951W
  National Health Service hospitals in England. HES records contain up to seven diagnoses (coded to ICD10 where malnutrition is E40 to E46). The first of these is the main reason that the patient was in hospital; any

  Admissions to NHS hospitals in England where the patient's main diagnosis was malnutrition

  Age

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  0–4

  11

  11

  12

  5

  10

  17

  10–14

  7

  14

  12

  15

  6

  5

  15–44

  53

  65

  57

  72

  54

  33

  45–64

  56

  45

  65

  63

  63

  47

  65–74

  38

  28

  30

  43

  28

  35

  75–84

  45

  43

  42

  38

  41

  33

  85 and over

  35

  27

  31

  22

  24

  27

  Not Known

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Total

  245

  234

  249

  258

  226

  197

  Note:

  Admissions are defined as the first period of patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. Figures have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data is ungrossed).

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.

  Disabled Parking
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance he has issued on the level of minimum provision of disabled parking spaces at NHS hospitals. [33497]

  Mr. Hutton
  National Health Service Estates, an executive agency of the Department of Health, provides advice and guidance to the NHS, principally through a series of documents. These represent best practice guidance, and through their adoption, NHS trusts and health authorities should comply with current legislation affecting disabled people.

  NHS Estates guidance document "Car Parking" (1996—Health Facilities Note 21) suggests overall proportion of car park spaces for disabled people for healthcare premises, whilst accepting that the number and different types of car park spaces would be dependent on the range of healthcare services and facilities provided.

  The Department also issued "Doubly Disabled—Equality for Disabled People in the new NHS—Access to Services" (1999). This guidance gives advice on accessibility for disabled people including 'Transport, cars and parking'. To help underpin this process, an access audit tool was developed and made available to all NHS bodies in 1999.

  Angiogram Assessment
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the waiting lists for angiogram assessment in(a) England and (b) Gloucestershire. [33056]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 4 February 2002]: Data are not collected on the number of patients waiting for angiograms. On the 21 November 2001, we announced details of the first wave of £65 million of New Opportunities Fund money which will provide new angiography equipment at 37 hospitals. This was matched by £15 million from the Treasury Capital Modernisation Fund to be used on building laboratory facilities for
  952W
  subsidiary or secondary diagnoses are recorded in the last six fields. Admissions to hospital with a main diagnosis of malnutrition, by age, are given in the table.

  No data are held on the weight of the patient.

  angiography at 22 hospitals. Further Treasury Capital Modernisation Fund money for buildings will follow to match second and third wave New Opportunities Fund funding. This first wave of funding will enable the National Health Service to carry out an extra 14,000 angiograms each year, and so reduce waiting times.

  Walsgrave Hospital
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health why the announcement of the CHI Progress report into the investigation of the Walsgrave Hospital has been postponed. [32657]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 5 February 2002]: A Commission for Health Improvement team revisited University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, which includes Walsgrave General Hospital, to assess progress in implementing the trust's action plan, following a clinical governance review last year. The visit took place on 22–23 January 2002, and a report is due to be published in March 2002.

  Maternity Units
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many maternity units there are in England and Wales; how many have fewer than(a) 2,500 and (b) 2,000 births a year; how many with approximately 2,000 births a year are midwife only; and what his policy is on the size of midwife only units. [33716]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 5 February 2002]: The Department estimates that there are about 250 maternity units in England.

  Information for England about the number of births in each unit and which of these are midwife only is not collected centrally by the relevant Departments.

  Statistics on all births in England and Wales is available on the Office of National Statistics webpage at: www.statistics.gov.uk
  953W
  The National Health Service provides care for women in various sizes of midwife only units. It is for local health authorities, trusts and communities to decide on the local pattern of service provision.

  Departmental Events
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the(a) conferences, (b) seminars, (c) workshops, (d) exhibitions and (e) press conferences which have been sponsored by his Department and which took place on non-departmental premises in each of the last four years, giving the title, purpose, date and cost of each. [34184]

  Ms Blears
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportional cost.

  National Care Standards Commission
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent inspector posts there are in the establishment scheme for the National Care Standards Commission for each type of establishment and agency covered by regulations laid down under the Care Standards Act 2000; how many will be in post as at 1 April; and when all posts will be filled. [32671]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 6 February 2002]: The National Care Standards Commission is funded to employ 1,475 inspectors. The NCSC will allocate case loads following the completion of the staff transfer from local authorities and health authorities.

  It is currently anticipated that the Commission will need to recruit around 300 additional inspectors to supplement those who transfer. This recruitment is under way and the profile of the take on will match the phased introduction of services new to regulation after 1 April 2002.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health to what extent direct observation of service delivery will form part of the routine inspection of establishments by the National Care Standards Commission. [32669]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 6 February 2002]: The National Care Standards Commission is still finalising its regulatory procedures which will include inspection methodologies. It is anticipated that the Commission will use a range of techniques as part of their routine inspections and these will include direct observation of service delivery.

  Palliative Care
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the underprovision of palliative care; what plans he has to expand the provision, increase expertise and move toward 24 hour care; and if he will make a statement. [34468]

  Yvette Cooper
  The National Palliative Care Survey (2000) commissioned by the Department, identified inequality of palliative care provision. The NHS Cancer Plan acknowledged this and that the national health service contribution to the costs of specialist palliative care needed to increase. The Plan announced that by 2004 the NHS will invest an additional £50 million in specialist 954W
  palliative care in order to address these inequalities. This will match, on a national basis, the investment by the voluntary sector and will enable the NHS to increase their contribution to the costs hospices incur for agreed levels of service. A supportive and palliative care strategy is being developed under the plan to ensure best treatment and care from when cancer is first suspected through to death and bereavement. Part of this strategy includes a review of out-of-hours palliative care services working with other key organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Relief.

  NHS Dentists
  Tony Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial arrangements are in place to help dentists set up NHS practices by way of(a) a grant and (b) a preferential loan. [34042]

  Ms Blears
  Over the last two financial years we have allocated £10 million from the Dental Care Development Fund and the Dentistry Action Plan Fund to support local plans to improve access. This money enables health authorities to assist dentists seeking to set up new practices and to expand and modernise existing ones.

  Probiotics
  Lembit öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has conducted into the beneficial effects of probiotics; and if he will make a statement. [33965]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Department and the Food Standards Agency have not funded any research to date into the beneficial effects of probiotics.

  Trolley Waits (Hillingdon Hospital)
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people had a trolley wait of four hours or more in Hillingdon hospital in each of the last eight years. [34099]

  Ms Blears
  The number of patients waiting on a trolley is not collected centrally.

  Primary Care (Running Costs)
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the running costs are of the primary care groups and the primary care trusts in 2001–02. [33992]

  Mr. Hutton
  Information for 2001–02 is not available.

  In 2000–01 management costs for primary care groups and primary care trusts were £158 million and £24 million respectively.

  Residential Care (Elderly)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost is to(a) local authorities and (b) the private sector in Lancashire of bringing residential homes for the elderly up to the standards set by Government. [34567]

  Jacqui Smith
  The cost of complying with the National Minimum Standards for care homes for older people will vary from home to home, depending on the extent to
  955W
  which these homes already meet the standards. The standards are based on existing good practice, and many homes already meet or exceed the standards.

  Laser Eye Surgery
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's assessment is of the(a) effectiveness of laser eye surgery as an alternative to glasses and (b) risks involved; whether he has plans to introduce such treatment on the national health service; and if he will make a statement. [34899]

  Ms Blears
  Laser surgery is not available under the national health service. Refractive errors can be successfully corrected by spectacles and contact lenses and optical vouchers are available to children and people on low incomes to help with the cost of these appliances. I understand that research shows that surgery is effective in treating selected patients with refractive errors and that research continues into the long-term effects.

  Dietary Supplements
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy towards nutritional supplements in food, with particular reference to EU directives under discussion. [34636]

  Yvette Cooper
  A common position on a draft European Union directive on food supplements was agreed by the Council of Ministers on 3 December and is currently at second reading stage in the European Parliament.

  The Government's view is that in the interests of consumer choice, the law should allow food supplements which are safe and properly labelled to be freely marketed. The proposed directive would establish a framework for harmonised controls on vitamin and mineral content of food supplements and introduce a number of useful labelling measures.

  Suicide Rates
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether targets exist regarding the national rate of suicide; what these targets are; whether they are being met; and if he will make a statement. [35859]

  Jacqui Smith
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 23 October 2001,Official Report, column 147W.

  Adoption (Unmarried Couples)
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to propose changes in the law to allow adoption by unmarried couples. [35865]

  Jacqui Smith
  We are looking thoroughly at the many and complex issues of partnership registration, rights and responsibilities. Adoption will, alongside all other relevant issues, be considered as part of that work.

  Beta Interferon and Glatiramer Acetate
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) who will make the initial decision on which MS patients are included in the new cohort to receive beta interferon and glatiramer acetate drugs; [35346]
  956W
  (2) if he will estimate how many new people in (a) England and (b) Essex will receive beta interferon and glatiramer acetate drugs in the next five years; [35350]

  (3) what system for appeals will be established to review cases where MS sufferers have been refused access to beta interferon and glatiramer acetate; who will constitute the appeal body; and what its terms of reference, operating procedures and decision criteria will be; [35348]

  (4) what limits will be put on the access of clinically qualifying patients to beta interferon and glatiramer acetate drugs; [35344]

  (5) when the new cohort of MS sufferers who will now receive beta interferon and glatiramer acetate drugs will start to receive these drugs; [35347]

  (6) what restriction based on post code there will be to access the beta interferon and glatiramer acetate drugs for clinically qualifying patients; [35343]

  (7) how the new cohort of MS patients to receive beta interferon and glatiramer acetate drugs will be selected; [35349]

  (8) whether patients who are diagnosed as having MS and who qualify under the clinical criteria for the cohort to receive beta interferon and glatiramer acetate drugs will be given access to those drugs. [35345]

  Ms Blears
  The scheme allows disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis to be prescribed on the national health service to patients who meet the criteria set out by the Association of British Neurologists (ABN). Subject to assessment by a specialist neurologist to confirm that they meet these criteria, all eligible patients will be given access to beta interferon and glatiramer acetate. It has been estimated that the total number of patients in England and Wales who fall within the ABN criteria might range between 7,500 to 9,000. We have no figures for potential patient numbers in Essex.

  NHS bodies are required to fund any treatment within the scheme prescribed by clinicians for eligible patients, in accordance with a statutory direction.

  The responsibility for making an effective clinical judgment rests with the specialist neurologist concerned. If there is any doubt about an individual case, it is likely that another specialist neurologist will be requested to give a second opinion.

  The scheme starts to operate on 6 May 2002. It is anticipated that it might take 18 months to initiate all eligible patients on the scheme. Details of the scheme are explained in Health Service Circular 2002/004 which has been widely distributed across the NHS.

  Young Minds
  Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to secure state funding for Young Minds following the letter to the right hon. Member for South-West Surrey from the Minister of State, the Cabinet Office. [36933]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Department has given financial aid to Young Minds for a number of years via the Section 64 grant scheme. In the current financial year we shall be giving Young Minds a mixture of project and core
  957W
  funding that totals £74,000. We are currently considering an application for the renewal of their core funding for the years 2002–03 to 2004–05.

  We have a close working relationship with Young Minds and welcome their collaboration in the development of the child and adolescent mental health module of the children's National Service Framework.

  Speech Therapy
  Mr. Alan Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the likely(a) number of and (b) requirement for speech and language therapists in the NHS in each of the next five years; [36770]

  (2) what plans he has to increase the number of university training places in speech and language therapy. [36774]

  Mr. Hutton
  The NHS Plan commits us to 4,450 more therapists and other professional staff being trained each year by 2004 than there were in 1999.

  Between 1999–2000 and 2000–01 the number of speech and language therapy training commissions increased by 101. We are working with workforce development confederations to determine the split in the remainder of commissions that make up the NHS Plan target. Recommendations on the final allocation will be made by the Workforce Numbers Advisory Board (WNAB) later in the year and will take into account supply and demand information for speech and language therapy. WNAB will also look at the need for further training commissions beyond 2004.

  Epilepsy
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of epilepsy and the death rate for epilepsy was(a) in total, (b) for men and (c) for women

  Trends in mortality from all causes (ICD9 001–999): Indirectly Standardised Ratios (SMR), 1989 to 1999 annually, all ages1

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  Males

  England and Wales

  SMR

  106

  103

  102

  98

  100

  95

  95

  93

  90

  89

  87

  OBS

  280,097

  276,104

  276,399

  270,580

  278,245

  265,843

  271,761

  268,888

  265,190

  263,314

  262,248

  Gateshead

  SMR

  136

  121

  126

  119

  123

  113

  113

  108

  102

  111

  99

  OBS

  1387

  1244

  1318

  1243

  1306

  1209

  1222

  1187

  1130

  1234

  1114

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  SMR

  121

  121

  121

  117

  117

  111

  107

  105

  103

  104

  102

  OBS

  1,738

  1,732

  1,735

  1,691

  1,697

  1,616

  1,556

  1,531

  1,502

  1,519

  1,487

  North Tyneside

  SMR

  118

  121

  117

  112

  111

  105

  102

  108

  98

  103

  94

  OBS

  1,199

  1,256

  1,224

  1,184

  1,192

  1,133

  1,121

  1,202

  1,104

  1,172

  1,070

  South Tyneside

  SMR

  136

  118

  120

  126

  117

  110

  105

  107

  111

  107

  106

  OBS

  1091

  960

  984

  1,043

  974

  925

  906

  936

  981

  952

  949

  Sunderland

  SMR

  131

  122

  127

  122

  119

  114

  112

  110

  106

  110

  102

  OBS

  1,732

  1,641

  1,737

  1,685

  1,653

  1,614

  1,596

  1,593

  1,551

  1,641

  1,527

  Females

  England and Wales

  SMR

  104

  100

  100

  97

  100

  95

  96

  96

  95

  93

  94

  OBS

  294,841

  286,775

  291,709

  285,868

  298,487

  284,278

  292,582

  292,564

  291,294

  288,680

  289,800

  Gateshead

  SMR

  122

  112

  119

  107

  121

  114

  112

  112

  115

  118

  110

  OBS

  1,380

  1,274

  1,368

  1,237

  1,402

  1,313

  1,302

  1,299

  1,316

  1,331

  1,234

  958W
  in each health authority in England in (i) 1996 and (ii) the most recent available year; and how these rates deviate from the national average. [37038]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Department does not collect information specifically on the incidence of epilepsy. However, it does collect information on the number of admissions to national health service hospitals for epilepsy by health authority. The available information has been placed in the Library.

  The number of epilepsy deaths at health authority level is very small and subject to considerable random fluctuation. In both 1996 and 2000 the mean number of epilepsy deaths for health authorities was eight. These figures, therefore, cannot in themselves be taken as evidence of either trends over time, or real differences between areas.

  The rates are presented as standardised mortality ratios (SMRs). The ratios are the numbers of "observed" deaths in each health authority to the numbers of "expected" deaths. These "expected" deaths are the number, which would have occurred if the sex and age-specific mortality rates for England were applied in each health authority. While SMRs allow for comparison between areas because the ratios presented here are based on very small numbers, even slight differences in numbers will have a marked effect on the resulting SMRs.

  Mortality Rates
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list every ward in Tyne and Wear by local authority, setting out the latest standard mortality ratio on the basis of the European Standardised rate(a) in total, (b) for men and (c) for women and the year in which the death rate for England and Wales as a whole was at this level. [37039]

  Jacqui Smith
  Information is not available in the format requested. The table compares the trends in mortality from all causes for men and women in England and Wales with each local authority in Tyne and Wear from 1989 to 1999.
  959W

  Trends in mortality from all causes (ICD9 001–999): Indirectly Standardised Ratios (SMR), 1989 to 1999 annually, all ages1

  1989

  1990

  1991

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  SMR

  118

  112

  108

  110

  107

  106

  107

  109

  106

  112

  103

  OBS

  1,997

  1,878

  1,824

  1,858

  1,805

  1,775

  1,783

  1,812

  1,728

  1,789

  1,627

  North Tyneside

  SMR

  117

  113

  115

  109

  113

  99

  99

  99

  100

  98

  92

  OBS

  1,335

  1,316

  1,355

  1,303

  1,368

  1,217

  1,231

  1,250

  1,289

  1,277

  1,200

  South Tyneside

  SMR

  125

  116

  114

  112

  111

  104

  104

  100

  109

  105

  101

  OBS

  1,102

  1,028

  1,028

  1,012

  1,019

  967

  975

  947

  1043

  10,04

  960

  Sunderland

  SMR

  122

  118

  118

  115

  121

  113

  110

  111

  103

  112

  114

  OBS

  1,743

  1,714

  1,738

  1,708

  1,809

  1,701

  1,678

  1,702

  1,580

  1,727

  1,755

  Persons

  England and Wales

  SMR

  105

  101

  101

  98

  100

  95

  96

  94

  93

  91

  91

  OBS

  574,938

  562,879

  568,108

  556,448

  576,732

  550,121

  564,343

  561,452

  556,484

  551,994

  552,048

  Gateshead

  SMR

  129

  116

  123

  113

  122

  114

  113

  110

  108

  114

  104

  OBS

  2,767

  2,518

  2,686

  2,480

  2,708

  2,522

  2,524

  2,486

  2,446

  2,565

  2,348

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  SMR

  120

  116

  114

  113

  112

  109

  107

  107

  104

  108

  102

  OBS

  3,735

  3,610

  3,559

  3,549

  3,502

  3,391

  3,339

  3,343

  3,230

  3,308

  3,114

  North Tyneside

  SMR

  117

  117

  116

  110

  112

  102

  100

  103

  99

  100

  93

  OBS

  2,534

  2,572

  2,579

  2,487

  2,560

  2,350

  2,352

  2,452

  2,393

  2,449

  2,270

  South Tyneside

  SMR

  130

  117

  117

  118

  114

  107

  104

  103

  110

  106

  103

  OBS

  2,193

  1,988

  2,012

  2,055

  1,993

  1,892

  1,881

  1,883

  2,024

  1,956

  1,909

  Sunderland

  SMR

  126

  120

  122

  118

  120

  114

  111

  110

  104

  111

  108

  OBS

  3475

  3355

  3475

  3393

  3462

  3315

  3274

  3295

  3131

  3368

  3282

  1 Standard rates are age-specific mortality rates in 1993

  Notes:

  SMT—Standardised Mortality Rates

  OBS—Observed Deaths

  Mental Health Services
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of children's mental health services in England. [36886]

  Jacqui Smith
  The main objective of our strategy for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), which is supported by £85 million of targeted funding 1999 to 2002, is to reduce waiting lists and geographical inequalities of access and to bring fragmented and variable local services up to an appropriate level. Considerable progress has been made including robust strategies for the development of local CAMHS, based on needs assessment, agreed between all health and local authorities; and significant increases in service provision (some 375 extra wte posts in 2000 and 46 new in-patient beds by 31 March 2002). Other developments are much improved co-operation and joint working between the main providing agencies and better links between CAMHS and related initiatives such as Sure Start, Quality Protects, Children's Services planning and Youth Offending Teams. However local services generally are not yet up to the required standard to meet current pressures. The inclusion of a CAMHS module in the forthcoming Children's National Service Framework will provide an opportunity to establish new standards and service models. It will also give guidance on good practice, drawing in part on a range of innovative projects in community settings which we are currently funding.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met ministers in the Cabinet Office to discuss 960W
  the work of the Social Exclusion Unit and the relationship between poor mental health and social exclusion; and if he will make a statement. [36880]

  Jacqui Smith
  The relationship between poor mental health and social exclusion has been considered within a number of contexts, most recently in relation to the Social Exclusion Unit's project on reducing re-offending among ex-prisoners. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Health last met ministerial colleagues, including a Cabinet Office Minister, with regard to this work on 16 January 2002.

  Ministerial consideration of the overarching social exclusion agenda is facilitated through the Domestic Affairs (Social Exclusion and Regeneration) cabinet sub-committee at which I represent my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, and which is chaired by my hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister. DA (SER) last met on 18 December 2001.

  We have a full programme for tackling the social exclusion of those with mental health problems. The National Service Framework for Mental Health (NSF) is a 10-year programme spelling out national standards for mental health, what they aim to achieve, how they should be developed and delivered and how to measure performance.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the achievements of the Children's Czar have been in the field of children's mental health. [36887]

  Jacqui Smith
  Since his appointment on 18 July 2001, the National Clinical Director for Children, Professor Al Aynsley-Green, has been leading the work of the
  961W
  children's Taskforce and development of the Children's National Service Framework (NSF). The NSF will include standards relating to the mental health and psychological well-being of children and young people, and Professor Aynsley-Green has established an external working group to provide advice on this area.

  Engagement with, and listening to, stakeholders is a key part of the National Director's role. In the area of child and adolescent mental health, the National Director has held a number of wide-ranging discussions on the current issues, including discussions with the President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists and Faculty of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, informal meetings with voluntary organisations, including Young Minds, visiting several young people's psychiatric units around the country and addressing several major conferences including FOCUS—a national meeting of child psychiatrists.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role the National Institute for Mental Health for England will have in the field of children's mental health. [36885]

  Jacqui Smith
  The National Institute for Mental Health in England will cover the full range of mental health services from childhood to old age. It will be concerned with mental health care in primary, specialist and tertiary care organisations, in both health and social care. It will address the issues surrounding children and other groups with special needs.

  It will also ensure that the implementation of the mental health component of the Children's National Service Framework is integrated with the mental health agenda.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for the National Institute for Mental Health to(a) be developed and (b) start work. [36884]

  Jacqui Smith
  The National Institute for Mental Health in England was launched in July 2001 and the first wave of work was announced on 10 October, World Mental Health Day. A small project team has been working to develop the role and function of the institute and a full consultation has recently concluded. The team are now looking to put formal structures in place and key appointments will be made over the coming months.

  Care Group Workforce Teams
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the work is of the care group workforce teams; [36900]

  (2) what the budget is of each care group workforce team; [36897]

  (3) when the Care Group Workforce Team on Mental Health was established; and what is its remit; [36899]

  (4) what powers the Care Group Workforce Team on Mental Health has; [36898]

  Jacqui Smith
  The care group workforce teams are multi-disciplinary bodies set up to support the National Workforce Development Board (NWDB) and the relevant service taskforce. They lead on national strategies for producing the right workforce to deliver NHS Plan 962W
  commitments for service improvements, across health, social care and the independent and voluntary sectors, within their remit.

  Seven CGWTs were established on 19 November 2001. They cover services for children (including maternity and gynaecology), older people, cancer, coronary heart disease, mental health, long-term conditions (including diabetes and renal), and emergency care (including accident and emergency, ambulance services, and critical care).

  The CGWTs do not hold dedicated budgets but influence the way mainstream national health service budgets are spent.

  The terms of reference and first year priorities for each care group are currently being finalised and will be placed in the Library shortly.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the success of the care group work force teams on mental health will be evaluated. [36896]

  Jacqui Smith
  The overall success of the care group work force teams will be measured by the provision of a work force that better matches service needs. The mental health care group work force team will develop specific mechanisms as part of its first year work programme.

  GP Consultations
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average time which a general practitioner spends with a patient has been in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [36893]

  Mr. Hutton
  The most recent statistics on general practitioner consultation times are drawn from the GP work load survey of 1992–93 which records that the average GP consultation time with a patient was 8.4 minutes.

  Children and Young People
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he(a) has taken and (b) will take to implement Core Principles for the Involvement of Children and Young People; and what progress has been made in drawing up an action plan. [36883]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Department is playing a leading role in engaging children and young people in the development of policy. Development of the Department's action plan is well advanced. Participation of children and young people underpins both the Quality Protects programme and implementation of the NHS Plan.

  The Department was one of the first Government Departments to create a young people's reference group. This group is serving as a model of good practice for other Government Departments and local councils.

  GP Targets
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether all general practitioners are expected to meet his 48 hours' access target by 2004. [36895]

  Mr. Hutton
  All patients on every general practitioners' list will have access to a GP within 48 hours by 2004. This does not need to be a named GP. Health authorities and primary care trusts have been working
  963W
  with GPs and others to secure delivery of these targets. In doing so they are supported by the work of the National Primary Care Development Team and by resources from the PCT primary care access fund.

  Prison Nurses
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last met Ministers in the Home Office to discuss the training of prison nurses to carry out mental health assessments; and if he will make a statement. [36882]

  Jacqui Smith
  I am in regular contact with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Community and Custodial Sentences at the Home Office (Beverley Hughes) over a wide range of prison matters, among them issues related to the training of nurses and other health care staff working in prisons.

  Lister Hospital, Stevenage
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the facilities and development funding available for the Lister hospital, Stevenage. [36892]

  Jacqui Smith
  The assessment of facilities and future development of the Lister hospital is linked to the Hertfordshire and south Bedfordshire acute services review. Work continues on service models and this will be published as an interim discussion document later this year.

  Statins
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what he is doing to increase the uptake of statins. [36405]

  Yvette Cooper
  The National Service Framework for Coronary Heart Disease sets out advice on the prescribing of statins, by primary care, to prevent heart disease. Primary care practices are developing registers of patients with coronary heart disease to help them provide these patients with systematic care. Part of this systematic care is the effective prescribing of statins to lower cholesterol levels. The prescribing of statins has increased by over 30 per cent. in the first year since the publication of the National Service Framework in June 2000 and is continuing to rise.

  Surgical Instruments
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals have been found to have fallen below acceptable standards for the decontamination of surgical instruments since October 2000. [36404]

  Yvette Cooper
  Over the last year the Department has completed the first ever national survey of decontamination services for surgical instruments in the national health service in England. The survey, implemented between March 2001 and November 2001, involved a series of prioritised visits to all NHS facilities undertaking reprocessing. Initial assessments found that standards in 109 hospitals fell below acceptable levels. Further assessments and work with hospitals to implement action plans for improvement has resulted in all NHS acute hospitals in England having access to satisfactory decontamination services. The results of the assessments are published in the report "A Review of the 964W
  Decontamination of Surgical Instruments in the NHS in England". Copies of this report, and further comprehensive guidance are available in the Library and can also be found on the website www.decontamination.nhsestates.gov.uk. The modernisation of NHS decontamination services is a long-term process, not a one off event, and we are committed to ensuring that standards are maintained and raised to ensure patient safety.

  Rubella Vaccination
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason the rubella vaccination is administered to boys. [36475]

  Yvette Cooper
  Prior to the introduction of MMR in 1988, a large number of babies were born disabled as a result of congenital rubella. In many cases this was due to older unimmunised children passing rubella to their pregnant mother or her pregnant friends. With MMR a child and its family can benefit from protection against three diseases at the earliest possible time.

  Organ Donation
  Dr. Richard Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to ensure that NHS staff who may be in charge of a hospital ward are fully aware of procedures for arranging for donation of organs for transplantation. [36445]

  Jacqui Smith
  The consultation document "Organ and Tissue Donation" published in February 2001 announced planned improvements in transplants services with the overall aim to increase organ donation levels in the United Kingdom by meeting challenging targets by 2005. UK Transplant is supporting a number of initiatives across the United Kingdom to increase the numbers of organs available for transplantation with dedicated funding supporting staffing costs in hospitals, the co-ordination of this transplant expansion programme, training, education and communications. Ten additional co-ordinators across the UK are being appointed. Donor transplant co-ordinators have a particular responsibility to raise the importance and profile of organ/tissue donation in all hospitals and will carry out various education initiatives. Specific funding is also being made available to employ donor liaison sisters/staff nurses in 35 hospitals with intensive care units. They will be responsible for identifying potential donors and ensuring that all staff in that hospital understand the importance of organ and tissue donation and how it can be arranged.

  Organ Donors
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK are registered as organ donors; what plans he has to introduce legislation to recognise presumed consent; what measures he has introduced to encourage people to sign up as organ donors; and if he will make a statement. [35724]
  965W
  Jacqui Smith
  There are currently 9.1 million people registered on the national health service organ donor register.

  We have no plans to introduce an opt-out scheme for organ donation. We are in the process of undertaking a comprehensive review of the law governing the taking, removal and use of human tissue, and will be issuing a consultation paper shortly.

  There have been numerous wide-ranging initiatives in England to raise the public's awareness of the shortage of organs for transplantation. The Department runs a public information campaign with a current annual budget of £900,000. A public information leaflet, incorporating the organ donor card, is widely distributed, and is also available through the organ donor literature line. The Department also runs a special campaign to raise awareness among the Asian community and a similar campaign targeting the African and African Caribbean communities is planned for launch in spring 2002.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received regarding the EU prohibition on white asbestos. [35381]

  Dr. Whitehead
  I have been asked to reply.

  There have been no formal representations received about the European Commission Directive 1999/77/EC, which requires the marketing, supply and use of white asbestos to be banned by 1 January 2005. However 153 representations were made on the consultation on the Asbestos Prohibitions (Amendment) Regulations 1999, which implemented the EC ban on white asbestos in the UK. Eight specific derogations were made in the regulations. Twenty-two requests for exemptions from the regulations have been received since they were made, of which thirteen were granted. All derogations and exemptions were granted because no suitable substitute to white asbestos existed.

  Medical Students
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of trends in recruitment of medical students by socio-economic group since 1997. [36441]

  Margaret Hodge
  I have been asked to reply.

  The numbers and proportions of students accepted for entry to Pre-clinical medical courses by social class are shown in the following table. The data on social class are based on self-reporting by applicants, so small year-on-year changes should not be regarded as significant.

  The Government are committed to raising the participation rates for people from less affluent family backgrounds, and has introduced Excellence Challenge, including the Aim Higher campaign, which is targeted at raising attainment and aspirations among young people who traditionally would not consider going to university.

  Accepted applicants through UCAS to full-time and sandwich undergraduate Pre-clinical medical courses in the UK, by social class.
  966W

  Accepted applicants through UCAS to full-time and sandwich undergraduate Pre-clinical medical courses in the UK, by social class

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Numbers

  I Professional

  1,818

  1,876

  1,875

  1,970

  2,053

  II Intermediate

  1,698

  1,743

  1,756

  1,843

  2,037

  IIIN Skilled non-manual

  348

  353

  399

  423

  439

  IIIM Skilled manual

  294

  325

  336

  363

  406

  IV Partly skilled

  187

  170

  182

  200

  204

  V Unskilled

  36

  25

  19

  44

  36

  Not known

  196

  191

  304

  386

  500

  Grand total

  4,577

  4,683

  4,871

  5,229

  5,675

  Percentages

  I Professional

  41

  42

  41

  41

  40

  II Intermediate

  39

  39

  38

  38

  39

  IIIN Skilled non-manual

  8

  8

  9

  9

  8

  IIIM Skilled manual

  7

  7

  7

  7

  8

  IV Partly skilled

  4

  4

  4

  4

  4

  V Unskilled

  1

  1

  0

  1

  1

  Grand total

  100

  100

  100

  100

  100

  Source:

  Universities and Colleges Admissions Service.

  Health and Social Care Bill
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons consultation on the Health and Social Care Bill was restricted to six weeks. [16692]

  Mr. Hutton
  As is standard practice with most legislation not subject to pre-legislative scrutiny, there was no formal consultation on the Health and Social Care Bill. However a discussion document on the patient and public involvement proposals within the National Health Service Reform and Healthcare Professions Bill currently before Parliament was published with an invitation to comment which was open for six weeks. It was not a formal consultation exercise and six weeks was considered an adequate period during which to receive comments in keeping with the timetable for the Bill as a whole.

  Haemophilia
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the number of persons who have contracted viral infections in the last 12 months which could have been avoided if they had been prescribed recombinant factor VIII; [16625]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the number of persons who have avoided viral infections as a result of the prescription of recombinant factor VIII; [16626]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 22 November 2001]: We are not aware of any viral transmissions from the use of plasma-derived clotting factors for haemophiliacs in the United Kingdom in the last 12 months.

  Heat treatment was introduced for UK-plasma products in the mid 1980s, and they have since had an excellent safety record. In addition, throughout this period, there have been increasingly sophisticated screening tests on the plasma, to improve the safety margin.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the(a) availability and (b) level of supply from manufacturers of recombinant factor VIII; [16628]
  967W
  (2) what plans he has to permit the provision of recombinant factor VIII to persons over the age of 16 years in England free of charge. [16627]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 22 November 2002]: Patients with haemophilia up to age 20 (approximately 43 per cent. of all haemophilia patients) are eligible to receive recombinant clotting factors. There are no plans to allow haemophiliacs over age 16 to be exempt from prescription charges

  These patients may not currently be receiving recombinant clotting factors due to the recent worldwide shortage. However, supplies are returning to normal and patients up to age 20 will receive recombinant clotting factors as soon as possible. We are giving active consideration to the case for providing recombinant clotting factors for all haemophilia patients in England.

  Hyperbaric Disorders
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on treatment of hyperbaric disorders. [24606]

  Yvette Cooper
  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) is a medical treatment by which oxygen is administered at greater than normal pressure to a patient in order to treat specific medical indications. Arrangements for the provision of HBO are made by NHS trusts locally.

  Trolley Waits
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes have been made to the(a) designations of trolleys and (b) methods of counting trolley waits since May 1997. [15321]

  Ms Blears
  The Department collects information on all waits for emergency admission to a bed via accident and emergency department (A&E) following a decision to admit. This information is collected as part of "Your Guide to the NHS" (formerly "Patients Charter"). It has been collected since 1997 and is published quarterly.

  The Department does not collect information on whether patients, recorded as waiting for admission, are on trolleys.

  Since August 2001, data on total time in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge have been collected by the Department. This is in line with the NHS Plan which states that by 2004, the maximum wait in A&E from arrival to admission, transfer or discharge will be four hours.

  Medical Costs (European Economic Area)
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the detailed expenditure costs of EEA medical costs(a) in total and (b) broken down by country of origin of the patient. [12778]

  Yvette Cooper
  The information requested is as follows
  968W

  Estimated costs of EEA medical benefits for 2000–01

  £000

  EEA country

  UK payments to EEA states

  EEA states payments to the UK

  Austria

  1,711

  618

  Belgium

  1,084

  1,021

  Denmark

  1—

  1—

  Finland

  0

  0

  France

  25,914

  2,282

  Germany

  474

  111

  Greece

  863

  658

  Iceland

  15

  14

  Ireland

  141,475

  14,258

  Italy

  5,837

  5,535

  Liechtenstein

  0

  0

  Luxembourg

  1—

  1—

  Netherlands

  2,757

  1,285

  Norway

  0

  0

  Portugal

  541

  110

  Spain

  31,012

  750

  Sweden

  511

  819

  Total

  212,194

  27,461

  1 Waiver. The UK has cost waiver agreements with Finland and Norway, except for referred patients. No claims were made in this financial year.

  Notes:

  1. Figures are based on latest available information and used for resource accounting and budgeting (RAB) purposes in 2000–01.

  2. Claims against the UK are made in national currency and converted into sterling by using the quarterly mean exchange rates published by the EU commission.

  3. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Beta Interferon
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what dates his Department held(a) negotiations and (b) discussions with pharmaceutical companies in relation to the trial prescribing of beta interferon; and which pharmaceutical companies were involved. [15320]

  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his discussions with the pharmaceutical industry over the provision of beta interferon. [22177]

  Ms Blears
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) on 8 February 2002,Official Report, column 1241W.

  Accident and Emergency Services
  David Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency cases were dealt with by(a) the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and (b) the Princess Royal Hospital Telford in 2000–01. [34805]

  Yvette Cooper
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Total Accident and Emergency Attendances at Selected NHS Trusts 2000–01

  NHS trust

  Total attendance

  Princess Royal hospital

  43,037

  Royal Shrewsbury hospital

  41,735

  Source: KH09—Outpatient and ward attenders
  969W
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the expected cost to public funds is of ending long waits in accident and emergency departments. [16251]

  Ms Blears
  We have made no estimate of the cost of long waiting times in accident and emergency departments. Currently 77 per cent. of visitors to accident and emergency are admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours.

  Cloned Embryos
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to appeal against the judgment in the case of Rv. Quintavalle and the Secretary of State for Health. [16267]

  Yvette Cooper
  We did appeal and on 18 January 2002, the Court of Appeal unanimously overturned the original judgment. This means that the creation and use of embryos created by cell nuclear replacement (so called "cloned embryos") is governed by the 1990 Act and regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority.

  Latex Allergy
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent studies he has undertaken into the(a) cause, (b) prevalence and (c) treatment and management of latex allergy (i) among national health service workers and (ii) in the wider population. [23774]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 18 December 2001]: The Medical Devices Agency regularly investigates the risks posed to patients and healthcare workers and along with the Department of Health, issues relevant guidance. Latex is recognised as a sensitiser or substance hazardous to health as defined by the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations (COSHH 1994) and Health Service Circular 1999/186 instructed that individuals who are sensitised to latex should stop using latex medical gloves and be provided with gloves made from an alternative material.

  Cataracts
  Clive Efford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list the waiting times for cataract operations in each of the last 10 years for each NHS trust from(a) referral from GP to first consultation and (b) referral from GP to surgery; and if he will make a statement; [20853]

  (2) how many patients diagnosed as suffering from cataracts in each of the last 10 years in each NHS trust (a) have undergone and (b) are awaiting surgery. [20854]

  SACN Member

  Member of SACN sub-group on salt

  Member of COMA (1994)

  Member of COMA Cardiovascular Review Group (1994)

  Member of COMA Panel on DRVs (1991)

  Member of COMA Panel on DRV Working Group on Minerals (1991)

  Participant at FPHM/BHF Workshop (1997)

  Member MAFF Consumer Panel (1999)

  Professor Alan Jackson (Chair)

  Yes

  Yes

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Professor Peter Aggett

  Yes

  Yes

  —

  Yes

  Yes (Chair)

  —

  —

  Professor Annie Anderson

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Professor Sheila Bingham

  Yes

  Yes

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Professor John Cummings

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Miss Gill Fine

  Yes

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  970W
  Ms Blears
  Data are not collected on waiting times from GP referral to a first outpatient appointment specifically for cataract patients, and data are not collected on the total wait from GP referral to a first outpatient appointment through to completion of surgery.

  Instead, data have been provided from 1991–92 to 2000–01 on the length of time patients waited on the inpatient waiting list before being treated for cataract removal.

  This Government are aware that some patients wait long periods of time for cataract removal. Cataract removal is one of the most commonly performed operations, particularly among the elderly. That is why we have set up the Action On Cataracts programme, led by the NHS Modernisation Agency. The programme aims to improve access to care and to reduce variations in waiting times for cataract removal patients. As part of the programme, local services are helped to identify their constraints and to find effective solutions.

  Good practice guidance on treating cataract patients was issued to NHS Trusts, Health Authorities and Primary Care Groups in February 2000. In 2000–01 the sum of £22 million was allocated for "Action on" Cataracts to provide dedicated facilities to improve the patient pathway and to reduce waiting times.

  Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which members of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition have participated in previous investigations into dietary salt and health conducted by(a) the Cardiovascular Review Group of the Committee on Medical Aspects and (b) other Government bodies since 1990. [23885]

  Yvette Cooper
  The table shows which SACN members were also members of the Committee of Medical Aspects of Food and Nutrition Policy (COMA, 1994), the COMA Cardiovascular Review Group (1994), the COMA panel on Dietary Reference Values (1991), and associated Working Group on minerals.

  No SACN members were on the MAFF Consumer Panel (January 1999) which considered salt and health. The table also shows that no SACN members were participants of the 1997 workshop on salt organised at the request of the Department of Health by the Faculty of Public Health Medicine and the British Heart Foundation.

  Biographies of SACN members can be obtained from: www.sacn.gov.uk.
  971W

  SACN Member

  Member of SACN sub-group on salt

  Member of COMA (1994)

  Member of COMA Cardiovascular Review Group (1994)

  Member of COMA Panel on DRVs (1991)

  Member of COMA Panel on DRV Working Group on Minerals (1991)

  Participant at FPHM/BHF Workshop (1997)

  Member MAFF Consumer Panel (1999)

  Ms Paulette Jones

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dr. Timothy Key

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Professor Peter Kopelman

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dr. Ann Prentice

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Professor Andrew Rugg-Gunn

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dr. Anita Thomas

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mrs. Stella Walsh

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Dr. Anthony Williams

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Professor Christine Williams

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Patient Advocacy and Liaison Services
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many Patient Advocacy and Liaison Services are in operation; and where they are. [20857]

  Ms Blears
  Current patient advice and liaison services, as at November 2001, are as follows:

  Addenbrooke's NHS Trust

  Ashford and St. Peter's NHS Trust

  Ashford PCG

  Baits and the London NHS Trust

  Bassetlaw Hospital

  Bath and NE Somerset PCT

  Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  Bexhill and Rother PCT

  Birmingham Specialist Community Trust

  Birmingham Women's Healthcare Trust

  Bishop Auckland General Hospital

  Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley NHS Trust

  Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust

  Bootle and Litherland PCT

  Bournemouth PCT, Poole Bay PCT, Poole Central and North PCT and Dorset Ambulance Trust

  Brighton and Hove PCG

  Brighton Healthcare NHS Trust

  Buckinghamshire Mental Health Trust

  City Hospital Trust

  City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust

  Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology NHS Trust

  County Durham and Darlington Priority Services NHS Trust

  Craven PCG

  Crawley PCG

  Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley PCT

  Dartford, Gravesham NHS Trust

  Dewsbury Healthcare NHS Trust

  Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals NHS Trust

  Easington PCG

  East Cheshire NHS Trust

  East Devon PCT

  East Gloucestershire Trust

  East Kent Hospitals Trust

  972W

  Eastbourne and County Healthcare NHS Trust

  Eastbourne Hospital NHS Trust

  Eastern Wakefield PCT

  Epping Forest PCT

  Exeter PCT

  Fenland PCT

  Frimley Park NHS Trust

  Gateshead Health NHS Trust Education Centre

  George Eliot Hospital and Warwickshire Ambulance Trust

  Gloucestershire Royal NHS Trust

  Greenwich Healthcare NHS Trust

  Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital NHS Trust

  Hambleton and Richmondshire PCG

  Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust

  Hartlepool NHS PCT

  Hastings and Rother NHS Trust

  Heatherwood and Wrexham Park NHS Trust

  Herefordshire PCT

  High Weald PCG

  Hillingdon PCT

  Homerton Hospital NHS Trust

  Hull and East Yorkshire Community Health NHS Trust

  Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust

  Kettering General Hospital NHS Trust

  King's Healthcare NHS Trust

  Kingston Hospital NHS Trust

  Langbaurgh PCT

  Luton and Dunstable Hospital

  Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells

  Manchester Mental Health Partnership

  Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust

  Medway and Swale PCG

  Medway Maritime Hospital

  Mid Surrey; East Elmbridge and East Surrey PCGs

  Mid Sussex NHS Trust

  Middlesbrough and Eston NHS PCG

  Milton Keynes Central Hospital

  Newham PCT

  North Bristol Trust

  North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  973W

  North Durham Healthcare NHS Trust

  North East Lincolnshire PCT

  North East London Mental Health NHS Trust

  North Hampshire Hospital NHS Trust

  North Hants PCT

  North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust

  North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust

  North Tees NHS PCT

  Northallerton Trust

  Northampton General Hospital NHS Trust

  Northern and Yorks Region Learning Alliance

  Northern General Hospital

  Northumberland Mental Health Trust

  Nottinghamshire Health Authority

  Nuffield Orthopaedic NHS Trust

  Ouse Valley PCG

  Oxford Learning Disabilities Trust

  Oxford Radcliffe Hospital NHS Trust

  Oxleas NHS Trust

  Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust

  Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals NHS Trust

  Plymouth PCT

  Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

  Preston Acute Hospital NHS Trust

  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust

  Priority Healthcare Wearside NHS Trust

  Queen Victoria Hospital NHS Trust

  Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital NHS Trust

  Royal Cornwall Hospitals Trust

  Royal Devon and Exeter Trust

  Royal Hallamshire Hospital

  Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospital NHS Trust

  Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital NHS Trust

  Royal Surrey County NHS trust

  Royal United Hospital Bath

  Rushmoor and Hart PCG

  Salisbury Healthcare Trust

  Scarborough and NE Yorkshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  Scarborough, Whitby and Ryedale PCG

  Selby and District A.V.S

  Sheffield Health Authority

  Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

  Shropshire Hospitals

  Slough PCT

  Somerset Health Community PALS

  South Buckinghamshire Trust

  South Derbyshire Acute NHS Trust

  South Devon Healthcare trust

  South Downs Health NHS Trust

  South Humber Health Authority

  South London and Maudsley Mental Health NHS Trust

  South Manchester University Hospital Trust

  South Stoke PCT

  South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  South Tyneside Health Care Trust

  South Wiltshire PCT

  Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust

  Southern Derbyshire Community and Mental Health Trust

  St. Catherine's Hospital

  St George's Healthcare NHS Trust

  974W

  St. Helens and Knowsley NHS Trust

  St. Mary's House

  St. Richards Hospital, Chichester

  Stepping Hill Hospital

  Stockport NHS Trust

  Sunderland West NHS PCT

  Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust

  Surrey Hants Borders Mental Health

  Surrey Oaklands NHS Trust

  Sussex Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  Swindon and Marlborough Trust

  Tees and NE Yorks NHS Trust

  Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service

  Teeside and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service

  Thames Gateway NHS Trust

  The Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust

  The Walton Centre

  Tower Hamlets PCT

  Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust United Bristol Hospitals Trust

  University College London Hospitals NHS Trust

  University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust

  Vale of Aylesbury PCT

  Wakefield and Pontefract Community Healthcare NHS Trust

  Wakefield West PCT

  Walsall Hospitals Trust

  West Hertfordshire NHS Trust

  West Kent Mental Health Trust

  West Norfolk PCT

  West Suffolk Hospitals NHS Trust

  West Sussex Partnership Trust

  West Yorkshire Metropolitan Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  Whittington Hospitals NHS Trust

  Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare NHS Trust

  Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS

  Wythenshawe Health Centre

  York Health Services NHS Trust.

  Hospital-acquired Infections
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital-acquired infections there were in each of the past five years. [24576]

  Jacqui Smith
  The data requested are not held centrally. Healthcare associated infections in general, and Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) specifically, are a recognised problem in most parts of the world. It is generally accepted that, at any one time in England, as many as 9 per cent. of in-patients have an infection acquired since their admission to hospital. Information about bacteraemias (blood borne infections) due to MRSA has been collected from all acute trusts as the first stage of a new comprehensive and compulsory surveillance system since 1 April 2001. Early data from this surveillance were published in the Public Health Laboratory Service Communicable Disease Report on 8 February. (www.phls.co.uk/publications/CDR per cent.20Weekly/pages/news.html#MRSA)

  Patients (Nutritional Status)
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which hospitals do not screen as routine the nutritional status of patients being admitted to hospital. [24310]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 3 January 2002]: The Department does not collect these data. The standard on general hospital care in the National Service Framework for Older People, published in March 2001, sets the need for nutritional screening to identify those at nutritional risk within the wider context of the good care management of older people in hospital. Food and nutrition is also one of the best practice standards in "The Essence of Care: patient-focused benchmarking for health care practitioners" which was published in February 2001 and will be used to support health professionals. In addition, the single assessment process for older people will require health professionals to collect information on nutritional status at the initial stage. Detailed guidance on the single assessment process was published on 28 January 2002.

  Children Act 1989
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to review the Regulations and Guidance associated with the Children Act 1989 following the Utting report. [27367]

  Jacqui Smith
  In our response to the Children's Safeguards Review (the Utting report), we acknowledged that in the longer term it may be necessary to completely revise and reissue the regulations and guidance to the Children Act 1989. The intention is to undertake this on a step by step basis that will focus at first on the volumes most affected by recent legislative and regulatory changes.

  We announced a major review of adoption in February 2000. Part of the extensive programme of reform includes the introduction of the Adoption and Children Bill in October 2001. The Bill will comprehensively overhaul adoption legislation, regulation and related guidance, which once commenced, would necessitate the revision of volume 8 (Private Fostering and Miscellaneous) of the Children Act Guidance. Further, in the light of the changes arising from the Care Standards Act 2000, we plan to revise volumes 3 (Family Placements), 4 (Residential Care), and 5 (Independent Schools) of the guidance in the near future.

  CJD
  Brian Cotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent investigations have been made into the increased theoretical risk of contracting CJD through blood transfusions; and if he plans to produce guidelines on the issue; [28750]

  (2) what recent assessment he has made of the need for a test to screen donated blood for CJD with special reference to hepatitis sufferers. [28749]

  Yvette Cooper
  We have already taken action to reduce the theoretical risk of transferring CJD through blood and blood products. The Department and the National Blood Service are currently undertaking a programme of risk assessments on further reducing 976W
  any theoretical risk from CJD to the blood supply. The Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory Committee (SEAC) has reviewed the precautions on a number of occasions and has advised that no further regulatory action was required.

  We are supporting a number of avenues of research into a diagnostic test for CJD to enable a screening test to be developed for blood donations.

  The CJD Incidents Panel is the expert committee set up by the Department to advise health authorities and trusts how to manage incidents involving possible exposure to CJD in healthcare settings, including blood transfusions. The panel issued a public consultation paper in October 2001 on "Management of possible exposure to CJD through medical procedures", for which the closing date for comments was 15 January. The panel is currently considering the responses to the consultation but continues to provide provisional advice on a precautionary basis as set out in the document.

  At the request of the panel, the Department has commissioned independent consultants to provide an updated review of the potential CJD infectivity of blood and blood products.

  Contraception
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations his Department has received regarding the side effects of the contraceptive injection Depo-provera; and if he will make a statement. [31068]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Medicines Control Agency (MCA), which is responsible for medicines regulation in the UK, and the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) receive reports of suspected adverse drug reactions to medicinal products via the Yellow Card Scheme. Since marketing authorisation was granted in 1981, the MCA and CSM have received 232 such reports for Depo-provera. However, the reporting of a suspected adverse reaction does not necessarily mean that it has been caused by the drug. Many factors have to be taken into account including the possible contribution of other medications or illnesses. Since 1981, the MCA has also recorded receiving 40 requests for information about Depo-provera. In most cases, the nature of these inquiries was to seek information on suspected adverse drug reactions to Depo-provera, which are reflected in the Marketing Authorisation Summary of Product Characteristics and Patient Information Leaflet. The MCA routinely provides this information to health professionals and members of the public on request.

  Malnutrition
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to her answer of 8 January 2002,Official Report, column 674W, on nutrition, how much the single assessment process for malnutrition will cost (a) each health authority and (b) in England. [31301]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 30 January 2002]: There is no single assessment process for malnutrition.

  The single assessment process for older people, published on 28 January, requires health and care professionals to assess the nutritional status of older

  977W
  people when it is necessary to assess their needs. Specific estimates of the cost implications of this part of the assessment have not been undertaken.

  Nursing Care
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many assessments in respect of the free nursing care scheme were(a) completed by and (b) outstanding on 31 December 2001; what proportion of residents are in each category, for how many residents payments have been made to nursing homes; and what is the (i) total value of the payments and (ii) average value. [31299]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 30 January 2002]: Preliminary information available from regions of the position at the end of December, indicates that around 80 per cent. of the nursing homes with residents eligible for national health service funded nursing care had had their residents' needs for care determined by a registered nurse. The majority of the remainder will be completed by the end of this month.

  Around 99 per cent. of people in nursing homes whose needs have been determined have been found to be eligible. Of those whose needs have been determined, around 19 per cent. have been allocated to the low band; 58 per cent. to the middle band; and 22 per cent. to the high band.

  Anticoagulation Therapy
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he intends to make the strips used to test the blood during oral anticoagulation therapy treatment available on prescription. [32537]

  Ms Blears
  We are currently considering whether to list such strips in Part IX of the Drug Tariff, so enabling them to be prescribed by general practitioners on the national health service in England. Issues for Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland are matters for the devolved Assemblies.

  Scrutiny
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what redress will be available to local authority health overview and scrutiny committees if their recommendations are not acted upon. [31857]

  Ms Blears
  Overview and scrutiny of health including scrutiny of the national health service should not be considered in terms of redress, rather as a lever to improve the health of local people. Scrutiny committees, working in partnership with the NHS and other stakeholders, will seek to secure continuous improvements both of health services and services that impact upon health. This will be a significant step forward in making public services, including the NHS, more locally relevant and locally accountable.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will answer the letter to him dated 11 December 2001, from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Lorna McIntyre. [31676]

  Ms Blears
  A reply was sent on 5 February.

  Pregnancy Advice
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the(a) approved independent sector places for abortions and (b) registered pregnancy advice bureaux in the Buckinghamshire health authority area. [32189]

  Ms Blears
  The Buckinghamshire health authority has three registered pregnancy advice bureaux: BPAS High Wycombe branch; BPAS Milton Keynes branch and Marie Stopes Milton Keynes centre but no independent sector places are approved for abortions.

  Walk-in Centres
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS walk-in centres there are(a) in England and Wales and (b) in the Buckinghamshire health authority area; and what plans he has for further centres. [32191]

  Ms Blears
  National health service walk-in centres are being piloted as a new initiative to offer convenient access to primary care services. As pilots, they are being independently evaluated. 42 centres are now open. All of these are in England and none is in the area of Buckinghamshire health authority.

  Our decisions on the future development of NHS walk-in centres will be informed by the independent evaluation report.

  Cleanliness
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will made a statement on NHS policy in respect of a cleanliness standard for patients; whether the Chief Medical Officer has made recommendations on this; whether guidelines to hospital and health trusts have been issued by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [32522]

  Ms Blears
  The National Standards of Cleanliness for the national health service were announced in April 2001.

  The standards provide a comprehensive basis which hospitals can adapt for local requirements. They measure what is, or is not, clean.

  All hospitals will be required to report a score against the National Standards of Cleanliness for the NHS on an annual basis. This score will form part of the Performance Assessment Framework by which trusts performance against key targets is assessed.

  For the first time, members of the public will know how their local hospital compares against other hospitals in terms of actual cleanliness.

  All trusts in England have received guidelines on how to implement the National Standards of Cleanliness for the NHS, and a series of regional workshops were held in November 2001 to support this initiative.

  Macular Degeneration
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make Verteporfin available on the NHS for the treatment of age related macular degeneration. [32583]
  979W
  Ms Blears
  The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently undertaking an appraisal of this treatment and will advise if it should be made generally available under the national health service. NICE expects to publish its advice in July 2002.

  Patient Confidentiality
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what powers, and in what circumstances, an NHS trust or other health body is permitted to pass information from patients' medical records to(a) his office and (b) the Prime Minister's office [32705].

  Ms Blears
  The powers and circumstances under or in which national health service trusts and other health bodies may pass information from patients' medical records to my office and that of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister, are limited by the common law and the legislation on data protection and human rights which we have put on the statute book. For example, information may be disclosed where the patient to whom it relates has consented or has deliberately taken steps to make it public.

  Teenage Pregnancy (South Tyneside)
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how the sexual health strategy aims to reduce teenage pregnancy rates in South Tyneside. [26042]

  Yvette Cooper
  The sexual health and HIV strategy is distinct from the teenage pregnancy strategy and considers the sexual health needs of all age groups. However, its main aims of improving the information provided for the public and modernising sexual health services will support implementation of the South Tyneside local teenage pregnancy strategy, which aims to halve the local under 18 conception rate by 2010.

  Organ Retention
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to change arrangements for the removal, retention and use of human organs and tissue; and if he will make a statement. [32544]

  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the Government intend to introduce legislation to cover the removal and storage of human organs by hospitals and universities. [32291]

  Mr. Hutton
  In his advice to the Government, published last year, the chief medical officer made 17 specific recommendations regarding the removal, retention and use of human organs and tissue. These recommendations were accepted by us. We have an extensive programme of implementation, led by the Department, which is working closely with other Government Departments and other agencies. This includes the following:We have established the Retained Organs Commission as a special health authority to oversee, among other things, the return of organs and tissue to families who want that to happen.
  The Home Office is leading a review of the coroners' system which was set up in July 2001.
  In January 2002 we published a number of documents for consultation, including a code of practice on communications with families about post mortems; draft forms for consent to the post mortem removal, retention and use of organs and tissue (where such actions are not required by a coroner); and an interim
  980W
  statement on the use of organs and tissue, based on the current law. The consent forms are linked to the Department's wider "Good Practice in Consent" initiative, and will shortly be piloted in a number of national health service trusts across the country. Taken together, these initiatives provide an interim framework of good practice pending changes in the law.
  We shall shortly be publishing for consultation a draft code of practice on the import and export of human body parts.
  The Department is leading a comprehensive review of the law in England and Wales which will examine, among other things, the taking, storage and use of organs and tissue from the living and the dead and options for future regulatory control. We shall be issuing a consultative paper on possible changes to the law in the near future.
  We are committed to amending the Human Tissue Act 1961 to clarify that consent must be sought from those with parental responsibility for the retention of organs or tissue from post mortems on children beyond the time necessary to establish the cause of death, and to introducing a penalty for non-compliance. This will be addressed as part of the comprehensive review.

  Private Hospitals
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what percentage of private hospitals provide(a) whole-time and (b) part-time accident and emergency cover; [31126]

  (2) what percentage of private hospitals undertaking elective surgery have (a) intensive care and (b) recovery units. [31123]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 28 January 2002]: The information requested is not held centrally, but when the National Care Standards Commission takes over from health authorities the regulation of private health care services on 1 April this year, it will compile a comprehensive national database about service providers and the facilities they offer.

  Private hospitals will be required to have staff available at all times trained in resuscitation, and have procedures in place for transferring patients to intensive care facilities, when necessary, if they do not have them on site. However, private hospitals will not be required to have accident and emergency departments as they treat only elective cases—they do not take casualties.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of private hospitals have 24 hour medical cover in the form of qualified doctors. [31124]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 28 January 2001]: The information requested is not collected centrally. However, the national minimum standards that will come into force on 1 April when the National Care Standards Commission takes over the regulation of private hospitals, require that where an establishment provides in-patient care, there is a resident medical officer, trained in resuscitation to advanced life support level, available immediately at all times.

  Tonsillectomy
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cost-benefit analysis was performed prior to the introduction of single-use instruments for tonsillectomy. [32776]

  Yvette Cooper
  The decision to introduce single use instruments for tonsillectomy was taken after receiving advice from Spongiform Encephalopathy Advisory
  981W
  Committee (SEAC), the expert body that advises the Government on BSE and CID, that rigorous implementation of washing, decontamination and general hygiene procedures are key measures in minimising the risk of infection. The Committee also considered that, where practicable, the use of single-use instruments for surgery was to be encouraged. The Committee identified tonsillectomies as an operation where practical steps might be readily taken.

  General Practitioners Recruitment
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the NHS GP Golden Hello scheme. [34137]

  Mr. Hutton
  We announced the national health service general practitioner Golden Hello Scheme in March 2001 and, after consultation with stakeholders, introduced the scheme on 2 November 2001. We are committed to keeping the scheme under review and are monitoring take-up. It is, however, still too early to draw any conclusions beyond the fact that the scheme has been generally welcomed by GPs and by their representative groups, including the General Practitioners Committee of the British Medical Association.

  MMR Vaccine
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children received a mumps vaccine in(a) each county or health authority and (b) England in each of the five years before the introduction of the MMR vaccine; and what proportion those who has received the vaccine represented of the total number of children under five years of age. [34359]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 7 February 2002]: Single mumps vaccine has never been recommended in the United Kingdom and there was no data collected centrally.

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children have received the MMR vaccine in(a) each county or health authority and (b) England in each year since its introduction; and what proportions of those who had received (i) the MMR vaccine and (ii) the single measles vaccine represented of the total number of children under five years of age. [34355]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 7 February 2002]: Information on the number of children who have received MMR vaccine by health authority has been placed in the Library. There were a number of changes in HAs over the period since MMR was introduced to date so a separate sheet is shown for each year. Routine requests for information about the uptake of single measles vaccine were discontinued in 1994 but there were no returns shown for the single vaccine after 1991–92.

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children received, either by means of single or combined MMR vaccine, inoculation against(a) measles, (b) mumps and (c) rubella, in each year since the introduction of the MMR vaccine, in (i) each county or health authority and (ii) England; and what proportion they represented of the total number of children under five years of age. [34498]
  982W
  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 8 February 2002]: The available information about children under five years of age who have received the single measles, single rubella or MMR vaccine for each year since the introduction of MMR has been placed in the Library.

  Routine requests for information about the uptake of single measles vaccine were discontinued in 1994 and there were no returns for the single measles vaccine after 1991–92.

  Single rubella vaccine was not available for children under five years of age.

  Single mumps vaccine has never been recommended in the United Kingdom and there were no data collected centrally.

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children received a single(a) mumps, (b) measles and (c) rubella vaccine in each year since the introduction of the MMR vaccine in (i) each county or health authority and (ii) England. [34497]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 8 February 2002]: The available information about children under five years of age who have received the single measles and single rubella vaccine for each year since the introduction of MMR has been placed in the Library. Routine requests for information about the uptake of single measles vaccine were discontinued in 1994 and there were no returns for the single measles vaccine after 1991–92. Single rubella vaccine was not available for children under five years of age.

  Single mumps vaccine has never been recommended in the United Kingdom and there were no data collected centrally.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has evaluated on the financial costs of the administration of the(a) MMR vaccination and (b) three separate vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella. [34543]

  Yvette Cooper
  None. Cost is not a consideration in recommendations about MMR vaccine.

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children received the rubella vaccine in(a) each county or health authority and (b) England in each of the five years before the introduction of the MMR vaccine; and what proportion those who had received the vaccine represented of the total number of children under five years of age. [34358]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 7 February 2002]: The rubella vaccine was not recommended for children under five years of age prior to the introduction of the combined measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine in 1988.

  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of eligible children have been vaccinated with single measles/mumps/rubella injections in the last(a) three months, (b) 12 months and (c) three years. [34879]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 11 February 20021: The information requested is not available centrally.
  983W
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children aged four or five years old have taken the first MMR vaccine but not the booster; and what proportion they represent of the cohorts. [35216]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: For the quarter July to September 2001, coverage of one dose of MMR at five years of age is 91.3 per cent. for England, Wales and Northern Ireland while coverage of two doses of MMR at five years of age is 73.4 per cent. By five years of age, 17.9 per cent. of children immunised with one dose of MMR have not received the second dose at school entry.

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the anticipated cost is of the planned MMR advertising campaign; and when it was first commissioned. [35215]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: Work to provide information on MMR to health professionals and the public is ongoing and has continued over several years, as part of a programme of work on immunisation information. The full details of any new MMR information campaign have yet to be confirmed.

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost is per patient of a course of(a) MMR vaccine, (b) single measles vaccine, (c) single rubella vaccine and (d) single mumps vaccine. [35213]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: I refer to the reply given to the hon. Member for the Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) on 20 March 2001, Official Report, column 133W.

  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when and upon what advice the Government withdrew the licence for single vaccinations of measles, mumps and rubella in the United Kingdom. [35411]

  Yvette Cooper
  We have never received advice to withdraw the licences for single vaccinations of measles, mumps or rubella.

  One mumps vaccine, four rubella and four measles vaccines have a current licence.

  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which countries in the EU allow children to be given single inoculations for measles, mumps and rubella. [24263]

  Yvette Cooper
  My answer of 12 February 2002,Official Report, column 321W, contained an inadvertent error in that it stated "prevent" instead of "permit". The correct position is: As far as we are aware, all European Union countries recommend MMR as the safest way to protect children.

  We are not aware of any EU country where the health service routinely offers parents a choice of MMR or single vaccines against measles, mumps and rubella.

  Like the United Kingdom, EU countries permit the use of licensed vaccines, including single vaccines.

  NHS Expenditure
  Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his estimate is of the planned expenditure in 984W
  England on the national health service as a percentage of England's GDP in (a) 2001–02, (b) 2002–03 and (c) 2003–04. [34505]

  Mr. Hutton
  We cannot provide the information as requested, because gross domestic product figures for England, over the period asked for are not available. The figures for the United Kingdom are shown in the table.

  National health service expenditure (UK) as a percentage of gross domestic product

  Percentage

  2001–02

  6.3

  2002–03

  6.5

  2003–04

  6.6

  Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the performance of the Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service in 2001. [35273]

  Yvette Cooper
  Our objective is to save more lives by providing faster, more responsive and effective emergency ambulance services.

  I am advised that Worcestershire health authority invested £893,000 last year to put extra ambulance staff at Kidderminster to ensure that the Accident and Emergency service in the Wyre Forest area continued to be as effective as before the changes to Kidderminster hospital Accident and Emergency department.

  This investment, along with changes to working practices which are in line with changes made nationally in all ambulance services, have ensured that the level of emergency service provided by the Hereford and Worcester Ambulance Service NHS Trust is among the best in the United Kingdom. Indeed, in December 2001 the trust was the second fastest service in England in responding to life-threatening calls.

  Podiatry/Chiropody
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) podiatrists and (b) chiropodists work in each of the primary care trust areas in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [36305]

  Mr. Hutton
  Work force statistics collected on scientific, therapeutic and technical staff which includes chiropody/podiatry staff annually for all national health service organisations in England. The table shows the figures for primary care trusts only.

  NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS): Chiropody/podiatry staff working in primary care trusts, in England by regional office area as at 30 September 2001

  All chiropody/podiatry staff

  Whole-time equivalents

  All Primary Care Trusts

  940

  Northern and Yorkshire

  90

  Trent

  140

  West midlands

  20

  North-west

  160

  Eastern

  140

  London

  170

  South-east

  170

  South-west

  70

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  NHS hospital and community health services (HCHS): Chiropody/podiatry staff working in primary care trusts, in England by
  regional office area as at 30 September 2001

  All chiropody/podiatry staff

  Headcount

  All Primary Care Trusts

  1,170

  Northern and Yorkshire

  110

  Trent

  170

  West midlands

  20

  North-west

  200

  Eastern

  170

  London

  200

  South-east

  200

  South-west

  100

  Notes:

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10

  2. Due to rounding figures may not equal the sum of component parts

  Source:

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for assistance to those people refused treatment by the Podiatry Service due to failing to meet the medical criteria yet incapable of looking after their feet; and if he will make a statement. [36297]

  Mr. Hutton
  Responsibility for the provision of national health service chiropody/podiatry services rests with individual NHS organisations. It is for them to decide what criteria to apply to clinically prioritise access to chiropody/podiatry services but vulnerable groups of people such as older people, children and people with diabetes and those with learning disabilities should normally receive priority.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people used the Podiatry Service within the NHS in the last 12 months for which figures are available; what estimate he has made of how many people will be refused treatment by the Podiatry Service within the NHS as a result of the new guidelines; and if he will make a statement. [36298]

  Mr. Hutton
  In 2000–01, the latest year for which figures are available, 2.25 million people received national health service chiropody services. Information about patient contracts with the chiropody service in England is collected on Department's return KT23 and published each year. The latest publication "Chiropody services: summary information for 2000–01, England" is in the Library and is available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/public/kt230001.

  The Department has not issued any guidelines to the national health service on the provision of chiropody/ podiatry services. It is the responsibility of local commissioners to determine the needs of their local population and provide services within available resources.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines the NHS has given to community care trusts with regard to the podiatry treatment to be offered to patients under the NHS; who set the criteria; whether the patient may challenge the criteria; and if he will make a statement. [36299]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Department has not issued any guidelines to the national health service on the provision of chiropody/podiatry services. It is the responsibility of 986W
  local commissioners to determine the needs of their local population and provide services within available resources. Therefore criteria, if set, will be determined locally. Patients can use complaints procedures about any treatment issue and in the first instance they should contact the complaints manager at the hospital concerned or their health authority.

  Antibiotics
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the cost to the national health service of over-prescribing of antibiotics in each of the last five years. [36078]

  Ms Blears
  We have no direct evidence of over-prescribing of antibiotics. However, in the light of concerns over antimicrobial resistance we have taken action to ensure the appropriate use of antibiotics with the result that prescriptions issued over the period 1997 to 2000 have fallen by around 20 per cent.

  Workforce Numbers Advisory Board
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the budget is of the Workforce Numbers Advisory Board. [36901]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Workforce Numbers Advisory Board does not have a budget.

  Its role is to consider detailed workforce analysis to support optimum use of the Department's £2,940 million multi professional education and training budget.

  Road Traffic Acts
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he plans to reintroduce regulations on the NHS charges under the Road Traffic Acts; [37559]

  (2) what recent representations he has received on the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Amendment Regulations; [37560]

  (3) for what reason the Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Amendment Regulations were revoked. [37558]

  Ms Blears
  The Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Amendment Regulations 2001 came into force on 28 January 2002. Following representations made by, and on behalf of, the insurance industry that the introduction of the regulations had taken place without adequate consultation the regulations were revoked and the previous rates reinstated with effect from 8 February 2002.

  Consultation will take place, in due course, on the content and timing of further amendments to the regulations.

  NHS Dentistry (Wirral)
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on access to NHS dentistry on the Wirral. [33487]

  Ms Blears
  In the quarter October to December 2001 65 per cent. of children were registered with an NHS dentist compared with 61 per cent. in England and 57 per cent. of adults in Wirral were registered compared to 45 per cent. in England.
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  Wirral dentists have received £350,788 from the £35 million dentistry modernisation fund announced in May 2001, which has been used locally to increase the provision and scope of surgery and modernise premises and upgrade equipment.

  Two Personal Dental Service Pilots have been established in Wirral with central funding. One is bringing dentistry for the first time to the Leasowe Housing estate, a very socially disadvantaged area in North Wirral.

  Smallpox Vaccine
  Mr. Robert Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the existing UK stocks of smallpox vaccine have undergone tests for efficacy and safety, with particular reference to TSE, in line with recommendations by the Medicines Control Agency and EMEA. [32972]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 5 January 2002]: Existing United Kingdom stocks of smallpox vaccine are held on behalf of the Secretary of State for Health, but do not have a current marketing authorisation (licence) issued by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA). There were originally three licences for smallpox vaccine held by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State. At the request of the licence holder, these licences were cancelled in the early 1990s.

  The UK stocks of vaccine have been tested on a regular basis for potency. Last year the Department asked the holder of the stocks to recheck the viability of the virus in the vaccine and to repeat the safety and quality control tests originally performed on vaccine stocks as described in the World Health Organisation recommendations on smallpox vaccine manufacture.

  Because of the particular nature of the disease for which this vaccine was developed it has never been possible to conduct formal clinical trials in humans to demonstrate efficacy in the prevention of smallpox that would normally support an application for a licence for a medicinal product.

  The vaccines held in stock are no longer licensed medicinal products and were not therefore included in the exercise undertaken in all member states of the European Union, by way of implementing Commission Directive 1999/82/EC, to require all marketing authorisation (licence) holders to demonstrate that their products comply with the current guideline. Compliance with these guidelines has been a legal requirement for new licence applications since 1 July 2000 and for products already on the market since 1 March 2001.

  Entertainment Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for 1997–98 and each subsequent financial year the amount spent by(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies in respect of hotel and other similar privately-provided accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad for (A) Ministers, (B) staff and (C) other persons; if he will list the proportion of this cost incurred in respect of (x) food and (y) alcohol in each case; and if he will list the average cost per hotel room or similar unit of accommodation provided in each case. [34376]
  988W
  Jacqui Smith
  Since 1999 we have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year.

  We have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. The 1999 list contained information on all such visits undertaken from 2 May 1997 to 31 April 1999. Copies of the lists are available in the Library.

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

  Legal Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what legal costs have been incurred by his Department in each of the last four years. [34288]

  Ms Blears
  The figures represent what the Department has spent in the last four complete years on legal advice, legal representation and on costs awarded against it in court.

  Year

  £ million

  1997–1998

  2.8

  1998–1999

  3.6

  1999–2000

  4.3

  2000–01

  5.3

  Macmillan Nurses
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received from Macmillan Cancer Relief about training district nurses; and if he will make a statement. [34476]

  Yvette Cooper
  We have received no representations from Macmillan Cancer Relief about the training of district nurses. Macmillan, amongst other voluntary bodies, has been involved in the planning and implementation of a training and support programme for district and community nurses initiated under the NHS Cancer Plan. We have made £6 million available over the next three years to support over 10,000 nurses in primary care to take part in new training and support in the general principles and practice of palliative care. The training programme will help district and community nurses to support people with cancer, in remaining at home for as long as possible during their illness.

  National Care Standards Commission
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the proposed establishment numbers are for the National Care Standards Commission for each category of staff. [32673]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 6 February 2002]: The National Care Standards Commission is funded to employ 1,475 inspectors. Managerial, advisory and administrative staff will bring the total funded establishment to 2,440.

  Cytology
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if guidance based on the report on liquid-based cytology will be available by May; and if he will make a statement; [34091]

  (2) what (a) plans he has made and (b) budgets he has put in place in advance of the NICE decision on liquid-based cytology. [34090]

  Ms Blears
  The evaluation report of the liquid based cytology arm of the pilot will now be available in the autumn, once the full clinical record of each woman in the pilot has been received for the purposes of the evaluation. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) will begin the reappraisal of liquid-based cytology techniques once the evaluation report has been received. The pilot will inform the planning and resource requirements needed for liquid-based cytology if NICE recommends its introduction.

  Aircraft Noise (Children)
  Mr. George Osborne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent research he has commissioned into the effect of aircraft noise on young children. [34275]

  Yvette Cooper
  As part of a joint programme with the Department for the Environment and Food and Rural Affairs, we have commissioned a research programme designed to study the non-auditory health effects of noise.

  Five research projects were funded under this programme, one of which was "West London Schools study aircraft noise at school and children's cognitive performance and stress responses". This study was led by Professor S. Stansfeld at Queen Mary and Westfield College.

  Full details of the study are available on the Department's website at www.doh.gov.uk/hef/airpol/aipolh.htm.

  Food Labelling
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has made to other EU countries on labelling the origin of meat and meat products. [33932]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 6 February 2002]: The Food Standards Agency is responsible for representing the United Kingdom at working level on these matters and has taken the lead in pressing for changes to European labelling rules to require country of origin labelling on a wider range of foods, particularly meat products. It is also pressing for changes that would prevent misleading labelling by restricting the use of terms like "produce of' to those foods where the main ingredients come from, and production processes occur in, the named place or country. Other EU member states support the UK's initiative on this issue.

  Terminally Ill Patients
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve out-of-hours home care for patients who are terminally ill. [34073]
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  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 7 February 2002]: A supportive and palliative care strategy is being developed under the NHS Cancer Plan to ensure best treatment and care from when cancer is first suspected through to death and bereavement. Part of this strategy includes a review of out-of-hours palliative care services working with other key organisations such as Macmillan Cancer Relief.

  Zyban
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is planned into the effectiveness of Zyban in assisting people to stop smoking; and what plans he has to review the funding of Zyban on the NHS. [33613]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 7 February 2002]: At the time of licensing, the Committee on Safety of Medicines considered that Zyban (bupropion hydrochloride) met appropriate standards of quality, safety and efficacy to justify its licence for use as an aid to smoking cessation in combination with motivational support in nicotine-dependent patients. Subsequent studies (conducted by Glaxosmithkline, the Marketing Authorisation holder) have confirmed that Zyban is an effective aid to smoking cessation. There are no plans to commission further research into the efficacy of Zyban.

  We expect health authorities and primary care trusts to fund the provision of Zyban and other smoking cessation services from their general allocations which are increasing in real terms by an average 7.2 per cent. next year. We have no plans to alter these arrangements.

  Respiratory Disease
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much has been spent on(a) research, (b) treatment and (c) prevention of asthma since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [34591]

  (2) how much has been spent on (a) research, (b) treatment and (c) prevention of lung diseases since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [34587]

  Yvette Cooper
  Information on expenditure on lung diseases and asthma is not collected centrally. The British Thoracic Society estimated in November 2001, in a report entitled "The Burden of Lung Disease" that the total cost of respiratory disease to the national health service is around £2.5 billion.

  The main Government agency for research into the cause and treatments of disease is the Medical Research Council (MRC). The MRC spent a total of £12.2 million in 1999–2000 on research into asthma and respiratory disorders. The MRC additionally supports research on lung cancer that is not included in this figure.

  The Department has spent an estimated £7.24 million on directly commissioned asthma research projects since 1997. The Department has also spent an estimated £3.45 million on directly commissioned research relating to lung disease since 1997. The forward commitment for ongoing projects is currently an estimated £1.41 million.

  Smoking is one of the major causes of lung disease. In 1998 the Government published the first White Paper on Tobacco "Smoking Kills". To date it has invested around £130 million to implement the strategy set out in that document.

  Anti-Smoking Strategies
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures have been introduced since 1997 to dissuade young people from smoking. [34588]

  Yvette Cooper
  In December 1998 we launched the first ever cross-Government strategy to reduce smoking levels. In 'Smoking Kills' we set targets to reduce smoking among children aged 11-15 from 13 per cent. to 11 per cent. by 2005, and nine per cent. by 2010. We have already delivered on the 2005 target for children aged 11-15. The latest available survey results show that in 2000 the percentage of regular smokers in this age group was 10 per cent.

  Any programme to reduce smoking among children and young people must involve cross-Government and cross-agency working. The Department has worked closely with other Departments to introduce measures to control the supply of tobacco and educate young people about the dangers of smoking.

  The Department has agreed an enforcement protocol with local authorities to strengthen the enforcement of the existing legislation on under-age sales of cigarettes. The Department supports proof of age card schemes, which protect shopkeepers and children alike, as well as measures to restrict the siting of cigarette vending machines.

  In December 1999 the Department launched a national tobacco education campaign to help smokers to give up and to persuade non-smokers, particularly children not to start. In 2001 a peer-to-peer communication project encouraged groups of young people to produce a series of films expressing their views on smoking. The films have been shown on cable television and plans are being developed for wider distribution including a teaching pack for schools.

  Foster Care
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures he is proposing to make foster care easier; and if he will make a statement; [34627]

  (2) what financial provision is given to foster carers who are unable to work owing to their commitment to the children in their care. [34628]

  Jacqui Smith
  Caring for another person's child is not an easy task and those that take on the role of foster carer perform a very important role for society. The assessment and approval processes ensure that the potential carer has a proper understanding of the task ahead. Additionally, training and support from the fostering service provides carers with the opportunities to further their knowledge, understanding and ability to manage the role they have taken on. The Government is constantly looking for ways in which to better support foster carers. New regulations and national minimum standards will come into force in April and these will form a more comprehensive legislative framework for all concerned with the delivery of fostering.

  Foster carers are paid an allowance by the local authority to care for a child. The allowance covers the usual costs of looking after a child, and many local authorities operate a reward payment scheme for their foster carers in addition to the basic allowance. These
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  payments are linked to the carer's skills and abilities to meet the needs of children who are fostered, and with their commitment to training and skills development.

  Matters relating to Scotland are for the devolved Administration.

  Strategic Health Authority (Shropshire and Staffordshire)
  David Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time equivalent posts are planned for the staffing of the new strategic health authority covering Shropshire and Staffordshire. [34803]

  Yvette Cooper
  In accordance with the Shifting the Balance of Power Document "The Next Steps" paragraph 2.5.5, the staffing levels will be capped at 75 with costs of £4 million. The chief executives are in the process of putting together their franchise plans, in which actual staffing levels will be finalised.

  Radiotherapy
  Mr. Barker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what target he has set for waiting time for cancer patients requiring radiotherapy from the NHS. [34821]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 8 February 2002]: The NHS Cancer Plan set out waiting time targets for cancer treatment, including radiotherapy, which will be implemented over the next four years. From December 2001, there is a one month maximum wait from diagnosis to treatment for breast cancer and a one month wait from urgent general practitioner referral to treatment for children's, testicular and acute leukaemia. By 2005, there will be a maximum one month wait from diagnosis to treatment for all cancers.

  Emergency Contraception
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the consumer is of emergency contraception at a pharmacy; what plans he has to lower the charge; and if he will make a statement. [35245]

  Yvette Cooper
  Emergency contraception is available through direct sale in pharmacies to women aged 16 and over usually at a cost of £19.99. We do not control the prices at which medicines are sold to the public. Emergency contraception remains free of charge from the National Health Service.

  Donor Scheme
  Tony Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to replace the opt-in donor scheme with an opt-out scheme. [35461]

  Jacqui Smith
  We have no plans to introduce an opt-out scheme for organ donation. We are in the process of undertaking a comprehensive review of the law governing the taking, removal and use of human tissue, and will be issuing a consultation paper shortly.

  Tobacco Products
  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what standards the Government sets to protect consumers from toxins in(a) smoking and (b) chewing tobacco products; and whether she has taken advice from the

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  (i) Chief Medical Officer and (ii) Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health on appropriate standards for the protection of public health. [34905]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: Upper limits on tar yields from cigarettes were established by Directive 90/239/EEC and are regulated under the Tobacco Products Labelling (Safety) regulations 1991. The limits will reduce under the provisions of EC Directive 2001/37/EC and limits will also apply to nicotine and carbon monoxide yields.

  Additives to tobacco products are assessed using the guidelines detailed in the report to the Chief Medical Officer from the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) (Annex K, appendix 1) as part of the voluntary agreement. It is under this agreement that the Department maintains a list of approved additives with details of individual and aggregate usage limits. The list of approved additives is published on the department of health website at "www.doh.gov.uk/scoth". Tobacco companies are required to submit annual certificates of compliance with these limits.

  Copies of Tobacco Products Labelling (Safety) regulations 1991 and the report from the Scientific Committee on Tobacco and Health (SCOTH) including the guidelines are available in the Library.

  NHS Funded Activity (Private Sector)
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether he has completed his review of information needs as regards NHS funded activity in the private sector; and if he will make a statement on his conclusion; [35087]

  (2) when he expects to publish the key results of his survey of the amount of activity purchased by the NHS within the private sector; and if he will make a statement. [35078]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The Department is working to improve the collection of routine information about National Health Service activity undertaken by the independent sector and is making arrangements to collect data on such activity through NHS management information returns to the Department. It will be some time before information gathered in this way is available for publication.

  Validation and analysis of the survey returns from the NHS for the Department's survey of NHS organisations' use of the independent sector, is being finalised. We expect to be able to share key findings shortly.

  NHS Professionals
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures he has introduced to gauge the physical and mental fitness of managers working within NHS Professionals; [35092]

  (2) what measures are in place to ensure the financial viability of NHS Professionals; [35096]

  (3) what training is being provided to NHS Professionals' call centre staff; [35094]
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  (4) what measures he has put in place to ensure that the management structure of NHS Professionals adequately reflects the size of the agency and the volume and complexity of the services it provides; [35098]

  (5) whether managers working within NHS Professionals will be required to hold nationally recognised management qualifications; [35093]

  (6) what measures are in place to ensure the management structure of NHS Professionals allows sufficient flexibility for the organisation to (a) respond to the changing needs and circumstances of service users and (b) maintain an effective quality control system; [35097]

  (7) what measures he has put in place to ensure that managers working within NHS Professionals have the necessary qualifications, skills and experience to provide trusts with temporary health care staff; [35091]

  (8) what measures are in place to ensure that (a) the size and layout of NHS Professionals' premises are appropriate for the effective management of the services which the agency provides and (b) the premises are kept clean and suitably equipped and furnished; [35095]

  (9) which body has responsibility for (a) regulating the performance of NHS Professionals and (b) investigating complaints made against the service provider. [35099]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The National Health Service Professionals initiative is being implemented nationally in three phased approach, highlighted in detail in "HSC 2001–02 NHS Professionals—Flexible Organisations, Flexible Staff". To date the service has been extended to 38 sites. An evaluation is being undertaken at the moment of the existing sites.

  A national project board has been established that includes representatives from the NHS and Department of Health, that is responsible for the development of NHS Professionals. Regional project boards will closely manage the development across regions. Each site has its own project structure to manage and monitor implementation.

  This structure will ensure that measures are in place to address:

  1. The physical and mental fitness of managers working within NHS Professionals is gauged.

  2. Managers working within NHS Professionals having the necessary and appropriate qualifications, skills and experience to provide trusts with temporary health care staff.

  3. Need for appropriate training and development to be provided to NHS Professionals' call-centre staff.

  4. The size and layout of NHS Professionals' premises are appropriate for the effective management of the services that NHS Professionals provides, and that they are kept clean and suitably equipped and furnished.

  5. The financial viability of NHS Professionals.

  6. The management structure of NHS Professionals adequately reflects the size of NHS Professionals, and the volume and complexity of the services it provides; and allows for sufficient flexibility for the organisation to

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  respond to the changing needs and circumstances of service users and maintain effective quality control systems.

  7. The investigation of complaints and monitoring of performance.

  Care Home Beds (Bromsgrove)
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the number of care home beds lost in the Bromsgrove constituency in(a) the last year and (b) the last two years. [35275]

  Yvette Cooper
  Information for the Bromsgrove constituency is not available centrally. The number of residential and nursing care homes and beds in Worcestershire is shown in the table.

  Number of residential and nursing care homes and beds in Worcestershire, 1999 to 2001. At 31 March

  Residential care homes

  Nursing care homes, hospitals and clinics

  Homes

  Places

  Homes

  Places

  1999

  317

  3,781

  104

  3,226

  2000

  314

  3,719

  100

  2,831

  2001

  303

  3,530

  98

  2,670

  Source: Department of Health annual returns

  Standard Spending Assessments
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level in 2002–03 was of(a) personal services SSA per resident, (b) personal social services SSA per resident over 65, and (c) personal social services SSA per resident under 18 years of age for (i) Buckinghamshire, (ii) Milton Keynes, (iii) Oxfordshire, (iv) Bedfordshire, (v) Hertfordshire, (vi) Northamptonshire, (vii) Windsor and Maidenhead, (viii) Hillingdon, (ix) Harrow, (x) Kingston-upon-Thames, (xi) Ealing and (xii) England. [35819]

  Jacqui Smith
  The personal social services spending assessment figures requested are shown in the table.

  £

  Local authority

  Total PSS SSA per resident

  Elderly1 SSA per resident 65+

  Children's SSA per resident 0-17

  Buckinghamshire

  130.32

  579.80

  85.90

  Milton Keynes

  146.03

  759.67

  143.23

  Oxfordshire

  135.29

  603.92

  97.66

  Bedfordshire

  141.53

  630.70

  104.66

  Hertfordshire

  162.91

  708.21

  109.22

  Northamptonshire

  144.77

  627.09

  114.75

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  134.57

  540.98

  100.16

  Hillingdon

  177.96

  738.64

  173.77

  Harrow

  189.09

  833.28

  158.73

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  159.03

  663.26

  156.73

  Ealing

  221.66

  902.34

  293.90

  England

  184.63

  703.61

  169.29

  1 Includes elderly residential and elderly domiciliary SSAs

  Landfill Sites (Health Effects)
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent evidence he has received concerning the damaging effects caused to the health of people living near landfill sites. [35632]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Department is aware of a number of research studies published in the scientific literature, which investigate health outcomes in people living near landfill sites. These have been considered by the Department, which has sought advice from the independent expert advisory committee, the committee on the toxicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment (COT). They felt that it was not possible to draw any definite conclusions regarding possible health effects from these studies and further research was warranted. The most recent statement by the COT is available on the Department's website (www.doh.gov.uk/ landh.htm). The Government have commissioned a programme of work on the impacts on health of landfill sites, details of which are also available on the website, and the Department continues to monitor relevant publications.

  Child Care Workers
  Ms Shipley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 6 February 2002,Official Report, column 1041W, ref 19094, on child care workers, what measures he has taken to ensure that employers of child care workers notify the Secretary of State when they have dismissed a person from a child care position on the grounds of misconduct which harmed a child or placed a child at risk of harm. [35868]

  Jacqui Smith
  Guidance on the operation of the Protection of Children Act 1999 was published in September 2000 and distributed to a large range of child care organisations. This guidance explains the statutory responsibilities placed on child care organisations to refer names to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in certain circumstances. The guidance continues to be made available and is published at the Department's website for easy access.

  Additionally, local authority children's services are regularly inspected by the social services inspectorate. These inspections include scrutiny of the provisions for children's safeguards to ensure the requirements of the Children Act and subsequent legislation and regulations are being implemented.

  Care Beds
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many care beds were(a) closed in the public sector and (b) created in the private sector in each year from 1990 to 1997; [35369]
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  (2) how many care beds have been closed in (a) the private sector and (b) the public sector since 1997; and how many have been created in each sector since 1997. [35370]

  Jacqui Smith
  Information on the number of home care beds closures or new home care beds is not centrally available. The number of care home beds in independent homes and local authority staffed homes is presented in the table.

  Number of residential and nursing care home beds in independent homes and local authority staffed homes, England, 1997 to 2001

  Rounded numbers

  At 31 March

  (a) Total number of care beds in independent 1 care homes

  (b) Total number of care beds in local authority staffed homes

  1990

  310,700

  120,300

  1991

  345,000

  112,600

  1992

  367,900

  100,900

  1993

  385,000

  90,200

  1994

  402,900

  81,200

  1995

  416,900

  75,500

  1996

  429,500

  72,700

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  468,600

  65,800

  1998

  489,500

  64,000

  1999

  487,200

  59,000

  2000

  483,800

  55,500

  2001

  477,100

  50,900

  1 The figures relate to residential care beds in independent residential homes and nursing beds in private nursing homes, hospitals and clinics.

  2 The number of nursing beds in 1997 refers to the period 1 October 1996 to 31 March 1997.

  Source:

  Department of Health's annual returns.

  Drug Administration (School Staff)
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what conditions(a) school nurses and (b) other school staff may administer (i) aspirin, (ii) MMR vaccine, (iii) other vaccines and (iv) the morning after pill without parental consent. [35223]

  Dates

  Companies seconded from:

  Civil service grade

  Job title

  Section seconded to:

  Summary of work undertaken

  November 1995 to November 1997

  Nabarro Nathanson

  The secondees to the Private Finance Unit of the NHS Executive are equivalent to civil service grade IP4 and titled 'Consultant' except the secondee from Tarmac who was equivalent to civil service grade SCS and was Head of the Private Finance Unit

  Secondees to the Private Finance Unit of the NHS Executive advise NHS Trusts on legal and financial aspects of PFI contracts

  July 1996 to July 1997

  Walker Morris

  June 1996 to March 1997

  Secta Group Ltd.

  December 1996 to January 1998

  Tarmac plc

  January 1997 to September 1997

  Private Finance Panel Executive (3)

  February 1997 to January 1998

  Private Finance Panel Executive (3)

  April 1997 to July 1998

  Private Finance Panel Executive (3)

  July 1997 to July 1998

  Pinsent Curtis

  September 1997 to August 1998

  Deloitte & Touche

  September 1997 to September 1998

  Beachcroft Stanley

  January 1998 to July 1998

  Dickinson Dees

  May 1998 to May 1999

  PricewaterhouseCooper

  June 1998 to June 1999

  Ward Hadaway

  July 1998 to June 1999

  Lloyds Bank plc

  February 1999 to November 1999

  Hempson

  March 1999 to January 2000

  Berwin Leighton

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  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The guidance "Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs" issued by the Department for Education and Skills covers circumstances in which medication may be administered, and underlines the need for a clear policy to be set out, drawn up in partnership with parents. School staff should generally not give aspirin to pupils and never to a child under 12 years of age, unless prescribed. Parents must give consent to their child's participation in any immunisation programme, for which school nurses are responsible. Other school staff do not conduct immunisation programmes.

  School nurses may provide prescription only medicines, like the morning after pill, to pupils within the legal framework and arrangements set out in Patient Group Directions. There are no circumstances in which other school staff may supply emergency contraception. The necessity for parental consent to these measures depends on whether or not a child is considered to be competent to give consent. Children and young people are often able to provide their own consent for medication—where they are considered to be competent under the Frazer Guidelines set out in 1985. Involving parents is recognised to be good practice but the primary duty is to the child's best interests.

  Secondments
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the names of staff who have been seconded to his Department from the private sector since May 1997, indicating(a) the names of the organisation from which each has come, (b) their responsibilities and Civil Service grades within his Department, (c) the organisation responsible for paying their salary and (d) the start and end dates of their secondment. [35836]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 12 February 2002]: Secondments and attachments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. Before an interchange can occur all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises.

  Details of secondments from the private sector commencing in the years shown are in the table.
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  Dates

  Companies seconded from:

  Civil service grade

  Job title

  Section seconded to:

  Summary of work undertaken

  September 1999 to December 2001

  British Airways

  SCS

  Branch Head

  Organisational Development

  Developing the Department's capacity to change in order to deliver Minister's priorities and to be recognised as a leader in civil service reform

  July 1999 to April 2000

  Addleshaw Booth & Co.

  The secondees to the Private Finance Unit of the NHS Executive are equivalent to civil service grade IP4 and titled 'Consultant'.

  Secondees to the Private Finance Unit of the NHS Executive advise NHS trusts on legal and financial aspects of PFI contracts.

  October 1999 to October 2000

  Deloitte & Touche

  November 1999 to January 2001

  Taylor Woodrow

  December 1999 to August 2000

  Herbert Smith

  March 2000 to July 2000

  MacFarlanes

  July 2000 to April 2001

  Capsticks

  August 2000 to September 2001

  Walker Morris

  August 2000 to July 2001

  Beachcroft Wansborough

  October 2000 to October 2001

  Ernst & Young

  January 2001 to December 2001

  KPMG

  May 2001 to July 2001

  Berwin Leighton

  September 2001 to September 2002

  Hornergold & Hills

  November 2001 to November 2002

  Grant Thornton

  December 2001 to November 2002

  Deloitte & Touche

  January 2002 to July 2002

  AMEC

  February 2002 to August 2002

  Eversheds

  Note:

  For the secondees to the Private Finance Unit the Department of Health negotiates a reimbursement fee with the individual company to cover the period of the secondment.

  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff were seconded between(a) PWC Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Ernst & Young, (c) Deloitte & Touche, (d) KPMG and (e) Andersen and his Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. [33867]

  Ms Blears
  Interchange is a key component of the reform agenda. The Modernising Government White Paper committed us to increasing Interchange, in particular by bringing in more people on secondment and sending more of our people out. Secondments and attachments are part of the Interchange Initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations. All sectors of the economy are involved: voluntary, education, health, public and private.

  Centrally held records indicate that the following secondments have taken place:

  1999–2000
  A Secondment from Deloitte Touche to the Department of Health, providing advice to NHS Trusts on legal and financial aspects of PFI contracts.

  2000–01
  Three secondments from, respectively, Deloitte Touche, Ernst and Young, and KPMG. In addition there was a reciprocal secondment ("Job swap") from Deloitte & Touche to the Department of Health, with the Deloitte & Touche secondee to the Department being involved in developing PH policy and approving schemes. The Department of Health secondee to Deloitte Touche is involved with various NHS Health related projects and research work.

  Learning Disability
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many local learning disability partnership boards 1000W
  have met to consider updated joint investment plans; and how many such agreed plans were submitted to regional offices of his Department before 1 February; [35582]

  (2) if he will make a statement on progress in the implementation of his strategy for learning disability, and on future arrangements for monitoring its implementation; [35581]

  (3) how many local learning disability partnership boards have been established; and how many remain to be constituted. [35583]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 13 February 2002]: The Government's strategy for improving services for people with learning disabilities and their families is set out in the white paper "Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century" (Cm 5086), published in March 2001.

  For progress made on implementation and arrangements for monitoring the difference the policies set out in "Valuing People" will make, I refer the hon. Member to the report I gave during the debate on this subject on 1 February 2002, Official Report, columns 535-78, progress includes:
  Nine regional conferences held in June and July 2001 to publicise "Valuing People".
  Implementation guidance issued on 31 August 2001.
  A national conference on the theme of partnership working held on 9 January 2002.
  A Director of Implementation and members of the Implementation Support Team appointed.
  The chair, co-chair, and members of the Learning Disability Task Force appointed. The Task Force met for the first time on 19 December. Its second meeting was on 14 February.

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  Work has started on commissioning a national survey of people with learning disabilities.
  A funding programme for advocacy schemes is under way.
  Guidance has been issued on involving service users in decision making and on person centred planning. Guidance is being prepared, and will be issued within the next few months, on health action plans, partnership working, and housing options.
  Work is well advanced on establishing a National Forum for People with Learning Disabilities.
  A telephone information and helpline, with matched funding from the Department of Health and MENCAP, was launched on 3 December 2001. It received nearly 700 inquiries in its first five weeks.
  Decisions have been taken on projects to be funded under a £2 million learning disability research initiative.

  Both "Valuing People" and the implementation guidance (Health Service Circular/Local Authority Circular HSC 2001/016: LAC (2001)23) published in August 2001 set out arrangements for monitoring implementation (copies of both documents are available in the Library).

  We will continue to monitor progress through a range of performance assessment mechanisms, a survey of learning disabled people, and measurement against specific performance indicators that are currently being developed. We will report progress annually to Parliament.

  The implementation guidance issued in August 2001 reminded local authorities that Learning Disability Partnership Boards should be set up in each local authority area by 31 October 2001 to take forward implementation of the "Valuing People" proposals at local level.

  Partnership Boards were asked to complete and return updated joint investment plans (JIPs) to the Department's Social Services inspectorate social care regional offices by 31 January 2002. The JIPs should include local action plans for implementing the "Valuing People" programme.

  By 8 February all but two JIPs had been returned, most being received on or before 31 January. The outstanding JIPs are being followed up. All Partnership Boards have been constituted as required by the implementation circular, but information is not held centrally on how many have met or met specifically to consider their JIPs. The guidance made it clear, however, that updated JIPs should be agreed by all agencies represented on the Partnership Boards.

  The first priority of the learning disability Implementation Team will be to establish links and contacts with learning disability partnership boards. The team will work with any boards whose JIPs are found, following the evaluation now under way, to be below an acceptable standard to help them take remedial action and ensure that improvements in local services are achieved.

  Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future management of Barnet Chase Farm NHS Trust. [36036]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 13 February 2002]: On 11 February, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State announced that the best National Health Service managers would be appointed to replace the chief executive at four zero rated NHS trusts. One of those trusts was Barnet and
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  Chase Farm. The decision to move to franchising Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trust follows serious concerns raised by the Commission for Health Improvement about radiology services at the trust.

  The franchises for the trust chief executive posts will be open to NHS managers with a proven track record of delivery. Each franchise will run for three years and be annually reviewed to ensure improvements are being made. Franchises for these hospitals are expected to be made in April.

  New chief executives will be appointed to the four trusts on the basis of a three-year franchise plan setting out how services will be improved. Franchise bids will address the specific weaknesses of the trusts that resulted in them being given a zero star rating and will also show how improvements in performance can be sustained throughout the trust.

  Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust supports any initiative which drives up standards in hospitals and as such welcomes the franchise announcement and looks forward to more details about how this will directly affect the trust.

  Following the resignation of the chief executive of the trust, as an interim measure Paul O'Connor, formerly Director of Operations at King's College Hospital NHS Trust, has been appointed as acting chief executive.

  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients(a) overall, (b) from the London Borough of Barnet and (c) from Hendon constituency (i) were affected by the backlog in ultrasound tests at Barnet Chase Farm NHS Trust and (ii) remain to be seen; when they are expected to be seen; and if he will make a statement. [36038]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 13 February, 2002]: There were 2,700 ultrasound test requests delayed inappropriately at Chase Farm Hospital. I understand that none of these requests related to Barnet or Hendon residents. The 400 requests currently outstanding will be undertaken by the end of February.

  Cancer Research
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much money he allocated for cancer research in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [36048]

  Yvette Cooper
  In 2000–01, our investment in cancer research was about £190 million. The Department spent £83.8 million, and the health departments of the devolved administrations spent £12.4 million. The Medical Research Council (MRC) has estimated that it spent £58 million on cancer research, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) has estimated that the universities spent £26 million of their allocations from HEFCE on cancer research. The other research councils spent a total of £9.9 million.

  Comparable figures for previous years are not available, because, for example, the MRC has improved its methods of capturing data and identifying relevant expenditure. But the Department spent £77.4 million on cancer research in 1999–2000, £75.6 million in 1998–99 and £53 million in 1997–98.

  Waiting Times
  Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients are waiting over one year for inpatient treatment(a) in West Surrey and (b) in

  Inpatient 12 month waiters—June 1997 and December 2001

  West Surrey1

  County Durham1

  June 1997

  Number of patient waiting over 12 months for inpatient treatment

  1,452

  66

  Percentage of patients waiting over 12 months for inpatient treatment

  8.9

  0.5

  December 2001

  Number of patient waiting over 12 months for inpatient treatment

  849

  7

  Percentage of patients waiting over 12 months for inpatient treatment

  7

  0.1

  1 Health Authority

  Source:

  QF01 quarterly return, Department of Health

  Mental Health Services
  Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to improve mental health services for young people. [36932]

  Jacqui Smith
  Our strategy for the development of child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS), initiated in 1999–2000, is ongoing with the aim of improving the overall quality and accessibility of local services for children and young people with mental health problems. In the three years ending 31 March 2002 we will have invested some £85 million across the national health service and local authorities, with each agency receiving funding to help support the implementation of jointly agreed local CAMHS developments in accordance with national objectives. We intend to build on these gains through implementation of the CAMHS strand of the

  Department of health vacancies survey, March 2001 vacancies in NHS trusts by health authority areas, qualified nurses

  Highest three month vacancies

  Three month vacancy rates (Percentage)

  Three month vacancy (Number)

  Staff in post

  Bromley HA

  10.9

  100

  800

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham HA

  8.8

  630

  6,590

  Bexley and Greenwich HA

  8.2

  180

  2,040

  Barking and Havering HA

  8.1

  130

  1,470

  Buckinghamshire HA

  7.8

  230

  2,680

  North Cheshire HA

  7.8

  140

  2,680

  Southampton and South West Hampshire HA

  7.6

  220

  1,690

  Kensington. Chelsea and Westminster HA

  7.5

  330

  2,660

  East London and The City HA

  7.4

  360

  4,110

  Hillingdon HA

  6.8

  360

  3,960

  Lowest 3 month vacancies

  60

  840

  Wolverhampton HA

  0.3

  10

  1,450

  Sunderland HA

  0.4

  10

  1,700

  Southern Derbyshire HA

  0.5

  10

  2,380

  Kingston and Richmond HA

  0.5

  10

  1,400

  County Durham and Darlington HA

  0.5

  10

  2,620

  Suffolk HA

  0.6

  10

  2,450

  South Humber HA

  0.6

  10

  1,340

  Cornwall and Isle of Scilly HA

  0.6

  10

  2,250

  Morcambe Bay HA

  0.7

  10

  1,840

  North Yorkshire HA

  0.7

  20

  3,300

  Notes:

  1. Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).

  2. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the September 2000 workforce censuses (whole time equivalent).

  3. HA Figures are based on Trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of healthcare.

  4. Staff in post figures quoted cannot be used to calculate the vacancy rates.

  5. Percentages rounded to one decimal place.

  6. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

  Source: Department of Health Vacancies Survey 2001
  1004W
  Durham; and what percentage were waiting over one year in June 1997. [36907]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  planned Children's National Service Framework, on which work has recently started. This is expected to produce new standards and service models and will be one of the main drivers of future developments.

  Work is also proceeding on relevant aspects of the NHS plan including improved early intervention services for young people with psychosis and better mental health services for young people in prison.

  Nursing Vacancies
  Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which 10 health authorities have(a) the highest and (b) the lowest percentage of nurse vacancies; and what the number of nurses is in each case. [36908]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will publish(a) the action plan for East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust and (b) revisions to it; and if he will make a statement; [36888]

  (2) what plans he has for the East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust. [36889]

  Jacqui Smith
  Additional work on the performance improvement plan submitted by East and North Hertfordshire National Health Service to the Eastern Regional Office is in progress. A further assessment of the trust's performance will be made in April and will include feedback from the forthcoming Commission for Health Improvement visit to the trust.

  Liver Disease
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the incidence of chronic liver disease(a) in total, (b) for men and (c) for women, in residents of each

  Admissions, rate per 100,000 population and deviation from national average for chronic liver disease by health authority of residence and gender—NHS Hospitals, England 2000–01

  Admissions

  Population

  Health Authority

  Male

  Female

  Not known/not specified

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  QA2 Hillingdon

  1

  4

  0

  5

  127,271

  128,429

  255,700

  QA3 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  8

  6

  0

  14

  221,268

  213,662

  434,930

  QA4 Enfield and Haringey

  6

  13

  0

  19

  248,121

  246,435

  494,556

  QA5 Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  10

  15

  0

  25

  224,519

  227,873

  452,392

  QA6 Bedfordshire

  9

  9

  0

  18

  282,220

  283,528

  565,748

  QA7 Berkshire

  9

  17

  0

  26

  403,506

  399,272

  802,778

  QA8 Buckinghamshire

  9

  13

  0

  22

  345,303

  347,588

  692,891

  QAA Bexley and Greenwich

  4

  16

  0

  20

  215,507

  223,035

  438,542

  QAC Bromley

  2

  7

  0

  9

  147,820

  154,616

  302,436

  QAD Croydon

  4

  4

  0

  8

  168,681

  171,194

  339,875

  QAE East Kent

  6

  18

  0

  24

  298,494

  316,082

  614,576

  QAF West Kent

  13

  27

  0

  40

  485,598

  497,858

  983,456

  QAG Kingston and Richmond

  4

  6

  0

  10

  172,580

  174,490

  347,070

  QAH Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  10

  21

  0

  31

  376,727

  383,778

  760,505

  QAJ Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  6

  8

  0

  14

  316,416

  323,290

  639,706

  QAK East Surrey

  0

  8

  0

  8

  210,221

  219,401

  429,622

  QAL West Surrey

  9

  14

  0

  23

  321,648

  329,377

  651,025

  QAM East Sussex, Brighton and Hove

  18

  34

  0

  52

  363,545

  395,166

  758,711

  QAN West Sussex

  3

  20

  0

  23

  367,796

  395,894

  763,690

  QAP Barking and Havering

  1

  7

  0

  8

  190,201

  196,645

  386,846

  QAQ Barnet

  2

  7

  0

  9

  173,142

  172,350

  345,492

  QAR Brent and Harrow

  2

  7

  0

  9

  238,184

  231,614

  469,798

  QAT Camden and Islington

  10

  9

  0

  19

  190,438

  190,607

  381,045

  QAV Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  21

  24

  0

  45

  349,712

  340,942

  690,654

  QAW East London and The City

  11

  17

  0

  28

  321,535

  313,983

  635,518

  QAX North Essex

  7

  23

  0

  30

  448,914

  464,419

  913,333

  QAY South Essex

  6

  23

  0

  29

  351,582

  364,047

  715,629

  QC1 South Lancashire

  10

  16

  0

  26

  154,731

  159,631

  314,362

  QC2 Liverpool

  10

  8

  0

  18

  224,379

  232,959

  457,338

  QC3 Manchester

  11

  10

  0

  21

  218,398

  221,151

  439,549

  QC4 Morecambe Bay

  1

  15

  0

  16

  152,766

  159,503

  312,269

  QC5 St. Helens and Knowsley

  7

  20

  0

  27

  163,037

  169,039

  332,076

  QC6 Salford and Trafford

  10

  16

  0

  26

  220,746

  223,589

  444,335

  QC7 Sefton

  9

  12

  0

  21

  137,702

  148,797

  286,499

  QC8 Stockport

  2

  4

  0

  6

  140,950

  150,152

  291,102

  QC9 West Pennine

  16

  11

  0

  27

  232,091

  238,445

  470,536

  QCC Northamptonshire

  7

  11

  2

  20

  310,462

  315,433

  625,895

  QCE Oxfordshire

  9

  7

  0

  16

  315,662

  316,451

  632,113

  QCF Suffolk

  12

  34

  0

  46

  335,113

  344,802

  679,915

  QCG Barnsley

  8

  9

  0

  17

  112,321

  115,757

  228,078

  1006W
  health authority in England and Wales in (i) 1996 and (ii) for the most recent available year; and how far local health authority rates deviate from the national average. [37037]

  Ms Blears
  The incidence of chronic liver disease in England in 1996–97 and in 2000–01 (the last year for which figures are available) was as follows:

  Number of cases per 100,000 population

  1996–97

  2000–01

  Men

  3

  3

  Women

  6

  6

  Total

  5

  5

  The tables show detailed information about the incidence of chronic liver disease among men and women in each English health authority for these two years. Information about the incidence of the disease and the deviation from the national average is expressed in terms of the number of cases per 100,000 population in each health authority.
  1007W

  Admissions, rate per 100,000 population and deviation from national average for chronic liver disease by health authority of residence and gender—NHS Hospitals, England 2000–01

  Admissions

  Population

  Health Authority

  Male

  Female

  Not known/not specified

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  QCH North Derbyshire

  13

  12

  0

  25

  183,974

  187,857

  371,831

  QCJ South Derbyshire

  21

  60

  0

  81

  285,522

  287,327

  572,849

  QCK Doncaster

  7

  6

  0

  13

  143,407

  146,737

  290,144

  QCL Leicestershire

  8

  18

  1

  27

  467,726

  470,967

  938,693

  QCM Lincolnshire

  11

  12

  0

  23

  310,014

  324,334

  634,348

  QCN North Nottinghamshire

  7

  22

  0

  29

  194,776

  197,287

  392,063

  QCP Nottingham

  20

  28

  0

  48

  315,416

  323,731

  639,147

  QCQ Rotherham

  5

  19

  0

  24

  125,661

  127,546

  253,207

  QCR Sheffield

  10

  14

  0

  24

  264,894

  265,209

  530,103

  QCT Bury and Rochdale

  7

  12

  0

  19

  194,980

  198,786

  393,766

  QCV North Cheshire

  5

  12

  0

  17

  154,344

  157,305

  311,649

  QCW South Cheshire

  13

  12

  1

  26

  331,426

  341,236

  672,662

  QCX East Lancashire

  9

  16

  0

  25

  251,682

  256,394

  508,076

  QCY North West Lancashire

  8

  14

  0

  22

  230,328

  238,606

  468,934

  QD1 North and Mid Hampshire

  2

  10

  0

  12

  278,627

  283,667

  562,294

  QD2 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  3

  10

  0

  13

  269,283

  276,748

  546,031

  QD3 Southampton and South West Hampshire

  4

  12

  0

  16

  272,940

  275,273

  548,213

  QD4 Isle of Wight

  5

  6

  0

  11

  63,004

  66,444

  129,448

  QD5 Somerset

  8

  17

  0

  25

  241,728

  254,566

  496,294

  QD6 South and West Devon

  11

  23

  0

  34

  289,186

  308,338

  597,524

  QD7 Wiltshire

  13

  22

  0

  35

  303,514

  309,973

  613,487

  QD8 Avon

  32

  28

  0

  60

  504,509

  510,975

  1,015,484

  QD9 Birmingham

  15

  21

  1

  37

  500,013

  510,414

  1,010,427

  QDA Wigan and Bolton

  17

  27

  0

  44

  287,498

  292,063

  579,561

  QDC Wirral

  8

  18

  0

  26

  157,543

  169,925

  327,468

  QDD Bradford

  2

  19

  0

  21

  240,071

  246,002

  486,073

  QDE County Durham

  9

  24

  0

  33

  298,232

  308,451

  606,683

  QDF East Riding

  13

  40

  0

  53

  283,271

  290,005

  573,276

  QDG Gateshead and South Tyneside

  12

  15

  0

  27

  171,082

  178,485

  349,567

  QDH Leeds

  7

  11

  0

  18

  360,292

  365,842

  726,134

  QDJ Newcastle and North Tyneside

  9

  23

  0

  32

  226,886

  237,665

  464,551

  QDK North Cumbria

  4

  14

  0

  18

  156,631

  160,218

  316,849

  QDL South Humber

  6

  10

  0

  16

  151,391

  156,318

  307,709

  QDM Northumberland

  6

  15

  0

  21

  152,433

  157,934

  310,367

  QDN Sunderland

  8

  21

  0

  29

  141,459

  148,026

  289,485

  QDP Tees

  3

  15

  0

  18

  273,255

  283,438

  556,693

  QDQ Wakefield

  0

  5

  0

  5

  158,896

  161,486

  320,382

  QDR North Yorkshire

  18

  36

  0

  54

  370,009

  383,937

  753,946

  QDT Calderdale and Kirklees

  4

  13

  0

  17

  290,182

  298,681

  588,863

  QDV Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  10

  19

  0

  29

  243,126

  256,257

  499,383

  QDW Dorset

  8

  16

  0

  24

  338,697

  359,633

  698,330

  QDX North and East Devon

  7

  13

  0

  20

  238,631

  251,117

  489,748

  QDY Gloucestershire

  6

  18

  0

  24

  278,986

  285,855

  564,841

  QEA Coventry

  3

  11

  0

  14

  149,539

  152,330

  301,869

  QEC Dudley

  6

  17

  0

  23

  155,363

  156,687

  312,050

  QED Herefordshire

  1

  9

  0

  10

  83,098

  86,215

  169,313

  QEE Sandwell

  5

  10

  0

  15

  141,936

  146,500

  288,436

  QEF Shropshire

  3

  13

  0

  16

  216,949

  218,963

  435,912

  QEG Solihull

  1

  5

  0

  6

  100,322

  104,507

  204,829

  QEH North Staffordshire

  7

  16

  0

  23

  232,411

  235,638

  468,049

  QEJ South Staffordshire

  5

  17

  1

  23

  295,600

  296,062

  591,662

  QEK Walsall

  2

  15

  0

  17

  129,553

  131,346

  260,899

  QEL Warwickshire

  2

  23

  0

  25

  252,585

  257,374

  509,959

  QEM Wolverhampton

  4

  3

  0

  7

  118,707

  121,804

  240,511

  QEN Worcestershire

  9

  13

  0

  22

  267,120

  274,325

  541,445

  QEP East and North Hertfordshire

  5

  21

  0

  26

  251,538

  255,550

  507,088

  QEQ West Hertfordshire

  1

  8

  0

  9

  269,189

  274,551

  543,740

  QER Cambridge

  12

  25

  0

  37

  363,340

  366,843

  730,183

  QET Norfolk

  12

  30

  0

  42

  394,940

  409,030

  803,970

  Total

  775

  1,564

  6

  2,345

  24,697,022

  25,300,067

  49,997,089

  1008W 1009W

  Admissions, rate per 100,000 population and deviation from national average for chronic liver disease by health authority of residence and gender—NHS Hospitals, England 2000–01

  Rate per 100,000 population

  Deviation from national average

  Health Authority

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  QA2 Hillingdon

  1

  3

  2

  -2

  -3

  -3

  QA3 Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  4

  3

  3

  0

  -3

  -1

  QA4 Enfield and Haringey

  2

  5

  4

  -1

  -1

  -1

  QA5 Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  4

  7

  6

  1

  0

  1

  QA6 Bedfordshire

  3

  3

  3

  0

  -3

  -2

  QA7 Berkshire

  2

  4

  3

  -1

  -2

  -1

  QA8 Buckinghamshire

  3

  4

  3

  -1

  -2

  -2

  QAA Bexley and Greenwich

  2

  7

  5

  -1

  1

  0

  QAC Bromley

  1

  5

  3

  -2

  -2

  -2

  QAD Croydon

  2

  2

  2

  -1

  -4

  -2

  QAE East Kent

  2

  6

  4

  -1

  0

  -1

  QAF West Kent

  3

  5

  4

  0

  -1

  -1

  QAG Kingston and Richmond

  2

  3

  3

  -1

  -3

  -2

  QAH Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  3

  5

  4

  0

  -1

  -1

  QAJ Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  2

  2

  2

  -I

  -4

  -3

  QAK East Surrey

  0

  4

  2

  -3

  -3

  -3

  QAL West Surrey

  3

  4

  4

  0

  -2

  -1

  QAM East Sussex, Brighton and Hove

  5

  9

  7

  2

  2

  2

  QAN West Sussex

  1

  5

  3

  -2

  -1

  -2

  QAP Barking and Havering

  1

  4

  2

  -3

  -3

  -3

  QAQ Barnet

  1

  4

  3

  -2

  -2

  -2

  QAR Brent and Harrow

  1

  3

  2

  -2

  -3

  -3

  QAT Camden and Islington

  5

  5

  5

  2

  -1

  0

  QAV Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  6

  7

  7

  3

  1

  2

  QAW East London and The City

  3

  5

  4

  0

  -1

  0

  QAX North Essex

  2

  5

  3

  -2

  -1

  -1

  QAY South Essex

  2

  6

  4

  -1

  0

  -1

  QC1 South Lancashire

  6

  10

  8

  3

  4

  4

  QC2 Liverpool

  4

  3

  4

  1

  -3

  -1

  QC3 Manchester

  5

  5

  5

  2

  -2

  0

  QC4 Morecambe Bay

  1

  9

  5

  -2

  3

  0

  QC5 St. Helens and Knowsley

  4

  12

  8

  1

  6

  3

  QC6 Salford and Trafford

  5

  7

  6

  1

  1

  1

  QC7 Sefton

  7

  8

  7

  3

  2

  3

  QC8 Stockport

  1

  3

  2

  -2

  -4

  -3

  QC9 West Pennine

  7

  5

  6

  4

  -2

  1

  QCC Northamptonshire

  2

  3

  3

  -1

  -3

  -1

  QCE Oxfordshire

  3

  2

  3

  0

  -4

  -2

  QCF Suffolk

  4

  10

  7

  0

  4

  2

  QCG Barnsley

  7

  8

  7

  4

  2

  3

  QCH North Derbyshire

  7

  6

  7

  4

  0

  2

  QCJ South Derbyshire

  7

  21

  14

  4

  15

  9

  QCK Doncaster

  5

  4

  4

  2

  -2

  0

  QCL Leicestershire

  2

  4

  3

  -1

  -2

  -2

  QCM Lincolnshire

  4

  4

  4

  0

  -2

  -1

  QCN North Nottinghamshire

  4

  11

  7

  0

  5

  3

  QCP Nottingham

  6

  9

  8

  3

  2

  3

  QCQ Rotherham

  4

  15

  9

  1

  9

  5

  QCR Sheffield

  4

  5

  5

  1

  -1

  0

  QCT Bury and Rochdale

  4

  6

  5

  0

  0

  0

  QCV North Cheshire

  3

  8

  5

  0

  1

  1

  QCW South Cheshire

  4

  4

  4

  1

  -3

  -1

  QCX East Lancashire

  4

  6

  5

  0

  0

  0

  QCY North West Lancashire

  3

  6

  5

  0

  0

  0

  QD1 North and Mid Hampshire

  1

  4

  2

  -2

  -3

  -3

  QD2 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  1

  4

  2

  -2

  -3

  -2

  QD3 Southampton and South West Hampshire

  1

  4

  3

  -2

  -2

  -2

  QD4 Isle of Wight

  8

  9

  8

  5

  3

  4

  QD5 Somerset

  3

  7

  5

  0

  0

  0

  QD6 South and West Devon

  4

  7

  6

  1

  1

  1

  QD7 Wiltshire

  4

  7

  6

  1

  1

  1

  QD8 Avon

  6

  5

  6

  3

  -1

  1

  QD9 Birmingham

  3

  4

  4

  0

  -2

  -1

  QDA Wigan and Bolton

  6

  9

  8

  3

  3

  3

  QDC Wirral

  5

  11

  8

  2

  4

  3

  QDD Bradford

  1

  8

  4

  -2

  2

  0

  QDE County Durham

  3

  8

  5

  0

  2

  1

  QDF East Riding

  5

  14

  9

  1

  8

  5

  QDG Gateshead and South Tyneside

  7

  8

  8

  4

  2

  3

  QDH Leeds

  2

  3

  2

  -1

  -3

  -2

  1010W 1011W

  Admissions, rate per 100,000 population and deviation from national average for chronic liver disease by health authority of residence and gender—NHS Hospitals, England 2000–01

  Rate per 100,000 population

  Deviation from national average

  Health Authority

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  QDJ Newcastle and North Tyneside

  4

  10

  7

  1

  3

  2

  QDK North Cumbria

  3

  9

  6

  -1

  3

  1

  QDL South Humber

  4

  6

  5

  1

  0

  1

  QDM Northumberland

  4

  9

  7

  1

  3

  2

  QDN Sunderland

  6

  14

  10

  3

  8

  5

  QDP Tees

  1

  5

  3

  -2

  -1

  -1

  QDQ Wakefield

  0

  3

  2

  -3

  -3

  -3

  QDR North Yorkshire

  5

  9

  7

  2

  3

  2

  QDT Calderdale and Kirklees

  1

  4

  3

  -2

  -2

  -2

  QDV Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  4

  7

  6

  1

  1

  1

  QDW Dorset

  2

  4

  3

  -1

  -2

  -1

  QDX North and East Devon

  3

  5

  4

  0

  -1

  -1

  QDY Gloucestershire

  2

  6

  4

  -1

  0

  0

  QEA Coventry

  2

  7

  5

  -1

  1

  0

  QEC Dudley

  4

  11

  7

  1

  5

  3

  QED Herefordshire

  1

  10

  6

  -2

  4

  1

  QEE Sandwell

  4

  7

  5

  0

  1

  1

  QEF Shropshire

  1

  6

  4

  -2

  0

  -1

  QEG Solihull

  1

  5

  3

  -2

  -1

  -2

  QEH North Staffordshire

  3

  7

  5

  0

  1

  0

  QEJ South Staffordshire

  2

  6

  4

  -1

  0

  -1

  QEK Walsall

  2

  11

  7

  -2

  5

  2

  QEL Warwickshire

  1

  9

  5

  -2

  3

  0

  QEM Wolverhampton

  3

  2

  3

  0

  -4

  -2

  QEN Worcestershire

  3

  5

  4

  0

  -1

  -1

  QEP East and North Hertfordshire

  2

  8

  5

  -1

  2

  0

  QEQ West Hertfordshire

  0

  3

  2

  -3

  -3

  -3

  QER Cambridge

  3

  7

  5

  0

  1

  0

  QET Norfolk

  3

  7

  5

  0

  1

  1

  Total

  3

  6

  5

  0

  0

  0

  Notes:

  ICD-10 (diagnosis) codes used were: K70.4, K71.1, K71.3, K71.5, K72.1, K73, K74.3, K76.1

  Please note that these figures are for admissions to hospital, and not incidence rates. Figures in this table have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

  Out-Patient Waiting Facilities
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department gives to hospitals about suitable out-patient waiting facilities. [36890]

  Mr. Hutton
  Current information on out-patient waiting facilities is contained within the following guidance for those involved in the briefing and design of new or refurbished healthcare facilities. Information sources comprise:Health Building Note 12 Out-patients Departments ISBN 0113212666, Department of Health and Welsh Office;
  Design Briefing System notebook DBS 12 (for project teams to record their decisions) Out-patients Departments (issued with the above Health Building Note);
  Supplement 1: Genito-urinary medicine clinic ISBN 0113213085, Department of Health, Welsh Office and Department of Health and Social Security (Northern Ireland);
  Supplement 2: Oral surgery, orthodontics, restorative dentistry ISBN 0113214057, NHS Estates;
  Supplement 3: ENT and audiology clinics; hearing aid centre ISBN 0113217455, NHS Estates;
  Supplement 4: Ophthalmology ISBN 0113222459, NHS Estates.

  All are available through The Stationery Office Ltd. and agents. Electronic copies are distributed free to the national health service.

  Medical Students
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the relationship between student debt and recruitment of medical students. [36442]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Department has not commissioned any research into the relationship between student debt and recruitment of medical students. It has however funded a study of trends in applications to medical school. The study report will review educational and population statistics from 1996 to 2000, and current literature examining the issue of medical student debt.

  The Department is currently discussing with the Higher Education Funding Council for England the possibility of jointly commissioning research evaluating the expansion of medical schools, which may also include examination of the issue of student debt. The Department is aware of the British Medical Association Medical Students Committee's surveys of medical students' finances.

  During the first four years of their training, undergraduate medical students are supported under the Department for Education and Skills' student support regulations. The Department of Health has introduced special support arrangements for medical and dental students in recognition of the longer length of medical

  1013W
  and dental training programmes, and the limited opportunities that such students have to supplement their income due to their heavier study commitments. At the same time the issue of medical student debt needs to be considered against the background that doctors, on qualification, have a higher earning potential than most other professions.

  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to amend the arrangements for financial support for medical students. [36443]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Department currently has no plans to amend the support arrangements for medical students. However, we take a close interest in the effective operation of student support arrangements to ensure that they continue to support our plans to deliver the increased number of staff the service needs.

  On 3 October 2001, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Department for Education and Skills announced plans for a review of student support arrangements. The Department of Health will be working with DfES to ensure that the needs of health professional students are taken fully into account in the design of any new arrangements. They will consider carefully what implications the changes have for the support which the national health service provides directly through the NHS bursary scheme.

  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what public funding is available to medical students who are training to become doctors. [36440]

  Mr. Hutton
  In recognition of the longer length of medical and dental degree courses and the need to guarantee the future supply of staff, special arrangements have been introduced for undergraduate medical and dental students. English domiciled pre-registration medical and dental students who joined their courses from 1 September 1998 onwards will qualify for NHS bursaries in their fifth and any subsequent years of study.

  NHS bursaries are also available to English domiciled students undertaking the new four-year graduate entry medical courses introduced following the recommendations of the Third Report of the Medical Workforce Standing Advisory Committee in December 1997. These students qualify for NHS-funded support in years 2-4 of the course.

  NHS funded students (including medical and dental students) on degree level courses receive their support in the form of a means tested bursary supplemented by reduced rate, repayable, student loans. All NHS-funded students have their liability for a tuition fee contribution (currently £1,075) met in full on their behalf and without means testing. Additional allowances are available to take account of the additional weeks that health professional students are required to attend their course, and also for older students, single parents and others with dependants. During the first four years of undergraduate medical and dental courses, and the first year of the four-year graduate entry programme, students are supported under the Department for Education and Skills' student support regulations.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the instances in which his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies failed to pay valid invoices within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the financial year 2000–01. [32027]

  Ms Blears
  The number of invoices not paid within 30 days or after the agreed credit period in the 2000–01 financial year is shown in the table.

  Paid within 30 days/credit period

  Paid late

  Number

  %

  Number

  %

  Total

  Department of Health

  324,566

  96.08

  13,233

  3.92

  337,799

  Agencies

  19,512

  94.2

  1,212

  5.8

  20,724

  NDPB's

  74,023

  74.96

  24,722

  25.04

  98,745

  Smallpox
  Mr. Ian Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 10 December 2001,Official Report, column 715W, on smallpox, what contracts he has entered into in the last six months for the supply of anti-smallpox drugs. [34817]

  Mr. Hutton
  Anti-viral drugs have been shown in laboratory studies to be effective in treating infections caused by viruses similar to smallpox. However, in practice, patients on anti-virus therapy require intensive monitoring and additional treatment to minimise potentially severe side-effects and need to be in hospital. Anti- viral drugs would therefore, be difficult to administer on a large scale. Because of this, no contracts have been entered into in the last six months for the supply of these anti-smallpox drugs.

  Vaccination is effective in preventing the disease. The Department has a strategic stock of vaccine for use in an outbreak. Information about the size and location of these stocks is not being put in the public domain, as this is information that might be of use to terrorists.

  Counter Fraud Service
  Angela Watkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been convicted for fraudulent claims for free prescriptions since the Counter Fraud Service was introduced 18 months ago. [34616]

  Ms Blears
  Following the creation of the national health service Counter Fraud Service, the value of fraudulent patient evasion of NHS prescription charges has been reduced from 1998 levels by 41 per cent., equivalent to £48 million.

  Following the implementation of the penalty charges regime in August 2001, over 23,000 charge notices have been issued to patients in respect of non-payment of prescription charges and as a result £236,000 has been returned to NHS funds. The use of penalty charges is a proportionate response in the majority of these cases.

  Criminal sanctions are considered where offences are of a serious or repetitive nature and one patient has been prosecuted.

  Emergency Care
  Mr. Cummings
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what cash allocations have been made under the reforming emergency care accident and emergency nurse allocation for 2001–02 to each acute NHS trust in the northern Region; upon what basis the allocations have been made; and which trusts are involved in PFI programmes. [35055]

  NHS trust

  Allocation (£)

  Additional nurse posts

  PFI

  Airedale NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  Yes

  Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  Yes

  Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Trust

  35,883

  4

  Yes

  City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  No

  Dewsbury Health Care NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  No

  Gateshead Health NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  No

  Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  No

  Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  Yes

  Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  143,534

  8

  Yes

  Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  Yes

  North Cumbria Acute NHS Trust

  35,883

  4

  Yes

  North Durham Health Care NHS Trust

  143,534

  8

  Yes

  North Tees and Hartlepool NHS Trust

  35,883

  4

  No

  Northallerton Health Services NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  Yes

  Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust

  35,883

  4

  Yes

  Pinderfields and Pontefract NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  Yes

  Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Health Care NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  No

  South Durham Health Care NHS Trust

  35,883

  4

  Yes

  South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  Yes

  South Tyneside Health Care NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  No

  York Health Services NHS Trust

  17,942

  2

  No

  Operation Cancellations
  Jeff Ennis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations, broken down into category of operation, have been cancelled in NHS hospitals in the last 12 months. [35194]

  Mr. Hutton
  Data on the number of cancelled operations are not collected by the type of operation.

  The latest released figures are for Quarter 2 2001–02. Copies of quarterly statistics on cancelled operations by health authority are available in the Library. The publication gives the number of operations cancelled (for non-medical reasons) on the day patients are due to arrive or after arrival in hospital or on the day of the operation.

  Care Homes
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage providers of residential care for the elderly to connect up their homes to the internet. [35071]

  Jacqui Smith
  The national standards for care homes for older people require care homes to give residents the opportunity to exercise choice in relation to leisure and social activities and cultural interests. They also require care homes to record residents' interests and give them the opportunity for stimulation through leisure and recreational activities, in and outside the care home, which suit their needs, preferences and capacities, with particular consideration for people with cognitive or sensory impairments and those with physical or learning disabilities. This could include access to the internet. However, it is for individual care home owners to decide whether they wish their care home to be linked to the
  1016W
  Ms Blears
  Cash allocations to national health service acute trusts in the Department's northern and Yorkshire region under the reforming emergency care accident and emergency nurse allocation for 2001–02 are detailed in the table. All trusts received funding for a minimum of two additional nurse posts for each accident and emergency department. The table also indicates those trusts that are involved in PFI programmes.

  internet taking into account the individual circumstances of their business and the needs and capacities of the residents.

  Financial Allocation
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial allocation has been made to the Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth health authority in each of the last 10 years. [35321]

  Mr. Hutton
  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth health authority was established in its current form on 1 April 1996.

  The table shows the financial allocation that the health authority has received since its establishment.

  Revenue allocations to Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth health authority since 1996–97

  £000

  Period

  Total allocation

  1996–97

  293,778

  1997–98

  309,318

  1998–99

  322,343

  1999–2000

  422,995

  2000–01

  455,914

  2001–02

  498,646

  2002–03

  563,125

  Note:

  Allocations for 1999–2000 onwards are not comparable with those for 1996–97 to 1998–99 which cover hospital and community health services (HCHS) only. 1999–2000 was the first year of unified allocations which cover HCHS, prescribing and discretionary general medical services.

  Bed Occupancy
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the highest level of occupancy of beds on a single day was in 2000–01 in each NHS trust in respect of acute mental health wards in London. [35081]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 11 February, 2002]: Occupancy levels are not collected on a daily basis for acute mental health wards.

  Eating Disorders
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has adjusted the 1999–2000 figures on hospital admissions in respect of eating disorders. [35089]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 11 February, 2002]: There were 2,030 finished consultant episodes with a primary diagnosis of eating disorder in 1999–2000. These figures have now been adjusted for shortfalls in data.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will commission research into the incidence of eating disorders among(a) children and young persons, (b) men and (c) women. [35085]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 11 February, 2002]: There are no plans to commission further research into the incidence of eating disorders. However, details of ongoing and recently completed research projects are available on the national research register at www.doh.gov.uk/research/ nrr.htm. The Department has also commissioned a guideline on the management of eating disorders from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

  Antipsychotic Depot Injections
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the number of prescription items dispensed in the community in England for antipsychotic depot injections in 2001. [35080]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 11 February, 2002]: We expect to publish the data in May 2002.

  Cancer (Waiting Times)
  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list(a) those NHS trusts and (b) those health authorities which have met the Government's two-week target in respect of out-patient waiting times for suspected cancer patients. [34693]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 11 February 2002]: The following tables show the percentage of patients seen within two weeks of urgent referral by their general practitioner by national health service trusts and health authorities for the period July to September 2001.

  Cancer two week out-patient waiting time standard. Percentage of patients seen within two weeks of urgent referral by their general practitioner where the referral was received within 24 hours of the decision to refer

  NHS trust

  Percentage seen Qtr 2, 2001–02

  Addenbrooke's

  90.4

  Aintree Hospitals

  98.1

  Airedale

  100.0

  Ashford and St. Peters' Hospitals

  77.6

  Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals

  78.9

  1018W

  Cancer two week out-patient waiting time standard. Percentage of patients seen within two weeks of urgent referral by their general practitioner where the referral was received within 24 hours of the decision to refer

  NHS trust

  Percentage seen Qtr 2, 2001–02

  Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals

  97.6

  Barnsley District General Hospital

  94.2

  Barts and the London

  94.5

  Basildon and Thurrock General Hospitals

  100.0

  Bedford Hospital

  55.5

  Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull Hospitals

  61.0

  Birmingham Women's Healthcare

  95.5

  Blackburn Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care

  99.5

  Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services

  100.0

  Blackpool Victoria Hospital

  99.7

  Bolton Hospitals

  97.8

  Bradford Hospitals

  96.1

  Brighton Healthcare

  80.6

  Bromley Hospitals

  100.0

  Burnley Healthcare

  100.0

  Burton Hospitals

  92.0

  Bury Healthcare

  99.0

  Calderdale and Huddersfield

  97.1

  Cardiothoracic Centre Liverpool

  100.0

  Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals

  85.0

  Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare

  97.1

  Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital

  74.0

  Chorley and South Ribble

  100.0

  Christie Hospital

  100.0

  City Hospitals

  99.7

  City Hospitals Sunderland

  67.0

  Countess of Chester Hospital

  95.0

  Dartford and Gravesham

  86.1

  Dewsbury Healthcare

  97.8

  Doncaster and Bassetlaw Hospitals

  99.1

  Dudley Group of Hospitals

  94.4

  Ealing Hospital

  98.7

  East and North Hertfordshire

  77.4

  East Cheshire

  98.9

  East Gloucestershire

  99.8

  East Kent Hospitals

  86.1

  East Somerset

  72.3

  Eastbourne Hospitals

  79.7

  Epsom and St. Helier

  95.9

  Essex Rivers Healthcare

  97.9

  Frimley Park Hospital

  99.2

  Gateshead Health

  98.5

  George Eliot Hospital

  99.2

  Gloucestershire Royal

  99.8

  Good Hope Hospital

  97.8

  Guy's and St. Thomas' Hospital

  89.1

  Hammersmith Hospitals

  89.7

  Harrogate Health Care

  100.0

  Hastings and Rother

  58.6

  Heatherwood and Wexham Park Hospitals

  98.7

  Hereford Hospitals

  95.5

  Hillingdon Hospital

  93.3

  Hinchingbrooke Health Care

  99.5

  Homerton Hospital

  90.8

  Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals

  98.8

  Ipswich Hospital

  76.5

  Isle of Wight Healthcare

  95.1

  James Paget Healthcare

  95.7

  Kettering General Hospital

  78.6

  King's College Hospital

  98.2

  King's Lynn and Wisbech Hospitals

  90.0

  Kingston Hospital

  96.4

  Leeds Teaching Hospitals

  95.3

  Leicestershire and Rutland Healthcare

  95.8

  Lewisham Hospital

  99.2

  Liverpool Women's Hospital

  92.7

  Luton and Dunstable Hospital

  94.9

  Maidstone, and Tunbridge Wells

  98.2

  Mayday Healthcare

  97.2

  Medway

  80.4

  1019W

  Cancer two week out-patient waiting time standard. Percentage of patients seen within two weeks of urgent referral by their general practitioner where the referral was received within 24 hours of the decision to refer

  NHS trust

  Percentage seen Qtr 2, 2001–02

  Mid-Cheshire Hospitals

  96.7

  Mid-Essex Hospital Services

  98.8

  Mid-Staffordshire General Hospitals

  95.0

  Mid-Sussex

  93.2

  Milton Keynes General

  98.4

  Morecambe Bay Hospitals

  87.4

  Newham Healthcare

  100.0

  Norfolk and Norwich Healthcare

  94.8

  North Bristol

  85.0

  North Cheshire Hospital

  90.0

  North Cumbria Acute

  85.3

  North Durham Health Care

  89.8

  North Hampshire Hospitals

  86.3

  North Manchester Healthcare

  90.6

  North Middlesex Hospital

  100.0

  North Staffordshire Hospital

  85.9

  North Tees and Hartlepool

  88.2

  North West London Hospitals

  95.5

  Northallerton Health Services

  96.1

  Northampton General Hospital

  78.3

  Northern Devon Healthcare

  100.0

  Northern Lincolnshire and Goole Hospitals

  98.6

  Northumbria Healthcare

  76.8

  Nottingham City Hospital

  99.7

  Oldham

  96.4

  Papworth Hospital

  100.0

  Peterborough Hospitals

  100.0

  Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals

  65.5

  Plymouth Hospitals

  97.0

  Poole Hospital

  99.6

  Portsmouth Hospitals

  87.4

  Preston Acute Hospitals

  100.0

  Princess Alexandra Hospital

  97.3

  Princess Royal Hospital

  94.6

  Queen Elizabeth Hospital

  99.0

  Queen Mary's Sidcup

  96.8

  Queen Victoria Hospital

  97.1

  Queens Medical Centre Nottingham University Hospital

  93.0

  Rochdale Healthcare

  93.0

  Rotherham General Hospitals

  99.0

  Royal Berkshire and Battle Hospital

  76.0

  Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals

  99.5

  Royal Brompton and Harefield

  83.3

  Royal Cornwall Hospital

  85.9

  Royal Devon and Exeter Healthcare

  100.0

  Royal Free Hampstead

  40.0

  Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals

  91.3

  Royal Liverpool Children's

  100.0

  Royal Marsden Hospital

  100.0

  Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals

  79.1

  Royal Surrey County and St. Luke's Hospitals

  100.0

  Royal United Hospital Bath

  93.7

  Royal West Sussex

  99.6

  Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals

  99.8

  Salford Royal Hospitals

  91.1

  Salisbury Health Care

  85.6

  Sandwell Healthcare

  100.0

  Scarborough and North East Yorkshire Healthcare

  100.0

  Severn

  100.0

  Sheffield Children's Hospital

  100.0

  Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

  98.6

  Sherwood Forest Hospitals

  93.2

  South Buckinghamshire

  77.9

  South Devon Healthcare

  97.0

  South Durham Health Care

  99.2

  South Manchester University Hospitals

  93.9

  South Tees Acute Hospitals

  88.8

  South Tyneside Healthcare

  90.3

  1020W

  Cancer two week out-patient waiting time standard. Percentage of patients seen within two weeks of urgent referral by their general practitioner where the referral was received within 24 hours of the decision to refer

  NHS trust

  Percentage seen Qtr 2, 2001–02

  South Warwickshire General Hospitals

  86.1

  South West London Community

  100.0

  Southampton University Hospitals

  95.9

  Southend Hospital

  85.5

  Southern Derbyshire Acute Hospitals

  95.1

  Southport and Ormskirk

  99.8

  St. George's Healthcare

  99.5

  St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals

  79.5

  St. Mary's

  100.0

  Stockport Health Services

  100.0

  Stoke Mandeville Hospital

  94.8

  Surrey and Sussex Healthcare

  98.8

  Surrey Hampshire Borders

  99.0

  Swindon and Marlborough

  98.4

  Tameside and Glossop Acute Services

  90.6

  Taunton and Somerset

  92.5

  The Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals

  98.9

  The Oxford Radcliffe Hospital

  97.7

  Trafford Healthcare

  96.8

  United Bristol Healthcare

  65.2

  United Lincolnshire Hospitals

  97.9

  University College London Hospitals

  92.5

  University Hospital Birmingham

  98.5

  University Hospital of Coventry and Warwickshire

  74.8

  University Hospitals of Leicester

  89.1

  Walsall Hospitals

  99.7

  West Dorset General Hospitals

  95.3

  West Hertfordshire Hospitals

  90.5

  West Middlesex University Hospital

  90.6

  West Suffolk Hospitals

  75.7

  Weston Area Health

  95.6

  Whipps Cross University Hospital

  70.5

  Whittington Hospital

  80.7

  Winchester and Eastleigh Healthcare

  93.2

  Wirral Hospital

  98.6

  Worcestershire Acute Hospital

  90.9

  Worcestershire Community and Mental Health

  95.2

  Worthing and Southlands Hospitals

  73.6

  Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh

  86.2

  York Health Services

  95.3

  Source:

  DOH form QMCW

  Cancer two week out-patient waiting time standard. Percentage of patients seen within two weeks of urgent referral by their general practitioner where the referral was received within 24 hours of the decision to refer

  Health authority

  Percentage seen Qtr 2, 2001–02

  Avon

  83.4

  Barking and Havering

  78.9

  Barnet, Enfield and Haringey

  98.0

  Barnsley

  94.2

  Bedfordshire

  79.4

  Berkshire

  87.6

  Bexley, Bromley and Greenwich

  98.0

  Birmingham

  81.6

  Bradford

  97.4

  Brent and Harrow

  95.5

  Buckinghamshire

  88.7

  Bury and Rochdale

  96.7

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  97.4

  Cambridgeshire

  94.5

  Camden and Islington

  76.4

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  85.9

  County Durham and Darlington

  95.4

  1021W

  Cancer two week out-patient waiting time standard. Percentage of patients seen within two weeks of urgent referral by their general practitioner where the referral was received within 24 hours of the decision to refer

  Health authority

  Percentage seen Qtr 2, 2001–02

  Coventry

  74.8

  Croydon

  97.2

  Doncaster

  99.1

  Dorset

  98.0

  Dudley

  94.4

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  93.8

  East Kent

  86.1

  East Lancashire

  99.8

  East London and City

  96.0

  East Riding and Hull

  98.8

  East Surrey

  98.8

  East Sussex Brighton and Hove

  78.2

  Gateshead and South Tyneside

  96.2

  Gloucestershire

  99.8

  Herefordshire

  95.5

  Hertfordshire

  86.9

  Hillingdon

  93.3

  Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  87.9

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  99.0

  Kingston & Richmond

  96.6

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  96.0

  Leeds

  95.3

  Leicestershire

  89.4

  Lincolnshire

  97.9

  Liverpool

  92.8

  Manchester

  91.4

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  98.9

  Morecambe Bay

  87.4

  Newcastle and North Tyneside

  98.9

  Norfolk

  93.8

  North and East Devon

  100.0

  North and Mid Hampshire

  90.7

  North Cheshire

  90.0

  North Cumbria

  85.3

  North Derbyshire

  74.0

  North Essex

  98.1

  North Nottinghamshire

  93.2

  North Staffordshire

  85.9

  North West Lancashire

  99.8

  North Yorkshire

  97.8

  Northamptonshire

  78.4

  Northumberland

  76.8

  Nottingham

  95.9

  Oxfordshire

  97.7

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  70.5

  Rotherham

  99.0

  Salford and Trafford

  93.1

  Sandwell

  100.0

  Sefton

  98.8

  Sheffield

  98.6

  Shropshire

  87.2

  Somerset

  85.0

  South and West Devon

  97.0

  South Cheshire

  96.9

  South Essex

  91.5

  South Humber

  98.6

  South Lancashire

  100.0

  South Staffordshire

  93.1

  Southampton and SW Hampshire

  95.9

  Southern Derbyshire

  95.1

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  79.5

  Stockport

  100.0

  Suffolk

  76.1

  Sunderland

  67.0

  Tees

  88.4

  Wakefield

  65.5

  Walsall

  99.7

  Warwicksher

  91.5

  West Kent

  87.9

  1022W

  Cancer two week out-patient waiting time standard. Percentage of patients seen within two weeks of urgent referral by their general practitioner where the referral was received within 24 hours of the decision to refer

  Health authority

  Percentage seen Qtr 2, 2001–02

  West Pennine

  93.0

  West Surrey

  92.0

  West Sussex

  90.8

  Wigan and Bolton

  93.3

  Wiltshire

  91.1

  Wirral

  98.6

  Wolverhampton

  99.8

  Worcestershire

  91.1

  Note:

  Health authority performance is based on data from NHS trust providers within their boundaries.

  Source:

  DOH form QMCW

  NHS Plan
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards providing the additional intermediate care beds announced in the NHS Plan. [35410]

  Jacqui Smith
  The NHS Plan set a target of 5,000 extra national health service intermediate-care beds by March 2004, over the baseline of 1999–2000.

  A survey undertaken last summer indicates that by the end of this year (2001–02) we shall have 2,400 extra beds.

  Mental Health
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of the(a) proportion of those with a diagnosis of severe mental illness who are in employment and (b) trend in the prevalence of psychiatric disorder by employment status. [35510]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 12 February, 20021: Information on the proportion of individuals with a diagnosis of severe mental illness who are in employment, and trends in the prevalence of psychiatric disorder by employment is not collected centrally by the Department.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in implementation of the National Service Framework for Mental Health. [35490]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 12 February, 2002]: The targets set in the mental health National Service Framework (NSF) for April 2001 were all achieved on time. These included 170 assertive outreach teams; almost 500 additional secure beds; over 320 additional 24 hour staffed care beds; access to services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year for all those with complex mental health problems; investment to improve the physical environments in psychiatric wards; and guidance has been issued to ensure the safety, privacy and dignity of mental health patients.

  Speech Therapy
  Mr. Alan Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there are for speech and language therapists in the National Health Service. [36771]
  1023W
  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested in shown in the table.

  Department of health, 2001 three month vacancies speech and language therapists

  England

  Three month vacancy number

  200

  Three month vacancy rate (percentage)

  4.7

  Staff in post

  4,210

  Notes:

  1. Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents)

  2. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the September 2000 medical and dental and non-medical workforce censuses (whole time equivalent)

  3. Staff in post is from the September 2001 non-medical workforce census

  4. Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten

  5. England totals include staff from Special Health Authorities

  Source: Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2001 and HCHS Non-Medical Workforce Census September 2001

  Mr. Alan Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make speech and language therapy a statutory service. [36775]

  Mr. Hutton
  Speech and language therapists are a recognised profession, which have been state regulated since 1999. We have no plans for the service to be based in statute.

  Treatment Abroad
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assistance is given to parents with the cost of visiting and telephoning their children in hospitals abroad for NHS treatment; if the Government will set up such a new scheme to help parents; and if he will make a statement. [33022]

  Mr. Hutton
  No children are being sent abroad for national health service treatment under the test bed scheme currently under way in the south east of England. If the NHS chooses to commission care for children overseas at some point in the future we would expect commissioners to ensure that children were accompanied by a parent or carer at the NHS' expense.

  It is rare for children to travel abroad under the E112 scheme which requires prior authorisation from the NHS and the Department. The Department has not in the past paid for travel and non-hospital accommodation costs for the child and accompanying adult, although in practice the NHS has found ways, e.g. through charitable funds, to help in deserving cases. The Department is reviewing this policy as part of its wider review of the working of the E112 system.

  Entertainment Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, including the current year to date, the 1024W
  amount spent by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its non-departmental public bodies on (i) food and
  (ii) alcohol, indicating how much was spent on guests, and how much in respect of (A) Ministers and (B) staff, broken down to show how much was provided directly by his Department and how much reclaimed. [34450]

  Ms Blears
  The Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies classify management and accounting data about spending on food and alcohol in widely different ways. To provide the information requested would involve a disproportionate expense.

  Mobile Telephones
  Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list, for 1997–98 and for each subsequent financial year, the amount spent(a) he United Kingdom and (b) abroad by (i) his Department, (ii) its agencies and (iii) its non-departmental public bodies on (1) providing mobile telephone equipment, including handsets and other associated equipment, (2) telephone calls made using such equipment and (3) telephone calls made using privately owned mobile telephones but subsequently reclaimed by (x) Ministers and (y) staff. [34392]

  Blears
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Failing Hospitals
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on allowing private sector managers to run failing hospitals. [34490]

  Hutton
  Poorly performing national health service organisations that fail to respond to special measures and meet their recovery plan will be put under the control0 of a new senior management. Franchise bids to run poorly performing NHS trusts will be invited from experienced NHS managers with a good track record for delivery. In future expressions of interest could be invited from elsewhere, and subject to a tender from an approved list.

  The types of non-NHS organisation that might be interested in franchises to run zero rated NHS trusts are likely to include:
  organisations with specific experience and expertise in the health field;
  non-health organisations with relevant management capability, but which would need to bring in staff with health expertise.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 11 February that four of the 12 zero-start rated trusts will be subject to franchise arrangements. Invitations for franchise will be invited from existing NHS senior managers with a proven track record of delivery.

  Social Services
  Mr. Stevenson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of social services SSA was in(a) Stoke-on-Trent,(b) all unitary authorities and (c) on average in England, in each year from 1997–98. [34902]

  Jacqui Smith
  The social services standard spending assessment figures are set out in the table.
  1025W

  £ million

  Stoke-on-Trent

  Total unitaries1

  Total England

  1997–98

  38.102

  753.385

  7,392.117

  1998––99

  41.200

  1253.952

  7,814.651

  1999–2000

  46.787

  1331.024

  8,268.000

  2000–01

  49.080

  1399.805

  8,693.400

  2001–02

  50.460

  1435.596

  8,955.400

  2002–03

  51.660

  1475.623

  9,230.994

  1 A number of new unitary authorities was created in 1998–99. Figures for unitaries are not, therefore, on a consistent and comparable basis.

  The equivalent SSA figures per head of population are as follows:

  £ per head

  Stoke-on-Trent

  Total unitaries1

  Total England

  1997–98

  150

  146

  151

  1998–99

  162

  152

  159

  1999–2000

  184

  161

  168

  2000–01

  195

  169

  176

  2001–02

  201

  173

  180

  2002–03

  207

  177

  184

  1 A number of new unitary authorities was created in 1998–99. Figures for unitaries are not, therefore, on a consistent and comparable basis.

  Haemophilia
  Laura Moffatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if it is his policy to provide recombinant (synthetic) clothing factors for new haemophilia patients and children under 16; and if it applies to the provision of Factor VIIa to patients with inhibitors, who are resistant to Factor VIII and IX. [35282]

  Yvette Cooper
  In 1998 we notified health authorities that from 1998–99 all children under the age of 16 and new patients with haemophilia A should receive recombinant factor VIII. From April 1999 this policy was extended to recombinant factor IX for patients with haemophilia B. We have not issued any advice to health authorities on the treatment of patients with inhibitors, of which recombinant factor VIIa is one of a range of possible treatments. Guidance on overall management of these patients, including the use of recombinant factor VIIa, has however been issued by the United Kingdom Haemophilia Centre Doctors Organisation. A copy of these guidelines is available in the Library.

  NHS Dentistry
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on NHS dental provision in each region of the UK. [35627]

  Ms Blears
  The total number of dentists working in the national health service in England as at 30 September was 22,437, of whom 18,821 work in the general dental service (GDS) and the personal dental service (PDS). The remainder work in the hospital dental service, the community dental service or are salaried dentists. The total gross expenditure on the GDS and the PDS is about £1,720 million a year.

  NHS dental provision in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales is a matter for the devolved Administrations.

  Hip and Knee Replacements
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost per operation is for(a) hip and (b) knee replacements in each hospital trust. [35988]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested has been placed in the Library. The table contains the average unit costs (per operation) for each NHS Trust in England for(a) primary hip replacements, and (b) Primary Knee Replacements where the operation is undertaken as an elective (ie planned) admission.

  The data source is the Reference Costs 2001 Collection, relating to the financial year 2000–01. These are the most current data available in the public domain.

  Calculation of the costs provided are based on all activity and costs associated with each procedure, regardless of the specialty in which the activity is recorded

  Prescriptions
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefits of the movement of products from prescription control to pharmacy sale; and what impact the change would have on access to treatments. [36295]

  Ms Blears
  We are committed to empowering patients to make informed health care choices. Widening access to medicines, including moving medicines from prescription only status to availability from a pharmacist where is it safe to do so, can play an important part in this process.

  The benefits of making more medicines available from the pharmacy include the opportunity for people to access treatments speedily, at a time and a place of their choosing that would otherwise only be available having consulted a prescriber.

  The NHS Plan set out a range of proposals for improving access to medicines including developing the role of pharmacists set out in "Pharmacy in the Future"—a copy of which is in the Library. It outlines a range of changes designed to enable the greater availability of medicines, including independent nurse prescribing, supplementary prescribing and patient group directions. Taken together, these initiatives will have an important impact on improving access to treatments and ensuring our commitment to patient centred care is taken forward.

  Reclassification of medicines can also play an important role in supporting our clinical priority areas, for example in disease prevention and health promotion. It also provides support on more specific health initiatives such as smoking cessation where, a number of nicotine replacement products were made more widely available in May 2001.

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in his Department to(a) himself and (b) his Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36274]
  1027W
  Ms Blears
  Ministerial boxes originating from this Department are transported to Ministers' homes either by Government car or by a service provided by Royal Mail.

  Health and Safety (Computers)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees in his Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to(a) current and (b) new staff. [36688]

  Ms Blears
  The Health and Safety (Display Screen Equipment) Regulations 1992, effective from January 1993, require employers to provide and pay for, upon request from an employee, an eye and eyesight test.

  The number of eyesight tests carried out under the Display Screen Equipment Regulation (1992) for staff working for the Department and its agencies is shown in the table.

  Year

  Number of tests

  1998

  249

  1999

  410

  2000

  462

  2001

  495

  The Department promotes the eyesight test scheme to all staff through its internal electronic information system and in house publications. New staff are also provided with information about the eye test scheme through health and safety awareness as part of induction training.

  Independent Reconfiguration Panel
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how the posts of Chairman of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel was(a) advertised and (b) filled; [36780]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the extent to which the Independent Reconfiguration Panel is independent of Government; [36779]

  (3) on what basis the members of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel other than the Chairman were (a) recruited and (b) appointed; [36781]

  (4) what the role of the Independent Reconfiguration Panel is. [36778]

  Ms Blears
  The Independent Reconfiguration Panel (IRP) will offer authoritative advice to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on referred proposals for NHS service change. The Panel's draft terms of reference were outlined in the press release announcing the appointment of the Chair, Dr Peter Barrett. These will need to be agreed with the Panel membership before being confirmed. The advice offered will be independent of Government and will be published.

  As a Public Sector Working Group, the Office for the Commissioner of Public Appointments has confirmed that the IRP does not fall within its remit. However, as far as possible, the appointment procedures followed have been in line with "Nolan" principles. The panel chairman, Dr Barrett, was appointed by the Secretary of State from a shortlist of candidates. The selection of the Panel
  1028W
  membership is being undertaken through an open recruitment competition, overseen by an independent assessor. No appointments have yet been made.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will provide the(a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant. [37506]

  Ms Blears
  In 2001, 43,474 rail tickets were purchased from the Department's travel contractor, of which 27,087 (62 per cent.) were for first class travel.

  Information about the average price of a first class ticket is not kept but the average price paid in 2001 for all classes of rail ticket purchased from the Department's travel contractor was £150.

  There is no information about tickets purchased by grade of civil servant but the total cost of rail travel in each of the past three years is as follows:

  £

  1999

  3,697,682

  2000

  4,331,446

  2001

  4,983,797

  Promotional Sick Bags
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many promotional sick bags have been sent out by the Food Standards Agency; and at what cost. [36801]

  Yvette Cooper
  I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that they have sent out a total of 287,378 promotional sick bags to named catering outlets at a cost of £125,322. The approach was extensively piloted as a successful means of promoting the food hygiene campaign.

  A and E Patients
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many accident and emergency patients have been received each month over the past five years at the(a) Whittington,(b) North Middlesex and (c) Royal Free hospital. [36616]

  Mr. Hutton
  Data on accident and emergency attendances are not collected on a monthly basis. From 2001–02, the information is available on a quarterly basis and previous to this on an annual basis.
  Information for the selected national health service trusts is given in the table.

  Total accident and emergency attendances, 1997–98 to 2001–02 Qtr 3

  National health service trust North

  Whittington hospital

  North Middlesex hospital

  Royal Free Hampstead

  2001–021

  16,003

  21,646

  14,245

  2001–022

  16,550

  21,553

  14,907

  2001–023

  17,136

  22,653

  15,003

  1029W

  Total accident and emergency attendances, 1997–98 to 2001–02 Qtr 3

  National health service trust

  Whittington hospital

  North Middlesex hospital

  Royal Free Hampstead

  2000–01

  67,883

  88,096

  58,830

  1999–2000

  68,047

  84,441

  60,445

  1998–99

  64,429

  81,589

  62,239

  1997–98

  66,143

  80,929

  62,717

  1 Quarter 3

  2 Quarter 2

  3 Quarter 1

  Source:

  KH09—Outpatient and A&E attendances

  The information is available on the Department's website www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity.

  Housing
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for each English health authority how many housing units have been(a) disposed of, (b) bought and (c) financed for purchase by specialist staff. [36622]

  Mr. Hutton
  Health authorities do not acquire or dispose of residential housing units for staff. Where staff accommodation is owned, this is through either National Health Service trusts or primary care trusts. The information requested has not been required to be collected in the past, so no records exist.

  Artificial Limbs
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been(a) made available to and (b) spent by the NHS on the provision of silicone cosmesis for artificial limb users since April 2001. [36792]

  Jacqui Smith
  In January 2001, we announced that funding totalling £4 million over three years to provide silicone cosmesis covers to artificial limb users would be made available to the national health service. From April 2001 £0.5 million was added to health authorities' baseline allocation, with £1.5 million from 2002–03 and £2 million from 2003–04.

  The contract for providing silicone cosmesis covers was awarded in October 2001. The contractor is required to provide the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency with quarterly contract sales which will include:
  Total sales figures in £s
  £s spent by each Disablement Service Centre
  what span of product are purchased.

  This information is currently being collated by the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency.

  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding will be made available to the NHS by his Department for the provision of silicone cosmesis for artificial limb users in(a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [36793]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Department has made available £1.5 million in 2002–03 and £2 million in 2003–04 to the national health service to provide silicone cosmesis covers for artificial limb users.

  Apolipoproteins
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce a uniform, standardised test for apolipoproteins. [24649]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 8 February 2002]: The measurement of apolipoproteins in the blood may be useful in predicting coronary heart disease. However total cholesterol and high and low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels remain the standard tests in clinical practice. NHS pathology services carrying out routine apolipoprotein testing (rather than or as an additional indicator of coronary heart disease) will need to be assured of its value in patient care, to use a standard technique and to be part of an accredited external quality assurance scheme. Our Pathology Modernisation Programme strongly encourages this approach.

  Data Protection Act
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the policy of the Department is for ensuring responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 are completed within 40 days; and what their procedure is to achieve this; [33473]

  (2) what his estimate is of the average cost of processing each information request under the Data Protection Act 1998; [33442]

  (3) what the longest period of time elapsed is between receiving (a) the administration fee and providing the information requested and (b) a request for information and providing the information requested, under the Data Protection Act 1998; [33452]

  (4) how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 have been completed (a) within 40 days,(b) between 40 and 60 days and (c) over 60 days after receiving the original letter; and how many are still outstanding [33568]

  (5) what the Department's procedure is for responding to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998; if he will place a copy in the Library; and if he will make a statement; [33480]

  (6) how many requests the Department has received under the Data Protection Act 1988 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation; [33580]

  (7) what percentage of responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days of receipt of the £10 fee, (b) between 40 and 60 days of and (c) over 60 days after receiving the administration fee; [33466]

  (8) what administration fees are charged by the Department for information requests made under the Data Protection Act 1998; [33459]

  (9) what the period of time elapsed is for the oldest outstanding request for information under the Data Protection Act 1998, since receipt of the (a) original request and (b) administration fee; [33445]

  (10) how many responses to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 the Department has completed (a) within 40 days, (b) between 40 and 60 days and (c) over 60 days after receiving the £10 administration fee; [33561]
  1031W
  (11) how many responses the Department has completed to requests for information made under the Data Protection Act 1998 for (a) electronically held information and (b) paper documentation. [33573]

  Ms Blears
  The Department's policy is to respond to requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998 as quickly and accurately as possible, and in accordance with the data protection principles.

  The Department follows a strict procedure in handling requests for information under the Data Protection Act 1998. Requests are coordinated centrally and monitored. These arrangements are designed to ensure that requests are handled sensitively, and wherever possible responses provided on time.

  Requests for access to personal information under the Data Protection Act 1998

  Format

  Time to complete/ time outstanding

  Electronic and paper

  Electronic

  Paper

  Under 40 days

  40–60 days

  Over 60 days

  Total requests received

  56

  30

  10

  16

  —

  —

  —

  Total requests completed

  47

  22

  9

  16

  45 (96%)

  2 (4%)

  0

  Total outstanding

  9

  8

  1

  0

  8

  —

  1

  The longest period of time elapsed between receiving a request for information and providing the information requested was 60 days. The period of time elapsed for the oldest outstanding request for information is 68 days (on 12 February 2002).

  The Department does not currently measure the time and effort needed to respond to each information request on an individual basis. These vary considerably in relation to the nature and complexity of requests. No estimate of the average cost is available.

  A copy of the Department's procedure for handling responses to information requests will be deposited in the Library.

  Muchal Fold Scans
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health have many NHS trusts charge for a muchal fold scan for mothers over the age of 35 years. [33756]

  Yvette Cooper
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Applications for and appointments to national health service bodies by people living in the Warrington, North constituency

  Applications since 1 April 2001

  Applications in the last five years

  Ashworth Hospital Authority Special Health Authority

  0

  2

  Cardiothoracic Centre, Liverpool NHS trust

  0

  0

  Clatterbridge Centre Oncology NHS trust

  0

  0

  Christie Hospital NHS trust

  0

  0

  Family Health Services Appeal Authority

  0

  0

  Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS trust

  0

  0

  National Blood Authority

  0

  0

  North Cheshire health authority

  0

  2

  North Cheshire hospitals NHS trust

  0

  1

  Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS trust

  0

  0

  Warrington community NHS trust

  0

  3

  Warrington hospital NHS trust

  0

  1

  1032W
  The Act provides for anyone seeking information to be given a response within 40 calendar days of receiving adequate proof of identity and an indication of what kind of personal data the Department is likely to hold. The time taken to reply is measured against the date when this information was received, not the date of the original letter. The Department does not currently charge an administration fee.

  The table sets out the numbers of requests received since 1 March 2000, when the Act came into force, with an analysis of performance against the target. Those requesting information do not usually specify the format of information when submitting requests. The analysis shows where responses were based on paper or electronic records, or a mixture of the two.

  NHS Board Appointments
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will give the number of people from the Warrington, North constituency who in each of the past five years have(a) applied for and (b) been appointed to positions on the board of the (i) North Cheshire health authority, (ii) Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS trust, (iii) North Cheshire hospitals and Warrington hospital NHS trust, (iv) Mersey Regional Ambulance Service NHS trust, (v) Clatterbridge Centre Oncology NHS trust, (vi) Cardiothoracic Centre, Liverpool NHS trust and (vii) Warrington Community NHS trust; [34975]

  (2) how many people from the Warrington, North constituency have, in each of the past five years, (a) applied for and (b) been appointed to positions on the board of the (i) Ashworth hospital authority SHA, (ii) Christie hospital NHS trust, (iii) Family Health Services Appeal Authority SHA and (iv) National Blood Authority SHA. [35525]

  Ms Blears
  Information is not available on applications made in the last five years. Details of applications made by people living in Warrington, North since 1 April 2001 and appointments made in the last five years are provided in the table.

  MMR
  Mr. George Osborne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the percentage of eligible infants in the South Cheshire health authority receiving the MMR vaccine was in each of the last four years. [33085]

  Yvette Cooper
  The percentage of children in South Cheshire health authority immunised against MMR by their second birthday and fifth birthday is shown in the table.

  Percentage of children in South Cheshire health authority immunised against MMR

  By their fifth birthday1

  At 31 March

  By their second birthday

  First dose

  First and second dose

  1998

  92

  —

  —

  1999

  89

  —

  —

  2000

  88

  90

  65

  2001

  89

  90

  72

  1 Information about uptake of MMR immunisation at age five was collected for the first time in 1999–2000

  Source:

  Department of Health, Statistics Division SD2B

TREASURY

  Fuel Duties (Northern Ireland)
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what volume of(a) petrol and (b) diesel he estimates is imported annually from the Republic of Ireland to Northern Ireland without UK excise duty being paid. [36803]

  Mr. Boateng
  Customs estimates of revenue loss in the Northern Ireland oils sector were included in the "Tackling Indirect Fraud" paper which the Government published as part of the pre-Budget report in November 2001.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what volume of heating oil he estimates is sold annually in Northern Ireland for use in the Republic of Ireland. [36804]

  Mr. Boateng
  HM Customs and Excise do not have estimates of the volume of heating oil sold annually in Northern Ireland for use in the Republic of Ireland.

  Carbon Tax
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reasons he decided not to implement a carbon tax. [36791]

  Mr. Boateng
  The climate change levy (CCL) was introduced in April 2001 following extensive consultation, and in accordance with the recommendations of Lord Marshall's report on Economic Instruments and the Business use of Energy.

  As recommended by Lord Marshall, the Government believe that a downstream tax on energy such as the CCL is the best approach to take to the taxation of energy products, as it allows the Government to balance the need to encourage improvements in energy efficiency with
  1034W
  other policy considerations. The extent of fuel poverty in the UK is well established, and the Government do not propose taxing energy use in the domestic sector.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what activities are carried out by the Inland Revenue with regard to the Child Support Agency; what the costs of these activities are; and if he will make a statement. [37519]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Child Support Act 1991 permits the Inland Revenue to disclose information to assist the Child Support Agency in tracing non-resident parents. Amendments under the Social Security Administration Act 1992 enabled earnings information to be passed to the Child Support Agency.

  Amendments under the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999 enabled the Inland Revenue to provide the Child Support Agency with information about the earnings or other income of the self employed.

  Under the terms of this legislation the Inland Revenue provides the Child Support Agency with the relevant information on request. The approximate estimated amount involved is £165,000 per annum, for which the Inland Revenue is reimbursed by the Child Support Agency.

  10-year Transport Plan
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total level of public expenditure allocated for the 10-year transport plan was as of(a) the launch of the plan in July 2000,(b) 2 April 2001, (c) 14 January 2002 and (d) 12 February 2002. [37093]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The totals are as follows:

  (a) At the launch of the plan the total funding envelope over the plan period was £179.7 billion, of which £129.1 billion was assumed to be public money.

  (b) As a result of the 2 April 2001 agreement with Railtrack, the total rose to £181.2 billion, which includes £1.5 billion of advanced grants to Railtrack. The total public element of this is therefore £130.6 billion.

  (c) On 14 January 2002, the total stood at £181.9 billion, which includes the grants to Railtrack as shown, a freight adjustment of£462 million agreed in principle in April 2001, but only quantified in October 2001 following completion of the regulator's freight charges review, and £285 million of 2000–01 EYF, allocated in the summer and winter supplementaries. Public sector funding accounts for £131.4 billion of this total.

  (d) As of 12 February 2002, the total figure remained £181.9 billion. A detailed breakdown of the total is provided in an updated version of Table A3 from the 10-year plan, copies of which will be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2002, Official Report, column 243W, on the 10-year transport plan, if the unused rail provision in 2000–01 was available for use in 2001–02 under the rules on end of year flexibility. [37052]
  1035W
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Yes, the unused rail provision from 2000–01 is available for use this year.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 12 February 2002,Official Report, column 243W, on the 10-year transport plan, if the Treasury gave permission for the allocation of additional funding to the 10-year transport plan from the unused rail provision in 2000–01. [37053]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Yes, Treasury did give permission. The transfer was made through the normal supplementary arrangements.

  Gross Domestic Product
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will(a) set out for each of the last five years and (b) provide forecasts where available for the next two years of GDP per head for each nation and region of the UK, and as a proportion of UK GDP per head; and what the GDP per head was for each nation of the UK assuming (i) 70 per cent., (ii) 80 per cent. and (iii) 90 per cent. allocation of continental shelf GDP to Scotland. [37569]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Gross domestic product (GDP) per head data for each English region, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are reported annually in "Economic Trends" and "Regional Trends", copies of which are available in the House of Commons Library. The 2001 edition of "Regional Trends" (ISSN 0261–1783) shows the latest available data in "Chapter 12: Regional Accounts". The latest data are also available in electronic form on the ONS database, which can be accessed via the House of Commons Library.

  Extra-region GDP—which includes 'continental shelf' activity relating to offshore oil and gas extraction, UK embassies overseas and armed forces stationed abroad—comprises compensation of employees and gross operating surplus that cannot be assigned to regions. It is reported in "Regional Trends" alongside regional GDP.

  The Treasury does not produce forecasts of GDP for the English regions, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average response time was for responding to departmental correspondence; what percentage of letters took longer than one month for a response; and what percentage took longer than three months for a response in each of the last five years. [37453]

  Mr. Boateng
  Information for 2000 and 2001 and average response times for 1999 in relation to ministerial correspondence only are as follows:

  HM Treasury

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Average response (working days)

  27

  24

  19

  Percentage over 1 month

  n/a

  125.0

  118.0

  Percentage over 3 months

  n/a

  12.0

  11.3

  1 Sample based

  Information for earlier years and on other types of correspondence are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Tax Credit Bill
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the provisions of Part 2 of the Tax Credits Bill to be commenced. [35167]

  Dawn Primarolo
  As I said in the debate at Report Stage of the Tax Credits Bill on 7 February 2002,Official Report column 1060, the Government plan to introduce the new tax credits from April 2003. The date will be confirmed in the Budget.

  ECOFIN
  Mrs. Lawrence
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the outcome was of the ECOFIN Council held in Brussels on 12 February. [36862]

  Mr. Gordon Brown
  I attended ECOFIN on 12 February.

  The European Commission presented reports on the functioning of EU product and capital markets and set out its priorities for the 2002 Broad Economic Policy Guidelines.

  The Council examined and after debate agreed opinions on the updated stability and convergence programmes for Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and the United Kingdom, produced in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. The Council also agreed additional statements on Germany and Portugal, in which both countries set out the disciplines they should follow in future years.

  The Commission and the ECB summarised latest developments on the transition to the euro.

  The presidency noted that all member states had now ratified the Council decision of September 2000 on own resources. This will now take effect from March 2002, with any differences resulting from the late entry into force being corrected with retrospective effect from 1 January.

  The Commission presented its proposals for a budgetary framework for enlargement, for use in the accession negotiations. Following a brief discussion, the presidency concluded that the Commission should now draw up draft common positions for the financial aspects of enlargement that were in conformity with the Berlin European Council budgetary settlement. These should not be linked with parallel discussions later in the year on reform of the common agricultural policy. Equally, it was important that enlargement should not impede reform.

  ECOFIN reached political agreement on VAT on e-commerce without discussion. The amended directive and regulation make welcome changes to the rules governing the taxation of digitised products, so as to correct certain distortions of competition. During the negotiations the UK successfully secured an explicit commitment, which now features in the directive, to move, by 2006, to a comprehensive electronic solution for the taxation of such items which will treat EU and non-EU businesses on an identical basis.

  Population Income (Increases)
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for each income decile what the annual increase in total income has been for(a) pensioners since 1992 and (b) the population as a whole. [36408]

  Mr. McCartney
  I have been asked to reply.

  Such information as is available can be found in the publication "Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 2000–01", a copy of which is available in the Library.

  Films
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what definition of a film he uses in extending tax allowances to film production; and how many(a) films and (b) television programmes have benefited from such allowances in the last five years; [31716]

  (2) what estimate he has made of the extent to which tax allowances have been taken up by(a) independent film makers and (b) television shows. [36110]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There are three main measures providing enhanced tax relief for the production or acquisition of films. A "film" is defined in Schedule 1 of the Films Act 1985 as including:"any record, however made, of a sequence of visual images, which is a record capable of being used as a means of showing that sequence as a moving picture".

  We estimate that between 1 July 1997 and 30 June 2001 1,433 productions have benefited from the films tax reliefs.

  Partnerships UK
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 4 February 2002,Official Report, column 706W, on Geoffrey Spence, which Department has responsibility for Partnerships
  UK. [35715]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Partnerships UK (PUK) is a public limited company in which the HM Government and Scottish Ministers together hold a minority (49 per cent.) shareholding.

  PUK provides services to a wide range of Government Departments and other public bodies. It also assists public bodies with joint venture and investment activities. HM Treasury is responsible for the Government's shareholding and nominates two non-executive directors to the PUK Board. HM Treasury has also established an advisory council chaired by Sir Andrew Turnball, Permanent Secretary to the Treasury. The membership consists of representatives from Government Departments, the devolved Administrations, local authorities and other public bodies drawn from PUK's client base. The council's remit is to review the effectiveness of Partnerships UK in fulfilling its public sector mission.

  Research and Development Investment
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the additional support he intends offering small and medium-sized enterprises to increase research and development investment. [36414]
  1038W
  Mr. Boateng
  Budget 2000 introduced an R&D tax credit for small and medium-sized companies. It provides a tax deduction of 150 per cent. of the cost of all qualifying R&D expenditure. Under this enhanced relief the cash cost of R&D will be reduced by 30 per cent. for a company paying tax at the small companies' rate. Companies that are not yet in profit can take the relief up front and reduce the cash cost of their R&D by 24 per cent.

  To encourage high risk investment by small enterprises PBR 2001 announced:
  an increase in the gross asset limit for Enterprise Management Incentives (EMIs) from £15 million to £30 million.
  publication of a prospectus for a 7£50 million early growth fund to help at least 1,000 businesses access the risk capital they need to develop and grow.

  Government Expenditure (NHS)
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will state, for each year since 1990, Government spending on the NHS in(a) the UK,(b) England and (c) Scotland, (i) in real terms and (ii) as a percentage of GDP. [36415]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Figures for identifiable total managed spending on health and personal social services in the UK, England and Scotland are published annually in the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses. The latest publication shows figures for 1995–96 to 1999–2000. Figures for earlier years are published in earlier publications which are available in the House of Commons Library.

  Information on NHS expenditure as a proportion of GDP in the UK for the period 1999–2000 to 2003–04 is also published in the Department of Health departmental report (Cm 5103) for England and the United Kingdom. Health spending in Scotland is a devolved matter described in the Scottish Executive's budget documents for Scotland.

  Departmental Overseas Visits
  Mr. Chop
  e: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many overseas visits have been undertaken by parliamentary private secretaries in his Department at departmental expense in each of the last four years; and at what cost to public funds. [36813]

  Ruth Kelly
  No such visits have been undertaken at departmental expense in the period specified.

  National Savings
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if a cost benefit analysis of changing the name of the Office of National Savings was carried out; and if he will make a statement. [36800]

  Ruth Kelly
  The name change is just one part of the transformation process undertaken by National Savings and Investments to modernise its operation, improve efficiency and upgrade services to customers.
  1039W
  It followed a strategic marketing review which showed that the agency's main role of raising funds for the Government cost effectively could only be sustained if it:

  designed a new brand positioning and relaunched

  introduced new products

  introduced new channels of distribution

  improved direct mail capability

  developed the relationship with the Post Office.

  The most important key success factor was demonstrated to be the relaunch of the brand.

  Unitary Authorities
  Andrew George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the mean average population is of unitary authorities in England; [36639]

  (2) if he will list all unitary authorities by the latest known resident population number. [36637]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Andrew George, dated 25 February 2002:
  The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent questions concerning the population and average size of unitary authorities. (36634 and 36639)
  The attached table shows the unitary authorities, their populations and the average number of persons per unitary authority in both England and Wales

  Table 1 Population at mid-2000: unitary authorities in England and Wales

  thousand

  Area

  Persons

  England

  North-east

  Darlington UA

  100.6

  Hartlepool UA

  92.3

  Middlesbrough UA

  143.9

  Redcar and Cleveland UA

  136.4

  Stockton-on-Tees UA

  184.1

  North-west

  Blackburn with Darwen UA

  138.1

  Blackpool UA

  150.7

  Halton UA

  120.8

  Warrington UA

  190.8

  Yorkshire and The Humber

  East Riding of Yorkshire UA

  318.9

  Kingston upon Hull, City of UA

  254.3

  North East Lincolnshire UA

  155.2

  North Lincolnshire UA

  152.5

  York UA

  179.3

  East Midlands

  Derby UA

  236.3

  Leicester UA

  289.7

  Nottingham UA

  282.9

  Rutland UA

  37.8

  West Midlands

  Hereford shire, county of UA

  169.3

  Stoke-on -Trent UA

  249.0

  Telford and Wrekin UA

  151.3

  1040W

  Table 1 Population at mid-2000: unitary authorities in England and Wales

  thousand

  Area

  Persons

  East

  Luton UA

  183.1

  Peterborough UA

  156.5

  Southend-on-Sea UA

  176.9

  Thurrock UA

  135.8

  South-east

  Bracknell Forest UA

  111.1

  Brighton and Hove UA

  259.9

  Isle of Wight UA

  129.4

  Medway UA

  244.8

  Milton Keynes UA

  209.8

  Portsmouth UA

  189.1

  Reading UA

  147.7

  Slough UA

  111.1

  Southampton UA

  214.9

  West Berkshire UA

  144.3

  Windsor and Maidenhead UA

  142.6

  Workingham UA

  146.0

  South-west

  Bath and North East Somerset UA

  170.2

  Bournemouth UA

  163.4

  Bristol, City of UA

  406.2

  North Somerset UA

  191.1

  Plymouth UA

  254.2

  Poole UA

  140.9

  South Gloucestershire UA

  247.9

  Swindon UA

  181.5

  Torbay UA

  126.1

  Total population in unitary authorities in England

  8,318.8

  Average persons per unitary authority in England

  180.8

  Wales

  Blaenau Gwent

  71.2

  Bridgend

  131.5

  Caerphilly

  170.5

  Cardiff

  327.5

  Carmarthenshire

  169.1

  Ceredigion

  72.2

  Conwy

  112.7

  Denbighshire

  91.8

  Flintshire

  148.3

  Gwynedd

  116.8

  Isle of Anglesey

  64.8

  Merthyr Tydfil

  55.8

  Monmouthshire

  87.4

  Neath Port Talbot

  138.0

  Newport

  138.5

  Pembrokeshire

  114.7

  Powys

  126.8

  Rhondda, Cynon, Taff

  239.8

  Swansea

  230.3

  Torfaen

  89.8

  The Vale of Glamorgan

  122.9

  Wrexham

  125.7

  Total population in unitary authorities in Wales

  2,946.2

  Average persons per unitary authority in Wales

  133.9

  Note:

  Figures may not add exactly because of rounding

  Source:

  Office for National Statistic

  IT Contacts
  Richard Younger-Ross
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what has been the total expenditure of his Department on IT systems and support in each year from
  1041W
  May 1997 to date; how many IT contracts have been let in each of those years; of the other main contracting party in each of those contracts, how many have been(a) companies whose registered office is in (i) England and Wales, (ii) Scotland and (iii) Northern Ireland and(b) foreign companies; and what are the names of the companies falling within category (a). [33689]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information is as follows:

  HM Treasury

  £ million

  IT expenditure

  1997–98

  3.1

  1998–99

  3.9

  1999–2000

  3.8

  2000–01

  3.5

  2001–02

  3.1

  The Treasury has let the following IT contracts over this period:

  Star Computers: for the supply of IT desktop and portable equipment. Contract awarded in December 1997.

  Mitech Europe Ltd.: network support. Contract awarded in December 1999.

  Computacenter Ltd.: for the supply of servers, software and networking equipment. Contract awarded via the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) using a GCAT agreement in January 2000.

  Rebus HR Ltd.: provide personnel software. Contract awarded in January 2000.

  Diagonal Solutions Ltd.: software maintenance. Contract awarded in June 2000.

  Anite Public sector Ltd.: moving IT equipment into new Treasury building. Contract awarded in November 2001.

  Lynx Technology Ltd.: software support services. Contract awarded in January 2002.

  Centerprise International: for the supply of IT desktop and portable equipment. Contract awarded in January 2002.

  All companies mentioned are registered in England.

  Microsoft Ltd.: software maintenance. Contract awarded in December 2000. The company is registered in the United States of America.

  Decision Support Systems Ltd.: accounting software. Contract awarded in October 2001. The company are registered in New Zealand.

  Customs and Excise

  £ million

  IT expenditure

  1997–98

  8.2

  1998–99

  31.8

  1999–2000

  11.7

  2000–01

  3.3

  2001–02

  4.8

  The decline in spend on computer equipment and maintenance over the last four years can be explained by the implementation of a PFI contract in HM Customs and Excise, which means that we no longer purchase our IS infrastructure equipment but pay a service charge for its provision by our PFI provider. The Department has one main IS provider through a PFI, this being ICL. This is a 10 year contract awarded on 25 August 1999 with a TOU issued on 31 March 2000. We are currently novating nearly all our IT contracts (including software licences
  1042W
  obtained through various local offices) into this contract. The number is around 182 although it is expected to grow. ICL is an English registered company.

  Debt Management Office (DMO)

  £ million

  IT expenditure

  1998–99

  0.7

  1999–2000

  1.4

  2000–01

  2.0

  2001–02

  1.6

  The DMO has an on going contract with Computacenter Ltd. who have provided the Department with IT equipment since 1999. Computacenter is registered in England.

  Inland Revenue

  The Department currently has three major contracts in place to provide its IT systems and support. We have two strategic technology partners, EDS and Accenture, who provide support, development and maintenance of our IT systems and one framework contract (with Computacenter) for the supply of IT equipment.

  The IT Services contract was let to EDS in 1994 for 10 years.

  The NIRS 2 contract for operational services was awarded to Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) in May 1995 and runs to 2004.

  In November 1994 the Department let the IROS contract for the supply of desktop equipment to CSC/Computacenter. This was replaced in June 2000 by the e-IROS contract with Computacenter. Total annual expenditure under these contracts from April 1997 to January 2002 is as follows:

  £ million

  IT expenditure

  1997–98

  25.1

  1998–99

  31.9

  1999–2000

  32.3

  2000–01

  29.8

  2001–02

  38.5

  All of the companies mentioned have registered offices in England.

  The parent companies of CSC and EDS are US based.

  Tax Polarisation
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what he expects to be the impact on the revenue arising from abolishing polarisation in respect of(a) VAT, (b) capital gains tax and (c) other taxes. [33953]

  Ruth Kelly
  All taxes are kept under review, as are the revenue implications of other policy changes.

  Temporary Employees
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what positions in(a) his Department and (b) all executive agencies for which his Department is responsible are

  1043W
  filled by employees who are employed on temporary contracts of (i) 51 weeks' and (ii) less than 51 weeks' duration. [25513]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information is given as follows:

  Number

  HM Treasury

  (i) 51 weeks

  Range E

  3

  Range D

  6

  Range C

  2

  Range B

  3

  (ii) Less than 51 weeks

  Range E

  7

  Range D

  15

  Range C

  3

  Range B

  1

  HM Customs and Excise

  (i) 51 weeks

  0

  (ii) Less than 51 weeks

  Information and Library Resource Manager

  2

  Information Specialist

  2

  Photographic Officer

  1

  Advice, Support and Process Contact Officer

  1

  Business Support Administrator

  12

  Corporate Services Admin Officer

  1

  Advice Centre Support

  1

  Business Support Administrator

  27

  Business Support Assistant

  319

  Corporate Services Assistant

  9

  Customs Assistant

  21

  Fast Keyer

  11

  IS Operational Support Officer

  3

  Kennel Assistant

  2

  Revenue constable

  9

  Typist

  1

  UK Revenue Assistant

  18

  Inland Revenue

  (i) 51 weeks

  0

  (ii) Less than 51 weeks

  Officer

  92

  Assistant

  981

  Other

  5

  Government Actuary's Department

  (i) 51 weeks

  0

  (ii) Less than 51 weeks

  Trainee Actuaries

  4

  Table 1: European Community Budget—Expenditure

  Million euro1

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  EAGGF Guarantee

  37,855

  42,108

  42,478

  40,249

  40,061

  40,506

  Percentage of total general budget

  51.8

  51.0

  50.6

  48.3

  47.3

  48.6

  Structural Funds

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  25,906

  Percentage of total general budget

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  31.1

  EAGGF Guidance

  2,777

  3,598

  3,762

  3,628

  3,831

  —

  Percentage of total general budget

  3.8

  4.4

  4.5

  4.4

  4.5

  —

  ERDF

  9,191

  11,361

  12,107

  12,135

  14,217

  —

  Percentage of total general budget

  12.6

  13.8

  14.4

  14.6

  16.8

  —

  ESF

  4,991

  6,459

  6,456

  7,833

  7,354

  —

  Percentage of total general budget

  6.8

  7.8

  7.7

  9.4

  8.7

  —

  1044W

  Number

  National Savings

  (i) 51 weeks

  0

  (ii) Less than 51 weeks

  Accounts Manager

  1

  Personnel Assistant

  1

  Administrative Assistant

  1

  Supplier Relationship Manager

  1

  Contracts Assistant

  1

  Performance Analyst

  1

  Office of National Statistics

  (i) 51 weeks

  0

  (ii) Less than 51 weeks

  Staff

  208

  Royal Mint

  (i) 51 weeks

  0

  (ii) Less than 51 weeks

  Medallists

  7

  Collector Coin Packers

  9

  Store Person

  1

  Non-Industrial Staff

  Clerks

  5

  Valuation Office

  (i) 51 weeks

  0

  (ii) Less than 51 weeks

  Clerical staff

  57

  Higher Executive Officers

  4

  Senior Executive Officer

  1

  Total numbers for all Departments

  (i) 51 weeks

  12

  (ii) Less than 51 weeks

  1,866

  EC Budgets
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the main items of income and expenditure of the general budgets of the European Community for each year from 1995 to the latest available year in the manner of the answer of 11 February 1997,Official Report, columns 119–22W. [35875]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information from 1995 to 2000, based on currently available EU documents and at 2000 prices, is set out in the following tables.
  1045W

  Table 1: European Community Budget—Expenditure

  Million euro1

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  FIFG

  272

  451

  512

  420

  580

  —

  Percentage of total general budget

  0.4

  0.5

  0.6

  0.5

  0.7

  —

  Cohesion Fund

  1,865

  2,005

  2,441

  2,407

  2,773

  1,685

  Percentage of total general budget

  2.6

  2.4

  2.9

  2.9

  2.6

  2.0

  Research

  2,720

  3,082

  3,133

  3,058

  2,669

  3,404

  Percentage of total general budget

  3.7

  3.7

  3.7

  3.7

  3.1

  4.1

  Administration

  4,248

  4,295

  4,409

  4,297

  4,173

  4,643

  Percentage of total general budget

  5.8

  5.2

  5.3

  5.2

  4.9

  5.6

  Other

  9,121

  9,126

  8,579

  9,296

  9,087

  7,187

  Percentage of total general budget

  12.5

  11.1

  10.2

  11.2

  10.7

  8.6

  Total

  73,040

  82,486

  83,876

  83,323

  84,744

  83,331

  Table 2: European Community Budget—Revenue

  Million euro1

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  Agricultural levies

  2,134

  1,950

  2,023

  2,014

  2,184

  —

  Percentage of total revenue

  2.6

  2.2

  2.4

  2.3

  2.5

  —

  Customs duties

  13,729

  12,595

  12,870

  12,523

  11,881

  —

  Percentage of total revenue

  16.7

  14.5

  15.2

  14.4

  13.5

  —

  VAT

  43,006

  36,367

  35,962

  34,119

  31,631

  35,122

  Percentage of total revenue

  52.2

  41.8

  42.5

  39.2

  35.9

  37.9

  GNP

  15,576

  25,216

  28,265

  36,079

  38,072

  37,580

  Percentage of total revenue

  18.9

  29.0

  33.4

  41.4

  43.2

  40.5

  Misc.

  7,957

  10,900

  5,522

  2,349

  4,438

  4,755

  Percentage of total revenue

  9.7

  12.5

  6.5

  2.7

  5.0

  5.1

  Traditional Own Resources

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  15,267

  Percentage of total revenue

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  16.5

  Total

  82,402

  87,029

  84,642

  87,085

  88,207

  92,725

  1 Figures are in millions of euro at constant 2000 prices

  Notes:

  1. Figures are for outturn. As yet outturn figures are not available for 2001.

  2. Figures converted to constant 2000 prices using EU15 deflator throughout.

  3. Items are denominated in euro as that is the unit of account for the EC Budget.

  4. Other spending includes spending on external policies and internal policies other than research.

  Sources:

  1. The Community Budget: The facts in figures, 2000 Edition; European Commission.

  2. European Court of Auditors Report on the 2000 Budget (Official Journal C359, 15 December 2001).

  3. Allocation of 2000 EU operating expenditure; European Commission (September 2001).

  4. European Economy, Number 72, 2001 (Table 24, page 161); European Commission.

  Working Time Directive
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment has been made of the effect of the working time directive on his Department's employees; how many employees are working in excess of 48 hours per week; what steps he is taking to reduce this number; and if he will make a statement. [35883]

  Ruth Kelly
  Working hours are monitored in the Treasury. I am arranging to place in the Library of the House an update of the table which accompanied the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Truro and St. Austell (Matthew Taylor) on 14 November 2001,Official Report, columns 773–74W.
  1046W
  Sufficient staff have been recruited to fill all complemented posts in the Treasury, and the Department has a number of alternative working policies in place such as flexible working hours, part-time working and compressed hours, as well as working at home.
  These are available to all staff by agreement with their line managers.

  Departmental Assets
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the value of the outstanding leases on(a) Allington Towers SW1, (b) Cheapside House EC2V and (c) Fleetbank House EC4Y; and if he will make a statement. [35972]
  1047W
  Ruth Kelly
  The Treasury terminated its lease on Cheapside House earlier this year, and has leased Eastcheap Court since March 2001.

  The Department occupies each of these premises under an operating lease, held under normal commercial terms with regular rent reviews which do not give rise to any significant value for the Department's interests.

  Capita Group
  Mr. Boris Johnson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will review computer security at Capita-administered Government schemes or projects. [36080]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Each Department is responsible for specifying security requirements when letting contracts and ensuring that suppliers comply. The Office of the e-Envoy recommends technical security standards such as use of smartcards or digital signatures.

  Mr. Boris Johnson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations the Government have received from the Capita Group since 24 October 2001. [36079]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  This information is not held centrally.

  Wanless Report
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he intends to publish the next stage of the Wanless report. [36112]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The Terms of Reference for Derek Wanless' review ask him to report to the Chancellor of the Exchequer by April 2002.

  Princess Diana Memorial Committee
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer for what reason there is no specific provision in the 2001 accounts of the Royal Mint for sums to be paid to projects recommended by the Princess Diana Memorial Committee. [36114]

  Ruth Kelly
  The Royal Mint accounts for 2000–01 included a provision for the royalties due in respect of Princess Diana collector coin sales. In accordance with generally accepted accounting practice in the UK this provision was included within trade creditors in the published accounts.

  West Bank and Gaza Strip (Imports)
  Richard Burden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps are being taken by HM Customs to identify and monitor imports from the illegal settlements of the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and what action is taken where relevant authorities fail to co-operate in post-clearance verification inquiries. [36084]

  Mr. Boateng
  Customs are identifying imports declared to be of Israeli origin but which seem likely to have been produced in the settlements and are sending verification requests to Israel. As this is an EU wide issue, Customs intend to co-ordinate action with the European Commission and other member states in the event of failure to co-operate by the relevant authorities.
  1048W
  Richard Burden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how exporters of goods based in the illegal settlements of the West Bank and Gaza Strip will be alerted to the steps being taken by HM Customs in respect of the EC-wide exercise to ensure that origins of imports are properly declared. [36085]

  Mr. Boateng
  In their recent publicity HM Customs strongly advise importers that they should check with their Israeli suppliers that the products they are importing have not originated in the settlements. The Israeli authorities are also well aware of the position.

  Richard Burden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what advice is given by Customs and Excise to importers to ensure that origins of imports are properly declared on all goods which originated in the illegal settlements of the West Bank and Gaza Strip; and in which trade magazines and on what website the advice will appear. [36083]

  Mr. Boateng
  Customs and Excise strongly advise importers to check with their Israeli suppliers that the products they are declaring as of Israeli origin have not originated in the settlements. This advice has been published as Joint Customs Consultative Committee Information Paper (01) 55, which has been placed on the Customs website, http://www.hmce.gov.uk (under Forms and publications, Information papers). Articles have been provided to International Trade Today and Croners.

  Industrial Action
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days have been lost owing to industrial action by staff in his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies in each of the last four years. [36186]

  Ruth Kelly
  No working days were lost as a result of industrial action by staff in the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Department, agencies and non-governmental bodies in each of the last four years.

  Ministerial Boxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer by what means ministerial boxes are conveyed from private offices in his Department to(a) himself and (b) his Ministers; how frequently and at what expense private courier firms are employed for such a task; and which courier firms have been used for such duties. [36283]

  Ruth Kelly
  Ministerial boxes originating from the Treasury are transported to Ministers' homes either by Government car or by a service provided by the Royal Mail.

  Conference Sponsorship
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 11 February 2002,Official Report, column 116W, on the "Creating knowledge: Creating Wealth" conference, how many companies bid for the right to sponsor the conference; and if he will make a statement. [37050]

  Ruth Kelly
  This seminar was one of a series that followed publication of guidance on "Selling Government Services into Wider Markets", published by the Treasury
  1049W
  in 1998. There were discussions with at least six different firms about whether they were interested in sponsoring one or more of these seminars.

  Government Investment (Research and Development)
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown, for each nation and region of the UK, of Government investment in research and development since 1995. [36412]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Alex Salmond, dated 25 February 2002:
  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on Government investment in research and development since 1995. (36412)
  The Office for National Statistics (ONS) conducts an annual survey of UK Government Department's research and development (R&D) expenditure, from which the amount of (R&D) performed within Government establishments is available at Government Office Region (GOR) level. Figures for 1995 to 1999, by nation and GOR, can be found in the ONS publication Regional Trends, Chapter 13.9 as follows:

  1995 Regional Trends 32, 1997

  1996 Regional Trends 33, 1998

  1997 Regional Trends 34, 1999

  1998 Regional Trends 35, 2000

  1999 Regional Trends 36, 2001.

  This information can also be found at the following web address: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme—compendia/regionaltrends—2001/rt36.pdf.
  Government funding into business enterprise R&D expenditure at GOR level is available from the annual survey of UK Business Enterprise R&D survey. Figures for the years 1995 to 2000 are shown in the attached table. Data for Government investment in other sectors of the economy (Higher Education and the Private Non-Profit sectors) are not available at a regional level.
  Total UK Government funding of R&D can be found in the ONS Gross Domestic Expenditure on Research and Development First Release published in March every year. The latest available data relates to 1999, however no regional breakdown is available. This publication can be found at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/press—release/Archive.asp.

  Government research and development funding to UK businesses by Government Office Region: 1995 to 2000

  £ million

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  England

  866

  765

  844

  1,004

  1,081

  939

  North East

  5

  5

  2

  3

  5

  2

  North West

  77

  78

  61

  87

  102

  94

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  21

  18

  11

  7

  8

  4

  East Midlands

  68

  82

  85

  143

  131

  65

  West Midlands

  16

  15

  18

  25

  41

  38

  Eastern

  174

  146

  214

  239

  256

  330

  London

  59

  60

  85

  91

  97

  111

  South East

  273

  233

  237

  238

  266

  176

  South West

  173

  129

  129

  170

  177

  119

  Northern Ireland

  12

  6

  6

  6

  5

  6

  Scotland

  71

  66

  58

  78

  58

  59

  Wales

  5

  5

  7

  7

  13

  7

  United Kingdom

  953

  842

  915

  1,094

  1,157

  1,011

  Source:

  Survey of UK Business Enterprise Research & Development, ONS

  Self-assessment
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have sent in self-assessment tax forms since 31 January; how many of those have(a) paid the £100 fine and (b) been excused the £100 fine; and if he will make a statement. [36718]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Between 31 January and 8 February 2002, 444,750 returns have been sent in. Penalty notices have not yet been issued so we have no information on penalties for this year but we would not expect any significant numbers of people to have yet paid a penalty.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of liable taxpayers failed to meet his Department's deadlines for submitting tax self-assessment forms; what estimate he has of the total revenue from penalties for late submission; and if he will make a statement. [36416]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The latest year for which figures are available is the year to 31 January 2001.

  10 per cent. of SA taxpayers to whom a return was issued failed to file by the filing deadline.

  The Inland Revenue accounts for its receipts in accounts years running from November to October.

  For the account year 2000, receipts from self-assessment penalties totalled £33 million and the figures for account year 2001 will be available later this financial year.

  Child Care Costs
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to increase the level of support to families to pay for child care costs. [36409]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The child care tax credit element of working families tax credit is a targeted measure to help low paid parents, for whom the cost of child care can be a significant barrier to work. The credit is worth 70 per cent. of eligible child care costs up to limits of £135 a week for a family with one child and £200 for a family with two or more children. The limits were increased to this level in June 2001 in response to representations about the costs of child care. The child care tax credit element has been extremely successful with around 155,000 families benefiting. This is more than three times the number who benefited from the family credit disregard at its peak.

  Under the new system of tax credits which will be introduced from April 2003 the new working tax credit will contain a child care component. The Government welcome evidence about the cost of child care and keep the levels of support under review. Rates and thresholds for the new tax credits will be set in Budget 2002.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the proportion of child care costs met by(a) Government, (b) business and (c) parents; [36410]

  (2) what the percentage is of child care costs met by (a) Government, (b) business and (c) parents in other member states of the EU. [36411]
  1051W
  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government do not collect data on the proportion of the cost met through different sources, nor does such data exist on an internationally comparable basis.

  The National Childcare Strategy is ensuring that affordable, accessible and good quality child care is available in every neighbourhood, and Spending Review 2000 allocated an additional £225 million from 2001 to 2004 to tackle the child care gap between disadvantaged and more affluent areas.

  To support working families with their child care costs, the working families tax credit includes a child care tax credit component which pays 70 per cent. of the costs of eligible child care up to limits of £135 per week for one child and £200 per week for two or more children. Around 155,000 families are receiving support with their child care costs, over three times as many as benefited from the child care disregard under family credit at its peak.

  The Government's Work Life Balance Campaign is increasing awareness and take-up of employment policies and practices which benefit business and help employees enjoy a better balance between work and other demands on their lives.

  Benefits (Walthamstow)
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in the Walthamstow constituency are in receipt of(a) working families tax credit and (b) children's tax credit. [36949]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Feltham and Heston (Mr. Keen) on 4 February 2002,Official Report, column 694W.

  Student Finances
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) how many full-time students registered entitlement to national insurance eligibility in the financial year in the last three financial years; and what proportion established eligibility over a full contribution year; [37034]

  (2) if he will estimate how many full-time students have earnings; how many claimed holiday earnings exemptions under form P38(S); and how many students may have overpaid tax in the last three full financial years. [37035]

  Dawn Primarolo
  A national insurance number is generally notified to a person shortly before they reach their sixteenth birthday. Any employee over the age of 16 is liable to pay Class 1 contributions where, in any tax week, earnings are paid which exceed the NICs employees's earnings threshold. We have no information on numbers of students who pay contributions.

  I regret that I cannot provide reliable estimates for these questions as the Inland Revenue do not hold this information centrally.

  G7 Meeting (Ottawa)
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the recent G7 meeting in Ottawa. [36551]

  Ruth Kelly
  G7 Finance Ministers and Central bank governors met in Ottawa on the 8 and 9 February. They discussed the global economy; the importance of fostering development; and on-going efforts to combat the financing of terrorism.

  Ministers and governors agreed that since they had last met, prospects had generally strengthened for resumed expansion in their economies, although risks remained. Ministers and governors agreed the need for more effective use of development assistance and a commitment to sound policies, good governance and the rule of law by all countries. They considered possible innovative ways to mobilize additional domestic and external resources, trade and external debt, and looked forward to continued discussions at the UN Financing for Development conference in Monterrey in March.

  The full statement from the meeting, including an action plan on combating the financing of terrorism, is available in the Library.

  EU Budget (British Rebate)
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value, in sterling, of the British rebate from the EU budget is from 1984 to the most recent year for which figures are available. [36385]

  Ruth Kelly
  The total value of the UK abatement up to the end of 2000–01 can be found in the final paragraph of Chapter 14.4 of the Departmental Report of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments (Cm 5116) published in April 2001.

  Railtrack
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 4 February 2002,Official Report, column 702W, on Railtrack, which criteria he used when determining that disclosure would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion. [R] [36939]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  As I said in my previous answer, a railway administration order was made in respect of Railtrack plc under the provisions of the Railways Act 1993. No extra legislation was necessary to put the company into administration.

  There is no obligation to disclose confidential communications between Departments, in accordance with Exemption 2 (Internal discussion and advice) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  I have nothing to add to that answer.

  Kingscrest Associates and Montecello
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects the appeal against the London VAT Tribunal decision in the case of Kingscrest Associates and Montecello to be heard; and what legal costs Customs have incurred in this case. [36705]
  1053W
  Mr. Boateng
  The appeal by Customs will be heard by the High Court on either the 18 or 19 February 2002. The costs incurred to date are £26,466.

  Headwear (VAT)
  Phil Sawford
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much revenue the Treasury has received from VAT on riding hats in each of the past five years for which figures are available; and what figures he has collated on the rate of VAT levied on(a) motorcycle helmets, (b) bicycle helmets and (c) riding hats in each of the EU member states. [36456]

  Mr. Boateng
  No such information is available.

  Business R and D
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the(a) total and (b) business research and development is as a percentage of GDP for (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland. [36413]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Alex Salmond, dated 25 February 2002:
  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about what the (a) total and (b) business research and development as a percentage of GDP for (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland. (36413)
  The latest available information is in respect of 1999.
  The UK total research & development (R&D) as a percentage of GDP for 1999 is 1.8 per cent. Total R&D data in respect of 2000 will be available from March 2002. There is no regional breakdown available and therefore no information is available for Scotland.
  UK Business R&D as a percentage of GDP for 1999 is 1.2 per cent. Business R&D as a percentage of GDP for 1999 for Scotland is 0.5 per cent. Regional business R&D as a percentage of GDP for 2000 will not be available until the completion of 2000 regional GDP figures in April 2002.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees in each region and nation of the UK, and what percentage of all employees, had earnings below the lower earnings limit for national insurance in each year since 1997; and what proportion of such workers were women. [37291]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 25 February 2002:
  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the number of employees earning below the lower earnings limit for National Insurance since 1997. (37291)
  The attached table gives the available information from the Labour Force Survey (LFS) for the autumn (September to November) quarters of each year from 1997 to 2001.
  1054W

  Numbers and percentages of employees whose gross weekly earnings are less than the lower limit for national insurance. Autumn (September to November) quarters 1996 to 2001, not seasonally adjusted

  Government Office Regions

  Thousands

  Percentage of all employees

  Percentage who are women

  Autumn (September to November) 1996

  United Kingdom

  2,534

  11.1

  78.1

  England

  2,164

  11.2

  78.1

  North East

  120

  12.3

  80.0

  North West

  302

  11.6

  82.7

  Yorkshire and the Humber

  217

  11.3

  75.7

  East Midlands

  224

  13.0

  81.8

  West Midlands

  225

  10.7

  85.9

  Eastern

  261

  12.0

  81.3

  London

  167

  6.3

  72.4

  South East

  392

  11.9

  74.7

  South West

  258

  13.9

  71.3

  Wales

  137

  13.2

  74.8

  Scotland

  186

  9.2

  77.3

  Northern Ireland

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Autumn (September to November) 1997

  United Kingdom

  2,509

  10.7

  78.8

  England

  2,131

  10.8

  78.6

  North East

  127

  13.1

  80.7

  North West

  291

  11.0

  78.3

  Yorkshire and the Humber

  222

  11.2

  79.9

  East Midlands

  209

  11.9

  77.8

  West Midlands

  236

  10.9

  76.9

  Eastern

  242

  10.8

  82.8

  London

  189

  6.8

  72.7

  South East

  362

  10.8

  79.0

  South West

  253

  13.1

  79.0

  Wales

  107

  10.3

  83.2

  Scotland

  216

  10.6

  78.7

  Northern Ireland

  55

  9.5

  74.3

  Autumn (September to November) 1998

  United Kingdom

  2,435

  10.1

  78.5

  England

  2,058

  10.2

  78.6

  North East

  133

  13.8

  80.2

  North West

  298

  11.1

  80.5

  Yorkshire and the Humber

  201

  9.9

  82.5

  East Midlands

  190

  10.8

  78.4

  West Midlands

  230

  10.4

  78.8

  Eastern

  236

  10.3

  78.4

  London

  195

  6.8

  67.9

  South East

  333

  9.5

  78.4

  South West

  243

  12.2

  81.2

  Wales

  121

  11.3

  81.9

  Scotland

  205

  9.8

  79.3

  Northern Ireland

  51

  8.7

  65.2

  Autumn (September to November) 1999

  United Kingdom

  2,262

  9.3

  76.8

  England

  1,901

  9.3

  76.7

  North East

  109

  11.3

  83.1

  North West

  255

  9.2

  74.2

  Yorkshire and the Humber

  167

  8.2

  85.1

  East Midlands

  170

  9.6

  79.1

  West Midlands

  228

  10.4

  79.2

  Eastern

  217

  9.4

  78.9

  London

  202

  6.9

  64.4

  South East

  319

  9.1

  73.7

  South West

  233

  11.4

  78.7

  Wales

  129

  11.8

  77.6

  Scotland

  189

  9.0

  77.5

  Northern Ireland

  43

  7.3

  78.1

  Autumn (September to November) 2000

  United Kingdom

  2,104

  8.5

  75.2

  England

  1,774

  8.5

  75.1

  North East

  88

  8.8

  78.2

  North West

  227

  8.2

  77.2

  Yorkshire and the Humber

  220

  10.5

  73.0

  East Midlands

  152

  8.5

  80.6

  West Midlands

  203

  9.2

  78.1

  Eastern

  203

  8.5

  75.2

  London

  170

  5.9

  64.3

  South East

  319

  9.0

  76.7

  South West

  192

  9.3

  73.3

  Wales

  116

  10.6

  69.6

  Scotland

  166

  7.7

  77.0

  Northern Ireland

  48

  7.9

  87.0

  1055W

  Numbers and percentages of employees whose gross weekly earnings are less than the lower limit for national insurance. Autumn (September to November) quarters 1996 to 2001, not seasonally adjusted

  Government Office Regions

  Thousands

  Percentage of all employees

  Percentage who are women

  Autumn (September to November) 2001

  United Kingdom

  2,060

  8.3

  75.3

  England

  1,746

  8.3

  75.0

  North East

  84

  8.3

  77.4

  North West

  223

  8.0

  76.4

  Yorkshire and the Humber

  191

  9.2

  78.0

  East Midlands

  161

  8.9

  77.5

  West Midlands

  191

  8.5

  80.6

  Eastern

  220

  9.1

  73.6

  London

  154

  5.1

  64.9

  South East

  291

  8.1

  74.1

  South West

  231

  11.1

  73.5

  Wales

  96

  8.7

  81.7

  Scotland

  158

  7.4

  77.1

  Northern Ireland

  59

  9.7

  66.9

  1 Sample size too small for reliable estimate.

  Source:

  ONS Labour Force Survey.

  Marriage Statistics
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many marriages were contracted between UK nationals residing in the UK and spouses living abroad; and how many and what percentage were arranged marriages in each year since 1997. [36481]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Gordon Prentice, dated 25 February 2002:
  The National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales has been asked to reply to your recent question on the number of marriages contracted between UK nationals residing in the UK and spouses living abroad, and the percentage of these marriages that were arranged marriages, in each year since 1997. I am replying in his absence. (36841)
  I regret that the information requested is not available. Only marriages which are solemnised within England and Wales are routinely registered in this country. The nationalities of the spouses are not recorded amongst the details in the Marriage Register; nor whether the marriage was arranged or not.

  Health and Safety (Computers)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employees in his Department who regularly use computers have taken up the provision of a free eye test; and how this service is advertised to(a) current and (b) new staff. [36693]

  Ruth Kelly
  134 staff took advantage of the free eyesight test during 2001. The eyesight test service is communicated to the Department by:

  The Health and Safety Policy;

  Health and Safety Intranet Home Page;

  Regular electronic messages of the day;

  Articles in our house magazine;

  Reception training;

  Electronic training DSE package;

  Issue to everyone of the HSE booklet "Working with VDUs";

  Minutes of Health and Safety Hon. and S Committee which includes statistics on eyesight testing;

  DSE risk assessments;

  Poster campaigns.

  Landfill Tax
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what landfill tax proceeds have passed to Entrust in(a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000 and (c) 2000–01 for (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland. [36449]

  Mr. Boateng
  Entrust, the regulator of the environmental bodies landfill tax credit scheme, receives none of the proceeds from landfill tax. Contributions made by landfill site operators under the scheme to environmental bodies are:

  £

  (i) For the UK

  1998–99

  82,676,183

  1999–2000

  96,221,885

  2000–01

  115,774,454

  (ii) For Scotland

  1998–99

  7,488,354

  1999–2000

  7,992,538

  2000–01

  7,808,311

  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been raised by the landfill tax in(a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000, and (c) 2000–01 in (i) the UK and (ii) Scotland. [36448]

  Mr. Boateng
  Figures relating to landfill tax are not available for separate countries or regions within the UK. This is due to the method of collection of the tax, where each landfill operator is registered according to the location of their head office.

  Scottish Executive (Funding)
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (Mr. Salmond) of 31 January 2002,Official Report, column 518W, if he will set out for each year since 1997 and for each Department, in total and by project, the changes in their planned expenditure which have produced a share of such changes for the Scottish Executive under the Barnett formula; what the total value of such changes was by Department; what the resulting change in funding for the Scottish Executive was in total and in each case; and what the (a) changes in spending for each Department were as a percentage of total identifiable spending in England and (b) resulting produced changes for the Scottish Executive were as a percentage of total identifiable expenditure in Scotland. [36751]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Details of the Barnett formula used in the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review were published in the Statement of Funding Policy in March 1999. An updated version of the statement was published in July 2000 showing details of the Barnett formula used in the 2000 Spending Review. The spending settlements for Scotland and for Government Departments were published in the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review (Cm 4011) and 2000 Spending Review (Cm 4807). Details of identifiable total managed spending by function and country were published in Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm 5101) in April 2001.

  Macmillan Cancer Relief
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received concerning the VAT on building costs paid by Macmillan Cancer Relief; and if he will take measures to support Macmillan Cancer Relief. [36913]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Government greatly appreciate the work of Macmillan Cancer Relief.

  The Government have received a number of representations concerning the VAT implications of Macmillan Cancer Relief's building programme. Customs have recently had useful and constructive initial discussions with Macmillan, and are currently giving further consideration to the issues raised.

  Tax Payments (Euros)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether UK residents can pay their tax bills in euros. [36714]

  Ruth Kelly
  The Inland Revenue accepts payment of tax bills in euros, in the same way as it accepts payment in other foreign currencies.

  GDP Expenditure (Public Services)
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average proportion of gross domestic product spent on public services was during(a) 1975 to 1979, (b) 1980 to 1990, (c) 1990 to 1997 and (d) 1998 to 2001; and what his estimate is of the proportion of GDP that will be spent on public services between 2002 and 2006. [36601]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The proportions of gross domestic product accounted for by public spending, defined as Total Managed Expenditure (TME), for each financial year from 1970–71 to 2000–01 were published in the pre-Budget report (Cm5318), table B23. The equivalent projections for future years are set out in the table.

  TME as percentage of GDP

  2001–02

  39.5

  2002–03

  40.0

  2003–04

  40.4

  2004–05

  40.5

  2005–06

  40.5

  2006–07

  40.4

  Rail Journeys
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the(a) percentage and number of rail journeys undertaken on first class tickets, (b) average cost of a first class journey by rail and (c) total cost of rail travel in each of the past four years broken down by grade of civil servant. [37502]

  Ruth Kelly
  In 2001, 1,057 first class rail tickets were purchased by the Treasury (43 per cent. of the total tickets purchased). The average cost of a first class journey in that year was £116. Total spending on rail tickets over the past three years is set out in the table. Information for 1998 is not available. No analysis by grade is available.
  1058W

  Spending (£)

  1999

  131,186

  2000

  156,524

  2001

  172,727

  Terrorism
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the retail sector of changes in the level of insurance premiums since 11 September 2001. [37262]

  Ruth Kelly
  The terms, conditions and price of insurance products change constantly in response to market conditions. I am not aware of any significant changes directly attributable to 11 September, except in the availability of insurance against terrorism risk.

  Royal Mint
  Mr. Cameron
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many euros have been produced by the Royal Mint; and if he will make a statement. [37085]

  Ruth Kelly
  The Royal Mint has supplied euro blanks, mainly copper plated steel 1c, 2c and 5c blanks, to nine of the first wave countries. Most of the individual contracts are confidential but the total blanks supplied exceeds 11,000 tonnes.

  Household Incomes/Consumption
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was(a) household income and (b) individual consumption expenditure in total and as a percentage of the UK total; and what the annual percentage change was in each of the last five years in each nation and region of the UK. [37564]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Peter Wishart, dated 25 February 2002:
  As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question on estimates of household income and individual consumption expenditure in the countries and regions of the United Kingdom. (37564)
  The latest data available are for the year 1999, and were published as an ONS News Release on 26 July 2001. These data are presented in the attached tables.
  The ONS is currently compiling estimates for data up to the year 2000 for sub-national household income. We plan to publish these estimates later in the spring. It is planned that estimates for sub-national individual consumption expenditure for the same period will be published in the summer.
  The publication referred to in this answer is available in the House of Commons Library and on the web at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/regionalaccounts.

  Total household income by region 1995–99

  £ million

  1995

  1996

  19971

  19981

  19991

  United Kingdom2

  706,351

  749,815

  789,791

  830,192

  873,724

  North East

  27,286

  28,753

  29,542

  30,320

  31,120

  North West.

  76,975

  81,446

  84,836

  88,272

  92,262

  Yorkshire and Humber

  55,208

  59,157

  61,112

  63,953

  67,775

  East Midlands

  46,654

  49,986

  52,763

  54,971

  57,445

  1059W

  Total household income by region 1995–99

  £ million

  1995

  1996

  19971

  19981

  19991

  West Midlands

  59,808

  62,279

  64,358

  67,619

  71,638

  East

  67,523

  71,582

  77,970

  83,517

  88,824

  London

  102,265

  109,534

  116,740

  124,156

  130,403

  South East

  105,705

  113,456

  120,734

  127,477

  135,433

  South West

  56,152

  59,591

  63,522

  66,263

  69,456

  Wales

  30,948

  32,503

  33,614

  35,198

  37,169

  Scotland

  60,408

  63,381

  65,305

  68,397

  71,296

  Northern Ireland

  16,858

  17,527

  18,680

  19,434

  20,287

  UK less Extra-Regio

  705,791

  749,197

  789,175

  829,576

  873,108

  Extra-Regio3

  560

  618

  616

  616

  616

  Percentage of UK Household Income (excluding extra-regio)

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  United Kingdom2

  100.0

  100.0

  100.0

  100.0

  100.0

  North East

  3.9

  3.8

  3.7

  3.7

  3.6

  North West

  10.9

  10.9

  10.7

  10.6

  10.6

  Yorkshire and Humber

  7.8

  7.9

  7.7

  7.7

  7.8

  East Midlands

  6.6

  6.7

  6.7

  6.6

  6.6

  West Midlands

  8.5

  8.3

  8.2

  8.2

  8.2

  East

  9.6

  9.6

  9.9

  10.1

  10.2

  London

  14.5

  14.6

  14.8

  15.0

  14.9

  South East

  15.0

  15.1

  15.3

  15.4

  15.5

  South West

  8.0

  8.0

  8.0

  8.0

  8.0

  Wales

  4.4

  4.3

  4.3

  4.2

  4.3

  Scotland

  8.6

  8.5

  8.3

  8.2

  8.2

  Northern Ireland

  2.4

  2.3

  2.4

  2.3

  2.3

  Household income—year on year percentage change (excluding extra-regio)

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  United Kingdom2

  5.8

  6.1

  5.3

  5.1

  5.2

  North East

  4.8

  5.4

  2.7

  2.6

  2.6

  North West

  5.0

  5.8

  4.2

  4.1

  4.5

  Yorkshire and Humber

  4.9

  7.2

  3.3

  4.6

  6.0

  East Midlands

  5.1

  7.1

  5.6

  4.2

  4.5

  West Midlands

  6.8

  4.1

  3.3

  5.1

  5.9

  East

  5.6

  6.0

  8.9

  7.1

  6.4

  London

  6.0

  7.1

  6.6

  6.4

  5.0

  South East

  5.9

  7.3

  6.4

  5.6

  6.2

  South West

  7.2

  6.1

  6.6

  4.3

  4.8

  Wales

  6.5

  5.0

  3.4

  4.7

  5.6

  Scotland

  5.8

  4.9

  3.0

  4.7

  4.2

  Northern Ireland

  6.7

  4.0

  6.6

  4.0

  4.4

  Individual consumption expenditure by region 1995–99

  £ million

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  19991

  United Kingdom2

  454,934

  486,226

  517,909

  551,823

  586,906

  North East

  18,241

  19,272

  20,150

  20,998

  20,659

  North West

  50,717

  53,864

  57,489

  59,774

  64,133

  Yorkshire and Humber

  36,798

  39,108

  41,255

  44,248

  44,956

  East Midlands

  31,245

  32,865

  34,787

  36,261

  37,961

  West Midlands

  39,106

  40,993

  43,309

  46,107

  49,416

  East

  41,554

  44,989

  47,712

  52,258

  54,607

  London

  63,080

  66,893

  72,873

  80,737

  89,241

  South East

  68,110

  73,585

  78,921

  85,207

  92,024

  South West

  35,717

  38,979

  41,784

  43,887

  47,384

  Wales

  20,443

  22,578

  23,553

  23,716

  24,103

  Scotland

  38,787

  41,129

  43,556

  45,520

  48,421

  Northern Ireland

  11,192

  11,977

  12,521

  13,109

  14,009

  1060W

  Percentage of UK individual consumption expenditure

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  United Kingdom2

  100.0

  100.0

  100.0

  100.0

  100.0

  North East

  4.0

  4.0

  3.9

  3.8

  3.5

  North West

  11.1

  11.1

  11.1

  10.8

  10.9

  Yorkshire and Humber

  8.1

  8.0

  8.0

  8.0

  7.7

  East Midlands

  6.9

  6.8

  6.7

  6.6

  6.5

  West Midlands

  8.6

  8.4

  8.4

  8.4

  8.4

  East

  9.1

  9.3

  9.2

  9.5

  9.3

  London

  13.9

  13.8

  14.1

  14.6

  15.2

  South East

  15.0

  15.1

  15.2

  15.4

  15.7

  South West

  7.9

  8.0

  8.1

  8.0

  8.1

  Wales

  4.5

  4.6

  4.5

  4.3

  4.1

  Scotland

  8.5

  8.5

  8.4

  8.2

  8.3

  Northern Ireland

  2.5

  2.5

  2.4

  2.4

  2.4

  Individual consumption expenditure—year on year percentage change

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  United Kingdom2

  4.7

  6.9

  6.5

  6.5

  6.4

  North East

  4.3

  5.8

  4.6

  4.2

  -1.6

  North West

  3.6

  6.2

  6.7

  4.0

  7.3

  Yorkshire and Humber

  3.4

  6.3

  5.5

  7.3

  1.6

  East Midlands

  6.2

  5.2

  5.8

  4.2

  4.7

  West Midlands

  6.6

  4.8

  5.6

  6.5

  7.2

  East

  7.9

  8.3

  6.1

  9.5

  4.5

  London

  3.0

  6.0

  8.9

  10.8

  10.5

  South East

  4.0

  8.1

  7.3

  8.0

  8.0

  South West

  5.8

  9.1

  7.2

  5.0

  8.0

  Wales

  6.8

  10.5

  4.3

  0.7

  1.6

  Scotland

  2.9

  6.0

  5.9

  4.5

  6.4

  Northern Ireland

  5.9

  7.0

  4.5

  4.7

  6.9

  1 Provisional

  2 Components may not sum to totals as a result of rounding

  3 Parts of the UK economic territory that can not be attached to any particular region

  Source:

  Regional Accounts 2001 Part 2 Regional Household Income and ICE

  Vocational Training
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have claimed tax relief for vocational training in each of the last four years; and what has been the cost to public funds in each year. [24823]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [pursuant to his reply, 8 January 2002, C.810W]: The table unfortunately contained a number of errors. The correct information is as follows:

  Cost of tax relief2

  Year

  Claims received1

  £ million

  2000–01

  125,000

  30

  1999–2000

  250,000

  60

  1998–99

  300,000

  50

  1997–98

  300,000

  45

  1 Number of claims received and not the number of trainees as an individual could make more than one claim in a tax year. It was estimated that there were probably about 200,000 people claiming VTR in 1997–98 and 1998–99.

  2 On an accrued basis.

  Charities
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce a statutory
  1061W
  minimum threshold for the amount or percentage of donations raised by registered charities to be dedicated to the charities' beneficiaries. [35254]

  Angela Eagle
  This issue is currently being considered by Cabinet Office's performance and innovation unit as part of its review of the legal and regulatory framework for charities and the voluntary sector. The report of the review is due to be published in spring.

  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what estimate he has made of the average proportion of moneys raised by registered charities which is dedicated directly to the charities' beneficiaries in the last year for which figures are available; [35252]

  (2) how many registered charities were (a) investigated and (b) taken into administration on the grounds that an insufficient proportion of their received donations was
  1062W
  dedicated directly to the charities' beneficiaries in each year since 1997; [35253]

  (3) if he will introduce guidance as to the minimum acceptable threshold for the amount or percentage of donations raised by registered charities to be dedicated to the charities' beneficiaries; [35251]

  (4) what steps he takes to ensure that registered charities inform potential donors of the proportion of moneys raised that is dedicated directly to the charities' beneficiaries. [35250]

  Angela Eagle
  I have been asked to reply.

  These are matters for the Charity Commission as the regulator of charities in England and Wales. The Chief Charity Commissioner will write to the hon. Member and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

Preamble
The House met at half-past two of the clock: The LORD CHANCELLOR on the Woolsack.
Prayers—Read by the Lord Bishop of Hereford. Several Lords took the Oath.

Afghanistan: Humanitarian Aid
Baroness Whitaker Baroness Whitaker asked Her Majesty's Government:
Following the Tokyo conference, what efforts they have made to get humanitarian aid to inaccessible regions of Afghanistan.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Baroness Amos): My Lords, thanks to the early and effective actions of the international humanitarian community, a catastrophe has been averted in Afghanistan. However, the humanitarian situation remains fragile and pockets of unmet need remain where vulnerable people cannot be reached due to poor weather or insecurity. Humanitarian agencies, supported by the United Kingdom, are continuing to do their best to deliver life-saving assistance to those in need, including the United Nations World Food Programme, which has deployed helicopters for rapid assessment and delivery of emergency aid to remote areas, and specialist experts and equipment to keep routes open.
Baroness Whitaker: My Lords, I thank my noble friend the Minister for that realistic and comprehensive Answer. Does she agree that the ultimate aim must be to render humanitarian aid unnecessary by fostering long-term development? If she does, will she say, following the publication of the DfiD consultative document on eliminating hunger, how her department will be furthering Afghanistan's needs for long-term development?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I agree with my noble friend Lady Whitaker that we need to work to make humanitarian aid unnecessary. However, in the short term. we shall continue our humanitarian efforts while at the same time working for the long-term reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. My noble friend will be aware that at the recent Tokyo conference there were pledges both for next year and for a five-year reconstruction effort. The Department for International Development has set aside a further £20 million for this financial year. This support follows on from the £40 million of emergency humanitarian relief we have already given. We have pledged £200 million over the next five years.
Lord Astor of Hever: My Lords, is the Minister aware that, even in accessible areas, levels of
1222
malnutrition among Afghan children are shockingly high? Can she give an assurance that the levels of emergency food aid will not be allowed to drop off as international tension moves on to the next big crisis?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I can reassure the noble Lord that we continue to monitor the humanitarian situation extremely carefully. As I said in my opening Answer, helicopters are now being used to access the more remote and difficult areas. Of course, the weather remains a problem because it is winter. There are also some security problems, with which we are trying to deal. There is a huge problem with the numbers of internally displaced people in Afghanistan, as well as problems with refugees in neighbouring countries. We are well aware of these challenges and we are working in partnership with the whole international community to try to bring an end to these problems.
The Countess of Mar: My Lords, can the Minister say what is being done to encourage the Afghans to grow food to feed their own populations rather than to grow opium poppies to feed the addiction of the western world?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, as the noble Countess knows, our overarching development commitment is to deal with poverty reduction. As 85 per cent of Afghanistan's population is dependent on agriculture, and given the continuing food shortage, the international recovery efforts need to focus on raising productivity in agricultural areas and, indeed, on creating employment opportunities. The noble Countess may be aware that, in ex-poppy-growing areas, a poppy cultivation ban was imposed by the Taliban which has created some difficulties for those communities.
Baroness Gardner of Parkes: My Lords, can the Minister say whether there is a continuing problem because there have been press reports that, when food parcels were being dropped, children were being told not to touch them as they contained poisons or dangerous substances? Has that problem been overcome? Are people now willing to accept the humanitarian food aid in particular?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I believe the noble Baroness is referring to a problem which occurred very early on when airlifts were being used to drop some supplies. We are now trying to ensure that we get supplies in directly, either on the ground or through the use of helicopters. Donkeys have also been used to get supplies into some of the more remote areas. The difficulty identified by the noble Baroness is no longer such a problem.
Lord Shutt of Greetland: My Lords, as regards the resources committed by this country and internationally, will the Minister indicate the balance between those for humanitarian needs and those for long-term reconstruction and development?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I can confirm that at the Tokyo conference we pledged £200 million over five

1223
years for long-term reconstruction. With regard to the immediate needs, since 11th September—I hope that I get the figures right—we have given some £40 million; and we have given a further £20 million since then. I shall confirm the figures to the noble Lord in writing.
Baroness Massey of Darwen: My Lords, will the Minister comment on her department's commitment to ensure that women's interests in Afghanistan are fully represented— including through the Afghan Interim Authority and that there may be a ministry for women?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I can confirm that it was agreed at the Tokyo conference that women's rights should be fully mainstreamed and honoured through all the programmes in the reconstruction process. I can confirm that, of the 21 people appointed to put together the Loya Jirgah, three are women.
The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, will the Minister confirm that aid is still arriving in Afghanistan by train from the north, granted that rail is the best way of bringing in large quantities of aid? Are there any plans to re-establish the rail link across the Pakistani border?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I am not able to answer the second point about the rail link across the Pakistani border. I shall investigate the matter and write to the right reverend Prelate. We are using every avenue open to us to get humanitarian aid into Afghanistan.
Lord Mackie of Benshie: My Lords, how many helicopters are available for the distribution of food?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I am not aware of the exact number. If I can confirm it, I shall be happy to write to the noble Lord.

Political Parties: Donations
2.45 p.m.
Lord Goodhart Lord Goodhart asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will consider legislating to impose a cap on the size of donations to political parties and to provide further state funding for political parties.
The Minister of State, Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (Lord Falconer of Thoroton): My Lords, we have no current plans for a cap in the size of donations to political parties or to establish a new system for state funding. This is in line with the recommendations of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, chaired then by the noble Lord, Lord Neill of Bladen. The Electoral Commission has indicated previously its intention to consider the argument for a cap on political donations and state funding for political parties before the next
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general election. We shall want to look very carefully at any recommendations it makes. We would welcome a debate on the funding of political parties.
Lord Goodhart: My Lords, will the Government accept that, if public confidence in the political process is to be restored, it will be essential to put a cap on the size of donations to political parties from any single source? Will the Government also accept that the corollary of that is that there will be a need for increased public funding for political parties, either by direct grants or by means of tax relief?
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: No, my Lords, I do not accept that. The Neill committee examined the issue and concluded neither that there should be a cap nor that there should be public funding of political parties. As to a cap, the Neill committee concluded that individuals have the freedom to contribute to political parties. At the same time, the committee made it clear that there should be disclosure of substantial donations. So far as concerns the public funding of political parties, the view has been taken that it would be wrong for the state to finance political parties. There are other matters which are more important in terms of financial priorities. So I do not accept the noble Lord's premise. As I said in my original Answer, it would be useful to have a debate on the issue.
Lord Peyton of Yeovil: My Lords, given the Minister's last observation, will he and his colleagues be very careful indeed before they are induced by the seductive words of the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, to enter the morass of feeding political parties with public money—at least until political parties become much nicer and wiser than they presently are?
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My Lords, the "morass" as regards public funding for political parties was a point examined by the Neil committee. The committee's response to that as a solution was a decisive "No". As I said, we should have a debate on the matter, but we are not presently persuaded that it would be a sensible way in which to spend public money.
Lord Campbell-Savours: My Lords, when will we ever learn? Yet again, we have been through a very difficult period in terms of publicity for the Labour Party. The same has happened to other political parties over recent decades. Why do we not now consult the public and find out what they believe and not presume in advance that our views as to what they believe are correct? We may well be wrong—as indeed may have been the noble Lord, Lord Neill.
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My Lords, I underline the point: let us have a debate on the issue. Let us hear what people say about it. I accepted at the outset that we should welcome such a debate. However, the Neill committee examined the matter and concluded that there should not be a cap and nor should there be public funding. Changes were introduced that have

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made a significant difference, including the publication of any significant level of funding by private individuals. As my noble friend suggests, let us have a debate on the matter.
Baroness Williams of Crosby: My Lords, the Neill committee reported some time ago. Does the Minister recognise that since then a number of cases have aroused great public concern about the funding of political parties? In particular, in the light of what the noble Lord, Lord Peyton, said, should not the Government recognise that the loophole for those domiciled in this country who fail to pay our taxes but who make donations to political parties is precisely the sort of issue that concerns the public deeply and undermines faith in our political system?
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My Lords, I recognise the public concern on that. The Electoral Commission is to look at caps and public funding and a Select Committee in another place will be looking at the funding of political parties generally. I have set out the Government's present position, but I have made it clear that we welcome a debate on these issues. Some time has gone by since the Neill committee reported and there have been various incidents. However, currently we are not persuaded of the need for a change.
Lord Tebbit: My Lords, have we not heard a new version of Goodhart's law today—the naive hope that good money will drive out had?
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My Lords, that is a matter for the noble Lord to take up with the noble Lord, Lord Goodhart, who unquestionably has a very good heart.
Lord Strathclyde: My Lords, in the great debate that the noble arid learned Lord wishes to have, I hope that he will take an early decision to advise the Prime Minister and the Labour Party to hand back Mr Mittal's £125,000 donation, given his active lobbying against the United Kingdom's steel industry.
Lord Falconer of Thoroton: My Lords, no doubt the noble Lord took advice from the noble Lord, Lord Ashcroft, before he asked that question.

Commonwealth Education
2.51 p.m.
Lord Thomson of Monifieth Lord Thomson of Monifieth asked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will make proposals for enhanced Commonwealth education co-operation at the forthcoming Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
Baroness Amos: My Lords, the Government will not put forward any new proposals at Coolum. However, we shall reiterate the importance of education for poverty reduction and development within the
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Commonwealth and for developing core Commonwealth values of democracy, tolerance, respect and understanding.
Lord Thomson of Monifieth: My Lords, is the Minister aware that there will he a general warm welcome for the Government's proposal to set up a fund in connection with the Queen's jubilee year to speed up the war against poverty in primary education for children throughout the Commonwealth? I f that is to succeed, a balanced education strategy is required. At the CHOGM in Brisbane, will the Government take up the recommendations made by the Commonwealth education Ministers at their recent meeting in Canada and seek their speedy implementation with a view to making the next meeting of Commonwealth education Ministers—which I believe will take place in Scotland—an outstanding success, for which the Government. will get some credit?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I cannot comment on where the next meeting of Commonwealth education Ministers will take place, although I understand that an announcement will be made shortly. I agree with the noble Lord. Education, particularly primary education, is one of the key elements of our strategy for reducing poverty. We are committed to the millennium development goal. We have committed more than £600 million since 1997 to help to achieve that target. The Halifax statement set out a broad vision of education. Commonwealth education Ministers mandated the Commonwealth Secretariat to monitor and report on the implementation of the recommendations coming out of that meeting.
Viscount Waverley: My Lords, education is key and Britain has much to offer. I do not wish, with regret, to be too political about the issue, but does the Minister accept we are disadvantaging ourselves by inhibiting foreign students coming to be educated in this country through the raising of fees'?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, through our support for the Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships Plan, for example, DfID and the FCO have given substantial amounts of money to help Commonwealth scholars to study in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the Commonwealth. Supporting education in the Commonwealth remains a key part: of our strategy.
Lord Astor of Hever: My Lords, is the Minister aware that CDC capital partners are abandoning their investments in some very deprived poor countries? Does she accept that while Her Majesty's Government allow that to happen, the development of education in some of the Commonwealth's most vulnerable countries will suffer?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I cannot agree with the noble Lord. The CDC legislation, which passed through both Houses of Parliament, has some clear strategy attached to it. The noble Lord will remember

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that the CDC is required to ensure that a certain proportion of its investment remains in the poorest countries, in particular in sub-Saharan Africa. We continue to recognise the importance of education in tackling poverty. Achieving the millennium development goal of getting children into universal primary education by 2015 remains a key part of our strategy. Through our work with the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan, we shall also continue to support Commonwealth scholars.
Lord Quirk: My Lords, do the Government agree that one of the remaining problems in education not only in the Commonwealth but in the third world generally is the relatively low take-up of primary education among girls as opposed to that among young boys?
Baroness Amos: My Lords, I entirely agree. Noble Lords will be aware of the goal to achieve gender equity in primary and secondary schooling by 2005. We are working very hard to achieve that, but it is difficult, particularly in situations in which boys' education is given much higher priority than girls' education.

Football Bans: Advice to Magistrates
2.56 p.m.
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale Lord Corbett of Castle Vale asked Her Majesty's Government:
What recent advice has been given to magistrates to encourage the imposition of banning orders on those convicted of criminal offences in connection with football matches.
The Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (Baroness Scotland of Asthal): My Lords, detailed guidance on football-related legislation has been issued to the courts since the Football Disorder Act 2000 came into effect in August 2000. The Lord Chancellor's Department issued advice in August 2000 and supplementary guidance in July 2001. Comprehensive Home Office guidance on football-related legislation was updated and issued to the courts in August 2000.
Lord Corbett of Castle Vale: My Lords, those clubs and police forces that are doing their best to protect their games and grounds against hooligans will sadly be disappointed with that response. Does the Minister know that last season magistrates refused two out of every three applications for banning orders on convicted hooligans? The scoreline reads: Everton 0, hooligans 9; Middlesbrough 0, hooligans 18; Stockport County 0, hooligans 14; and, top of the league, Walsall 0, hooligans 35. What can the Minister do to encourage magistrates to make better use of
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banning orders to protect our national game and prevent English hooligans getting to World Cup games this summer?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I assure my noble friend that much has been done. He outlines a most depressing scoreline, but I should remind the House of some more encouraging figures. As of today, 951 individuals are subject to banning orders. Of those, 873 can be prevented from travelling to matches overseas. That is a huge increase on the 100 individuals who could be prevented from attending the Euro 2000 championships. One need only look at the recent Holland versus England game to see the difference that the measures have made. On that occasion, there were only 12 English arrests. When England last played in Holland in 1993, there were well over 1,000 arrests, together with great disorder. The nature of the offences has also changed. There was a little drunkenness. Two gentlemen were caught relieving themselves at a convenient point. Only one person was arrested as a result of violence. That is a significant improvement and our football fans should rightly be congratulated on their change of heart.
Lord Dixon-Smith: My Lords, there is not the slightest doubt that everyone will welcome the successful way in which the Football Disorder Act worked at the recent England versus Holland match. Everyone involved deserves some congratulations. However, does the Minister agree that magistrates' courts are the first line of defence as soon as an order is applied for, and that it is therefore essential that the courts have a clear idea of their proper function and administer their decisions in a consistent and rigorous manner? Sadly, such an approach is still necessary. Is the Minister satisfied that magistrates' courts are adequately briefed—I shall not say instructed—on how to proceed?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, we have given a great deal of guidance; I dare say that all noble Lords will have seen the magnificent publication Guidance on Football-Related Legislation, produced by the Home Office. To encourage magistrates even further, as I said in my initial Answer, the Lord Chancellor's Department has issued further guidance to magistrates. We understand the concerns about inconsistency in imposing orders across the country. My noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor is certainly concerned about the issue. Last October, in a speech to the Magistrates' Association, he stressed that, when the legislative criteria are satisfied, there is no discretion and the court must make an order. That has been clearly underlined by my noble and learned friend. Magistrates have the benefit of a legally trained magistrates' court clerk to assist them in making such determinations, and there has been a steady increase in the number of orders made. We therefore hope that the message is getting through and that we shall see greater consistency.
Lord Taylor of Blackburn: My Lords, does my noble friend agree that the behaviour of the spectators at

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Cardiff yesterday and the result of that match prove beyond doubt that those supporting the two clubs set an example to the rest of the country? There was no difficulty at all with the police.
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I am happy to acknowledge that. I also understand that it was Blackburn's most successful game since probably 1926. Many congratulations to them—although we hope that noble Lords who are true Spurs supporters are not too gloomy about the outcome.
Lord Ouseley: My Lords, does the Minister believe that, notwithstanding the role of the courts in dealing with bad behaviour by football fans, the behaviour of professional footballers has an impact on the behaviour of football fans at football matches? If that is the case, is there not an inherent double-standard in the way in which the football authorities behave in selecting players who have criminal convictions to represent this country at an international level? Do the Government intend to bring their influence to bear on the football authorities to prevent highly paid professional footballers with criminal convictions representing this country?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, it is a matter for the Football Association to decide which footballers are chosen. The noble Lord, however, has raised issues that the association must properly take into consideration. Although the Government cannot influence that decision, we can say that the banning orders apply equally to all individuals, be they players or supporters. The universality of the provision is helpful.
Lord Faulkner of Worcester: My Lords, has my noble friend studied the remarks of Assistant Chief Constable Ron Hogg, of the Association of Chief Police Officers, who was interviewed on BBC Radio 5 on 31st January? He said that current legislation is very effective and works very well when used, but that between 300 and 400 football fans who have been convicted of offences of violence that should have resulted in a banning order are still free to travel this summer to the World Cup in Japan and Korea. In view of the fact that the number of England fans travelling under the auspices of the official travel club is likely to be only 4,000—one-tenth the number who went to France—does the Minister accept that 400 fans who are travelling under their own steam but who have criminal convictions could do great damage to the name of English football in the World Cup competition?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, I certainly understand the noble Lord's fear. I can reassure him that the authorities both in the United Kingdom and in Japan are working extremely hard together to ensure that those who might wish to disrupt the World Cup are not able to do so. I also know from my noble friend Lady Amos that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has put very valuable information about the subject on its website. There is
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a very joined-up approach to ensure that those who wish to behave badly have a very limited opportunity to do so.
Lord McNally: My Lords, further to the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Ouseley, does the Minister agree that while football should receive support from the police and from magistrates, the solution to its many problems lies inside football itself—not only in leadership by players and directors but by continuing to improve ground safety and CCTV coverage, refusing to admit known hooligans to the grounds, and implementing a mass of policies that together will make football grounds safer places to be? Will the Minister therefore reject entirely the siren voice of Kate Hoey and others who have called for a return to terraces at football grounds, which would be an invitation to further hooliganism?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, the noble Lord makes a number of points, but I think that I should properly deal with only a couple of them. The first point was on leadership. I certainly agree that leadership is immensely important. I also agree that the effort being made to improve grounds is very helpful in enhancing the levels of intelligence available to police and other agencies and targeting those who have created huge problems. As for the comments of my honourable friend Kate Hoey, 1 shall allow her to speak for herself.
Lord Hoyle: My Lords, does my noble friend agree that whereas some of the figures that she has cited today fill us with some hope and confidence, we must never be complacent? Must we not also work to try to ensure that the behaviour of football crowds at association matches is as good as that of fans at Rugby League matches—in which I have a certain interest?
Baroness Scotland of Asthal: My Lords, yes.

Business
Lord Carter: My Lords, at a convenient moment after 3.30 p.m., my noble friend Lord Rooker will, with the leave of the House, repeat a Statement that is being made in another place on the Yarl's Wood fire.
Civil Defence (Grant) Bill
Read a third time, and passed.

Northern Ireland Arms Decommissioning (Amendment) Bill
3.8 p.m.
Read a third time.
Clause I [Extension of amnesty period]:
Lord Glentoran Lord Glentoran moved the amendment:
Page I, line 7, leave out "2007" and insert "2005"
The noble Lord said: My Lords, I have placed this amendment before your Lordships twice already during our consideration of the Bill. I think that the argument between my party and the Government is about two things. The first and clearest basis for our disagreement relates to the message. We believe that the most important action, which could make the biggest difference to the people of Northern Ireland and to the overall ambience and atmosphere and progress in Northern Ireland, would be serious acts of decommissioning by all paramilitaries.
I am extremely unhappy with the way that the Bill has been worded. It does not send a message from the Government about their serious intent to tackle the paramilitaries and force them to disarm in one form or another. They have given concessions again and again. We have been over the arguments and I do not wish to spend more time on them. Yet we have not had any decommissioning from the loyalist paramilitaries who are culpable of the majority of the murders committed over the past year in Northern Ireland.
We had an act of decommissioning which came in a rush after 11th September. We do not know its scale. Some press reports may be interpreted as saying it was considerable; according to others, and reading between the lines of what General de Chastelain is reported as saying, it may have been minimal. We do not know. But in relation to the effect on the peace process and on politics in Northern Ireland, decommissioning may almost not have happened. We need a serious determination to get to grips with the decommissioning problem and with the arms held by paramilitaries throughout Northern Ireland.
The date in the amendment, which falls within the remit of this Government, is a reasonable date. It is not rushed; it does not stipulate the end of the year as the amendment in the other place did. It is a reasoned amendment. It clearly falls within the responsibility of this Government, before another election, to send the message through the acceptance of this amendment that we are determined, within the life of this Parliament, to ensure that we see some decommissioning from the paramilitaries. The way that the Bill reads at the moment leads the paramilitaries to say that it is another five years and they need not bother about it. But I can assure the Minister and the House that every year that this Bill comes up for review, my party will take the same stance that we are taking now unless we see some serious acts of decommissioning in between. I beg to move.
Lord Fitt: My Lords, I rise for only a few moments to once again express my opposition to the lengthening of the period allowed for paramilitaries to disarm, as stated in the Bill.
I spent last week in Belfast. I spoke to many people on both sides of the community, both loyalist and republican. Many expressed amazement and concern that the Government seem to be making yet another concession to people who have been guilty of the most
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atrocious murders over the past few years. They are concerned about that. But they are even more concerned—I made this point on the last occasion I spoke in the House—that linked to this decommissioning, which will allow paramilitary murderers to hold on to their weapons, the Government will be introducing within a few weeks an amnesty Bill. The people of Northern Ireland fear that the two are directly linked.
It is believed that more than 100 terrorists are on the run. They now have new names for them. In Northern Ireland they had ODCs, for "ordinary decent criminals"—those who were not involved in paramilitary activities. Now they have OTRs—"onthe-runs". But in the minds of the general public in Northern Ireland there is a direct linkage between our approach to decommissioning which would permit terrorists to hold on to their weapons for five years and the fact that, in a few weeks' time, terrorists who have been guilty of the most heinous offences and who are now living in the Republic of Ireland will be granted an amnesty to return to Northern Ireland without any possibility of ever appearing before the courts.
Only one political party asked for those concessions; that is, Sinn Fein. The loyalists, the SDLP, the Official Unionists and the Democratic Unionists—all the major political parties in Northern Ireland—did not ask for them. So the concession on decommissioning—I am in no position to warn anybody will produce serious opposition in this Parliament if, in the future, it appears that an amnesty is to be granted. That opposition may not only be in Parliament; it may also be on the streets of Northern Ireland if the Government go ahead with an amnesty Bill.
I express my opposition to the Bill because I am convinced that it is a further concession to people who have been guilty of the most heinous crimes in the history of Ireland.
3.15 p.m.
Lord Molyneaux of Killead: My Lords, I, too, support enthusiastically the amendment moved by the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, for the reasons I gave on a previous occasion. Those reasons are even more relevant now than they were 10 days ago because the passage of time has made this amendment, and a different approach to the entire Bill, more urgent and more relevant.
I know that outside observers have great difficulty in understanding the proceedings of your Lordships' House. They fail to appreciate the importance of separate stages of Bills, particularly those Bills which have completed their progress through another place—I am not certain whether the word "progress" is appropriate; "mad dash through another place" may be more appropriate.
Before Christmas the security situation in Northern Ireland was comparatively stable. P O'Neill, the IRA scribe, signed various bits of paper. They were thought to be of great significance but do not seem to have delivered very much. Elected colleagues in high places—I say "elected"—made certain clucking

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sounds which have been seized upon by the news industry as -remarkable progress". Within minutes of an atrocity, public servants assure us that it is the work of dissidents, the implication being that the murder of a citizen is therefore of little importance. But now the security forces, as the noble Lord, Lord Fitt, is aware, are on full alert in Northern Ireland, almost too late given the destruction of the Royal Ulster Constabulary and the likely ineffectiveness of the replacement body.
While one is acutely conscious these days of Army overstretch. there is an urgent need for a return to an anti-terrorist role for those formations of the Army currently stationed in Northern Ireland, which are not insignificant. Whatever the fate of this now rather irrelevant Bill, nothing must distract security chiefs from their duty to protect citizens in the highly dangerous weeks ahead. Of course, additional costs will have to be met from the promised increase in taxation intended to prevent people dying, now to prevent people being murdered.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer may have noticed only about a week ago the Irish Prime Minister giving what appeared to he a solo interview in Downing Street in which he, Mr Ahern, described his search for a Commonwealth judge of standing to investigate various allegations into the murders of several prominent citizens over many years. One assumes, although one cannot prove it, that Mr Ahern 'was speaking with the approval of Mr Blair when he announced the trawl for a judge, so it would seem to be a joint appointment with, presumably, each government paying half the fees and half the costs, including the costs of the fairly large staff that will have to be appointed to serve the judge, and jointly bearing the costs thereafter of several Saville-type public inquiries which inevitably will follow. Whatever the findings of the judge may be, the clamour will not in any way be diminished. Such joint arrangements will hopefully ease the demands on the taxation increases already dedicated to the National Health Service.
I have a suggestion to aid the Irish Republic's taxpayers, as one must be fair and there must be a degree of reciprocity. Your Lordships will have heard of the shooting of a British citizen in a Dublin police station only a week ago. It is alleged that the deceased shot himself but the only witnesses were Irish policemen who were in the station at that time. In earlier years their word would have been accepted, but sadly throughout the entire British Isles it is now common practice to reject the word of any policeman. I am not asking for a public inquiry but it would be desirable to clear the names of those Irish policemen on duty in that station at that time by inviting, or appointing, the police ombudswoman for Northern Ireland to conduct a thorough investigation and produce an impartial report. Only in that way can the Gardai officers stationed in that police station be spared the kind of slanderous attacks which were made on the Royal Ulster Constabulary following the Omagh bombing by terrorists based in another jurisdiction. Subsequently, those allegations were gleefully seized upon by certain organs of the news
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industry. The names of those policemen in the Royal Ulster Constabulary in Omagh have not been cleared of that monstrous smear.
No additional costs should he incurred if my suggestion is adopted of permitting the Northern Ireland police ombudswoman to function south of the Border in Dublin as her salary, expenses and staff costs are already paid by the British Treasury. Therefore, we are being generous and fair-minded as regards our southern neighbours. The suggestion would be a perfect example of the kind of "jointly" which is now being advocated and practised within the forces of Her Majesty the Queen.
Lord Tebbit: My Lords, I rise briefly—
Baroness Farrington of Ribbleton: My Lords, I hope that the noble Lord, Lord Tebbit, will allow me briefly to intervene. I remind noble Lords that this is Third Reading and speakers should speak to the amendment. I say with the greatest respect to the noble Lord, Lord Molyneaux, that he strayed slightly from the precise subject of the amendment.
Lord Tebbit: My Lords, I do not think that I am likely to stray far from the point. I rise to offer my support to the amendment proposed by my noble friend Lord Glentoran and, indeed, to express a good deal of sympathy with the views expressed by the noble Lord. Lord Fitt. I support the amendment and I hope that the Government will accept it because I and a number of others are beginning to have doubts as to how serious the Government's commitment to disarmament is. I do not think that there can be many people who have not harboured doubts about the commitment of the IRA and some of the other terrorist organisations to disarmament. It appears to be zero.
We are told of the wonderful act of decommissioning which took place towards the close of last year but, most extraordinarily, although we are supposed to take account of it and to take it into our minds as we assess the politics of Northern Ireland, we are denied any knowledge of the size of it. It is a difficult matter to assess. We do not know whether it was a matter of one 1914 revolver or 50 Kalashnikovs. It is difficult to make any assessment of its significance without any awareness of its size.
I say that I begin to harbour doubts as to the seriousness of the Government over disarmament, for two reasons. One is that on every occasion when the Government have had a weapon in their hands by which they could have placed pressure upon the terrorists they have failed to use that weapon. The dates in the Bill seem to impose little pressure once again. I think that everyone in Northern Ireland is now beginning to suspect that at some time in the not too distant future there will be not just an amnesty Bill, as the noble Lord, Lord Fitt, suggests, but perhaps a Bill to provide for a referendum on the future of Northern Ireland.

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As we all know, it is the settled policy of Her Majesty's Government to favour the union of Ireland by consent. Therefore, the objective of the union of Ireland is shared by Sinn Fein/IRA and Her Majesty's Government; it is the method over which there is difference. We recollect the powerful argument which was put during the referendum on the Belfast agreement; namely, that were the people of Northern Ireland not to vote yes, hostilities would break out again and the IRA would be on the loose. Whenever anyone wants to take any action in Northern Ireland which does not suit Sinn Fein, we are told that that action would damage the peace process. That, as we all know, is code for, "It would get the IRA killing and bombing across the sectarian divide". As we know, not too much fuss is made about murders which do not cross the sectarian divide. In the immortal words of one former Secretary of State, they are merely housekeeping.
But if at some time in future we were to have a referendum on the question of the Border, provided the IRA is then as it is today—that is, still fully active, fully armed and ready to resume the war—the following powerful argument would be put, "Oh, dear people of Northern Ireland, whatever misgivings you have, do vote yes or the peace process will be disrupted". We know what that threat means. That is why I support the amendment and why, like the noble Lord, Lord Fitt, I have the gravest doubts about the Bill.
Lord Howie of Troon: My Lords, I have supported the Government's policy on Northern Ireland for a number of years, but I must confess that I have done so with considerable uneasiness. I propose to vote for the Government today and I shall explain why later, if I can. It strikes me that the Government's policy is unbalanced. It was quite correct in the beginning to make concessions to the nationalist community as there was leeway to make up. However, like many others, I believe that leeway has now been made up and that the balance of concessions has gone too far in that direction.
I do not intend to speak at great length. I merely say in shorthand that the views which I express are very similar to those expressed in earlier debates in this House by my noble friend Lord Fitt and the noble Baroness, Lady Park of Monmouth. I believe that they are right and I consider that the Government are mistaken in that the concessions have gone too far.
The result has been in part productive. My noble friend Lord Dubs explained that in a debate just before the Recess. I was not wholly convinced by his arguments, although many of them were sound. The effect has been to polarise politics in Northern Ireland between the extremes in a way which is undesirable and which is likely to show up in whatever elections take place in the near future. I am no prophet and I may be wrong, but I shall be surprised if I am.
There has also been a curious effect which I find a little disturbing. Whenever there is a concession, the nationalist side—not the nationalist side as a whole
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but the Sinn Fein part of it—seems to be laughing behind its hand. A week or so ago I saw a photograph in the press of the new offices in this building where Mr Adams has been established. An Irish Republic flag appeared in the photograph—the kind of thing one sees in the Oval Office in the United States. It is not usual in this building for parliamentarians to fly flags in their offices. To me, it had the look of an old-fashioned two-finger salute, albeit a highly coloured one. It was not meant to be a conciliatory activity or a gesture of gratitude towards the Government.
I shall vote for the Government today, with uneasiness and misgivings, for two reasons. First, I do not believe that the two-year difference is really significant. It may be useful but it is not significant. However, the second and more important reason is that I promised my noble friend Lady Farrington that I would do so. She is the best Whip in the business and I accede to her entreaties. But, in giving in as graciously as I could, I told her that this would be the last time that I would do so. I am giving the Government the benefit of the doubt but I do not intend to be quite so generous in giving them the benefit of the doubt in the future.
3.30 p.m.
Lord Shutt of Greetland: My Lords, from these Benches I make it clear that we are in favour of decommissioning today; if not today, tomorrow; and, if not tomorrow, the day after. A great deal is said in these debates about linkages, and I shall add to that myself. For me, the major linkage is between this Bill and a crunch day. The two dates, 2005 and 2007, are the occasions when we hope not to debate this issue again. I hope that we do not ever debate it again, and I believe it is important that we do not create another crunch day which would increase the chances of our having to do so. There have been far too many crunch days in Northern Ireland. If the one thing that we can do today is eliminate the earliest of the two crunch days, I believe that we should do so. Therefore, we support the Bill as it stands.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: My Lords, while I have sympathy with the endeavours of the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, to bring a degree of credibility to a flawed piece of legislation, the stark truth is that this piece of legislation is so flawed, based on misjudgments over a period of more than four years, that I doubt whether it can be improved. I believe that it heralds a great deal of pain and suffering for people in Northern Ireland.
The reality is that the legislation signifies a gradual government surrender to Sinn Fein/IRA. Although I do not want to repeat what I said in a previous debate, in the Belfast agreement in 1998 that organisation was accorded the opportunity to give up violence and accept democracy. It cannot have democracy with all the trappings of violence still in place. Not only was it given that opportunity but the people of Northern Ireland had their decision endorsed by the people of the Irish Republic in terms of what should happen. It has not happened because rather too speedily the

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Government have abdicated their responsibility to those who for 30 years, despite all the violence that they have suffered, have been prepared to continue to put their faith in the democratic process.
Many of us believed that the Belfast agreement could and should be a definitive moment in history. When we accepted what was on the table, we sought to make it work. But I regret to say that from the Prime Minister down there has been a tinkering around the edges—an embroidering of what the people assented to—so that there has been no significant pressure from this Government or the Irish Government to get on with disarming.
Therefore, again and again it has been left to David Trimble, the Leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, to take steps which have endangered the process of trying to bring normality to Northern Ireland. As the leader of that process, he has been forced to endanger it because he has not received single-minded support either from our own Government or from the Government of the Irish Republic.
I conclude by taking up the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Howie. He said that this was the last chance that he would give the Government—this was unsaid but understood—to behave honourably in terms of those in Northern Ireland who adhere to and support the democratic process. However, I say to the noble Lord that we are all aware that other things will happen in Northern Ireland which will not be debated in this House. We understand that a conspiracy—that may be too strong a word—a debate is taking place not in public but in private to consider the whole structure of the Special Branch of the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
I assure the noble Baroness that I shall not stray from the topic, but each time we give government a chance, those of us who do so find that we are let down. We find that a series of incidents occur which are allowed to go by default. Herein lies my difficulty. I shall support the amendment because at least it brings the period within the ambit of this Government, which I believe is the aim of the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran. Beyond that, I believe that the Bill is an abdication of responsibility.
Lord Kilclooney: My Lords, I strongly support the amendment tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran. He has spelt out the position correctly. How will the people of Northern Ireland see this measure? They will see it as another appeasement policy by the Government following the Belfast agreement.
I remind the noble Lord, Lord Tebbit, that the Belfast agreement, in which the Government participated, confirmed that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and that that cannot be changed without the consent of the people of Northern Ireland. That is totally different from suggesting that the Government want to bring about a united Ireland. The Government have confirmed that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
Lord Tebbit: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Kilclooney, must take account of the fact that the settled policy of the Labour Party, and its objective, is a united Ireland by consent. That is why in Northern Ireland the Labour Party does not accept members but tells those who want to join that they should join the Labour Party's sister party, the SDLP.
Lord Kilclooney: My Lords, I shall not become involved in a debate of that kind. I know what the Government's position is and not that of the Labour Party. In relation to the Belfast agreement, the Government's position is that Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom and that that cannot be changed without the principle of consent. We must be positive on that issue.
Turning to the amendment, increasingly the people of Northern Ireland are becoming uneasy about the Belfast agreement. It is not the opponents of the agreement within Northern Ireland who are destroying it, but successive policies of Her Majesty's Government since that agreement was decided upon. Conveying the message that decommissioning does not matter and that it can go on for years causes great problems. Decommissioning should take place before the elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly in the summer of next year. We have only one year left to save the Belfast agreement.
If we continue to say that decommissioning really is not necessary, that the royal coat of arms does not need to be in the Crown Courts and that we can have an amnesty Bill, as mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Fitt, the future of the Belfast agreement will be undermined. Be warned, if matters go any further, as the noble Lord said, the two extremes—Sinn Fein and the DUP—will win at the next election, and that will be the end of the Belfast agreement.
3.45 p.m.
Baroness Park of Monmouth: My Lords, noble Lords have said much of what I intended to say. However, with the greatest respect to the noble Baroness, Lady Farrington, I point out that debates of this kind provide the only opportunity to discuss policy on Northern Ireland. In my view, whenever we have such an opportunity, we have a duty to make relevant points. I strongly support the amendment and in this instance the relevant point is the perception of the people. As noble Lords have explained, that is the problem.
The problem is not the Belfast agreement, but what is not happening—the perception of the people, the threat to the Special Branch, and the failure of decommissioning. Incidentally, there are also the ridiculous and terrible matters like the lengths taken to recover the bodies of those whom the IRA murdered. After an enormous fanfare, only three bodies were found. Yet we were pressurised and made to feel that if we did not support that, the peace process would collapse. Every time we resist anything in the name of the ordinary people of Northern Ireland we are told that we are spoiling the peace process.

1239
On Thursday 14th February in the other place there was at long last a debate on the relocation of families to this country because of paramilitary intimidation. The honourable Member, Mr Harry Barnes, suggested that the two Sinn Fein members who are now in this Palace may conceivably have attended that debate to listen to the consequences of the actions of the paramilitaries. They did not. The answers received from the Minister were wholly inadequate.
Of the money that has been devoted to aid peace and to help the victims, £250,000 has gone to the Warrington peace centre, apparently largely to appease and amend the trauma of the people of Warrington. What about the people of Northern Ireland?
I return to the point that this is one more signal that the Government are sending to the people of Northern Ireland that they do not believe that it matters much whether decommissioning happens next year, or never. I support the amendment.
Baroness Blood: My Lords, I had not intended to speak but in 1998, when the Belfast agreement was signed, like many others, I went into the community to sell it. Two selling points were the early release of prisoners and decommissioning. We all know which way matters went. I support the amendment tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, but with a query. In Northern Ireland people will be saying, "Who cares whether it is 2005, 2007 or never?" The area in which I live is awash with loyalist and republican weapons and nobody really cares.
My noble friend Lord Kilclooncy is right. This sends hack a message to the people of Northern Ireland that the Belfast agreement is finished. We know that the Belfast agreement is the only way forward for the people of Northern Ireland. Yet this House and the other place send hack the message that these dates can continue to be put back and that it does not matter. The loyalists say that they will not hand in their weapons because they use them for defence and we do not know whether the republicans are handing in any weapons or not. So the situation continues.
I often come to the House to listen to debates on Northern Ireland and I wonder what message is being sent back to the ordinary folk in Northern Ireland. I have lived in north and west Belfast and all noble Lords have images of those areas. The people I almost coerced to support the referendum are now saying to me that next year the situation will be totally different and we shall have real problems. While I support the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, and while I understand the thinking behind it, in Northern Ireland the people will say, "Who cares?"
The Lord Privy Seal (Lord Williams of Mostyn): My Lords, I am grateful for the contributions that have been made. I do not agree with all of them, but I recognise the deep seriousness with which everyone has spoken. On a number of occasions it has been said that this Bill, amended as proposed, or unamended as
1240
I offer, conveys that decommissioning does not matter at all. I beg to differ most profoundly. Nothing could be further from the truth. The direct opposite obtains.
Because the Government believe that decommissioning is necessary and essential, we have a scheme that is rightly described by the noble and learned Lord, Lord Mayhew of Twysden, as possessory immunity. Although he and I do not agree on our conclusions, we agree on our analysis of what this Bill means. It does not represent, as one noble Lord said, a permit to hold on to weapons. Quite the opposite. If anyone in Northern Ireland is found in possession of prohibited materials, weapons or explosives or other devices they are presently liable to be prosecuted. If signals are to matter at all, it is worth bearing in mind that under the Bill possessory immunity will pertain only if weapons are part of a scheme of decommissioning.
I could understand a purist's approach that, "We never agreed with the Act originally, and we do not agree with any continuation now". But that is not what the majority of your Lordships have said. The original Act allowed for a period of up to five years during which those who wished to decommission weapons could do so. That is an extremely important, indeed critical, potential turning point in Northern Ireland.
I suggest that the important question for your Lordships is: do we want to have the opportunity of this possessory immunity further continued? If your Lordships do not—I repeat that I understand the purist position—then there is no opportunity to give any legal immunity to anyone in possession of these weapons, or explosives or any other similar devices.
The Bill, if it is passed, extends the present term for a further maximum of five years. I stress those words. The first Bill provided for up to a full five-year term; this is a time-limited Bill up to a five-year term. But the one point that has hardly been touched on, except by the noble Lord. Lord Glentoran, is that this issue is subject to annual review by Parliament—every 12 months—on the affirmative order basis.
A number of noble Lords have said—I know it is frequently said on these occasions—that signals are important. It is not for me to dissent from that. But reality and availability of possessory immunity within the law are also important. It is right that Parliament should consider this matter as often as every 12 months on the affirmative order basis.
Not all noble Lords have been present during earlier stages of the Bill. I must disagree with the noble Baroness, Lady Park of Monmouth, about opportunities. We have had them on the Bill at Second Reading, on Report and in Committee. They have been fully taken by some of your Lordships. Not all of your Lordships were here on those occasions. I know that the exigencies of other duties sometimes make that impossible, but I put the question, which is not entirely rhetorical: if these criminals come to a change of mind or heart or spirit, should there be the opportunity available to them within the law to express that in practice? That is not a rhetorical question; it is a legitimate one to be put.

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Therefore, what I propose to your Lordships—I recognise the seriousness of this occasion—is that we extend the Bill for a period of five years, which is the usual time limit of a Bill. It has its own inbuilt structures of parliamentary control, which again I respectfully commend in principle.
Perhaps I may return to the phrase used by the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran. He said that on every occasion when the issue comes up for review my party will adopt the same stance. He and I are at one in recognising that his party, other parties and people of no party will have that annual occasion.
Lord Glentoran: My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord the Lord Privy Seal for that intervention. This has been a fascinating debate. Much of what has been said today has been said before. It is— and I hope that it will be taken as such—a serious warning and a demonstration to the Government from many people who live in Northern Ireland, as to where this deadline really is. This deadline was made very clear by the noble Lord, Lord Kilclooney, and also by the noble Baroness, Lady Blood, in different references—one to the elections in May 2003 and one to the reception that debates in your Lordships' House receive in the part of Belfast where the noble Baroness lives.
I started by saying that this amendment is about messages. It is about messages. The noble and learned Lord the Lord Privy Seal, representing the Government. and I disagree on the way that those messages will be received if the Bill remains as it is. I believe that this is one of the last few chances that we have to start to reverse the thinking of the supporters of the agreement who will vote in May 2003. This must be the start of a change of process, which is seen and understood by the people of Northern Ireland and led by Her Majesty's Government, to help those supporters vote for the parties who support the agreement.
I want to test the opinion of the House.
3.55 p.m.
On Question, Whether the said amendment (No. 1) shall he agreed to?
Their Lordships divided: Contents, 102; Not-Contents, 160.

Division No. 1

CONTENTS

Allenby of Megiddo, V.

Brougham and Vaux, L.

Anelay of St Johns, B.

Buscombe, B.

Astor, V.

Byford, B.

Astor of Hever, L.

Campbell of Alloway, L.

Attlee, E.

Camegy of Lour, B.

Bell, L.

Chadlington, L.

Blaker, L.

Chalfont, L.

Blood, B.

Cobbold, L.

Boardman, L.

Colville of Culross, V.

Bowness, L.

Cooke of Islandreagh, L.

Bridgeman, V.

Cope of Berkeley, L. [Teller]

Brittan of Spennithome,

Cox. B.

Brooke of Sutton Mandeville, L.

Craig of Radley, L.

Brookeborough. V.

Craigavon, V.

Crickhowell, L.

Maginnis of Drumglass, L.

Cuckney, L.

Mancroft, L.

Darcy de Knayth, B.

Marlesford, L.

Dean of Harptree, L.

Mayhew of Twysden, L.

Denham. L.

Molyneaux of Killead, L.

Dixon-Smith, L.

Montrose, D.

Eden of Winton, L.

Mowbray and Stounon. L.

Elles, B.

Moynihan, L.

Elliott of Morpeth. L.

Murton of Lindisfarne. L.

Elton, L

Northbrook, L.

Fitt, L.

Northesk, E.

Fookes, B.

O'Cathain, B.

Freeman, L.

Oxfuird, V.

Gardner of Parkes, B.

Palmer, L.

Geddes, L

Park of Monmouth, B.

Gilmour of Craigmillar, L.

Patten, L.

Glentoran, L.

Pearson of Rannoch, L.

Gray of Contin. L.

Perry of Southwark, B.

Grecnwav, L.

Peyton of Yeovil, L.

Hanham, B.

Plummer of St. Marylebone, L.

Hayhoe, L.

Pym, L.

Henley, L.

Quinton. L.

Higgins, L.

Reay, L.

Hodgson of Astley Abbotts, L.

Renton, L.

Hooper, B.

Roberts of Conwy, L.

Howe, E.

Rot herwick, L.

Howell of Guildford, L.

St John of Fawsley, L.

Hunt of Wirral, L.

Saltoun of Abernethy, Ly.

Inge, L.

Seccombe. B. [Teller]

James of Holland Park, B.

Selbome, E.

Kilclooney, L.

Skelmersdale, L.

Kimball, L.

Strathclyde, L.

Lawson of Blaby, L.

Swinfen, L.

Luke, L.

Tebbit, L.

McColl of Dulwich, L.

Trumpingtou, B.

MacGregor of Pulliam Market, L.

Vivian. L.

Waddington, L.

Wilcox, B.

NOT-CONTENTS

Acton, L.

Davies of Oldham, L.

Addington, L.

Dean of Thornton-le-Fylde, B.

Alli, L.

Donoughue, L.

Alton of Liverpool, L.

Donnand of Easington, L.

Amos. B.

Dubs, L.

Andrews, B.

Eatwell, L.

Archer of Sandwell, L.

Elis-Thomas, L.

Ashley of Stoke, L.

Evans of Parkside, L.

Ashton of Upholland, B.

Evans of Temple Guiting, L.

Avebury, L.

Evans of Watford, L.

Barker, B.

Ezra, L.

Barnett, L.

Falconer of Thoroton, L.

Bassam of Brighton, L.

Falkender, B.

Berkeley, L.

Falkland, V.

Bernstein of Craigweil, L.

Farrington of Ribbleton, B.

Blackstone, B.

Faulkner of Worcester, L.

Borne, L.

Filkin, L.

Bradshaw, L.

Fyfe of Fairfield, L.

Bragg, L.

Gibson of Market Rasen, B.

Brennan, L.

Gladwin of Clee, L.

Brett, L.

Goldsmith, L.

Brooke of Alverthorpe, L.

Goodhart, L.

Brookman, L.

Gordon of Strathblane, L.

Burlison, L.

Goudie, B.

Campbell-Savours, L.

Gould of Potternewton, B.

Carter, L. [Teller]

Graham of Edmonton, L.

Christopher, L.

Gregson, L.

Clarke of Hampstead, L.

Grenfell, L.

Clement-Jones, L.

Grocott, L.

Clinton-Davis, L.

Hardy of Watli, L.

Cohen of Pimlico, B.

Harris of Haringey, L.

Corbett of Castle Vale, L.

Harrison, L.

Crawley, B.

Haskel, L.

David, B.

Hattersley, L.

Davies of Coity. L.

Hayman, B.

Hilton of Eggardon, B.

Prys-Davies, L.

Hollis of Heigham, B.

Ramsay of Cartvale, B.

Howells of St. Davids, B.

Rea, L.

Howie of Troon, L.

Redesdale, L.

Hoyle, L.

Rees, L.

Hughes of Woodside, L.

Rendell of Babergh, B.

Hunt of Kings Heath, L.

Richard, L.

Irvine of Lairg, L. (Lord Chancellor)

Rogers of Riverside, L.

Roll of Ipsden, L.

Jay of Paddington, B.

Rooker, L.

Jenkins of Hillhead, L.

Roper, L.

Jones, L.

Russell, E.

Jordan, L.

Sainsbury of Turville, L.

Kennedy of The Shaws, B.

Sawyer, L.

King of West Bromwich, L.

Scotland of Asthal, B.

Kirkhill, L.

Scott of Needham Market, B.

Lea of Crondall, L.

Serota, B.

Lipsey, L.

Serota, B.

Lockwood, B.

Sharp of Guildford, B.

Lofthouse of Pontefract, L.

Sheldon, L.

Macdonald of Tradeston, L.

Shutt of Greetland, L.

McIntosh of Hudnall, B.

Simon, V.

MacKenzie of Culkein, L.

Smith of Leigh, L.

Mackenzie of Framwellgate, L.

Stallard, L.

Mackie of Benshie, L.

Symons of Vernham Dean, B.

McNally, L.

Taverne, L.

Marsh, L.

Taylor of Blackburn, L.

Masham of Ilton, B.

Temple-Morris, L.

Mason of Barnsley, L.

Tenby, V.

Massey of Darwen, B.

Thomas of Walliswood, B.

Milner of Leeds, L.

Thomson of Monifieth, L.

Mishcon, L.

Thornton, B.

Mitchell, L.

Tumberg, L.

Morgan, L.

Turner of Camden, B.

Morris of Manchester, L.

Uddin, B.

Murray of Epping Forest, L.

Varley, L.

Northover, B.

Wallace of Saltaire, L.

Oakeshott of Seagrove Bay, L.

Walmsley, B.

Ouseley, L.

Warwick of Undercliffc, B.

Parry, L.

Whitaker, B.

Paul, L.

Whitty, L. [Teller]

Pendry, L.

Wigoder, L.

Peston, L.

Wilkins, B.

Pitkeathley, B.

Williams of Crosby, B.

Plant of Highfield, L.

Williams of Elvel, L.

Ponsonby of Shulbrede, L.

Williams of Mostyn, L. (Lord Privy Seal)

On Question, amendment agreed to.

On Question, Bill passed.

Yarl's Wood
4.8 p.m.
The Minister of State, Home Office (Lord Rooker): My Lords, with the leave of the House, I wish to repeat a Statement made by my right honourable friend the Home Secretary in another place. The Statement is as follows:
"With permission, Mr Speaker, I wish to make a Statement on the fire at Yarl's Wood Removal Centre.
"Before setting out what happened on the night of Thursday 14th February, I want to make my position absolutely clear. I am not prepared to let government policy be determined by those intent on creating disorder and destruction. Having removed
1244
asylum seekers from prison, we now find that our reward is the burning down of a substantial part of the facility. This is deplorable.
"The new nationality, immigration and asylum policy which I set out on 7th February remains unchanged. In particular, I intend to press ahead with expanding the number of places in secure removal centres to 4,000. There will be no uncertainty and no misunderstanding; we will implement our comprehensive policy as set out to the House.
"Let me set out the facts as we know them. The unrest, involving a number of detainees, started on the evening of 14th February. At that stage, the sequence of events is not entirely clear. However, it has been established that during the disturbance control of the centre was wrested from staff, allowing detainees to gain access to keys providing access to restricted areas, including a property store. At the same time, damage was being caused inside the centre, including to the operation of the closed circuit television. The detention contractors, Group 4, faced with substantial disorder, called for assistance from public services.
"A number of detainees moved outside the accommodation blocks, and a smaller number of these breached the perimeter security.
"The earliest police units to arrive worked to restore perimeter security around the site, and a number of detainees were apprehended at that stage. Further detainees were taken into custody later in the night in the Bedford area. Our latest estimate is that 22 remain at large.
"An initial fire in the reception area was extinguished, but fires were started in a separate block and in more than one location. The fire service was unable to tackle these blazes because detainees prevented them from gaining access to the building. By the time order had been restored on the compound, the fire had taken significant hold in one part of the centre, and it proved impossible to save those buildings.
"I am pleased to tell the House that, despite speculation to the contrary, we do not believe that there were any fatalities. I have authorised continuing investigation until we are certain of this. I can tell the House that dogs have been sent into the site this afternoon.
"Mr Speaker, in the appalling circumstances of that evening, the men and women of the Bedfordshire police and fire services acquitted themselves with dedication and courage. So too did members of the Prison Service and the Yarl's Wood operators. I know that the whole House will want to express its gratitude to them.
"Since the events of 14th February, I have taken a number of immediate steps to strengthen security and protection within the service. First, I have sought advice from the Chief Inspector of Fire Services on safety at Yarl's Wood and other removal centres. Subject to immediate remedial action, the undamaged sections at Yarl's Wood have been

1245
declared safe. I therefore intend to continue use of them. Similar advice has also been given in respect of Harmondsworth. Other removal centres are also being assessed.
"Secondly, as a further precaution, detainees with a history of violent or criminal behaviour and those considered a danger to safety have been transferred to prison. Detailed contingency plans have been put in place should further disorder arise, and I have given direct instructions to improve both staffing and security.
"Mr Speaker, Bedfordshire police, fire and rescue services have begun investigations into the events of that night. These will take some weeks to complete. Group 4 has also instituted an internal investigation. I have also initiated a Home Office overarching investigation to inquire into the causes of the events and to draw together the other reports, which will include recommendations on design and future fire and security measures. This will, of course, be conducted in a manner that does not impede any criminal investigation. The investigation will be headed by Stephen Moore, a senior and experienced Prison Service official, and I would encourage honourable Members to make any observations directly to the inquiry.
"I know that the House would want me to deal with the issue of the absence of sprinklers at Yarl's Wood. The decision not to fit sprinklers was informed by advice from a number of different expert sources. Sprinklers have not been used in other similar establishments, due to operational and practical issues associated with managing sprinkler systems in such an environment. Nevertheless, a review was already ongoing into their use.
"Mr Speaker, the review and recent events have led me to believe that increased precautionary measures are necessary. I have therefore taken a preliminary decision to install sprinklers in all new removal centres and will take the necessary steps to install sprinklers at Yarl's Wood, as well as Harmondsworth and other facilities.
"It is now clear that there is a small number of people who will take any step to prevent their removal from this country. We therefore have no option but to toughen the regime, as well as instructing the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to further speed up removal of those in the centres to their country of origin. It would be unthinkable to allow violent and disruptive behaviour to put the safety of staff and other detainees or the public at risk. In addition, I will also be giving consideration to the criteria for allocating particular individuals to specific removal centres. That will entail looking at different levels of security appropriate to the individuals being held.
"While I take my obligations under the 1951 convention very seriously, many claimants fail to meet the standards required. Those with no right to remain must be removed, if our overall policy is to stand any chance of success. I therefore conclude by reiterating my determination to provide a coherent
1246
and seamless process in which rapid removal—and therefore the prevention of absconding—must play an essential part.
"The lessons of 14th February will be learned, but the message must also be clear. No one will be permitted to engage in the kind of behaviour that put lives at risk and destroyed first class facilities, built at public expense and created as an alternative to prison regimes. That is the message I intend to give this afternoon, and I know that the House: will back me in this stance".
My Lords, that concludes the Statement of the Home Secretary.
4.15 p.m.
Lord Dixon-Smith: My Lords, the House will be grateful to the Minister for repeating the Statement made by his right honourable friend in another place about the fire at Yarl's Wood. It is a tragic matter. Yarl's Wood is a key part of the Government's new process for handling asylum seekers or, more precisely, for handling asylum seekers who have failed to make it into the country as genuine asylum-seeking refugees.
My questions fall into two categories. The first relates to the structure of the building. It was a new building. One must ask whether sufficient consideration was given to the problems that might arise in its use. Its form of construction—a timber construction—was not likely to be adequate to contain people who had nothing to lose. Was serious consideration given to security on the site from that point of view?
The Minister touched on the question of fire precautions. Any timber building is easy to set on fire. The Minister said that the decision not to fit sprinklers was informed by advice from several different expert sources. Bearing in mind the nature of the potential inmates, we must ask what expert sources gave such advice. In the Statement, the Secretary of State says:
"I have therefore taken a preliminary decision to install sprinklers in all new removal centres and will take the necessary steps to install sprinklers at Yarl's Wood".
On what advice was that decision taken? I can see that it was taken in the light of experience, but I wonder whether the advice was the same in both cases and whether, in the first place, the decision was, so to speak, a ministerial decision, without expert advice.
My understanding of the construction of such buildings is that sprinklers would be required. One would normally be advised by the fire service to install them; in fact, one would probably be required to do so by building regulations. It would be interesting to know the grounds on which Yarl's Wood escaped the normal constraints.
I understand from the Statement that,
"Subject to … remedial action, the undamaged sections at Yarl's Wood have been declared safe".
What remedial action is that? The House is entitled to know exactly what must be done to the remainder of the establishment.

1247
The real question is that of liability for the damage. If there was any neglect of normal procedures. it could create a potential liability for the Government. We are entitled to ask whether that it is the case.
The next question that comes to mind is whether the facilities in Yarl's Wood were adequate to meet the needs of the people who were to be detained there. Was there enough to occupy them? Or did they finally set fire to the place out of boredom? Yarl's Wood was only partially in use, at nothing like its proposed capacity. Yet it apparently had an immense security problem. What will happen once the place is in full use?
If security is a problem, one might have thought that events at Yarl's Wood provided sufficient warning to tighten security at all equivalent centres. If that did not happen—and apparently it did not, because a week later it was possible for nine people to escape from Harmondsworth, a centre fulfilling a similar function—one has to ask why not.
Various questions must be asked about those being held in Yarl's Wood. Are they asylum seekers who have completed the asylum process and are waiting to be deported? They would have nothing to lose in raising Cain. If those people had completed the asylum process, then for how long had they been waiting? It seems to me that for those who have completed the process, a prolonged stay in what is in effect indefinite detention without trial—which I recall we have complained about in a different context—is not appropriate. What is to happen when the detainees are caught? Are they to be charged with criminal damage and possibly sent to prison, thus prolonging their stay in this country? Would it not be more appropriate to ship them out forthwith?
I turn now to the question of whether any of those people's asylum applications are still being processed? What is to happen with regard to those applications? That is a serious question because, clearly, if those people have indulged in this kind of behaviour, then I do not believe that it would be appropriate to continue with the process of asylum application. I think that the House is entitled to answers to those questions.
The Home Secretary has sought to meet a target of 30,000 deportations per annum, although at the moment the pledge to achieve that on a brief timescale has disappeared. We want the Home Secretary's procedures in this area to be successful, but the events at Yarl's Wood would suggest that it will be much more difficult to achieve the results the Home Secretary seeks than initially it appeared.
Having said that, I am not sure whether the Minister will be able to respond to all the questions that I and, most probably, other Members put to him today. However, I think that not only this House but the public and especially the people of Bedford—who have not been given any information by any source of authority since the tragic events—are entitled to some answers. One wonders whether, ultimately, a proper public inquiry will be necessary in order to set the public mind at rest.
4.23 p.m.
Lord Avebury: My Lords, we, too, should like to thank the Minister for repeating the Statement and to echo the thanks which the noble Lord has already expressed to the fire service, the police and the Prison Service who have all done their best to cope with this tragedy.
With regard to the expert sources that have been mentioned, did the noble Lord consult the Chief Inspector of Fire Services or the chief of the Bedfordshire police? Can he tell the House which authorities disagreed with the expert sources that he mentioned, given that the majority endorsed the decision not to install sprinklers at Yarl's Wood? It is obvious that there was a difference of opinion among the experts and we are entitled to know what was the weight of opinion on these various matters so that we can judge the behaviour of the Home Office in deciding to opt for the cheapest solution, which in the end proved to be extremely costly.
Will Mr Stephen Moore's terms of reference be wide enough to allow him to look into the causes of the discontent among the inmates, such as we have drawn to the attention of the Minister from time to time? I refer to the inadequate telephone facilities, delays in passing on faxed messages from lawyers to asylum applicants and the practice of waking inmates in the middle of the night to take up with them disciplinary matters that could have waited until the morning. Admittedly, those matters should not have led any inmate to commit the criminal damage that we have seen at Yarl's Wood and we join in deploring the extent of the destruction that has been committed.
Can the Minister say whether the visiting committee at Yarl's Wood had formally directed the attention of the manager to any matters which called for his attention under Rule 61 of the detention centre rules? If so, was the manager alerted to the trouble that was in the offing?
Can the noble Lord tell the House what is the estimated cost of the damage that has been caused to Yarl's Wood? Can he say anything about the risks incurred by the taxpayer in these circumstances? Does this not throw a different light on PFI contracts if at the end of the day the sum of £35 million—or whatever is the final cost of the damage caused—falls on the shoulders of the taxpayer because the contract entered into with Group 4 allows for proceedings to be taken by its insurers against the Bedfordshire police force, the results of which are uncertain? Surely that is a matter which both the House and the country as a whole are entitled to take into consideration when judging the validity of the Government's whole policy on PFI contracts. Has the possibility of the destruction of large quantities of physical assets been taken into consideration when entering into PFI contracts for other detention centres, prisons and so forth?
On the PFI contract, is it not significant that trouble often occurs during the early stages of the management undertaken by one of the private enterprise companies? The noble Lord will recall that problems were also encountered with Campsfield House. which

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was managed by the same company. In the circumstances, does the noble Lord not think that it would be wise for the Home Office to appoint officials to superintend the operation of such establishments in the early stages of their management by private companies? That would ensure that the companies concerned observed the conditions of their contracts.
With regard to the speeding up of removals and toughening the regime, can the noble Lord assure the House that he does not intend to take away any of the legal rights 'which detainees at present enjoy? Can he further explain how it will be possible to speed up removals any more without impairing the rights that detainees have in law? Furthermore, what exactly does the noble Lord mean when he refers to "transforming" the regime? How can it be fair to worsen conditions for the whole of the detention estate in order to cope with the malicious damage caused by a few people?
Finally, taking up a remark made by the noble Lord, Lord Dixon-Smith, does the Minister think it wise to hold 900 people in a single centre? Yarl's Wood is by far the largest of the centres either planned or in operation in the detention estate. However, with fewer than 300 inmates, we have already seen these problems. We can only speculate on the magnitude of the difficulties that would be caused to the management by such a large establishment if it were filled to capacity. Does the noble Lord not think that the Home Office should review the policy of making provision for such large establishments, given the disciplinary problems that they entail? Perhaps the Home Office should think again and consider constructing a number of smaller centres rather than large individual establishments such as Yarl's Wood.
4.29 p.m.
Lord Rooker: My Lords, I am grateful to both noble Lords for their support of the actions of the public services. I shall do my best to respond to the various points that have been made.
The centre is of a basic timber construction with brick cladding. In that sense, there is nothing state-of-the-art about the building. As I said on the day of the fire, the design and construction of Yarl's Wood and Harmondsworth are similar. After my visit, I had the opportunity to examine Home Office background papers from 2000 and 2001. It is abundantly clear that Ministers were given different advice about the installation of sprinklers at Yarl's Wood as opposed to Harmondsworth. Two fire services gave different advice in respect of effectively the same kind of operation. I can well understand the conflict within the department as to which way to jump. It is clear—there is no argument about it—that Bedford fire service gave one set of advice and London Fire Brigade gave different advice in respect of similar buildings of a slightly different size but of the same order, compared with the rest of the estate.
We are not certain that sprinklers would have put the fire out. The fire service has not completed its investigations. The building was only accessible this afternoon, by dogs. The roof of the building, which is
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a large structure in terms of its area, has caved in and is extremely dangerous. advice, with hindsight we take the view that sprinklers make sense—certainly in respect of future removal centres and of Harmondsworth and Yarl's Wood, which are different from the other centres. I accept that it costs more to install sprinklers after a building has been constructed.
As to the facilities available to detainees, it was fortuitous that there was a press open day at Yarl's Wood before the fire, in January—put back from November. I visited the centre unannounced on the morning of 30th November, when about 130 detainees were present. The press were therefore very informed about the facilities. I do not think that anyone could argue but that the facilities are good—bearing in mind that Yarl's Wood is a removal centre and people cannot come and go as they like—in terms of their range, healthcare and purposeful activities.
Before the fire there were 385 persons at the centre, representing 65 nationalities. The facilities aimed at keeping people occupied in stressful circumstances were excellent compared with those available in the past. Those facilities were slowly being built up over a planned five to six-month period. The centre was not intended to be at full stretch, with 100 per cent of the beds being used, until April or May.
As noble Lords may have seen from aerial photographs, Yarl's Wood basically comprised two units built to an almost identical plan but different inside. One unit has been destroyed. The other was not being used but was about to come on stream. The unit destroyed was for single males, single females and families. The other unit was meant exclusively for males. Many facilities were duplicated, in terms of healthcare and kitchens.
Of the 385 individuals being held before the fire, 294 were due for removal—although a date had not been set in every case. Some 248 cases were removable but the date had not been set. Forty-six cases were awaiting removal directions that had been set. Of the other 91, the largest sub-group were 72 detainees who had arrived ex-Oakington with asylum appeals outstanding.
The noble Lord, Lord Dixon-Smith, asked about the numbers. Since Yarl's Wood opened 674 have left. It is difficult to give a true picture because one is not dealing with a stable situation. Yarl's Wood was brand new and being built up. It was not full to capacity immediately. There were no detainees there in mid-November. By the time of the fire, there were 385—and 764 people had been into Yarl's Wood and left. Some 400-plus of those individuals had been removed from the country. Others got bail or went to other centres. There was a fairly rapid turnover. It is true that a couple of people were at Yarl's Wood for a while since just after it opened. I do not think that anyone was there from the day that it opened but, exceptionally, someone was present from two days later.
There is a target to remove 2,500 failed asylum seekers a month—30,000 a year. Our expectation is to achieve that removal rate in the next financial year.

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I do not have official figures before me but the past three months was the first time that we have ever removed more than 1,000 failed asylum seekers monthly, on the trot. Last month, the figure was close to 1,200—including dependants.
It is not true to say that local people were kept completely devoid of information. I fully accept that local people have gone through a lot. When I visited Yarl's Wood at 9 o'clock in the morning, the fire was still burning. The smoke envelope was about 15 miles long. From the MI, I could not tell whether it was a cloud or smoke.
We will look again at the access road. The local council refused planning permission for a different access road but we are taking that aspect in hand ourselves. There are good grounds, because of a bypass being built nearby, for a better access road—not just for the removal centre but because there are industrial plants on the site. The alternative would take the access road away from the immediate residents. The Home Secretary will make a personal visit to Yarl's Wood.
I make it absolutely clear that sprinklers were not required by law. I am not defending hindsight or acting on a hunch but the two buildings fully conformed with all building regulations. There was no cost-cutting and no corners were cut simply because it was a Crown estate. That was not relevant. Neither Harmondsworth nor Yarl's Wood had fire certificates because they are not normally granted until a building has been up and running for about six months. They would not be operating now unless the fire service had checked on the present situation.
Both noble Lords asked about liability. The idea of transferring risk goes straight down the plughole if those who allegedly carry the risk—at some profit— shift the risk back onto the public at the first opportunity. We shall have to look at that issue seriously. The centres are part of the private sector prison estate. It will not be long before people start looking at other PFI contracts, quite legitimately. We have the benefit of some hindsight now, which will beg lots of questions on other contracts. I do not wish to slag off the insurance industry but it is a common occurrence that insurers like to take the premiums but like having to pay out less.
The terms of reference of the Moore inquiry will be published and I hope that they will be wide enough to cover the matters that the noble Lord, Lord Avebury, raised—although he made the point that whatever difficulties may have arisen at Yarl's Wood, they were no excuse for burning the place down. I do not know whether the visiting committee made any reports but I will look into that matter. If I cannot answer noble Lords now, I will write to them.
I do not know the cost of the damage. The one-off building is completely gutted. It did not just provide accommodation but contained the control centre and ancillary facilities such as the visiting centre.
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There is a much more relaxed regime at removal centres. They are not prisons. There are visitors in and out at 9 o'clock at night. There are no limits. There is much more internal movement. We will have to look at the regime that operates inside the centre. As I made clear, we have removed some people and returned them to prison because they have a record of violence. We have reviewed all the existing detainees. I understand that 25 individuals from the removal estate are back in prison.
I do not know whether it was right to build a large centre for 900 people. I believe that Harmondsworth has a capacity of about 550, while others are smaller. The centre was built in two quite distinct units. The police fought the fire defensively in order to ensure that the generators, and the fuel, were not attacked. They also sought to stop the fire spreading to the adjacent similar building.
As regards staff, I can tell the House that we have considered the position. I understand that there were 51 staff on duty that night. In terms of a category C prison with the same number of inmates, we asked the Prison Service to tell us what the staff position would be on such a night. We understand that there would be some 36 prison officers on duty. Therefore, any idea that there were fewer staff on duty compared with the position in a category C prison is not the case.
Clearly the situation got out of hand because people gained access to equipment with which they could smash up the security cameras. Those cameras were taken out of use by the detainees using equipment that they had obtained from lockers. As I recall from the time of my visit to the centre, I believe that there were something like 300 cameras around the site under the supervision of the control room. That was part of the difficulty when control of operations was lost.
I apologise to noble Lords. I seem to have over-run my time limit. However, in conclusion, I should point out that there are Home Office contract managers on site at these locations whose task is to monitor the contract. As I understand it, they are permanently resident. Each time that I have visited a removal centre—some of which visits have been unannounced—there has always been a Home Office contract manager available.
4.41 p.m.
Lord Tebbit: My Lords, does the noble Lord agree that there are moments when a Minister committed to sensible policies—the Minister being the Home Secretary—deserves support, and that this is such a moment? Indeed, the same applies to the noble Lord, Lord Rooker. Does he agree that the prime cause of this affair was plain old-fashioned human wickedness, and that the long delays and lengthy periods spent in detention by these detainees have been lawyer driven? Indeed, such lawyers have a financial interest in prolonging the process. Will the noble Lord further agree that putting sprinklers in buildings which will house people who may want to make mischief provides a very easy way of doing so?
Lord Rooker: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Tebbit, hits the nail on the head with his final point. That is one of the problems with sprinklers: they can be totally abused in the circumstances. Indeed, that is one of the reasons why there are no sprinklers in the prison estate. Further, as I have said before in this House, the legal industry in this country has a vested interest in these matters. Those concerned are plying their trade and have over the years looked for loopholes in the law to initiate delay after delay for which we, as taxpayers, end up paying—funded by the Home Office. One of the reasons behind the constant, if you like, conveyor-belt of legislation is that each time loopholes are presented we are busy trying to close them.
In the forthcoming legislation based on the recently-published White Paper, I can assure noble Lords that we shall certainly be closing further loopholes that the legal industry has been exploiting. I should like to make it absolutely clear that we shall do so without removing the fundamental rights of asylum seekers to have their case heard and fully appealed. I am grateful to the noble Lord for his initial remarks. It was the detainees who set fire to the centre; no one else. That is a real problem and one that we shall have to cope with and consider in terms of the future.
Lord Campbell-Savours: My Lords, I join the noble Lord, Lord Tebbit, in congratulating my noble friend on the way that this matter has been addressed. I have in mind, in particular, his decision to visit the site the day after the disaster and to reassure the local people—a move that I understand was very well received.
Perhaps I may draw my noble friend's attention to the position of the 22 people who absconded and who have not, as yet, been found. Can he tell the House what is the current legal position of those former detainees? For example, do we hold data on those people; that is, the kind of data that my noble friend proposed to the House some weeks ago when we dealt with the White Paper? Do we have data on their DNA, on identification, on fingerprinting, or on any other forms of identification?
Lord Rooker: My Lords, I should remind the House that there are 22 people for whom we cannot account at present. We have literally just sent dogs into the building this afternoon. We are talking about a major fire that covered a very large floor area of building. We have no evidence to suggest that there were any fatalities, but we cannot be absolutely certain in that respect; nor, indeed, can anyone be at this time. We know the identity of those who have absconded. The idea that all the records were burnt is absolute nonsense. Indeed, I tried to correct that assumption with the media the following afternoon. The records kept at the centre were destroyed, but the individual court files—the Immigration and Nationality Directorate files—were held in different parts of the country. Therefore, we have not lost the files.
All those in the centre who became asylum seekers post-1993 would have been fingerprinted because that is when the fingerprinting process started, so we have
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identification to that extent. We do not have the use of the new identity card procedure because the cards began to be issued during the latter part of January. Those people who absconded from the centre removed themselves from a unit where they had been lawfully placed. However, as I do not know the stage of each case in terms of whether the process was completed and whether those concerned were either awaiting removal or the lodging of an appeal, I am unable to give my noble friend any detailed information.

Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Bill
4.46 p.m.
Report received.
Clause 1 [Registration: provision of signature and date of birth]:
Lord Williams of Mostyn Lord Williams of Mostyn moved Amendment No. 1:
Page 1, line 11. at end insert "and
(c) in relation to each such person—

(i) his national insurance number or a statement that he does not have one,

(ii) a statement of whether or not he has been resident in Northern Ireland for the whole of the three-month period ending on the 15th October in the year in question, and

(iii) any address in the United kingdom in respect of which he is or has applied to be registered (other than the address in respect of which the form is completed)."

The noble and learned Lord said: My Lords, there is a significant number of government amendments in this first group; namely, Amendments Nos. I to 6, 10, 12 and 16 to 19. I put these amendments compendiously, and they have been agreed in this grouping. I believe I can reasonably say that such amendments are the result of assurances that I gave in response to points raised by noble Lords on earlier occasions. I have been in correspondence with a number of your Lordships on these matters.
I shall briefly outline the purpose of the amendments. Amendments Nos. 1, 2 and 6 will require a person applying to be registered in respect of a Northern Ireland address to give a national insurance number, or to make a statement that he does not have such a number. The applicant will also be required to make a statement that he or she has been resident in Northern Ireland for the requisite three-month period before the date of application, and to state any other address in the United Kingdom in respect of which he or she is, or has applied to be, registered. Those particular points of detail were raised by the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, and other noble Lords. It took some time to produce an appropriate draft. That is why we are dealing with these matters on Report, rather than doing so previously in Committee. I wrote to noble Lords in that respect.
Amendment No. 4 puts new subsection (5A) into Section 10A of the Representation of the People Act 1983. It adds to the provisions contained in that section regarding the circumstances in which the chief electoral officer must, or may, remove a person's name from the register. A person's name will be removed in respect of any address if he returns an application for registration in respect of that address without any of the required information specified in the Bill. For example, if an application does not have the signature of each of the persons to whom the application relates, if it lacks mention of the date of birth, if it fails to specify a national insurance number or omits the statement that there is no such number, the person's name will be removed. I hope that the provisions in Amendment No. 4 meet the anxieties and questions raised during earlier stages of the Bill. As can clearly be seen, Amendments Nos. 3 and 5 are essentially consequential.
Amendment No. 10 amends Section 6(1) of the Representation of the People Act 1985, which specifies requirements where an elector applies for an absent vote at elections for an indefinite period. An application can be granted only if it states the applicant's national insurance number, or states that the applicant does not have one, and if the chief electoral officer is satisfied that the number or statement on the application corresponds with the number or statement that the applicant gave on application for registration. Amendment No. 12 is a similar amendment to Section 7(1) of the 1985 Act.
Amendment No. 16 produces a new clause to amend Schedule 2 to the Representation of the People Act 1983, provisions which may be contained in regulations to registration. It provides for the disclosure by the authority responsible for national insurance numbers to the chief electoral officer following a request by him of the national insurance number recorded in respect of a specified individual or of the fact that the individual is not recorded as having such a number. The chief electoral officer will be able to cross check other information.
Amendment No. 17 makes it an offence to provide false information. Amendment No. 18 amends the Long Title to include a reference to national insurance numbers. Amendment No. 19 amends the Long Title to include a reference to the fact that a person will be required to supply, on application to the register, information relating to their period of residence in Northern Ireland and appropriate addresses.
Amendment No. 8 inserts a new clause which would require electors to indicate at registration if they were registered at any other address. Any person knowingly giving false information will be liable to criminal prosecution.
I am genuinely grateful for the way in which these matters of national insurance numbers have been approached. I did say that I would go away with an open mind to see whether, consistent with the spirit of what we all wanted, we could deliver the appropriate changes. I simply want to say how hard the officials
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and the draftsmen in the Northern Ireland Office have worked to produce what I hope is a satisfactory answer. I beg to move.
Lord Glentoran: My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord for that very clear and swift outline of this group of amendments concerning the use of national insurance numbers. I also take this opportunity to thank him and his staff for the work that they have done. I know from conversations with the noble and learned Lord outside the Chamber that there has been a considerable amount of work and rethinking in order to have the amendment drafted as it is. It is extremely comprehensive. From my reading of it and that of my helpers, which was several times over, I believe that it covers the necessary areas very neatly and thoroughly.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: My Lords, 1 concur with what the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, has just said. The Minister has been most helpful. He wrote to me, as promised, on the point that I raised. I am particularly pleased that national insurance numbers have now been included as a means of identification of those registering to vote. I draw attention to the fact that the three-month period of residence for someone coming from outside Northern Ireland is now very firmly on the face of the Bill. That will prevent considerable abuse of the electoral process in Northern Ireland.
It is perhaps ironic that within about a week of my raising that particular matter of voters coming from the Irish Republic and registering in Northern Ireland in order to pervert the electoral system there, I saw voters in the Irish Republic causing a row about the fact that it was now happening the other way and that Sinn Fein voters in Northern Ireland were registering in the south in the hope of perverting the electoral process there. It has particular significance in the Irish Republic and as regards the next election. But that is not our business.
In debate it often suddenly occurs to one that perhaps one could have done better in amending the legislation. One thought occurs to me and perhaps the noble and learned Lord will give me some reassurance on it. In the past we have seen a reluctance at times to enforce the law and punishments for those who break the law. I have a strange feeling that this legislation will be tested at every turn by those who want to pervert the electoral process in Northern Ireland. I would be grateful if the noble and learned Lord could reassure me that there will be an immediate and stringent imposition of the penalties included in the Bill. In fact, the thought that occurred to me was that it would have been helpful if we had had some arbitrary penalty to be imposed like a traffic warden imposing a penalty for illegal parking. The chief electoral officer could then immediately impose a penalty if he found that there was widespreadtesting—that is what it will be—of the effectiveness of this legislation.
Lord Shutt of Greetland: My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord for this raft of amendments,

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which appear to take into account the concerns expressed on these Benches as regards national insurance numbers. Therefore, I am very pleased indeed to see these amendments put forward by the Government.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My Lords, I am very grateful. I shall deal very quickly with the points made by the noble Lord, Lord Maginnis. I believe that the real answer on which he and I would agree is that if there is any form of electoral malpractice the key appears to me to be prompt complaint, early prosecution and appropriate sentencing. I do not agree with him about parking wardens. I have recently received a ticket. I wrote to complain, saying that I had committed no offence. Amazingly and perhaps uniquely, the parking authorities replied that for once I was right.
Lord Glentoran: My Lords, perhaps I may raise one query. In his opening remarks the noble and learned Lord mentioned Amendment No. 8, which stands in my name. I do not believe that it is necessary. I am not sure whether the Government want it moved or not.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My Lords, I believe that the noble Lord is quite right. Amendment No. 8 is not necessary. I simply referred to it as being included in the grouping. I am grateful for that clarification.
Lord Williams of Mostyn Lord Williams of Mostyn moved Amendments Nos. 2 to 6:
Page 2, line 6, at end insert "and
(c) in relation to each such person—

(i) his national insurance number or a statement that he does not have one,

(ii) a statement of whether or not he has been resident in Northern Ireland for the whole of the three-month period ending on the date of the application, and

(iii) any other address in the United Kingdom in respect of which he is or has applied to be registered,"

Page 2, line 15, at end insert—
"( ) in subsection (5), at the beginning there is inserted "Subject to subsection (5A) below,"
Page 2, leave out lines 17 to 21 and insert—
"(5A) A person's name is to be removed from the register in respect of any address if—

(a) the form mentioned in section 10(4) above in respect of that address does not include all the information relating to him required by virtue of section 10(4A) above; or

(b) the registration officer determines that he is not satisfied with the information relating to that person which was included in that form pursuant to that requirement.","

Page 2, line 22, leave out ""(5)" there is inserted "or (5A)"" and insert ""above," there is inserted "or his name is to be removed from it by virtue of subsection (5A) above,""
Page 2, line 30, at end insert "and
(c) in relation to each such person—

(i) his national insurance number or a statement that he does not have one,

(ii) a statement of whether or not he has been resident in Northern Ireland for the whole of the three-month period ending on the date of the application, and

(iii) any other address in the United Kingdom in respect of which he is or has applied to be registered,"

Clause 2 [Dates of birth and ballot papers]:
Lord Williams of Mostyn Lord Williams of Mostyn moved Amendment No. 7:
Page 3, line 5, leave out "to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland"
The noble and learned Lord said: My Lords. the second group of amendments, Amendments Nos. 7, 9, 11 and 14, stands in my name. They seek simply to make the drafting more elegant. As the legislation stands at present, the registration officer and the chief electoral officer are referred to in the same provision. As any schoolboy knows, in Northern Ireland they are one and the same. Amendment No, 7 corrects that as regards Clause 2. Amendments Nos. 9, 11 and 14 refer to Clause 3. They are to make the Bill rather more attractive as a product. I beg to move.
[Amendment No. 8 not moved.]
Clause 3 [Absent votes and declarations of identity]:
Lord Williams of Mostyn Lord Williams of Mostyn moved Amendments Nos. 9 to 12:
Page 3, line 34, leave out "to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland"
Page 3, line 43, leave out "and"." and insert—

"(bc) the application either states the applicant's national insurance number or states that he does not have one and the registration officer is satisfied as mentioned in subsection (1A) below, and", and.

(b) after subsection (1) there is inserted—

"(1A) For the purposes of subsection (1)(bc) above, the registration officer must be satisfied—

(a) if the application states a national insurance number. that the requirements of subsection (1B) below are met, or

(b) if the application states that the applicant does not have a national insurance number, that no such number was supplied as his national insurance number pursuant to section 10(4A)(c)(i), 10A(1A)(c)(i) or 13A(2A)(c)(i) of the principal Act.

(1B) The requirements of this subsection are met if—

(a) the number stated as mentioned in subsection (1A)(a) above is the same as the one supplied as the applicant's national insurance number pursuant to section 10(4A)(c)(i), 10A(1A)(c)(i) or 13A(2A)(c)(i) of the principal Act, or

(b) no national insurance number was supplied under any of those provisions, but the registration officer is not aware of any reason to doubt the authenticity of the application.""

Page 4, line 1, leave out "to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland"
Page 4, line 10, leave out "and"." and insert—

"(bc) the application either states the applicant's national insurance number or states that he does not have one and the registration officer is satisfied as mentioned in subsection (1A) below, and", and.

(b) after subsection (1) there is inserted—

"(1A) For the purposes of subsection (1)(bc) above, the registration officer must be satisfied—

(a) if the application states a national insurance number, that the requirements of subsection (1B) below are met, or

(b) if the application states that the applicant does not have a national insurance number, that no such number was supplied as his national insurance number pursuant to section 10(4A)(c)(i), 10A(1A)(c)(i) or 13A(2A)(c)(i) of the principal Act.

(1B) The requirements of this subsection are met if—

(a) the number stated as mentioned in subsection (lA)(a) above is the same as the one supplied as the applicant's national insurance number pursuant to section 10(4A)(c)(i), 10A(1A)(c)(i) or 13A(2A)(c)(i) of the principal Act, or

(b) no national insurance number was supplied under any of those provisions, but the registration officer is not aware of any reason to doubt the authenticity of the application."

Lord Glentoran Lord Glentoran moved Amendment No. 13:
Page 4, line 10, at end insert—
"( ) In section 12 (offences as to declaration, etc.), after subsection (3) there is inserted—
"(3A) If a person presents to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland a form for an absent vote on a form (copy or otherwise) other than one supplied by and uniquely encoded by the Chief Electoral Officer, he shall be guilty of an offence.""
The noble Lord said: My Lords, we all want to achieve the same end, which is fraud-free elections. As we have already said, the department has been very quick to recognise and rectify a number of the issues. However, this amendment follows a theme which I raised in Committee and to which the noble and learned Lord gave a positive response. It seeks to put on the face of the Bill a requirement to ensure that the absent vote forms to be used are those supplied and uniquely encoded by the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland.
At present, "like-effect" forms are acceptable, including those supplied by the political parties. As those of us with direct experience of Northern Ireland elections know, this is open to widespread abuse. My amendment would make it an offence to present a form for an absent vote which is not one supplied by and uniquely encoded—by bar code or other means—by the chief electoral officer. This safeguard will add to the armoury proposed by the Bill for tackling electoral fraud.
In response to my amendment at Committee stage, the noble and learned Lord said:
"The chief electoral officer already has plans to take administrative measures to ensure that applications for an absent vote are given a unique identifier. I agree with his caution: one must be careful to ensure that it is not possible to identify the way in which a citizen has voted in a secret ballot".
I made that point in Committee. The noble and learned Lord went on to say:
"The chief electoral officer plans to introduce either a serial number or a bar code. As he is already going to do that, we do not need to legislate for it.".—[Official Report, 4/2/02; cols. 486–487.]
That was a very welcome reply.
However, I bring the issue back for two reasons: first, to add on to the face of the Bill a requirement for only the form issued by the chief electoral officer to be the legitimate and valid form; and, secondly, to make it an offence to present a form other than that one supplied by the chief electoral officer. The offence that I propose would be up to level three on the standard scale. The noble and learned Lord may be able to assure me that it would be de facto an offence, and I would welcome that assurance.
As the noble and learned Lord understands from our discussions outside the Chamber, in simple terms my objective is to ensure that after an election is over and the systems are being checked, absentee forms will be counted, and the number used in the election should be that number or a lesser number than those issued by the electoral officer. If there are more in the electoral ballot boxes than those issued by the electoral officer, clearly they would have been used fraudulently.
This gap in the system has been exploited fairly thoroughly over many years. I ask the noble and learned Lord, once again, to work with his officials to see if we can find a means of closing this loophole. I know and understand fully the anxiety of the Government to ensure that we do not deprive older people of the opportunity of voting, but if we leave it open to photo-copied bar-coded papers or anything of that nature we will leave a loophole. So much good work has been done on the Bill to close down the opportunities for those who wish to distort elections, it could be made that much tighter by closing yet another little hole. I beg to move.
5 p.m.
Lord Shutt of Greetland: My Lords, I support the amendment. There should be a special form for the absent vote rather than a desultory letter written by the person seeking an absent vote. In the circumstances of the Bill, it is clear that information is required—such as national insurance numbers and other information—and it would be an odd system which did not have a form. If he were to get a letter, the chief electoral officer or his staff would almost immediately, in nearly every case, have to write back to that person and say, "Please fill in the requisite form". Indeed, I hope that that would happen in any event, rather than it being an offence to write a simple letter. The object of the amendment is to combat electoral fraud. In the unique circumstances of Northern Ireland, having a proper form would be the right way to do it.
Lord Cooke of Islandreagh: My Lords, when the Bill first came to this House it was a travesty and quite worthless for its stated objective of preventing electoral fraud. I add my thanks and appreciation to the noble and learned Lord, Lord Williams of Mostyn, for the work that he has put in and for bringing

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forward a series of amendments in relation to the important issue of the national insurance number and related matters. Those changes have made all the difference to the Bill.
However, this is a task that we cannot complete in one trial because the devices and ruses which will be used by Sinn Fein—which is expert in all matters of electoral fraud—will find gaps. This amendment seeks to close one gap and it is important that there must be a form from the electoral office.
Let me add one remark on the subject in general. In the past, the electoral office and the electoral officer have not been too busy in trying to catch people out and things have slipped by. I am sure that the officer will have to be much firmer and stricter in future and ensure that everything is looked at to prevent electoral fraud. It is amusing that the Irish Republic has suddenly taken fright. It is holding an election in some weeks time and has found that members of Sinn Fein are working in ways quite unknown there. They are determined again, to become experts in twisting the democratic system. I support the amendment, which adds another piece to the chain.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My Lords, but it does not. If one looks at the amendment—if I have got it rightly in my own mind—it states:
"If a person presents to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland a form for an absent vote on a form (copy or otherwise) other than one supplied by and uniquely encoded by the Chief Electoral Officer he shall be guilty of an offence".
Let us take the position—oh joy of hypothesis—of someone who has not received an original form from the chief electoral officer, perhaps because of a strike or the postman not carrying out his delivery, and writes in making a request for an absent vote on a form which is not the original by definition. I do not think that any of your Lordships, even at the most draconian time of the day or night, would wish that to be made an offence.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: My Lords, with respect, that particular rule could apply to the delivery of a postal vote. If a postal vote does not arrive and the person is unable to go to the ballot, then of course that person is precluded from voting and nothing can be done about it. With an effective system, that is not likely to happen frequently.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My Lords, I have not made myself clear. The consequence of the amendment of the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, would be that if someone applied for an absent vote on a form which was not the original, he or she would be guilty of a criminal offence. It cannot be the intention to introduce a criminal sanction. I would be very surprised to see my colleagues and friends on the Liberal Democrat Benches want a criminal conviction for such an act. But, of course, if they do wish for such a thing, I am quite happy to sit down while they make their position clear.
I understand the point behind this, but I do not believe that what is proposed is the way to get it. It is the norm at the moment that absent votes are applied
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for on forms or copies of forms submitted. I repeat: the CEO already plans to take administrative measures to ensure that applications for an absent vote, as the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, rightly said, will be given some kind of unique identifier—whether it is the original form or a copy—either a serial number or a bar code. He can do that without legislation. That is what he intends to do.
I do not believe that the present amendment is capable of working. It is possible, of course—indeed, your Lordships may say it is quite likely—that I have completely misread it, but I do not think that I have. I shall not close my mind to the point. We all want to be able to have elections which give maximum confidence to all parts of the voting public. I do not think this will do that. I certainly will not close my mind to looking at it again, but I am not sure that I shall be able to meet your Lordships' concerns on this occasion because I have gone fairly vigorously along the road of compromise.
If any of your Lordships believe that I have got it wrong and the elderly widow—it must be an elderly widow, please, for the purposes of my example—sends in an application for an absent vote, is it your Lordships' settled determination that she should be guilty of a criminal offence?
Lord Shutt of Greetland: My Lords, my belief is that if the elderly widow writes a letter, the correct response is to say: "This is an inquiry. Here is a form to fill in".
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My Lords, that is not what the amendment says. If, of course, the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran, wishes to withdraw it, T am happy to forgive and to overlook it.
Lord Glentoran: My Lords, I thank the noble and learned Lord for his patience. We have perhaps not drafted the amendment as neatly as we might have done. I know that the noble and learned Lord understands my problem, and I had not intended to divide the House. I shall ask leave to withdraw the amendment and see whether the noble and learned Lord and his team can come up with some method that will reassure us at Third Reading that the loophole is closed. In the meantime, we shall also attempt to examine the matter. We may be able to have a meeting outside the Chamber and make some suggestions. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Lord Williams of Mostyn Lord Williams of Mostyn moved Amendment No. 14:
Page 4, line 26, leave out "to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland"
Lord Glentoran Lord Glentoran moved Amendment No. 15:
After Clause 4, insert the following new clause—
"VOTERS: SPECIFIED DOCUMENTS
(1) From 1st May 2003, paragraph (1E) of rule 37 of the parliamentary election rules applicable to election in Northern Ireland, imported into Schedule 1 of the Representation of the

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People Act 1983 (c. 2) by section 1(2) of the Elections (Northern Ireland) Act 1985 (c. 2), is amended in accordance with subsection (2).
(2) For sub-paragraphs (a) to (e) there is substituted—

"(a) the plastic photographic card which is, or forms the counterpart of, a current licence to drive a motor vehicle;

(b) a current passport issued by the Government of the United Kingdom or by the Republic of Ireland;

(c) a senior citizen's concessionary fare pass issued by the Northern Ireland Department of Regional Government;

(d) a current electoral identity card issued under section 13C of this Act.""

The noble Lord said: My Lords, the noble and learned Lord and I have exchanged letters and have discussed this proposal. I know that the noble and learned Lord is behind the amendment. Indeed, he has written to me in extensive terms stating the Government's position. If he would be good enough to tell the House what he said to me so that it can be set out in Hansard for the future, I do not see any need to pursue the amendment. I beg to move.
Lord Shutt of Greetland: My Lords, I await with interest the noble and learned Lord's response. I trust that the amendment will be taken on board.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My Lords, the stance we adopted was that there plainly was a good deal of informed concern. The noble Lord, Lord Maginnis, asked me particular questions about percentages which I said I would research. I have written to various noble Lords about the matter. Perhaps I may refer briefly to the results of the research.
An omnibus survey was carried out in March 2001 by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. We wanted to find out who, among potential voters, had access to photographic identification which is presently acceptable. The results indicated that about 68 per cent of people in Northern Ireland had a passport and about 71 per cent had a photographic driving licence. The indication is that about 30 per cent of the electorate do not have a form of photographic identification which is presently acceptable—that is, about 400,000 people. I repeat—and I am happy to respond as fully as I can to the invitation from the noble Lord, Lord Glentoran—that it is our intention to offer every one of those 400,000 or so who require an electoral identity card every reasonable opportunity to acquire one before May 2003.
One of the types of passes mentioned in the amendment—I simply point this out; I do not mention it in any nit-picking sense—is a current concessionary travel pass. My advice is that that is not secure enough to be relied upon for the future. So at the moment the card referred to in the amendment would not be acceptable. We hope to issue a new card in April to all those over the age of 65. That will be secure; hence we are adding it to the list of specified documents.
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I am happy to give the particular assurance that the noble Lord sought; namely, I can reassure your Lordships that the Government will conduct an extensive publicity campaign to coincide with this year's annual canvass informing the Northern Ireland electorate of the extensive changes to the electoral system as a result of the Bill.
The chief electoral officer will include a question on the annual canvass form asking if people will require an electoral identity card. He will also use the opportunity to inform electors that specific photographic identification will be required at the polling station from May 2003. We are confident that the period from the annual canvass, in October 2002, to the Assembly elections in 2003 will allow everyone the time and opportunity to avail themselves of an electoral identity card if they should require one. I believe that that is the full assurance, in the precise, terms that the noble Lord asked me to give.
5.15 p.m.
Lord Maginnis of Drumglass: My Lords, in the light of the noble and learned Lord's remarks, could a process be put in place whereby a photographic ID could be provided before May 2003? I apologise for harking on about the mischievousness of some of the electorate in Northern Ireland, but I believe that opportunities will be taken, if provided, to delay the whole process if it does not begin until the canvass returns have been analysed. I ask the noble and learned Lord whether, as soon as the Bill becomes law, he will put in place the provision for those who understand that they will require photographic ID to obtain such ID before they are notified as a result of the canvass. In other words, if the process can start straight away, those who are willing to participate will be able to avail themselves of it speedily. In that way there will be less opportunity for others to give the excuse of not being able to obtain their photographic ID in time.
Lord Williams of Mostyn: My Lords, that is a good point. However, my advice is that we need to conduct the publicity at the time of the canvass. A period from October 2002 to May 2003 is probably the appropriate time, but I shall certainly take the noble Lord's point on board.
Lord Glentoran: My Lords, once again I thank the noble and learned Lord for his assistance. I also hope to receive one of the new Translink passes in the very near future. On that happy note, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Lord Williams of Mostyn Lord Williams of Mostyn moved Amendment No. 16:
After Clause 5, insert the following new clause—
"REGULATIONS AS TO INFORMATION ABOUT NATIONAL INSURANCE NUMBERS

(1) In Schedule 2 to the 1983 Act (provisions which may be contained in regulations as to registration), paragraph 1 is amended as follows.

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(2) After sub-paragraph (4) there is inserted—

"(4A) Provision for the disclosure (otherwise than by virtue of sub-paragraph (4) above) by the authority responsible for national insurance numbers ("the relevant authority") to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland, following a request by him, of—

(a) the national insurance number recorded in respect of an individual specified or described in the request, or of the fact that the individual is not recorded as having a national insurance number, and

(b) in the case of such an individual recorded as having a national insurance number, any name and former name, date of birth, sex and address as recorded by the relevant authority in respect of the individual in question.

(4B) Provision authorising the relevant authority to charge fees to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland to cover the expenses of the relevant authority in complying with such requests."
(3) In sub-paragraph (5), after "sub-paragraph (4)" there is inserted "or (4A)"."
On Question, amendment agreed to. Clause 6 [Offences]:
Lord Williams of Mostyn Lord Williams of Mostyn moved Amendment No. 17:
Page 5. line 39, leave out from beginning to end of line 14 on page 6 and insert—
""13D PROVISION OF FALSE INFORMATION

(1) A person who provides false information pursuant to any requirement of section 10(4A), 10A(1A) or 13A(2A) above—

(a) on a form mentioned in section 10(4) above and returned to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland; or

(b) in an application made to him under section 10A or 13A above

is guilty of an offence.

(2) A person who provides false information to the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland for the purpose of obtaining the dispensation referred to in section 10(4B), 10A(1B) or 13A(2B) above is guilty of an offence.

(3) In relation to a signature, "false information" for the purposes of subsection (1) means a signature which—

(a) is not the usual signature of; or

(b) was written by a person other than, the person whose signature it purports to be.

(4) A person does not commit an offence under subsection (1) above if he did not know, and had no reason to suspect, that the information was false.

(5) Where sufficient evidence is adduced to raise an issue with respect to the defence under subsection (4) above, the court shall assume that the defence is satisfied unless the prosecution proves beyond reasonable doubt that it is not."

In the Title:
Lord Williams of Mostyn Lord Williams of Mostyn moved Amendments Nos. 18 and 19:
Line 2, leave out "and dates of birth" and insert ", dates of birth and national insurance numbers"
Line 3, after "Ireland" insert "and of information relating to their period of residence in Northern Ireland and addresses in respect of which they are or have applied to be registered"

State Pension Credit Bill [H.L.]
5.18 p.m.
Read a third time.
Clause 2 [Guarantee credit]:
Baroness Turner of Camden Baroness Turner of Camden moved Amendment No. 1:
Page 2, line 28, after "cases," insert "which shall not include a patient,"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, in moving the amendment, I shall speak also to Amendment No. 8, which is grouped with it.
On Report, the noble Baroness, Lady Greengross-who is unfortunately unable to be present; she is abroad—moved an amendment designed to deal with the problems that arise when old and vulnerable people suffer cuts in their benefits, including state retirement pension, when in hospital for six weeks or more. The amendment was supported by Age Concern, which has also briefed me in the absence of the noble Baroness, Lady Greengross. The wording of the amendment has been altered in an endeavour to meet the objections raised on Report.
There is a strong case for re-examining the regulations. They have, after all, been in operation for over 50 years. It is clear that they cause hardship for many old and vulnerable people at a time when they are least able to cope with the bureaucracy that is often involved in establishing whatever rights they may have.
Downratings during hospital stays have been part of the social security system since 1948. Successive governments have justified them as necessary to prevent double provision. The argument is that if the state is providing hospital food and accommodation, it need not provide full state benefits as well.
That argument fails to take account of the continuing costs incurred by people in hospital. Age Concern points out that after six weeks in hospital, a single person can be left with just £18.15 after paying rent and council tax. They will have ongoing costs that do not disappear because they are in hospital. There will be water rates, TV and telephone rental—although a person aged 75 or over will get a free TV licence—as well as insurance costs, possibly warden charges, some heating and similar costs, plus the personal costs of being in hospital. Couples report that any small saving in food is taken up by travel costs to visit a sick spouse in hospital. There are also costs when patients leave hospital, particularly if they need continuing care.
The case was made strongly on Report and I hope that the Minister will be able to say something to assuage the concerns that many of us have about the continuing use of downrating for hospital stays. Age Concern has supplied me with many examples of individuals who have suffered stress and real poverty as a result of the downrating operated after long hospital stays. The cuts in retirement pension cause real resentment—perhaps more than in the case of means-tested benefits such as income support. The

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basic state pension is based on contribution records. People ask why it has to be cut when they believe that they have contributed, just as they would have done for a private pension, which would not be cut.
I hope that the Minister agrees that the time has come for a fresh look at the arrangements. I beg to move.
Lord Higgins: My Lords, I have a great deal of sympathy with the points made by the noble Baroness and by others at earlier stages in our proceedings on the Bill. I do not need to go over the ground that the noble Baroness has set out clearly, but I shall deal with the points raised in my Amendments Nos. 2 and 3.
On Report on 12th February, I pointed out that there were three issues. The first is the principle. It is common ground between the two Front Benches that there is a strong argument against double provision. Secondly, I raised the question of the amount of the deduction. The third point related to the procedures under which overpayments were reclaimed by the Government and the time that it took for benefits to be resumed after someone was discharged from hospital.
Amendment No. 2 would specify on the face of the Bill that there should be no reduction in the savings credit element of the state pension credit for hospital in-patients. I understand that the Minister has already agreed that and I hope that she will accept the amendment.
Amendment No. 3 relates to the updating of the uprating. As we have noted on previous occasions, many of the items that are now part of normal family expenditure did not exist when the orders were originally introduced. I asked the Minister previously what research had been done on the arrangements for uprating the deductions that people in such circumstances suffer. I hope that she will be able to give us some assurances on that and will tell us how the various deduction calculations are currently kept up to date. The aim of the amendment is to ensure that that is done on a regular basis so that people are not unfairly penalised on the basis of out of date data.
The speed of resumption of benefits and the arrangements for getting back overpayments remain matters of concern, but they can probably be pursued outside the ambit of the Bill in the normal course of our parliamentary business. I strongly agree that the issue ought to be reviewed, because it has not adequately been reviewed for a long time.
Baroness Barker: My Lords, I begin by making my usual declaration that I work for Age Concern England. This is the first time that I have dealt with a Third Reading from the Front Bench. My understanding is that this is an opportunity for all sides to reflect on the debate so far and to make relevant points.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Work and Pensions (Baroness Hollis of Heigham): Unlike Report stage.
Baroness Barker: Unlike Report stage, my Lords.
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Throughout our consideration of the Bill, a number of points have been made that deserve further discussion. As the noble Baroness, Lady Turner, rightly said, the system was set up in 1948 and has never been reviewed, although life is very different these days. The current system takes into account what the Government consider to be savings for the purposes of double provision, but it does not take account of expenses that occur as a result of being in hospital, either for the patient or for their carer.
It has become clear from our debates and the many Written Questions that have been tabled that one of the main problems is the lack of co-ordination between local authorities and the Department for Work and Pensions. That is the real cause of hardship in many cases.
Further to that, it has become evident throughout our debates that information provided to patients and their carers by hospitals and local authorities is thoroughly inadequate. The Minister said that the Department for Work and Pensions provided a great deal of information, but that information is inevitably lessened in its efficacy because the other two parts of the system do not work together.
This is a time of great structural change in health and social care. In the past it has been very clear when a person has left hospital, but those differentiation points will not be so obvious in the future, particularly as intermediate care becomes more of a reality. It will not necessarily be clear whether a person is receiving hospital treatment, because they may not be in a hospital setting.
It is apparent to all that the current system gives rise to great confusion. That in turn not only causes financial hardship, but also has a severe impact on the health of people who are very ill. They would not be in hospital for more than six weeks were they not.
The conclusion of all our debates is that it is high time that the whole system was reviewed. I ask the Minister to take account of that when she responds.
Earl Russell: My Lords, I should like to add a footnote to my noble friend's remarks. The Minister's argument has rested throughout on the concept of double provision—that one is getting something extra because of being in hospital, in which a financial benefit is implied. The Department for Work and Pensions and historians both know that there are some people who will do almost anything for money. If the Minister's argument were correct, we would find some people without the benefit provision that we are dealing with who would wish to prolong their stay in hospital for the sake of financial advantage. Is she aware of any such cases?
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: My Lords, I have never argued that people would stay in hospital for financial advantage. I have merely said that there is an issue of double provision and the social security system overall has always insisted that a person cannot receive two payments from the same source, even if they are simultaneously a widow and a carer. I was trying to uphold consistency with that.

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Amendments Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 8 raise the issue of hospital downrating—a subject that the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, and the noble Baroness, Lady Greengross, raised in Committee and on Report. Today, my noble friend Lady Turner has taken the place of the noble Baroness, Lady Greengross, on the subject. If your Lordships agree, I shall respond to the amendments in this group together.
Your Lordships will recall that, on Report, I undertook to re-examine the hospital downrating issue, which is why we are again discussing it. As I explained in earlier debates, the consequence of these amendments would be double payment: it would mean that a person in hospital whose living expenses are met by the state is put on exactly the same footing as a person living in his own home and meeting all the attendant costs. Most noble Lords have agreed that there should not be double provision of benefits. The Government still believe in that principle.
Although hospital care obviates the need for self-provision of food, laundry and heating, I accept the points made by my noble friend Lady Turner that other costs—from the television licence to council tax—continue. I said that I would re-examine the issue, and I accept that, unlike in 1948, most people including pensioners no longer budget or receive bills on a weekly basis. Instead, most people now expect to pay bills monthly or quarterly or by other methods of payment.
I am therefore pleased to say that, today, my right honourable colleague the Minister of State for Pensions, Mr McCartney, has announced in another place that the Government intend to change the rule by which benefits are downrated at six weeks. That rule will be replaced by downrating of all benefits, and not only for pensioners, after 13 weeks in hospital. Of the 35,000 people who at a point in time are affected by the six-week rule and experience a benefit cut at six weeks, about 26,000 are pensioners and about 9,000 are of working age. In other words, the vast majority of them are pensioners. We expect that 26,000 people previously affected by the six-week rule will Leave hospital by 13 weeks; 20,000 of them will be of pensionable age and 6,000 of working age. We therefore surmise that only 9,000 will continue to be affected by downrating at the 13-week stage, 6,000 of whom will be pensioners and 3,000 of working age. Of the 27,000 people affected by the 52-week rule, 11,000 will be of pension age and 16,000 of working age. The change will ensure that, on average, of the 26,000 pensioners whose benefit is reduced at six weeks, 20,000 will not in future experience that reduction. Most of them will leave hospital within 13 weeks.
We are, however, holding firm to the principle that we should not have double provision. We believe that, after 13 weeks, which is three months, people are beginning to become "longer-stay"—I shall not say long-stay—patients.
We nevertheless accept that the way in which people deal with their bills and financial responsibilities has changed from the days of the weekly ration book. We have listened and responded. Consequently, 20,000 of
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the 26,000 pensioners affected by the arrangements will no longer be so affected. I hope that your Lordships agree that the Government have moved very significantly, in a decent, sensible and generous manner, while recognising the principle that there should not be double provision, particularly for those who are longer-stay patients in hospital. I am delighted by the Government's wise and sensible move, and I hope that your Lordships share my pleasure in it.
For completeness I shall deal with the substance of Amendments Nos. 2, 3 and 8. Amendment No. 2, which I think is a probing amendment, provides that no reduction in the savings credit should be made under the provisions of the Social Security (Hospital In-patients) Regulations. Pension credit will not be subject to those regulations. Just as income support and jobseeker's allowance currently have their own provisions relating to hospital downrating, so will pension credit. The amendment would therefore not achieve its desired effect. None the less, I presume that the noble Lord was more concerned with probing the effect of periods in hospital on the savings credit than with precision in the drafting of his amendments. I am happy to give him that assurance.
Amendment No. 3 has a similar defect. I realise that the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, is seeking in this amendment to require that the rate of hospital downrating in pension credit should be reviewed every three years. While Amendment No. I would, in the case of patients, remove the regulatory powers designed to enable the Secretary of State to prescribe a lower amount in place of the standard minimum guarantee that would be payable to the claimant, I do not think that Amendment No. 8 defines the term "patient" in the legislation.
As noble Lords will recall, I have already given assurances that the savings credit will not be subject to hospital downrating. Similarly, as I stated, the arguments put forward have not fallen on deaf ears. I therefore hope that the additional amendments tabled by the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, are now unnecessary. Given that the Government have moved to recognise your Lordships' concerns while still seeking to protect the position on no double provision—which must be secured within social security—I hope that noble Lords will not press their amendments and will join me in being pleased at the Government's response.
Lord Higgins: My Lords, before the Minister sits down, I should like to express our appreciation for the change. Although it has been made in another place, it undoubtedly reflects both what has happened in this place and the Minister's influence.
On Amendment No. 3, however, I am not quite clear why we should not have a regular review of the amounts that are deducted and so on. I did not quite understand her reply to the amendment. Such review seems sensible, and without it the position would be consistently out of date.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: My Lords, fairly soon, subject to your Lordships' diaries, we shall be debating

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the uprating statement. That is the appropriate time to consider such issues. I do not believe that it is appropriate to address it in this Bill.
Baroness Turner of Camden: My Lords, I thank my noble friend for what I believe to be a very substantial advance and I think that all of us who have been concerned about the issue will be absolutely delighted. I thank my noble friend personally because I am sure that she must have had a great deal to do with the change. It is great and I am very pleased. I am sure that Age Concern also will be absolutely delighted. I therefore beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 3 [Savings credit]:
[Amendments Nos. 2 and 3 not moved.]
Clause 15 [Income and capital]:
Baroness Barker Baroness Barker moved Amendment No. 4:
Page 9, line 11, at end insert "(but only for claimants who have not attained state pension age)"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, we have returned once again to the earnings issue, as we indicated we would at earlier stages. As noble Lords will be aware, we have consistently experienced difficulty in raising the issue. The Minister has been kind enough to share with us information on both the constraints under which she and the rest of us are working and the fact that the Treasury has yet to rule on the matter. Consequently, the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, and I are shooting in the dark in addressing the issue.
The amendment proposes that earnings for people over 65 should be discounted for purposes of the pension credit, and it seeks to make a couple of main points. We have had lengthy discussions on the Bill's detail, and we have also had many happy hours of hearing the Minister outline the cost of our proposals. In previous debates, she told us that Amendment No. 4 would cost between £200 million and £300 million. However, I should like to consider the proposal in terms of the wider policy perspective, which is important.
Noble Lords may have read the very good report from the Performance and Innovation Unit, entitled Winning the Generation Game, which focuses primarily on the issue of early retirement by those aged between 55 and 65. However, many of the report's observations on the reasons why people retire or are made redundant early, and why they subsequently cause higher Treasury expenditure in the form of benefits, are equally relevant to those who are above the state pension age. As I have said, we on these Benches subscribe to the policy objective of keeping people working, economically active and involved. That policy has not only fiscal benefits for the Treasury, as people will be tax contributors, but other benefits in terms of health and well-being.
So there is a cost which arises from people moving into the labour market, even though they may be older. The press cuttings I received this morning contained
the wonderful case of Britain's oldest paper round boy. He is 90 and has never had a day off in his life—an example to us all.
One other policy issue, as we have discussed previously, is that the rate at which people will be penalised under the pension credit is 40 per cent. I do not want to go back over the arguments in that regard. But people who, in work, have a tax rate of only 22 per cent may well be smart enough to figure out that if, under the pension credit, they would be worse off, it would be better for them to stop working.
Underpinning the whole of the Bill is the intention that people should be encouraged to retire having planned for that retirement as best they can. This amendment contains two or three very good policy objectives and it was tabled with that in mind. We shall be interested to hear the response from the noble Baroness. I beg to move.
Lord Higgins: My Lords, again I understand the argument put forward by the noble Baroness in favour of matching the micro-economic costs of the concession—if that is what it is—against the macroeconomic advantages of people working longer and the higher growth national product. This is an issue on which the Minister has been sympathetic throughout and it is a question of persuading the Treasury of the case for ensuring that people in part-time work do not suffer as a result of these arrangements.
Amendment No. 6 seeks to make a specific proposal with regard to the extent to which there should be relief, and I hope that the Minister can comment on that. More particularly, I hope that she can announce a further favourable outcome of her deliberations following the one we had on the previous amendment.
I raise one other point, and I apologise for not giving the Minister notice of it. It only came to my attention recently. The Preston case is concerned with access to pension schemes of part-time workers. The House will recall that the European Court of Justice ruled that the exclusion of part-time workers from an occupational scheme could amount to indirect sex discrimination. Is it possible that if we do not incorporate a provision of the kind embodied in the amendment this provision may also be held to be discriminatory to the extent that the number of part-time workers who are female is likely to be significantly higher than those who are male?
I raise the matter at this stage because we do not want to find ourselves going through the same legal process, which has been elaborate and slow in relation to Preston, on this particular aspect.
5.45 p.m.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: My Lords, first, on the Preston point, I shall give the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, my best understanding and, if I am wrong or mislead him, I shall write to him.
My understanding is that we have had the European judgment. What is now proposed is that the case will come back to the employment tribunals and be reconsidered by the chairman of the regional

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employment tribunals. I understand that that will take place in June or July. On the basis of that we will have a clearer position of what the law is. That is my understanding of where we are in relation to the Preston case. I cannot help the noble Lord beyond that. We do not yet know what the outcome will be.
Amendment No. 4 proposes a total disregard on earnings of those over state pension age. Amendment No. 6 seeks to introduce a disregard of the earnings of all those en titled to the pension credit equivalent to 16 hours a week at the national minimum wage. We discussed the issue of earnings, and these proposals in particular. at some length on Report. No doubt the noble Lord's purpose is to establish the Government's position on the treatment of earnings.
Amendment No. 4 is still subject to the same flaw I tried gently to point out on Report; that is, that somebody with very high earnings and no other savings would be exempt. The noble Baroness made it clear on Report that she was not seeking to reward those with high earnings, but the amendment does nothing to cap it, though I accept that mostly those with high earnings would have some other form of savings to rule them out.
The noble Baroness quoted, and rightly so, Winning the Generation Game. We all believe it is a good thing for pensioners to work where they want to. The benefits for themselves, society as a whole and the economy are obvious. But I have to come back to the question of cost. The noble Baroness is right. It would cost in the region of £200 million if we accepted Amendment No. 4 and until the state pension age is equalised in 2020 some difficult equal treatment issues arise which I see no way to resolve. We go back to those same issues that we explored in earlier rounds. The cost of Amendment No. 6 would be £350 million. In part the increased costs are because the disregard would apply to all people aged 60 and over.
Perhaps I can spell out our approach on the treatment of earnings. We want to promote active ageing. We believe that working age benefits, particularly the new working tax credit, are the best way to support and encourage those aged 60 to 64 in work or who want to work. That is where the figures escalate.
In relation to pensions credit, those aged between 60 and 64 will have the existing MIG disregards applied to their earnings. Those aged over 65 will continue to have those disregards. We will also abolish the arbitrary remunerative work rule that excludes pensioners who work 16 hours a week or more for MIG. The earnings of those aged over 65, where they are relevant to the guarantee credit calculation, will be rewardable in the savings credit. That has been built into the £2 billion estimate.
Let me expand on that point. It may not have had the full attention of your Lordships' House that it requires. I shall give two examples, and noble Lords will see from the names we chose that we had some fun trying to work out the appropriate examples. The push of what I am going to say is that pension credit will make pensioners who are in work better off than they currently are if they have modest earnings.
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The first example is that of a single pensioner working one day a week at a minimum wage earning £35 a week, say, at the local supermarket. He has the full basic state pension of £77 a week. He has no other income except the minimum wage of £35 at the supermarket. After taking into account the £5 earnings disregard, to which he is entitled and which will continue, his relevant earnings are £30. At the moment that £77 plus £30 takes him above the MIG level, so he sees no gains from working. But Harry is entitled to a savings credit. As his earnings would count as qualifying income, his savings credit is £11. In other words, even though we would not be disregarding earnings, they would come into account for qualifying income for pension credit purposes, if it was a modest income, and, as a result in the case I have given, Harry would be better off by £11 a week or £572 a year.
The second example is that of a couple who have a basic retirement pension of £123 and earnings of £65 a week. Alfred is 68, married to Vera who is 65. Vera works as a cleaner for two days a week on the minimum wage earning £65 a week. They receive the full couple rate of retirement pension with no other income. They currently receive a £10 disregard on Vera's earnings but even after the disregard their current earnings take them above MIG reward and they would receive nothing. Under the pensions credit, their savings credit would be a further £9 a week or £468.
I have given two examples. So though I am not able to address what your Lordships would like (a disregard of earnings) because of the cost range—according to which amendment one goes for, either £200 million, or £350 million, one-third of a billion pounds— it is the case that people will continue to have their current disregard. In addition, under pension credit on the examples I have given—I believe that both of them are fairly realistic—one person would be £11 a week better off and the other £9 a week better off.
Therefore, I hope that your Lordships will not underestimate the benefit that comes from pension credit for earnings, even if I am not able to go as far as your Lordships would like. I am afraid that after reflection we have decided that the costs of both the amendments we are discussing are unacceptably high. None the less, the pension credit as designed still produces a useful and valuable extra award to those pensioners who increase their income by going out to work. I hope that in the light of that explanation the noble Baroness will feel able to withdraw her amendment.
Earl Russell: My Lords, before the noble Baroness sits down, does she accept that while she is clearly right to take costs into account, one should attempt to take all costs into account? Am I correct in believing that the disregard was originally introduced as an incentive to people to work after retirement and that its withdrawal might have a disincentive effect? The Minister may say that she cannot quantify that, but if she is caught in a taxi and late for a Division would she

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admit that the fact that she cannot quantify the cost of getting to the House still means that it will be fairly considerable?
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: My Lords, by now I know very well how much it costs to get to the House by various taxis from various points, having been for some time a Member of your Lordships' House. I take that point but I have no evidence to suggest that there is any distorting behavioural effect. People work for all kinds of reasons. What I would say—the noble Earl knows this perfectly well—is that the earnings disregards go back a long way. They are now £20 for a lone parent, £5 for a single person and £10 for a couple. That includes a pensioner couple. There are slightly different disregards for disabled people.
In the past we have increased the disregards for lone parents where we have sought to encourage them into mini-jobs as a step into full-time work. It is clear that that step has behavioural implications and that it does affect and help lone parents to make the decision to try out mini-jobs before going back into the labour market full time. However, we have no evidence, as suggested by the noble Earl, that pensioners are affected by such a step. Obviously, pensioners would prefer to keep more of their income, but when we are talking of sums of a third of a billion pounds being allocated to better-off pensioners, that is a high price to pay for something for which there is no evidential base. I repeat that pension credit usefully improves the position of those who are currently at work. As a result I hope that more pensioners will be encouraged to earn the kind of modest earnings that your Lordships have in mind. I hope that with that additional explanation the noble Baroness will feel able to withdraw the amendment.
Baroness Barker: My Lords, I suppose that it was always ambitious to hope for two good results in an afternoon. One of the many things that I have learnt during the passage of the Bill is that when the Minister heads off into a thicket of detail, one generally has an important point. I believe that we have an important point here. Apart from anything else, the common perception among older people and employers is that if they continue to work they will lose out on benefit. As we have said throughout the discussion on the Bill, the complexities into which the Minister has gone in some considerable detail to explain why that is not so are not easily translatable. Therefore, in future years when we consider the reports on the workings of the pension credit, I shall be interested to consider that matter to see whether any behavioural change, as the Minister put it, has occurred.
This is a missed opportunity on the part of the Government to do something constructive in the field of active ageing. I believe that there are economic advantages in keeping older people in work but I understand the reasons why that is not being done at the moment. The matter may turn out to be an academic exercise because if all the news that has emerged in the past two weeks about occupational
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pensions turns out to be correct, none of us will be able to retire at all and we shall have to continue working until we drop. We are disappointed by the response and I hope that we can return to the issue in some future debate on pensions policy which I am sure will arise. I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Lord Higgins Lord Higgins moved Amendment No. 5:
Page 9, line 22, at end insert—
"( ) For the purposes of this Act neither a person's income nor his capital shall include any investment in or income arising from—

(a) any plan which is a scheme of investment covered by the Personal Equity Plan Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989/469); or

(b) any plan which is in the form of an account covered by the Individual Savings Account Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998/1870);

or such other regulations as may be issued in substitution for, or extension to, or amendment of, such regulations."
The noble Lord said: My Lords, this amendment is concerned with PEPs and ISAs. We debated the matter at some length on 29th January. The Minister in replying to debates is always extraordinarily plausible and her words emerge in a smooth flow. However, I made the mistake of reading what she actually said and that has given me cause to retable the amendment.
I think that we can all start from the proposition that saving is a good thing. That has been reflected in the policies of previous Chancellors and in the present Chancellor's policy on PEPs and ISAs which are specifically designed to encourage saving. It is therefore of some concern that the press suggested at the weekend that at present the sales of ISAs are some 40 per cent lower than a year ago. The Minister put forward the following arguments against the amendment in Committee. She said that,
"we would have to find a way to distinguish the proportion of a person's fund made up of interest and capital growth and how we broke it down between the two".—[Official Report, 29/1/02; col. 142.]
As I understand it, PEPs and ISAs are outwith the system which the Minister mentioned. The great advantage of PEPs and ISAs is that one does not have to distinguish between interest and capital growth as the Minister described. She then added that the suggested policy would have "complex incentive effects". However, complex incentive effects are the whole basis of PEPs and ISAs. The Minister then added that the suggested policy,
"in addition to distorting the financial products market, it would also make it extremely difficult for financial advisers to give clear information and advice".
Again, the whole basis of PEPs and ISAs is to alter the balance between various financial instruments and to encourage people to take out PEPs and ISAs. Therefore, the argument that was advanced is clearly not relevant. As regards whether it is possible for clear advice to be given in these circumstances, if one describes to one's financial adviser one's personal circumstances, as clearly one should, it is no more

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difficult for clear advice to be given in these circumstances than it is for it to be given as regards ISAs or PEPs generally.
The Minister then added that if such an amendment were accepted,
"the incentive to save in a pension for those who expected to be eligible for pension credit would be eroded".—[Official Report, 29/1/02: col. 143
However, that overlooks the fact that PEPs and 1SAs are effectively an alternative to a pension and, indeed, in many respects constitute a rather better form of pension provision. Therefore, the Minister's argument is not relevant.
I examined the arguments that were put against the amendment and found all of them wanting except perhaps that of cost. Although PEPs and ISAs may result in the Exchequer incurring some additional cost, if they lead to an increase in saving the effect of that in macro-economic terms is broadly the same as a reduction in taxation. For all those reasons I considered that it was worthwhile to return to the matter. I believe that it was dealt with too superficially in Committee. I beg to move.
6 p.m.
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: My Lords, I also put my name to the amendment and I want to speak to it briefly. I believe that my noble friend dealt effectively with the arguments raised by the Minister in Committee. It appears that the rationale for ordinary taxpayers having a capital gains and income tax-free sum is very powerful. It has been an extremely successful way of encouraging people to save. Therefore, it is difficult for me to understand why people should suddenly move from being assessed on a capital gains and income tax-free basis to being assessed at the full rate when they cross the magic line at retirement.
As my noble friend said, the Minister has prayed in aid complexity and distortion. But the fact is that, if we do not agree to the amendment, there will be a distorting effect in the sense that on reaching retirement a person should no longer have a PEP and ISA. Hitherto, those have been extremely effective ways of saving. I am not clear why a poor pensioner should be treated relatively worse in tax terms than an affluent pensioner or saver. I believe that my noble friend has made some important points and I look forward to hearing the Minister's response.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: My Lords, I was intrigued to see this matter return. Although I may have been, as the noble Lord kindly put it, plausible, I am sorry that I was clearly not persuasive.
I remind your Lordships that the provisions in Clause 15 abolish the rules that exclude from any help pensioners with £12,000 or more of savings. We are applying a notional rate of return of 10 per cent, which is half the present rate, on any capital sum over the first £6,000 which we shall disregard. That amount will be £10,000 for people in residential care and nursing homes. As 1 have told your Lordships on previous
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occasions, that means that 85 per cent of pensioners entitled to pension credit will see any income that they receive from their savings ignored entirely. I have also made the point that we estimate this treatment of savings to be approximately five times more generous than is currently the case.
The fundamental difficulty with the proposed amendment is that the Bill, as drafted, already takes no account of actual income from PEPs and [SAs. It applies a notional tariff of 10 per cent to capital sums over £6,000.The result would be a massive shift into those assets—a point on which I want to enlarge in a moment. Therefore, in the longer run we calculate that the effect on pension saving could give rise to a cost of £1 billion a year. For those who expected to be eligible for pension credit, the incentive to save in an ISA would be far greater than the incentive to save in a pension because the pension would be taken into account and an ISA would be disregarded. People who chose to put all their money into an ISA would receive full pension credit, no matter how much they had saved.
I believe that it is helpful if I give examples of how people would be affected. Therefore, perhaps I may illustrate in three different ways what would happen if a person saved £2,000 a year from the age of 50 to 65. That is not an unreasonable scenario for future pensioners on modest incomes. If that person had put his money into a stakeholder pension, he would benefit from tax relief on the contributions. In this example, the basic rate of tax has been assumed. If a return of 4.5 per cent was achieved over and above inflation and a 1 per cent annual charge was levied on the fund, the final fund after 15 years would be approximately £50,000 in constant prices. Obviously, in a stakeholder pension the return on the pension investment is not taxed. That means that a lump sum of £12,500 could be taken and a weekly pension of about £48 per week could be purchased with the rest of the fund.
By saving in an ISA, the individual could expect to receive a rate of return on savings similar to that in the stakeholder pension example. There is also generally a fund management fee on equity-based ISAs. The main difference with stakeholder schemes is that tax relief is not given on the contributions, although the return is not taxed either. In this case, a final lump sum of approximately £39,000 would be generated.
If a cash ISA were purchased, the return would probably be lower—say, 2 per cent above inflation—but there would be no management fee. That would generate a lump sum of around £35,000. As a result, the ISA would be somewhat less generous than the stakeholder pension. However, it would of course be free to be disposed of as one saw fit. Similarly, after 15 years of saving in a building society, one could expect approximately £32,000.
Given those examples, I do not see how one could fail to skew the market. If a person put his money into a stakeholder pension and if his only other income was the basic state retirement pension, his total weekly income would be £137 and he would not be entitled to pension credit. The same sum of money turned into a

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stakeholder pension would take him out of the reach of pension credit. However, if he put that sum of money into an ISA, he would receive £23 credit in order to be brought up to the MIG level of £100. In addition, in a building society he would not be entitled to a guarantee credit but would be entitled to £2.20 in savings credit.
Given those scenarios, what would your Lordships prefer? Of course noble Lords would not enter a stakeholder scheme; they would go into an ISA, which is considerably better even than a building society account for such purposes. In that case, I do not see how one could avoid skewing the market.
Perhaps I may explain the matter in another way. Jessica at number 47 has placed £20,000 in an ISA, which the amendments have ignored. Alice next door at number 49 has placed the same amount in a building society. If all their circumstances were the same, under the amendment Alice would receive £14.20 a week less pension credit than Jessica. If I were Alice, I should transfer my money as quickly as possible to an ISA.
I give another example of Jessica's sister, Sara. Sara has placed £100,000 over 15 years into PEPs and ISAs and then at the age of, say, 65 or 67 inherits a further lump sum of £60,000—perhaps because she has been left a terraced property which she has sold. If over the next five years she puts that money into ISAs, she could have £160,000 in capital—not an implausible scenario—and, if she had no other income, still be entitled under the amendment to maximum pension credit. That credit may well be paid for by a young man of 30 with an income of £7,000, £8,000 or £9,000 a year and no capital at all; none the less he would be a taxpayer.
I ask your Lordships whether we want to see pensioners encouraged to put money into ISAs and PEPs not only in the period leading up to their retirement but subsequently as a shelter in order to maximise their entitlement. Pensioners could put £7,000 into an ISA each year for the rest of their lives every time additional capital came their way. By virtue of the amendment, a pensioner could have £150,000 or even more sheltered while other people with no such capital would have to cross-subsidise that through their taxes.
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: My Lords, of course, it is fair to say that while pensioners might have a capital sum, they could not draw any income from it. As soon as income is drawn from a PEP or ISA, it is taxed.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: My Lords, the point is that they have the capital. It is reasonable for us to expect that when one has created a savings entitlement over the years, one will draw it at the point of need. That is normally when one enters old age. We are not seeking through pension credit to give people the opportunity to pass on assets to their heirs. We are seeking to return to them the benefit of modest savings by imputing a notional income so that they are no longer no better off than if they had never saved and were simply drawing
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MIG. That is the purpose: to reward modest savings so that, compared with people who have not saved and would otherwise be drawing down MIG, people find that it is worth saving in a modest pension or annuity or the like. At present, they see no benefit.
If one has a pension of £100 a month, at present one is no better off than if one had no such pension. One might just as well be on income support. In future, one will keep £60 of it. That seems to me to be decent and generous, and it chimes with people's instincts to help themselves. But the amendment seeks to do something totally different.
Effectively the amendment produces a tax shelter which is a pension credit shelter for people who are not only approaching pension age but are beyond it. That could mean—certainly on paper; I do not say that it would happen in a wide number of cases—that people could have a lump sum of £100,000, £150,000 and so on which they could draw down in modest amounts if they wished. But effectively it would become an inheritance device at the expense of younger people—taxpayers and so on—who had no such savings but who were asked to cross-subsidise because the pensioners would still be drawing their maximum pension credit of £23 a week. If the pensioners have no claim on pension credit, it is a matter for them to decide whether they put their money into an ISA and so on. We are talking about those who seek to claim pension credit, but who also are able to protect seriously large sums of money and have that money taken into account when their eligibility for pension credit, which is financed by poorer taxpayers, is taken into account.
I do not know whether the noble Lord considers my reply plausible or persuasive, but I hope that it is the second. In the light of that, I hope that he will withdraw his amendment because it is a device for skewing savings away from pensions into ISAs and for redistributing from poorer taxpayers to people who are better off in terms of the capital assets that they hold. I cannot believe that your Lordships want to support that.
Lord Higgins: My Lords, as always, one is lost in admiration for anyone who can explain matters in such a way without reference to notes. As on the previous occasion, I believe that it will be worth reading carefully what the noble Baroness has said. Unless some amendments are passed in the other place, which seems unlikely, we in this House will not have a further opportunity to consider this matter. But it is helpful to have arguments, plausible or not, set out before the matter goes to another place for consideration. In the light of that, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. [Amendment No. 6 not moved.]
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts moved Amendment No. 7:
Page 9, line 24, at end insert ", having regard to the yield to redemption available on long-dated (over fifteen years) United Kingdom government bonds"
The noble Lord said: My Lords, this amendment takes me to an issue that was debated in Committee, the inter-relationship between deeming, where we have an assumed rate of interest, and the open-ended wording of the Bill as presently drafted. I understand the wish for simplicity and I quite understand the idea that there should be a deemed rate of earnings attributed to savings. I understand that and I see the advantages of it. However, reading the report of the Committee stage I am not sure that the noble Baroness understood what I was driving at.
Perhaps I may take the example that is contained in the Government's pension credit paper of someone who has £10,000 of savings. The paper points out that the first £6,000 is at the nil rate and that the balance of £4,000 is at 10 per cent, giving an income of £400 on £10,000 which is 4 per cent. That 4 per cent compares with what the Financial Times today gives as the rate on long-dated UK government bonds over 15 years of between 4.64 per cent and 4.94 per cent.
We are at the bottom of the interest rate cycle and we are offering a credit at 1 per cent below the current yield on long-dated government bonds. It may be considered fair to be offering someone with £10,000 that comparatively lower rate of interest, but what of the future? Clause 15(2), to which this amendment applies, gives the Secretary of State completely untrammelled powers about the way in which the yield on income shall be prescribed in the future.
On several occasions during the passage of the Bill, the noble Earl, Lord Russell, has warned the House of the dangers and temptations of such untrammelled powers. Therefore, this amendment requires the Secretary of State to have regard to rates of earnings available on the most comparable benchmark savings instruments. In her reply in Committee the Minister said:
"the implication of this amendment would be to halve the assumed rate of interest on capital. Applying such a low return to capital, as the amendment would suggest, would distort incentives to save away from pensions into other forms of capital".—[Official Report, 29/1/02; col. 184.]
That just is not true. The amendment asks the Secretary of State to "have regard to". Thus today should we he offering to someone who has saved £10,000 a savings credit 20 per cent below the long-dated gilt rate? It could be argued that that is not only unfair but also a potential disincentive. As for a future Secretary of State, should we not tie his or her hands, albeit lightly, by ensuring that he or she keeps in mind a benchmark by writing it on the face of the Bill and, therefore, has to consider that when he or she comes to set future rates for the savings credit. I beg to move.
6.15 p.m.
Lord Higgins: My Lords, I support my noble friend who has set out the arguments clearly. I believe that it is sensible to have a requirement to have regard to
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what is happening in the real world, rather than to leave matters totally to the discretion of the Secretary of State.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: My Lords, the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, is coping heroically given the state of his voice. As your Lordships know, Clause 15 deals with our treatment of income and capital. This is a similar issue to that raised in the previous debate.
We believe that Amendment No. 7 will disturb the balance in the personal finance market and skew it in ways that we find unacceptable. The amendment suggests that the assumed rate of return on capital should be set with reference to the yield on long-term UK government bonds. Frankly, it is a reference point that is irrelevant to the pensioners who will receive pension credit.
In Committee we talked about that approach. As I said then, long-term bonds are traded every day so their value alters daily. However, the yield on long-term bonds is approximately 5 per cent and corporate bond funds will give one a gain of about 5 per cent at the moment if they are cautiously invested. Therefore, the implication of the amendment would be to halve the assumed rate of interest on capital.
Applying such a low return to capital. as I said on the previous amendment, would distort incentives to save away from pensions to other forms of capital. particularly for those pensioners who are affluent enough and financially numerate enough to be able to enter the bond market. We have rehearsed this argument several times. We have consulted the FSA and it has pressed the importance of being able to give clear advice on the benefits of investment vehicles. To do that we need to have a rate of return on capital of at least 10 per cent above the £6,000 capital disregard.
It may be helpful if I quote what the FSA said to us in its formal response on this issue:
"Our over-riding concern is that we need to be in a position whereby we can give to those using decision trees unambiguous information/guidance about the purpose and effect of the Pension Credit from which they are able to work out its relevance to them in deciding whether to buy a stakeholder pension. The less they are able to do that, the more we will have to point out that they should take advice before deciding what to do. Of particular concern is whether an individual would be better-off using a different savings vehicle altogether.
With a notional rate of 10%, we judge that we could make a reasonably positive statement in the decision trees to the effect that, for most people, most of the time, they would be better off saving through a stakeholder pension (provided that it was suitable in all other respects)."
The FSA is the body that is best qualified to give advice about the investment market. It seems to me that, having asked for that advice, it is sensible that the Government should take it and use it to inform our policy making, which is what we have done. That is why the Bill as drafted maintains the balance in the personal finance market. The proposed amendment would upset that balance and skew savings away from pensions into that form of investment.
As I said in Committee, the amendment would cost an additional £300 million. The cost assumes that the noble Lord would want to see us retain I he £6.000

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capital disregard so as to avoid placing increased intrusion on the vast majority of those entitled to pension credit who have small amounts of capital, a position that Age Concern has pressed on us.
In addition to this substantial extra cost, I wonder whether the main Opposition Front Bench really wants to support an amendment at the cost of £300 million which appears to reward those who are financially able to enter the bond market in this way or to relate their savings in that way. In addition to that cost it would be impractical to link the assumed rate of return on capital to a price that changes every day. Pensioners would be required to report capital levels more frequently, imposing a new administrative burden on the pension service.
As I have said, we investigated the possibility of using the actual interest from capital in the pension credit assessment, but we listened when Age Concern told us that pensioners did not want the trouble of recording actual income from capital and would prefer a notional rate of return instead.
Therefore, I hope that I have persuaded the noble Lord that the Government are not able to move in the direction that he seeks. It would severely and substantially undermine the purpose of this amendment. Alternatively, it would cause us to revisit the commitment we made to Age Concern in terms of the £6,000 figure. I hope that with that explanation the noble Lord—I am sure that he does not think it at all plausible, but I suspect that we shall not have a meeting of minds on the matter—will feel able to withdraw his amendment.
Lord Hodgson of Astley Abbotts: My Lords, the Minister has repeated what she said in Committee. I did not find it convincing then. What we are seeking is that when the Minister comes to set the rate at which the pensions saving credit will be set in the future, he or she should have regard to what is available in the real world. At the moment at £10,000 someone is worse off. He will get a lower rate of imputed pension credit than he would if he had a comparable investment in long-dated Government bonds. That seems to me a strange way of incentivising people to save.
However, we have been around this course enough times. I do not think that the Minister has quite understood what I am driving at. Equally, I do not think that we will get any further today. Therefore, I beg leave to withdraw the amendment.
Amendment, by leave, withdrawn.
Clause 17 [Other interpretation provisions]:
[Amendment No. 8 not moved.]
Clause 19 [Regulations and orders]:
Baroness Hollis of Heigham Baroness Hollis of Heigham moved Amendment No. 9:
Page 13, line 30, at end insert "or
( ) section 15(1)(e), (f) or (j), (2), (3), (4) or (6),"
The noble Baroness said: My Lords, I return to the House with an amendment that I promised at an earlier stage. Amendment No. 9 adds the powers
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provided for within Clause 15 to the list in Clause 19 that will require he affirmative procedure to be followed in both Houses of Parliament in order for the first regulations or orders to be made.
I could go on, but perhaps I do not need to. I have met the undertaking that I gave to the House. I hope that your Lordships will be delighted. I beg to move.
Lord Higgins: My Lords, we are grateful to the Minister for fulfilling the undertaking which she previously gave. It reflects the constructive attitude which she has displayed from the Government Front Bench throughout our deliberations on this Bill. I am sure that I speak on behalf of all the House in thanking her for the way in which she has dealt with the various amendments. Together with my noble friends on my side of the House who have obviously pursued these matters, we think that the Bill is better than it was when it started; unfortunately, it is not quite as good as it could be.
Baroness Barker: My Lords, I briefly interject to thank the Minister and both the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, and the noble Baroness, Lady Noakes, who throughout their amendments and in discussions have fought to make what I still think is a very complex Bill far more comprehensible. I believe that the debates that we have had in this House will stand other people in good stead when they come to interpret and to enact the Bill.
I thank the Minister very much. It must have been very tedious for her at times to give the lengthy explanations that some of us required to get through the Bill. It has been very much appreciated.
An amendment (privilege) made.
Baroness Hollis of Heigham: My Lords, I beg to move that the Bill do now pass. We, in this House, have now departed from the old convention of making long speeches at this stage of a Bill. However, perhaps I may make a couple of points. First, I should like to thank your Lordships, not just my noble friend Lady Turner, but the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, and the noble Baroness, Lady Barker, as well as our gadfly from the Back-Benches, the noble Lord, Lord Hodgson, for the way that they have pressed their amendments to probe the Government's views, and for the extent to which it has allowed us an opportunity, if not to amend the Bill, at least to expose it to proper scrutiny.
As this is the first House that is scrutinising the Bill, in other words, we are not receiving it from another place, that job of scrutiny is even more important than it would otherwise be. I welcome that. I thank your Lordships for that and as usual for the extraordinarily courteous and good-humoured way in which amendments have been pursued.

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There is one thing that I cannot resist saying. I was quite intrigued during the course of some of the amendments, although they were not actually moved to a vote. I am sure that the noble Lord, Lord Higgins, would like to know that so far the bill for his amendments—unless he has had any last minute thoughts—is £2.95 billion. That is leaving aside the £17.5 billion that he would have spent on a 40 per cent take up of all benefits. But I think that that was possibly a mistake. So if we overcome the mistake of the £17.5 billion, he has staked out a position for the Opposition Front Bench of additional expenditure of £2.95 billion. That, give or take a bit, more or less doubles the cost of pension credit, but let not some noughts stand in the way between friends on Front Benches.
That aside, I am very pleased to ask your Lordships' House to accept that the Bill do now pass.
Moved, That the Bill do now pass.—(Baroness Hollis.)
Lord Higgins: My Lords, it would be ungracious of me to say that the only arguments I found convincing from the other side have been those of cost, which is why we have not voted for the rather modest amendments which the Minister has just described.
On Question, Bill passed, and sent to the Commons.

Wind Energy
6.26 p.m.
Lord Williams of Elvel Lord Williams of Elvel rose to ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will reconsider their decision to allow a wind farm development at Cefn Croes in mid-Wales and their intention to unblock 100 renewable energy projects in England and Wales which have been refused planning permission.
The noble Lord said: My Lords, I am sorry that the Minister is not present, but since I have sent him a copy of my draft speech he is not missing much.
First of all, I must declare an interest as a Vice-President o f the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales. But I make no excuse for raising this matter in this House. It is not just a Welsh question. I wish it were; and I shall argue that future such cases should be. But under arrangements following the Electricity Act 1989, a generating station that crosses the threshold of 50 megawatts installed capacity falls for decision by the DTI in London. Since it is the first case in Wales—and only the second if England is included—of a wind-powered station crossing this threshold, the procedures and the outcome will set a precedent for all future such applications, not just in Wales but in England as well.
The application which we are discussing is for 39 turbines, each twice the height of Nelson's Column, each with an installed capacity of 1.5 megawatts, to be located on the Cambrian mountains in mid-Wales. The land in question technically is owned by the Forestry Commission but is vested in the National
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Assembly for Wales. The area is one of great beauty and indeed was designated as a national park in the 1970s, but that was never confirmed.
This application was duly submitted to the Ceredigion County Council, and was referred to its planning officer for study. The officer in question did a thorough job. In fact, the experts in this field say that his 128-page report is the most detailed and comprehensive they have ever seen. He rightly took the advice of the Countryside Council for Wales, the statutory body with a specific remit to give advice on matters affecting the Welsh countryside. Both the CCW and the planning officer were clear on the matter. The application was, in their word, "inappropriate", and should be rejected.
Ceredigion County Council, in a very brief session, then proceeded to ignore that advice and to approve the application. No recognisable planning reason was given. Nor has any particular reason since been discovered, although allegations have surfaced in the local press of—how shall I put it?—undue activity on the part of some members of Plaid Cymru.
Be that as it may, the matter then went to the National Assembly, which found itself in a difficult position. For a start, it was the owner of the land; but it was also the properly elected guardian of the landscape. Then its agent, Forest Enterprise, had manifestly ignored the obligation imposed by Parliament on its parent, the Forestry Commission, to strike a balance between its activities and the landscape. The National Assembly therefore took the view, in the words of the First Minister, that,
"if the council grants permission it is a matter for Brian Wilson as the relevant minister in the DTI, not for us. We"—
he said,—
"collate the information."
Much to general consternation, without further ado, on 10th December 2001, the Minister announced that he, too, was ignoring the CCW's advice and would give the go-ahead to the project without public inquiry. In fact, the Department of Trade and Industry press release of that day was, as seems usual nowadays, both inaccurate and misleading.
I shall not waste your Lordships' time by rehearsing all of the inaccuracies, irritating though they are. I want to concentrate on one particular misleading number. The release states that Cefn Croes will result in savings of 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. If that means, in the Kyoto sense, that our CO2 emissions will be reduced by that amount, the figure cannot possibly be sustained. In fact, it is doubtful whether Cefn Croes will result in any savings at all, in the Kyoto sense. Your Lordships should bear in mind that even the Kyoto agenda has been seriously challenged by academics even in the report issued today.
The Scots, who seem to be wiser than us£or perhaps more honest—have accepted that the intention was that renewables-generated electricity would replace at least some conventionally generated electricity, but that with increased demand for energy that has not been and remains unlikely to be the case.

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They said that the supply companies buy green electricity while maintaining generation from conventional power stations. It is expected that all sources of energy will be taken up to meet increased demand.
But that is not the end of the matter. Given the intermittent nature of wind power, conventional backup stations must always be on standby with boilers kept at levels that allow them to be brought on-line at short notice. So not only will no conventional power station be decommissioned as a consequence of Cefn Croes or any other such installation, conventional power capacity will actually have to increase to provide the necessary stand-by as demand increases, as wind can meet that demand only intermittently. Bang goes any possible saving on CO2 emissions.
Leaving aside the inaccuracies and false claims, the DTI statement makes one important point. Referring to the new rules, the Minister said that they would make the achievement of our sustainability goals compatible with respect for the landscape and local community. At last, the landscape appears as a factor in the decision. The Minister would be wise not to sneer at those whose function it is to argue in favour of the landscape. He would also be wise to refrain from asserting that conservation bodies are against renewable energy projects if they ever come near them. All the groups that have protested most vigorously about Cefn Croes are, as far as I know, perfectly content with almost all the renewables described in the Perfomance and Innovation Unit report: biomass, combined heat and power, photovoltaics, wave and tidal power—even offshore wind, if it is really offshore. Frankly, ministerial sneering is only a cover for lack of serious argument.
So, to use the Minister's words, how is the "landscape" to be "respected"? On current evidence, certainly not by the DTI. After all, the road from Presteigne in the east to Aberystwyth in the west was chosen by the AA as one of the most scenically beautiful roads in the United Kingdom. If the Cefn Croes project goes ahead, instead of beautiful landscape there will be something resembling an industrial park. Is that what is known as respect for the landscape?
The Cambrian mountains are to Wales what the South Downs are to south-east England. The day that the Minister approves an application for 39 turbines, each twice the height of Nelson's Column, on the South Downs is the day when I will take my hat off to him and admit that he is applying his policy fairly across the United Kingdom. In the meantime—and I suspect that it may be quite a long meantime—he should follow what is after all only the logic of devolution. It is quite wrong for Whitehall bureaucrats to be allowed to determine the future face of the Welsh landscape. Let the National Assembly decide. In the interval, for goodness sake let us have some respect. At the very least, it would be quite wrong to march ahead without a public inquiry. Common decency demands no less.
6.35 p.m.
Lord Lloyd-Webber: My Lords, I should first like to make clear that my interest in this Question has nothing to with the fact that I have Lloyd in my name. The non-English bit of me is Scottish.
The noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, has raised a most timely issue. I know a tiny bit about sustainable energy because I was involved in a campaign to prevent the construction of a wind farm in Tipperary in southern Ireland, where I have the good fortune to own a house. The wind farm was obviously to be sited on a mountain and, like the Welsh plan that we are discussing, would have been a complete visual environmental catastrophe. Research produced much the same results as did that of the noble Lord. Indeed, it was suggested that it would take 10 years for that wind farm to compensate for the harmful emissions caused by the lorries and other conventional means involved in its construction, let alone in its maintenance. That is not surprising when we consider that the Welsh turbines will replace barely 1 per cent of the nuclear power station at Anglesey.
Denmark, so far the most active supporter of wind programmes, has called a halt to projects because the turbines now have to be financed by a levy on conventional electricity. Indeed Denmark had to provide a back-up for those intermittent turbines by building a power line to obtain hydroelectric power—interestingly—from Norway. Electricity in Denmark is priced at 13p a unit, compared to 7p to 8p in Britain. It is therefore clear that wind farms are at best questionable contributors to sustainable energy.
Britain is becoming an increasingly unpleasant place to live. Americans constantly point out that London is six times less safe to visit than Manhattan. We know that it will be difficult for politicians from both sides of the House to reverse the problems so that the cities that have been our most attractive places are again perceived to be desirable places to visit, or indeed for we Brits to enjoy. So it is vital, not just in order to attract tourists but for the good of all of us, that our greatest countryside assets are wrecked only if absolutely necessary.
The Welsh mountains are among these islands' greatest natural assets. They are clearly a great tourist attraction as well as a great tonic to the spirit of every Member of the House who goes there. I reiterate that we have an absolute duty to protect our countryside, especially in the rare instances where it is visually unspoiled. A public inquiry in this case is absolutely necessary.
However, equally important is that the efficiency or otherwise of wind farms and all forms of energy production is properly and publicly discussed. For instance, if wind farms really work, should they not be sited off-shore near existing, often ageing, nuclear power stations where the infrastructure to carry the electricity to the national grid already exists? I cannot help but observe that the present Government—like those before them, I fear—seem to have shown little lead in reducing electricity consumption in, say,

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schools, hospitals or government buildings, for that matter. How can it be that the Energy Saving Trust is barely funded?
Finally, as far as I can discover, little government-funded research has been conducted into producing a cell that stores electricity from an intermittent source such as a wind farm if it over-produces. An across-the-board policy on energy saving is therefore even more important. The point about the electricity cell that has not been developed suggests to me that the recent support for massive wind farms has not been completely thought through.
As I said, the whole question of energy needs to be publicly and properly discussed. It would be all too easy to make a cheap spin-doctor's speech about wind farms versus nuclear electric production that would mislead and bamboozle. The public need to know the facts. Until then, it would be a disgrace if further wind farms were permitted anywhere in the British Isles. In this case, a public inquiry is the least that we can expect.
6.40 p.m.
Lord Carlile of Berriew: My Lords, I thank the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, for securing this debate on a very important subject. Wales has many jewels in its crown—music, literature, language—but the greatest of all Wales's qualities and the one that moves the human spirit more than any other is, without doubt, its landscape. Ask anyone who visits Wales what they remember about the visit, and—sometimes mentioning the rain as they pass—they will speak about the beautiful landscape that they have seen all over Wales. One of the finest parts of the Welsh landscape is the wild, exposed and unguarded area in which the proposed wind farm would be situated.
In Wales. we believe that we should be empowered to decide whether we are to have such a scar on the landscape as is proposed. We do not understand why such matters have been reserved to a Minister in the Department of Trade and Industry. We have a responsible Assembly that is more than capable of deciding such issues. We suggest to the Government that this issue is just an example—an important one—of a matter from which such reservation should be removed. What should the Welsh Assembly guard, if it cannot guard the landscape that is the lifeblood of the Welsh countryside?
The noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, has already spoken about the size of the towers. Simon Jenkins gave a graphic—and not, in my view, exaggerated—description of them in The Times a few days ago. He described them as being,
"like a Golgotha of gibbets".
We already have our share of wind turbines in mid-Wales. I need go only a few miles from my home in rural Montgomeryshire. My noble friend Lord Hooson has wind turbines within a shorter distance of his home in Llanidloes. We have taken our share in mid-Wales— in Montgomeryshire and Ceredigion—of the renewable energy that should be assigned to our area.
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The Government have followed a process that has been hurtful and insulting to the people of Wales. The Department of Trade and Industry has shown itself to be a department that hears but does not listen. It has shown itself to be bossy, with all the advantages of distance between the affected site and the office in London. If the matter were to be decided b) Ministers in the Welsh Assembly, with the support of the Assembly, they would have been to the site. It would be helpful if the Minister who will reply to I his debate could tell us whether he does so on the basis of knowledge gained from visiting the site.
It would also be helpful to know whether the Minister who made the decision, Brian Wilson, has taken the trouble to visit the site in Cardiganshire. We must not be told that because Mr Wilson—a nice man, for whom I have considerable respect—represents a wild and rural constituency on the west coast of Scotland, it is enough for him to say that he understands such areas. Ceredigion is different from the highlands and islands of Scotland. Above all, the landscape is different, because of its dramatic height, its unguarded aspect and its importance as part of the sculpture of Wales.
I reiterate the point made by the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, about the rejection of advice. Why has Mr Wilson rejected the advice in the detailed report from the planning officer for Ceredigion? When I was a Member of the other place, the Select Committee on Welsh Affairs held an inquiry into planning in Wales. Ceredigion council came out of it with no glory whatsoever: it has a poor record of dealing with planning issues. I am afraid that. in cases in which self-interest plays any part, it there plays too great a part. If, as would have been logical, Ceredigion council had done us the honour of providing some reasons for rejecting the advice of its planning officer, it might be more difficult to make the case that we make this evening. However, the council has given no reasons. I am told that the whole meeting took something like half an hour, and no rationale for the decision was given at the end.
The Countryside Council for Wales is the statutory adviser on the landscape. Yet, as the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, has already reminded the House, the firm views of the statutory adviser on the landscape on the issue were rejected. The Countryside Council for Wales is not a politician; coming from it, the term "inappropriate" is fairly strong. The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales—of which the noble Lord is vice-chairman—represents members in Wales who are prepared to speak out about the Welsh countryside. There has been a good deal of research into the opinion of local people in Ceredigion and the surrounding communities of mid-Wales, and it is clear that there is a majority that opposes what is proposed.
Why are the Government, apparently, determined to go ahead with the proposal? I fear that it is because wind energy has become a shibboleth. The noble Lord, Lord Lloyd-Webber, has already told us that, in Denmark, wind energy has been rejected as uneconomic. There was a time when, if we discussed wind energy in mid-Wales, we were told that the Danes

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were the business. We were told that the Danes produced all the technology and, if we did as they did, we would have a good product, providing plenty of energy and value for money. I am not aware that the Danes have fallen behind the game on this matter; simply, they have discovered that it just does not pay.
The Government will be able to proceed on the matter with conviction—if ever—only if the people of Wales, individually and through their representatives, can attend the public inquiry that should take place. Had the council decided to reject the application, as most people expected, there would have been an inquiry. The Minister has the power to order a public inquiry. A public inquiry would not be unduly long. It would consider mainly the effect of the proposal on the landscape. The Government should do the decent thing and ensure that such an inquiry takes place, so that the matter can be considered on its merits and discussed by the people with the greatest interest in it.
6.47 p.m.
Viscount Tenby: My Lords, I congratulate the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, on asking this important Unstarred Question tonight. I use the word "important" advisedly, because I am sure that the Minister will have noted that there is a speaker from every group in the House taking part in our mini-debate, with the possible intriguing absence of the Green Party. It is almost exactly five years since I had the pleasure of leading a debate on the subject of wind energy in this House. Although that front has been relatively quiet since then, it would appear that the lull is about to be dramatically broken, following the announcement made by the Minister shortly before Christmas.
The decision to proceed with Cefn Croes, bypassing a public inquiry in the process, and unlock a substantial number of renewable energy projects is perhaps a ministerial manifestation of what Simon Jenkins, in a splendid phrase, recently described as the "craze for wind". This has happened despite the fact, as we have just been told, that the world leader, Denmark, has recently put up the shutters on further development, simply because it is not cost-effective. It would be a great relief if the Minister were able to signal tonight that the Government would again sympathetically consider holding a public inquiry into the Cefn Croes project.
The original refusal was prompted by the decision of Ceredigion County Council, in the first instance, and the unsatisfactory nature of the Assembly's powers, in the second. Those of us who, three years ago, supported devolution have a right to expect that the people of Wales should be better served by governmental process than they have been in this case. It seems remarkable that such a major project should hang on the decision of a county council that discussed the matter only in a somewhat perfunctory way and then ignored the recommendation of its planning officer, rather than on a decision made by the National Assembly for Wales, whose input has been necessarily minimal, because of the current constitutional
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arrangements. Any ambiguities and irrationalities in the Assembly's role should be ironed out before another three years have passed.
Few query the important part that wind energy can play in meeting our non-fossil fuel obligations. It is heartening to see the major efforts being made to plan for offshore farms. However, on land it could result in the erection of over 3,000 large turbines, one-third of them in Wales. Even now there are some 362 smaller ones, 200 of which can be seen from the summit of Plynlimon alone. Only the southern aspect is free of them. After this decision, that aspect will be closed off as well.
After Cefn Croes, what will come next? Already there are plans for 165 400-foot turbines on the Camddwr estate near Strata Florida. It may be of some consolation to learn that that project will straddle the boundaries between Ceredigion and Powys. Perhaps Powys will act with more responsibility than Ceredigion in recommending a public inquiry.
People will say—indeed, they do say—that there is more wind in the west. To a very limited degree, and bearing in mind that the turbines function for only one-third of the time, that is the case. However, it is more a case of, "Out of sight, out of mind". There is no question about that. If anyone should query that assumption, they should think on this. As the noble Lord, Lord Williams, pointed out, imagine a proposal, say, for a wind farm only half the size of Cefn Croes on the South Downs, on the Chilterns or—I can see the noble Lord, Lord Lloyd-Webber, to whom we have listened with great interest, stirring uneasily in his place—even on Watership Down itself. There would be an instant cry from all quarters, the noise of which would reach Kyoto and back again.
Let us not for one instant ignore the powerful and understandable economic reasons which no doubt bore heavily on the minds of those who chose to recommend dispensing with a public inquiry. Those reasons have to be taken into consideration. For small farmers on whose land turbines might be sited, the rental would offer quite literally a lifeline after a decade of catastrophic losses. We can all sympathise with that and thus perhaps understand the readiness of some political parties locally to support willy-nilly any project, without bothering too much with a rational evaluation. But such an emotive response does not make it right and fails to protect the interests of generations to come. That is precisely what a public inquiry would set out to do and why it is essential to hold one on the Cefn Croes project.
Over the years, many have said to me the equivalent of, "We must have been crazy, all those years ago, to have allowed electricity distribution to be put above ground. Those grim pylons mutilating the landscape …" Do not let us make the same mistake again in an effort to jump on to a topical bandwagon which seems to be developing a momentum all its own.
6.53 p.m.
The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, I too should like to say how grateful I am to the noble Lord,

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Lord Williams of Elvel, for introducing this debate on such an important and extremely urgent matter. As noble Lords have already heard, it raises some very disturbing and far-reaching questions about environmental priorities and planning procedures. I declare an indirect interest as past president of the Council for the Protection of Rural England in Herefordshire and Shropshire. We have already repulsed two attempts to install wind turbines in our part of the world and we look anxiously across the border with great sympathy for our Welsh neighbours.
Your Lordships will recall the sense of outrage felt in the whole civilised world when the Taliban government in Afghanistan, then seemingly impregnable and unassailable, wantonly destroyed the great Buddhist statues which had stood for centuries; an act of gross vandalism carried out in the name of fanatical, blinkered and bigoted religion. How could such a group of extremists set out to destroy, with mortars and dynamite, the timeless heritage of their nation?
Yet that act was not wholly dissimilar to what has been going on for some time in some of our most beautiful landscapes which form a part of our timeless heritage, especially in mid-Wales—now threatened in an extremely damaging form at Cefn Croes, not to mention the even worse horrors of the plan recently revealed by the Camddwr Trust, to which the noble Viscount, Lord Tenby, has just referred. In the interests of a narrow-minded, misguided, blinkered obsession with onshore wind generation, an environmental figleaf to conceal the absence of any more rational and enlightened policies, we are in danger of ruining the remaining tracts of wild, beautiful upland country in mid-Wales—that great sweep of the Cambrian mountains from the southern fringes of Snowdonia to the Brecon Beacons. As noble Lords have already heard, it is land designated some 30 years ago by the Countryside Commission as being of national park quality, although alas that designation was not confirmed. Although the government of the day did not contest the assessment that the area's natural beauty, landscape and biodiversity were important, they asked that the area be conserved "in other ways". But that meant precisely nothing and the way remained open for applications for wind power stations which would have been automatically ruled out of order in a national park.
I declare another interest in that I am as enthusiastic as anyone about conserving the environment. I am deeply concerned about greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. I campaign as vigorously as I can for energy conservation, for a reduction in food miles, for people to get out of their cars and on to public transport, for the greening of the farming industry and the growing of energy crops, and for greatly increased research into clean energy generation, in particular solar power and the exploitation of tidal, marine and geothermal energy. But I am resolutely opposed to the myopic, cynical, short-term reliance on the so-called proven technology of onshore wind, with its hideous despoliation of the landscape, its invasion by
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monstrous turbines of a totally alien industrial character, with their maddening noise and relentlessly disturbing movement.
The threatened installation at Cefn Croes would ruin the only remaining unspoilt view to the south from Plynlimon. It would damage irreparably the landscape quality of the magnificent road from Aberystwyth to the Elan Valley—and all in the interests of generating, on average, not the 55 megawatts that is claimed, but rather in practice a pitiful 17.5 megawatts, intermittently and unreliably, amounting to 0.023 per cent of UK power generation.
That is not all. The appalling Camddwr project envisages 165 turbines, almost 400 feet tall, over an area eight miles by six in the glorious country between Strata Florida and Llyn Brianne, dominating both sides of the magnificent mountain road from Tregaron to Abergwesyn. Each of the proposed turbines will be significantly taller even than the tip of the flagpole on the Victoria Tower. It beggars belief and yet one cannot be sure that it will not actually happen, such is the confusion and muddle over the planning process, as other speakers have so eloquently explained to the House in the course of our debate.
The story of Cefn Croes is a sad one. The noble Lord, Lord Williams, has recounted it. The Countryside Council for Wales advised against the project, but did not ask for a public inquiry because it had been advised that it could only advise. The Welsh Assembly did not ask for an inquiry because it claimed that it could not do so if the Countryside Council for Wales had not done so. As we have heard, this wretched muddle leaves the decision with the DTI, which has received over 600 letters objecting to Cefn Croes and acknowledges a very strong balance of local opinion against the project.
We need to press the Minister to justify the extraordinary statement made by Mr Brian Wilson, the Minister in another place, to the effect that in the light of this objection, so widely expressed by so many responsible bodies and so many local people, "he is minded to approve the scheme".
The noble Viscount, Lord Tenby, has already pointed out that it is easy to understand the enthusiasm of poor farmers who can generate valuable income by allowing turbines on their land. Presently it looks like untold wealth in comparison with the pitiful return to be had from farming itself. There are places where cash for turbines has made a real difference to poor people. But that is not the case here. The land on which Cefn Croes would be built is at present under the control of public land users answerable to the Welsh Assembly. There is no conceivable reason why the land should be used in this way.
The noble Lord, Lord Whitty, when he was a Minister at the old DETR, on at least two occasions in your Lordships' House has assured me in absolutely unambiguous terms that the Government had no intention of interfering with or altering the planning process, the integrity of which was to be maintained at all times. Talk of unlocking 100 renewable energy projects seems sinister. Will the Minister give a clear

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assurance that there will continue to be absolute respect for the planning process? Will he acknowledge the value of the landscape and confirm the Government's belief that it is right to protect and preserve the God-given, inspiring beauty of mid-Wales from the new threats that hang so heavily over it?
7 p.m.
Lord Hardy of Wath: My Lords, I join with the words of appreciation extended to my noble friend Lord Williams of Elvel, who has done the House and the country a considerable service. I am concerned not so much with the situation in Wales but generally and with the wider implications. Above all, we must ask the Government how much they value the British landscape.
The other day, there were Questions in the House about leisure and tourism. The Government are giving considerable and welcome support to tourism. The people who own the land on which a turbine may be erected might make a little money but their neighbours will not make much from the inducement to tourists to visit affected areas.
About 15 years ago, I took part in a conference on energy in Europe. My eyebrows were raised when a Dutch academic proclaimed that Britain could be self-sufficient on wind energy. My mathematics are not terribly good but on the back of an envelope I calculated and said that it would mean a windmill every 100 yards around the British coast—and another windmill on every bit of higher or exposed land. Southeast England would not be affected so much as the North, Wales or Scotland—but we may depend more on tourism. At least we do not price ourselves out of the market, as London does.
I also examined the contribution that wind energy could make. I do not think that the country fully appreciates that wind energy is not quite so productive as some people imagine. One proposed wind farm in Yorkshire—which in my view would be a pollutant of a significant part of my county—would produce in one year as much as a Drax power station could produce in six days. Drax is the cleanest of our power stations, long since fitted with flue-gas desulphurisation.
I accept that we must be concerned about energy. I have long been involved in and eager to see much greater and more intensive use of energy conservation. I suggest an alternative to wind farms that might buy the time that the Government need to achieve more energy conservation and to make public transport more attractive—leading to far less pollution from motor vehicles, which is probably the greatest of our problems.
There are hundreds of closed collieries in this country. At many of them can be found methane—a gas 20 times more poisonous than the carbon and sulphur emissions from the power stations that cause so much anxiety. That methane is leaking slowly out in the atmosphere. It can be tapped. A few months ago, I visited one such establishment five miles from my home. It will provide as much electricity as some large
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wind farms. Such operations are not intrusive, with noise occurring only 50 yards or so around the small plant. The gas is available free of charge. It should be taken for health reasons. If there were a rapid expansion of methane from closed collieries, it would be unnecessary to incur the extravagance of windmills, which despoil the landscape.
The Government originally took the view that Europe would not be in favour but the European Union has made it clear that the issue is available for national determination. Nothing from Europe would prevent Britain from encouraging that development.
The effect of wind farms on tourism would be serious. They would cause lasting devastation to the landscape and arouse the loathing and detestation of most local residents.
Do the Government maintain the view that there should be environment impact assessments of all such projects? Will my noble friend the Minister give an assurance that there will be a thorough and proper environmental impact assessment of all major wind farm proposals—including retrospectively those in Wales?
During the passage of one industry Act I raised the question of opencast mining. Coalfield areas were often hostile to opencast mining because it caused nuisance, dirt and disturbance—often for long periods. Sometimes, coalfield areas were prepared to accept an opencast project if it meant that degradation and squalor would be transformed into something decent. In most cases, opencast mining caused a great deal of grief, horror and local disturbance.
Such projects went ahead because in those days the government twisted the arms of local authorities to disregard the hostility of local electors in the so-called national interest. During the passage of the Utilities Bill 2000, I asked several times for an assurance that the Government would not twist the arms of planning authorities in respect of applications for wind power development. I was given that assurance. I hope that it still stands. I look forward to hearing the Minister's response to that point and to the others that have properly been made.
7.7 p.m.
Earl Attlee: My Lords, I, too, am grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, for tabling this Unstarred Question. I confess that I am not absolutely convinced by the noble Lord's technical argument about the need to keep fossil fuel power stations running online to cover shortfalls in wind-powered generation. Electricity demand can be forecast. So can wind availability.
My noble friend Lord Lloyd-Webber questioned whether wind farms should be sighted near derelict nuclear power stations. I visited an offshore wind farm at Blyth, right next to a disused thermal power station. One difficulty with offshore wind farms is cost—but on the day I visited there was certainly not a problem with wind availability. I was impressed with that development, which did not seem unduly intrusive.

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Why is wind farm development a matter for Whitehall when it should be for the people of Wales and the Welsh Assembly? Assembly Members have local knowledge. I have none at all about the beautiful roads in the middle of Wales. I accept that Westminster needs to specify overall emissions and renewables policy—especially to keep this country in line with international obligations. It may be necessary to put in place certain targets for the devolved assemblies but the actual locations of such power stations and the conditions under which they operate ought to be a matter for the Welsh Assembly. I am not absolutely convinced either of the merits of a public inquiry. One has only to remember the cost of the Heathrow Terminal 5 inquiry.
The noble Lord's Unstarred Question refers also to planning, which seems an impediment to renewable schemes. A good example is energy crops and short-rotation coppice schemes. This involves growing wood, which grows very quickly on what was formerly agricultural land. to be used in small power stations. Of course, it is carbon neutral, but there is great concern about pollution during the planning process by way of emissions, especially as regards heavy metals. If the land is currently being used for producing food, what worries mze is the fact that the heavy metals must already be getting into the food chain. Surely it would be much better if those heavy metals were entering the short rotation coppice, which is then burnt in a power station and widely distributed thereafter. I sometimes wonder whether good, renewable projects are stifled by our long-winded planning process.
In conclusion, I do not support Nimbyism, but I do agree with noble Lords who have suggested that this should be a matter for the Welsh Assembly.
7.11 p.m.
Lord Moran: My Lords, I, too, should like very much to thank the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, for raising this important matter, and for the work that he has accomplished in driving forward the work of CPRW. I must declare an interest in that I live in mid-Wales and am a member of that campaign group.
We are an overcrowded, over-populated island, but we still have some surviving fragments of wild country of which the Cambrian mountains is one example. I often drive through them on my way to meetings of the Welsh Salmon and Trout Angling Association, of which I have the honour to be president. It would be unforgivable to ruin these surviving fragments.
One of Wales's great assets is her incomparable landscape. Not long ago, an old American friend came to stay with us. One day he asked, "Do you take all this for granted?" Perhaps we do. The case of Cefn Croes is fundamentally a landscape issue. Mid-Wales is now threatened by the proliferation of increasingly enormous and obtrusive industrial structures. Those proposed for Cefn Croes are huge. I viewed Nelson's Column this afternoon and thought what twice that height would mean, repeated 39 times. Frankly, I was appalled.
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Wind power produces only trivial amounts of power—a minute fraction of what is produced by a conventional power station. When the wind drops, it produces none at all; and, left alone, it would be quite uneconomic. The developers are in it for the subsidy; and the Government are providing massive subsidy. The non-fossil fuel obligation guarantees premium price sales for 15 years. We are phasing out subsidies to hard-pressed farmers, yet here we are planning to give a substantial subsidy to Enron, the chiefs of which company are now facing gaol in the United States. Surely Enron Europe is in receivership. I do not honestly know what we are doing. We are paying them to do untold damage to the Welsh countryside. Is that remotely sensible?
In December I read the press statement made by the Minister, Mr Brian Wilson, in which he said:
"The launch of these windfarms should mark the start of a new period of expansion for wind energy in this country … Wales is blessed with some of the finest energy rich natural sources in the world. I am confident that Government. investors and the local community will work together to ensure that these assets are utilised to help reduce the effects of climate change".
Speaking specifically on Cefn Croes, the Minister said:
"This development will put Wales right at the forefront of the renewables expansion which I am anxious to promote throughout the UK".
Then, as several speakers have mentioned, he announced that he would shortly be introducing the,
"new rules which will relocate renewable energy projects which have been proposed under the non fossil fuel obligation but have failed to obtain planning permission".
That seems to me to be immensely worrying. When the Minister responds to the debate, I hope that he will give the House some reassurance in that respect. Mr Wilson went on to say that the new rules will unlock about "100 renewable energy projects-, which is also deeply worrying.
But what of the future? We have already been told by several speakers that the next development in the pipeline—the one proposed near Strata Florida in Wales—will be the biggest turbine cluster in Europe. It will comprise 165 turbines, each measuring up to 400 feet in height. If that is to come to fruition by overriding the planning process, it seems to me to be a matter about which we should be extremely concerned. I am sorry that the reaction by Welsh authorities has not been stronger.
Several noble Lords mentioned the bizarre decision taken by the Ceredigion council after reading the extremely valuable report produced by its planning officers. After the short debate the councillors congratulated the officers on the detail and quality of their report. One of the councillors said that he agreed with 99.9 per cent of it, apart from the recommendation! Another, councillor Evans from Plaid Cymru, said that he was voting in favour of the application only because of a three-line whip on Plaid Cymru councillors. He added that he did not wish to be thrown out of the party. It is very odd that such a discussion should have been based on party whipping.

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The advice from the Countryside Council for Wales was very clear. It concluded that the development would be inappropriate because of the landscape issue. Although it does not have the power of decision on the matter, it is unfortunate that the National Assembly did not realise that it was desirable to make it clear that a public inquiry was required, which enabled the DTI to say that it had received no formal request for one. I believe that there should be a formal inquiry. It is likely that it will conclude that it would not be desirable to have such a development at Cefn Croes.
7.18 p.m.
Lord Berkeley: My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend Lord Williams of Elvel for initiating this debate. Unlike many other speakers, I am a fan of renewable energy. I believe that there is a need for diversification to protect our long-term supply sources, and, indeed, the type of energy. Noble Lords may recall a Cabinet Office energy review document that was published this month. On reading the document, I took it to say that 70 per cent of our energy needs by the year 2020 would be supplied by gas. It seems to me that, by then, most of that gas will be imported from such politically unstable areas as Algeria, the Middle East and Russia. We need security of supply, as well as diversity. Therefore, I support the 10 per cent government target for renewables by the year 2010. In fact, I believe that the figure should be higher.
Wind is one of the most well-developed renewable sources of energy. The costs of construction and of operation are stable, but, unlike the price of oil which fluctuated by more than three-times between 1998, 1999 and 2000, they are decreasing. I was interested in the assertion of my noble friend Lord Williams of Elvel that wind energy does not reduce emissions because, he said, one always has to have a gas power station standing by. If a power station is standing by and not generating it is not emitting. That saves emissions.
There are three relevant issues to this debate. Basically, they are noise, visual impact and location. As regards noise, I had the privilege of being a member of a Select Committee of this House which visited Denmark a year or two ago. We stood under one of the biggest wind generators built at that time. It was almost inaudible. The Danish Wind Industry Association said that being just six times the rotor diameter away—if it was is meters in diameter, that would be 25 meters away—it is no noisier than a normal living room with something like 45 dBA. I believe that modern generators are extremely quiet.
We have heard a great deal in the debate about visual impact. It is very subjective. I personally believe that windmills look better than pylons, but both are unacceptable in certain locations. It is probable that the top of a mountain is one of them. There is also another aspect to building anything on top of a mountain or the South Downs. One needs access roads, which can be as wrecking to the environment as the windmills themselves.
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It is true that the more windy the location the more electricity is generated and the tops of hills are windy. The Danes told us that if the wind is too strong they have to stop the windmills because they become dangerous. Therefore, I am not convinced that the top of a Welsh mountain is necessarily a particularly attractive location. I certainly agree with my noble friend Lord Williams that what should apply at Cefn Croes should also apply to the South Downs and anywhere else. There are many locations which are suitable for wind generators such as offshore and flatter areas.
It is also logical that wind should be generated as closely as possible to where it is needed. I am beginning to suspect that this matter is a re-run of what occurred in the last century when many Welsh valleys were flooded to provide water for England. Is this an idea in order to provide electricity for England by building windmills on the tops of Welsh mountains? I do not know. There are many locations in the Bristol Channel, the Thames Estuary and Merseyside which would be perfectly adequate and good for wind power to supply the big conurbations in the South. the Midlands and the North West.
I am a little suspicious that such decisions by the Minister may have been influenced by how far it is from Westminster. I can understand why Wales wants to make its own decision about where wind farms should be located. One can also then comment on whether it wants to make its own decisions about where it obtains its energy from or whether it wants to have a free of supply of energy from everywhere else and not make any other decisions.
I believe that there should be common standards. The idea of my noble friend Lord Hardy of Wath of environmental impact assessments is very important. There should be common standards for planning locations. I do not see why we cannot move towards wind power in more suburban and urban areas, including London. Why not put some on the top of Canary Wharf and make it self-sufficient? Someone might complain that they did not look nice, but I cannot quite see why we cannot have a few of them around here.
Let us set an example in the South East. We should have them on the South Downs, the Chilterns and in the Thames Estuary or wherever. Let the Government for once say, "Let's have more in England" and demonstrate that we in England can cope with them. Then let the Welsh Assembly and the Scottish Parliament themselves decide where they want them situated.
7.23 p.m.
Lord Hooson: My Lords, I rise to speak very briefly in the gap. I entirely agree with what my noble friend Lord Carlile had to say. I am now in what the late and lamented Lord Elwyn-Jones used to call "the anecdotage". As I listened to the debate an anecdote came to my mind of an incident 40 years ago when I appeared as counsel on behalf of a group called Friends of Mwnt, who were objecting to a caravan site

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being set up in the only bay in Wales between the Lleyn peninsula and Pembrokeshire which did not have a caravan site. It was a beautiful little bay. There is an old church there.
I was briefed by this group and was cross-examining the chairman of the local planning committee. He was a genial, honest man. I gave him rather a rough time and pointed out to him, "Look at all these bays. They all have caravan sites. Are you saying now that this beautiful little bay should or should not have a site?" He threw up his hands in despair and said, "Well, Mr Hooson, we know that all the owners of those bays have had their compensation. Mr Jones, who owns this one, is a very decent chap and we did not see why he should not have his". That is one of the great elements which has perhaps actuated the planning committee in coming to an economic conclusion on what is essentially a purely planning matter.
7.25 p.m.
Lord Roberts of Conwy: My Lords, those of us who know and love mid-Wales and almost all who have spoken in this debate are right to be deeply concerned about the ministerial decision to give the go-ahead to the proposed wind farm at Cefn Croes. We are grateful to the noble Lord, Lord Williams of Elvel, for concentrating our minds on that decision.
This is the first monster-sized turbine project of over 50 megawatts to be authorised by the Minister for Energy in Wales without a public inquiry. As Simon Jenkins pointed out in The Times article on 15th February, Wales now has the largest concentration of onshore turbines in Europe. As if they were not big and intrusive enough already, they are getting bigger, both in capacity and turbine height.
Almost all other schemes currently in the planning process involve larger turbines than any of the existing 14 wind power stations in Wales and so the Cefn Croes scheme will set a precedent for future mega-developments of this kind. We have already heard talk of a proposal by the Camddwr Trust for 165 wind turbines 400 feet high, straddling the heights above Strata Florida Abbey. Are environmental considerations now to be completely disregarded?
How this decision was arrived at is also causing concern. First, there was Ceredigion County Council's decision in favour of the scheme by 19 votes to three, clean contrary to the advice of its officials and in the circumstances that have been well described. That brought the scheme straight to the Minister's desk under Sections 36 and 37 of the Electricity Act 1989. The powers in those sections are devolved in Scotland but not in Wales, so Wales is at the mercy of Whitehall!
Secondly, there is what I can only call the curious role of the National Assembly, which has some responsibility, as has been said, for Forest Enterprise and the Pwllpeirian Experimental Farm which occupy much of the land where the turbines will be sited. Presumably, it is they who will be rewarded by the scheme's promoters rather than the poor farmers.
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For some curious reason the Assembly did not accept the conclusion of its statutory advisers, the Countryside Council for Wales, who stated explicitly that,
"notwithstanding the contribution that the Cefn Croes development might make to the generation of renewable energy, it would be inappropriate because of its detrimental effect on the landscape".
The Assembly did not press for a public inquiry although to be fair, its official letter to the DTI pointed out that it had had more than 200 letters requesting such an inquiry and that it was the accepted means of testing and collecting information,
"where the issues involved more than local considerations"
which was clearly the case on this occasion.
The truth is that the thrust of thinking at the DTI was to consent to the scheme without a public inquiry. That becomes apparent in the reply sent to the chairman of the Council for the Preservation of Rural Wales on 7th February this year. It is also one of the recurrent themes of the recently published Cabinet Office paper The Energy Review.Paragraph 8.38 of that document portrays the current altitude to planning. It states:
"A persistent theme of the review has been the problems, either experienced or perceived, that energy projects have in gaining planning permission … Problems are often the result of the different concerns of potential developers and local residents. However, if the United Kingdom is to meet environmental, social and economic objectives, then a range of new supply-and-demand-side measures will have to gain planning permission".
We should note that last phrase well.
In short, there is a built-in presumption, if not an imperative, in favour of development projects that fit in with national energy policy objectives. There was no problem with Cefn Croes once planning permission had been given, and the Minister for Energy had no intention of creating one by succumbing to pressure for a public inquiry. Perhaps the distant involvement of Enron hastened his decision? I should like to know—as I am sure the House would—is it still involved?
All this begs the question of the intrinsic worth of the Government's policy and targets on renewable energy. The current target is that 5 per cent of electricity supply should come from wind-powered turbines on land and off shore. Are higher targets to be set for 2020 and beyond? Land-based wind power output at present amounts to a minuscule 0.3 per cent in the United Kingdom, so there is a long way to go before the 5 per cent target is achieved.
Indeed, the Council for the Preservation of Rural Wales estimates that some 3,000 large land turbines, 100 metres high, will be needed, more than 1,000 of them in Wales; and around 1,000 even larger turbines, 150 metres high, at sea—150 of them off the Welsh coast. I read a report of one such project today in the Liverpool Daily Post. It is preferable to a land-based wind farm because it is proposed to be five miles off shore, but it is an enormous project.
So we are engaged in a programme of monstrous proportions to achieve this somewhat pitiful 5 per cent requirement. I believe, as do many others, it is an environmental catastrophe in the making.

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Why are we in this ridiculous situation of having to destroy our environmental heritage so dubiously and trivially to reduce our fossil fuel emissions? It is because, unlike the French who get 40 per cent of their power from nuclear sources, we back-tracked on our nuclear power policy and now face a diminishing nuclear contribution to our energy needs.
I am glad to see that The Energy Review recommends that the options of new investment in nuclear power and clean coal should be kept open, and to read a press report that British Nuclear Fuels and British Energy are linking up to replace ageing reactors. I hope that these options will be examined sooner rather than later, before we have totally spoilt the wilds of Wales for a ha'penny worth of tar.
7.33 p.m.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville): My Lords, I am glad that my noble friend Lord Williams of Elvel secured the debate. I apologise for not being here for the first few minutes of his speech, but as he kindly sent me his speech I am aware of what he said.
I am aware that the announcement in December by the Minister for Energy that DTI Ministers had agreed in principle a 60-megawatt wind farm at Cefn Croes in the Cambrian Mountains, subject to the planning conditions and planning obligation being resolved, has met with deep concern among some in Wales. These are extremely difficult issues where a balanced approach is needed to increase, on the one hand, renewable energy while, on the other, protecting the countryside.
As part of their energy policy the Government have a very clear target of achieving 10 per cent renewables electricity by 2010. Of course, there are many people who think that that target is too low. This is an important step change in our future energy mix and will greatly enhance emission savings and add to the security and diversity of our energy supplies.
However, as the PI U report makes clear, to reduce the amount of carbon emissions that we are talking about, and, indeed, to increase the amount of renewable energy we will need, we have to take action on many fronts. This includes both a massive amount of conservation and a vast amount of effort on renewables. I should say to the noble Lord, Lord Hardy, that making use of methane gas from coal mines is a sensible move, but it would make a minuscule difference to the kind of targets we are talking about.
I should say to the noble Lord, Lord Williams, that opposition to an energy source by any particular group is always, in my experience, accompanied by protestations that that group is in support of every other kind of renewable energy. So those who oppose biomass are always in support of wind turbines, and vice versa.
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We are not talking about producing insubstantial amounts of energy from Cefn Croes. It will supply energy to more than 40,000 homes, which is a considerable amount of energy. I agree with the noble Lord, Lord Berkeley, about the seriousness of the situation in regard to renewables. It has been well rehearsed in many debates in the House. It is dangerously sentimental to argue for change in this important way to protect the environment, and then to object to everything which can bring it about. I want to make it clear that we are not set on delivering our target on renewables at the expense of all other considerations—the countryside, nature conservation and the views of local people.
Developers have to work within the planning system and where decisions on large-scale developments fall to government Ministers, we shall operate within the due process. That is how the decision in principle on Cefn Croes was reached. Proposals for power stations of more than 50 megawatts are considered by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. The Secretary of State looks at each proposal on a case-by-case basis and makes a decision on the merits of each proposed development.
In looking at the application, she takes into account the environmental impact. She considers the views of the local community—the local planning authority, individuals and local MPs. She considers the advice of statutory bodies, such as the Environment Agency, the relevant countryside and nature conservation bodies and heritage bodies. In the case of Wales, she considers the views of the National Assembly for Wales. She obviously considers the views of the developer and she considers the views of any other party which writes to her on the application.
Should the local planning authority object to an application, the Secretary of State is obliged to arrange for a public inquiry to be held. Even if the local planning authority does not object, the Secretary of State has a discretionary power to hold a public inquiry, if it is appropriate to do so in the light of any other objections received or of any other material considerations particular to the case. I hope that your Lordships will see from this that it is a comprehensive process in which the local planning authority has a key role to play through its familiarity with the local environment and its ability to object and thereby force a public inquiry, but also a process in which the public get a chance to have their say.
In this case, there is no doubt in my mind that the process was gone through properly. We considered the views of all concerned; there was no requirement for a mandatory public inquiry; and a judgment was reached that Ministers had sufficient information to reach a decision without needing to exercise the discretionary power to call a public inquiry. I hope that noble Lords will see from this that Ministers have indeed followed the statutory process before reaching a decision. It is difficult to see grounds now that would lead Ministers to reconsider their decision or to ask for a public inquiry.

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That brings me to the noble Lord's concern over the unblocking of 100 renewable projects. The Government are strongly committed to accelerating the uptake of renewables electricity in this country. We shall need to use a range of measures to achieve the target we have set of 10 per cent renewables electricity by 2010. Allowing NFFO supported projects to relocate to alternative sites for which planning permission has been given will certainly help us to move towards this target.
I can assure the right reverend Prelate the Bishop of Hereford and the noble Lord, Lord Moran, that this in no way enables those projects to override planning permission or in any way to obtain preferential planning permission in a site to which they move. It merely says that the support for them is not tied to obtaining planning permission on a particular site. Each case will he examined in the usual way by the relevant planning authorities. A corresponding arrangement for Scotland is being prepared.
The noble Lord, Lord Williams, referred to the DTI press notice stating that the development will result in savings of 150,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. He argued that this was incorrect because the energy produced by Cefn Croes will go to meet increased demand.
I do not find that a very convincing argument. The electricity generated by Cefn Croes would in all probability otherwise he generated by fossil fuels. That is the basis for the DTI's statement. It makes no sense to claim that electricity generated by Cefn Croes would go to meeting increments in demand, not existing demand. All electricity generated in substantial amounts simply goes into the Grid, whatever its source. It makes no sense to claim that the intermittent nature of windpower makes a difference. It is clear that we are dealing with a situation whereby the electricity goes into the Grid and is then dispersed; and we have no way of knowing whether it is going to replace electricity from fossil fuels or whether it is meeting extra demand. The correct question to ask is: does it provide energy that would otherwise have to be produced from fossil fuels?
Lord Carlile of Berriew: My Lords, may I respectfully drag the noble Lord back to the subject of the debate; namely, the effect on the landscape at Cefn Croes? Will he please let us into the secret of how the Secretary of State evaluated the landscape in question and the reasons for overriding the representations of many that it should not be despoiled?
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, I am coming to that question, but it is clearly important that the point mentioned by the noble Lord, Lord Williams, should be dealt with; namely, that this development had no value in terms of energy.
I am happy to come to the noble Lord's question. As I said, this has to be dealt with in terms of a balanced decision which takes account both of the landscape and of the considerations about producing renewable energy. In this case the county council agreed the planning application and the National Assembly for
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Wales, when offered the opportunity to comment on the decision, did not say that there should be a planning inquiry. It cannot, therefore, be said that the DTI rode roughshod over local views. If the alternative situation had applied—namely, if the planning officer had gone against the proposal and the county council had said that it did not want the project to go ahead—I cannot believe that anyone in this House would have said that we should have listened to the planning officer rather than to the elected body. As I said, the National Assembly for Wales was given the opportunity to comment on the matter and did not do so.
The noble Lord, Lord Carlile, asked whether Brian Wilson had visited Cefn Croes. The answer is no. However, he was fully aware of the issues of visual impact, nature conservation and protection of the countryside raised by the application. He was aware also, from photo-montages, of the nature of the landscape. In arriving at a judgment, he weighed all these considerations seriously against all the other relevant considerations.
I give the noble Lord, Lord Hardy of Wath, an assurance that a full environmental statement is required for all the windfarm applications that come to the DTI. I say to the noble Lord, Lord Roberts of Conwy, that there is a great deal of misinformation about Enron's involvement in the project. It is a financial backer, and there has been some misunderstanding about the consequences of that. I want to make it clear that what matters is not the name of a particular company but that the necessary funding is available to undertake the planning obligation, such as the land management scheme decommissioning costs. Obviously, that will not be finally agreed until all parts of it are in place.
In conclusion, I hope that I have provided the noble Lord with the comfort that in reaching this decision proper weight was given to the Welsh viewpoint. Wherever such decisions are taken, a consistent and balanced view needs to be reached that takes full account of the concerns of local people. I believe that in this case that was done.
The Lord Bishop of Hereford: My Lords, before the Minister sits down, perhaps I may press him further on one point. He has spoken as though the decision was made in Wales clearly, consciously, with everyone involved being aware of their rights and understanding the matter from beginning to end. I submit that in this case—because it was the first such case to be determined by the DTI—there was extraordinary confusion. I do not believe that the Minister this evening or the Minister in another place has recognised the confusion. As I said, the Countryside Council for Wales did not ask for an inquiry because it was advised that it could only advise; and the National Assembly for Wales did not ask for an inquiry, claiming that it could not do so if the Countryside Council for Wales had not done so. I do not believe

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that the Minister has answered the point about the confusion and taken serious account of the particular circumstances of this case.
Lord Sainsbury of Turville: My Lords, clearly one can always find different views on these matters. However, it does not seem to me that in this case there was any confusion about the decision of the county council on this matter. It took a clear decision. Against that, to say that it made it on the basis that it did not
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really understand the situation is not a very democratic approach. It was for the county council to make the decision. It made it. We had to counterbalance that in our decision, as we did the approach of the National Assembly for Wales.

Greenham and Crookham Commons Bill
Bill committed to an Unopposed Bill Committee.
House adjourned at thirteen minutes before eight o'clock

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