Written Answers of 13 July 1999

PRIME MINISTER

  Social Exclusion
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Prime Minister when he intends to publish the Social Exclusion Unit report on 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training; and if he will make a statement. [91008]

  The Prime Minister
  Last summer, I asked the Social Exclusion Unit to assess how many 16 to 18-year-olds are not in education, work or training, to analyse the reasons why and to produce proposals to reduce the number significantly. I am publishing the Unit's report today. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  At any one time, more than 160,000 16 to 18-year-olds—one in 11 of the age group—are not in education, training or work. The young people most likely not to participate in education, training or work during this period of their lives come from backgrounds of poverty or unemployment in the family, have truanted or been excluded from school, have been in care or live in the poorest neighbourhoods. There are clear links between non-participation and other problems encountered in adolescence. Half the young women who are outside education, work or training are teenage parents or carers, and there are links also with homelessness, offending and serious drug misuse.

  Non-participation at this time in their lives has a dire effect on young people's future life prospects. By their mid-twenties, they are much more likely than their peers to have no qualifications, to be unemployed, to be poor, to experience poor health and depression and, if they are men, to have a criminal record which damages their prospects of work. The Government have a number of programmes in place to tackle educational under-achievement and youth disaffection, including the setting up of youth offending teams. But more needs to be done. The Unit's Report shows that there is little joined-up delivery of services to young people, and that the end of compulsory schooling at 16 is seen by too many young people as the end of education, rather than as a basis for its continuation. For too many of them, no one is responsible outside the family for guiding them through adolescence and there is not enough effective support to help them overcome personal problems that get in the way of learning. There are also strong arguments for giving more financial help to young people from poor families who want to stay on in education.

  The Unit's Report plots a way forward in combating social exclusion among this age group. The Government believe that young people should be given every encouragement and support to stay in full-time education after they are 16 and reach at least a Level 2 qualification. It will ask the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to consult on ways of giving young people who stay in education until 16 recognition for what they have
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  achieved in education and elsewhere. It will build on improvements already in train in education and skills for 13 to 19-year-olds, with a particular emphasis on the education received by young people in custody.

  To extend the financial support available to young people to stay in education, the pilots of the Education Maintenance Allowance will be extended to include homeless and disabled young people, and those with high transport costs, for example in rural areas.

  The Report also provides more detail on the new Youth Support Service, which was announced in the White Paper "Learning to Succeed" (Cm 4392) on 30 June. The aim of the new service will be to provide for young people between the ages of 13 and 19 individually tailored guidance and support, in places and ways which meet their needs. The youth support service will be a new service operating in a radically different way. It will look at the broad range of needs which a young person may have, focusing on those who require most help with the clear goal of supporting participation in learning. It will link closely with other agencies in doing this.

  It is clear that the best defence against social exclusion is having a job, and the best chance of having a job is to be well educated. This will be more the case in the information age of the future than it has ever been. The years between 16 and 18 are crucial ones; making the wrong decision at that stage can affect a young person's prospects for the rest of their life. This action plan for the whole of Government will help to put young people firmly on the right track.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Data Series
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Attorney-General what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since June 1997. [90534]

  The Attorney-General
  The Treasury Solicitor's department holds, as a matter of course, information as to the age and gender of all its staff. In 1998, the department conducted fresh surveys of staff then in post, requesting information on ethnic origin and disability. The survey information is regularly updated as new entrants are invited to complete survey forms on joining. No new 'data series' (internal surveys) have been commissioned by my other departments (the Crown Prosecution Service and the Serious Fraud Office).

  All my departments contribute to the 'Mandate' database maintained by the Cabinet Office from which data are taken for the publications "Civil Service Statistics" and "Equal Opportunities in the Civil Service". Furthermore, my departments contributed to the Schneider-Ross report on under-representation of women, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities in the Senior Civil Service, published on 7 July by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Attorney-General how many(a) race and (b) sex discrimination cases have been lodged against the CPS at industrial/employment tribunals by CPS staff in each of the last five years; and how many of

  Cases lodged

  Result favourable to applicant

  Settled

  Discontinued

  Ongoing

  Race discrimination cases lodged by CPS staff

  April 1994 to March 1995

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  April 1995 to March 1996

  2

  —

  —

  1

  11

  April 1996 to March 1997

  1

  —

  —

  11

  —

  April 1997 to March 1998

  3

  1

  —

  1

  11

  April 1998 to March 1999

  8

  11

  13

  11

  13

  Sex discrimination cases lodged by CPS staff

  April 1994 to March 1995

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  April 1995 to March 1996

  1

  —

  —

  —

  11

  April 1996 to March 1997

  2

  —

  —

  12

  —

  April 1997 to March 1998

  2

  —

  —

  11

  11

  April 1998 to March 1999

  6

  11

  —

  12

  13

  1 The table includes one case claiming race and sex discrimination

  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Attorney-General (1) what plans he has to review the operation of performance appraisal reports in the CPS in the light of the Bamieh case; [90377]

  (2) what plans he has to review the operation of CPS promotion boards following the Bamieh case; [90378]

  (3) what plans he has to review the operation of acting up arrangements in the CPS following the Bamieh case. [90380]

  The Attorney-General
  The recent decision of the Employment Tribunal, to which I believe my hon. Friend refers, concerns a case brought by Mrs. Bamieh against the Crown Prosecution Service relating to events which took place after 1 July 1997 and before 22 June 1998. The Tribunal found for Mrs. Bamieh in respect of the conduct of a promotion board that took place in 1998 but against her in the other three matters that she put forward.

  Mrs. Bamieh's complaint in relation to her performance appraisal report in 1998 failed; however, the Crown Prosecution Service, in any event, introduced a new performance appraisal report that year. The appraisal system is being kept under regular review.

  Equally, the Tribunal did not find that Mrs. Bamieh was discriminated against in relation to deputising and temporary promotion procedures; however, it did make observations about the systems in place. The deputising and temporary promotion procedures are currently under review and are being discussed with the departmental Trade Unions. The comments made by the Tribunal are being taken into account.

  The Tribunal's Decision in relation to the conduct of the promotion boards is being taken very seriously by the Crown Prosecution Service, which is currently reviewing its promotion board procedures.
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  the cases within (a) and (b) were (i) successfully pursued to a tribunal decision favourable to the applicant, (ii) settled and (iii) discontinued. [90379]

  The Attorney-General
  The statistics from April 1994 until March 1999 are set out in the following table. My hon. Friend's attention is drawn to the footnote which accompanies the table.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Attorney-General how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91023]

  The Attorney-General
  The information on business travel is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided. As published in the integrated transport White Paper in July 1998, the Government have set a target that all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  My Departments have completed green transport plans for their headquarters buildings and are developing plans for all other key buildings in line with the target set in the White Paper. The plans include measures to reduce single occupancy car use by employees for commuting and business travel, including ensuring that journeys are necessary, by making available loans for the purchase of season tickets for public transport and bicycles, and by providing secure bicycle storage facilities and showers.

  Racism (Disciplinary Action)
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Attorney-General if the remarks made by the Director of Public Prosecutions in early May 1999 to a Law Society meeting of ethnic minority lawyers, concerning disciplinary action against staff found to have committed racist behaviour or made racist comments, represent Government policy. [90381]

  The Attorney-General
  Government policy is to deliver real change in race equality in Britain through policy formulation and implementation. The Government
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  do not condone racist behaviour of any sort. This policy applies to the Crown Prosecution Service, and those who are found to display racist behaviour or attitudes will have action taken against them under the Service's disciplinary code.

DEFENCE

  Deployment
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of(a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force personnel are currently committed to active service operations; and what percentage are warned to deploy to such operations. [88124]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 24 June 1999]: (a) Of the Army, 28.6 per cent. actually deployed on operations. The total percentage of the Army committed to operations is 47 per cent. This includes not only the troops actually deployed, but those preparing for imminent deployment as well as those who are in the process of post-deployment recovery and recuperation.

  (b) Of the Naval Service (including Royal Marines) around 45 per cent. are on operational sea service.

  (c) Of the Royal Air Force, a total of 40 per cent. of personnel are currently deployed, ready to deploy or in immediate support of operations, based in UK and abroad.

  Royal Hospital, Haslar
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the establishment for orthopaedic surgeons at the Royal Hospital, Haslar on the basis of the full implementation of Defence Cost Study 15. [88339]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 25 June 1999]: Following Defence Cost Study 15, it was agreed that eight orthopaedic surgeons were required at the Royal Hospital Haslar.

  Operation Joint Guardian
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of troops earmarked for Operation Joint Guardian are at present deployed in(a) Kosovo, (b) Macedonia and (c) Albania. [88781]

  Mr. George Robertson
  [holding answer 28 June 1999]: Of the forces we expect to deploy in support of Operation Joint Guardian, some 73 per cent. are deployed in Kosovo and 21 per cent. in the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. None are deployed in Albania.

  Armed Forces (Under-18s)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Army committed to operations in Northern Ireland were under 18 years of age on 23 June; and in which units. [89041]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 30 June 1999]: A total of 28 UK Trained Army Personnel under the age of 18 years were serving in Northern Ireland as at 1 June 1999, the latest date for which information is held centrally. A breakdown by individual regiments is shown in the table.
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  Regiment/Unit

  Number

  Guards

  5

  Scots Guards

  2

  1 Black Watch

  2

  Royal Regiment Fusiliers

  1

  Royal Anglian Regiment

  3

  Green Howards

  1

  Royal Irish (General Service)

  7

  Queen's Lancastrian Regiment

  3

  Royal Welch Fusiliers

  1

  Light Infantry

  2

  Royal Logistics Corps

  1

  Total

  28

  Age is taken into account in selecting the types of duty in which under 18s can be employed. The Army does not, as a general rule, currently deploy those under 17¼ who are usually involved in initial training. The minimum ages currently applied for deployment on active service in Northern Ireland are 18 years for an Emergency Tour, and 17½ for Resident Units where they are confined to duties within the Barracks only.

  Defence Evaluation and Research Agency
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the sites of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency visited by Defence Ministers since May 1997. [89621]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 2 July 1999]: Since May 1997, Defence Ministers have visited the following DERA sites:

  Farnborough

  Malvern

  Porton Down

  Chertsey

  Portsdown West.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the meetings he and his Ministers have held with trade union representatives of staff employed by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency to discuss the Public Private Partnership proposals [90632]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: In July 1998, the Strategic Defence Review—SDR—announced a Public Private partnership—PPP—for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency—DERA. Since then, there have been a number of meetings between Ministers and trade union representatives of DERA staff. Many of these meetings were intended to discuss a range of SDR issues, but the subject of DERA PPP often featured prominently.

  Date

  Attendees

  Location

  22 July 1998

  Minister (DP), DERA management, staff and trade unions

  DERA Farnborough

  28 July 1998

  Secretary of State, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State and trade unions

  MOD

  28 January 1999

  Secretary of State and the trade unions

  The Royal United Services Institute

  10 February 1999

  Under-Secretary of State and trade unions

  Defence Industrial Whitley Committee, MOD

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  Date

  Attendees

  Location

  19 February 1999

  Minister(DP), DERA Management, staff and trade unions

  DERA Malvern

  26 February 1999

  Minister(DP), DERA staff and trade unions

  DERA Portsdown West

  28 April 1999

  Under-Secretary of State and trade unions

  Defence Industrial Whitley Committee, MOD

  The formal method for consultation with the trade unions is through the DERA Consultative Committee, and regular meetings, attended by DERA senior management and MOD, have been held. On a less formal basis, DERA management has taken every opportunity to keep the trade unions informed of progress on the DERA PPP study and staff issues. DERA site managers have also met with local representatives. The MOD study team has a continuing dialogue with both local and national trade union representatives.

  We intend this level of dialogue to continue throughout the project.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency; and how many at each site. [90559]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Sir John Chisholm to Mr. Michael Fallon, dated 13 July 1999:
  I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary question concerning the number of people currently employed by the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency and the number employed on each DERA site.
  As of 2 July 1999 DERA employed a total of 11,647 people. The numbers employed on the major DERA sites are as follows:

  Site

  Hebrides

  70

  Aberporth

  282

  Alverstoke

  123

  Aquila

  182

  Bedford

  305

  Bincleaves

  184

  Boscombe Down

  1,062

  Chertsey

  396.5

  Defford

  111

  Bridgwater

  28

  Eskmeals

  41

  Farnborough

  2,594.5

  Fort Halstead

  1,174.5

  Fraser

  55

  Funtington

  24

  Glasgow

  50.5

  Haslar

  190.5

  Larkhill

  41

  Loch Goil

  26.5

  Malvern

  1,871

  Pendine

  38

  Portland Bill

  26

  Porton Down

  637.5

  Portsdown

  35.5

  Portsdown West

  610.5

  Pyestock

  548.5

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  Site

  Rosyth

  135.5

  Shoeburyness

  53

  West Drayton

  26

  West Freugh

  30

  Winfrith

  442

  DERA also has a small number of staff, currently 64, manning various ranges and facilities in the UK. There are also another 188.5 staff on secondment to non-DERA establishments or lodging in small numbers on non-DERA sites.

  I hope that this information is helpful.

  Chinook Helicopters
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 June 1999,Official Report, columns 326–27, on FADEC software, when, between 1989 and June 1994, the FADEC software was redesigned on the Chinook MK2; what was the nature of the redesign work undertaken; and which contractor was responsible for carrying out the work. [89860]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  Between 1989 and June 1994, there were 58 design changes incorporated in the FADEC software. The changes (categorised in the table) were all undertaken by the prime contractor Textron Lycoming.

  Software

  Changes

  Improved maintainability of software

  7

  Improved fault logic

  10

  Customer request

  11

  Fault logic corrections

  9

  Improved accuracy

  6

  Modification due to Hardware changes

  5

  Improved Comms link and Qualification test changes

  4

  Corrections and Improvements in reliability

  6

  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 June 1999,Official Report, column 327, on the inquiry into the loss of the RAF Chinook on the Mull of Kintyre in 1994, if he will place in the Library the letters his Department has received from the public requesting the re-opening of the inquiry. [89859]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  Correspondence between the Ministry of Defence and members of the public is a private matter between my Department and the individuals concerned. Release of these letters into the public domain could be done only with the consent of these individuals and seeking this for all correspondence on the accident since 1994 could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

  RNAS Culdrose
  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has(a) to respond to complaints of local residents with regard to aircraft from RNAS Culdrose and (b) to alter air routes used to and from the base to avoid residential areas. [90244]

  Mr. Spellar
  All complaints concerning military aircraft activity at RNAS Culdrose are carefully considered and where there is sufficient evidence to
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  suggest that a breach of flying regulations may have occurred, a thorough investigation is undertaken. The approach and climb out routes to and from the base are dictated by the position of the runways and the prevailing weather conditions, and although they do not take aircraft over major residential areas, overflight of some individual properties is unavoidable. There are no other established air routes in the vicinity of RNAS Culdrose and every effort is made to mitigate the disturbance caused to local communities within the limitations imposed by the need to maintain operational capability.

  Army Widows
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will ensure that widows of all pre-1973 Army pensioners are identified and reimbursed with full refund and supplement; and that reasonable effort is made to make refunds to estates where neither pensioner nor spouse has survived. [90620]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  We are making every effort to review the case files of pre-1973 Army pensioners to identify the widows/widowers of individuals who might be eligible for a tax refund. Because of the numbers of files, their age and the way in which they are indexed, the process is not straightforward. Individual cases can be processed more quickly if widows who believe they may be entitled to a refund submit a claim to my Department. We have therefore sought to publicise the possible entitlement, and we are grateful for the assistance of the ex-Service organisations in this. It is more difficult to trace more distant entitlements where no pension is in payment because the scheme member and his immediate dependants have died or (in the case of children's pensions) have reached adulthood. But if claims with supporting evidence were submitted, the Inland Revenue would consider them and make a refund if entitlement is proved.

  Data Series
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since June 1997. [90825]

  Mr. Spellar
  My Department publishes statistical data on the age, gender and ethnicity of Service personnel and the gender, ethnicity and the disability status of civilian staff annually in the publication "UK Defence Statistics", copies of which are available in the Library of the House.

  Armed Forces Insignia
  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what amount of revenue his Department expects to receive from the 3 per cent. reproduction fee being charged by the Ministry of Defence for products displaying insignia of the armed forces. [90776]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: Reproduction fees charged by MOD in respect of Crown Copyright material are discretionary. Where they are charged they vary between 1 per cent. and 7.5 per cent. The amount of revenue my Department expects to receive from reproduction fees charged for products displaying insignia of the armed forces is expected to be in the region of £45,000 in the current financial year.

  Military Visits
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will(a) list the countries from which military officers have visited Northern Ireland since 1 May 1997, (b) set out the purpose of each visit, (c) set out the nature of the related training programme, (d) indicate which delegations have participated in (i) military and (ii) RUC patrols and (e) indicate which delegations have visited surveillance and observation posts in South Armagh. [89912]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: The information requested is as follows:

  The New Zealand Defence Attache to London accompanied the Chief of Staff of the General Staff on his St. Patrick's Day visit to Omagh and Ballykelly on 17 March 1998.

  Military officers from the following countries visited the Army in Northern Ireland on 1 April 1998 as part of a visit by the Royal College of Defence Studies:

  Colonel, Omani Ministry of Defence

  Colonel, Spanish Air Force

  Colonel, French Gendarmerie

  Colonel, Hellenic Army

  Colonel, Czech Air Force

  Colonel, US Air Force.

  Two Russian officers carried out an Arms Control Inspection in Northern Ireland from 17–24 October 1998. Military officers from the following countries visited the Army in Northern Ireland on 24 March 1999 as part of a visit by the Royal College of Defence Studies:

  Air Commodore, Omani Air Force

  Colonel, Royal Netherlands Army

  Captain, Italian Navy

  Lieutenant Colonel, Polish Army

  Colonel, New Zealand Army

  Colonel, US Marine Corps.

  Twelve Czech officers carried out an Arms Control Inspection in Northern Ireland from 21–24 April 1999.

  None of the visitors listed participated in military or RUC patrols or visited surveillance and observation posts in South Armagh.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91012]

  Mr. Spellar
  The information on the number of kilometres travelled on departmental business is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided.
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  Like other departments, we are working to develop green transport plans in line with the targets for government buildings set out in the integrated transport White Paper in July 1998. These plans, which we are taking forward in the context of wider Environmental Management Systems, will as a matter of course seek to reduce the environmental impact of commuting, business travel and fleet operations—for all departmental sites, and not solely for HQ and other key buildings.

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for reassessing the National Radiological Protection Board's report of 1997 on the impact of radiation on British service personnel who participated in atomic weapons tests. [91013]

  Mr. Spellar
  I assume the hon. Member is referring to the report published by the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) in 1993, in which case I have no such plans: and nothing to add to my responses of 1 July 1999,Official Report, column 534, to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock), during the recent Armed Forces Personnel Debate and subsequently in writing. A copy of my letter of 7 July has been placed in the Library of the House.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department for written answer on a named day between May 1997 and 14 April 1999; and what percentage of them received a substantive response on that named day. [91060]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 15 April 1999,Official Report, column 306.

  Single Currency
  Mr. MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much expenditure her Department(a) has incurred to date and (b) expects to incur in the future on preparations for possible United Kingdom entry into the European single currency; and if she will make a statement. [91038]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The information for the NIO and NI departments is as follows:

  (a) The cost incurred to date in preparing for the euro is approximately £80,000.

  (b) The expenditure expected to be incurred in the future on preparations for possible United Kingdom entry is estimated at £104,000.

  The costs incurred to date have largely been spent on making the private and public sector aware of the implications of a single currency. The largest element of the estimated costs at (b) are based on manpower requirements to complete departmental changeover plans later this year.
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INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Artificial Limbs (Sierra Leone)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many artificial limbs have been supplied and fitted by her Department to victims of mutilation in Sierra Leone; and if she will make a statement. [90497]

  Mr. Foulkes
  We are not supplying artificial limbs to victims of mutilation in Sierra Leone. An EU-funded NGO, Handicap International—Vivre Debout, are working in Freetown and Bo to help victims of mutilations in this way. To date Handicap International have fitted 76 prostheses. A joint project involving Handicap International and the GoSL demobilisation programme, which we are funding, has recently been agreed.

  We are also providing humanitarian assistance and support for reform of the judiciary and legal systems, the independent media, and reform of the police and security forces. Currently we are considering what more we can do to support the implementation of the peace agreement.

  Ministerial Meetings
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many times Ministers in her Department have held meetings with ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 January 1998, indicating the dates and locations of each meeting; the Ministers involved, and the names of the Irish ministers and officials at each meeting. [90405]

  Clare Short
  None.

  Bosnia-Herzegovina
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance the Government are giving to Bosnia-Herzegovina to rebuild its economy. [91203]

  Mr. Foulkes
  At the donors conference in May, we pledged £17 million in new, bilateral, funds to help the future development of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Our objectives are to reduce levels of social exclusion and social conflict through strengthening civil society, to support the establishment of an effective, accountable and responsive public administration and help in the development of viable, well regulated markets.

  A team from the Department for International Development (DFID) is in the region this week (12–17 July) to discuss how best to implement these objectives with government officials and representatives of civil society.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding is available to encourage cultural exchanges with students and Government officials from Bosnia-Herzegovina; and if she will make a statement. [91189]

  Mr. Foulkes
  We do not provide funding for cultural exchanges with students or government officials from Bosnia-Herzegovina. Our programme provides in-country support to help civil society organisations, to support the
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  establishment of an effective, accountable and responsive public administration and assist with the development of a well regulated market economy.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many kilometres have been travelled on her Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets her Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by her Department's employees; and if she will make a statement. [91029]

  Mr. Foulkes
  The information on business travel is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided. As published in the Integrated Transport White Paper in July 1998, the Government have set a target that all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  We have completed a green transport plan for our London headquarters buildings which is awaiting final approval from our Green Minister and are in the process of developing a plan for our office in East Kilbride.

  Also, we have committed ourselves to reduce our central London car parking provision by 73 per cent.

  Departmental Staff
  Ms Roseanna Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many staff are employed in Scotland(a) by her Department and (b) by executive agencies responsible to her Department; where these staff are located; and how many staff are employed in (i) England, (ii) London and the South East, (iii) Wales, (iv) Northern Ireland and (v) United Kingdom in total. [90561]

  Mr. Foulkes
  The Department for International Development (DFID) employs 410 staff in Scotland based in East Kilbride. A further 746 staff are employed in England based in London. No staff are employed in Wales or Northern Ireland. The total number of staff employed by DFID in the UK is 1,156. There are no executive agencies responsible to DFID.

  Children (Disabilities)
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's policy is on children with disabilities. [91195]

  Mr. Foulkes
  We support a significant number of initiatives around the world aimed at assisting children with disabilities to secure their rights. This is an important part of our wider work in seeking to uphold the rights of all people, and particularly the poor, to economic and social development as well as to the civil, political and cultural liberties and freedoms set out in international agreements. Our policy in respect of disabled children 102
  aims to support the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and other associated agreements.

  Our work in education provides a good illustration of our approach. One of our key priorities is helping meet the International Development Goal of Universal Primary Education (UPE) in all countries by 2015. In many developing countries, the disabled are a group whose chances of gaining access to primary education are slim. We recognise that reaching them and other disadvantaged groups is a distinct challenge for national governments which requires resources, political commitment and flexibility of response.

  In India, we have recently agreed to provide substantial support (up to £34.5 million over five years) for Lok Jumbish, a grass roots movement in Rajasthan, which seeks to support UPE through a range of interventions including the enrolment of vulnerable groups such as the disabled in school. This offers a potential model for developing a more equitable approach to primary education in general, as well as bringing immediate benefits to disabled children. Initiatives such as this are contributing to a wider assessment we are undertaking, with partner countries, of the effectiveness of our support for reaching the "missing children" within the context of overall sector strategies for education.

  We are currently taking stock more generally of our work with people with disabilities, and will be pleased to report back on this in due course.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of her Department's budget has been allocated to children with disabilities in(a) Africa, (b) Asia, (c) Latin America, (d) the Middle East and (e) Eastern Europe. [91194]

  Mr. Foulkes
  The information requested is not readily available. The cost of collecting and recording such information would be disproportionately high.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, pursuant to paragraph 8.18 of the White Paper, "Smoking Kills," what steps have been taken, and what funding has been provided, by her Department to help developing countries reduce tobacco dependence and help farmers dependent on tobacco crops to diversify. [91083]

  Mr. Foulkes
  We fully support the World Health Organisation's (WHO) "Tobacco Free" initiative and the development of an International Framework Convention (IFC) on tobacco control and have contributed £200,000 this financial year. The IFC is expected to set out detailed protocols on the range of measures, including agricultural diversification, which a country could usefully include in its tobacco reduction strategy. Development funds are not used for any purpose which identifiably supports the tobacco sector. Our programmes have explored alternative livelihood opportunities for poor farmers in countries where tobacco is a significant crop.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she is taking to prevent children in the developing world being exposed to tobacco advertising. [91191]
  103
  Mr. Foulkes
  In our White Papers on "International Development" and "Tobacco" we clearly state our commitment to working with other governments to achieve a global ban on tobacco advertising and to support an International Framework Convention (IFC) code of conduct for transnational companies advertising tobacco products. We have provided the World Health Organisation (WHO) with £200,000 towards work this year. The universal ban we are working towards, therefore, addresses the issue of children's exposure to advertising in the developed and developing world.

  Single Currency
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much expenditure her Department(a) has incurred to date and (b) expects to incur on preparations for possible United Kingdom entry into the European single currency; and if she will make a statement. [91192]

  Mr. Foulkes
  We have incurred no expenditure to date. Our accounting software caters for multi-currencies. The cost of possible entry to a European single currency would not therefore be material.

  HIV/AIDS
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of her Department's budget is allocated to(a) treatment, (b) prevention and (c) care, rehabilitation and social inclusion in respect of children and HIV/AIDS. [91196]

  Mr. Foulkes
  We currently spend about £35 million per year directly on HIV/AIDS activities. We expect this to increase in the future. Because much of our work in this area is not restricted to specific target groups, but looks to improve systems which enable more effective national responses to HIV/AIDS, it is currently not possible to identify accurately the proportion of expenditure relevant to children, and a further breakdown thereof.

  But we treat with utmost seriousness the issue of HIV/AIDS and children. We are particularly concerned about the growing burden faced by poor countries in caring for AIDS orphans, as well as of the impact on the children themselves. We are working closely with UNAIDS and others in seeking to find ways to mitigate this impact

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's policy is on children with HIV/AIDS. [91197]

  Mr. Foulkes
  Of the 2.5 million people who died of AIDS in 1998, 510,000 were children under 15. Infection runs faster in children than in adults. Children are not only infected with HIV, but also affected: many have lost one or both parents as a result of HIV/AIDS.

  As a consequence, we attach great importance to the particular needs of children. Without a cure, our primary objective is to prevent transmission to children and we are working with others, particularly UNAIDS, to identify ways in which this can be achieved more effectively, for example in preventing mother to child transmission.
  104

  Family Planning (China)
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will place in the Library a copy of the report of the independent evaluation of the Chinese family planning programmes referred to by the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for International Development on 20 January 1999,Official Report, column 842. [91190]

  Mr. Foulkes
  A copy of the report entitled: "A review of the role of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) in China and of the work of the China Family Planning Association (CFPA)" was placed in the Library of the House in November 1996. Further copies are being provided.

  Sudan
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if her Department is planning new initiatives in Sudan following the renewal of links between Her Majesty's Government and the Government of Sudan. [91193]

  Mr. Foulkes
  Our capacity to respond to humanitarian needs in Sudan was not interrupted by the withdrawal from Khartoum of our Ambassador and his British staff. Humanitarian aid has continued to be delivered by international non-governmental organisations and UN agencies are we have liaised closely with Ambassador's staff out-posted to Nairobi. The humanitarian situation in Sudan is much better than last year and so far we have committed £9 million.

  Ending the civil war in Sudan and finding a just political settlement continue to be the key to enable the Sudanese people to rebuild their lives. The renewal of links with the Government of Sudan will allow us to recommence our close dialogue with the Khartoum authorities on this issue.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  State Opening (Costs)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Council what is the forecast cost of the State Opening of Parliament in 1999. [89927]

  Mrs. Beckett
  The forecast cost of the State Opening of Parliament in 1999 is £50,000 shared with the House of Lords. Costs are, of course, incurred by others such as Buckingham Palace, the Metropolitan Police and the Ministry of Defence.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prisoners (Risk Assessments)
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons prisoners serving sentences of over four years are not eligible for home leave in their last six months of sentence before probation if they pass a risk assessment. [90114]
  105
  Mr. George Howarth
  Eligibility for resettlement licence, which replaced home leave in 1995, is set out in Prison Service Instruction 36/1995, a copy of which is in the Library. Some prisoners are automatically excluded from release on temporary licence and would not, therefore, be risk assessed. These are: category A prisoners, those subject to extradition proceedings, and those who are remanded on further charges.

  In addition, a prisoner serving four years or more is not eligible for resettlement licence until he or she has completed half the single term, which is the prisoner's parole eligibility date. If the prisoner is refused parole, he or she must wait for six months after a first refusal of parole, or two months from any subsequent refusal, before being able to take resettlement leave. The purpose of a resettlement licence is to assist in the prisoner's resettlement on release from custody. Where parole is refused, this, of course, delays a prisoner's release and accordingly eligibility to take resettlement leave.

  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce classification of offences for which adjudication decisions are made on prisoners to allow more precise judgment of a prisoner's behaviour in prison when considering the prisoner for probation. [90264]

  Mr. George Howarth
  A prisoner's behaviour is one of the issues taken into account in assessing risk in a parole review. The weight given to any adjudications will depend on the individual prisoner and the nature and circumstances of the index offence. There are no plans to introduce a more formal system of classification.

  Public Safety Radio Communications Project
  Mr. Curry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the costs to police authorities of adopting the Public Safety Radio Communications Project; and if he will make a statement. [90272]

  Mr. Boateng
  I am told by the Police Information Technology Unit (PITO) that the costs of the Public Safety Radio Communications Project (PSRCP) are currently the subject of negotiation between PITO, which is managing the project for the police service, and the contractor British Telecom. Indicative prices have been issued and PITO is now preparing to invite British Telecom's final contractual offer, at the request of the Association of Police Authorities and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what monitoring he undertakes of decisions on criminal injuries compensation to ensure consistency and comparability. [90313]

  Mr. Boateng
  The introduction of a tariff-based compensation scheme in 1996, under which compensation is assessed on the basis of a fixed tariff of awards for injuries of comparable severity, ensures that a considerable degree of consistency, comparability and transparency is built into the system.
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  Ministers' general oversight of the scheme does not extend to monitoring directly decisions taken in particular cases. However, the bodies administering the new scheme, the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) and the Criminal Injuries Compensation Appeals Panel (CICAP), themselves take a range of measures to maximise consistency in decision making, including training events and seminars. The CICA is about to embark on a pilot exercise on the comparative assessment of decisions. The outcome of this pilot, and any ensuing procedure, will be considered by the National Audit Office as part of its current review of the scheme.

  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the rules relating to criminal injuries compensation and the effect of awards on means-tested benefits: and what consideration has been given to staggering awards to ensure recipients are not disadvantaged by the savings rule. [90312]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Government invited views on ways in which the criminal injuries compensation scheme might be changed for the benefit of victims of crime in a public consultation exercise which ran from March to June 1999. Preliminary analysis of responses has shown that a number of respondents felt that compensation derived from personal injury should be disregarded for the purposes of assessing entitlement to means-tested social security benefits. The responses are now being analysed more fully, and we hope to be able to say what changes might be made to the scheme in consequence later this year.

  Dual Nationals
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to allow dual nationals who are released on licence in the United Kingdom the option of serving their licence period in their other country of nationality. [90266]

  Mr. George Howarth
  If an offender wishes to resettle permanently in another country before his licence period expires, permission to do so may be granted by the probation service, the Parole Board or the Secretary of State, depending on the length of sentence, provided that certain criteria are met. The licence period is an integral part of the custodial sentence imposed for offences committed under United Kingdom law; it is not possible for the enforcement of the licence conditions to be transferred to a foreign jurisdiction.

  Prisons (Resettlement Units)
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to establish a resettlement unit in each prison. [90271]

  Mr. George Howarth
  There are no plans to provide resettlement units in all prisons. However, the Prison Service is currently developing a policy framework and national standards for resettlement provision.

  Job Applicants (Criminal Records)
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce
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  legislation to penalise employers who discriminate against a potential job applicant because they have a criminal record. [90268]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Government have no plans for such legislation.

  The Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 provides that any conviction resulting in a sentence of no more than two and a half years imprisonment may become spent after a specified period (depending on the length of the sentence and whether the offender commits further offences within that period). The Act provides that an offender is not normally required to disclose the fact he has "spent" convictions when applying for a job. It also stipulates that the fact that a person has a "spent" conviction or their failure to disclose that fact shall not be proper grounds for dismissing or excluding them from any office, profession, occupation or employment or for prejudicing them in any way in any occupation or employment.

  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to monitor the effect of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 on discrimination against offenders in job applications. [90267]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Government are concerned that ex-offenders should not be subject to unfair discrimination in the labour market. The Department for Education and Employment has commissioned a major research study into the employment experiences of ex-offenders, employers' attitudes towards them and their likely use of conviction information under the plans for the Criminal Records Bureau. The research will report in summer 2000 when the Government will consider any policy implications.

  Project Funding
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work is being done to address the effect on the finances of organisations in the not-for-profit sector of the demand for matching funding for projects sponsored by the European Union or the National Lottery. [90307]

  Mr. Boateng
  A code of good practice on voluntary sector funding is being prepared jointly by the Government and the sector's Working Group on Government Relations. The code will address, among other matters, issues concerning match funding.

  European Structural Fund aided projects must be match funded by a national contribution. This ensures local ownership and commitment to the project. There are no plans to change fundamentally these arrangements.

  The National Lottery Charities Board does not require match funding. This acknowledges that the Board funds many small local groups and organisations that are unlikely to be able to raise partnership support.

  The Directions issued to other Lottery distributors require an element of partnership support from applicants for Lottery funding. This provides evidence of community support for a project and allows many more projects to be funded. The Directions encourage a flexible approach, linked closely to an applicant's realistic ability to raise
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  partnership support, and by giving consideration to volunteer time and in-kind contributions.

  Custody (Ethnic Monitoring)
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to ensure that the custody ethnic monitoring form is filled in accurately by custody officers. [90270]

  Mr. George Howarth
  On first reception into Prison Service custody, the ethnic origin of each prisoner is recorded with other personal details on a standard prisoner record. This is a mandatory requirement under the Prison Service Order on Race Relations, a copy of which is in the Library. Reception officers are responsible for obtaining and recording the ethnic origin of each newly received prisoner. The personal details recorded on this form, including ethnic origin, are checked on every occasion of transfer to another prison.

  Police Communications
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to increase the extent to which civilian staff recruited to work on police switchboards and communications centres are conversant with police operations and information. [90310]

  Mr. Boateng
  It is entirely a matter for chief constables to decide the extent to which civilian staff should be deployed on police switchboards and communications centres and to determine what training they need to enable them to carry out their duties.

  Prisons (Racism)
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to introduce(a) monitoring, (b) training and (c) representation of prisoners to combat racism in prisons. [90269]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The Prison Service is committed to equality of opportunity and the elimination of discrimination on improper grounds. It has well-developed policies and procedures which are set out in the Prison Service Order on Race Relations, a copy of which is available in the Library. This gives mandatory and recommended requirements covering the policy and practice of good race relations within a prison establishment. All of the mandatory requirements are audited by the standards audit unit of the Prison Service and their implementation determines a prison's success or failure in the audit.

  It is a mandatory requirement that in all establishments, ethnic monitoring and analysis must cover allocation to work, accommodation, education/training, adjudications, temporary release, segregation and requests/complaints. Furthermore, the Prison Service recommends ethnic monitoring is undertaken in other areas, such as random drug testing and random searches. It is also strongly recommended that ethnic monitoring takes place on a monthly basis, collated quarterly and forwarded to the appropriate area office at Prison Service headquarters. These measures are taken to ensure that any possible racial discrimination in the decision making process is quickly identified so that suitable action can be taken.
  109
  All members of Prison Service staff in a prison, including civilian and auxiliary grades, must be provided with race relations training at local level. A revised and updated local race relations training pack has recently been piloted in a number of prison establishments and the completed document should be distributed in the autumn. Every prison establishment has a race relations liaison officer and a race relations management team, meeting at least quarterly. It is a mandatory requirement that the liaison officer and all members of the race relations management team attend the appropriate central training course.

  The race relations management teams develop local race relations strategies and monitor performance to ensure implementation of the national policy. Prisoner representation is recommended on this team in order to increase both staff and prisoner perceptions about ethnic minority issues. Where there are practical difficulties in having prisoner representation on the team, such as at a local prison with a high turnover of prisoners, prisons are advised to have a prisoner sub-group chaired by the race relations liaison officer. An increasing number of prisons are involving prisoners in this way and Prison Service headquarters is encouraging them to do so.

  Prisoners (Licence Period)
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the length of licence period a prisoner receives in relation to the length of sentence served. [90265]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Criminal Justice Act 1991 sets out the arrangements for the release on licence of determinate sentence prisoners. Under the Act, prisoners serving a sentence of 12 months or more but less than four years must be released on licence at the half-way point of the sentence. Those serving a determinate sentence of four years or more are eligible for release on licence at the half-way point of the sentence and in any event must be released on licence at the two thirds point. Prisoners serving a sentence of less than 12 months must be released unconditionally at the half-way point.

  Under the home detention curfew arrangements introduced by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, there is now provision for some determinate sentence prisoners to be released on licence up to a maximum of two months earlier than under the arrangements above. These provisions apply only to prisoners aged 18 or over who are serving a sentence of more than three months but less than four years. Prisoners released on this scheme are monitored by electronic tagging.

  Finally, under section 58 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, where a court proposes to impose a custodial sentence for a sexual or violent offence, and considers that the normal licence period under the Criminal Justice Act 1991 would not be adequate, it may now pass an extended sentence on that offender. This means in effect that the offender will be subject to a longer period of supervision on licence.

  The Government have no current plans to change these arrangements.

  Witnesses
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to ensure that police keep in close contact with witnesses about progress on cases in which they are involved; and what guidelines he has issued on the subject. [90309]

  Mr. Boateng
  The 1996 Victim's Charter outlines the standards of service that victims and witnesses can expect from the police and the other criminal justice agencies. The Charter standards are monitored regularly by the interdepartmental Victims Steering Group, chaired by the Home Office. A review of the Charter itself will begin next year. The review will take into account both changes in legislation and new non-legislative measures, including those measures introduced as a result of the Macpherson Inquiry into the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

  Victim Support
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the progress made with the National Victim Support help line since it was established; what activities it undertakes apart from referring callers to local victim support groups; and what monitoring he undertakes of its work. [90308]

  Mr. Boateng
  Victim Support's telephone Supportline has dealt with more than 10,000 calls since its inception in February 1998. The majority of callers are victims of crime, who are provided with emotional support and practical information and advice according to need. Among other things, callers can be offered details of, or referral to, their local victim support scheme and other sources of help and information as appropriate. Supportline also provides an easily accessible Victim Support number for use by other agencies in contact with victims and witnesses.

  Supportline activities are monitored daily, and formal reports detailing the number and nature of calls are collated and evaluated monthly by Victim Support. Summarising reports are made available to the Home Office on a quarterly basis.

  Drug Seizures
  Mr. Kemp
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug seizures occurred in(a) 1997 and (b) 1998 in the Northern Region. [90256]

  Mr. Boateng
  There were 21,840 seizures of controlled drugs in the Northern Region in 1997. Figures for 1998 will not be available until late 1999.

  Sexual Offences
  Mr. Kemp
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sexual offences(a) were reported and (b) resulted in convictions in the last two years in the Northern Region. [90255]
  111
  Mr. Boateng
  Figures for 1998 are not yet available. The overall figures for 1996 and 1997 for the North West (including Merseyside) and North East government regions are as follows:

  Year

  Sexual offences recorded by the police

  Offenders convicted for sexual offences

  1996

  5,059

  1,004

  1997

  5,581

  1,003

  It is important to note that the figures for offences reported and convictions are not directly comparable because convictions relate to offenders.

  Charity Volunteers
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the total number of hours worked by volunteers in the charities sector in each year from 1992 to the present. [90254]

  Mr. Boateng
  The information requested is not available.

  The 1997 National Survey of Volunteering from the Institute for Volunteering Research found that, across the United Kingdom, an estimated 21.8 million volunteers were contributing an average of 88 million hours per week—an annual total of nearly 4,600 million hours. This compared with the 1991 figure, the date of the previous survey, of 23.2 million volunteers contributing 62 million hours per week—an annual total of around 3,200 million hours. These figures refer to all types of formal volunteering and include sports, arts and politics. Much of this volunteering will have taken place in public sector organisations, for example, schools and hospitals, but the 1997 survey found that 84 per cent. of volunteers were active in the voluntary sector.

  Corporate Manslaughter
  Dr. Starkey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to implement the Law Commission recommendation on corporate manslaughter. [90242]

  Mr. Boateng
  An inter-departmental working group, which includes a member of the Law Commission, is currently considering all of the recommendations contained in the Law Commission's report number 237 "Legislating the Criminal Code: Involuntary Manslaughter", including those relating to corporate manslaughter. We expect to receive the working group's recommendations shortly and will then consider how to take them forward.

  Probation Service
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the change in the number of Probation Service staff between 1994 and the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [90587]
  112
  Mr. George Howarth
  At the end of 1994, there were 16,405 probation staff, of whom 7,776 were probation officers. At the end of December 1998, there were 14,613 probation staff, of whom 7,191 were probation officers. The figures given here are full-time equivalents.

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the current number of vacancies for Probation Officers in England and Wales; and if he will make a statement. [90586]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Information on probation officer vacancies is not collected centrally. However, information about the staffing requirements of the Probation Service will be generated by the work force planning survey currently being undertaken by the Home Office with the Association of Chief Officers of Probation and the Central Probation Council.

  European Communities Working Groups
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 1 July 1999,Official Report, column 249, on European Communities working groups, if he will list the Title VI working groups referred to and indicate how many times each has met. [90399]

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

  Dogs
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue guidance to local authorities summarising the Breeding and Sale of Dogs (Welfare) Act 1999 and outlining their specific powers and responsibilities. [90621]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Yes. Appropriate guidance will be issued to local authorities before the Act comes into force at the end of this year.

  HMP Aldington
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many family units will be included in the redevelopment of Her Majesty's Prison, Aldington; and if he will make a statement. [90577]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  It has not yet been decided how many family units will be included in the redevelopment of the Aldington site, but we anticipate the requirement will be three to four units.

  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements in terms of(a) support services, (b) translation services, (c) health services and (d) dietary services will be provided for asylum seekers following the redevelopment of Her Majesty's Prison, Aldington; and if he will make a statement. [90578]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  It is too early in the procurement process to provide details of the services to be provided once Aldington is redeveloped as an Immigration Service Detention Centre. The Services will be based on the provisions and facilities at the only other purpose designed centre, Tinsley House. A copy of the contract for Tinsley House is available in the Library.
  113
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the estimated cost to the Treasury of the plans to redevelop Her Majesty's Prison, Aldington; and if he will make a statement. [90574]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The project to redevelop Her Majesty's Prison Aldington is at a very early stage. Work has just started to prepare the outline specification for the centre, on which planning authority and, later, the detailed Invitation to Tender for a public-private partnership will be based.

  In advance of this competitive process, it is not prudent or meaningful to make public estimates of the cost of this project. The actual cost to the Home Office will be offset by making the 200 places currently used by Immigration detainees at Rochester Prison available for prisoner use. The current running costs of Aldington will also be made available to the Immigration Service to set against the cost of the proposed Detention Centre.

  Travellers
  Mr. Bruce George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with local authorities and police forces about arrangements for dealing with unauthorised camping by travellers. [90423]

  Mr. Boateng
  I and my predecessor, my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth (Mr. Michael), have held meetings with senior police officers, Members of Parliament, local councillors and others on this issue. My Department published the guidance document, "Managing Unauthorised Camping: A Good Practice Guide" jointly with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in October 1998.

  Police Community Consultative Groups
  Mr. Alan Keen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will issue non-statutory guidance to the Metropolitan Police Authority with regard to police community consultative groups; and if he will consult the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, and London police community consultative groups on what that guidance should include about the special characteristics of London police community consultative groups. [90525]

  Kate Hoey
  The Government have no plans to issue such guidance to the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA). Subject to the passage of the Greater London Authority Bill, it will be for the MPA to decide, after consulting the Commissioner, what arrangements to make for obtaining the views of people about policing matters in the Metropolitan Police District. The MPA will be a local, democratically accountable body, and, in common with police authorities outside London, it will be best placed to determine its methods for consulting the public.

  As part of next year's induction process of members of the new MPA, information will be provided to them about the work of police and community consultative groups.

  Electoral Procedures
  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people attended each public meeting of the Independent Commission on the Voting System. [90527]
  114
  Mr. George Howarth
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given in another place by my noble Friend the Minister of State, Home Office, Lord Williams, on 7 July 1998,Official Report, column 124.

  Mr. Hesford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation he(a) has held and (b) will hold in formulating his Department's response to paragraph 46 of the Home Affairs Committee's Fourth report of Session 1997–98 (HC768) on Electoral Law and Administration; and if he will respond to the recommendation in that paragraph. [90991]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Following official contacts with MIND, the Working Party on Electoral Procedures, which I Chair, has recommended that the restrictions on using psychiatric hospitals for the purposes of electoral registration should be removed, except for those who are detained as a result of criminal activity. It has also recommended that the requirement for a voluntary patient to complete an additional declaration before being registered to vote should be lifted. These recommendations are broadly in line with paragraph 46 of the Home Affairs Committee report referred to by my hon. Friend. A formal response will be made to the Committee when the final report of my Working Party is published in full later this summer.

  Experimental Psychiatric Research
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to supply to the hon. Member for Northavon the material referred to in his answer of 15 June 1999,Official Report, column 100. [90948]

  Mr. Boateng
  I hope to be able to provide the requested information shortly.

  Interception Warrants
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reasons he proposes to extend to three months the validity of interception warrants under the Interception of Communications Act 1985. [90724]

  Mr. Straw
  The Government's proposals for legislation to replace the Interception of Communications Act 1985 are contained in a consultation paper which I published on 22 June. The reasons behind the proposal to extend the authorisation period of warrants are explained in this document, which is available in the Library, beginning at paragraph 7.12.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with United States citizens concerning the interception regime operated in this country. [90725]

  Mr. Straw
  I am not aware of any discussions this year between Ministers and United States citizens specifically about the United Kingdom's interception regime. However, my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Home Office met senior members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drugs Enforcement Agency and Attorney-General's Department in the United States last month. He discussed a wide range of issues relevant to the fight against organised crime. Interception was discussed in the context of the Government's proposals
  115
  for legislation to maintain law enforcement agencies' capabilities against encrypted stored data and communications.

  Freedom of Information
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review his proposal not to include a test of substantial harm in the draft Freedom of Information Bill. [90726]

  Mr. Straw
  We are currently consulting widely on the content of the draft Freedom of Information Bill. It is also subject to pre-legislative scrutiny by the Select Committee on Public Administration and an ad hoc Select Committee in another place, and also of public consultation.

  I look forward to receiving their recommendations and other comments, which I will consider fully before introducing the Bill into the House.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the countries within the European Union(a) which have freedom of information legislation and (b) where such legislation contains a public interest test. [90718]

  Mr. Straw
  The European Union Green Paper on Public Sector Information in the Information Society, published in January this year, identified the following European Union countries as having national freedom of information legislation: Austria; Belgium; Denmark; Finland; France; Greece; Ireland; Italy; Netherlands; Portugal; Spain and Sweden. Ireland's legislation contains a public interest test, as does the United Kingdom draft Bill. We have not analysed other European legislation.

  Our analysis has focused on countries with common law jurisdictions, e.g. Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United States of America. The legislation for each of these countries contains a public interest test.

  A copy of the Green Paper is available in the Library.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he took to establish the views of MI5 before deciding they should be exempt from the disclosure tests applied in the draft Freedom of Information Bill. [90720]

  Mr. Straw
  The Security Service has been fully consulted over the provisions of the Freedom of Information Bill.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail(g) plane,(h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91031]

  Mr. Straw
  Distance travelled on official business is recorded only when an allowance is paid per mile or kilometre travelled. I can, therefore, only supply the information requested for travel by bike, motorbike and 116
  car. That information is currently being collected from around the Department. I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  My Department's headquarters buildings had green transport plans in place by the end of March 1999.

  A seminar was held on 29 April for green transport co-ordinators for the other 26 Departmental sites that will be required to produce green transport plans by March 2000.

  No targets have been set centrally for transport (other than the Government-wide one of producing a plan). Trying to set targets that will be meaningful for both our Central London accommodation and the training colleges that are situated in isolated locations will be difficult. My Department is therefore encouraging sites to set their own targets in their plans. I will monitor and review the success of this approach.

  In an effort to limit the effect on the environment, the Home Office joined the "London First" clean air charter in 1997, and has been active in setting targets for and monitoring fuel consumption for the fleet.

  The Home Office has drafted an Environmental Transport Policy, which is currently in the consultation process. The policy aims to help reduce the Department's impact on the environment by addressing the issues of fleet size and composition, fuel type, fuel monitoring, vehicle maintenance, and driver training.

  The Home Office seeks to ensure that each vehicle in the fleet is not only required, but fully used. The reduction of one vehicle in the fleet has a significantly higher impact than improving the fuel consumption of several vehicles.

  The Home Office is planning to carry out a combined Green and Efficiency review of the entire fleet. That review will make recommendations, for fleet composition, usage rates and fuel consumption for each fleet centre. We expect to complete the first review within eighteen months using current resources.

  The Home Office is committed to reducing the impact that its business travel has on the environment. Before undertaking any business travel, staff and their line managers consider whether the visit/attendance at a meeting is really necessary, whether the objectives of the meeting could be met through correspondence, e-mail, fax or telephone and whether video-conferencing facilities could be used. If it is considered necessary, staff must use public transport unless there are operational grounds for using private vehicles/hire cars e.g. carrying heavy equipment, or if the route is poorly served by public transport.

  There are currently two rates of mileage allowance—Standard Rate and Public Transport Rate. The Home Office operates a strict policy when considering the payment of allowances to officers who use their private vehicles for business travel, including prior authorisation from line managers when Standard Rate Mileage Allowance is claimed. This ensures that private vehicles are used only when absolutely necessary.

  Whilst those areas which have higher than average business travel have been targeted since January 1999 in an effort to promote the switch to public transport, it is

  117
  also proposed to pursue the option of a single rate of Standard Rate Motor Mileage Allowance. If adopted, this should encourage the use of smaller cars and further encourage the use of public transport through a reduced rate of Motor Mileage Allowance for larger engine cars. The Home Office also has allowances for the use of motorcycles and pedal cycles for official travel.

  A passenger supplement of two pence per mile for the first passenger and one pence per mile for each additional passenger is also available for staff who use their private vehicle on official business as this represents a cost effective and greener alternative.

  The Home Office also pays advances for Season Ticket purchase and bicycle purchase for those members of staff who require assistance with their travel costs to work. The advances are recovered through salary over a 12-month period.

  Extradition
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) British nationals and (b) Portuguese nationals have been extradited from the United Kingdom to stand trial in Portugal in each of the last five years; and how many have been extradited from Portugal to the United Kingdom. [89572]

  Kate Hoey
  The information requested is given in the table:

  Number of British and Portuguese nationals extradited to Portugal to stand trial in each of the last five years

  Year

  British nationals

  Portuguese nationals

  Total

  1994

  —

  1

  1

  1995

  —

  —

  —

  1996

  —

  —

  —

  1997

  1

  1

  2

  1998

  1

  —

  1

  There have been no extraditions from Portugal to the United Kingdom in that period. Two requests for British nationals are under consideration from Portugal.

  Stop and searches (including searches of unattended vehicles)

  White

  Black

  Asian

  Other

  Not recorded

  Vehicles

  Total

  Stolen property

  50,065

  19,534

  4,279

  1,441

  2,068

  1,714

  79,101

  Drugs

  86,941

  35,423

  17,240

  2,380

  3,534

  2,187

  147,705

  Firearms

  1,129

  740

  186

  39

  62

  74

  2,230

  Offensive weapons

  12,961

  7,045

  2,839

  552

  614

  258

  24,269

  Going equipped

  29,130

  10,355

  2,808

  592

  1,078

  310

  44,273

  Other

  1,806

  783

  275

  36

  137

  120

  3,157

  Total

  182,032

  73,880

  27,627

  5,040

  7,493

  4,663

  300,735

  Arrests as a result

  White

  Black

  Asian

  Other

  Not recorded

  Total

  Stolen property

  4,672

  2,119

  525

  183

  174

  7,673

  Drugs

  9,677

  3,365

  1,612

  247

  346

  15,247

  Firearms

  143

  80

  13

  3

  3

  242

  Stop and Search
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the outcome of the study of stop and search undertaken by the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis and referred to in his answer to the hon. Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Singh) of 8 May 1998,Official Report, column 514; and if he will make a statement. [91180]

  Kate Hoey
  The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that the study of stop and search referred to in the reply given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Bradford, West (Mr. Singh) is currently being evaluated. An interim report should be produced by the end of July and the full evaluation will be published in September.

  The Metropolitan Police have been examining stop and search since 1995, and between April 1998 and March 1999 undertook work under the guidance of the Home Office and subject to independent evaluation on seven pilot sites: Brixton, Kingston, Plumstead, Hounslow, Tottenham, Limehouse and Charing Cross. The aims of the pilots are to:
  improve the effective use of the tactic in tackling crime;
  demonstrate to the public the contribution of the tactic to tackling crimes that concerns them;
  ensure it is exercised fairly across all ethnic groups; and
  ensure it is exercised in a way which minimises damage to community confidence.

  I look forward to hearing the outcome of the study.

  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many stop and search incidents took place in the Metropolitan Police district in 1998; if he will provide the ethnic breakdown of those stopped and searched; what proportion of such incidents resulted in(a) an arrest and (b) a charge, broken down by ethnic group; and if he will make a statement. [91087]

  Kate Hoey
  The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has provided the following summary of information on stop and search records for the financial year 1998–99. He informs me that the Metropolitan Police does not keep data on charges in the form requested.
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  Arrests as a result

  White

  Black

  Asian

  Other

  Not recorded

  Total

  Offensive weapons

  1,933

  892

  264

  92

  107

  3,288

  Going equipped

  1,053

  355

  117

  32

  47

  1,604

  Other

  5,662

  2,857

  646

  150

  217

  9,532

  Total

  23,140

  9,668

  3,177

  707

  894

  37,586

  Percentage of searches resulting in arrest

  percentage

  White

  12.7

  Black

  13.1

  Asian

  11.5

  Other

  14.0

  Not recorded

  11.9

  Vehicles

  n/a

  Total

  12.5

  Operation Lancet
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the name and rank of each Cleveland police officer who has been served with a regulation 7 notice in the Operation Lancet investigation. [91014]

  Mr. Boateng
  Notices are issued under Regulation 7 of the Police (Discipline) Regulations 1985 to inform officers who are under investigation of the allegations or complaints which have been made against them and to give them the opportunity to make a statement. As these notices are issued on the basis of allegations, it would not be appropriate to provide the name and rank of officers who have received such a notice.

  Electronic Tagging
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has undertaken of the risks faced by telecommunications engineers who install and maintain custodial electronic tagging and monitoring equipment. [91188]

  Mr. George Howarth
  No prisoner is allowed to participate in the Home Detention Curfew scheme (HDC) unless he or she satisfies both a prison service risk assessment and the strict eligibility criteria set out in the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. Prisoners are not released on HDC if the release would present an unacceptable risk to the victim or members of the public, or if they have a pattern of offending which indicates a likelihood of re-offending during the HDC period, or if they are considered unlikely to comply with the conditions of the curfew.

  As to court-ordered curfews enforced by electronic monitoring, an assessment of the suitability of the sentence for an offender is carried out by the probation service as part of the pre-sentence report. This would include consideration of the same risk issues as outlined above in respect of HDC.

  There is no reason to believe that telecommunications engineers are at risk from offenders subject to electronic monitoring.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Films
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to encourage cinema owners to commit screen time to British films. [89409]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 2 July 1999]: The Government have no specific plans to ask cinema owners to commit screen time to British films. However, the recent Film Policy review identified a number of measures aimed at improving the performance and distribution of British films. Once established, the new Film Council will take forward this strategy.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many British films financed in (i) 1996 and (ii) 1997 took advantage of capital gains tax reinvestment relief; what was the total value of equity investment in respect of these films; and what are the equivalent figures for the period since April 1998; [89413]

  (2) what representations he has received regarding the effect on the British film industry of merging capital gains tax reinvestment relief with the enterprise investment scheme. [89397]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 2 July 1999]: My Department has received representations from one promoter of a film investment scheme. The evaluation of specific tax-based schemes is a matter for the Inland Revenue.

  The detailed information requested on capital gains tax reinvestment relief is not available. Figures for the period since April 1998 would be available only at disproportionate cost.

  Activity Holidays (National Minimum Wage)
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the answer of 30 June 1999,Official Report, column 201, if he intends to publish the representations reporting the impact of the national minimum wage on activity holidays. [899456]

  Janet Anderson
  I take a close interest in all matters of concern to the tourism industry, including activity holidays, but we have no plans to publish any representations that may be made to this Department on the impact of the National Minimum Wage. We would, in any case, pass any representations on to the Department of Trade and Industry, whose responsibility this matter is.

  Publication of representations to the Low Pay Commission on the impact of National Minimum Wage is a matter for the Commission itself.
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  Television Licence Evasion
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many successful prosecutions took place for television licence evasion in the BB postcode area in each year since 1996. [90644]

  Janet Anderson
  The number of convictions for television licence evasion in the BB postcode area during the period in question was:

  Year

  Number

  1996–97

  1,414

  1997–98

  1,007

  1998–99

  934

  Holidays in Britain
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps the Government are taking to encourage more people to take their holidays in Britain. [90369]

  Janet Anderson
  The Government's new tourism strategy, "Tomorrow's Tourism", which I launched on 26 February, contains a raft of initiatives designed to promote quality in tourism through improved career opportunities, more sustainable development and increased access to, and better information about, tourism. As our tourism strategy is implemented and we help to develop an even more high quality and competitive tourism industry, we hope that more people from home and abroad will choose to take holiday breaks in Britain.

  Cambridge Motivate Project
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many(a) Cambridge University mathematicians, (b) schools in Brent and (c) schoolchildren in Brent he estimates will work within the Cambridge Motivate project in (i) the first year and (ii) the first five years. [90605]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  The Cambridge Motivate project is a pilot project supported by the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (NESTA).

  The project will involve five volunteer Cambridge University mathematicians, assisted by a number of Cambridge Education Department mathematical educationalists. In the first year, a total of up to 125 students (12–18) will be involved in the project, to include up to 50 students from two schools in Brent and up to 75 students from three schools in neighbouring London boroughs. Each of those involved will be trained to disseminate their work to five other students in their own schools, so that up to a further 250 students in Brent and 375 students in other schools will be involved in a less direct way. The mathematical problems posed will also be available on the Motivate website for others to explore.

  NESTA will support the project for one year. The impact of the project will be evaluated as it progresses and it may be expanded to more students once its impact has been assessed.
  122

  New Audience Fund
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if figures on new audiences resulting from the New Audience Fund will be collated by or for his Department. [90604]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  The New Audience Fund is managed by the Arts Council of England, which will publish a full report on the scheme in December.

  Millennium Dome
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will announce his decision on the future of the Millennium Dome after 2001. [90622]

  Janet Anderson
  As announced on 4 March 1999, at the launch of the competition inviting bids for the Millennium Dome and associated land, final decisions on its future use will not be taken until 2000, when the Millennium Experience is up and running for all to see.

  Trafalgar Square Plinth
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) how many times the advisory panel on the vacant plinth in Trafalgar Square has met; [90607]

  (2) what discussions he has had with the advisory panel on the vacant plinth in Trafalgar Square. [90609]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State joined Sir John Mortimer, Chairman, and some members of the advisory panel at their inaugural meeting last month. The full membership of the panel will be announced shortly and I understand that a second meeting is now being arranged.

  Seaside Resorts
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with European Commission officials regarding Objective 2 status for seaside resorts. [90601]

  Janet Anderson
  My Department has made a strong case for seaside resorts to be considered a priority when the UK Government make proposals to the Commission for the revised Structural Funds map. The Government have been involved in many discussions with the Commission throughout the negotiation of the reform of the Structural Funds. For Objective 2, all areas will be considered equally for inclusion on the basis of need.

  UK lobbying led to the inclusion of a reference in the new Structural Fund Regulation at preamble 6, which mentions the development of tourism and the creation of sustainable employment. It underlines the Government's commitment to target all areas of need.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions about hostels in seaside resorts. [90602]

  Janet Anderson
  My officials have regular discussions with the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and are involved in the public consultation exercise on Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs). I am well aware of widespread concern that the existence of hostels in a number of popular tourist destinations can
  123
  cause serious problems. The Government remain firmly committed to introducing a national licensing system for HMOs when the legislative timetable allows. With DETR, we are currently studying the responses to the consultation exercise which ended recently.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Home Department regarding the impact on seaside resorts of the placement of asylum seekers. [90603]

  Janet Anderson
  I have been corresponding with the Home Office about the placement of asylum seekers in our seaside resorts. I have emphasised the importance of very careful consideration being given to the long-term interests of both asylum seekers and host communities before any decision is taken to place asylum seekers in our resorts.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions regarding transport arrangements to the seaside resort areas of(a) Great Yarmouth, (b) Brighton and Hove, (c) Bournemouth, (d) Torbay,(e) Thanet and (f) Blackpool. [90600]

  Janet Anderson
  I have had no discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions regarding transport arrangements to the seaside resorts mentioned, nor have any representations from those resorts been made to me. However, as set out in our tourism strategy document "Tomorrow's Tourism", we are in close contact with DETR in taking forward action set out in the White Paper on Integrated Transport Policy for the UK.

  Urban Task Force
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what(a) discussions and (b) meetings he had with the Urban Task Force before the publication of its report. [90611]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I had a meeting with Lord Rogers and members of the Task Force on 23 March 1999, when they presented their interim report and discussed their emerging findings. We had a further meeting on 16 June 1999 when Lord Rogers and colleagues explained their main conclusions. My officials have also provided information to the secretariat as required.

  Pressure Systems Directive
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with owners of historic steam engine collections about the Pressure Systems Directive 97/23/EC; and if he will make a statement. [90843]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: My Department has received one representation about the Pressure Systems Directive 97/23/EC. The Department of Trade and Industry, as the lead Department dealing with the Directive, were consulted in replying.
  124
  Lord Sainsbury of Turville answered a similar written question about the Directive tabled by Lord Inglewood in another place on 7 July 1999, Official Report, House of Lords, columns 103–04. It is our belief that the historic steam preservation movement, which provides such a valued contribution to maintaining our engineering heritage, will not be faced with disproportionate costs as a result of the Directive.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of mail received in the last 12 months for which figures are available from right hon. and hon. Members was replied to by him within,(a) up to 20 days, (b) 21 to 30 days, (c) 31 to 40 days and (d) over 40 days. [90152]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 403–06, which sets out performance against departmental targets for answering correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members in the 1998 calendar year. More detailed information about the percentage of correspondence replied to within the time scales specified could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Sports Clubs
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones) of 5 July 1999,Official Report, column 382, what representations he has made to the Home Office about charitable status for sports clubs. [90812]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  My hon. Friend the Minister for Sport has been in close contact with my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Home Office on this issue. I particularly look forward to the forthcoming consultation dealing with charitable status and community based sports clubs, in which I will be taking a close interest.

  Single Currency
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much expenditure his Department(a) has incurred to date and (b) expects to incur on preparations for possible United Kingdom entry into the European single currency; and if he will make a statement. [91182]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  The Department has not incurred any separately identifiable expenditure. Activity in this area has been limited to disseminating information to sponsored bodies. I have made no estimate of future expenditure.

  Departmental Buildings
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the location, functions, number of staff accommodated and running costs of his Department's and its agencies' buildings in Scotland. [90859]
  125
  Mr. Chris Smith
  DCMS has no staff, accommodation or agencies in Scotland.

SCOTLAND

  Media Relations
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many(a) civil servants and (b) special advisers involved in media relations were employed within his Department at 1 May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 and (iii) 1999. [84203]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 18 May 1999]: Detailed information on the numbers of permanent civil servants employed in Departmental Press Offices during the financial years 1997–98 and 1998–99 was provided in a memorandum dated 16 June 1998 to the Select Committee on Public Administration and published in its report on The Government Information and Communication Service (HC 770) in July 1998. A copy is in the Library of the House. The number in post in my Department at 1 May 1999 was 30.

  All Special Advisers in my Department have had ad hoc contact with the media, but no Special Adviser was employed to deal specifically with media relations at 1 May (i) 1997, (ii) 1998 or (iii) 1999. One special adviser with particular responsibility for media relations was employed from 5 May 1998 to 6 April 1999.

  Wildlife Protection
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proposal he has to introduce greater protection for wildlife; and if he will make a statement. [90179]

  Dr. Reid
  Protection for wildlife was devolved on 1 July and is now a matter for the Scottish Parliament. The only reserved aspect of protection for wildlife is the protection and regulation of the import and export of animals and plants (under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species—CITES).

  Post Office
  Mr. Gorrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has made to ministers about the proposed changes in the Post Office as they would affect Scotland. [90774]

  Dr. Reid
  The Post Office makes a vital contribution to national life in Scotland, particularly in rural areas. I have been fully involved in development of the Government's proposals for reform of the Post Office that were presented to the House by my right hon. Friend on 8 July 1999,Official Report, columns 1175–90. "Post Office Reform: A World Class Service for the 21st Century" reaffirms the Government's commitment to a universal postal service at a uniform tariff. Measures such as the setting of criteria for access to Post Office counter services will ensure that any evolution of the network of post offices will take place with due regard to less populated areas.
  126

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Gorrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has(a) made to the Cabinet Office and (b) received from the Scottish Executive regarding changes required in the rules governing the conduct of civil servants because of their involvement in supporting or advising committees of the Scottish Parliament. [90777]

  Dr. Reid
  None.

  Single Currency
  Mr. Grieve
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much expenditure his Department has(a) incurred to date and (b) expects to incur, on preparations for possible United Kingdom entry into a European single currency; and if he will make a statement. [91184]

  Dr. Reid
  Following the publication of the Government's Outline National Changeover Plan, my Department is considering what preparations may be necessary.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Rural Transport
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proposals he has for the improvement of transport provision for people living in rural areas. [89475]

  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures have been taken to improve transport in rural areas since May 1997; and if he will make a statement on progress made. [89508]

  Mr. Prescott
  This Government have already significantly improved transport in rural areas. Over £170 million is being made available over three years for extra rural bus services and 1,500 new and enhanced services have been set up, many to local hospitals, shops and stations.

  Genetically Modified Foods
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the decision reached at the Council of Environment Ministers meeting in Luxembourg on 25 June regarding the development, production and sale of genetically modified foods. [89494]

  Mr. Meale
  I am pleased to announce to the House that the Council reached political agreement on the amendment to Directive 90/220 on the deliberate release and marketing of genetically modified organisms. This directive does not include the approval for sale of genetically modified foods, but it does cover crops used in the production of foods.

  I am confident that this will secure better protection for the environment and human health. Tightening of many of the core elements of the Directive and increasing transparency will help public confidence in the regulatory

  127
  regime, and establishing fixed time periods for the decision-making steps will provide more predictability for biotechnology research and industry.

  Urban Renewal
  Mr. David Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made in the application of the policies set out in the report "Towards an Urban Renaissance" in the east midlands. [89495]

  Mr. Caborn
  The final report of the Urban Task Force "Towards an Urban Renaissance" was published on 29 June. We are considering the Task Force's recommendations in the preparation of our Urban and Rural White Papers, both of which will be published in the next 12 months.

  Urban areas in the Midlands currently benefit from a range of Government regeneration initiatives such as the Single Regeneration Budget, the New Deal for Communities (in Leicester and Nottingham), and from regeneration activity carried out by English Partnerships and the East Midlands Development Agency.

  Road Charging
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the impact on traffic levels which the Government's planned new charges on motorists will have. [89496]

  Mrs. Liddell
  A number of studies have indicated that traffic levels could be substantially reduced if local authorities decided to implement packages of measures including road user charges and complementary public transport improvements.

  Motorway Services
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the franchise conditions of service station operations on the motorways. [89497]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We have no immediate plans to do so, though a recent increase in complaints has led the Office of Fair Trading to conduct a preliminary investigation of its own into the price of food and drink at motorway services areas. We have said that we will wish to consider the case for further Government intervention, either through our formal agreements with operators or otherwise, in the light of OFT' s findings.

  Paddington Station
  Ms Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on improving public transport access to Paddington station. [89498]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  London Underground is currently improving access to its station at Paddington. The improvements include a widened ticket hall, an extended ticket office, a revised gateline and new architectural finishes. The work will be complete in September 1999.
  128

  Safe Routes (Schools)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the introduction of safe routes to schools. [89499]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We are working closely with schools and local authorities to improve safety and reduce car use on the journey to school. Last week we published comprehensive guidance on travel to school and announced a new pilot programme of assistance for schools.

  West Coast Line
  Ms Stuart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the rail operators of the west coast line about future performance targets. [89500]

  Mrs. Liddell
  Performance targets for rail operators are matters for the Franchising Director. The franchise agreement for Virgin West Coast provides for the cancellation thresholds relating to call-in to be tightened from April 2003 and, at the Franchising Director's option, further tightened from April 2005. These changes will reflect the expected improvement in performance that will result from the Passenger Upgrade of the line (PUG2).

  Trunk Road Network
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress made in improving the trunk road network. [89501]

  Mrs. Liddell
  We have made maintenance our first priority and provided the Highways Agency with the resources necessary to maintain its roads properly. We have increased the funding available for measures to make better use of existing roads. We have established a clear timetable for taking forward the Targeted Programme of Improvements so that all 37 schemes will start within the next 7 years. The net result will be a trunk road network which is safer and serves the needs of users better.

  Container Ports
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy in respect of applications to build container ports that preference should be given to brown-field sites. [89502]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Our policy on port developments is that they should make the best use of existing infrastructure, in preference to expansion wherever practicable. In cases where new development can be justified, our view is that ports should promote best environmental standards in design and operation. We are planning to publish a ports policy paper in the Autumn.

  Reighton Bypass
  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the case for a bypass for the village of Reighton in North Yorkshire. [89503]
  129
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The proposal for a bypass of Reighton is the responsibility of North Yorkshire County Council as local highway authority. Any bid for funding for the scheme in the forthcoming provisional Local Transport Plan will be considered on its merits. All schemes costing more than £5 million need to be appraised using the New Approach to Appraisal.

  Regional Development Agencies
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made in addressing rural needs through the work of regional development agencies. [89504]

  Mr. Meale
  The Regional Development Agencies will later this month publish for consultation their draft regional strategies; final versions will be submitted to Ministers in October. The Secretary of State has issued statutory guidance to Regional Development Agencies about the content and coverage of regional strategies which includes the requirement that strategies should take account of the particular features of the region's rural areas. Separate non-statutory guidance has also been issued which includes a section on rural policy designed to assist the RDAs in considering the rural dimension of their brief, in particular in preparing their strategies.

  Long-distance Buses
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he last met representatives of National Express to discuss the long-distance bus network. [89505]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The Minister responsible for local transport, my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Ms Jackson), met senior executives of National Express in April last year as part of the Department's continuing discussions with representatives of the bus and coach industry on a wide range of issues.

  Brown-field Sites
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government targets for development on brown-field land. [89506]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Government's target is that 60 per cent. of additional housing should be built on previously developed land or re-use existing building over the next 10 years.

  London Underground
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has held with(a) Her Majesty's Treasury and (b) commercial interests about the financing of London Underground in 2000–01. [89507]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister routinely has discussions with HM Treasury on a range of issues, including London Transport. London Transport have invited prospective bidders to pre-qualify for the Public/Private Partnership competition for the deep tube lines, and have commenced discussions with Railtrack in respect of the sub-surface lines.
  130

  Fuel Duties
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the impact on road traffic levels of increasing fuel duties by 6 per cent. a year in real terms over the next five years. [89509]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The 1997 National Road Traffic Forecasts already take into account our policy of annual 6 per cent. increases in fuel duty until 2002. Continuing the escalator for another two years would reduce the forecast traffic levels for 2011 by broadly 1.6 per cent., assuming there is no significant change in vehicle fuel efficiency.

  Local Government Elections
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the first-past-the-post system currently used for local government elections in England. [89510]

  Ms Armstrong
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Harborough (Mr. Garnier) on 15 June 1999,Official Report, column 77.

  Greater London Assembly
  Mr. McNulty
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made with preparations for the London Mayor and Assembly. [89511]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Good progress is being made. We have announced that, subject to Parliamentary approval of the Greater London Authority Bill, the elections for the Mayor and Assembly will take place on 4 May 2000, and the GLA and functional bodies will assume their full responsibilities on 3 July 2000. In the meantime the Bill should shortly complete its Committee stage in another place; proposals for both temporary accommodation (Romney House, Westminster) and permanent accommodation (at London Bridge City, Southwark) have been announced; and Dr. Robert Chilton has been appointed, on secondment, from the Audit commission to head the work on the transition to the GLA.

  M4 Bus Lane
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what effect the M4 bus lane has had on journey time for bus passengers from Heston to London. [89512]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The operation of the bus lane is being monitored by the Transport Research Laboratory. Based on the first three weeks monitoring since the bus lane was opened, buses, coaches and taxis are saving an average time of approximately three minutes during the morning and evening peak periods. In periods of severe congestion, because of incidents elsewhere on the road network, vehicles using the bus lane have had savings of up to 16 minutes on journey time.

  Liverpool Vision
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to support Liverpool Vision. [89513]
  131
  Mr. Meale
  Liverpool Vision is a very immediate and welcome response to Lord Rogers's Urban Task Force recommendations. My Officials will work with the new Urban Regeneration Company to make sure its vision of an integrated, vibrant city centre for the new century is delivered.

  A11
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made with the plans to dual the remaining sections of the A11. [89492]

  Mrs. Liddell
  We included the three schemes to complete the dual carriageway on the A11 from the M11 to Norwich in "A New Deal for Trunk Roads in England" published last summer. The Roudham Heath to Attleborough Improvement is included in our Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI) and construction of the scheme will start in 2001–02. The Attleborough Bypass and the Fiveways to Thetford Improvement were not sufficiently advanced to be included in the TPI but will be the subject of public consultation exercises in 2000–01 so that if, after full appraisal and statutory procedure, they are eventually endorsed, they can be taken foreword without delay.

  Planning (London)
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action the Government are taking to involve the business community in the reform of the planning system in London. [89493]

  Mr. Raynsford
  We have consulted widely at all stages in the development of the new planning arrangements for London that will come into operation once the Mayor and Assembly are in place. We have met with representatives of the business community on numerous occasions to discuss the proposals.

  GLOBE Projects
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the environmental GLOBE projects carried out by schools; and if he will make a statement. [90400]

  Mr. Meale
  GLOBE stands for Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment. It offers school children structured opportunities to carry out environmental experiments and compare results with other schools globally using the World Wide Web. In England it is managed by the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, with a grant from my department's Environmental Action Fund (EAF), linked to private sector support from the ARC Environment Fund and the National Grid Company. The Warwickshire Wildlife Trust assesses the projects carried out by schools as part of its EAF funded work. We in turn assess their performance during each year of grant funding, and will carry out a more detailed terminal assessment at the end of the grant in April 2001.

  BA Tail Fins
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how 132
  many misidentifications of British Airways aircraft have been reported by air traffic control as a result of confusion caused by the tail fin design. [90498]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that no misidentifications of British Airways craft have been reported by air traffic control as a result of tail fin design.

  Driving Tests
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason persons who hold a current United Kingdom driving licence have to sit a driving theory test as part of the qualifying test for a public service vehicle licence. [90647]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  It is vital that people who wish to drive buses and coaches are properly trained and tested. The theory test examines a learner's knowledge and understanding of road safety matters relating to these vehicles before having skills and behaviour assessed in a practical test.

  Seaside Resorts
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps the Government are taking to improve transport links to seaside resorts. [90373]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Government are working with a wide range of bodies, including local authorities, regional planning bodies, the Highways Agency, the rail and bus industries and transport user groups, to deliver its integrated transport strategy. Where relevant, transport links to seaside resorts would be considered in this work. We are also encouraging the tourism industry to improve information about public transport links and alternative transport modes to tourist attractions.

  Beacon Councils
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made in implementing the Beacon Council Scheme. [90374]

  Mr. Meale
  In May we published our Application Brochure inviting councils to submit by 31 July their applications for beacon status. We intend to announce the first Beacon Councils in November.

  Planning Inspectors
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if membership of(a) English Heritage or (b) the National Trust is a bar to appointment as a planning inspector; and what are the reasons for these arrangements. [90394]

  Mr. Raynsford
  (a) Yes; English Nature has a statutory function in the planning process, and is involved in a large number of planning cases. It has been felt that membership might bring into question the requirement that Planning Inspectors should be fair, open and impartial, but at my request this policy is now under review.
  133
  (b) No; because the National Trust plays no customary part in the development control process. Membership by Planning Inspectors would be unlikely to call into question the requirement that they should be open, fair and impartial.

  Local Government Salaries and Allowances
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what guidelines he proposes to establish for the level of salaries for executive mayors and members of local council cabinets; and if he will make it his policy to collect statistics on the salaries awarded; [90431]

  (2) what guidelines he plans to issue for the levels of special responsibility allowances in local government. [90430]

  Mr. Meale
  As stated in the White Paper: "Modern Local Government—In Touch with the People" (Cm 4014), we will work with the Local Government Association to develop guidance on allowances and the criteria to be applied in determining their level. We do not propose to collect statistics on these decisions, which as the White Paper indicates, are to be taken by individual councils in the light of recommendations from local independent panels.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the London Boroughs that have produced recycling plans; and what actions he proposes to take in respect of those Boroughs that have not yet done so. [90350]

  Mr. Meale
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: Under section 49 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 all Waste Collection Authorities (WCAs) are under a duty to have in place Waste Recycling Plans. In London, the London Boroughs are the WCAs. All London Boroughs produced recycling plans in 1992.

  In March 1998, the Secretary of State directed all WCAs to investigate if their Recycling Plans needed updating. The Secretary of State does not have the power to direct WCAs to update their Recycling Plans.

  In London, several Boroughs have submitted revised plans and most of the remaining Boroughs have indicated that they are presently revising their plans. Details are given in the following table:

  Borough

  Revised recycling plan approved

  Revised recycling plan expected

  City of London

  Yes

  —

  Barking and Dagenham

  —

  —4

  Barnet

  —

  In preparation2

  Bexley

  —

  Draft received

  Brent

  —

  In preparation3

  Bromley

  Yes

  —

  Camden

  Yes

  —2

  Croydon

  —

  In preparation

  Ealing

  —

  In preparation3

  Enfield

  Yes

  In preparation2

  Greenwich

  —

  In preparation1

  Hackney

  —

  —2

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  —

  No plans to issue revised plan

  Haringey

  —

  In preparation

  134

  Borough

  Revised recycling plan approved

  Revised recycling plan expected

  Harrow

  —

  In preparation3

  Havering

  —

  —4

  Hillingdon

  —

  —3

  Hounslow

  —

  —3

  Islington

  —

  —2

  Kensington and Chelsea

  —

  In preparation, Summer 1999

  Kingston upon Thames

  —

  In preparation, 1999

  Lambeth

  —

  In preparation, Summer 1999

  Lewisham

  —

  In preparation1

  Merton

  —

  No plans to issue revised plan

  Newham

  —

  —4

  Redbridge

  —

  Draft received4

  Richmond upon Thames

  —

  Draft received3

  Southwark

  —

  Draft received

  Sutton

  —

  In preparation, Summer 1999

  Tower Hamlets

  —

  No plans to issue revised plan

  Waltham Forest

  —

  —2

  Wandsworth

  Yes

  —

  Westminster

  —

  No revision planned at the moment

  1 Greenwich and Lewisham are working on a combined municipal waste management strategy

  2 North London Waste Authority and its constituent collection authorities (LBs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest) are working on a municipal waste management strategy

  3 West London Waste Authority and its constituent collection authorities (LBs of Brent, Ealing, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow and Richmond upon Thames) are working on a municipal waste management strategy

  4 East London Waste Authority and its constituent collection authorities (LBs of Barking and Dagenham, Havering, Newham and Redbridge) are working on a municipal waste management strategy

  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what requirements govern the extent to which county council waste local plans have to include a specific provision for waste incineration. [90853]

  Mr. Meale
  PPG23 requires local authorities to have regard to the following principles when drawing up their waste development plans:the best practicable environmental option for a particular waste stream in a particular location, which is in turn informed by
  the proximity principle (dealing with waste as close to its source of generation as possible), and
  the waste hierarchy, with an emphasis on waste reduction, re-use and recovery (both materials and energy) before waste disposal options are considered.

  "A Way with Waste", the draft waste strategy for England and Wales published on 30 June 1999, gives greater detail on how waste management decisions should be taken at the local level. The strategy creates no obligation to include incineration within waste development plans. It recognises, however, that energy recovery, by a variety of routes, combined with high levels of recycling and composting, is likely to form part of a balanced and integrated plan.

  Road Accidents
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what criteria are used by his Department in determining the cost of a road accident for a(a) fatality, (b) serious injury and (c) slight injury; and in each case what is the current figure. [90822]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: The values for the prevention of road casualties take account of the following criteria: medical costs, lost production, human costs based on willingness to pay, the cost of police and courts, insurance administration, and property damage. The values attributed to the prevention of death and injury in a road accident in 1997 prices were (a) fatal £902,500; (b) serious accident £102,880; and (c) slight accident £7,970. The value of the prevention of an accident is slightly higher in each case, because there may be more than one casualty. Detailed figures are published in Highways Economic Note 1, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  Packaging Regulations
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish the results of the consultation process on the Packaging Regulations. [90971]

  Mr. Meale
  On the consultation carried out in 1998, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 28 January 1999,Official Report, columns 335–37. A further consultation on proposed changes to the percentage activity obligations and other issues will be published very soon. The consultation period is expected to last about six weeks.

  Maritime Hijacks
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will give the locations of each attempted maritime hijack which occurred for the last year for which figures are available, giving in each case(a) the flag flown, (b) the location of the incident, (c) the material carried and (d) the outcome of the hijacking attempt. [90727]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  According to the International Chamber of Commerce's International Maritime Bureau statistics, there were six recorded incidents of hijack for the period 1 May 1998 to 30 April 1999, as follows:18 May 1998—A Malaysian flagged fishing boat was hijacked in the Malacca Strait. A ransom was paid for release of crew;
  5 August 1998—A Belize flagged general cargo vessel was hijacked off Indonesia; it is still missing with some crew;
  27 September 1999—A general cargo vessel, flag unknown, was hijacked off Somalia; it is still missing with some crew;
  16 November 1998—A Panamanian flagged cargo of furnace slag was hijacked in the South China Sea; all 23 crew were shot dead and the seven pirates responsible subsequently arrested;
  December 1998—An oil tanker, flag unknown, was hijacked off Indonesia; the ship was arrested by authorities and prosecutions are expected;
  12 March 1999—A Belize flagged general cargo vessel was hijacked off Somalia; the vessel was taken to a Somali port by the hijackers. Nothing further is known.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many kilometres have been travelled on departmental business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by departmental employees; and if he will make a statement. [91015]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The information on business travel is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided. As published in the Integrated Transport White Paper in July 1998, the Government have set a target that all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  We have completed green transport plans covering all our headquarters and main buildings and we are developing plans for all other key buildings in line with the targets set out in the White Paper. These plans include a range of measures intended to reduce the environmental and transport impact of DETR operations, including future reductions in business mileage. The plan for our headquarters buildings includes a target to achieve a reduction of 10 per cent. of business travel miles by car over three years, i.e. by March 2000.

  Air Passenger Service Charges
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library a copy of the correspondence between the Office of Fair Trading and the International Air Transport Association about the description of passenger service charges as taxes; and if he will make a statement. [89574]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I am concerned about the practice of some airlines of displaying PSC as a tax. My officials have recently discussed the issue of PSC with representatives of the airlines, and are considering their proposals for ensuring that passengers cease to be misled. The Local Authority Co-ordinating Body on Food and Trading Standards believes that such airlines may be in breach of the Consumer Protection Act 1987, the Trade Descriptions Act 1968 and the Control of Misleading Advertisements Regulations 1988, and has recently issued guidance to this effect to local authority trading standards officers.

  The Office of Fair Trading has written to the International Air Transport Association raising complaints that IATA have misrepresented the PSC as a tax, and IATA have responded.

  I have placed copies of this correspondence in the Library.

  Airlines
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) on how many occasions in the last year he has discussed the issue of
  137
  slots at Heathrow with representatives of (a) British Airways, (b) Virgin Atlantic and (c) other airlines; [91222]

  (2) if he will list each occasion since he took office when he has met (a) British Airways and (b) Virgin Atlantic to discuss the proposed British Airways-American Airlines alliance. [91220]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Ministers in this Department are in regular contact with representatives of British Airways and Virgin Atlantic on aviation matters, including, among other things, slots at Heathrow and the British Airways-American Airlines alliance. It is not the normal practice of government to give details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what indication he has received from British Airways or American Airlines that their proposed alliance is not to proceed. [91224]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  We have received no communication from American Airlines about the alliance. British Airways position continues to be that the progress of the deal as presently structured will depend on satisfactory competition remedies.

  Timber Recycling
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much timber was recycled in each of the last five years. [90716]

  Mr. Meale
  The information requested is not available.

  The Department is working with representatives of the construction industry to develop a strategy to help the industry contribute to the aims of sustainable development. When published later this year, the strategy will address issues such as reducing waste and making more use of recycled materials. In its own operations, the Department follows the advice published in the "Green guide for managers on the government estate" which refers to the importance of using recycled materials in construction and ensuring future recyclability in obtaining best value.

  Climate Change Levy
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the possible implications for local authorities responsible for street lighting of the introduction of the climate change levy. [90714]

  Mr. Meale
  The impact of the climate change levy on local authorities will depend on the rates of the climate change levy. The final rates of climate change levy will not be set until Finance Bill 2000. It is therefore not possible to give definitive figures about the impact of the climate change levy on local authorities.

  It is proposed that the revenue from the climate change levy will be recycled principally through a 0.5 per cent. cut in employers' National Insurance Contributions. Like other employers, local authorities will benefit from this reduction.

  Garden Waste
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the amount of garden waste produced in each of the last 10 years and; and if he will make a statement on(a) the Government's strategy for dealing with garden waste and (b) its policy towards incineration of garden waste. [90715]

  Mr. Meale
  No estimates are available for the total amount of garden waste arisings. 380,000 tonnes of municipal waste, including garden waste, were collected for centralised composting in England and Wales in 1997–98; 250,000 tonnes in 1996–97; and 150,000 tonnes in 1995–96. (Source: DETR Municipal Waste Survey). Estimates from local authorities suggest that a further 200,000–300,000 tonnes are composted each year at home. Data for earlier years were not collected.

  (a) Our draft waste strategy "A Way with Waste" calls for substantial increases in composting and recycling. The Government will continue to work with key players to implement the recommendations of the Composting Development Group to overcome barriers to the marketing of waste-derived compost.

  (b) Incineration with energy recovery should not be undertaken without consideration first being given to the possibility of composting and materials recycling. The final decision will rest with local authorities, and depend on their own circumstances and their assessment of the Best Practicable Environmental Option.

  Telecommunications Masts
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will place in the Library copies of the representations which he has received concerning the application to erect a telecom mast at Chisley Wood, Buckmoor End, Butlers Cross, Buckinghamshire (APP/IT0425/A/99/1024262). [91036]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I can confirm that copies of the two representations about this application while it was under consideration by Wycombe District Council have been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) which Minister will be responsible for determining planning appeal ref. APP/IT0425/A/99/1024262; and if he will make a statement; [91035]

  (2) what steps he has taken to avoid any conflict of interest arising in the determination of planning appeal APP/IT0425/A/99/1024262 concerning a proposal to erect a telecom mast at Chisley Wood, Buckinghamshire. [91033]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The appeal has been withdrawn and the Planning Inspectorate will be taking no further action in the matter.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations (i) his Department and (ii) the Planning Inspectorate have received from Government Departments or agencies about the planning application
  139
  and appeal relating to the erection of a telecom mast at Chisley Wood, Buckmoor End, Butlers Cross, Buckinghamshire. [91034]

  Mr. Raynsford
  None.

  Leasehold Reform
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if, following the consultation on leasehold reform, he intends to(a) make a statement on whether he will legislate and when and (b) publish the results of the consultation. [91187]

  Mr. Raynsford
  We are currently analysing the large number of responses to our consultation paper and will publish the results in due course. We are proceeding as swiftly as possible but I cannot yet say when we will be able to announce our decisions.

  Road Traffic Reduction
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans for an absolute reduction in road traffic levels. [89514]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Government are making good progress in implementing the package of measures set out in our Integrated Transport White Paper which is needed to reduce road traffic growth, and to reduce absolute levels of traffic in those places where its environmental damage is greatest. We remain committed to publishing our first report under the Road Traffic Reduction (National Targets) Act 1998, on the issue of whether to set a national traffic reduction target, by the end of this year.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  British Indian Overseas Territories
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he plans to publish the findings of, and recommendations arising from, the recent visit to the British Indian Overseas Territories by Dr. Charles Sheppard; what steps he has taken to protect fisheries in the British Indian Overseas Territories in the light of the coral bleaching in the islands; from whom advice has been received; and if he will establish no-fishing zones. [87384]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  [holding answer 29 June 1999]: Dr. Sheppard's Report is now being printed and I expect it to be issued in the next few days. The Government of the British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) intends to give it a wide distribution. The fisheries management policy of the BIOT Government is based on the precautionary approach. Some partial Marine Protected Areas were introduced in the autumn of 1998 and the number of licences available for the inshore fishery for the 1999 season reduced by one third.

  Early advice has been received from Dr. Sheppard and BIOT fisheries consultants. After issue of the Report, further consultation will be undertaken in co-ordination with the Department for International Development, who are co-sponsoring an Indian Ocean-wide programme on Coral Reef Degradation.
  140
  The establishment of closed areas or other regulatory mechanisms for the protection of the fishers remain permanently under consideration by the BIOT Government.

  Prime Minister (Personal Representative)
  Mr. Maples
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what respect Lord Levy represented the Prime Minister in his visits to Syria from 9 to 10 April and to Jordan and Syria from 5 to 10 June; what were Lord Levy's terms of reference; if Lord Levy was accompanied by his Department's officials throughout the visits; if he will list the names of those whom Lord Levy met on each occasion in his capacity as the Prime Minister's personal representative and what was discussed; on what Vote the travel costs fell; what were the experience and knowledge possessed by Lord Levy which led to his being chosen for the mission; for what reasons his Department's Ministers did not undertake the visits; what previous visits Lord Levy has undertaken on behalf of the Prime Minister; and what further such visits are planned. [90287]

  Mr. Hoon
  Lord Levy paid for his travel costs personally. His visits included calls on King Abdullah of Jordan and President Assad of Syria when he delivered personal messages on behalf of the Prime Minister.

  The FCO, through the Embassies in Amman and Damascus, liaised in advance with the respective governments on the timing of Lord Levy's visit. The Embassies in Amman and Damascus made programme arrangements, provided some accompanied transportation by road during the programme and accommodation at our Ambassador's residence. The Embassy in Amman hosted a lunch for Lord Levy to meet Jordanian politicians and officials.

  Entry Clearance Applications
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for how long a person who applied for entry clearance for settlement in (i) February, (ii) March, (iii) April, (iv) May and (v) June can be expected to have to wait for an interview in each queue at each post in the Indian subcontinent. [90755]

  Mr. Hoon
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: The figures requested are as follows:

  Waiting time in weeks on last day of month

  Post

  Queue

  February

  March

  April

  May

  Bombay

  1—

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2—

  8

  8

  8

  7

  3—

  8

  8

  8

  7

  4—

  8

  8

  8

  7

  Calcutta

  5—

  0

  0.2

  2

  3

  Colombo

  5—

  1.5

  5

  7

  7

  Dhaka

  1—

  14

  12

  10

  12

  2—

  26

  18

  20

  24

  3—

  14

  11

  9

  12

  4—

  34

  37

  38

  54

  Islamabad

  1—

  13

  12

  12

  12

  2—

  30

  33

  39

  41

  3—

  32

  36

  36

  46

  4—

  36

  40

  40

  53

  Karachi

  5—

  6

  8

  8

  7

  Madras

  5—

  9

  6

  4

  10

  141

  Waiting time in weeks on last day of month

  Post

  Queue

  February

  March

  April

  May

  New Delhi

  1—

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2—

  13

  14

  14

  16

  3—

  23

  22

  24

  26

  4—

  24

  28

  25

  29

  1 Right of Abode claimants; dependent relatives over 65; special compassionate cases

  2 Spouses, children under 18

  3 Fiance(e)s, other settlement categories

  4 Re-applicants

  5 Calcutta, Colombo, Karachi and Madras do not operate separate queues

  Note:

  Figures for June are in the process of being compiled and are not therefore available.

  The extended queues in Islamabad and Dhaka in particular are a consequence of seasonal pressures. We have deployed additional staff to deal with increased applications for short-term visits. We will deploy further staff as necessary in early autumn to reduce the numbers waiting for settlement entry clearance and bring forward interview dates.

  Mrs. Dean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average waiting time is for an initial interview by an entry clearance officer in Islamabad. [91084]

  Mr. Hoon
  Waiting times for interviews vary according to the categories of the application. Some applicants can be issued visas without an interview. The latest figures we have for waiting times in Islamabad for those categories that require interview are for the last working day in May. They are as follows:

  Waiting time

  Tier 3

  (Visit)

  21 days

  Tier 4

  Q1 (Right of Abode claimants, dependent relatives over 65, special compassionate cases)

  12 weeks

  Q2 (Spouses, children under 18)

  41 weeks

  Q3 (Finance(e)s, other categories)

  46 weeks

  Q4 (Re-applicants)

  53 weeks

  The extended queues in Islamabad and Dhaka in particular are a consequence of seasonal pressures. We have deployed additional staff to deal with increased applications for short-term visits. We will deploy further staff as necessary in early autumn to reduce the numbers waiting for settlement entry clearance and bring forward interview dates.

  Yugoslavia
  Mr. McNulty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to give effect to the decision by the General Affairs Council on 26 April to impose additional restrictive measures against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. [91290]
  142
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The additional measures against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia agreed by the Council of Ministers on 26 April included:a travel ban on President Milosevic, his family, all Ministers/senior officials of the FRY and Serbian governments, and on persons, included in a specific list, close to the regime whose activities support President Milosevic;
  a comprehensive flight ban between the European Community and the FRY;
  extension of the scope of the freeze of funds held abroad by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbian Governments to cover individuals associated with President Milosevic and companies controlled by, or acting on behalf of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and Serbian Governments;
  prohibition of provision of export finance by the private sector further to the existing moratorium on Government-financed export credits set out in Common Position 98/240 of 19 March 1998;
  extension of the investment ban set out in Council Regulation (EC) no 1607/98;
  widening the scope of the prohibition on the export of equipment for international repression and its extension to include goods, services, technology and equipment for the purpose of restoring/repairing assets damaged in airstrikes;

  Member states also agreed to discourage the participation of the FRY in international sporting events.

  A Common Position (1999/318/CFSP) confirming these measures was adopted and came into force on 10 May. A Council Decision (1999/319/CFSP) listing those individuals to be covered by the travel ban was adopted and came into force the same day. Immediate steps were taken to implement the ban in the UK.

  The Council adopted Regulation 1064/1999 imposing a ban on flights between the European Community and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on 21 May 1999. This entered into force the following day and repealed and replaced the provisions of Regulation No. 1901/98, as amended. The ban allows for exemptions, subject to a consultation procedure, for strictly humanitarian purposes.

  On 15 June, the Council of the European Union adopted a further Regulation 1294/99 concerning a freeze of funds and a ban on investment in relation to the FRY. The Regulation came into force on 19 June. The regulation provides that:
  funds held outside the territory of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and belonging to the Government of the FRY and/or to the Government of the Republic of Serbia shall be frozen; and that
  no funds shall be made available, directly or indirectly to or for the benefit of, either or both, those Governments.

  For the purpose of the Regulation "Government of the FRY" and "Government of Serbia" are broadly defined to include companies, undertakings, institutions and entities owned or controlled by those Governments, and persons acting or purporting to act for or on behalf of those Governments. Annexes list individuals and companies who are deemed to fall within this definition.

  The Regulation allows for certain specified exemptions.

  The Regulation applies to any person who is a national of a member state, to any body which is incorporated or constituted under the law of a member state, on board an

  143
  aircraft or any vessel under the jurisdiction of a member state and within the territory of the Community and its airspace.

  The Regulation is directly applicable in the UK and repeals Regulations 1295/98 and 1607/98. The Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Freezing of Funds and Prohibition on Investment) Regulations 1999, which came into force on 25 June, give practical effect to the EC Regulation in the UK and provides for criminal penalties if the provisions of the EC Regulation are infringed.

  The Council also decided on 26 April to widen the scope of the prohibition on the export of equipment to include provision and export of certain goods, services and technology to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in order to prevent the restoring/repairing of assets damaged in airstrikes. In line with this decision and pending the preparation of a Regulation to implement it, the UK, while continuing to scrutinise individually all applications for licences to export dual-use goods to the FRY, has granted licences only where the goods are to be used for clearly humanitarian purposes. Following the Council decision, the Commission and member states began preparations to adopt the necessary Regulation. This work has been put on hold, following the end of NATO'S military campaign against the FRY. The UK practice remains in place.

  The Government have taken all necessary steps to discourage participation by teams representing the FRY in sporting events in the UK.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91017]

  Mr. Hoon
  The information on business travel is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided. As published in the Integrated Transport White Paper in July 1998, the Government have set a target that all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  The FCO has completed a green transport plan covering its entire United Kingdom estate. This includes the Department's headquarters buildings in Central London and its sole provincial site at Hanslope Park, some 5 miles north of Milton Keynes. The plan aims to reduce car use by employees for business travel by such measures as reviewing rates of mileage payable to users of private cars and bicycles for official journeys and providing improved facilities for secure storage of cycles on official premises and improved locker and shower facilities for cyclists in order to promote cycling and encourage greater use of public transport.
  144
  The Plan discourages the use of private motor vehicles for home to office transport to buildings in Central London by severely restricting the number of parking slots available for private use. "Casual" parking on official premises is not permitted. The FCO will continue to provide staff with loans to fund the purchase of annual rail season tickets and, in the longer term, may consider the introduction of loans for the purchase of bicycles,

  The FCO has also taken steps to reduce the size of its official transport fleet in the United Kingdom and to ensure compliance with DETR emission regulations through tighter controls on maintenance standards. The trial of a vehicle fuelled by LPG is currently under way.

  Portugal (British Prisoners)
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British nationals are currently in custody in Portugal but have not yet had charges brought against them; and how many of them have been in custody for more than(a) three months, (b) six months and (c) nine months. [89573]

  Mr. Hoon
  On 6 July, our records show there were three British Nationals detained in Portugal without charge who had spent nine months, seven months and one week in custody. In addition, another Briton has been detained for seven weeks pending consideration of a request for extradition to the UK.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 18 May 1999,Official Report, columns 333–34, on tobacco, how many requests for help from other countries, referred to in paragraph 5, have been (a) received by posts and (b) referred to the Department of Health. [91179]

  Mr. Hoon
  No such requests have yet been received via posts to pass to the Department of Health. We remain fully supportive of international tobacco control work and are committed to international efforts, under World Health Organisation auspices, to tackle smoking.

  Departmental Spending
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will give a regional breakdown of his Department's spending on(a) hospitality, (b) stationery and (c) travel in the last year for which figures are available. [90568]

  Mr. Hoon
  Expenditure by the FCO on hospitality, stationery and travel in England in the last Financial Year (1998–99) was as follows:

  Expenditure

  £000

  Hospitality1

  2,289

  Stationery

  2,538

  Travel

  1,192

  1 This figure includes the expenditure by the Government Hospitality Fund which provides for State Visits, Guests of Government and functions for all Government Departments

  Departmental Buildings
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the location and running costs in the last year for which figures are available of each of his Department's buildings in the United Kingdom. [90570]

  Mr. Hoon
  The location and running costs—for 1998–99—of each of the FCO's buildings in the UK are listed:

  £000

  Location

  Running costs Financial year 1998–99

  Main building, London SW1

  2,700

  Old Admiralty Building, London SW1

  420

  1 Palace Street, London SW1E

  4,870

  22–24 Whitehall, London SW1

  50

  8 Cleveland Row, London SW1

  210

  Cromwell House, London SW1

  1,150

  20 Victoria Street, London SW1

  40

  4 Matthew Parker Street, London SW1

  1,040

  Apollo House, Croydon

  650

  Hanslope Park, Bucks

  990

  Creslow, Bucks

  50

  Gawcott, Bucks

  Orfordness, Suffolk

  Miscellaneous Expenditure

  13,990

  + 270

  4,260

  1 Running cost expenditure on a range of buildings, but which have not been separately identified on the FCO's accounting system

  Consular Assistance
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what are the arrangements for providing consular assistance to Commonwealth nationals in United Kingdom embassies in countries where their nation is not represented; and what charges are made for such services. [90572]

  Mr. Hoon
  The UK has no responsibility for other Commonwealth citizens in Commonwealth countries. We have no formal obligation to help Commonwealth nationals in foreign countries where they have no representation. By tradition, however, we help where we can. We do not charge for consular protection work, but consular fees are, where appropriate, levied on their nationals.

  Departmental Capital Projects
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the capital projects funded by his Department in the United Kingdom for which cumulative costs have exceeded £1 million, indicating the percentage of projects in(a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) London and the South East, in the last year for which figures are available. [90566]

  Mr. Hoon
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has four capital projects worth more than 1 million pounds in the United Kingdom. All are in London and South East England.146
  Home estate:
  Renovation of Old Admiralty Building in Central London.
  IT and office automation:
  New Windows Office system. This is part of a system being delivered to FCO offices at home and overseas;
  Intelligence handling system
  Financial Management and Accounts System

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the number of his Department's employees based (i) overseas and (ii) in the United Kingdom, broken down by region; and if he will list the total wage bill, by region, of those based in the United Kingdom, providing separately the costs of any London allowances and weightings in the last year for which figures are available. [90567]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  On 1 April 1999, the FCO employed 5,493 UK-based staff in London and the South East and at posts overseas. Of these, 2,217 were serving overseas.

  Total wage-bill expenditure on all UK-based staff (including the cost of Salaries, National Insurance, Shift Allowance, Superannuation, Overtime and Recruitment and Retention Allowance) for the financial year 1998–99 was £172.5 million.

  Expenditure in 1997–99 on London allowances and weightings, which forms part of the Recruitment and Retention Allowance budget, was £7.9 million.

  Departmental Overseas Properties
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list overseas properties which his Department shares(a) with other United Kingdom Departments and (b) with foreign Governments. [90571]

  Mr. Hoon
  (a) The FCO does not formally share any overseas properties with other United Kingdom Departments. However, around 970 staff from other United Kingdom Departments work in many of our 220 Posts.

  (b) In the overseas locations listed, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office shares its properties with foreign governments:

  Almaty

  Kampala

  Kinshasa

  Llilongwe

  Lima

  Minsk

  Ottawa

  Quito

  Reykjavic

  Vientiane

  United Kingdom/European Community (Payments and Receipts)
  Mr. Kemp
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the United Kingdom's total payments to the European Community and net receipts from the European Community were in 1998. [90273]

  Ms Hewitt
  I have been asked to reply.
  147
  Details of the United Kingdom's gross contributions, receipts and net contributions for the 1998 calendar year are set out in Table 3 of the White Paper "European Community Finances" (Cm4382).

HEALTH

  Cancer Care
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of using(a) flexible sigmoidoscopy and (b) Haemocult screening in diagnosing for colorectal cancer; and if he will make a statement. [89094]

  Mr. Hutton
  A large-scale study by the Medical Research Council, which receives its grant-in-aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, about the use of flexible sigmoidoscopy in the early diagnosis of colorectal cancer in symptomatic patients has recently been completed. We will assess the conclusions of that study when it is published at the end of the year.

  We have commissioned two pilot sites to test the feasibility and public acceptability of screening for colorectal cancer. The pilots will initially use Haemocult technology for Faecal Occult Blood testing, which has previously been proven in robust research trials.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department spends annually on(a) cancer treatment drugs and (b) laxatives. [89095]

  Mr. Hutton
  In 1998, the net ingredient cost of drugs used in the treatment of cancer and dispensed in the community in England was £96.1 million. Information about the condition for which drugs are dispensed is not available centrally, and therefore some of these drugs may have been used to treat other conditions.

  In 1998, the net ingredient cost of laxatives dispensed in the community in England was £47.0 million.

  Information on drugs dispensed in hospitals is not available centrally.

  The net ingredient cost is the basic cost of a drug and does not take account of discounts, dispensing costs, fees or prescription charges income.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the patient information packs to be produced under the Cancer Information Strategy will be available on an internet web site; and if he will make a statement. [89085]

  Mr. Hutton
  The National electronic Library for Health (NeLH) will provide information about cancer services.

  It is intended that access for health care professionals to the electronic Library will be through the National Health Service's own secure intranet (NHSnet), and that patients and the public will be able to access it through other routes, one of which is likely to be the internet. It is intended that patient information packs will be made available through the public floor of the NeLH.
  148
  The NHS Information Authority will be considering the business case for the NeLH in the near future, with the expectation of having a prototype in operation before the end of the year.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his Department's plans to make cancer care services more patient-centred. [89093]

  Mr. Hutton
  We are committed to the development of patient-centred care across the National Health Service. It is at the heart of the Calman/Hine report, "A Policy Framework for Commissioning Cancer Services". Patients should be closely involved in decisions about their care and clear information about treatment options and outcomes should be available at all stages.

  We are committed to patient-centred care, support and information for both patients and also for families and carers. A recent cancer summit hosted by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister was opened by a presentation from a patient. We are also pleased to be supporting the Macmillan campaign, "A Voice for Life", by assisting in the distribution of a cancer information booklet to every patient diagnosed with cancer.

  We have set up a new Cancer Care Action Group, to bring together leading cancer voluntary organisations and the NHS to assist with identifying and implementing improvements to the quality of care offered to patients and their families.

  Statutory Instruments
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of statutory instruments introduced by his Department into Parliament in(a) 1998, (b) 1992, (c) 1985 and (d) 1973 had the European Union as their legislative source. [89166]

  Ms Jowell
  The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Breast Screening
  Ms Perham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the pilot projects to assess the impact of extending routine breast screening to older women were set up; and for what reason the age limit was extended only to women aged up to 69 years. [89365]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Department is funding three pilot projects set up to assess the impact of extending routine breast screening to older women. The Brighton pilot was set up in May 1996 and will finish later this year. The project in Nottingham started in February 1997 and the one in Leeds/Wakefield started in June 1997. They will complete in 2000.

  There is growing evidence to suggest that an increasing number of women aged up to 69 would accept routine invitations to screening. This evidence weakens for women over the age of 70 and from the age of 74 is non-existent. A woman can ask to be screened every three years in the same way as women aged 50–64.

  Terminally Ill Patients
  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what response the Government have made to the British Medical Association's new guidelines on giving resuscitation to terminally ill patients. [90442]

  Ms Jowell
  The Department is aware that the British Medical Association have indicated an intent to revise their guidance on Decisions Relating to Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation which was issued jointly with the Royal College of Nursing in association with the Resuscitation Council (UK) in 1993. However, the revision has not yet been published and we are therefore unable to comment on it.

  Cordless Telephones
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effects of exposure to radiation from cordless telephones; and if he will make a statement. [90432]

  Ms Jowell
  I am advised that cordless telephones operate at much lower powers to mobile telephones although they are very similar in their principles of operation. There is a substantial body of evidence relating to the effects of high intensity exposure to radio waves and there are national and international exposure guidelines based on the avoidance of these effects. The advice of the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) is that exposures of the users of modern mobile telephones will comply with these guidelines. It is expected that exposures from cordless telephones will be far lower than those from mobile telephones and the relevant European Standards group has said that measurements are not required at these lower powers.

  The NRPB's Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation continues to review research on the health effects of electromagnetic fields and NRPB have been instructed to set up an independent working group to assess the current state of research into the use of mobile phones. The findings would be relevant to exposures from cordless telephones also. The group will be chaired by Sir William Stewart FRS, FRSE. The membership and terms of reference will be announced shortly.

  Persistent Vegetative State
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS patients are in a persistent vegetative state; and if he will make a statement. [90429]

  Ms Jowell
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Organ Donation (Conditions)
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will bring forward proposals to prevent people selecting the ethnic or religious group of the person to whom they donate an organ; [90986]

  (2) how many people who donated organs specified that such organs were to be used for patients of a particular ethnic or religious group in each of the past five years. [90987]
  150
  Mr. Dobson
  On 6 July, I was told of a case where organs for transplant had been accepted on condition that they shall be given to white recipients only. I immediately ordered an investigation by the Permanent Secretary in the Department of Health. So far, this investigation has not identified any case beyond that originally brought to my attention, which occurred in 1998. I shall take whatever action is necessary to prevent this practice.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91032]

  Mr. Denham
  The information on business travel is not available centrally.

  As published in the Integrated Transport White Paper in July 1998, the Government have set a target that all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  We have completed green transport plans covering our headquarters and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies. The plans include measures to reduce the use by staff of private transport, including initiatives to encourage use of public transport, a review of rules governing the use of private transport and enhancement of videoconferencing facilities. We are developing plans for all other key buildings in line with the targets set out in the White Paper.

  Waiting Lists
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make additional funding available in this financial year to Essex Health Authority to enable Mid-Essex Hospital Trust to reduce in-patient and out-patient waiting lists to below what they were on 31 March 1997. [91046]

  Mr. Denham
  Additional funding of £4.23 million has been made available to North Essex Health Authority in 1999–2000 from the modernisation fund to help address waiting lists in the trusts in the health authority's area, including the Mid-Essex Hospital Services National Health Service Trust.

  Mid-Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust is committed to playing its part and making a contribution to the Government's objective of reducing long out-patients' waits and the health authority's overall waiting list figures.

  Stroke Services
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps he is taking to increase the provision of(a) stroke services and (b) doctors specialising in stroke medicine; [90194]
  151
  (2) what steps are being taken to spread best practice in stroke medicine. [90195]

  Mr. Hutton
  Evidence-based national service frameworks are being developed to ensure consistent access to and quality of care right across the country. In December 1998, we announced that the national service framework for older people would include stroke services.

  In addition, we are funding a range of initiatives related to stroke including a sentinel audit of stroke services; reviewing the Effective Health Care Bulletin, produced in 1992 on stroke rehabilitation; funding the Royal College of Physicians to develop guidelines in stroke rehabilitation; and publishing a report later this year by the National Health Service Health Outcomes Indicators Group on health outcomes for stroke.

  Stroke medicine is not a recognised hospital specialty. The Specialty Workforce Advisory Group advises Ministers on the numbers needed in higher specialist training in the stroke related specialties, geriatric medicine and neurology, to provide fully trained doctors to fill consultant posts in the future. In estimating likely future requirements for higher specialist trainees, it seeks views from the NHS on local pressures and service developments and consults the medical profession.

  Consultant Vacancies
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many whole-time equivalent consultants there were in each of the last five years in(a) the National Health Service as a whole, (b) psychiatry, (c) obstetrics and gynaecology, (d) paediatrics, (e) geriatrics and (f) oncology; [91041]

  (2) how many new whole-time equivalent consultant posts were created in each of the last five years in (a) the National Health Service as a whole, (b) psychiatry, (c) obstetrics and gynaecology, (d) paediatrics, (e) geriatrics and (f) oncology. [91040]

  Mr. Denham
  Information on the numbers of whole-time equivalent consultants in each of the last five years in psychiatry, obstetrics and gynaecology, paediatrics, geriatrics and oncology is shown in the table. Information about numbers of posts is not available centrally.

  Numbers of whole-time equivalent hospital medical consultants for specified specialties in England at 30 September each year 1994–98

  Specialties

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  Total Consultants

  England

  15,640

  16,930

  17,610

  18,620

  19,380

  Psychiatry Group

  1,880

  2,040

  2,080

  2,210

  2,360

  Obstetrics and Gynaecology

  820

  880

  910

  960

  970

  Geriatric medicine

  600

  640

  620

  650

  690

  Paediatrics

  920

  1,010

  1,060

  1,130

  1,190

  Oncology

  280

  310

  300

  330

  360

  Notes:

  1. Figures round to the nearest ten;

  2. Psychiatry group includes: child and adolescent; forensic; learning disabilities; old age and psychotherapy;

  3. Paediatrics includes: paediatrics neurology/cardiology

  Source:

  Department of Health HCHS medical and dental workforce census
  152
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what, in each of the last five years, was the whole-time equivalent number of unfilled vacancies for consultant posts in(a) the National Health Service as a whole, (b) psychiatry, (c) obstetrics and gynaecology, (d) paediatrics, (e) geriatrics and (f) oncology. [91039]

  Mr. Denham
  In January 1999, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, during his appearance at the House of Commons Health Committee, indicated that the Department would conduct a survey of staff shortages by the end of 1998–99. The results of this survey will be published in due course.

  Contraception
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make emergency contraception available on the NHS to women in advance of their need to use it. [91044]

  Ms Jowell
  Hormonal emergency contraception is available on the National Health Service from clinics, any general practitioner who provides contraceptive services—not just the woman's usual general practitioner—family planning clinics, youth advisory services, some hospital accident and emergency departments and some genito-urinary clinics. While not to be prescribed for use as a regular contraceptive, a doctor may, under the terms of the licence, prescribe hormonal emergency contraception prospectively where, in his or her clinical judgment, it is appropriate and there is a risk that the usual method of contraception might fail or not be used.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to set up pilot schemes for the prescription of contraceptives by nurses and pharmacists under group protocols, as outlined in the Crown Review of prescribing and administration of drugs. [91043]

  Ms Jowell
  I currently have no plans to do so.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Monsanto
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the trips, facilities, gifts and other offerings of a financial value provided by Monsanto to(a) ministers and (b) civil servants in his Department since 1 May 1997. [88953]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 29 June 1999]: Departmental hospitality records show that, since 1 May 1997, DTI officials have had working lunches with Monsanto on two occasions.

  Insolvency
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to make a statement on insolvency. [89559]

  Dr. Howells
  We have been concerned for some time that for too many people the fear of failure stifles innovation and enterprise. The Insolvency Service was
  153
  therefore asked to take a fresh look at attitudes to business failures, balancing the needs of bankrupts with the rights of their creditors.

  A small number of bankrupts, an estimated 7–12 per cent., may be deemed to be culpable, including those who deliberately set out to mislead and deceive others. But for those who fail for reasons beyond their control, despite their best efforts to save their businesses, we need a new attitude.

  The Insolvency Service's study suggests that the bankruptcy laws could be changed to allow people who have put money into their business to hold on to enough to cover the deposit for a new home on a pound-for-pound basis matching their investment up to a maximum limit of, say, between £10,000 and £20,000. This concession would not apply to culpable bankrupts.

  We now plan to consult on this proposal and on the possibility of differentiating between bankrupts who have been simply unfortunate and those whose behaviour has been unacceptable. The Insolvency Service study suggests that culpable bankrupts could face disqualification from between three and five years, with exceptionally bad cases being extended to fifteen years. On the other hand, responsible risk-takers could be discharged earlier than at present. Six months instead of three years is suggested.

  As well as consulting on these ideas, we hope to introduce some important but uncontroversial amendments to insolvency law as soon as possible, including the possibility of a rescue period for companies in trouble. Building on these ideas, the DTI and the Treasury are also carrying out a joint review of Company Rescue Mechanisms.

  As part of the Insolvency Service's study, Official Receivers carried out a survey of business failures during January and February 1999. They found that:
  out of 1,412 cases, less than 3 per cent. of failures were attributable to fraud;
  half of all businesses had traded for less than 4 years, 32 per cent. failed within their first 2 years;
  33 per cent. of directors and bankrupts involved were aged between 35 and 45;
  the most common reason for insolvency give was the businesses' loss of market or its main customer (19 per cent.).

  The Study concluded that a linkage between investment in a business and keeping a limited amount of money to cover a mortgage deposit could have a number of benefits. It could:
  remove a real disincentive to set up in business;
  encourage better capitalisation of new businesses. A major cause of failure of businesses in their first 3 years is lack of capital;
  provide an incentive to better record keeping (it claimed to have invested would have to be substantiated). Poor record keeping is another common factor in many bankruptcies.

  Market Research
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the title and purpose of each item of market and opinion research commissioned by or through his Department, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies since May 1997 stating in each case whether or not the results were published. [89687]
  154
  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 5 July 1999]: The following table shows all surveys conducted by the DTI and its agencies since 1 May 1997 which involve an element of public opinion research, and which are subject to survey control. No information is held centrally on market and opinion research commissioned by non-departmental public bodies. The table indicates, where possible, those surveys whose results have been published.

  DTI surveys involving an element of opinion gathering since 1 May 1997 (as at July 1999)

  Purpose

  Published

  DTI regular surveys conducted since 1 May 1997

  Workplace Employee Relations Survey

  Assess state of the industry

  1—

  National Weights and Measures Customer Survey

  Customer satisfaction

  No

  Patent Office Customer Survey

  Citizen's charter

  Yes

  Export Market Information Centre User Satisfaction Questionnaire

  Customer satisfaction

  No

  Quality Management System for Export Services

  Customer satisfaction

  Yes

  Radiocommunications Agency Customer Survey

  Citizen's charter

  Yes

  Business Links Baseline Tracking Study

  Programme evaluation

  Yes

  Biotechnology Means Business Evaluation

  Programme evaluation

  No

  Design Council Evaluation and Tracking Study

  Programme evaluation

  No

  Companies House Customer Satisfaction Survey

  Customer satisfaction

  Yes

  3rd Survey of Industrial Tribunals

  Programme evaluation

  1—

  Quality Management System: Market Directorates

  Customer satisfaction

  Yes

  Subtotal Regular Surveys: 12

  DTI ad-hoc surveys conducted since 1 May 1997

  Survey of UKAEA Contractors

  Programme evaluation

  No

  Insolvency Service User Survey

  Customer satisfaction

  Yes

  Environmental Technology Best Practice Programme

  Programme evaluation

  2—

  Evaluation of Regional Supply Network

  Programme evaluation

  Yes

  Support for Overseas Trade Fairs and Seminars

  Programme evaluation

  Yes

  Business Link Advertising Campaign Evaluation (Benchmark)

  Advertising campaign evaluation

  No

  Business Link Advertising Campaign Evaluation (Follow-up)

  Advertising campaign evaluation

  No

  Future Market for Photovoltaic Building Products

  Assess state of industry

  Yes

  BNSC Customer Survey

  Customer satisfaction

  Yes

  Evaluation of Design of High Speed Machinery Programme

  Programme evaluation

  Yes

  Evaluation of Export Market Research Scheme

  Programme evaluation

  No

  Evaluation of RETEX Initiative

  Programme evaluation

  3—

  Evaluation of KONVER Initiative

  Programme evaluation

  3—

  Evaluation of Industry '96 Follow-up

  Programme evaluation

  Yes

  Mid-term Review of Applications Demonstration Programme

  Programme evaluation

  3—

  Review of European Supported Networks

  Programme evaluation

  No

  Evaluation of Regional Selective Assistance '89–'93

  Programme evaluation

  3—

  Engineering Automotive and Metals Directorate Client Survey

  Customer satisfaction

  No

  Business Links Value for Money Evaluation

  Programme evaluation

  Yes

  DTI/Foundry 2000 Survey

  Assess state of industry

  1—

  Evaluation of Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme

  Programme evaluation

  Yes

  Review of the Internet Watch Foundation

  Programme evaluation

  Yes

  155

  DTI surveys involving an element of opinion gathering since 1 May 1997 (as at July 1999)

  Purpose

  Published

  Materials Measurement Evaluation Survey

  Programme evalution

  Yes

  Working Time Regulations Evaluation

  Programme evaluation

  No

  Survey of New and Renewable Energy Programme Participants

  Programme evaluation

  4—

  Evaluation of OSO Support for Innovation Programme

  Programme evaluation

  1—

  Bankruptcy Register User Survey

  Customer satisfaction

  No

  UK Business Potential for Virtual Reality

  Assess state of industry

  Yes

  Interim Evaluation of DTI's Biotechnology Means Business

  Programme evaluation

  No

  Joining Forces Evaluation

  Programme evaluation

  1—

  Management Best Practice Customer Survey

  Customer satisfaction

  No

  Government Office Eastern Region Client Survey

  Customer satisfaction

  1—

  Business Link Pre/Post Advertising Survey

  Advertising campaign evaluation

  No

  Sector Sponsorship Evaluation

  Programme evaluation

  1—

  National Minimum Wage Quantitative Research

  Advertising campaign evaluation

  No

  Evaluation of Inward Missions

  Programme evaluation

  1—

  Evaluation of Biotechnology SME Initiatives

  Programme evaluation

  No

  Study of the Impact of EU Framework Programmes

  Programme evaluation

  1—

  DTI Overseas Trade Services Language Study 1999

  Programme evaluation

  Yes

  Subtotal ad hock surveys: 39

  DTI surveys to households and individuals conducted since 1 May 1997

  Consumer Product Recalls

  Customer attitudes

  4—

  Insolvency Service Communications Review

  Customer awareness

  No

  Surveys of users and non-users of the Internet

  Customer awareness

  Yes

  Subtotal surveys to households and individuals: 3

  Grand Total of surveys: 54

  1 To be published.

  2 The Environment Technology Best Practice Survey is a series of Surveys given blanket approval in 1994 which is still in progress. The results of some individual surveys have been published, but in most cases they are not.

  3 Information not available.

  4 Yet to be decided whether results will be published.

  Export Licences
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what powers the Government have to revoke export licences; and if he will list the occasions on which licences have been revoked. [90694]

  Dr. Howells
  Powers to revoke export licences are contained in Regulation 3(2) of the Dual-Use and Related Goods (Export Control) Regulations 1996 and in Article 7(1) of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994.

  Over the years, a large number of standard individual export licences have been revoked for a range of reasons; for instance, because of the introduction of UN trade sanctions or arms embargoes or in response to wrongdoing. It would entail disproportionate cost to provide details of all these licences.
  156
  Details of licences revoked between 2 May and 31 December 1997 were set out in the annual report published on 25 March by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. This information would also be included in future annual reports.

  Information Society Directive
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress with the Information Society Directive. [90398]

  Dr. Howells
  The draft EC Directive on copyright and related rights in the Information Society is still under discussion in a Working Group of the Council of Ministers. The European Parliament gave its Opinion in February, and the European Commission have recently published their amended proposal which takes on board many of the Parliament's amendments. As the outgoing German Presidency reported at the Internal Market Council on 21 June, progress has been made on the Directive. However, the common position of the member states is not expected for some time owing to the complex and controversial nature of some of the proposals.

  The electronic environment necessitates international harmonisation of copyright laws, and the Government therefore welcome the broad thrust of this Directive and wish to see it adopted as soon as possible. However, there are concerns about certain aspects of the Directive, including the treatment of temporary copies, the approach on exceptions to rights for a broad range of users, and provisions on technical measures. We are pressing in the Council for solutions on these issues which will allow a fair and reasonable balance to be maintained between the interests of all the key players.

  Property Purchases
  Dr. Whitehead
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evidence he has assessed of the existence of a preference system for property purchases linking estate agents, mortgages and the availability of purchase options to clients agreeing to take part. [90765]

  Dr. Howells
  Discrimination against a prospective purchaser by an estate agent on the ground that the purchaser will not be, or is unlikely to be, accepting services is an undesirable practice under the Estate Agents (Undesirable Practices) (No. 2) Order 1991. I understand that the Office of Fair Trading is currently considering a number of complaints it has received on this issue.

  Minimum Wage
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the number of employers, broken down by size of firm, who have been fined for paying less than the statutory minimum wage. [91166]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  No employers have been fined. The overwhelming majority of the non-complying employers discovered by the minimum wage inspectors have subsequently agreed to make good the underpayment, without the need for further action. But we expect a number of enforcement notices to be issued shortly against recalcitrant employers. If these are not complied with, they will be followed by financial penalty notices.

  Imperial Measures
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if it is his policy to make it a criminal offence after 1 January 2000 for butchers and greengrocers to sell loose goods using imperial measures; and if he will make a statement. [91076]

  Dr. Howells
  The Weights and Measures Act 1985 prohibits the use, for trade, of units of measurement other than those defined and authorised by the Act. The Act was amended in 1994 to authorise metric units only for the sale of loose goods by weight after 31 December 1999. Imperial units are authorised after that date only as optional supplementary indications of quantity and price, alongside the mandatory primary indications in metric units.

  Airbus
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with(a) British Aerospace and (b) his French counterpart concerning the potential sale or merger of the United Kingdom interest in Airbus. [91204]

  Mr. Battle
  I have regular discussions with both industry and my European counterparts on the future structure of Airbus. All sides are committed to transforming the existing Airbus consortium into a single corporate entity working along fully commercial lines in order to maximise its competitiveness. The Government hopes this will happen in the near future. However, it is for the industrial partners to lead the process and to determine what steps are necessary. At a meeting of the Airbus Governments and industry at the Paris Airshow last month, Ministers asked the partner companies to report by the end of the Summer on their proposed way ahead in transforming Airbus.

  Unfair Dismissal
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) men and (b) women have appealed to an industrial tribunal for unfair dismissal during the last 12 months. [90766]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  Between 1 July 1998 and 30 June 1999, the Employment Tribunals received a total of 35,017 applications for unfair dismissal. The gender breakdown was as follows:

  Male: 22,000

  Female: 12,785

  Not specified: 232.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of mail received in the last 12 months for which figures are available from right hon. and hon. Members was replied to by him within,(a) up to 20 days, (b) 21 to 30 days, (c) 31 to 40 days and (d) over 40 days. [90149]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Lincoln (Gillian Merron) on 11 June 1999, Official Report, columns 403–06, which sets out
  158
  departmental performance against the target set for answering correspondence from right hon. and hon. Members, in the 1998 calendar year.

  The percentage of mail received in the last 12 months from right hon. and hon. Members which are replied to within the time scales specified could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Royal Mail (Transport)
  Mr. Caton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to encourage the Royal Mail to increase the proportion of post transported by rail. [90752]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: Decisions relating to the transport arrangement for mail are the operational responsibility of Royal Mail management whose business policy is continually to review its methods of transportation in order to improve service to customers.

  I understand that Royal Mail are currently looking at a number of initiatives for transferring letter mails from road to rail and the first of these will be introduced between London and Glasgow at the end of August. In addition, a dedicated rail terminal at Bristol is scheduled for completion by Easter 2000, which will transfer an annual 250,000 kilometres of road journeys to rail.

  Mr. Caton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage by volume of Royal Mail parcels and letters have been transferred from rail to road transport in the past five years. [90852]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  I understand from the Post Office that there has been no net movement of Royal Mail letter traffic from road transport to rail in the past five years. Over the period, conveyance of letter traffic by transport mode has remained constant at 70 per cent. road, 23 per cent. rail and 7 per cent.

  Parcelforce have transferred 0.5 per cent. of national traffic from road to rail via the intermodal service introduced in June 1998.

  British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to make an announcement on the proposed partial privatisation of BNFL. [91143]

  Mr. Byers
  I am now in a position to make a statement about the future of BNFL.

  On 11 November 1998, Official Report, column 222, my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy and Industry announced that KPMG were carrying out an initial review of the options for BNFL's future structure including, but not restricted to, some form of Public Private Partnership (PPP).

  BNFL is pursuing an ambitious strategy designed to achieve global market leadership in nuclear business. Its objective should be to grow and flourish in a fast-growing global market by exploiting the benefits of its unique expertise in nuclear clean-up and decommissioning. The acquisition of Westinghouse and winning the opportunity to take part in two major nuclear waste clean-up contracts in the United States at the US Department of Energy's

  159
  Hanford site in Washington and at the Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory are an integral part of this strategy.

  I have now considered KPMG's report and the subsequent work which my Department asked KPMG to undertake. The report states that the need for Government to approve these major transactions has thrown into sharp relief the difficulties which it can face in judging major commercial transactions of this nature. I agree with this analysis.

  It is clear from KPMG's work that a public-private partnership, involving a partial transfer of BNFL to the private sector, possibly by a flotation of part of the equity of the company, would be the best way of injecting private sector expertise and entrepreneurial spirit, while holding to the Government's priorities of rigorous safety, health and environmental standards.

  I have therefore decided that, in principle, a PPP would be good for the company, the employees, the taxpayer, and the wider community. Accordingly, I am asking my officials to tender for advisers to provide advice on a PPP for BNFL. Our current working assumption is that a PPP would involve BNFL as a whole. The KPMG report noted that there would be major operational and regulatory obstacles in separating the businesses and that such an approach would run counter to BNFL's vision as an integrated nuclear services provider. Existing legislation provides for the sale of up to 49 per cent. of the business.

  Before a PPP is introduced into the business, I want to see BNFL achieve improved safety and environmental standards and I must be sure that the taxpayer will get proper value for money, reflecting the company's commercial performance.

  I have therefore decided to take an innovative approach, which will set this PPP apart from the privatisations of the previous Administration, and which will focus on BNFL achieving improved safety and environmental standards, sustained and progressive improvement in its commercial performance, and a constructive partnership between management and workforce in developing the skills and capabilities of all those who work in the business. To this end, the Government will, together with the company, explore the scope for developing an employee partnership scheme, with the aim of ensuring that the employees share in the future success of the business, and that they are rewarded for their part in the progress the company makes towards achieving a successful PPP.

  In considering my approach to this PPP, I have taken careful consideration of the recent work and advice of the National Audit Office, the Public Accounts Committee and the Trade and Industry Committee about the lessons to be learned from past Government share offerings to enable the taxpayer to receive due value from the introduction of private capital, reflecting the company's performance and potential for future earnings.

  I have therefore set BNFL a number of specific performance targets.

  The targets relating to safety and the environment are being developed with the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agencies.
  160
  Both BNFL and I attach great importance to the health of the company's workforce and to its safety. No less important is care for the environment and the need for BNFL to strive towards continuous improvement in this area with the aim of bringing work practices, culture and performance into line with world-class international standards.

  The company will therefore build on its recent record in safety, health and environmental performance by aiming at continuous and measurable improvement in these areas against a new and challenging index, based on best practice and developed in consultation with the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agencies.

  The new index will reinforce the efforts the company are making to achieve this sustained improvement in achievement in their record on safety, health and environmental protection.

  The company, and all the trade unions representing the workforce, will build on their recent success in developing the concept of partnership. This has led to proposals for a new single contract which will enhance skill levels, introduce new competencies and create a flexible mobile workforce generating high value employment opportunities in the communities where BNFL operates. Under the existing Partnership Council involving union representatives, it is intended to monitor progress in implementing the new contract, including measuring targeted improvements in skill enhancement and productivity levels. The company and the unions are agreed that the introduction of a PPP into BNFL could help create a climate in which initiatives to improve productivity would be encouraged and which would underpin and enhance recent progress in establishing a partnership approach within the company. The company will also aim to achieve improvements in productivity as expressed in sales per unit of cost.

  The company will seek to enhance its financial performance further through material and progressive growth in the profits generated from ordinary activities. It will also aim to increase the overall contribution made by its US business to BNFL profits, and increase towards 15 per cent. the proportion of BNFL profits derived from the US business. BNFL's progress in winning an increasing share of the US clean-up business will help contribute towards this goal.

  In 1997 BNFL set itself the target of achieving cumulative reductions in controllable costs of 25 per cent. by March 2001. This remains the aim: thus far BNFL has achieved reductions in controllable costs of some 14 per cent.

  The company has established a Liabilities Management Unit to reinforce the strategic management of its liabilities and will, without compromising safety and consistent with the regulatory framework within which it operates, seek to identify ways to manage them more efficiently and effectively through the development of new techniques, skills and strategies.

  The company will also continue to sustain a Research and Technology capability which will contribute to the company's overall business performance and enable it to continue to meet high standards of safety and environmental protection.
  161
  These targets reflect the company's commitment to high standards of safety, health and the environment; they focus on the key drivers of value in the business; and they acknowledge the importance of developing the skills of the workforce and of productivity gains. Each target is backed up by an understanding between my Department and the company of how it will be measured, the precise details of which must, for obvious reasons, remain commercially confidential. They form a balanced scorecard of stretching targets which provide BNFL—both management and the workforce—with the opportunity to demonstrate that the company can realise its full potential, in line with its "Beyond 2000" Strategy.

  The Government will look to introduce a PPP into BNFL before the end of the current Parliament, subject to BNFL's overall progress towards achieving these targets, as well as the further work which will now be undertaken by my Department and its advisers.

  I am arranging for a summary of the key points in the KPMG report to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Plutonium
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if shipments of plutonium from Sellafield are required to be accompanied by an armed escort vessel. [90713]

  Mr. Battle
  I announced to the House on 18 January 1999,Official Report, columns 364–65, the arrangements for the return to Japan of nuclear materials recovered from reprocessing Japanese spent nuclear fuel at BNFL's Sellafield plant, including the use of armed vessels.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the total cost of providing security for shipments of plutonium from Sellafield is met by BNFL. [90712]

  Mr. Battle
  The cost of providing physical security for MOX fuel shipments from Europe to Japan are reflected in the value of BNFL's contracts with its customers.

  End-of-life Vehicles
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason no conclusion was reached at the Environment Council on the proposed directive on end-of-life vehicles. [91223]

  Dr. Howells
  At the Environment Council meeting on 24 June, the Presidency concluded that it was not possible to reach a Common Position due to concerns about the date of application of the producer responsibility obligations in respect of existing vehicles. The incoming Finnish Presidency intends to find a solution to this issue during its Presidency, and will schedule a further discussion with other member states on this Directive.

  These concerns affect an important industry and need to be considered carefully. I am confident that an outcome acceptable to all can be found.

  National Minimum Wage
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the application 162
  of the national minimum wage to disabled workers on therapeutic earnings; what representations he has received on this issue; and if he will publish them. [90717]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The National Minimum Wage Act 1998 was deliberately designed to be non-discriminatory. If somebody is employed under a contract of employment or any other worker's contract as defined in the Act, he or she is entitled to the national minimum wage. I have received a number of representations on this issue. The independent Low Pay Commission concluded in its first report that "there are compelling arguments for treating disabled people in the same way as other workers". The Commission is monitoring the national minimum wage and will report by December. Officials from my Department, as well as the Department for Education and Employment and the Department of Social Security, have been in continual discussions with various organisations connected with disabled and therapeutic workers about the effective implementation for workers with disabilities and in respect of therapeutic earnings.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Data Series
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by his Department since June 1997. [90535]

  Mr. Vaz
  No new data series separated by gender, race, disability and age have been commissioned by the Lord Chancellor's Department since June 1997; however, the Department has been collecting data in respect of its personnel by gender, race and disability since the early 1990s.

  European Community Working Groups
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 30 June 1999,Official Report, column 214, on European Communities working groups, if he will set out the remits of the working groups listed. [90505]

  Mr. Vaz
  The remit of the working group on Extension of the Brussels Convention was to report on the possibility of extending the scope of the Brussels Convention on Jurisdiction and the Enforcement of Judgments in Civil and Commercial Matters to matters of family and succession law, and subsequently to establish a draft Convention on jurisdiction and recognition and enforcement of judgments in matrimonial matters. The remit of the Rome II working group was to examine the need for and feasibility of drawing up a Convention on the law applicable to non-contractual obligations. The remit of the working group on Revision of the Brussels and Lugano Conventions was to revise the provisions of those Conventions, respecting the basic principles and objectives of the Brussels Convention, taking into account the case law of the European Court of Justice on the Brussels Convention and relevant decisions of national courts on the Lugano Convention, and examining all proposals with a view to their potential usefulness in the operation of the Conventions.

  Public Service Interpreters
  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what progress is being made towards establishing a single register of public service interpreters in the Court Service. [90443]

  Mr. Vaz
  The Court Service, with other users of the criminal justice system, will use interpreters from the National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) as the need arises. In civil proceedings, the courts do not provide interpreters; it is for the party concerned to obtain and pay for them. The court can recommend the Institute of Linguists or any other appropriate body.

  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many persons on the national register of public service interpreters(a) have obtained the diploma of public service interpreting, legal option, (b) hold a legal qualification and (c) can demonstrate that they have more than 100 hours' experience of interpreting in court. [90444]

  Mr. Vaz
  The national register of public service interpreters is maintained by the Institute of Linguists (IoL), which is a separate body from the Court Service. I understand(a) that there are 224 (English law) and 9 (Scottish law) interpreters with a diploma in public service interpreting, legal option; (b) it is not known how many interpreters have a legal qualification; and (c) figures are not kept to show how many interpreters have more than 100 hours experience of interpreting in court.

  Ministerial Meetings
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 June 1999,Official Report, column 53, on ministerial meetings, how many times (a) the Lord Chancellor and (b) the Minister of State in the Lord Chancellor's Department met members or officials in the United States Government between 1 May 1997 and 1 June 1998; and if he will list the dates and locations of each meeting, the US departments involved on each occasion and the names of the US members and officials at each meeting. [90427]

  Mr. Vaz
  Neither the Lord Chancellor nor the Minister of State had any official meetings with members or officials in the United States Government between 1 May 1997 and 1 June 1998.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many times the Lord Chancellor or the Minister in the Lord Chancellor's Department have met members or officials of the Irish Government since 1 January 1998, indicating the dates and locations of each meeting, the ministers involved, and the names of the Irish ministers and officials at each meeting. [90406]

  Mr. Vaz
  Neither the Lord Chancellor nor the Minister of State have had any official meetings with members or officials in the Irish Government since 1 January 1998.

  Mental Health
  Mr. Singh
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the Government plans to 164
  make known its views on the proposals set out in the Green Paper, "Who Decides: Making Decisions on Behalf of Mentally Incapacitated Adults". [91391]

  Mr. Vaz
  The Government received over 4,000 responses to "Who Decides?" on the Law Commission's recommendations about decision making for mentally incapacitated adults. Respondents included many charities working on behalf of incapacitated people; local authorities; doctors; professional organisations and those working with the law. We also received a large number of contributions from individual members of the public. There was much support for the key principles: the functional approach to assessing capacity; the factors to be taken into account when assessing best interests; and the General Authority. There was wide-ranging support for Continuing Powers of Attorney. Many respondents also supported the proposals for Managers appointed by the court to replace the current system of Receivers, with appropriate safeguards. Since consultation closed in March 1998, we have been giving very careful consideration to all the issues involved. The Lord Chancellor intends to publish a Policy Statement in October 1999, which will set out the Government's thinking on a number of the issues raised in the consultation paper.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91022]

  Mr. Vaz
  The information on business travel is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided. The Government have set a target that all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies should have green transport plans by March 1999 and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  We have completed green transport plans covering all our headquarters and main buildings and are developing plans for all other key buildings in line with targets set out in the 1998 Integrated Transport White Paper. The plans include measures to reduce single-occupancy car use by employees for commuting and business travel.

  Employment Tribunals
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what role the Community Legal Service will have in relation to representation at employment tribunals. [90193]

  Mr. Vaz
  Under the Access to Justice Bill, civil legal aid will be replaced by the Community Legal Service fund. For proceedings before the employment tribunals all help short of advocacy will continue to be available. Meanwhile, the Government are conducting a review of all tribunals to assess the extent to which current procedures and other arrangements, including
  165
  representation, comply with our ECHR and EU obligations, and to identify the options for ensuring compliance in the future. The Government believe that it would be premature to make any decisions on extending publicly funded representation to tribunal proceedings until the review has been completed. The wider Community Legal Service, through Community Legal Service Partnerships (CLSPs), will provide the framework for comprehensive local networks of good quality legal and advice services supported by co-ordinated funding, based on the needs of local people. The CLSPs will base their planning and funding decisions on an assessment of local needs, which will include the need for help with employment disputes.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on what dates Special Advisers from his Department have travelled abroad on official business since 2 May 1997; which countries were visited on each occasion; and what were the names of the special advisers who travelled abroad on each occasion. [88436]

  Mr. Blunkett
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie) on 29 April 1999,Official Report, column 238.

  Out-of-school Clubs
  Mr. Lock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received from out-of-school clubs concerning the basis upon which local education authorities have sought to charge out-of-school clubs operating out of premises owned by local education authorities for their use of the premises and associated facilities; and what response his Department has made. [R] [88958]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  [holding answer 29 June 1999]: Since July 1997, the Department has received no representations from out-of-school clubs concerning charges for the use of local education authority maintained school premises, although in February 1998 we did liaise with the Department of Health on correspondence received by them from The Guide Association about changes made by one Metropolitan Borough Council.

  New Deal Conference
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the cost of the New Deal Conference held in Birmingham on 21 and 22 June; and if he will make a statement. [89369]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The cost of the conference was £257,336, including the hire of the International Convention Centre in Birmingham, all costs of production, stage, set, equipment, personnel, facilities, facilitators for syndicate sessions and catering. The conference was attended by 670 delegates, 54 speakers and 34 journalists. In addition to the plenary sessions there were 37 syndicate sessions covering 19 different subjects.
  166

  Education Budget
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will state the total budget announced since May 1997 for(a) local recruitment measures, (b) family numeracy, (c) summer numeracy schools, (d) numeracy at Key Stage 3, (e) literacy at Key Stage 3, (f) summer literacy schools, (g) special educational needs, (h) work-related learning, Social Inclusion-Pupil Support, (j) National Grid for Learning, (k) Education for Travellers and Displaced Persons, (l) Expanding Local Authority Music Services and (m) New Deal for Schools Phase 3 stating what amount and what percentage of that budget in each financial year is to be (i) spent within his Department, agencies and non-Departmental Public Bodies and allocated in grants. [89471]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 2 July 1999]A reply to this question could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. General information on expenditure by the Department for Education and Employment, agencies and non-Departmental Public Bodies is given in the annual Departmental Reports, copies of which are held in the Library.

  Action Zones
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 19 April 1999,Official Report, column 435, on action zones, if he will list actual and planned expenditure in each of the last three financial years by his Department, agencies and non-departmental public bodies on (a) market research, (b) conferences, (c) direct mail, (d) advertising and publicity, (e) opinion polling, (f) web sites, (g) hospitality, (h) central administration costs and (i) external consultants and advisers in relation (1) to local recruitment measures, (2) literacy at Key Stage 3, (3) numeracy at Key Stage 3, (4) summer numeracy schools, (5) family numeracy, (6) work-related learning, (7) social inclusion-pupil support, (8) education of travellers and displaced persons and (9) expanding local authority music services. [89622]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 2 July 1999]: Expenditure is as follows:

  £

  1998

  1999–2000

  1999–2000

  Actual

  Actual to date

  Planned

  (a) Market Research

  0

  0

  0

  (b) Conferences

  254,735

  11,359

  27,000

  (c) Direct Mail

  3,496

  0

  0

  (d) Advertising and Publicity

  124,825

  0

  0

  (e) Opinion Polling

  0

  0

  0

  (f) Website

  0

  0

  10,000

  (g) Hospitality

  1,220

  638

  2,550

  (h) Central Administration Costs

  539,693

  123,555

  459,664

  (i) External Consultants and Advisers

  219,202

  36,900

  176,593

  No details are available prior to the financial year 1998–99—the first zones started work in September 1998. We cannot provide a further breakdown of the figures into

  167
  categories 1–9 above because this information is not held by the department and/or identifying it would incur disproportionate cost.

  New Deal
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what(a) consultation he has had with the Better Regulation Task Force and (b) assessment he has made of its initiatives in assessing the administrative burdens on employers of involvement in the New Deal. [89421]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 2 July 1999]: The design implementation, marketing and evaluation of the New Deal takes account of the advice of the New Deal Task Force, which has a substantial proportion of its membership drawn from business, including the noble Lord Haskins, who is also the chair of the Better Regulation Task Force.

  New Deal (Sunderland)
  Mr. Kemp
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of young people in the New Deal programme are in jobs without Government subsidy in the city of Sunderland. [90277]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  A young person participating on New Deal who finds a job that does not qualify for the government subsidy through the New Deal Employment Option actually leaves the programme. In the period April 1998 to April 1999, 516 young people have left New Deal to go into unsubsidised employment in the City of Sunderland Unit of Delivery.

  School Playing Fields
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 5 July 1999,Official Report, column 403, if he will list the sports bodies which suggested the number of school playing fields sold off between 1979 and 1998, as indicated in his answer. [90259]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The figure was originally derived from national surveys carried out by the Central Council of Physical Recreation. But our calculations, based on experience in the grant-maintained sector (which the Government monitored from 1988) suggest that the 5,000 figure could well be an under-estimate.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 5 July 1999,Official Report, column 403, what information he has obtained from the National Playing Fields Association about the number of sales of school playing fields between 1979 and 1999. [90258]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  We have received no information from the National Playing Fields Association about the number of sales of school playing fields between 1979 and 1999; however, we would be happy to consider any information which might be offered.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what statistics he has collated on the number of schools which have their own sports grounds. [90510]
  168
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Department does not currently collate statistics on the number of schools which have their own sports grounds. However, local education authorities are being encouraged to develop Asset Management Plans which will include comprehensive details of their school premises, including the number of playing fields for each school. These details will be collated by the Department.

  Research Assessment Exercise
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the total cost of the 1992 to 1996 Research Assessment Exercise. [90177]

  Mr. Mudie
  The cost to higher education institutions of undertaking the 1996 Research Assessment Exercise was estimated to be £27.3 million, less than 1 per cent. of the public funds for research which will be distributed by funding bodies with reference to the 1996 RAE results.

  Further Education Colleges
  Mr. Hesford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Government's policy in respect of higher education under the auspices of further education colleges. [90526]

  Mr. Mudie
  We are committed to ensuring that everyone who has the capacity to benefit from higher education has the opportunity to do so. The Dearing Report into higher education recommended that the Government respond to increased demand for higher education at sub-degree level and that priority in this expansion should be given to further education colleges. Over the next two years, we are making available an additional 34,000 sub-degree places, the majority of which will be delivered by further education colleges.

  Further education colleges have an important role to play in the delivery of higher education. They widen participation by bringing higher education within reach of most communities and attracting people from households with little or no tradition of higher education. Through their strong links with local business, they are also well placed to provide the skills needed by the local labour market and to help students into work.

  Our confidence in the contribution played by further education colleges is reflected in the latest figures which show that colleges account for 11 per cent. of people studying higher education in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the individual financial allocations to further education colleges from the FEFC Standards Fund together with the category of each allocation. [90454]

  Mr. Mudie
  The Further Education Funding Council published a Circular on the Use of the Standards Fund on 1 June 1999. The Standards Fund is intended to recognise
  169
  and reward excellence, and to enable colleges to have access to funds to help them secure improvement. It will be allocated under four broad strands. These are:
  Strand 1: help for colleges which are causing concern to make rapid improvements;
  Strand 2: supporting post-inspection action plans for colleges which have been inspected since September 1997;
  Strand 3: supporting continuing professional development for lecturers, principals and governors;
  Strand 4: funding for colleges performing well—including those which achieve FEFC accredited status or are recognised by Ministers as 'Beacon' colleges—to share examples of good practice.

  It is not possible to list the individual financial allocations to colleges at this stage. The Council's first priority is to arrange support for those colleges causing concern and therefore eligible for funding under Strand 1 of the Standards Fund. These colleges have been asked to prepare costed action plans and to submit these to the Council no later than 16 July 1999. Colleges eligible for funding under Strands 2 and 4 have been asked to prepare action plans as soon as possible and by the end of October 1999 at the latest. Strand 3 of the Standards Fund will require consultation and development before training initiatives can be finalised.

  The adequacy of costed action plans provided by colleges will be assessed by the Council before funding is agreed. All action plans submitted to the Council will receive a response within five working weeks. To date, an action plan from Knowsley Community College has been approved under Strand 4 funding and a payment of £50,000 made to this accredited and Beacon college.

  Pupil Records
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the timetable for the development of a national system of individualised pupil records which will assess(a) the value added by each school and (b) the progress made by pupils within them. [90419]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Value added measures, based on the results of individual pupils and measured between two stages of education require each pupil to be reliably identified. Early National Curriculum test results were not collected in this way but suitable data are gradually becoming available. The 'Unique Pupil Number', which we intent to introduce nationally this autumn, will streamline future data collection exercises. In the meantime, we are aiming to publish Key Stage 3 to GCSE/GNVQ value added measures for each school in the 2000 secondary performance tables.

  Schools are also already able to compare the progress made by their pupils (between all the National Curriculum Key Stages, and up to GCSE/GNVQ) with average national progress using a package of information produced jointly in the autumn by the Department, QCA and Ofsted. This is the second year for the package, following an enthusiastic reception from schools when it was introduced in 1998.

  Pupil Spending (Birmingham)
  Mr. Godsiff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the estimated spending per pupil in Birmingham for the year 1999–170
  2000; and what would the figure have been if the authority had spent 100 per cent. of the funds granted under the Standard Spending Assessment for education. [90851]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Birmingham local education authority have indicated that they intend to spend over £516 million on education (other than capital expenditure) in their schools during this financial year. This is 102 per cent. of the Education Standard Spending Assessment, which was £506 million. The Authority's delegated spending per pupil is expected to be £2,372.

  School Activity Holidays
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the number of school children(a) seriously injured and (b) killed on school organised activity holidays abroad, which were booked through a tour operator, in the latest year for which the information is available and the previous six academic years, indicating the activity in each case; and if he will make a statement. [90757]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: There is no obligation on schools to notify my Department or the Health and Safety Executive when pupils suffer serious injury or death on school visits abroad. The Department therefore does not collect the comprehensive data requested, although we are of course aware of a number of serious incidents of the type described.

  New Deal for Schools
  Dan Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much Government money has been invested in New Deal for Schools initiatives in(a) Bath and North East Somerset and (b) South Gloucestershire, since May 1997. [91157]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The following table shows the total amount of New Deal for Schools funding allocated to Bath and North East Somerset and South Gloucestershire Local Education Authorities since 1997–98.

  Total New Deal for Schools (NDS) allocations

  Phase

  Bath and North East Somerset

  South Gloucestershire

  NDS1—1997–98

  1,007,300

  412,270

  NDS2—1998–99

  1,070,059

  1,507,180

  NDS3—1999–2000

  940,201

  943,487

  School Pupils (Drugs)
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice is given by his Department to schools regarding the need for children to be warned against taking controlled drugs. [91133]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Department issued Circular 4/95 "Drug Prevention and Schools" in May 1995, which sets out the statutory position on drug education, offers guidance to schools to help them develop and implement programmes of drug education, and advises on how to deal with drug-related incidents in schools.
  171
  The Department also published in November 1998 supplementary guidance on good practice in drug education in schools and the youth service. It includes advice for teachers and youth workers on the effective delivery of drug education, and on dealing with drug-related incidents. The guidance was sent to all Chief Education Officers, and is available to all schools free of charge.

  Both sets of guidance cover all illegal drugs as well as alcohol and tobacco.

  School Grounds (Mobile Phone Masts)
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance his Department has issued to those schools assessing whether to allow mobile phone masts to be sited within their grounds. [90947]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: The National Radiological Protection Board—which my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health sponsors—is responsible for advising the Government on radiological protection matters. The Department has not issued separate advice to schools or commissioned research on the impact of these masts.

  We take seriously the recent public concern about the siting of these masts on school premises and the possible health risks to children. Discussions are taking place with the other departments involved to see what further research and guidance or other action may be necessary.

  School Sports
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of the education SSA is allocated for school sport or physical education. [90781]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Education standard spending assessments are unhypothecated. Local education authorities are therefore free to determine what proportion of their overall resources to allocate to sport or physical education.

  Departmental Buildings and Staff (Scotland)
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the(a) location, (b) purpose, (c) number of staff accommodated and their wage costs and (d) running costs of the buildings owned, rented or occupied by his Department and its agencies in Scotland. [90857]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Of the Department and its agencies, only the Employment Service employ staff and have buildings located in Scotland.

  A complete list of all Employment Service offices in Scotland has been placed in the Library. They are all primarily Jobcentres but some of them also accommodate District Management Teams, Disability Service Teams and Sector Adjudication Teams.

  As at 1 April 1999, there were 3,911 members of staff in post in the Employment Service in Scotland, which equates to approximating to 3,667 Staff Unit Year
  172
  equivalents. The total salary costs in the 1998–99 financial year were £58.034 million and all other Running Costs totalled £22.538 million.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the extent of the compliance with paragraph 79 of the Ministerial Code(a) when he and the Minister for Employment, Welfare to Work and Equal Opportunities visited Chelmsford on 28 June and (b) when he and the Minister for School Standards visited Moulsham High School, Chelmsford, earlier this year. [91217]

  Mr. Blunkett
  In line with the Ministerial Code, I made arrangements to inform the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of my visits to Chelmsford in January and June this year. Unfortunately, my Department's instructions to the conference organisers to inform him about the 28 June visit were not carried out and I have written to the hon. Member to apologise. My office wrote to the hon. Member the week before my visit to Moulsham High School in January.

  Single Currency
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much expenditure his Department(a) has incurred to date and (b) expects to incur in the future on preparations for possible United Kingdom entry into the European single currency; and if he will make a statement. [91037]

  Mr. Mudie
  Following the publication of the Government's Outline National Changeover Plan, my Department is considering what preparations may be necessary.

  Long-term Unemployed
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps the Government are taking to encourage more firms to join the New Deal for the long-term unemployed. [90191]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  There has been an overwhelming response from employers to our New Deal advertising and marketing campaigns—some 52,000 have signed employer agreements so far. The Employment Service and its partners are now working to build on that commitment, ensuring it is translated into jobs for New Deal clients.

  New Deal (Small Firms)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment the Government have made of the effectiveness of the subsidies paid to small firms as part of the New Deal. [90190]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Early qualitative research with 25 employers (including some employing fewer than 50 employees), carried out as part of the national evaluation of New Deal for Young People, explored views on the wage and training subsidies. Employers clearly appreciated the advantages of the subsidies in reducing costs of employing and training young people. Some respondents expressed the view that smaller employers
  173
  stand to gain more from subsidies than larger employers, as the savings may make the difference between being able to employ an extra member of staff or not. A report on this research was published in December 1998 and is available in the Library.

  Further research with employers will be published towards the end of this year and in the summer of next year.

CABINET OFFICE

  Telecommunications Masts
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what representations the Cabinet Office has made to(a) Wycombe District Council, (b) the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions and (c) the Planning Inspectorate about the proposal to erect a telecom mast at Chisley Wood, Buckinghamshire. [91042]

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  None.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91018]

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  The number of kilometres travelled by motorbike or private car by employees of the central Cabinet Office on the Department's business in the last two complete tax years were as follows:

  Motorbike

  1997–98; 0 kilometres;

  1998–99; 691 kilometres.

  Private Car

  1997–98: 53,913 kilometres;

  1998–99: 80,221 kilometres.

  Information about the distances travelled by other modes of transport by central Cabinet Office staff, and all the information requested in respect of Cabinet Office Agencies, is not held centrally and is available only at disproportionate cost.

  In my Department official travel is undertaken only where absolutely necessary and then, as a matter of policy, by the most cost-effective means.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his answer of 24 June 1999,Official Report, column 456, what the total cost was of pension contributions paid by the Government (a) to Special Advisers and (b) into the pension schemes of Special Advisers during the periods (i) 1 May 1997 to 30 April 1998 and (ii) 1 May 1998 to 30 April 1999. [90318]
  174
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  The information, shown by financial years rather than the precise periods asked for, is as follows:(a) None. Pension contributions are paid direct into the individual Special Advisers' pension schemes.
  (b)(i) £290,000 was paid into the pension schemes of Special Advisers in the eleven month period 1 May 1997 to 30 March 1998;
  (ii) £413,000 was paid into the pension schemes of Special Advisers in the year 1 April 1998 to 30 March 1999.

  In addition, National Insurance contributions are paid at the contracted-in rates.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Bovine TB
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many trials(a) were initially planned, (b) are currently being conducted and (c) are planned in total under the Krebs recommendations; [87577]

  (2) how many trials under the Krebs recommendations have been discontinued. [87578]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  The recommendation of the Krebs Review Group endorsed by the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB, was that a scientific study should be carried out in a minimum of 30 trial areas. Twelve areas have been identified so far and work is proceeding in all of these. Work has not been discontinued in any of the areas.

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 8 June 1999,Official Report, column 250, if a provisional agenda was available to him prior to the Council meeting. [88219]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  A provisional agenda for the May Agriculture Council meeting was made available to the European Scrutiny Committee in line with the usual pre-Council scrutiny arrangements.

  The right hon. Gentleman will also wish to be aware that the European Scrutiny Committee has agreed that in the interest of keeping the whole House informed of business at forthcoming Councils it is appropriate and sensible for provisional agenda for Councils provided to the Committee to be placed in the House Library. A copy of the agenda for the June Agriculture Council was placed in the Library in this way.

  Food Contamination (Belgium)
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his officials first learned of the contamination of Belgian food products. [88628]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 28 June 1999]: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I gave on 8 June 1999, Official Report, columns 480–81.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food from whom information about the contamination of Belgian food products was first received by his officials. [88630]
  175
  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 28 June 1999]: Officials first received information about the contamination of Belgian food products from industry sources who alerted us to articles in the Belgian press.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he first learned of the contamination of Belgian food products. [88629]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 28 June 1999]: I was informed of this contamination incident on 30 May. However, my hon. Friend the Minister of State with direct responsibility for food safety was made aware on the afternoon of Friday 28 May.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what representations he has made to the European Commission about the Belgian Government's handling of the contamination of Belgian food products; [88632]

  (2) what representations he has made to the Belgian Government about their handling of the contamination of Belgian food products. [88631]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 28 June 1999]: Our views have been expressed fully at meetings of the Standing Veterinary Committee and other meetings chaired by the Commission. In addition, officials have raised our concerns directly with the Commission.

  Belgian officials were present at these meetings and are fully aware of our views.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the subject and date of each written briefing prepared by his Special Advisers for all Labour Members since May 1997 and the total number and total cost to date of these. [89993]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 6 July 1999]: Special Advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the Model Contract for Special Advisers. Schedule 1, Part 1 of the Model Contract sets out the role and duties of Special Advisers. As well as research for Ministers and reviewing papers, contributing to policy planning within the Department and preparing policy papers, speech writing and liaison with outside interest groups, their role explicitly includes liaising with the Party and helping to brief Party MPs. Records are not held of when such briefings are given. Similar arrangements have applied under successive Governments.

  European Single Currency
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much expenditure his Department(a) has incurred to date and (b) expects to incur in future, on preparations for possible United Kingdom entry into the European single currency; and if he will make a statement. [90967]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 12 July 1999]: Following the publication of the Government's outline National Changeover Plan, my Department is considering what preparations may be necessary.
  176

  Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made towards the establishment of the Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs; and if he will make a statement. [91390]

  Mr. Rooker
  I am delighted to announce the appointment of 13 members to the new Advisory Committee on Animal Feedingstuffs. This Committee will provide valuable independent advice to the future Food Standards Agency and Agriculture Ministers. By examining the safety and use of animal feedingstuffs, which are an integral part of the food chain, the Committee will play a key role in promoting food safety in the UK. Reviewing the implications of new developments, particularly the use of genetically modified materials, will be especially important.

  The 13 members and their main area of expertise are Dr. Ian Brown (occupational health), Mr. John Cheetham (local authority enforcement), Dr. Andrew Chesson (animal nutrition), Mrs. Gilli Davies (consumer), Mr. Paul Foxcroft (animal by-products), Dr. John Heritage (novel technology), Mrs. Fiona Hodgson (lay member), Mr. Robert Moore (veterinary practice), Mr. Andrew Peddie (farming), Dr. Helen Raine (feed compounding), Dr. Desmond Rice (feed compounding and veterinary background), Professor Ian Shaw (toxicology) and Dr. Michael Stringer (microbiology). Professor Phillip Thomas was appointed Chairman on 12 April.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the President of the Council how many kilometres have been travelled on her Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets her Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by her Department's employees; and if she will make a statement. [91030]

  Mrs. Beckett
  Information on business travel is not collected in the form requested.

  The Privy Council Office is encompassed by the green transport plan prepared by the Cabinet Office for 68–70 Whitehall. The use of private transport for business travel is discouraged, and claims are submitted extremely rarely

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Housing Benefit
  Lorna Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the review of housing benefit. [90263]

  Angela Eagle
  Our intention is to publish our proposals for housing benefit reform in a Housing Green Paper later in the year.

  Benefits (Pensioners)
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he is taking to ensure that pensioners receive all the benefits to which they are entitled. [90370]

  Mr. Timms
  We undertook pilot projects and research last year to understand more about why pensioners do not claim the Income Support they are entitled to, and what could be done to improve this situation. We are currently exploring options for further activity to encourage greater take-up and we will announce our plans as soon as we are able to do so.

  Ministerial Meetings
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many times Ministers in his Department have held meetings with Ministers and officials of the Irish Government since 1 January 1998, indicating the dates and locations of each meeting, the Ministers involved and the names of the Irish Ministers and officials at each meeting. [90407]

  Mr. Darling
  I and Ministers of this Department have met with Irish Ministers and their officials on three occasions. The information requested is in the table below:

  Date

  Location

  Social Security Minister

  Irish Minister and officials

  15 January 1998

  Richmond House, London, SW1

  Keith Bradley, Parliamentary Under-Secretary

  Dermot Ahem, Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs Tom Mulherin, Assistant Secretary General, DSCFA Mel Cousins, Minister's Advisor, DSCFA Leo Sheedy, Irish Embassy Stephen Coughlan, Private Secretary Gerry Mungan, Principal, DSCFA

  25 February 1998

  Richmond House, London, SW1

  Frank Field, Minister of State

  Mary Hamey, Tanaiste

  25 June 1999

  Dublin

  Alistair Darling, Secretary of State

  Seamus O'Moran, Assistant Secretary—Labour Force Development Division, DETE Martin Territt, Press Officer Gerry Donnelly, Advisor Leo Sheedy, Irish Embassy Dermot Ahern, Minister for Social, Community and Family Affairs Eddie Sullivan, Secretary General, Department for Social, Community and Family Affairs (DSCFA) John Hynes, Director General, DSCFA

  178

  Date

  Location

  Social Security Minister

  Irish Minister and officials

  Deirdre Carroll, Assistant Secretary, DSCFA Tom Mulherin, Assistant Secretary, DSCFA Mel Cousins, Minister's Advisor

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department for written answer on a named day between May 1997 and 14 April 1999; and what percentage of them received a substantive response on that named day. [91071]

  Mr. Timms
  I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave him on 15 April 1999,Official Report, column 308.

  All-work Test
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Doncaster, Central (Ms Winterton) of 5 July 1999,Official Report, column 623, if he will describe the special procedures for the All-Work test that apply to claimants with mental health problems. [90819]

  Mr. Bayley
  Where the medical condition that has caused the incapacity for work relates to a mental disease or disablement, further information is sought from the General Practitioner or psychiatric specialist in order to establish whether the condition is severe enough to justify exemption from the All-Work Test. If this is not the case, or where the position is unclear, a questionnaire will be issued to allow the claimant an opportunity to describe the effect of any physical disabilities and also the general effect of any mental problems they have. Unless it is clear from the questionnaire that the person satisfies the All-Work Test, a medical examination will be carried out. The examination will be offered even where the claimant does not respond to the questionnaire, in order to give people with mental conditions every opportunity to be fully assessed for benefit purposes. This arrangement is different from that for people without mental conditions, who are disallowed benefit if they do not return the questionnaire.

  All doctors undertaking examinations meet minimum recruitment standards which must include at least three years broadly based post-registration experience. Most have a background in general medical practice but many will also have additional experience and qualifications in relevant specialities such as occupational medicine and psychiatry. The stringent approval process requires them to undergo training and assessment. This ensures that they have the special skills and knowledge to fulfil their role in providing good quality expert advice to enable a decision on benefit entitlement to be made.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many kilometres have been travelled on
  179
  his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by (a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91027]

  Angela Eagle
  The information on business travel is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided. As published in the integrated transport White Paper in July 1998, the Government have set a target that all Government Department headquarters buildings and main buildings occupied by Executive Agencies and Government Offices for the Regions should have green transport plans by March 1999, and all other key buildings by March 2000.

  We have completed green transport plans covering all our headquarters and main buildings —27 in all, which covers 33 per cent. of staff— and are developing plans for the other 363 buildings on the DSS estate in line with the targets set out in the White Paper. The plans include measures to reduce single-occupancy car use by employees for commuting, including the setting up of car-sharing registers and making travel by public transport more attractive. Staff are encouraged, wherever it is practicable, to share cars for business travel and also to use public transport, especially for longer journeys.

  Ministerial Code
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the extent of the compliance by(a) himself and (b) the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, the hon. Member for Wallasey (Angela Eagle), with paragraph 79 of the Ministerial Code when visiting Chelmsford on 28 June. [91216]

  Mr. Darling
  In line with the Ministerial Code, I made arrangements to inform the hon. Member for West Chelmsford of my visit to Chelmsford with the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State on 28 June this year. Unfortunately, the letter to inform him was not issued. I have written to the hon. Member to apologise.

  Single Currency
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much expenditure his Department has(a) incurred to date and (b) forecasts to be incurred in the future on preparation for possible UK entry into the European single currency; and if he will make a statement. [91086]

  Angela Eagle
  In preparation for the launch of the euro in the 11 participating countries, on 1 January this year, this Department undertook analysis and preparation work to assess the impacts on DSS at a cost of £100,000.

  Following the publication of the Government's outline National Changeover Plan, the Department is currently considering what preparations and costs might be necessary for the introduction of the euro.
  180

WALES

  Cabinet Joint Consultative Committee
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many meetings of the CJCC he has attended. [89271]

  Mr. Michael
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 5 July 1999,Official Report, column 362.

  Official Representation (Brussels)
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his answer of 5 May 1999,Official Report, column 429, on official representation in Brussels, if he will make a statement on progress with discussions between Welsh Office officials and political parties on the establishment of official representation for Wales in Brussels. [89590]

  Mr. Hain
  This is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

  Departmental Travel
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many kilometres have been travelled on his Department's business in each of the last three years broken down by(a) foot, (b) bike, (c) bus, (d) train, (e) tram, (f) light-rail, (g) plane, (h) motorbike, (i) car, (j) taxi, (k) river-taxi and (l) other modes of transport; what plans and targets his Department has to reduce the kilometres travelled by private transport by his Department's employees; and if he will make a statement. [91024]

  Mr. Michael
  The information on business travel is not collected in the form requested and therefore cannot be provided. The number of officials supporting the Secretary of State for Wales now consists of about 30 people and therefore there is not a formal green transport plan. The Department is co-operating with the green transport strategies for Government offices in London.

TREASURY

  Higher-rate Taxpayers
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many(a) basic and (b) higher rate taxpayers there have been in each year since 1979. [88827]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The numbers of basic rate and higher rate taxpaying individuals between 1991–92 and 1998 –99 are given in table 2.1 of Inland Revenue Statistics 1998; figures for the total number of higher rate individuals for the earlier years 1978 –79 to 1991 –92 are given in the 1994 edition of Inland Revenue Statistics 1994. For these earlier years, the number of basic rate paying individuals can be derived by deducting the number of higher rate individuals from the total number of individuals.

  For 1999 –2000, there are estimated to be 20.7 million basic rate individual taxpayers and 2.3 million higher-rate individual taxpayers. These figures were derived from the 1996 –97 Survey of Personal Incomes.

  Employment (Northern Region)
  Mr. Kemp
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were in work in the Northern Region in(a) May 1999 and (b) May 1997. [90279]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from John Kidgell to Mr. Fraser Kemp, dated 13 July 1999:
  In the absence of the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on employment in the Northern region.
  The most up-to-date estimates of employment are published using the Government Office Region geography. The latest Labour Force Survey (LFS) estimate of the number of employed people living in the North East is 1,050,000 for the period February to April 1999 on a seasonally adjusted basis. The comparable estimate for the same period in 1997 was 1,071,000.
  Employment estimates based on the old Standard Statistical Region (SSR) geography are still available from the LFS on a non-seasonally adjusted basis for certain quarters. The latest estimate of the number of employed people living in the Northern SSR is 1,282,000 (December 1998 to February 1999) compared with 1,292,000 for the corresponding quarter two years earlier.

  Mortgage Providers (Insurance Services)
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what plans he has to require mortgage providers to disclose the level of commission they receive from sales of bundled home insurance; [90817]

  (2). what plans he has to ensure that mortgage lenders inform consumers whether purchase of the provider's insurance is a condition of the mortgage they are to take out; [90816]

  (3). if he will place on mortgage providers a duty to inform customers at renewal or expiry of a particular home insurance policy that they can exercise the right to switch to an alternative insurance provider if they so wish. [90814]

  Ms Hewitt
  This and other matters associated with protecting the consumer interest will be considered in HM Treasury's review of whether advice on, and marketing of, mortgages should be subject to statutory regulation by the Financial Services Authority.

  HM Treasury will shortly begin to assess the case for regulation.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the current review of the Council of Mortgage Lenders Code will include the practice of linking insurance with mortgage products. [90815]

  Ms Hewitt
  Yes. The operation of the Code will be reviewed and the Code provides that transparent information should be provided on such linkages.

  EU Code of Conduct Group
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the minutes of the meeting of the EU Code of Conduct Group chaired by the Paymaster General on 7 and 8 July. [91002]
  182
  Dawn Primarolo
  As I explained in my reply to the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) on 18 June 1998,Official Report, columns 271–72, paragraph 12 of the Council Conclusions of 9 March 1998 states that the Council "agrees that the work of the Code of Conduct Group shall be confidential".

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which United Kingdom tax reliefs were discussed at the recent meeting of the EU Code of Conduct Group chaired by the Paymaster General. [91003]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Paragraph 12 of the Council Conclusions of 9 March 1998 states that the Council"agrees that the work of the Code of Conduct Group shall be confidential".

  In my answer to the right hon. Member for Wells (Mr. Heathcoat-Amory) 14 June 1999, Official Report, columns 30–31, I listed the UK tax measures which are currently under examination by the EU Code of Conduct Group.

  Manufacturing Investment
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the average rate of return on manufacturing investment in the(a) United Kingdom and (b) Northern Region in the last five years. [90984]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from John Kidgell to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 13 July 1999:
  In the absence of the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on the rate of return on manufacturing investment.
  Rates of return were last published in the ONS First Release, Profitability of UK companies in July 1997, which is available in the House of Commons Library. The estimates for the rate of return on capital employed by manufacturing companies in the United Kingdom were:

  1991: 4.3%

  1992: 5.1%

  1993: 6.2%

  1994: 8.0%

  1995: 8.8%

  The estimates are being up-dated and converted to the definitions in the European System of Accounts, 1995 and the next issue of the First Release is expected to be in November 1999. There are no estimates of rates of return by region.

  Employment (City of Durham)
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many(a) male and (b) female employees in the City of Durham were in (i) full-time and (ii) part-time employment in (1) temporary and (2) permanent jobs in each year since 1990. [90985]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.
  183
  Letter from John Kidgell to Mr. Gerry Steinberg, dated 13 July 1999:
  In the absence of the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on employment in the City of Durham.
  The information is available from two sources. Employee Jobs from the Annual Employment Survey (AES) are shown for the City of Durham Parliamentary Constituency, by gender and full-time/part-time status at September of 1991, 1993, 1995, 1996 and 1997 in the attached table. This Survey was formerly known as the Census of Employment when it was conducted biennially. Figures from the September 1998 AES will be available in January/February 2000.
  The second source of information is the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Figures from the LFS are shown for Permanent/Temporary Employees by gender in the table. However this data is only available for the wider area of the County of Durham at 1996, 1997 and 1998.
  Both sources of information are not seasonally adjusted.

  Employee Jobs in City of Durham1 at September

  Thousand

  1991

  1993

  1995

  1996

  1997

  Male

  full-time

  15.7

  15.6

  16.2

  15.8

  16.2

  Male

  part-time

  1.5

  1.6

  1.8

  1.8

  1.7

  Female

  full-time

  10.2

  9.6

  10.4

  9.3

  10.6

  Female

  part-time

  9.6

  9.8

  9.9

  10.2

  9.4

  All

  36.9

  36.5

  38.3

  37.1

  37.9

  1 Parliamentary Constituency

  Source:

  1991–1993 Census of Employment, 1995–1997 Annual Employment Survey

  Number of temporary and permanent employees in the Former County of Durham

  Thousand

  19962

  19972

  19982

  Males

  Permanent

  117

  109

  113

  Temporary

  8

  10

  9

  All employees1

  126

  120

  123

  Females

  Permanent

  102

  99

  97

  Temporary

  9

  7

  9

  All employees1

  112

  107

  107

  All

  Permanent

  219

  207

  209

  Temporary

  17

  17

  19

  All employees1

  237

  227

  229

  1 Includes some employees who did not state whether they were temporary or permanent

  2 Average of the spring to winter quarters

  Source:

  Labour Force Survey

  Business Taxation
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the United Kingdom tax measures under investigation by the EU Code of Conduct Group (Business Taxation) subsequent to its initial list. [91085]
  184
  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 June 1999,Official Report, columns 30–31.

  Landfill Tax
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much landfill tax has been collected for each of the last five years, by each landfill operator. [90523]

  Ms Hewitt
  Figures relating to the amount of landfill tax collected from each operator cannot be disclosed as to do so would breach commercial confidentiality.

  Gold
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations the Treasury held with(a) Bank of England officials, (b) foreign Governments, (c) the World Bank, (d) the International Monetary Fund, (e) the European Central Bank and (f) private institutions on the proposed sale of UK gold reserves prior to the Treasury announcement of 7 May. [88841]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Treasury regularly consults with outside organisations on a wide range of issues.

  Advance Corporation Tax
  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to limit the impact on pension funds of the abolition of the advance corporation tax dividend tax credits. [88046]

  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on pensions of abolition of the advance corporation tax dividend tax credits. [88047]

  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the effect on pensions of the abolition of the advance corporation tax dividend tax credits. [88028]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 5 July 1999]: Our package of corporation tax reforms included not only the abolition of payable tax credits, but also a 2–3 per cent. reduction in the rate of corporation tax. The overall effect on pension funds of these changes will vary depending upon factors like the type of scheme and the investment policy adopted. So it is not clear that steps are necessary to limit the impact on pension funds of the abolition of payable tax credits. But during 1997, when tax credits were available for only 6 months, the average British pension fund manager delivered an overall investment return of 16 per cent. and a real return of 12 per cent., which compared very favourably with an average return for the previous year of around 9 per cent.

  Overseas Debt
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is(a) the total debt owed to the members of the Paris Club, (b) the total debt that dates from before the cut-off date, (c) the total that is previously rescheduled debt and (d) the remaining eligible debt, broken down for (i) each of the 41 highly indebted poor countries, (ii) Bangladesh, (iii) Cambodia, (iv) the Gambia,

  185
  (v) Haiti, (vi) Jamaica, (vii) Morocco, (viii) Nepal, (ix) Nigeria, (x) Peru, (xi) the Philippines and (xii) Zimbabwe. [90319]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested is not available.

  Tax Rebates
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total amount of tax rebates paid in each financial year since 1992–93 under the arrangements for charitable deeds of covenant. [90253]

  Ms Hewitt
  Basic rate income tax repayments to charities since 1992–93, and estimates of higher rate tax relief, in respect of donations made under deed of covenant are shown in the table.

  £ million

  Tax repayment to charities on covenants1

  Higher rate tax relief on covenants

  1992–93

  197

  25

  1993–94

  210

  25

  1994–95

  224

  25

  1995–96

  235

  25

  1996–97

  251

  35

  1997–98

  259

  50

  1998–992

  290

  55

  1 Repayments are shown in the year in which the claim was made

  2 Provisional

  Self-administered Pension Schemes
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the proportion of normal self-administered pension schemes that are liable to pay tax. [90732]

  Dawn Primarolo
  This information is not held centrally.

  Duty-free Goods
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those categories of persons who will retain the right to purchase duty free goods in the European Union. [90395]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Diplomats accredited to the Court of St. James are entitled to certain privileges and immunities in accordance with the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations 1961. International organisations and their staff who are granted diplomatic status are also entitled to certain privileges and immunities under the International Organisations Act 1968 and the European Communities Act 1972.

  UK Payments (EU)
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 25 May 1999,Official Report, column 137, what is his estimate of the difference in cost if UK contributions to the EC budget since 1 January 1999 had been made in euros. [90393]

  Ms Hewitt
  Over the year as a whole it will be nil.

  Debt Relief
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he had at the G8 on the Paris Club debt relief ceiling of 80 per cent; and if he will make a statement. [90504]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Koln Summit agreed that the ceiling for debt write-down for Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPCs) could be increased to 90 per cent. or more if needed in individual cases, with proportionate burden sharing between creditors.

  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what actions the Government intend to take to ensure that the Mauritius Mandate target for all eligible countries to have entered the highly indebted poor countries process will be met by 2000. [90506]

  Ms Hewitt
  The UK has made the Mauritius Mandate target a priority in discussions with fellow creditors and the IFIs. The Koln Summit called for the IFIs and the Paris Club to ensure that three quarters of eligible countries have reached their decision point by the year 2000, and to assist the very poorest countries to embark on the HIPC process as soon as possible.

  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions there were at the G8 summit on reducing the maximum six-year track record requirement, which must be fulfilled in order to qualify for debt relief under the highly indebted poor countries initiative; and if he will press for an agreement amongst creditor nations to reduce the requirement to a maximum of three years. [90507]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Koln Summit agreed that the benefits of debt relief should be felt after a maximum of three years rather than the current maximum of six years, and earlier for those countries already in the system.

  National Statistics
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list(a) the initial and (b) revised quarterly figures for company profits in the national statistics for the last 10 quarters; and what plans he has to review the quality of reporting of company profits in the national statistics. [90932]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 13 July 1999:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on company profits.
  Company profits covers the profits of the non-financial corporations sector, including Continental Shelf companies. The available estimates for growth in non-financial company profits are shown in the table below:

  First estimate

  Latest estimate

  1996

  Q3

  3.0

  3.7

  Q4

  2.0

  0.3

  1997

  Q1

  -0.7

  -0.7

  Q2

  0.9

  2.2

  Q3

  3.7

  2.0

  187

  First estimate

  Latest estimate

  Q4

  -0.1

  -1.5

  1998

  Q1

  -1.5

  -1.9

  Q2

  -0.5

  0.0

  Q3

  -0.7

  -1.9

  Q4

  -3.5

  Release date 29 July 1999

  The first estimate is that published about 12 weeks after the end of the quarter concerned. The first estimates up to and including Q1 1998 were based on definitions of profits based on earlier accounting definitions. The other estimates are based on the European System of Accounts (ESA) 1995. The difference in definition had little effect on the estimates of growth. The latest estimates were those published on 22 March 1999. The initial estimate of company profits for the first quarter of 1999 will be published in the Quarterly National Accounts Press Release, a copy of which will be available in the House of Commons Library, on 29 July.

  It is ONS policy to keep the qualify of reporting of company profits under continuous review.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the change in service sector productivity over the last four years; and what plans he has to review the quality of estimates for national statistics on service sector productivity. [90931]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 13 July 1999:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on productivity.
  Although various published ONS datasets can be used to derive an estimate of productivity for the services sector, there are conceptual differences between these series that still need to be addressed. ONS will wait until a programme of improvements has been introduced and the results quality assured, before publishing official estimates of service sector productivity.
  The work programme for the coming months includes new productivity estimates using output and employment data collected on the same basis. We intend to construct a new series will be constructed using hours worked rather than employment numbers as the denominator, and, in the longer term, an index of service sector output and estimates service sector productivity.

  Long-term Investment
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the quarter by quarter share of long-term investment in GDP for the least 10 quarters for which figures are available, distinguishing between public and private sector financed long-term investment, and the effect of the private finance initiative. [90930]

  Ms Hewitt
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. Jim Cousins, dated 13 July 1999:
  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on long-term investment.
  188
  The ONS does not produce estimates that separate investment into long-term and short-term. It is also not possible to separate investment financed by the private finance initiative within ONS estimates.
  For information, the attached table gives the latest published estimates of gross fixed capital formation expressed at current prices in £billion. The total is split between private sector and public sector investment.

  Gross fixed capital formation, at current prices, seasonally adjusted

  £ billion

  total

  public sector

  Percentage of GDP

  Private Sector

  Percentage of GDP

  1996

  125.7

  16.6

  2.2

  109.1

  14.5

  1997

  134.1

  14.9

  1.9

  119.3

  14.9

  1998

  145.3

  14.7

  1.8

  130.7

  15.6

  1996Q1

  31.0

  4.5

  2.4

  26.5

  14.3

  1996Q2

  31.4

  4.7

  2.5

  26.7

  14.3

  1996Q3

  31.7

  4.2

  2.2

  27.5

  14.5

  1996Q4

  31.6

  3.2

  1.7

  28.4

  14.8

  1997Q1

  32.2

  4.1

  2.1

  28.1

  14.4

  1997Q2

  33.1

  3.3

  1.7

  29.8

  15.0

  1997Q3

  33.5

  3.7

  1.8

  29.8

  14.7

  1997Q4

  35.3

  3.8

  1.9

  31.4

  15.4

  1998Q1

  35.8

  3.7

  1.8

  32.1

  15.5

  1998Q2

  35.6

  3.3

  1.6

  32.3

  15.5

  1998Q3

  36.5

  3.7

  1.8

  32.8

  15.6

  1998Q4

  37.4

  4.0

  1.9

  33.4

  15.8

  1999Q1

  37.2

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department for written answer on a named day between May 1997 and 14 April 1999; and what percentage of them received a substantive response on that named day. [91068]

  Ms Hewitt
  Seven hundred and four of the 2,307 named day questions tabled for answer on a named day between May 1997 and 14 April 1999 (31 per cent.) were answered substantively on that day. 56 per cent. of all such questions were answered within two days of the nominated day.

  Departmental Buildings
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the (i) location, (ii) running costs(a) in total and (b) per square metre and (iii) the rental value per square metre of each of his Department's buildings in the last year for which figures are available. [90563]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The costs below relate to all of the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments for the 1998–99 financial year.

  The total running costs were £340.43 million. This equates to £199 per square metre. The rental value was £93 per square metre.

  It has not been possible to provide this information on a building-by-building basis due to the constraints of time and cost.

  Drug Related Crime
  Drug Related Crime
  Asylum Seekers: NHS Treatment
  Asylum Seekers: NHS Treatment
  Court Convictions
  Court Convictions
  Council of Europe Countries: Age of Criminal Responsibility
  Council of Europe Countries: Age of Criminal Responsibility
  Prisons: Mental Health Care
  Prisons: Mental Health Care
  Criminal Justice Act 1991: Publications
  Criminal Justice Act 1991: Publications
  Data Protection Act 1998: Implementation
  Data Protection Act 1998: Implementation
  Medically Assisted Reproduction
  Medically Assisted Reproduction
  Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999: Effects
  Road Traffic (NHS Charges) Act 1999: Effects
  House of Lords Judicial Office: Income and Expenditure
  House of Lords Judicial Office: Income and Expenditure
  Palace of Westminster: Foreign Language Guides
  Palace of Westminster: Foreign Language Guides
  Palace of Westminster: Line of Route Project
  Palace of Westminster: Line of Route Project
  Official Veterinary Surgeons: Issue of Improvement Notices
  Official Veterinary Surgeons: Issue of Improvement Notices
  Official Veterinary Surgeons: Hygiene Rules
  Official Veterinary Surgeons: Hygiene Rules
  Meat Hygiene Service: Telephone Calls
  Meat Hygiene Service: Telephone Calls
  Organophosphorus Sheep Dips
  Organophosphorus Sheep Dips
  MAFF: Meetings with Consumer and Environmental Groups
  MAFF: Meetings with Consumer and Environmental Groups
  Cattle Passports: Fees
  Cattle Passports: Fees
  Cattle Diseases
  Cattle Diseases
  MAFF Veterinary Visits outside European Union
  MAFF Veterinary Visits outside European Union
  Poultry and Poultrymeat Imports
  Poultry and Poultrymeat Imports
  Hammersmith and Fulham: Pupil-Teacher Ratio
  Hammersmith and Fulham: Pupil-Teacher Ratio
  William Morris Academy
  William Morris Academy
  Disabled Students: Funds
  Disabled Students: Funds
  Sheffield: Schools Budget
  Sheffield: Schools Budget
  Scottish University Fees
  Scottish University Fees
  Judge Gee
  Judge Gee
  Mentally Incapacitated Adults
  Mentally Incapacitated Adults
  British Commercial Attaches: Central and Eastern Europe
  British Commercial Attaches: Central and Eastern Europe
  British Council Contracts
  British Council Contracts
  Management Training: Individual Countries
  Management Training: Individual Countries
  Former Soviet Union: Assistance Priorities
  Former Soviet Union: Assistance Priorities
  Paraguayan Chaco Project
  Paraguayan Chaco Project
  Kosovo Conflict
  Kosovo Conflict
  NATO: Consultation
  NATO: Consultation
  Peacekeeping and Security
  Peacekeeping and Security
  Ministry of Defence Actions: Accountability
  Ministry of Defence Actions: Accountability
  London Underground Public Private Partnership
  London Underground Public Private Partnership
  Stonehenge
  Stonehenge
  Non-EU Driving Licences
  Non-EU Driving Licences
  West Coast Main Line Upgrade Project
  West Coast Main Line Upgrade Project
  Genetically Modified Plants
  Genetically Modified Plants
  Museum Grants
  Museum Grants
  The Jewish Museum
  The Jewish Museum
  Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: Restrictive Measures
  Federal Republic of Yugoslavia: Restrictive Measures