Sitting of 23 May 2003

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Positive Activities for Young People
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the replacement of Splash programmes with the Positive Activities for Young People scheme. [114204]

  Paul Goggins
  I have been asked to reply.

  Splash and Splash Extra were an important part of last summer"s programme of school holiday diversionary activities for young people living in high crime areas, which saw over 90,000 young people taking part in a wide range of activities. We intend to build on this success this year, by absorbing the Splash schemes, along with the Connexions Summer Plus programme, into a new single programme of positive activities for young people to provide year round out of school activities for eight to 19-year-olds.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Afghanistan
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department"s assessment of the total poppy crop in Afghanistan is for(a) 1991, (b) 2000, (c) 2001 and (d) 2002; and if he will make a statement. [114356]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Since 1994, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) has conducted an annual survey into the level of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. This concluded that the extent of cultivation in the last three years was:

  Hectares

  2000

  82,000

  2001

  8,000

  2002

  74,000

  The largest cultivation level, of 91,000 hectares, was recorded by the UNODC in 1999. There are no generally accepted figures for cultivation in 1991.

  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his Department"s strategy is on opium sourced in Afghanistan that gets transported to the UK. [114357]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  The UK is working with the Afghan Government to achieve their stated goal of eliminating opium production by 2013. We are co-ordinating international anti-narcotics assistance to Afghanistan. With the endorsement of the Afghan Government, and in consultation with other 2W
  international stakeholders (especially the UN), the UK has developed a long-term strategy. This identifies four key areas where assistance should be targeted: improving Afghan law enforcement capability; rural reconstruction to generate alternative livelihoods for opium poppy farmers; capacity-building for Afghan drug control institutions; and establishing prevention/treatment programmes to tackle addiction.

  We are also working with governments along the main trafficking routes to disrupt the drug trade.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much money the Government spent on their programme to eradicate poppy production in Afghanistan in 2002; and how much the Government intend to spend on this programme in 2003. [115361]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  At the Tokyo Reconstruction Conference for Afghanistan in January 2002 the UK pledged £200 million over five years for development. The conference acknowledged that measures designed to contribute to the elimination of opium poppy cultivation should be included in all reconstruction programmes.

  In 2002–03 the UK spent £70 million on development in Afghanistan. This included £2 million on livelihoods programmes which promote the creation of alternative forms of licit livelihood for Afghan poppy farmers. The UK has also provided approximately £24 million of assistance for the development of Afghan drug control capacity.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the success of the Government in meeting its PSA target to contribute to the reduction of opium cultivation in Afghanistan by 70 per cent. in five years with complete elimination in 10 years. [115362]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  The elimination of cultivation of opium poppy in Afghanistan in 10 years is an ambitious target which has been embraced by the Afghan Government and included in their own national drug strategy, endorsed by President Karzai on 19 May.

  A UK plan for assisting the Afghan authorities with implementation of their strategy is being finalised. It outlines a broad approach that balances the building up of Afghan drug law enforcement with the promotion of alternative livelihoods for poppy farmers. Achievement of sustainable reductions in cultivation levels will also depend on whether a secure environment can be maintained in Afghanistan which enables central Government to assert its authority over the provinces and which allows the development community to implement reconstruction programmes. We have always been clear that we expect poppy production to rise before it falls in later years. This is inevitable given the poverty, the need for alternative livelihoods and the need to build a strong central Government in Afghanistan which can implement an effective eradication strategy.

  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in the development of a justice system in
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  Afghanistan that meets international standards; and what his assessment is of the adequacy of resources available to develop such a system. [114876]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Progress in this sector is gathering speed after the appointment of a Judicial Commission in October 2002. The Judicial Commission has established a programme of work together with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), to which the UK has contributed £0.5 million, with a further £0.5 million pledged for later this year. Work on the programme is ongoing: a scoping study of existing infrastructure has already been completed across much of the country, and the Commission is actively reviewing the civil and penal codes.

  Italy is the lead nation for co-ordinating international assistance to the Afghan justice sector with the Transitional Administration. It has estimated that the development and running of the Justice Sector will require approximately £18 million per year (figure drawn from the Afghan National Development Budget 2003). Part of that sum can be met from the Afghan National Budget. Italy, the US and other donors are contributing significant sums to the Law and Order Trust Fund and to the Judicial Commission programme for reform of the Justice Sector enabling the reform programme to proceed.

  In addition the UK is funding work by the NGO Penal Reform International on penal reform in Afghanistan.

  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) men and (b) women in Afghanistan have received police training. [114877]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Germany is the lead nation for co-ordinating international assistance on police reform with the Afghan Transitional Administration. The Germans, assisted by other nations, have trained 1,300 men and 40 women at Kabul Police Academy. The UK ran a two week training course in Kabul in January attended by five male senior Afghan police officers, two of whom subsequently attended a course at the International Police College in the UK. These are the only figures that we can break down by gender. However, a further 25 Afghan police officers have been trained in Germany, as well as 340 officers in India, 60 in Turkey and 30 in Iran.

  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely production level of cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan in(a) 2003 and (b) 2004; and what percentage that represents of levels in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001. [115498]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducts an annual survey into the level of opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. They are in the process of completing the 2003 survey. The final results will be available in the autumn. The 2004 survey will get underway towards the end of this year.

  It is difficult to predict the size of future Afghan opium crops. However the UNODC did publish its Rapid Assessment report in February. It made no
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  predictions about the likely size of the 2003 harvest but concluded there had been significant displacement of cultivation to new areas within Afghanistan.

  Iraq
  Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how independent international validation will be provided of a discovery of weapons of mass destruction. [114560]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Both the UK and US Governments understands the desirability of independent Validation of any discoveries made by coalition forces in Iraq.

  We are in discussion with allies and in the United Nations about how best to ensure such verification.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what opportunity British authorities have had to question Mr. Tariq Aziz; and whether he plans to proffer charges against Mr. Aziz. [114889]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Tariq Aziz voluntarily surrendered to the coalition forces in Baghdad and is currently in custody. The coalition partners have had the opportunity to interview Mr. Aziz on a number of topics and this will continue. It is too early to determine the nature of any criminal charges he might face.

  Mr. Gardiner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department will send forensic officers to assist in the excavation of the graves of those murdered by Saddam Hussein"s regime in Iraq. [114261]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  The Government have sent a team of nine forensic experts to Iraq in order to assist with the examination of mass graves in Iraq.

  Mr. Simmonds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the British Government and the Iraqi Government discussed(a) UN sanctions and (b) weapons inspections in Iraq in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001. [114321]

  Mr. Rammell
  The British Government had no direct contact with the Iraqi Government over either UN sanctions or weapons inspections in either 2000 or 2001.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 8 May,Official Report, column 855W, on the war in Iraq, what steps he has taken to obtain the original documents. [114394]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  We have made it clear that we would welcome any opportunity to subject such documents to expert analysis. Those in the possession of documents or property which do not belong to them, should pass them to the appropriate authorities.

  Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs who will decide and upon what basis the body which will validate and exercise destruction of Iraqi weapons of mass destruction. [114559]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Discussions are continuing with allies and in the United Nations about how best to ensure independent validation of discoveries made by coalition forces.
  5W
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he is taking under international law as an occupying power to(a) ensure public order and safety in Iraq, (b) meet the basic needs of the Iraqi population, (c) protect displaced persons and refugees, (d) respect the rights of detainees and (e) ensure justice in Iraq. [114879]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  The UK takes its legal responsibilities as an Occupying Power under the Geneva and Hague Conventions very seriously. The Coalition condemns looting and has stressed its commitment to preventing it. Looting and lawlessness appear to be declining in most areas. In the UK area of operations suspected looters are arrested and detained.

  UK Police experts on law enforcement and the criminal justice system are advising on the stabilisation of the security situation and rebuilding the police service.

  The UK has committed £240 million for humanitarian assistance. The Coalition is working hard to address priority humanitarian needs including water, power and food, working closely with the Office of Reconstruction and Humanitarian Assistance (ORHA), NGOs, and UN agencies.

  There were very few refugees arising from the conflict and these were well supported by the UN"s preparedness measures to which the UK contributed. UNHCR are now undertaking planning to arrange an orderly and supported repatriation of refugees, the vast majority of whom pre-date the recent conflict, back to Iraq. Virtually all Iraqis internally displaced during the conflict have returned to their place of origin.

  Iraqis detained by British forces have been treated in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the US on the time scale for the identification of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. [114881]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  We are working closely with the US Administration on all issues affecting Iraq including the effort to identify Iraqi weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The search will continue until we, and the international community, are confident that the former Iraqi regime"s WMD programmes have been eliminated.

  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the members of the new local Iraqi Administration in Umm Qasr, indicating in each case their(a) religion, (b) political and major pressure group links and (c) means of living. [114986]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  We understand that the process of deciding the composition of Umm Qasr"s local Administration (town council) is on-going. We will endeavour to relay background details when we have them.

  Agency Workers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many agency workers have been employed by the Department in each of the last two years; and at what cost to public funds. [115198]
  6W
  Mr. Straw
  We do not have a central record of the numbers of staff employed under contract from agencies; to obtain these figures would incur disproportionate costs. We do, however, have the costs, which are:

  Financial year

  Agency costs (£)

  2001–02

  1,933,841

  2002–03

  1,850,779

  Airport Security
  Mr. MacDougall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring of security at airports abroad is undertaken by UK embassies and consulates. [114614]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  The monitoring of airport security abroad is a key task for Post Aviation Security Officers (PASOs) in the majority of our network of embassies, High Commissions and Consulate-Generals. PASOs assess security afforded to UK airlines and, where there are no UK carriers, report on the airport security regime generally.

  Since 11 September 2001, the PASOs work has intensified and been supplemented by ad hoc visits and assessments by experts from Transport Security Directorate at the Department for Transport (DfT). PASOs are not aviation security experts and they all have other duties to undertake outside the aviation security field. Where a PASO identifies shortcomings in security he/she will be given guidance from DfT on how the issue should be addressed, with further support from the centre as necessary.

  Regional Aviation Security Liaison Officers (RASLOs) have recently been appointed to Nairobi (to cover East Africa) and Dubai (to cover the Gulf) to provide host states with practical aviation security advice and expertise. Further deployments to other regions are likely. The RASLOs are aviation security experts and will, to a large extent, assume many of the duties currently performed by the PASOs in those regions. Monitoring security standards and liaising with the appropriate authorities are core tasks.

  In addition to our RASLOs and PASOs, we continue to highlight the importance of international aviation security standards in multilateral fora—G8, EU, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC)—and with partners on a bilateral basis. We are intensifying our programme of DfT inspections, increasing the number of regional aviation security courses we deliver overseas and inviting more delegations of experts and practitioners to the UK for consultations and security visits to our airports.

  Australia/New Zealand
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Prime Minister of(a) Australia and (b) New Zealand; and what plans he has to visit these countries. [115344]
  7W
  Mr. Rammell
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs has met the Australian Prime Minister, John Howard, twice this year in February and in early May. He also met the New Zealand Prime Minister, Helen Clark in early May.

  Discussions with both Prime Ministers covered a range of foreign policy issues, including the Middle East Peace Process, Iraq, Zimbabwe, the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group and a number of trade and EU related topics.

  The Foreign Secretary has no present plans to visit either Australia or New Zealand. I will visit both countries in August.

  Cameroon
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his counterpart in Cameroon on(a) the death of Dr. Martin Luma and (b) the arrests of the Rev. Francis Nchamn, Bissong Stanley, Issaacs Ibe and Esoka Aaron; and if he will make a statement. [115116]

  Mr. Rammell
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]We follow developments in Cameroon closely. My noble Friend the then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Baroness Amos, discussed human rights with President Biya during her visits in February and March 2003. We are aware of Dr. Luma"s death and of reports of the arrests of his supporters. We are looking into the circumstances urgently. I will write to my hon. Friend when we have more information.

  Corruption
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what guidelines the Foreign and Commonwealth Office issues to staff based overseas on reporting allegations of corruption by British companies; and if he will make a statement. [115147]

  Mr. Rammell
  Crown Servants and locally engaged employees in British Diplomatic posts overseas who, in the course of their duties, become aware of, or receive information relating to, acts of bribery or corruption committed by UK nationals or legal persons are obliged to report the matter, so that the appropriate UK authorities can decide whether to pursue an investigation or prosecution.

  Staff at home and overseas have been advised of the changes to UK law introduced from 14 February 2002 by the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001, and of their reporting responsibility. This is further emphasised through training of staff engaged in trade and investment work.

  Democratic Republic of the Congo
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will support the deployment of a United Nations military force in Ituri province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. [114710]

  Mr. Rammell
  We are very concerned about the situation in the Ituri region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and are monitoring developments closely.8W
  We can confirm that the UN has asked the UK and others to participate in an emergency multinational peacekeeping force to stabilise the security situation. We are considering this request urgently.

  Egypt
  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Egyptian Government on the recent attack by a unit from the Egyptian army on the Patmos Centre, a Christian children"s home. [114757]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  British embassy officials in Cairo have investigated this incident.

  On 5 April, a unit from the army camp began to bulldoze the centre"s perimeter fence and about 50 metres of land. Although we do not know what provoked this particular incident, it appears to be part of a legal dispute. No people were injured and no buildings were damaged during the incident. The army unit ceased their action following local protests and the intervention of security services who have tried to resolve the dispute. The Patmos Centre is currently in a legal dispute about its location. It has been built about 500 metres from the perimeter of an army camp. Under Egyptian law, the construction of buildings within such proximity of a military institution is not allowed. We hope that the authorities can reach a swift settlement to the dispute.

  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Egyptian Government on the treatment by police of converts from Islam to Christianity. [114756]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  No. We have not seen evidence of systematic targeting or maltreatment by police of converts from Islam to Christianity. However, we are concerned at the lack of an administrative means of changing ID cards to Christianity where a person has converted. Where there is evidence of violations of human rights we do make our views known to the Egyptian authorities.

  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to the Egyptian Government concerning the(a) imprisonment of Malak and Naglaa Gawargios Fahmy and (b) reports of attempts to force Naglaa Gawargios to renounce her faith. [114755]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Mr. and Mrs. Fahmy were arrested on 23 December 2002 and charged with religious contempt and falsification of official documents. We have received no evidence that either was pressured to renounce their faith. The British embassy in Cairo will continue to monitor the case.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what negotiations have taken place with Chinese representatives regarding the preservation of Hong Kong"s special status; and if he will make a statement on the role the UK has in Hong Kong. [115165]
  9W
  Mr. Rammell
  Negotiations took place between the UK and China about Hong Kong"s special status prior to the return of Hong Kong to Chinese sovereignty on 1 July 1997.

  Since then, there have been regular exchanges at ministerial and official levels. During those, the situation in post-handover Hong Kong has frequently been discussed. Both sides agree on the importance of maintaining the principles of the1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration on Hong Kong which provides Hong Kong with a high degree of autonomy under the "One Country, Two Systems" principle.

  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reports regularly to Parliament on the implementation of the Joint Declaration. Our assessment continues to be that, generally, "One Country, Two Systems" is working well in practice.

  We have a strong, forward-looking bilateral relationship with Hong Kong, a key partner for the UK in the Asia-Pacific region. Given Britain"s role as a joint signatory of the Joint Declaration, we maintain a close interest in developments in Hong Kong.

  Indonesia
  Vernon Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Indonesian Government regarding human trafficking for the purposes of sexual and labour exploitation. [114579]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  We have not felt it necessary to make representations to the Indonesian Government on this issue, as they are already taking steps to combat human trafficking.

  On 30 December 2002 President Megawati signed a Presidential Decree on a National Plan of Action for the Elimination of Trafficking in Women and Children. In addition, on 28–30 April, the Indonesian Government co-hosted The Second Regional Ministerial Conference on People Smuggling, Trafficking in Persons and Related Transnational Crimes. Significant progress has been made in regional co-operation to combat people smuggling and other forms of illegal migration since the first regional Ministerial Conference in Bali in February 2002, especially in increasing public awareness of people smuggling and trafficking, discouraging those considering illegal movement, asylum management, and information sharing on the dignified and humane return of unlawful migrants.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in Aceh; and what discussions he has had with the UN and national governments on bringing a peaceful solution to conflict there. [115277]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  We deeply regret the breakdown of the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement (COHA) following the failure by the Indonesian Government and Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to reach an agreement at a joint meeting in Tokyo on 17 to 18 May 2003. We are 10W
  disappointed that the Indonesian Government have declared martial law in Aceh, which has resulted in military action against the GAM.

  In a joint statement with the Australian Foreign Minister on 20 May 2003, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary called on the Indonesian armed forces to ensure full respect for human rights, and to show maximum restraint while they carry out their operations in Aceh.

  The British Government together with EU partners, the US, Japan and the World bank have all urged both the Indonesian Government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) to resume peaceful negotiations. We believe that dialogue is the best way to achieve a long-term peaceful political solution to the problems in Aceh. We and the international community as a whole support Indonesia"s territorial integrity.

  Russia
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports the Government has received on the demolition of shelters for internally displaced persons in Ingushetia; and what representations he has made to President Putin on this matter. [114563]

  Mr. MacShane
  We have received reports from the French NGO, Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF), that the Ingush government ordered them to dismantle some 180 single-room shelters for Internally Displaced Persons, and that construction of a further 3000 shelters has been put on hold. We have not yet raised this issue with the Russian government, pending the outcome of an Ingush government commission appointed to review the decision.

  Israel
  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he is making to the Israeli Government regarding(a) the death of James Miller and (b) the shooting of Tom Hurndall in Gaza; and if he will encourage the Israeli authorities to carry out a full criminal investigation. [113732]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Since the shooting of Tom Hurndall and death of James Miller we have continually pressed the Israeli Government for full and transparent inquiries into the shootings. I repeated these demands when I met the Israeli Ambassador to London, Zvi Shtuaber on 8 May. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary also raised our concerns on 15 May when he met Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom.

  Our Ambassador in Tel Aviv has already pressed the Israelis for a Military Investigation into both shootings.

  Our staff in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem remain in contact with both families, and are working on their behalf. We will continue to do all that we can to resolve both these cases.

  Richard Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the matters discussed during his talks with the Israeli Foreign Minister on 16 May; and if he will make a statement on the outcome of those talks. [114846]
  11W
  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed bilateral relations, Middle East Peace Process and other regional issues of common concern with Mr Shalom. This was the first opportunity we have had to raise British interests and concerns with the new Israeli Foreign Minister in person.

  Richard Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has made to the Israeli Government about the restrictions placed by the Israeli Government on the freedom of foreign nationals to enter the Gaza Strip, and what response he has received to those representations; [114848]

  (2) what assessment he has made of reports that the Israeli Government has imposed a requirement on foreign nationals wishing to enter the Gaza Strip should sign a waiver absolving the Israeli military of responsibility if the foreign national command is killed or injured by Israeli military action; and what representations he has made to the Government of Israel on the issue. [114849]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  We are concerned by Israel"s decision to oblige foreign nationals to sign a waiver before allowing them to enter the Gaza Strip; and by the further decision to forbid most foreign nationals from entering the Gaza Strip at all. Our embassy in Tel Aviv has taken these issues up with the Israeli authorities as a matter of urgency. We look to the Government of Israel to ease these restrictions without delay.

  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make copies of the Quartet"s middle east road map available on his Department"s website; and if he will place a formal copy of the road map in the Library. [114927]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Formal copies of the roadmap are publicly available on the department"s website www.fco.gov.uk/mepp and have been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he is having with(a) the Israeli Government, (b) the Palestinian authorities, (c) the United Nations and (d) his American counterparts regarding progress on the implementation of Phase 1 of the roadmap for peace. [115140]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  Ministers and Officials are in regular contact with the Israeli Government, the Palestinian Authority, the UN and the US. Most recently my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary met Israeli Foreign Minister Shalom during his visit to London on 15 May 2003; and the Prime Minister spoke to President Bush on 16 May and Abu Mazen on 18 May 2003.

  Judicial Executions
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has collated on the number of executions per 100,000 population in the five countries with the highest rates of judicial executions in each of the last three years. [114878]
  12W
  Mr. Rammell
  Verifiable information on the numbers of executions which take place around the world is not available as not all countries publish such figures. We use statistics collected by Amnesty International which we regard as one definitive source of information on death penalty cases. Amnesty International do not publish a league table of figures covering every country in the world though their research and ours suggests that capital punishment continues to be implemented in about 30 countries. We also believe that the true number of executions world-wide is significantly higher than the number of recorded cases.

  According to available statistics in 2000, 88 per cent. of all known executions took place in China, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the USA. In 2001 and 2002, 90 per cent. and 84 per cent. respectively of all known executions took place in the same four countries. We believe that Singapore has the highest per capita number of recorded executions in the world, with 13 executions per million. China has the highest overall recorded number of executions, with at least 1,060 executions in 2002.

  Pakistan
  Vernon Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation with respect to visa applications in Karachi. [114580]

  Mr. Rammell
  The Visa Sections in Karachi and Lahore have been closed since May 2002 for security reasons. Our High Commission in Islamabad is offering a limited visa service for the whole of Pakistan. Applications must be made through a courier service which has offices throughout Pakistan, including in Karachi. Applications which cannot be decided on papers alone and require an interview with the applicant cannot currently be resolved and are returned to the applicant.

  The situation is kept under constant review and we aim to resume a normal service throughout Pakistan as soon as possible.

  The UK visas website (www.ukvisas.gov.uk) contains regularly updated information on Visa Sections worldwide which are offering a restricted service or are temporarily closed.

  Military Aid
  Patrick Mercer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what military aid has been provided by the UK to the 20 poorest nations, measured by GDP, in each year since 1997; and what the value of the aid was in each case. [112653]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  HMG carries out a wide range of defence activity with bilateral and multilateral partners, much of which could be described as "military aid" or "military assistance". Such activity is carried out both by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Ministry of Defence, and funded from a number of sources, including the joint FCO/MOD/DfID Conflict Prevention Fund.
  13W
  Detailed records are not maintained centrally. As such the detail of the information sought, including on the value of such assistance, could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  North Korea
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK"s diplomatic relationship with North Korea. [114679]

  Mr. Rammell
  The UK established diplomatic relations with the Democratic People"s Republic of North Korea (DPRK) in December 2000 and opened an Embassy in Pyongyang in July 2001. The first UK Ambassador to North Korea, David Slinn, arrived in Pyongyang on 23 November 2002. North Korea has recently opened a mission in London.

  We believe it is important to remain engaged with North Korea, and we use every opportunity that our channels of communication afford to put our concerns across and urge the DPRK to comply with its international obligations. However, we have made it clear to the Government of North Korea that there can be no normal relations between our two countries until the nuclear issue is resolved, and that our bilateral relationship therefore remains under review.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to establish effective bilateral relations with the Democratic People"s Republic of North Korea. [114687]

  Mr. Rammell
  The UK established diplomatic relations with the Democratic People"s Republic of Korea in December 2000, and the British Embassy in Pyongyang opened on 30 July 2001. This established a channel of communication which has allowed us to address the North Korean authorities directly on issues of international concern, such as non-proliferation and human rights.

  We have also conducted a number of educational projects, aimed at increasing the North Korean people"s knowledge of and interaction with the outside world. These include English language training and human rights courses. We have made it clear to the North Korean government that there can be no normal relationship between our two countries until the issue of North Korea"s nuclear programmes has been resolved.

  Nuclear Weapons
  Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government"s policy is on the development of a new generation of tactical nuclear weapons; and under what sections of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty this work is proceeding. [114269]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  The Government has no plans to develop new nuclear weapons. In line with the policy set out in the Strategic Defence Review, it is the Government"s policy to maintain a minimum capability to design and produce a successor to Trident should his prove necessary.

  Drugs
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of which countries are the main source of(a) opium and (b) cocaine; and if he will make a statement. [114354]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) conducts annual surveys into the level of drug production in the main source countries. These confirm that the main source of opium continues to be Afghanistan, producing around 76 per cent. of the world"s supply and around 90 per cent. of the heroin which reaches the UK. The main source of cocaine is Colombia, which produces around 72 per cent. of the world"s supply.

  Sickness Absence
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many staff in the Department have been on long-term sick leave in each of the last two years. [115862]

  Mr. Straw
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my hon. Friend the Under Secretary of State (Mr. O"Brien) on 29 April 2003,Official Report, column 330W.

  Slovakia
  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the treatment of minorities in Slovakia; and what discussions he has had on the matter with his Slovak counterpart. [114922]

  Mr. MacShane
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary met his Slovak counterpart in February 2003 and discussed the situation of minorities in Slovakia. I have discussed the issue with political leaders in Slovakia both in London and Bratislava. Our Embassy in Bratislava also follows the situation of minorities and discusses that situation with the Slovak authorities. The UK"s EU Action Plan in Slovakia, which was formally launched by the Foreign Secretary in 2002, includes projects in the Roma communities.

  The European Commission regularly publishes reports on Slovakia"s progress towards EU accession, and runs programmes with the Roma communities as part of Slovakia"s EU pre-accession programme.

  Slovakia has been found to meet the Copenhagen criteria, which require a state to uphold the basic human rights of all its citizens.

  Turkey
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Turkish authorities to ensure that they are complying with the criteria laid down in Copenhagen for EU accession; and if he will make a statement. [115038]

  Mr. MacShane
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary periodically discusses a range of issues, including Turkey"s progress in meeting the Copenhagen political criteria, with senior members of the Turkish
  15W
  Government. Such discussions also take place regularly at ministerial and senior official levels. The last time the Foreign Secretary met members of the Turkish Government was during the informal meeting of Foreign Ministers in Rhodes on 2 to 3 May 2003, which he and Turkish Foreign Minister Gul attended. The UK continues to support strongly Turkey"s EU candidacy through projects funded by our UK-Turkey Action Plan and the FCO"s Global Opportunities Fund. Turkey continues to make real progress in meeting the political criteria required to start accession negotiations.

  Western Sahara
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to meet representatives of the Polisario Front to commemorate the 30th anniversary of their demand for self-determination in Western Sahara. [115278]

  Mr. Mike O"Brien
  None. I met Lehbib Breica, the Frente Polisario representative to the UK and Ireland in December 2002.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Environmental Standards
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many businesses in Shrewsbury and Atcham are registered with the environment standard ISO 14000. [115028]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government do not themselves maintain statistics of organisations which have attained the industry standard on environmental management systems, ISO 14001. However, my Department has supported the work of a professional body, the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment (IEMA), to establish a database of such organisations, which is now accessible on-line at www.emas.org.uk. The database lists six holders of the ISO 14001 standard in Shrewsbury and Atcham.

  Cement Kilns
  Mr. Bill O"Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cement kilns are operating in the United Kingdom; and what their capacities are. [115770]

  Alun Michael
  There are 27 cement kilns at 17 sites in the United Kingdom with a total production capacity of 40,520 tonnes of cement per day. The following table contains the production capacities for each cement kiln.

  Company/Plant location

  Kiln technology

  Production capacity (tonnes/day)

  Lafarge

  Aberthaw

  dry

  1,700

  Barnstone

  wet

  300

  Cauldon

  dry (pre-calciner)

  2,800

  Cookstown

  semi-dry

  1,150

  Dunbar

  dry (pre-calciner)

  3,300

  Hope

  dry

  1,900

  dry

  1,900

  Northfleet

  semi-wet

  1,800

  semi-wet

  1,800

  16W

  Company/Plant location

  Kiln technology

  Production capacity (tonnes/day)

  Thurrock

  wet (not continuous)

  110

  Westbury

  wet

  950

  wet

  950

  Rugby

  South Ferriby

  semi-dry

  1,100

  semi-dry

  1,100

  Barrington

  semi-dry

  770

  Rugby

  semi-wet (calciner)

  4,000

  Castle

  Ketton

  dry (long kiln)

  1,060

  dry (pre-calciner)

  3,100

  Ribblesdale

  wet

  1,000

  wet

  1,000

  dry (pre-calciner)

  2,500

  Padeswood

  dry (long kiln)

  840

  wet

  420

  wet

  420

  Buxton Lime

  Tunstead1

  wet

  750

  dry (pre-calciner)

  2,300

  Sean Quinn

  Fermanagh2

  dry

  1,500

  1 New cement kiln—commissioning scheduled to start mid 2003 and will replace existing wet kiln.

  2 Plant shutdown but not decommissioned.

  Coffee
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recommendations for action she will make at the International Coffee Organisation/World Bank Coffee Conference on 19 May. [113506]

  Mr. Morley
  The European Commission will speak on behalf of EU member states at the International Coffee Organisation/World Bank Conference. The Conference aims to bring together producers from developing countries, Government officials, experts from international organisations, advocacy groups and industry representatives to discuss alternatives such as diversification, quality, added value and market development in order to help coffee producers increase their income and improve living standards. It is hoped that the Conference will help to develop ideas for specific programmes and activities which could make a real contribution to solving the coffee crisis.

  Efficiency Savings
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the target is for efficiency savings in 2003–04 expressed(a) in money terms and (b) as a percentage of the Department"s expenditure limit. [114105]

  Alun Michael
  As part of the 2002 settlement from the Treasury, Defra is expected to find £16 million in efficiency savings for 2003–04. This figure represents 0.6 per cent. of the Department"s expenditure limit (of which the administration component represents approximately 3 per cent. of the administration budget).

  Farm Advisory System
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the cost to the United Kingdom of introducing and operating the Farm Advisory System proposed by the European Commission; what the Government"s policy is on the appropriate division of the costs of the scheme between Government and industry; and if she will make a statement. [114091]

  Margaret Beckett
  The Government estimate that a farm advisory system as proposed by the Commission would cost government at least £42 million p.a., and farmers a further unquantified amount. The Government do not consider this likely to be good value for money and are pressing for a less bureaucratic approach.

  Fishing Quotas
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking in the operation of The Hague Preference to ensure that any fishing quota cuts are favourable to those countries which border the North Sea. [114886]

  Mr. Morley
  The effect of The Hague Preference, when it is operated in relation to North Sea fish stocks, is to reduce other member states" amounts of fishing quota for the year in question and to increase that of the UK. Only the UK and Ireland benefit from The Hague Preference.

  Fuel Crops
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the CAP mid-term review on the growing of crops for alternative fuel production. [115311]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]CAP reform proposals introduced the concept of a decoupled single income payment with energy crops eligible for an additional "carbon credit" aid of 45 per hectare, capped at 1.5 million hectares across the EU. Compulsory set-aside would have been retained, but the existing derogation to allow non-food, including energy, crops to be grown on it would be removed. We consider that the combination of decoupling together with a further cereals price cut removes the need for land to be taken out of production.

  The European Commission have now indicated that they may be prepared to make some changes to their original proposal including allowing continued access for non-food crops to set-aside land. Our view is that if set-aside is to continue, it must be applied in a flexible way which maximises its potential benefits.

  Detailed negotiations are continuing in Brussels, due to be concluded in June.

  GM Crops
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make 18W
  a statement on the procedures to be put in place for the forthcoming consultation on genetically modified organisms. [115288]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]The Government-sponsored public debate on wider GM issues, which is being managed by an independent Steering Board at arm"s length from Government, will be launched on 3 June. The public will have the opportunity to debate the issues surrounding GMOs, either by attending a meeting or by accessing the website.

  Regional public meetings will be held in Birmingham (3 June), Swansea (5 June), Taunton (7 June), Belfast (9 June), Glasgow (11 June) and Harrogate (13 June). Further regional or local events are being held across the country, run by local authorities and organisations, with debate toolkit materials being provided to facilitate debate. Further information on all the local and regional events can be found on the public debate website at www.gmnation.org.uk, due to go live on 27 May.

  The Steering Board will submit their report on the outcome of the debate to Government in September. We have made a commitment to make a written response to their report, and to indicate what we have learned from the debate when making future policy announcements on GM.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the criteria to which the UK will have to adhere under the EU directive for commercial applications for licences for the planting of genetically modified organisms. [115289]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]The relevant EU Directive (Directive 2001/18/EC) sets out the criteria and time scale all member states must adhere to in assessing applications for licences for cultivation of GMOs. The criteria relate to the potential risk to human health and the environment. Each applicant is required to provide the information set out in Annexes III and IV of the Directive; an environmental risk assessment, the principles of which are outlined in Annex II, and a post market monitoring plan as required in Annex VII. Assessments are made by the member states based on all the information provided.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the payment of compensation to organic farms, recognised by the Soil Association, which are contaminated by neighbouring GM farms. [115476]

  Mr. Meacher
  The current position is that an organic farmer who has suffered economic loss as a result of activities on a neighbouring farm can make a claim for redress through the courts. The independent Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission is preparing a report to Government on the co-existence of GM, conventional and organic crops, and related issues of liability. We will develop our policy in the light of that report.

  Illegal Food Imports
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions for illegal food imports into the UK there have been in the last five years. [114884]

  Mr. Morley
  Figures for prosecutions prior to the transfer on 11 April 2003 of all anti-smuggling controls to Customs, are not held centrally. We are aware of one successful prosecution brought by Crawley Borough Council in July 2002. In September 2001, Customs brought a prosecution for the illegal importation of bushmeat derived from endangered species. The offender was found not guilty of these offences, but was, however, found guilty of an offence under the Products of Animal Origin (Third Country Imports) (England) Regulations. The Corporation of London Port Health Authority issued six cautions in October 2002.
  HM Customs and Excise, who took responsibility for anti-smuggling controls on meat from 11 April 2003, will prosecute in the most serious cases.

  KPMG
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many contracts her Department has awarded to KPMG since 1997. [113683]

  Alun Michael
  Defra came into being on 8 June 2001. The information requested is not held centrally and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Landfill Directive
  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the effects upon the cost of(a) collection and (b) management of municipal waste stream in the UK of complying with the requirement of Article 5 of the Landfill Directive to reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste to 75 per cent. of 1995 levels by 2010. [114971]

  Mr. Meacher
  The costs involved with meeting the Article 5 Landfill Directive targets and other waste strategy goals were addressed in the Regulatory Impact Assessment, published with Waste Strategy 2000.

  A base case was established and various policy mixes were costed against that base case. The additional costs of the policy mixes that reflect the levels of recycling, composting and recovery needed to meet the waste strategy targets amounted to a range of between £3.4 billion and £7.7 billion (net present value) over the 20-year period 2000–20.

  Waste Strategy 2000 stated that the proposed targets for the recovery and recycling of municipal waste may not impose net additional costs if it is expected that a broad mix of waste management options will be required to meet the Landfill Directive targets; and that reliance on incineration and composting is unlikely to be viable.

  Methane
  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment 20W
  she has made of the estimate of the proportion of methane emissions arising from fossil fuel extraction, set out in paragraph 2.8 of the 22nd report of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution; and what action she will take. [114717]

  Mr. Meacher
  As a signatory to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Kyoto Protocol, the UK is required annually to compile an inventory of emissions by sources and removals by sinks of the greenhouse gases not controlled by the Montreal Protocol.

  The latest published inventory is for 2001. This shows that fugitive emissions of methane from fossil fuel extraction represent 29.5 per cent. of total methane emissions in the UK. This is broadly consistent with the figure of 28 per cent. quoted in the RCEP report.

  Fugitive emissions of methane in the UK have fallen by half between 1990 and 2001 mainly due to a large reduction in methane emissions from coal mining as coal production has declined. Leakage rates from the natural gas transmission and distribution network have improved as old mains are replaced leading to a reduction in emissions from the network of 14 per cent. over the period. Other fugitive emissions of methane arise from smaller sources, such as venting and flaring from offshore platforms.

  Methane emissions from abandoned coal mines, for which there is no internationally agreed estimation methodology, are currently not included in the UK inventory. The Department has recently commissioned a research project aiming to produce a verifiable estimates with the aim of inclusion in the inventory in future.

  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the findings of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution"s 22nd report, "Energy-the Changing Climates", in paragraph 2.8 on page 18, on the contribution of methane gases from landfill sites to the greenhouse effect. [114963]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution"s 22nd report estimates that landfill methane emissions represent 7 to 8 per cent. of total global methane emissions from natural and anthropogenic sources. This is consistent with figures reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) in their 1994 report on Climate Change. If natural sources are excluded, landfills contribute an estimated 11 per cent. to total global anthropogenic methane emissions, or some 2.4 per cent. of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions as a whole.

  Landfill emissions are generally higher for developed countries because of the greater amount of waste arising and because conditions within the landfills are more anaerobic. The latest published UK greenhouse gas emissions estimates are for 2001. These show that methane emissions from landfill sites represent 22 per cent. of total anthropogenic methane emissions, or 1.6 per cent. of total anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. Historical data show that the UK ratio of landfill to total methane is comparable to that in other EU countries.
  21W
  Methane emissions from landfill sites in the UK have declined by 57 per cent. between 1990 and 2001 because of the implementation of methane recovery systems. This trend is likely to continue as the UK Government work towards compliance with the EU Landfill Directive. The Directive requires that all landfill gas is collected and treated, and sets progressive targets for the diversion of biodegradable municipal waste from landfill, with the ultimate target of diverting 65 per cent. of biodegradable municipal waste landfilled in 1995 from this disposal route by 2020.

  Ministerial Transport
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her estimate is of the cost of(a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for her Department in 2002. [101849]

  Margaret Beckett
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 20 May 2003,Official Report, column 663W.

  Modulation Grants
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion of grants paid through modulation are paid in fees to consultants; and if she will make a statement. [114273]

  Mr. Morley
  Modulation receipts may not be used to cover the cost of consultants fees. The funds raised by modulation may only be spent on a limited range of rural development measures (in England, these are new agri-environment agreements only). Payments are made directly to the agreement holder.

  Air Pollution (South Essex)
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will instruct the Environment Agency immediately to implement legal action against those responsible for the pungent odours in South Essex and pursue that action as forcefully as possible with no loss of time. [114661]

  Mr. Meacher
  Responsibility for enforcing the Waste Management Licensing Regulations rests with the Environment Agency. The Agency has served a legal Notice on the site operators, under section 42 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, requiring them to take a number of steps to comply with the conditions in their Waste Management Licence and prevent odours leaving the landfill site. These include significant remedial measures to prevent the generation of odour from the central leachate lagoon, which is believed to be the main source of sulphide gases. The Agency will be monitoring the implementation of this programme extremely tightly through regular site inspections and on-going dialogue with the operating company.

  The Agency is currently gathering admissible evidence from the site and consideration is being given as to whether prosecution is appropriate at this stage.

  Public Expenditure
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a22W
  statement on the reasons for the difference between the public expenditure plans for her Department for 2002–03 and the estimated outturn for that year as listed in table 2.4 on page 29 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2003. [113010]

  Margaret Beckett
  The Public Expenditure Statistical Analysis 2003 shows, for Defra, estimated outturn for 2003 on a basis that is not strictly comparable with the final provision shown in the table.

  The main difference is that the final provision shown only includes expenditure within the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), whereas the estimated outturn includes some £250 million reclassified from Annually Managed Expenditure (AME) to DEL at Main Estimates 2003. The outturn figures, in order to show trends, present this reclassification retrospectively. There is no increase in public expenditure as a result of this reclassification.

  A smaller part of the difference arises because the estimated outturn reflects some technical errors in information input to the Treasury database from which it is derived. These are due to be corrected later this year.

  As a result Defra"s final outturn is expected to be within its final provision.

  Recycling
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to fund the roll-out of kerbside recycling to all homes. [114252]

  Mr. Meacher
  Current Government policy does not require kerbside recycling schemes to all homes. The Government sets targets for the level of recycling to be achieved, it is for local authorities to decide how they should be achieved. There are, therefore, no funds targetted specifically at kerbside collection although local authorities can and do use existing government funding for waste management—including the national Waste Minimisation and Recycling Fund—to extend kerbside recycling collections in their areas.

  Set-aside
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans the Department has to lobby her European counterparts to reverse the prohibition on the growing of non-food crops on set-aside land. [115212]

  Mr. Meacher
  The original CAP reform proposals removed the existing derogation which allows non-food crops to be grown on set-aside. Since these proposals were published, there have been a number of detailed discussions. The European Commission have indicated that they may make some changes to their original proposal on set-aside, including allowing continued access for non-food crops. Our view is that if set-aside is to continue, it must be applied in a flexible way which maximises its potential benefits.

  Negotiations are continuing in Brussels, due to be concluded in June.

  Sustainable Waste
  Mr. Prisk
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the Government to respond to the Strategy Unit"s report, "Waste Not Want Not", published on 27 November 2002. [111548]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government"s response to the Strategy Unit report was published on 6 May.

  Waste and Resources Action Programme
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the responsibilities allocated to the Waste and Resources Action Programme; and what the present budget allocation is. [114268]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP) was established to promote more sustainable waste management by working to create more stable and efficient markets for recycled materials and products.

  WRAP"s current business plan, covering the period from 2001–04, focuses on four specific materials: plastics, paper, glass and wood, and three general areas where action is needed to remove barriers to the greater use of recycled materials and products: financial mechanisms, standards and procurement.

  For 2003–04 WRAP has been allocated £10.2 million from Defra, £5 million from DTI and £0.6 million from the Welsh Assembly Government, for the continuation of its market development work. It may also receive small additional contributions from the Scottish Executive and the Northern Ireland Assembly.

  Since 2002 WRAP has also taken on a programme of work on minimising the need for primary aggregates, funded through the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. The budget has yet to be finalised but is likely to be between £9 million—£13 million.

  From 2003–04 WRAP will be taking forward three new programmes of work recommended by the Strategy Unit in its report "Waste Not, Want Not", in addition to their "core" programme, on recycling (kerbside best practice and development of the organics market), waste minimisation and waste awareness. The budget has yet to be finalised but is likely to be of the order of £17.5 million for 2003–04.

  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what estimate she has made of the effects upon the cost of(a) collection and (b) management of municipal waste stream in the UK of complying with the requirements of Article 5 of the Landfill Directive to (i) reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste to 50 per cent. of 1995 levels by 2013 and (ii) reduce the amount of biodegradable municipal waste to 35 per cent. of 1995 levels by 2020; [114791]

  (2) what estimate she has made of the effect upon the cost of collection and management of municipal waste in the UK of meeting the (a) recycling and (b) recovery targets of the Waste Strategy 2000. [114715]
  24W
  Mr. Meacher
  The costs involved in meeting the Article 5 Landfill Directive targets and other waste strategy targets were set out in the Regulatory Impact Assessment, published with Waste Strategy 2000.

  A base case was established and various policy mixes were costed against that base case. The additional costs of the policy mixes that should deliver the levels of recycling, composting and recovery needed to meet the waste strategy targets fell in the range £3.4 billion to £7.7 billion (net present value) over the 20-year period 2000–20.

  Waste Strategy 2000 stated that the proposed targets for the recovery and recycling of municipal waste may not impose net additional costs if it is assumed that a broad mix of waste management options will be required to meet the Landfill Directive targets; and that reliance on incineration and composting is unlikely to be viable.

  World Summit on Sustainable Development
  Mr. Horam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which United Kingdom commitments arising from the World Summit on Sustainable Development(a) have been incorporated into the Department"s existing delivery plan for Service Delivery Agreements and (b) will be incorporated in its delivery plan for Service Delivery Agreements in advance of the 2004 Spending Review. [113880]

  Mr. Meacher
  Defra has lead responsibility for six of the main commitments arising from the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD): oceans issues, fisheries, agriculture, international biodiversity, chemicals and sustainable consumption and production patterns (SCP). My officials are currently ensuring that the commitments on agriculture are integrated into the existing delivery plan for our PSA5 target. The remaining commitments are not yet reflected in the delivery planning system. The outcomes of the 2004 spending review cannot be pre-empted but, in consultation with HM Treasury, I intend to take the opportunity to incorporate these commitments into the system through amending and adding targets and delivery plans where relevant. To this end, my officials are currently working on draft proposals which will be considered in the spending review.

TREASURY

  Cambridge MIT Institute Project
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General at the National Audit Office on the Treasury"s role in instigating the Cambridge MIT Institute project, established between the Cambridge University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [115454]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There have been no published findings by the National Audit Office on the Cambridge MIT Institute project.
  25W
  Mr. George Osborne
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what formal appraisal was carried out by the Treasury of the Cambridge MIT Institute (CMI) project before it started operation. [115445]

  Mr. Boateng
  MIT and Cambridge produced a detailed project proposal for the Cambridge MIT Institute (CMI) in June 2000. On the basis of this and a framework agreement, which set out the terms under which CMI would be governed and funded, public funding was allocated to the project, which then began operation. Given the unique nature of the project, and the lack of accurate metrics in its area of operation knowledge transfer, formal appraisal was not practicable.

  Mr. George Osborne
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which minister was responsible for the Cambridge MIT Institute (CMI) project between 1998 and 2000. [115446]

  Mr. Boateng
  As part of his programme of reforms designed to raise productivity growth across the UK economy, the Chancellor of the Exchequer was involved at the inception of the Cambridge MIT Institute (CMI), between 1998 and 2000, to discuss how the project could be set up to forge joint educational and research initiatives in order to improve entrepreneurship, productivity and competitiveness in the UK. The Government"s commitment to funding the CMI project for five years was given in November 1999 by the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The funding was allocated to the project by the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury during the 2000 Spending Review, which made available resources for the Office of Science and Technology at the Department of Trade and Industry to fund CMI. DTI Ministers are responsible for the management of this budget and the funding of the project.

  Customs and Excise
  Lembit Öpik
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office on Customs and Excise"s business plans to cut frontline anti-smuggling staff across the UK; and if he will make a statement. [114978]

  John Healey
  There will be no cut in overall frontline law enforcement staff across the UK. As a result of the new money announced in the Chancellor"s budget statement, Customs anti-smuggling and border security resources will increase overall over the next three years.

  E-government
  Brian Cotter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list by project the consultancies(a) his

  Project

  Consultancy

  New Tax Credits (NTC)

  PA Consulting

  Modernising PAYE Processes for Customers (MPPC)

  A. T. Kearney

  Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) Ltd.

  French Thornton Partnership Ltd.

  e-Services Programme (eSP)

  On Filing Services for:

  Self Assessment

  French Thornton Partnership Limited

  Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGEY) plc

  Pay As You Earn (PAYE)

  French Thornton Partnership Limited

  GID

  26W
  Department, (b) its non-departmental public bodies, (c) HM Customs and Excise and (d) Inland Revenue have used on e-government projects since 1 January 2001. [115230]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The consultancies used by the Chancellor"s Departments on e-government projects since 1 January 2001 are as follows:

  (a) HM Treasury

  Treasury website project-consultancy from Bates/CCGXM.

  (b) No consultancies have been used by its non-Departmental public bodies.

  (c) HM Customs and Excise

  HMCE"s eBusiness Programme consists of seven sub-programmes. Consultancies have been utilised within each as follows:

  Project

  Consultancy

  Single View of the Customer

  Borland UK Ltd

  (SvoC)

  Cornwell Affiliates

  DBI Consulting

  Detica Ltd.

  Methods Application Ltd.

  Nesco Group

  Parity Solutions Ltd.

  Xansa Recruitment Ltd.

  e-Human Resources (eHR)

  DBI Consulting

  Electronic Data Systems Ltd.

  Methods Application Ltd.

  Nesco Group

  Oracle Corporation UK Ltd.

  Web Channels (Internet)

  Methods Application Ltd.

  Xansa Recruitment Ltd.

  e-Services Support (eSS)

  Methods Application Ltd.

  Nesco Group

  Case Management (CM)

  Detica Ltd.

  Methods Application Ltd.

  Open Text

  Parity Solutions Ltd.

  Accounts and Payments (A&P)

  DBI Consulting

  Methods Application Ltd.

  Nesco Group

  Oracle Corporation UK Ltd.

  Technology Transformation

  Borland UK Ltd.

  Programme (TTP)

  Cornwell Affiliates

  DBI Consulting

  Methods Application Ltd.

  Nesco Group

  Parity Solutions Ltd.

  Xansa Recruitment Ltd.

  Across all programmes

  Accenture

  (d) Inland Revenue

  The Revenue has engaged consultancies on the following e-business projects.
  27W

  Project

  Consultancy

  Mindmap Limited

  Atlan Limited

  Corporation Tax

  Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGEY) plc

  Alan Whitfield Associates

  SAIC Ltd.

  On Web Services

  Sapient Corporation

  Mindmap Limited

  On e-contact

  Cap Gemini Ernst & Young (CGEY) plc

  On "business.gov"

  French Thornton Partnership Limited

  Sapient Corporation

  Entertainment
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 6 May 2003, ref.106256, on entertainment, on what dates he entertained Labour hon. Members at public expense in the last 12 months; and at what cost in each case. [112317]

  Mr. Boateng
  Paragraph 65 of the Ministerial Code states that:"Government property should not generally be used for constituency work or party activities. A particular exception is recognised in the case of Nos 10 and 11 Downing Street, Carlton House Terrace and other official residences where senior Ministers are required to live for the purposes of the job. Where Ministers host Party events in these residences or other Government property, it should be at their own or party expense with no cost falling to the public purse."
  All entertainment by the Treasury has upheld the Ministerial Code.

  EU Savings Directive
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the progress of recent negotiations over the EU Savings Directive. [114301]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Chancellor on 20 May 2003 columns 666–67 and to my answer on 26 March 2003 columns 252–53W.

  Fiscal Rules
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the fiscal rules in connection with the next economic cycle. [115300]

  Mr. Boateng
  Consistent with the Code for Fiscal Stability, the public finances projections set out in Budget 2003 (HC 500) show that the Government are firmly on track to meet their strict fiscal rules: the average current budget since 1999–2000 is in surplus throughout the projection period, consistent with meeting the golden rule; and public sector net debt remains comfortably below 40 per cent. of GDP, consistent with meeting the sustainable investment rule.

  Forecasting
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission a technical review of the Treasury"s forecasting procedures. [115301]

  Mr. Boateng
  There are no plans to commission such a review at the present time.
  28W
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Pre Budget Report public finances projections for 2004–05 in respect of his Budget 2003 are based on the bottom of the forecast range for growth in each year of the projection period. [115468]

  Mr. Boateng
  The public finance projections have been consistently based on the bottom end of the forecast range for GDP growth in each year of the projection period: there has been no departure from this practice for either the 2002 Pre-Budget Report or Budget 2003.

  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he will publish the technical studies upon which his growth forecasts are based. [115302]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Government published a paper "Trend Growth: Recent Developments and Prospects", alongside the April 2002 Budget. This set out the Treasury"s latest assessment of the neutral rate of trend growth which is used to anchor the Government"s economic forecasts.

  Growth
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the figures for the assumed trend output growth used to estimate the output gap in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [115303]

  Mr. Boateng
  Table B3 of the Financial Strategy and Budget Report 2003 (HC 500) provided estimates of the composition and rate of trend output growth, as used by the Treasury to calculate the output gap.

  Illegal Food Imports
  Andrew George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 14 May 2003,Official Report, columns 261–62W, on food imports, how much will be spent in 2003–04 on (a) mobile anti-smuggling teams, (b) the detector dog programme, (c) intelligence activity and (d) publicity campaigns at ports and airports in the UK and overseas. [114949]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]Customs expect that these four areas will consume most of the £4 million allocated in 2003–04. However, the information requested is not available; Exemption 4 (law enforcement and legal proceedings) of the Code of Practice on access to Government Information applies to all such information about Customs law enforcement activities.

  Andrew George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answer to Parliamentary Question, ref 112559 of 13 May,(a) whether the

  29W
  personnel for the new mobile anti-smuggling teams will be drawn from existing Customs personnel, (b) which regions the new anti-smuggling teams will operate in, (c) which regions the detector dogs will operate in, (d) what provisions are in place for replacing ill detector dogs and (e) when the publicity campaign at ports and airports in the UK and overseas will be unveiled. [114950]

  John Healey
  Staff for the new teams will be drawn from existing Customs personnel. The anti-smuggling teams and detector dogs are mobile and the locations of their deployment will be varied according to risk. Where illness or injury seriously impairs a detector dog"s long-term effectiveness, the dog would normally be retired from duty. Customs would then arrange for the supply and training of a new dog as soon as possible. DEFRA publicity is continuing while Customs publicity material is developed. This will be rolled out later this year.

  Inland Revenue
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the Inland. Revenue"s consultants previously worked for the Revenue before taking retirement and being engaged as a consultant. [114376]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Inland Revenue does not hold centrally any information on the previous employment history of those engaged as consultants by its business areas. However, we have identified two retired employees who are currently working directly on a consultancy basis. These are on short-term contracts and for reasons of essential business continuity.

  Ministerial Transport
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost of(a) ministerial cars and drivers and (b) taxis for his Department was in 2002. [101546]

  Dawn Primarolo
  For the cost of ministerial cars to all Government departments, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) on 20 May Official Report, column 663W).

  Expenditure on taxis by the Treasury in the calendar year 2002 was £111,000.

  Non-domiciled Residents
  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the amount of tax foregone as a consequence of the tax policy towards non-domiciled residents in each of the last five years. [115112]

  Dawn Primarolo
  This information is not available.

  Pension Funds
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research has been commissioned into the potential impact on the broader economy of the condition of UK pension funds. [115304]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Pensions Green Paper published in December 2002 found that the level of privately funded pensions is high by international standards. The performance of private pensions will reflect the underlying performance of the economy, and the fundamental drivers of a successful economy are in 30W
  place. In addition, at the time of the 2002 pre-Budget report, the Treasury published an assessment of the impact of an ageing population on the public finances. The report found that the public finances are sustainable in the long term, and that the UK is in a strong position relative to many other developed countries.

  Tax Credits
  Richard Burden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his actions since the statement of 28 April 2003,Official Report, column 53, to overcome delays in the processing of tax credit claims and on the progress of his Department on the matter. [114903]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Over 4 million claims for the new tax credits have now been received. This is in addition to the 1.3 million families who will get the benefit of the increased generosity of the Child Tax Credit through IS/JSA this year.

  Around 3.5 million awards are already in payment. This includes the 2 million families opting to get their money every 4 weeks, who were sent their first payment of tax credits by Friday 2 May as planned.

  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the administrative cost has been of introducing each tax credit; and what his estimate is of the annual administration cost for each of the current tax credits(a) in cash terms and (b) as a percentage of the payments made. [114973]

  Dawn Primarolo
  A broad estimate of the annual cost of administering the child and working tax credits appears in the Regulatory Impact Assessment, published on 15 July 2002; it represents approximately 2 per cent. of the total forecast annual expenditure on these tax credits.

  Lembit Öpik
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in(a) Montgomeryshire and (b) Wales are eligible to receive (i) child tax credit and (ii) working tax credit; and how many are receiving them. [115065]

  Dawn Primarolo
  It is estimated that 320,000 families are expected to receive the child tax credit and 80,000 families are expected to receive the working tax credit in Wales (including some who are also expected to receive the child tax credit).

  Statistics on awards of these tax credits will be published in August.

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many employers are paying the working tax credit to one or more of their employees. [114415]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The total number of employers paying tax credits is expected to be around 300,000 during any one year, broadly the same as for the Working Families" and Disabled Person"s Tax Credits.

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people are receiving the working tax credit. [114416]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Statistics on Child Tax Credit and Working Tax Credit awards will be published in August.

DEFENCE

  Afghanistan
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the operation of provincial reconstruction teams in Afghanistan. [115363]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 8 May 2003,Official Report, columns 38–40WS.

  Indonesia
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total value is of United Kingdom arms and weapons(a) contracts signed and (b) deliveries made to Indonesia since 1997. [115785]

  Mr. Ingram
  In the period from 1997 to 2001, deliveries of defence-related equipment to Indonesia were worth some £280 million. The value of export orders placed during this period was some £120 million.

  Figures for 2002 are not yet available. The basis for measures of defence exports using deliveries and identified orders is explained on page 29 of UK Defence Statistics 2002, copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Armed Forces Pay
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British service personnel serving in the Gulf receive extra(a) pay and (b) allowances for going to war; and if he will make a statement. [109548]

  Mr. Ingram
  Members of the United Kingdom armed forces have an expectation of world wide service in a wide variety of operations, including war service, and their pay and allowances are structured accordingly and reviewed annually by the Armed Forces Pay Review Body (AFPRB), an independent organisation.

  Service basic pay includes an additional element—the X Factor (currently 13 per cent. of basic pay and pensionable, for all ranks up to Lieutenant Colonel and equivalent at the mid pay point, beyond which it tapers) to reflect the differences between conditions of service experienced by members of the UK armed forces over a full career and conditions in UK civilian life. The X Factor was increased from 12 per cent. in the 2000 award. Various allowances are also payable, such as the Longer Separated Service Allowance (LSSA) and Longer Service at Sea Bonus (LSSB) to compensate personnel for time away from their permanent base and separation from their families.
  As part of their 2003 Report (published on 7 February) the AFPRB recommended substantial above inflation increases to LSSA and LSSB and their attendant bonuses, as well as a reduction in the qualifying time for LSSA. Given the international situation existing at that time, the AFPRB requested that the changes to LSSA and LSSB be implemented from 1 March 2003, a month in advance of the normal implementation date for armed forces pay awards of
  32W
  1 April. These recommendations, along with the remainder of the 2003 Report were accepted in full by the Government.

  Armoured Vehicles (Gulf Deployment)
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what(a) armoured fighting vehicles and (b) main battle tanks will be taken by 19 Mechanised Brigade to the Gulf. [113960]

  Mr. Ingram
  The final complement of vehicles being deployed with 19 Mechanised Brigade is still being confirmed. It will include 14 Challenger 2 Main Battle Tanks and the following, approximate, numbers of other armoured vehicles: 56 Warrior; 120 Combat Vehicle Reconnaissance (Tracked) including Scimitar, Samaritan, Sultan and Spartan variants; 80 Saxon and a significant number of FV432.

  Chinook Helicopter
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Chinook fleet was last upgraded. [115610]

  Mr. Ingram
  A mid-life upgrade programme to convert the Chinook Mk1 helicopter fleet to Mk 2 standard was completed in 1995. This was the last major fleet upgrade programme.

  Subsequent to this conversion the Chinook Mk2 has been subject to a number of changes to enhance the capability of the aircraft, most recently in response to operations in Afghanistan and the Gulf. In common with other military aircraft, modifications designed to maintain airworthiness and reliability are also incorporated into the fleet from time to time.

  Defence White Paper
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to publish the Defence White Paper 2003 between 8 and 18 September. [115298]

  Mr. Hoon
  As previously indicated, it remains my intention to publish a Defence White Paper in the autumn.

  Equipment Supply
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the adequacy of equipment supply to the armed forces. [114809]

  Mr. Ingram
  We have the mechanisms in place to supply the equipment that our armed forces need. Equipment is held to meet the requirements of a range of possible scenarios. Additional equipment and supplies for specific operational needs can be obtained direct from our commercial partners, where necessary through the Ministry of Defence"s tried and tested urgent operational requirement process. The recent operation in Iraq, for which an equivalent quantity of material to that supplied for the first Gulf conflict was deployed in half the time, demonstrated the overall adequacy of supply. However, action is in hand to identify lessons from this operation and we will publish the results in due course, subject to the usual constraints on force protection and security.

  Arms Exports
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from defence contractors regarding restrictions on moving armaments between EU countries; and if he will make a statement. [109084]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 1 May 2003]The Ministry of Defence has received a number of representations from defence contractors concerning secondary legislation to be enacted under the Export Control Act 2002.

  The Government remain committed to ensuring that the new controls under the Act are brought into force with the minimum administrative burden, and to work with the defence industry to achieve this.

  The Department of Trade and Industry has recently led a consultation exercise on the draft secondary legislation, and full consideration will be given to all replies.

  Eurofighter
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost to the UK for Eurofighter will be in 2003–04; what percentage of the defence budget this represents; and if he will make a statement. [115108]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]The cost to the United Kingdom for the Eurofighter Typhoon in 2003–04 is currently forecast to be £1,465 million; this represents just under 4.0 per cent. of the total defence budget for this financial year. This figure includes procurement of the aircraft, the associated Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids system and in-service support equipment and facilities.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with the recently departed Chief of the Defence Staff regarding Her Majesty"s Government"s order for 232 Typhoon aircraft. [113904]

  Mr. Ingram
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence had regular discussions with the "recently departed" Chief of the Defence Staff about a wide range of important enhancements to the capability of our Armed Forces including Typhoon.

  F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many technology access agreements have been signed by Her Majesty"s Government and the United States in respect of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter; and what areas of technology they covered. [114890]

  Mr. Ingram
  To date, 10 Technical Assistance Agreements have been signed by representatives of Her Majesty Government that have applicability to the current JSF System Development and Demonstration 34W
  phase. Technology addressed can be both classified and unclassified and covers the areas of the fuel system; flight controls; air vehicle; Electronic Warfare; mission systems; vehicle management systems; software and the propulsion system.

  Foreign Military Units
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many foreign military units have visited the UK and overseas territories since 2001; what the purpose of their visits was; what joint training was undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the value of(a) small and (b) large scale interaction between British and foreign militaries. [115160]

  Mr. Ingram
  During the period 1 April 2001 to 31 March 2003, 8,037 overseas military personnel from 115 countries visited the United Kingdom to undertake training at UK military establishments. This serves a range of specific purposes in pursuit of British interests, linked to various Memoranda of Understanding. More generally, however, it has helped to foster good relations between the UK military and many Foreign and Commonwealth armed forces and has assisted in achieving a higher degree of interoperability and influence than may otherwise have been possible. The principal objective of this activity is to use British Defence assets in peacetime to discourage hostility abroad, build and maintain trust between states, and assist in the development of democratically accountable armed forces; thereby helping to make a significant contribution to conflict prevention and resolution. A full breakdown of the numbers trained by country is set out in the following tables.

  April 2001 to 31 March 2002

  Country

  Total

  Albania

  13

  Algeria

  2

  Argentina

  11

  Australia

  106

  Austria

  11

  Bahamas

  2

  Bahrain

  29

  Bangladesh

  3

  Barbados

  1

  Belgium

  86

  Belize

  30

  Bermuda

  14

  Bosnia

  1

  Botswana

  13

  Brazil

  15

  Brunei

  183

  Bulgaria

  11

  Canada

  358

  Chile

  7

  China

  41

  Croatia

  9

  Czech Republic

  30

  Denmark

  34

  Egypt

  20

  El Salvador

  1

  Estonia

  5

  Fiji

  2

  Finland

  12

  France

  51

  Gambia

  1

  Georgia

  7

  Germany

  122

  Ghana

  8

  35W

  1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002

  Country

  Total

  Greece

  48

  Guatemala

  4

  Guyana

  6

  Hong Kong

  3

  Hungary

  30

  Iceland

  1

  India

  18

  Ireland

  108

  Israel

  14

  Italy

  164

  Jamaica

  33

  Japan

  8

  Jordan

  91

  Kazakhstan

  3

  Kenya

  10

  Korea

  10

  Kuwait

  313

  Kyrghistan

  1

  Latvia

  17

  Lebanon

  2

  Lithuania

  13

  Luxembourg

  1

  Macedonia

  8

  Malawi

  5

  Malaysia

  18

  Malta

  2

  Moldova

  8

  Morocco

  5

  Mozambique

  5

  NATO

  21

  Nepal

  34

  Netherlands

  259

  New Zealand

  39

  Nigeria

  32

  Norway

  202

  Oman

  185

  Pakistan

  53

  Papua New Guinea

  3

  Paraguay

  3

  Peru

  1

  Philippines

  10

  Poland

  25

  Portugal

  39

  Qatar

  66

  Romania

  17

  Russia

  11

  Rwanda

  1

  Saudi Arabia

  56

  Senegal

  15

  Sierra Leone

  23

  Singapore

  125

  Slovakia

  21

  Slovenia

  8

  South Africa

  18

  South Korea

  1

  Spain

  26

  Sri Lanka

  7

  St. Vincent

  2

  Swaziland

  1

  Sweden

  25

  Switzerland

  11

  Syria

  1

  Tanzania

  9

  Thailand

  29

  Tonga

  5

  Trinidad & Tobago

  6

  Turkey

  73

  Uganda

  2

  Ukraine

  38

  UAE

  109

  36W

  1 April 2001 to 31 March 2002

  Country

  Total

  Uruguay

  5

  USA

  131

  Yemen

  7

  Yugoslavia (FRY)

  3

  Total

  3,946

  1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003

  Country

  Total

  Albania

  7

  Angola

  2

  Antigua & Barbuda

  2

  Argentina

  6

  Armenia

  2

  Australia

  106

  Austria

  53

  Azerbaijan

  2

  Bahamas

  6

  Bahrain

  35

  Bangladesh

  147

  Barbados

  4

  Belgium

  85

  Belize

  27

  Bermuda

  19

  Bosnia

  1

  Botswana

  9

  Brazil

  7

  Brunei

  175

  Bulgaria

  13

  Canada

  203

  Chile

  60

  China

  34

  Colombia

  1

  Croatia

  5

  Czech Republic

  62

  Denmark

  30

  Egypt

  17

  Estonia

  10

  Ethiopia

  1

  Fiji

  2

  Finland

  11

  France

  76

  Georgia

  6

  Germany

  100

  Ghana

  15

  Greece

  51

  Grenada

  1

  Guatemala

  5

  Guyana

  9

  Honduras

  4

  Hong Kong Police

  1

  Hungary

  26

  India

  14

  Indonesia

  1

  Ireland

  56

  Israel

  4

  Italy

  71

  Jamaica

  34

  Japan

  5

  Jordan

  107

  Kazakhstan

  1

  Kenya

  26

  Korea

  6

  Kosovo

  36

  Kuwait

  354

  Kyrgystan

  2

  Latvia

  16

  Lithuania

  13

  Luxembourg

  2

  Macedonia

  12

  Malawi

  21

  37W

  1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003

  Country

  Total

  Malaysia

  62

  Malta

  2

  Mauritania

  2

  Mauritius

  5

  Mexico

  4

  Moldova

  2

  Morocco

  2

  Mozambique

  2

  Namibia

  2

  Nepal

  44

  Netherlands

  241

  New Zealand

  32

  Nigeria

  30

  Norway

  210

  Oman

  188

  Pakistan

  57

  Papua New Guinea

  1

  Paraguay

  3

  Peru

  2

  Philippines

  10

  Poland

  14

  Portugal

  84

  Qatar

  75

  Romania

  20

  Russia

  21

  Rwanda

  1

  Saudi Arabia

  83

  Senegal

  7

  Sierra Leone

  11

  Singapore

  97

  Slovakia

  29

  Slovenia

  4

  South Africa

  24

  Spain

  15

  Sri Lanka

  1

  St. Vincent

  1

  Sweden

  37

  Switzerland

  16

  Syria

  2

  Tanzania

  7

  Thailand

  33

  Tonga

  1

  Trinidad & Tobago

  27

  Turkey

  38

  Uganda

  4

  Ukraine

  23

  United Arab Emirates

  114

  Uruguay

  1

  USA

  179

  Uzbekistan

  2

  Vietnam

  2

  Yemen

  13

  Total

  4,091

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions he has had with his Spanish counterpart concerning Gibraltar; and if he will make a statement. [115375]

  Mr. Ingram
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has not had any recent discussions with his Spanish counterpart concerning Gibraltar.

  Gulf War
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the appraisal of kit performance in the Gulf War will be published. [115594]
  38W
  Mr. Ingram
  The Ministry of Defence is presently conducting an assessment, to capture and analyse the lessons from the operations in Iraq. It is expected that a final report of the operation will be published by the end of 2003.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any individuals detained by British forces in the Gulf are not being held under the terms of the Geneva Convention. [109157]

  Mr. Ingram
  No. All Iraqi citizens captured by United Kingdom forces are being held under the authority of, and in accordance with, the terms of the Geneva Conventions.

  Helicopter Rotor Blades
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what(a) the life expectancy of rotor blades in European conditions and (b) the average life expectancy in Iraq and Kuwait of each type of helicopter deployed in Operation Telic is; and if he will make a statement on the comparative lift capability of the fleets in such conditions. [111826]

  Mr. Ingram
  Main rotor blades typically have a long life expectancy, which in many cases is reflected in a fatigue life which exceeds that of the rotorcraft. Main rotor blades do, however, have a Mean Time Between Replacement (MTBR) which is shown by rotorcraft type in the following table. These figures represent a mean across all usage, and are not separated by environmental conditions (data on this are not held). Usually, main rotor blades that are replaced are repaired and returned to service.

  Rotorcraft

  MTBR of main rotor blades (flying hours)

  Chinook Mk 2/2a

  1,600

  Puma

  994

  Sea King Mk 4/7

  986

  Lynx Mk 3/7/8/9

  1,366

  Gazelle

  279

  Merlin Mk 1

  Unknown due to insufficient use

  Lift capability is determined by a number of factors. These include engine performance, which will be affected by high temperatures, and correspondingly lower air density, encountered in desert regions such as parts of Iraq. Post operational reporting will provide analysis and an assessment of equipment deployed on operations in Iraq. It would, therefore, be premature to provide a detailed assessment of the performance of equipment and any effect on operational use at this stage.

  HMS Ark Royal
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to put HMS Ark Royal into reserve ahead of schedule. [115327]

  Mr. Ingram
  There are no plans at present to place HMS Ark Royal into reserve, nor are there plans to place her into a lower level of readiness earlier than scheduled.

  International Trafficking in Arms Regulations
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the likely impact on Britain"s defence industry of the refusal by the US Congress to grant a waiver to the United Kingdom in respect of International Trafficking in Arms Regulations. [114892]

  Mr. Ingram
  United Kingdom and United States Government officials have recently agreed proposed texts for a waiver from the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR). This will provide for export licensing requirements to be waived in respect of certain unclassified defence items and technical data exported to Her Majesty"s Government and qualified companies in the UK, which would facilitate US/UK defence industrial collaboration.

  Work continues on regulatory and administrative implementation measures needed to complete the undertakings that have been agreed between the Governments.

  The US Government will respond to matters raised by the Congress about the terms of the agreement that has been reached.

  Iraq
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role was undertaken by the Royal Marines in preventing the destruction of Iraqi oil facilities during the Gulf conflict. [112256]

  Mr. Ingram
  Seizure of key elements of the Iraqi oil infrastructure was an early objective for the coalition in order to deny Iraqi forces the opportunity for sabotage, prevent environmental damage and to preserve the oil industry for the Iraqi people. The Royal Marines took the town of Al Faw with its significant oil infrastructure intact as part of a joint operation with United States and Australian Forces. They remained in place securing the peninsula and the associated oil infrastructure until the beginning of May 2003.

  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the role of 3 Commando Royal Marines in the seizure of Umm Qasr port during the Gulf conflict. [112261]

  Mr. Ingram
  The seizure of Umm Qasr port intact was an early strategic objective for the Coalition campaign in Southern Iraq. Three Commando Brigade took the Al Faw peninsula, a key enabler for the seizure of the port as part of a joint operation with United States and Australian forces.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions took place with US military officials regarding the risk of looting from Iraqi museums and repositories of cultural artefacts(a) prior to and (b) during recent hostilities; and what discussions have taken place since the Coalition occupation of Baghdad. [110604]

  Mr. Ingram
  An important element of the Coalition"s plans was to restore stability in areas they occupied as quickly as possible. In so doing they successfully helped to reduce incidents of looting generally. We are not,40W
  however, aware of any discussions with US military officials specifically relating to the risk of looting from Iraqi museums and repositories of cultural artefacts.

  Since the liberation of Iraq, US and UK Governments have worked together to take steps to help recover any treasures that have been removed, including a US funded reward scheme for the safe return of antiquities.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether British Challenger 2 tanks are to be left in Iraq after the return of British troops; and if he will make a statement. [110995]

  Mr. Ingram
  No. It is planned that all Challenger tanks will leave with their units.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of each battle damage assessment compiled during Operation Telic. [111366]

  Mr. Ingram
  It would be inappropriate to make battle damage assessments available. They contain detailed information about the pattern and effectiveness of United Kingdom operations. Their public release could jeopardise future UK operations.

  I am therefore withholding this information under Exemption 1 (Defence, Security and International Relations of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information).

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Article V tribunals have been conducted by British military personnel in connection with verification of the status of Iraqi prisoners of war. [112077]

  Mr. Ingram
  No tribunals under Article V of the Geneva Convention have been convened by United Kingdom personnel in Iraq. A number of screening panels have, however, been convened with a view to determine the status of prisoners of war, as a result of which a significant number of detainees have been released.

  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 9 April 2003,Official Report, column 298W, regarding the Wafa al-Qaed water treatment plant, what reports he has received on the cause of the curtailment of electricity supply to the plant and who was responsible; whether there were (a) bombing activities and (b) special forces activity in the area; how long the treatment plan has been out of action; whether it is fully repaired; who is taking responsibility for the repair; and if he will make a statement. [112494]

  Mr. Ingram
  It is likely that the power supply to the Waif al-Qaed water treatment plant was cut off when the southern Iraqi electricity grid was shut down by its Iraqi operators at the beginning of the conflict. The plant was restarted by the operators on 4 April using standby generators, and the mains power supply was reestablished on 11 April. The Iraqi operators continue to be responsible for the operation of the Waif al-Qaed water treatment plant.
  41W
  The electricity cables supplying the Waif al-Qaed water treatment plant were not targeted by United Kingdom forces, and we have no reports to suggest that they were hit by any coalition air assets.

  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many bombs were used by British forces in Iraq that had an expiry date in(a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005; and if he will make a statement. [113248]

  Mr. Ingram
  For the purposes of answering this question I have taken bombs to mean large, high explosive air to ground bombs, specifically the RAFs 5401b and 10001b free-fall bombs, and the 10001b and 20001b Paveway bombs.

  These weapons do not have an expiry date, but are subject to maintenance checks every 10 years and have a finite air carriage life. In addition, they have specified environmental storage limitations that cannot be exceeded. If any one of these criteria is reached the weapons undergo a thorough maintenance programme before being brought back into service again, or are destroyed. All bombs used during Operation TELIC were within their maintenance schedule, climatic constraints and carriage life limits.

  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what information he has(a) given to and (b) received from the organisation called Iraq Body Count. [114211]

  Mr. Ingram
  Defence Ministers have had no contact with an organisation called Iraq Body Count.

  Naval Air Squadrons
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on which dates the whole of 800 NAS and 801 NAS have been deployed at sea in each of the past three years. [115320]

  Mr. Ingram
  The following table lists dates where all available pilots or aircraft from 800 NAS and 801 NAS have been deployed at sea:

  800 NAS

  801 NAS

  2000

  17 April-9 July

  24 January-12 June

  8 September-5 November

  2001

  22 January-6 February

  29 January-15 February

  5 September-7 September

  6 February-8 March

  18 June-30 June

  2002

  12 February-18 February

  Nil

  15 April-15 June

  3 September-18 October

  2003

  5 May-13 May

  Nil to date

  Ordnance
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total expenditure on ordnance was in the UK for 2002–03. [115415]

  Mr. Ingram
  The total procurement cost of munitions in the United Kingdom for 2002–03 was £411 million.

  SA80 Rifle
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what continuing works will be carried out on the SA80 following the end of the conflict in Iraq. [115599]
  42W
  Mr. Ingram
  The phased introduction of the modified SA80 weapon system—the SA80 A2—will continue until the completion of the programme in 2006. Minor improvements to the weapon and its ancillaries, such as the cleaning kit, are being trialled and will be taken forward as necessary.

  Sea Harriers
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he plans to withdraw Sea Harriers earlier than dates previously announced. [115321]

  Mr. Ingram
  There are no current plans to withdraw the Sea Harrier FA2 aircraft from service earlier than dates previously announced.

  Trainer Jets
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with Finmeccanica concerning(a) its proposals to supply Aermacchi jets to the Royal Air Force, (b) its commitment to build the jet in the UK and (c) its commitment to use Rolls-Royce as its engine supplier. [115119]

  Mr. Ingram
  No discussions have been held with Finmeccanica. Officials have, however, held a number of informal discussions with Aermacchi in connection with our requirement for a future Advanced Jet Trainer. These discussions have been exploratory in nature. Accordingly, no commitments have been entered into either by Aermacchi or the Ministry of Defence.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the contractors who have been asked to provide proposals to supply trainer jets to the Royal Air Force; and by what criteria bids will be assessed. [115121]

  Mr. Ingram
  A formal proposal has been received from BAE Systems following an initial unsolicited proposal in October 2001. Exploratory discussions have been held with both Finmeccanica and representatives of Lockheed Martin and Korean Aerospace Industries. However, neither has been invited to submit a formal proposal. We are currently considering the BAE Systems proposal. A decision on the way ahead is expected by the end of June 2003. A number of criteria will be taken into account, including economic, industrial and potential export factors as well as value for money for the taxpayer and the need to ensure that their proposal meets our capability requirement.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how the Government"s procedures regarding competitive tendering will apply in the case of the supply of trainer jets to the Royal Air Force. [115123]

  Mr. Ingram
  We are currently considering whether to accept a proposal from BAE Systems to meet our requirement for an Advanced Jet Trainer or to acquire this capability through a competition. A decision on the way ahead is expected by the end of June 2003.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate his Department has made of the number of jobs that would be safeguarded in the event that Her Majesty"s Government were to award BAE Systems the contract to supply Hawk advanced trainer jets; whether the potential job losses resulting from a
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  decision to put the contract out to competition will be taken into account by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [113905]

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the effects on the workforce of BAE Systems if he does not accept its bid to meet the RAF"s advanced trainer requirement; [113997]

  (2) if he will make a decision about the Hawk Advanced Trainer before the end of June; and if he will make a statement. [113996]

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proposals he has received from BAE Systems to supply trainer jets to the Royal Air Force; and if he will make a statement. [115122]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer the hon. Members to the answer I gave on 19 May 2003,Official Report, column 580W, to the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh).

  Type 23 Frigates
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to change the withdrawal from service dates of Type 23 Frigates; and whether the withdrawal date of any Type 23 is under review. [115329]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 12 May 2003,Official Report, column 47W, and 13 May 2003, Official Report, column 158W, to the hon. Member for New Forest, East (Dr. Lewis).

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Coffee
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Minister of State for International Development if the Government will offer financial support for the monitoring of the International Coffee Organisation"s Quality Improvement Scheme. [114334]

  Mr. Morley
  I have been asked to reply.

  The European Union is responsible for paying the membership subscriptions of all EU member states at the International Coffee Organisation (ICO). The ICO Secretariat administers the Quality Coffee Scheme and part of the subscriptions of member countries is used to monitor the Scheme, primarily by gathering information from exporting members.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Coffee
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recommendations for action she will make at the International Coffee Organisation/World bank coffee conference on 19 May 2003 in London. [114332]

  Mr. Morley
  I have been asked to reply.
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  The European Commission will speak on behalf of EU member states at the International Coffee Organisation/World Bank Conference. The Conference aims to bring together producers from developing countries, Government officials, experts from international organisations, advocacy groups and industry representatives to discuss alternatives such as diversification, quality, added value and market development in order to help coffee producers increase their income and improve living standards. It is hoped that the Conference will help to develop ideas for specific programmes and activities which could make a real contribution to solving the coffee crisis.

  BAE Systems
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the Government have guaranteed the industrial participation agreement between BAE Systems and the South African Government. [115172]

  Mr. Ingram
  I have been asked to reply.

  Her Majesty"s Government have not guaranteed the industrial participation agreement between BAE Systems and the South African Government.

  Progressive and Hereditary Illnesses
  Linda Perham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if she will make it her policy to promote protection of employees with progressive illnesses from being dismissed, from the point when symptoms are diagnosed; [113907]

  (2) if she will make it her policy to promote employment protection for people with hereditary conditions. [113908]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) already protects from discrimination in employment, and other areas, a great many people who are disabled from progressive and hereditary conditions. This protection will be significantly extended as a result of draft Regulations we laid on 8 May 2003 under the European Communities Act 1972 which would ensure that, in October 2004, the DDA"s employment provisions will cover over a million more employers as well as occupations such as the police, barristers and partners in partnerships. We are also considering, for inclusion in a draft Disability Bill that we will publish later this year, extending the DDA"s approach to progressive conditions to cover more people with cancer and HIV.

CABINET OFFICE

  Civil Service
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when he expects to publish the Analysis of Sickness Absence in the Civil Service for 2002. [114769]

  Mr. Alexander
  Data collection for the 2002 Report is currently under way and it is expected that the final Report will be issued in the late autumn.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what his estimate is of the expenditure of his Department on newspapers, magazines and periodicals in 2002. [106301]

  Mr. Alexander
  Estimated expenditure on newspapers, magazines and periodicals for all units within the Cabinet Office, including those prior to Machinery of Government changes in 2002–03 is £87,000.

  Departmental Report
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the cost was of the publication of the 2001 Departmental Report. [112804]

  Mr. Alexander
  The publication cost of the Cabinet Office Departmental Report 2001 was £25,248. This Report was inclusive of the Departmental Main Estimates for 2001–02. It also incorporated the Departmental Report requirement and submissions for the Central Office of Information; the Office of the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration and Health Service Commissioner for England; the Privy Council Office; House of Lords; House of Commons; National Audit Office and the Electoral Commission.

  Some additional costs (not included in the figure), are met by the publisher and do not fall to Government.

  Government Car Service
  Mr. Simon
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what proportion of Government car service vehicles are manufactured in the UK; and what measures are in place to ensure the continued use of British-manufactured cars by Ministers. [112994]

  Mr. Alexander
  The responsibility for the provision of ministerial cars and drivers has been delegated under the terms of the Framework Document to the Government Car Despatch Agency. I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson, to write to my hon. Friend. Copies of his letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

LORD CHANCELLOR"S DEPARTMENT

  Lay Magistrates (Northern Ireland)
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor"s Department how many people have(a) applied and (b) been appointed as lay magistrates in Northern Ireland since 2001. [114034]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The new office of lay magistrate will not be established until September 2004 and applications for appointment will be sought following a publicity campaign which will commence later this year.

  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor"s Department whether people with criminal records are eligible for appointment as lay magistrates in Northern Ireland. [114035]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  A draft Lay Magistrate Eligibility (Northern Ireland) Order will be laid before both Houses of Parliament later this year which will specify that no person shall be appointed to be a lay 46W
  magistrate if he has been convicted of an offence punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one month.

  Transsexual People
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor"s Department when she expects to publish the draft bill to bring UK legislation in line with the decision of the European Court of Human Rights in Goodwin and I v UK (Judgment of 11 July 2002); and if she will make a statement. [114875]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Government"s policy on transsexual people remains unchanged from that set out in my statement to the House on 13 December 2002. We are committed to legislating as soon as possible to give transsexual people their Convention rights. Our aim is to publish a draft Bill later this session with substantive legislation following when Parliamentary time allows.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Abandoned Vehicles
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many abandoned motor vehicles have been collected in Leeds in(a) 2000, (b) 2001 and (c) 2002; and if he will make a statement. [114383]

  Mr. Meacher
  I have been asked to reply.

  The question on abandoned vehicles was asked for first time in the 2000–01 Municipal Waste Management Survey. The numbers of abandoned vehicles reported by Leeds City Council are listed as follows.

  Leeds

  Year

  Numbers

  2000–01

  877

  2001–02

  1,707

  We have taken action to tackle the abandoned vehicle problem by reducing the statutory notice periods after which local authorities can remove abandoned vehicles from the highway and the storage periods for unlicensed vehicles. Local authorities can now remove from the highway those vehicles that they consider merit destruction after 24 hours.

  Following the success of the Newham pilot in which the local authority was given DVLA"s powers to wheelclamp and remove unlicensed vehicles after 24 hours, we have announced that all Councils who wished could operate in the same way.

  More than 8,000 abandoned unlicensed vehicles have been targeted as a result of Operation Cubit with over 6,000 vehicles crushed. More Operations are planned. To date Operation Cubit has induced more than 27,000 motorists to relicense their vehicles voluntarily bringing in over £3.5 million in additional revenue.

  We have provided £2.7 million through the Invest to Save budget to enable local authorities to have quicker, easier access to DVLA"s vehicle register.
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  The Government is currently developing proposals for the reform and modernisation of vehicle registration and licensing, to reduce evasion and to bear down on vehicle crime. In response to the recommendations of a report commissioned by the Department for Transport from the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science DfT have established a Modernising Vehicle Registration Implementation Board (MVRIB).

  This includes representatives of motorists" organisations, the motor trade, the police and the insurance industry to advise on and develop those proposals.

  The Finance Act 2002 contained provisions under which the responsibility for licensing and taxing vehicles will be placed on the registered keeper, who will remain liable for doing so until such time that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has properly been notified of a change of keeper. These proposals will also mean that it is not necessary for a vehicle to be detected on the road for effective enforcement action to take place. The implementation of these new powers is at the heart of MVRIB"s agenda.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Asbestos
  John Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he is taking to encourage businesses in the UK to take steps to remove asbestos from workplaces. [114831]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  Currently HSE inspectors use their powers under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999 to require employers to manage asbestos risks to their employees and others in the workplace.

  Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002 (CAWR), which will come into force on 21 May 2004, places a duty on all those responsible for maintenance activities in non-domestic premises to manage the risk of any asbestos in the buildings under their control.

  This regulation requires the dutyholder to identify where asbestos is present, assess the risk and, depending on its condition and whether it is likely to be disturbed, take action to manage the risk. The duty to manage asbestos does not require all asbestos materials to be removed. If the asbestos is in good condition and is not likely to be disturbed it is safer to leave it in place and manage the risk of exposure.

  The Health and Safety Executive is engaged in a campaign to raise awareness of the risks from asbestos in buildings and to encourage dutyholders to achieve effective and proportionate compliance with the duty. They are being encouraged to start work now to meet their new obligations.

  Adult Education
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many(a) adults on (i) incapacity benefit and (ii) other disability benefits and (b) lone
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  parents on income support were in higher education funded by (A) the Higher Education Funding Council for England and (B) the Learning and Skills Council in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [114474]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  Jobcentre Plus provides everyone of working age with advice and guidance on the full range of support available to help them move into work, including information on the education options open to them. From October 2001, all new claimants in Jobcentre Plus sites attend a personal adviser meeting to discuss the opportunities available for taking up work, advice on training and education is also available. People receive further support of this kind at intervals during their claim, at least once every three years.

  Information on the number of benefit recipients in higher education funded by the Higher Education Funding Council or the Learning and Skills Council is not available.

  Jobcentre Plus
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many(a) Benefits Agency staff and (b) Jobcentre Plus staff have been (i) disciplined, (ii) suspended, (iii) dismissed, (iv) prosecuted and (v) convicted for matters relating to benefit fraud in 2002–03; and how much benefit was defrauded in each case. [112331]

  Malcolm Wicks
  Information is not available in the exact format requested. Such information as is available is shown in the table. The table shows the value of fraud where known, and the outcome of the investigation where the member of staff was disciplined, dismissed, prosecuted or convicted. Where an amount is not shown in the table, either it has been not been possible to determine a value, or the overpayment is still being calculated.

  The functions of the former Benefits Agency were subsumed into Jobcentre Plus, The Pension Service and the Disability and Carers Service from March 2002. All the staffwho were disciplined or prosecuted for these matters were Jobcentre Plus staff.

  The Department treats most seriously any allegations that a member of staff is involved in benefit fraud, and refers appropriate cases for prosecution and disciplinary action.

  In addition to these cases, a further four members of staff resigned before action was completed.

  Staff disciplined/prosecuted for involvement in benefit fraud 2002–2003

  Outcome

  Value (£s)

  Officer dismissed

  5,300

  Officer dismissed

  —

  Written reprimand and banned from progression for two years

  1,807

  Officer dismissed

  —

  Officer prosecuted and sentenced to 27 months in prison

  135,000

  Officer dismissed and prosecuted with custodial sentence

  2,666

  Officer dismissed, prosecution pending

  2,600

  Benefit Claims
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the present level of take-up of disability benefits; what the Government are doing to encourage the level of take-up by those eligible for disability benefits; and if he will make a statement. [114496]

  Maria Eagle
  There is no reliable current estimate of the level of take-up disability living allowance (DLA) and attendance allowance (AA), and an accurate estimate cannot be made because entitlement to the benefits is not based on diagnosis, but on the care and mobility needs arising from disability, which can vary widely between individuals.

  In the last five years the number of people receiving DLA and AA has increased by 24 per cent. and 9.6 per cent. respectively and the Department is taking steps to improve the take-up of the benefits in a targeted and well directed way.

  For example, new processes for claiming AA and DLA, resulting in claim forms that are much shorter, personalised and more responsive to customer needs, are currently being developed and tested.

  Forms for obtaining medical evidence from general practitioners have been redesigned so that they ask for objective clinical information only, which will improve the quality and consistency of decisions on entitlement.

  New information technology has been introduced throughout the organisation to speed up the decision making process and enable a better and more professional service.

  We are also working closer with partners such as local authorities and welfare rights organisations who are able to advise people about disability benefits in a far more targeted way than would be possible through any mass disability awareness campaigns, which could clog up the assessment process with nugatory claims.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many multiple identity fraud investigations have been conducted in each of the last six years; and what the maximum number of identities assumed for a given case was in each of those years; [112330]

  (2) how many multiple identity benefit fraud investigations are under way; and what the maximum number of identities assumed for a given case is. [112344]

  Malcolm Wicks
  In line with part 2, paragraph 4, of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, we do not disclose information about ongoing investigations. The information requested on previous investigations is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Benefit Order Books
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 6 May 2003,Official Report, column 545W, on benefits, how many contacts will be made with invited customers who fail or
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  refuse to respond, before phasing out their order books; whether any order books have been phased out in respect of an invited customer who has failed to respond; and what steps he intends to take to ensure that such customers are not elderly and disabled people who qualify for the exceptions service. [113597]

  Malcolm Wicks
  We will be contacting all customers who fail or refuse to respond before orderbooks are no longer available, as we will need to make payment by another option.

  In the meantime there is no question of people not being able to get their money. Those customers who feel that the account options available do not meet their particular needs should contact the Customer Conversion Centre on the freephone number provided to discuss their needs and circumstances.

  Where customers genuinely are unable to manage an account they will be advised that, in the short term, they can retain their order book. However, order books are being phased out and will no longer be available after 2005.

  We are currently developing an alternative payment method to pay this small number of customers who are unable to open or manage an account.

  Benefit Payments
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the exceptions service will be post office based. [114359]

  Malcolm Wicks
  We are currently developing an alternative payment method to pay customers who are unable to open or manage an account. Payment outlets for this service will include post office branches.

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will break down the cost of the new direct payment advertising campaign(a) by year and (b) by types of media used. [114360]

  Maria Eagle
  A budget of up to £25 million is available for the Direct Payment campaign, spread over a three-year period (2002–03 to 2004–05).

  Advertising media and production costs for the last financial year (2002–03) total £1,462,000. This figure breaks down as follows:

  Radio media

  383,000

  National press media

  225,000

  Regional press media

  250,000

  Production across all media

  604,000

  The committed spend on advertising media and production to date for the current financial year is £3,629,000. This figure breaks down as follows:

  TV media

  1,319,000

  Radio media

  560,000

  National press media

  509, 000

  Regional press media

  599, 000

  Magazine media

  259, 000

  Ambient media

  189,000

  Production across all media

  194,000

  51W
  Advertising costs for the remainder of this financial year and for next year are not yet available as the detail of the campaign is still in the process of development.

  All figures quoted in this answer are exclusive of VAT.

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions have taken place with the Financial Ombudsman on the direct payment of benefits; and if he will make a statement. [114373]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Department"s officials regularly meet with a range of interested groups, including the Financial Ombudsman Service, to discuss the move to Direct Payment.

  Bovine Tuberculosis
  Diana Organ
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have claimed industrial injuries disablement benefit having contracted bovine TB in the last(a) two years, (b) five and (c) 10 years; and how many claims were successful in each of those periods. [114752]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  The information is not available.

  Carers
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the(a) support and (b) benefits available to carers in each year since 1997. [114316]

  Maria Eagle
  "Caring about Carers—A National Strategy for Carers" published in 1999 underlined the Government"s commitment to support carers. Carers are entitled to an assessment by their local council to determine their needs as carers and their eligibility for support. Depending on their individual circumstances, carers have access to the full range of social security benefits including Carer"s Allowance (CA) (previously Invalid Care Allowance) and the Carer Premium in income-related benefits.

  The improvements we have made to the support and benefits for carers on top of the annual upratings of benefits include:

  The introduction of the Carers" Grant in 1999 to support councils in providing short breaks for carers to enable them to continue to care whilst maintaining their own health and wellbeing;

  Strengthening, in 2000, of the right of carers to an assessment of their own needs—local councils were given a mandatory duty to support carers by providing services to carers directly, and in the provision of breaks from caring-and making Direct Payments from local councils available to carers to enable them to purchase carers services themselves1;

  Increasing the CA earnings limit increased from £50 to £75 a week in 2001, linking future annual increases to the rise in the National Insurance lower earnings limit, and increasing the carer premium by £10 a week above normal uprating;
  1 Resources for social services increased by 20 per cent. in real terms between 1996–97 and 2000–03, an average real terms increase of 3 per cent. a year. In 2001–02 local councils provided
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  help to over 140,000 carers through the adults service and to some 52,000 people (including young carers) through the children"s service.
  Abolishing the upper age limit on claims to CA in 2002, so that carers aged 65 and over can claim the allowance 2;

  Extending, in 2002, the entitlement to CA by up to eight weeks after death of disabled person being cared for, and from this year, requiring local councils to make direct payments to carers who have an assessed need and are able to manage them (alone or with assistance), and giving them discretionary powers to support flexibility in provision of short breaks for carers through the short term breaks voucher scheme.

  Carers can find out about the support and benefits available to them through various routes: on-line services such as UK Online, or the Government DWP and carers websites; by telephone via benefits helplines, NHS Direct, carers centres, Carers UK helpline; and booklets/leaflets published by the Government or voluntary sector.
  2 Overlapping benefit rules apply. Measure benefits carers without state retirement pension, or on a low rate of state retirement pension. Carers on low income have access to carer premium in the income related benefits.

  Council Tax Benefit
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in(a) England and (b) London were affected by council tax benefit restrictions in each year since 1998; and what his estimate is of (i) the savings to the Exchequer in each year consequent upon these restrictions and (ii) the average cost to those households affected. [111760]

  Malcolm Wicks
  Council Tax Benefit restrictions were introduced on 1 April 1998. Anyone receiving Council Tax Benefit on 31 March 1998 was entitled to transitional protection and was not subject to restrictions. Information on those cases where restrictions apply was not collected before 1999.

  The available information is in the following tables.

  Households where Council Tax Benefit is restricted to Band E in England and London at May 2000 and 2001

  Year

  England

  London

  May 1999

  15,000

  7,000

  May 2000

  16,000

  9,000

  May 2001

  17,000

  9,000

  Notes:

  1. Figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample and are subject to a degree of sampling variation.

  2. The data refer to households claiming Council Tax Benefit which may be a single person, a couple or a family. More than one household can live in one property, for example two or more adults in a flat or house share arrangement.

  3. The totals include estimates for local authorities that have not responded. These estimates are based on historical and regional data. This type of estimate is standard practice in reporting totals where there have been non-respondents.

  4. The figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand.

  5. Totals exclude any Second Adult Rebate cases.

  Source:

  Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Management Information System, Annual 1 per cent. sample, taken in May 1999, 2000 and 2001.

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  Estimated annual savings from Council Tax Benefit restrictions, and estimated average weekly cost to benefit household in England and London

  England

  London

  Year

  Savings (£)

  Average weekly cost per household (£)

  Savings (£)

  Average weekly cost per household (£)

  1999–2000

  3.500,000

  4.25

  1.500,000

  4.00

  2000–01

  4.000,000

  4.50

  2.000,000

  4.50

  2001–02

  4.500,000

  5.00

  2.500,000

  5.00

  Notes:

  1. The Average costs refer to households claiming Council Tax Benefit which may be a single person, a couple or a family. More than one household can live in one property, for example two or more adults in a flat or house share arrangement.

  2. Savings figures are rounded to the nearest £500,000.

  3. Average restriction figures are rounded to nearest 25p.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average child support maintenance payment received by the parent with care is for(a) one,
  (b) two and (c) three or more qualifying children, for new claims processed under the new Child Support Agency formula. [112334]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mr. Doug Smith to Mr. Webb, dated 22 May 2003:
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
  You ask what the average child support maintenance payment received by the parent with care is for (a) one (b) two and (c) three or more qualifying children for new claims processed under the new Child Support Agency formula.
  I will be providing the Secretary of State with a full set of information after the first quarter of the Agency"s business year. The Secretary of State intends to report this information to the House.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average child support maintenance assessment is for(a) all, (b) employed and (c) unemployed non-resident parents for (i) one, (ii) two and (iii) three or more qualifying children, for new claims processed under the new Child Support Agency formula. [112335]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member

  Letter from Mr. Doug Smith to Mr. Webb dated 22 May 2003:
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
  You ask what the average child support maintenance assessment is for (a) all (b) employed and (c) unemployed nonresident parents for (i) one (ii) two and (iii) three or more qualifying children for new claims processed under the new Child Support Agency formula.
  I will be providing the Secretary of State with a full set of information after the first quarter of the Agency"s business year. The Secretary of State intends to report this information to the House.
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  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many new applications for child maintenance assessments have been received by the Child Support Agency since 3 March; and how many have been cleared. [112339]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mr. Doug Smith to Mr. Webb, dated 22 May 2003:
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
  You ask how many new applications for child maintenance assessments have been received by the Child Support Agency since 3rd March; and how many have been cleared.
  I will be providing the Secretary of State with a full set of information after the first quarter of the Agency"s business year. The Secretary of State intends to report this information to the House.

  Disability Discrimination Act
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what guidance is being given to service providers regarding their obligations under Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement; [114500]

  (2) what guidance is being given to (a) owners of listed buildings and (b) local authorities regarding the entry into force of Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995; and if he will make a statement. [114497]

  Maria Eagle
  The Disability Rights Commission (DRC) has published a statutory Code of Practice on rights of access to goods, facilities, services and premises for disabled people. This Code explains the law and provides practical guidance for all service providers, including local authorities, on their current duties and those that will come into force in 2004.

  The DRC also publishes a range of guidance leaflets focusing on specific types of service provision, and provides information and advice on all aspects of the DDA free of charge, via the Commission"s Helpline.

  For service providers in listed buildings, English Heritage has produced "The Easy Access Guide", a revised version of which is due to be published later this year.

  The Department is also undertaking a range of activity to raise awareness of the DDA, particularly among small and medium-sized businesses. This includes a series of regional awareness days, supported by radio advertising, to raise the profile of the DDA and wider disability issues. In addition, on 15 May, I launched a video entitled "Act Now" which provides information about the responsibilities of business and the "Access All Areas Awards" which aim to recognise small organisations that have made imaginative changes to the way they provide services to disabled people.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that support is available for people suffering from mental illness to enable them to fill in application forms for disability living allowance. [115904]

  Maria Eagle
  The Disability and Carers Service have a wide range of support services available for people who may need assistance in claiming disability living allowance or attendance allowance, because of a particular illness or disability such as mental health problems. We will provide a form completion service, on request, in a format best suited to the customer"s individual needs. This may be over the telephone where a trained adviser will talk the customer carefully through the claims process; in person, by appointment, at one of the Department"s customer outlets; or exceptionally, a home visit pan be arranged. Additionally, we provide benefit information and advice to external customer organisations that provide an external source of help and support to people with an illness or disability.

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) who the Chief Executive Officer of the Employment Service Agency is; [112702]

  (2) who the Chief Executive Officer of the Benefits Agency is. [112707]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  The Benefits Agency and Employment Service ceased to exist in March 2002. They were replaced by our two new agencies: Jobcentre Plus, for people of working age, and the Pension Service.

  Alexis Cleveland is the chief executive of the Pension Service and Clare Dodgson is currently acting chief executive of Jobcentre Plus. We have recently announced the appointment of David Anderson as the new chief executive of Jobcentre Plus and he will take up post from 2 June.

  European Year of the Disabled Citizen
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to list the measures his Department has taken to highlight the European Year of the Disabled Citizen; what projects have beer undertaken; what funding has been given to each project; and if he will make a statement. [114499]

  Maria Eagle
  We held high profile launch events across the UK in January 2003 and announced our intention to publish a draft disability Bill later this year. We are funding 171 local and regional projects to highlight the UK theme for the European Year, "Promoting Rights and Participation". A list has been placed in the Library.

  An EU Bus promoting the European Year will tour the UK during June 2003 and will provide a focal point for a range of further activities. We are also running media campaigns to support the European Year and raise awareness about disability rights.

  Inactivity Rates
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many people of working age were economically inactive in each year since 1997; how many of these were claiming(a) welfare benefits, (b) incapacity benefit, (c) other disability benefits and (d) income support; and if he will make a statement; [114480]

  (2) how many people of working age who were economically inactive and claiming income support were lone parents in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [114481]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The available information is in the following table.

  Numbers of working-age adults in the United Kingdom who were inactive from 1997 to 2002 by Labour Force Survey spring quarters (March to May each year)

  Thousands (seasonally adjusted)

  March to May

  Number

  1997

  7,588

  1998

  7,675

  1999

  7,560

  2000

  7,502

  2001

  7,675

  2002

  7,707

  Notes:

  1. Data are seasonally adjusted, and interim adjustments have been made to the data to take into account 2001 census results.

  2. Statistically robust information is not available on the number of people of working age who were economically inactive an claiming benefit.

  Source:

  ONS publication—Labour Market Trends May 2003 Table D2

  Jobcentre (Sutton)
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were(a) on the NOMIS register and (b) non-claimants of jobseeker"s allowance, but users of the Jobcentre Service at Sutton Jobcentre in each of the last three years. [112638]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the acting Chief Executive of the Jobcentre Plus, Clare Dodgson. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Clare Dodgson to Mr. Burstow, dated 22 May 2003:
  As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply direct to your question about users of Sutton Jobcentre in each of the last three years. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of the Agency.
  The number of people registered at Sutton Jobcentre, as shown by NOMIS, in March for the last three years was as follows:

  Number of people registered

  2001

  1,491

  2002

  1,732

  2003

  1,950

  It is not possible to give a figure for the number of non-claimants of jobseekers allowance who use Sutton Jobcentre. Records are not kept of the number of people who make enquiries or who receive help with general employment advice through the Jobcentre. Statistics are kept for the number of job submissions

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  made for non-claimants of jobseeker"s allowance but, as an individual may be submitted for a number of different jobs, this is not a reliable guide for the number of these people using our services.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Jobcentre Plus
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make it his policy to ensure that Jobcentre Plus remains in the public sector; and if he will make a statement. [112064]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  Jobcentre Plus is committed to providing services in accordance with the principles of public service reform, set out in Reforming our public services: Principles into practice. The four key principles are standards and accountability; devolution and delegation; flexibility and incentives; and expanding choice. Jobcentre Plus is committed to putting the customer first by using the private sector where appropriate, such as to expand choice or to drive up the standard of performance.

  Jobcentre Plus already makes considerable use of the private and voluntary sectors in delivering services to jobless people. This gives a much wider range of provision to choose from, helping to match services more closely with individual customer"s needs. We expect Jobcentre Plus to continue to involve the private and voluntary sectors in delivering elements of its current and future programmes where they can help improve the service we deliver.

  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Hayes and Harlington (John McDonnell) of 6 May 2003,Official Report, column 555W, on Jobcentre staff, what effect across the UK the workforce efficiency plans will have on the level of staffing; and if he will make a statement. [113259]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Acting Chief Executive of the Jobcentre Plus, Clare Dodgson. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Clare Dodgson to Paul Holmes, dated 22 May 2003:
  As Jobcentre Plus is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question concerning the effect our workforce efficiency plans will have on our level of staffing. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Acting Chief Executive of the Agency.
  As part of the last spending review, the Government has agreed to a major investment plan for the department including over £2 billion for rolling out of Jobcentre Plus. A significant part of this investment will mean better technology, improved training and modernised business processes. As a result we will, over time, need fewer staff to provide enhanced services to our customers.
  Jobcentre Plus plans to reduce its staff numbers to 76,600 by March 2006, equivalent to a 3.5 per cent. reduction over three years.
  While the precise impact will be different in different parts of the country and there may be areas of greater difficulty, the planned reductions in staffing will be carefully managed and are within our overall margins of staff turnover. We expect therefore to manage this reduction by moving staff to other parts of the Department for Work and Pensions or through natural wastage.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Medical Assessments
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to ensure that doctors carrying out independent medical assessments of mentally ill people applying for benefits have specialist psychiatric experience and qualifications. [115903]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  The role of doctors carrying out assessments of people applying for benefits is to assess the functional effects of a condition, whether physical or mental, on the claimant. All doctors carrying out assessments of people applying for benefits receive specialist training as medical disability analysts.

  Training and guidance for these doctors on the assessment of people with mental health problems have been developed by Medical Services in collaboration with experts in psychiatry.

  National Insurance (Married Women)
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 24 March 2003,Official Report, columns 105–06W, on National Insurance (Married Women), in which years the special insert regarding Home Responsibilities Protection was placed in child benefit order books. [113100]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The special insert regarding Home Responsibilities Protection directed at married women paying reduced rate National Insurance contributions was placed in child benefit order books in 1979. Inserts have a short-term life—the life of the order book. They are intended to draw attention to important information at a particular time in this case that married women who had chosen to pay reduced rate contributions could not qualify for Home Responsibilities Protection and might wish to reconsider their choice. However, information about HRP continued to feature in the order book notes.

  Pension Credit
  Mr. Hurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proposals he has to facilitate the payment of the pension credit through post offices; and if he will make a statement. [115398]

  Malcolm Wicks
  All customers who wish to continue to collect their benefit or pension in cash at the Post Office need to choose one of the account options that can be accessed at post offices.

  The Department for Work and Pensions is providing customers with information, including letters and leaflets, which clearly sets out the account options as part of the move to payment direct into accounts. This information material sets out the key features of the various accounts and explains how people can access their money at the Post Office, if they wish to do so. Customers can choose the account which best suits their needs and circumstances.

  These options will apply to new customers and benefits as well as to those customers in receipt of existing benefits.

  Mr. Hurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the number of persons eligible for the pension credit. [115399]
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  Maria Eagle
  I refer my hon. Friend to the written answer given by the Minister for Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Makerfield (Mr. McCartney) to the hon. Member for Bournemouth, East (Mr. Atkinson) on 1 April 2003,Official Report, columns 676–77W.

  Statutory Instruments
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many statutory instruments have been issued by his Department in each year since 1992. [114375]

  Maria Eagle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 22 January 2003,Official Report, columns 384–85W.

  Working-age Benefits
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what analysis he has undertaken of the rate of offload from each of the working age benefits; and how this rate differs for different areas of the country. [110763]

  Malcolm Wicks
  Most analysis of benefit off-flow is undertaken internally by way of extracts from the benefit computer systems which look at the rate of off-flow at Great Britain level. This is used for forecasting, policy analysis and development purposes, and to monitor labour market developments. The main benefits covered by this analysis are Disability Living Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, Income Support and Jobseeker"s Allowance.

  Information on the numbers of people flowing off each key working age benefit by Government Office Region has been placed in the Library. This information is not available for Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit.

HEALTH

  Advertising
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total expenditure on advertising by the Department was in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and what the level of planned expenditure is for (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [114435]

  Mr. Lammy
  The Department of Health"s expenditure on advertising in 2001–02 and 2002–03 was £20.405 million and £21.794 million respectively.

  Budgets for 2003–04 and 2004–05 have yet to be finalised.

  Asbestos
  John Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what relative priority his Department has placed on(a) treatment and (b) research into treatment for cancer patients whose condition has been caused by exposure to asbestos; [114828]

  (2) what estimate he has made of the number of people in the UK likely to die from cancers caused by exposure to asbestos over the next 20 years; [114833]

  (3) what action he is taking to ensure that cancer patients whose condition has been caused by exposure to asbestos receive proper and sufficient medical attention; [114830]

  (4) what assessment he has made of the new treatments available in countries other than the UK to cancer patients whose condition has been caused by exposure to asbestos. [114829]

  Ms Blears
  At present, around 4,000 people die each year in the United Kingdom from asbestos related disease (ARD); approximately 1,600 from mesothelioma and most of the rest from lung cancer related to asbestos exposure.

  Mesothelioma is expected to increase in frequency over the next 20 years. Based on prediction models, the number of male mesothelioma deaths is expected to peak at around 1,700 in 2011 with female mesothelioma deaths peaking at around 240 around the same time.

  Preventing exposure to asbestos is the most effective way of tackling asbestos related disease. We are taking action on this.

  There are a number of clinical trials relating to the treatment of mesothelioma in progress. The national health service is currently providing infrastructure and service support costs for two mesothelioma trials currently underway through the National Cancer Research Network.

  We are keeping a close eye on these trials to determine when the development of clinical guidelines on mesothelioma might be appropriate. Such guidelines would take account of worldwide evidence on the treatment and management of this disease.

  We are also taking action to improve services for lung cancer patients. 5,000 patients are now able to benefit from the new generation cancer drugs approved by National Institute for Clinical Excellence. Clinical
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  guidelines for the diagnosis and management of lung cancer are also being developed by NICE and are due for publication next year. 98.2 per cent. of patients with suspected lung cancer are now seen by a specialist within two weeks of being urgently referred by their general practitioner.

  The NHS Cancer Plan set out the first ever comprehensive strategy to tackle cancer from prevention through to palliative care. The Cancer Plan is being supported by unprecedented levels of funding. All cancer patients, including those with mesothelioma and lung cancer, should benefit from the implementation of this plan.

  Asthma
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on regional variations in the incidence of(a) childhood allergies and (b) asthma; [112507]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the number of children diagnosed with (a) allergies and (b) asthma in
  (i) the United Kingdom and (ii) other European Union member states. [112508]

  Jacqui Smith
  That information is not available centrally as many child cases of asthma and allergies are diagnosed via out-patient and general practitioner practices. However the following table shows the number of finished consultant episodes for asthma and other allergies for 2001–02 in England for people up to 17 years.

  Additionally we do not hold centrally information relating to the numbers of children suffering asthma in the European Union.

  Primary diagnosis asthma and other allergies, age on admission 0–17 years—NHS hospitals, England by region of treatment, 2001–02

  Asthma

  Other allergy

  Y01

  Northern and Yorkshire regional

  3,603

  397

  Y02

  Trent regional office

  2,253

  374

  Y07

  West Midlands regional office

  2,686

  924

  Y08

  North West regional office

  4,862

  613

  Y09

  Eastern regional office

  2,497

  130

  Y10

  London regional office

  3,735

  612

  Y11

  South East regional office

  3,493

  225

  Y12

  South West regional office

  2,271

  281

  England

  25,400

  3,556

  Autism
  Mr. Hurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new cases of autism were reported in each year from 1990 to 2002; and if he will make a statement. [115191]

  Jacqui Smith
  Details of the number of children diagnosed with autism since 1990 are not available. In December 2001 the Medical Research Council (MRC) published a comprehensive review of autism research, which provides an authoritative overview of the current state of knowledge on the prevalence, incidence and causes of autism. The report was commissioned by the Department of Health and produced with the help of a
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  wide range of experts and a "lay" group including parents and representatives of autism charities. It is available on the MRC website at www.mrc.ac.uk.

  The report says that according to recent reviews, there appears fairly good agreement that autism spectrum disorders affect approximately 60, and more narrowly defined autism 10–30, per 10,000 children under eight.

  In February 2002 we allocated a further £2.5 million to the MRC to help them to take forward their programme of work on autism. The MRC is currently holding a series of scientific workshops on autism with a view to stimulating additional high quality research proposals. One of these, held on 30 April this year, was on autism in populations.

  Cancer Services
  Diana Organ
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many(a) consultants, (b) staff grade nurses, (c) play therapists and (d) outreach nurses work in children"s cancer services in each regional cancer centre; [114627]

  (2) how many (a) consultants, (b) play therapists, (c) staff grade nurses and (d) outreach domiciliary nurses for children"s cancer services are based at (i) Royal Victoria Infirmary Newcastle, (ii) Royal Manchester Children"s Hospital, (iii) Queen Elizabeth II Hospital Birmingham, (iv) Wythenshawe Hospital Manchester, (v) Bristol Children"s Hospital, (vi) Cookridge Hospital Leeds, (vii) St James University Hospital Leeds, (viii) John Radcliffe Hospital Oxford, (ix) Manchester City Hospital and (x) Leicestershire and Rutland Health Care Trust. [114622]

  Ms Blears
  Data on the numbers of consultants, staff grade nurses, play therapists and outreach domiciliary nurses are not collected centrally at a sub-speciality level such as children"s cancer.

  Diana Organ
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many(a) children"s cancer play therapists, (b) outreach staff grade paediatric cancer nurses and (c) paediatric cancer consultants are (i) fully funded by the NHS and (ii) part-funded by the NHS in partnership with a voluntary organisation; [114628]

  (2) what percentage of funding for posts dedicated to children"s cancer services is provided by (a) the NHS and (b) charities and the voluntary sector; [114623]

  (3) how many charities and voluntary sector organisations (a) fully and (b) partly fund (i) a consultant, (ii) a staff grade nurse, (iii) a play therapist and (iv) an outreach domiciliary nurse for children"s cancer services in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will list those organisations; [114624]

  (4) which (a) charities and (b) voluntary sector organisations providing posts in children"s cancer services receive (i) part funding and (ii) full funding from the NHS; and how much funding they receive. [114625]

  Ms Blears
  The Department does not collect details of funding and staff posts for children"s cancer services in the national health service provided by the voluntary and community sector, nor details of posts funded by the NHS.
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  Diana Organ
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the partnership between the voluntary sector and the NHS in children"s cancer services. [114629]

  Ms Blears
  The Department and the national health service have a long and established history of working with the voluntary and community sector on the development of health and social care policy and service delivery. We will continue to develop and strengthen these partnership arrangements to help ensure healthcare service provision is in line with the health needs of the population including the particular needs of children with cancer.

  Diana Organ
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total funding by the NHS for children"s cancer services was in each of the last five years. [114626]

  Ms Blears
  Resources for cancer services over the last five years have been included in baseline allocations, the last three of which have been hypothecated. Because of the number of diagnostic and treatment episodes patients undergo during their illness it is not possible to identify how much of this funding was spent on a particular type of cancer.

  Care Direct
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on(a) the Care Direct pilots and (b) the future of this scheme. [115524]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Government announced in their Manifesto, the intention to build on Care Direct to develop a Third Age Service. In light of this commitment, the Government has taken the decision not to extend Care Direct beyond the first six pilot sites, but to concentrate instead on developing the Third Age Service, for which the Department for Work and Pensions has lead responsibility.

  Care Direct will continue in the six councils in the South West until March 2004, where it will provide a basis for the development of an operational model for the Third Age Service.

  Catchment Areas (Liverpool)
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the catchment area is for patients for(a) Royal Liverpool University Hospital, (b) Royal Aintree Hospital, Liverpool, (c) Women"s Hospital, Liverpool,
  (d) Cardiothoracic Centre, Liverpool, (e) Alderley Hospital Trust, Liverpool and (f) the Neurological Unit, Walton. [110942]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 6 May 2003]The information requested has been provided in the table.
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  Analysis of Specified NHS Trusts and the Local PCT Populations

  NHS Trust

  Local PCTs

  PCT Population

  Aggregate PCT Population

  Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University NHS Trust

  Central Liverpool

  346,119

  604,587

  North Liverpool

  146,550

  South Liverpool

  111,918

  University Hospital Aintree

  Knowsley

  207,934

  South Sefton

  180,226

  508,508

  Southport and Formby

  120,348

  NHS Trust

  Strategic Health Authority Population

  Royal Liverpool Children"s Trust

  2,611,001

  Cardiothoracic Centre NHS Trust

  Liverpool Women"s Hospital NHS Trust

  Walton Centre for Neurology NHS Trust

  Notes:

  (i) There will be significant numbers of patients referred from the PCTs identified above to other healthcare providers; (ii) The Trusts (acute and specialist) identified above will provide healthcare to a number ofother commissioners, and this will not be restricted to England; (iii) Specialist Trusts provide a very limited range of services across the Strategic Health Authority; and (iv) Due to the above it is not possible to calculate catchment populations in the format requested.

  Source:

  Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority

  Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority
  Mr. George Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many car parking spaces the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority(a) has within premises owned by them and (b) rents or leases from other organisations; and at what cost per year. [112416]

  Jacqui Smith
  Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority leases its accommodation at Wilderspool Park, Stockton Heath. Under the lease it has access to 96 car parking spaces including parking for visitors. The cost of these spaces is part of the overall lease cost for the accommodation and is not separately identified.

  SHA staff based at Hamilton House in Liverpool have access to 18 spaces at an annual cost of £26,031.20.

  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many meetings the chief executive of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with the leaders of local authorities since her appointment; and which local authorities were involved; [112787]

  (2) how many meetings the chair of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with the leaders of local authorities since her appointment; and with which local authorities; [112793]

  (3) how many meetings the chair of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with chief executives of local authorities since her appointment; and which local authorities were involved. [112788]

  Jacqui Smith
  The principal relationship with local authorities (LAs) is with primary care trusts. However the chair and chief executive of the Cheshire and 66W
  Merseyside Strategic Health Authority (CMSHA) welcome the opportunity to meet with officers of LAs to discuss issues of interest or concern and do meet with them from time to time on an on-going basis. According to records held by the CMSHA, the chief executive has met with senior officers of LAs on four occasions in the past year. The LAs were Warrington Borough Council, Chester County Council, Liverpool City Council and Wirral Borough Council. The chief executive has also met with senior officers of Social Services North West and the Social Services Inspectorate.

  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings the chief executive of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with individual chairs of trusts since her appointment. [112790]

  Jacqui Smith
  The chief executive has regular meetings, in addition to telephone contact with national health service trust senior officers, including trust chairs on an on-going basis. According to records held by the strategic health authority, the chief executive has met with trust chairs on an individual basis on 14 occasions and on a group basis on 39 occasions since her appointment.

  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings the chief executive of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with public bodies other than health bodies in the past year. [112791]

  Jacqui Smith
  According to its records, the chief executive of the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority met with chief executives of non-health public bodies on 15 occasions in the past year.

  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many board meetings the chair of the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has presided over since her appointment; and what the average length was of such meetings. [112794]

  Jacqui Smith
  There have been 10 board meetings since 1 April 2002, and the chair of the strategic health authority has chaired nine of these. The meetings usually last between two and two and half hours.

  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many meetings the chief executive of Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority has had with individual hon. Members since her appointment; and what the average duration was of such meetings. [112803]

  Jacqui Smith
  The chief executive of the Cheshire and Merseyside Strategic Health Authority met collectively with 17 hon. Members on 29 October 2002 and with three hon. Members on 16 May 2003. The chief
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  executive has also met with 16 hon. Members on an individual basis over the past year. The average duration of these meetings was one hour.

  Child Protection
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many recommendations by Lord Laming in his report on Victoria Climbié shown as achievable within three months have been initiated; which have not been initiated; and for what reason. [114732]

  Jacqui Smith
  There are 46 recommendations in the Victoria Climbié Inquiry report which are viewed by Lord Laming as being achievable within three months. Thirty-eight of these were included in the checklist of good practice recommendations sent to police, health and social services by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health on 28 January 2003. A copy of this list is available in the Library. These were also included in the self-audit tools which were issued subsequently by the Commission for Health Improvement and the Social Services Inspectorate. The remaining eight recommendations will be covered in our substantive response to the report, to be published shortly as part of the Green Paper on Children at Risk.

  Dietary Salt
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has evaluated on possible links between high levels of salt in pre-prepared food and heart disease in children under 10. [113401]

  Ms Blears
  A Sub-Group of the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACIN), an independent United Kingdom-wide advisory committee set up to advise both the Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency, recently considered the effects of salt on health, in both children and adults.

  The SACN report on Salt and Health (2003) concluded that,
  "Further research is needed to assess the level of salt in children"s diets, which may influence blood pressure [a risk factor for heart disease] independently of other factors. Nevertheless it would be inadvisable for children in the UK to become accustomed to the levels of salt intake currently habitual for adults as the evidence suggests long-term consumption of such amounts being potentially harmful in adult life".

  The SACN therefore made recommendations for daily target average salt intakes in children.

  Cretzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Dr. Strang
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new cases of(a) sporadic CJD and (b) variant CJD there were in the UK in (i) each quarter and (ii) each year from 1990 to the latest available date. [115063]

  Ms Blears
  The information requested is shown in the tables. The data for vCJD is only from 1996 when the disease was identified.

  Deaths from sporadic CJD in the UK

  Quarter 1

  Quarter 2

  Quarter 3

  Quarter 4

  Total

  1990

  9

  10

  6

  3

  28

  1991

  7

  8

  9

  8

  32

  68W

  Deaths from sporadic CJD in the UK

  Quarter 1

  Quarter 2

  Quarter 3

  Quarter 4

  Total

  1992

  12

  8

  14

  11

  45

  1993

  10

  11

  5

  11

  37

  1994

  11

  12

  12

  18

  53

  1995

  11

  8

  12

  4

  35

  1996

  10

  12

  10

  8

  40

  1997

  14

  14

  16

  15

  59

  1998

  11

  17

  15

  20

  63

  1999

  10

  20

  20

  12

  62

  2000

  11

  14

  10

  14

  49

  2001

  13

  8

  21

  13

  55

  2002

  10

  16

  17

  25

  68

  2003

  11

  51

  —

  —

  16

  1 to 21 May 2003

  Deaths from variant CJD in the UK

  Quarter 1

  Quarter 2

  Quarter 3

  Quarter 4

  Total

  1995

  0

  1

  0

  2

  3

  1996

  5

  3

  1

  1

  10

  1997

  4

  3

  1

  2

  10

  1998

  2

  2

  2

  12

  18

  1999

  4

  1

  4

  6

  15

  2000

  6

  8

  10

  4

  28

  2001

  6

  7

  4

  3

  20

  2002

  7

  5

  1

  4

  17

  2003

  5

  14

  —

  —

  9

  1 to 21 May 2003

  Correspondence
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to reply to the letter dated 14 April from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. N. Thorpe. [114672]

  Mr. Milburn
  A reply was sent to my right hon. Friend on 23 May.

  Darent Valley Hospital
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals there are to enlarge(a) the acute bed sector and (b) day care places at Darent Valley hospital; and if he will make a statement. [114983]

  Ms Blears
  The Department announced plans for a new diagnostic and treatment centre at Dartford and Gravesham National Health Service Trust in December 2002. This new centre will provide 40 additional beds and deliver significant improvement in patient access. The trust has also secured capital modernisation funding which will be used to strengthen their day surgery capacity.

  Drinking Water
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Medical Research Council has made in its programme of work in relation to research into the fluoridation of drinking water. [113460]

  Ms Blears
  Last September, a working group appointed by the Medical Research Council (MRC) published a report that we had commissioned prioritising the research required to strengthen the evidence base on the fluoridation of water. We have already acted on the MRC"s first priority by commissioning a comparison study of the fluoride absorbed from naturally and artificially fluoridated water. We have asked the Chief Medical Officer and
  69W
  Chief Dental Officer for further advice on both the remainder of the MRC"s recommendation and how the success of existing fluoridation schemes in improving oral health might be extended to other communities who wish it.

  Drug Addiction Treatment
  John Mann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients are being monitored for treatment for(a) drug addiction and (b) heroin addiction in the National Treatment Outcome Survey. [113787]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 16 May 2003]Between March-July 1995, 1,075 clients were recruited by 54 participating treatment programmes. These individuals presented with extensive, chronic and serious problems related to the use of drugs and alcohol. The most common drug problem was long-term opiate dependence, often in conjunction with polydrug and/or alcohol problems. Many clients had psychological and physical health problems, and high rates of criminal behaviour were reported.

  Elder Abuse
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the lack of a statutory obligation on private care homes to protect older people from abuses under the Human Rights Act 1998. [111050]

  Jacqui Smith
  A person in need of residential care is entitled to an assessment of their needs by the local authority. The local authority must then go on to decide whether it will provide the necessary services. If the authority decides to provide services it will then go on to arrange these services, probably through a private provider. The local authority nonetheless retains a role and remains responsible for ensuring that the person is receiving the services he needs and for ensuring that the private provider is providing the services contracted for. As caselaw makes clear, in exercising its duties in respect of a person, the local authority remains accountable under the Human Rights Act 1998.

  The National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) also has an important role in ensuring the welfare of older people in care homes. The NCSC is responsible for regulating all care homes in England in accordance with statutory regulations and national minimum standards. The standards are designed to ensure that poor standards in care homes are a thing of the past and to tackle the problems of abuse and neglect that sadly still exists in some care homes today.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mrs. Calton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets he has set for improving energy efficiency; and what steps he is taking to achieve these targets. [114506]

  Ms Blears
  The Department has adopted the target, as published by the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in the "Sustainable Development in Government: First Annual Report 2002", for the reduction of greenhouse emissions to air by 1 per cent. per annum.
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  The Department"s achievements are published within that report.

  Enuresis
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of the impact of enuresis on the welfare of a child with the condition. [114763]

  Jacqui Smith
  There are a number of factors which impact on the welfare of a child with this condition and a well-documented association between enuresis and psychiatric disorder in community samples of children, although over half of enuretic children have no psychiatric disorder.

  Common childhood conditions will be considered under the forthcoming national service framework for children, young people and maternity services, which is currently developing national standards. The standards are likely to cover support which should be available to children and their parents in managing a wide range of conditions and problems, including enuresis. This will emphasise the promotion of evidence based clinical guidelines and a number of examples of good practice in a range of different areas.

  Fostering
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library a copy of the report following the monitoring exercise by the Social Services Inspectorate of local authority enforcement of private fostering regulations in 2000–01. [114751]

  Jacqui Smith
  A copy of the Social Services Inspectorate report "By Private Arrangement; Inspection of Arrangements for Supervising Children in Private Foster Care" has been placed in the Library.

  Fuel Poverty
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the amount spent in each year since 1997 on the "Keep Warm Keep Well" campaign; and if he will make a statement. [113403]

  Jacqui Smith
  Information on the amount spent on the advice line and campaign literature to promote the "Keep Warm Keep, Well" campaign is shown in the table.

  Amount (£)

  1997–98

  427,010

  1998–99

  380,922

  1999–2000

  291,053

  2000–01

  1592,000

  2001–02

  447,779

  2002–03

  382,237

  1 This figure included the launch of the new advice line and campaign literature.

  General Practitioners
  John Mann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescribing GPs are commissioned through or in co-operation with DAATs in each DAAT area. [113983]
  71W
  Ms Blears
  This information is not available centrally. It is the responsibility of primary care trusts (PCTs) to commission prescribing general practitioners. Each PCT, in consultation with their drug action team partners, must decide how many prescribing GPs are required to be commissioned based on the needs of the local community.

  NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff employed by Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust as at 30 September in each specified year

  Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  19951

  19961

  19971

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Whole-time equivalent

  3,515

  3,531

  3,700

  3,592

  3,552

  3,722

  3,845

  Headcount

  4,179

  4,181

  4,390

  4,383

  4,304

  4,461

  4,471

  1 In 1998 St. James and Seacroft University Hospitals Trust merged with United Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to form Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  Note:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest whole-number

  Source:

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Dissemination and Analysis

  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors, broken down by specialty,(a) the Leeds Acute Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and (b) its predecessor acute trusts employed in each year since 1995. [114814]

  Jacqui Smith
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding(a) the Leeds PCTs and (b) their predecessor Leeds health authority received in each year since 1995. [114816]

  Leeds PCTs

  £000

  Allocation

  Period

  East Leeds PCT

  Leeds North East PCT

  Leeds North West PCT

  Leeds West PCT

  South Leeds PCT

  2003–04

  151,983

  135,571

  145,162

  104,159

  137,550

  2004–05

  165,586

  147,704

  158,271

  113,481

  150,173

  2005–06

  179,743

  160,333

  172,126

  123,183

  163,518

  Source:

  Department of Health NHS Revenue Resource Allocation Operations

  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding(a) the Leeds Acute Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and (b) its predecessor acute trusts received in each year since 1995. [114817]

  Jacqui Smith
  Funding for Leeds Teaching Hospitals National Health Service Trust is own in the table.

  £000

  Total Income

  1995–96

  360,152

  1996–97

  377,338

  1997–98

  410,305

  1998–99

  432,071

  1999–2000

  472,694

  Health Services (Leeds)
  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses(a) the Leeds Acute Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust and (b) its predecessor acute trusts employed in each year since 1995. [114813]

  Jacqui Smith
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Jacqui Smith
  Revenue allocations to Leeds primary care trusts and their predecessor Leeds health authority are shown in the tables.

  Leeds Health Authority

  £000

  Period

  Allocation

  1996–97

  310,435

  1997–98

  322,368

  1998–99

  339,927

  1999–2000

  469,356

  2000–01

  516,653

  2001–02

  559,240

  2002–03

  623,153

  £000

  Total Income

  2000–01

  504,292

  200102

  550,749

  Source:

  Figures from Department of Health Finance and Investment Directorate—Accounting.

  Healthy Eating
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to promote healthy eating among children. [112671]
  73W
  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 14 May 2003]The Government is delivering a range of programmes and activities in line with policy commitments to promote healthy eating among children. Action includes the National School Fruit Scheme, the Food in Schools programme and the Healthy School programme. Local Five-A-Day initiatives aim to increase awareness of and access to fruit and vegetables and this will include work with children.

  The welfare foods programme is being reformed to use the resources more effectively to ensure children in poverty have access to a healthy diet. There are also ongoing initiatives to increase breastfeeding as breastfed babies are less likely to become obese in childhood.

  Work is underway with the food industry to improve the overall balance of diet, including salt, fat and sugar in food, working with the Food Standards Agency (FSA). The FSA is funding a review of aspects of the promotion of foods to children. Details of other initiatives by the FSA to promote the uptake of a healthy balanced diet in children are set out in the its Nutrition Action Plan.

  The food and health action plan will also pull together all the issues that influence what we eat and will address healthy eating at all stages of the life course. The plan will build on a comprehensive on-going programme of work already underway across Government on healthy eating.

  Hepatitis C/HIV
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the UK are infected with(a) Hepatitis C and (b) HIV or AIDS. [114786]

  Ms Blears
  The Health Protection Agency has estimated that:Around 0.4 per cent. of the general population in England (about 200,000 people) have chronic hepatitis C infection. Up to the end of 2001, a cumulative total of about 26,600 laboratory diagnosed infections had been reported, suggesting that the majority of those infected have not yet been diagnosed.
  There were 38,400 HIV-infected adults living in England at the end of 2001, including an estimated 11,500, 30 per cent., who were not aware they were infected.

  Information on hepatitis C and HIV/AIDS in Scotland and Wales is available from the devolved administrations. While the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved, responsibility rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland office.

  Honours
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many officials in his Department have received honours; and how many honours are held by his officials, broken down by category of honour. [111487]

  Mr. Lammy
  There are 33 officials currently in the Department who have honours. The breakdown is as follows:

  Number

  Knight

  2

  CB

  4

  CBE

  10

  74W

  Number

  OBE

  7

  MBE

  10

  Hospital-acquired Infections
  Mr. Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information he has collated about the incidence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus; and if he will make a statement on what steps the Government is taking to tackle MRSA. [114954]

  Ms Blears
  Since April 2001 all acute trusts in England have had to report methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus blood stream infections. Results for the first year of this scheme (April 2001 to March 2002) were published in the Communicable Disease Report Weekly on 20 June 2002 and are available on the Public Health Laboratory Service website www.phls.co.uk/publications/cdr/PDFfiles/2002/cdr2502.pdf. These data have enabled us to introduce an MRSA improvement score into the National Health Service performance management system this year to ensure that trusts investigate their MRSA levels.

  As part of implementing our strategy for combating infectious diseases "Getting Ahead of the Curve" a targeted action plan on healthcare associated infection is being developed.

  Local Authority Grants
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants have been made by his Department to local authorities for 2003–04 in England broken down by local authority; and whether the grant is(a) ring fenced, (b) a specific formula grant, (c) within aggregate external finance and (d) outside aggregate external finance. [114918]

  Jacqui Smith
  The table shows the ring fenced and specific formula grants which have been announced by the Department of Health for 2003–04.

  £ million

  Grant

  Specific formula grant

  Ring fenced grant

  Preserved Rights

  508.523

  —

  Delayed Discharges

  50.000

  —

  Mental Health

  —

  133.500

  Children and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS)

  —

  51.000

  AIDS Support

  —

  16.500

  Training Support Programme

  —

  56.500

  Secure Accommodation

  (capital)

  —

  6.228

  (revenue)

  —

  0.014

  Children"s Services

  (revenue)

  —

  557.000

  (capital)

  —

  9.500

  Carers

  —

  100.000

  Deferred Payments

  —

  40.000

  Improving Information Management

  —

  25.000

  Care Direct

  —

  2.187

  Young People"s Substance Misuse Planning

  —

  6.745

  Teenage Pregnancy Local Implementation

  —

  27.390

  Performance Fund

  —

  100.000

  75W

  £ million

  Grant

  Specific formula grant

  Ring fenced grant

  Access and Systems Capacity

  —

  170.000

  National Training Strategy

  —

  24.884

  Human Resources Development Strategy

  —

  9.525

  All grants paid to local authorities by the Department of Health are within aggregate external finance except for secure accommodation (capital), children"s services (capital) and improving information management.

  Information on local authorities",grant allocations for access and systems capacity, carers, deferred payments, mental health, child and adult mental health service (CAMHS), performance fund, teenage pregnancy local implementation, training support, young people"s substance misuse and Care Direct has been placed in the Library. In the case of mental health, CAMHS, performance fund and training support the full amount of grant available has not yet been allocated.

  Allocations for preserved rights, delayed discharges, AIDS support, secure accommodation, children"s services, improving information management, national training strategy and human resources development strategy grants have yet to be finalised.

  The funding level for the residential allowance grant is still to be decided.

  Health Service Commissioning (Local Authorities)
  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received regarding proposals for local authorities to undertake the commissioning of health services; and if he will make a statement. [115437]

  Jacqui Smith
  "Care of older people" has been identified as one of the themes for the work programme of the Innovation Forum, which brings together excellent councils and Government, to pioneer ways of delivering better public services for local communities. An initial proposal suggested reducing hospital admissions for older people through improved strategic commissioning of services by a council, on behalf of the local national health service and council. This will be taken forward in a few pilot areas as part of the work of the forum.

  Medicines Control Agency
  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many reports the Medicines Control Agency has received of suicides attributed to Seroxat in each of the last three years; [114707]

  (2) how many yellow card reports the Medicines Control Agency has received about Seroxat in each of the last three years; [114708]

  (3) what research he has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the under-reporting to the Medicines Control Agency of problems experienced by patients prescribed Seroxat; [114709]
  76W
  (4) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the yellow card scheme; and if he will allow patients to send their observations to the Medicines Control Agency using the yellow card scheme. [114823]

  Ms Blears
  The Yellow Card Scheme is recognised to be one of the best in the world in terms of the level of reporting, has a proven track record of identifying new drug safety hazards and enables the monitoring of all medicines, including Seroxat, in clinical use.

  The effectiveness of the Scheme is under continuous review by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM). From April 2003, the first phase of patient reporting of suspected adverse drug reactions (ADRs) through the Yellow Card Scheme via NHS Direct was introduced. This will enable the first hand experiences of patients to be utilised in the identification and assessment of drug safety issues.

  Under-reporting of ADRs is an inherent feature of spontaneous reporting schemes. Although this means that data from the scheme have limited usefulness in terms of quantifying the frequency of an ADR, it does not detract from the ability of the scheme to identify new drug safety hazards. It has been estimated from various surveys that only 10—15 per cent. of serious ADRs are reported through the Yellow Card Scheme, but the true extent of under-reporting is unknown and is likely to vary considerably between different drugs and different reactions.

  The effectiveness of the Yellow Card Scheme is reviewed regularly. CSM is updated twice monthly on the progress of the Yellow Card Scheme and the impact of new initiatives. Formal reviews of the scheme are carried out and presented to CSM annually. External reviews of the Yellow Card System were carried out in the 1980"s by Grahame-Smith and earlier this year by the National Audit Office as part of their Value for Money study of the Medicines Controls Agency.

  The following table lists the number of reports of suspected ADRs received per year for the last three years through the Yellow Card Scheme for paroxetine (Seroxat) and the number of cases of suicide reported as suspected adverse drug reactions in association with paroxetine in this time.

  Number of reports of suspected adverse reactions association with paroxetine

  Number of cases of suicide reported as suspected adverse drug reactions in association with paroxetine

  2000

  427

  2

  2001

  329

  1

  2002

  320

  5

  It is important to note that the suspected reactions are not necessarily caused by the drug and may relate to other factors such as other illnesses or other medicines taken concurrently. In addition the reporting of suspected ADRs is influenced by the seriousness of the ADRs, their ease of recognition, the extent of use of a particular drug, and may be stimulated by promotion and publicity.

  Paroxetine is one of a group of medicines called the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) which are used in the treatment of depressive illness and

  77W
  anxiety disorders. The possibility of a causal association between SSRIs and suicidal behaviour has been reviewed by the CSM on a number of occasions, most recently in 2001. CSM concluded that the current evidence is insufficient to confirm a causal association between SSRIs and suicidal behaviour and advised that the issue should be kept under review. Product information for prescribers and patients contains warnings that suicidal behaviour may increase in the early stages of treatment with any antidepressant, and that if this occurs, medical advice should he sought immediately.

  The CSM has convened an expert group to look again at all available data, including reports of suspected adverse reactions from patients.

  Mental Health
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in the UK suffer from depression; and what the treatment regimens are which are prescribed for these women. [114539]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Department of Health does not keep central records on the diagnosis of, or treatment provided to, those receiving mental health services, except in cases where an admission to hospital has occurred. However, information on the overall prevalence of mental ill health among adults living in private households is available from the Office for National Statistics (www.statistics.gov.uk).

  A range of treatment, services and support is available for women and men suffering from depression, including social, therapeutic and creative activities; self-help; practical support; medication and psychological interventions.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to provide additional support for members of ethnic minorities suffering from schizophrenia. [115139]

  Jacqui Smith
  The improvements set out in the NHS Plan, and in the national service framework for mental health services, are designed to help all people with severe mental illness. Continued investment in services will ensure that by 2004, all people with a severe mental illness will be able to access a crisis resolution team 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Also, all people who regularly disengage from services leading to frequent relapse will be in receipt of assertive outreach services by December 2003 and all young people who develop a severe mental illness will be in receipt of early intervention services by 2004. These services are designed to help individuals, irrespective of ethnicity, but have been shown to be particularly welcomed by black and minority ethnic communities.

  Services will also be assisted by comprehensive guidance for black and minority ethnic mental health services, which will be issued for consultation later this year. The National Institute for Mental Health has also set up a specific programme on black and minority ethnic mental health to assist services.
  78W
  By 2006 there will be 500 community development workers in black and minority ethnic health. These workers are there to help local minority ethnic groups engage with services and help to expand local capacity for dealing with mental health problems.

  The National Institute for Clinical Excellence published an appraisal on the use of atypical anti-psychotics in the treatment of schizophrenia in June 2002 and clinical guidelines on the management of schizophrenia in December 2002. It will be for local services and health professionals to consider the impact of current and future guidance.

  National Treatment Agency
  John Mann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the training(a) budget and (b) actual expenditure was for the National Treatment Agency in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04. [113786]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 16 May 2003]The National Treatment Agency for Substance Misuse"s (NTA) actual spend on training in 2002–03 and proposed training budget in 2003–04, is shown in the table.

  £

  Actual Spend 2002–03

  Budget Spend (proposed) 2003–04

  For NTA staff

  34,000

  30,000

  For the field (Workforce Planning)

  725,000

  660,000

  Total:

  759,000

  690,000

  John Mann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training budget there is through the National Treatment Agency for implementing models of care. [113984]

  Ms Blears
  The National Treatment Agency (NTA) has centrally funded nine regional training and development events to date on models of care. These had a total of 1,050 participants and were highly rated on consumer satisfaction questionnaires.

  These events cost about £86,000, which is in addition to the £759,000 that the NTA spent on training in 2002–03. The NTA"s overall proposed training budget for 2003–04 is £690,000.

  All the NTA"s training and development initiatives from February are in line with models of care, and will reinforce its implementation as the proxy national service framework. We also now expect drug action teams to fund any local training initiatives that they identify their local work force as requiring.

  Food Standards Agency
  Mr. Norman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 11 March 2003,Official Report, column 237W, on the Food Standards Agency, what the total pay costs incurred by the Food Standards Agency were in each year since 1997. [113384]

  Ms Blears
  The Food Standards Agency (FSA) was established on 1 April 2000. The total staff costs, including the devolved offices but excluding the Meat Hygiene Service, were £17,921,000 in 2000–01 and
  79W
  £21,315,000 in 2001–02. Further details, including changes in staff numbers, are set out in FSA"s annual report and accounts for the relevant financial year, which are available in the Library. It is too early to provide comparable information for 2002–03.

  NHS Dentistry
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what interim measures he plans to introduce to maintain the number of dentists offering dentistry services on the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [113275]

  Mr. Lammy
  We are legislating for far-reaching reform of national health service dental services to improve the service for dentists and patients. The Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill proposes that each primary care trust be given a duty to provide, or secure the provision of, primary dental services in its area to the extent that it considers reasonable to do so and be given the financial resources to do this. Until this new framework is in place and to support primary care trusts in preparing for this, we plan to put in place a support team for NHS dentistry to develop interim measures of the kind referred to. The team will work closely with strategic health authorities and primary care trusts to identify which areas are most in need and to ensure that there is a rapid response to difficulties experienced by dentists working at the frontline of the NHS. New incentive directions will be made shortly to provide the necessary legal powers for PCTs to provide assistance and support to dentists, until the legislation now in Parliament provides the framework for trusts to commission NHS primary dental services themselves.

  Primary care trusts will be able to help dental practices in a number of ways, for example when they are threatened by difficulties over practice premises. They will also be able to pay to increase the total amount of time that a practice devotes to NHS general dental services. It is also planned to build on existing experience of personal dental services pilot contracting, to enable committed dentists to work in the NHS without having to use the statement of dental remuneration to earn fees for items of service. This so-called treadmill has been a major source of complaint from the profession and will be abolished by the legislation before the House.

  Personal dental services: Number of patients treated1, year ending March 2003—pilots in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Worcestershire primary care trusts

  Pilot

  Number of patients treated year ending March 2003 (thousand)

  PCTs in list covered by pilot

  Avon

  7.3

  Bath and North East Somerset, Bristol South and West

  Gloucestershire

  9.9

  Cheltenham and Tewkesbury, West Gloucestershire, Cotswold and Vale

  Oxfordshire

  9.5

  Cherwell Vale, North East Oxfordshire, Oxford City, South East Oxfordshire, South West Oxfordshire

  Somerset

  4.8

  Somerset Coast, Mendip, South Somerset, Taunton Deane

  Swindon

  7.2

  West Wiltshire, Swindon, Kennet and North Wiltshire

  Worcestershire

  10.4

  Wyre Forest, South Worcestershire

  1 Number of individual patients treated.

  80W
  In addition to the above, the support team will help focus national plans on local challenges where workforce availability is the key issue. As well as investing in supporting dentists and existing dental premises as part of a programme to encourage maximum NHS participation by returners to the work force, new graduates and overseas dentists, the team will support work to reinforce the existing retention and returning scheme and to work with the existing international recruitment scheme to transfer its experience for recruitment of dentists internationally.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have access to dental treatment on the NHS in(a) Gloucester, (b) Gloucestershire, (c) Oxfordshire, (d) Wiltshire, (e) Somerset and (f) Worcestershire. [113743]

  Ms Blears
  Information on the number of patients registered with a national health service dentist for general dental services in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Worcestershire as at 28 February 2003, is shown in the table.

  General dental services: Number of patients registered with a dentist at 28 February 2003 in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Worcestershire primary care trusts

  Primary care trust

  Number of patients registered1 with a dentist at 28 February 2003 (thousand)

  Somerset

  637.7

  Gloucestershire2

  319.8

  Wiltshire

  260.4

  Oxfordshire

  188.0

  Worcestershire

  258.2

  1 The GDS registration period lasts for a 15 month period from the patients last attendance at the dentist.

  2 Includes Gloucester

  Information on the number of patients treated under the personal dental services scheme in Gloucester, Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, Somerset and Worcestershire PCT areas for the year ending March 2003, is shown in the table. The personal dental service does not require the patient to be registered before commencing treatment. Additionally unregistered patients can gain access to NHS treatment though dental access teams in Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, and Somerset.
  81W
  Shona McIsaac
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dental practices accept new NHS patients in the constituencies of(a) Cleethorpes, (b) Grimsby, (c) Scunthorpe, (d) Brigg and Goole, (e) Gainsborough, (f) Louth and Horncastle and (g) Hull, West and Hessle. [111474]

  Jacqui Smith
  The number of dental practices accepting new national health service patients changes frequently. Up to date information about which dentists are accepting new NHS registrations is available from the relevant primary care trust (PCT).

  I recognise that access to NHS dentistry in Cleethorpes and the surrounding area can be difficult. It is the intention of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, introduced on 12 March, to better match the provision of primary dental services with local oral health needs through local commissioning of the service. This would enable local flexibility to be built into the system, allowing PCTs to address local access issues as they arise. It is anticipated that the availability of NHS dentistry will be more predictable under the new system.

  Physical Activity
  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what measures are being taken to promote physical activity at a cross-departmental level; and how plans to promote physical activity are co-ordinated between departments; [114799]

  (2) what measures his Department is taking to promote the health benefits of physical activity; how these measures are being co-ordinated; and what the long-term strategy is for investment in health promoting physical activity programmes. [114798]

  Ms Blears
  The Government recognises the importance of a strategic approach in order to increase rates of physical activity. The Department works closely with other Government Departments to ensure that policy initiatives on physical activity, sport and recreation, education and transport are co-ordinated and contribute to our shared goal of increasing access and rates of physical activity. This has been backed up by significant investment, including £581 million from the New Opportunities Fund for a physical education and sports programme, £459 million to transform physical education, school sport and club links over the next three years and £2.6 million for a new programme of local exercise action pilots, led by primary care trusts.

  The joint Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)/Strategy Unit Report "Game Plan" set out a new target of 70 per cent., of the population to be active, half an hour"s exercise five days a week, by 2020. In order to deliver this target a central Department of Health/DCMS-led Sport and Physical Activity Board (SPAB) is being set up, which will be responsible for strategic overview, planning and co-ordination and will report to a ministerial committee. As part of the communications strategy, work is under way to develop a physical activity communication message for both adults and children.

  At a national level, Ministers and government officials from the DCMS, the Department for Education and Skills and the Department of Health
  82W
  have regular meetings to ensure joint working and coordination on issues relating to physical activity and sport.

  At a regional level the positioning of regional directors of public health and their teams in the Government offices of the regions provides a very real opportunity to make connections across policy areas that will support increased physical activity.

  While locally, PCTs have a key responsibility for ensuring that a strategic approach is taken to increasing physical activity through their involvement in local strategic partnerships.

  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) funding and (b) funding as a percentage of departmental expenditure his Department allocated to measures to promote physical activity in the last year for which figures are available. [114800]

  Ms Blears
  The Department of Health is committed to developing policies that provide people with the skills, information and support to make and sustain healthy lifestyle choices.

  Between April 2002 and March 2003 the Department of Health made available £710,000 to fund a physical activity programme to:
  develop and communicate the evidence base for physical activity
  support the delivery of planning and priorities framework targets and national service framework milestones
  work with other Government departments and stakeholders to enhance opportunities for physical activity

  It is not possible to express the expenditure on physical activity promotion as a percentage of the total Department of Health budget. The amount spent by primary care trusts on the promotion of physical activity from the devolved Department of Health budgets is not known.

  Feeding into all three strands of the programme and accounting for £450,000 of the funding allocation in 2002–03 are the Local Exercise Action Pilots.

  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the estimated cost to the NHS is of conditions related to low levels of physical activity among the population. [114801]

  Ms Blears
  Current projections estimate the cost of inactivity in England in the region of £325 million per year in direct healthcare costs as quoted in Chapter 2 of the joint the Department for Culture, Media and Sport/Strategy Unit Report Game Plan: a strategy for delivering Government"s sport and physical activity objectives published in December 2002. This was assessed by considering the costs associated with angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, stroke, colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, hypertension and osteoarthritis. Inactivity was defined as doing fewer than three occasions of moderate or vigorous activity in the last four weeks.

  If other factors are included such as lost earnings due to sickness and premature death then the overall figure has been calculated at approximately £2 billion per year.
  83W
  These estimates are based upon an assumption of relatively low levels of inactivity and a narrow range of diseases. If higher levels of inactivity and a wider range of diseases are assumed then estimates of the cost of inactivity to the National Health Service rise from £325 million to £1.7 billion per year or the equivalent of 5 per cent. of the annual budget.

  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which pilot schemes were selected under the Local Exercise Action Pilots programme; what the proposed timescale for the selection of schemes following the initial announcement of the LEAP programme was; and whether the selection process met the planned timeframe. [114802]

  Ms Blears
  The following primary care trusts were selected to lead the nine local exercise action pilots (LEAPs):

  Durham Dales PCT;

  Hastings and St. Leonards PCT;

  Great Yarmouth PCT;

  North Kirklees PCT;

  Wandsworth PCT;

  Dudley, Beacon and Castle PCT;

  Ashton, Leigh and Wigan PCT;

  Nottingham City PCT; and

  West of Cornwall PCT.

  The LEAP Programme was announced by the then Minister for Public Health (Yvette Cooper) on 20 May 2002.
  September to October 2002—PCTs in neighbourhood renewal fund areas were invited to submit "expressions of interest" for the LEAP programme.
  November 2002–31 PCTs were asked to work up full applications by 10 January 2003.
  January 2003—applications were assessed and rank ordered by regional panels who made their recommendations to the national management group.
  February 2003—the management group met to review the regional recommendations.

  Following this meeting recommendations for the nine pilot sites were made, and I endorsed the nine proposed sites which were announced on 24 March 2003.

  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evaluation has been made of measures by primary care trusts to promote physical activity with particular reference to recommendations contained in the National Service Frameworks. [114804]

  Ms Blears
  Milestones 2 and 3 of Chapter 1 of the national service framework (NSF) for coronary heart disease (CHD) concern the delivery of local programmes of effective policies on reducing smoking, promoting healthy eating, increasing physical activity and reducing overweight and obesity.

  In April 2001, the Department of Health commissioned the Health Development Agency to undertake an analysis of local physical activity policies. The South East Public Health Observatory was contracted by the Department of Health to undertake a national survey of progress against Milestone 3 in March 2002.
  84W
  This research showed that the milestones have catalysed development of physical activity policies. However, these policies are of varying status and maturity—ranging from well established, new and emerging to those still being developed.

  The Commission for Health Improvement/Audit Commission joint national study into the implementation of the NSF for CHD is now under way. Jointly with the Audit Commission, CHI will undertake 26 local reviews of progress against the CHD NSF. The first local reviews started in April 2003, and are due to be completed in April 2004. The national overview will be prepared in the summer of 2004 and the final report is anticipated in the autumn.

  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of levels of physical activity among(a) adults and (b) children. [114806]

  Ms Blears
  The most recent information about levels of physical activity among adults and children can be derived from the 1998 Health Survey for England. For adults aged 16 and over four types of activity are asked about in the survey: activity at work; in the home (housework, gardening); walks of 15 minutes or more and sports and exercise activities. For most activity types, survey informants were asked on how many days in the last four weeks they had participated in the activity for at least 15 minutes a time.

  Current guidelines recommend that adults should take part in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity, ideally on a daily basis. This may include the accumulation of shorter bouts of activity to meet the 30 minutes target. The table summarises participation in activity. The category High represents the level of activity that fulfils the current physical activity recommendations for adults. Among men over a third, 37 per cent, were in the High category while among women, a quarter were in this category.

  Further information about adult physical activity from the Health Survey will be available in the 2003 survey, the results from which will be available at the end of 2004.

  Summary of overall participation in physical activities, by sex— Aged 16 and over

  Per cent.

  Summary activity level1

  Low

  Medium

  High

  1998

  Men

  35

  28

  37

  Women

  41

  34

  25

  1 The summary activity level classification is as follows:

  Low activity—Up to three occasions of moderate or vigorous activity of at least 30 minutes" duration in the last four weeks (less than once a week)

  Medium activity—Four to 19 occasions of moderate or vigorous activity of at least 30 minutes" duration in the last four weeks (at least once, less than five days a week)

  High activity—20 or more occasions of moderate or vigorous activity of at least 30 minutes" duration in the last four weeks (at least five days a week)

  Source:

  Health Survey for England 1998
  85W
  For children, the latest information available is from the 1997 survey. This looked at children"s involvement in sports and exercise, active play, walking and, for age eight and above, work at home such as housework or cleaning a car. Recommended activity levels for children are 60 minutes moderate physical activity, seven days a week. The survey showed that overall, 55 per cent., of boys and 39 per cent., of girls achieved this level. Any activity carried out as part of the school curriculum is not included in these estimates. Further information about children"s physical activity will be available from the 2002 Health Survey, which focused on children and young people, the results from which are due to be published at the end of the year.

  Information can also be derived from the Office for National Statistics UK 2000 Time Use Survey which measured the amount of time spent by the UK population (aged 8 and above) on various activities. The survey shows that four in five people did some type of physical activity in the four weeks before the survey and that they spend more time taking part in sports and other physical activities than watching it on TV, 16 minutes a day compared with four minutes a day.

  Primary Care Trusts
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the salary paid to each primary care group chairman in the year up to October 2002. [101732]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 10 March 2003]Only one primary care group remained in October 2002 for which the chair received annual remuneration of £15,548. Details of the levels of remuneration paid to the chairs of primary care trusts (PCTs) as at 1 April 2002 have been placed in the Library.

  I regret that, in answering a question from the hon. Member on Wednesday 29 January 2003, Official Report, column 901W, the average remuneration for PCT chairs in 2002–03 was incorrectly given as £12,600. The correct figure should have been £18,154.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recommendations he issues to primary care trusts on the maximum number of heads of the population for(a) palliative care and (b) intermediate care beds; and what the average number is in each primary care trust areas around London. [113405]

  Ms Blears
  A national survey undertaken by the National Council for Hospice and Specialist Palliative Care Services in 1999 on behalf of the Department showed that the average number of beds per million population was 51. For the former London health region, the figure was 57. Though there are major variations between former health regions in the provision of specialist palliative care beds, the £50 million central budget for palliative care allocated will help tackle inequalities in access to specialist palliative care, and enable cancer networks to reach at least the national average.

  The table shows the number of intermediate care beds in the London area at 31 December 2002, the latest available figures, by strategic health authority (SHA). Data from primary care trusts is aggregated to SHA level when reporting to the Department of Health for performance management purposes.
  86W

  London DHSC

  Strategic health authority

  Number of intermediate care beds—31 December 2002

  North West London

  109

  North Central London

  292

  North East London

  51

  South East London

  105

  South West London

  146

  Total

  703

  Public Health
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 14 May 2003,Official Report, column 320W, on public health, what the expected timetable is for the proposed review of the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act 1984. [115522]

  Ms Blears
  A timetable has not been fixed for the review. The review will take account of the new emergency powers which it is proposed to provide through the Civil Contingencies Bill.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements are in place to ensure that public health information available to individual member states of the European Union is circulated to all Members immediately after publication. [113091]

  Ms Blears
  There is no routine procedure for making all public health information available. However, for communicable diseases, there is a European network to share information. In addition some public health information is freely accessible on European Union member states websites

  The Department of Health and its agencies make information available, where appropriate, both on websites and in communications with international bodies such as the European Commission and the World Health Organisation.

  Residential Care Costs
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the unit cost figures for residential care for each local authority area obtained by his Department as part of the data collection for the performance assessment framework in each of the last three years. [114749]

  Jacqui Smith
  The requested information has been placed in the Library.

  Seroxat
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with the Medicines Control Agency about the drug Seroxat. [114100]

  Ms Blears
  Since the marketing of Seroxat (paroxetine) in 1990, the Secretary of State for Health has been kept informed by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA), and since 1 April 2003 the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) on matters relating to its safety. The MCA has sought the advice of the Government"s independent expert scientific advisory body, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM).
  87W
  In the last two months the Secretary of State for Health has been informed of the on-going action relating to the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), including Seroxat, in particular the convening of a CSM Expert Group to review the current available evidence on the safety of SSRIs, including patients reports submitted by MIND/Panorama; and the review of product information for all SSRIs to ensure that it provides necessary information to allow prescribers and patients to make informed decisions about appropriate treatment.

  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent guidance has been or will be issued to GPs concerning the(a) use and (b) prescription of Seroxat. [114317]

  Ms Blears
  Seroxat (paroxetine) is a member of a group of drugs known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Guidance on prescribing and use of Seroxat is provided in the authorised summary of product characteristics (SPC) for health professionals and patient information leaflet (PIL). These documents contain information on use of Seroxat, contraindications, warnings and possible adverse effects. Prescribing information is also included in the British National Formulary (BNF) which is sent by the Department of Health to doctors and pharmacists.

  Since Seroxat was first marketed in 1990, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the Government"s independent expert advisory committee, the Committee on Safety of Medicines (CSM) have kept the safety of Seroxat under close continuous review. A number of communications have been issued to health professionals on the SSRIs via the MHRA/CSM drug safety bulletin "Current Problems in Pharmacovigilance". The most recent of these was an article focussing on the safety profile of the SSRIs in September 2000.

  A CSM expert subgroup has been convened to review available information on the safety of SSRIs, including patient reports, product information for Seroxat and the other SSRIs, with particular emphasis on supporting communications between healthcare professionals and patients.

  Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the risk of SARS entering the UK via(a) airports and (b) seaports. [111002]

  Ms Blears
  The combination of high levels of global travel and an infection with an incubation period of two to 10 days means that the United Kingdom will inevitably experience some cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in United Kingdom. The strategy therefore cannot be total exclusion, rather it is to diagnose early and minimise transmission from these cases within the UK.
  88W
  We have therefore taken the following measures to reduce the risk of SARS entering the UK by ports of entry:
  Issuing advice to travellers through our website which is reviewed daily
  distribution of leaflets via airlines to passengers returning from affected countries on signs/symptoms of SARS
  advice to airlines reminding them of how to handle any suspected cases and contacts in-flight
  following recommendation from the World Health Organisation that screening should be carried out before leaving a SARS affected country.

  Statins
  Mr. McCabe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what timetable the Minister envisages for selling cholesterol lowering statins over the pharmacy counter; and how he will seek to prevent inequalities arising between those who can and cannot afford the drugs. [114589]

  Ms Blears
  Any application to change the legal status of a particular medicine for lowering blood cholesterol will be carefully considered against the criteria for prescription-only status set out in European and UK Legislation and would be subject to public consultation. Following changes to the law in April 2002, the process of re-classifying medicines has been streamlined and the time taken from application to grant of a new legal status, has been reduced from up to 18 months to around six.

  National Health Service prescribing for statins currently covers over a million patients at a cost of £546 million per year and prescribing is growing by a third each year. Analysis of prescribing suggests that there is a higher rate of prescribing in areas of greater need and that general practice is successfully ensuring that cholesterol lowering therapy is being offered in a way which will assist in the reduction of health inequalities. If cholesterol lowering drugs become available in pharmacies, general practitioners will continue to prescribe to their patients according to clinical need and we expect that this will continue to result in higher prescribing in areas of greater deprivation and ill health.

  Timber
  Mrs. Calton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department"s procurement policy includes timber used in the construction of departmental building projects; and if he will make a statement. [114608]

  Ms Blears
  The Department of Health has adopted the model specification clause as proposed by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for the procurement of timber from sustainable sources. This policy is specified in any procurement of timber products.

  NHS Estates advise and guide the NHS on sustainable development issues. In April 2002, NHS Estates issued the NHS Environmental Assessment Tool (NEAT). NEAT includes a section on the requirement for timber to be specified from sustainably managed sources.

  Tuberculosis
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health why there is insufficient BCG vaccine to carry out TB immunisation this year in schools in the Southampton Health Authority area. [114088]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 16 May 2003]There is sufficient BCG vaccine in Southampton area and the vaccination programme is being carried out in local schools.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Antisocial Behaviour
  Kevin Brennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Anti-social Behaviour Orders were issued per head of population in each of the police force areas in England and Wales since their introduction; and if he will make a statement. [115234]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]The number of notifications received by the Home Office of Anti-social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued in England and Wales up to 30 November 2002 (latest available) is given in the table by police force area and per 100,000 population.

  We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made nationally have been consistently under-reported in returns made by magistrates" courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.

  Total number of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders issued, as reported to the Home Office by Police Force Area and per 100,000 population

  Police force area/MCC1

  ASBOs issued2

  Mid year 2001 population estimate (000)3

  Number issued per 100,000 population

  Avon & Somerset

  32

  1,309.67

  2.44

  Bedfordshire

  7

  489.91

  1.43

  Cambridgeshire

  9

  622.56

  1.45

  Cheshire

  9

  864.25

  1.04

  Cleveland

  11

  473.36

  2.32

  Cumbria

  14

  433.36

  3.23

  Derbyshire

  14

  841.32

  1.66

  Devon & Cornwall

  12

  1,407.23

  0.85

  Dorset

  4

  621.02

  0.64

  Durham

  21

  523.41

  4.01

  Essex

  2

  1,416.17

  0.14

  Gloucestershire

  4

  497.93

  0.80

  Greater Manchester

  70

  2,165.39

  3.23

  Hampshire

  15

  1,566.08

  0.96

  Herrfordshire

  9

  901.43

  1.00

  Humberside

  15

  763.69

  1.96

  Kent

  33

  1,381.84

  2.39

  Lancashire

  26

  1,240.07

  2.10

  Leicestershire

  5

  810.52

  0.62

  Lincolnshire

  3

  574.51

  0.52

  Merseyside

  28

  1,197.69

  2.34

  Metropolitan Police4/GLMCA

  52

  6,258.52

  0.83

  Norfolk

  25

  710.90

  3.52

  Northamptonshire

  8

  549.79

  1.46

  Northumbria

  27

  1,225.11

  2.20

  North Yorkshire

  11

  668.09

  1.65

  Nottinghamshire

  17

  895.92

  1.90

  South Yorkshire

  18

  1,111.79

  1.62

  Staffordshire

  22

  924.99

  2.38

  Suffolk

  7

  589.23

  1.19

  Surrey

  6

  931.21

  0.64

  Sussex

  18

  1,325.62

  1.36

  Thames Valley

  11

  1,825.61

  0.60

  90W

  Total number of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders issued, as reported to the Home Office by Police Force Area and per 100,000 population

  Police force area/MCC1

  ASBOs issued2

  Mid year 2001 population estimate (000)3

  Number issued per 100,000 population

  Warwickshire

  10

  446.87

  2.24

  West Mercia

  69

  1,021.80

  6.75

  West Midlands

  101

  2,212.68

  4.56

  West Yorkshire

  25

  1,811.57

  1.38

  Wiltshire

  1

  535.41

  0.19

  England

  771

  43,146.49

  1.79

  Dyfed Powys

  0

  431.87

  0.00

  Gwent

  4

  481.63

  0.83

  North Wales

  3

  585.09

  0.51

  South Wales

  7

  1,052.66

  0.66

  Wales

  14

  2,551.24

  0.55

  England and Wales

  785

  45,697.74

  1.72

  1 From 1 April 2001 Magistrates" Courts Committee areas aligned with police force areas.

  2 ASBOs issued from 1 April 1999 to 30 November 2002.

  3 Estimated population for age group 10 and over. (Source: ONS).

  4 Including City of London.

  Kevin Brennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many anti-social behaviour orders have been issued in Cardiff since their introduction; and if he will make a statement. [115235]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]From copies received centrally of Anti-Social Behaviour Orders (ASBOs) issued we have been able to identify local authority areas involved. The number of notifications received by the Home Office of ASBOs issued within the Cardiff Unitary Authority since their introduction, 1 April 1999, to 30 November 2002 (latest available), is one.

  We are aware that the numbers of ASBOs made nationally have been consistently under-reported in returns made by magistrates courts and are considering how reporting can be improved.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to promote advice on sexual health for(a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers in the UK. [113730]

  Ms Blears
  I have been asked to reply.

  Primary care trusts are responsible for providing sexual health services and advice to meet local needs and in particular those who may have special needs such as refugees and asylum seekers.

  Department of Health guidance on local commissioning of sexual health and HIV services addresses the needs of asylum seekers and overseas visitors. The Department will shortly publish practical guidance on sexual health promotion and HIV prevention which will cover languages and also the particular needs of asylum seekers and refugees from African communities.

  The Department funds the African HIV Policy Network to manage national HIV health promotion work for African communities which includes refugees and asylum seekers.

  Correctional Services
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what role Martin Narey is playing in advising the Government on corrective policy and criminal justice reform. [115431]

  Paul Goggins
  Martin Narey became Commissioner for the Correctional Services on 10 March 2003. His role is to set the strategic direction for and manage the Directors General of the Prison and Probation Services and to ensure the effective, joint working of the Prison and Probation Services and the Youth Justice Board.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will reply to the letter to him of 31 March from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss Zahra Svzeiman; [113438]

  (2) why he has still not replied to the letter dated 31 March from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Miss Zahra Suleiman. [114674]

  Mr. Blunkett
  I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 21 May 2003.

  Sentencing Advisory Panel
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how victims of crime may make their views known to the Sentencing and Advisory Council. [114352]

  Paul Goggins
  The Sentencing Advisory Panel consults extensively in formulating its advice and welcomes views from anyone who wishes to contribute. Full details are on the Panel"s website at www.sentencing-advisory-panel.gov.uk. It is obliged to consult Victim Support. In addition, membership of the Panel is drawn widely and anyone may apply.

  As a result of Government amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill, the proposed membership of the Sentencing Guidelines Council, to which the Panel will provide advice, will include those from a non-judicial background, at least one of whom will have experience of the promotion of the welfare of victims.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total sum paid in remuneration and expenses to members of the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Fund has been in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [111090]

  Paul Goggins
  The following data have been supplied by the Appeals Panel, which advises that the figures for 2002–03 are provisional, unaudited figures.

  Financial Year

  Panel Members Expenses and Remuneration (£)

  1998–99

  668,819

  1999–2000

  1,026,804

  2000–01

  2,725,760

  2001–02

  2,578,402

  2002–03

  1,950,000

  Criminal Records Bureau
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the membership, and the changes thereto, of the Programme Board established to oversee the Criminal Records Bureau implementation; when it was established; and on how many occasions it has met. [112039]

  Paul Goggins
  The Programme Board convened on a monthly basis from 7 July 1999 until 23 March 2002. It was chaired by the Chief Executive of the Passport and Records Agency (previously the United Kingdom Passport Agency (UKPA)) and was composed of Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) managers, members of Home Office policy and implementation teams, representatives from police forces and the Scottish Criminal Records Organisation. Representatives of Capita also attended following the contract award.

  The membership varied according to the topics requiring discussion. Other representatives were drafted in as required, but they were not officially regarded as members. The Agenda covered topics under the headings of:
  programme development and implementation;
  policy developments;
  relationships with further parties including police;
  contractor selection and subsequently operation of the CRB/ contractor Public-Private Partnership; and
  contract management.

  The Programme Board was subsequently superseded following the commencement of full operations on 11 March 2002 by the Joint Operations Management Board.

  Departmental Report
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of the publication of the 2001 Departmental Report. [112813]

  Mr. Blunkett
  The total cost of the Home Office Annual Report 2001 was as follows:

  £

  Cost of production

  57,695,66

  Cost of printed copies

  22,842,00

  Total cost

  80,537,66

  The information and material compiled is used for a variety of purposes and, in particular, is a key part of the Department"s accountability to Parliament.

  Departmental Underspending
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reduce his Department"s underspend in 2003–04 from that of 2002–03. [112767]

  Mr. Blunkett
  The Home Office works towards a balanced budget and to minimise the risk of overspending. The Home Office is currently estimating an underspend of £56 million against its resource Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL), and £37 million against its capital DEL in 2002–03. These
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  are 0.5 per cent. and 3.3 per cent. of total provision respectively. Planned spending for 2003–04 is set out in the 2003 Departmental Report (Cm 5908).

  Drug Addicts (Treatment)
  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he is having with the Department of Health regarding GPs who refuse to treat drug addicts. [113753]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  The Department of Health and the National Treatment Agency (NTA) are actively encouraging the engagement of GPs in drug treatment, through the development of training programmes and peer support.

  To fund this work the Department of Health has made available £3 million to the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) to train GPs on the Management of Drug Misuse in Primary Care. This is a certificate programme and to date, 440 GPs have attended the training, including 40 prison doctors.

  Peer support is provided through the Substance Misuse Management in General Practice network (SMMGP) which aims to develop, support and encourage the role of GPs and other primary care workers to work with problem drug users. They perform this task through face to face and telephone contact with GPs. A website and regular newsletter provide access to information.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support his Department is offering to drug addicts who(a) are serving and (b) have served custodial sentences for drug related crimes to help them beat addiction. [113747]

  Paul Goggins
  The Prison Service has a comprehensive framework in place to address the wide-ranging needs of drug-misusing prisoners:detoxification in all local and remand prisons;
  Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare (CARATs) in all prisons;
  60 intensive treatment programmes;
  voluntary drug testing available in all prisons.

  The Prison Service is not directly responsible for the care of prisoners after release but in partnership with other agencies is seeking increasingly to improve continuity, so that gains made in prison will not be lost on release. The Government"s 2002 Spending Review made significant additional provision for throughcare and aftercare links.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to promote the availability of drug treatment services to offenders who have served custodial sentences for drug related crimes. [113745]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  Offenders who have misused drugs need access to a wide range of support on leaving prison. This includes not only treatment for drug dependency but also access to other services such as housing and employment.

  As part of the revised drug strategy, aftercare provisions are being improved to ensure that offenders, who have served custodial sentences, have relevant
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  support services in place so that they can use drug treatment services effectively. Key to delivering that support are effective links between prisons and agencies in the community. Those links and flows of information are being improved—for example by building single points of contact in Drug Action Teams (DAT) in the 25 DAT areas with the highest levels of acquisitive crime.

  Fraud Victims
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the circumstances in which police issue lost property numbers rather than crime numbers to victims of fraud. [114298]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 12 May 2003,Official Report, column 72W. As explained there, since 2001 everyone who reports a theft to the police should be issued with a crime number and not a lost property number. This applies equally to reports of fraud where there is an alleged link to property such as a benefit book.

  I would be happy to consider this matter further if my hon. Friend would provide me with further background to his concerns.

  High-Risk Offenders
  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he is having with the Minister for Housing and Planning regarding plans to increase the number of approved hostels for high-risk offenders following release from custody. [113748]

  Paul Goggins
  Although I have not had any such discussions, officials from the National Probation Directorate (NPD) are in regular contact with officials from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on housing matters, and on matters connected with the possible replacement of or building of new approved premises. We do not have any specific plans at this stage to build approved hostels specifically for high-risk offenders on post-release licence. However, NPD are currently developing an accommodation strategy, covering the needs of offenders under probation supervision. When the results of this are available, we will be able to make an assessment as to whether any new provision is needed to house ex-offenders, including high-risk offenders, and if so, what type of new provision is required, and in what areas it is required.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the number of places available for high-risk offenders in approved hostels following release from custody in(a) Gloucestershire and (b) the UK; and what plans he has to increase the number of such hostels in each case. [113749]

  Paul Goggins
  There are currently 100 approved hostels in England and Wales, providing around 2,250 places. These approved premises cater broadly for three groups of residents—bailees, those on community orders with a condition of residence at the hostel, and post-release licencees. Because of the enhanced supervision that they offer, approved premises are primarily for those assessed as medium or high risk.
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  Approved premises play a vital role in public protection by providing closer supervision for offenders in the community than other alternatives such as normal local authority housing.

  The current approved hostel in Gloucester is quite small and in due course may need to be replaced or extended—but any plans to do this would need to be discussed with local agencies and community representatives before being taken forward.

  More generally, the National Probation Directorate are currently developing an accommodation strategy, covering the needs of offenders under probation supervision. When the results of this are available, we will be able to make an assessment as to whether any new provision is needed to house ex-offenders, including high-risk offenders, and if so, what type of new provision is required, and in what areas it is required.

  Prison Inspections
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recommendations HM Inspector of Prisons has made, since January 2001, which have been wholly or partly rejected by the Prison Service; what the reasons were for rejection; and if he will make a statement. [113857]

  Paul Goggins
  The information could be compiled only at disproportionate cost, as it would require examining approximately 140 reports and around 15,000 recommendations. The Prison Service accepts the vast majority of recommendations. Recommendations are sometimes rejected for security reasons, where insurmountable staff deployment issues arise or where the recommendation is inappropriate for the nature of the establishment"s population.

  Honours
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many officials in his Department have received honours; and how many honours are held by his officials, broken down by category of honour. [111489]

  Mr. Blunkett
  The Home Office holds individual records of those members of staff, who have received awards for each honours list. Accurate statistics, however, are only available for the period from the new year honours list 1999 to the new year honours list 2003.

  Since the new year honours list 1999, 88 members of the Home Department have received an honour. Of these 36 remain in the Department. One holds a CB (Companion of the Order of the Bath), Two hold CBEs (Commander of the Order of the British Empire), Eight hold OBEs (Officer of the Order of the British Empire) and 25 hold MBEs (Member of the Order of the British Empire). Any awards for staff before they joined the department or for achievements not related to official duties have not been included.

  Kingston Prison
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2003,Official Report, column 606W, on prisons, when the action plan for Kingston Prison was drawn up following the visit by HM Inspector of Prisons
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  on 12–16 February 2003; if he will list its action points and the dates by which the action points were to be implemented; and if he will make a statement; [114155]

  (2) pursuant to the answer of 28 April 2003, Official Report, column 606W, on prisons, if he will list recommendations made by HM Inspector of Prisons that were not accepted by the Prison Service following the visit to Kingston Prison on 12–16 February 2003, and the reasons for rejection; and if he will make a statement. [114154]

  Paul Goggins
  The report on Her Majesty"s Chief Inspector of Prisons" inspection of Kingston prison carried out between 12 and 16 February 2001, was published in September 2001. The Director General of the Prison Service sent an action plan to the Chief Inspector in November 2001, which responded to each of the recommendations made in the report. In accordance with the agreed protocol the action plan was updated in July 2002. I will send the hon. Member a copy of this document, which sets out the information he requires.

  Medway Secure Training Centre
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 11 April,Official Report, column 452W, on secure training centres, if he will list the reasons for each financial penalty imposed at Medway Secure Training Centre. [113432]

  Paul Goggins
  In its five years of operation Medway has incurred performance penalties of £844,356 for non-availability of places and £66,518 for failure to deliver specified services. Most were incurred in the first year following a major disturbance two months after the centre opened. The service penalties covered trainees possessing prohibited items, mainly cigarettes; incidents of concerted indiscipline; failure to ensure a trainee saw a doctor on arrival at the Secure Training Centre; failure to comply with cleaning schedule; an escape; compromise of key and lock; failure to deliver 25 hours of taught education and/or training per week; assaults on staff and trainees; failure to provide a training plan; failure to deliver specific programmes for tackling offending behaviour; paperwork for trainees" release being unavailable; and failure to report performance to the monitor.

  Offender Resettlement
  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the number of prisons in the UK which employ link workers to help resettle offenders after custodial sentences have been served. [113746]

  Paul Goggins
  The Prison Service in England and Wales does not maintain a central record of establishments with link workers helping to resettle prisoners on release. The Prison Service works in partnership with the National Probation Service, youth offending teams, Connexions, Jobcentre Plus, housing authorities and voluntary sector organisations, which provide a range of resettlement support for released prisoners. The Prison Service Custody to Work initiative, with an additional £14.5 million a year from April 2003, is supporting the development of these
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  partnerships, geared to improving employment, training and accommodation outcomes for released prisoners.

  Prisons in Scotland and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the Scottish Executive and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland respectively.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the Question tabled by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak for answer on 1 May, ref 111005. [114873]

  Mr. Blunkett
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 15 May 2003,Official Report, column 433W.

  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the question tabled by the right hon. Member for East Yorkshire for answer on 14 January 2003, ref 89433. [115447]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave on 21 May 2003,Official Report, column 869W.

  Prince"s Trust
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on schemes operated by the Prince"s Trust in each of the last 10 years. [109729]

  Mr. Blunkett
  Our records show the following payments to the Prince"s Trust in the last 10 years:

  Payments (£)

  1999–2000

  193,156

  2000–01

  150,298

  2001–02

  171,355

  2002–03

  44,212

  Prisons
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what process is used to measure the performance of private sector prisons; and what changes are being made to that process following the introduction of a new system for(a) assessing and (b) publicising the performance of public sector prisons. [113424]

  Paul Goggins
  The performance of private sector prisons is measured through contractual performance measures and Prison Service Standards and Key Performance Targets. The Commissioner for Correctional Services will assess privately managed prisons using the same performance framework as used by the Prison Service for benchmarking public sector prisons. The results will be published at the same time.

  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 1 May, Official Report, columns 529–30, on prisons, what proportion of the prison population in England and Wales is housed in (i) houseblocks, (ii) ready to use units and (iii) modular temporary units. [113425]
  98W
  Paul Goggins
  The information requested is not available in the format requested as the occupancy of individual buildings is not recorded centrally.

  The previous response to the hon Member outlined the number of additional accommodation places opened at Prison Service establishments between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2003. Of that accommodation, shown as a proportion of the current total useable operational capacity of the Prison Service estate, houseblocks represent 0.9 per cent; ready to use units 0.8 per cent and modular temporary units one per cent.

  John Mann
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average cost per day of prison is for(a) an adult and (b) a juvenile. [114780]

  Paul Goggins:
  [holding answer 21 May 2003]The average cost per day of each prisoner during the financial year 2002–03, for each category of prison is shown in the table.

  Category

  Cost per prisoner (£)

  Male local

  61

  High Security

  118

  Category B

  57

  Category C

  53

  Male open

  56

  Male remand center

  71

  Male closed young offender institution

  79

  Male open young offender institution

  50

  Male juvenile

  100

  Female local

  95

  Female closed

  87

  Female open

  67

  Semi open

  64

  These figures are establishment costs only, expressed in resource terms and exclude any share of Headquarters overheads. Establishment cost per prisoner figures cannot be compared with the overall Prison Service cost per prisoner, which includes all expenditure.

  The Prison Service does not collect the cost of adult and juvenile prisoners. These figures show the average cost of keeping a prisoner in each category of establishment, where establishments are categorised under their main function. This data is provisional and subject to final end of year adjustments.

  Mr. Stinchcombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners are being held over(a) 50 miles and (b) 100 miles from their home town. [113695]

  Paul Goggins
  I shall write to my hon. Friend.

  Re-offending
  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to(a) support offenders and (b) ensure that offenders do not re-offend after custodial sentences have been served. [113750]

  Paul Goggins
  The National Probation Service (NPS) and the Prison Service work closely to meet the needs of offenders during and after custody to help ensure their effective reintegration into the community on release. A
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  wide range of programmes and interventions has been introduced for offenders both in custody and under supervision in the community.

  In 2002–03 the provisional outturn figures show that 50,700 prisoners received detoxification for drugs dependency, 4,808 benefited from treatment on rehabilitation programmes and 51,802 received an initial assessment for the Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare Services (CARATs) scheme. 6,000 offenders on a Drug Treatment Testing Order (DTTO) received treatment for drugs and offending behaviour. More than 11,000 offenders have taken part in one or more accredited offending behaviour programmes either in custody or in the community since January 2001 and around 30,000 offenders gained a basic literacy or numeracy qualification in the past year.

  The Prison Service in England and Wales does not maintain a central record of establishments with link workers helping to resettle prisoners on release. The Prison Service works in partnership with the National Probation Service, Youth Offending Teams, Connexions, Jobcentre Plus, housing authorities and voluntary sector organisations, which provide a range of resettlement support for released prisoners. The Prison Service Custody To Work initiative, with an additional £14.5 million a year from April 2003, is supporting the development of these partnerships, geared to improving employment, training and accommodation outcomes for released prisoners.

  Two recent reports "Reducing Re-offending by ex-prisoners" and "Through the Prison Gate" have reinforced the importance of joining up the contributions of a wide range of agencies to maintain the work of the Prison and Probation Services in supporting offenders to break the cycle of reoffending. The Home Office"s Adult Offenders and Rehabilitation Unit has recently held meetings attended by a number of different agencies, Departments and voluntary sector partners to address the issues raised in these reports. The outcome of these meetings will be the formulation of an action plan to promote wider joined-up working to deal effectively with the wide ranging needs of offenders.

  The National Probation Directorate provides strategic funding to several voluntary sector organisations including core funding for the Society of Voluntary Associates (SOVA) and MACRO, to deliver services supporting offender resettlement including drugs, accommodation, employment and training.

  Summer Splash Programme
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of crime of the summer 2002 Splash programme; and what plans he has to develop the programme further. [114207]

  Paul Goggins
  In summer 2002, around 370 Splash and Splash Extra schemes were run in high crime areas, enabling over 90,000 young people to take part in a wide range of activities. The schemes contributed to an overall reduction in local crime rates of 5.2 per cent. between July and September 2002, with reductions of up to 31 per cent. in street crime and robbery in some areas.
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  Building on the success of these schemes, the Government will this year be launching a new single programme of positive activities for young people to provide year round out of school activities for eight to 19-year-olds. The new programme will absorb the Splash and Splash Extra schemes, and will deliver activities to more young people, providing support for those most at risk. The new programme will mean less bureaucracy for local areas, allowing them to focus on delivering good quality programmes to young people at risk of crime and social exclusion.

  Terrorist Attacks
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made since 1996 in investigating the bombing of(a) the Israeli embassy and (b) Balfour House in July 1994, with particular reference to (i) matching and identifying fingerprints, (ii) where the car bombs were manufactured, (iii) the identity of the author of the claims letters and (iv) the identity of the drivers of the car used in the bombing; and if he will make a statement. [113295]

  Mr. Blunkett
  All identified fingerprints were disclosed prior to the trial of Jawad Botmeh and Samar Alami, who were convicted of conspiracy to cause explosions. Letters claiming responsibility for the bombings were received from the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) Jaffa Group. It was never established where the car bombs were assembled or who drove the cars. I have arranged for my officials to place copies of such transcripts of the original trial as are available in the Library. This should provide further information on the points raised.

  Terrorist Detainees
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost has been to public funds of detaining indefinitely suspected terrorists under the Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act 2001. [113599]

  Paul Goggins
  The cost to the Prison Service of holding the prisoners detained under the Anti-terrorism Crime and Security (ATCS) Act 2001, from the first detentions in December 2001 up to the end of April 2003, is estimated at £424,000. This figure is calculated from the average cost per prisoner over the period at the holding establishments and the number of ATCS detainee months over that period. Indirect costs, in the Prison Service and other agencies associated with the decisions to detain, have not been assessed.

  United States Anti-drugs Campaign
  Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has evaluated on the effectiveness of the Just Say No anti-drugs campaign in reducing overall drugs misuse in the USA; what plans he has to introduce this style of anti-drugs campaigning to the UK; and if he will make a statement. [114404]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  An evaluation of the "Just say No" campaign was undertaken in 2000 and is documented in the Home Office publication "Let"s Get Real", which describes the evidence base for Communicating with the Public about drugs. This evaluation indicates that
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  campaigns which focus on behaviour change are unlikely to succeed and that simplistic "say no" messages will be ineffective.

  There are no current plans to introduce this style for anti-drugs campaigning in the UK. The form of each UK anti-drugs campaign is determined on the basis of research and market testing with target audiences.

  Young Offenders
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles were held at(a) HMYOI Feltham, (b) HMYOI Warrington,

  White

  Black

  South Asian

  Chinese and other

  Unrecorded

  Total

  April 2002

  Feltham

  102

  101

  8

  12

  0

  223

  Werrington

  90

  8

  1

  1

  0

  100

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  39

  1

  3

  0

  0

  43

  Onley

  162

  35

  6

  2

  0

  205

  Glen Parva

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  May 2002

  Feltham

  122

  85

  9

  17

  0

  233

  Werrington

  100

  10

  0

  1

  0

  111

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  25

  1

  3

  2

  0

  31

  Onley

  154

  36

  9

  5

  0

  204

  Glen Parva

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  June 2002

  Feltham

  143

  115

  9

  21

  0

  288

  Werrington

  103

  13

  0

  0

  0

  116

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  21

  1

  3

  2

  0

  27

  Onley

  154

  22

  9

  4

  0

  189

  Glen Parva

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  July 2002

  Feltham

  134

  118

  13

  27

  0

  292

  Werrington

  110

  8

  1

  3

  0

  122

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  26

  1

  3

  0

  0

  30

  Onley

  163

  17

  7

  4

  0

  191

  Glen Parva

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  August 2002

  Feltham

  127

  119

  13

  28

  0

  287

  Werrington

  113

  9

  1

  3

  0

  126

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  14

  2

  1

  0

  0

  17

  Onley

  148

  22

  7

  3

  0

  180

  Glen Parva

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  September 2002

  Feltham

  139

  120

  17

  29

  0

  305

  Werrington

  112

  9

  1

  4

  0

  126

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  22

  2

  1

  1

  0

  26

  Onley

  150

  32

  10

  2

  0

  194

  Glen Parva

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  October 2002

  Feltham

  145

  115

  10

  38

  1

  309

  Werrington

  105

  9

  2

  4

  0

  120

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  29

  2

  1

  0

  0

  32

  Onley

  163

  27

  13

  3

  0

  206

  Glen Parva

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  November 2002

  Feltham

  139

  109

  12

  32

  0

  292

  Werrington

  105

  11

  2

  2

  0

  120

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  19

  2

  2

  1

  0

  24

  Onley

  161

  20

  11

  5

  0

  197

  Glen Parva

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

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  (c) HMYOI Northallerton, (d) HMYOI Thorn Cross, (e) HMYOI Onley and (f) HMYOI Glen Parva in each of the last 12 months, broken down by ethnic group. [113431]

  Paul Goggins
  The numbers of prisoners aged under 18 who were held at(a) Her Majesty"s Young Offenders Institution Feltham, (b) Her Majesty"s Young Offenders Institution Werrington, (c) Her Majesty"s Young Offenders Institution Northallerton, (d) Her Majesty"s Young Offenders Institution Thorn Cross, (e) Her Majesty"s Young Offenders Institution Onley and (f) Her Majesty"s Young Offenders Institution Glen Parva in each of the last 12 months, broken down by ethnic group, are given in the tables.
  103W

  White

  Black

  South Asian

  Chinese and other

  Unrecorded

  Total

  December 2002

  Feltham

  148

  100

  11

  32

  0

  291

  Werrington

  94

  8

  3

  1

  0

  106

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  19

  1

  1

  1

  0

  22

  Onley

  152

  21

  7

  5

  0

  185

  Glen Parva

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  January 2003

  Feltham

  134

  89

  8

  31

  0

  262

  Werrington

  84

  7

  4

  2

  0

  97

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  18

  1

  2

  1

  0

  22

  Onley

  149

  25

  4

  6

  0

  184

  Glen Parva

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  February 2003

  Feltham

  127

  97

  9

  24

  0

  257

  Werrington

  90

  12

  4

  1

  0

  107

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  14

  2

  2

  2

  0

  20

  Onley

  144

  28

  4

  5

  0

  181

  Glen Parva

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  March 2003

  Feltham

  131

  93

  6

  21

  0

  251

  Werrington

  94

  11

  4

  1

  0

  110

  Northallerton

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Thorn Cross

  21

  1

  3

  1

  0

  26

  Onley

  157

  25

  3

  3

  0

  188

  Glen Parva

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many juveniles have been sentenced to detention for life under(a) section 53 of the Children and Young Offenders Act 1933 and (b) section 91 of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000 in each of the last 10 years. [113433]

  Juveniles sentenced to life under Section 53 of the Children and Young Persons Act 1933 and Sections 90–92 of the Prowers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 20001

  England and Wales

  Number of Juveniles

  Type of Sentence

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Section 53(1)/Section 90/92—HMP (Life for murder)

  11

  24

  16

  10

  26

  26

  10

  24

  20

  27

  Section 53(2)/Section 91/92—HMP (Life for other serious offences)

  1

  4

  3

  1

  1

  1

  2

  5

  1

  2

  Total sentenced to life

  12

  28

  19

  11

  27

  27

  12

  29

  21

  29

  1 Sections 53 (1) and (2) of the children and Young Persons Act 1933 were repealed on 25 August 2000 and their provisions were transferred to Sections 90/92 and 91/92 respectively of the Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing) Act 2000

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of young offenders have no recognised qualifications. [115114]

  Paul Goggins
  [holding answer 22 May 2003]The information is not available in this precise form but the
  104W
  Paul Goggins
  The information requested is contained in the table.

  Statistics for 2002 will be available in the autumn.

  Youth Justice Board"s last general education audit, published in November 2001, showed that of juveniles who went into custody at least 71 per cent. had left school without any significant literacy or numeracy qualifications.