Written Answers of 12 January 2000

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Athletics
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the suitability of the proposed ramped area for the use of athletes coming from the external road to the Olympic Track of the English National Stadium Project; and if he will make a statement. [104311]

  Kate Hoey
  Following his statement to the House on 1 December 1999, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State made a further announcement about the future of Wembley on 22 December 1999 which confirmed that, subject to further discussions between Wembley National Stadium Ltd., the Football Association and Sport England, athletics will be removed from the new national stadium at Wembley and an alternative venue sought elsewhere in London. Copies of that announcement have been placed in the Library of the House.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Water Industry
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the amount of capital expenditure by the water industry for improving the environment over the past five years; and what his estimate is of the anticipated expenditure on such schemes, by the industry, over the next five years. [103101]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 20 December 1999]: The Director General of Water Services has published the capital expenditure of the water industry on quality enhancement for the five years from 1 April 1994 to 31 March 1999 in "1998–1999 Report on financial performance and expenditure of the water companies in England and Wales". Gross capital investment by the water industry on quality enhancement in this period was £6,691 million (in May 1999 prices).

  On 25 November 1999 the Director published "Final determinations: Future water and sewerage charges 2000–2005". This document sets out the provisions within price limits for expenditure to improve the environment in the five years beginning 1 April 2000. This includes provision for capital enhancement expenditure and capital maintenance expenditure of £8.5 billion to improve drinking water quality and reach higher environmental standards. £7.45 billion of this is capital enhancement
  160W
  expenditure. £1.03 billion is capital maintenance expenditure which will allow the companies to meet water quality and environmental obligations. The Director is writing to the hon. Member with fuller information on the figures he requests.

  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the leakage rates for each water company in England; and what steps are being taken to reduce these levels. [104291]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Director General of Water Services published the leakage rates for the water undertakers in England in 1998–99 in the "1998–99 Report on leakage and water efficiency" in December. These rates, in megalitres per day and as a percentage of distribution input, were as follows:

  Megalitres per day

  Percentage

  Anglian

  201

  18.1

  Bournemouth and West Hampshire

  25.7

  16.7

  Bristol

  56.4

  18.7

  Cambridge

  13.1

  18.5

  Essex and Suffolk

  76.4

  15.9

  Folkestone and Dover

  8.7

  17.8

  Hartlepool

  4.7

  13.9

  Mid Kent

  30.1

  19.0

  North Surrey

  22.3

  17.3

  North West

  510

  25.8

  Northumbrian

  171

  22.0

  Portsmouth

  30.5

  17.6

  Severn Trent

  344

  18.4

  South East

  198.9

  123.7

  South Staffordshire

  77.1

  22.3

  South West

  92

  21.1

  Southern

  95

  16.1

  Sutton and East Surrey

  24.9

  16.4

  Tendring Hundred

  5.5

  18.5

  Thames

  770

  31.1

  Three Valleys

  135.0

  19.8

  Wessex

  100

  25.9

  York

  9.0

  19.5

  Yorkshire

  333

  26.9

  1Following inquiries by Ofwat, South East Water was asked to resubmit its water balance for 1997–98 and 1998–99. However, the company failed to supply a robust data set in time for inclusion in the report. The figure given here is for 1996–97 and is taken from the 1996–97 report on leakage and water efficiency.

  The Director General of Water Services sets annual mandatory leakage targets for each water undertaker. The latest targets for 2000–01 were also published in the report. These targets represent a 31 per cent. reduction in leakage in England since April 1997. Over the next year, my Department, Ofwat and the Environment Agency will conduct a joint study into the scope for future leakage reduction.

  Contaminated Land
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much contaminated land has been reclaimed in each of the last five years in each local authority area in the north-west of England. [104289]
  161W
  Mr. Meacher
  Information on the amount of contaminated land reclaimed is not held centrally However, figures are available for the reclamation of

  DLG/LRP spend

  £ million

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  Total

  Cumbria CC

  3.19

  1.49

  2.60

  2.17

  1.34

  —

  Allerdale

  0.79

  0.00

  0.11

  0.18

  0.00

  —

  Barrow

  1.18

  0.04

  0.00

  0.06

  0.15

  —

  Carlisle

  0.07

  0.06

  0.15

  0.00

  0.01

  —

  Copeland

  0.19

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  Eden

  0.06

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  South Lakeland

  0.00

  0.05

  0.29

  0.06

  0.01

  —

  Cumbria Total

  5.48

  1.64

  3.15

  2.47

  1.51

  14.25

  Lancashire CC

  0.09

  0.05

  0.13

  0.21

  0.24

  —

  Blackburn

  0.07

  1.51

  0.17

  0.03

  0.13

  —

  Blackpool

  0.00

  0.02

  0.00

  0.01

  0.02

  —

  Burnley

  0.01

  0.05

  0.07

  0.02

  0.11

  —

  Chorley

  1.03

  0.11

  0.02

  0.08

  0.01

  —

  Fylde

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  Hyndburn

  0.93

  0.05

  0.00

  0.27

  0.20

  —

  Lancaster

  0.33

  0.00

  0.10

  0.02

  0.11

  —

  Pendle

  0.12

  0.00

  0.00

  0.25

  0.03

  —

  Preston

  0.23

  0.05

  1.04

  0.28

  0.00

  —

  Ribble V

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.04

  —

  Rossendale

  0.03

  0.02

  0.22

  0.19

  0.71

  —

  South Ribble

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  West Lancashire

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  Wyre

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  Lancashire Total

  2.84

  1.86

  1.75

  1.36

  1.60

  9.41

  Knowsley

  0.56

  0.40

  0.02

  0.10

  0.83

  —

  Liverpool

  0.00

  0.35

  0.24

  0.35

  0.18

  —

  Sefton

  0.63

  1.06

  0.77

  0.20

  1.33

  —

  St. Helens

  1.62

  0.45

  0.31

  0.56

  1.02

  —

  Wirral

  0.43

  0.33

  0.14

  0.37

  1.53

  —

  Merseyside Total

  3.24

  2.59

  1.48

  1.58

  4.89

  13.78

  Bolton

  0.14

  0.04

  0.05

  0.07

  0.02

  —

  Bury

  1.75

  0.12

  0.48

  0.80

  1.07

  —

  Manchester

  0.97

  0.91

  1.12

  0.78

  0.70

  —

  Oldham

  1.30

  0.37

  0.21

  1.80

  0.22

  —

  Rochdale

  0.45

  0.26

  0.05

  0.06

  0.10

  —

  Salford

  0.40

  0.83

  0.39

  0.66

  0.81

  —

  Stockport

  3.17

  0.00

  0.00

  0.20

  0.47

  —

  Tameside

  2.99

  0.83

  0.18

  0.28

  0.97

  —

  Trafford

  0.00

  0.00

  0.13

  0.53

  0.01

  —

  Wigan

  1.20

  0.85

  0.87

  1.12

  0.47

  —

  Greater Manchester Total

  12.37

  4.21

  3.48

  6.30

  4.84

  31.20

  Cheshire CC

  1.68

  0.09

  0.86

  -0.19

  0.69

  —

  Chester

  0.00

  0.00

  0.06

  0.00

  0.01

  —

  Congleton

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  Crewe and N

  0.08

  0.00

  0.00

  0.01

  0.00

  —

  E Port and N

  1.78

  0.18

  0.02

  0.08

  -0.06

  —

  Halton

  0.90

  0.29

  0.21

  0.05

  0.11

  —

  Macclesfield

  0.09

  0.18

  0.01

  0.01

  0.00

  —

  Vale Royal

  0.30

  0.08

  0.15

  0.12

  0.01

  —

  Warrington

  0.31

  0.03

  0.02

  0.00

  0.02

  —

  Cheshire Total

  5.14

  0.85

  1.33

  0.08

  0.78

  8.18

  Region Total

  29.07

  11.15

  11.19

  11.79

  13.62

  76.82

  162W
  derelict land. The table shows the spend by each local authority area, in the north-west region, for each of the last five years, under the Land Reclamation Programme.
  163W
  Figures are also available for the amount of derelict land estimated to have been reclaimed from approvals under this programme, in the last five years, in the north-west region. These are as follows:

  Year

  Hectares

  1994–95

  231

  1995–96

  221

  1996–97

  70

  1997–98

  167

  1998–99

  210

  These figures apply to derelict land in general, therefore it should be recognised that not all derelict land is contaminated, and much of the contaminated land which has been remediated is not derelict.

  Local Authority Housing
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people have been put on local authority housing waiting lists in London boroughs in each of the last six months. [104363]

  Mr. Mullin
  Information is not held centrally on the numbers of people joining and leaving local authorities' housing registers/waiting lists.

  Beacon Councils
  Mr. Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many beacon councils have reached the Government's target of 25 per cent. recycling; and if he will list(a) the level achieved by each Beacon Council for waste management and (b) the councils not awarded beacon status which have achieved a higher level. [104290]

  Mr. Meacher
  There is no recycling target which each individual local authority is expected to meet. There is a national goal to recycle or compost 25 per cent. of household waste by 2005 or earlier.

  From the data supplied for the 1997–98 Municipal Waste Survey, three authorities chosen as Beacon Councils in the "Sustainable Development: Dealing with Waste" category have recycling rates of 25 per cent. or over:

  Gosport Borough Council

  Havant Borough Council

  New Forest District Council.

  Other non beacon authorities which are achieving 25 per cent. or more, are:

  Adur District Council

  Chichester District Council

  Chiltern District Council

  Christchurch Borough Council

  East Dorset District Council

  Eastleigh Borough Council

  North Dorset District Council

  Purbeck District Council

  Reigate and Banstead Borough Council

  South Bucks District Council

  Tandridge District Council

  Weymouth and Portland Borough Council

  164W
  The remaining Beacon Councils are achieving the following recycling rates:

  Percentage

  Councils

  Between 20 and 25

  Rushmoor District Council

  St. Edmondsbury Borough Council

  Test Valley District Council

  Between 15 and 20

  East Hampshire District Council

  Fareham District Council

  Winchester City Council

  Between 10 and 15

  Basingstoke District Council

  Bath and North East Somerset Council

  Hart District Council

  London Borough of Bexley

  Portsmouth City Council

  Less than 10

  London Borough of Hounslow

  Southampton City Council

  Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council

  Wealden District Council

  Notes:

  1. Recycling rates are calculated as the quantity of household waste collected for recycling, expressed as a percentage of total household waste. These calculations exclude recycling of building rubble, and make no allowance for home composting.

  2. In non-unitary areas, the figures cover amounts collected within the area by both the Waste Collection Authority and the Waste Disposal Authority. In most cases, figures for total household waste (apart from amounts collected for recycling) are taken from returns from Waste Disposal Authorities.

  Employment Statistics
  Mrs. Ann Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many(a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed in (i) his predecessor departments and English local authorities in 1979 and (ii) his Department and English local authorities in 1999. [104026]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  (i) Available records indicate that on 1 January 1979, 26,438 staff were employed in the Department of the Environment and the Department of Transport. Age and gender analysis is not available for that time.

  In June 1979, the English Local Authorities employed some 1,813,000 staff. Again, analysis by age and gender is not available.

  (ii) On 1 April 1999, 15,520 staff were employed in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, of which 7,794 were men and 7,726 were women. The following is a breakdown into standard age groups for each gender:

  Age

  Men

  Women

  16–17

  1

  7

  18–19

  67

  101

  20–24

  366

  474

  25–29

  609

  693

  30–34

  793

  1,047

  35–39

  935

  1,332

  40–44

  1,091

  1,240

  45–49

  1,187

  1,064

  50 and over

  2,745

  1,768

  Totals

  7,794

  7,726

  165W
  This information is not available for employees of Local Authorities. On 12 June 1998, the latest date for which figures are available, some 1,360,000 staff were employed within the English Local Authorities. Age and gender analysis of this total is not available.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people were registered homeless in London boroughs in each of the last six months. [104362]

  Mr. Mullin
  Information is published on households accommodated under statutory homelessness provisions in a quarterly Information Bulletin, "Statistics of local authority activities under the homelessness legislation: England". Information on a monthly basis is not collected centrally. Table 2 of the Bulletin presents a quarterly summary by region, including Greater London, of those households accepted as homeless and in priority need under the homelessness provisions of the 1985 and 1996 Housing Acts.

  Copies of the Bulletin are in the Library, and the latest edition, published on 10 December 1999, presents statistics up to the third quarter of 1999.

DEFENCE

  Iraq
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights by United Kingdom and allied aircraft have taken place over Iraq during the last month; and what quantities of missiles were discharged into Iraq during that period. [103640]

  Mr. Hoon
  RAF aircraft undertook some 200 operational sorties during the period 18 November to 15 December in pursuit of their mission to prevent Saddam's air forces from persecuting the Kurds and Shia Muslims of northern and southern Iraq. Over this period, the RAF dropped six laser-guided bombs over Iraq in response to Iraqi threats.

  Insensitive Munitions
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received on the exploratory talks on insensitive munitions. [104108]

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

  Letter from John Howe to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 12 January 2000:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about representations received on the exploratory talks on insensitive munitions. This matter falls to me to answer within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.
  It is not clear from the question which exploratory talks you have in mind, but if there are any further details you can let me have I will of course be happy to give a full reply. However, I can assure you that it is Ministry of Defence policy to ensure that munitions comply with NATO safety standards. One of these standards is that munitions shall be as insensitive as is practicable but still operate as intended.

  NATO Defence Capability Initiative
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list(a) the British members of the High Level Steering Group of the NATO Defence Capability Initiative and (b) the number of meetings so far which they have attended; and when the Defence Capability Initiative is expected to produce conclusions. [104270]

  Mr. Hoon
  The UK's representative at the High Level Steering Group is the Director General for International Security Policy (DGISP), who is supported by the Defence Counsellor at the UK Delegation to NATO. DGISP has attended, or been represented at, all four of the Group's meetings to date. It will be some years before the DCI is complete but work is well under way.

  Asbestos
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 December 1999,Official Report, column 260W, if he will list the types of vessels which have undergone the programme to eliminate asbestos from on board; when he expects the programme to be completed; what is the estimated cost; and if he will make a statement. [104349]

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  The comprehensive programme to eliminate asbestos is in its early stages and is expected to continue over the next 10 years, being undertaken during planned maintenance periods and refits. There are likely to be cases where it may be safer to leave the asbestos in place, undisturbed and sealed for the service life of the vessel. The use of asbestos in Royal Naval vessels is governed by the Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 1987, as amended. Safe alternatives have been fitted wherever practicable since the inception of the Regulations.

  It is estimated that the total cost of the programme to eliminate asbestos, wherever practicable, will be about £7.5 million. This includes the cost of replacement stocks.

  Imphal Barracks (Civilian Staff)
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to answer the question tabled on 19 November for answer on 23 November by the hon. Member of Vale for York concerning the number of civilian staff employed at Imphal Barracks. [103760]

  Mr. Spellar
  I replied to the hon. Member on 21 December 1999.

PRIME MINISTER

  Barnsley
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Prime Minister when he next expects to visit Barnsley. [103458]

  The Prime Minister
  I have no immediate plans to do so.

  Joint Cabinet Consultative Committee
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 20 December 1999,Official Report, column 353W, concerning the public disclosure

  167W
  of discussions at the JCCC, if he will investigate the source of the press reports of the JCCC meeting on 13 December. [104138]

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Committee on Standards in Public Life
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to receive the Sixth report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life. [104643]

  The Prime Minister
  I am pleased to announce that Lord Neill has today published the Committee's Sixth Report. The report reviews the implementation of the recommendations from its First Report.

  The Government welcome the report. We will need to consider carefully the recommendations and will give a detailed response to the report in due course.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Animal Research
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the funding of researchers through MRC or ARC grants to travel abroad to conduct research on animals. [104282]

  Ms Hewitt
  The MRC and BBSRC (formerly known as ARC) do not provide funds for any animal research unless the work proposed is of high quality, the need to use animals has been properly justified, and any suffering is minimised.

  Collaborations between UK scientists and their counterparts in the USA, Europe, or other countries play an important role in ensuring the quality and efficiency of UK scientific research, and avoiding duplication. Researchers supported through MRC and BBSRC grants will often pursue joint projects with researchers in other countries, and a small proportion of these may involve animals.

  Unit of delivery

  Starts to FTET option between January 1998 and July 1999

  Of which, number who had left New Deal by the end of September 1999

  Number recorded as completing FTET option before leaving New Deal

  As a percentage of those for whom completed/left early is known

  Number recorded as leaving FTET option early before leaving New Deal

  As a percentage of those for whom completed/left early is known

  Number who had left for an unknown destination by the end of September 1999

  As a percentage of those who had left New Deal by the end of September 1999

  Tayside

  474

  323

  61

  36

  109

  64

  47

  15

  Ayrshire

  371

  242

  37

  25

  113

  75

  29

  12

  Borders

  64

  34

  1

  7

  14

  93

  8

  24

  Dumfries and Galloway

  181

  101

  23

  40

  35

  60

  19

  19

  Dunbarton

  211

  103

  15

  28

  38

  72

  21

  20

  Edinburgh, East and Mid Lothian

  317

  200

  24

  29

  58

  71

  40

  20

  Fife

  479

  295

  48

  30

  113

  70

  60

  20

  Forth Valley1

  294

  145

  18

  24

  58

  76

  31

  21

  Glasgow

  1,112

  570

  74

  24

  240

  76

  133

  23

  Grampian

  134

  80

  11

  28

  29

  73

  15

  19

  Moray, Strathspay and Badenoch

  35

  23

  7

  70

  3

  30

  7

  30

  Lanarkshire

  651

  348

  23

  12

  176

  88

  65

  19

  Renfrewshire

  272

  153

  22

  23

  73

  77

  36

  24

  West Lothian

  98

  60

  7

  21

  26

  79

  12

  20

  Argyll and The Islands

  20

  9

  0

  0

  3

  100

  1

  11

  Caithness and Sutherland

  30

  15

  1

  14

  6

  86

  2

  13

  Inverness and Nairn

  44

  22

  8

  53

  7

  47

  5

  23

  Lochaber

  6

  2

  0

  0

  1

  100

  0

  0

  Western Isles

  30

  17

  7

  88

  1

  13

  4

  24

  Orkney

  6

  2

  1

  100

  0

  0

  0

  0

  168W
  The MRC and BBSRC expects UK researchers collaborating overseas to ensure standards at least meet those set out in the individual Research Council's own ethical guidelines. The Research Councils will not provide grant funds for animal research if it appears that it is being done overseas in order to reduce costs or to bypass the high standards set in the UK.

  Very occasionally, MRC has provided funds for work on health problems in developing countries where the medical problem being studied—for example, transmission of parasites from animals to people—has meant the research had to be done in the developing country.

  BBSRC funds the travel and subsistence costs of researchers to enable them to visit overseas research laboratories for short periods. Research on animals may be involved, but the annual number of such travel and subsistence is small, and those involving animal research is a small fraction of this.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  New Deal
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people joined the Full Time Education and Training Option of the New Deal for 18 to 24 year olds between January 1998 and the end of July 1999, by unit of delivery; how many and what percentage of these(a) completed their courses before leaving the New Deal, (b) left their courses before completing them and (c) left at any stage for unknown destinations. [100807]

  Ms Jowell
  [holding answer 2 December 1999]: The information available currently is shown in the following table. The Full-Time Education and Training (FTET) Option is designed to give people the skills that they need to get jobs; of the 7,891 young people shown as having left the Option early, 3,200 or 40 per cent. had found jobs. A recent survey has shown that 57 per cent. of young people leaving New Deal for unknown destinations had found a job.
  169W

  Unit of delivery

  Starts to FTET option between January 1998 and July 1999

  Of which, number who had left New Deal by the end of the September 1999

  Number recorded as completing FTET option before leaving New Deal

  As a percentage of those for whom completed/left early is known

  Number recorded as leaving FTET option early before leaving New Deal

  As a percentage of those for whom completed/left early is known

  Number who had left for an unknown destination by the end of September 1999

  As a percentage of those who had left New Deal by the end of September 1999

  Ross and Cromarty

  43

  28

  9

  64

  5

  36

  4

  14

  Shetland

  6

  4

  0

  0

  1

  100

  4

  100

  Skye and Lochalsh

  5

  1

  0

  —

  0

  —

  0

  0

  Newcastle, Gateshead and South Tyneside

  1,665

  891

  161

  36

  281

  64

  198

  22

  Northumberland

  406

  185

  43

  38

  69

  62

  28

  15

  Tyneside North1

  415

  167

  36

  40

  54

  60

  31

  19

  Durham North and Durham South

  1,038

  526

  91

  29

  225

  71

  129

  25

  City of Sunderland formerly Wearside

  767

  363

  79

  42

  110

  58

  74

  20

  Tees North and Tees South

  1,480

  597

  84

  28

  216

  72

  157

  26

  Cumbria

  478

  235

  36

  30

  83

  70

  41

  17

  Wirral

  524

  318

  53

  32

  113

  68

  58

  18

  Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre

  127

  78

  7

  20

  28

  80

  20

  26

  Bolton

  116

  58

  8

  47

  9

  53

  11

  19

  Bury

  115

  56

  12

  55

  10

  45

  19

  34

  Central Lancashire

  128

  72

  5

  13

  33

  87

  16

  22

  Cheshire

  222

  94

  5

  11

  42

  89

  22

  23

  City Pride Manchester

  874

  394

  58

  36

  102

  64

  100

  25

  East Lancashire

  283

  148

  22

  24

  69

  76

  37

  25

  Halton and Warrington

  335

  151

  9

  18

  42

  82

  27

  18

  Knowsley

  552

  273

  18

  13

  125

  87

  77

  28

  Liverpool

  1,438

  633

  79

  26

  220

  74

  146

  23

  North Lancashire

  137

  79

  16

  32

  34

  68

  22

  28

  Oldham

  141

  63

  2

  10

  18

  90

  18

  29

  Rochdale

  259

  160

  13

  20

  51

  80

  48

  30

  Sefton

  395

  209

  31

  36

  55

  64

  43

  21

  St. Helens

  244

  97

  11

  21

  41

  79

  20

  21

  Stockport

  120

  60

  8

  26

  23

  74

  23

  38

  West Lancashire1

  104

  35

  7

  70

  3

  30

  4

  11

  Wigan

  177

  83

  5

  12

  37

  88

  26

  31

  Sheffield

  1,044

  558

  93

  35

  174

  65

  149

  27

  Rotherham

  664

  357

  57

  28

  145

  72

  95

  27

  South Humber1

  242

  92

  4

  8

  44

  92

  26

  28

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  652

  295

  40

  25

  118

  75

  98

  33

  Barnsley and The Dearne

  646

  303

  19

  14

  115

  86

  83

  27

  Bradford

  780

  442

  71

  30

  166

  70

  132

  30

  Hull and East Coast formerly Hull

  883

  433

  42

  27

  86

  79

  89

  33

  Leeds

  511

  269

  23

  21

  86

  79

  89

  33

  North Yorkshire

  322

  184

  33

  35

  62

  65

  52

  28

  Wakefield and Doncaster

  791

  453

  43

  16

  219

  84

  124

  27

  West Wales

  365

  180

  26

  29

  65

  71

  51

  28

  Swansea

  488

  307

  42

  26

  118

  74

  81

  26

  North West Wales

  214

  96

  15

  37

  26

  63

  15

  16

  Powys

  60

  30

  6

  38

  10

  63

  6

  20

  Ceredigion

  59

  28

  6

  46

  7

  54

  7

  25

  North East Wales formerly Flintshire and Wrexham

  133

  55

  4

  29

  10

  71

  9

  16

  North Wales Coast

  146

  66

  12

  40

  18

  60

  17

  26

  Cardiff and Vale

  358

  206

  31

  37

  53

  63

  49

  24

  Bridgend and Glamorgan Valleys1

  289

  114

  13

  27

  35

  73

  26

  23

  Heads of the Valley and Caerphilly

  389

  179

  17

  18

  76

  82

  26

  15

  Newport, Torfaen and Monmouth

  217

  125

  17

  23

  56

  77

  32

  26

  Black Country

  1,515

  727

  74

  24

  239

  76

  190

  26

  Birmingham

  1,538

  556

  62

  36

  112

  64

  157

  28

  Solihull1

  198

  82

  3

  8

  35

  92

  22

  27

  Staffordshire

  526

  223

  15

  14

  91

  86

  59

  26

  Hereford and Worcester

  177

  101

  17

  35

  32

  65

  26

  26

  Coventry

  318

  161

  16

  30

  37

  70

  48

  30

  Warwickshire

  155

  78

  12

  34

  23

  66

  28

  36

  Shropshire

  158

  74

  5

  17

  24

  83

  22

  30

  Southern Derbyshire

  419

  240

  24

  25

  72

  75

  57

  24

  Cambridge TTWA

  141

  71

  12

  43

  16

  57

  17

  24

  North Derbyshire

  313

  164

  26

  33

  54

  68

  33

  20

  Leicestershire1

  442

  173

  13

  21

  50

  79

  64

  37

  Lincolnshire

  350

  184

  30

  30

  70

  70

  58

  32

  Norfolk

  506

  252

  40

  31

  91

  69

  37

  15

  West Norfolk

  79

  42

  3

  10

  26

  90

  11

  26

  Northamptonshire

  147

  93

  9

  20

  35

  80

  27

  29

  Greater Nottingham

  590

  260

  34

  27

  94

  73

  78

  30

  North Nottinghamshire

  391

  157

  24

  27

  64

  73

  41

  26

  Peterborough

  147

  85

  10

  21

  38

  79

  26

  31

  Suffolk

  369

  173

  30

  32

  64

  68

  30

  17

  Waveney

  171

  55

  14

  44

  18

  56

  7

  13

  Cornwall

  433

  286

  64

  47

  73

  53

  60

  21

  Bath and North East Somerset and North Somerset

  86

  49

  5

  26

  14

  74

  10

  20

  170W

  171W

  Unit of delivery

  Starts to FTET option between January 1998 and July 1999

  Of which, number who had left New Deal by the end of September 1999

  Number recorded as completing FTET option before leaving New Deal

  As a percentage of those for whom completed/ left early is known

  Number recorded as leaving FTET option early before leaving New Deal

  As a percentage of those for whom completed/ left early is known

  Number who had left for an unknown destination by the end of September 1999

  As a percentage of those who had left New Deal by the end of September 1999

  Bristol and South Gloucestershire formerly Central Bristol

  317

  151

  15

  18

  67

  82

  52

  34

  Dorset

  260

  159

  26

  31

  57

  69

  43

  27

  Exeter and East Devon1

  144

  57

  6

  21

  23

  79

  10

  18

  Torbay and South Devon formerly South Devon

  199

  112

  13

  19

  57

  81

  21

  19

  North Devon

  64

  38

  10

  59

  7

  41

  10

  26

  Gloucestershire

  149

  91

  9

  22

  32

  78

  19

  21

  Plymouth

  501

  279

  39

  26

  111

  74

  63

  23

  Somerset

  242

  136

  19

  28

  48

  72

  36

  26

  Wiltshire and Swindon formerly Wiltshire

  154

  90

  10

  19

  42

  81

  22

  24

  Eastbourne and Hastings formerly Eastbourne

  261

  162

  20

  27

  55

  73

  57

  35

  Lambeth

  367

  183

  33

  52

  30

  48

  63

  34

  Harlow

  51

  32

  3

  20

  12

  80

  15

  47

  Hackney and City1

  580

  150

  20

  36

  35

  64

  42

  28

  Hertfordshire

  320

  181

  13

  19

  55

  81

  59

  33

  Brighton

  154

  65

  8

  31

  18

  69

  17

  26

  Canterbury

  242

  120

  15

  31

  34

  69

  36

  30

  Channel

  156

  78

  10

  31

  22

  69

  19

  24

  Chatham

  300

  148

  20

  25

  59

  75

  43

  29

  Crawley

  35

  19

  3

  33

  6

  67

  8

  42

  Croydon and Bromley

  240

  111

  10

  23

  33

  77

  32

  29

  Guildford

  79

  55

  10

  36

  18

  64

  15

  27

  Lewisham

  305

  86

  11

  41

  16

  59

  27

  31

  Maidstone, Dartford and West Kent

  97

  54

  6

  25

  18

  75

  10

  19

  Southwark

  467

  179

  14

  30

  32

  70

  55

  31

  Greenwich

  402

  139

  17

  37

  29

  63

  33

  24

  Bexley

  114

  44

  7

  30

  16

  70

  9

  20

  Sutton, Merton Esher, Kingston, Epsom

  164

  76

  8

  38

  13

  62

  19

  25

  Wandsworth

  223

  95

  16

  43

  21

  57

  39

  41

  West Sussex Coastal Plain

  56

  28

  2

  18

  9

  82

  14

  50

  South Essex

  353

  192

  31

  49

  32

  51

  42

  22

  North Essex1 formerly North and Mid Essex

  275

  151

  24

  32

  52

  68

  35

  23

  Edgware and Leaside

  801

  320

  39

  40

  58

  60

  107

  33

  North East London

  398

  176

  35

  40

  52

  60

  68

  39

  Havering, Barking and Dagenham

  257

  133

  18

  37

  31

  63

  34

  26

  Newham

  609

  157

  23

  43

  31

  57

  49

  31

  Tower Hamlets

  299

  109

  20

  83

  4

  17

  39

  36

  Camden and North Islington

  338

  %

  20

  65

  11

  35

  30

  31

  Ealing and Hillingdon formerly Ealing

  260

  105

  11

  37

  19

  63

  38

  36

  Bedfordshire and Luton

  339

  213

  19

  22

  68

  78

  40

  19

  Milton Keynes and North Buckinghamshire

  92

  51

  6

  21

  22

  79

  16

  31

  Mid Hants

  38

  18

  3

  38

  5

  63

  6

  33

  Oxfordshire

  177

  82

  6

  21

  23

  79

  19

  23

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  393

  229

  26

  29

  65

  71

  75

  33

  Isle of Wight

  126

  52

  6

  32

  13

  68

  17

  33

  Reading

  36

  24

  1

  13

  7

  88

  5

  21

  Slough

  137

  70

  13

  35

  24

  65

  19

  27

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  67

  99

  16

  39

  25

  61

  36

  36

  Wembley

  482

  208

  29

  45

  35

  55

  58

  28

  Westminster

  115

  30

  1

  13

  7

  88

  7

  23

  Hounslow and Richmond

  181

  94

  17

  40

  25

  60

  30

  32

  Hammersmith, Fulham, Kensington, Chelsea

  270

  87

  4

  20

  16

  80

  23

  26

  Great Britain2

  48,631

  23,674

  3,213

  29

  7,891

  71

  5,998

  25

  1 A private Sector led Unit of Delivery

  2 Great Britain excludes those for whom no Unit of Delivery is recorded on the New Deal Evaluation Database

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people(a) have found sustained unsubsidised employment of 13 weeks or more, (b) are on follow-through and (c) have left for destinations other than sustained unsubsidised employment of 13 weeks or more from the New Deal scheme. [102108]
  172W
  Ms Jowell
  [holding answer 9 December 1999]: The New Deals have made an excellent start in helping unemployed people into work. Latest figures to the end of October 1999 show that, through the New Deal for Young People, 107,280 people have found sustained unsubsidised employment, 22,980 young people were on Follow-Through and 144,290 young people were recorded

  173W
  as having left New Deal for destinations other than sustained unsubsidised employment.

  Of the 144,290 recorded as destinations other than sustained employment, 30,060 transferred to another benefit, 44,750 went to another known destination and 69,480 went to an unknown destination. A recently published study reporting on clients who left the Gateway stage of New Deal for an unknown destination and whose JSA claim which qualified them for New Deal had been closed found that 57 per cent. of them left New Deal to go into paid employment. Over 100,000 young people have gained training and work experience in the non-employment options.

  Through the New Deal for long-term unemployed people aged 25 and over, equivalent figures were 19,730 into sustained unsubsidised employment, 990 older clients on the Follow-Through stage and 94,100 to destinations other than sustained unsubsidised employment.

  A further 24,430 unemployed people under these two New Deals have found sustained subsidised employment.

  A sustained job is one where the client does not return to JSA or New Deal within 13 weeks.

  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many young people in West Sussex have been through the New Deal scheme; and how many have subsequently found unsubsidised employment. [104273]

  Ms Jowell
  The latest statistics to the end of October 1999 show that of the 676 young people who started New Deal in the West Sussex Coastal Plain Unit of Delivery, 447 had left. It is encouraging that in West Sussex, 347 young people have found unsubsidised employment when they were benefiting from the New Deal. Others will have found work without informing the Employment Service.

  Unemployment (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of unemployment among members of ethnic minority groups; and if he will make a statement. [103248]

  Ms Jowell
  [holding answer 21 December 1999]: Figures from the Labour Force Survey are as follows:

  Employment

  Level (thousand)

  Rate (percentage)

  Change in rate over last year percentage points

  All

  —

  —

  —

  White

  26,200

  75.6

  +0.8

  All ethnic minority groups

  1,350

  58.3

  +2.0

  Black

  400

  62.8

  +1.7

  Indian

  420

  68.0

  +2.9

  Pakistani/Bangladeshi

  220

  40.8

  +0.9

  Chinese

  60

  55.6

  +5.6

  Other origins

  255

  60.2

  +1.6

  174W

  ILO unemployment

  Level (thousand)

  Rate (percentage)

  Change in rate over last year percentage points

  All

  —

  —

  —

  White

  1,600

  5.7

  -0.4

  All ethnic minority groups

  200

  13.3

  -0.8

  Black

  75

  15.5

  -0.2

  Indian

  40

  8.7

  +0.2

  Pakistani/Bangladeshi

  55

  19.5

  -4.6

  Chinese

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Other origins

  35

  12.6

  -1.6

  1 Sample size too small for reliable estimate

  Note:

  Figures are for summer 1999, not seasonally adjusted

  The unemployment rate among ethnic minority groups is unacceptably high but is improving. The Government are committed to ensuring that this improvement continues and are working with key partners on a range of measures to bring about equality of opportunity in the labour market for all groups in society.

  The Department's Race Relations Employment Advisory Service (RREAS) provides a free advice and consultancy service to employers to help develop and implement equal opportunity policies and practices for racial equality among the work force. The Department also publishes a range of guidance to promote racial equality in employment including "Equal Opportunities—Ten Point Plan for Employers".

  The Department is working with others, including the Commission for Racial Equality, to promote the message to employers that racial diversity in the workplace is essential for good business practice. The Department has also recently established a new strategic race advisory body called the Race Education and Employment Forum. Its remit is to consider and advise Ministers on matters relating to the progress of ethnic minorities in education, employment and training.

  The Department has recently led the work of the Policy Action Team on Jobs, whose members included officials from a number of Government Departments, as well as external organisations. It was asked to develop an action plan to reduce the difference between levels of worklessness in poor neighbourhoods and the national average, and within that to reduce the disproportionate unemployment rates for people from ethnic minorities. The PAT's report was published last month and its recommendations will be considered as part of the Social Exclusion Unit's work developing a national strategy for neighbourhood renewal.

  The Department has also commissioned research into a wide range of aspects of the labour market experience of ethnic minority groups, including the transition from education to work, adult learning among ethnic minorities and the education and labour market position of young black men.

  Remploy
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he has received a copy of the Bourton report on Remploy; and what plans he has to make the Bourton report available to(a) hon. Members, (b) employee representatives and (c) the general public. [104095]

  Ms Hodge
  As the Minister responsible for Remploy, I can confirm that I have received a copy of the interim report from the Bourton Group on Remploy. This report is a commercially sensitive document about the strategic development and management of a competitive company. For that reason I do not intend to make copies of the report more widely available.

  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on progress in the consultation exercise on the future of Remploy factories. [104096]

  Ms Hodge
  Consultation about the current Remploy Corporate Plan (1999–2002) has been extensive. Remploy employees, trade union officials, relevant Local Authorities and local MPs/Members of the Welsh Assembly have all been given full opportunity to give input and discuss the Plan with Directors of Remploy.

  In addition, since 15 September 1999 there have been five meetings between representatives of the Remploy Trades Union Consortium and the Board of Directors of Remploy to discuss the Corporate Plan for 2000–03. These meetings have been constructive. This consultation is due to finish later this month. No final decisions will be made on any modernisation proposals until this consultation is concluded.

  All those with an interest in Remploy are also being invited to contribute to the Quinquennial Review of Remploy. The prior option stage of the review, which was announced in the House on 18 November, is due to be completed by the end of March 2000.

  Finally, my officials have been undertaking a consultation exercise about how the Supported Employment Programme as a whole could be developed to open up more opportunities for disabled people to work and progress into open employment. A wide range of organisations and individuals have responded, including trade unions, voluntary and statutory organisations and any others with an interest in the employment of people with disabilities. The responses are currently being collated and analysed.

  Age bands

  16–19

  20–24

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50+

  Total

  Non Prison Service Home Office as at 1 April 1999

  (a) Men1

  9

  159

  541

  810

  748

  665

  760

  1,471

  5,163

  (b) Women

  32

  286

  882

  1,145

  920

  629

  643

  1,028

  5,565

  Grand total

  41

  445

  1,423

  1,955

  1,668

  1,294

  1,403

  2,499

  10,728

  Prison Service as at 21 December 1999

  (a) Men

  39

  515

  1,886

  4,692

  5,552

  4,770

  4,396

  10,128

  31,978

  (b) Women

  69

  822

  1,615

  2,057

  2,054

  1,599

  1,323

  2,010

  11,549

  Grand total

  109

  1,337

  3,501

  6,749

  7,606

  6,369

  5,719

  12,138

  43,528

  1 Figures are for permanent non-industrial staff

  Standards Fund
  Jane Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action he is taking to reduce the bureaucracy brought about by varied bidding criteria for the Standards Fund. [104395]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  For the Standards Fund for 2000–01 we have reduced the number of grants allocated via competitive bidding. Seven of the 38 grants for 2000–01 required competitive bidding, compared to 10 in 1999–2000 and 14 in 1998–99.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Night Shelters
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will review the law in respect of(a) the provision of day and night shelter places to people who may be drug users and (b) the vulnerability of managers, staff and trustees of day and night shelters to charges of not preventing the use or the supply of banned drugs. [R] [103912]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  No. Day and night shelters are subject to the provisions of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and must operate in accordance with the law. Decisions on whether to offer day and night shelter places to people who may be drug users are for the managers of individual establishments. Managers, staff and trustees of day and night shelters should ensure that all reasonable steps are taken to prevent the supply or use of controlled drugs on the premises in accordance with the law. However, we do recognise the concerns of some agencies following the recent conviction of Ruth Wyner and John Brock and we will therefore consider, with the relevant agencies, whether further guidance is needed in this area.

  Employment Statistics
  Mrs. Ann Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed in his Department and in police forces and fire departments in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1999. [104027]

  Mr. Straw
  The numbers of men and women employed in the standard age groups for 1999 are set out in the tables. The available published staffing figures for 1979 may be found in Civil Service Statistics 1979, a copy of which is in the Library. Where possible, information has been given at or near the 1 April 1999. It has not, however, been possible to provide Prison Service figures on this basis: this information is as at 21 December 1999. Age breakdowns for the Fire and Police Services are not available in the form requested except at disproportionate cost.
  177W
  For the Police Service, the following figures were published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin 14/99 on 26 August 1999 and are available in the Library.

  Police Service staffing figures at March 1999

  Number

  Male

  105,379

  Female

  20,038

  For the Fire Service, the following figures were published in the Report of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Fire Services for England and Wales 1998–99 in December 1999 and are available in the Library.

  Fire Service staffing figures at 31 March 1999

  Male

  Female

  Wholetime uniformed staff1

  33,398

  258

  Control room staff

  312

  1,164

  Retained staff2

  14,421

  244

  Total

  48,131

  1,666

  1 Wholetime is full-time operational workforce

  2 Retained staff refers to part-time firefighters employed on a retaining fee

  Umbrellas
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many umbrellas his Department purchased for use by persons queuing outside passport offices during the summer of 1999; how much was spent on them; what plans he has to dispose of them; and what estimate he has made of their resale value. [103959]

  Mrs. Roche
  The number of umbrellas purchased for each passport office during the summer was 200, totalling 1,200 in all. These cost £10.50 plus VAT for each item for supply and delivery, £14,805 in total. There are currently no plans to dispose of the umbrellas and, therefore, no estimate has been made of their resale value.

  Gamma Hydroxy Butyrate
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many successful prosecutions have been made against illicit(a) advertisers, (b) suppliers and (c) manufacturers of gamma hydroxy butyrate in each of the last five years. [103374]

  Ms Stuart
  I have been asked to reply.

  All cases prosecuted by the Medicines Control Agency to date have been successful. The statistics in respect of prosecutions to date are as follows:

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  Total

  Advertising

  5

  2

  0

  0

  0

  7

  Supply

  2

  0

  0

  1

  6

  9

  Manufacture

  2

  0

  0

  1

  2

  5

  Total

  9

  2

  0

  2

  8

  21

  Further investigations of gamma hydroxy butyrate are currently ongoing and referrals in respect of GHB are always investigated.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Exports
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department plans to introduce measures to bring licensed production agreements within the strategic export control legislation. [104155]

  Dr. Howells
  I have been asked to reply.

  I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to the hon. Member for Richmond Park (Dr. Tonge) on 21 December 1999, Official Report, column 458W.

  Employment Statistics
  Mrs. Ann Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many(a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed in his Department in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1999. [104028]

  Mr. Hain
  It is not possible to provide a breakdown for the standard age groups employed in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for 1979 as detailed information prior to 1990 is not available. The breakdown for the standard age groups for 1 April 1999 is as follows:

  Men

  Women

  16–19

  9

  10

  20–24

  63

  68

  25–29

  381

  356

  30–34

  598

  509

  35–39

  460

  333

  40–44

  443

  197

  45–49

  468

  161

  50+

  1,063

  365

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Punishment Beatings
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement about the number of punishment beatings in the last six months. [103418]

  Mr. Ingram
  During the period 1 July to 22 December 1999, there were a total of 76 paramilitary style attacks. There were 24 shootings and 33 assaults attributed to Loyalist groups and five shootings and 14 assaults attributed to Republican groups.

  North/South Ministerial Council
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultation he has held with the North/South Ministerial Council concerning economic development in the last 12 months. [103420]

  Mr. John Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what consultation he has had with the north/south Ministerial Council. [103431]
  179W
  Mr. George Howarth
  None. Since devolution on 2 December, economic development in Northern Ireland is a matter for the Northern Ireland Assembly. The North/South Ministerial Council and the Trade and Business Development Board have a role to play where this involves co-operation between the Assembly and the Dail. Both the Council and the Body are accountable to the Assembly and the Dail.

  Good Friday Agreement
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made on the implementation of the Good Friday agreement. [103422]

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Belfast agreement. [103436]

  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the implementation of the Belfast agreement. [103439]

  Mr. George Howarth
  We have set up the new devolved institutions for Northern Ireland and transferred powers to them. We have implemented new treaties with the Irish Government to set up new institutions for North/South co-operation and the new British-Irish Council. We have set up a new Human Rights Commission. An independent report on policing has been published and an independent report on criminal justice will be published shortly. Authorised representatives of the main paramilitary organisations are meeting with the Independent International Commission on Decommissioning, and the Commission will report later this month.

  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on international support for the peace process in Northern Ireland. [103427]

  Mr. Mandelson
  There has been enormous international interest and support for the peace process over many years, both from foreign governments and non-governmental organisations, as well as from individuals. This support has come from many parts of the world, including North America, Europe, Australia, the Far East and South Africa, and has played an important part in enhancing the prospects for peace in Northern Ireland. Support has taken many forms including the direct personal interest shown by various Heads of Government, including President Clinton; the appointment of international figures to assist in the political negotiations and with the Independent Commission on Decommissioning; and the important financial support that has been given by the European Union, through the Peace and Reconciliation Package; the Ireland Funds and by the International Fund for Ireland.

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in establishing east/west bodies under the Good Friday agreement. [103430]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The British-Irish Council and the British-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference were formally established on 2 December 1999 at the same time as the British-Irish Agreement came into force and met for the first time on 17 December 1999. These institutions represent significant developments in the relationship between the UK and Ireland and offer an 180W
  opportunity for real and meaningful co-operation between the two Governments and, in the case of the British-Irish Council, the devolved administrations also.

  Security
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards establishing a more normal security situation in Northern Ireland. [103423]

  Mr. Ingram
  Since the Good Friday Agreement, routine military patrolling has been reduced by two thirds. Three battalions have returned to Great Britain. There are now under 15,000 service personnel on operational duties in Northern Ireland, fewer than at any time since 1970. Eleven military bases have been demolished and a further seven installations have been closed.

  Further steps the Government intend to take towards normalising security are set out in the recently published security strategy paper. Copies have been placed in the Library of this House.

  Decommissioning
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress is being made with decommissioning. [103424]

  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will set out a timetable for the decommissioning of illegally held arms and explosives. [103433]

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards decommissioning under the Good Friday agreement; and if he will make a statement. [103434]

  Mr. Mandelson
  I refer the hon. Members to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friends the Members for Eastwood (Mr. Murphy), and for Greenock and Inverclyde (Dr. Godman), and the hon. Members for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes), for Eddisbury (Mr. O'Brien) and for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson).

  Equality Commission
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's liaison with the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland. [103425]

  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on Government consultation with the Equality Commission in Northern Ireland. [103426]

  Mr. George Howarth
  The Equality Commission for Northern Ireland was formally established on 1 October 1999. It has taken over the functions of the Equal Opportunities Commission for Northern Ireland, the Commission for Racial Equality for Northern Ireland, the Fair Employment Commission and the Disability Council for Northern Ireland.

  The existence and membership of the Equality Commission are reserved matters, as is the obligation on equality of opportunity and good relations under section 75 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998. The funding and

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  administrative oversight of the Equality Commission is a devolved matter and responsibility for this falls to the Northern Ireland Assembly.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has a number of powers and duties in relation to the section 75 obligation including:
  Making an order for the designation of additional public authorities to be covered by the equality obligation;
  Approving the statutory guide lines prepared by the Equality Commission on equality schemes.

  The Northern Ireland Act clearly defines the vast majority of public bodies to which the section 75 obligation will apply. However, the Secretary of State may designate additional bodies, including UK departments carrying out functions relating to Northern Ireland, to which the obligation should apply. I met the Equality Commission on 20 December to discuss the contents of the proposed designation order. We hope that the order will be approved by Parliament early this year.

  The Government have also submitted comments to the Equality Commission on the contents of the proposed statutory guidelines, which we hope will be finalised early this year.

  Patten Report
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the Patten report on policing; and when he plans to introduce legislation to give effect to its proposals. [103428]

  Mr. Ingram
  On 9 September 1999, when the Patten Commission issued its report, the Government immediately announced that it accepted the findings in principle. At the same time, we launched a consultation process on the report, as we were required to do under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement. Consultation formally ended on 30 November.

  Restorative Justice
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the development of restorative justice schemes. [103432]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave earlier to my hon. Friend the Member for Colne Valley (Kali Mountford).

  Royal Ulster Constabulary
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the international role of the RUC. [103435]

  Mr. Ingram
  In accordance with the provisions of Section 8 of the Police (Northern Ireland) Act 1998, the Royal Ulster Constabulary have seven officers serving with the United Nations International Police Task Force in Bosnia where they are monitoring the performance of the Bosnian police service. Sixty RUC officers are also with the United Nations Mission in Kosovo, where they are undertaking an executive policing role pending a new Kosovan police service being trained and ready to take over law enforcement there.
  182W
  Mr. Thompson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many members of the RUC are involved in peacekeeping duties in Bosnia and Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [103438]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on 24 November 1999,Official Report, column 159.

  Victim Support
  Mr. Bill O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what new initiatives are being implemented to support the victims of the troubles in Northern Ireland. [103437]

  Mr. Ingram
  I have announced significant new funding initiatives to support victims of the Troubles, including £3 million core funding for groups which help and support victims and an extra £1 million for the Northern Ireland Memorial Fund. A Newsletter outlining progress has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Terrorist Weapons
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many weapons held by terrorist organisations in Northern Ireland have been surrendered since 1 December. [103440]

  Mr. Mandelson
  No weapons held by terrorist organisations in Northern Ireland have been surrendered during the period in question. The International Independent Commission on Decommissioning continues to hold discussions with authorised representatives of paramilitary organisations on the modalities of decommissioning and has indicated its intention to publish by the end of this month.

  Violent Crime
  Liz Blackman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he is making on tackling violent crime in Northern Ireland. [103442]

  Mr. Ingram
  Provisional figures on violent crime for the period April to October 1999 and the final comparable figures for the same period in 1998 show some positive trends. Although the number of offences recorded has increased by 8.7 per cent., the clearance rate is disproportionately higher with a 28.4 per cent. improvement. As a result, clearance rates for violent crime compare favourably (58.6 per cent.) with the previous year (49.7 per cent.). It should be noted that these figures are not comparable with the figures in the last report of the Chief Constable which were produced under the old Home Office counting rules.

  Employment Statistics
  Mrs. Ann Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many(a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed in his Department in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1999. [104023]
  183W
  Mr. Mandelson
  The figures for 1999 are as follows:

  Age

  Female

  Male

  Total

  16–20

  14

  3

  17

  21–25

  77

  58

  135

  26–30

  185

  156

  341

  31–35

  266

  337

  603

  36–40

  207

  509

  716

  41–45

  172

  580

  752

  46–50

  94

  629

  723

  51–55

  114

  479

  593

  56–60

  53

  168

  221

  60–65

  25

  13

  38

  Total

  1,207

  2,932

  4,139

  Note:

  Figures include Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Prison Service staff.

  Unfortunately, it is not possible to provide comparable figures for 1979. For the smaller Home Civil Service Group of the NIO, the annual Civil Service Statistics publication provides a departmental breakdown of staff by gender for both years and Service-wide information by age.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Human Rights
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with Commonwealth countries as to their human rights record in the last three years; and if she will list the countries and the dates such discussions took place. [104050]

  Clare Short
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to him on 8 February 1999,Official Report, column 34W.

  Landmines
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the countries where her Department is helping in the clearance of landmines. [104047]

  Clare Short
  My Department is currently funding mine clearance projects in Afghanistan, Cambodia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Jordan, Iraq, Laos, Mozambique, Nicaragua and Kosovo.

  Conservation Projects
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the impact of conservation projects, which have been(a) funded and (b) part funded by her Department, upon the indigenous peoples of Africa. [104184]

  Clare Short
  My Department provides a Project Completion Report for all our major projects. The reports provide an indication of project success, early impacts, the expected longer term impact, including impact on local people.

  We have also recently completed a substantial global evaluation of British bilateral and joint-funded project support for environmental improvement and protection. Overall, nearly two thirds of these projects achieved
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  their objectives successfully. A key finding was that the protection and better management of the environment is critical to the achievement of the International Development Targets. We are currently preparing a policy paper which addresses the contribution of environmental protection to the overall aim of poverty elimination.

  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what guidelines her Department has issued to(a) assess the needs and (b) protect the rights of indigenous peoples who (i) are likely to be and (ii) have been affected by conservation projects (1) funded and (2) part funded by her Department. [104185]

  Clare Short
  Along with other member states, we are party to a resolution of the Development Council of the European Union on "Indigenous peoples within the framework of the development co-operation of the Community and Member States". This was passed by the Development Council in November 1998, having been helped through the negotiation process under our own Presidency of the EU in the first half of that year. The resolution recognises the important role played by indigenous people in the management of natural resources and the maintenance of biodiversity. It recognises their rights to choose their own development paths and to have a direct voice in development programmes which affect their way of life. We actively uphold these principles in our all-bilateral work, and in the work we do in collaboration with others.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Spending Revisions
  Mr. Rowlands
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Havant (Mr. Willetts) of 13 December 1999,Official Report, column 40W, on spending revisions, if he will estimate the number of recipients of each of the allowances and benefits listed in the table (a) in Wales and (b) in Merthyr Tydfil (i) currently and (ii) in 2000–01 and 2001–02. [103372]

  Mr. Darling
  The information is not available in the format requested. Such information as is available is as follows.

  The numbers of recipients of the relevant benefits in Merthyr Tydfil and Wales for the current year derived from administrative data held

  Thousand

  Wales

  Merthyr Tydfil

  Incapacity Benefit

  145.3

  6.0

  Severe Disablement Allowance

  25.2

  0.5

  Attendance Allowance

  94.8

  2.2

  Disability Living Allowance

  172.4

  5.9

  Note:

  Forecasts of numbers of claimants for each social security benefit by country and/or local authority area is not available.

  Sources:

  1. The figures for Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance are taken from a 5 per cent. scan of the benefit computer system in Great Britain at 31 May 1999 and are subject to a rating factor to account for missing postcodes.

  2. The figures for Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance are taken from 100 per cent. data at 31 May 1999.

  Income Support (Scotland)
  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people aged under 18 years in Scotland have received Income Support with a care premium in each year since 1991. [103758]

  Mr. Bayley
  Insufficient data are available in each of the years since 1991 reliably to estimate the number of people aged under 18 years who received the carer premium with their Income Support.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases are being dealt with by the Child Support Agency in England and Wales. [103727]

  Angela Eagle
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mrs. Faith Boardman. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Tom Cox, dated 11 January 2000:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary for Social Security about the Child Support Agency.
  The most current statistical information available shows:
  The number of live and assessed cases being dealt with by the Agency where the Parent with Care lives in Wales was 65,700.
  The number of live and assessed cases being dealt with by the Agency where the Parent with Care lives in England was 818,420.
  I hope that this is helpful.

  Mortgage Payments
  Mr. Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to raise the standard interest rate applicable to benefits in relation to mortgage payments. [104070]

  Mr. Bayley
  The Standard Interest Rate is based on the weighted average of basic rates charged by the main building societies. It currently stands at 6.66 per cent. and will change only if there is an increase or decrease in this figure of 0.25 per cent. or more. The average figure is calculated by The Building Societies Commission and notified to the Department of Social Security by the Office for National Statistics.

  Employment Statistics
  Mrs. Ann Cryer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed in his Department in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1999. [104022]

  Mr. Rooker
  The information is in the table.

  Number of men and women employed by the Department in 1979 and 1999

  DHSS staff by age and gender 1979

  DSS staff by age and gender 1999

  Age

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  16–19

  2,437

  8,325

  10,762

  824

  1,650

  2,474

  20–24

  5,909

  15,599

  21,508

  2,639

  5,003

  7,642

  25–29

  5,012

  8,369

  13,381

  4,354

  8,675

  13,029

  30–34

  4,154

  5,238

  9,392

  5,173

  12,475

  17,612

  35–39

  2,505

  3,848

  6,353

  4,695

  12,312

  17,007

  186W

  Number of men and women employed by the Department in 1979 and 1999

  DHSS staff by age and gender 1979

  DSS staff by age and gender 1999

  Age

  Male

  Female

  Total

  Male

  Female

  Total

  40–44

  2,046

  3,597

  5,643

  4,300

  9,929

  14,229

  45–49

  2,138

  4,577

  6,715

  3,570

  7,312

  10,882

  50–75

  11,700

  12,969

  21,669

  4,146

  8,297

  12,443

  Other

  2

  3

  5

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  35,903

  62,525

  98,482

  29,701

  65,653

  95,354

  Notes:

  1. The 1979 figures relate to the Department of Health and Social Security at April 1979.

  2. The 1999 figures relate to the Department of Social Security at April 1999 and exclude the Contributions Agency which transferred to the Inland Revenue in April 1999.

  Sources:

  Cabinet Office Mandate data

  DSS FAMIS Payroll

HEALTH

  Medicines (Licences)
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many licence applications there were for medicines in each year since 1990; [100816]

  (2) what was the total number of licence applications for medicines intended solely for the treatment of children in each year since 1995; [100818]

  (3) what action the Medicines Control Agency is taking to (a) monitor and (b) implement the EU guidance on the licensing of medicines used in the treatment of children; [100817]

  (4) how many pharmaceutical companies in the United Kingdom comply with EU guidance on the licensing of medicines used in the treatment of children; [100815]

  (5) what was the total number of licence applications for medicines used in the treatment of children and adults in each year since 1995. [100819]

  Yvette Cooper
  Information on how many pharmaceutical companies are complying with European Union guidance on the licensing of medicines used in the treatment of children is not held centrally.

  The Medicines Control Agency assesses all applications for Marketing Authorisation (licences) in accordance with current EU legislation and guidance. This includes the guidance on the licensing of medicines used in the treatment of children. This guidance is not legally binding on companies. Applicants are asked to provide details of paediatric development plans if these are relevant and have been omitted from the application. Where appropriate, the MCA will indicate to the applicant that they should consider developing formulations which are suitable for children.

  The total number of marketing authorisation applications for medicines in each year since 1990,

  187W
  excluding applications from homoeopathic products and applications to import licensed medicinal products from other member states of the EU were:

  Year

  Number

  1990

  939

  1991

  762

  1992

  1,055

  1993

  1,316

  1994

  1,277

  1995

  1,345

  1996

  1,349

  1997

  1,847

  1999

  1,290

  The total number of licence applications for medicines intended solely for the treatment of children in each year since 1995 were:

  Year

  Number

  1995

  40

  1996

  28

  1997

  54

  1998

  28

  The total number of marketing authorisation applications for medicines used in the treatment of children and adults in each year since 1995 were:

  Year

  Number

  1995

  555

  1996

  513

  1997

  681

  1998

  504

  Fluoridation
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received about the constitutional and civil liberties implications of compulsory fluoridation of the water supply. [101131]

  Yvette Cooper
  We regularly receive representations about the ethical aspects of fluoridation. We recognise the sincerity of people's concern and this is one of the reasons why we are proposing that decisions on fluoridation be taken locally. No new fluoridation scheme would be implemented unless there had been wide-ranging consultations, in which both opponents and supporters of fluoridation had had the opportunity to publicise their views and it had been demonstrated, through an objective assessment of public opinion, that a significant majority of people were in favour.

  Mobile Telephone Masts
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the conclusions of research into the possible harmful effects of transmissions from mobile telephone masts. [100897]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, chaired by Sir William Stewart FRS FRSE, is currently considering the possible Health 188W
  effects from the use of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters and is conducting a comprehensive assessment of existing research. The group is expected to report in spring 2000.

  Fireworks
  Mr. Crausby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what was the estimated cost of accidents caused by fireworks to the National Health Service in each of the last five years. [100922]

  Yvette Cooper
  Figures for the cost to the National Health Service resulting from accidents caused by fireworks are not available. The number of attendances at accident and emergency departments due to firework injuries is collected annually, over a four week period covering Bonfire Night, by the Department of Trade and Industry through accident and emergency departments across England, Scotland and Wales. Figures for England in respect of the latest five years available are as follows:

  Number of people requiring treatment for firework injuries at hospital accident and emergency departments in England1

  Number

  1998

  725

  1997

  803

  1996

  1,091

  1995

  1,359

  1994

  1,408

  1 Firework Injuries Data, Consumer Affairs Directorate, Department of Trade and Industry

  School Diets
  Mr. Crausby
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce a national school fruit and vegetable scheme; and if he will make a statement. [100920]

  Yvette Cooper
  The White Paper "Saving Lives—Our Healthier Nation" recognised the importance of increasing fruit and vegetable consumption and we are currently considering a range of options on how to achieve this. It is one of the aims of the draft Regulations on National Nutritional Standards for School Lunches. A consultation document on these Regulations and accompanying guidance was published by the Department for Education and Employment last month, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Stroke Units
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the contribution which(a) specialist stroke units and (b) conventional wards are making to the treatment of stroke sufferers. [100869]

  Yvette Cooper
  In October, the Royal College of Physicians published a report arising from the National Sentinel Audit of Stroke 1998, "Regional variations in stroke care". The Department, as part of the clinical effectiveness programme, funded this programme.

  The New National Health Service and a First Class Service introduced a range of measures to raise quality and decrease unacceptable variations in service including the National Service Frameworks (NSFs). The NSF for

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  older people was announced last year. A number of task groups are supporting the External Reference Group for this NSF and one of these is looking at strokes. The NSF will be evidence based, and where this is not possible it will be based on the consensus of best clinical practice. Findings from the National Sentinel Audit have been made available to the External Reference Group on strokes.

  MRSA
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to monitor(a) outbreaks of MRSA in NHS acute Trusts and (b) how NHS Trusts prevent and control the MRSA infection. [102243]

  Yvette Cooper
  Chief executives of National Health Service Trusts are responsible for ensuring that there is an effective infection control programme within their Trusts. Individual Trusts manage arrangements for controlling hospital infection, including MRSA, in the light of local circumstances. This includes having an infection control team which has primary responsibility for all aspects of surveillance, prevention and control of hospital infection. The new risk management and organisational control standards for the NHS, which were launched on 22 November by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health, include standards for hospital infection control. These standards reinforce chief executives and Trust board members' responsibilities. The Public Health Laboratory Service maintains a record of outbreaks of MRSA that are reported to it and publishes aggregated data at regular intervals.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much is being spent on research into the causes and elimination of MRSA in the current financial year. [102857]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Department is currently spending £91,000 on a systematic review of isolation policies and screening practices in MRSA management, which started in April 1999. In addition, the Medical Research Council (MRC), which receives most of its income via grant in aid from the office of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, funds medical research as part of the Government's funding of the science and engineering base. The MRC spent a total of £433,383 on research related to MRSA in 1998–99 and has also agreed funding for two new projects in this area for 2000–01, totalling approximately £91,260. The Staphylococcal Reference Unit at the PHLS Central Public Health Laboratory is also engaged in research, estimated to cost £40,000, on why some strains of MRSA are epidemic.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated annual cost to the NHS of MRSA(a) in each of the last three financial years and (b) estimated for the current financial year; and how many NHS Trusts in Kent are in financial difficulties as a result of MRSA. [102856]

  Yvette Cooper
  The information requested is not held centrally. In any individual patient, it is usually very difficult to assess the contribution of any infection acquired in hospital on the outcome, since many patients are already seriously ill from other conditions.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many NHS(a) beds and (b) wards are currently out of service due to MRSA; [102854]
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  (2) how many patients are currently in intensive care due to MRSA. [102855]

  Yvette Cooper
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Mr. Rowe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients died in 1997 and 1998 as a result of MRSA. [102858]

  Yvette Cooper
  Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infection can take the form of many different diseases from trivial skin infections to pneumonia or septicaemia. Often the causative microorganism is not specified on the death certificate. MRSA does not have a distinct code within the International Classification of Diseases used for encoding death registration data at the Office for National Statistics. Consequently there are no centrally held statistics on deaths from this cause.

  HIV Positive Babies
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many babies were born HIV positive in each year from 1989 to 1999 in(a) Shropshire and (b) England; and if he will make a statement. [102390]

  Yvette Cooper
  Between 1989 and 1999 there have been no reports of children with maternally acquired HIV infection born in Shropshire recorded in national surveillance data. The number of children with maternally acquired HIV infection reported in England as a whole is shown in the table. Also shown is the number of children for whom the reported infection status is indeterminate who were born to HIV infected mothers. This is high for recent years as it often cannot be established whether such a child is infected until it is eighteen months old.

  There will be further HIV infected children born in England between 1989 and 1999 whose infection will be discovered only when they become ill.

  Children born in England to HIV infected mothers by child's year of birth

  Year of birth1

  Infection status

  Infected

  Indeterminate or lost to annual follow up

  1989

  —

  12

  3

  1990

  —

  38

  7

  1991

  —

  31

  13

  1992

  —

  46

  11

  1993

  —

  39

  17

  1994

  —

  37

  15

  1995

  —

  39

  13

  1996

  —

  34

  20

  1997

  —

  39

  24

  1998

  —

  22

  43

  19992

  —

  6

  98

  1Numbers, particularly for recent years will rise as delayed reports are received.

  2Reported by 31 October 1999.

  Alcohol Abuse
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the(a) NHS and (b) Social Service budget for alcohol rehabilitation programmes in the current year. [102552]
  191W
  Yvette Cooper
  There are no specific allocations to either the National Health Service or social services for alcohol rehabilitation. Health authorities purchase substance misuse services from general Hospital and Community Health Service allocations. Local authorities purchase the majority of alcohol services from the generality of community care funding. Information on what the authorities spend on alcohol services from these allocations is not collected centrally. In addition, the Drug and Alcohol Specific Grant provides £1.78 million in 1999–2000 to develop local voluntary sector services for drugs and alcohol.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the estimated cost to the NHS of alcohol-related illness and accidents for each of the last five years. [102559]

  Yvette Cooper
  Estimates of the cost to the National Health Service of alcohol-related illnesses and injuries vary widely; the most recent academic estimate of which we are aware is for the costs of alcohol misuse in the NHS in England and Wales in 1992 and is reproduced in the table.

  £ million

  Inpatient costs—direct alcohol diagnosis

  40.8

  Inpatient costs—other alcohol related diagnosis

  120.2

  General practice costs

  3.1

  Total

  164.0

  Source:

  Health Education Authority: Health Update: Alcohol (1997)—after Godfrey, C and Hardman, G. (1994))

  Drug Addiction Centres
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list(a) the centres which are currently open for in-patient treatment for drug addiction within the NHS and (b) those that have closed in the last five years, with dates of closure. [102698]

  Mr. Hutton
  The 185 NHS Trusts in England that provided in-patient treatment for patients with a primary diagnosis of mental and behavioural disorders due to use of opioids—dependence syndrome (ICD10 F11.2), in 1997–98, are shown in the following list. Information is not available centrally on those that have closed in the last five years.

  Addenbrooke's NHS Trust

  Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust

  Airedale NHS Trust

  Avalon Somerset NHS Trust

  Barnsley Community and Priority Services

  Barnsley District General Hospital

  Bassetlaw Hospital and Community Services

  Bath Mental Health Care NHS Trust

  Bedford and Shires Health and Care

  Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull

  Birmingham Women's Healthcare

  Blackburn Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Health Care

  Blackpool Victoria Hospital

  Blackpool Wyre and Fylde Community Health Services

  Bolton Hospitals NHS Trust

  Bournewood Community and Mental Health Services

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  Bradford Community Health

  Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust

  Brighton Health Care NHS Trust

  Burnley Healthcare NHS Trust

  Bury Health Care NHS Trust

  Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust

  Camden and Islington Community Health Service

  Central Manchester Healthcare

  Central Nottinghamshire Healthcare

  Chesterfield and North Derbyshire Royal Hospital

  Chorley and South Ribble NHS Trust

  City and Hackney Community Services

  City Hospital NHS Trust

  City Hospitals Sunderland NHS

  Community Healthcare: North Durham

  Cornwall Healthcare NHS Trust

  Countess Of Chester Hospital

  Derbyshire Royal Infirmary

  Dewsbury Health Care NHS Trust

  Doncaster Healthcare NHS Trust

  Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Montagu Hospital

  Dorset Community NHS Trust

  Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust

  Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS

  Dudley Priority Health NHS Trust

  East Cheshire NHS Trust

  East Gloucestershire NHS Trust

  East Hertfordshire NHS Trust

  East Surrey Hospital and Community Healthcare

  East Wiltshire Health Care

  Eastbourne and County Healthcare

  Essex Rivers Healthcare NHS Trust

  Exeter and District Community Health Services

  Forest Healthcare NHS Trust

  Frenchay Healthcare NHS Trust

  Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust

  Greenwich Healthcare NHS Trust

  Guys and St. Thomas's NHS Trust

  Haringey Health Care NHS Trust

  Harrogate Health Care NHS Trust

  Hartlepool and East Durham NHS Trust

  Hastings and Rother NHS Trust

  Heathlands Mental Health

  Herefordshire Community Health

  Hinchingbrooke Healthcare

  Hounslow and Spelthorne Community & Mental Health

  Isle Of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust

  James Paget Hospital NHS Trust

  Kent and Canterbury Hospitals

  Kings Lynn and Wisbech Hospitals

  Kingston Hospital NHS Trust

  Lambeth Health Care NHS Trust

  Lancaster Priority Services

  Leeds Community and Mental Health

  Leicestershire Mental Health Service

  Lincoln and Louth NHS Trust

  Lincoln District Healthcare

  Luton and Dunstable Hospital NHS

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  Mental Health Services of Salford

  Mid Anglia Community Health

  Mid Essex Community and Mental Health

  Mid Essex Hospitals NHS Trust

  Mid Sussex NHS Trust

  Milton Keynes Community Health

  Milton Keynes General Hospital

  Norfolk and Norwich Health Care

  North Durham Acute Hospitals

  North East Essex Mental Health

  North East Lincolnshire NHS Trust

  North Hampshire Loddon Community

  North Hertfordshire NHS Trust

  North Kent Healthcare NHS Trust

  North Lakeland Healthcare NHS Trust

  North Manchester Healthcare

  North Mersey Community NHS Trust

  North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust

  North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare

  North Staffordshire Hospital

  North Tees Health NHS Trust

  North West Anglia Healthcare

  North West London Mental Health

  Northallerton Health Services

  Northampton Community Healthcare

  Northern Birmingham Mental Health

  Northern Devon Healthcare NHS

  Northern General Hospital NHS

  Northumberland Mental Health

  Nottingham Healthcare NHS Trust

  Nottingham University Hospital

  Oldham NHS Trust

  Oxleas NHS Trust

  Pathfinder NHS Trust

  Peterborough Hospitals NHS Trust

  Pinderfields and Pontefract Hospitals

  Plymouth Community Services

  Portsmouth Healthcare NHS Trust

  Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust

  Preston Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  Priority Healthcare Wearside

  Redbridge Health Care NHS Trust

  Riverside Mental Health NHS Trust

  Rochdale Healthcare NHS Trust

  Rockingham Forest NHS Trust

  Rotherham Priority Health

  Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals

  Royal Hull Hospitals NHS Trust

  Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospitals

  Royal United Hospitals, Bath NHS

  Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  Salisbury Health Care NHS Trust

  Scarborough and NE Yorkshire

  Scunthorpe and Goole Hospitals

  Scunthorpe Community Health Care

  Severn NHS Trust

  Sheffield Community Health Service

  Shropshire's Mental Health NHS

  Solihull Healthcare NHS Trust

  South Bedfordshire Community Healthcare

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  South Birmingham Mental Health

  South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust

  South Cumbria Community and Mental Health

  South Devon Healthcare NHS Trust

  South Downs Health NHS Trust

  South Durham NHS Trust

  South Kent Community Healthcare

  South Kent Hospitals NHS Trust

  South Lincolnshire Community and Mental Health

  South Manchester University Hospitals

  South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS

  South Warwickshire Mental Health Services

  Southend Community Care Service

  Southend Health Care NHS Trust

  Southern Derbyshire Mental Health

  Southmead Health Services NHS

  Southport and Formby Hospitals

  St. Helens and Knowsley Hospital

  St. James's and Seacroft University Hospital

  St. Mary's Hospital NHS Trust

  Stockport Healthcare NHS Trust

  Surrey Heartlands NHS Trust

  Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust

  Tameside and Glossop Acute Services

  Tameside and Glossop Community & Priority Services

  The Bethlem and Maudsley NHS Trust

  The Foundation NHS Trust

  The Mid Cheshire Hospital NHS

  The Princess Royal Hospital

  The Royal Free Hampstead

  The Royal Victoria Infirmary and Assoc Hospitals

  The Royal Wolverhampton Hospital

  The United Bristol Healthcare

  Tower Hamlets Healthcare NHS Trust

  Trafford Healthcare NHS Trust

  United Leeds Teaching Hospitals

  Wakefield and Pontefract Community

  Walsall Community Health NHS Trust

  Walsall Hospitals NHS Trust

  Walsgrave Hospitals NHS Trust

  West Berkshire Priority Care Services

  West Cumbria Health Care NHS Trust

  West Hefts Community NHS Trust

  West Lancashire NHS Trust

  West London Healthcare NHS Trust

  Weston Area Health NHS Trust

  Wigan and Leigh Health Services

  Wirral and West Cheshire Community

  Wirral Hospital NHS Trust

  Worcestershire Community Healthcare

  York Health Services NHS Trust

  National Radiological Protection Board
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the membership of the governing committee of the National Radiological Protection Board and their registered interests; and if he will make a statement. [102601]
  195W
  Yvette Cooper
  The membership of the National Radiological Protection Board currently comprises:

  Chairman
  Sir Walter Bodmer FRS

  Members

  Professor A. D. Baddeley FRS

  Professor Kay E. Davies CBE MA

  Professor W. Gelletely

  Professor J. M. Harrington CBE

  Professor R. W. Lees

  Professor Rona M. MacKie

  Professor J. McEwen

  Mr J. C. White.

  All public bodies are required to maintain, and publish, registers of members' interests. The register of interests for members of the National Radiological Protection Board is available from the Board Secretary at the National Radiological Protection Board, Chilton, Didcot, Oxfordshire, OX11 ORQ. The register of interests will be available on NRPB's website [nrpb@nrpb.org.uk] in early 2000.

  Cervix Removals
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations in which women have had a non-cancerous cervix removed there were in each of the past 10 years. [102593]

  Yvette Cooper
  The table shows the number of episodes where women have had an operation to remove a non-cancerous cervix, in National Health Service hospitals in England for the financial years 1989–90 to 1997–98.

  Removal of non-cancerous cervix—NHS hospitals, England

  Number

  1989–90

  100

  1990–91

  97

  1991–92

  46

  1992–93

  59

  1993–94

  51

  1994–95

  37

  1995–96

  45

  1996–97

  47

  1997–981

  45

  1 Figures for 1997–98 are provisional, no adjustments have yet been made for shortfalls in data, (i.e. the data is ungrossed).

  Notes:

  Ordinary admissions and day cases combined: completed episodes by primary operation (OPCS-4 code: Q01.1) and sex (females only)

  1. 1989–90 to 1994–95 exclude FCEs with any of the following ICD-9 codes:

  180-Malignant neoplasm of cervix uteri

  219.0-Other benign neoplasm of uterus, cervix uteri

  233.1-Carcinoma in situ of breast and genitourinary system, cervix uteri

  236.0-Neoplasm of uncertain behaviour of genitourinary organs, uterus

  239.5-Neoplasm of unspecified nature, other genitourinary organs

  2. 1995–96 to 1997–98 exclude FCEs with any of the following ICD-10 codes:

  C53-Malignant neoplasm of cervix uteri

  C79.8-Secondary malignant neoplasm of other specified sites

  D06-Carcinoma in situ of cervix uteri

  D26.0-Other benign neoplasms of uterus, cervix uteri

  D39.0-Neoplasm of uncertain or unknown behaviour of female genital organs, uterus

  Source:

  Department of Health, Hospital Episode Statistics (HES)

  Peat
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his Department's policy is on the purchase and use of peat for its own operations and activities; and what performance targets his Department has set to reduce current peat use. [103012]

  Yvette Cooper
  There is no history of this Department having purchased or used peat for its own operations and activities, nor is there any expectation of the Department doing so in the future.

  However, should the need ever arise, the Department proposes to substitute the use of all slow renewables, such as peat, with organic wastes (such as coir, manure, leaf mould and bark chippings) for improving the soil.

  External Electrical Fields
  Ms Shipley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the studies carried out at Warwick University concerning the vulnerability of human beings to external electrical fields. [102862]

  Yvette Cooper
  Published research studies on the health effects of electromagnetic fields in general are regularly reviewed by the National Radiological Protection Board and its Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation.

  The independent expert group on mobile phones, set up at the request of my right hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Ms Jowell), the former Minister for Public Health, is currently undertaking a rigorous assessment of biological and health research related to mobile phone systems. The group is expected to report in spring 2000.

  Ms Shipley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the microwave pulses used in mobile phone masts on the parts of the brains of children which are not stable until they reach the age of 12 years. [102860]

  Yvette Cooper
  The independent expert group on mobile phones, set up at the request of my right hon. Friend the Member for Dulwich and West Norwood (Ms Jowell), the former Minister for Public Health, is currently undertaking a rigorous assessment of biological and health research associated with mobile phone systems. The group is expected to report in spring 2000.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that all contracts for the purchase of meat by NHS providers contain clauses specifying that the animals must have been reared under animal welfare conditions to a standard as high as those enforced in the UK. [103350]

  Yvette Cooper
  National Health Service Supplies contracts stipulate that the origin of meat purchased for consumption within the NHS must be disclosed. They do not contain clauses of the type to which the hon. Member refers. Nevertheless, meat supplied through NHS Supplies contracts is, wherever possible, sourced from the United Kingdom and does, therefore, comply with the new welfare regulations.
  197W
  However, NHS trusts and health authorities have the freedom to buy goods and services from wherever provides the best value. Although most products are available from the UK, price considerations may lead health authorities and NHS trusts to buy from elsewhere in the European Union.

  Transplant Services
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when he intends to respond to the Royal College of Surgeons report on transplant services; and if he will make a statement; [103386]

  (2) if he will estimate the cost of introducing a national transplant service; and if he will make a statement. [103387]

  Mr. Denham
  The Government intend to respond to the Royal College of Surgeons report on transplant services early in the New Year. We shall take account of the costs of options such as a National Transplant Service, along with other factors in formulating a response.

  Aricept
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many health authorities(a) have authorised the prescription of the drug Aricept to ameliorate the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease in each of the Government standard regions, (b) have refused to authorise its use and (c) have not yet reached a decision. [103634]

  Ms Stuart
  Information about local policies on the treatment of Alzheimer's disease is not available centrally, but I understand that there is some prescribing of Aricept in all health authorities.

  Aricept and other pharmaceutical treatment for Alzheimer's disease will be reviewed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence as part of its first work programme. This work is expected to be completed by December 2000.

  Antipsychotics
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans the Government have to investigate the extent to which people with mental health problems are able to obtain atypical antipsychotics; and what steps the Government will take to ensure that people with mental illness have access to the drugs most likely to improve their quality of life. [103920]

  Mr. Hutton
  The prescribing of treatment for mental illness is a matter for clinicians. However, to assist clinicians in their decision making, an effective health care bulletin on drug treatments for schizophrenia has just been issued, copies of which are available in the Library. The Department has also commissioned the Royal College of Psychiatrists and the British Psychological Society to develop a guideline on this. The project is now being managed by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE will take responsibility for considering any representations about the proposed recommendations and for ensuring that the final guidance to the NHS fairly reflects the needs of patients as well as the weight of evidence.

  Mental Health
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the Government plans to include in the proposed mental health Bill the principle of non-discrimination recommended by the Richardson Committee and the Disability Rights Taskforce. [103921]

  Mr. Hutton
  The recently published consultation paper on the reform of the Mental Health Act 1983, copies of which are available in the Library, makes clear that the Government recognise the importance of the principle of non-discrimination and agrees that specific guidance should be included in the Code of Practice accompanying new legislation. This approach is consistent with that taken by the Richardson Committee. Detailed issues to be covered in any future legislation will be considered following the end of the consultation period.

  Paediatric Intensive Care
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many paediatric intensive care beds are available in each NHS region; and if he will list the hospitals at which they are provided, indicating the numbers in each case. [104031]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 10 January 2000]: The table shows hospitals within each National Health Service region providing paediatric intensive care in January 2000.

  Hospitals providing paediatric intensive care beds

  NHS Region

  Number of beds provided

  Trent region

  Leicester Royal Infirmary

  8

  Glenfield Hospital

  5

  Queens Medical Centre Nottingham

  6

  Sheffield Children's Hospital

  7

  London Region

  Great Ormond Street Hospital for Sick Children

  30

  St. Mary's Hospital

  8

  Royal Brompton/Harefield NHS Trust

  7

  Guy's Hospital

  16

  Kings College Hospital

  6

  St. George's Hospital

  5

  Lewisham Hospital

  3

  South West Region

  United Bristol Healthcare Trust

  16

  Eastern Region

  Addenbrookes NHS Trust (Cambridge)

  8

  North West Region

  Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital (Alder Hey)

  21

  Manchester Children's Hospital

  24

  Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery

  3

  South East Region

  Southampton University Hospitals Trust

  7

  John Radcliffe Hospital (Oxford)

  5

  Royal Alexandra Hospital (Brighton)

  1

  West Midlands Region

  Birmingham Children's Hospital

  18

  North Staffordshire NHS Trust

  8

  199W

  Hospitals providing paediatric intensive care beds

  NHS Region

  Number of beds provided

  Northern and Yorkshire Region

  Leeds General Infirmary

  13

  St. James' Hospital (Leeds)

  2

  Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust

  19

  Hull Royal Infirmary

  2

  South Tees Hospital NHS Trust

  5

  Vulnerable Adults (Protection)
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will assess the benefits of providing vulnerable adults with the same protection as is given to vulnerable children. [104366]

  Mr. Hutton
  While the majority of adults are well looked after by their families and paid carers, research has shown that abuse of vulnerable adults is nevertheless widespread. The protection of vulnerable adults who are at risk of abuse is therefore vital, and is a major concern of the Government.

  In recent years the Department has funded a national helpline, run by Action on Elder Abuse, which enables people to seek advice on how to deal with incidents of abuse. The Department also has funded the production of training materials aimed at helping managers and care staff in residential care settings for older people better to understand the types and causes of abuse of their residents, how to expose abuse, and how to prevent it happening in the first place.

  Currently, the Department is leading the work on producing guidance for developing multi-agency codes of practice for dealing with abuse of vulnerable adults. The consultation period of the draft guidance has now ended, and the final document titled "No Secrets" will be published shortly.

  To offer further protection to vulnerable adults at risk of abuse, the Care Standards Bill, now in another place, contains provisions for a statutory work force ban mechanism to parallel that in the Protection of Children Act 1999.

  Food Standards Agency
  Mr. Tony Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the members of the Food Standards Agency appointed to date; and what criteria were used for their appointment. [100788]

  Mr. Milburn
  The selection process for the Board members of the Food Standards Agency has not yet been completed. However, I am pleased to be able to announce today that I have appointed Professor Sir John Krebs as the Chairman of the Agency. Sir John is a Royal Society Research Professor in the Department of Zoology, Oxford University and was formerly Chief Executive of the Natural Environment Research Council.

  Sir John's Deputy will be Ms Suzi Leather, currently chair of Exeter and District Community NHS Trust. Ms Leather has twenty years of experience in consumer representation. The Chief Executive of the Agency will be Mr. Geoffrey Podger, who is currently Head of
  200W
  the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group (of the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), forerunner to the Agency.

  The names of the Agency's Scottish Board member and Welsh Board member are the subject of further announcements today by my colleagues in Scotland and Wales. We hope to be able to announce the names of other Board members of the Agency in the near future.

  The approach adopted—as we said in the White Paper "A Force for Change"—has been that people should be appointed who have a proven record in relevant fields and who together provide a balance of relevant skills and experience. A majority of those appointed will come from a wider public interest background without any specific affiliation.

CABINET OFFICE

  British-Irish Council
  Mrs. Gilroy
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the recent meeting of the British-Irish Council. [103441]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  The inaugural summit meeting of the British-Irish Council, established under the Good Friday Agreement, was held at Lancaster House, London on Friday 17 December 1999.

  The role of the Council is to promote the harmonious and mutually beneficial development of the totality of relationships among the peoples of these islands. It will exchange information, discuss and use best endeavours to reach agreement on co-operation on matters of mutual interest within the competence of the relevant Administrations.

  At its inaugural meeting the Council agreed a Memorandum on its working procedures. It adopted an initial list of issues for early discussion in the BIC and also decided which administrations would take the lead in each sectoral area:

  Topic

  Lead Administration

  Drugs

  Irish Government

  Social Inclusion

  Scottish Executive and Cabinet of National Assembly for Wales

  Environment

  British Government

  Transport

  Northern Ireland Executive Committee

  Knowledge Economy

  Jersey

  In addition, the Council agreed an indicative list of other issues suitable for the Council's work, including areas which members are already taking forward bilaterally:

  agricultural issues such as plant quarantine; rural development and rural depopulation; the development of renewable raw materials and energy crops; salmon fisheries; sea fisheries and aquaculture;

  health issues;

  regional issues: including links between cities, towns and local districts;

  consideration of interparliamentary links (noting paragraph 11 of the Memorandum on Procedural Guidance);

  201W

  energy issues;

  cultural issues;

  tourism;

  sporting activity;

  education issues;

  approaches to EU issues;

  minority and lesser-used languages;

  prison and probation issues.

  The next summit meeting of the Council will take place in Dublin in June 2000 and will focus on the issue of drugs.

TREASURY

  Labour Statistics
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) at what rate 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed for over six months left the unemployment count in March 1998; [102110]

  (2) if he will provide a breakdown of the average monthly rate at which 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed for over six months left the unemployment count for each year from 1990 to 1999; [102112]

  (3) what has been the average monthly rate at which 18 to 24-year-olds unemployed for over six months have left the unemployment count since April 1998. [102111]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answers 9 December 1999]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Tim Holt to Mr. John Bercow, dated 12 January 2000:

  As Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS), I have been asked to reply to your parliamentary questions on the average monthly rate at which 18–24 year olds left the unemployment count.

  The ONS publishes a monthly count of claimants of unemployment-related benefits. The claimant count consists of all people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance credits at Employment Service local offices. They must declare that they are out of work, capable of, available for and actively seeking work during the week in which the claim is made.

  An average of 22.4 per cent. of people aged 18–24 years who were claiming unemployment-related benefits for six months or more (computerised claims only) left the claimant count each month in the United Kingdom between April 1998 and October 1999.

  The corresponding percentage between 12 March 1998 and 9 April 1998, was 14.0 per cent.

  The available information for 1990 to 1999 is given in the following table.

  18–24 year old claimants unemployed 6 months or more who left the count as a percentage of all 18–24 year olds claiming for six months or more, United Kingdom; yearly averages from 1990 to 1999

  Year

  Age 18–24

  1990

  13.1

  1991

  9.8

  1992

  9.3

  1993

  9.9

  1994

  10.9

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  18–24 year old claimants unemployed 6 months or more who left the count as a percentage of all 18–24 year olds claiming for six months or more, United Kingdom; yearly averages from 1990 to 1999

  Year

  Age 18–24

  1995

  11.3

  1996

  12.2

  1997

  15.0

  1998

  17.8

  19991

  27.1

  1Average of the 10 months January to October 1999

  Debt Relief
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the criteria which will be used to determine which countries, and which categories of debt, will be eligible for 100 per cent. relief. [103176]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Government's commitment to lifting 100 per cent. of the burden of debt owed to the Export Credit Guarantee Department covers all categories of debt owed by the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries, a group of 41 developing countries. All are Enhanced Structural Adjustment Facility or International Development Association-only and face unsustainable debt burden even after traditional debt-relief mechanisms have been applied fully.

  Outsourced Operations
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what mechanisms are used to assess how much extra contract work outsourced operations will need to take on; and how the viability of plans to generate this extra work is assessed; [103625]

  (2) what measures of added value are currently used when assessing outsourcing plans in terms of (a) technology and (b) procedure; [103629]

  (3) what measures of added value when assessing the benefits of outsourcing were used between 1994–97; and what additional measures have been included in the assessment of outsourcing plans since 1997. [103630]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Under the Better Quality Services programme, Departments and other central Government bodies have plans to review their activities against five systems: abolition; privatisation; marketing testing; strategic contracting out; and internal restructuring.

  Reviews follow procedures Set out in the Better Quality Services handbook, published in 1998, which emphasis the need for consultation with stakeholders. Individual reviews should result in added value through improvements in service cost and quality.

  Where a decision to outsource is taken, Government procurement policy requires that to be based on value for money, which is the optimum combination of whole life cost and quality to meet the user's requirement. Under the procurement process, bidders are selected on their financial or economic standing and technical capacity and capability, and contracts are awarded on the basis of value for money. This includes consideration of the added value offered by a particular bid or through award of a particular contract.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Food Standards Agency
  Mr. McDonnell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the appointment of members of the Food Standards Agency; [100200]

  (2) if he will list the members of the Food Standards Agency and the areas of expertise from which they have been drawn; [100201]

  (3) which members of the Food Standards Agency who have been appointed on the basis of their membership of organisations representing (a) victims and (b) families of victims of E. coli 0157 poisoning. [100202]

  Mr. Milburn
  I have been asked to reply.

  The selection process for the Board members of the Food Standards Agency has not yet been completed. However, I am pleased to be able to announce today that I have appointed Professor Sir John Krebs as the Chairman of the Agency. Sir John is a Royal Society Research Professor in the Department of Zoology, Oxford University and was formerly Chief Executive of the Natural Environment Research Council.

  Sir John's Deputy will be Ms Suzi Leather, currently chair of Exeter and District Community NHS Trust. Ms Leather has twenty years of experience in consumer representation. The Chief Executive of the Agency will be Mr. Geoffrey Podger, who is currently Head of the Joint Food Safety and Standards Group (of the Department of Health and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food), forerunner to the Agency.

  The names of the Agency's Scottish Board member and Welsh Board member are the subject of further announcements today by my colleagues in Scotland and Wales. We hope to be able to announce the names of other Board members of the Agency in the near future.

  The approach adopted—as we said in the White Paper "A Force for Change"—has been that people should be appointed who have a proven record in relevant fields and who together provide a balance of relevant skills and experience. A majority of those appointed will come from a wider public interest background without any specific affiliation.

  Beef Slaughter Premium Scheme
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the new beef slaughter premium scheme will be implemented; and from what date payments will be available. [103903]

  Ms Quin
  The new slaughter premium will be payable on cattle slaughtered on or after 1 January 2000. A 60 per cent. advance of the payments due, in respect of animals slaughtered in the year 2000, will be made as soon as possible after 16 October 2000, with the balance paid as soon as possible after 1 April 2001. This is identical to the payment timetable for the existing Beef Special Premium and Suckler Cow Premium Schemes.

  Organophosphates
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to discuss the report of the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment on organophosphates with the(a) Ministry of Defence, (b) Department of Health and (c) Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. [103232]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 20 December 1999]: The Committee's report on organophosphates (OPs) has been discussed by the Official Group on OPs, which brings together representatives from all the key departments and agencies with an interest in this area (including the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Health and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions).

  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research on organophosphates his Department plans to carry out with relevance to Gulf War syndrome. [103089]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 20 December 1999]: The Ministry of Defence has responsibility for research in respect of Gulf veterans' illnesses. They continue to monitor research on OPs, including that funded by MAFF, in view of the suggested link between Gulf veterans' illnesses and OP pesticides.

  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the effects of sheep-dips on farmers' health. [103090]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 20 December 1999]: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply of 20 December 1999, Official Report, column 446W, to his question on the Committee on Toxicity of Chemicals in Food, Consumer Products and the Environment report on organophosphates.

  Employment Statistics
  Mrs. Ann Cryer
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many(a) men and (b) women in each of the standard age groups were employed in his Department in (i) 1979 and (ii) 1999. [104029]

  Mr. Morley
  The figures requested for 1999 are set out in the table. These are expressed as Full Time Equivalents. A comparable split by age group is not available for 1979.

  Female

  Male

  Age

  Full Time

  Equivalents

  Total Full Time Equivalents

  Core MAFF

  16–19

  108.64

  54.55

  163.19

  20–24

  349.47

  284.91

  634.38

  25–29

  476.50

  432.64

  909.14

  30–34

  462.72

  459.19

  921.91

  35–39

  452.50

  446.19

  898.69

  40–44

  369.26

  444.55

  813.81

  45–49

  344.77

  456.29

  801.07

  50–54

  362.12

  495.93

  858.05

  55–59

  237.07

  323.57

  560.64

  60–75

  83.95

  95.19

  179.14

  Total Full Time Equivalents

  3,246.98

  3,493.02

  6,740.00

  205W

  Female

  Male

  Age

  Full Time

  Equivalents

  Total Full Time Equivalents

  MAFF Agencies

  16–19

  28.00

  12.65

  40.65

  20–24

  162.62

  144.42

  307.04

  25–29

  303.96

  350.15

  654.11

  30–34

  317.82

  456.36

  774.18

  35–39

  236.17

  433.77

  669.94

  40–44

  190.27

  404.82

  595.09

  45–49

  180.21

  334.30

  514.50

  50–54

  173.97

  377.58

  551.55

  55–59

  118.94

  231.83

  350.77

  60–75

  37.27

  35.43

  72.70

  Total Full Time Equivalents

  1,749.22

  2,781.31

  4,530.53

  In 1979 there were 7,498 men and 5,639.5 women working in MAFF.

  European Regional Funds
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) what level of match public funds from his Department is available to EU Objective 1 regions for each of the next seven calendar years; [104304]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the requirements for match public funds from his Department for the EU Objective 1 regions of (a) Cornwall and Scilly, (b) Merseyside and (c) South Yorkshire for each of the seven years of the programme. [104300]
  206W
  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 10 January 2000]: It is the responsibility of grant applicants in the Objective 1 regions to calculate how much match public funding they will need and from where they should obtain this. The Government have provided and will continue to provide significant financial support through a variety of programmes sponsored by different departments. MAFF is currently considering its contribution to this support. Local partnerships can prioritise the use of these resources to fund projects jointly with the Structural Funds.

  Regional partners can also seek to match their European funds with contributions from the voluntary and private sectors, as well as through loans from organisations such as the European Investment Bank.

  GM Crops
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which GM crops are currently being tested. [104288]

  Mr. Meacher
  I have been asked to reply.

  The crops being tested in the field scale trials are fodder maize and oilseed rape which have been genetically modified to be herbicide tolerant. One variety of fodder maize and one variety each of spring-sown and autumn-sown oilseed rape are being tested to provide a thorough evaluation of their environmental impact. All results of the tests will be made publicly available.

  In addition, there are a number of crops being grown for smaller-scale research purposes. The crops currently being tested are spring and winter oilseed rape, sugar and fodder beet, wheat, potato, maize, poplar and chicory.

  Zimbabwe: Human Rights
  Zimbabwe: Human Rights
  Wassenaar Arrangement: 1999 Assessment
  Wassenaar Arrangement: 1999 Assessment
  Yugoslavia: Television Broadcast Equipment Export Controls
  Yugoslavia: Television Broadcast Equipment Export Controls
  Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960
  Professions Supplementary to Medicine Act 1960
  The European Union and UK Jobs
  The European Union and UK Jobs
  Political Staff, 10 Downing Street
  Political Staff, 10 Downing Street
  Government Advertising
  Government Advertising
  Political Honours Scrutiny Committee
  Political Honours Scrutiny Committee
  The Prime Minister
  The Prime Minister
  10 Downing Street: Expenditure Scrutiny
  10 Downing Street: Expenditure Scrutiny
  Nuclear Safety: Departmental Responsibilities
  Nuclear Safety: Departmental Responsibilities
  10 Downing Street: Constitutional Role
  10 Downing Street: Constitutional Role
  House of Lords Membership
  House of Lords Membership
  Armed Forces and Homosexuals
  Armed Forces and Homosexuals
  Infant Formula Regulations: Contraventions
  Infant Formula Regulations: Contraventions
  Softwood Thinnings: Forest Enterprise Sales
  Softwood Thinnings: Forest Enterprise Sales
  Pet Travel Scheme
  Pet Travel Scheme
  Agriculture Council, 14 and 15 December
  Agriculture Council, 14 and 15 December
  Fisheries Council, 16 and 17 December
  Fisheries Council, 16 and 17 December