Written Answers of 17 February 2000

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Nationalist and Republican (Definition)
  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to his oral statement of 8 February 2000,Official Report, column 133, what is his definition of (a) a Nationalist and (b) a Republican. [109589]

  Mr. Mandelson
  [holding answer 11 February 2000]: Nationalists are those who support the SDLP, and Republicans are those who support Sinn Fein.

  Terrorist Violence
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been(a) shot and (b) mutilated by terrorists since the Good Friday Agreement. [110057]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 14 February 2000]: The following table shows the number of persons injured as a result of terrorist attacks during the period 10 April 1998 to 10 February 2000.

  Persons injured

  Gunshot wound

  155

  Explosion

  456

  Other

  1,811

  Total

  2,422

  Notes:

  1. 'Gunshot wound' includes casualties as a result of paramilitary style shootings.

  2. 'Other' includes casualties as a result of paramilitary style assaults, serious public disorder, etc.

  3. The figure of 155 shown in the table includes the 125 paramilitary style shootings shown in PQ 142 plus 30 other terrorist shootings ie those not recorded as paramilitary style.

  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been murdered by terrorists since the Good Friday Agreement. [110058]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 14 February 2000]: During the period 10 April 1998 to 10 February 2000, there have been a total of 49 deaths recorded as being attributable to the security situation in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people in Northern Ireland have been hospitalised following beatings by terrorists since the Good Friday Agreement. [110056]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 14 February 2000]: It is not possible to state how many were hospitalised but the following table shows the number of casualties as a result of paramilitary style attacks in Northern Ireland during the period 10 April 1998 to 10 February 2000.
  618W

  By Loyalist

  By Republican

  Shootings

  79

  46

  Assaults

  172

  88

  Total

  251

  134

  Royal Ulster Constabulary
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many attacks have been made on the RUC since the Good Friday Agreement. [110053]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 14 February 2000]: The following table shows the number of attacks on police during the periods 10 April 1998 to 10 February 2000 and includes all attacks as a result of terrorist activity and serious public disorder.

  Type of attack

  Number

  Firearms

  23

  Explosive

  45

  Missile1

  2,348

  Assault

  6

  Other2

  279

  Total

  2,901

  1 "Missile" includes petrol bombs, stones, bottles, etc.

  2 "Other" includes minor assaults (not resulting in injury)

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Disqualifications Bill
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what(a) oral and (b) written representations he has received from members of each party represented in the House and the Northern Ireland Assembly on the subject of the Disqualifications Bill indicating in each case the date on which representations were received; and if he will place a copy of each representation in the Library. [107629]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  [holding answer 31 January 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 10 February 2000 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Official Report, column 240W.

  Police Pensions
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to reform the long-term funding arrangements for police pensions. [109831]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  We are closely examining the practicability of establishing a fully funded police pension scheme. This is part of our wider consideration, following a major review, of what long-term changes, if any, are required to the Police Pension Scheme.

  Bus Lanes
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists were convicted and fined during 1999 for driving in a bus lane in the Greater London area during the restricted hours of bus lane usage. [110215]
  619W
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Convictions for driving in a bus lane cannot be distinguished from other offences connected with neglect of traffic directions in the statistics collected centrally.

  Police Authority Funding
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce plans to restructure the formula governing police authority funding. [110178]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The police funding formula has been subject to continuous refinement since its introduction. The Government do not intend to make substantive changes to the formula during the more general review of the local government grant distribution system that is being taken forward in consultation with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the Association of Police Authorities.

  Clear-up Rates
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the crime clear-up rate was by(a) force and crime type and (b) basic command unit and crime type, for the year ending September 1999. [110306]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Clear-up rates by police force and crime type are published annually. The next set of figures, for the year ended March 1999, will be included

  NSPIS applications

  Application

  Benefits

  Contract status

  Supplier

  Expected delivery date

  Custody

  All custody information requirements met, with links to Case Preparation and PNC to provide data to all criminal justice organisations

  Awarded

  Securicor Information Systems

  Mid summer 2000

  Case Preparation

  Reduces police paperwork, improves file quality, support to witnesses and victims, electronic links to the Crown Prosecution Service, courts and others to speed the criminal justice system

  Awarded

  Securicor Information Systems

  Autumn 2000

  Crime and Incident reporting

  Reduced paperwork, improved crime analysis and crime and disorder reduction strategies

  Awarded

  Securicor Information Systems

  Autumn 2001

  Command and Control

  Improved responses to calls for assistance from the public

  Awarded

  Securicor Information Systems

  Early 2001

  Human Resources

  Improved deployment of available resources

  Awarded

  ORBIS Ltd.

  Spring 2000

  Vehicle Procedures and Fixed Penalty Office

  Better traffic law enforcement, lower costs, reduced paperwork for police and courts

  Delivered

  McDonnell Douglas Information Systems

  —

  National Management Information service (NMIS)

  Proactive management of resources to meet national and local performance targets

  Awarded

  Redfern Ltd.

  Summer 2000

  HOLMES II

  Direct support to detectives in solving crimes, reduced costs and improved use of resources

  Delivered

  UNISYS Ltd.

  —

  Paper and Timber Products
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to ensure that paper and timber products purchased by his Department come from a sustainable source. [110165]
  620W
  in "Criminal Statistics England and Wales 1998", which is due to be published in late March. Clear-up rates for basic command units are not currently available.

  Information Systems
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) for which National Strategy for Police Information Systems applications contracts have been awarded; who will supply them; what are the projected delivery completion dates; and what are the expected benefits; [110307]

  (2) which National Strategy for Police Information Systems applications have been designed to address cross-border crime between police authority areas; [110309]

  (3) for which National Strategy for Police Information Systems applications contracts have not been awarded. [110308]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Chief Executive of the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) informs me that all of the National Strategy for Police Information Systems (NSPIS) applications contracts have been awarded.

  The NSPIS applications are linked Information Technology systems enabling sharing of information within individual forces and with other police forces. The applications are also linked to the Police National Computer (PNC).

  The table, provided by PITO, details the contract status, supplier, expected delivery date and benefits for the individual NSPIS applications.

  Mr. Straw
  My department aims to purchase only sustainably produced timber and timber products. The Department's current Greening Operations policy (in place since June 1998) contains a specific aim in respect of as possible, wood products purchased by the Home Office should
  621W
  come from forests and plantations that have been independently verified as being well managed. We are continuing to develop and promulgate our Green Procurement policy and emphasise our commitment to considering the environment when making purchases. Our Environmental Action Plan in respect of paper focuses on reducing its overall use and on increasing the percentage of recycled paper used.

  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that paper and timber products purchased by his Department are independently certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as coming from a sustainable source. [110166]

  Mr. Straw
  In keeping with my Department's policy to minimise any adverse environmental impact of its activities, the Home Office welcomes the availability of independent certification schemes such as that of the Forest Stewardship Council.

  Our Greening Operations Policy (agreed in June 1998) encourages the use of ecolabels in procurement and asks purchasers to check environmental claims as thoroughly as possible, particularly with a view to verifying any vague environmental statements.

  Nevertheless, it would be impractical for us to commit to ensuring that all paper and timber products that we purchase have the Forest Stewardship Council certificate. Our understanding is that the scheme does not yet cover the broad range of products that we are likely to require. Also, we would not want to find ourselves in breach of public procurement rules by being seen to favour the Forest Stewardship Council's scheme over and above any other equally valid certification scheme.

  Contested Cases
  Mr. Marshall-Andrews
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for each of the years 1995 to 1999 (1) the average length of time between charge and final disposal of contested cases involving either way offences tried in the magistrates' courts; [110426]

  (2) the average length of time between committal and final disposal of contested cases involving either way offences which are tried before jury after election for jury trial; [110427]

  (3) the number and percentage of those who elected trial by jury who pleaded guilty to different offences from those on which they were committed. [110428]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  This information is not collected centrally. Information on the time taken in magistrates courts proceedings is collected by the Lord Chancellor's Department's Time Intervals Survey. In 1999 and earlier years, the survey collected data on indictable (including triable either way) cases completed in a sample week of each February, June and October. From 2000 onwards, there will be four surveys during each year.
  622W
  The average time taken from charge to completion for defendants in contested triable either way cases which were tried in magistrates courts was 147 days in February 1999 and 132 days in both June 1999 and October 1999. These figures include charged defendants but exclude summonsed defendants. For defendants committed for sentence to the Crown Court, time before committal is included but time spent in the Crown Court after committal is not available and therefore is not included.

  These figures use information collected for the first time in 1999 following an enhancement to the survey. Equivalent figures for previous years are not available.

  Crown Court
  Mr. Marshall-Andrews
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of appeals to the Crown Court per annum as a result of the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Mode of Trial) Bill (Lords). [110467]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe), by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 27 January 2000,Official Report, column 250W.

  Sentencing
  Mr. Marshall-Andrews
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has (1) to end the power of magistrates to commit for sentence to the Crown Court; [110424]

  (2) to reduce the sentencing power of magistrates to those available to the Sheriff's Court in Scotland. [110520]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  None.

  Pleadings
  Mr. Marshall-Andrews
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the requirement to plead before venue for each of the years 1997, 1998 and 1999. [110425]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Section 49 of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 ("plea before venue") provides for defendants in either-way cases to be asked to indicate their plea before the magistrates decide whether to accept or decline jurisdiction. Its purpose is to allow cases in which a guilty plea is indicated, and which might previously have been committed for trial, to be dealt with by the magistrates themselves where the appropriate sentence (after any discount for the guilty plea) is within the court's powers, or if not through being committed to the Crown Court for sentence. The provision was implemented in October 1997, since when (as expected) substantially fewer cases have been committed for trial, but there has been a significant increase in the numbers committed for sentence. Statistics collected by the Crown Prosecution Service show that the percentage of either-way cases committed for trial reaching the Crown Court by way of the defendant's election was 28 per cent. in 1997 and 1998, and 32 per cent. in 1999.
  623W

  Number of defendants at magistrates' courts committed for trial or sentence for a triable either-way offence1 in 1997, 1998 and January to June 19992

  Year

  Committed for trial

  Committed for sentence

  1997

  66,456

  6,823

  1998

  51,952

  18,185

  January-June 19992

  25,777

  9,533

  1 Where the triable either-way offence is the principal offence

  2 Data for this period are provisional

  Young Offender Institutions
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to re-role existing adult prisons as(a) young offender institutions or (b) young offender institutions holding 16 and 17-year-olds. [110436]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Prison Service is considering a proposal to re-role Blantyre House, an adult male prison to a young offender institution for under 18-year-old juvenile males. This forms part of a strategy drawn up by the Prison Service and the Youth Justice Board for securing further improvements to the under 18 secure estate. The proposal is contingent upon the availability of resources and trends in the prison population. No other adult prisons are being considered for re-role to a young offender institution, or young offender institution holding 16 and 17-year-olds. However, changes in the composition of the prison population may require the Prison Service to consider other strategic re-role options in future.

  Blantyre House Prison
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement about the future of Blantyre House Prison. [110438]

  Mr. Boateng
  I refer the right hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Chatham and Aylesford (Mr. Shaw) on 7 February 2000,Official Report, column 48W.

  Emergency Services
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the current penalties are for malicious calls to emergency services; and what plans he has to increase the penalties. [110314]

  Ms Hewitt
  I have been asked to reply.

  The penalties for malicious calls to the emergency services, as to any other party, are a maximum fine of £5,000, level 5 on the standard scale, or six months' imprisonment, under section 43 of the Telecommunications Act 1984 as amended by section 92 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994. Currently there are no plans to increase these. The penalties came into force on 3 February 1995, and include the option of a custodial sentence for the first time.

  Charity Commission
  Mr. Hope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the arrangements for the publication of the Charity Commission's Annual report. [111225]
  624W
  Mr. Boateng
  I have agreed that in future, the Charity Commission's Annual Report should be prepared on a financial year basis, rather than a calendar year basis. As a transitional measure, the next Annual Report will cover the 15 month period, 1 January 1999 to 31 March 2000 and should be published this Autumn.

  Boundary Commission
  Ms Rosie Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Boundary Commission for England intends to start the next general review of constituencies in England. [111226]

  Mr. Straw
  The Commission has given notice of its intention to commence a general review forthwith. It is required to report between April 2003 and April 2007.

  Departmental Expenditure Limit
  Maria Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proposals he has for changes to the 1999–2000 Departmental Expenditure Limits and running costs limits within his responsibility. [111227]

  Mr. Straw
  Subject to Parliamentary approval of the necessary Supplementary Estimates, the Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL), which covers Class IV Vote 1 (Home Office administration, police, probation, immigration and other services, England and Wales) and Vote 2 (Prisons, England and Wales), will be decreased by £71,496,000 from £7,763,444,000 to £7,691,948,000. The running cost limit will be decreased by £1,141,000 from £2,137,953,000 to £2,136,812,000. A separate running cost limit of £163,000 has been established for expenditure on Welfare to Work.

  The changes are the net effect of the following transfers: £60,000 to the Department of Health (Class II Vote 2) towards the cost of the Teenage Pregnancy Implementation Unit; £500,000 to the Department of Health (Class II Vote 2) for the publicity campaign costs on teenage pregnancy; £200,000 from the Lord Chancellor's Department (Class V Vote 1), £93,000 from the Crown Prosecution Service (Class V Vote 4) in relation to contributions towards the costs of the Integrated Business and Information Systems Unit; £1,000,000 from the Department for Education and Employment (Class I Vote 1) and £1,500,000 from the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Class III Vote 1) in support of the Youth Inclusion Programme; £411,000 from the Welsh Assembly (Class XIV Vote 1) to support Closed Circuit Television projects in Wales; £20,000 to the Department of Health (Class II Vote 2) for the development of a handbook for drug service commissioners; £25,000 from the Cabinet Office (Class XVII Vote 1) in relation to the transfer of posts from the security facilities division; £600,000 to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Class VII Vote 1) as contribution towards two overseas drug prevention projects; £9,612,000 from the DEL Reserve in respect of costs arising from the Kosovan humanitarian evacuation programmes; £176,000,000 from the DEL Reserve in respect of asylum support costs; £3,980,000 to the Scottish Executive for asylum seekers support arrangements; £233,000 to the Northern Ireland Office (Class XV Vote 1) in respect of legal services provided to the Northern Ireland Office; £56,000 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Class VII Vote 1) to cover the short-term attachment of the former Director of Operations (North) to the South African

  625W
  Department of Correctional Services; £45,000,000 from the DEL Reserve to fund the payment of special grant to local authorities for Kosovan evacuees. In addition, £300,000,000 in the DEL for asylum support costs has been reclassified as Annually Managed Expenditure.

  The decrease in the department's running costs limit is the net effect of the following transfers: £60,000 to the Department of Health towards the costs of the Teenage Pregnancy Implementation Unit; £200,000 from the Lord Chancellor's Department and £93,000 from the Crown Prosecution Service in relation to contributions towards the costs of the Integrated Business and Information Systems Unit; £25,000 from the Cabinet Office in relation to the transfer of posts from the security facilities division; £8,500,000 from the DEL Reserve in respect of asylum support costs; £233,000 to the Northern Ireland Office in respect of legal services provided to the Northern Ireland Office; £56,000 from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to cover the short term attachment of the former Director of Operations (North) to the South African Department of Correctional Services; £6,000,000 from the Prison Service's running costs to fund the issue of long term loans to the Forensic Science Service; £3,722,000 from the Departmental Unallocated Provision (running costs element) to other current expenditure to fund the purchase of DNA services from the Forensic Science Service.

  These changes will be offset by transfers or a charge on the Reserve and will not, therefore, add to the planned total of public expenditure.

CABINET OFFICE

  Research Contracts
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to her answer of 21 December 1999,Official Report, column 573W, what restrictions were placed on contractors carrying out research projects funded by her Department in 1999 in respect of them discussing their findings with journalists (a) before and (b) after publication. [108195]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  All research contracts placed using Cabinet Office standard terms and conditions of contract include the requirement for departmental consent to be granted prior to the disclosure of any information to journalists, both before and after publication. A copy of the standard Cabinet Office terms and conditions, which include the relevant conditions, has been placed in the Library.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Subtitling
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if it is his policy to ensure parity of subtitling across BBC1 and BBC2 and the new BBC digital channels before analogue switch-off. [106972]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 26 January 2000]: The provision of subtitling on BBC services is a matter for the BBC Governors and their policy is at least to match the targets set for any other broadcaster.
  626W
  I understand from the BBC that they have concentrated on subtitling their most popular analogue services and this has inevitably led to a disparity between BBC1 and BBC2. As a result, 63 per cent. of BBC1 is currently subtitled and 53 per cent. of BBC2. On digital services, 60 per cent. of output on digital BBC1 and BBC2 and 30 per cent. on BBC Choice is subtitled. The BBC has recently increased its targets for its new digital channels to 50 per cent. of subtitling within five years and 100 per cent. within ten years.

  Exercise England
  Mr. Pendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the future role of Exercise England in setting standards and regulations. [110088]

  Kate Hoey
  I understand that Exercise England is currently in the hands of the liquidator. Sport England is now looking to safeguard standards by buying out Exercise England's register of members and the rights to its standards and regulations database. Sport England is also considering which organisation would be most suitable to take on this responsibility in future.

  Remploy
  Mr. Caton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what Remploy products his Department has purchased in the last three years. [109937]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  My Department has no records of purchasing any Remploy products in the last three financial years.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what was the average amount of National Lottery grant awarded(a) per region and (b) per parliamentary constituency in each year since 1995; and if he will make a statement. [109923]

  Kate Hoey
  The tables show the average amount of National Lottery grant awarded(a) by English region and (b) by UK parliamentary constituency in each year since 1995. These figures have been taken from the National Lottery Awards database which has been compiled using information supplied by the lottery distributing bodies. The tables exclude lottery awards not attributed by the distributing bodies to a particular constituency or region. The constituency or regional information relates to the address to which the lottery award was sent.

  £

  Year

  Average amount of grant awarded per English region

  1995

  108,548,057

  1996

  185,166,968

  1997

  267,196,685

  1998

  139,391,778

  1999

  102,335,368

  20001

  5,224,042

  1 Correct to 11 February 2000

  627W

  £

  Year

  Average amount of grant awarded per parliamentary constituency

  1995

  1,480,532

  1996

  2,529,394

  1997

  3,647,867

  1998

  1,902,230

  1999

  1,387,355

  20001

  69,723

  1 Correct to 11 February 2000

  Welsh and Gaelic Language Television
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received on broadcasting Welsh and Gaelic language television programmes throughout the United Kingdom; and what proposals his Department has in this area. [110285]

  Janet Anderson
  My Department does not keep a separate record of such representations. S4C has already made its Welsh programmes more widely available on its digital satellite platforms while, in relation to Scottish Gaelic broadcasting, a task force established by the Scottish Executive is currently considering future provision; my Department is keeping in touch with its work.

  Works of Art (Nazi Era)
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will make an announcement about the establishment of a panel to advise on works of art which may have been looted during the Nazi era. [111224]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  I am very pleased to be able to announce that the right hon. Sir David Hirst' has agreed to chair a Spoliation Advisory Panel to consider and advise on claims from anyone who lost possession of a cultural object during the Nazi era where such an object is now in the possession of a UK national collection or in the possession of another UK museum or gallery established for the public benefit.

  The draft terms of reference for the Panel are set out below and I am now inviting interested organisations and individuals to let me have their views before these are finalised.

  Spoliation Advisory Panel

  Draft Constitution and Terms of Reference

  Members of the Panel
  1. The members of the Spoliation Advisory Panel ("the Panel") will be appointed by the Secretary of State on such terms and conditions as he thinks fit. The Secretary of State shall appoint one member as Chairman of the Panel.

  Resources for the Panel
  2. The Secretary of State will make available such resources as he considers necessary to enable the Panel to carry out its functions, including administrative support provided by a Secretariat ("the Secretariat").

  Functions of the Panel
  3. The task of the Panel is to consider claims from anyone (or from any one or more of their heirs), who lost possession of a cultural object ("the object") during the Nazi era, where such object is now in the possession of a UK national collection or in the possession of another UK museum or gallery established
  628W
  for the public benefit ("the institution"). The Panel shall advise the claimant and the institution on what would be appropriate action to take in response to such a claim. The Panel shall also be available to advise about any claim for an item in a private collection at the joint request of the claimant and the owner.
  4. In an appropriate case the Panel may also advise the Secretary of State

  (a) on what action should be taken in relation to general issues raised by the claim, and/or

  (b) where it considers that the circumstances of the particular claim warrant it, on what action should be taken in relation to that claim.

  Performance of the Panel's functions
  5. In performing the functions set out in paragraphs 3 and 4, the Panel's paramount purpose shall be to achieve a solution which is fair and just both to the claimant and to the institution.
  6. For this purpose the Panel shall:

  (a) make such factual and legal inquiries, (including the seeking of advice about legal matters, about cultural objects and about valuation of such objects) as the Panel consider appropriate to assess each claim as comprehensively as possible;

  (b) assess all information and material submitted by or on behalf of the claimant and the institution or any other person, or otherwise provided or known to the Panel;

  (c) examine and determine the circumstances in which the claimant was deprived of the object, whether by theft, forced sale, sale at an undervalue, or otherwise;

  (d) evaluate, on the balance of probability, the validity of the claimant's original title to the object, bearing in mind the difficulties of proving such title after the destruction of the Second World War and the Holocaust and the duration of the period which has elapsed since the claimant lost possession of the object;

  (e) give due weight to the moral strength of the claimant's case;

  (f) evaluate, on the balance of probability, the validity of the institution's title to the object;

  (g) consider whether any moral obligation rests on the institution taking into account in particular the circumstances of its acquisition of the object, and its knowledge at that juncture of the object's provenance;

  (h) take account of any relevant statutory provisions, including stipulations as to the institution's objectives, and any restrictions on its power of disposal;

  (i) take account of the terms of any trust instrument regulating the powers and duties of the trustees of the institution, and give appropriate weight to their fiduciary duties;

  (j) where appropriate assess the current market value of the object, and

  (k) formulate and submit to the claimant, the institution and the Secretary of State, its advice in a written report, giving reasons.

  Scope of Advice
  7. If the Panel upholds the claim in principle, it may recommend either:

  (a) the return of the object to the claimant, or

  (b) the payment of compensation to the claimant, the amount being in the discretion of the Panel having regard to all relevant circumstances, and not tied to the current market value, or

  (c) an ex gratia payment to the claimant, or

  (d) the display alongside the object of an account of its history and provenance during and since the Nazi era, with special reference to the claimant's interest therein; and

  629W

  (e) that negotiations should be conducted with the successful claimant in order to implement such a recommendation as expeditiously as possible.

  8. Where the Panel considers it appropriate to advise the Secretary of State under paragraph 4(a), it may make such recommendations in relation to general issues raised by the claim as it considers fit.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Sellafield
  Mr. Leslie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Health and Safety Executive and BNFL to report on the situation at Sellafield; and if he will make a statement. [111334]

  Mrs. Liddell
  Three HSE reports on the Sellafield site will be published by HSE tomorrow, Friday 18 February. BNFL's report into the data falsification incident at its MOX demonstration facility at Sellafield will also be published tomorrow. I will make arrangements for copies of the three HSE reports and the BNFL report to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Hawk Exports (Zimbabwe)
  Mr. Hilary Benn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Government of Zimbabwe has paid for(a) the Hawk aircraft and (b) the spare parts for these aircraft for which export credits guarantee support has been given. [109729]

  Mr. Caborn
  [holding answer 14 February 2000]: ECGD supported bank loans to finance the sale of Hawk Aircraft and associated equipment to Zimbabwe in 1981 and 1989. These loans have been repaid.

  Objective 2
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to enable GO-East to manage the Objective 2 Programme in the Eastern Region. [110137]

  Mr. Caborn
  In deciding on my Department's contribution to GO East's running costs for the financial year 2000–01 I shall have regard to the additional administrative demands which will arise if the European Commission agrees to a substantial Objective 2 Programme in the East of England.

  Ilisu Dam
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with Turkey about the impact of the plans for the Ilisu Dam on neighbouring countries; and if he will make a statement. [110029]

  Mr. Caborn
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State personally has had no discussions with Turkey about this matter. ECGD and FCO officials are continuing discussions with the other export credit agencies involved and the Turkish authorities on a number of issues, of which this is one.

  Defence Exports (Bahrain)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the export licences for defence equipment to Bahrain for each of the past five years, indicating the amount underwritten by the ECGD. [109488]

  Dr. Howells
  [holding answer 14 February 2000]: The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated. Between 1 January 1995 and 1 May 1997, 71 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and 19 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in Bahrain of goods subject to control by being listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List.

  As regards export licences granted for the export of military goods to Bahrain between 2 May 1997 and 31 December 1998, details of export licensing decisions in this period were set out in the Government's Annual Reports published by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in March and November 1999. The Reports give details of the military equipment licensed for export during the periods as well as the ratings of these goods. Similar details of the military equipment licensed in later years will be set out in the relevant Annual Reports.

  As regards licences granted since 1 January 1999, the Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated. Between 1 January 1999 and 31 January 2000, 17 SIELs and 14 OIELs have been issued covering the export of the relevant goods to Bahrain. A breakdown of the licences issued between 1 January 1995 and 1 May 1997 and between 1 January 1999 and 31 January 2000 are set out in the tables.

  Individual licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings (and OIELs may also cover a range of countries). Where this is so, the licence is included in the table in the total for all of the relevant ratings.

  Standard Individual Export Licences issued for the export to Bahrain of goods on the Military List

  Rating

  1995

  1996

  1 January 1997 to 1 May 1997

  1 January 1999 to 31 January 2000

  ML1

  10

  9

  3

  9

  ML2

  2

  0

  0

  3

  ML3

  2

  5

  1

  2

  ML4

  1

  3

  0

  0

  ML5

  1

  1

  0

  4

  ML6

  0

  2

  0

  0

  ML7

  4

  2

  1

  0

  ML9

  0

  1

  0

  0

  ML10

  1

  1

  0

  2

  ML11

  2

  6

  2

  0

  ML13

  0

  2

  1

  0

  ML15

  4

  3

  0

  1

  ML24

  0

  1

  0

  0

  PL5006

  1

  1

  0

  0

  PL5017

  0

  0

  0

  3

  PL5018

  1

  1

  0

  1

  PL5021

  0

  1

  0

  0

  PL5032

  0

  1

  0

  0

  631W

  Open Individual Export Licences issued for the export to Bahrain of goods on the Military List

  Rating

  1995

  1996

  1 January 1997 to 1 May 1997

  1 January 1999 to 31 January 2000

  ML1

  0

  0

  0

  1

  ML2

  0

  0

  0

  1

  ML3

  0

  0

  0

  1

  ML4

  0

  2

  0

  2

  ML5

  0

  3

  0

  7

  ML6

  0

  2

  0

  3

  ML11

  2

  5

  0

  6

  ML13

  1

  5

  0

  1

  PL5006

  0

  0

  0

  1

  PL5017

  1

  1

  0

  1

  PL5030

  0

  0

  0

  1

  This information does not cover any Media OIELs that may have been issued during this period. Media OIELs authorise the export to all destinations of protective clothing, mainly for the protection of aid agency workers and journalists, when working in areas of conflict.

  This information should be considered in light of the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kingswood (Mr. Berry) on 27 July 1999, Official Report, columns 307–08W.

  In addition, Bahrain is a permitted destination on certain Open General Export Licences, covering the export of goods on the Military List; copies of all Open General Export Licences valid at any time during the period are in the Library of the House.

  As regards export credit, ECGD has not provided cover in support of the export of any defence related equipment to Bahrain in any of the last five years.

  Arms Exports
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the circumstances in which it is possible to revoke arms export licences. [110167]

  Dr. Howells
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Crosby (Mrs. Curtis-Thomas) on 14 July 1999,Official Report, columns 155–56W.

  Post Offices
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of the ATMs earmarked for post offices have been installed; and if he will list their whereabouts. [110175]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  I understand from the Post Office that the first of the ATMs under the new partnerships will be installed during the summer. The sites are still being agreed but they will be located at post offices across the whole of the UK, in both rural and urban areas.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria will be used to decide the location of the ATMs to be sited at sub-post offices. [110174]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  I understand from the Post Office that all offices in the Post Office network will be considered for an ATM. The selection process and criteria used for selection are commercial and operational matters for the Post Office and its partners.
  632W
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Post Office and banks concerning(a) the criteria to be used for locating ATMs in post offices and (b) the additional income to sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses ATMs are planned to generate. [110176]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  These are commercial and operational matters for the Post Office.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry in each year since 1979, how many sub-post offices have closed; and how many of that number closed because no-one was prepared to take the business over following the(a) death and (b) retirement of the sub-postmaster or sub-postmistress. [110177]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  I understand from the Post Office that the numbers of sub-post offices which have closed in each financial year since 1978–79 are as follows:

  Number of sub-post offices

  Closures in the year

  1978–79

  21,213

  21

  1979–80

  21,056

  157

  1980–81

  20,894

  162

  1981–82

  20,832

  62

  1982–83

  20,734

  98

  1983–84

  20,499

  235

  1984–85

  20,110

  389

  1985–86

  19,796

  314

  1986–87

  19,708

  88

  1987–88

  19,572

  136

  1988–89

  19,537

  35

  1989–90

  19,532

  5

  1990–91

  19,471

  61

  1991–92

  19,141

  330

  1992–93

  19,041

  100

  1993–94

  18,982

  59

  1994–95

  18,826

  156

  1995–96

  18,761

  65

  1996–97

  18,645

  116

  1997–98

  18,407

  238

  1998–99

  18,175

  232

  No detailed records are kept on reasons for closure. In many cases closure would have been the result of no one being prepared to take over the business.

  Paper and Timber Products
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken to ensure that paper and timber products purchased by his Department come from a sustainable source. [110149]

  Dr. Howells
  The Department's Estates and Facilities Management Directorate has established an Environmental Management System. This system requires all timber products to be purchased from a sustainable source.

  The Department encourages staff to purchase recycled paper where practicable; at present recycled paper accounts for some 44 per cent. of consumption.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he has taken since 1997 to reduce the administrative burden on small businesses. [109562]
  633W
  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 14 February 2000]: One of the key steps has been to establish the Small Business Service, which is to be formally launched in April this year. One of the primary functions of the Small Business Service will be to find ways of reducing the regulatory burden encountered by small business, by eliminating unnecessary regulations wherever possible and ensuring that the "Think Small First" principle is applied across Whitehall to all new regulations. The Small Business Service will also encourage Government Departments to make information on regulations more comprehensible and accessible, including through an SBS gateway.

  Other important measures taken by the Department include exempting small shops from the EU requirement to unit price pre-packaged goods in fixed quantities and exempting employers with 20 or fewer employees from the trade union recognition procedures in the Employment Relations Act 1999. In addition we have recently consulted on proposals to increase the threshold below which companies are not required to have their accounts independently audited.

  Nuclear Fuel (South Korea)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what quantity of nuclear fuel containing reprocessed uranium has been(a) licensed for export and (b) subsequently exported by BNFL to South Korea for use in the Hanaro research reactor at Daeduk; and what bilateral nuclear co-operation agreements are in force between the United Kingdom and South Korea. [109908]

  Mrs. Liddell
  An export licence was granted on 11 November 1997 for the export of up to 50kg of recycled low enriched uranium powder to the Republic of Korea for research and development on nuclear fuel. My officials have been informed by the company that a shipment of 43.7kg of uranium was made under this licence in 1998. I am disclosing this information in accordance with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  The UK has an agreement with the Republic of Korea for Co-operation in the Peaceful uses of Nuclear Energy which was presented to Parliament in June 1992 (cmnd 1961).

  BRITECH Initiative
  Dr. Starkey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list those firms participating in the BRITECH initiative in(a) Israel and (b) Britain. [109540]

  Ms Hewitt
  The BRITECH Foundation Ltd., which administers the BRITECH Fund, has recently been established. The Foundation has not yet made any grants from the Fund to UK or Israeli firms.

  Home Work Convention
  Mr. Ian Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to ratify ILO Convention No. 177 on Home Work; and if he will make a statement. [110381]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  The Government are committed to fair and decent minimum standards for all workers, including those who work from home. Our approach is fully in line with the principles of the ILO Convention 634W
  which calls for policies to promote equality of treatment between homeworkers and other workers. The Government White Paper published in December 1997 makes it clear that we are working towards ratification of the Convention, on a basis which does not impose excessive burdens on business.

  Competition Act 1998
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many requests there have been for the Director General of Fair Trading to examine agreements under section 12 of the Competition Act 1998. [110365]

  Dr. Howells
  None. Parties cannot make use of the notification provisions in Part I of the Act until the Act itself comes fully into force on 1 March 2000. The transitional arrangements in schedule 13 of the Act allow parties to agreements made between the time the Act received Royal Assent (9 November 1998) and 1 March 2000 to notify those agreements to the Director General for guidance. To date (15 February) there have been 10 such notifications.

  Hydro-Agri
  Shona McIsaac
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on Hydro-Agri' s plans to restructure their UK operations. [110209]

  Mr. Caborn
  [holding answer 15 February 2000]: I am aware that discussions are taking place concerning the future of Hydro-Agri' s fertiliser manufacturing plant at Immingham. However, as it is a commercial matter for the company, it is not an issue on which it would be appropriate for me to comment.

  Millennium Bug
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what identifiable operational difficulties were caused to(a) nuclear power stations and (b) other nuclear facilities as a result of computer and other malfunctions arising from the Year 2000 millennium bug. [110651]

  Mrs. Liddell
  No identifiable operational difficulties occurred at any of the nuclear installations in the UK because of Y2k difficulties.

  Ukraine
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, under the G8 memorandum of understanding, Ukraine is intended to receive international funding for the continuing Chernobyl clean-up operation(a) before and (b) after the closure of reactor number three. [110573]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The G7/EU Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Ukraine covers a wide range of support to Ukraine to allow them to close Chernobyl by 2000—including assistance in areas of nuclear safety, energy efficiency, energy investments and the social impact resulting from closure. The MOU does not stipulate whether this support is to be given before or after closure of Chernobyl 3. In practice, much assistance has already been given and will continue after the anticipated closure of Chernobyl this year.
  635W
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much Britain has pledged as part of the G8 funding for the Chernobyl clean-up operation. [110574]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The UK has pledged $16.82 million to the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) managed Chernobyl Shelter Fund (CSF), set up to finance work to repair the sarcophagus surrounding the damaged reactor 4 at Chernobyl, and a contribution of £18.25 million has been made to the EBRD managed Nuclear Safety Account (NSA), which is helping to fund a range of nuclear safety projects, including two pre-decommissioning facilities at Chernobyl. Further G8 contributions to the CSF are under consideration.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the UK and EU tariffs applicable to products imported from Ukraine. [110578]

  Mr. Caborn
  Goods imported from the Ukraine into the EU are charged either the tariffs laid down in the Common Customs Tariff of the European Communities, or, if they qualify, the preferential rates applicable to Ukrainian goods under the Community's Generalised Scheme of Preference.

  Full details are published in Her Majesty's Customs and Excise Integrated Tariff of the United Kingdom, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Peat Compost
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to phase out the use of peat compost in gardens(a) owned and (b) tended by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [110718]

  Dr. Howells
  The Department's current policy is not to use peat compost.

  Recycling
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportions of the material in(a) cars, (b) computers, (c) refrigerators and (d) televisions are recycled. [110349]

  Ms Hewitt
  There are no published "average" figures for the recycled content of any of these products. However, there are industry estimates available for the amounts of each product which are recycled at the end of their lives, except for televisions, where the level of recycling is low and no firm figures are available.

  (a) Cars—according to figures from the industry's Automotive Consortium on Recycling and Disposal report, 1.8 million vehicles (two million tonnes) came to the end of their lives in 1998. Around 75 per cent. of the material from these vehicles was recovered for reuse.

  (b) Computers—the Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling (ICER) estimates waste arisings of 125,000 tonnes of IT equipment per year. In 1997, recyclers handled around 30,100 tonnes of this equipment of which about 35 per cent. was reused and 58 per cent. was recycled, which equates to a recycling rate of 14 per cent. for IT equipment.

  636W

  (c) Refrigerators—ICER estimate that approximately 90 per cent. of large white goods, including refrigerators, are entering the recycling market. The former Warren Spring Laboratory estimated in 1993 that around 59 per cent. of material in refrigerators is recycled when processed by a shredder.

  (d) Televisions—televisions fall into the category generally known as brown goods. ICER estimate annual waste arisings in this category of around 53,300 tonnes, and televisions are thought to make up around 50 per cent. of this total. The recycling of televisions is not as commercially attractive as the recycling of computer equipment. As a result, the level of recycling is low and no firm figures are available.

  Custodian of Enemy Property, Palestine
  Mr. Borrow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if his Department has completed the report into the affairs of the Custodian of Enemy Property, Palestine. [111238]

  Mr. Byers
  Yes. I have arranged for copies of the report to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Departmental Functions (Food)
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if all food served at his Department's official functions meets the standards of production required of domestic producers. [109783]

  Mr. Lock
  [holding answer 11 February 2000]: The Department has contracted out catering. All food served at official functions by the caterers fully complies with current Environmental Health Authority legislation. The caterers are also ISO 9002 accredited.

  Our caterers confirm under their specification that all pig and cow meat purchased by their supplier is born and bred in either the UK or Ireland, that the livestock are free range, and not fed meat and bonemeal foodstuffs. Their supplier is audited and verified regularly to ensure compliance with these specifications.

  Paper and Timber Products
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he has taken to ensure that paper and timber products purchased by his Department come from a sustainable source. [110163]

  Mr. Lock
  The Lord Chancellor's Department includes a requirement in specifications for plain paper, and paper for publications, that any virgin wood pulp is to be sourced from sustainably managed forests. My Department also specifies that all timber products be sourced from independently verified sustainable sources and that no products supplied to us are made from rare woods as classified by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).

  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will ensure that paper and timber products purchased by his Department are independently certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as coming from a sustainable source. [110164]
  637W
  Mr. Lock
  The Lord Chancellor's Department already requires all timber and timber products to come from independently verified sustainable sources. No accreditation body is currently specified for certificates, but the supplier of our plain paper is part of a group supporting the verification of forestry management standards via the Forest Stewardship Council accreditation process.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Budget Requirements (London)
  Mr. Fitzpatrick
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what budget requirements he has set for the Greater London Authority, Transport for London, the London Development Agency, the Metropolitan Police Authority and the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority for 2000–01; and what will be the Greater London Authority's precepts for that year. [111119]

  Mr. Hill
  After considering responses to the consultation paper announced on 27 January 2000,Official Report, column 270W, I have today decided not to alter the proposed consolidated budget requirement for the GLA and functional bodies for 2000–01 of £2,178,800,000. The component budget requirements will also remain unchanged. These are:

  £

  Greater London Authority

  32,500,000

  Transport for London

  9,900,000

  London Development Agency

  0

  Metropolitan Police Authority

  1,830,000,000

  London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority

  306,400,000

  I have determined General GLA Grant at £22,300,000 and today will be issuing on behalf of the GLA precepts totalling £335,702,801. For a Band D council tax payer, this is equivalent to £122.98 a year in the London boroughs and £32.03 a year in the City, of which £1.72 or about 3p a week, is to fund the new GLA services.

  Regional Eurostar Services
  Mr. Doug Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has received the consultants report he commissioned on regional Eurostar services; and if he will make a statement. [111272]

  Mr. Hill
  Arthur D. Little' s report on regional Eurostar services is published today. I have placed copies in the Libraries of both Houses.

  The report considers whether Eurostar services directly serving the English regions and Scotland would be financially viable, and what wider transport and social benefits they would bring. The consultants consulted widely with local and regional authorities and groups. The report provides an independent assessment of the costs and impacts of a range of options.
  638W
  Under Section 40 of the Channel Tunnel Act 1987, the British Railways Board, now part of the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority, has a duty to prepare a plan for regional international rail services. The Board is now reviewing its 1989 plan. It will no doubt wish to consider the Arthur D. Little report in that review, which it expects to conclude in early summer. In the longer term, the Strategic Rail Authority will have a duty to produce a strategy for services in various parts of Great Britain for facilitating the carriage of passengers by way of the Channel Tunnel.

  I am today giving the go ahead for Eurostar UK Limited to lease some of the regional trains to GNER for a limited period, for additional services on the East Coast Main Line. This will allow regional passengers to enjoy an immediate benefit from the investment made in these trains, while leaving open future options for the use of the trains for regional Eurostar services. This arrangement accords with the recommendation of the Select Committee on the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs that leasing to a domestic rail operator should be considered while decisions on regional Eurostar services were under review.

  Free Parking
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with each of the London borough councils as to their policy of providing free parking facilities within their borough; and if he will make a statement. [108016]

  Mr. Hill
  The Secretary of State's "Traffic Management and Parking Guidance for London", published in February 1998, a copy of which is in the Library, gives advice to the London boroughs on the development of a parking strategy and the level of parking charges, which must be set for traffic management reasons. I am in contact with the London boroughs (including regular meetings with the Association of London Government) on all their transport and traffic management issues.

  Departmental Staff
  Caroline Flint
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what child care provision was made available in the financial year 1998–99 for use by (i) his departmental staff and (ii) employees of executive agencies under the control of his Department; what was the cost to parents of this child care; and how many parents used the facilities. [108832]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office set out in his reply of 15 February 2000,Official Report, columns 518–20W, the importance of family friendly policies to the Civil Service Reform programme, and action in respect of the pilot studies.

  In this Department (i) DETR(C) provides 11 subsidised workplace nursery places. The DETR(C) subsidy for nursery places is 48 per cent. The weekly cost to parents for each place for financial year 1998–99 ranged from £79.00 to £84.50. A total of 10 parents used the nurseries during that period.

  DETR(C) participates in a Holiday Playscheme open to permanent members of staff with children between the ages of five and 12 years. The Department funds

  639W
  50 per cent. of the cost of places. The daily cost to parents in financial year 1998–99 was £8.06. A total number of 28 parents used the playscheme.

  Provision of child care differs across the Executive Agencies. Most provide holiday playschemes and subsidised nursery places. The cost to parents for the financial year 1998–99 ranged from £52.00 to £80.00 per week for a nursery place, and between £5.00 to £9.00 a day for a playscheme place. The total number of parents in the Executive Agencies making use of child care provision ranged from five to 40.

  The Department and its Executive Agencies will reimburse child care costs incurred when work requirements demand a change to a member of staff's normal working hours eg to attend a training course.

  Caroline Flint
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provisions are made available to (i) departmental staff and (ii) employees of executive agencies under the control of his Department, for(a) maternity leave, (b) maternity pay, (c) paternity leave, (d) parental leave, (e) flexible working hours, (f) part-time work, (g) job sharing, (h) leave to care for sick children, (i) home-working, (j) term-time contracts, (k) annual hours contract, (l) child care allowances, (m) careers' leave and (n) career break schemes; and what criteria are used to judge eligibility in each case. [108849]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office set out in his reply of 15 February 2000,Official Report, columns 519–22W, corporate actions that we are taking as part of the civil service reform programme to improve the balance between work and private life. In this Department (including its Agencies) staff with one year of service or more are entitled to 18 weeks maternity leave on full pay plus up to 34 weeks unpaid maternity leave in the period of 11 weeks before and 41 weeks after childbirth. Staff with more than 26 weeks, but less than one year, of service are entitled to 18 weeks maternity leave with Statutory Maternity Pay and 22 weeks unpaid leave in the period of 11 weeks before and 29 weeks after childbirth. Staff with less than 26 weeks service are entitled to 18 weeks unpaid maternity leave which may be extended by a further 11 weeks.

  Across the Department, paternity leave ranges from between five and 10 days on full pay. This leave may be taken either at the time of the birth or during the following weeks. Unpaid paternity leave of varying lengths is offered in some parts of the Department. Parental leave applies across the Department as set out in the Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999. Departmental staff are covered by arrangements based on the default provisions as set out in the Maternity and Parental Leave etc. Regulations 1999.

  Flexible working hours are, subject to management requirements, available to staff across the Department. A variety of arrangements and opportunities for part-time working and job sharing are available throughout the Department with some parts now opening up all posts to part-time and job sharing unless it is operationally vital that they be full time only. Across the Department paid leave up to five days may be granted to DETR(C) staff to
  640W
  take care of or make arrangements for dealing with the illness of a sick child. Additionally a period of unpaid leave may be granted if the illness continues.

  Homeworking is available throughout the Department subject to the cost and business implications. Requests to work from home are generally taken on a case-by-case basis. Requests to work to term time or annual hours contracts will be considered throughout the Department. Child care support throughout the Department ranges from participation in subsidised workplace nurseries and holiday playschemes and reimbursement of additional child care costs incurred by attending training or other work events.

  Career breaks of up to five years unpaid are open to staff throughout the Department. In all the above cases the criteria used to judge eligibility is based on statutory requirements and/or on staff handbooks and particular Agency guidelines. In some cases management discretion will apply.

  Caroline Flint
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in each of the last five years, what proportion of women employees in (i) his Department and (ii) executive agencies under the control of his Department(a) returned to work after childbirth, (b) returned to work after childbirth before the end of maternity leave, indicating the (1) time-range and (2) mean time, (c) returned to work after childbirth on reduced working hours, indicating the average hours worked and (d) returned to work after childbirth full-time and subsequently reduced their hours. [108971]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office set out in his reply of 15 February 2000,Official Report, column 519W, corporate actions that we are taking as part of the Civil Service reform programme to improve the balance between work and private life. In this Department (including its Agencies) the number of women who have returned to work after childbirth in the last five years are as follows:

  Women returning after childbirth

  Number of which returned before end of maternity leave

  1995

  129

  15

  1996

  116

  22

  1997

  150

  35

  1998

  141

  28

  1999

  118

  25

  We are unable to provide reliable information on the time range and mean time for staff returning to work after childbirth and before the end of maternity leave.

  As regards the number of women returning to work after childbirth on reduced working hours, we do not have figures for 1995 and 1996; however, the figures for 1997 to 1999 are:

  13 in 1997

  22 in 1998

  15 in 1999.

  641W
  The average hours worked ranged from between 21.3 to 23.9. Finally, the number of women who returned to work after childbirth full-time and subsequently reduced their hours are:

  16 in 1995 and 1996;

  23 in 1997;

  38 in 1998; and

  23 in 1999.

  Unfit Drivers
  Mr. O'Hara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what further measures he plans to prevent persons who are unfit to drive from being licensed to drive vehicles on public roads. [109814]

  Mr. Hill
  The present legislative and administrative systems are intended to allow only those who qualify to be granted a driving licence. It is not at present planned to introduce further measures. However, the statutory requirement to declare medical conditions that may affect a person's fitness to drive will continue to be reinforced through publicity and, with their co-operation, through the medical profession.

  Car Insurance
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is taking to combat the avoidance of car insurance. [109579]

  Mr. Hill
  Evidence of valid insurance must be produced when a vehicle is licensed and the Vehicle Excise Duty is paid. Police have wide powers to stop vehicles and check insurance. As a result more than 250,000 motorists are convicted of insurance evasion each year. When vehicles are clamped and impounded for not displaying a tax disc an insurance certificate must be produced in order to buy the disc and reclaim the vehicle. The department is supporting the Association of British Insurers in setting up a computerised insurance database with links to the vehicle register. This should be operational by autumn next year.

  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to introduce measures to make the displaying of a car insurance certificate on the car compulsory. [109580]

  Mr. Hill
  Display of a certificate would provide no assurance that the driver was covered by an insurance policy or was complying with policy conditions. Although the Government have not discarded the possibility of a requirement to display evidence of insurance, it appears at present that other measures, such as a computerised insurance database, would offer a better approach to the problem of the irresponsible minority of drivers who fail to take out insurance.

  Chief Nuclear Inspector
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the reason for the Chief Nuclear Inspector's recent visit to Japan; and what discussions he held about the purpose of his visit with departmental Ministers and Officials in advance of his visit. [109907]
  642W
  Mr. Meacher
  HM Chief Inspector of Nuclear Installations, Mr. Laurence Williams, visited Japan on 7–11 February to brief his opposite number on the conclusions of HSE's forthcoming report "An Investigation into the falsification of pellet diameter data in the MOX Demonstration Facility at the BNFL Sellafield site and the effect of this on the safety of MOX fuel in use". He was not part of the Department of Trade and Industry team visiting Japan at the same time.

  My Department was briefed by HSE officials about the purpose of the visit. In view of her accountability to Parliament for nuclear safety, the Minister of State for Energy and Competitiveness in Europe met the Chief Inspector and HSE officials on 2 February, following which she wrote to the Chair of the Health and Safety Commission to stress the independence of the HSE. I am placing in the Library a copy of this letter, together with a letter to the Japanese Minister for International Trade and Industry on 26 January about the Chief Inspector's visit.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many cases were heard in 1999 against employers who had exposed their workforce to asbestos; how many employers were found guilty of this offence; and what fines were imposed. [109998]

  Mr. Meacher
  Information for December 1999 is not yet available.

  Between 1 January and 30 November 1999, 39 cases were heard for breaches of the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987 (as amended). This figure includes cases against both employers and the self-employed, and comprises 100 informations laid, or charges preferred (Scotland). It includes all breaches of the Regulations, not all of which may have been for permitting the exposure of employees to asbestos.

  The provisional results, recorded so far, indicate that there were 31 guilty verdicts on individual informations laid or charges preferred. One case was referred to a higher court on indictment, 67 cases were adjourned, and a result of not guilty was found on one charge preferred.

  The fines imposed as a result of the 31 guilty verdicts on individual informations laid or charges preferred were as follows:

  1 fine of £100,000

  2 fines of £60,000

  3 fines of £6,000

  5 fines of £5,000

  2 fines of £4,000

  3 fines of £3,500

  3 fines of £2,500

  2 fines of £2,000

  1 fine of £1,500

  4 fines of £1,000

  1 fine amount unrecorded.

  In addition three cases resulted in a Community Service order and one defendant was conditionally discharged.

  Health and Safety Prosecutions
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the average fine imposed in cases heard in 1999 against employers for health and safety offences involving their workforce; and if he will make a statement. [109999]

  Mr. Meacher
  The average fine imposed on employers and others convicted in Health and Safety Executive cases heard in 1998–99 was £6,654, per defendant. The average fine in such cases, per individual offence, was £5,038. These are provisional figures. The average fine per individual offence following local authority prosecutions in health and safety at work cases was £2,224 in 1997–98. Providing a figure for the average fine in cases against employers for offences involving their workforce would entail disproportionate cost.

  The general level of fines imposed by the courts for health and safety at work offences has been far too low to properly reflect their true seriousness. In November 1998, the Court of Appeal said in a judgment that health and safety fines were too low and set out factors which should guide future health and safety sentencing. I welcome the Health and Safety at Work (Offences) Bill introduced to Parliament by my hon. Friend the Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Savidge) which is taking forward the Government's intention to raise the maximum penalties for health and safety offences, especially making imprisonment available for a wider range of these offences. I hope this measure will send a clear message to all employers that society will not tolerate failures to safeguard health and safety.

  Motor Vehicle Ban
  Mr. Dobbin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will assess the advantages and disadvantages of banning motor vehicles from UK cities for a period of one day as part of an experimental environmental awareness programme. [110000]

  Mr. Hill
  Our view is that it is for local authorities to assess the case for banning motor vehicles, if they wish to, taking into account local circumstances. I understand that several UK local authorities are interested in taking part in the European Car Free Day on 22 September 2000.

  Urban Waste Water Directive
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects the Anglian region to meet the requirements of the Urban Waste Water Directive for primary and secondary sewage treatment. [109948]

  Mr. Mullin
  Following our decision in September 1998 to reverse the previous Government's policy of seeking to apply primary treatment only, for coastal discharges into areas of high natural dispersion, water companies are required to install secondary treatment at all major discharges as soon as practicable. Wherever possible they are expected to meet the initial deadlines set out in the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. The majority of large works in Anglian region already have secondary treatment and we expect these to be compliant at or before the end of December 2000. Seven coastal discharges, into areas previously designated as areas of high natural 644W
  dispersion, will have secondary treatment installed at or before December 2001. Some of these works already have primary treatment. In other cases, primary treatment will be installed as part of the total scheme to deliver treatment to secondary level.

  Secondary treatment for smaller works will be delivered as part of the investment programme for Anglian water provided for in the recent determination by OFWAT of price limits for the period 2000 to 2005. These schemes are scheduled to be delivered by the end of March 2005, within the timescale required by the Directive.

  The Environment Agency has agreed completion dates for each of these schemes with Anglian water. We expect the Agency to make prompt use of its enforcement powers, if the dates are not met.

  Newspaper Recycling
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assistance his Department gives to the UK newsprint industry to encourage newspaper recycling(a) at a local level and (b) at a national level. [110101]

  Mr. Mullin
  At present, my Department gives no assistance to the UK newsprint industry.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the environmental implications of newspaper recycling. [110103]

  Mr. Mullin
  I have taken into account a range of reports and investigations into the implications of newspaper recycling from a variety of sources. At this stage, there is no common agreement on the precise impacts of newspaper recycling in comparison with other end-of-life options.

  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will calculate the proportion of newsprint currently consisting of recycled material. [110105]

  Mr. Mullin
  According to information supplied by the Newspaper Publishers Association, newspaper publishers in the UK use newsprint containing both virgin and recycled paper in varying proportions, and on average recycled paper made up 52.4 per cent. of the raw material for UK newspapers in 1998.

  Euratom
  Mr. Livsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for further consultation on the European Union Directive 96/29 on Euratom. [110172]

  Mr. Meacher
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Shipley (Mr. Leslie) on 14 February 2000,Official Report, columns 356–57W.

  Public Transport Employees (Attacks)
  Dan Norris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many recorded attacks there were upon public transport employees in each of the years from 1992 to date. [110239]
  645W
  Mr. Meacher
  The only statutory reporting system for attacks on employees in public sector transport is the Reporting of Injuries, Diseases and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR), which came into effect on 1 April 1996. RIDDOR defined, for the first time, an "accident" as including"an act of non-consensual violence done to a person at work".

  RIDDOR requires the reporting of all incidents which cause a fatality or major injury, or result in the employee being unable to work or to undertake the full range of their normal duties, for more than three days.

  Reported assaults on employees in public transport sectors subject to RIDDOR are as follows:

  Number

  1996–97

  522

  1997–98

  577

  1998–99

  1651

  1 Provisional figure

  Manor Farm Estate, Scunthorpe
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that the residents of the Manor Farm Estate in Scunthorpe receive a definite offer of 100 per cent. compensation immediately. [110311]

  Mr. Mullin
  On 30 November 1999, my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning and officials of the Department met representatives of North Lincolnshire Council, my hon. Friend the Member for Scunthorpe (Mr. Morley) and also a local estate agent acting on behalf of the property owners, to discuss the issue of compensation. At that meeting a number of options were explored, with a view to seeking the best possible solution and a fair deal for those concerned.

  From that we believe that a positive way forward, involving the use of "buy back" provisions, has been identified. This, including the proposed compensation arrangements, is now subject to further discussions between North Lincolnshire Council and the owner-occupiers concerned. My Department and North Lincolnshire are hopeful that this will lead to a positive outcome for all concerned.

  Advertising Budgets
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his Department's advertising budget for(a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01. [110259]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 16 February 2000]: The Department's advertising budget for 1999–2000 is £13,160,000 and for 2000–01 is £16,150,000. The Department uses advertising, in conjunction with a range of other publicity activities, to promote its key road safety messages (on subjects such as drinking and driving, speed, using mobile phones while driving and rear seat belts) and environmental awareness messages (through the Are You Doing Your Bit? campaign). The figures provided do not include the cost of statutory and recruitment advertising.
  646W
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the average cost of issuing a media release from his Department in 1999. [110272]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 16 February 2000]: The average cost of issuing a press release in 1999 was £104.

  Devolved Assemblies
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has for holding referendums to establish elected devolved assemblies in the regions of England. [110440]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  We said in our manifesto that, in time, we would introduce legislation to allow people, region by region, to decide in referendums whether they wanted directly elected regional government. We remain committed to this. However, finding the right arrangements may take time, just as the arrangements for Scotland, Wales and London have taken time.

  Rail Safety
  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress of Sir David Davies' assessment of rail safety systems. [110384]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 16 February 2000]: Sir David Davies' report on train protection systems will be published shortly.

  Secondment Policy
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the secondment policy in his Department. [110672]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The Department has a long history of seconding staff to organisations outside the civil service and of taking inward secondees. There have been secondments with the wider public sector, the private sector and the voluntary sector. The Department intends to build on these links as part of the Modernising Government initiative on bringing in talent and creating a more open civil service.

  Second Homes
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many second homes entitled to the 50 per cent. council tax discount there are in each district and county/unitary authority area; and what percentage they represent of domestic housing stock in each such area. [110204]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 15 February 2000]: I have placed in the Library of the House today a table showing the latest available information on the number of dwellings in each English district and county/unitary authority area which are entitled to the 50 per cent. council tax discount. Not all of the dwellings that receive the discount are second or holiday homes.

  647W
  The Department does not collect separate information on these dwellings. The 50 per cent. discount applies to all unoccupied dwellings and certain occupied dwellings such as those where all of the residents are disregarded—for example, households consisting of someone who is severely mentally impaired and their carer.

  National Air Traffic Services
  Mr. Galbraith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people are employed by the National Air Traffic Services at(a) Prestwick in Scotland and (b) in total throughout the United Kingdom. [111005]

  Mr. Mullin
  The air traffic control facilities at Prestwick comprise the Scottish Area Control Centre (ScACC), which handles traffic over Scotland and Northern Ireland, and the Oceanic Area Control Centre (OACC), which handles traffic over the north Atlantic to the west of the UK and Ireland. The combined facilities, sometimes referred to as ScOACC, currently employ a total of 532 staff, including 217 controllers. The overall number of UK staff employed by National Air Traffic Services totalled 5,372 at 31 March 1999.

  Leasehold Reform
  Mr. Portillo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he proposes to introduce legislation to enfranchise leaseholders. [110465]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Leaseholders of houses already enjoy rights to enfranchise their property under the Leasehold Reform Act 1967, and leaseholders of flats enjoy collective enfranchisement rights under the Leasehold Reform, Housing and Urban Development Act 1993. We intend to make these existing rights easier to exercise. The first stage in this will be the publication of a draft Commonhold and Leasehold Reform Bill for consultation during this session, as was announced in the Gracious Speech given on 17 November 1999,Official Report, columns 4–7. Following that consultation, we intend to bring forward legislation as soon as parliamentary time allows.

  Bus and Train Companies (Liquidation)
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what are the responsibilities of his Department in the event of a(a) bus and (b) train operating company going into liquidation. [110251]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 16 February 2000]: My right hon. Friend has no specific responsibilities if a train operating company or a bus company goes into liquidation. The Franchising Director has a responsibility to take over the operation of any franchised train operator in the event of premature termination of a franchise, as a result of liquidation of the company or for any other reason, and he has arrangements in readiness to do this at short notice, if necessary. London Transport Buses are responsible for the provision of bus services in London.

DEFENCE

  Bloody Sunday
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what(a) date he was informed of the establishment of a judicial inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday and the appointment of Lord Saville, (b) how many self-loading rifles were submitted for ballistic testing to the Widgery Inquiry, (c) how many of those rifles are available with their original barrels for examination, (d) on what dates were batches of those rifles sent for the fitting of new barrels and for destruction and (e) who was responsible for the decision in each instance; and if he will make a statement. [108485]

  Mr. Hoon
  The Government decision to set up a new inquiry into Bloody Sunday and the appointment of Lord Saville of Newdigate to chair the Tribunal of Inquiry was announced by the Prime Minister in the House of Commons on 29 January 1998.

  The Bloody Sunday Inquiry believe 29 self-loading rifles (SLRs) were submitted for ballistic testing during the Widgery Inquiry to the Department of Industrial and Forensic Science. It is not possible to say how many have retained their original barrels; it is highly probable that they would have been re-barrelled at some point during their operational lives, in which case their forensic value would be substantially reduced. Detailed records were not kept of repairs to SLRs and no record was kept of whether a rifle had been re-barrelled, or how many times this may have occurred. The SLR was declared obsolete in November 1997 and authority to commence destruction was given in January 1998. SLRs were therefore recalled for disposal in line with this policy. By the end of January 2000 approximately 116,000 rifles had been disposed of out of a total of 144,000.

  A list of 29 partial serial numbers, relating to the rifles fired on Bloody Sunday, was sent by the Inquiry to the MOD on 1 September 1999. From the information available it was not possible to identify the rifles until 29 September 1999. Of the 29, 14 were identified as having been issued for destruction on the following dates: 26 January 1998, 13 February 1998, 8 April 1998, 29 April 1998, 30 April 1998, 3 June 1998, 29 June 1998, 10 August 1998, 17 August 1998, 22 February 1999, 29 March 1999, 23 August 1999 and two on 24 September 1999. Ten rifles were identified as having been sold to private companies, leaving the five in the possession of the MOD. Despite an embargo on the movement of the remaining five, two of these rifles were destroyed on 26 and 28 January 2000.

  Thus 24 of the rifles were disposed of as part of the routine disposal programme at a time when they could not be identified as Bloody Sunday rifles from available MOD records. That two rifles have been destroyed since is a matter of deep regret and an investigation has been launched by the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police to which officers from the West Mercia Constabulary will be seconded. The Bloody Sunday Inquiry will be invited to send an observer. The remaining three rifles have been secured and the Bloody Sunday Inquiry has been given assurances about their safe keeping.
  649W
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent representations have been made to the Northern Ireland Office regarding proposals for a fresh inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday; and what response his Department has made. [108486]

  Mr. Hoon
  My Department was closely involved in considering the need for a fresh inquiry into Bloody Sunday and it has co-operated fully with the Tribunal of Inquiry chaired by Lord Saville. I am withholding details of internal discussion and advice under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Warships (South Atlantic)
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the cost of the deployment of warships in the South Atlantic in(a) the current financial year and (b) each of the next five years. [109864]

  Mr. Spellar
  The costs incurred by warships on manpower, fuel, port visits and associated minor costs, while deployed in the South Atlantic in the current financial year are approximately £10 million. Annual costs in future years are expected to be broadly similar.

  Sierra Leone
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what UK military units are deployed in support of the UN force in Sierra Leone; what further units he will deploy to the operation; and when. [110516]

  Mr. Hoon
  None. The UK currently has 15 military observers and six logistics personnel deployed in support of UNAMSIL. There are no plans to deploy formed units.

  Defence Medical Services
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the budget of the Defence Medical Services in 1998–99 and 1999–2000; what was the budget allocation to the(a) DSCA, (b) DDA, (c) DMTO and (d) MSA in the same period; and if he will make a statement. [109495]

  Dr. Moonie
  Information on budget allocations within the DMS is set out in the table.

  £ million

  Allocation

  Financial year 1998–99

  Financial year 1999–2000

  DMS total, of which:

  276.5

  301.7

  (a) DSCA

  113.4

  117.0

  (b) DDA

  33.8

  35.9

  (c) DMTO

  16.4

  21.4

  (d) MSA

  37.2

  48.6

  Note:

  The figures exclude devolved primary care costs, other than those for Germany, and various other posts filled by DMS personnel.

  Army Tanks and Vehicles (Maintenance)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the average time spent in maintenance for(a) Warrior variants, (b) Challenger One, (c) Challenger Two, (d) Saxon variants, (f) AVF 430 variants, (g) Sabre, (h) Striker, (i) Scimitar, (j) Spartan,
  650W
  (k) Sultan, (l) Samaritan and (m) Samson in each of the last five years; what proportion was planned maintenance; what proportions was reactive repair maintenance; and if he will make a statement. [109498]

  Mr. Spellar
  Maintenance of Army tanks and vehicles is carried out at four levels ranging from low level upkeep (eg tyres, batteries, lights) (Level 1) to major work conducted by the Army Base Repair Organisation or Industry (Level 4). This work, covering some 5,500 vehicles, is undertaken at over 150 locations both in the UK and overseas. Maintenance records are held by the Unit where the work is conducted and a networked information system is being developed to give greater overall visibility of the work undertaken. At present, however, the information is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Imphal Barracks
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the numbers of(a) officers and men and (b) civilian workers, there will be at Imphal Barracks, York, following the transfer of 2 Division HQ to Edinburgh. [109446]

  Mr. Spellar
  The number of people working in Imphal Barracks is currently changing as the Headquarters of the 2nd Division departs and the Defence Vetting Agency and the Queen's Gurkha Signal Squadron build up in strength. It is estimated that there will be 430 civilian staff in the Barracks by early 2001 and 546 military personnel by 2003.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Education and Training (Deprived Areas)
  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to raise the educational and training aspirations of young people from deprived areas. [109145]

  Mr. Wicks
  The new Connexions Service will raise the expectations and aspirations of all young people, wherever they live, by ensuring they receive the advice they need, when they need it, to make a success of their lives. In addition, we have introduced the £350 million Excellence in Cities programme and £60 million Neighbourhood Support Fund to focus specifically on the issues faced by young people in deprived areas.

  Information and Learning Technology (Access)
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans his Department has to extend access to information and learning technology among those who do not own computers. [109146]

  Mr. Wills
  We are taking a number of initiatives to ensure that the benefits of information and communication technologies are made available as widely as possible. These include the development of City Learning Centres, community ICT Learning Centres and also a scheme to support job seekers and families on low incomes in getting ready access to computers.

  New Deal
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the progress of the New Deal, specifying the total number of businesses that have participated to date. [109147]

  Ms Jowell
  The New Deal is progressing well, with 179,000 people into work through the New Deal for Young People and over 32,850 into work through the New Deal for Long Term Unemployed People by the end of November. To date 64,900 employers have signed New Deal agreements.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment for what reason information relating to whether employment is sustained is not provided in the Government's statistics concerning participants leaving the New Deal for Lone Parents to enter work; and if he will make a statement. [109275]

  Ms Hodge
  At present we are unable to say how many of the people who left the New Deal for Lone Parents for work are still in employment. If a lone parent were to leave their employment they may claim Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (among other possible benefits). Legislation allowing the Employment Service access to DSS data on Income Support claimants has only recently been passed in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill. Without this information it has been impossible for the Employment Service to know if a client has ceased employment and claimed Income Support. Work to measure the sustainability of jobs entered through New Deal for Lone Parents is under way as part of the continuous improvement strategy for New Deal.

  This issues is also covered in the evaluation of NDLP where a survey of lone parents (both participants and non-participants in NDLP) will take place in 2001.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of those participants who had left the New Deal for Lone Parents for jobs were still in employment at the latest date for which information is available. [109278]

  Ms Hodge
  At present we are unable to say how many of the people who left New Deal for Lone Parents for work are still in employment. If a lone parent were to leave their employment they may claim Income Support or Jobseekers Allowance (among other possible benefits). Legislation allowing the Employment Service access to Department for Social Security data on Income Support claimants has only recently been passed in the Welfare Reform and Pensions Bill. We are now looking into the possibility of tracking the employment status of clients after they leave New Deal for Lone Parents. We will also cover this issue through a separate evaluation survey in 2001.

  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the total cost of issuing letters to lone parents inviting them to participate in the New Deal for Lone Parents. [109276]

  Ms Hodge
  The total cost of issuing letters to lone parents inviting them to participate in the New Deal for Lone Parents to December 1999 is £196,498.15.
  652W
  The breakdown of the total cost is as follows:

  £

  Print costs

  56,180

  Initial set up costs

  29,061

  Postage costs

  111,257.15

  Learning and Skills Councils
  Mr. Hilary Benn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the proposed learning and skills councils. [109148]

  Mr. Wicks
  We are making good progress in our plans to establish the Learning and Skills Council. We are on course to have the Council in place by April 2001. 1 will shortly be announcing the locations of the local arms of the Council.

  Class Sizes
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the average size of secondary school classes in(a) 1998 and (b) 1999. [109149]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The most recent figures show that in January 1999 the average secondary class had 21.9 pupils. The corresponding figure for January 1998 was 21.7. January 1999 saw the first fall in overall average class size for 10 years, from 24.9 in January 1998 to 24.8.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on class sizes in primary and secondary schools since May 1997. [109166]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Between January 1998 and January 1999 the size of the average primary school class in England fell from 27.7 to 27.4, the first fall in 10 years. Average classes in secondary schools are much lower than in primary schools. The most recent figures show that in January 1999 the average secondary class had 21.9 pupils. The corresponding figure for January 1998 was 21.7. January 1999 also saw the first fall in overall average class size for 10 years, from 24.9 in January 1998 to 24.8.

  Post-16 Education (Lancashire)
  Mr. Borrow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on post-16 education in Lancashire. [109150]

  Mr. Wicks
  The new Learning and Skills Council will, for the first time ever, bring post-16 funding into a single body to invest in learning and skills. It will cut out the waste and bureaucracy of the current system. This is good news for the people of Lancashire.

  School Funding
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the funding of schools. [109151]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The Government are determined to see increases in funding for schools. For 2000–01 we have increased the funding available to local authorities by £1.8 billion. We are urging local authorities to pass on the
  653W
  £1.1 billion increase in education SSA to their education budgets; and we have set LEAs three targets which will further increase the funding delegated to schools.

  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he will take to increase the equity of funding for school education. [109143]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The Government announced in November 1998 a three-year review in partnership with local government to look for a way of distributing revenue support grant which is simpler, more stable, more robust and fairer than the present arrangements for SSAs.

  Summer Schools
  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement regarding his plans for summer schools aimed at encouraging young people to apply for higher education. [109152]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Government are committed to helping gifted young people from inner cities to make full use of their abilities. This summer we are spending £4 million to finance university summer schools which will raise the confidence and aspirations of these young people and give them a taste of university life.

  This programme is part of the Excellence in Cities (EiC) initiative, which addresses: concerns over the standards of achievement which are lower in inner cities than in other areas of the country; truancy is higher and rates of exclusion higher; the fact that pupils in city areas often face multiple and reinforcing disadvantages that require multiple and reinforcing solutions; the need for continuity of support from pre-school to post-compulsory education for vulnerable pupils at all the points of institutional transition in their education to ensure that early intervention is continually consolidated and reinforced; and providing a safety net for those who experience disadvantage later. Excellence in Cities (EiC) was launched on 22 March 1999 by the Prime Minister and the Secretary of State. Summer schools are an integral part of this continuing support through the education system. The Summer Schools programme is an extension of these initiatives and was announced on 23 November 1999.

  In all there will be places for 5,000 gifted and talented 16–17 year olds from EiC areas this summer. The £4 million will cover all academic and accommodation costs and the costs of teaching and parental or teacher pastoral care, as well as the start-up costs of this scheme.

  The summer schools are drawing on the pioneering work that has already been done by Institutions and we are building on their expertise and experience and the work of the Sutton Trust. The Sutton Trust is sponsoring six university summer schools this year at Oxford (2); Cambridge (2); Nottingham and Bristol. The schools will run this summer and will be open to able year 12 students throughout the UK who fulfil criteria recommended to universities by the Sutton Trust. The selection criteria will help ensure that many successful applicants are from inner-city secondary schools and colleges. The Minister for School Standards has agreed to offer a grant of £30,000 to contribute to the running of the schools.
  654W
  Too many young people from the inner cities do not get the encouragement they need to make full use of their abilities. The Government are helping to put that right by giving them a chance to attend summer schools in our leading universities. This will raise their confidence and aspirations and give them a taste of university life.

  Further Education Students
  Mr. St. Aubyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the increase in the number of full-time equivalent students at further education colleges in England and Wales(a) in 1992 to 1997 and (b) since May 1997. [109153]

  Mr. Wicks
  The number of full-time equivalent students at further education colleges in England funded by the Further Education Funding Council increased from 862,000 in 1992–93 to 1,084,000 in 1996–97. Actual numbers for later years are not yet available, but we are projecting an increase to 1,186,000 by 2001–02 financial year.

  Figures for Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

  Millennium Volunteer Projects
  Mrs. Ann Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many millennium volunteer projects have been approved; and if he will make a statement on progress. [109154]

  Ms Hodge
  There are currently 95 projects which have been contracted for under the Millennium Volunteers Programme in England. I announced on 19 January that a further 88 projects had been approved from the second bidding round, which will build on the success of the earlier projects. There will be further activity supported during 2000 to extend the scope of Millennium Volunteers coverage and to ensure a sufficient variety of opportunities to attract a broad range of young people to Millennium Volunteers.

  Specialist Schools
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to develop more specialist schools. [109155]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  In March last year we announced the expansion of the Specialist Schools programme under the "Excellence in Cities" initiative to 800 specialist schools by September 2003.

  Neighbourhood Support Fund
  Mrs. Organ
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the Neighbourhood Support Fund. [109156]

  Mr. Wicks
  We have invested £60 million over three years on the Neighbourhood Support Fund. These innovative projects, run by local and voluntary community organisations, will connect young people back into education, training and work in the most deprived areas as part of the wider Connexions strategy launched on the 3 February 2000. The first projects will be up and running by March this year.

  Secondary Schools (Gloucestershire)
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to increase the funding of secondary schools in Gloucestershire. [109158]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  For 2000–01, Gloucestershire's education SSA has increased by £11.21 million to £226.01 million. While it is for local authorities to set their education budgets, my right hon. Friend has written on behalf of the Government to urge all council leaders to ensure that all the additional provision we have made available is actually spent on education. Gloucestershire's Standards Fund allocation for 2000–01 is £15.21 million, an increase of £4.76 million. I hope it will take up all of this allocation. In addition, Gloucestershire will receive £572,000 as its share of the extra £50 million grant for education on condition that it is used for education and added to schools' delegated budgets. My right hon. Friend shall look for prior confirmation that the whole of the increase in Gloucestershire's education SSA has been passed on to education before deciding whether to release its share of the grant.

  Performance-related Pay
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on his latest discussions with teachers' professional bodies on performance-related pay. [109159]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The Department for Education and Employment submitted detailed evidence on pay reform to the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) last September. The STRB's Ninth Report was published on 1 February. The Secretary of State has initiated consultation with key stakeholders including teacher unions and employers on the STRB's recommendations. The consultation ends on 7 March and a further announcement will be made following this.

  Work-based Learning
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how he intends to ensure that young people have access to work-based learning. [109160]

  Mr. Wicks
  The Connexions Document issued by the Government on 3 February (copies placed in the Vote Office in the Commons on Thursday 3 February and in the Library in the Commons) set out a comprehensive strategy to ensure that all young people are enabled to stay on in learning after the age of 16 in school, college or on the work-based route.

  Labour Market Access
  Laura Moffatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment his Department has made of the measures required to improve labour market access for the most disadvantaged groups; and what policies are in place to address this situation. [109161]

  Ms Jowell
  My Department assesses continuously the progress of groups at a disadvantage in the labour market. All of our policies and programmes are underpinned by a clear focus on equality of opportunity.
  656W
  Improving access for those at a disadvantage is an important element of all of our New Deals with early help for those facing particular problems. The Policy Action Team on Jobs identified a range of proposals to help people living in deprived areas and from ethnic minority backgrounds as part of the Social Exclusion Unit's work on neighbourhood renewal. Some are already being acted upon, such as the piloting of the use of intermediary organisations in New Deal.

  Improving participation in learning by people from the most disadvantaged groups will be a key objective for the Learning and Skills Council. The Connexions Service, for all young people, will target intensive advice and support on those with greatest need. And our drive to improve standards in schools will also ensure that young people from disadvantaged communities are properly equipped to compete for jobs.

  Early-years Education
  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what measures the Government have taken to raise the status of those who work in early-years education since May 1997. [109162]

  Ms Hodge
  The Government are committed to raising the status of early-years workers and improving the quality of early education. We have listened to early-years practitioners who have said that early education should be recognised as a distinct phase of education. The Foundation Stage of the National Curriculum will be launched in September, with the new Early Learning Goals which most children should achieve at the end of the reception year. And we will be providing significant extra training and support to help deliver that.

  A highly trained and qualified workforce is the key to attracting and retaining good people. Our aim is to introduce minimum levels of qualifications for leaders of early-years settings and for the practitioners that work in them. In October 1999, we introduced "A Framework of Nationally Accredited Qualifications in Early Years Education, Childcare and Playwork". The framework provides for the first time clear, comprehensive and integrated information about the skills, competencies, training and qualifications that are needed for the wide range of jobs in the sector. It will be updated this spring. We are developing occupational standards for the sector which will form the basis for further qualifications. This work is being led by the Early Years National Training Organisation, which was established in November 1998.

  I believe the steps we are taking will provide people working in early-years education with a more clearly defined career structure and better recognition of the contribution they make to children's development.

  Sure Start
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress in implementing the sure start programme. [109163]

  Yvette Cooper
  Forty-seven of the 60 trailblazer programmes in England have now been approved and are starting to help children. The remaining 13 will follow shortly. In November 1999 we launched the second wave of Sure Start by inviting a further 69 areas to start work
  657W
  to develop local programmes. All of these are now working on drawing up outline plans. My Ministerial colleagues in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland have responsibility for implementing Sure Start in their areas of responsibility.

  Training and Further Education Spending
  Mr. Quinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to re-direct resources for training and further education from spending on administration to vocational and academic education. [109164]

  Mr. Wicks
  Our plans to create a Learning and Skills Council will bring together, for the first time into a single coherent system, the current range of learning opportunities for individuals and workforce development. The new arrangements will cut through the present duplication and bureaucracy, and will secure savings of at least £50 million a year across post-16 learning.

  These savings will be redirected to improving the quality of learning for individuals, raising standards, widening participation and tackling the skills deficit.

  Disability Rights Task Force
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps his Department plans to take to implement disability rights task force proposals as they affect education. [109165]

  Ms Hodge
  We announced our intention on 13 December to bring forward legislation to give people with disabilities equal access to schools and further, higher and adult education. The proposed legislation will address the key education recommendations of the final report of the Disability Rights Task Force.

  Illegal Drugs
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he last met the UK anti-drugs co-ordinator to discuss the use of illegal drugs in schools and places of work. [109167]

  Jacqui Smith
  I met the UK anti-drugs co-ordinator at the end of November last year, to discuss the DfEE's contribution to the Government's Anti-Drugs Strategy. We have agreed to meet quarterly in future.

  As DfEE Drugs Minister, I also have met Mr. Hellawell regularly in meetings of the Ministerial Steering Group on Drug Misuse.

  Maths Year 2000
  Mr. Gardiner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what support his Department is giving to the Maths Year 2000. [109138]

  Jacqui Smith
  We have invested £6.75 million in Maths Year 2000 to promote a "can-do" attitude towards maths throughout the community. Only this morning my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment launched the first supermarket Maths Corner as part of the ASDA Big Sum Campaign. The funding for Maths Year 2000 is in addition to the £64 million which we have invested in the National Numeracy Strategy this year to raise standards of mathematics in primary schools.

  Remedial Education
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what studies his Department has commissioned or evaluated on the effectiveness of remedial education in primary schools. [109741]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The Literacy and Numeracy Strategies form the core of our programme to raise standards in all primary schools for all pupils including those with special educational needs. These strategies are being formally evaluated by a team from the University of Toronto.

  Tuition Fees
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the total cost of abolishing tuition fees in England and Wales for each of the years 2001–02 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [110024]

  Mr. Wicks
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 14 February 2000,Official Report, column 393W. Figures for beyond 2001–02 depend on student numbers on which decisions have not yet been made.

  Employment Service
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what impact the fundamental review of Employment Service Annual Performance Agreement will have on the Annual Performance Agreement for 2000–01. [111060]

  Mr. Blunkett
  I am today announcing the outcome of a fundamental review of the Employment Service Annual Performance Agreement (APA) which was launched in May 1999. The review included a wide-ranging public consultation involving employers, voluntary, public and private sector organisations and other Government Departments.

  The review has been an important staging post in the modernisation of the Employment Service. I want the ES to provide an outward looking, accessible and efficient service, using the latest generation of technology, which can meet the demands of its customers, whether they are jobseekers or employers, by working in close partnership with a wide range of public, private and voluntary sectors. I also want greater emphasis on equal opportunities.

  As a result of the review, the Employment Service will have a brand new Vision and Purpose for 2000–01 which describes the key elements for modernising the service. I am also announcing a new Aim and Objectives, which can be easily understood by ES staff and will help them to focus on the service that they provide to employers in helping to fill their vacancies. I believe that these proposals, together with a new set of targets, will help ES to be an inclusive service which helps all people without work and particularly the most disadvantaged jobseekers. During the year I will be exploring alternative ways of weighting targets. I hope to announce target numbers before the end of March 2000.

  Vision and Purpose
  "The Employment Service aims to make a major contribution to an efficient and flexible labour market and to the Government's objectives of high and stable employment and growth, equality of opportunity and social inclusion. ES works closely with

  659W
  employers and with its private, voluntary and public sector partners to provide a quality service for all people without a job and to promote employment opportunities for all who can work. It aims to attract a diverse range of vacancies and to fill those vacancies quickly by matching the right people and skills with the right jobs. Its chief priority is to help individuals facing particular difficulty in the labour market to move from welfare and economic inactivity into sustainable employment. It does this through correct application of the JSA regime, delivery of the New Deals and the pilot ONE service, and provision of appropriate information, advice, training and support. The Agency has achieved much over the past three years. The challenge and opportunity now facing it is to sustain continuous improvement in its services to jobseekers and employers and to make those services more accessible and relevant to customer needs, through effective use of modern technology and close working with a wide range of partners"

  Aim
  "To help people without jobs to find work and employers to fill their vacancies"

  Objective A
  To help all people without jobs, and particularly those on welfare and at a disadvantage in the labour market, to find and keep work by providing appropriate information, advice, training and support and by encouraging employers to open more opportunities to them

  Objective B
  To ensure that the rights and relevant labour market responsibilities of people on JSA and other benefits are fulfilled, while helping to combat fraud and abuse of the benefit system

  Objective C
  To harness new technology, the pursuit of excellence and continuous improvement to deliver effective, efficient and accessible services to all people without jobs and to employers in Jobcentres and, increasingly through other locations and means of communication

  Objective D
  To deliver services to all ES customers in a way which respects individual differences, helps to overcome disadvantages due to ethnicity, gender, age or disability and achieves the best possible outcome for each of them

  Targets (linked to Objectives A, B and C above)
  A1: To help x participants in the New Deals and Employment Zones into work, directly or in partnership with others (includes all New Deals and relevant EZs)
  A2: To help x people with disabilities into work, directly or in partnership with others (includes all people with disabilities, including NDDP participants)
  A3: To help x disadvantaged jobseekers into work, directly or in partnership with others (includes A1, A2 plus other disadvantaged people in receipt of benefit)
  A4: To help x people from welfare into work, directly or in partnership with others (includes Al-A3, plus unemployed people claiming JSA for 0–6 months)
  A5: To help x jobless people into work, directly or in partnership with others (includes Al-A4, plus others without work not claiming relevant benefits)
  A6: Pilot target: For x per cent. of long term JSA claimants to be off benefit 13 weeks after starting a job
  B: To ensure that the relevant labour market responsibilities of people on JSA are fulfilled in x per cent. of cases checked
  C1: To achieve an x customer service level for jobseekers
  C2: To achieve an x customer service level for employers
  Milestone Target(s) [eg. Programme x to be introduced successfully by date y-to be specified]

  Disability Rights Commission
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what progress has been made in establishing the Disability Rights Commission. [109139]

  Ms Hodge
  There has been good progress in establishing the Commission since the Bill to set it up received Royal Assent in July 1999. I expect it to open its doors for business on 25 April this year. The chair, the commissioners and the chief executive of the Commission have all been appointed. Recruitment of the Commission's staff is under way. The DRC's main office in Manchester is being fitted out.

  Higher and Further Education
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he is taking to expand access to higher and further education. [109134]

  Mr. Blunkett
  The Government are committed to widening access to post-secondary education as part of their strategy to create a ladder of lifelong learning. We have already funded an additional 800,000 places in further and higher education through the current Comprehensive Spending Review.

  This week I announce the development of the new two year foundation degrees and a new framework for vocational qualifications, both in institutions and in the workplace.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when an official from his Department last visited the Lytham St. Anne's High Technology School. [109133]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Officials from the Department last visited the school on 18 September 1996.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what change there has been in processing times for Disability Living Allowance claims in the past year. [108746]

  Mr. Bayley
  The administration of the Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Mr. Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Mathison to Mr. Colin Breed, dated 16 February 2000:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question. You asked what change there has been in processing times for Disability Living Allowance (DLA) claims in the past year.
  For your information the average processing time for the past year (1999) has been 40 days as against the average for 1998 of 35 days.
  I hope that this is helpful.

  New Deal
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his written answer of 4 February 2000,Official Report, columns 748–49W, how many lone parents under the New Deal for Lone Parents broken down into (i) targeted and (ii) non-targeted groups, (a) were issued with initial invitation letters, (b) booked initial interviews with personal advisers, (c) attended initial interviews,

  Prototype Phase 1 (July 1997-October 1998)

  Phase 2 (April 1998-October 1998)

  Results for the National Programme (October 1998-November 1999)

  Target group

  Non-target group

  All lone parents

  Target group

  Non-target group

  Initial invitation letters issued

  150,612

  0

  1—

  443,710

  0

  Initial interviews booked

  7,198

  1,981

  21,647

  269,982

  62,149

  Initial interviews attended

  6,289

  1,818

  15,193

  61,033

  51,536

  Number agreeing to participate

  5,561

  1,741

  12,889

  54,659

  45,838

  Number entering education

  300

  75

  2,569

  4,405

  3,961

  Jobs obtained

  2,473

  920

  2,878

  18,949

  13,756

  (Number of these obtained by part-time workers increasing their hours)

  3(355)

  —

  (487)

  (829)

  (401)

  1 The number of letters issued during phase 1 and 2 cannot be divided into separate figures because these phases ran concurrently from April 1998 to October 1998. Letters were only issued to target group lone parents.

  2 This figure is taken from internal management information and so has not been validated in the same way as other figures for the National Programme.

  3 The number of lone parents who were working part-time before obtaining work of over 16 hours cannot be split into target and non-target group for phase 1.

  Notes:

  1. The results for phase 2 of NDLP are not available split into the target and non-target groups on/training.

  2. In some cases it was not recorded whether the lone parent was either from the target or non-target group. The figures shown in the table are only those definitely recorded as in one group or the other. Consequently the sum of these figures do not always equal the total number of lone parents at each stage.

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents, under the New Deal for Lone Parents, have(a) been issued with initial invitation letters, (b) booked initial interviews with personal advisers, (c) attended initial interviews, (d) agreed to participate in the programme, (e) been referred to Employment Service

  Results for the National Programme (October 1998-November 1999)

  Prototype phases 1 and 2 (July 1997-October 1998)

  Initial invitation letters issued

  443,710

  50,612

  Initial interviews booked

  1134,948

  30,826

  Initial interviews attended

  112,570

  23,300

  Number agreeing to participate

  100,500

  20,191

  Number entering education/training

  10,630

  2,944

  Jobs obtained

  32,710

  6,271

  (Number of these obtained by part-time workers increasing their hours)

  (1,230)

  (842)

  Note:

  This figure is taken from internal management information and so has not been validated in the same way as other figures for the National Programme.

  Minimum Income Guarantee
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the additional annual cost of the Minimum Income Guarantee in(a) 2005, (b) 2010, (c) 2020 and (d) 2050 if annual increases are in line with earnings assuming (i) one in three, (ii) one in four and (iii) one in five pensioners qualify for income support. [109588]

  Mr. Rooker
  Estimates for the cost of the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) for the years shown are not available. This is because it is extremely difficult to obtain accurate projections of the future level and distribution of income and assets.
  662W
  (d) agreed to participate in the programme, (e) were referred to Employment Service programmes or other training, (f) obtained jobs following participation and (g) have increased their hours of work following participation. [109503]

  Angela Eagle
  Information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is in the table.

  programmes or other training, (f) obtained jobs following participation and (g) have increased their hours of work following participation. [108001]

  Angela Eagle
  [pursuant to her reply, 4 February 2000, c. 748–50W]: The information is in the table.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the cost of abolishing the shared residency requirement for housing benefit; what assumptions underlie his estimate; and if he will make a statement. [110063]

  Angela Eagle
  We are unable to estimate with any accuracy the cost of abolishing the Single Room Rent restriction. There is insufficient quantitative information on how this group responded to the change, and without this information we cannot estimate the behavioural effects of reversing the change.

  Pensions
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what would be the(a) cost in real terms and (b) resulting increase in pensions, of raising pensions to the level they would have reached if the link between pensions and the rise in earnings had never been broken. [110415]

  Mr. Rooker
  If the link uprating the basic State pension by the higher of earnings or prices had not been broken the rate for a single pensioner would be £97.45 per week from April 2000. The gross cost of increasing the basic retirement pension to this level in 2000–01 would be £17.2 billion. The net cost would be £13.5 billion.

  Notes:

  1. The Retail Prices Index (all items) and the Average Earnings Index Whole Economy (Non Seasonally Adjusted) have been used as published by the Office for National Statistics.

  2. From April 1994 the basic rate of Retirement Pension has been increased by 50p to reflect VAT on fuel.

  3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5 pence at each uprating.

  4. Costs are rounded to the nearest £100 million.

  5. Costs include benefits whose rates are linked by statute to the rate of basic Retirement Pension (RP).

  6. The figure of £97.45 per week refers to the full Category A rate; other rates of basic RP have been assumed to increase pro-rata.

  7. Gross costs are estimated by the Government Actuary's Department. Net costs have been estimated using the Policy Simulation Model.

  Benefit Entitlements
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is his estimate of the total annual net cost of restoring benefit entitlements to 16 and 17-year-olds; what assumptions underlie this estimate; and if he will make a statement. [110061]

  Angela Eagle
  We believe that every young person should have the opportunity to achieve their potential. That is why our aim is to engage 16 and 17-year-olds in education, training or work with training, rather than starting their adult lives dependent on the benefits system.

  Departments are working together to develop and implement the proposals in the Government White Paper "Learning to Succeed" and the Social Exclusion Unit's report "Bridging the Gap". The recently announced Connexions Service will help, support and guide young people through their teenage years including those most at risk from disadvantage.

  The estimated annual cost of restoring full entitlement to Social Security benefits to 16 and 17-year-olds would be £100 million at present rates. These costs do not make any allowance for possible changes in labour market behaviour as a result of these changes.

  Notes:

  1. Figure is rounded to the nearest £50 million.

  2. Figure is based on data taken from the 1997–98 Family Resources Survey.

  3. Figure assumes benefit would be paid at benefit rates for 16 and 17-year-olds.

  Software Releases
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out the number of software releases he plans to make available within his Department in each of the next three years; and what changes to the benefit system each release will produce. [107295]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 28 January 2000]: Software releases are a matter for the Chief Executive of the Information Technology Services Agency, George McCorkell. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Peter Shanley, on behalf of George McCorkell, to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 11 February 2000:
  Further to your recent Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about Departmental software releases. You specifically asked about the changes that these releases would make to the benefit system.
  Upgrades and enhancements to the Department's Information Technology (IT) systems are agreed and planned jointly between the Information Technology Service Agency, Departmental Agencies and other units and Stakeholders. The attached annex outlines the benefit system software releases planned for the next three years and concentrates on the benefits these releases will introduce for their recipients.
  The work planned over the next three years has accounted for several legislative changes. Any further legislative changes announced will have an effect on the contents of the releases planned.
  I hope that you find this reply helpful.

  Annex
  Over the next three financial years the following releases have been planned:
  Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) has three proposed releases which plan to implement enhancements to:
  New Deal for Partners of the Unemployed providing equal treatment as a joint claim for partners in 18–24 age
  support payment of a revised range of benefits and allowances to both Widows and Widowers;
  apply a penalty to a Jobseeker's benefit where (s)he has failed to comply with Probation or Community Punishment Order;
  improve allowances where a higher-rate of Carer's Component of Disability Living Allowance is in payment;
  to improve system notifications issued to customers.
  Income Support (IS) has four proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
  an extension of the New Deal for Lone Parent scheme to lone parents with children between 3 years and 5 years 3 months;
  introduction of new premiums as part of the 'Disability Income Guarantee' initiative;
  the provision of certain forms directly to Social Service locations;
  to account for the introduction of the Child Support Reforms;
  to improve system notifications issued to customers.
  Social Fund (SF) has four proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
  to improve the system notifications issued to customers;
  extension of Budgeting Loans to low income groups by allowing Council Tax Benefit recipients access to the scheme;

  665W
  improvements to the repayment of loan interface with the Income Support Computer System;
  introduction of Automated Credit Transfer for Social Fund customers.
  Disability Living Allowance/Attendance Allowance (DLA/AA) has four proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
  automation of some notifications to improve consistency of customer information;
  identification of certain renewal cases to allow for further medical enquiries;
  a range of system administration enhancements.
  Working Families' Tax Credit (WFTC)/Disabled Person's Tax Credit (DPTC) has three proposed releases to implement the following enhancements:
  support changes intended to bring WFTC into line with DPTC; support changes for new rules for DPTC;
  Support changes where the system will calculate entitlement to remission from NHS charges, and issue a certificate with the award notification;
  support changes to the award amount to certain WFTC applicants;
  a range of system administration enhancements.
  Invalid Care Allowance (ICA) has two proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
  production of restricted orderbooks which account for the recipient reaching retirement age or changes to their receipt of DLA/AA;
  a range of system administration enhancements.
  Industrial Injuries has two proposed releases which plan to implement a range of system administration enhancements.
  War Pensions (WP) has six proposed releases, which plan to implement the following enhancements:
  to reflect decisions made at the European Court of Human Rights;
  a range of system administration enhancements.
  Pensions and Incapacity Benefit (PSCS/INCAP) has five proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements to:
  support changes in the award of Maternity Allowance from April 2000;
  support changes relating to Pensions Sharing on Divorce;
  support changes relating to the provision of support in bereavement;
  support changes in Incapacity Benefit for helping young disabled people;
  support changes to cater for where a claimant has a personal or occupational pension;
  support the Child Support Reforms;
  support a State Second Pension Scheme;
  support Teleclaims processing for new Retirement Pension claimants in Great Britain.
  Child Benefit (ChB) has three proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
  new processing of late claims to Child Benefit;
  new communications with Welsh customers;
  introduction of new and improved communications for Child Benefit customers.
  Child Support Computer System (CSCS) has two proposed releases which plan to implement the following enhancements:
  to provide new customer payment statements;
  to provide changes to the way information from Job Seeker Allowance (JSA)/Income Support (IS) is handled;
  to improve system notifications issued to customers;
  to the debt management system.

  Discretionary Social Fund
  Maria Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he intends to make to the discretionary social fund. [111228]

  Angela Eagle
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State will be making changes to the discretionary social fund, with effect from 3 April 2000, to take account of new legislation in other benefit areas being introduced on that date. A range of other minor improvements, identified during the course of routine monitoring will also be included in the amendment to directions and guidance.

  Details of these changes have been placed in the Library.

HEALTH

  NHS Charges
  Mr. Rapson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to increase charges in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [111237]

  Mr. Denham
  We shall lay before the House regulations to increase National Health Service charges in England from 1 April 2000. There will be a cash increase in the charge of 10p, (1.69 per cent.) from £5.90 to £6.00 for each quantity of a drug or appliance dispensed.

  The cost of prescription prepayment certificates will rise to £31.40 for a four-month certificate and £86.20 for an annual certificate. These offer savings for those needing more than 5 items in four months or 14 in one year.

  Prescription charges are expected to raise some £380 million for the NHS in 2000–2001.

  Charges for elastic stockings and tights, wigs and most fabric supports supplied through the Hospital Service will be increased similarly.

  The maximum patient charge for a single course of dental treatment begun on or after 1 April 2000 will increase from £348 to £354. Only about 1 in every 1,000 courses of treatment will attract the new maximum charge.

  The increases are in line with the movement of the retail prices index from January 1999 (the benchmark for the current charge) to November 1999 of 2 per cent., but rounded to the most convenient unit. Movements in the retail prices index from November to November will become the benchmark for any subsequent charges increases within the three year period following the Comprehensive Spending Review.

  Optical voucher values in England will increase overall by 2 per cent. to help children, people on low income and certain people with complex sight problems with the cost of spectacles or contact lenses.

  NHS charges and optical voucher values in Scotland and Wales are a matter for the devolved administrations. However, I can inform my hon. Friend that these proposals have been considered jointly with the Secretary for Health and Social Services to the National Assembly for Wales who tells me she will be putting forward parallel proposals for consideration by the Assembly.
  667W
  Details of the revised charges have been placed in the Library.

  Waiting Times
  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish figures showing the percentage of patients seen for first appointment within 13 weeks of referral by a GP in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 1998–99 for (i) England, (ii) East and North Hertfordshire, (iii) West Hertfordshire and (iv) the health authority in the prospering growth area with the (1) lowest figure and (2) highest figure. [109683]

  Mr. Denham
  The figures are given in the table.

  Percentage of patients seen for a first outpatient appointment within 13 weeks of referral by a general practitioner

  1997–98

  1998–99

  England

  82

  79

  East and North Hertfordshire health authority

  85

  80

  West Hertfordshire health authority

  83

  80

  Health authority with lowest percentage in prospering growth area

  173

  271

  Health authority with highest percentage in prospering growth area

  392

  389

  1 Cambridge and Huntingdon

  2 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  Solihull

  Note:

  All figures are resident-based

  Insulin Pens
  Mr. Singh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce free needles for diabetics who require insulin. [109530]

  Mr. Denham
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Thomas) on 9 February 2000,Official Report, column 199W.

  Worcestershire and Alexandra NHS Trusts
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Chairman of Worcestershire NHS Trust and the Alexandra NHS Trust is receiving salaries for both posts; and what his total annual salary is. [110391]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 16 February 2000]: Mr. Harold Musgrove will continue to receive remuneration of £17,625 a year as chair of the Alexandra Healthcare National Health Service Trust until 31 March 2000. He will not receive remuneration as chair of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals National Health Service Trust until this newly merged trust becomes operational on 1 April 2000.

  Hospital Waiting Lists (Essex)
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the latest figures in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area for the(a) total number of patients waiting for hospital treatment, (b) total number of people waiting 12 months or more for treatment, (c) total number of people waiting over 18 months for treatment and (d) number of people waiting 13 weeks or more to see a consultant on the out patient waiting list. [109972]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested is given in the tables.668W

  Total number of patients waiting, the number of patients waiting over 12 months and over 18 months for hospital treatment at Mid Essex Hospital Services National Health Service Trust in December 1999

  Month

  Total waiting

  Number waiting over 12 months

  Number waiting over 18 months

  December 1999

  9,851

  1,060

  0

  Source:

  Form KH07—completed by the Trust quarterly

  Number of patients waiting over 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment at Mid Essex Hospital Services National Health Service Trust at Quarter 3 (quarter ending 31 December 1999)

  Quarter

  Patients waiting over 13 weeks

  Quarter 3 1999–2000

  3,699

  Source:

  Form QM08—completed by the Trust quarterly

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  BSE and CJD
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what criteria determine whether the European Commission intervenes in respect of the problem of BSE and CJD in a member state. [109852]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 14 February 2000]: The European Commission has powers to take action in respect of BSE under Council Directives 89/662 and 90/425. When considering whether to take action, it acts in accordance with the precautionary principle of avoiding risk in order to protect human and animal health.

  Advertising Budgets
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what is his Department's advertising budget for(a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01. [110261]

  Mr. Morley
  The current budget allocation for advertising in the financial year for 1999–2000 is £835,000. The budget for 2000–01 is in the process of being decided.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Ethnic Minority Staff
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2000,Official Report, columns 25–26W, on staff, (a) which departments of the House employ no ethnic minority staff, (b) what targets the House of Commons Commission has for ethnic minority recruitment and (c) if the Commission will publish a statement of aims on equal opportunity employment. [109602]

  Mr. Kirkwood
  [holding answer 15 February 2000]: (a) All departments of the House employ staff from an ethnic minority.

  (b) The House of Commons Commission has set no targets for ethnic minority recruitment.
  669W
  (c) The House of Commons Commission has recently considered equality of opportunity among employees at the House and has approved a programme of initiatives designed to encourage working practices which will allow every member of staff to contribute his or her best, regardless of race, sex, marital status, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or any other irrelevant factor. This programme includes training for all our staff, improvements to procedures and better monitoring.

TREASURY

  Working Families Tax Credit
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the effect on the net income of each decile group of(a) benefit units and (b) households, of extending the working families tax credit to (i) couples without dependent children and (ii) single people without dependent children; and if he will estimate the gross cost in each case. [110219]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The impact of extending the Working Families Tax Credit to couples and singles without children is contingent on the detailed parameters and assumptions used, for example the credit rates for people without children and the earnings thresholds.

  Taxation
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the combined net annual change in Exchequer revenues which would result from reducing the top rate of income tax from 40p to 30p and removing the ceiling on employees' national insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement. [110022]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The estimated Exchequer cost of reducing the top rate of income tax from 40p to 30p and removing the ceiling on employees' national insurance contributions is around £3.7 billion in 2000–01.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to more closely align the income tax and national insurance systems; and if he will make a statement. [110023]

  Dawn Primarolo
  By bringing policy responsibility for tax and NICs together in the Inland Revenue, we have provided a single focus for employers' representatives to discuss improvements in legislation and processes across both income tax and national insurance contributions. From April 1999 we have aligned the point at which employers start to pay national insurance contributions with the income tax personal allowance. From April 2001, we will align fully the point at which employees start to pay National Insurance contributions with the income tax personal allowance. Provisions in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Bill currently before Parliament go a long way towards aligning, in the interests of fairness, the tax and NICs treatment of benefits in kind. The Chancellor announced in the Pre-Budget Report that the Inland Revenue will work with employers' representatives and others to reduce technical differences between tax and National Insurance, while having due regard to individuals' benefit entitlement.
  670W
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were paying income tax at the higher rate in(a) 1989–90, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1999–2000; and if he will make a statement. [110025]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The numbers of taxpayers paying some income tax at the higher rate were as follows:

  million

  Year

  Numbers

  1989–901

  1.50

  1996–97

  2.08

  1999–20002

  2.40

  1 Prior to 1990–91 most married couples were counted as one taxpayer

  2 This estimate is based on the 1997–98 Survey of Personal incomes and consistent with the November 1999 Pre-Budget Report

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total annual net cost of(a) raising the income threshold at which the upper rate of income tax is paid by £3,000 per annum and (b) aligning this threshold with the ceiling on making employee national insurance contributions; and if he will make a statement. [110059]

  Dawn Primarolo
  For the year 2000–01 the estimated full year cost of raising the higher rate threshold by £3,000 is £1.3 billion and the estimated yield from aligning the threshold with the Upper Earnings Limit is £3 billion. These estimates are based on the 1997–98 Survey of Personal Incomes and are consistent with the November 1999 Pre-Budget Report.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is his estimate of the cost savings which would result if the national insurance system were abolished and integrated into the income tax system; and if he will make a statement. [110062]

  Dawn Primarolo
  It is not possible to calculate the effects without more detail on how the integrated charge would work. In particular, income tax is charged on a wider base than national insurance contributions, covering in addition savings and investment income, pensions and contributory benefits. Income tax has no cap on employees' liability, no charge on the employer and no cessation of liability at retirement age, unlike National Insurance contributions, and payment of National Insurance contributions maintains access to contributory benefits.

  Monetary Policy Committee
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the present terms of employment of members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England. [110060]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The terms of employment of members of the Monetary Policy Committee of the Bank of England are set out in the Bank of England Act 1998. Additional details may be found in the Bank of England's latest Annual Report, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

PRIME MINISTER

  Disqualifications Bill
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Prime Minister what(a) oral and (b) written representations he has received from (i) hon. Members of and (ii) parties represented in the House of Commons and the Northern Ireland Assembly on the subject of the Disqualifications Bill, indicating in each case the date on which representations were received; and if he will place written representations in the Library. [107854]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 1 February 2000]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 10 February 2000 by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Official Report, column 240W.

  Austria (Bilateral Meetings)
  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he and his predecessor held bilateral meetings with his Austrian counterpart in each of the last five years; and what was discussed at each meeting since May 1997. [109870]

  The Prime Minister
  From taking office in May 1997 until December 1999, I have had three bilateral meetings with my Austrian counterpart, Chancellor Klima. We have also seen each other at many multilateral meetings. We have discussed a wide range of issues, mostly on EU related business.

  Steven John Hayden
  Mr. Hague
  To ask the Prime Minister if he has received the report of the Security Commission on the case of Steven John Hayden. [111061]

  The Prime Minister
  I announced on 30 April 1999 that, after consultation with the Chairman of the Security Commission and the right hon. Gentleman, I had asked the Security Commission to investigate the circumstances in which breaches of security had or might have occurred arising out of the case of Chief Petty Officer Steven Hayden, who was convicted on 23 October 1998 of offences under section 1 of the Official Secrets Act 1989; and to advise in the light of that investigation whether any change in security arrangements was necessary or desirable.

  The Commission has now submitted its report to me and it is being published this afternoon as a Command paper, with the exception of some details which it would not be in the public interest to publish on national security grounds. I am most grateful to the Chairman, Lord Lloyd, and to Dame Elizabeth Butler-Sloss, Sir John Foley and Sir Clive Whitmore.

  It became apparent to the Commission at the start of the inquiry that the main issues at stake were in the area of personnel security. The Commission has fully examined the history of the Ministry of Defence's security assessment of Hayden. The Commission was critical of the decisions to continue to allow Hayden a security clearance and surprised at the lack of communication between the vetting authorities, the personnel authorities and line management about the management of the risk presented by him. In particular they considered whether
  672W
  the correct balance was being struck between maintaining vetting confidentiality on the one hand and the effective involvement of line and personnel management in the active aftercare of vetting risk cases on the other.

  It was also concerned that recommendations made in earlier Security Commission inquiries had sought to address similar situations to those in the Hayden case which suggested that they had not been fully implemented.

  However, the Commission acknowledges the Ministry of Defence's acceptance that Hayden's case represents a clear failure in personnel security and welcomes the changes to vetting processes and procedures that the Ministry of Defence have already implemented based on the lessons learned. The Commission has made a number of recommendations. These, in summary, are that:
  (i) It should be standard practice for vetting authorities to consider whether to consult an individual's personnel or line managers, in order to ensure that the latter are aware of any particular vulnerabilities.
  (ii) In cases where doubts emerge, it should be normal practice for regular consultations to take place between all those involved in assessing a clearance. Where the recommendations of Investigating Officers seem likely to be overridden for wider policy considerations of a non-security kind, there should invariably be a discussion between them and those responsible for making the assessment, so that options can be explored before final decisions are reached.
  (iii) In risk cases where confidential medical reports exist on an individual, someone at an appropriately senior level should have the authority to see all the papers including a medical report on the individual's suitability to hold a DV clearance and thus be in a position to reach a proper assessment based on all relevant information.
  (iv) More emphasis should be given to threats outside the traditional risk of an individual being vulnerable to approaches from a hostile foreign intelligence service. Threats from "cheque-book journalism" and industrial espionage should be given more emphasis in the current Field Investigation Officers Guide issued by the Cabinet Office, and in departmental guidance based upon it.
  (v) The question of follow-up to Security Commission recommendations should be revisited to ensure that effective implementation of agreed recommendations takes place.

  The recommendations of the Security Commission have been accepted in principle by the Government subject to further consideration of some detailed points and in the case of (iii), subject to discussion with the appropriate medical authorities. Work is now in hand to ensure that they are eff ectively implemented.

  Countryside Reception
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list those people who were invited to the Countryside reception at 10 Downing Street on 2 February. [110503]

  The Prime Minister
  It is not my practice to list individual names of guests invited to receptions at 10 Downing Street. The 200 people who were invited to the Countryside reception on 2 February came from a wide range of backgrounds, including the health service, schools, farming, forestry, rural businesses, rural post offices, youth hostels, churches, holiday villages and tourism.

WALES

  Objective 1
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what steps he is taking to ensure adequate finance from the Treasury on a contingency basis, to cover the eventuality that expenditure on Objective 1 schemes in Wales in the year 2000–01 exceeds the sums covered in the budget of the National Assembly, while still being within the limit laid down by the EU for that year. [109105]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The provisions for seeking additional finance from Treasury on an exceptional basis are detailed in "A Statement of Funding Policy", which was published by HM Treasury on 31 March 1999.

  Departmental Budgets
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to his reply of 27 January 2000,Official Report, column 327W, on departmental budgets, how much of the increase in the total budget for his Department and the National Assembly between the expected outturn for 1999–2000 and the budget for 2000–01 is for the effects of inflation. [109094]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  During Spending Reviews, forecasts for inflation are reflected in the settlement, but form only one component of that settlement.

  Changes to the size of the Welsh block are mainly determined by applying the population-based Barnett formula to changes in planned spending on comparable services in Departments of the United Kingdom Government, with some exceptions where this is not appropriate.

  As a result it is not possible to identify an element of the increase to the block which is solely an allowance for the effects of inflation.

  Waterhouse Report
  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the Waterhouse report into abuse in North Wales Children's homes will be published. [110214]

  Mr. Hanson
  The report of the Tribunal of Inquiry into the abuse of children in care in North Wales was published on Tuesday 15 February. Copies of the report have been placed in the Vote Office and Libraries of the House.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Arms Exports
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many arms export licence applications relating to zimbabwe examined by her Department her Department has(a) supported and (b) opposed since May 1997. [109106]

  Clare Short
  From 1 September 1997 until 28 January 2000, we have received 69 applications for a Standard Individual Export Licence and 51 applications for an Open Individual Export Licence. These licences by being listed in Part III of Schedule I to the Export of Goods 674W
  (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. Applications were not circulated to the Department for International Development before 1 September 1997.

  Regarding advice given by this Department on individual licence applications, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Secretary of State for International Development on 26 April 1999, Oficial Report, column 18W.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many licence applications for arms exports to Indonesia her Department has examined since August 1997; if she will list them; and how many her Department(a) supported and (b) opposed. [109174]

  Mr. Foulkes
  From 1 September 1997 until 28 January 2000, we have received 78 applications for a Standard Individual Export Licence and 70 applications for an Open Individual Export Licence. These licences cover the export to Indonesia of goods subject to control by being listed in Part III of Schedule I to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994. This is commonly known as the Military List. Applications were not circulated to the Department for International Development before September 1997.

  Regarding advice given by this Department on individual licence applications, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Secretary of State for International Development on 26 April 1999, Official Report, column 18W.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many licence applications her Department has examined for arms exports to Pakistan since May 1997; if she will list them; and how many her Department(a) supported and (b) opposed. [109104]

  Mr. Foulkes
  From 1 September 1997 until 28 January 2000, we have received 208 applications for a Standard Individual Export Licence and 80 for an Open Individual Export Licence. These licences cover the export to Pakistan of goods subject to control by being listed in Part III of Schedule I to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. Applications were not circulated to the Department for International Development before 1 September 1997.

  Regarding advice given by this Department on individual licence applications, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by the Secretary of State for International Development on 26 April 1999, Official Report, column 18W.

  Zimbabwe
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many locally employed staff are employed by her Department in Zimbabwe at pay levels below the British national minimum wage. [105687]

  Mr. Foulkes
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply from the Secretary of State on 14 February 2000,Official Report, column 430W.

  Funding
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list, by country, the
  675W
  percentage of her Department's funding that goes (a) directly to foreign Governments, (b) to NGOs and charities and (c) directly to the private sector. [110565]

  Mr. Foulkes
  Detailed information on a country basis is not available and could not be obtained except at disproportionate cost.

  However, for the 1998–99 financial year, the last year for which figures are available, we estimate that bilateral aid expenditure overall was as follows:

  Channel

  Percentage of 1998–99 bilateral expenditure

  Governments

  37

  Private sector

  47

  NGOs

  16

  Further detailed information on a country basis, divided into Project or sector aid, Programme aid, Technical Co-operation, Aid and Trade Provision, Grants, Humanitarian Assistance, and Debt Relief, is available in the publication "Statistics on International Development", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

  Chernobyl
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what has been the amount of(a) UK bilateral aid to Ukraine for use in the clean-up following the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident, (b) aid relating to Chernobyl from the UK Government channelled through international organisations and (c) UK aid specifically targeted to the victims of the Chernobyl accident, expended in (i) Ukraine and (ii) Belarus. [110581]

  Mr. Foulkes
  The UK Government have pledged a contribution of £10.5 million towards the Chernobyl Shelter Fund. In addition, some £62.5 million has been pledged by the European Community, of which around 16 per cent. is the UK share. Since 1997, we have provided some £300,000 for measures specifically targeted at the victims of the Chernobyl accident in Belarus. There has been no support specifically targeted at the victims of the accident in Ukraine.

  Paper and Timber Products
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she has taken to ensure that paper and timber products purchased by her Department come from a sustainable source. [110196]

  Mr. Foulkes
  The Government, through the Green Ministers Committee of which I am a member, have issued a model framework which Departments have used as the basis for preparing their own environmental strategies. Among its key aims are the conservation of resources and minimisation of waste by reducing our reliance on virgin materials and ensuring that any products derived from wildlife—such as paper and timber—are from sustainable sources and comply with EU and international trading agreements such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES).
  676W
  Our policy statement declares:
  "We will seek to conserve energy and natural resources and reduce our production of waste, emissions to air and discharges to land and water".

  The Department for International Development monitors its performance on the above and other aspects of its operations with respect to green housekeeping and reports on progress made. As part of our continuing efforts to constantly improve our performance, an environmental management system is currently being implemented.

  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will ensure that paper and timber products purchased by her Department are independently certified by the Forest Stewardship Council as coming from a sustainable source. [110197]

  Mr. Foulkes
  The Department for International Development is currently involved with providing support, through the Natural Resources Institute and bilateral aid funded projects, for the FSC as part of its efforts to set up the certification program.

  The Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) is accepted by buyers as demonstrating that timber and timber products have come from sustainably managed sources.

  That said, it is not however viewed as being practicable to require that all paper and timber products purchased by this Department are independently certified by the FSC because this might discriminate against any equally valid schemes and therefore be contrary to public procurement rules.

  Specifying the FSC label alone might also result in us failing to meet all our requirements, as currently only a tiny percentage of timber products are certified by the FSC.

  My Department's policy statement for greening its operations states:
  "We will encourage our suppliers to minimise the impacts of their operations, products and services on the environment through a procurement policy based on the standards in the Government's Green Claims Code".

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Advertising Budget
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is his Department's advertising budget for(a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01. [110263]

  Mr. Hain
  [holding answer 16 February 2000]: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) does not have any budgets dedicated solely to advertising. However, as part of the recruitment process, advertising is included in the overall costs.

  For the financial year to date the FCO has spent £438,282 on recruitment advertising. This covers recruitment to all grades in the generalist and specialist cadres. Owing to the demand led nature of recruitment it is not possible to predict advertising costs for 2000–01.

  Kosovo
  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the export of demining equipment to the HALO Trust in Kosovo. [111120]

  Mr. Vaz
  We have granted a licence for the export to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) of a rocket wrench, de-arming kit and power charges for use by the HALO Trust, an organisation engaged in humanitarian demining activities in Kosovo on behalf of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). These goods are on the UK's Military List.

  UN Security Council resolution (UNSCR) 1160 imposed an arms embargo on the FRY. The only exception to this embargo is that in UNSCR 1244, which provides that prohibitions imposed by UNSCR 1160 shall not apply to the sale or supply of arms and related material for use by the international civil and security presence in Kosovo. We have notified the UN Sanctions Committee of this export and they have raised no objection. The export of the equipment required for demining purposes is not prohibited by the EU arms embargo.

  Western Sahara
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps are being taken by United Kingdom representatives at the United Nations to help ensure the speedy implementation of the proposed referendum on the future of the Western Sahara. [110478]

  Mr. Hain
  UK representatives in New York give their full support to efforts to implement the UN-sponsored referendum in the Western Sahara. UK representatives are also active members of the Friends of the Western Sahara grouping at the UN. The Permanent Representative to the UK Mission, Sir Jeremy Greenstock, recently met the Secretary-General of the Polisario Front and assured him that the UK would continue to support all efforts to find a just and durable peace in the Western Sahara acceptable to the Saharawi people.

  Afghanistan
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what monitoring of human rights is undertaken by his Department in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. [110477]

  Mr. Hain
  Our High Commission in Islamabad monitors human rights in Afghanistan and is in regular contact with NGOs and UN agencies on this subject.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government have to re-open the British Embassy in Kabul. [110568]

  Mr. Hain
  We have no plans at present to re-open the British Embassy in Kabul.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) when his Department last(a) received representations from and (b) made representations to the Afghan Embassy in London; [110570]

  (2) when his Department last received representations from the former Afghan Government of President Rabbani. [110569]
  678W
  Mr. Hain
  We are in regular contact with the Charge d'Affaires at the Afghanistan Embassy in London who was appointed by the Rabbani Government. He last met officials from the FCO on 16 February. We are also in contact with the other Afghan factions, including the Taliban

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the location of heroin production within Afghanistan. [110571]

  Mr. Battle
  The FCO funds a series of studies of the drugs problem in Afghanistan by the United Nations International Drugs Programme (UNDCP). Heroin production in Afghanistan is concentrated mainly in the Helmand, Nangahar and Badakhshan provinces. Approximately 90 per cent. of the areas in which opium poppy is cultivated is under Taliban control. According to estimates of the UNDCP, 1999 saw a 117 per cent. increase in the Afghan poppy harvest, to a total of 4,800 tonnes of opium, making Afghanistan the world's largest producer of illegal opiates.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when his Department last had contact with a representative of the Taliban Government of Afghanistan. [110566]

  Mr. Hain
  We are in regular contact with the main Afghan factions, including the Taliban. The last contact between a representative of the Taliban and a British official was on 16 February 2000.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs where representatives of his Department have met representatives of the Taliban Government of Afghanistan. [110567]

  Mr. Hain
  Our meetings with the Taliban take place mainly in Islamabad. However, members of our Embassy in Copenhagen met a visiting Taliban delegation on 12 February 2000.

  Departmental Meetings
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the(a) meetings and (b) official social contacts between Foreign Office (i) Ministers and (ii) special advisers and Mr. Philip Gould from 1 May 1997 to date. [110510]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, Civil Service Code and guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis and, in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the recent departmental meetings with Stanley Greenberg and James Caville. [110511]

  Mr. Hain
  Ministers and civil servants meet many people as part of the process of policy development and analysis. All such contacts are conducted in accordance with the Ministerial Code, Civil Service Code and
  679W
  guidance for Civil Servants: Contacts with lobbyists. Some of these discussions take place on a confidential basis and, in order to preserve confidentiality, it is not the normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings with private individuals or companies.

  Departmental Expenditure Limit
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 3 February 2000,Official Report, column 739W, on departmental expenditure, how much is (a) the transfer from another departmental expenditure limit of DFID and (b) the charge on the departmental expenditure limit reserve. [110514]

  Mr. Hain
  Our answer to the question of my hon. Friend the Member for Waveney (Mr. Blizzard) regarding the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Departmental Expenditure Limits contained an administrative error. The closing statement should have begun "The increase will be offset by a transfer from another Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL)", not "Departmental Expenditure Limit (DFID)". This is a standard Treasury line used when a department increases its DEL.

  Our answer detailed an increase in our DEL of £5,157,000 and a breakdown of how this sum was made up. The breakdown detailed a variety of transfers between the FCO and other Government Departments internal movements and a claim on the reserve to support peacekeeping operations.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 3 February 2000,Official Report, column 739W, on departmental expenditure, what is the reason for the increase of £2 million in the capital expenditure and £2 million in the appropriation in aid for FCO estates rationalisation. [110515]

  Mr. Battle
  The reason for the increase in appropriations in aid is that the FCO was able to sell assets worth £2 million more than projected. The increase in capital expenditure reflects the recycling of those proceeds into other FCO capital programmes.

  Ukraine
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many diplomats in the British Embassy in Ukraine are engaged in trade promotion; and what monitoring he conducts of the comparable figures for other EU states. [110572]

  Mr. Battle
  One senior diplomat leads a team of four locally engaged staff on trade promotion in Kiev. Our Ambassador devotes about 20 per cent. of his time to this work as do other staff to a smaller degree.

  A full review of our Embassy in Kiev was conducted in November last year. British Trade International, who now operate the trade support services of the FCO and DTI, take account of the positions of comparable EU states when planning the allocation of resources.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if it is the Government's policy to support Ukraine's aspiration for EU membership; and 680W
  what representations he or his Department have received from Ukraine concerning Ukrainian membership of the EU. [110579]

  Mr. Vaz
  We support Ukraine's aspirations for closer relations with the EU, but consider it too early to consider the question of possible EU membership. The EU/Ukraine Partnership and Co-operation Agreement offers wide scope for closer relations and we encourage Ukraine to implement it fully. Ukraine Ministers have frequently requested EU support for their aspirations to EU membership. It was one of the topics raised with me yesterday by the Foreign Policy Adviser to the Ukrainian President.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Ukrainian Government about(a) Ukraine's weapons exports and (b) illegal export of arms from Ukraine. [110582]

  Mr. Vaz
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary made representations regarding reports of Ukrainian manufactured arms in Sierra Leone and Angola to the Ukrainian Foreign Minister on 1 February and 16 December 1999. The Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) made similar representations to the Ukrainian Ambassador on 16 September 1999. A team of officials will travel to Ukraine in March to explore ways in which we can co-operate to combat illegal arms transfers in Africa. We do not believe that the Ukrainian Government is itself involved in illegal arms exports.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to other EU states by his Department concerning Ukrainian membership of the EU. [110580]

  Mr. Vaz
  The future of Ukraine's relations with the EU was discussed extensively with other EU member states during drafting of the EU Common Strategy on Ukraine, which was adopted at the Helsinki European Council in December 1999. The UK successfully argued that the Common Strategy should acknowledge Ukraine's European aspirations and welcome Ukraine's pro-European choice.

  Children's Rights
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the report on Children's Rights published by the Children's Select Committee. [109822]

  Mr. Hain
  In November 1999, to mark the tenth anniversary of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the FCO and Save the Children UK organised a Children's Select Committee. 16 children from across the UK chose to examine four issues of central importance to children: child soldiers, child labour, child rights and the environment, and child participation. The Committee's findings were presented in a report to the FCO on 8 February making a number of recommendations for the Government, business sector and NGOs to consider.

  The FCO is co-ordinating the Government's response which we plan to publish by the middle of April. We will also be looking at ways to publicise the Committee's report and a video of the event as widely as possible, including through our Posts overseas.

  Departmental Property
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Forign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all his Departments's premises(a) currently for sale and(b) being considered for disposal. [110513]

  Mr. Battle
  Details of current FCO properties for sale are as listed. As to listing properties being considered for disposal, the entire estate is reviewed as part of a rolling programme revaluation exercise. This reveals properties which appear to performing poorly on the basis of key preformance indicators. These are then examined in detail to determine whether they should be replaced by more effective properties.

  FCO Sale of assets: property currently for sale— 16 February 2000

  Country

  Location

  Description

  Egypt

  Alexandria

  Land

  Malawi

  Blantyre

  Residential

  Colombia

  Bogota

  Residential

  Germany

  Bonn

  Residential

  Barbados

  Bridgetown

  Residential

  Hungary

  Budapest

  Residential

  Egypt

  Cairo

  Residential

  FCO sale of assets

  Country

  Location

  Description

  Number of sales

  Proceeds (£000)

  From 1 May 1997 to 31 March 1998

  Germany

  Berlin

  Land

  1

  127

  Colombia

  Bogota

  Flat

  1

  46

  Argentina

  Buenos Aires

  Flat

  1

  65

  Australia

  Canberra

  House

  1

  141

  South Africa

  Capetown

  House

  1

  296

  Switzerland

  Geneva

  House

  1

  576

  Guyana

  Georgetown

  House

  1

  145

  Zimbabwe

  Harare

  House

  1

  32

  Finland

  Helsinki

  House/Flat

  3

  541

  South Africa

  Johannesburg

  House

  1

  28

  Zambia

  Lusaka

  House

  3

  169

  Spain

  Madrid

  Flat

  1

  91

  Mozambique

  Maputo

  House

  1

  82

  Lesotho

  Maseru

  House

  2

  54

  France

  Paris

  Flat

  7

  835

  France

  Paris (OECD)

  Residence

  1

  1,661

  South Africa

  Pretoria

  Land

  1

  46

  Ecuador

  Quito

  Land

  1

  135

  Iceland

  Reykjavik

  Flat

  1

  42

  Netherlands

  The Hague

  Flat

  2

  152

  Albania

  Tirana

  House

  1

  65

  New Zealand

  Wellington

  House

  1

  58

  Total

  —

  —

  35

  5,387

  From 1 April 1998 to 31 March 1999

  Colombia

  Bogota

  Offices

  1

  539

  Morocco

  Casablanca

  Offices

  1

  863

  Denmark

  Copenhagen

  Residential

  2

  190

  Ireland

  Dublin

  Residential

  1

  297

  Switzerland

  Geneva

  Residential

  4

  506

  Soloman Island

  Honiara

  Residential

  1

  53

  South Africa

  Johannesburg

  Residential

  2

  72

  France

  Marseilles

  Residential

  1

  691

  Swaziland

  Mbabane

  Residential

  1

  29

  Portugal

  Oporto

  Land

  1

  781

  Norway

  Oslo

  Residential

  1

  201

  Canada

  Ottawa

  Residential

  2

  672

  France

  Paris

  Residential

  2

  176

  Trinidad

  Port of Spain

  Residential

  1

  162

  682W

  FCO Sale of assets: property currently for sale— 16 February 2000

  Country

  Location

  Description

  Tanzania

  Dar es Salaam

  Residential

  Jamaica

  Kingston

  Residential

  Malaysia

  Kuala Lumpur

  Residential

  Nigeria

  Lagos

  Residential

  Portugal

  Lisbon

  Residential

  Spain

  Malaga

  Offices

  Swaziland

  Mbabane

  Offices

  Kenya

  Nairobi

  Residential

  Canada

  Ottawa

  Residential

  France

  Paris

  Garage

  Spain

  Seville

  Offices

  Tunisia

  Tunis

  Land

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list all of his Department's premises sold since 1 May 1997 together with the sale price and the names of the buyers. [110512]

  Mr. Battle
  Since 1 May 1997 the FCO has sold 78 estate assets. Details are as listed. Total proceeds to date from completed sales amount to £39 million. For reasons of commercial confidentiality, the FCO does not publish names of buyers. Were we to do so, prospective purchasers might be dissuaded from bidding.
  683W

  FCO sale of assets

  Country

  Location

  Description

  Number of sales

  Proceeds (£000)

  South Africa

  Pretoria

  Residential

  1

  135

  Ecuador

  Quito

  Land

  1

  188

  Netherlands

  The Hague

  Residential

  1

  74

  U.K.

  Gawcott

  Land

  1

  355

  U.K.

  22–24 Whitehall

  Offices

  1

  8,500

  Total

  —

  —

  26

  14,484

  From 1 April 1999 to date

  Swaziland

  Gaborone

  Residential

  1

  155

  Chile

  Santiago

  Residential

  1

  103

  France

  Lille

  Residential

  1

  289

  France

  Paris

  Residential

  1

  134

  Germany

  Bonn

  Offices

  1

  6,388

  Germany

  Bonn

  Residential

  1

  364

  Ireland

  Dublin

  Residential

  1

  19,900

  Israel

  Tel Aviv

  Residential

  1

  159

  Malaysia

  Kuala Lumpur

  Residential

  1

  31

  New Zealand

  Wellington

  Residential

  1

  206

  Spain

  Madrid

  Residential

  1

  262

  Swaziland

  Mbabane

  Residential

  1

  23

  Sweden

  Stockholm

  Residential

  1

  126

  Switzerland

  Geneva

  Residential

  2

  194

  U.K.

  Poundon

  Land

  1

  477

  USA

  Cleveland

  Residential

  1

  353

  Total

  —

  —

  18

  19,164

  1 A further £10 million will be received from this sale in March 2000, and a further £3.6 million will be received in 2001–02

  Zimbabwe
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations have been made by him to the Government of Zimbabwe concerning demands that the UK compensate white farmers for land to be taken by the Zimbabwean Government. [110576]

  Mr. Hain
  Our High Commissioner called on the Vice President on 2 February. I wrote to President Mugabe on 4 February. The draft constitution, containing clause 57, was rejected by the Zimbabwe people in a referendum on 12–13 February.
  684W
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to him by opposition groups within Zimbabwe about(a) that country's referendum on a new constitution and (b) human rights in Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [110575]

  Mr. Hain
  We maintain close contact with a wide cross-section of society in Zimbabwe, including opposition groups. The referendum process was deeply flawed. The `No' vote showed that there was clearly wide discontent with both the process and the content of the draft.

  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Ilford, South (Mr. Gapes) on 11 January 2000, Official Report, columns 132–33W.

  Steven John Hayden
  Steven John Hayden
  Statutory Instruments: Publication in Draft
  Statutory Instruments: Publication in Draft
  Human Rights Joint Select Committee
  Human Rights Joint Select Committee
  Lord Chancellor: Judicial Sittings
  Lord Chancellor: Judicial Sittings
  Law Officers: Appearances as Counsel in Court
  Law Officers: Appearances as Counsel in Court
  Organophosphates: Effects in Mice
  Organophosphates: Effects in Mice
  Arable Area Payments Scheme: Field Margins
  Arable Area Payments Scheme: Field Margins
  Custodian of Enemy Property Palestine: Report
  Custodian of Enemy Property Palestine: Report
  Boundary Commission: Forthcoming Review
  Boundary Commission: Forthcoming Review
  Charity Commission Annual Report
  Charity Commission Annual Report
  Home Office Departmental Expenditure Limits
  Home Office Departmental Expenditure Limits
  Hereditary Peers: Voting Rights
  Hereditary Peers: Voting Rights
  NHS Charge Increases
  NHS Charge Increases
  Hospital Patient Resuscitation Guidelines
  Hospital Patient Resuscitation Guidelines
  Department of Health Expenditure Limit
  Department of Health Expenditure Limit
  Regional Eurostar Services
  Regional Eurostar Services
  Merchant Shipping Regulations
  Merchant Shipping Regulations
  Questions for Written Answer
  Questions for Written Answer
  Civil Service and Public Sector Employee Numbers
  Civil Service and Public Sector Employee Numbers
  Strategic Communications Unit
  Strategic Communications Unit
  Special Advisers
  Special Advisers
  Conservative Party Tax Policy
  Conservative Party Tax Policy
  Spoliation Advisory Panel
  Spoliation Advisory Panel