Written Answers of 25 March 1999

DEFENCE

  Iraq
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the cost to public funds of British military activities relating to Iraq since the end of Operation Desert Fox. [75672]

  Mr. George Robertson
  [holding answer 9 March 1999]: Operation Desert Fox ended on 19 December 1998. Expenditure on subsequent British military activity relating to Iraq in January and February 1999 is approximately £10 million.

  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the approximate weight of ordnance fired against targets in Iraq between Wednesday 17 March and Saturday 20 March. [78716]

  Mr. George Robertson
  I am withholding the information requested under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government information relating to Defence, Security and International Relations.

  Electronic Red Boxes
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will name the Ministers in his Department who are regular users of electronic Red Boxes. [76171]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 16 March 1999,Official Report, columns 651–52.

  Naval Recruiting and Training Agency
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency; what was the figure at its inception; on what date the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency published its report for 1997–98; and what was the cost of production of the report. [76896]

  Mr. Doug Henderson
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from John Chadwick to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 25 March 1999:
  I am replying to your Question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the numbers of people currently employed by the Naval Recruiting and Training Agency (NRTA), currently and at its inception, and the date of publication and cost of the 1997–98 Report, in my capacity as Chief Executive of the NRTA.
  The NRTA currently employs 4,600 Naval and civilian personnel. At its inception in April 1995, the Agency employed 5,100 Naval and civilian personnel. The Agency Report for 1997–98 is currently being printed, after a delay in producing financial figures due to the
  332
  requirement for reconciliation with the Ministry of Defence's overall Opening Balances. The cost of production will be in the order of £4,500.
  I will arrange for a copy of the Agency Report for 1997–98 to be forwarded to you when it is available.

  Defence Vetting Agency
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people are currently employed by the Defence Vetting Agency; and how many were at its establishment. [76636]

  Mr. Spellar
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Vetting Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Michael Wilson to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 25 March 1999:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number of staff employed by the Defence Vetting Agency, as this matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of the Agency.
  The Agency employed 349 staff when it was established on 1st April 1997. The strength of the Agency at 1st February 1999 was 365. The bulk of the additional 16 staff are 3-year Fixed Term Appointees, recruited for the specific purpose of clearing a developing backlog in one particular part of the organisation. As you are aware, the Agency plans to collocate at York by early 2001, at which time the strength will reduce to about 310. The exact figure will depend to some extent on how well a number of underlying management assumptions bear up.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Brimstone and Storm Shadow Programmes
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the current forecast(a) in-service date for and (b) cost of (i) the Brimstone and (ii) the Storm Shadow programmes; and what was the forecast in each case at the time that the contract was placed. [77262]

  Mr. Spellar
  The in-service dates for the Brimstone and Storm Shadow programmes remain the same as those forecast at the time the contracts were placed, namely October and December 2001 respectively.

  The forecast programme cost for Brimstone was £783 million compared with a current estimate of £793 million. The forecast programme cost for Storm Shadow was £858 million compared with a current estimate of £878 million.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the work for the(a) Brimstone and (b) Storm Shadow programmes is being placed with UK registered companies; and what was the forecast proportion when the contract was placed. [77263]

  Mr. Spellar
  At the time the Brimstone contract was negotiated, the proportion of work by value, expected to be placed with UK registered companies was some 63 per cent. There has been no significant change in this percentage since placement of the contract.

  When the Storm Shadow contract was placed, it was envisaged that in excess of 70 per cent. of work would be placed with UK registered companies. Matra BAe Dynamics have to date placed 85 per cent. of work by value; of which 80 per cent. has been placed in the UK.
  333

  Aircraft (In-service Dates)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 1999,Official Report, columns 34–35, on in-service dates for aircraft, what are the reasons for the different definitions of in-service. [77265]

  Mr. Spellar
  The current practice is to define in-service dates as the date by which an equipment, or a specified number of equipments, will contribute to the operational capability of the Service concerned. The in-service date quoted for the Hercules C130J conforms with this practice. The in-service dates for Eurofighter, Merlin HM Mk 1 and Merlin HC Mk3 were defined some years ago when the practice was to take account of a range of operational, production and international factors.

  DERA
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on his future plans for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. [77903]

  Mr. Spellar
  My noble Friend the Minister for Defence Procurement is expecting initial advice from a team studying the Public Private Partnership options for the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at the end of this month. Following a period of discussion and consultation, Ministers would hope to make a decision and an announcement about the future of DERA later this year.

  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much of the turnover of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency is civil. [77059]

  Mr. Spellar
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Michael Colvin, dated 25 March 1999:
  I have been asked to reply to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the turnover of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA) in view of my responsibilities as Chief Executive.
  The turnover of DERA for the financial year 1997/98 can be broken down into a number of constituent parts. Total income, as stated in our last Annual Report and Accounts, was £1006.3 million, of which £105.7 million came from non-Ministry of Defence sources. Defence related activities for either UK industry or foreign customers accounted for £38 million of this figure. Of the remaining £67.7 million which came from civil markets, £27.8 million was from British Government Departments other than the Ministry of Defence.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Technology Transfer
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the titles of the study groups established by his Department to examine the globalisation of technology transfer; what are the terms of reference of each; and when they are due to report. [77904]

  Mr. Spellar
  I am not aware that any working groups have been established specifically to study the globalisation of technology transfer. The UK continues to 334
  benefit from a wide-ranging programme of international collaboration in defence research, principally with our NATO Allies.

  US Advanced Research Projects Agency
  Mr. Colvin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions there have been between his Department and the American Department of Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency; and if he will make a statement. [77902]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Defence Evaluation and Research Agency, DERA, as the UK MOD's main source of defence scientific and technical expertise, has regular exchanges with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency on a range of research matters. These discussions form a part of the UK's wider collaborative relationship with the US.

  Auxiliary Oiler Contract
  Mr. Davidson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 10 March 1999,Official Report, column 209, on auxiliary oilers, if he will estimate the extent of the anticipated slippage. [77993]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Prime contractor, Marconi Naval Systems, is currently reviewing the Auxiliary Oiler programme. It would not be appropriate for MOD to speculate in advance of the company completing their review and reporting to the MOD.

  HMS Illustrious
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total cost of the recent overhaul of HMS Illustrious. [78227]

  Mr. Spellar
  HMS Illustrious is currently on sea trials following maintenance work at Portsmouth. As is normally the case, the sea trials will be followed by a period of defect rectification work. The total project cost will not be known until this work is complete.

  Nimrod
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what negotiations he is currently holding about replacements for Nimrod aircraft; and when he expects to make an announcement as to their effect on RAF bases in the United Kingdom. [78250]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 24 March I999]: The in-service date, ISD, for the RAF's new maritime patrol aircraft, Nimrod MRA4, which is currently under development by BAe, is April 2003. Resource and technical difficulties with the programme at BAe have led the company to advise that they do not expect to achieve the ISD before early 2005. Negotiations are underway on revisions to the Nimrod MRA4 contract, which will include recovery of liquidated damages for late delivery. The current Nimrod MR2 aircraft will continue to provide the UK's maritime patrol capability until the Nimrod MRA4 aircraft are delivered to RAF Kinloss. The delay is not, therefore, expected to have a significant effect on the current operations of RAF Kinloss.
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  Defence Bills Agency
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the planned basis of the Defence Bills Agency's future operations; and what key targets have been set for 1999–2000. [79037]

  Mr. Spellar
  On 14 December 1998,Official Report, columns 330–31, I announced the decision to extend Agency status for the Defence Bills Agency for a further five years from 1 April 1999. Following this decision, a new Framework Document has been agreed for the Agency and I am today placing a copy of this in the Library of the House. In parallel, a new Service Level Agreement has been agreed between the Ministry of Defence and the Agency which sets out demanding objectives for the period up to 31 March 2004. The key targets derived from the Service Level Agreement for the year 1999–2000 are as set out:

  1. To reduce transaction costs by 8 per cent. for bills and 5 per cent. for invoices by 31 March 2000.

  2. To produce accounting and financial management information to time and quality set out in ISO 9001/3.

  3. To pay 100 per cent. of correctly-presented bills within 11 calendar days of receipt as part of the Department's 30 day payment target.

  4. To raise accurately 95 per cent. of invoices within 4 days of receipt of a correctly-authorised claimable document.

  5. Within the permitted tolerances, to meet the performance targets prescribed in the Service Level Agreement.

  6. To produce within 3 months a feasibility report on partnership options and, if possible to make arrangements to proceed with partnership within one year.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  West London Line
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received with regard to the opening of new stations on the West London line at(a) Chelsea Harbour and (b) Stamford Bridge. [77792]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Since 2 May 1997, we have received four representations supporting a station at Chelsea Harbour and one representation regarding a station at Stamford Bridge.

  Fiveways Corner, Mill Hill
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects the major works at Fiveways Corner, Mill Hill,(a) to commence and (b) to be completed. [77864]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  Work on the Fiveways Corner Improvement scheme is expected to start before the end of April and we expect it will take about 18 weeks to complete.

  Jubilee Line Extension
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the cost per mile of the Jubilee Line extension; when he expects it to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [77826]
  336
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The Extension to the existing Jubilee Line is 16kms/10 miles long and London Transport's estimate of final cost is £3.2 billion.

  London Transport plan to open the Extension in three phases (firstly Stratford to North Greenwich in late spring, then on to Waterloo in late summer and finally to Green Park where it will connect with the existing Jubilee Line in late autumn). Commissioning work is already in hand and trains are currently being tested on the line between Stratford and North Greenwich. The Government are confident that London Transport and Bechtel will deliver the Jubilee Line Extension in time for the Millennium.

  Private Hire Vehicles (Licences)
  Dr. Whitehead
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what discussions have been held between his Department and local authority licensing departments on the licensing of vehicles for private hire where the construction of the vehicle allows for the potential carriage of more than eight passengers; [77673]

  (2) how many prosecutions of operators of licensed private hire vehicles for operating vehicles with the potential to carry more than eight passengers where those vehicles have previously been licensed by a local authority taxi licensing department have been undertaken in the last year. [77678]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The law defines private hire vehicles as vehicles constructed or adapted to carry fewer than nine passengers. Consequently, it is not possible for a local licensing authority to license as a private hire vehicle any vehicle which can carry more than eight passengers. I am not aware of any particular case where a licensing authority has licensed as a private hire vehicle a vehicle with a passenger-carrying capacity in excess of eight and I am, thus, not aware of any prosecutions arising from such a situation.

  Small-engined Vehicles
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what proportion of the total number of cars in the United Kingdom have engine capacity below 1100 cc. [78009]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  At the most recent statistical analysis of the vehicle records held by DVLA and DVLNI in September 1998, some 8% of vehicles registered in the Private and Light Goods class had an engine capacity not exceeding 1100 cc.

  Government Office for London
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the performance indicators set for the Government Office for London, in dealing with planning inspectors' reports; and if he will make a statement. [78333]

  Mr. Caborn
  The target for dealing with Inspectors' reports on called in applications is 80 per cent. within 13 per cent. weeks and 100 per cent. within 20 weeks. For appeals, targets are 80 per cent. within 8 weeks and 100 per cent. within 13 weeks.
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  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the(a) longest, (b) shortest and (c) average time taken by the Government Office for London in processing planning inspectors' reports for each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [78331]

  Mr. Caborn
  The details are in the table:

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  Longest

  51

  86

  34

  Shortest

  6

  6

  7

  Average

  13

  23

  13

  Note:

  Time in weeks

  Countryside Access
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to announce measures to improve access to the countryside for horseriders and cyclists. [78221]

  Mr. Meacher
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 18 March 1999,Official Report, column 726.

  Countryside Commission
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he proposes to announce the remaining members of the new Countryside Commission. [78354]

  Mr. Meacher
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr. Bennett), on 19 March 1999,Official Report, columns 888–89.

  Small Cars
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of cars currently registered in the United Kingdom are estimated to be below 1100cc. [78408]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  At the most recent statistical analysis of the vehicle records held by DVLA and DVLNI in September 1998, some 8% of vehicles registered in the Private and Light Goods class had an engine capacity not exceeding 1100 cc.

  Genetically Modified Animals
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many genetically modified animals, including fish, have escaped into the environment in the United Kingdom since 1990. [78593]

  Mr. Meacher
  None, to our knowledge.

  Departmental Expenditure
  Mr. Singh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out detailed future spending plans for his Department. [79071]
  338
  Mr. Prescott
  I have today published my Department's Annual Report for 1999 (Cm 4204), and copies have been placed in the House Libraries. The Report sets out the Department's achievements over the last year and its detailed plans for delivering a fairer society, a cleaner environment and a more efficient economy. We have already published targets covering all areas of the Department's work in our "Public Service Agreement". Now we are setting out detailed spending plans showing how we will meet those targets and deliver our objectives. These include an additional £4.1 billion investment by the Department over the next three years, as well as an extra £8.3 billion for local authorities. The Report also includes a summary of our Departmental Investment Strategy, to be published shortly, which will set out how the Department ensures that capital investment delivers its objectives, whilst achieving value for money.

  Business Aviation
  Dr. Ladyman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the remaining parts of his Department's study of Business Aviation in the South East will be published. [79203]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  The report on Part 2 of the study of Business Aviation in the South East which we commissioned last year, "The Economic Impact of Business Aviation", has been published today and copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of the House. Part 1 was published in July last year. As policy decisions arising from the study of airports issues in the South East of England and the East of England, announced by the Government on 11 March, may impact on Business Aviation, work on the final part of the study, "Future Capacity for Business Aviation", will not be finalised until the South East airports study has reported. At that time, we shall consider the implications for the work which has been done so far on future capacity for Business Aviation, and whether further work is needed.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Civil Servants (Appraisal)
  Mr. McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for(a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round. [78150]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The following tables show the breakdown for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and overall figures for Wilton Park. The figures for box 4 and 5 have been combined as they are very small. At present, 80 per cent. of the 1998 Appraisal Performance Markings have been received.

  Neither Wilton Park, nor the Department as a whole, uses the Cabinet Office's "four fifths rule" to assess potential adverse impact.
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  (a) Wilton Park

  Box markings

  1

  2

  3

  4/5

  Not yet available

  Total

  Number

  8

  21

  6

  0

  5

  40

  Percentage

  20

  52.5

  15.0

  0

  12.5

  100

  (i) Breakdown by grade

  Box markings

  1

  2

  3

  4/5

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  SMS

  103

  24.3

  159

  37.5

  44

  10.4

  1

  .2

  424

  DS5/5S and HCS6/7

  107

  18.3

  230

  39.4

  62

  10.6

  3

  .5

  584

  DS6/SEO

  23

  8.7

  130

  49.2

  66

  25

  3

  1.1

  264

  DS7D/8

  45

  28

  65

  40.4

  25

  15.5

  0

  0

  161

  DS7M/HEO

  73

  13.2

  253

  45.8

  134

  24.2

  8

  1.4

  553

  DS9/E

  118

  12.6

  400

  42.8

  214

  22.9

  14

  1.5

  935

  Specialist

  62

  7.6

  410

  50.1

  179

  21.9

  2

  .2

  818

  Secretarial

  122

  25.2

  202

  41.7

  112

  23.1

  4

  .8

  484

  Support grades

  12

  3.8

  107

  33.4

  93

  29.1

  3

  .9

  320

  AO/DS10/EA

  87

  10.3

  362

  43

  238

  28.3

  3

  .4

  842

  AA

  9

  10.8

  35

  42.2

  26

  31.3

  1

  1.2

  83

  (ii) Breakdown by gender

  Box markings

  1

  2

  3

  4/5

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  Total

  Male

  466

  13.3

  1,502

  42.7

  755

  21.5

  29

  .8

  3,516

  Female

  295

  15.1

  851

  43.6

  438

  22.4

  13

  .7

  1,952

  (iii) Breakdown by ethnic background

  Box markings

  1

  2

  3

  4/5

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  Total

  White

  648

  15.1

  1,849

  43.2

  898

  21

  32

  .7

  4,280

  Ethnic minority

  19

  9.6

  81

  40.9

  59

  29.8

  1

  .5

  198

  Not recorded

  94

  9.5

  423

  42.7

  236

  23.8

  9

  .9

  990

  (iv) Breakdown by part-time or full-time

  Box markings

  1

  2

  3

  4/5

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  Total

  Full-time

  760

  14.1

  2,315

  43

  1,167

  21.7

  42

  .8

  5,379

  Part-time

  1

  1.1

  38

  42.7

  26

  29.2

  0

  0

  89

  (v) Breakdown by disabled or not-disabled

  Box markings

  1

  2

  3

  4/5

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  No.

  %

  Total

  Not disabled

  754

  14.1

  2,303

  43

  1,165

  21.7

  39

  .7

  5,357

  Disabled

  7

  6.4

  50

  45.9

  28

  25.7

  3

  2.8

  109

  Cuba
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the jailing of political dissidents in Cuba. [78123]
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  (b) FCO

  Box markings

  1

  2

  3

  4/5

  Not yet available

  Total

  Number

  761

  2,353

  1,193

  42

  1,119

  5,468

  Percentage

  13.9

  43.0

  21.8

  3.8

  20.5

  100

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The Government are very concerned about the jailing of political dissidents in Cuba, and in particular with the sentencing of the four members of the "International Dissidence Working Group" in Havana 1 on 15 March. This group exercised the freedom of
  341
  expression, as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and were held without charge since July 1997. We do not accept that citizens who do so should be criminalised by state authorities.

  Together with EU partners and bilaterally (including when Isabel Allende, Cuban Vice Foreign Minister met my noble Friend Baroness Symons on 25 February), we have made representations to Cuban authorities expressing serious concern and deep regret about the sentences. The EU Presidency issued a public statement on 17 March which said it was deeply disappointed that its repeated appeals for the unconditional release of the "Four" have been ignored, and that neither diplomats nor international media representatives were allowed to attend the trial.

  Falklands Flights
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect on tourism in the Falklands of the proposed reduction in Tristar flights to the Falklands. [78388]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The reduction in the frequency of RAF Tristar Airbridge flights to the Falkland Islands was one of a range of efficiency proposals identified by the Strategic Defence Review. It represents a rationalisation of the use of the Tristar aircraft following technical improvements that allow them to carry more passengers. We foresee no significant effect on tourism in the Falklands.

  Sandra Gregory
  Sir Nicholas Lyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action his Department is taking in relation to the case of Ms Sandra Gregory, convicted on a drugs charge in Thailand. [78225]

  Mr. Fatchett
  Following her conviction for drug offences in Thailand in 1993, Ms Gregory transferred to a British prison in 1997 under the terms of the UK/Thailand Prison Transfer Agreement. The Agreement does not allow sentences to be reviewed once a prisoner is repatriated, but does allow the prisoner to benefit from our parole system. Ms Gregory will be eligible for parole in 2003.

  Ms Gregory has asked the Government to support her Royal Pardon Petition. We have declined to do so because our policy is to support Petitions only when a prisoner is terminally ill or when a relative is terminally ill and dependent relatives may be left with no-one to care for them. These circumstances are not present in Ms Gregory's case.

  Overseas Territories
  Mr. Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his statement of 17 March 1999,Official Report, columns 1125–27, if he will list the British overseas territories that comply with the European Convention on Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. [78000]
  342
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  [holding answer 22 March 1999]: The European Convention on Human Rights has been extended to Anguilla, Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar, Montserrat, St. Helena and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

  The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights has been extended to Bermuda, British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, the Falkland Islands and Dependencies, Gibraltar, Montserrat, the Pitcairn Group, St. Helena and Dependencies and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

  Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat, and the Turks and Caicos Islands risk being in breach of the ECHR and/or the ICCPR insofar as they have retained legislation which criminalises homosexual acts between consenting adults in private. Bermuda and the British Virgin Islands, furthermore, risk being in breach of the ECHR and the ICCPR if they administer judicial corporal punishment, which is still on their statute books. We are not aware of any legislation in the Falkland Islands and Dependencies, Gibraltar, St. Helena and Dependencies or the Pitcairn Islands which might place these territories in breach of either the ECHR or the ICCPR. We are taking steps to ensure that all of the Overseas Territories are in full compliance with the UK's international human rights obligations. Further details can be found in Chapter Four of the White Paper on Britain and the Overseas Territories, which is available in the House of Commons Library.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which countries he advises tourists to avoid because of the threat of the Millennium bug; and if he will make a statement on his public awareness campaign. [78430]

  Mr. Fatchett
  I refer to my reply of 12 March 1999,Official Report, column 398 to the hon. Member and also to my reply of 18 March 1999, Official Report, column 761 to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr. Dismore). Our travel advice notices will aim to provide practical information to allow travellers to make their own informed decisions. We will continue to monitor other countries' preparedness and will issue new advice accordingly.

  Strategic Export Controls
  Liz Blackman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government intend to update the Summary of Government Commitments regarding the application of strategic export controls. [79182]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We will shortly be placing a copy of the updated Summary in the Libraries of the House.

  During the course of research for the Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls a number of technical errors were discovered in the Summary, which forms an Appendix to the Annual Report. These errors, which pre-date 1 May 1997 are:
  the entry for Burma should have read "Does not cover contracts existing at the time of imposition". Previous versions of the Summary had stated that existing contracts were covered. (1991 EU embargo).

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  the entry for Liberia should have specified that the embargo did not apply to ECOWAS peacekeeping forces. Previous versions of the Summary had omitted this point. (1992 UN embargo).
  the entry for Sudan should have read "the embargo does not cover contracts existing at the time of imposition". Previous versions of the Summary had stated that existing contracts were covered. (1994 EU embargo).
  the date of the introduction of the EU arms embargo against China should read 27 June rather than 26 June 1989 as in previous versions.

  In addition, for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia we have added that the embargoes were originally imposed in 1991. The 1996 Ministerial statements (referred to in the Summary) confirmed the EU's position on arms exports to these countries.

  We have taken the opportunity of publishing the Annual Report to correct these errors.

  Liz Blackman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the Government intend to publish the Annual report on Strategic Export Controls. [79184]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  The Government have published the Annual Report today. I have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses and in the Vote Office. The Report will also be available on the FCO website.

  Narcotics Trade
  Liz Blackman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government of Iran's role in combating the trade in narcotics. [79185]

  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  We are aware of the efforts that Iran makes to counter the narcotics trade, an effort which deserves to be more widely recognised. Most of the heroin sold in Britain originates in Afghanistan. Iran is a key country on the heroin route from Afghanistan to Europe and is in the front line in the war against this trade. It has made good efforts in recent years to stem the traffic. Close to 3,000 deaths among frontier guards in the past 20 years is a regrettable reflection of the commitment that Iran has made to try to combat this menace.

  In that connection, I should like to announce that the Government are donating £300,000 to the United Nations Drug Control Programme to provide Iranian frontier personnel with 1,020 bullet proof vests. This donation will enhance the capacity of Iran's frontier personnel to combat the drug traffickers and to reduce the sad toll of casualties which they have borne.

  No supplier has yet been nominated for these goods. If they are sourced from the UK, an export licence would need to be granted. If such a licence were granted, this would represent an exception to our arms embargo on Iran and would be announced.
  344

  Abdul Rahin
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the decision will be made on the application for entry clearance by Abdul Rahin, husband of Shaheen Akbar, interviewed at Islamabad on 16 December. [78721]

  Mr. Fatchett
  We have asked our High Commission in Islamabad for details of this case. My noble Friend Baroness Symons will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible.

  EU Council
  Liz Blackman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for April and list the major European Union events for the next six months. [79183]

  Ms Quin
  The information is as follows:

  Monthly forecast of business:

  April 1999

  Venue

  Event

  8

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  12–16

  Strasbour g

  European Parliament Plenary

  13

  Luxembourg

  Consumer Affairs Council

  15–16

  Stuttgart

  Euro-Med Foreign Ministers Conference 'Barcelona III'

  16–18

  Dresden

  ECOFIN (Informal)

  19–20

  Luxembourg

  Agriculture Council

  20

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  22

  Luxembourg

  Telecommunications Council

  24–25

  Luxembourg

  NATO Summit

  26

  Luxembourg

  Political Committee

  26–27

  Luxembourg

  General Affairs Council

  29

  Luxembourg

  Industry Council

  29–30

  Brussels

  K4 Committee

  The following subjects are likely to be discussed:

  8 April—Brussels—Political Committee

  No agenda yet available

  12–16 April—Strasbourg—European Parliament Plenary

  No agenda yet available

  13 April—Luxembourg—Consumer Affairs Council

  Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and the Council concerning the distance marketing of consumer financial services and amending Directives 90/619/EEC, 97/7/EC and 98/2/EC

  Policy debate

  Communication from the Commission on an action plan (1999–2001) on priorities for consumer policy

  Debate

  Council conclusions

  Consumer-policy aspects of the negotiation of insurance contracts in the internal market

  Progress report from the Commission

  Forthcoming revision of the Directive on general product safety

  Progress report from the Commission

  Directive on the sale of consumer goods and associated guarantees

  Adoption

  15–16 April—Stuttgart—Euro-Med Foreign Ministers Conference "Barcelona III"

  No agenda yet available
  345
  16–18 April—Dresden—ECOFIN (Informal)

  No formal agenda

  19–20 April—Luxembourg—Agriculture Council

  No agenda yet available

  20 April—Brussels—Political Committee

  No agenda yet available

  22 April—Luxembourg—Telecommunications Council

  Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on a common framework for electronic signatures

  Common position

  Commission's Green Paper on the convergence of the telecommunications, media and information technology sectors, and the implications for regulation: Towards an Information Society Approach

  Conclusions

  Proposal for a European Parliament and Council Directive on postal services

  Policy debate

  Status of the internal market in telecommunications, with Report on implementation

  Debate

  Globalisation and the Information Society: the need for strengthened international coordination

  Update from the Commission relating to developments on electronic commerce

  Digital Television

  Information from the Presidency

  Year 2000 computer problem

  Update and possible resolution

  24–25 April—Luxembourg—NATO Summit

  No agenda yet available

  26 April—Luxembourg—Political Committee

  No agenda yet available

  26–27 April—Luxembourg—General Affairs Council

  Issues arising from the Special European Council

  Amsterdam Treaty

  Enlargement

  Common strategies

  EU-Turkey

  Europe strategy

  Romania

  Preparation of Association Council

  Estonia

  Preparation of Association Council

  Slovakia

  Preparation of Association Council

  Ukraine

  Preparation of Cooperation Council

  Western Balkans

  EU-China

  Preparation of summit (end of April/beginning of May, Beijing)

  Myanmar

  Extension of common position

  Middle East peace process
  346
  29 April—Luxembourg—Industry Council

  The economic situation

  Information from the Commission on economic developments Globalisation of the world economy

  Commission communication

  Policy debate

  Competitiveness of European industry

  (a) Benchmarking

  Reports on benchmarking activities at the levels of framework conditions, sectors and enterprises

  Conclusions

  (b) Ongoing debate on competitiveness

  Information on industrial aspects of related work in other Councils

  Report by the Presidency

  (c) Industrial aspects of enlargement

  Information from the Commission

  SMS

  (a) Proposal for a Council Directive combating late payment in commercial transactions

  Common position

  (b) Commission communication on management training

  Presentation by the Commission

  (c) Follow-up Business Environment

  Simplification Taskforce (BEST)

  Conclusions

  Communication on tourism and employment

  Presentation by the Commission

  Shipbuilding

  Situation of the shipbuilding industry

  Information from the Commission

  Coal and steel industry

  Expiry of the ECSC Treaty

  Financial aspects

  New Regulations on State aid for steel

  Conclusions

  Industrial aspects of electronic commerce

  Commission Communication

  Presentation by the Commission

  Sectoral issues

  OETH assessment and recommendations for its future

  Conclusions

  Competition policy

  (a) Commission communication on the application of the EU competitiveness rules to vertical restrictions: follow-up to the green book on vertical restrictions

  Political agreement

  (b) Report from the Commission on modernising competition rules

  Information from the Commission

  29–30 April—Brussels—K4 Committee

  No agenda yet available

  European Calendar: April-September 1999

  This calendar is primarily concerned with European Union matters, but certain other relevant events are also included. Events and dates quoted are based on the information available on the date of issue.
  347

  Venue

  Event

  April 1999

  8

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  12–16

  Strasbourg

  European Parliament Plenary

  13

  Luxembourg

  Consumer Affairs Council

  15–16

  Stuttgart

  Euro-Med Foreign Ministers Conference 'Barcelona III'

  16–18

  Dresden

  ECOFIN (Informal)

  19–20

  Luxembourg

  Agriculture Council

  20

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  22

  Luxembourg

  Telecommunications Council

  24–25

  Luxembourg

  NATO Summit

  26

  Luxembourg

  Political Committee

  26–27

  Luxembourg

  General Affairs Council

  29

  Luxembourg

  Industry Council

  29–30

  Brussels

  K4 Committee

  May 1999

  3–7

  Strasbourg

  European Parliament Plenary

  6–7

  Berlin

  Political committee

  6

  Brussels

  EU-ACP Ministerial meeting

  7–9

  Weimar

  Environment Ministers (Informal)

  10

  Brussels

  ECOFIN

  10

  Bremen

  WEU Council

  10–11

  Berlin

  Trade Ministers (Informal)

  11

  Brussels

  Energy Council

  17

  Brussels

  K4 Committee

  17

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  17–18

  Brussels

  General Affairs Council

  17–18

  Brussels

  Agriculture Council

  18

  Brussels

  EEA Council

  18

  Brussels

  Co-Operation Council with Russia

  18–19

  Weimar

  Culture Ministers (Informal)

  20

  Brussels

  Research Council

  21

  Brussels

  Development Council

  25

  Brussels

  Joint ECOFIN and Labour and Social Affairs Council

  25

  Brussels

  Social Affairs Council

  25

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  27

  Brussels

  Youth Council

  27–28

  Brussels

  Justice and Home Affairs Council

  31

  Brussels

  General Affairs Council

  30 May–1 June

  Dresden

  Agriculture Ministers (Informal)

  June 1999

  1

  Dresden

  Agriculture Ministers (Informal)

  3–4

  Cologne

  European Council

  7

  Luxembourg

  Education Council

  8

  Luxembourg

  Health Council

  10

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  10

  Luxembourg

  Fisheries Council

  10–13

  European Parliament Elections

  14

  Luxembourg

  ECOFIN (possible)

  14–15

  Luxembourg

  Agriculture Council

  14–15

  Brussels

  K4 Committee

  17

  Bonn

  EU-Japan Summit

  17–18

  Luxembourg

  Transport Council

  21

  Luxembourg

  Internal Market

  21

  Bonn

  EU-USA/Canada Summit

  21–22

  Luxembourg

  General Affairs Council

  22

  Luxembourg

  Labour and Social Affairs Council (possible)

  24–25

  Luxembourg

  Environment Council

  25–29

  Rio de Janeiro

  EU-Latin America/Caribbean Summit

  28

  Luxembourg

  Culture Council

  29

  Brussels

  Political Committee (possible)

  July 1999

  2–3

  Oulu

  Industry and Research Ministers (Informal)

  6–7

  Savonlinna

  Culture Ministers

  8

  Hameenlinna

  Political Committee

  9–10

  Oulu

  Labour/Social Affairs Ministers (Informal)

  12

  Brussels

  ECOFIN

  12

  Brussels

  Africa, Caribbean and Pacific Committee

  16

  Brussels

  Budget

  18–20

  Savonlinna

  Culture/Audiovisual Ministers (Informal)

  19

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  19–20

  Brussels

  General Affairs Council

  348

  349

  Venue

  Event

  19–20

  Brussels

  Agriculture Council

  20–23

  Strasbourg

  European Parliament Plenary

  22–23

  Helsinki

  K4 Committee

  23–25

  Helsinki

  Environment Ministers (Informal)

  August 1999

  No Council Business

  September 1999

  1

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  4–5

  Saariselka

  Foreign Ministers (Informal)

  6–7

  Brussels

  Agriculture Standing Committee

  9–10

  Turku

  K4 Committee

  10–12

  Turku

  ECOFIN (Informal)

  12–14

  Tampere

  Agriculture Ministers (Informal)

  13

  Brussels

  Political Committee (Informal)

  13–14

  Brussels

  General Affairs Committee

  13–17

  Strasbourg

  European Parliament Plenary

  16–17

  Kittila

  Article 113 Committee

  16–17

  Turku

  Justice and Home Affairs (Informal)

  20

  Brussels

  Political Committee (Possible)

  20–21

  Brussels

  Agriculture Standing Committee

  23

  Brussels

  Telecommunications

  24

  Brussels

  K4 Committee (Informal)

  24–25

  Tampere

  Education Committee (Informal)

  27–28

  Kuopio

  Ministers of Housing

  27–28

  Brussels

  Agriculture Ministers

  30

  Brussels

  Political Committee

  30

  Helsinki

  Equality Conference

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Indonesia (Exports)
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on current ECGD liabilities in respect of exports to Indonesia. [77033]

  Mr. Wilson
  ECGD's exposure on Indonesia is £1,603 million, of which £41 million is in respect of unrecovered claims.

  Assisted Areas (Kent)
  Mr. Prosser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received in support of retaining assisted area status for Dover and other areas of Kent. [77052]

  Mr. Wills
  Under the public consultation for the assisted areas review, a joint submission was received from Kent County Council, seven District Councils and Medway Unitary Authority arguing for assisted area status for Dover and six other areas of East and North East Kent.

  Hon. Members representing Kent constituencies, including my hon. Friend, local Councillors and a number of local companies, have also made representations in support of the case for these areas.

  Manufacturing Industry
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to assist the competitiveness of manufacturing industry. [77053]

  Mr. Byers
  Manufacturing is a vital part of the economy. Its competitiveness is assisted by my policies for promoting best practice, encouraging the development 350
  of efficient supply chains, promoting the application of new technology, and developing beneficial regional partnerships.

  Small Businesses (Regulations)
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action he is taking to reduce the amount of management time expended by small business on dealing with Government regulations. [77054]

  Mr. Wills
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has made clear that one of the key tasks of my Department's new Small Business Service will be to help small businesses get to grips with regulation, providing them with practical assistance to cut the burdens of compliance.

  Steel and Engineering Industries
  Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact of the Chancellor's Budget statement on the steel and engineering industries. [77055]

  Mr. Battle
  By locking in the economic stability that our policies have already achieved, such as low inflation, and through our programme of targeted tax cuts, such as the reduction in Corporation tax to the lowest rate of any major industrialised country anywhere in the world, sectors such as steel and engineering should benefit and have a stable climate in which to compete.

  Fresh Meat (Supermarkets)
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Office of Fair Trading inquiry into supermarket retailing of fresh meat. [77056]
  351
  Dr. Howells
  The Office of Fair Trading is carrying out an inquiry into the profitability of the major supermarkets in the grocery sector. I understand that the Office of Fair Trading hopes to be in a position to announce its conclusions in April.

  Research and Development
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from business leaders on the measures announced in the Budget to encourage research and development. [77057]

  Mr. Battle
  The Government recognise the important role which research and development (R&D) plays in a modern knowledge-driven economy. This was the theme of the consultation document published jointly by HM Treasury and DTI on Budget Day 1998 entitled "Innovating for the Future: investing in R&D".

  The findings from this review have already influenced both the planning for future Budgets and the Government's Competitiveness White Paper "Our Competitive Future—Building the Knowledge Driven Economy" published last December and its follow-up Implementation Plan (published by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 10 March).

  The Budget announcements on 9 March included details of the Government's intention to introduce a research and development tax credit for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the 2000 Budget. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 10 March the publication of the Inland Revenue's technical paper to consult further with business on the detail of this measure. This represents a key output from the Innovating for the Future consultation which, in addition to the tax treatment of R&D, considered a range of questions looking at how best to remove barriers to innovation.

  Around 200 representations were received. Of those commenting specifically on questions relating to tax credits, respondents can be divided into five main types: companies; business organisations; professional and union bodies; accountant and tax firms; and academic institutions. Individual companies gave a mixed view on tax credits from those firmly in support to those who felt such a measure might be less effective. The main business organisations also provided a variety of opinion with the CBI, for example, arguing that the feasibility of a targeted credit for SMEs should be assessed; the CBI reaffirmed their support for a specific SME measure in their Budget submission earlier this year. Professional and union bodies were almost totally in favour of tax credits (as were the majority of academic institutions) although the main accountancy, insurance and tax firms generally provided a more cautious response; a number advocating further analysis before any measures might be introduced.

  A main theme to emerge from the consultation was the concern that any R&D investment measure introduced should also provide assistance to the most cash-constrained small companies in their start-up and early stages, when they are "tax exhausted" and would not immediately benefit from extra allowances to reduce their corporation tax. This message was also emphasised by the Williams Group's report to the Treasury (November 1998) analysing barriers to growth faced by high-tech
  352
  small firms. In the light of these views, and the Government's own research and analysis, the Government announced at the Budget their intention to introduce a comprehensive R&D tax credit for SMEs, which would also involve a payable element for companies not yet in taxable profit.

  In addition to this key measure other important outputs from the Innovating for the Future consultation are as follows.

  Intellectual Property
  Establishing a rational and less complex system for the taxation of intellectual property (IP) was an important conclusion to emerge from many respondents. IP is one of the key outputs of firms' innovation and R&D investment. The 1998 Pre-Budget Report therefore announced that the Government would consult, by the 2000 Budget, on two possible measures to reduce tax compliance costs and distortions on business decisions affecting IP transactions:
  moving towards a simpler system of IP taxation, essentially following the accounting treatment for relieving expenditure on IP purchases and taxing proceeds; and;
  simplifying the taxation of royalty payments which accrue to the owners of intellectual property rights.
  In addition, the Competitiveness White Paper set out details of the Government's Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) action plan. This focuses on making the IPR system more affordable and accessible including a review of the impact of fees charged by the UK Patent Office. Work will also be taken forward to ensure the system is better able to keep pace with developments in new technology by, for example, agreeing EC Directives on copyright in the information society and stronger protection for software-related inventions. The action plan would also involve reform of the civil law system for IPR litigation; a push for an EC patent which is affordable and easy to enforce and work to ensure that EU harmonisation of "second tier" or "petty patents" benefits UK firms, particularly small companies.

  Accounting Treatment
  The consultation also highlighted the importance of measuring and reporting the value of innovation and intangible assets if firms are to manage their R&D activities effectively. The Government encourage companies to use the framework provided by current accounting standards as a means to inform their own R&D investment decisions and to disseminate information about their R&D activities to the market as a whole. As announced in the Competitiveness White Paper, the Government have therefore asked the Accounting Standards Board, in consultation with others, to take a fresh look at this issue. DTI will also be launching a best practice programme to identify and disseminate best practice for companies of all sizes in assessing the strengths and weaknesses of their intangible assets.

  Science Exploitation, Management and Finance
  The Competitiveness White Paper and recently published Implementation Plan include a range of new and reinforced measures to promote competitiveness within the knowledge driven economy. This included a particular focus on creating and exploiting knowledge and many have a strong resonance with the comments received on the Innovating for the Future consultation. For example:
  the doubling of DTI funding for the popular TCS (Teaching Company Scheme);
  funding for a national network of Faraday Centres to bring together businesses, scientists and engineers to commercialise research;
  a significant extension of the Smart scheme to help more small manufacturing firms to turn their innovative ideas into commercial reality;
  the further development of the University Challenge Fund (the Chancellor's Budget Statement included an extra £15 million) and the establishment of a £25 million Science Enterprise

  353
  Challenge (announced in the Pre-Budget Report) to establish up to eight new enterprise centres in universities to promote business skills and the commercialisation of research;
  a national Venture Capital Challenge Fund to help provide, in partnership with private sector funding, risk capital to early stage high technology companies;
  Enterprise Management Incentives (EMIs) to allow smaller, higher-risk companies recruit and retain talented managers;
  new measures for corporate venturing, which look at tax incentives to encourage firms to invest in and become involved with small, high risk companies.

  Copies of responses to the Innovating for the Future consultation have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Small Businesses (Corporation Tax)
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the impact of the new rate of corporation tax for small businesses. [77058]

  Mr. Wills
  Around 270,000 small and growing companies, that is two-thirds of all tax-paying companies, will benefit from the new 10 per cent. starting rate of corporation tax for small business, leaving them with more of their profits for retention, reinvestment and growth.

  Trade Liberalisation
  Mrs. Butler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next expects to discuss the liberalisation of trade with his international partners. [77060]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Secretary of State often meets his overseas counterparts individually and takes every opportunity to discuss with them specific issues relating to international trade and the importance of further liberalising world trade in general. He next expects to meet the majority of his international partners as a group at the World Trade Organisation's Ministerial conference in Seattle from November 30 to December 3 this year. The agenda for that meeting is not yet fixed but is expected to include the launch of a new Round of multilateral trade liberalisation negotiations.

  Liberalisation of trade is a matter covered by the Common Commercial Policy of the EU. The Secretary of State will next discuss this with EU partners in Berlin on 9–10 May 1999 at an Informal Meeting of Trade Ministers. Other opportunities to meet groups of trade ministers include the annual Ministerial meeting of the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development and the biannual Asia-Europe meeting.

  Business Costs
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the net change in(a) regulatory costs and (b) tax costs to business since 1 May 1997. [77061]

  Dr. Howells
  Any assessment of the net change in regulatory costs is, on its own, misleading because it ignores the benefits of regulation which are much more difficult to quantify. What matters is that we minimise 354
  costs and maximise benefits when obliged to regulate. Our regulatory impact assessment procedures are designed to achieve this.

  Details of the impact of particular tax measures introduced since 1 May 1997 are set out in the relevant edition of the Financial Statement and Budget Report.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will reassess the annual cost to business of full implementation of the(a) minimum wage and (b) working time regulations following recent business experience. [77885]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 19 March 1999]: I will always be prepared to reassess our estimate of costs in the light of experience.

  Supermarkets
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Office of Fair Trading to report on its inquiry into supermarket profitability; and if he will make a statement. [77063]

  Dr. Howells
  I understand that the Office of Fair Trading hopes to be in a position to announce its conclusions in April.

  National Minimum Wage
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations his Department has received on arrangements made by employers to avoid providing the full benefit of minimum wage to their employees. [77064]

  Mr. Byers
  Not only do most employers support the principle of the national minimum wage, but many firms have already adjusted their pay structures to take account of its introduction. The Inland Revenue will enforce the minimum wage by responding to complaints and targeting inspections on those sectors where underpayments are likely to occur.

  Mr. Walter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received concerning the Bank of England's assessment of the inflationary implications of the minimum wage. [77066]

  Mr. Byers
  I have received a number of representations on the possible effect of the introduction of the national minimum wage, including its impact on inflation.

  Business Links
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to review the Business Links services; and if he will make a statement. [77067]

  Mr. Wills
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made a statement to the House last week which detailed our plans to create a new Small Business Service about which we will be consulting widely. As part of that consultation, I will be inviting views from Business Link Partnerships, small firms and their representative organisation, and other interested bodies, on how best we can deliver coherent, high-quality support programmes to smaller firms.
  355

  Aerospace Industry
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with(a) British Aerospace and (b) the Society of British Aerospace Companies concerning the consolidation of the European aerospace industry; and if he will make a statement. [77068]

  Mr. Battle
  I met British Aerospace to discuss the consolidation of the European aerospace industry in advance of the meeting of Industry Ministers of the six European nations most closely involved in discussions on this issue, held in Madrid on 21 January.

  Coal Industry
  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's policy towards the coal industry. [77069]

  Mr. Battle
  The United Kingdom coal industry neither seeks nor receives special treatment. The Government are concerned to ensure that UK coal producers are able to compete on a level playing field with other sources of energy and with imported coal.

  The measures the Government are taking to remove distortions in the UK electricity market will ensure a level playing field for all fuels. It is for UK coal producers to respond to the challenge of an open and competitive coal market.

  I published last week a report by International Mining Consultants Ltd. (IMCL) commissioned by my Department on the prospects for deep mined coal production in the UK over the next twenty years. The report shows that there are sufficient reserves to sustain a competitive deep mine industry of significant size well into the new century.

  Building Societies
  Mr. Lock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations(a) he has made and (b) plans to make to the Chancellor of the Exchequer concerning the impact on the financial services market of building society de-mutualisations. [77070]

  Dr. Howells
  I have not made, nor will I be making, any such representations.

  Euro
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his plans to issue advice to businesses following the introduction of the euro. [77072]

  Mr. Byers
  My Department has recently launched a Euro Planner floppy disc designed to help small and medium businesses deal with the euro. More than 40,000 copies of the Euro Planner have already been sent out.

  This is one part of the Government's broader strategy to help SMEs deal with the euro, which includes a national awareness campaign, supported by high-quality information on the euro; a network of twelve regional euro forum; the provision of practical advice through Business Links and other intermediaries and specific measures to facilitate the use of the euro by business.
  356

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research has been(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated by his Department into the forms of packaging available for containment of (i) low, (ii) intermediate and (iii) high level radioactive wastes for its repatriation after reprocessing. [77943]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Department does not commission research relating to specific packages: this is the responsibility of the designer concerned. The Department's role is to evaluate the safety case, made by designers, against the regulatory requirements which apply to certain types of package.

  Political Donations
  Ms Dari Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the Government's response to the recommendation on political donations by companies made by the Committee on Standards in Public Life in its report on the funding of political parties in the United Kingdom. [78860]

  Mr. Byers
  The Government agree with the Committee that the current arrangements for company donations, under which directors have discretion whether to contribute to a political party and whether to seek shareholders' consent, will not be satisfactory in an era of greater openness about party sources and uses of party funds. It has therefore accepted the Committee's recommendation that legislative provision should be made to require any company intending to make a donation (whether in cash or in kind, and including any sponsorship, or loans or transactions at a favourable rate) to a political party or organisation to have the prior authority of its shareholders. The Government would, however, welcome views on the implementation of this recommendation, and I have today published a consultative document seeking comments on the following three areas: the definition of a "political donation" with respect to donations by companies; the way in which companies legislation should be amended to give effect to the Neill Committee's recommendation that a company should have to have the prior authority of its shareholders; and possible changes to the existing disclosure provisions relating to political donations in Schedule 7 to the Companies Act 1985. The consultation will inform the drafting of a Bill to implement the main findings of the Committee's report, which the Government intend to publish by the Parliamentary Summer Recess.

  Monsanto
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he list all the potential crop organisms on which Monsanto has secured European patents. [74829]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 5 March 1999]: Up to the end of February 1999, six European patents for crop plants which have been modified in a particular way have been granted to Monsanto by the European Patent Office. The serial numbers of these patents are: EP0340197, EP0293358, EP0289479, EP0269601, EP0223452 and EP0218571. The inventions and the crops to which they

  357
  relate are specified in the patent specifications. Oppositions have been filed against two of the patents: EP0289479 and EP0269601.

  Biological Resources
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in respect of patent issues, what assessment his Department has made of the compatibility of Article 27 of TRIPS and Articles 8, 15 and 16 of the UN Convention on Biological Resources. [74846]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 5 March 1999]: Article 8 of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity concerns conservation of biodiversity in its natural habitat, requiring contracting states to set aside protected areas. Article 15 recognise sovereign rights over genetic resources while encouraging access for environmentally sound purposes. Article 16 states that transfer of technology, including biotechnology, is an essential element for the attainment of the objectives of the convention, that is to conserve biodiversity, to use it in a sustainable way and to share equitably the benefits arising from the use of genetic resources. The World Trade Organisation (WTO) Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement is complementary to the objectives and substance of this Convention. If patents were to be granted for known plants or for discovering something that exists in nature, then, under Article 27 of the TRIPS Agreement, it is clear that such rights would be invalid. The TRIPS Agreement also encourages technology transfer. It is not a matter for TRIPS or intellectual property regimes to set the conditions for access to the genetic resources. This is for individual contracting States to the CBD to decide.

  Classic Collections (UK) Ltd.
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will call for a report from the British Standards Institute regarding the alleged misuse by Classic Collections (UK) Ltd., Slough, of ISO 9000 accreditation; and if he will make a statement. [76130]

  Mr. Battle
  I understand that this case involves allegations of misuse of the BVQI ISO 9000 certification mark which includes the National Accreditation of Certification Bodies (NACB) mark. My department licenses the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) to use the NACB mark, to sub-license the use of the mark to UKAS accredited organisations such as BVQI and to control its use. I have asked UKAS to investigate these allegations of misuse and to take any necessary action. I also understand that the City of Sunderland Trading Standards Department is investigating the case and will take action under the Trade Descriptions Act if they think it is justified. As far as I am aware, the British Standards Institution has no role to play in this case.

  Trade Delegations
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the last occasion on which a Government Minister led a trade delegation to(a) South Africa, (b) Sri Lanka, (c) Thailand and (d) Uganda; and what future trade delegations are planned. [76559]
  358
  Mr. Wilson
  (a) My hon. Friend the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche), when Under-Secretary of State with responsibility for Small Firms, led an investment mission to South Africa in July 1998. There are no planned Ministerial-led trade delegations.

  (b) The then Minister for Trade led a trade delegation to Sri Lanka in February 1995. There are no planned Ministerial-led trade delegations.

  (c) The Minister for Education, Scottish Office, my right hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (Mrs. Liddell), when Economic Secretary to the Treasury, led a trade delegation to Thailand in March 1998. There are no planned Ministerial-led trade delegations.

  (d) There have been no recent Ministerial-led trade delegations to Uganda. There are no planned Ministerial-led trade delegations.

  Carbon Dioxide Emissions
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of projected increases in CO2 emissions as a result of the introduction of declining rate tariffs to larger domestic consumers by Northern Electricity; and if he will make a statement. [77110]

  Mr. Battle
  None. Any such impact is likely to be very small.

  Car Industry
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which makes of car with engines of up to 1100 cc were built in Britain in 1998; and how many were sold in the United Kingdom of each make. [78011]

  Mr. Battle
  The only make of car with an engine capacity of 1100ccs (or less) manufactured and sold in the United Kingdom during 1998, was the Nissan Micra (998 cc)—produced at the Nissan plant in Sunderland. 38,684 of this particular model and a total of 48,757 Micras (of all engine sizes) were registered in the UK in 1998.

  Source:

  SMMT.

  Domestic Appliance Safety
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action the Government are taking to ensure that non-working surfaces on cooking and heating appliances do not reach dangerously high temperatures. [78355]

  Mr. Battle
  The safety of gas and electrical appliances is controlled by the Gas Appliances (Safety) Regulations 1995 and the Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 1994, which implement European Safety Directives into UK law. Both these Regulations address surface temperatures.

  European Safety Standards have been developed, UK participation being by the British Standards Institution, which give a presumption of conformity with the requirements of the Regulations. These standards do

  359
  include temperature limits, which officials within my Department are continually trying to see lowered, particularly as technology advances.

  A recent enforcement action by the UK resulted in the European Commission declaring one of these standards defective and asking the standards-making bodies to review the standards on household appliances to ensure that temperature limits are adequately addressed.

  Small-engined Vehicles
  Dr. Marek
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the vehicle models that are(a) made and (b) imported into the UK that have engine capacities of (i) less than 1,000cc, (ii) 1,000cc to 1,100cc, (iii) 1,101cc to 1,200cc and (iv) 1,201cc to 1,250cc. [78369]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 23 March 1999]: The following tables list the vehicles available in the UK in 1999, by model, origin and engine size (up to 1,250cc):

  (i) Cars of less than 1,000cc

  Manufacturer

  Model

  cc

  Country of origin

  Subaru

  Vivio

  658

  Japan

  Daewoo

  Matiz

  796

  South Korea

  Daihatsu

  Cuore

  847

  Japan

  Daihatsu

  Move

  847

  Japan

  Perodua

  Nippa

  847

  Malaysia

  Fiat

  Seicento

  899

  Poland

  Citroen

  Saxo

  954

  France

  Vauxhall

  Corsa

  973

  Portugal

  Daihatsu

  Cuore

  989

  Japan

  Daihatsu

  Sirion

  989

  Japan

  Suzuki

  Alto

  993

  India

  Suzuki

  Swift

  993

  Hungary

  Suzuki

  Wagon R+

  996

  Japan

  Nissan

  Micra

  998

  UK

  Seat

  Arosa

  998

  Germany

  Toyota

  Yaris

  998

  Japan

  Hyundai

  Atoz

  999

  South Korea

  Volkswagen

  Lupo

  999

  Germany

  Volkswagen

  Polo

  999

  Spain

  (ii) Cars 1,000cc to 1,100cc
  No vehicles are produced in the 1,000 to 1,100 cc range

  (iii) Cars 1,101cc to 1,200cc

  Manufacturer

  Model

  cc

  Country of origin

  Fiat

  Seicento

  1108

  Poland

  Rover

  Rover 200

  1120

  UK

  Citroen

  Saxo

  1124

  France

  Peugeot

  106

  1124

  France

  Peugeot

  206

  1124

  UK

  Renault

  Clio

  1149

  France

  Suzuki

  Wagon R+

  1171

  Japan

  Vauxhall

  Corsa

  1199

  Portugal/Spain

  (iv) Cars 1,201cc to 1,250cc

  Manufacturer

  Model

  cc

  Country of origin

  Fiat

  Bravo/Brava

  1242

  Italy

  Fiat

  Punto

  1242

  Italy

  Ford

  Fiesta

  1242

  UK

  Mazda

  121

  1242

  UK

  Source:

  SMMT
  360

  Export Credits Guarantee Department
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to alter the accountability to him of the Export Credits Guarantee Department in response to the last sentence of paragraph 64 of Sir Richard Wilson's review of export promotion. [78438]

  Mr. Wilson
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has no plans to alter the accountability of the ECGD. ECGD's Chief Executive will continue to be accountable to the Minister for Trade.

  Small Businesses (Rebates and Grants)
  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department plans to produce a guide to rebates and grants available for small businesses. [78627]

  Mr. Wills
  The publication "A Guide to Help for Small Firms" includes details of the wide range of support available to small businesses including financial help. It is currently being revised and I will ensure that my hon. Friend receives a copy and copies are placed in the Libraries of the House when it is published in mid-April.

  Small Business Service
  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he plans to issue guidance to small businesses which want to apply for assistance from the Small Business Service. [78628]

  Mr. Wills
  A consultation paper on the specific role and functions of the Small Business Service will be published shortly with a view to the new service being set-up and running later in the year. In the meantime, a wide range of government support for smaller firms can be accessed through the national network of Business Links.

  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to announce the appointment of the Chief Executive of the new Small Business Service. [78626]

  Mr. Wills
  It is hoped to make an announcement about the appointment of the Chief Executive of the Small Business Service in the Autumn.

  Nazi Victims (Compensation)
  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Government will launch a claim scheme to compensate victims of Nazi persecution who had property in the United Kingdom that was confiscated by Her Majesty's Government during the Second World War under the Trading with the Enemy legislation. [78991]

  Mr. Byers
  I am pleased to announce the launch of the Claim Scheme. It will have the following main features: claims can be made in respect of any property in the UK confiscated by HM Government under British legislation on enemy property or trading with the enemy, if it has not already been returned and compensation has not already been paid intended to cover its full value; the Government will pay compensation on the basis of wartime values increased by the change in the Retail Prices Index; compensation will be paid to victims of Nazi persecution who owned such property when it was confiscated, and
  361
  other people who can show that they were likely to have been the beneficial owner of such property if it had not been confiscated, if they or the original owner suffered Nazi persecution; claims will be determined by a panel of three assessors comprising a legally qualified Chairman, someone with financial expertise and someone with an understanding of belonging to a minority group.

  The right hon. Lord Archer of Sandwell QC who advised the Government about the claims procedure has agreed to chair the panel which will be called the Enemy Property Claims Assessment Panel (EPCAP). It will assess all claims according to criteria set out in its Terms of Reference. A copy of the Constitution and Terms of Reference of the Panel has been placed in the Library of the House. The EPCAP will be supported by a Secretariat comprised of a team of DTI officials.

  To assist claimants the Enemy Property Internet website at "www.enemyproperty.gov.uk" has been updated with additional lists of those who had their property seized under the enemy property or trading with the enemy legislation. The website has a copy of the claim form and background information that can be downloaded and printed. It now has a database of over 30,000 names covering property originally belonging to residents of Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Yugoslavia. The database also includes records of people from other countries and those it was not possible to trace.

  Claimants will have until 30 September 1999 to submit their claims to the EPCAP Secretariat. Those who have already written to my Department indicating an interest in the Scheme will be sent claim forms by the EPCAP Secretariat. The payment of compensation will not start until after that date because there may be several claims for the same property and entitlement will need to be established. Claim forms can be obtained from the EPCAP Secretariat at the address below:

  Enemy Property Claims Assessment Panel

  Room 116–118

  10 Victoria Street

  London

  SW1 0NN

  Telephone: 0171 215 3485

  Fax: 0171–215 3487

  Email: property.enemy@frmd.dti.gov.uk

  Regulation
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which regulations he is planning to amend to make them more compatible with a flexible, innovative and entrepreneurial economy. [77636]

  Mr. Byers
  The Competitiveness White Paper published last December set out specific commitments to help create such an economy. Those concerning regulation include: reviews of the insolvency and bankruptcy laws, and company law; consultation on the case for reform of the mergers regime; reform of telecommunications regulation; and the introduction of legislation to improve the regulation of financial services.
  362
  The White Paper, and the Implementation Plan I published earlier this month setting out the steps the Government will take to meet these commitments, are available in the Library of the House and on the DTI's web site at www.dti.gov.uk/comp.

  Investment Programme
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the targets and timetable for his plans to promote an investment programme in British economic capabilities. [77789]

  Mr. Byers
  The Implementation Plan for the Competitiveness White Paper details the milestones and target dates for programmes designed to stimulate the availability of the right finance for growth businesses and to provide them with the business skills to manage this finance. Measures include the establishment of an Enterprise Fund to leverage private investment capital, extending the Young Enterprise Scheme and consultation on corporate venturing.

  Details of the relevant commitments are set out in section A of the Implementation Plan. Both the White Paper and the Implementation Plan are available in the Library of the House and on the DTI's web site at www.dti.gov.uk/comp.

  Competitiveness
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress he has made in establishing competitiveness indicators to measure the improvement in the United Kingdom's performance in this respect. [77786]

  Mr. Byers
  The Competitiveness White Paper announced the publication of a set of competitiveness indicators—the Competitiveness Index. The department is aiming to publish the Index in July. Further information is given in the DTI Implementation Plan, which has been placed in the Library or can be viewed on the Internet at www.dti.gov.uk/comp.

  Business Collaboration
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress he has made in encouraging collaboration between businesses. [77788]

  Mr. Byers
  The increasing importance of collaboration for successful businesses was a major theme in the Competitiveness White Paper. Many of the commitments in the paper are designed to help UK businesses to learn from others, including their competitors. These include the promotion of benchmarking, the spread of best practice and other schemes to encourage UK businesses to collaborate sectorally, regionally and locally.

  Details of the relevant commitments are set out in the White Paper Implementation Plan, which sets out the progress made on each commitment. For example, the DTI has already issued draft guidance to Regional Development Agencies for their review of the coherence and quality of business support in their areas and has agreed support for 22 Centres of Expertise in the Business

  363
  Link partnership network in 1998–99, and is committed to the development of further Centres over the next three years.

  Both the White Paper and the Implementation Plan are available in the Library of the House and on the DTI web site at www.dti.gov.uk/comp.

  Mobile Phone Industry
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on competition in the mobile phone industry. [77065]

  Mr. Wills
  Pursuant to his duties under the Telecommunications Act 1984, the Director General of Telecommunications issued a consultation document, "Competition in the mobile market", on 4 February.

  The document presents the finding that Vodafone and Cellnet continue to have market influence but, as there are signs that effective competition is emerging, it is not appropriate now for regulatory controls to be applied to the price of calls from mobiles.

  I understand that the closing date for comments has been extended to 1 April. I shall not prejudge the conclusions reached.

  The DTI has consulted industry on proposed measures to ensure a competitive market in the next (third) generation of mobile services. I am now considering the responses received and will make a statement when I have come to a view.

  Coal Pricing
  Caroline Flint
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to identify imports of coal and coal products which may be unfairly priced. [79069]

  Mr. Battle
  We wish to see an open and competitive market for coal and coal products. We mean to ensure that the market is not distorted by imports which do not reflect the costs of production and freight. To this end, we have encouraged the European Commission to take action against such marketing practices which are supported by aid applied for an unauthorised purpose and welcome the decision it took last June on German anthracite. We have also encouraged UK coke manufacturers to draw the Commission's attention to the fact that sales of French foundry coke in the UK market appear to be supported by unauthorised state aid.

  We are having continuing discussions with the Commission and with the Polish authorities and exporters about the pricing and future flows of Polish coal to the UK. We are also working with the industry to establish how far the prices of Chinese anthracite and coke cover their costs of production and freight.

  Greater transparency is a key component of our policy. We have accordingly agreed with HM Customs and Excise that they will in future publish country of origin data on coal imports from non-EU countries on a monthly basis, and we intend to work closely with them and with interested parties to improve the quality of the data.
  364

  Insolvency Service
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets he has set his Department's Insolvency Service Executive Agency for 1999–2000. [79070]

  Mr. Byers
  The Insolvency Service's planning assumption is that compulsory insolvencies will total 26,000 in the year to 31 March 2000, and I have therefore set it the target of completing case administrations to match new case input so that the number of cases outstanding at 31 March 2000 is maintained at the level as at 31 March 1999, with no more than 5 per cent. of cases being more than 36 months old. I have also set it the targets of reducing the unit costs of administering bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation cases by 5 per cent. in real terms over the period 1999–2002; and reducing the cost of investigations of bankruptcy and compulsory liquidation cases by 10 per cent. in real terms over the period 1999–2002. Despite this reduction, I expect The Service to continue to achieve at least the levels of proceedings for disqualification taken against unfit directors and reports on cases of criminal misconduct as in the current year.

  In addition, I have set The Service the following quality of service targets for 1999–2000:
  to report to creditors on assets and liabilities within 8 weeks in at least 97 per cent. of all cases; and within 12 weeks in 98 per cent. of all cases;
  to hold the initial meetings of creditors within 12 weeks in 96 per cent. of all appropriate cases, and within 4 months in 98 per cent. of all appropriate cases;
  to submit reports within 10 months in at least 90 per cent. of bankruptcy cases, and at least 80 per cent. of company liquidation cases where there is evidence of criminality;
  to submit disqualification reports within 15 months in at least 80 per cent. of cases where there is evidence of unfit conduct by directors; and
  to check and action at least 97 per cent. of Insolvency Services Account payment requisitions within 4 days or by the due date.

  The Service is also expected to action 100 per cent. of invoices for payment within 30 days of receipt and the Agency Chief Executive is expected to reply within 10 days to all letters from Members of Parliament delegated to him for reply.

  Mortgages
  Ms Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to give the Office of Fair Trading a role in relation to mortgage deals. [77049]

  Dr. Howells
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry announced on 10 March 1998,Official Report, columns 263–64, a package of measures to improve information for consumers on mortgages and on other credit marketing. These will give consumers a fairer deal and tackle confusion caused by lenders presenting information in different ways. The Office of Fair Trading would have enforcement responsibilities under the Consumer Credit Act 1974 in relation to these measures.

  I have no further plans to extend the role of the Office of Fair Trading in relation to mortgage deals. My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer will be carrying out a review later this year on the regulation of mortgage advice.
  365

  Inward Investment (Sussex)
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the prospects for inward investment in Sussex. [77071]

  Mr. Wills
  The prospects are positive and better than they were a year ago. A number of significant inward investors are pursuing inquiries with the appropriate organisations in Sussex.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Cumbria County Council
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, (1) pursuant to his answer of 8 March 1999,Official Report, column 77, if he will place in the Library a copy of his letter to the Leader of Cumbria county council; [76189]

  (2) if his Department has received written communications from Cumbria county council informing it that they intend to spend their full standard spending assessment on education. [76190]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 12 March 1999]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State wrote in January to the leader of the county council to urge Cumbria to use all of the cash increase in the education of SSA to support education and I repeated that message in February. Copies of all the letters which have been sent by Ministers to Cumbria county council on this issue have been placed in the Library.

  The Department has received written communications from the county council indicating that the increase in the education directorate's budget will match the £9.4 million cash increase in Cumbria's education SSA. We will monitor Cumbria's formal budget returns to confirm that all of the cash increase has been used to support education services.

  New Deal (Young People)
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people who would fit the Government's target category for the new deal for young people left unemployment between January 1993 and May 1997. [77176]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 16 March 1999]: The information is provided in the following table, based on the monthly count of people claiming jobseeker's allowance or national insurance credits:

  18–24 year old 6 month plus claimants of unemployed-related benefits

  January 1993 to May 1997

  Total offlows from the claimant count

  1,654,434

  Average monthly offlow from the claimant count

  33,089

  Total change in stock of claimants

  200,960

  Average monthly change in stock of claimants

  -4,019

  Total change in stock of claimants (%)

  -54.2

  Monthly percentage point change in stock of claimants

  -1.1

  Note:

  All data are seasonally unadjusted
  366

  Civil Servants (Appraisal)
  Mr. McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what were the appraisal performance markings awarded to civil servants in 1998 for(a) each agency in his Department and (b) the Department broken down by (i) grade, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity, (iv) part-time/full-time working and (v) disability; and for (1) each agency and (2) the Department whether the Cabinet Office's four fifths rule for detecting potential adverse impact was applied to the appraisal markings of civil servants in the 1998 report round. [78151]

  Mr. Mudie
  The 1998 performance markings for the DfEE and for the Employment Service are shown in the following tables. At Senior Civil Service level (former Grade 5 and above) no distinction is made between staff in the DfEE and those in the Employment Service. Because of the small numbers involved at Senior Civil Service level, a breakdown of performance markings by grade, ethnicity, part-time/full-time working and disability would breach individual confidentiality and therefore cannot be provided.

  The DfEE and the ES undertake tests that go further than the four fifths rule by proceeding directly to a full statistical analysis of the data to determine which differences observed are statistically significant.

  Senior Civil Service by gender

  Percentage

  Box 1

  Boxes 2+ or 2

  Boxes 3+ or 3

  Box 4

  Box 5

  Women

  9

  32

  59

  0

  0

  Men

  8

  35

  57

  0

  0

  Total

  8

  35

  57

  0

  0

  DfEE staff to Grade 6

  Percentage

  Box A

  Box B

  Box C

  Box D/E

  Grade level including equivalents

  Administrative Assistant (AA)

  2

  34

  59

  5

  Administrative Officer (AO)

  3

  38

  55

  4

  Executive Officer (EO)

  2

  35

  59

  3

  Higher Executive Officer (HEO)

  4

  43

  52

  2

  Senior Executive Officer (SEO)

  4

  44

  51

  1

  Grades 7 and 6

  5

  41

  53

  1

  Personal Secretary and Senior Personal Secretary

  13

  39

  46

  2

  Total

  4

  39

  55

  3

  Gender

  Women

  4

  39

  54

  2

  Men

  3

  39

  55

  3

  Ethnicity

  Non-white

  3

  27

  66

  5

  White

  4

  41

  54

  2

  Not known

  4

  37

  55

  4

  Part-time/Full-time

  Full-time

  4

  40

  54

  3

  Part-time

  2

  31

  65

  3

  Disability

  Staff with a disclosed disability

  2

  34

  59

  6

  Staff without a disability

  4

  39

  55

  2

  Note:

  Due to rounding some totals may not add up to 100 per cent.
  367

  Employment Service staff to Grade 6

  Percentage

  ES pay band

  DfEE equivalent

  Box A

  Box B

  Box C

  Box D

  Pay Band 9

  AA

  5.7

  68.7

  25.5

  0.1

  Pay Band 8

  AO

  6.9

  79.5

  13.6

  0.1

  Management Pay Band 7

  EO

  9.2

  82.2

  8.6

  0.0

  Management Pay Band 6

  EO

  12.5

  80.1

  7.4

  0.0

  Management Pay Band 5

  EO

  19.0

  77.5

  3.5

  0.0

  Management Pay Band 4

  HEO

  11.9

  81.4

  6.5

  0.3

  Management Pay Band 3

  HEO

  17.6

  76.7

  5.7

  0.0

  Management Pay Band 2

  SEO

  21.9

  75.6

  2.5

  0.0

  Management Pay Band 1

  SEO

  19.2

  76.1

  4.8

  0.0

  Senior Management Pay Band 3

  Grade 7

  22.2

  69.4

  8.3

  0.0

  Senior Management Pay Band 2

  Grade 7

  23.8

  72.1

  4.1

  0.0

  Senior Management Pay Band 1

  Grade 6

  36.8

  57.9

  5.3

  0.0

  Total

  9.4

  79.3

  11.3

  0.1

  Note:

  Due to rounding some totals may not add up to 100 per cent.

  Employment Service staff to Grade 6

  Percentage

  Box A

  Box B

  Box C

  Box D

  Gender

  Women

  9.7

  80.7

  9.6

  0.0

  Men

  8.5

  76.2

  15.1

  0.1

  Ethnicity

  Non-white

  8.8

  78.2

  12.8

  0.2

  White

  11.2

  80.3

  8.4

  0.1

  Not known

  7.8

  78.6

  13.5

  0.0

  Part-tim/Full-time

  Full-time

  10.5

  78.3

  11.1

  0.1

  Part-time

  5.6

  82.6

  11.7

  0.1

  Disability

  Staff with a disclosed disability

  7.4

  78.9

  13.5

  0.2

  Staff without a disability

  9.5

  79.5

  11.0

  0.1

  Note:

  Due to rounding some totals may not add up to 100 per cent.

  Scientific Equipment Expenditure
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how much money has been allocated to scientific equipment excluding computers in schools in the last five years; [78233]

  (2) what plans he has to allocate resources for expenditure on scientific equipment and laboratories in schools over the next two years. [78234]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The returns we receive do not disaggregate local education authority expenditure on scientific equipment. Nor are earmarked resources allocated for this purpose in future spending.

  School Records
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what right of access parents have to records concerning their child which are held by the school their child is attending; and if he will make a statement. [78537]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Education (School Records) Regulations 1989 give parents the right of access to 368
  educational records concerning their child, held by his or her school, within 15 school days of making a written request.

  Beacon School Status
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish the criteria on which beacon school status is awarded. [78345]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The pilot group of Beacon schools was selected from those schools named in HMCI's annual report for 1996–97 as "best performing". Criteria for the selection of 125 new Beacon schools from September 1999 have been developed to enable a wider group of schools to apply this year. Full details of the criteria have been placed in the Library and are available on request or via the departmental internet site.

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority the (i) amounts bid for and (ii) grants made by his Department for(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 for revenue expenditure to meet his class size pledge. [78630]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 23 March 1999,Official Report, column 192.

  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the bids made by local education authorities for (i) 1998–99 and (ii) 1999–2000 for(a) extra teachers and (b) new classrooms to meet the Government's class size pledge. [78633]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave on 10 February 1999,Official Report, column 271; 2 March 1999, Official Report, column 613; and 23 March 1999, Official Report, column 192.

  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority his estimate of the impact of class size reduction grants made by his Department for (i) 1998–99 and (ii) 1999–2000 in terms of extra(a) teachers and (b) classrooms. [78631]
  369
  Ms Estelle Morris
  The information requested is set out in the following table.

  The impact of capital and revenue funding to reduce infant class sizes in 1998–99 and 1999–2000

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  LEA name

  Added classrooms

  Extra teachers

  Added classrooms

  Extra teachers

  Barking and Dagenham

  2

  —

  —

  3

  Barnet

  3

  5

  —

  10

  Barnsley

  —

  —

  6

  27

  Bath and North East Somerset

  2

  —

  2

  12

  Bedfordshire

  10

  —

  15

  53

  Bexley

  5

  14

  2

  15

  Birmingham

  —

  —

  5

  4

  Blackburn

  3

  9

  7

  13

  Blackpool

  7

  5

  3

  17

  Bolton

  3

  —

  7

  60

  Bournemouth

  —

  —

  9

  5

  Bracknell

  2

  —

  5

  8

  Bradford

  2

  46

  —

  66

  Brent

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Brighton and Hove

  —

  6

  7

  15

  Bristol

  3

  —

  3

  14

  Bromley

  5

  14

  4

  27

  Buckinghamshire

  2

  7

  20

  83

  Bury

  16

  44

  3

  49

  Calderdale

  1

  13

  —

  16

  Cambridgeshire

  10

  —

  11

  69

  Camden

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Cheshire

  10

  —

  14

  100

  City of London

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Cornwall

  5

  —

  8

  56

  Coventry

  3

  50

  4

  42

  Croydon

  1

  7

  —

  17

  Cumbria

  3

  10

  14

  51

  Darlington

  3

  —

  4

  14

  Derby

  14

  75

  2

  59

  Derbyshire

  22

  100

  24

  133

  Devon

  8

  79

  2

  75

  Doncaster

  —

  —

  4

  37

  Dorset

  3

  31

  10

  61

  Dudley

  4

  —

  7

  17

  Durham

  3

  24

  5

  46

  Ealing

  4

  20

  5

  17

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  1

  16

  14

  39

  East Sussex

  6

  8

  4

  58

  Enfield

  3

  —

  8

  27

  Essex

  7

  —

  16

  77

  Gateshead

  2

  9

  —

  8

  Gloucestershire

  4

  —

  8

  56

  Greenwich

  1

  —

  2

  0

  Hackney

  —

  —

  —

  6

  Halton

  2

  —

  —

  23

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Hampshire

  12

  —

  10

  108

  Haringey

  —

  3

  —

  3

  Harrow

  —

  —

  —

  7

  Hartlepool

  2

  5

  2

  7

  Havering

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Herefordshire

  —

  10

  12

  16

  Hertfordshire

  4

  35

  5

  102

  Hillingdon

  12

  22

  16

  16

  Hounslow

  —

  —

  8

  11

  Isle of Wight

  2

  11

  1

  15

  Isles of Scilly

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Islington

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Kensington and Chelsea

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Kent

  11

  —

  12

  80

  Kingston upon Hull

  —

  —

  7

  23

  Kingston upon Thames

  —

  —

  26

  9

  Kirklees

  6

  44

  10

  57

  Knowsley

  1

  —

  5

  12

  Lambeth

  3

  —

  2

  4

  Lancashire

  30

  57

  61

  121

  Leeds

  3

  33

  9

  111

  Leicester City

  4

  35

  11

  17

  370 371

  The impact of capital and revenue funding to reduce infant class sizes in 1998–99 and 1999–2000

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  LEA name

  Added classrooms

  Extra teachers

  Added classrooms

  Extra teachers

  Leicestershire

  10

  26

  6

  57

  Lewisham

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Lincolnshire

  3

  6

  9

  31

  Liverpool

  1

  —

  3

  9

  Luton

  1

  —

  10

  10

  Manchester

  9

  —

  1

  3

  Medway

  3

  —

  3

  28

  Merton

  —

  —

  27

  9

  Middlesbrough

  1

  5

  —

  12

  Milton Keynes

  —

  —

  4

  16

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  8

  40

  1

  28

  Newham

  6

  16

  7

  10

  Norfolk

  5

  29

  13

  71

  North East Lincolnshire

  8

  —

  2

  29

  North Lincolnshire

  5

  39

  2

  41

  North Somerset

  3

  —

  1

  19

  North Tyneside

  5

  —

  5

  14

  North Yorkshire

  7

  —

  19

  70

  Northamptonshire

  3

  —

  13

  24

  Northumberland

  3

  22

  10

  37

  Nottingham City

  6

  8

  2

  23

  Nottinghamshire

  5

  —

  38

  80

  Oldham

  13

  —

  14

  43

  Oxfordshire

  12

  37

  17

  57

  Peterborough

  —

  10

  6

  31

  Plymouth

  —

  36

  —

  33

  Poole

  5

  —

  4

  12

  Portsmouth

  —

  —

  4

  6

  Reading

  2

  —

  3

  10

  Redbridge

  7

  —

  4

  9

  Redcar and Cleveland

  4

  —

  4

  5

  Richmond upon Thames

  9

  —

  10

  8

  Rochdale

  4

  —

  9

  32

  Rotherham

  1

  16

  13

  23

  Rutland

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Salford

  2

  14

  4

  15

  Sandwell

  15

  82

  4

  50

  Sefton

  5

  5

  7

  23

  Sheffield

  —

  22

  3

  45

  Shropshire

  7

  —

  3

  40

  Slough

  —

  5

  8

  16

  Solihull

  22

  43

  13

  32

  Somerset

  5

  —

  9

  58

  South Gloucestershire

  14

  34

  9

  48

  South Tyneside

  —

  6

  —

  6

  Southampton

  —

  —

  4

  9

  Southend on Sea

  3

  —

  2

  9

  Southwark

  —

  —

  2

  —

  St. Helens

  4

  —

  7

  8

  Staffordshire

  4

  —

  9

  87

  Stockport

  9

  14

  11

  44

  Stockton on Tees

  5

  —

  2

  10

  Stoke on Trent

  2

  —

  19

  24

  Suffolk

  —

  —

  11

  22

  Sunderland

  1

  —

  1

  6

  Surrey

  6

  —

  4

  71

  Sutton

  6

  11

  4

  12

  Swindon

  7

  —

  —

  25

  Tameside

  —

  27

  9

  28

  Telford and Wrekin

  4

  13

  1

  19

  Thurrock

  1

  —

  5

  6

  Torbay

  4

  —

  5

  12

  Tower Hamlets

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Trafford

  7

  —

  6

  21

  Wakefield

  11

  6

  7

  28

  Walsall

  6

  5

  6

  18

  Waltham Forest

  —

  —

  3

  —

  Wandsworth

  —

  10

  5

  10

  372 373

  The impact of capital and revenue funding to reduce infant class sizes in 1998–99 and 1999–2000

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  LEA name

  Added classrooms

  Extra teachers

  Added classrooms

  Extra teachers

  Warrington

  4

  4

  10

  8

  Warwickshire

  3

  39

  4

  52

  West Berkshire

  —

  —

  6

  7

  West Sussex

  17

  —

  12

  38

  Westminster

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Wigan

  10

  23

  16

  33

  Wiltshire

  6

  21

  16

  50

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  2

  —

  2

  15

  Wirral

  4

  —

  13

  20

  Wokingham

  5

  —

  6

  6

  Wolverhampton

  6

  —

  12

  21

  Worcestershire

  —

  —

  14

  40

  York, City of

  2

  10

  2

  18

  National totals

  633

  1,528

  1,020

  4,308

  Gifted Pupils
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is his Department's definition of a gifted pupil; what criteria schools will use to identify such pupils to qualify for support under the Excellence in Cities Initiative; if all schools will be entitled to resources attached to the scheme; and if schools will be expected to bid for the resources. [78715]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The measures for gifted and talented pupils in "Excellence in Cities" are for the most able 5–10 per cent. of pupils in every secondary school within the specified areas, including those with particular talents such as music and sport. Schools will identify these pupils through a combination of measures, including test scores and teacher assessments, in accordance with best practice. Pupils at every secondary school within the specified areas will benefit from the initiative. The funding mechanisms for these measures will be discussed with LEAs and others.

  Departmental Finances
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what are the total levels of unapplied(a) revenue and (b) capital reserves carried forward by his Department from 1997–98 to 1998–99; and what are the anticipated levels of reserves to be carried forward to 1999–2000. [78706]

  Mr. Mudie
  Running costs provision of £69,945,000, covering both the Department's headquarters and the Employment Service, was carried forward from 1997–98 into 1998–99, along with £958,000 of non-voted capital provision and £50,817,000 of welfare-to-work expenditure. It is too early to say with any precision what the carry over provision will be from 1998–99 to 1999–2000.

  School Categories
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many state primary and secondary schools in England and Wales he estimates to be(a) specialist schools, (b) city technology colleges, (c) education action zones, (d) foundation schools not in any other specific category, (e) aided schools and (f) community schools by 2002. [78708]
  374
  Ms Estelle Morris
  The numbers of state primary and secondary schools in England by September 2002 in the categories listed is expected to be:

  Primary

  Secondary

  (a) Specialist schools

  0

  at least 700 (800 by September 2003)

  (b) City technology colleges

  0

  15

  (c) Schools in education action zones

  1,000

  150

  (d) Foundation schools

  300

  600

  (e) Voluntary schools

  6,200

  500

  (f) Community schools

  11,500

  2,400

  Notes:

  1. Specialist schools may be foundation, voluntary or community schools and are double counted in this table. Similarly, schools in education action zones are double counted in this table.

  2. The table covers England only. There are no plans for specialist schools, city technology colleges or education action zones in Wales.

  3. Figures for specialist schools and education action zones are based on current targets.

  4. Figures for foundation, voluntary and community schools are broad approximations based on current numbers in current categories, and include middle schools deemed secondary.

  Music and Ballet Scheme
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will extend the music and ballet scheme (England) to schools in the Midlands; and if he will make a statement. [78592]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  We have commissioned a review of the music and ballet scheme in England and are currently considering its interim report. The geographical location of schools and the provision available at regional level are among the factors being taken into account. We expect to receive the final report after Easter and to announce our future plans in the summer.

PRIME MINISTER

  Cabinet Committees
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Prime Minister what progress he has made in establishing a Cabinet Committee on productivity and competitiveness. [77697]
  375
  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett) on 1 December 1998,Official Report, columns 118–19.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Canavan
  To ask the Prime Minister when he will reply to the letter of 7 January from the hon. Member for Falkirk, West about ministerial visits to Falkirk, West. [78495]

  The Prime Minister
  I replied to the hon. Member's letter on 7 March.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Human Rights Commission
  Rev. Ian Paisley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applicants for membership of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission, represented both shades of political opinion in Northern Ireland. [77983]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  There are no applicants who declared themselves as representing more than one shade of political opinion. Of the 154 applicants, 23 recorded that they had had a political affiliation in the last ten years. The breakdown is as follows:

  Number

  Alliance

  6

  Communist Party of Ireland

  1

  Labour

  2

  Liberal Democrat

  1

  PUP

  1

  SDLP

  5

  UDP

  1

  UUP

  3

  UK Unionist

  1

  Womens Coalition

  2

  Workers Party

  1

  Note:

  One candidate indicated two parties.

  Peace Process
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the progress of the peace process. [76682]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Falkirk, East (Mr. Connarty) on 24 March 1999,Official Report, columns 379–82.

TREASURY

  Co-operatives
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to encourage the development of co-operatives. [77062]
  376
  Ms Hewitt
  The Treasury consulted on proposals to update industrial and provident societies legislation last year, to prepare the way for a Bill when an opportunity arises.

  Earnings
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of people in work who will have earnings above the lower earnings limit and below the threshold for paying national insurance contributions, in each year till 2001–2002. [76660]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 15 March 1999]: I have been asked to reply.

  The Earnings Threshold for employees' primary Class 1 contributions will not be introduced until April 2000.

  Estimated average weekly number of employees Great Britain with earnings above the lower earnings limit and below the earnings threshold paying National Insurance Contributions. The figures do not take account of the national minimum wage, which will be introduced on 1 April 1999

  Thousand

  Year

  All employees

  2000–01

  430

  2001–02

  960

  Notes:

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000

  Source:

  Government Actuary's Department

  Mr. Field
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in work have earnings below the lower earnings limit for National Insurance; and if he will provide(a) figures on the same basis for each of the last 10 years and (b) estimates of the figures for the next three years. [76661]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 15 March 1999]: I have been asked to reply. The information is in the table.

  Estimated average weekly number of employees in Great Britain with earnings above the lower earnings limit for National Insurance Contributions in each year in the period from 1988–89 to 2001–02. The figures do not take account of the national minimum wage, which will be introduced on 1 April 1999

  Thousand

  Year

  All employees

  1988–89

  2,940

  1989–90

  3,020

  1990–91

  3,020

  1991–92

  3,250

  1992–93

  3,170

  1993–94

  3,040

  1994–95

  2,970

  1995–96

  2,990

  1996–97

  3,110

  1997–98

  3,100

  1998–99

  3,130

  1999–2000

  3,120

  2000–01

  3,050

  2001–02

  3,020

  Note:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest 10,000

  Source:

  Government Actuary's Department
  377

  Census Returns
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action has been taken to reduce the storage and maintenance costs for the United Kingdom 1841 to 1991 decennial census returns since Sir Peter Levine reported on them in 1997; and if any of the returns has been identified for early destruction. [78268]

  Mr. Hoon
  I have been asked by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reply to this question.

  Decennial census returns, whether held by the Public Record Office or the Office for National Statistics, are stored and maintained in the most cost effective manner possible while respecting their safe keeping and preservation and the occasional need for access to those which are open. No additional action has been taken to reduce costs since 1997.

  No returns have been identified for early destruction.

HEALTH

  Viagra
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the finalised Department of Health guidelines on the use of Viagra. [78591]

  Mr. Denham
  Following the close of the consultation on 25 March, we will consider the many responses received (approximately 800), before coming to a final decision on the availability of Viagra and other drug treatments for impotence on the National Health Service. An announcement will be made as soon as possible.

  £000

  Trust name

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  Trust surpluses/(deficits)

  Alexandra Healthcare NHS Trust

  n/a

  112

  173

  (1,844)

  (893)

  Birmingham Children's Hospital NHS Trust

  n/a

  n/a

  1,028

  27

  202

  Birmingham Heartlands NHS Trust

  1,671

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Birmingham Heartlands NHS Trust

  n/a

  2,718

  557

  n/a

  n/a

  Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull Trust

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  812

  264

  Birmingham Women's Healthcare NHS Trust

  n/a

  765

  (346)

  229

  378

  Black Country Mental Health NHS Trust

  n/a

  n/a

  130

  76

  (8)

  Burton Hospitals NHS Trust

  2,299

  718

  1,042

  631

  13

  City Hospital NHS Trust

  n/a

  2,183

  1,026

  (284)

  9

  Coventry Healthcare NHS Trust

  n/a

  769

  19

  39

  55

  Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust

  n/a

  1,824

  2,149

  1,096

  325

  Dudley Priority Health NHS Trust

  n/a

  946

  656

  407

  (261)

  First Community NHS Trust

  153

  192

  241

  40

  70

  George Eliot Hospital NHS Trust

  n/a

  103

  (141)

  (1,783)

  40

  Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust

  777

  280

  1,419

  (101)

  (1,574)

  Hereford and Worcester Ambulance NHS Trust

  n/a

  164

  195

  89

  44

  Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust

  n/a

  492

  (61)

  (135)

  61

  Herefordshire Community Health NHS Trust

  86

  180

  52

  93

  (150)

  Kidderminster Healthcare NHS Trust

  491

  945

  612

  (83)

  (549)

  Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals Trust

  2,941

  325

  300

  529

  (721)

  North Birmingham Community Health NHS Trust

  n/a

  332

  185

  220

  258

  North East Worcestershire Community Healthcare Trust

  481

  360

  263

  n/a

  n/a

  North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust

  4,173

  1,396

  437

  (1,035)

  (1,199)

  North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust

  n/a

  1,713

  1,385

  276

  (9)

  378

  Human Vaccines
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on which date it was decided to discontinue use of those human vaccines which in their early stage of manufacture had used bovine material prohibited for use in human food; [78595]

  (2) what was the last date on which human vaccines, where bovine material prohibited for use in human food was used in the early stage of manufacture, were used on humans; [78594]

  (3) how those human vaccines, which in their early stage of manufacture used bovine material prohibited for use in human food, were disposed of. [78596]

  Ms Jowell
  No vaccine has been disposed of or discontinued because of use in the early stage of manufacture of bovine material which is prohibited for use in human food. Bovine material prohibited from use in the human food chain is not prohibited from use in the manufacture of medicinal products, including vaccines, but manufacturers are required to apply stringent quality measures to these materials to ensure their quality and safety. These quality measures have been in place since 1989, and require manufacturers to source material from countries with no reported cases of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, to consider the potential infectivity of tissues used and to comply with rigorous provisions on processing and quality control.

  NHS Expenditure (West Midlands)
  Mr. Stevenson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the estimated surplus or deficit of each(a) health authority and (b) hospital and other trust in the West Midlands for the last five years. [78223]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested is in the table. Health authorities and family health service authorities merged after 1995–96, so health authority figures thereafter are not directly comparable.
  379

  £000

  Trust name

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  North Warwickshire Healthcare Trust

  1,327

  337

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  North Warwickshire NHS Trust

  n/a

  n/a

  1,647

  621

  0

  Northern Birmingham Mental Health Trust

  n/a

  987

  340

  317

  (45)

  Premier Health Trust

  205

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Premier Health NHS Trust

  n/a

  (413)

  663

  (594)

  35

  Rob Jones and A. Hunt Orthopaedic NHS Trust

  n/a

  112

  285

  307

  (3)

  Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

  n/a

  n/a

  389

  185

  267

  Royal Shrewsbury Hospitals NHS Trust

  n/a

  383

  748

  366

  21

  Royal Wolverhampton Hospital NHS Trust

  n/a

  1,154

  689

  (124)

  (612)

  Rugby NHS Trust

  (151)

  245

  93

  43

  (1,557)

  Sandwell Healthcare NHS Trust

  n/a

  1,237

  764

  58

  235

  Shropshire's Community Health Service Trust

  n/a

  496

  262

  339

  144

  Shropshire's Mental Health NHS Trust

  574

  379

  173

  263

  165

  Solihull Healthcare NHS Trust

  n/a

  131

  272

  95

  (49)

  South Birmingham Mental Health NHS Trust

  n/a

  2,210

  232

  260

  150

  South Warwickshire General Hospitals NHS Trust

  (1,546)

  (940)

  327

  (300)

  97

  South Warwickshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  (64)

  (120)

  70

  (35)

  13

  South Warwickshire Mental Health Service Trust

  n/a

  (304)

  351

  (37)

  90

  South Worcestershire Community NHS Trust

  251

  158

  289

  n/a

  n/a

  Southern Birmingham Community Health NHS Trust

  n/a

  719

  1,082

  829

  (352)

  Staffordshire Ambulance Service Trust

  77

  246

  149

  112

  77

  The Foundation NHS Trust

  (1,840)

  229

  197

  251

  88

  The Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust

  901

  304

  343

  710

  153

  University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust

  n/a

  n/a

  1,474

  158

  10

  Walsall Community Health NHS Trust

  266

  111

  42

  62

  30

  Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust

  (223)

  1,191

  417

  619

  1,368

  Walsgrave Hospitals NHS Trust

  715

  359

  153

  15

  (476)

  Warwickshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust

  n/a

  37

  (172)

  28

  (111)

  West Midlands Ambulance NHS Trust

  321

  358

  672

  423

  (196)

  Wolverley NHS Trust

  275

  (155)

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Wolverhampton Healthcare NHS Trust

  n/a

  n/a

  183

  189

  83

  Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  n/a

  (944)

  576

  327

  16

  Worcestershire Community Healthcare NHS Trust

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  419

  (145)

  £000

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  DHA/RHA surpluses/(deficits)

  HA name

  Coventry Health Authority

  1,695

  (188)

  (3,142)

  Dudley Health Authority

  3,877

  (4,257)

  808

  East Birmingham District Health Authority

  220

  n/a

  n/a

  Herefordshire Health Authority

  946

  (565)

  110

  Mid Staffordshire District Health Authority

  920

  n/a

  n/a

  North Birmingham District Health Authority

  226

  n/a

  n/a

  North Birmingham Health Authority

  n/a

  (3,025)

  1,092

  North Staffordshire Health Authority

  2,727

  (811)

  (609)

  North Worcestershire Health Authority

  1,080

  (1,897)

  (2,218)

  Sandwell Heath Authority

  840

  1,090

  (1,180)

  Shropshire Health Authority

  1,269

  (1,323)

  (135)

  Solihull Health

  798

  (3,324)

  (1,423)

  South Birmingham Health Authority

  19,909

  1,747

  (5,321)

  South East Staffordshire District Health Authority

  (388)

  n/a

  n/a

  South Staffordshire Health Authority

  n/a

  (196)

  695

  Walsall Health Authority

  142

  70

  (493)

  Warwickshire Health Authority

  4,010

  (848)

  (3,654)

  West Birmingham District Health Authority

  718

  n/a

  n/a

  West Midlands Regional Health Authority

  (11,619)

  9,667

  (14,030)

  Wolverhampton Health Authority

  (652)

  315

  (425)

  Worcester and District District Health Authority

  582

  14

  (1,131)

  FHSA surpluses/(deficits)

  FHSA name

  Birmingham FHSA

  (1,141)

  (1,761)

  (46)

  Coventry FHSA

  (500)

  724

  (2,864)

  Dudley FHSA

  (606)

  983

  (1,087)

  Hereford and Worcester FHSA

  (196)

  (923)

  (1,016)

  Sandwell FHSA

  (566)

  (93)

  (545)

  Shropshire FHSA

  (553)

  (1,039)

  333

  Solihull Health

  481

  (925)

  (344)

  380

  381

  £000

  1993–94

  1994–95

  1995–96

  Staffordshire FHSA

  1,495

  1,020

  (3,522)

  Walsall FHSA

  53

  37

  (1,676)

  Warwickshire FHSA

  (1,360)

  (1,185)

  (3,851)

  Wolverhampton Health Executive

  (162)

  (13)

  (606)

  £000

  HA name

  1996–97

  1997–98

  HA surplus/(deficits)

  Birmingham Health Authority

  2,701

  (11,462)

  Coventry Health Authority

  (623)

  (391)

  Dudley Health Authority

  (3,450)

  (2,778)

  Herefordshire Health Authority

  (990)

  (464)

  North Staffordshire Health Authority

  3,305

  1,418

  Sandwell Health Authority

  2,847

  (365)

  Shropshire Health Authority

  (4,326)

  (3,472)

  Solihull Health Authority

  155

  166

  South Staffordshire Health Authority

  (4,706)

  (2,489)

  Walsall Health Authority

  (2,528)

  1,221

  Warwickshire Health Authority

  783

  2,181

  Wolverhampton Health Authority

  (3,336)

  (684)

  Worcestershire Health Authority

  (3,239)

  (4,396)

  Note:

  n/a = not applicable (Trust/HA did not exist)

  Source:

  For all tables—Summarised Accounts

  NHS Trusts
  Dr. Brand
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library the forecast surpluses and deficits for NHS trusts in 1998–99 quarter 3. [78521]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Violence against Women
  Mr. Cawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the planned Government paper on violence against women will address(a) rape and sexual assault, (b) the problems faced by adult survivors of child sexual abuse, (c) sexual harassment, (d) female genital mutilation, (e) violence and abuse of girls, (f) the law as it relates to those who wish to claim asylum on the ground of gender violence, (g) the law on homicide as it relates to victims of domestic violence who kill abusive partners and (h) funding for (i) rape crises centres, (ii) refuges and (iii) other services for women and girls who have suffered violence or abuse. [78486]

  Ms Jowell
  The Government's paper will highlight practical examples, from different organisations, agencies and local authorities, of how violence against women is being successfully tackled across the country. These good practice models will be supported by practical measures which are being developed across Government.

  The publication will be based on the prevention of violence against women wherever possible and the provision of protection, services and justice for women where violence has occurred. Amongst other issues, it will address rape and sexual assault, domestic violence, sexual harassment, female genital mutilation, and funding for rape crisis centres, refuges and other support services for women and girls who have suffered violence or abuse.
  382

  Medicines Control Agency
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the revised timetable for the consideration of responses to proposals contained in the Medicines Control Agency Consultation Document MLX249, and on the timetable for legislative action arising from those proposals. [78560]

  Ms Jowell
  The Medicines Control Agency is presently considering the responses to the proposals with a view to making recommendations to Ministers. In the light of those recommendations, we will consider whether or what legislation should be put before Parliament. As we have previously said, we are not tied to the April 1999 date suggested in the proposals.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the companies to which the Medicines Control Agency has written in the last 12 months indicating that it is considering classifying as a medicine, products which that company currently markets as a food, indicating in each case the ingredients concerned and the(a) scientific and (b) legal basis for the action. [78565]

  Ms Jowell
  No. The Medicines Control Agency has considered the classification of over 900 products in the last twelve months and the information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated cost of providing scientific evidence to support an application for a product licence for the Medicines Control Agency; and what is the average time taken by the Agency to consider such applications. [78564]

  Ms Jowell
  The cost of providing scientific evidence to support an application for a product licence is met by the applicant and the Government have made no estimate of the average cost of application. The average time taken to consider such applications varies according to the type of application. These are detailed in the Medicines Control Agency's Annual Report, copies of which are available in the Library. The mean time for the assessment of new active substances in 1997–98 was 44 days.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) herbal products and (b) blends of herbs with vitamins that are sold as foods, the Medicines Control Agency is considering for assessment as medicines, indicating the ingredients concerned in each case. [78566]

  Ms Jowell
  The Medicines Control Agency is not considering for assessment as medicines any herbal products or blends of herbs with vitamins legitimately sold as foods.
  383

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 10 February regarding a constituent and to his letter of 24 February regarding a constitutent (ref. POH(2)5608/20). [78488]

  Mr. Denham
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied to my hon. Friend's letter of 24 February on 23 March. I replied to my hon. Friend's letter of 10 February on 24 March.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Immigration and Nationality Directorate
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the changes at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate offices in Croydon. [77834]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Hertsmere (Mr. Clappison) on 24 March 1999,Official Report, column 227.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set up an Immigration and Nationality Directorate office in Cardiff. [78230]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Immigration and Nationality Directorate has an office in Cardiff operated by 13 staff from the Immigration Service Ports Directorate. They have responsibility for processing arriving passengers and immigration law enforcement work. There are no current plans for additional offices.

  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the companies who applied for the contract for the computerisation of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate; and if he will make a statement. [78632]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Seven companies responded to the notice advertising the competition. They were Amdahl UK, Andersen Consulting, Computer Science (CSC), EDS, IBM UK, Siemens Business Services and Unisys. The National Audit Office report on the Casework Programme, published on 24 March, concluded that the Immigration and Nationality Directorate managed the procurement in a business-like way.

  Road Traffic Accidents (Horseriders)
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will revise police recording methods so that statistics on road traffic accidents involving horseriders and horses are separately collated; and if he will make a statement. [78224]

  Ms Glenda Jackson
  I have been asked to reply.

  Following a review of data requirements in 1997–98, it was agreed that details of horseriders would be separately identified in the information which is recorded by the police on road injury accidents from 1999. Unridden horses and horse drawn vehicles will not be separately identified.
  384

  Corporate Manslaughter
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to seek to introduce a new crime of corporate manslaughter. [78238]

  Mr. Boateng
  An inter-departmental working group of officials, which includes a member of the Law Commission, is currently considering the recommendations made in the Law Commission's report no. 237, "Legislating the Criminal Code: Involuntary Manslaughter", which includes the creation of a new offence of corporate manslaughter.

  Once we have the group's conclusions we will consider how to take forward the recommendation on corporate manslaughter.

  Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the working group operating under the European Union Justice and Home Affairs Council to finalise the draft Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance containing proposals for cooperation on the interception of telecommunications. [78392]

  Mr. Straw
  The German Presidency hopes to conclude the draft Convention at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on 27–28 May 1999.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
  Judy Mallaber
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [79154]

  Mr. Straw
  We looked afresh at the scheme as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review. The review recommended no changes to the basic structure of the scheme. In the financial settlement following the review, more money was made available for the scheme, with the aim of ensuring that the number of cases settled equalled or exceeded the number of new applications received so that the number of cases outstanding remained broadly constant or fell. We want to see the resources now available are used as effectively as possible for the benefit of victims and taxpayers alike.

  We are accordingly undertaking a public consultation exercise inviting views on whether and, if so, how the scheme might be refined or improved within the parameters of the present tariff-based arrangements and the financial provision set for the next three years. A consultation document entitled, "Compensation for Victims of Violent Crime—Possible Changes to the Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme", is accordingly being sent to a wide range of practitioners, interested organisations and the media. The document will be made available to other inquirers on request. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  The consultation document sets out the background to, and rationale for, the scheme. It summarises historical details of applications received and awards paid, and sets out performance plans for the coming three-year financial cycle. It offers suggestions on how the tariff or injuries might be changed to improve internal consistency and to make it more comprehensive, and summarises a number of other suggestions put forward at various times on what

  385
  other changes might be made. It also identifies ways in which scheme resources could be released to pay for changes considered desirable if the cost of those changes exceeded the provision available.

  The consultation document invites comment by mid-June. After that, we will analyse carefully the responses received and consider how best to take matters forward.

  In the interim, I have today laid before Parliament a draft of alterations to the scheme, seeking to add additional injury descriptions to the tariff of awards. This is without prejudice to the consultation exercise. The purpose is the limited one of enabling the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority to settle outstanding claims from applicants whose injuries are not currently listed in the tariff but which are considered sufficiently serious to qualify for at least the minimum award of £1,000. The proposed changes require approval by the affirmative resolution procedure before they can take effect.

  Private Security Industry
  Judy Mallaber
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he plans to announce proposals on regulation of the private security industry. [79155]

  Mr. Boateng
  I intend to publish a White Paper containing the Government's proposals for a framework for comprehensive regulation of the private security industry tomorrow. Copies will be placed in the Library.

  Interception of Communications
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many residents of Altrincham and Sale, West have been subject to approved(a) interception of mail and (b) telephone tapping since 1 May 1997. [78524]

  Mr. Straw
  In accordance with long-established policy and consistently with the statutory provisions of the Interception of Communications Act 1985, it is not the practice of Government to confirm or deny, either that a warrant of interception has been issued, or that interception has taken place in any particular case. This policy, by extension, is applied to revealing figures for specific areas of the country, as this may assist the people who, because they represent a threat to national security or because they are suspected of involvement in very serious crime, are subject to interception measures.

  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to amend the Interception of Communications Act 1985 to make the monitoring of internal telephone calls in the workplace an offence if done without the employee's consent. [78493]

  Mr. Straw
  During the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Bill debate in this House on 2 September 1998,Official Report, column 749, I announced that I had put in hand a comprehensive review of the interception regime, and that a consultation document on this would be published in due course. The consultation document will address the issue of interception on private telephone
  386
  networks which was the subject of a judgment of the European Court of Human Rights in the case of Halford v United Kingdom. Legislation will be introduced at the earliest available opportunity. In the meantime, the Government will shortly issue guidance, explaining to operators of non-public networks, the steps that they should take in order to give effect to the judgment and to ensure, as far as possible, that such a breach does not recur. I shall place a copy of these guidelines in the Library.

  CCTV Surveillance
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the possible registration of CCTV surveillance systems with the police; and if he will make a statement. [78489]

  Mr. Boateng
  We have no plans to require public space Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) systems to be registered with the police.

  The Data Protection Act 1998 will provide a framework for the statutory regulation of public space CCTV systems. Controllers of such systems will have to notify details of their processing to the Data Protection Commissioner and comply with a set of enforceable principles of good information handling practice, including the need for personal data to be processed fairly and lawfully.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Pensions
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the cost would have been of increasing basic pension in line with earnings since 1 May 1997; what the value of such an increase would have been to a single pensioner; what the actual increase in basic pension has been since 1 May 1997, and what the cost has been; and what the cost of the winter payments to pensioners have been in each year since 1 May 1997. [76658]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 15 March 1999]: The information is in the tables.

  Estimated cost (net of means-tested benefits) of uprating basic state pension by prices from April 1997 level

  £ million

  Excluding linked benefits

  Including linked benefits

  1998–99

  770

  920

  1999–2000

  1,520

  1,790

  Estimated additional cost (net of means-tested benefits) of uprating basic state pension by earnings from April 1998 onwards

  £ million

  Excluding linked benefits

  Including linked benefits

  1998–99

  100

  120

  1999–2000

  510

  600

  387

  Value of category A pension (100 per cent. rate for a single person under 80)

  £

  Actual rate

  Rate if uprated by earnings from April 1998 onwards

  1997–98

  62.45

  62.45

  1998–99

  64.70

  65.00

  1999–2000

  66.75

  68.20

  Estimated cost of winter fuel payments

  £ million

  Cost

  1997–98

  200

  1998–99

  200

  Notes:

  1. Table 1 shows the estimated cost of uprating the basic State pension by prices compared with a situation where no uprating takes place after April 1997. Table 2 shows the extra cost, over and above uprating by prices of uprating by earnings from April 1998 onwards.

  2. Estimates of total costs in first two tables are rounded to nearest £10 million and are cash figures.

  3. Contributory benefit effects have been provided by the Government Actuary's Department

  4. Means-tested benefit offsets were estimated using the 1995–96 and 1996–97 Family Resources Survey and the May 1997 Income Support Quarterly Statistical Inquiry.

  Pensioner Incomes
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in Hammersmith and Fulham currently have incomes above the minimum income guarantee but below the income tax threshold. [77836]

  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in Hendon are above the level of the minimum income guarantee and below the income tax threshold. [77576]

  Mr. Timms
  The information requested is not available.

  Benefits (Hendon)
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many people in Hendon are in receipt of(a) disability living allowance and (b) incapacity benefit; [77573]

  (2) how many people aged over 50 years in Hendon are in receipt of incapacity benefit; [77574]

  (3) how many people aged over 50 years in Hendon are in receipt of jobseeker's allowance. [77575]

  Mr. Bayley
  The administration of Social Security benefits is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency, Mr. Peter Mathison. He will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Andrew Dismore, dated 25 March 1999:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking, how many people in Hendon are in receipt of, (a) Disability Living Allowance,
  388
  (b) Incapacity Benefit, and how many people aged over 50 years in Hendon are in receipt of Incapacity Benefit and Jobseeker's Allowance.
  The information that is available is in the attached table. I am afraid it is not all in the format requested. This is because normally the Benefits Agency (BA) collates statistics by BA District. These Districts do not necessarily correspond with Local Authority boundaries or Parliamentary constituencies. The BA Edgware District is one such District with offices at Barnet Hill, Hendon, and Edgware. The information about Incapacity Benefit is for this District. The information for Jobseeker's Allowance closely reflect the 1991 wards of Burnt Oaks, Colindale, Edgware, Hale, Hendon, Mill Hill, and West Hendon. The figures for Disability Living Allowance are for the postal area of the Parliamentary Constituency of Hendon.
  I hope you find this helpful.

  Recipients of Jobseeker's Allowance, Incapacity Benefit, and Disability Living Allowance for Hendon and the surrounding area

  Benefit

  No. all ages

  No. over 50 years of age

  Jobseeker's Allowance

  —

  433

  Incapacity Benefit

  5,740

  3,320

  Disability Living Allowance

  2,337

  —

  Notes:

  1. Figures for Jobseeker's Allowance are as at 14 January 1999 and include credits only claims (National Insurance Contributions), and reflect the 1991 wards of Burnt Oaks, Colindale, Edgware, Hale, Hendon, Mill Hill, and West Hendon.1

  2. Figures for Incapacity Benefit are as at 31 May 1998 and are from a 5 per cent. sample that excludes a small number or clerical cases, and are for the BA Edgware District which includes the BA offices at Barnet Hill, Hendon, and Edgware.2

  3. Figures for Disability Living Allowance are as at 31 May 1998 and are from a 100 per cent. count, and are for the postal district of the Parliamentary Constituency of Hendon.2

  4. Figures are provisional and subject to change.

  Sources:

  1The Office of National Statistics

  2Analytical Services Division

  Benefits Agency/POCL System
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what are the projected savings to public funds of(a) the piloting of and (b) each of the first five years of the operation of the Benefits Agency/POCL system. [78314]

  Angela Eagle
  It is estimated that, on current plans, the trial of the Payment Card will result in savings of £17 million during the period of the trial. A further £64 million will be saved by the Order Book Control Service over the same period.

  The estimated savings in each of the first five tax years following national roll-out of the systems

  £ million

  Savings

  2000–01

  188

  2001–02

  189

  2002–03

  189

  2003–04

  189

  2004–05

  189

  Note:

  Includes savings from other measures including Order Book Control Service that are gradually superseded by the Payment Card during national roll-out.
  389

  Benefit Claimants (Bank Accounts)
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the percentage of benefit (i) claimants and (ii) recipients of state pensions who have neither a bank account nor a National Savings Account. [78231]

  Mr. Timms
  Estimates of total number of benefit claimants who have neither a bank account nor a National Savings Account vary. The various sources of information available suggest the proportion to be in the region of 10–20 per cent.

  The information available suggests that the proportion of recipients of state pensions who have neither a bank account nor a National Savings Account is in the region of 5 per cent.

  Benefit Integrity Project
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the final out-turn figure for the Benefit Integrity Project in terms of net expenditure; and if he will estimate the amounts of(a) under and (b) over payments identified. [78324]

  Mr. Bayley
  Administrative costs for the year 1997–98 were £8.267 million. Current estimates of the costs for the year 1998–99 are £12.6 million. For the latest estimate of net programme savings, I refer my hon. Friend to my oral answer to the hon. Member for Winchester (Mr. Oaten) on 8 March 1999,Official Report, columns 16–17. A breakdown of this estimate into underpayments and overpayments is not currently available, although underlying information on the amount of weekly Disability Living Allowance that groups of claimants on different rates of benefit have either gained or lost is provided in the monthly statistical summaries held in the Library.

  Final estimates for administrative and programme costs and savings associated with the Benefit Integrity Project will be calculated after the Project ends on 31 March 1999 and will be published in due course.

  Pregnant and Lactating Mothers (Benefits)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the number of(a) pregnant and (b) lactating mothers receiving (i) income support and (ii) family credit. [78278]

  Appeals heard and decided

  Appeals decided in appellant's favour

  (Percentage of appeals heard and decided)

  Lapsed on review/superseded

  Incapacity benefit: all work test

  1996

  38,474

  18,026

  (47)

  269

  1997

  51,896

  22,453

  (43)

  1,742

  1998

  48,031

  19,361

  (40)

  2,533

  Incapacity benefit other than all work test

  1996

  3,120

  1,035

  (33)

  49

  1997

  4,682

  1,299

  (28)

  833

  1998

  5,302

  1,343

  (25)

  1,347

  Note:

  Lapsed on review and superseded includes cases that could have been due to a re-instatement of benefit, but can include other causes.

  Source:

  100 per cent. computer extract from Independent Tribunal Service (ITS) systems.
  390
  Angela Eagle
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows:

  The number of pregnant women receiving milk tokens in receipt of Income Support was 45,000 as at August 1998. At the same date 570,000 recipients of Income Support received milk tokens for children aged five years or less.

  No information is available in respect of Family Credit.

  Notes:

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand.

  2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample of all Income Support claimants and are subject to a degree of sampling error.

  3. The figures cover those women who are provided with milk tokens during pregnancy up to the birth of the child and those claimants who are provided with milk tokens for children up to the age of five.

  Source:

  Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, August 1998.

  Dependent Children (Benefits)
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answers of 3 February 1999,Official Report, columns 674–76, on income support and family credit, if he will publish further figures showing how many (a) two-parent and (b) one-parent families have dependent children aged (i) under 12 months, (ii) one to two years, (iii) three to four years, (iv) five to 10 years, (v) 11 to 15 years and (vi) 16 to 18 years; and if these figures and those in his earlier answers relate to the whole of the United Kingdom. [78332]

  Angela Eagle
  The information for my previous answer relates to Great Britain only.

  The additional information requested is not currently available. Once the estimates have been made, I will write to the hon. Member with a full reply.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many successful appeals there have been against a refusal of incapacity benefit for the years 1996 to date. [78281]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is in the table.
  391

  Correspondence
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when the hon. Member for Walsall, North will receive a reply to his letter of 10 February (ref. 2/3644/41) regarding a constituent. [78487]

  Mr. Timms
  A reply was sent on 23 March 1999.

  Basis Southern Command
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many arrests have been made in January by Benefits Agency Security Investigation Service Southern Command; [74345]

  (2) what is the current budget for Benefits Agency Security Investigation Service; and of this, what proportion is allocated to the (a) Northern and (b) Southern Commands; [74347]

  (3) how many arrests made by BASIS Southern Command have led to (a) prosecutions and (b) successful convictions since its establishment. [74346]

  Mr. Timms
  [pursuant to his reply, 3 March 1999, c. 886–87]: Questions on Benefits Agency operational matters are the responsibility of the Chief Executive, Peter Mathison, and I have asked him to send a further letter to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Iain Duncan Smith, dated 25 March 1999:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking how many arrests have been made in January by BASIS Southern Command; what is the budget for BASIS; and of this, what proportion is allocated to Northern and Southern Commands respectively; how many arrests made by BASIS Southern Command have led to a) prosecutions and b) successful convictions since its establishment.
  During January 1999 the BASIS Southern Command made twenty-five arrests.
  The budget for BASIS is managed centrally and not split into two commands. It covers not only the Investigation Staff but also Support Staff and Goods and Services. The budget for this financial year is £8.2m of which £6.34m has been spent to date.
  BASIS was formed in April 1998. Since that date the police have made 375 arrests based on information supplied by BASIS Southern Command. One hundred and forty-eight of these have been submitted for prosecution of which ninety-four have to date been successful.
  I hope that this is helpful.

SCOTLAND

  Agrimonetary Compensation
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much agrimonetary compensation was paid in Scotland in each year since 1992 in(a) cash terms and (b) 1998–99 prices. [77751]

  Mr. Macdonald
  No agrimonetary compensation was paid by the UK Government until 1997–98. £23.36 million (£23.94 million at 1998–99 prices) was paid in 1997–98.
  392

  Tuition Fees
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the distribution of the funds raised from the £1,000 tuition fee paid by university students. [77740]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The information requested is not available. Whether a contribution from a student or some or all of the fee paid on their behalf by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland, tuition fees are paid direct to institutions. Institutions distribute the funds as they see fit.

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

  Bankruptcy
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many farmers were made bankrupt in each year since 1992. [77797]

  Mr. Macdonald
  Information on bankruptcies by occupation is not available. The figures in the table come from the Office of the Accountant in Bankruptcy and shows the number of sequestrations of people employed in the agriculture and horticulture industries in Scotland in each year since 1992. The figures cover employees as well as the self employed, and so many include people other than farmers. From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

  Number of sequestrations in the agriculture and horticulture industries in Scotland, 1992–1998

  Year

  Number of sequestrations

  1992

  35

  1993

  19

  1994

  12

  1995

  13

  1996

  14

  1997

  7

  1998

  11

  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many individuals were made bankrupt in Scotland in each year since 1992. [77767]

  Mr. McLeish
  The number of sequestrations in Scotland under the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985 between 1991–92 and 1997–98 is as follows:

  Year

  Number of sequestrations

  1991–92

  8,587

  1992–93

  11,970

  1993–94

  4,022

  1994–95

  2,340

  1995–96

  2,380

  1996–97

  2,534

  1997–98

  2,701

  Land Reform
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the costs of the introduction of his land reform proposals. [77750]
  393
  Mr. Macdonald
  I am satisfied that the overall package of proposals for land reform which we launched on 5 January will benefit the people of Scotland.

  The cost of introducing our land reform recommendations will depend on the result of further technical development of the proposals, which is ongoing.

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

  Road Projects
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the(a) road building and (b) motorway and trunk road improvement proposals and their total cost for each year from 1997 to 2001. [77764]

  Mr. Macdonald
  Local roads are the responsibility of the local authorities. Details of schemes and expenditure are not held centrally. Total net expenditure for the motorway and trunk road programme in Scotland was £203 million in 1996–97 and £170 million in 1997–98. The estimated expenditure for 1998–99 is £155 million. Planned net expenditure for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 is £163 million and £176 million respectively. Major new schemes completed or due to be completed between 1 January 1997 and 31 December 2001 are:

  M8/M9 Newbridge Interchange, October 1997;

  A1 Oswald Dean to East of Innerwick, January 1998;

  A92 Halbeath Interchange, March 1998;

  A96 Blackburn to Kintore, September 1998;

  A830 Polnish to Loch Nan Uamh, October 1998;

  A75 The Glen Improvement, May/June 1999;

  A74(M) DBFO, Spring 1999:

  A828 Creagan Bridge, Summer 1999;

  A86 Rubha Na Magach to Aberarder, Summer 1999;

  A1 Spott to Oswald Dean, Winter 1999; and,

  A7 Hawick Relief Road, Winter 2000–01.

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

  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many road(a) building and (b) improvement projects were cancelled in 1997. [77763]

  Mr. Macdonald
  No trunk road schemes were cancelled by my right hon. Friend in 1997. On taking office, we announced a review of the Scottish trunk roads programme and imposed a moratorium on major schemes in the inherited programme with the exception of the A828 (Creagan Bridge) and the A75 (The Glen). Minor schemes and other items of trunk road expenditure were unaffected by the review.

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

  Full-time Education
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of young people aged 15 to 25 years were in full-time education in each year since 1992. [77742]
  394
  Mrs. Liddell
  The number of young people aged greater than or equal to 15 but under 251 in full-time education2 in Scotland from 1991–92 until 1996–97 (the last academic year for which full figures are available) was as follows:

  Academic year

  Number (000s)

  Percentage 3

  1991–92

  226.9

  31

  1992–93

  236.0

  33

  1993–94

  248.7

  36

  1994–95

  258.7

  38

  1995–96

  265.9

  40

  1996–97

  279.3

  43

  1 Age as at 31 December of the relevant academic year. Information on the numbers of people aged 25 is not readily available.

  2 Excludes students on non-vocational courses in further education colleges and those on non-credit bearing courses at higher education institutions.

  3 As a percentage of an estimated population of people aged greater than or equal to 15 but under 25 as at 31 December. Derived from mid-year population estimates provided by the General Register Office for Scotland.

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

  Prescription Charges
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what representations he has received from the medical profession on exempt categories relating to prescription charges in Scotland. [77596]

  Mr. Galbraith
  Since 1 April 1998, six representations have been received from the medical profession in Scotland on exempt categories of prescription charges. All the representations related to exemption from charges on medical grounds.

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

  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the next prescription charge review in Scotland will include a review of exempt categories. [77597]

  Mr. Galbraith
  There are no plans at present to conduct a review of prescription charge exempt categories in Scotland.

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

  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will next review prescription charges in Scotland. [77598]

  Mr. Galbraith
  There are no plans at present to review prescription charges in Scotland.

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

  Further and Higher Education
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of young people aged 15 to 25 years attended(a) a further and (b) a higher education course in each year since 1992. [77741]
  395
  Mrs. Liddell
  The number of young people aged greater than or equal to 15 but under 251 attending a further education course or a higher education course in Scotland2 from 1991–92 until 1996–97 (the academic year for which full figures are available) was as follows:

  Further education Number

  Higher education Number

  Academic year

  (thousand)

  Percentage 3

  (thousand)

  Percentage 3

  1991–92

  75.8

  10

  102.7

  14

  1992–93

  66.4

  9

  112.4

  16

  1993–94

  62.1

  9

  118.4

  17

  1994–95

  55.5

  8

  123.9

  18

  1995–96

  70.4

  11

  124.9

  19

  1996–97

  79.1

  12

  133.2

  20

  1 Age as at 31 December of the relevant academic year. Information on the numbers of people aged 25 is not readily available.

  2 Excludes students on non-vocational courses in further education colleges and those on non-credit bearing courses at higher education institutions.

  3 As a percentage of an estimated population of people aged greater than or equal to 15 but under 25 at 31 December. Derived from mid-year population estimates provided by the General Register Office for Scotland.

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

  Business Insolvencies and Starts
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many business(a) insolvencies and (b) starts there were in Scotland in each year since 1992. [77768]

  Mr. Dewar
  The information is as follows.

  (a) Statistics on insolvencies are produced by statisticians in the Department of Trade and Industry. The information is shown in the following table:

  Individuals

  Companies

  Year

  Sequestrations

  Total

  Compulsory liquidations

  Creditors' voluntary liquidations

  1992

  10,845

  670

  310

  360

  1993

  6,828

  551

  286

  265

  1994

  2,182

  414

  242

  202

  1995

  2,188

  441

  252

  189

  1996

  2,503

  441

  266

  175

  1997

  2,502

  477

  254

  223

  1998

  3,016

  566

  338

  228

  Note:

  Insolvent individuals in Scotland are subject to sequestration under the Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1985. The Bankruptcy (Scotland) Act 1993 amending the 1985 Act came into force on 1 April 1993, and will have affected the number of sequestrations in the Scottish courts.

  Source:

  DTI

  (b) The best official source of information relating to business starts is the VAT registration data. The information requested is shown in the following table:

  Business start-ups: enterprises registering for VAT in Scotland

  Year

  Number

  1992

  12,665

  1993

  12,600

  1994

  11,345

  396

  Business start-ups: enterprises registering for VAT in Scotland

  Year

  Number

  1995

  11,195

  1996

  11,275

  1997

  12,280

  Note:

  Pre-1994 figures are not entirely comparable with later figures because they counted VAT units rather than whole enterprises, and also because of an unusually large increase in the threshold for VAT registration in 1993.

  Source:

  DTI SME Statistics Unit

  Legal Aid
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the number of people claiming legal aid for each year since 1992. [77830]

  Mr. McLeish
  The total number of people claiming legal aid from the Scottish Legal Aid Board in each year was as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1992–93

  403,749

  1993–94

  390,914

  1994–95

  407,375

  1995–96

  419,186

  1996–97

  406,741

  1997–98

  419,172

  Applications for legal aid for children, contempt of court and solemn criminal legal aid are made to the court. The numbers of applications refused by the court are not kept centrally but the following shows the number of grants by the courts:

  Year

  Number

  1992–93

  15,248

  1993–94

  15,065

  1994–95

  14,982

  1995–96

  14,355

  1996–97

  14,028

  1997–98

  14,347

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

  New Deal
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost of the New Deal in Scotland has been(a) per job created and (b) per person completing the scheme to date. [77827]

  Mr. Dewar
  The New Deal is a rolling programme and total expenditure so far covers some who have left the programme and some who are still participating. It is too early to assess precisely the cost per job or per person completing the programme to date.

  Lottery Funding
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list(a) the recipients, (b) the project and (c) the amount of lottery funding awarded in Scotland since May 1997 for projects costing more than £50,000. [77748]
  397
  Mr. Galbraith
  Awards totalling £370,424,087 for projects in Scotland costing more than £50,000 have been distributed by the 5 Good Causes since May 1997. However, as the list of awards is rather lengthy, I am placing tables containing the information requested in the House Library.

  Gas-Fired Power Stations
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will(a) list the consents he has refused for gas-fired power stations and (b) estimate the proposed investments in each station by those applying for consents. [78012]

  Mr. Dewar
  I recently announced my decision to refuse consent to PowerGen's application for a new natural gas-fired power station at Gartcosh, North

  £ million

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  1. Cash

  Agriculture

  514

  535

  525

  486

  470

  524

  557

  Fisheries

  31

  30

  39

  31

  30

  29

  30

  Roads and Transport

  319

  252

  304

  312

  364

  361

  367

  2. 1998–99 prices

  Agriculture

  557

  562

  538

  486

  459

  499

  517

  Fisheries

  34

  32

  40

  31

  29

  28

  28

  Roads and Transport

  345

  265

  312

  312

  355

  344

  341

  Agriculture figures are for spending by my Department only and do not include spending in Scotland under schemes operated, on a UK basis, by the Intervention Board Executive Agency.

  By far the main component of Agriculture spending by my Department is in relation to CAP on-farm payments. Support under such measures is determined by the EU and the value of payments in Member States is sensitive to currency movements. Planned Agriculture spending figures for the three years beginning 1999–2000 reflect assumptions at the end of the Comprehensive Spending Review on the likely Sterling value of CAP on-farm payments. The actual level of spending on such schemes will be determined largely by changes flowing from the EU Agenda 2000 discussions. CAP provision is classed as Annually Managed expenditure and future spending needs will be decided on an annual basis.

  The figures for Roads and Transport include the external finance limits for Caledonian MacBrayne and Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd., but exclude provision for local authority capital expenditure which since 1996–97 has been included in the single allocation for local authority non-housing capital expenditure. From 1997–98, the Roads and Transport programme includes provision for the Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority transferred from the Department of Transport to The Scottish Office. From 1998–99, it also includes provision for Bus Fuel Duty Rebate in Scotland.

  From 1 July, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
  398
  Lanarkshire. My decision followed the recommendation by the Reporter to the public inquiry into the application that consent be refused. I have not refused consent to any other gas-fired power stations.

  The level of investment Gartcosh would have involved is a commercial matter for the company.

  Departmental Budget
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what was his Department's budget for(a) agriculture, (b) the fishing industry and (c) transport and roads in cash terms and at 1998–99 prices for each year between 1995–96 and 1998–99 and what estimate he has made in each case for each year from 1999–2000 to 2001–02. [77330]

  Mr. Dewar
  [holding answer 22 March 1999]: The information requested is as follows:

  Repossessions
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many decrees were granted by Sheriff courts for the repossession of owner-occupied homes for each quarter of 1998. [78216]

  Mr. McLeish
  Figures in relation to repossession of owner occupied homes have been collected by the courts since a revised system of collecting Civil Judicial Statistics was instituted on 1 January 1994. The figures for decrees granted by the sheriff courts for each quarter of 1998 are as follows:

  1st Quarter: 1,158

  2nd Quarter: 1,155

  3rd Quarter: 1,373

  4th Quarter: 1,247.

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

  Special Transitional Grant
  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what percentage of their special transitional grant was spent by each local authority(a) in the independent sector and (b) on home care in each of the last five years. [77145]

  Mr. Galbraith
  [holding answer 22 March 1999]: The special transitional grant did not apply in Scotland.

  From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.
  399

  FE Colleges
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will announce the detailed remit of the intended review of the management of further education colleges in Scotland. [78992]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The new Scottish Further Education Funding Council is being asked by the Government:to review the quality of management of Scotland's FE colleges, taking account of recent reports on aspects of management within the sector, and in particular to:
  assess the effectiveness of current management of colleges;
  identify what range and mix of management skills, structures, systems and processes would best serve colleges;
  suggest how the management performance of colleges might be measured and monitored;
  make recommendations as to how best management practice can become the norm and how shortcomings can be identified early and addressed;
  and to report to Scottish Ministers by end 1999.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Darts
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received of the recognising of darts as a sport by the Sports Council; what action he has taken to have darts so recognised; and if he will make a statement. [77442]

  Mr. Banks
  I am personally very supportive of Darts and the outstanding achievements by British Darts players over many years. I have received a number of representations about the recognition of Darts, including one recently received from the British Darts Organisation (BDO). The Sports Councils keep their recognition criteria under review and I have assured the BDO that this is something in which I shall continue to keep a close interest. I am doing all I can to keep the issue near the top of the Council's agendas.

  Football Clubs
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to introduce a regulator to oversee the activities of professional football clubs in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [77795]

  Mr. Banks
  I expect the football authorities to address issues relating to the administration of professional football, and I know they are currently reviewing structures and procedures.

  The Government have recognised the special role football plays in this country by establishing the Football Task Force to investigate issues of concern to all those involved with the game. The Task Force is currently considering the complex issues associated with the commercial aspects of the game, which may include whether some kind of football regulator is required. I will give careful consideration to any recommendations which the Task Force's forthcoming commercial report may make in this area.
  400

  Sports Council (Recognised Sports)
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from organisations which have been refused recognition by the Sports Council; and if he will list the activities involved. [77880]

  Mr. Banks
  I have received a number of representations from organisations and activities which have not been recognised by the Sports Councils. In the last two years, two activities have been rejected for recognition by the Sports Councils. These were Greyhound Racing and Darts. However, the Sports Councils keep their recognition criteria under review and I am currently doing all I can to keep this issue near the top of the Councils' agendas. I will continue to pursue the recognition issue as a matter of priority.

  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the sports recognised by the Sports Council. [77879]

  Mr. Banks
  The following activities have been recognised:

  Aikido

  American Football

  Angling

  Archery

  Arm Wrestling

  Association Football

  Athletics

  Australian Rules Football

  Badminton

  Ballooning

  Baseball

  Basketball

  Baton Twirling

  Bicycle Polo

  Billiards and Snooker

  Bobsleigh

  Boccia

  Bowls

  Boxing

  Camogie

  Canoeing

  Caving

  Chinese Martial Arts

  Cricket

  Croquet

  Crossbow

  Curling

  Cycling

  Disability Sports

  Dragon Boat Racing

  Equestrian

  Exercise and Fitness

  Fencing

  Fives

  Flying

  Gaelic Football

  Gliding

  Golf

  401

  Gymnastics

  Handball

  Hang-Gliding and Paragliding

  Highland Games

  Hockey

  Horse Racing

  Hovering

  Hurling

  Ice Hockey

  Ice Skating

  Jet Skiing

  Ju Jitsu

  Judo

  Kabaddi

  Karate

  Kendo

  Korfball

  Lacrosse

  Lawn Tennis

  Life Saving

  Luge

  Modern Pentathlon

  Motor Cycling

  Motor Sports

  Mountaineering

  Movement and Dance

  Netball

  Orienteering

  Parachuting

  Petanque

  Polo

  Pony Trekking

  Pool

  Quoits

  Racketball

  Rackets

  Racquetball

  Rambling

  Real Tennis

  Roller Hockey

  Roller Skating

  Rounders

  Rowing

  Rugby League

  Rugby Union

  Sailing/Yachting

  Sand/Land Yachting

  Shinty

  Shooting

  Skateboarding

  Skiing

  Skipping

  Snowboarding

  Softball

  Sombo Wrestling

  Squash

  Street/Skater Hockey

  Sub-aqua

  402

  Surf-Life Saving

  Surfing

  Swimming and Diving

  Table Tennis

  Taekwondo

  Tang Soo Do

  Tenpin Bowling

  Trampolining

  Triathlon

  Tug of War

  Unihoc

  Volleyball

  Water Skiing

  Weightlifting

  Wrestling

  Yoga.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport for what reason no external assessment has been made of the plans of his Department for millennium compliance. [78465]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 24 March 1999]: The DCMS Year 2000 compliance programme has been audited by the Department's Internal Audit team as part of its oversight duties for the Department's processes and procedures. Internal Audit revisit the compliance work on a regular basis and review the regular returns which the Department provides to the centre. Internal Audit provides a robust and independent review of the Department's compliance programme and I do not feel that, in this case, an external assessment would add value to the process. It would also be costly.

  Information on the Department's compliance programme is provided to the centre on a regular basis and is then placed in the public domain, most recently as of the publication of departmental returns and tables summarising department's progress on 16 March.

WALES

  Eye Checks
  Mr. Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of(a) the annual cost of abolishing all charges for eye checks and (b) the annual number of people who currently make some payment for such checks. [78530]

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  477,000 NHS sight tests were undertaken in 1997–98 at a cost to the NHS of some£6.7 million.

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

  Dental Checks
  Mr. Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of(a) the annual cost of abolishing all charges for dental checks and (b) the annual number of people who currently make some payment for such checks. [78529]
  403
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  All children are entitled to free dental examinations and in Wales around 30 per cent. of adults are either entitled to free NHS dental care or receive partial help with its cost.

  In 1997–98, 1.1million NHS dental examinations were carried out for adults in Wales. On the assumption that 70 per cent. of those were for patients who had to pay full NHS charges, around 770,000 of those examinations would have contributed some £3.5m in NHS patient charges.

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

  Legal Services
  Mr. Ruffley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list(a) the London banisters' chambers and (b) the London solicitors' firms that have performed services for his Department (i) since 1 May 1997 and (ii) in the equivalent period preceding that date, indicating the remuneration paid in each particular case. [70039]

  Mr. Hain
  [pursuant to the reply, 23 February 1999, c. 255]: I regret that there were a number of inaccuracies in the reply.

  The following barristers' chambers have also been instructed directly by the Welsh Office or via Treasury Solicitor's Office:

  (i) Atkin Chambers, Gray's Inn,

  4–5 Grays Inn Square,

  3 Serjeants Inn.

  (ii) In the list of barristers' chambers "Monkton Court" should have read "Monckton Chambers".

  In addition the statement that no London solicitors firms had been instructed was incorrect. Instructions have been given in both periods to the firms Wilde Sapte, and Bird and Bird.Please accept my apologies for these inaccuracies.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Law Society's, Accounts Rules
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to amend Part II of the Solicitors Act 1974 to include amongst those Law Society rule changes which require his consent, the Law Society's Accounts Rules; and if he will make a statement. [78120]

  Mr. Hoon
  [holding answer 24 March 1999]: The Lord Chancellor has no plans to alter the current arrangements for approving changes to the Law Society's Accounts Rules. Such changes are already subject to approval by the Master of the Rolls.

  Kent Magistrates' Court Committee
  Mr. Marshall-Andrews
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 26 February 1999,Official Report, columns 479–80, on Kent Magistrates' Court Committee, if he will set out the circumstances of the one potential incident; and if he will list (a) the official or officials involved, (b) the nature of the fraud or mismanagement and (c) what advice or recommendations have been made by his Department. [78309]
  404
  Mr. Hoon
  The potential incident report in respect of the Kent MCC has not yet been resolved. The Magistrates' Courts Committee and the Kent County Council are taking further legal advice. In the circumstances, it would not be appropriate to release details at this stage.

  Serious Fraud Office
  Mr. Marshall-Andrews
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what was the cost to the Legal Aid Budget of cases brought by the Serious Fraud Office in each year since 1995–96; [78219]

  (2) what proportion of the Legal Aid Budget was spent on cases prosecuted by the Serious Fraud Office, broken down into (i) contested cases and (ii) pleas of guilty, in the last year for which figures are available. [78218]

  Mr. Hoon
  The name of the prosecuting agency is not recorded on the Department's Legal Aid Management Information database. It is not possible therefore to provide the information requested. However, for fraud and fraud related trials of 25 days and over in duration, which will mainly comprise cases brought by the Serious Fraud Office, expenditure in each year was as follows:

  £

  Year

  Expenditure

  1995–96

  15,106,215

  1996–97

  17,297,813

  1997–98

  20,662,712

  This expenditure is in respect of closed cases; that is where the case has been disposed of and all bills determined and will include expenditure incurred in previous years. It will not include interim payments made in respect of cases still current. It is not possible to estimate expenditure on guilty pleas and cases prepared for trial but which did not proceed to trial.

  Census
  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many(a) United Kingdom and (b) non-United Kingdom organisations have purchased, since 1991, micro-film or other copies of 1891 census enumerators' books for England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. [78276]

  Mr. Hoon
  The Public Record Office's records of purchases are not arranged by the categories specified by the hon. Member and, therefore, the information requested by the hon. Member could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. John M. Taylor
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what are the total annual storage and maintenance costs for all 1841/51 to 1991 decennial census returns. [78317]

  Mr. Hoon
  The Public Record Office holds the decennial census records for 1841 to 1911. The total annual storage and maintenance costs for these records are currently estimated at £225,000. The decennial census records for 1921 to 1991 are held by the Office for National Statistics at an estimated annual storage and maintenance cost of £350,000.
  405

  Legal Aid Board Administration Account
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the deficit on the Legal Aid Board administration account for(a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98; and what is the estimated deficit for 1998–99. [78353]

  Mr. Hoon
  The Legal Aid Board is entitled to carry forward unspent annual provision for its administration costs held at the end of each financial year. The Board's administration did not exceed the amount which was made available, by way of grant-in-aid and cash carried forward, in 1996–97 or 1997–98, and is not expected to do so in 1998–99.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Genetically Modified Crops
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list(a) under which Sections of the (i) Environmental Protection Act 1990 and (ii) any other Act he has issued regulations concerning conditions to be met by applicants for cultivation of genetically modified crops for (1) research and (2) sale, (b) the (A) dates, (B) numbers, (C) titles of any such regulations and (D) those which require approval by resolution of either House of Parliament and (c) what general exemptions from any part of any such regulations he has given to (x) which persons and (y) bodies and (z) for what reason. [72560]

  Mr. Rooker
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 22 March 1999,Official Report, column 41.

  Public Analysts
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will give for each year since 1989 the number of(a) public analysts and (b) Public Analyst laboratories; [77524]

  (2) if all Public Analyst laboratories were accredited by 1 November 1998 under the terms of the Additional Food Control Measures Directive 93/99/EEC; [77516]

  (3) what steps he has taken to ensure that local authorities make full use of the facilities provided by public analysts. [77509]

  Mr. Rooker
  Each local authority must appoint one or more Public Analysts. A list of Public Analysts is not centrally held.

  Under the Additional Food Control Measures 93/99, the UK is required to submit to the Commission a list of food control laboratories nominated to carry out analyses and/or examinations of foodstuffs. The list contains those Laboratories who have met the Standards for Official Food Control Laboratories which have been agreed between Government and the United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS). I am not aware of any currently appointed Public Analyst Laboratory not covered by this accreditation.
  406
  A copy of the submitted list is available from the Library of the House. Arrangements are also being made to make it publicly available on the Ministry's website and to publish changes to it by that means.

  Live Animal Transport
  Mr. Prosser
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the adequacy of his powers in relation to animal welfare to prevent livestock vessels from sailing in rough weather conditions; and if he will make a statement. [77946]

  Mr. Morley
  The provisions of the Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997 (which implements, in Great Britain, Directive 91/628/EEC, as amended) provide extensive protection for animals in transit. In the case of bad weather at sea, a master of a vessel must not, under Article 4, transport animals if, in his judgment, they are likely to be caused injury or unnecessary suffering due to adverse weather or sea conditions likely to be encountered during the voyage. Under Article 18, if a MAFF or Local Authority Inspector considers that animals are being transported or are about to be transported in a way likely to cause injury or unnecessary suffering, he or she may prohibit that transport. MAFF officials have on occasion accompanied livestock when they are transported from Dover in rougher weather conditions, in order to gather information on how the animals travel: these trips have not to date revealed any evidence to indicate that animals' welfare has been adversely affected.

  Quarantine Kennels
  Mr. Prosser
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice has been given since 1991 by his Department to quarantine kennel owners who submitted plans for expansion and improvement to their facilities. [77950]

  Mr. Rooker
  All plans for expansion and improvements submitted by quarantine kennel owners have been considered by the Department to ensure that they comply with the standard requirements for the design, construction, operation and management of such premises. Those plans which complied with the requirements have been approved. In cases where the submitted plan has not complied with the standard requirements, this has been explained and the kennel owner invited to submit amended plans.

  Freezer Trawlers
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing vessel owners have notified his Department that they intend to convert to freezer trawlers. [78330]

  Mr. Morley
  Fisheries Departments have received notice of the intention to introduce or replace up to six pelagic freezer trawlers under the time limited arrangements announced on 1 December 1998.

  Fishing Vessels (Engine Capacity)
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fishing vessels were found to have underdeclared their engine capacity in the last year for which figures are available. [78329]
  407
  Mr. Morley
  As I explained in the written reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Scarborough and Whitby (Mr. Quinn) on 1 December 1989,Official Report, column 119, checks to ensure that the engine power of fishing vessels is consistent with that registered and licensed are due to commence from 1 January 2000.

  Regional Development Funding
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what happens to unspent balances in respect of European Funds for South West Objective 5B at the end of the five year programme. [78374]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 24 March 1999]: The Government's aim is to ensure that, by the end of 1999, all of the European Structural Funds allocated to the South West Objective 5b programme (and elsewhere) are committed to projects. Funds not committed by the end of 1999 would be lost to the programme. Projects will be monitored closely throughout the year to enable funds to be recycled to approved projects on a reserve list if there is a possibility that on-going projects will not use up their full allocation.

  After 1999, project managers will have two years in which to complete projects and claim grant. Provided that this is done on time and that claims fully match commitments, funds should have been spent at the end of the current programme period. Any unspent EU Structural Funds remaining at the end of the programme would be lost to the UK.

  New Forest Hounds
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what(a) advice and (b) instructions, Ministers gave to the Forestry Commission before it reached a decision to suspend the licence of the New Forest Hounds. [78475]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 24 March 1999]: Neither my right hon. Friend the Minister nor I gave the Forestry Commission any advice or instructions before it decided to suspend the New Forest Foxhounds' licence last week. Action was taken under the terms of their licence following a previous written warning. The suspension was carried out after listening to all representations and is a matter for the Forestry Commission to decide. I have already made it clear that the Commission has my full support in the operation of the conditions of licence to hunt. This applies to all Forestry Commission land.

  Millennium Compliance
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reason no external assessment has been made of the plans of his Department for millennium compliance; and if he will make a statement. [78467]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 24 March 1999]: My Department's millennium programme comprises several parallel projects, co-ordinated by a central programme management team in the IT Directorate. Several projects, and the central team, have employed external consultants to review plans and progress. Currently, external consultants are reviewing MAFF's business continuity planning arrangements (in case some problems still occur, despite all our preparatory activity), and an independent
  408
  review is being conducted by MAFF's Audit, Consultancy and Management Services division. I am satisfied that these arrangements provide for adequate external and independent review of plans.

  Organic Farming Scheme
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total budget allocation for the first year of the Organic Farming Scheme. [78559]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  Current provision for the Organic Farming Scheme for 1999–2000 is £6.2 million.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the procedure for coping with an excess of demand from farmers applying for grants under the Organic Farming Scheme over supply of available funds. [78558]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  If demand for aid under the Organic Farming Scheme exceeds financial provision in any year, the Organic Farming Regulations 1999 provide a mechanism for holding over applications until further provision becomes available. We will keep the position under review.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is the total acreage that will be covered by grants from the Organic Farming Scheme in its first year. [78557]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  The Scheme has not yet opened. The total acreage covered in the first year of the Organic Farming Scheme will depend on the number of applications and on the type of land covered.

  Lindane
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the recent EC proposals on the use of Lindane in agriculture and horticulture. [78527]

  Mr. Rooker
  The EU has established a programme to review the safety of all pesticides which were authorised (by at least one Member State) for use in agriculture and horticulture on 25 July 1993. Lindane is included in the first round of this programme.

  The EU review process begins with an evaluation by a "rapporteur" Member State. This evaluation is subject to peer review by experts from all Member States and consultation with the EU Commission's Scientific Committee on Plants before a decision is put to the Standing Committee on Plant Health and finally adopted by the Commission. In March 1995, Austria was appointed rapporteur for lindane and finally delivered its assessment to the Commission last December. The peer review process has just begun. In the normal course of events, there would not be a decision until well into 2000.

  We have carried out a preliminary assessment of the Austrian evaluation and the independent Advisory Committee on Pesticides will consider it at its next meeting. We shall be guided by the Committee's advice.

  It is our policy to approve only those pesticides for which it is established scientifically that there is a level of exposure at which no adverse effect occurs and that any exposure arising from the approved use would be well

  409
  below this level. If this new review indicates that lindane no longer meets this rigorous standard we will take prompt and appropriate action.

  GM Organisms
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the advice he has offered supermarkets on the labelling and segregation of genetically modified organisms. [78366]

  Mr. Rooker
  Supermarkets were informed of the Government's policy that all foods containing GM material should be clearly labelled back in June 1997, when they received copies of the MAFF News Release 147/97 announcing this. Since then, all supermarkets, along with other interested parties, have been kept informed of the emerging legal requirements for the labelling of GM foods and were included in the two consultation exercises on the Food Labelling (Amendment) Regulation 1999 which took place in July 1998 and February 1999. The following MAFF News Releases were issued at key stages in the development of EC and domestic legislation on GM labelling: 211/98 issued on 21 May 1998; 315/98 issued on 29 July 1998; 95/99 issued on 18 March 1999; and 99/99 issued on 19 March 1999. They are also aware of the list of some 60 non-GM suppliers which the Department produced last year (News Release 123/98 issued on 30 March 1998). Copies of all these News Releases are available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent meetings his Department has held with supermarkets to discuss genetically modified organisms. [78365]

  Mr. Rooker
  During the last year, supermarkets were represented, as indicated, at the following meetings on GM foods:

  ACNFP monitoring sub-group—Sainsbury (March 1998)

  Parliamentary Secretary (Lords)—Iceland (April 1998)

  Officials—Safeway (May 1998)

  Officials—Sainsbury (June 1998)

  Officials—Tesco (September 1998)

  ACNFP monitoring sub-group—Safeway and Sainsbury (December 1998)

  Officials—Safeway (March 1999)

  Minister of State—Safeway and Tesco (March 1999).

  Professor Frank Woods
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the position held by Professor Frank Woods with the Food Advisory Committee. [78562]

  Mr. Rooker
  Since the Food Advisory Committee (FAC) was formed in 1983, it has been standard practice for the Chairman of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment to be included in the membership. Under this arrangement, Professor Woods has been a member of the FAC since 1992.

  Advisory Group on Vitamins and Minerals
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Ad Hoc Expert Advisory 410
  Group on Vitamins and Minerals will next meet; with what agenda; and when he expects the group to conclude its work. [78563]

  Mr. Rooker
  The next meeting of the Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals is scheduled for 7 May 1999. In accordance with normal practice the agenda for the meeting will be published in advance of the meeting once it has been cleared with the Chairman of the Group. The Group is expected to conclude its work around the end of the year 2000.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who was the first chairman of the Ad Hoc Expert Advisory Group on Vitamins and Minerals; and when and for what reasons the chairman ceased to serve in that capacity. [78568]

  Mr. Rooker
  Professor Frank Woods was the first Chairman of the Expert Group. He decided in July 1998 to stand down for personal reasons.

  Vitamin B6
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reason the forthcoming report of the Ad Hoc Expert Advisory Group in relation to the safety of vitamin B6 and other supplements is to be considered by the Food Advisory Committee; and if he will make a statement on the role of Professor Frank Woods in the process. [78561]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals is primarily concerned with risk assessment and will be considering the scientific data on the safety of vitamins and minerals. Its membership reflects this role. The Food Advisory Committee (FAC) is a broader-based Committee which, among other things, is concerned with risk management. It will therefore take account of factors outside the remit of the Expert Group when considering what, if any, recommendations should be made to the Government in the light of the Expert Group's report. It will be the role of all the FAC members collectively to consider the report from the Expert Group and to offer advice to Ministers on whatever action the Committee considers ought to be taken in the light of the Expert Group's conclusions. Professor Woods is a member of FAC in his capacity as chairman of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment.

  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food who was the Chairman of the Committee on Toxicity at the time of its most recent assessment of the safety of vitamin B6. [78569]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Chairman of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment at the time of its most recent assessment of the safety of Vitamin B6 was Professor Frank Woods.

  Commercial Whaling
  Mr. Cawsey
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the meeting of commissioners to the International Whaling Commission of 5 February; and what discussion took place on the resumption of commercial whaling in relation to(a) species of whale and (b) countries eligible to resume whaling. [78485]
  411
  Mr. Morley
  The meeting to which the hon. Member refers was an informal meeting attended by a number of countries generally opposed to whaling; its principal purpose was to discuss how the countries concerned could best co-operate at the forthcoming International Whaling Commission annual meeting in Grenada in May. There was some discussion of the proposals put forward by Ireland for a complete and permanent ban on all high seas 412
  whaling, including scientific whaling, with some limited whaling permitted in individual country's coastal waters; it was generally agreed that these were unlikely to make any progress unless Japan was ready to consider ending its scientific whaling programme. The UK made it clear that, while we supported efforts to improve whale conservation, we continued to have serious reservations about some aspects of the Irish proposals, in particular those concerning coastal whaling.

  Fish Landings: French Limits
  Fish Landings: French Limits
  Public Expenditure: Scotland
  Public Expenditure: Scotland
  Bicycle Allowance: MPs and Peers
  Bicycle Allowance: MPs and Peers
  Armed Services: Medical Consultants
  Armed Services: Medical Consultants
  ASTOR Programme: Capital Costs
  ASTOR Programme: Capital Costs
  ASTOR Programme: Evaluation
  ASTOR Programme: Evaluation
  Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
  Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty
  Pre-emptive Military Action and International Law
  Pre-emptive Military Action and International Law
  European Council: Forthcoming Business
  European Council: Forthcoming Business
  Iran: Efforts to Combat Narcotics Trade
  Iran: Efforts to Combat Narcotics Trade
  Strategic Export Controls
  Strategic Export Controls
  Millennium Compliance
  Millennium Compliance
  Private Security Industry: Regulation
  Private Security Industry: Regulation
  Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
  Criminal Injuries Compensation Scheme
  Hospital Trusts: Publicity Decisions
  Hospital Trusts: Publicity Decisions
  Thanet Healthcare NHS Trust: Pain Management Service
  Thanet Healthcare NHS Trust: Pain Management Service
  Water Supplies and Fluoridation
  Water Supplies and Fluoridation
  Tourism: Consultation
  Tourism: Consultation