Written Answers of 11 March 1999

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Admission Charges
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the President of the Council if she will ensure that no charges are imposed for admission to the Palace of Westminster which could affect British citizens without a debate and decision on the floor of the House.[75943]

  Mrs. Beckett
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire (Mr. Kirkwood), on behalf of the House of Commons Commission, on 3 February 1999,Official Report,column 625.

  Contracts
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Chairman of the Finance and Services Committee what assessment is made of the industrial relations record of private contractors as part of the tendering process for contracts to provide services to the House; and if he will make a statement.[75443]

  Dr. Moonie
  No formal assessments are made of the industrial relations records of private contractors tendering for contracts to provide services to the House. The supplier appraisal process can, however, cover such matters as recruitment procedures to avoid discrimination, training policies, quality standards and good employment practices.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  River Tigris Dam
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the economic impact on British companies of the bidding process for dam construction on the River Tigris in Turkey. [74873]

  Mr. Wilson
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]: The contract is the subject of continuing negotiations and, until these are complete, the actual values will not be known, but the company concerned expects that very substantial procurement of UK goods and services would take place as a result of the Ilisu hydro-electric project on the River Tigris in Turkey.

  Internal Market Council
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the Conclusions of the EU Presidency on Economic Reform which were debated at the EU Internal Market Council on 25 February. [75724]
  306
  Mr. Wilson
  The Conclusions on Economic Reform agreed at the Internal Market Council of 25 February were published as part of a Council press release (document No. 6215/99), following the meeting. They are available on the Council's website at http://ue.eu.int/newsroom/

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the Conclusions of the Internal Market Council on 25 February.[75725]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Conclusions of the Internal Market Council of 25 February were published as part of a Council press release (document No. 6215/99), following the meeting. They are available on the Council's website at http://ue.eu.int/newsroom/

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the conclusions of his Department's inquiry into the disappearance of weapons grade uranium in the 1960s from Dounreay; and if he will make a statement. [75942]

  Mr. Battle
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 28 January 1999,Official Report, column 315, to my hon. Friend the Member for Linlithgow (Mr. Dalyell).

  Fifoots Point Power Station
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he is yet in a position to make his decision on AES Fifoots Point Ltd' s application to extend the Fifoots Point coal-fired power station near Newport in South Wales.[76735]

  Mr. Battle
  I have today granted consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to AES Fifoots Point Ltd.'s application to construct a re-circulating cooling water system (the extension) at its existing power station at Fifoots Point. The decision has been taken in accordance with the policy set out in the White Paper entitled 'Conclusions of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation and Government response to fourth and fifth Reports of the Trade and Industry Committee' (Cm 4071).

  The relevant planning authority, Newport County Borough Council, has not objected to the application.

  Decisions on other applications under consideration will be announced in due course.

  Copies of the Press Notice are being placed in the Library of the House.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what discussions he has had with the regional electricity companies to encourage them to use more renewable energy; [75686]

  (2) what target, in terms of the percentage of electricity provided through renewables, each of the regional electricity companies has set themselves; and what progress was made in achieving this in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [75687]

  Mr. Battle
  Orders placed under the Non-Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO) arrangements require the Regional Electricity Companies (RECs) to contract collectively for specific amounts of renewable generation.
  307
  As an illustration of the progress made to date, in calendar year 1997, NFFO projects supplied 2.63 Terra Watt hours (TWh) of electricity. In calendar year 1998, that rose to 3.29 TWh, an increase of 25 per cent.

  In September last year I laid the fifth NFFO Order—NFFO-5—which followed immediately on from a consultation with the RECs. That Order is the largest to date, for a total of 261 projects with a total Declared Net Capacity (DNC) of 1177 Mega Watts (MW).

  Missile Purchases
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the total value of missile purchases other than Rapier which the USA has made from the United Kingdom in the past decade. [75018]

  Mr. Spellar
  I have been asked to reply.

  I wrote to the hon. Member about this matter on 8 March 1999, in reply to his earlier question on 2 March 1999, Official Report, columns 659–60, and a copy of my letter has been placed in the Library of the House.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Prison Service
  Ms Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what response she has made to the Fourth Report of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee of session 1997–98 on the Prison Service in Northern Ireland. [76587]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  A copy of my response has, by the Committee's leave, been placed in the Library.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Pilot Projects
  Yvette Cooper
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the pilot projects instigated by his Department since 1 May 1997, indicating the area in which each pilot took, or is taking, place. [72633]

  Mr. Mudie
  Since 1 May 1997 the Department has instigated a number of pilot projects, a list of which has been placed in the Library.

  Education Standards Agency
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each(a) metropolitan district council,(b) shire district council,(c) unitary council, (d) shire county council and(e) London borough council the sums of money they will be required to pay towards the education standards fund in the 1999–2000 financial year. [74771]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The following table lists the allocations offered so far to each local education authority in England for the 1999–2000 Standards Fund programme, including the contribution to be made by each authority and by the Government if the allocations are accepted in full.
  308
  The number of individual Standards Fund grants (previously Grants for Education Support and Training) fully funded by the Government has increased from two under Grants for Education Support and Training in 1996–97 to nine so far allocated under the Standards Fund for 1999–2000. The Government's contribution has increased from £163 million to £493 million over the same period.

  Local education authority and government contributions to the 1999–2000 standards fund programme

  £

  Local education authority

  Local education authority contribution

  Government contribution

  Total allocation

  Metropolitan District Councils

  Barnsley

  1,693,679

  2,017,821

  3,711,500

  Birmingham

  10,645,287

  13,697,682

  24,342,969

  Bolton

  2,475,548

  3,334,191

  5,809,739

  Bradford

  7,711,438

  8,545,751

  16,257,189

  Bury

  1,301,553

  1,632,455

  2,934,008

  Calderdale

  1,908,560

  2,577,892

  4,486,452

  Coventry

  3,418,047

  4,622,998

  8,041,045

  Doncaster

  2,054,708

  3,158,415

  5,213,123

  Dudley

  3,794,501

  3,974,038

  7,768,539

  Gateshead

  1,458,458

  2,065,948

  3,524,406

  Kirklees

  4,787,464

  5,426,361

  10,213,825

  Knowsley

  1,696,731

  1,946,878

  3,643,609

  Leeds

  5,080,891

  6,330,252

  11,411,143

  Liverpool

  3,875,215

  4,721,881

  8,597,096

  Manchester

  4,965,936

  7,715,765

  12,681,701

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  2,202,880

  2,473,607

  4,676,487

  North Tyneside

  1,779,288

  2,021,948

  3,801,236

  Oldham

  2,838,916

  3,807,210

  6,646,126

  Rochdale

  2,028,574

  2,775,957

  4,804,531

  Rotherham

  2,111,205

  2,927,562

  5,038,767

  Salford

  1,698,466

  2,265,888

  3,964,354

  Sandwell

  2,456,966

  3,461,104

  5,918,070

  Sefton

  1,955,668

  2,693,040

  4,648,708

  Sheffield

  4,019,798

  5,093,741

  9,113,539

  Solihull

  1,268,203

  1,521,157

  2,789,360

  South Tyneside

  1,322,097

  1,690,990

  3,013,087

  St. Helens

  1,352,701

  1,503,403

  2,856,104

  Stockport

  2,155,969

  2,677,349

  4,833,318

  Sunderland

  2,000,180

  2,387,779

  4,387,959

  Tameside

  1,712,385

  2,131,766

  3,844,151

  Trafford

  1,540,301

  1,924,019

  3,464,320

  Wakefield

  2,430,161

  3,394,134

  5,824,295

  Walsall

  2,868,183

  4,081,404

  6,949,587

  Wigan

  2,143,429

  2,556,170

  4,699,599

  Wirral

  1,968,552

  2,680,071

  4,648,623

  Wolverhampton

  3,563,643

  4,183,481

  7,747,124

  Unitary Councils

  Bath and North East Somerset

  977,163

  1,297,040

  2,274,203

  Blackburn and Darwen

  2,636,421

  3,249,350

  5,885,771

  Blackpool

  968,923

  1,083,497

  2,052,420

  Bournemouth

  991,130

  1,090,310

  2,081,440

  Bracknell Forest

  706,985

  858,431

  1,565,416

  Brighton and Hove

  1,650,655

  2,084,791

  3,735,446

  City of Bristol

  3,327,058

  3,856,719

  7,183,777

  Darlington

  770,716

  1,023,122

  1,793,838

  Derby

  2,409,479

  3,183,489

  5,592,968

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  1,997,853

  2,912,051

  4,909,904

  Halton

  1,038,083

  1,177,597

  2,215,680

  Hartlepool

  853,725

  1,097,151

  1,950,876

  Kingston-upon-Hull

  2,025,114

  2,715,039

  4,740,153

  Leicester

  3,352,063

  4,695,447

  8,047,510

  Luton

  2,075,996

  3,217,181

  5,293,177

  Medway Towns

  2,243,367

  2,596,687

  4,840,054

  Middlesbrough

  1,503,890

  2,016,652

  3,520,542

  Milton Keynes

  1,654,769

  2,133,006

  3,787,775

  North East Lincolnshire

  1,394,708

  1,658,820

  3,053,528

  North Lincolnshire

  1,141,048

  1,572,633

  2,713,681

  North Somerset

  1,139,376

  1,537,102

  2,676,478

  309

  Local education authority and government contributions to the 1999–2000 standards fund programme

  £

  Local education authority

  Local education authority contribution

  Government contribution

  Total allocation

  Nottingham City

  3,145,542

  3,991,475

  7,137,017

  Peterborough

  1,697,588

  2,289,054

  3,986,642

  Plymouth

  1,934,358

  2,200,280

  4,134,638

  Poole

  740,481

  823,086

  1,563,567

  Portsmouth

  1,441,958

  1,626,648

  3,068,606

  Reading

  1,271,888

  1,443,885

  2,715,773

  Redcar and Cleveland

  1,265,471

  1,726,797

  2,992,268

  Rutland

  318,015

  351,245

  669,260

  Slough

  1,532,655

  1,751,723

  3,284,378

  South Gloucestershire

  1,666,774

  2,234,329

  3,901,103

  Southampton

  1,527,156

  1,929,567

  3,456,723

  Southend-on-Sea

  1,039,894

  1,213,607

  2,253,501

  Stockton-on-Tees

  1,457,300

  2,050,248

  3,507,548

  Stoke-on-Trent

  2,454,097

  3,031,857

  5,458,954

  Swindon

  1,398,767

  1,559,715

  2,958,482

  Telford and Wrekin

  2,079,334

  2,252,930

  4,332,264

  Thurrock

  1,230,579

  1,409,924

  2,640,503

  Torbay

  697,978

  841,965

  1,539,943

  Warrington

  1,248,087

  1,464,471

  2,712,558

  West Berkshire

  994,330

  1,355,697

  2,350,027

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  883,786

  1,182,304

  2,066,090

  Wokingham

  871,442

  1,048,480

  1,919,922

  Worcestershire

  3,429,440

  4,458,250

  7,887,690

  York

  1,110,079

  1,607,721

  2,717,800

  Shire County Councils

  Bedfordshire

  2,967,767

  4,246,714

  7,214,481

  Buckinghamshire

  3,876,947

  4,952,692

  8,829,639

  Cambridgeshire

  3,262,482

  4,146,811

  7,409,293

  Cheshire

  3,861,467

  4,680,451

  8,541,918

  Cornwall

  3,034,320

  3,656,490

  6,690,810

  Cumbria

  4,131,116

  4,672,392

  8,803,508

  Derbyshire

  4,537,842

  5,317,106

  9,854,948

  Devon

  4,029,382

  4,925,577

  8,954,959

  Dorset

  2,062,204

  2,457,669

  4,519,873

  Durham

  4,074,378

  5,480,315

  9,554,693

  East Sussex

  2,618,153

  3,971,759

  6,589,912

  Essex

  7,754,988

  8,914,779

  16,669,767

  Gloucestershire

  3,648,730

  4,450,722

  8,099,452

  Hampshire

  6,261,935

  7,967,280

  14,229,215

  Herefordshire

  1,169,537

  1,482,360

  2,651,897

  Hertfordshire

  7,072,521

  9,023,019

  16,095,540

  Isle of Wight

  923,613

  1,328,431

  2,252,044

  Isles of Scilly

  78,904

  86,751

  165,655

  Kent

  10,158,893

  11,834,439

  21,993,332

  Lancashire

  9,012,037

  11,049,830

  20,061,867

  Leicestershire

  3,414,348

  4,610,792

  8,025,140

  Lincolnshire

  4,213,885

  5,384,242

  9,598,127

  Norfolk

  5,012,506

  6,055,798

  11,068,304

  North Yorkshire

  3,386,302

  4,722,577

  8,108,879

  Northamptonshire

  4,374,951

  6,042,579

  10,417,530

  Northumberland

  2,106,048

  2,544,702

  4,650,750

  Nottinghamshire

  4,751,984

  5,580,929

  10,332,913

  Oxfordshire

  3,887,391

  4,974,369

  8,861,760

  Shropshire

  1,839,538

  2,178,510

  4,018,048

  Somerset

  3,610,490

  4,339,950

  7,950,440

  Staffordshire

  5,647,167

  7,363,883

  13,011,050

  Suffolk

  3,652,101

  4,786,964

  8,439,065

  Surrey

  5,295,773

  6,762,694

  12,058,467

  Warwickshire

  3,745,470

  5,055,382

  8,800,852

  West Sussex

  3,697,996

  5,186,266

  8,884,262

  Wiltshire

  2,729,790

  3,448,268

  6,178,058

  London Borough Councils

  Barking

  1,900,272

  2,089,860

  3,990,132

  Barnet

  2,366,416

  2,891,920

  5,258,336

  Bexley

  1,418,228

  1,821,321

  3,239,549

  Brent

  2,666,955

  3,367,994

  6,034,949

  Bromley

  1,585,772

  1,853,334

  3,439,106

  Camden

  2,903,952

  3,144,973

  6,048,925

  City of London

  49,537

  58,634

  108,171

  310

  Local education authority and government contributions to the 1999–2000 standards fund programme

  £

  Local education authority

  Local education authority contribution

  Government contribution

  Total allocation

  Croydon

  2,751,957

  3,416,323

  6,168,280

  Ealing

  3,172,997

  3,507,708

  6,680,705

  Enfield

  2,712,542

  3,391,802

  6,104,344

  Greenwich

  3,021,145

  3,375,022

  6,396,167

  Hackney

  3,723,571

  4,438,089

  8,161,660

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1,561,934

  1,831,641

  3,393,575

  Haringey

  2,921,447

  4,431,582

  7,353,029

  Harrow

  1,378,358

  1,931,663

  3,310,021

  Havering

  1,181,605

  1,407,355

  2,588,960

  Hillingdon

  1,859,310

  2,248,609

  4,107,919

  Hounslow

  2,167,800

  3,129,166

  5,296,966

  Islington

  2,923,391

  3,081,140

  6,004,531

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1,064,503

  1,499,011

  2,563,514

  Kingston upon Thames

  959,307

  1,094,954

  2,054,261

  Lambeth

  3,546,274

  3,749,938

  7,296,212

  Lewisham

  2,913,948

  3,104,126

  6,018,074

  Merton

  1,276,035

  1,620,069

  2,896,104

  Newham

  2,550,122

  2,723,674

  5,273,796

  Redbridge

  2,271,169

  2,722,722

  4,993,891

  Richmond upon Thames

  914,294

  1,027,980

  1,942,274

  Southwark

  2,853,458

  3,093,472

  5,946,930

  Sutton

  1,117,877

  1,262,297

  2,380,174

  Tower Hamlets

  4,871,681

  7,603,711

  12,475,392

  Waltham Forest

  2,438,859

  3,336,517

  5,775,376

  Wandsworth

  2,278,024

  3,040,012

  5,318,036

  Westminster

  1,904,441

  2,664,768

  4,569,209

  England

  391,711,239

  492,566,360

  884,277,599

  Independent Committee on Technology in Schools
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the reports he has received from the Independent Committee on Technology in Schools. [74791]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  An independent committee chaired by Sir Dennis Stevenson was established in 1996 to examine the role that ICT should be playing in primary and secondary education. The committee published its findings in a report entitled 'Information and Communications Technology in UK Schools'.

  Teachers' Pay
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for each(a) metropolitan district council, (b) shire district council, (c) unitary council, (d) shire county council and (e) London borough council the amount of money they will receive to contribute towards the teachers' pay award in the 1999–2000 financial year. [74770]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The Local Government Finance settlement was announced by my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister on 2 December 1998,Official Report, columns 883–84. It included. Education Standard Spending Assessments, which increased by 5.7 per cent. overall, but it did not identify separately funding in respect of teachers' pay.
  311

  Nursery Education
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress in the provision of guaranteed nursery education for all four-year-olds. [74780]

  Ms Hodge
  Early Years Development and Childcare Plans demonstrate how, since September 1998, a free part time early education place, for three terms before compulsory school, has been available for every child whose parents want one.

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority, how much money.(a) has been spent and (b) is estimated will be needed to be spent on (i) employing new teachers and (ii) building new classrooms in order for schools to ensure that no five to seven-year-olds will be in classes with more than 30 pupils. [74736]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The following table sets out by local education authority the allocations of revenue funding for additional teachers and capital funding for new classrooms made for 1998–99 and 1999–2000. In total, we have made available £620 million to ensure that our pledge is delivered in full by September 2001 and in virtually all schools by September 2000.

  Allocations to reduce infant class sizes

  £000

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  LEA name

  Revenue

  Capital

  Revenue

  Capital

  Barking and Dagenham

  —

  142

  46

  —

  Barnet

  146

  192

  273

  —

  Barnsley

  —

  —

  379

  616

  Bath and North East Somerset

  —

  140

  161

  178

  Bedfordshire

  —

  744

  650

  1,030

  Bexley

  225

  423

  360

  185

  Birmingham

  —

  —

  72

  421

  Blackburn

  107

  268

  263

  625

  Blackpool

  73

  415

  285

  278

  Bolton

  —

  280

  779

  628

  Bournemouth

  —

  —

  77

  1,583

  Bracknell

  —

  174

  110

  277

  Bradford

  625

  202

  1,351

  —

  Brent

  —

  —

  —

  74

  Brighton and Hove

  88

  110

  268

  576

  Bristol, City of

  —

  203

  192

  303

  Bromley

  200

  520

  571

  339

  Buckinghamshire

  146

  160

  1,313

  1,608

  Bury

  584

  1,145

  1,082

  199

  Calderdale

  162

  100

  308

  0

  Cambridgeshire

  —

  543

  946

  768

  Camden

  —

  —

  15

  92

  Cheshire

  —

  801

  1,370

  1,076

  City of London

  —

  —

  0

  0

  Cornwall

  —

  320

  760

  659

  Coventry

  452

  40

  604

  227

  Croydon

  100

  369

  298

  0

  Cumbria

  146

  113

  834

  779

  Darlington

  —

  170

  186

  266

  Derby, City of

  1,000

  878

  1,402

  160

  Derbyshire

  1,160

  1,597

  2,294

  1,926

  Devon

  1,000

  576

  1,505

  594

  Doncaster

  —

  —

  507

  291

  Dorset

  324

  254

  1,067

  746

  Dudley

  —

  374

  233

  608

  Durham

  250

  167

  810

  508

  Ealing

  291

  111

  442

  607

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  250

  85

  720

  1,099

  312

  Allocations to reduce infant class sizes

  £000

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  LEA name

  Revenue

  Capital

  Revenue

  Capital

  East Sussex

  116

  547

  878

  515

  Enfield

  —

  380

  393

  644

  Essex

  —

  543

  1,183

  1,149

  Gateshead

  100

  200

  181

  0

  Gloucestershire

  —

  238

  804

  629

  Greenwich

  —

  80

  0

  200

  Hackney

  —

  —

  91

  0

  Halton

  —

  297

  317

  85

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  —

  —

  0

  0

  Hampshire

  —

  1,025

  1,490

  1,093

  Haringey

  146

  —

  148

  0

  Harrow

  —

  —

  69

  0

  Hartlepool

  100

  69

  194

  180

  Havering

  —

  77

  0

  257

  Herefordshire

  146

  65

  323

  985

  Hertfordshire

  510

  399

  1,369

  440

  Hillingdon

  291

  864

  427

  1,126

  Hounslow

  —

  —

  160

  507

  Isle of Wight

  135

  170

  308

  164

  Isles of Scilly

  —

  —

  0

  0

  Islington

  —

  —

  0

  0

  Kensington and Chelsea

  —

  —

  0

  0

  Kent

  —

  850

  1,126

  1,169

  Kingston upon Hull

  —

  —

  315

  434

  Kingston upon Thames

  —

  —

  131

  3,306

  Kirklees

  500

  540

  1,138

  719

  Knowsley

  —

  80

  164

  428

  Lambeth

  —

  578

  69

  359

  Lancashire

  1,000

  1,285

  2,390

  4,064

  Leeds

  500

  320

  1,313

  725

  Leicester City

  584

  158

  650

  587

  Leicestershire

  291

  566

  943

  510

  Lewisham

  —

  —

  0

  0

  Lincolnshire

  102

  318

  503

  690

  Liverpool

  —

  85

  124

  224

  Luton

  —

  59

  110

  574

  Manchester

  —

  817

  41

  30

  Medway

  —

  188

  384

  244

  Merton

  —

  —

  131

  1,939

  Middlesbrough

  146

  94

  244

  0

  Milton Keynes

  —

  —

  195

  294

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  500

  367

  759

  70

  Newham

  257

  278

  329

  569

  Norfolk

  291

  470

  1,217

  1,086

  North East Lincolnshire

  —

  518

  253

  172

  North Lincolnshire

  675

  410

  889

  140

  North Somerset

  —

  212

  260

  87

  North Tyneside

  —

  352

  192

  241

  North Yorkshire

  —

  459

  1,018

  1,470

  Northamptonshire

  —

  234

  349

  1,061

  Northumberland

  324

  224

  738

  893

  Nottingham, City of

  146

  452

  412

  149

  Nottinghamshire

  —

  405

  1,100

  3,113

  Oldham

  —

  1,112

  589

  1,287

  Oxfordshire

  584

  842

  1,011

  1,263

  Peterborough

  150

  —

  368

  415

  Plymouth

  500

  —

  870

  0

  Poole

  —

  246

  164

  324

  Portsmouth

  —

  —

  91

  401

  Reading

  —

  92

  144

  311

  Redbridge

  —

  320

  131

  325

  Redcar and Cleveland

  —

  253

  69

  326

  Richmond upon Thames

  —

  762

  117

  847

  Rochdale

  —

  320

  471

  711

  Rotherham

  219

  85

  471

  1,140

  Rutland

  —

  —

  50

  0

  Salford

  146

  139

  416

  221

  Sandwell

  1,000

  1,159

  1,212

  293

  Sefton

  59

  359

  357

  552

  Sheffield

  525

  —

  1,005

  148

  Shropshire

  —

  591

  540

  249

  Slough

  88

  —

  275

  717

  Solihull

  584

  942

  848

  685

  Somerset

  —

  378

  795

  618

  South Gloucestershire

  500

  873

  1,008

  704

  313

  Allocations to reduce infant class sizes

  £000

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  LEA name

  Revenue

  Capital

  Revenue

  Capital

  South Tyneside

  100

  —

  160

  0

  Southampton

  —

  —

  123

  161

  Southend on Sea

  —

  190

  123

  80

  Southwark

  —

  —

  0

  160

  St. Helens

  —

  344

  110

  608

  Staffordshire

  —

  350

  1,201

  713

  Stockport

  204

  190

  749

  698

  Stockton on Tees

  —

  384

  137

  163

  Stoke on Trent

  —

  151

  278

  1,077

  Suffolk

  —

  —

  234

  883

  Sunderland

  —

  55

  82

  155

  Surrey

  —

  419

  990

  341

  Sutton

  168

  453

  295

  358

  Swindon

  —

  527

  343

  0

  Tameside

  291

  —

  590

  813

  Telford and Wrekin

  291

  329

  468

  100

  Thurrock

  —

  80

  82

  434

  Torbay

  —

  198

  167

  504

  Tower Hamlets

  —

  —

  0

  0

  Trafford

  —

  487

  288

  422

  Wakefield

  60

  765

  427

  530

  Walsall

  146

  397

  360

  454

  Waltham Forest

  —

  —

  0

  285

  Wandsworth

  146

  —

  150

  223

  Warrington

  59

  332

  151

  963

  Warwickshire

  584

  169

  1,139

  294

  West Berkshire

  —

  —

  94

  534

  West Sussex

  —

  826

  521

  798

  Westminster

  —

  —

  0

  0

  Wigan

  290

  726

  659

  968

  Wiltshire

  291

  522

  935

  1,903

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  —

  99

  128

  167

  Wirral

  —

  202

  273

  924

  Wokingham

  —

  414

  82

  527

  Wolverhampton

  —

  357

  288

  753

  Worcestershire

  —

  —

  548

  1,156

  York, City of

  146

  116

  350

  180

  GM Schools

  680

  1,113

  —

  —

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for (i) each of the past four years and (ii) the current year to date(a) the number of jobseeker's allowance recipients who have been interviewed and (b) the number subsequently awarded a nil benefit. [74159]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 4 March 1999]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Jeremy Corbyn, dated 11 March 1999:

  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your question about how many jobseekers, who receive Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA), have been interviewed and how many, subsequently, had nil benefit awards. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Employment Service.

  The Employment Service conducts many different types of interviews with jobseekers. These start at the new claims stage and develop as unemployment lengthens. The new jobseeker's interview is important in establishing whether jobseekers meet the labour market conditions for receiving JSA. It is normally at this stage that a Jobseeker's Agreement is drawn up and jobseekers are made aware of their responsibilities in order to receive JSA. Thereafter,
  314
  entitlement to JSA is reviewed at interviews every fortnight. We also use these opportunities to offer jobseekers further advice and help in their search for work. Jobseekers are also asked to attend a Restart Interview at regular six monthly intervals at which they are offered further advice and information about employment and training opportunities. Beyond this interviews may take place for a variety of other reasons.

  Questions about a jobseeker's entitlement to JSA could arise at any of the interviews referred to above. In these instances, there may be a reference to an independent Adjudication Officer for a decision on benefit entitlement.

  On the specific issue of nil benefit awards, since JSA was introduced in October 1996, the number of claims processed and the number of nil awards by operational year has been as follows:

  Claims processed

  Nil awards

  7 October 1996 to 31 March 1997

  1,280,960

  164,460

  1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998

  2,966,185

  470,047

  1 April 1998 to 31 January 1999

  2,339,348

  403,897

  These figures are based primarily on information held by the JSA Payments System. The figures for the period ending 31 March 1997 include a small number of claims held on the income support computer system because they linked back to an earlier Income Support claim.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the current ratio of school leavers to the numbers entering higher education. [75024]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Information on the number of school leavers who entered higher education directly is not available centrally. In some cases, progression to HE will be direct from FE or tertiary college, and some students will enter after a year abroad or other sabbatical. The entry rate of young people to HE is measured by the Age Participation Index (API) which measures the chance of a young person entering full-time higher education before they are 21. In 1998–99 the API was in the range 30–32 per cent.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many special schools he estimates will close as a result of the Programme of Action for meeting special educational needs. [74814]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The Programme of Action makes it clear that we see a continuing and vital role for special schools. We want to build on their strengths and ensure that they are an integral part of an inclusive local education system for children in their area, and in some cases beyond. We recognise that some local education authorities may wish to propose changes to individual schools, both special and mainstream, to reflect changes in demand for special needs provision. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has, however, informed authorities that the Programme of Action should not be interpreted as providing justification on its own for making proposals to close special schools.

  Grammar School Ballots
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on Trafford
  315
  Borough Council's advice to parent teacher associations regarding the dissemination of information to parents who are involved in grammar school ballots. [75226]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The Council's action is not contrary to the provisions in the School Standards and Framework Act 1998. The letter from the Chief Executive merely points out that it would be prudent for parent teacher associations with charitable status to check their constitutions before disseminating any information from lobby groups to ensure that their actions would not be in breach of Charity law.

  School Performance Tables
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to reform school performance tables to allow schools to omit from their statistics those children who have been disregarded from SATs and public examinations by virtue of a statement of special educational needs. [75206]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  We have no current plans to treat pupils with special educational needs differently in performance tables. The inclusion of such pupils is supported by the Government's National Advisory Group on SEN.

  Many pupils with special educational needs are academically able or on a par with other pupils, and to ignore their achievements would be wrong. Schools do face particular challenges, however, in achieving results in line with national expectations for most pupils with special educational needs. The performance tables include information on the number of such pupils on roll, so that this can be taken into account in evaluating school performance.

  New Deal
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what assessment his Department has made of the improvements in employability of those passing through the New Deal programme; [75421]

  (2) allowing for displacement and substitution, what estimate his Department has made of the number of new jobs which have been created by the New Deal; [75422]

  (3) what percentage of those going through all stages of the New Deal for the young unemployed to date were without permanent employment at the end of the programme.[75423]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Graham Brady, dated 11 March 1999:

  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply direct to your questions about the New Deal initiative for young people aged between 18 and 24. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  The very early evidence from the New Deal suggests that it is having a significant impact on participants' employability. Comparing the pathfinder areas, where the New Deal commenced
  316
  in January 1998, to the rest of the country, where it commenced in April 1998, the pathfinder areas showed a six percentage point higher flow of young people into jobs between January and April 1998.

  In the longer term, as part of the overall evaluation of New Deal, we aim through a national survey of New Deal participants to make an assessment of employability in terms, for example, of improvements in basic skills and qualifications, increased work experience, increased levels of job search activity, increased levels of motivation and confidence about finding work and increased self-esteem. Findings from the first stage of the survey are expected to be available around September 1999; findings from the second stage around September 2000.

  Turning to the number of jobs created by the New Deal, I should say that the New Deal was not planned as a job creation initiative. Its aim is to tackle long term unemployment among young people by improving their employability and helping them find jobs.

  Finally, in respect of the percentage of young people without permanent employment at the end of their participation in New Deal, I should explain that the New Deal has a number of stages including Gateway, the options and a follow through period of support and guidance. Because New Deal only started nationally in April 1998 it is too early to evaluate what proportion of participants may not secure permanent employment at the end of their time on the programme. It may be helpful, however, to say that by December 1998 of the 214,300 young people who had started New Deal only 4,400 had started on the follow through period.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the New Deal for the young unemployed in Hendon.[75782]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Andrew Dismore, dated 11 March 1999:

  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply to your question about the progress of the New Deal for young unemployed people in Hendon. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  I regret that separate figures are not generally available for individual towns, or for constituencies. Government Statistical Service figures are produced for Employment Service Unit of Delivery areas. Hendon falls within the Edgware and Leaside Unit of Delivery.

  The latest Government Statistical Service figures to the end of December 1998, and including Management Information to the end of January 1999, show that 3,329 young people have started on New Deal for 18–24 year olds in the Edgware and Leaside Unit of Delivery. Of these, 509 have secured unsubsidised employment; 100 have started subsidised employment through the New Deal Employment option; and 564 have started on either the Full-Time Education and Training, or one of the work experience options. Of the remainder, the majority are still in the initial Gateway phase of the New Deal. There will be other young people who have left the New Deal for jobs, and stopped receiving the Jobseeker's Allowance, without telling the Employment Service their reasons for leaving.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Ofsted
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 8 February 1999,Official Report, column 107, if he will set out the

  317
  budget for Ofsted for the financial years (a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99, calculated on the same basis as the figures contained in his answer. [75488]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]: Total provision for Ofsted in the financial year 1998–99 is £110.3 million and total expenditure for 1997–98 was £151 million. The reduction in 1998–99 results principally from the change, announced by the previous Government and confirmed in July 1997 in the "Excellence in schools" White Paper, from a four-year cycle of school inspections to a differentiated approach in which schools will be inspected at least every six years but more frequently where weaknesses are apparent, and from lower than expected contract prices for inspections.

  Child Minders
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will review local authority circular 94/23 which permits child minders to smack minded children with parental permission. [75152]

  Ms Hodge
  The guidance was introduced following a High Court judgment. The Department of Health will shortly be consulting on how the law can be improved to better protect children from assault. We will review the guidance in the light of this consultation.

  A-levels (Review)
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects to announce the findings of his review of A-levels; and if he will make a statement. [75660]

  Mr. Mudie
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: We expect to make an announcement shortly on taking forward our commitment to support broader A-levels and upgrade vocational qualifications, underpinned by rigorous standards and key skills. This will support A-level students studying more subjects particularly in the first year of sixth form, recognising the lower levels of taught time at this stage in England compared with other European countries. We have already made it clear that reforms will be introduced nationally for teaching from September 2000.

  National Curriculum (Review)
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he plans to announce the findings of his review of the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement. [75661]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: We will be consulting widely on draft proposals for revisions to the National Curriculum during the summer. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will then make final decisions in the early autumn before the revised National Curriculum is sent to schools. Schools will then have most of the 1999–2000 school year to prepare for any changes from September 2000.

  Education Standards (Staffordshire)
  Mr. Jenkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of education standards in(a) Tamworth Borough and (b) Staffordshire.[75651]
  318
  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: Statistics showing the standards of attainment by pupils in each school and local authority area are published in annual performance tables. A summary of recent results in Staffordshire and in primary and secondary schools in Tamworth Borough, which is not itself a local education authority, is set out in the following table. A sample of schools in each authority is inspected annually by Ofsted and reports published which include judgments about standards of attainment and the quality of education. A programme of inspections of all local education authorities is now being carried out by Ofsted, but none of the named authorities has yet been inspected. All authorities have just submitted for approval an Education Development Plan which includes a three-year programme for securing school improvement, and targets including those for pupil performance at ages 11 and 16 which will be monitored in future years.

  LEA performance at key stage 2, GCSE and GCE A/AS level of LEAs in Tamworth borough and Staffordshire

  Tamworth borough2

  Staffordshire

  England

  Key Stage 2

  Percentage of pupil's achieving level 4 or above

  English

  1998

  57.3

  65.9

  64.1

  1997

  55.5

  66.5

  62.5

  1996

  50.8

  56.3

  56.3

  Maths

  1998

  50.0

  60.2

  57.9

  1997

  54.1

  65.3

  61.3

  1996

  49.8

  51.5

  53.2

  Science

  1998

  60.9

  72.6

  68.6

  1997

  60.6

  72.2

  68.1

  1996

  56.2

  62.1

  61.2

  Aggregate

  1998

  168.1

  198.7

  190.6

  1997

  170.1

  204.0

  191.9

  1996

  156.8

  169.9

  170.7

  GCSE

  Percentage of 15 year olds achieving 5A1-C GCSEs

  1998

  38.2

  45

  46.3

  1997

  38.2

  45

  45.1

  1996

  36.5

  40.9

  44.5

  GCE A/AS level1

  Average point score

  1998

  15.1

  16.2

  17.8

  1997

  13.7

  17.7

  17.3

  1996

  14.7

  16.6

  16.8

  1 Only for those entering two or more GCE A/AS Levels

  2 Not including special schools

  Education SSAs
  Mr. Jenkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will make a statement on the funding for education in Staffordshire in 1999–2000; [75652]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the current SSA formula for the distribution of education funding to shire authorities; [75653]

  (3) if he will review the current SSA formula for funding education; [75654]
  319
  (4) what meetings he has had with Ministers at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions to discuss the review of the SSA formula for education. [75655]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: The education SSA for Staffordshire for 1999–2000 represents an underlying increase of £18.2 million or 6 per cent., after allowing for local authority changes of function. An increase on that scale should be sufficient to meet the pressures faced by Staffordshire schools, although my right hon. Friend appreciates the concern expressed by schools in Staffordshire and elsewhere about the fairness of the current education SSA system. In announcing the conclusions of the comprehensive Spending Review for the three years up to 2001–02, Ministers made it clear that they would not seek to change the current SSA system. It will, nevertheless, be subject to review. That will be led by DETR Ministers, and it will involve local government representation, and Ministers with local government service interests.

  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to take account of levels of turnover in pupil enrolments in setting local education authority standard spending assessments. [75751]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: None in the immediate future. In announcing the conclusions of the Comprehensive Spending Review for the three years up to 2001–02, Ministers made it clear that they would not seek to change the system of calculating standard spending assessments. It will, nevertheless, be subject to review. That will be led by DETR Ministers, and it will involve local government representation, and Ministers with local government service interests.

  Employment Service
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of the Employment Service targets under the New Deal had been achieved by 1 March 1999. [75667]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Graham Brady, dated 11 March 1999:

  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply direct to your question regarding what proportion of the Employment Service targets under the New Deal had been achieved by 1 March. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  The most recent information available relates to the position at the end of January. This shows that the Employment Service had by then achieved 55% of its target to place 100,000 New Deal for 18–24 year old participants into work during 1998–99. The target set for the Employment Service measures only those young people who secure employment as a direct result of a submission to a vacancy by the Employment Service or one of its partners.

  I hope this is helpful.
  320

  Single Gateway
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of those entering the New Deal Gateway in January 1998 were still in the Gateway on 31 December 1998. [75666]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Graham Brady, dated 11 March 1999:

  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply to your question about the percentage of young people who joined the New Deal Gateway in January 1998 who were still in the Gateway on 31st December 1998. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  Of those young people who entered the New Deal Gateway in January 1998, 3% were recorded as still being in the Gateway at the end of December 1998. In some cases this will be because they have had a number of periods of sickness, or have left the Gateway for other reasons, but on each occasion returned within 13 weeks of leaving.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Early Years Education
  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice has been issued to local education authorities on involving(a) parents and (b) governors in the development of early years education. [75564]

  Ms Hodge
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: The planning guidance on Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships for 1999–2000 asks Partnerships to ensure that the interests of parents, including those parents in employment, and of maintained schools, including nursery schools, are properly represented in drawing up the Early Years Development and Childcare Plan.

  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which local education authorities have submitted their draft Early Years Development Plans to his Department for approval; and how many have been approved. [75563]

  Ms Hodge
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: All local education authorities have submitted Early Years Development and Childcare Plans for approval. I shall shortly announce which have been approved.

  Local Decision Making
  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice has been issued to local education authorities on involving(a) parents and (b) governors in decision making on local education services, and giving them representation on (i) local education authority education committees and (ii) children's panels. [75565]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: We are keen to encourage parents and governors to become involved in decision making on education

  321
  services. The Department has not issued general guidance to local education authorities on how to achieve this, although guidance to authorities on specific functions has included appropriate advice, for example the guidance on Education Development Plans issued in September 1998. The Department is due to consult on draft regulations on parent governor representatives on local authority committees dealing with education in the next few weeks, and to issue the final regulations and guidance in the summer. I believe that the reference to children's panels relates to Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships which are covered in a reply given today by the Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Barking (Ms Hodge), at column 320.

  Innovative Projects Programme
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he plans to announce the outcome of bids for funding under the New Deal: Innovative Projects programme. [75748]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: Responsibility for the subject of the question has been delegated to the Employment Service agency under its Chief Executive. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Leigh Lewis to Mr. Robin Corbett, dated 11 March 1999:

  As the Employment Service is an Executive Agency, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment has asked me to reply to your question about when the outcome of bids for funding under the New Deal Innovation Fund will be announced. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of the Agency.

  It may be helpful if I explain that New Deal Partnerships will have two opportunities a year to bid for funding from the Innovation Fund. Guidance will be issued to all partnerships in early April, alongside a timetable for bids to be received for assessment. We hope that the successful bids from the first round of assessments will be announced in July or August of this year.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Select Committee Reports
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if(a) he, (b) civil servants in his Department or (c) special advisers in his Department have (i) had sight of drafts of select committee reports, in whole or in part, or (ii) been informed of conclusions of select committee reports prior to their publication by the select committees. [75871]

  Mr. Mudie
  [holding answer 10 March 1999]: I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the hon. Member for Spelthorne (Mr. Wilshire) on 1 March 1999, Official Report, column 531. There have been no instances of members of select committees giving me, or my ministerial colleagues, drafts of select committee reports, or of parts of reports including their conclusions, before publication. Nor to the best of my knowledge there have been any occasions on which members of select committees have given such material to civil servants or special advisers in the Department. this excludes embargoed copies of reports issued under House of Commons Standing Orders.
  322

  Rainsford School, Chelmsford
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 5 March 1999,Official Report, columns 951–52, concerning Rainsford School, when he expects (a) the further consultations to end with Essex Local Education Authority and local schools and (b) a decision to be taken on the case for admitting a pupil whose name has been sent to him. [76107]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  We have asked Essex Local Education Authority to provide details of this pupil and their handling of the direction process, along with information about alternative local schools, by Monday 15 March. Their response will determine whether we need to write to any other schools. Only once all local consultation is fully completed will it be possible for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to make a decision.

  Higher Education Funding Council
  Dr. Starkey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish the Quinquennial Review report on the Higher Education Funding Council for England. [76734]

  Mr. Blunkett
  I am publishing the report today. Copies have been placed in the Library.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Arts Funding
  Mrs. Virginia Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much additional money would have been available to(a) the Arts Council, (b) the Sports Council, (c) the Millennium Commission and (d) the Heritage Lottery Fund in (i) 1997–98 and (ii) 1998–99 if the Government had not introduced the New Opportunities Fund. [72175]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  In line with the overall income forecast of £10.6 billion, we expect the arts, sport, heritage and charities (with £1.85 billion each) and the Millennium Commission (£2.017 billion) to receive more in the current licence period than was originally forecast.

  Any retrospective reallocation of the sums announced for the New Opportunities Fund (£1 billion) and the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts (£200 million) is entirely hypothetical.

  Lobbyists
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the role of professional lobbyists in formulating policy in his Department. [74359]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 4 March 1999]: Any contacts with lobbyists by Ministers and civil servants in this Department are conducted in accordance with the "Ministerial Code and Guidance for Civil Servants: Contact with Lobbyists".
  323

  Departmental Logo
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the cost of(a) developing and (b) introducing the new departmental logo. [75184]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 5 March 1999]: (a) The budget for developing the departmental visual identity was £26,000. We are still awaiting final invoices, but expect the final outturn to be close to budget.

  (b) Introducing the new visual identity incurred no further costs, and has already resulted in savings of over 25 per cent. on the procurement of the Department's printed stationery. This will be a continuing saving and further efficiency improvements are also expected.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what criteria the new departmental logo was chosen. [75296]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]: The logo, and the new visual identity of which it is a part, had to serve the overall purposes of the exercise. These were to improve the consistency and distinctiveness of DCMS communications. Further criteria were cost-effectiveness and acceptability to DCMS staff.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport in what colours the new departmental logo will be available; and what the criteria are for deciding how the different colour logos are to be used by his Department. [75298]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]: The new visual identity uses a palette of 15 colours which will be used on the Department's publications and printed stationery. The Pantone Matching System references for these colours are:

  3272

  286

  5483

  032

  5125

  279

  104

  382

  451

  124

  239

  626

  2735

  633

  130.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if the contract for the design for his new departmental logo was put out to tender. [75297]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]: Yes. (The contract, however, included much more than designing a new departmental logo.)

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many design options for his Department's new logo were put forward for consideration; and to whom. [75295]
  324
  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]: The initial phase of the communications consultancy involved extensive discussions with DCMS staff and with a variety of "partner bodies". The design company then put forward three options for a new visual identity to Ministers and staff.

  Tourism Strategy
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans the Government have to encourage the regeneration of traditional seaside resorts(a) through grant aid and (b) otherwise. [75699]

  Janet Anderson
  The Single Regeneration Budget brings together 20 separate programmes to create a flexible fund for local regeneration. In September, Ministers at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions announced that SRB funds—about £3.8 billion over the next three years—would be available to tackle pockets of deprivation, including coastal towns. 44 of the bids included proposals for the regeneration of seaside resorts.

  "Tomorrow's Tourism", our tourism strategy document published on 26 February, addresses this important industry sector and, through the eight-stage regeneration plan for resorts, will help to create the right framework in which tourism can flourish. The future of our seaside resorts depends on all those involved in both private and public sectors working together to develop the sort of products now needed and with the quality and value for money which visitors expect. The Government will continue to explore ways to encourage the regeneration of traditional seaside resorts.

  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how the Government intend to implement their tourism strategy; and if he will make a statement. [75793]

  Janet Anderson
  Our strategy document, "Tomorrow's Tourism", sets out a number of specific proposals for action. The Government will review, and report annually on, the progress made in implementing the strategy.

  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has for overseas promotions to encourage people to visit traditional British seaside resorts. [75698]

  Janet Anderson
  The Government sponsor the British Tourist Authority, who are responsible for the promotion overseas of Britain as a tourist destination. The BTA assists seaside resorts both by promoting them in its overseas campaigns—such as Waterfront Britain, British Arts Cities, the Millennium Touring Brochure, UK The Guide, Britain for Walkers and the Movie Map—and by encouraging resorts to participate in overseas marketing partnerships and in overseas consumer trade exhibitions.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what were the design, printing and distribution costs of the document, "Tomorrow's Tourism". [75185]
  325
  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 5 March 1999]: The costs of designing, printing and distributing 15,000 copies of the document "Tomorrow's Tourism" are as follows:

  Design
  We are awaiting the final invoice from the company responsible for design, typesetting, proof reading and the conversion of the text into a format suitable for the Internet. However, we expect the final cost to be approximately £35,000.

  Print
  The cost of printing 15,000 copies of the document was £25,510.00.

  Distribution
  The distribution was undertaken by DCMS employees. The overall cost of postage was £1,850.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions his Department held with each of the RDAs about the context of "Tomorrow's Tourism" prior to its publication. [75567]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: Our strategy was developed with full involvement from the industry and other Government Departments with an interest in Tourism. This included the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, who have the policy lead for the RDAs. I discussed our new tourism strategy, "Tomorrow's Tourism" with the Chairmen designate of all the RDAs on 18 February.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if copies of "Tomorrow's Tourism" were sent to each of the chairmen designate of the RDAs. [75566]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: Chairmen and Chief Executives designate of the RDAs were each sent copies of "Tomorrow's Tourism" on 25 February.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with(a) the English Tourist Board, (b) regional tourist boards and (c) representatives of tourist attractions about proposals for a national quality assurance scheme; and if he will make a statement. [76068]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  One of the key aims of our new tourism strategy, "Tomorrow's Tourism", published on 26 February, is to develop and spread quality. "Tomorrow's Tourism" was developed with full involvement from the industry, including the English Tourist Board and the Regional Tourist Boards. The strategy promotes the use of the new harmonised quality standards for accommodation being launched to consumers in September. The ETB is considering the use of quality assurance schemes for other industry sectors, including the attractions sector.

  Lottery Film Programme
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money has been recouped to date by the Lottery Film Programme. [75750]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: To date, the Arts Council of England's Lottery Film Programme has recouped £2.33 million.

  Lottery Funding
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much of its funding from the 326
  National Lottery the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts will make available for projects to turn innovations into products and services. [76027]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  The National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts is funded by an endowment of £200 million from the National Lottery, which will provide an annual income of up to £10 million. It has yet to be decided how the amounts will be apportioned to the different parts of NESTA's remit. As well as funding innovative products and services, finance will be provided for mentoring and placement schemes; masterclasses; centres of excellence; showcasing and summer schools.

  Television Licence Fee
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when regulations will be laid to bring into effect the television licence fee increases due to come into force on 1 April. [76731]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  On 15 December 1998,Official Report, columns 420–21, I announced that, from 1 April 1999, the fee for a colour television licence would increase to £101 and that for a black and white licence to £33.50. I have today laid before Parliament the regulations necessary to bring these fees into force.

ATTORNEY-GENERAL

  Serious Fraud
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps he is taking to ensure that sufficient resources are deployed to counter serious fraud. [74110]

  The Solicitor-General
  The Serious Fraud Office deals with the most serious and complex fraud. The Comprehensive Spending Review resulted in an increase in financial resources available to the SFO over the next three years. In return, the SFO will be expected to increase its caseload and reduce average case costs and the average time it takes to investigate without sacrificing quality. Staff and other resources are sufficient to handle the current caseload.

  Serious Fraud Office
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Attorney-General what proportion of cases investigated by the Serious Fraud Office in the past 12 months have resulted in a conviction. [74111]

  The Solicitor-General
  In the year to the end of February 1999, the Serious Fraud Office concluded 20 trials involving 38 defendants. In 19 of these trials, at least one defendant was convicted, usually the principal defendant. Of the 38 defendants, a total of 32 were convicted.

  Private Prosecutions
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Attorney-General how many applications he has received in the last year for him to halt private prosecutions. [74112]
  327
  The Attorney-General
  The only power vested in me to halt proceedings is the right to enter a nolle prosequi, which is confined to cases proceeding on indictment in the Crown Court. It is usually more appropriate for requests to stop proceedings to be considered by the Crown Prosecution Service, which does have the power to intervene in all criminal cases.

  Comprehensive statistics relating to applications for nolle prosequi are not kept and in any event would not separately identify those relating to private prosecutions.

  Cross-border Crime
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Attorney-General what discussions he has had with colleagues in other jurisdictions on cross-border crime. [74113]

  The Attorney-General
  I maintain a close dialogue with colleagues on all matters of mutual interest, including how to prosecute effectively those involved in cross-border crime.

  Crown Prosecution Service
  Mr. Lock
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the appointment of area business managers of the Crown Prosecution Service as part of the reorganisation of the CPS. [74115]

  The Attorney-General
  An exercise to select 42 Area Business Managers was advertised to staff within the Crown Prosecution Service. This has been completed and 37 Area Business Managers were appointed on 1 February 1999.

  It is anticipated that the five remaining posts will be the subject of appointments in April. This step, together with the appointment of 42 Chief Crown Prosecutors, represents the most significant single step towards the restructuring of the CPS into 42 Areas as we promised on taking office.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Attorney-General what steps he is taking to improve the effectiveness of the Crown Prosecution Service. [74114]

  The Attorney-General
  Sir Iain Glidewell's Report on the Crown Prosecution Service made a number of recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of the Crown Prosecution Service.

  Under its new Director of Public Prosecutions and Chief Executive, the Crown Prosecution Service is making good progress in considering and implementing the Glidewell recommendations. From April 1999, the Crown Prosecution Service will be reorganised into 42 geographical Areas; the appointment of 42 new Chief Crown Prosecutors for England and Wales was announced by the Director of Public Prosecutions this week.

  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Attorney-General if he will make a statement on the progress of appointments of the new Chief Crown Prosecutors. [74116]

  The Attorney-General
  The Director of Public Prosecutions announced on Monday 8 March the appointment of 42 Chief Crown Prosecutors for the new Crown Prosecution Service Areas and three Assistant Chief Crown Prosecutors for London.
  328
  This complements the appointment of 42 Area Business Managers referred to in my answer to the hon. Member for Wyre Forest (Mr. Lock) at column 327. The restructuring of CPS into 42 areas not only fulfils our promise on taking office, but is an important milestone in restructuring the criminal justice system on a more rational basis—which will facilitate closer liaison between police and the CPS as well as greater co-operation among the criminal justice agencies as a whole.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Metropolitan Police Manpower
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were(a) in each division of the Metropolitan police force and (b) in total, (i) on the last date for which figures are available, (ii) on 31 March 1998, (iii) 31 March 1997 and (iv) 31 March 1992. [75271]

  Kate Hoey
  The Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police tells me that the information is not available for the precise dates requested, but that it is recorded for different dates, as in the table. The various reasons why some entries are blank are that:

  (i) West Hendon and Golders Green Divisions amalgamated to form Collingdale in August 1997; and

  (ii) there were some different divisional boundaries, and a different area structure, within the Metropolitan Police District in 1992. The Area Headquarters in 1992 were not the same Headquarters as those in later years and the final 21 entries in the table, starting with WD, relate to divisions and areas that existed only in 1992.

  Metropolitan Police Manpower

  Division

  6 January 1999

  31 December 1997

  2 January 1997

  7 January 1992

  Greenwich

  292.45

  298.4

  302.5

  281

  Bexleyheath

  274.4

  282

  287.3

  285

  Croydon

  265.38

  272.84

  297.36

  323

  South Norwood

  324.34

  327.77

  327.98

  303

  Epsom & Sutton

  412.81

  404.5

  405.23

  402

  Area 5 HQ

  712.7

  753.7

  777.36

  508

  Heathrow

  340.73

  362.06

  364.99

  444

  Brixton

  290.58

  299.08

  322.65

  301

  Streatham

  253.6

  251.3

  272.71

  282

  Vauxhall

  350.11

  366.51

  371.94

  —

  Chiswick

  171.71

  186.3

  197.2

  204

  Hounslow

  266.3

  270.26

  272.7

  270

  Spelthorne

  180.08

  178.4

  198.2

  203

  Twickenham

  267

  283.15

  295.85

  333

  Kingston

  329.89

  366.89

  362.24

  403

  Wimbledon

  294.83

  292.48

  325.25

  —

  Battersea

  263.4

  268.7

  306.9

  257

  Wandsworth

  312.58

  327.18

  355.38

  231

  Hillingdon

  395.5

  398.2

  418.7

  —

  WD

  —

  —

  —

  231

  LK

  —

  —

  —

  180

  LM

  —

  —

  —

  225

  VW

  —

  —

  —

  313

  Area 3 HQ

  803.7

  831.9

  888.51

  495

  Shoreditch & Hackney

  329.32

  330.4

  326.8

  —

  Stoke Newington

  338.1

  346.24

  349.24

  300

  Limehouse

  259.8

  267.09

  267

  316

  Whitechapel

  301.3

  300.4

  329.4

  —

  Barkingside

  260.98

  268

  292.4

  292

  Chingford

  241.9

  238.7

  238.3

  244

  Ilford

  231.65

  228.95

  259.6

  263

  Leyton

  220.2

  224.8

  238.92

  228

  Havering

  326.38

  334.33

  351.05

  369

  Forest Gate

  295.48

  303.48

  314.48

  —

  Dagenham

  279.12

  299.8

  299.85

  279

  Plaistow

  286.88

  286.88

  311.4

  295

  329

  Metropolitan Police Manpower

  Division

  6 January 1999

  31 December 1997

  2 January 1997

  7 January 1992

  Edmonton

  267.68

  268.3

  261.78

  247

  Enfield

  277

  282

  292.1

  280

  Area 4 HQ

  658.2

  694.7

  680.43

  420

  Southwark

  296.87

  289.18

  308.88

  319

  Peckham

  296.76

  302.63

  303.78

  300

  Walworth

  282.8

  268.7

  265.5

  267

  Catford

  287.9

  290.85

  297.7

  269

  Lewisham

  307.56

  319.38

  328.6

  329

  Bromley & Orpington

  442.66

  464.1

  471.44

  —

  Plumstead

  303.04

  313.49

  320.35

  288

  West End Central

  298

  309

  308

  256

  Charing Cross

  295.2

  398.6

  403.7

  374

  Marylebone

  307.3

  329.1

  332.7

  255

  Paddington

  324.2

  352

  350

  —

  Fulham

  313.6

  230.76

  225.73

  184

  Hammersmith

  300.82

  311.02

  335.52

  352

  Area 2 HQ

  686.8

  708.8

  706.18

  514

  Hampstead

  186.5

  213.35

  208.15

  262

  Kentish Town

  291.66

  285.46

  274

  279

  Holborn

  206.90

  199.7

  199.8

  208

  Holloway

  245.01

  250.5

  255.9

  267

  Islington

  284.4

  298.9

  313.7

  —

  Harrow

  281.45

  289.05

  283.4

  288

  Wembley

  257.48

  266.48

  272.6

  258

  Kilburn

  336.18

  346.75

  367.26

  402

  Barnet & Hertsmere

  225.55

  277.26

  285.26

  298

  Golders Green

  —

  —

  215.15

  210

  Collingdale

  427.79

  428.73

  —

  —

  West Hendon

  —

  —

  235.65

  245

  Ealing

  312.8

  338.35

  354.28

  346

  Southall

  281.99

  288.16

  291.19

  258

  Hornsey

  245.4

  261.4

  263.3

  284

  Tottenham

  273.1

  265.1

  271.7

  293

  PN

  —

  —

  —

  238

  PR

  —

  —

  —

  285

  GH

  —

  —

  —

  351

  HB

  —

  —

  —

  206

  HD

  —

  —

  —

  206

  KW

  —

  —

  —

  300

  ND

  —

  —

  —

  332

  Area 6 HQ

  —

  —

  —

  441

  XY

  —

  —

  —

  214

  XU

  —

  —

  —

  253

  BC

  —

  —

  —

  210

  BD

  —

  —

  —

  230

  Area 7 HQ

  —

  —

  —

  504

  Area 8 HQ

  —

  —

  —

  486

  CV

  —

  —

  —

  137

  DD

  —

  —

  —

  289

  DR

  —

  —

  —

  224

  Totals

  21,517.18

  22,088.90

  22,761.38

  23,636

  Integrated Immigration Caseworking System
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if his Department carried out a feasibility study before it agreed the contract for an integrated immigration caseworking system; and if he will make a statement. [75741]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The need for an integrated Information Technology system in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) was originally identified in an independent study carried out by Sema Group in 1994, which recommended a programme of computerisation to achieve productivity improvements. During the competition for the contract IND received confirmation of this assessment from each of the three shortlisted service providers, working on-site with full access to officials at all levels. Siemens Business Services proposed the extensive use of electronic imaging of documents. The 330
  technical feasibility of achieving this was established by visits to reference sites where such systems were already in use.

  Coldingley Prison
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 4 February 1999,Official Report, column 752, on HMP Coldingley, (1) if Wackenhut (UK) Limited paid the sums owing in relation to the contract at HMP Coldingley within the 30-day payment period; and if he will make a statement; [75731]

  (2) what other sums have been established by the Prison Service as due from Wackenhut (UK) Limited; and if he will make a statement; [75732]

  (3) what is the total amount which Wakenhut (UK) Limited has owed the Home Office in relation to the contract at HMP Coldingley; what sums are outstanding currently; and if he will make a statement. [75733]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Wackenhut UK Limited has paid all of the £170,531 which was owed at 29 January, together with invoices for £50,507 issued by the Prison Service since that date, and the Prison Service had paid Wackenhut £76,522 in respect of goods provided by Wackenhut.

  Work is continuing to ascertain other sums due from Wackenhut, and the Prison Service is considering claims made by the company.

  The payment of all moneys identified as being owed by Wackenhut to the Prison Service will be rigorously pursued.

  Women Prisoners
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the provision of places at open prisons for women. [75713]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The table lists the three female open establishments. These prisons currently provide 519 certified normal accommodation (CNA) places for 481 sentenced adults and young offenders. There are no current plans to change the number of places provided.

  CNA places and population at open female establishments as of 8 March 1999

  Establishment

  Certified normal accommodation Places

  Number of prisoners

  HMP Askham Grange

  130

  128

  HMP and YOI Drake Hall

  295

  266

  HMP and YOI East Sutton Park

  94

  87

  Total

  519

  481

  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average annual increase in the number of(a) women prisoners and (b) places at open prisons for women in each of the last five years and in total. [75780]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Information on the average female prison population is given in table 1. This information, up to 1997, is published in "Prison statistics
  331
  England and Wales" (Table 1.2 of the 1997 edition), a copy of which is in the library. Information on the certified normal accommodation (CNA) for female open prisons is given in table 2.

  Table 1: Average female population in prisons in England and Wales 1994–98

  Year

  Average female prison population

  Difference

  1994

  1,811

  —

  1995

  1,979

  +168

  1996

  2,262

  +283

  1997

  2,675

  +413

  19981

  3,105

  +430

  Total change between 1994–98 +1,294

  1 Provisional figures.

  Table 2: Average Certified Normal Accommodation (CNA) at female open prisons, 1994–98

  Year

  Female open prisons

  Female open young offender institutions

  Total

  Difference

  1994

  422

  53

  475

  —

  1995

  444

  53

  497

  +22

  1996

  453

  53

  506

  +9

  1997

  452

  53

  505

  -1

  19981

  459

  53

  512

  +7

  Total change between 1994–98 +37

  1 Provisional figures.

  Life Prisoners
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners serving life sentences have escaped from open prisons in each of the last 10 years; and how many were convicted for an offence committed while escaping. [75551]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Central records cover the period from 1 March 1991. The number of reported absconds by life sentence prisoners from within open prisons since that date is as follows:

  Date

  Number

  1 March 1991–29 February 1992

  7

  1 March 1992–28 February 1993

  12

  1 March 1993–28 February 1994

  13

  1 March 1994–28 February 1995

  10

  1 March 1995–29 February 1996

  18

  1 March 1996–29 February 1997

  9

  1 March 1997–28 February 1998

  9

  1 March 1998–28 February 1999

  12

  As there is no central record of either those absconds which occurred prior to 1 March 1991, or offences committed by prisoners whilst at large, the further details requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners serving life sentences are currently placed at open prisons. [75552]

  Mr. George Howarth
  On 31 January 1999, there were 380 life sentence prisoners in open prisons in England and Wales.
  332
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy concerning the placement of life sentence prisoners in open prisons. [75558]

  Mr. George Howarth
  A period in open conditions is regarded as essential for most life sentence prisoners before they are considered for release on life licence. This period allows for the testing of areas of concern in conditions which are closer to those in the community than are found in closed prisons. Decisions to transfer life sentence prisoners to open conditions are taken by Ministers on consideration of recommendations made by the Parole Board.

  The Secretary of State's directions to the Parole Board in relation to mandatory life sentence prisoners require the Board, before making a recommendation for transfer to open conditions, to balance the risks against the benefits of such a move, taking into account:

  a. whether the lifer has made sufficient progress towards tackling offending behaviour to minimise the risk and gravity of re-offending and whether the benefits suggest that a transfer to open conditions is worthwhile at that stage; and

  b. whether the lifer is trustworthy enough not to abscond or to commit further offences (either inside or outside the prison).

  In each case the Board is also directed to consider whether:

  a. the extent to which the risk that the lifer will abscond or commit further offences while in an open prison is minimal;

  b. the lifer has shown by his performance in closed conditions that he has made positive efforts to address his attitudes and behavioural problems and the extent to which significant progress has been made in doing so; and

  c. the lifer is likely to derive benefit from being able to continue to address areas of concern in an open prison and to be tested in a more realistic environment.

  The same considerations apply in principle to recommendations for the transfer to open conditions of those subject to discretionary and other life sentences.

  Workplace Drug Screening
  Mr. McCabe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he will take to ensure that workplace drug screening programmes are applied equally to employees at all levels within the organisation. [75647]

  Mr. Straw
  The Home Office does not operate any drug screening programmes of its employees within the workplace.

  Firearms Compensation
  Mr. McCabe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what are the criteria for determining compensation claims under Option C for people required to hand in firearms and ancillary equipment; and how the criteria were established. [75619]

  Mr. Boateng
  Claims under all options of the firearms compensation schemes are determined by the eligibility requirements set out in the Firearms (Amendment) Acts 1997 and in the compensation schemes. To qualify for compensation, a surrendered handgun or small calibre pistol must be a prohibited weapon as defined in the Acts, and ancillary equipment must be of a type specified in the compensation schemes. The categories of ancillary
  333
  equipment covered by the schemes were drawn up in consultation with a number of shooting representative bodies.

  Derker and Stoneleigh Residents Association
  Mr. Woolas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from the Derker and Stoneleigh Residents Association in Oldham. [75517]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Derker and Stoneleigh Residents Association wrote to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 17 February 1999 and will receive a reply very shortly. I am not aware of any other representations.

  Refugee Arrivals Project
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees have been allocated to the North East Region by the Refugee Arrivals Project; where they have settled; and what is the unit cost per week in each location. [76127]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Refugee Arrivals Project provides an advice service to asylum seekers arriving at Gatwick or Heathrow who declare their application for asylum at their port of entry. Such asylum seekers may be entitled to income support and housing benefit. Because of current difficulties experienced by single asylum seekers in obtaining suitable accommodation in the London area, the Refugee Arrivals Project has advised some to seek support in other parts of the country. At present, about 350 asylum seekers have gone to the North East Region while their asylum claim is being considered.

  Chelmsford Prison
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action will be taken following the report by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Prisons on HM Prison Chelmsford to rectify problems identified in that report; and if he will make a statement. [76080]

  Mr. George Howarth
  Work has already begun to address the issues raised in the report including installation of a new cell call bell system and the building of a new reception area.

  The Prison Service will, within 30 working days of the date of publication of the report, prepare an action plan addressing all the recommendations made by the Chief Inspector.

  Sexual Offences
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many individuals have been wrongly(a) arrested and (b) convicted for committing sexual offences from 1995 to date; and if he will make a statement. [74073]

  Mr. Boateng
  Data on wrongful arrest are not collected centrally. Data on wrongful conviction are available for persons whose appeals against conviction were heard at the Crown Court or the Court of Appeal and are as follows:
  334
  Appeals from persons against conviction (1) for a sexual offence where the conviction was quashed (2), 1995–1997.

  Appeals from persons against conviction1 for a sexual offence where the conviction was quashed2, 1995–97

  Year

  The Crown Court

  Court of Appeal

  1995

  22

  30

  1996

  6

  31

  1997

  16

  346

  1998

  4—

  366

  1999 (to 1 March)

  4—

  37

  1 Includes appeals against conviction and sentence

  2 Includes results where a lesser offence was substituted

  3 Complied by the Court of Appeal and may be on a different basis to previous years

  4 Not yet available

  Source:
  Data compiled by the Home Office using case data supplied by both courts

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many appeals are currently being considered from individuals who assert that they are innocent of sexually related offences. [74074]

  Mr. Boateng
  At 1 March of this year, in the Court of Appeal, there were 264 outstanding applications from individuals against conviction for a sexually related offence.

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the sexual offences currently being investigated relate to incidents which took place more than a year ago. [74075]

  Mr. Boateng
  The information requested is not recorded centrally.

  Sexual Abuse (Compensation)
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average level of compensation paid to a victim of sexual abuse in the three most recent available years. [74076]

  Mr. Boateng
  Data are only available for claims received on or after 1 April 1996 under the tariff-based criminal injuries compensation scheme effective from that date. Details of awards made in respect of sexual abuse in childhood are as follows:

  £

  Period

  Average award

  1 April 1996 to 31 March 1997

  4,388

  1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998

  4,609

  1 April 1998 to 28 February 1999 (11 months)

  4,586

  Pascal Lissouba
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the terms are under which Pascal Lissouba has been given rights of residence in the United Kingdom. [76140]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  It is not our practice to disclose details of individuals' immigration records.
  335

  Railway Stations (CCTV)
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation has taken place between (i) his Department and Railtrack and (ii) the British Transport Police and Railtrack on the co-ordination of publicly funded CCTV and CCTV operated by Railtrack; in how many mainline railway stations there is currently(a) operational CCTV, (b) installed but non-operational CCTV and (c) no CCTV; and if he will make a statement. [75700]

  Dr. Reid
  I have been asked to reply.

  No specific discussions have been held between my Department and Railtrack concerning CCTV. The British Transport Police (BTP) hold discussions with Railtrack on an ad hoc basis regarding the installation of CCTV. Initiatives such as the Secure Stations Scheme and the Secure Car Parks Scheme require Railtrack, the BTP and the train operators to liaise on improving security at stations with measures such as CCTV.

  Eleven of the 14 mainline stations operated by Railtrack have some form of operational CCTV. At the remaining three, CCTV has been installed but it is not operational. No information is held centrally on the number of CCTV cameras and their operational status for the rest of the network.

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministerial Travel
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Prime Minister what the cost has been of his visits to Scotland in the current year, and if he will provide a break down of(a) travel, (b) accommodation, (c) security and (d) other costs; how many civil servants travelled with him for each visit and what the cost was for each; and if he will list the meetings he held on each visit, stating at which ones he performed in his capacity as Prime Minister. [72616]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 24 February 1999]: I have visited Scotland on two occasions since 1 January 1999: Glasgow on 5 February and Glasgow again on 4–5 March 1999.

  My programme on 5 February included a visit to the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and to the Western General Hospital. These engagements were undertaken in my capacity as Prime Minister. Separately, the Labour Party arranged a Question and Answer session in the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama to which students were invited.

  During my visit on 4–5 March 1 undertook a number of official engagements in my capacity as Prime Minister. These included a visit to Marconi Marine Limited and Richmond Park School, Glasgow and a Question and Answer session in Carluke. I also addressed the Scottish Labour Party Conference as Leader of the Labour Party.

  On both occasions I was accompanied by five members of my Office and the usual number of security and secure telecommunications staff who travel with a Prime Minister on visits within the United Kingdom. This is in line with the practice adopted by previous Governments.
  336
  It is not possible to give costs for these visits as final bills are not yet in.

  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Prime Minister on what dates he plans to visit Scotland during the period of the Scottish general election campaign; from what source such trips will be financed; what role civil servants and special advisers will play on such visits; and if he will make a statement. [72617]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 24 February 1999]: My programme of visits during the campaign is yet to be finalised although I greatly look forward to visiting Scotland over the next few months. Depending on the nature of the visit, travel costs for any visits will be met from the appropriate source. All expenditure will be in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

  Involvement by civil servants, including Special Advisers will take place in line with the relevant guidance set out in the Civil Service Code, the Ministerial Code and the Model Contract for Special Advisers.

  I also refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East (Dr. Kumar) on 16 February 1999, Official Report, column 721, setting out guidance to civil servants during the period before the forthcoming elections to the Scottish Parliament.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Prime Minister (1) which countries of the G8 he has visited since 1 May 1997; [76155]

  (2) when he plans to make an official visit to Canada. [76137]

  The Prime Minister
  I have visited all the G8 countries, with the exception of Canada. I look forward to visiting Canada at the earliest possible date, thus reciprocating Prime Minister Chretien's successful visit to Britain in May last year.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Prime Minister how many representations he has received during the last six months on food safety; and how many of these mentioned(a) genetically-modified organisms,(b) genetic engineering and (c) biotechnology. [75064]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 5 March 1999]My office has received 100,000 items of correspondence from members of the public in the last six months. Approximately 2,400 have related to food safety and biotechnology issues and, of these, approximately 100 have specifically mentioned genetically modified organisms or genetic engineering.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Prime Minister if he has responded to the allegations by the Prime Minister of Spain regarding criminal activity in Gibraltar. [75795]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: We are investigating these allegations, together with the relevant Gibraltar authorities. This involves careful and detailed research but we expect to respond shortly.
  337

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Genetically Modified Crops
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received advocating a moratorium on the planting of genetically modified crops. [74093]

  Mr. Rooker
  We have received representations from a range of organisations and individuals advocating a moratorium on commercial planting of genetically modified crops.

  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about English Nature's recommendation on the planting of genetically modified crops. [74105]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Government believe that the necessary protection of the environment can be achieved without the moratorium on herbicide-tolerant and insect-resistant crops which English Nature have recommended.

  Food Safety Regulations
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about food safety regulations in other parts of the EU. [74094]

  Mr. Rooker
  Food safety is an area of EU competence. Most food law is harmonised across the EU and rules equivalent to those in place in the UK apply in other Member States. The Government see this as the best way to promote common food safety standards across the EU.

  Fur Farming
  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has made to his European colleagues to bring about an EU-wide ban on fur farming. [74096]

  Mr. Morley
  The Government's primary concern is to bring about an end to fur farming in this country, which is why we are supporting the Private Member's Bill promoted by my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle). We have made it clear in Council of Europe discussions on welfare standards that the UK is opposed for ethical reasons to fur farming.

  Food Marketing
  Ms Rosie Winterton
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what measures his Department is taking to improve marketing in the food industry. [74098]

  Mr. Rooker
  We pursue a range of activities to help the agri-food industry to improve its marketing performance. We also work with industry initiatives in this area.

  Flood Defences
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent representations he has received about the impact of the operation of flood defences on fisheries. [74101]

  Mr. Morley
  Fishermen have an opportunity to make representations to the responsible authority when 338
  proposals for flood defence work are advertised under the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations. MAFF is not aware of any recent cases where the authorities have been unable to resolve any potential problems raised.

  Animal Feed
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what action his Department plans to take to ensure animal feed including genetically modified ingredients is adequately labelled. [74102]

  Mr. Rooker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him on 15 February 1999,Official Report, column 576.

  British Fishing Industry
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what proposals he has for ensuring that charges made by public bodies and regulated bodies to the British fishing industry are no higher than the charges imposed on the fishing industries in the rest of Europe. [74103]

  Mr. Morley
  Charges by public or regulated bodies to the British fishing industry can be made only within the statutory frameworks of the bodies concerned, which will include procedures for complaints or representations against levels set. It would not be appropriate for my Department to seek to vary these by reference to the actions of similar bodies elsewhere in Europe.

  Food Labelling
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what further steps he is intending to take to ensure better labelling of the products of humanely reared animals. [74104]

  Mr. Morley
  We will continue to encourage the growing number of organisations who have responded to consumer demand by introducing schemes which allow easy identification of food produced from animals reared to high welfare standards.

  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to improve the accuracy and informative content of food labelling. [74088]

  Mr. Rooker
  Detailed and extensive rules on food labelling are already in place, including a general prohibition on falsely describing food or labelling it in a way likely to mislead. In addition new regulations on the labelling of genetically modified soya and maize will be laid shortly and, from February next year, further information covering the quantity of certain ingredients in certain foods will be required.

  Common Fisheries Policy
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the practice of quota hopping in relation to the common fisheries policy. [74106]

  Mr. Morley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to my hon. Friend for Great Grimsby (Mr. Mitchell) on
  339
  30 July 1998, Official Report, column 467, and the reply given to my hon. Friend for Castle Point (Mrs. Butler) on 2 March 1999, Official Report, column 718.

  Organic Farmers
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the help he is proposing to give to those farmers who wish to change to organic production. [74095]

  Mr. Morley
  We will be seeking Parliamentary approval shortly to double the rate of aid for farmers in England converting to organic practices, following approval of the revised scheme from the European Commission. We have also increased support for the Organic Conversion Information Service, which advises farmers about conversion.

  Organic Production
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what support his Department is giving to research into organic production techniques. [74099]

  Mr. Morley
  MAFF has a dedicated programme of research into organic farming methods. The value of this programme will rise to £2.1 million (an increase of 40 per cent.) in 1999–2000.

  Biodiversity
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the impact on biodiversity of the adoption of intensive farming methods since 1969. [74951]

  Mr. Morley
  The Ministry is a partner in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan, which concluded that the adoption of intensive farming methods has had a substantial adverse impact on biodiversity. The Ministry is currently funding research into the effects of intensive management of arable land on birds, and of intensive management of grassland on birds and invertebrates. In addition the Ministry is continuing to fund work on the indirect effects of pesticides on birds.

  Intervention Board
  Ms Christine Russell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how the Intervention Board performed against its targets for 1997–98. [76732]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  The Intervention Board's performance against its key targets in 1997–98 was as follows:

  Percentage

  Target

  1997–98 Performance

  Percentage of claims processed within deadlines

  99.0

  91.3

  Percentage of claims processed correctly

  98.5

  99.5

  Cumulative running cost efficiency gains

  2.5

  0.4

  Improvement in index of productivity

  6.0

  -3.7

  Ratio of disallowance to EAGER funds handled

  0.40

  0.06

  To maintain expenditure within vote provision, cash and running cost limits

  —

  Met

  New value for money savings in procurement of goods and services

  6.5

  11.0

  Yield: cost ratio of anti-fraud activities

  3.0:1.0

  5.8:1.0

  340

  Cattle Passports
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many cattle now have passports issued by the British Cattle Movement Service. [76733]

  Mr. Rooker
  The British Cattle Movement Service (BCMS) has now provided more than a million cattle with passports since its launch on 28 September 1998. In addition BCMS has processed more than a million passports of slaughtered cattle, entered more than 600,000 live cattle movements on to the Cattle Tracing System database, and dealt with around 140,000 phone calls from farmers to its Helpline.

  These are impressive achievements. As a result of BCMS' work, it will be much easier to check where cattle have been during their lives. This will help to trace animals during disease outbreaks, and is an important factor in rebuilding confidence in British cattle and beef, at home and abroad.

  CAP Reform
  Mr. Woolas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what progress has been made on reform of the Common Agricultural Policy, with particular reference to wheat production. [74080]

  Mr. Morley
  The Government strongly support the European Commission's proposal for a 20 per cent. cut in the intervention price for cereals. If this is agreed by the Council of Ministers, European wheat prices would come into line with world prices, to the benefit of consumers.

  Supermarket Chains
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from(a) farmers and (b) consumer groups on the buying power of supermarket chains; and if he will make a statement. [74092]

  Mr. Rooker
  We have received a number of representations from both farmers and consumer groups on the buying power and pricing policies of supermarkets. These are matters within the competence of the competition authorities and are currently subject to an inquiry by the Office of Fair Trading which expects to report on their findings later this month.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  National Insurance
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the(a) number and (b) value of national insurance payments in arrears; and if he will make a statement. [74034]

  Mr. Timms
  The collection of National Insurance contributions is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, George Bertram. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from George Bertram to Mr. David Atkinson, dated 10 March 1999:

  As Chief Executive of the Contributions Agency, I have responsibility for answering questions about the Contributions Agency and operational matters relating to the collection of National

  341
  Insurance contributions (NICs). I have been asked to reply to your question about the number of National Insurance (NI) debtors and the amount of NI in arrears.

  Although the Agency has the ability to collect information on the debt outstanding from some of our customer groups, problems with the implementation of the Agency's NIRS2 computer system mean that these figures are not readily available.

  Currently the Agency is concentrating its efforts on the NIRS2 Stabilisation and Recovery plan. However, when NIRS2 is fully implemented it will allow the Agency to provide improved debt management and accountability.

  The latest reliable information about NIC debt was reproduced in the National Audit Office report on the National Insurance Fund 1997–98 and used the information available within the Agency at 31 March 1998.

  At the time the only figures available related to self-employed contributors who pay Class 2 NICs monthly by direct debit, or in quarterly instalments. The figure quoted in the NAO report was an estimate based on the outstanding debt recorded on the Agency's three main systems for recording Class 2 debt and amounted to £513 million, which represents a significant proportion of the Agency's total debt.

  Overseas Pensioners
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost or uprating the pensions for UK citizens resident overseas in 1999–2000 in line with UK pensioners, for(a) all overseas pensioners and (b) only those overseas pensioners whose net income would increase as a result. [75238]

  Income support pensioners aged 75 and over, by weekly amount received and marital status—August 1998

  Thousand

  Weekly amount of Income support

  All amounts

  £0.01 to £2.99

  £3.00 to £4.99

  £5.00 to £9.99

  £10.00 to £14.99

  £15.00 and over

  All aged 75 and over

  931

  33

  34

  148

  186

  530

  Single

  861

  27

  28

  129

  173

  504

  Aged 75–79

  238

  14

  15

  69

  16

  124

  Aged 80 and over

  623

  14

  13

  60

  157

  379

  Couples

  70

  6

  6

  19

  13

  26

  Aged 75–79

  27

  3

  3

  6

  3

  12

  Aged 80 and over

  43

  3

  3

  13

  10

  14

  Notes:

  1. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of all cases and as such are subject to a degree of sampling error.

  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest thousand and may not sum due to rounding.

  3. The figures for couples relate to both married and unmarried couples, and will include cases where one member is aged 75 or over and the other is under 75.

  Source:

  Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, August 1998

  Housing Benefit
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households in receipt of housing benefit have no one in work in (i) Bolton, (ii) the North West and (iii) England. [75634]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.
  342
  Mr. Timms
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

  The approximate cost of uprating pensions for all UK residents overseas in 1999–2000 in line with UK pensioners

  £ million

  Not frozen cases

  19

  Frozen cases

  18

  Total

  37

  Notes:

  1. The figures are based on recent data and allow for some increase in the numbers of overseas cases.

  2. The numbers are presented in terms of the total cost of paying an annual uprating to all UK pensioners living overseas, including both cases that already receive annual uprating and those who do not (ie, the frozen cases).

  Source:

  Figures are provided by the Government Actuary's Department. The measure used to uprate pensions is the Retail Prices Index (RPI).

  Pensioners (Income Support)
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many (i) single and (ii) married pensioners aged(a) 80 or above and (b) 75 to 79 are receiving weekly amounts of income support of (I) £0.01 to £2.99, (II) £3.00 to £4.99, (HI) £5.00 to £9.99 and (IV) £10.00 to £14.99. [75538]

  Mr. Timms
  The information is in the table.

  Housing benefit recipients in the North West and England who have no earnings

  North West

  England

  387,000

  3,287,000

  Notes:

  1. The figures relate to those recipients where no earnings are declared, either full-time or part-time.

  2. Recipients may be a single person or a couple.

  3. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

  Source:

  Annual 1 per cent. sample taken in May 1998—the sample is too small to give single local authority information.
  343
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people in receipt of housing benefit live in(a) local authority properties, (b) housing association properties and (c) owner-occupied housing, in (i) Bolton, (ii) the North West and (iii) England. [75632]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is in the table.

  Housing benefit recipients May 1998

  Bolton

  North West

  England

  Local authority

  14,810

  263,580

  2,135,100

  Housing association

  3,860

  79,560

  729,620

  Private tenants (excluding HA)

  4,030

  96,660

  861,200

  Notes:

  1. Figures for Bolton are estimated.

  2. Figures for North West and England include estimates where individual local authority data are not available.

  3. Recipients may be a single person or a couple.

  4. Figures rounded to the nearest ten.

  Source:

  Quarterly caseload inquiries.

  Council Tax Benefit
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what savings have been made so far by the Government as a consequence of the changes to council tax benefit regulations introduced on 1 April 1998; [75615]

  (2) what estimate his Department has made of the savings in financial year 1999–2000 resulting from the changes to council tax benefit regulations introduced on 1 April 1998; [75696]

  (3) when he will make a statement on the planned review of the changes to council tax benefit regulations introduced on 1 April 1998. [75695]

  Angela Eagle
  The information on savings made so far as a result of the April 1998 changes to the Council Tax Benefit regulations is not currently available. Savings for the financial year 1999–2000 are estimated to be £4 million (to the nearest million).

  We are committed to monitoring the effects of the changes to the Council Tax Benefit Regulations introduced on 1 April 1998, in partnership with local authorities. Officials have recently conducted a competitive tender for research to monitor the change. The results will be published in due course.

  Benefit Integrity Project
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if people over retirement age will be exempt from inspection under the replacement for the Benefit Integrity Project. [75646]

  Mr. Bayley
  The new system of periodic inquiry into the current entitlement of people receiving Disability Living Allowance (DLA) will be introduced from April 1999. Of claimants aged 65 or over, those with lower awards of DLA may be contacted from the outset of the new process. Those with an award of DLA which comprises the higher rate of the mobility component with either the highest or middle rate of the care component will not be contacted in the early stages, as evidence indicates a low level of change in the entitlement of this group over time. We intend to evaluate and refine the 344
  process as it develops, and will be taking decisions about the position of this group in the light of growing experience.

  State Earnings-related Pension
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the decision was taken to reduce the support available through SERPS to surviving spouses; and how this decision was published. [75683]

  Angela Eagle
  The Social Security Act 1986 reduced the amount of SERPS which a surviving spouse, who is widowed on or after 6 April 2000, can inherit from 100 per cent. to 50 per cent.

  The intention to make this change was first publicised in the White Paper "Reform of Social Security—Programme for Action" (Cm 9691) in December 1985. The House debated the change during the passage of the Social Security Bill.

  Details of the change have been published in DSS leaflets NP46 "A guide to Retirement Pensions" and NP45 "A guide to Widow's Benefits" since April 1996.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what representations have been received by him on the decision to reduce the level of support through SERPS available to surviving spouses. [75684]

  Angela Eagle
  We recognise that there is concern regarding the level of public awareness about the reduction, from 100 per cent. to 50 per cent., in the amount of SERPS which a surviving spouse can inherit on or after 6 April 2000. We are actively looking at ways of raising public awareness of this change.

  Benefits (Sanctions)
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to introduce benefit sanctions for those claimants who break their probation or community service orders. [76084]

  Angela Eagle
  We are currently looking into the possibility of testing arrangements which would link benefit entitlement to compliance with community sentences so, for example, someone subject to a probation or community service order may lose benefit if they breach the conditions of the order.

  Benefit Claims
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security for each social security benefit(a) how many pieces of information must be provided in order to make an initial claim for benefit, (b) how many separate pieces of documentation must be provided in order to make an initial claim and (c) how many person-hours are on average required to process a single initial claim. [75945]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is set out in the tables.

  Section 19 of the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act 1997 makes benefit entitlement conditional upon a benefit claimant providing sufficient information

  345
  for a NI No. for themselves and anyone else included in the claim to be traced and confirmed as appropriate to them.

  It provides powers to disallow a claim if identity cannot be established or confirmed. The Benefits Agency (BA) has introduced new procedures for checking identities thoroughly using the powers in the fraud Act; this commenced on a rolling programme from 1 December 1997.

  All claims to benefit must either be made in writing on a properly completed claim form relevant to the individual benefit being claimed, or in such other written manner that the Secretary of State will accept. The length and complexity, and therefore the amount of information required, varies from benefit to benefit and depends on an individual's personal circumstances. It is not possible to quantify exactly how many pieces of information must be provided.

  The volume of documentation is similarly dependent on the individual benefit. For those customers on Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance who are subject to the Evidence Requirement (ER) the claim form makes it clear which documents are required for a customer to satisfy that requirement. These include details of current and previous wages, any capital held, ground rent and service charges payable, details of any self-employment and any occupational pensions or other income which is received.

  For those customers not subject to the ER it is for the Adjudication Officer to decide the amount of documentation required in order that when deciding upon the claim they can make a sound and reasoned decision thus protecting public funds.

  Information on the time taken to clear a claim is in the tables.

  Average time taken to clear a claim in person hours

  Time

  Benefit

  Mins

  Hours

  Volumes

  Total hours

  1 Income Support (IS)

  1a) mortgage

  38.28

  0.64

  173,400

  110,976

  1b) self employed

  60.00

  1.00

  40,900

  40,900

  1c) people from abroad

  53.59

  0.89

  27,700

  24,653

  1d) habitual residence test

  58.20

  0.97

  30,600

  29,682

  1e) others

  31.33

  0.52

  1,493,800

  776,776

  Total for IS

  —

  —

  1,766,400

  982,987

  Note:

  Average IS claim 33.6 mins

  Average time taken to clear a claim in person hours

  Time

  Benefit

  Mins

  Hours

  2 Jobseeker's Allowance

  51.33

  0.86

  3 Incapacity Benefit

  44.58

  0.74

  4 Severe Disablement Allowance

  180.84

  3.01

  6 Maternity Allowance

  95.83

  1.60

  7 Retirement Pension (RP) Districts

  76.04

  1.27

  8 Widows Benefit

  113.56

  1.89

  9 Disablement Benefit (Dis Ben)

  9a) Dis Ben Normal

  67.63

  1.13

  9b) Dis Ben Accident

  85.52

  1.43

  9c) Dis Ben Rea

  98.47

  1.64

  10 Family Credit

  47.74

  0.80

  11 DLA normal

  147.2

  2.45

  346

  Average time taken to clear a claim in person hours

  Time

  Benefit

  Mins

  Hours

  12 DLA special

  86.08

  1.43

  13 AA normal

  130.31

  2.17

  14 AA special

  69.88

  1.16

  15 ICA

  116.74

  1.95

  16 DWA

  100.38

  1.67

  17 War Pensions

  332.78

  5.55

  18 War Pensions (Widows)

  636.65

  10.61

  19 Child Benefit

  19a) Child Benefit New

  35.39

  0.59

  19b) Child Benefit Duplicate

  92.35

  1.54

  19c) One Parent Benefit

  53.70

  0.90

  20 Pensions in Directorate

  20a) International Liaison Claim

  224.40

  3.74

  20b) Widows Benefit

  484.37

  8.07

  20c) RP claim

  327.08

  5.45

  Note:

  DLA—Disability Living Allowance; AA—Attendance Allowance; ICA—Invalid Care Allowance; DWA—Disability Working Allowance.

  Minimum Income Guarantee
  Mrs. Gilroy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people are estimated to be ineligible for benefits under the minimum income guarantee, despite having incomes that fall below its threshold, who are aged(a) 60 to 74, (b) 75 to 79 and (c) over 80 years (i) in total and (ii) by gender. [75895]

  Mr. Timms
  The information is not currently available. We have previously estimated that the total number of pensioners who will be ineligible for the Minimum Income Guarantee because their savings exceed £8,000 but whose income is below the threshold is 230,000 (if income from savings is included in the assessment of total income) or 600,000 (if income from savings is not included).

  These estimates were based on the data used to produce the published estimates of take-up of income related benefits. These estimates are currently being revised following the discovery in December of an error, the effect of which was to understate income brought to account. The estimates will be republished in May.

  National Insurance Numbers
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measures are in place to vet key staff involved in issuing national insurance numbers. [76085]

  Mr. Timms
  We are currently conducting a risk assessment and cost benefit analysis to identify the need for, and potential use of enhanced personnel checks.

  We have recently reviewed our recruitment procedures for all staff. Our procedures already follow Cabinet Office guidelines. We are implementing a number of improvements which include; more rigorous checks on identity; new mandatory management checks of our recruitment procedures; internal audit checks to provide a further level of assurance.
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  Pensions
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the general levies payable under the Pension Schemes Act 1993 by occupational and personal pension schemes. [76730]

  Mr. Timms
  The general levy covers the costs of bodies which exist either to safeguard the rights of, or to provide information to, pension scheme members. These bodies are the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA), the Pensions Advisory Service, the

  £

  Occupational pensions

  Personal pensions

  Scheme size (members)

  Basis

  Amount per member

  Minimum payment

  Amount per member

  Minimum payment

  2–11

  Each scheme

  —>

  11

  —

  3.75

  12–99

  Member

  1.20

  —

  0.35

  —

  100–999

  Member

  0.85

  120

  0.25

  35

  1,000–4,999

  Member

  0.69

  850

  0.20

  250

  5,000–9,999

  Member

  0.53

  3,450

  0.15

  1,000

  10,000+

  Member

  0.37

  5,300

  0.10

  1,500

DEFENCE

  Military Exercises
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) which countries had armed forces involved in the NATO joint exercise in Norway carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72828]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the NATO joint exercise in Portugal carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998;[72831]

  (3) which countries had armed forces involved in the NATO joint exercise in Portugal carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72835]

  (4) what is his assessment of the value of the NATO joint exercise in Norway carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998; [72968]

  (5) what is his assessment of the principal benefits of the NATO joint exercise in Portugal carried out between 1 April 1997 and 31 March 1998. [72969]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 1 March 1999]: Exercise STRONG RESOLVE, which took place in March 1998 jointly in Norway and in Portugal, consisted of two halves; exercise CRISIS NORTH, in Norway, and exercise CRISIS SOUTH, in Portugal. The aim of exercise STRONG RESOLVE was to exercise NATO's ability to cope with multiple, simultaneous crises in separate geographic regions, drawing on the resources of both Major NATO Commanders, and involving the full spectrum of NATO missions, and the exercise is assessed to have succeeded in its aim. Members of the armed forces of the following nations participated in CRISIS NORTH: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States. Members of the armed forces of the following nations participated in CRISIS SOUTH: Belgium, the Czech Republic, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany,
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  Pensions Registry and the Pensions Ombudsman. Rates of general levy for the 1999–2000 year are shown in the table.

  The increase in the levy rates in respect of occupational pension schemes reflects, in particular, the steady increase in the number of cases OPRA is having referred to it and the complexity of the issues it is dealing with. It is important, therefore, that the Authority and the other bodies concerned continue to have the resources necessary to ensure that scheme members' interests are properly protected. The rates in respect of personal pension schemes remain the same as last year.

  Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Spain, Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States.

  NATO
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will specify the minimum military readiness and training standards required of members of NATO; and whether the UK currently complies. [75274]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  NATO Allies, including the United Kingdom, hold forces at a range of readiness and training levels required to meet the full range of Alliance missions, so that NATO is ready to respond effectively to present and future needs. The UK reports to NATO on its forces through the Alliance defence planning process.

  Britannia Beagles Kennels
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost to public funds of(a) the demolition of the Britannia Beagles kennels at the Royal Naval College, Dartmouth and (b) their rebuilding elsewhere. [75525]

  Mr. Spellar
  The beagles at BRNC Dartmouth are funded by private subscriptions, and are not supported by public funds. The beagles are a registered encroachment, and as such the MOD can terminate the agreement at any time giving reasonable notice. The MOD is not liable for any damage or repairs and if notice was given for the beagle pack to leave BRNC Dartmouth, then any costs for a new facility outside the College would be the sole responsibility of the beagle pack.

  As an option within the College redevelopment plan, the present beagle kennels have been identified as a potential site for the College's new recreational facility. However, options are still being developed and no decisions have yet been taken. The approximate cost of any demolition of the kennels would be in the region of £1,000.
  349

  Royal Hospital, Haslar
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what instructions were given to(a) service personnel and (b) civilian personnel employed at the Royal Hospital, Haslar concerning (i) participation in the save Haslar rally and march on Sunday 24 January and (ii) signature of a petition to save Haslar organised by Gosport Borough Council. [75213]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]: Written instructions were issued to Service and civilian staff by the Hospital Commander at the Royal Hospital, Haslar concerning participation, by staff, in the 'Save Haslar' campaign. Those instructions reminded staff of their responsibilities as public servants. They also requested that items promoting the campaign should not be displayed within the hospital, directed that petition signatures should not be collected on site and advised Service personnel that they should not participate in the march, in accordance with joint Queen's Regulations and MOD policy.

  Nuclear Test Veterans
  Joan Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the possible genetic effects on the children of veterans who served on Christmas Island during nuclear testing periods. [75831]

  Mr. Spellar
  My Department has not commissioned any research into the possible genetic effects on the children of nuclear test veterans who served on Christmas Island.

  As far as I am aware, there is no scientific or medical evidence to show that health or other physical problems suffered by the children or grandchildren of nuclear test veterans can be attributed to participation in the UK's nuclear test programme 40 years ago.

  In November 1997, the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB) published the results of a major epidemiological study of the children of radiation workers. The study, entitled "Cancer in the Offspring of Radiation Workers— A Record Linkage Study" discounted the hypothesis (known as the Gardner Hypothesis) that fathers' exposure to radiation before conception is a cause of childhood leukaemia and non-Hodgkin lymphoma. This study was peer reviewed and published in the British Medical Journal.

  The other major study in this area involved about 30,000 children of those Japanese nationals irradiated as a result of the dropping of atomic bombs on Japan in World War II. This was published in 1990 and failed to detect any significant excess of mutations, untoward pregnancy outcomes, childhood mortality or excess cancer.

  A report on the US Nuclear tests published by the US Institute of Medicine in 1995 concluded that the size of the US test veteran population was not large enough to make practical a scientifically adequate and epidemiologically valid study of genetic effects in the children of test veterans. This is despite there being over 210,000 US test veterans, ten times the number in the UK.
  350
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will reinstate multiple myeloma as a pensionable condition for UK nuclear test veterans. [74729]

  Mr. Bayley
  I have been asked to reply.

  There is no prescribed list of medical conditions for which a war pension may be awarded. A war pension claimed more than seven years after discharge from service can be awarded for any condition, if, on the basis of reliable evidence, there is a reasonable doubt that disablement or death is due to service in HM forces. The Department's policy is that on current medical evidence and research a reasonable doubt has not been established that a causal link exists between multiple myeloma and participation in the UK nuclear tests programme. However, the Ministry of Defence has recently announced a further limited study into the incidence of multiple myeloma among veterans of the UKs atmospheric nuclear test programme in the 1950s. The results of this study are expected to be available by the end of next year.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the pension applications of nuclear test veterans that were rejected on the basis of the National Radiological Protection Board's conclusions on risk of cancer. [74727]

  Mr. Bayley
  I have been asked to reply.

  We know of no reason to do so. We accept the current findings of the study by the National Radiological Protection Board. However, the Ministry of Defence has recently announced a further limited study into the incidence of multiple myeloma among veterans of the UKs atmospheric nuclear test programme in the 1950s. The results of this study are expected to be available by the end of next year.

CABINET OFFICE

  Biotechnical Industry
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many unminuted pre-arranged meetings occurred between(a) himself, (b) Ministers in his Department and (c) his officials and representatives of the biotechnical industry sector since 1 May 1997. [74835]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  [holding answer 5 March 1999]: I refer to the answer I gave to the hon. Gentleman on 25 February 1999, Official Report, column 430.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list the biotechnical companies which have placed staff(a) on secondment and (b) on placement within his Department since 1 May 1997. [74841]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  [holding answer 5 March 1999]: Secondments and attachments from other sectors of the economy are part of the Interchange Initiative, which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the Civil Service and other organisations.

  No staff from biotechnology companies have been placed in the Cabinet Office since 1 May 1997.

  Genetic Modification
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 1999,Official

  351
  Report, column 430, on genetic modification, what criteria inform his decisions as to whether or not he releases information about meetings with private individuals or companies. [75187]

  Dr. Jack Cunningham
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]: I refer to the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 9 March 1999, Official Report, column 168.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Discretionary Rate Relief
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each(a) metropolitan district council, (b) shire district council, (c) unitary council, (d) shire county council and (e) London borough council the sums of money in the 1999–2000 financial year they will be required to pay to the Government in respect of
  (i) discretionary rate relief and (ii) other grants issued in previous financial years. [74776]

  Ms Armstrong
  I have placed two tables in the Library. The first shows the amounts which local authorities have budgeted to pay into the non-domestic rates pool as a result of their own decisions to grant discretionary relief to businesses in 1999–2000. These payments ensure that the rates pool, and hence the amount to be redistributed to local authorities, is not adversely reduced by decisions taken by individual local authorities to reduce non-domestic rates bills for certain businesses. The table gives figures for each authority responsible for the billing and collection of non-domestic rates.

  The second table shows the effect on local authorities in 1999–2000 of the Local Government Finance Report (England) 1997/1998: Amending Report 1999.

  Housing Associations
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many housing associations received Government funding in(a) London, (b) the North West and (c) England as a whole in the last two years. [75264]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The number of housing associations receiving Government funding through the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme in 1997–98 and 1998–99 is shown in the table.

  Number of housing associations receiving social housing grant through the Housing Corporation's approved development programme

  Region

  1997–98

  1998–99

  London

  183

  171

  North West

  57

  56

  England

  548

  500

  Note:

  1997–98 information is based on schemes given approval to start during the year

  1998–99 information is based on start of year allocations
  352
  In addition, the Housing Corporation provides revenue funding to housing associations, eg Supported Housing Management Grant and Innovation and Good Practice grants. Housing associations also received funding from local authorities under the Local Authority Social Housing Grant scheme.

  Mining Waste Disposal
  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of safeguards on the disposal of mining waste. [75345]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The effectiveness of safeguards on the disposal of mining waste is kept under review by the Health and Safety Commission in respect of stability and safety, by the Environment Agency in respect of pollution aspects, and by the monitoring of planning permissions by local authorities. The comprehensive framework of UK legislation which deals with location, stability and safety, and the pollution potential of tips and related structures, has ensured that very few problems have arisen in recent years.

  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to change the rules on the disposal of inert mining waste. [75346]

  Mr. Raynsford
  There are no plans at present to change the rules for the disposal of inert mining waste. There are, however, proposals for new quarries health and safety regulations which will include safety and stability of tips. These would not lead to any diminution of health and safety standards at quarries.

  Housing Stock Transfers
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he proposes to announce the next round of approval for housing stock transfers; and if he will make a statement; [75466]

  (2) what representations he has received regarding housing stock transfers; [75467]

  (3) how many applications his Department has received for housing stock transfers in the last year for which figures are available. [75465]

  Ms Armstrong
  I am today announcing the names of the 25 local authorities which will be able to proceed, on a voluntary basis and subject to the approval of their tenants, with proposals to carry out 31 transfers of all or part of their housing stock to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in 1999–2000. The programme will involve over 140,000 dwellings in large-scale voluntary transfers, generating capital receipts of over £822 million. Nine of the transfers will be supported by Estates Renewal Challenge Funding.

  Transfers can offer significant benefits for tenants. The new landlord must plan for proper maintenance and future repairs. Increased investment means that any backlog of repairs can be carried out more quickly than if the properties had remained in local authority ownership. Rent increases are normally limited by a guarantee that rents will not rise by more than 1 per cent. above inflation for the first five years. In addition, RSLs are regulated

  353
  by the Housing Corporation, a government body which requires RSLs to adhere to performance standards in areas such as housing management, tenant consultation, and rents.

  But housing transfers are voluntary and may take place only if tenants are in favour. The consent of the Secretary of State is also required before a transfer can proceed and will not be granted if it appears that a majority of tenants do not wish the transfer to proceed.

  The 1999–2000 programme reflects the Government's commitment to support a continuing programme of transfers as a means of generating private finance to repair and improve the condition of social housing.

  Both Coventry (20,349) and Tameside (16,959) are above the Department's size limit for transfers to one landlord. I am agreeing to proposals to transfer their stock to new group structure landlords involving, in each case, two asset owning RSLs.

  Two of the authorities on the 1999–2000 programme—Coventry City Council and Burnley Borough Council—expect to have housing debt remaining in their Housing Revenue Account (HRA) after their stock is transferred. This is because the capital receipt will not be sufficient to clear all of the debt in their HRA. Transfer will depend on the successful resolution of this issue. We plan to issue a consultation paper on how to tackle overhanging debt in the near future. Our objective is to enable as wide a range of authorities to consider transfer as possible.

  The authorities who have successfully gained a place on the programme, together with the intended recipient RSL are as follows:

  (a) a disposal by Boston Borough Council of not more than 5,114 dwelling-houses to Boston Mayflower;

  (b) a disposal by Burnley Borough Council of not more than 5,354 dwelling-houses to Burnley and Padiham Community Housing;

  (c) disposals by Coventry City Council of not more than 20,349 dwelling-houses to registered social landlords;

  (d) a disposal by Elmbridge Borough Council of not more than 5,022 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (e) a disposal by Fenland District Council of not more than 4,445 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (f) disposals by London Borough of Hackney of not more than 1,263 dwelling-houses on the Pembury estate to the Peabody Trust, and not more than 1,131 dwelling-houses on the Stamford Hill estate to the Stamford Hill Trust;

  (g) a disposal by Huntingdonshire District Council of not more than 7,134 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (h) disposals by London Borough of Islington of not more than 646 dwelling-houses on the Barnsbury estate to Newlon Housing Group, and not more than 739 dwelling-houses on the Ten Estates to the Peabody Trust;

  (i) disposals by London Borough of Lambeth of not more than 2,576 dwelling-houses on the Central Stockwell estate to Hyde Southbank Homes, and not more than 1,282 dwelling-houses on the St. Martins estate to South London Family Housing Association, Metropolitan Housing Trust and Presentation Housing Association;

  (j) a disposal by London Borough of Lewisham of not more than 7,213 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (k) a disposal by Liverpool City Council of not more than 4,685 dwelling-houses to South Liverpool Housing;

  (l) disposals by Manchester City Council of not more than 646 dwelling-houses on the Colshaw Farm estate to Riverside Housing Association, and not more than 1,036 dwelling-houses on the Whitefield estate to a registered social landlord;

  354

  (m) a disposal by Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council of not more than 10,042 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (n) a disposal by New Forest District Council of not more than 5,883 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (o) a disposal by North Devon District Council of not more than 3,462 dwelling-houses to North Devon Homes;

  (p) a disposal by Preston Borough Council of not more than 1,123 dwelling-houses on the Avenham estate to Collingwood Housing Association;

  (q) a disposal by Restormel District Council of not more than 3,781 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (r) a disposal by London Borough of Richmond of not more than 8,780 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (s) disposals by Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council of not more than 16,959 dwelling-houses to registered social landlords;

  (t) a disposal by Test Valley Borough Council of not more than 5,789 dwelling-houses to Testway Housing Ltd.;

  (u) a disposal by London Borough of Tower Hamlets of not more than 1,780 dwelling-houses in Poplar to Poplar HARCA;

  (v) a disposal by Tynedale Council of not more than 3,731 dwelling-houses to Tynedale Housing Ltd.;

  (w) a disposal by West Lindsey District Council of not more than 3,919 dwelling-houses to West Links Housing Ltd.;

  (x) a disposal by Weymouth and Portland Council of not more than 3,526 dwelling-houses to a registered social landlord;

  (y) a disposal by Wyre Forest District Council of not more than 6,440 dwelling-houses to Wyre Forest Community Housing.

  Construction Standards
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the buildmark and related construction standards. [75505]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Buildmark is a housing warranty scheme run by the NHBC, but I keep closely in touch with the steps being taken by them aimed at reducing the incidence of defects in new housing and at improving the procedures for resolving problems when they arise. My Department is represented on the NHBC Committee which keeps under review the technical standards drawn up in support of the Buildmark scheme. My Department also maintains contact with the other main providers of housing warranties.

  Development Projects
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many new housing developments have been based on public design competitions in the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the role of urban design guidance in promoting such developments. [75506]

  Mr. Raynsford
  No data are collected by the Government on design competitions. A number of such competitions—approximately 20–25 per year, 4 or 5 of which involve new housing developments—are run by the Royal Institute of British Architects for a variety of public and private clients. The guidance used to conduct many of these competitions is issued by my Department together with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, entitled "Architectural Competitions: A Handbook for Promoters" (1996). A copy of this publication is in the Library.
  355
  Forthcoming good practice guidance on design in the planning system will promote design competitions as a useful mechanism for achieving better quality housing development.

  Roundabouts (Lighting)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will remove the absolute requirement for roundabouts to be lit where they are situated in sensitive rural locations. [75101]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  [holding answer 8 March 1999]There is no absolute requirement to light roundabouts. It is for the highway authority to decide whether to light, based on their assessment of the benefits to be gained and the potential adverse environmental impact.

  Good design, installation and maintenance practices can do much to reduce the adverse environmental impacts of street lighting. My Department has issued advice on this subject in "Road Lighting and the Environment" and, with the Countryside Commission, has published a guide "Lighting in the Countryside: Towards Good Practice". The Highways Agency's Design Manual for Roads and Bridges contains advice on lighting rural roundabouts, which is to be supplemented following research.

  Void Local Authority Properties
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of local authority properties are void in (i) Bolton, (ii) the North West and (iii) England. [75636]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The proportion of local authority dwellings which were reported as void on 1 April 1998 was 1.8 per cent. in Bolton, 3.7 per cent., in the North West region and 2.5 per cent. in England.

  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the numbers of void social housing properties by housing authority in England and Wales. [75540]

  Mr. Raynsford
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]I have placed the information requested in the form of a table in the Library. The table presents the latest information on the number of vacant dwellings owned by each local housing authority in England, as reported by them at 1 April 1998, and gives equivalent estimates for stock owned by Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) in those districts at 31 March 1998. The latter are based on information supplied by RSLs to the Housing Corporation.

  Corresponding information for Welsh housing authorities is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Wales.

  Carlisle Airport
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment of the future role of Carlisle airport he plans to include in his proposed statement on UK airport policy; and if he will make a statement. [75532]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  As foreshadowed in a "New Deal for Transport: Better for Everyone" (Cm3950), DETR has recently commission, in conjunction with the Government 356
  Offices for the North West, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber, a Regional Air Services Study for the North of England. This will include an assessment of the future role of Carlisle airport within the UK's airport system, its potential for meeting the demand for air services in Cumbria, Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders and the economic, environmental and social costs and benefits of doing so.

  Near-miss Air Incidents
  Ms Perham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what procedures are in place to investigate near-miss air incidents. [75706]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Under Article 106 of the Air Navigation (No. 2) Order 1995, controllers and pilots report airproxes (near miss) in which they were involved to the UK Airprox Board (UKAB), an independent organisation funded by the Civil Aviation Authority and the MOD.

  Incidents involving commercial air transport, or which occur in controlled airspace, are passed to the CAA's Safety Regulation Group (SRG) for investigation. Where military aircraft are also involved, a separate investigation into the military aspects is conducted by the MOD. Once completed, the MOD's investigation report is sent to the SRG to be amalgamated with their own report of the incident.

  Incidents which only involve military aircraft are referred to the MOD for investigation. The UKAB themselves conduct investigations of incidents involving general aviation in uncontrolled airspace.

  SRG and the MOD forward their completed airprox incident reports to the UKAB which then independently assesses the degree of collision risk; and makes any necessary safety recommendations. The results are published.

  In addition, the Chief Inspector of Air Accidents, who reports directly to the Secretary of State, has the right on any occasion to institute an investigation by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB). The AAIB reports are published in due course.

  Ms Perham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department will be conducting a full investigation into the near-miss incident involving a Boeing 737 and a Gulfstream Jet over Chigwell on 26 February. [75705]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  DETR's Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) has begun an investigation of this incident and the results will be published in due course.

  In addition to the AAIB investigation, the Civil Aviation Authority's Safety Regulation Group (SRG) is carrying out its own investigation. Once completed, the SRG report is passed to the independent UK Airprox Board (UKAB) for its review and assessment of the incident.

  The UKAB will also publish its findings. These will include an assessment of the degree of collision risk and any appropriate safety recommendations.
  357

  SSAs (Snow Days)
  Mr. Woolas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the weather station sites and the respective local authorities in England which are used in the calculation of snow days for the purposes of the standard spending assessment. [75518]

  Ms Armstrong
  Information about the weather stations used in the calculation of the number of snow-lying days for the purpose of standard spending assessments has been placed in the Library.

  Haulage Companies
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what initiatives his Department is taking to provide assistance to the British haulage industry. [75759]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]The Government want a road haulage industry that is safe, competitive, efficient and sustainable. On 2 March we published Sustainable Distribution: A Strategy, which sets out our approach and the range of initiatives which we will be taking forward to assist the haulage industry to meet these aims. The initiatives include integration of the sustainable transport of goods with our planning and roads policies; improvements in safety and enforcement which will benefit the law-abiding majority of the industry; and the promotion of best practice.

  Planning
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the average times taken for planning applications to be processed by each planning authority in the last year for which figures are available. [75302]

  Mr. Raynsford
  [holding answer 10 March 1999]: The information needed to determine the average time for planning applications to be processed is collected centrally only for a small number of mainly minerals and waste development applications (known as 'county matters'). These represent less than 1 per cent. of all applications and include some large, complex and contentious applications which tend to raise difficult planning issues that take some time to resolve. Information on the average time taken to determine this category of applications for the year ending September 1998 is shown in the table.

  The speed at which decisions are made for the vast majority of applications, i.e. all except 'county matters', is measured in terms of the proportion of decisions determined within 8 weeks and 13 weeks. In the year ending September 1998, 62 per cent. of these applications in England were determined within 8 weeks and 83 per cent. within 13 weeks.

  The Department is currently considering whether average time taken to determine applications should be included in the suite of Best Value performance indicators on which the Department will be consulting later this year.
  358

  'County matters' planning applications decided: England, year ending September 1998

  Number of decisions

  Average decision time (days)

  County councils

  Bedfordshire

  23

  339

  Buckinghamshire

  36

  232

  Cambridgeshire1

  37

  165

  Cheshire1

  35

  188

  Cornwall

  38

  119

  Cumbria

  47

  116

  Derbyshire

  43

  230

  Devon1

  46

  179

  Dorset

  33

  95

  Durham

  25

  378

  East Sussex

  39

  107

  Essex1

  65

  171

  Gloucestershire

  31

  163

  Hampshire

  69

  170

  Hertfordshire

  31

  250

  Kent1

  57

  204

  Lancashire1

  53

  157

  Leicestershire

  27

  230

  Lincolnshire

  59

  127

  Norfolk

  57

  235

  North Yorkshire

  51

  208

  Northamptonshire

  34

  346

  Northumberland

  55

  152

  Nottinghamshire1

  38

  237

  Oxfordshire

  21

  328

  Shropshire1

  25

  308

  Somerset

  44

  168

  Staffordshire

  67

  331

  Suffolk

  46

  144

  Surrey

  53

  151

  Warwickshire

  28

  113

  West Sussex

  27

  169

  Wiltshire

  11

  223

  Worcestershire2

  7

  305

  London Boroughs

  Brent

  3

  189

  Camden

  2

  96

  Haringey

  1

  34

  Hillingdon

  1

  248

  Southwark3

  1

  121

  National Park authorities

  Lake District

  1

  92

  Peak

  16

  107

  Dartmoor

  2

  106

  Exmoor

  2

  57

  North York Moors

  5

  177

  Unitary Authorities

  Bath and North East Somerset

  2

  346

  South Gloucestershire

  7

  937

  North Somerset

  4

  93

  West Berkshire4

  3

  120

  Slough4

  4

  87

  Windsor and Maidenhead4

  1

  290

  Milton Keynes

  2

  344

  Peterborough4

  3

  121

  Hartlepool3

  4

  73

  Middlesbrough3

  2

  92

  Stockton-on-Tees3

  6

  82

  Derby

  2

  102

  Bournemouth

  1

  52

  Thurrock4

  2

  108

  Portsmouth

  3

  152

  Southampton

  2

  203

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  17

  218

  North East Lincolnshire

  2

  98

  North Lincolnshire

  5

  138

  359

  'County matters' planning applications decided: England, year ending September 1998

  Number of decisions

  Average decision time (days)

  Kingston-upon-Hull

  3

  88

  Isle of Wight

  3

  264

  Medway4

  9

  109

  Leicester

  1

  129

  Rutland

  3

  216

  City of York

  4

  189

  Stoke on Trent

  2

  131

  Swindon

  5

  65

  Metropolitan districts

  Bolton

  6

  205

  Bury

  6

  160

  Oldham5

  5

  82

  Rochdale

  5

  235

  Salford

  1

  222

  Wigan

  8

  103

  St. Helens

  7

  179

  Barnsley5

  8

  158

  Doncaster

  13

  325

  Rotherham

  12

  125

  Sheffield5

  8

  129

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  2

  91

  Dudley

  1

  133

  Wolverhampton3

  3

  117

  Bradford

  21

  210

  Calderdale

  10

  109

  Kirklees5

  18

  302

  Leeds

  41

  165

  Wakefield

  7

  261

  1 Excludes Unitary Authorities created on 1 April 1998.

  2 Following local government reorganisation on 1 April 1998, Hereford and Worcester county was split into Herefordshire Unity Authority and Worcestershire. Figures are provided from this date onwards.

  3 Authorities comprise parts of wound up Urban Development Corporations from 1 April 1998.

  4 Unitary Authorities created on 1 April 1998.

  5 Authorities include areas within a National Park but figures are for outside the park area only.

  Press Cuttings
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which company provides his Department with daily press cuttings on (i) environment issues, (ii) transport issues and (iii) local and regional Government issues; and if he will make a statement. [76040]

  Mr. Meale
  Press cuttings covering a broad range of the Department's responsibilities are supplied on a daily basis by Energy Data Services Ltd.

  National Air Traffic Services
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he plans to sell a majority share of National Air Traffic Services in a public-private partnership; and if he will make a statement. [76067]

  Dr. Reid
  The Government are currently examining the responses received to the consultation paper on the proposal for a public-private partnership for National Air Traffic Services. A statement on the way forward will be made in due course.
  360

  Road Network (Hereford)
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans(a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have to visit Hereford in the next six months to examine the road network. [75682]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  My noble Friend the Minister for Roads and Road Safety proposes to visit Hereford later this month.

  Right of Access
  Mrs. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the framework within which appeals can be lodged against decisions made during any mapping exercise prior to legislation on the right of access to open countryside. [76026]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government are giving consideration to the procedures for appeals in relation to mapping. No decisions have yet been taken on these.

  Airport Policy
  Mr. Quinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for airport studies in support of the development of the Government's airport policy. [76589]

  Dr. Reid
  The White Paper "A New Deal for Transport" (Cm 3950) announced the Government's intention to prepare a UK airports policy looking some 30 years ahead. The White Paper also announced a series of studies of the role of regional airports in the South West, the Midlands, and the North of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. These studies are all now under way.

  To complement these studies, the Government have decided to set in hand a study of airport issues in the South East of England and the East of England. This study will consider future policies for these airports within the framework of the Government's sustainable development principles. It will take full account of the potential for airports in the other parts of the country to attract a greater proportion of the demand from their local area than they do at present, in accordance with the policy set out in the White Paper (paragraph 3.196).

  The study will examine a wide range of options, and, in accordance with the new approach to appraisal set out in the White Paper, will appraise their economic, environmental and social implications. The study will consider both terminal and runway capacity. Projects for which planning applications have already been made, or are expected to be made shortly, will not be within the scope of the study. The Secretary of State must reserve his position on such cases, and cannot prejudge their outcome; the study will therefore examine a range of scenarios based on those projects either going ahead or not going ahead.

  In accordance with our integrated transport policy, the study will consider not only airport capacity, but also the implications of possible developments for the planning of airspace capacity and air traffic control and for surface access to the airports concerned. The study will take account of work which the Department has recently

  361
  commissioned from OPRAF to examine the scope for improving long distance rail links to the major South East airports and the rail connections between those airports.

  This work will be carried out in an open way. In particular, the Government recognise the substantial economic, environmental and social implications of runway capacity issues, and their interaction with land-use planning. The Government will therefore discuss with interested parties, including the regional planning conferences and regional development agencies, the process for taking forward the study, including the criteria which should be applied in the assessment of options.

  The Government expect that the studies will take around two years. There will then be public consultation on options arising from this work. The Government envisage that the results of the airport studies will be incorporated in a White Paper on UK airports policy, which will also reflect the Government's decisions in response to the Inspector's report on the Heathrow Terminal 5 Inquiry.

  Greater London Authority Elections
  Mrs. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for the voting and counting arrangements for the Greater London Authority elections on 4 May 2000. [76729]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I am pleased to announce that today we have sent an advertisement to the Office of the Official Journal for publication in "Tenders Electronic Daily" inviting expressions of interest from companies which could provide electronic voting equipment. This would enable votes in the first Greater London Authority elections to be electronically recorded and counted.

  The new Authority will be modern, streamlined and efficient and we should work towards a voting system to match. This is particularly appropriate as the ballots for electing the Mayor and two types of Assembly Member require a more complex count than for most elections in this country. It is right, therefore to explore whether modern technology could improve the speed and efficiency of the process.

  However, our top priority is to run a successful election on 4 May 2000, so we will be looking at systems which have proved extremely reliable in national or regional elections elsewhere. We will not therefore be committed to the use of electronic voting systems unless we are confident that the equipment offered will be easy for people to use, be value for money and make a real contribution to the success of the elections.

  Local Government Act 1972
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to conduct research into local councils' and authorities' use of section 137 of the Local Government Act 1972. [76771]
  362
  Ms Armstrong
  Section 137 is used by an increasing number of parish and town councils to provide a wide range of activities. The majority of section 137 spending by local councils is on grants to other bodies and funding for services such as youth activities, schools and playgroups. The findings of a study on local councils use of section 137 was published in November last year.

  Furthermore, my Department has today published a report on local authorities use of section 137. The report found that while section 137 provides essential flexibility, authorities perceived that there are barriers to its use, such as the current financial limit on expenditure.

  We are currently considering the best approach which will allow local authorities to carry out a new duty to promote the economic, social and environmental well being of their communities. Section 137 will be reviewed in the light of this new duty and we will take account of the findings of this report and the views of local authorities in doing so.

TREASURY

  Unemployment
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate his Department made of the average duration of unemployment for a person unemployed and claiming benefit in each of the last four years. [75668]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]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. Graham Brady, dated 11 March 1999:

  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your recent parliamentary question on the average duration of unemployment.

  Monthly estimates of median durations of uncompleted spells of claimant unemployment can be accessed by the House of Commons Library. The data are not readily available in precise annual form, but these monthly figures for each year average out as follows:

  Estimated median duration of uncompleted spells of claimant unemployment, United Kingdom

  Weeks

  1995

  33

  1996

  33

  1997

  27

  1998

  22

  These figures relate to computerized claims only i.e. they exclude a small proportion of claimants whose benefit claims are processed clerically.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Ms Lawrence
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his current estimate of the cost of answering(a) a written parliamentary question and (b) an oral parliamentary question. [76588]

  Dawn Primarolo
  As at April 1998, the average costs of answering a written parliamentary question and an oral parliamentary question were £115 and £267 respectively.
  363

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Ascension Island
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the bulk oil storage arrangements for the Ascension Island. [75638]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The present bulk fuel storage arrangements at Ascension Island are provided by the MV Maersk Ascension. Following a review of strategic fuel holdings on Ascension Island, my Department is considering the optimum arrangements for the future storage of fuel stocks.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations and at what level have been made to(a) the Government of Spain and (b) the European Commission in respect of the obstruction by the Government of Spain of free movement between Spain and Gibraltar. [76065]

  Ms Quin
  We have raised the border delays between Gibraltar and Spain on several occasions. In the last month, the Prime Minister has discussed the problem twice with Sr Aznar. The Foreign Secretary has done so twice with his Spanish counterpart. The Ambassador in Madrid has also raised the issue several times with the Spanish authorities, including with Sr Matutes. The UK Permanent Representative to the European Union has also written both to the President of the European Commission and to his Chef de Cabinet informing them of Spanish actions.

  China (Human Rights)
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the United Kingdom intends to sponsor a resolution on China's human rights record at the forthcoming meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights. [76066]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We are discussing with our EU partners our policy on China at the United Nations Commission on Human Rights.

  Congo-Brazzaville
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions exist on the purchasing or moving of arms directly or indirectly through agents, or other parties in the United Kingdom or its overseas territories by those seeking to overthrow the current regime in Congo-Brazzaville. [76138]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  There is no UN or EU arms embargo in place against Congo-Brazzaville. However, irrespective of the intended destination, all applications for an individual licence to export from the UK arms or other military equipment entered in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, are considered against the criteria announced by my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary on 28 July 1997,Official Report, columns 26–29, and the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports, adopted on 8 June. At present, as noted in the
  364
  Government's White Paper on Strategic Export Controls, published in July 1998, HMG can control trafficking and brokering only where this is necessary to implement a binding UN resolution. However, the White Paper proposed the extension of the controls on trafficking and brokering in several areas, including to countries subject to other types of embargo, eg imposed as a result of non-binding UN resolutions or EU or OSCE decisions or nationally.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy in relation to the restoration to power in Congo-Brazzaville of Pascal Lissouba. [76139]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The UK wishes to see the initiation of an inclusive political process in Congo-Brazzaville. This would allow reconciliation and the return of all parties, including Pascal Lissouba, to participate in national reconstruction. We have urged all parties to the conflict to show restraint, and fully support UN Security Council Resolution 867 (1997) which calls for the withdrawal of foreign troops from Congo-Brazzaville.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings or communications Foreign Office Ministers or officials have had with Pascal Lissouba since he commenced his exile from Congo-Brazzaville. [76141]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  No Foreign Office Minister has met Pascal Lissouba since his exile. FCO officials met him on 20 April and 26 June 1998 and on 10 March 1999 to hear his views on the situation on Congo-Brazzaville.

  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if ex-President Lissouba has been issued with documents or letters of support from Her Majesty's Government supporting or facilitating his return to office; and if he will make a statement. [76142]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  On 9 November 1998, ex-President Lissouba wrote to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister requesting support. In a reply on 28 November 1998, a No. 10 official reaffirmed HMG's hopes that a process of political reconciliation would be initiated in Congo-Brazzaville, noted that this would allow all parties to return to participate in a project of national reconstruction and also urged all sides to exercise restraint.

  I am placing a copy of this letter in the Libraries of the House.

  Chevening
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when he proposes to answer the question tabled by the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex on 22 February (ref. 72965) relating to the use of Chevening; [76039]

  (2) when he proposes to answer the question tabled by the hon. Member for Mid-Sussex on 23 February (ref. 73515) relating to Chevening. [76038]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 9 March 1999,Official Report, columns 178–79.
  365

SCOTLAND

  Waiting Lists
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement anent waiting lists in(a) Inverclyde and (b) Scotland as a whole. [69797]

  Mr. Galbraith
  On 31 December 1998, the number of patients waiting for inpatient and day case treatment at Inverclyde Royal NHS Trust was 2,083. On that date, the number of patients on the inpatient/day case waiting list in Scotland was 78,526, a reduction of 7.5 per cent. on the position at 30 September 1998.

  From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

  Student Loans
  Mr. David Marshall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many loans to students have been made by the Student Loans Board (Scotland); what is the total value of the loans; how many(a) have been fully repaid, indicating the total sum repaid, (b) are in the process of being repaid, indicating the total sum so far repaid and (c) have made no repayment, indicating the total sum involved. [74405]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: The Student Loans Company Limited administers student loans for all UK students. The Scottish funding of loans and share of loan receipts is based on a notional split of the UK total which is approximately 11 per cent. The information is set out in the tables in respect of that proportion of the UK total which is deemed to be attributable to Scottish students studying throughout the UK.

  Table 1: Loans made to students by the Student Loans Company Limited and their total value

  Number/Value

  Number of loans issued

  442,879

  Value of loans issued

  £423 million

  1a. Number of loans fully repaid and the total sum repaid.
  Number of loans fully repaid: 13,069.

  It is not possible to disaggregate the repayments attributable to these loans from the total repayments shown in tables 1b and 1c.

  Table 1b: Loans in the process of being repaid, and the total sum repaid to date

  Number/Value

  Accounts in repayment

  36,681

  Total sum repaid

  £35 million

  Table 1c: Number of students who have made no repayment and the total sum involved

  Amount/Value

  Number of loans due to repay where no repayment received

  2,937

  Amount outstanding

  £1.54 million

  366

  Universities (Drop-out Rate)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the drop-out rate at Scottish universities in each year between 1995–96 and 1999–2000; and if he will make a statement. [74560]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 4 March 1999]: There are no reliable estimates of the drop-out rate at Scottish universities available. However, methods are being developed to measure progression as part of the current work on Performance Indicators. The first information on progression will be published this summer.

  From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

  Women's Aid
  Mr. Sarwar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Government's support for Women's Aid and its plans for additional support in the future. [74885]

  Mrs. Liddell
  Our concern for the victims of domestic violence is reflected in Scottish Office funding of almost £220,000 this year to Scottish Women's Aid, the umbrella organisation for local women's groups. This consists of over £83,000 for work on developing refuge and permanent rehousing options for abused women who would otherwise be homeless, over £111,000 for the social welfare aspects of their work and £25,000 for training.

  Because our advertising campaign has had an immediate impact on the demand for the services of Scottish Women's Aid, I announced on Monday 22 February the provision of extra one-off funding of £150,000 in the current financial year. Women's Aid intend using this to improve services and to publish leaflets at national level for the use of local groups dealing with inquiries.

  We have committed £226,000 to Scottish Women's Aid for 1999–2000.

  I have also established the Scottish Partnership on Domestic Violence which is charged with recommending minimum standards of services provision and looking at resources.

  From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

  New Deal (Glasgow)
  Mr. Sarwar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many constituents in Glasgow, Govan have been found places under the New Deal. [74883]

  Mr. Dewar
  The information is not held on a constituency basis.

  Information on New Deal is collated by unit of delivery. Details for Glasgow are set out:

  Glasgow Unit of Delivery (figures to end of December 1998)

  New Deal

  New Deal for Young People (18–24 years old)

  Number who had joined the programme

  4,091

  Number still on Gateway advisory process

  1,532

  367

  Glasgow Unit of Delivery (figures to end of December 1998)

  New Deal

  Number who had secured jobs

  762

  Number who had benefited from work experience opportunities or full-time education and training

  978

  New Deal for Long Term Unemployed (25 years and over)

  Number who had joined the programme

  1,244

  Number still on Advisory interview process

  962

  Number who had secured jobs

  65

  Number who had benefited from education or training

  46

  Nursing Homes (Waiting Lists)
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many people are currently on waiting lists for nursing home places in each local authority in Scotland. [74984]

  Mr. Galbraith
  This information is not held centrally.

  Scottish Parliament (Tax-varying Powers)
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what expenditure has been incurred to date on making preparations for the possible use of the tax-varying powers of the new Scottish Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [74563]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 5 March 1999]: There is a continuing project under way to put in place the mechanisms to enable the Scottish Parliament to implement its tax-varying powers from 1 April 2000. So far this has involved expenditure estimated at £2.5 million.

  Higher Education (EU Undergraduate Students)
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was the cost of providing higher education for the non-British EU undergraduate students who studied at Scottish higher education institutions in 1996–97; and out of which departmental budget it was paid. [75003]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 5 March 1999]: Institutions are funded through a number of block grants from the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council following allocation of grant from The Scottish Office. Costs of the delivery of education to individual students are not collected centrally. Estimates for the cost of providing higher education for non-British EU undergraduate at Scottish higher education institutions in 1996–97, based on average costs of any student, is £21.9 million.

  From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what changes he intends to make to the cash limits and running costs provision for 1998–99 within his responsibility. [76565]

  Mr. Dewar
  Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary revised Supplementary Estimates, I intend to make changes to 2 voted cash limits and 1 non-voted cash block. These changes are in addition to the amounts I announced in my written answer to my hon. and learned Friend the Member for Edinburgh, Pentlands (Dr. Clark), on 11 February 1999,Official Report, columns 372–74.
  368
  The cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 3, Education, industry, arts and libraries, Scotland will be increased by a net total of £5,404,000 from £1,704,433,000 to £1,709,837,000. The net increase takes account of additional provision to be made available for books for schools, as announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement, 9 March 1999, Official Report, columns 173–90.

  The cash limit for Class XIII, Vote 5, Law, order and protective services, police grant and social work services, Scotland will be increased by £1,015,000. The cash limit has been increased by £1,015,000 from £677,087,000 to £678,102,000. The cash limit increase takes account of £830,000 for costs associated with the Lockerbie Trial in the Netherlands and £185,000 to meet the costs of training Returning Officers for the Scottish Parliamentary Elections.

  The increases will be offset by transfers or charged to the Reserve and will not therefore add to the planned total of public expenditure.

  Forestry Commission
  Sir Robert Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) if he will list those contracts entered into by the Forestry Commission which allow motor vehicles to use Forestry Commission land for activities not related to timber; and if he will make a statement; [75572]

  (2) what guidelines he has issued to the Forestry Commission on the involvement of the local community in decision-taking on the non-timber activities allowed on Forestry Commission land; and if he will make a statement; [75573]

  (3) what commercial organisations, not involved in the production of timber, operate on Forestry Commission land. [75681]

  Mr. Macdonald
  The subjects of these questions relate to matters undertaken by Forest Enterprise. I have asked its Chief Executive, Dr. Bob McIntosh, to arrange for a reply to be given.

  Letter from Bob McIntosh to Sir Robert Smith, dated 11 March 1999:

  The Secretary of State for Scotland has asked me to reply to your Question Nos 75572, 75573 and 75681, about activities on Forestry Commission land not related to timber.

  The Forestry Commission encourages the pursuit of many different activities on its land, provided that these activities do not conflict with its other economic, social and environmental objectives. We give consent to a wide range of commercial organisations to operate on Commission land and a detailed list is not held centrally. In nearly all cases vehicular access is involved. The organisations include those involved in sporting, the provision of recreational facilities such as cycle hire, pony trekking, and four wheel drive hire, management training companies, operators of windfarms and transmission mast sites, film production companies involved in filming on FC land, motor rallies and rally driving schools.

  The Commission has a Master Agreement with the Royal Automobile Motor Sports Association for motor rallies on its land. The Commission also has individual agreements with "quad bike" operators who hire out the use of all-terrain vehicles and with rally driving schools for car testing. We also allow our land to be used for special events such as "four by four" safaris by Motor Clubs and members of the public.
  369
  The Secretary of State has encouraged the Commission to involve local communities in the management of Forestry Commission land but has not issued any specific guidelines. The Commission has an Environmental Panel in each of its Forest Districts as a forum to consider our Forest Design Plans and discuss the management of local forests. Local communities are often represented on these panels and have an opportunity to make their views known on issues of local concern.

  I hope I have answered the questions you have raised.

WALES

  Agriculture
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met (i) NFU and (ii) FUW officials to discuss the problems of the agriculture industry. [74179]

  Mr. Michael
  I have had numerous meetings with representatives of the NFU, FUW and CLA to discuss the problems of the farming industry. I met the President of the CLA on 25 February. I met the NFU on Friday 12 February at Ty Mawr Farm, Llanbadoc, Usk to discuss a variety of agricultural issues. I also met my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Clwyd (Mr. Ruane) and a delegation of North Wales Farmers (including members of the FUW and the NFU) on 5 February at Hottia Farm, Dyserth, North Wales to discuss a variety of agricultural issues.

  Members of all three organisations have attended several of the Question and Answer sessions I have held across Wales in recent weeks. The Under-Secretary, my hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, Central (Mr. Jones), met the three farming unions on 15 February and prior to this he met the NFU at the Welsh NFU Forum on 2 February. He also met NFU and FUW representatives in Brussels on 23 February, together with other UK Agriculture Ministers, prior to a meeting of the EU Agriculture Council. I understand that arrangements are in hand for a meeting with my hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Ms Lawrence) and the NFU.

  School Transport
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will list the statutory provisions which apply to the provision by local authorities of free school transport; [54016]

  (2) what guidance his Department gives to local authorities on what constitutes an unsafe route for the purpose of providing free school transport. [74952]

  Mr. Hain
  Authorities are obliged under section 509(1) and (2) of the Education Act 1996 to make such arrangements for the provision of free transport as they consider necessary for the purpose of facilitating school attendance.

  Parents have a defence under section 444 of the 1996 Act for not securing the regular attendance at school of children of compulsory school age if they live more than 2 miles from the nearest school (children under 8 years of age) or 3 miles away (older pupils) and the authority has made no suitable arrangements for the provision of free school transport.
  370
  The Courts have therefore ruled that free school transport should always be considered necessary under section 509(a) if children live more than 2 or 3 miles, as appropriate, from the nearest school. In other circumstances the need for free school transport has to be decided by local authorities in the light of local conditions and priorities.

  When considering whether free school transport is necessary, authorities must, among other things, have regard, by virtue of section 509(4) of the 1996 Act, to the nature of the route, or alternative routes, that a child could reasonably be expected to take. Authorities should also have regard under section 509(4) to the age of the child and any parental wish for denominational education.

  Whether or not a route is safe in the context of the provision of free school transport is a matter for authorities to decide. However, Welsh Office Circular 19/95, "Home To School Transport", points out that the Courts have held that a route to school is available if a child, accompanied as necessary, can walk along it with reasonable safety. A copy of the circular is in the Library of the House.

  Local education authorities also have a power under section 509(3) of the 1996 Act to help with school transport costs in circumstances where they do not consider the provision of free school transport under 509(1) necessary.

  Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.

  National Port Authorities
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list those of his appointees currently serving on national park authorities who have military backgrounds. [75570]

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  [holding answer 10 March 1999]: Two Secretary of State appointees to the Welsh National Park Authorities, Dr. John Menon and Mr. Warren Dean Martin, have, in the past, served with the military.

  This information is based upon current Welsh Office records and was provided voluntarily by the members. Applicants are not specifically asked to provide details of their military backgrounds.

  Following the transfer of functions, National Park public appointments that are currently the responsibility of the Secretary of State will be transferred to the National Assembly.

HEALTH

  Organ Transplants
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received urging that the organs of all deceased persons should be available for transplant unless they have clearly stated otherwise; and if he will make a statement. [73326]
  371
  Mr. Hutton
  There have been several Parliamentary Questions and a number of letters from hon. Members and members of the public on this subject. We are looking into a wide range of possible ways of increasing current levels of transplantation. The issues involved in this area are very sensitive, and any measures we introduce must command public confidence. We will therefore be giving the options for action very careful and thorough consideration.

  Cancelled Operations
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library figures for each quarter in the past two years for(a) each health authority, (b) each NHS region and (c) England as a whole, listing the number of operations cancelled on (i) the day of or (ii) the day before admission to a hospital, stating the number of those patients not readmitted within a month. [75058]

  Grant

  Organisations

  Value £

  AIDS/HIV Support Grant

  Worcestershire County Council

  11,000

  Training support programme for social services staff

  Worcestershire County Council

  279,751

  Services for people with mental illness

  Worcestershire County Council

  452,926

  Children's Services (Quality Protects) Grant

  Worcestershire County Council

  32,500

  Community Care Special Transitional Grant

  Worcestershire County Council

  3,204,497

  General Scheme of grants to voluntary organisations

  The British Institute of Learning Disabilities

  176,000

  The promotion of training in the care of people with learning disabilities

  British Institute of Learning Disabilities

  40,040

  Diploma in Social Work course grant from Central Council for the Education and Training in Social Work

  North East Worcestershire College

  7,975

  Diploma in Social Work practice learning placements grants from Central Council for the Education and Training in Social Work

  North East Worcestershire College

  27,000

  Daily Placement Fees for social work training placements from Central Council for the Education and Training in Social Work

  The Diocese of Worcester Youth Support Services

  1,887

  Daily Placement Fees for social work training placements from Central Council for the Education and Training in Social Work

  Totnall Children's Home

  850

  Daily Placement Fees for social work training placements from Central Council for the Education and Training in Social Work

  M.S.C.A. Bromsgrove

  850

  Barnet Health Authority
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in reducing hospital waiting lists by Barnet Health Authority. [75783]

  Mr. Denham
  At the end of January 1999, the waiting list in Barnet stood at 6,698. Barnet Health Authority's planned target for March 1999 is 5,846. Early indications show that significant progress was made during February 1999, with the Authority on course to achieve this target.

  Breast Cancer
  Mr. Stinchcombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has received from the Government's medical advisers on the probable impact of extending the routine call/recall element of the breast screening programme to women aged 65 to 69 years on(a) breast cancer detection rates and (b) breast cancer mortality rates. [75526]

  Mr. Hutton
  Interim results from one of the three pilot studies to test the feasibility of extending routine call/recall for breast screening to women aged 65 to 69 years showed breast cancer detection rates of 8 per thousand in women aged 65–67 and 17.4 per thousand in women aged 68 to 69. These results were published in the British
  372
  Mr. Hutton
  The figures requested are routinely placed in the Library every quarter. Copies of the latest figures have been placed in the Library today.

  Worcestershire (Grants)
  Mr. Lock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list (i) the names of the beneficiaries of all the discretionary grants awarded by his Department to organisations within Worcestershire during 1998, (ii) their monetary value, (iii) their total value and (iv) the proportion that that total sum comprises of the total sums awarded by his Department in discretionary grants in 1998. [75252]

  Mr. Hutton
  Discretionary grants totalling £4,235,276 have been awarded to organisations within Worcestershire during 1998–99; details are in the table. This represents 0.78 per cent. of the funds available to the Department for such grants. The figures exclude the Asylum Seekers' Grant because decisions on the claims submitted have not yet been taken.

  Medical Journal on 8 August 1998. Copies of the Journal are available in the library. Previous evidence suggests that screening for breast cancer reduces mortality by 25 per cent. in both age groups.

  West Pennine Health Authority (Mental Health)
  Mr. Woolas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what extra resource allocation he has made to the West Pennine Health Authority from the additional spending on mental health for 1999–2000; [75536]

  (2) if he will estimate the amount which would have been allocated to the West Pennine Health Authority from the additional spending on mental health funds for 1999–2000 on a purely per capita method of calculation; [75537]

  (3) what were the criteria used for the allocation of the additional spending on mental health to health authorities. [75519]

  Mr. Hutton
  The West Pennine Health Authority received £30,000 as part of the directly allocated mental health element of the Modernisation Fund, which in 1999–2000 totalled £19.1 million.
  373
  Allocation to health authorities (HA) took account of three factors:

  (a) identified service gaps in each

  (b) the HA's need for mental health services based on a weighted population score;

  (c) for London HAs recognition of the evidence of a higher level of need.

  If the £19.1 million had been issued in line with the weighted capitation formula used to inform unified allocations, West Pennine Health Authority's hypothetical share would have been £185,000. However, this approach would not have been appropriate for distributing funds which we wished to target specifically to where they were most needed.

  West Pennine Health Authority may benefit from centrally held budgets for mental health services yet to be allocated.

  Restraint Techniques
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths have occurred in the United Kingdom as(a) direct and (b) indirect result of the use of control and restraint techniques by nurses in the last five years; and if he will give a breakdown by ethnicity of the deceased. [75949]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the control and restraint techniques used on mentally ill patients. [75957]

  Mr. Hutton
  A number of courses are available to train staff in methods of restraint and many units have developed in-house procedures to meet their particular needs. Information about the range of techniques is not available centrally.

  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 3 March 1999,Official Report, column 820, on the Norvic Clinic, if he will list the circumstances of each of the occasions between 2 November 1997 and 4 December 1998 when control and restraint techniques were applied by nursing staff at the Norvic Clinic, Norwich; and if he will provide a breakdown by ethnicity of the patients involved. [75959]

  Mr. Hutton
  Between 2 November 1997 and 4 December 1998 there were 45 occasions when control and restraint techniques were applied by nursing staff at the Norvic Clinic, Norwich. Of those 45 occasions, 36 involved a patient categorised as white; 8 involved black Afro-Carribean patients; and 1 involved a patient categorised as "black other".

  Violence against Nurses
  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many reported assaults, and other acts of violence there were against nurses in the workplace; and how many successful prosecutions of such assaults there were in each year since 1990; [75956]

  (2) what action is being taken to ensure that nurses who are subject to violence in the workplace are supported in subsequent legal action. [75955]
  374
  Mr. Denham
  We have made it very clear that violence against all staff working in the National Health Service is unacceptable. We expect employers in the National Health Service to establish close working relationships with the police and the Crown Prosecution Service so that staff can be assured that they will have the full force of the law behind them. We also expect local managers to provide whatever support is needed to help staff who are assaulted to recover, and also to advise and support them through any subsequent legal process.

  Information on the number of reported assaults and other acts of violence against nurses in the workplace, and those that were successfully prosecuted is not available centrally.

  Mr. Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has had from(a) the Royal College of Nursing and (b) other bodies, regarding violence against nurses. [75952]

  Mr. Denham
  We have received representations from the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) and other health bodies including the Manufacturing, Sciences and Finance Union, the British Medical Association, UNISON and the National Health Service Confederation regarding violence against nurses.

  That is why we launched the NHS Guidance, "Safer Working in the Community: A guide for NHS managers and staff on reducing the risks of violence and aggression" at the start of the RCN's joint campaign "Stamp out Violence" on the 28 October 1998, which we fully endorse.

  The Government are determined to ensure that NHS staff who spend their lives caring for others are not rewarded with intimidation and violence. Violence to staff is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

  Health Care Teams
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards the Government's target of introducing three to five-year agreements between health care teams and hospitals. [76033]

  Mr. Denham
  Guidance issued in October 1998 set out how we expect health authorities, primary care groups and National Health Service trusts to work together and with social services, users and carers and others to develop and implement long-term service agreements.

  All service agreements beginning April 1999 are to be set in the context of the longer-term relationships and objectives being established through health improvement programmes. Fully fledged long-term service agreements are to be developed through a rolling programme. The new primary care groups have been asked to aim to develop at least two such agreements for the period beginning April 1999.

  Patients Charter
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards creating a new Patients Charter. [76032]

  Mr. Denham
  We asked Greg Dyke, Chairman of Pearson Television, to develop proposals for a new National Health Service Charter. His report "The New
  375
  NHS Charter—A Different Approach" was published in December. We intend to undertake consultation on proposals taking account of the report in the near future.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Independent Complaints System
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to introduce an independent ombudsman or other independent complaints system for complaints about(a) QCs, (b) the Bar and (c) solicitors; and if he will make a statement. [75784]

  Mr. Hoon
  The Office of the Legal Services Ombudsman was established by the Courts and Legal Services Act 1990 because of concern that complaints about the provision of legal services should be investigated properly and thoroughly. The Ombudsman, who is statutorily independent of Government and the legal profession, has powers, inter alia, to examine allegations and make certain recommendations concerning the handling of complaints against barristers and solicitors (including QCs) by their professional bodies.

  Pro Bono Work
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to monitor the amount of pro bono work done by(a) barristers, (b) QCs and (c) solicitors; and if he will make a statement. [75785]

  Mr. Hoon
  The Government have no plans at present to monitor formally the amount of pro bono work carried out by the legal profession.

  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department to what extent, in considering the appointment of new QCs, the Lord Chancellor takes into account(a) the past record of the applicant's undertaking of pro bono work and (b) the willingness of the applicant, if appointed, to undertake pro bono work. [75787]

  Mr. Hoon
  Neither the undertaking of, nor a willingness to undertake, pro bono work is one of the published criteria for appointment. Where applicants highlight the extent of the pro bono work they have undertaken, this is treated as a part of their practice which is not reflected in their fee income.

  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department to what extent, in considering the appointment of new QCs and taking into account levels of earnings of applicants a discount is given against the levels of earnings to reflect pro bono work; and if he will make a statement. [75786]

  Mr. Hoon
  My noble and learned Friend considers applications for Queen's Counsel against published criteria. The application form, which applicants complete,376
  requires them to give gross fee income for the last three years. The criteria require successful applicants to have a high quality practice, and the level of fee income is an indicator of size of practice. Applicants are also asked to state if the level of their fees has been affected by the nature of their, or their firm's practice. Where applicants highlight the extent of the pro bono work they have undertaken that is treated as part of their practice which does not reflect in their fee income.

  Legal Aid System
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to publicise the proposed reforms of the legal aid system in a manner accessible to potential users of the legal services, with particular reference to community legal services. [75512]

  Mr. Hoon
  The proposed reforms of the legal aid system have been publicised in the White Paper "Modernising Justice", published in December 1998, in a summary version which has been widely distributed and in press releases and media briefing in connection with the Access to Justice Bill. The proposals are also available on the internet.

  My Department's press office has taken steps to publicise the proposals through the media in the six Community Legal Service Pioneer areas announced since December 1998 and will seek to arrange regional and national publicity when further Associate Pioneer ares are announced.

  In addition, informing the public at grass roots level about the Community Legal Service is one of the key tasks being considered between my Department and the Pioneer area authorities and one which will also be considered with the Associate Pioneer area authorities.

  Immigration Appeal Authority
  Mr. Corbett
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many regional adjudicators of the Immigration Appeal Authority have been suspended in the last 12 months; and for what reason. [76029]

  Mr. Hoon
  One Regional Adjudicator has been suspended in the last 12 months following a complaint from a member of staff.

  Queen's Counsel
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the observations of Mr. Justice Lightman of 9 June 1998 concerning(a) the nature and effect of the patronage in the QC system, (b) the fees claimed by QCs and their official endorsement through legal aid scale fees and (c) seating arrangements in court. [75789]

  Mr. Hoon
  My noble and learned Friend the Lord Chancellor has read the lecture, "Civil Litigation in the 21st Century", given by Mr. Justice Lightman to the Chancery Bar Association on 3 June 1998. He has no plans to make a statement.

  Prisoners: Unescorted Home Leave
  Prisoners: Unescorted Home Leave
  Prisoners: Home Detention Curfew
  Prisoners: Home Detention Curfew
  Women Prisoners with Families Overseas
  Women Prisoners with Families Overseas
  Women Prisoners: Alternatives to Full Imprisonment
  Women Prisoners: Alternatives to Full Imprisonment
  Non-custodial Sentences for Women
  Non-custodial Sentences for Women
  Women Offenders: Deferment of Sentence
  Women Offenders: Deferment of Sentence
  Protection of Pet Animals Convention
  Protection of Pet Animals Convention
  CHCs in Wales: Budget
  CHCs in Wales: Budget
  Salah Idris
  Salah Idris
  Gibraltar
  Gibraltar
  Sudan
  Sudan
  Turkey
  Turkey
  Gibraltar and the EU
  Gibraltar and the EU
  Meetings with Foreign Governments Inside and Outside the EU
  Meetings with Foreign Governments Inside and Outside the EU
  General Pinochet: Vatican Representations
  General Pinochet: Vatican Representations
  Kosovo Liberation Army
  Kosovo Liberation Army
  Parliamentary Counsel Office
  Parliamentary Counsel Office
  Ofsted Inspections: Reception Classes
  Ofsted Inspections: Reception Classes
  Head Teachers: Professional Qualification
  Head Teachers: Professional Qualification
  HEFC for England: Quinquennial Review
  HEFC for England: Quinquennial Review
  Eurofighter: Air-to-air Missile
  Eurofighter: Air-to-air Missile
  Cattle Health Scheme
  Cattle Health Scheme
  Specified Risk Material: Changes to Industry
  Specified Risk Material: Changes to Industry
  Atlantic Salmon
  Atlantic Salmon
  Livestock Slaughter on Farms
  Livestock Slaughter on Farms
  Slaughterman's Licence: Inspection Fee
  Slaughterman's Licence: Inspection Fee
  Parliamentary Questions: Cost
  Parliamentary Questions: Cost
  Aviation Policy
  Aviation Policy
  Shipping
  Shipping
  Integrated Transport
  Integrated Transport