Written Answers of 11 July 2000

DEFENCE

  Shipbuilding
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reviews of British shipbuilding capabilities and capacity he is conducting; and if he will make a statement. [128770]

  Dr. Moonie
  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 Robert Walmsley to Mr. Quentin Davies, dated 11 July 2000:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about reviews of British shipbuilding capabilities and capacities. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.

  Weapon type

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  Sub-machine guns

  —

  8

  —

  2

  —

  36

  Shotguns

  —

  —

  —

  100

  —

  —

  Pistols

  —

  —

  —

  —

  491

  —

  Specialist rifles

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  139

  New special forces small arm

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,380

  Total per year

  —

  8

  —

  102

  491

  1,555

  At present there are only two future purchases planned in the next five years: the Personal Defence Weapon, which will replace the current in-service 9 mm pistol, where we plan to procure up to 15,000 weapons and a small buy of about 20 large calibre Sniper Rifles.

  Search Systems
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what his Department's plans are for the incremental acquisition of new equipment on to the Nimrod MRA4; and if he will make a statement; [128711]

  (2) how the Active Search Sonobuoy System will be capable of discriminating real submarine targets from false acoustic alarms; and if he will make a statement; [128709]

  (3) how long the procurement of the Active Search Sonobuoy System will take; and if he will make a statement. [128710]

  Dr. Moonie
  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.
  446W The Ministry of Defence keeps British shipbuilding capabilities and capacity under regular review, in consultation with other Government Departments, Trade Unions and representatives of the shipbuilding industry.UK Shipbuilding yards play a crucial role in supplying warships and major vessels to the Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary. As you are no doubt aware, the Strategic Defence Review announced a considerable commitment to the UK Shipbuilding Industry over the next 15–20 years; through major ship programmes, including the Future Aircraft Carrier, the Type 45 Destroyers and the Future Surface Combatant. These programmes provide a secure long-term platform for the UK Shipbuilding Industry to increase its efficiency and effectiveness.

  Personal Weapons
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many personal weapons, and of which types, have been procured in each of the past five years; and how many are planned to be procured in the next five years. [128772]

  Dr. Moonie
  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 Robert Walmsley to Mr. Quentin Davies, dated 11 July 2000 I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the number and type of personal weapons that have been procured in the past 5 years and how many are planned to be procured in the next five years. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.
  The following personal weapons have been procured for the Armed services in the last 5 years:—

  Letter from Robert Walmsley to Mr. Paul Keetch, dated 11 July 2000:
  I am replying to your three questions (Nos 128709–128711) to the Secretary of State for Defence about the Nimrod MRA4 and Active Search Sonobuoy System. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.
  You asked about the Department's plans for the incremental acquisition of new equipment onto the Nimrod MRA4. As this aircraft is still in development, it is too early for a comprehensive plan of future enhancements to be drawn up. Nevertheless the opportunities offered under the Smart Procurement Initiative, through incremental acquisition, will be actively pursued at the appropriate time. At present, there is one new system which is being progressed with the aim of enhancing the aircraft's capability, that is the SR(SA)903 Active Search Sonobuoy System (ASSS).
  You also asked how ASSS will be capable of discriminating real submarine targets from false acoustic alarms. ASSS will use sophisticated software which will analyse the acoustic signature of the contacts picked up by the sonobuoy. These solution algorithms will be able to discriminate real from false targets.
  Your final question asked how long the procurement of the ASSS will take. Subject to the project being approved next year, the plan will be to deliver an ASSS capability in line with the In-Service Date of the main Nimrod MRA4 programme (March 2005).

  BNFL (Berkeley Centre)
  Mr. David Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the work for his Department being undertaken at the BNFL magnox facility at Berkeley Centre in Gloucestershire. [130418]

  Mr. Spellar
  The work undertaken for the Department by BNFL Magnox, Berkeley Centre, has been very successful, but it did not commence until June 1999 and has taken longer than anticipated because of problems developing the experimental apparatus.

  Performance indicator

  Target (percentage)

  Key target 1—Peacetime manning

  92.75

  The percentage of available trained personnel either filling established posts or on diversions for which there is an approved Manning and Training Margin

  Key target 2—War, crisis and MOD authorised unestablished commitments

  ≥98

  The percentage manning level of war, crisis and MOD authorised unestablished tasks

  Key target 3—Career management

  80

  The percentage of PMA's customers who are either satisfied or not dissatisfied with the service provided by the PMA

  Key target 4—Manpower planning

  No greater than ±1

  Percentage variation between actual trained strength and the authorised trained strength taken as an average over the financial year

  Key target 5—Finance, efficiency and business practice

  Cash allocation not exceeded

  Containment of operating costs within resources allocated

  RAF Training Group Defence Agency
  Ms Ryan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Key Targets have been set for the RAF Training Group Defence Agency for the financial year 2000–01. [130367]

  Mr. Spellar
  Key Targets set for the Chief Executive of the Training Group Defence Agency for the Financial Year 2000–01 are set out as follows.

  Key Target 1—training output

  The number of RAF trainees who graduate

  Target

  KT1a—quantity of output (ab initio flying training)

  Fast Jet Pilots

  59

  Multi-Engine Pilots

  56

  Rotary Wing Pilots

  33

  Fast Jet Navigators

  28

  Multi-Engine Navigators

  8

  Rotary Wing Navigators

  10

  Airman Aircrew

  97

  KT1b—quantity of output (ab initio ground training)

  Officer Initial Specialist Training

  265

  RAF Tradesman Training

  2,014

  RAF Regiment Induction

  272

  Key Target 2—training places

  The number of training course places provided

  Target

  KT2a—training places (flying)

  Flying Training1

  824

  Flying Training2

  83

  448W
  Further examination of spent fuel is taking place and it is now planned that the site will revert to its fully safeguarded status by 30 September 2000.

  RAF Personnel Management Agency
  Ms Ryan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the RAF Personnel Management Agency for the Financial Year 2000–01. [130366]

  Mr. Spellar
  Key Targets set for the RAF Personnel Management Agency for the Financial Year 2000–01 are set out in the table.

  Key Target 2—training places

  The number of training course places provided

  Target

  Key Target 2b—training places (ground)

  RAF Pre-Employment and Career Development Training

  31,607

  1RN, Army Central Flying School RAF Refresher

  2Foreign and Commonwealth courses

  Key Target 3—quality of output

  KT3—quality of output

  Target

  Satisfaction with the quality of graduate trainees as measured by the Agency's customer satisfaction matrix

  Satisfactory Rating

  Key Target 4—cost management

  KT4—cost management

  Target

  Output based management

  Deliver restricted Prototype of a Financial Management and Accounting system

  Airborne Early Warning Capability
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to acquire a future naval airborne early warning capability; and if he will make a statement. [129228]

  Dr. Moonie
  We plan to acquire a Future Organic Airborne Early Warning (FOAEW) system to replace the capability currently provided by Sea King airborne early warning helicopters. FOAEW will operate from
  449W
  the Future Aircraft Carrier (CVF) and complement the deployment of the Future Carrier Borne Aircraft (FCBA). It will mount powerful radar systems to provide wide sensor coverage against both air and surface threats, and command and control for operations by the carrier air group. Expressions of interest for participation in the programme were sought from industry in February 2000. The planned in-service date for FOAEW is 2012.

  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Sea King airborne early warning variants are in service; how old they are; and how many are operationally available. [129229]

  Dr. Moonie
  There are 13 Sea King Airborne Early Warning helicopters in service. Of these, nine are operationally available, with the remainder undergoing major maintenance programmes and a capability upgrade. Ten of the airframes were first delivered to the Royal Navy between 1969 and 1971 and converted to the Airborne Early Warning variant between 1982 and 1987. The other three airframes first entered Service as in between 1985 and 1986, being converted during 1997 and 1998.

  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to withdraw the(a) Sea King airborne early warning and (b) Type 22 Batch II frigates from service. [129230]

  Mr. Spellar
  There are currently no plans to withdraw the Sea King Airborne Early Warning (Mk 2/7) aircraft from service.

  Plans for the withdrawal from service of the Type 22 Batch 2 frigates currently in service are as follows:

  HMS Sheffield
  2012—to be superseded by a T45 Destroyer

  HMS Coventry
  2001—to be superseded by HMS St. Albans, a T23 Frigate.

  Type 23 Frigates
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of the Type 23 Frigates are due for refit in the next 12 months. [129231]

  Dr. Moonie
  One Type 23 Frigate, HMS Iron Duke, is due to start refit at Rosyth Royal Dockyard in spring 2001.

  RAF Aircraft
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the Royal Air Force's total inventory of Tornado F3s; and how many are operationally available; [128708]

  (2) what is the Royal Air Force's total inventory of (a) Harrier GR7s, (b) Tornado GR1s and (c) Jaguar GR1s; and how many in (a), (b)and (c)are operationally available; [128706]

  (3) how many Tornado GR4s are in operational service; [128705]

  (4) how many (a) Tornado GR1, (b) Tornado F3 and (c) Jaguar GR1 are held in reserve; and how long it would take for the aircraft in (a), (b) and (c) to be returned to front-line duties; [128707]
  450W
  (5) how many Nimrod MR2s are (a) in service, (b) operationally available and (c) in the process of being upgraded to MR4 standard. [128703]

  Mr. Spellar
  The information requested is detailed in the table:

  Aircraft type

  Total RAF inventory

  Operating fleet1

  Sustainment fleet2

  Aircraft in storage

  Tornado F3

  3138

  85

  29

  —

  Tornado GR1

  110

  73

  436

  1

  Tornado GR4

  64

  52

  512

  —

  Jaguar GR1/GR3/GR3A

  698

  38

  7

  12

  Harrier GR7

  75

  52

  723

  —

  Nimrod MR2

  822

  18

  4

  —

  1Aircraft available to operational commanders

  2Aircraft needed to sustain operations through major maintenance and upgrades

  324 Tornado F3 currently not required by the RAF are on loan to the Italian Air Force

  420 of these GR1 currently in conversion to GR4

  5Three of these GR4 aircraft are on loan to DERA for trials

  641 Jaguar GR1 are used as Ground Instructional Aircraft and are not available to fly

  7Four of these Harrier GR7 are on loan to DERA for trials

  8The Nimrod MR2s will be replaced by 21 Nimrod MRA4. Six airframes are currently in conversion to MRA4

  The degree of operational urgency and availability of resources would dictate the time it would take to restore Tornado and Jaguar airframes in storage to front-line duties.

  Belize
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of military assistance to Belize was in each year since 1992. [129078]

  Mr. Spellar
  The cost of military assistance provided by the Ministry of Defence to Belize has been as follows:

  Financial Year

  £000

  1992–93

  542

  1993–94

  793

  1994–95

  806

  1995–96

  835

  1996–97

  502

  1997–98

  272

  1998–99

  213

  1999–2000

  275

  Note:

  Provisional estimate

  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has also provided military assistance through the supply of non-lethal equipment under the Belize Defence Aid Fund (BELDA) and military training under the UK Military Training Assistance Scheme (UKMTAS) and its successor Assistance to Support Stability with In-Service Training (ASSIST). The allocations for these funds were as follows:

  £000

  Financial Year

  BELDA

  UKMTAS/ASSIST

  1992–93

  450

  475

  1993–94

  400

  260

  1994–95

  400

  325

  1995–96

  400

  325

  1996–97

  350

  325

  451W

  £000

  Financial Year

  BELDA

  UKMTAS/ASSIST

  1997–98

  300

  300

  1998–99

  250

  240

  1999–2000

  200

  200

  SIFF Programme
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the Successor SIFF programme, indicating when a final decision will be made. [129388]

  Dr. Moonie
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 4 July 2000,Official Report column 127W, by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces.

  RAF Mildenhall
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Polish contractors were invited to bid for work on a support centre at RAF Mildenhall; and what reasons underlay the decision to include these contractors in the bidding process. [129403]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 6 July 2000]: Two Polish contractors, Exbud Joint Stock Company and Mostostal Zabrze Holding, were invited to tender for the contract to provide an Operations Support Centre at RAF Mildenhall.

  The reasons for including these firms in the bidding process stem from Poland's membership of NATO.

  The Support Centre at RAF Mildenhall has been identified as being eligible for NATO funding under NATO's Security Investment Programme (NSIP). The contract for this work has been opened to International Competitive Bidding (ICB).

  Under ICB arrangements, firms nominated by NATO member nations that contribute to the NSIP funding must be invited to tender for the work.

  The two firms in question were nominated by the Polish Embassy in London and invited to bid.

  During the tender period both Exbud and Mostostal Zabrze declined to tender.

  Meteorological Office
  Mr. Wallace
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost to the Meteorological Office of the recruitment campaign undertaken in late 1999 and January seeking extra observers, including the cost of press advertisements. [129453]

  Dr. Moonie
  This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Meteorological Office. I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. and learned Member.

  Letter from Peter Ewins to Mr. James Wallace, dated 11 July 2000:
  I am replying to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence about the cost to The Met. Office of the recruitment campaign undertaken in late 1999 and January seeking extra observers. This matter falls within my area of responsibility as Chief Executive of The Met. Office.
  The cost of the campaign, including the cost of press advertisement, was £26,340.

  Submarines
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the location and operational status is of each of the Royal Navy's(a) Trafalgar Class and (b) Swiftsure Class submarines. [129858]

  Mr. Hoon
  (a) Of the Royal Navy's seven Trafalgar Class submarines, three are operationally available and four are in refit, extended maintenance or repair.

  (b) Of the RN's five Swiftsure Class, three are operationally available and two are in refit, extended maintenance or repair.

  Class

  Operational or engaged in preparing for service, trials or training

  Undergoing refit, extended maintenance or repair

  Swiftsure

  Sovereign

  Sceptre (Rosyth)

  Splendid

  Spartan (Rosyth)

  Superb

  Trafalgar

  Trafalgar

  Talent (Devonport)

  Triumph

  Tireless (Gibraltar)

  Turbulent

  Torbay (Devonport)

  Trenchant (Devonport)

  The specific operational status and location of each operational submarine is classified for security reasons and is being withheld under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Balkans
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the proportion of cluster munitions dropped by the RAF in Kosovo that failed to explode. [129934]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Leyton and Wanstead (Mr. Cohen) on 24 January 2000,Official Report, column 59W.

  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what money has been allocated to the clearance of unexploded ordnance, with particular reference to cluster munitions dropped by the RAF in Kosovo. [129936]

  Mr. Spellar
  While British forces continue to play a part—particularly in the clearance of unexploded ordnance—clear-up and reconstruction after a conflict are matters for civil agencies within the international community rather than specifically for the Ministry of Defence.

  The Department for International Development provided more than £7 million during the 1999–2000 financial year for the clearance of mines and unexploded ordnance in Kosovo. So far, a further £6.6 million has been committed in the current financial year.

  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Army reservists in total have served in Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania since the beginning of the conflict there last year. [129935]
  453W
  Mr. Spellar
  Since December 1998, we have mobilised 555 members of the Territorial Army and 253 Regular Reservists for service in Kosovo, Macedonia and Albania, making a total of 808 reservists.

  Ceremonial
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the benefits of(a) Trooping the Colour and (b) Beating the Retreat in formulating his policy on each ceremony. [128808]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 3 July 2000]: The Trooping of the Colour is a birthday parade laid on by the Household Division for Her Majesty the Queen as their Sovereign and Colonel in Chief. Beating the Retreat raises funds for service charities. Both events are a traditional display of pageantry and the excellent skills of our service personnel and increase the standing and esteem of the armed forces in the eyes of the public.

  These are important factors in our current planning for armed forces events to be held in London annually from 2001 onwards.

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 26 June 2000,Official Report, column 408W, on departmental vehicles, if he will list the number of (a) cars and (b) commercial vehicles by make and model. [129075]

  Mr. Spellar
  I have arranged for a list showing the number of vehicles by make to be placed in the Library of the House. A further breakdown of the 23,000 vehicles by model could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  SA80 Refit
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reasons have been given by Heckler and Koch for the SA80 refit to be carried out in Germany. [129665]

  Mr. Hoon
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: Royal Ordnance submitted a bid to the Ministry of Defence on the basis that the bulk of the modification programme should be carried out at Heckler and Koch's Obendorf facility where the original modifications were designed and implemented. The company has indicated that to carry out the modification work elsewhere would require it to invest in the acquisition of new specialist tooling equipment and the transfer of technical expertise from Obendorf, and maintains that conducting the modification work there represents the lowest risk to the timescale and cost of the programme. Equally, early indications are that work on stripping and refurbishment of weapons prior to modification could most sensibly be done in the UK.

  General Purpose Machine Gun
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current timescale is for phasing out the use of the General Purpose Machine Gun. [129667]
  454W
  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: The General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) in the Light Role is due to be withdrawn from service in 2015; those variants that are mounted onto vehicles or helicopters will be withdrawn in line with the relevant out of service date for the platform.

  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the facilities(a) in the United Kingdom and (b) elsewhere which (i)manufacture the general purpose machine gun barrel and (ii) are capable of manufacturing the general purpose machine gun barrel. [129668]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: In the UK, the Nottingham Small Arms Factory, which trades as H&K UK Ltd. located within RO Nottingham, is capable of manufacturing the general purpose machine gun (GPMG) barrel. Elsewhere, the Heckler and Koch (H&K) facility at Oberndorf, Germany and the Fabrique Nationale (FN) facility at Herstal, Belgium also have the capability to manufacture the GPMG barrel.

  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many general purpose machine guns(a) are in service and (b) were received into service in each of the last five years. [129666]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: There are currently some 11,300 general purpose machine guns (GPMG) in service. No purchases of the GPMG have been made in any of the last five years.

  Small Arms
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what facilities in the United Kingdom are capable of high volume production of small arms at short notice; and of these, which have test and range facilities. [129664]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Chinook Crash
  Mr. Arbuthnot
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in relation to the 1994 Chinook crash, (1) what assessment he has made of the state of health of Flight Lieutenant Tapper(a) five minutes, (b) four minutes, (c) three minutes, (d) two minutes and (e) one minute before the crash; [129288]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the state of health of Flight Lieutenant Cook (a) five minutes, (b) four minutes, (c) three minutes, (d) two minutes and (e) one minute before the crash. [129289]

  Mr. Spellar
  The RAF Board of Inquiry determined that Flight Lieutenants Tapper and Cook were free from emotional stress, and were well rested and physically fit prior to commencing duty on 2 June 1994. A complete medical examination of their bodies was carried out after the crash by a team headed by a consultant forensic pathologist. This showed that both were in good health and had taken neither alcohol nor drugs. Nothing was found to suggest that an explosion or any noxious agent played any part in the accident. The Board of Inquiry concluded that the mental and physical state of Flight Lieutenants Tapper and Cook was most unlikely to have been a factor in the accident.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Pesticides
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice to local education authorities and to schools his Department has given on the use of the organophosphate pesticide chlorpyrifos in proprietary products. [129992]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 10 July 2000]: Proprietary insecticides whose active ingredient is Chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate, continue to be available for use within schools and in school grounds. However, the HSE/DETR, MAFF and the Advisory Committee on Pesticides are currently looking at the implications for the use of these products in the UK, following the recent American restrictions on their use.

  The precautionary procedures for dealing with risks from pesticides do not depend on special instructions being issued to schools. They rely on: approved uses for products; instructions for use, on the product and the packaging; and the design of suitable containers for the products.

  Teenage Pregnancy
  Ms McCafferty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many 16 and 17-year-old parents(a) have taken and (b) are taking part in the education maintenance allowance pilots following the publication of the Social Exclusion Unit report, "Teenage Pregnancy", in June 1999. [129254]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 10 July 2000]: This information is not available at the present time. There is no special treatment of teenage parents in the main EMA pilots, but the evaluation should provide an indication of the numbers involved and will provide an assessment of any factors which are particularly relevant to teenage parents. The first results from this evaluation should be available towards the end of this year. Also, from September, two of the 15 original EMA pilot areas (Stoke-on-Trent and Cornwall) will test out additional flexibilities intended to help teenage parents participate in education, while still maintaining the 'something for something' principle.

  Residential Care Homes
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment with what frequency residential care homes are subject to Ofsted inspections; and what the Chief Inspector's assessment is of the educational standards of residential care establishments. [129771]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Ofsted inspects and reports upon residential independent schools catering for pupils with special educational needs, which are registered as schools and children's homes, at least once in a six-year period. At the request of the Social Services Inspectorate, Ofsted participates in inspections of Secure Units, which take place at intervals of approximately three years. Ofsted does not inspect the education provided in other types of residential care establishments for young people. HM Chief Inspector's annual report for 1998–99 contains sections about residential special schools (page 59) and the education of young people in secure accommodation (pages 64–65).

  Ritalin
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what guidance he issues to schools regarding the use of Ritalin; [129957]

  (2) what recent representations he has received on the use of Ritalin. [129958]

  Jacqui Smith
  My Department and the Department of Health have jointly issued a good practice guide, "Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs", which includes general advice for schools on dealing with medicines safely. It also provides guidance on drawing up individual health care plans for pupils with medical needs, which could include the use of Ritalin if appropriate. My Department has not issued other specific guidance to schools on the use of Ritalin, and we have not received any representations recently on this issue.

  Inner-city Schools
  Mr. Hesford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent steps he has taken to improve standards in inner-city schools. [129439]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave on 3 July 2000,Official Report, columns 75–76W.

  Bladder Problems (Women)
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans the Women's Unit has to commission research into the effect of bladder problems on the quality of life of women affected by the condition. [129125]

  Ms Jowell
  [holding answer 6 July 2000]: The Women's Unit has no plans to commission research into the effect of bladder problems on the quality of life of women affected by the condition.

  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what evidence he has received concerning the number of women over the age of 35 who experience bladder problems; and if he will make a statement. [129124]

  Ms Jowell
  [holding answer 6 July 2000]: I have not, in my capacity as Minister responsible for Women, received any evidence concerning the number of women over the age of 35 who experience bladder problems. However, the Department of Health statistics show that 68,410 women aged 35 and over with bladder problems were admitted to NHS hospitals in England during the period 1998–99.

  LEA/Constituency Configuration
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which parliamentary constituencies fall within which local education authorities. [129459]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The information requested is shown in the table.
  457W

  LEA name

  Parliamentary constituencies

  City of London

  Cities of London and Westminster

  Camden

  Hampstead and Highgate; Holborn and St. Pancras

  Greenwich

  Eltham; Erith and Thamesmead; Greenwich and Woolwich

  Hackney

  Hackney North and Stoke Newington; Hackney South and Shoreditch

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  Hammersmith and Fulham Ealing Acton and Shepherd's Bush

  Islington

  Islington North; Islington South and Finsbury

  Kensington and Chelsea

  Kensington and Chelsea; Regent's Park and Kensington North

  Lambeth

  Dulwich and West Norwood; Streatham; Vauxhall

  Lewisham

  Lewisham Deptford; Lewisham East; Lewisham West

  Southwark

  Camberwell and Peckham; Dulwich and West Norwood; Southwark North and Bermondsey

  Tower Hamlets

  Bethnal Green and Bow; Poplar and Canning Town

  Wandsworth

  Battersea; Putney; Tooting

  Westminster

  Cities of London and Westminster; Regents Park and Kensington North

  Barking and Dagenham

  Barking; Dagenham

  Barnet

  Chipping Barnet; Finchley and Golders Green; Hendon

  Bexley

  Bexleyheath and Crayford; Erith and Thamesmead; Old Bexley and Sidcup

  Brent

  Brent East; Brent North; Brent South

  Bromley

  Beckenham; Bromley and Chislehurst; Orpington

  Croydon

  Croydon Central; Croydon North; Croydon South

  Ealing

  Ealing Acton and Shepherd's Bush; Ealing North; Ealing Southall

  Enfield

  Edmonton; Enfield North; Enfield Southgate

  Haringey

  Hornsey and Wood Green; Tottenham

  Harrow

  Harrow East; Harrow West

  Havering

  Hornchurch; Romford; Upminster

  Hillingdon

  Hayes and Harlington; Ruislip-Northwood; Uxbridge

  Hounslow

  Brentford and Isleworth; Feltham and Heston

  Kingston upon Thames

  Kingston and Surbiton; Richmond Park

  Merton

  Mitcham and Morden; Wimbledon

  Newham

  East Ham; Poplar and Cannington Town; West Ham

  Redbridge

  Chingford and Woodford Green; Ilford North; Ilford South; Leyton and Wanstead

  Richmond upon Thames

  Richmond Park; Twickenham

  Sutton

  Carshalton and Wallington; Sutton and Cheam

  Waltham Forest

  Chingford and Woodford Green; Leyton and Wanstead; Walthamstow

  Birmingham

  Birmingham Edgbaston; Birmingham Erdington; Birmingham Hall Green; Birmingham Hodge Hill; Birmingham Ladywood; Birmingham Northfield; Birmingham Perry Barr; Birmingham Selly Oak; Birmingham Sparkbrook and Small Heath; Birmingham Yardley; Sutton Coldfield

  Coventry

  Coventry North East; Coventry North West; Coventry South

  Dudley

  Dudley North; Dudley South; Halesowen and Rowley Regis; Stourbridge

  Sandwell

  Halesowen and Rowley Regis; Warley; West Bromwich East; West Bromwich West

  Solihull

  Meriden; Solihull

  Walsall

  Aldridge-Brownhills; Walsall North; Walsall South

  Wolverhampton

  Wolverhampton North East; Wolverhampton South East; Wolverhampton South West

  Knowsley

  Knowsley North and Sefton East; Knowsley South

  Liverpool

  Liverpool Garston; Liverpool Riverside; Liverpool Walton; Liverpool Wavertree; Liverpool West Derby

  St. Helens

  St. Helens North; St. Helens South

  Sefton

  Bootle; Crosby; Knowsley North and Sefton East; Southport

  Wirral

  Birkenhead; Wallasey; Wirral South; Wirral West

  Bolton

  Bolton North East; Bolton South East; Bolton West

  Bury

  Bury North; Bury South

  Manchester

  Manchester Blackley; Manchester Central; Manchester Gorton; Manchester Withington; Wythenshawe and Sale East

  Oldham

  Ashton under Lyne; Oldham East and Saddleworth; Oldham West and Royton

  Rochdale

  Heywood and Middleton; Oldham East and Saddleworth; Rochdale

  Salford

  Eccles; Salford; Worsley

  Stockport

  Cheadle; Denton and Reddish; Hazel Grove; Stockport

  Tameside

  Ashton Under Lyne; Denton and Redditch; Stalybridge and Hyde

  Trafford

  Altrincham and Sale West; Stretford and Urmston; Wythenshawe and Sale East

  Wigan

  Leigh; Makerfield; Wigan; Worsley

  Barnsley

  Barnsley Central; Barnsley East and Mexborough; Barnsley West and Penistone

  Doncaster

  Barnsley East and Mexborough; Doncaster Central; Doncaster North; Don Valley

  Rotherham

  Rotherham; Rother Valley; Wentworth

  Sheffield

  Sheffield Attercliffe; Sheffield Brightside; Sheffield Central; Sheffield Hallam; Sheffield Heeley; Sheffield Hillsborough

  Bradford

  Bradford North; Bradford South; Bradford West; Keighley; Shipley

  Calderdale

  Calder Valley; Halifax

  Kirklees

  Batley and Spen; Colne Valley; Dewsbury; Huddersfield; Wakefield

  Leeds

  Elmet; Leeds Central; Leeds East; Leeds North East; Leeds North West; Leeds West; Morley and Rothwell; Pudsey

  Wakefield

  Hemsworth; Normanton; Pontefract and Castleford; Wakefield

  Gateshead

  Blaydon; Gateshead East and Washington West; Jarrow; Tyne Bridge

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  Newcastle upon Tyne Central; Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend; Newcastle upon Tyne North; Tyne Bridge

  North Tyneside

  Newcastle upon Tyne East and Wallsend; North Tyneside; Tynemouth

  South Tyneside

  Jarrow; South Shields

  458W 459W

  LEA name

  Parliamentary constituencies

  Sunderland

  Gateshead East and Washington West; Houghton and Washington East; Sunderland North; Sunderland South

  Isles of Scilly

  St. Ives

  Bath and North East Somerset

  Bath; Wansdyke

  Bristol, City of

  Bristol East; Bristol North West; Bristol South; Bristol West; Kingswood

  North Somerset

  Weston-super-Mare; Woodspring

  South Gloucestershire

  Bristol North West; Kingswood; Northavon; Wansdyke

  Hartlepool

  Hartlepool

  Middlesbrough

  Middlesbrough; Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland

  Redcar and Cleveland

  Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland; Redcar

  Stockton-on-Tees

  Stockton North; Stockton South

  Kingston upon Hull, City of

  Hull East, Hull North; Hull West and Hessle

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  Beverley and Holderness; Brigg and Goole; East Yorkshire; Haltemprice and Howden; Hull West and Hessle

  North East Lincolnshire

  Cleethorpes; Great Grimsby

  North Lincolnshire

  Brigg and Goole; Cleethorpes; Scunthorpe

  North Yorkshire

  Harrogate and Knaresborough; Richmond; Tyedale; Scarborough and Whitby; Selby; Skipton and Ripon; Vale of York

  York

  Ryedale; Selby; Vale of York; York, City of

  Bedfordshire

  Bedford; Bedfordshire Mid; Bedfordshire North East; Bedfordshire South West; Luton South

  Luton

  Luton North; Luton South

  Buckinghamshire

  Aylesbury; Beaconsfield; Buckingham; Chesham and Amersham; Wycombe

  Milton Keynes

  Milton Keynes North East; Milton Keynes South West

  Derbyshire

  Amber Valley; Bolsover; Chesterfield; Derbyshire North East; Derbyshire South; Derbyshire West; Erewash; High Peak

  Derby

  Derby North; Derby South; Derbyshire South

  Dorset

  Christchurch; Dorset North; Dorset Mid and Poole North; Dorset South; Dorset West

  Poole

  Poole; Dorset Mid and Poole North

  Bournemouth

  Bournemouth East; Bournemouth West

  Durham

  Bishop Auckland; City of Durham; Durham North; Durham North West; Easington; Sedgfield

  Darlington

  Darlington; Sedgefield

  East Sussex

  Bexhill and Battle; Brighton Kemptown; Eastbourne; Hastings and Rye; Lewes; Wealden

  Brighton and Hove

  Brighton Kemptown; Brighton Pavillion; Hove

  Hampshire

  Aldershot; Basingstoke; Eastleigh; Fareham; Gosport; Hampshire East; Hampshire North East; Hampshire North West; Havant; New Forest East; New Forest West; Romsey, Winchester

  Portsmouth

  Portsmouth North, Portsmouth South

  Southampton

  Romsey, Southampton Itchen; Southampton Test

  Leicestershire

  Blaby; Bosworth; Charnwood; Harborough; Leicestershire North West; Loughborough; Rutland and Melton

  Leicester

  Leicester East; Leicester South; Leicester West

  Rutland

  Rutland and Melton

  Staffordshire

  Burton; Cannock Chase; Lichfield; Newcastle-under-Lyme; Stafford; Staffordshire Moorlands; Staffordshire South; Stoke-on-Trent North; Stone; Tamworth

  Stoke-on-Trent

  Stoke-on-Trent Central; Stoke-on-Trent North; Stoke-on-Trent South

  Wiltshire

  Devises; Salisbury; Swindon North; Westbury; Wiltshire North

  Swindon

  Swindon North; Swindon South

  Bracknell Forest

  Bracknell; Windsor

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  Maidenhead; Windsor

  West Berkshire

  Newbury; Reading West; Wokingham

  Reading

  Reading East; Reading West

  Slough

  Slough; Windsor

  Wokingham

  Bracknell; Maidenhead; Reading East; Wokingham

  Cambridgeshire

  Cambridge; Cambridgeshire North East; Cambridgeshire North West; Cambridgeshire South East; Cambridgeshire South; Huntingdon

  Peterborough

  Cambridgeshire North East; Cambridgeshire North West; Peterborough

  Cheshire

  City of Chester; Congleton; Crewe and Nantwich; Eddisbury; Ellesmere Port and Neston; Macclesfield; Tatton; Weaver Vale

  Halton

  Halton; Weaver Vale

  Warrington

  Warrington North; Warrington South

  Devon

  Devon East; Devon North; Devon West and Torridge; Devon South West; Exeter; Plymouth Devonport; Plymouth Sutton; Teignbridge; Tiverton and Honiton; Totnes

  Plymouth

  Devon South West; Plymouth Devonport; Plymouth Sutton

  Torbay

  Torbay; Totnes

  Essex

  Basildon; Billericay; Braintree; Brentwood and Ongar; Castle Point; Chelmsford West; Colchester; Epping Forest; Essex North; Harlow; Harwich; Maldon and East Chelmsford; Rayleigh; Rochford and Southend East; Saffron Walden

  Southend-on-Sea

  Rochford and Southend East; Southend West

  Thurrock

  Basildon; Thurrock

  Herefordshire

  Hereford, Leominster

  Worcestershire

  Bromsgrove; Leominster; Redditch; Worcester; Worcestershire Mid; Worcestershire West; Wyre Forest

  Kent

  Ashford; Canterbury; Chatham and Aylesford; Dartford; Dover; Faversham and Mid Kent; Folkstone and Hythe; Gravesham; Maidstone and the Weald; Sevenoaks; Sittingbourne and Sheppey; Thanet North; Thanet South; Tonbridge and Malling; Tunbridge Wells

  Medway

  Chatham and Aylesford; Gillingham; Medway

  460W 461W

  LEA name

  Parliamentary constituencies

  Lancashire

  Blackpool North and Fleetwood; Burnley; Chorley; Fylde; Hyndburn; Lancaster and Wyre; Lancashire West; Morecambe and Lunesdale; Pendle; Preston; Ribble South; Ribble Valley; Rossendale and Darwen

  Blackburn with Darwen

  Blackburn; Rossendale and Darwen

  Blackpool

  Blackpool North and Fleetwood; Blackpool South

  Nottinghamshire

  Ashfield; Bassettlaw; Broxtowe; Gedling; Mansfield; Newark; Rushcliffe; Sherwood

  Nottingham

  Nottingham East; Nottingham North; Nottingham South

  Shropshire

  Ludlow; Shrewsbury and Atcham; Shropshire North; The Wrekin

  Telford and Wrekin

  Telford; The Wrekin

  Cornwall

  Cornwall North; Cornwall South East; Falmouth and Cambourne; St. Ives; Truro and St. Austell

  Cumbria

  Barrow and Furness; Carlisle; Copeland; Penrith and the Border; Westmorland and Lonsdale; Workington

  Gloucestershire

  Cheltenham; Cotswold; Forest of Dean; Gloucester; Stroud; Tewkesbury

  Hertfordshire

  Broxbourne; Hemel Hempstead; Hertford and Stortford; Hertfordshire North East; Hertfordshire South West; Hertsmere; Hitchin and Harpenden; St. Albans; Stevenage; Watford; Welwyn and Hatfield

  Isle of Wight

  Isle of Wight

  Lincolnshire

  Boston and Skegness; Gainsborough; Grantham and Stamford; Lincoln; Louth and Horncastle; Sleaford and North Hykeham; South Holland and the Deepings

  Norfolk

  Great Yarmouth; Norfolk Mid; Norfolk North; Norfolk North West; Norfolk South; Norfolk South West; Norwich North; Norwich South

  Northamptonshire

  Corby; Daventry; Kettering; Northampton North; Northampton South; Wellingborough

  Northumberland

  Berwick-upon-Tweed; Blyth Valley; Hexam; Wansbeck

  Oxfordshire

  Banbury; Henley; Oxford East; Oxford West and Abingdon; Wantage; Witney

  Somerset

  Bridgewater; Somerton and Frome; Taunton; Wells; Yeovil

  Suffolk

  Bury St. Edmunds; Ipswich; Suffolk Central and Ipswich North; Suffolk Coastal; Suffolk South; Suffolk West; Waveney

  Surrey

  Epsom and Ewell; Esher and Walton; Guildford; Mole Valley; Reigate; Runneymede and Weybridge; Spelthorne; Surrey East; Surrey Heath; Surrey South West Woking

  Warwickshire

  Nuneaton, Rugby and Kenilworth; Stratford-on-Avon; Warwick and Leamington; Warwickshire North

  West Sussex

  Arundel and South Downs; Bognor Regis and Littlehampton; Chichester; Crawley; Horsham; Sussex Mid; Worthington East and Shoreham; Worthing West

  Student Drop-outs
  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the drop-out rate was for students on courses of further education in the most recent academic year for which figures are available. [129704]

  Mr. Wicks
  Published figures are in terms of the median college in-year retention rate, which in 1997–98 was 87 per cent. for full-time students and 84 per cent. for part-time students.

  Source:

  "Performance Indicators 1997–98: Further Education College in England", Further Education Funding Council, September 1999.

  Standards Funds
  Mr. Sawford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how he will ensure that education authorities which have a below average Standard Spending Assessment per pupil are able to take full advantage of the money offered through the Standards Fund. [129696]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  For 2000–01, local education authorities have now accepted over 98 per cent. of the allocations offered to them through the Standards Fund. Most authorities accepted their allocations in full, including authorities that have below average standard spending assessments per pupil. The requirement for authorities to contribute to the Standards Fund was allowed for in the 5.4 per cent. increase in education Standard Spending Assessment. In addition, schools have received a share of the £290 million funding increase announced in the budget to further drive up standards, and benefit from their share of the £50 million extra in grant 462W
  for general support of school budgets announced in November. Since 1997, spending per pupil has increased £300 in real terms.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what monitoring is undertaken of Private Finance Initiative contracts for(a) schools, (b) further education colleges and (c) higher education institutions; and if he will make a statement. [129203]

  Mr. Wicks
  Responsibility for monitoring PH projects lies with the relevant procuring body. For schools, monitoring is the responsibility of local education authorities or other procuring bodies. The Department informs the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions about services and payments arising from new projects, so that the overall level of revenue commitments can be monitored.

  The Further Education Funding Council supports colleges in developing projects and monitors educational achievement, financial returns and the efficient use of property. The Higher Education Funding Council for England monitors progress by requiring higher education institutions to submit progress reports on PFI contracts as part of their annual financial forecasts.

  The Department works closely with LEAs and the Funding Councils to ensure that procedures are in place to monitor progress and value for money effectively.

  Correspondence
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when the hon. Member for Broxbourne will receive a reply to her letters to him of 14 April,
  463W
  11 May, 8 June and 6 July, relating to her constituent, the Secretary of the East Hertfordshire Branch of the National Union of Teachers. [130117]

  Mr. Wills
  A reply will be issued today.

  Undergraduates
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many home-domiciled applicants aged under 21 there were to(a) full-time and (b) sandwich undergraduate courses in each of the last three years; and how many acceptances there were onto such courses, indicating (i)the proportion of the age group in each socio-economic group this represents and (ii) the proportion of acceptances that were (A)to former polytechnics and (B)accepted in an institution in the locality of the applicant's home address. [127724]

  Mr. Wicks
  The available information is shown in the table.

  Applicants and acceptances to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses in the UK via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)

  Home domiciled students aged under 21

  1997

  1998

  1999

  Applicants

  300,926

  303,729

  306,809

  Acceptances

  237,519

  239,663

  245,626

  Percentage of acceptances to former polytechnics

  35.2

  35.5

  35.1

  Percentage of acceptances to institutions in the applicant's home region1

  42.2

  42.3

  43.5

  Participation rates by social class2

  Non-manual household head4

  48

  45

  345–46

  Manual household head5

  18

  17

  317–18

  1Based on Standard Statistical Regions in 1997 and Government office Regions in 1998 and 1999. Data at a more disaggregated geographical level are not available centrally.

  2Derived from the number of initial entrants to full-time undergraduate courses and population data from the 1991 census.

  3Provisional estimates.

  4Social Classes, I, II, IIIN (Professional, Intermediate, Skilled non-manual).

  5Classes IIIM, IV, V (Skilled manual, Partly skilled, Unskilled).

  The social class mix of the underlying population is taken directly from the 1991 Census. Over time this approach becomes less reliable, particularly at a disagreggated level and the social class groupings have therefore been aggregated.

  Over the period shown, participation rates of young people by social class have fluctuated in line with overall participation. These overall trends in part reflect a large increase in the size of the age-group and the decision by some students to pull forward their year of entry to higher education from 1998 to 1997 in advance of the introduction of fees. Over the same period the proportion of young students who come from the lower social classes (HIM, IV, V) has remained constant at around 27 per cent. and the proportion who come from the higher social classes (I, II, IIIN) has remained at around 73 per cent.

HEALTH

  Health Authorities
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which(a) NHS trusts and (b) health authorities fall within which parliamentary constituencies. [129460]

  Ms Stuart
  A copy of the information available has been placed in the Library. The information refers only to England and does not contain a direct mapping of constituency to trust, only health authority to trust and health authority to constituency.

  Press Releases
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press releases his Department has issued in the first six months of the present year. [130188]

  Ms Stuart
  The Department has issued 395 press releases in the first six months of the present year.

  Osteopathy
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what arrangements will be made to support students(a) financially and (b) otherwise in obtaining a professionally recognised osteopathy qualification who are currently students at the John Wernham College of Classical Osteopathy; [130017]

  (2) how many students will be affected by the decision of the General Osteopathic Council to refuse accreditation to (a) the John Wernham College of Classical Osteopathy and (b) similar colleges in the UK; [130015]

  (3) how many vacancies exist in the UK on osteopathy courses accredited by the General Osteopathic Council; [130016]

  (4) what discussions he has had with the General Osteopathic Council regarding the decision to refuse accreditation to the John Wernham College of Classical Osteopathy; and if he will make a statement. [130013]

  Yvette Cooper
  I have had no discussions with the General Osteopathic Council (GOsC) on these matters. Under the Osteopaths Act 1993, the GOsC may formally recognise osteopathic qualifications for the purposes of statutory registration with the approval of the Privy Council. However, the Act does not require the GOsC to seek the approval of the Privy Council for any decision it makes not to recognise a qualification. I understand that the John Wernham College of Classical Osteopathy has been given leave to apply for a judicial review of GOsC's decision in its case.

  The Department has been informed that some 75 students at the John Wernham College are likely to be affected by the GOsC's decision not to recognise its qualification. The college, and its validating body the North East Surrey College of Technology, are responsible for advising and assisting those students. The GOsC has no statutory duty to assist students in these circumstances but has requested that all schools of osteopathy applying to have their qualifications recognised prepare a contingency plan in the event that their applications are unsuccessful. It is now trying to assist the John Wernham College to activate its contingency plan.
  465W
  The GOsC has recognised osteopathic qualifications provided by five other schools. The Department has been informed that these currently cater for around 850 students in total but the Department does not have information on any vacancies that may exist.

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Lightbulbs
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what percentage of lightbulbs used in the House are low energy. [129379]

  Sir Sydney Chapman
  Some 75 per cent. of lightbulbs on the parliamentary estate are of the low energy type. More light fittings will be adapted for low energy lightbulbs during the Summer Adjournment as part of a continuing exercise.

  Recycling
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee in what location in the House waste paper for recycling is sorted from other waste. [129383]

  Sir Sydney Chapman
  Under the present waste disposal contract, Vote Office waste paper is recycled and other waste paper is incinerated to generate electricity for the national grid; competitive tendering showed that it would cost an additional £250,000 to separate more waste paper for recycling. The Accommodation and Works Committee has, however, resolved that the issue should be considered again when the contracts are next retendered.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what plans there are to introduce facilities for the recycling of(a) plastics, (b) aluminium and steel and (c) glass in the House. [129377]

  Sir Sydney Chapman
  The House has a contract with London Waste Ltd. for waste disposal. As part of the disposal process, the company recovers ferrous and non-ferrous metals for recycling; glass is also recycled separately. General kitchen waste and packaging are incinerated, generating electricity for the national grid.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee what percentage of electricity used in the House is supplied from renewable sources. [129378]

  Sir Sydney Chapman
  At present none of the energy used in the House is from renewable sources. Power for the House is purchased in the competitive market on the basis of lowest price, and energy from renewable sources has proved more expensive in the past. It is the intention to obtain prices for renewable energy as part of the exercise to renew contracts for electricity supplies later this year.

  Annunciators
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Chairman of the Accommodation and Works Committee how many annunciators there are in the House. [129380]
  466W
  Sir Sydney Chapman
  There are 900 annunciators in the Palace of Westminster, and 1,718 on the Parliamentary estate as a whole.

  Paper
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee (1) what was the volume of paper provided by the House in each of the last three years; [129381]

  (2) what percentage of paper provided by the House in the last 12 months was made from recycled paper. [129382]

  Mrs. Roe
  This is a matter for the Serjeant at Arms; I have asked him to write to the hon. Member.

  Organic Food and Drink
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Chairman of the Catering Committee what percentage of food and drink served in the House is organic. [129376]

  Mr. Dennis Turner
  The House of Commons Refreshment Department does not compile any statistics on the quantity of organic food and drink purchased or sold through its catering operations. The Department is a member of the Soil Association and recognises the significant demand for organic produce. Last year the Department introduced, on a trial basis, an organic menu in the Members' Dining Room. While indisputably popular with its customers, the menu was reluctantly discontinued as a consequence of the inconsistent availability and quality of supply, and the high cost of such produce. The Department now pursues a policy of purchasing organic produce or ingredients wherever consistent availability and quality can be guaranteed by suppliers, and where it is judged that the price to be passed on to the Department's customers is affordable.

  Environmental Performance
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, what(a) measures and (b) targets have been established relating to the use by the House of Commons' of resources and the Government's targets for environmental performance. [129317]

  Mr. Kirkwood
  The Parliamentary Works Directorate is preparing to operate an environmental management system under ISO 14001. Using the Property Advisers to the Civil Estate (PACE) methodology, which was recently promulgated, measurements are being made of the percentage of our total office waste which is recovered. Targets for improvement are then to be set. Energy usage is closely monitored and significant savings will be achieved when Portcullis House is occupied and other buildings are vacated.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Departmental Payments
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of correctly presented bills were paid by her Department in(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 within 30 days of receipt of (i)goods and services, (ii) a valid invoice and (iii) other agreed payment terms. [130037]
  467W
  Clare Short
  In line with Treasury guidance my Department's standard payment terms commit us to paying bills within 30 days of receipt of the goods or services or the presentation of a valid invoice, whichever is the later. The percentage of invoices settled within the 30 day period during the last financial year was 96.8 per cent. The comparable figure for 1998–99 was 96.3 per cent. We do not generally enter into different payment terms.

  Bangladesh
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if Bangladesh qualifies for debt relief under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries initiative. [129595]

  Clare Short
  From the latest information available, Bangladesh's debt sustainability ratios are below the minimum thresholds used by the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, which means that it would not qualify for debt relief.

  For a country to receive HIPC debt relief, it requires not only unsustainable levels of debt, but also a commitment to poverty reduction and reform. In the case of Bangladesh, any consideration of debt relief would be likely to require further progress in areas such as public expenditure allocations on essential services for poor people, measures to improve the quality of public services, improving revenue administration, and a serious start on structural measures such as financial sector and public enterprise reform.

  Our substantial aid programme to Bangladesh—£65 million in 1999–2000—focuses on promoting the reduction of poverty both directly and by addressing constraints on faster pro-poor growth and improved governance.

  Telephone Steering Systems
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of her Department's telephone lines used by the general public are responded to by touch tone telephone steering systems. [129615]

  Clare Short
  My Department has no telephone lines used by the general public that are responded to by touch tone telephone steering systems.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many agencies of her Department use touch tone telephone steering systems when dealing with telephone inquiries from the general public. [129632]

  Clare Short
  This Department does not have any agencies.

WALES

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Barry Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning the prospects for inward investment to Wales; and if he will make a statement. [129499]
  468W
  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I have regular discussions with the First Secretary about a range of topics including the prospects for inward investment to Wales.

  Wales continues to do well in attracting inward investment, but cannot afford to be complacent in the face of increasingly severe competition. Every effort is being made to raise awareness of Wales and to improve the potential for investment. The National Assembly, Welsh Development Agency and others will continue to keep existing measures under review. I believe that this will place Wales in a good position to exploit all opportunities for securing future investment.

  PFI Contracts
  Mr. Alan Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the PFI contracts entered into by the Welsh Office prior to July 1999, indicating(a) their dates of commencement, (b) their value, (c) if they have been subject to refinancing and (d) if his Office has a claw-back entitlement to share in savings arising from refinancing. [129060]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The information requested is as follows:

  OSIRIS—IT Network

  (a) June 1996

  (b) £48 million

  (c) No

  (d) Not applicable

  A55 Anglesey Dualling

  (a) December 1998

  (b) £110 million

  (c) No

  (d) Not applicable.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what has been the policy since 1989 on writing annually to those of his Department's staff who are paying reduced rates of National Insurance contributions, reminding them of the rules governing the payment of reduced rates, as recommended in the Inland Revenue guidance note on reduced rate National Insurance contributions for married women. [129477]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  From 1989 to 1 July 1999 it was not the policy of the Welsh Office to write annually to members of staff who pay reduced rate National Insurance contributions.

  The Wales Office does not currently have any staff who pay such a reduced rate, but it is intended that an office notice will be issued annually, to remind any member of staff who may be paying reduced rates of the necessity of informing Personnel of any change in circumstances.

  Departmental Payments
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what percentage of correctly presented bills were paid by his Department in(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 within 30 days of receipt of (i)goods and services, (ii) a valid invoice and (iii) other agreed payment terms. [130044]
  469W
  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The percentage of currently presented bills paid by my Department within 30 days of receipt of the valid invoice or the satisfactory receipt of goods/services, whichever was the later, or the agreed contractual terms if otherwise specified, was(a) 97 per cent. for 1989–99 and (b) 97 per cent. for 1999–2000.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Saudi Oil
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the oil trade component in the A1 Yamamah agreements with Saudi Arabia; and what assessment he has made of the impact of oil price changes on those arrangements with Saudi Arabia since 1985. [129362]

  Mr. Hoon
  I have been asked to reply.

  Research Council Public Understanding Spend

  £million

  1994–95

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  BBSRC

  0.28

  0.32

  0.40

  0.40

  0.60

  0.80

  EPSRC

  0.55

  0.93

  0.93

  0.93

  0.93

  0.93

  ESRC

  —

  —

  0.53

  0.59

  0.54

  0.75

  MRC

  0.10

  0.30

  0.20

  0.33

  0.66

  0.51

  NERC

  0.16

  0.16

  0.14

  0.23

  0.15

  0.15

  PPARC

  0.20

  0.20

  0.32

  0.33

  0.44

  0.53

  Total

  1.29

  1.91

  2.52

  2.81

  3.32

  3.67

  In the case of MRC and ESRC these figures also include some public relations activity not accounted for separately.

  These figures do not include public understanding work undertaken by Research Council grant holders as a condition of their grant, as figures on this activity are generally not available. However, as an example, BBSRC estimates that the value of such activity undertaken by its own grant holders totals at least £3 million per annum. The figures also exclude the significant amount of activity undertaken by Research Council funded institutes/centres, figures for which are not available centrally.

  Engineering
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what(a) steps he has taken and (b) funding has been allocated to promote (i)science engineering and (ii) other science activities to (A)children and (B)the public in each year since 1994. [128277]

  Ms Hewitt
  There is a great deal of activity led by industrial interests and charities to which the Government's efforts are complementary. The Government support a range of activities to promote science and engineering to children and the general public. We also consider that it is important to do more than promote science and engineering, and takes steps to involve the public over major scientific issues and to increase the opportunities for dialogue. Except for some very specific activities, it is
  470W
  Details of the funding arrangements under the A1 Yamamah agreements are confidential between Her Majesty's Government and the United Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and I am therefore withholding that information under the provisions of Exemption 1 of Part II of the Code of Practice on access to Government Information. However, the funding arrangements of the A1 Yamamah programme are kept under review by both the Ministry of Defence and the Saudi Arabian Government and adjustments have been made periodically in response to prevailing economic conditions.

  Research Councils
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money each research council allocated to the public understanding of science in each year since 1994. [128278]

  Ms Hewitt
  Research Council expenditure on public understanding of science activities in the years 1994–95 to 1999–2000 was as follows:

  not practicable to provide accurate total costings of promotional activities or to provide a breakdown for the cost of activities aimed at children.

  My Department's largest investment is through the Science Budget grant-aided activities of the Research Councils, who all have science promotion as one of their responsibilities. Estimates of expenditure by the Research Councils are given in answer to the preceding question. The Royal Society also undertakes activities in this area some of which are grant-aided from the Science Budget at about £1 million per annum, and supports among other things the activities of COPUS.

  The Department also administers two main programmes. A general programme administered by the Office of Science and Technology (OST), provides core funding to the British Association for the Advancement of Science, and funds the BA's co-ordination of National Science Week. It also provides additional support for the COPUS grants scheme, including its projects aimed specifically at promoting SET for women and ethnic minorities, and funds innovative projects aimed at bringing science to a wider audience through, for example, drama, art, and the Internet. In order to gain a better understanding of the public's attitudes to science, the OST also funded last year's 'Public Consultation on Developments in the Biosciences', and this year, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, has undertaken a survey looking at public attitudes to science in the UK. The OST's budget for these activities in 1994–95 was £1.0 million, and has since risen to an average of £1.25 million per annum.
  471W
  The second main programme, supported from the Department's Innovation Budget specifically supports engineering and has had several manifestations since 1994. They include:
  The Action for Engineering (AfE) Initiative ran from October 1994 to June 1996. AfE brought together 125 people representing industry, education, the engineering profession and Government to take co-ordinated action to increase substantially the influence, involvement and achievement of professional engineers for the benefit of British industry. A total of £820,000 was spent under this programme over the period 1994 to 1999.
  One of the key outcomes of AfE was the establishment of the Science Engineering Technology Mathematics Network (SETNET), which has the objective of bringing coherence and co-ordination to the many schemes and resources aimed at fostering the teaching and learning of engineering related subjects (the sciences, mathematics, design and technology) in schools. In the period 1996–99, SETNET received funding of half a million pounds. A further £260,000 has been committed in this financial year to enable SETNET to plan for expansion of its network of SETpoints.
  The Year of Engineering Success (YES), which followed AfE in January 1997, was an industry led initiative that received some £520,000 in Government support. It was aimed at increasing the awareness of the vital contribution of engineering to the nation's success and prosperity, through an ambitious public participation exercise during the calendar year 1997.
  The Campaign to Promote Engineering (CPE) was formally launched in July 1998 following the conclusion of the YES. Funding of up to £425,000 per annum was approved in February 1999 for an initial three years with an option for a further two years after review.

  The various scientific advisory bodies, including those that fall within my Department's responsibilities all see engagement of the general public as an important part of their activities, and the Chief Scientific Adviser's Guidelines on the use of scientific advice in policy-making stress the importance of transparency.

  "Made in Britain"
  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what "Made in Britain" emblems are available from his Department to British companies to mark the country of origin of their products. [125677]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 12 June 2000]: None.

  Royal Mail
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the disruption to post for businesses as a result of recent industrial action at Royal Mail offices in North London; and if he will make a statement. [130187]

  Mr. Byers
  This is an operational matter for the Post Office.

  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received regarding Royal Mail's decision to cease the use of private motor vehicles for delivery; and what assessment he has made of its impact upon service in rural areas. [129983]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  [holding answer 10 July 2000]: I have received no representations on this matter. Such decisions are an operational matter for the Post Office. I understand that Royal Mail does not plan any deliveries on the basis of the use of private cars and that all deliveries have a designated mode of official transport.
  472W
  However, some employees have preferred to use their own private vehicles to travel to and from their deliveries. I understand that a pilot scheme to discontinue the use of private motor vehicles on delivery has had no impact on service.

  Japanese Automotive Companies
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evidence underlay the statement in his Department's recent memorandum to the Trade and Industry Committee concerning the total amount of inward investment in the UK planned by Japanese automotive companies. [130047]

  Ms Hewitt
  The total amount of inward investment in the UK referred to in the memorandum represents commitments made by Japanese automotive companies in manufacturing facilities in the UK, some of which has yet to be spent.

  Vehicle Manufacturing
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what evidence underlay the statement in his Department's recent memorandum to the Trade and Industry Committee on the competitive environment for vehicle manufacturing in the UK. [130046]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  The recent problems at BMW and Ford are not indicative of the general state of the UK vehicle manufacturing industry. The evidence points to a robust UK vehicle manufacturing industry: in 1999 car exports at 1.1 million were the highest ever; UK sales were the 4th highest on record and UK car production at its highest level since 19721.

  Significant new investment continues, with c£2.0 billion worth of capital expenditure and c8,000 new jobs announced since 1997. This year alone (2000) GM/ Vauxhall has announced a £189 million investment plan for its three UK plants and Honda £130 million for the modernisation of its manufacturing line at Swindon.

  We consider that this demonstrates that a positive environment exists in the UK in which to do business.
  1Source:
  SMMT

  Post Offices
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 29 November 1999,Official Report, column 22W, to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Erdington (Mr. Corbett) how many post offices there are in each constituency; and how many of them are operating unprofitably in each constituency. [130050]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  I understand from the Post Office that the information given in the answer to the hon. Member for Erdington on 29 November 1999,Official Report, column 22W, remains the most recent data available on the number of post offices in each parliamentary constituency.

  I would also refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 5 July 2000, Official Report, column 210W.

  BNFL
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the MOX fuel supplied to Japan by BNFL in respect of which data had been falsified. [130369]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I am pleased that agreement on a resolution to this problem has today been reached. BNFL has agreed that it should bring back to the UK the fuel at Takahama in Japan. BNFL's Japanese customer, Kansai Electric Power Company, has today announced that it has lifted the moratorium that it imposed on BNFL on 17 January this year on new reprocessing and MOX business with Japan.

  The Government have long recognised that finding a solution to this problem, while primarily a matter between the two companies, gave rise to various inter-government issues, including on implementation of the return of fuel. These considerations are set out in an agreement that the Government have today signed with the Government of Japan. There are two aspects to this inter-governmental agreement, an understanding based on our discussions with the Government of Japan, and a letter from my Department to Kansai Electric Power Company. Both documents are being placed in the Library of the House.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what operational targets he has set for the Small Business Service for 2000–01. [130370]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Small Business Service (SBS) was established on 1 April. The Framework Document, which sets out the relationship between the SBS and the Department of Trade and Industry, has already been placed in the Library of the House.

  I have agreed with David Irwin, the Chief Executive, that the mission of the SBS should be to build an enterprise society in which all small businesses thrive and achieve their potential.

  The aims of the SBS are:

  To help all small businesses realise their potential;

  To promote world class business support to enhance the performance of small firms with growth potential;

  To help promote enterprise across society and particularly in under-represented groups and disadvantaged communities; and

  To achieve the highest standards of service delivery and provide value for money.

  I expect the SBS to review its plans regularly in response to the needs of small businesses, particularly in its first year of operation. In line with the request for all Agencies to be given operational targets, I have set the following targets for the 2000–01 year:

  Operational Targets

  150,000 individuals and businesses to use SBS services each quarter;

  80 per cent. of customers to be satisfied;

  SBS service standards to be published by September 2000;

  Review business support services and publish the results by December 2000;

  Establish an index of the impact of regulation on small businesses by December 2000;

  474W

  45 franchises to be established by April 2001;

  Establish the Information and Advisory Service, including systems to allow on-line transactions and notification of regulation to small businesses by April 2001.

  Finance

  100 per cent. of valid invoices paid within 30 days.

  Questions Delegated to the Chief Executive

  Chief Executive to reply to all letters within 10 working days, including letters from MPs delegated to him for reply.

  Investors in People

  SBS Agency to achieve its own recognition as an Investor in People by 31 March 2001.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will introduce a small business employers' charter stipulating the rights of employers. [129954]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Government have no plans to introduce an employers' charter as described.

  The European Charter for Small Enterprises, agreed last month at the Feira Council, set out a number of commitments to help small businesses. Areas for action, both at the European and member state level, include improving access to finance, enhancing business support, better regulation and strengthening innovation and entrepreneurship. These actions are designed to ensure that small businesses thrive in the European Union and that it becomes the most competitive and dynamic knowledge-based economy in the world.

  Petroleum Prices
  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 8 June 2000,Official Report, column 298W, on petroleum prices, what recent discussions he has had with the petroleum industry on the supply of petroleum to the United Kingdom market; what assessment he has made of the statement made by OPEC in Vienna on 21 June that the high level of crude oil prices was in part a consequence of market speculation; and if he will make a statement. [129303]

  Mrs. Liddell
  Officials in my Department meet regularly with Oil Industry representatives. A number of factors are influencing crude oil and product prices at the current time. Market speculation is always one of these.

  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 8 June 2000,Official Report, column 298W, on petroleum prices in the United Kingdom, what recent discussions he has had with OPEC regarding increases in production. [129301]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The Government are not a member of OPEC and have no direct contact with it. Through membership of the International Energy Agency we do, however, engage in and encourage dialogue between groups of oil consuming and oil producing countries on matters of common interest.

  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to his answer of 8 June 2000,Official Report, column 298W, on petroleum prices, what assessment he has made of when the OPEC decision of 21 June, to increase production to above pre-March 1999 levels with effect from 1 July, will be reflected in petroleum prices in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [129302]
  475W
  Mrs. Liddell
  Petrol prices, which were rising for a variety of reasons not limited to the price of crude oil, are expected to ease soon. The OPEC decision of 21 June has not yet had an impact on crude oil prices and the timing of any reduction remains unclear.

  Internet Access
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the population of each county in Wales has access to the internet. [129752]

  Ms Hewitt
  Figures are not available for individual counties in Wales. However, figures from the Family Expenditure Survey show that 15 per cent. of households in Wales could access the internet from a home computer, averaged over the financial year 1999–2000, up from 7 per cent. in the previous year.

  Nuclear Fuel
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to publish information on the civil plutonium inventory. [129968]

  Mrs. Liddell
  Figures for the United Kingdom's civil plutonium holdings are published by my Department each year and are placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The most recent were published on 13 June 2000 covering holdings at 31 December 1999.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent assessment(a) his Department, (b) consultants to his Department and (c) non-departmental public bodies responsible to his Department have made of electrometallurgical techniques to process spent nuclear fuel as developed in the (i)United States and (ii) Russia. [129966]

  Mrs. Liddell
  DTI has made no assessment of electrometallurgical techniques to process spent nuclear fuels, nor have we commissioned consultants to do so. The United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, a non-departmental body reporting to DTI, recently considered pyrometallurgical processing (developed in the United States) as a potential technology for the future management of nuclear fuels at its Dounreay site. It concluded that the technology was not a practicable option for dealing with the non-metallic fuels at Dounreay, and that the waste products might not be acceptable in the UK without further treatment.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Moluccas
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received concerning the destruction of the Christian University in the Moluccas. [129457]

  Mr. Battle
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 10 July 2000,Official Report, column 390W. We are disturbed by press reports that State Pattimura University in Ambon has been attacked. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

  Kashmir
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received about physical attacks on the Chairman of the Hurriyat conference in Kashmir; and if he will make a statement. [129946]

  Mr. Hain
  We are aware of media reports of an incident involving the Chairman of the all-party Hurriyat conference, Syed Ali Shah Gilani, on 30 June in Kashmir. We condemn all acts of violence and abuses of human rights which bring suffering to the people of Kashmir.

  Greece
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government's assessment of UK threat levels to, and protective measures for, UK diplomatic staff in Greece has changed since the date of its submission on this subject to the Foreign Affairs Committee. [129758]

  Mr. Battle
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: We increased the level of our threat assessment to British Diplomatic and Military interests throughout mainland Greece in the immediate aftermath of the assassination of Brigadier Saunders. No further change has been made since then. Measures to increase security are being implemented following the visit of a specialist security adviser.

  Community Forums
  Mr. Sarwar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Community Forums held by his Department to encourage wider ethnic diversity in the Diplomatic Service. [129929]

  Mr. Hain
  I am grateful to my hon. Friend for hosting the successful Community Forum which the Department recently organised in Glasgow. Community Forums enable the Department to reach out to communities that might otherwise not have considered the Foreign Office as a career for their young people. The Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) hosted a Forum in Leeds yesterday. I am delighted that the Forums, together with other initiatives taken by the Department and which we continue to pursue, have led to a significant increase in the number of applications from members of minority ethnic communities.

  Feira Presidency
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will deposit in the Library the paper referred to in section II. A. 1 of the first annexe of the Feira Presidency conclusions. [129811]

  Mr. Vaz
  Yes.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what reason, in Annexe 1 of the Feira Presidency conclusions, DSACEUR rather than SACEUR will be consulted on the headline goal; and if he will make a statement on the proposed involvement of the United States Government. [129919]
  477W
  Mr. Vaz
  DSACEUR operates under the overall command of SACEUR. NATO has made DSACEUR the focal point within the Alliance for issues relating to ESDI. Given DSACEUR's European responsibilities, he can make an important contribution to NATO input to the elaboration of the EU's Headline Goal.

  The decisions taken at the Feira European Council will ensure effective transparency and dialogue between NATO and the EU, particular EU/NATO Working Groups on security, capability goals, EU access to NATO assets and permanent EU/NATO structures. The United States Government will be fully involved in this process. President Clinton has welcomed the Feira Conclusions.

  European Treaties
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many European documents have been designated as treaties by statutory instrument under section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1973 in the periods(a) 1973 to 1982, (b) 1983 to 1993 and (c) 1994 to 1999. [130073]

  Mr. Vaz
  Between 1973 and 1982, 31 European Documents were designated as treaties under section 1(3) of the European Communities Act 1972. From 1983 to 1993 this number was 10, and from 1994 to 1999, 31.

  Democratic Republic of the Congo
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the export of a truck to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [130365]

  Mr. Hain
  Following consultations with this Department and the Ministry of Defence, the Department of Trade and Industry issued an export licence for an ex-military Bedford 4x4 truck for use by the Catholic Relief Service in Kinshasa. This will provide the Catholic Relief Service with the means to deliver urgent humanitarian assistance. We are satisfied that the truck will not be used for military purposes. This decision is consistent with and does not affect the Government's continued support for the EU Common Position on arms exports to the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

  Bosnia-Herzegovina
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement about the export of two military rated trucks to the United Methodist Committee for Relief in Bosnia-Herzegovina. [130368]

  Mr. Vaz
  The Government have approved the export of two 4x4 wheel drive all purpose vehicles to the United Methodist Committee for Relief in Sarajevo. These goods are of ex-army stock and are rated on the Military List. The Committee needs the trucks to distribute relief to remote villages in the region. The Committee has substantially modified the trucks to curtail their military applications and has undertaken that the vehicles will be for their sole use.

  This decision does not affect the Government's continued support for the EU Common Position on arms exports to Bosnia-Herzegovina.

  David Chell
  Mr. Hilary Benn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Malaysia about the case of Mr. David Chell. [130085]

  Mr. Hain
  We have not yet made any representations about the case of David Chell in Malaysia. However, if the death sentence is upheld once the appeals process is exhausted we will make strong representations to the Malaysian Government to grant clemency and have the sentence commuted. We would also consider making representations if, after all legal remedies have been exhausted, Mr. Chell and his lawyer have prima facie evidence of a miscarriage or denial of justice.

  Departmental Payments
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of correctly presented bills were paid by his Department in(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 within 30 days of receipt of (i)goods and services, (ii) a valid invoice and (iii) other agreed payment terms. [130032]

  Mr. Hain
  In 1998–99 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office paid 97.7 per cent. of such bills. In 1999 this figures rose to 97.9 per cent. Calculations are in accordance with HM Treasury's approved method.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Arts
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the per capita Government spending was on the arts in(a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in the last financial year; and what his planned figures are for the current year. [129725]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: Central Government grant in aid spend per capita, distributed by the Arts Council of England, was: for 1999–2000 £4.57 (final outturn); and for 2000–01 £4.75 (projected). Projected figures can differ from those of final outturn: these calculations are based on population estimates (final figures for which will be available later this summer).

  I have also asked the Devolved Administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to provide this information. When it is available, I will write to the hon. Member, and place a copy in the Library of the House.

  Millennium Dome
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many visitors there have been to the Millennium Dome. [129963]

  Janet Anderson
  Attendance at the Dome to date totals 3.28 million, making it the most popular pay-to-visit attraction in the UK. Visitors figures are posted on the Dome website (www.dome2000.co.uk) monthly.
  479W
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the total sums of(a) Lottery and (b) public money spent and pledged to the Dome project. [123983]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 5 June 2000]: A total of £538 million of National Lottery money has been granted to the project. No taxpayers' money has been invested in the Dome.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will publish the forecasts of cash shortfall at the Dome if visitor numbers are below the present estimate for the rest of the year; [123981]

  (2) what forecasts he has made of the projected revenue and costs of the Millennium Dome. [124478]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 5 June 2000]: The New Millennium Experience Company's (NMEC) current business plan is based on 6 million revenue-generating visitors. Should visitor numbers fall below this level the business plan will need to be reviewed. Details of the business plan are commercially confidential. NMEC's most recent budget, contained within the business plan, is as follows:

  Project Lifetime Expenditure

  Dome structure and associated infrastructure—£271.2 million

  Set-up costs, Staff, Accommodation, IT, Legal and Corporate Services—£55.4 million

  Commercial, Communications and Marketing—£42.7 million

  Exhibits and Attractions—£240.2 million

  Operations and Running costs in year of operation—£104.6 million

  National Programme; Projects (£37.3 million) and Programme Support (£9.9 million)—£47.2 million

  Project Lifetime Income

  Millennium Commission Grant—£525 million

  Commercial Income—£86 million

  Sponsorship Income—£123 million (excludes sponsorship by Ford and BT who have designed, built and funded their zones)

  Legacy; Sale of Dome—£30.0 million (as budgeted prior to the Legacy competition commencing. Original 1997 budget provision of £15 million was on the basis that the Dome would remain on-site for one year only)

  Total budget is £758 million plus an additional £3 million granted by the Millennium Commission to enhance marketing of the Millennium Experience.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 21 June 2000,Official Report, column 232W, on the Millennium Dome, in what way the precise content of a winning bid for the Dome's legacy might affect the division of the proceeds between the New Millennium Experience Company and English Partnerships. [128004]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 27 June 2000]: The recommended decision on the division of proceeds will be taken by Ministers in my Department, the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR), the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury. In taking this decision Ministers will receive information and advice from the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC), English Partnerships, the Millennium Commission, and officials in their respective Departments. This will include information about the nature of the preferred bid,
  480W
  including the associated financial offer and the land and other assets required. Such information will be taken into account in deciding how the proceeds of the sale will be divided between NMEC and EP.

  National Lottery
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many(a) successful and (b) unsuccessful applications for Lottery funding there have been from each constituency in the UK, ranked in descending order of the number of successful applications. [129747]

  Kate Hoey
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: I have today placed a table showing the number of successful Lottery applications by constituency, ranked in descending order of the number of applications, in the Libraries of the House. This information is taken from my Department's National Lottery Awards database. No complete list of unsuccessful applications by constituency is available.

  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the administration costs were as a percentage of Lottery income for each of the Lottery funding bodies in the most recent year for which figures are available. [129533]

  Kate Hoey
  [holding answer 10 July 2000]: The percentage of Lottery income spent on financing administration costs for each of the Lottery funding bodies during the financial year of 1998–99 (the most recent year for which figures are available from all distributors) is set out in the table:

  Distributing body

  Percentage administration

  Sports Council Scotland

  6.3

  Sports Council Wales

  3.6

  Sports Council Northern Ireland

  6.8

  Sports England

  4.8

  Arts Council England

  9.1

  Scottish Arts Council

  7.9

  Arts Council Northern Ireland

  7.5

  Arts Council Wales

  8.1

  Heritage Lottery Fund

  3.8

  National Lottery Charity Board

  8.0

  New Opportunities Fund

  1.0

  Millennium Commission

  3.2

  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Lottery money was awarded to projects in the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency(a) between 1993 and May 1997 and (b) since May 1997; and if he will list the projects which received funding. [128343]

  Kate Hoey
  According to my Department's National Lottery Awards Database, between the start of the Lottery (November 1994) and 30 April 1997, 24 Lottery awards, with a total value of £3,419,980 were made in the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency. From 1 May 1997 to 30 June 2000, the database indicates that 44 awards, with a total value of £2,240,908 were made. I am today placing lists of these projects in the Libraries of the House.

  Telephone Steering Systems
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many agencies of his Department use touch tone telephone steering systems when dealing with telephone inquiries from the general public. [129636]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  The only Agency of my Department is the Royal Parks Agency, who do not use any touch tone telephone steering systems for public telephone lines.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of his Department's telephone lines used by the general public are responded to by touch tone telephone steering systems. [129618]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  My Department does not use any touch tone telephone steering systems for public telephone lines.

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list for his Department and its agencies the approved list of manufacturers of(a) cars and (b) commercial vehicles; and if he will make a statement on his Department's leasing and purchasing policy. [128985]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I refer my hon. Friend to my answer to his earlier question on 19 May 2000,Official Report, column 280W.

  The Royal Parks Agency does not operate an approved list of manufacturers for the vehicles it leases. It operates a number of framework agreements which are all obtained within the framework of "The Public Supply Contract Regulations 1995". The contractors chosen are those which offer the most economically advantageous tender in terms of both price and technical considerations. The vehicles are specified by the standards and performance they are required to meet and not by manufacturer.

  New Deal
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many employees of his Department and its agencies have been recruited from the New Deal; and what percentage of total staff this represents. [129144]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office to my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Rooney) on 6 July 2000,Official Report, column 286W.

  The number of New Dealers within my Department as at 1 April 2000 is 4, or 1 per cent. of total staff. There are currently no New Dealers employed in the Royal Parks Agency.

  New Millennium Experience Company
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the correspondence between the Chief Executive of the New 482W
  Millennium Experience Company and the Accounting Officer of the Millennium Commission regarding the request for an additional grant of £38.6 million. [126873]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 19 June 2000]: On 9 June the National Audit Office wrote to the Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee enclosing a paper on the circumstances in which an Accounting Officer Direction was given to the Millennium Commission Accounting Officer. The substance of the application for grant is contained within the paper, which has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what indemnities have been granted to directors of the New Millennium Experience Company. [126870]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 19 June 2000]: The New Millennium Experience Company considers that publication of details of indemnities are commercially in confidence. To reveal details would adversely affect the NMEC's ability to operate in an effective and commercial manner.

  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the New Millennium Experience Company will produce its annual report. [128484]

  Janet Anderson
  The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) will publish its Annual Report and Financial Statement before the start of Parliamentary recess. Copies of the Report will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

SCOTLAND

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland on how many occasions since 31 March 1999(a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity. [124119]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 5 June 2000]: None.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Pig Farmers
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what cash resources he has allocated for an outgoers scheme for pig farmers. [129398]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 6 July 2000]: In the "Action Plan for Fanning", £26 million was allocated to the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme (PIRS) in its first year. As the outgoers element of the PIRS will operate using a sealed bid system, it is not possible to estimate how much of this initial £26 million will be used on this part of the scheme. However, the aim of using a sealed bid system is to obtain the best value for money, with the expectation that a good proportion of the £26 million, plus the additional funds for which bids have been made, can be available for the ongoers element.

CABINET OFFICE

  Ministerial Residences
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will establish an official residence in the County Palatine. [128881]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  I have no plans to establish an official residence in the County Palatine. The Duchy of Lancaster has an estate office in Lancashire which is sufficient for the Duchy's needs.

  Telephone Steering Systems
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many of her Department's telephone lines used by the general public are responded to by touch tone telephone steering systems. [129625]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  One. The Cabinet Office public inquiry telephone is the only Cabinet Office line that uses a touch tone steering system.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many agencies of her Department use touch tone telephone steering systems when dealing with telephone inquiries from the general public. [129606]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The Government Car and Despatch Agency, which is the only agency of the Cabinet Office, does not normally deal with members of the general public and does not use touch tone telephone steering systems for inquiries.

  The Central Office of Information is a department and executive agency that reports to the Minister for the Cabinet Office. It does not itself employ touch tone telephone steering systems when dealing with inquiries that it receives directly from the general public. However, as part of its Direct Marketing services it does contract, on behalf of its government clients, response houses and contact centres that do use touch tone telephone steering systems as a backup to live handling of calls.

  Ministerial Red Boxes
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to her answer of 12 May 2000,Official Report, column 486W, on ministerial red boxes, on what occasions she has left her ministerial red box unattended on public transport. [125744]

  Mr. Stringer
  I am not aware of any occasions on which any of the Cabinet Office Ministers' red boxes have been left unattended on public transport.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Telephone Steering Systems
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many of his Department's telephone lines used by the general public are responded to by touch tone telephone steering systems; [129617]

  (2) how many agencies of his Department use touch tone telephone steering systems when dealing with telephone inquiries from the general public. [129635]
  484W
  Angela Eagle
  The Department has three telephone lines which are responded to by touch tone.

  The Benefits Agency's Child Benefit Centre Helpline and the Disability Living Allowance and Attendance Allowance Customer Care Helpline both use this system.

  The Department's Winter Fuel Payments Helpline uses touch-tone technology when all lines are busy. The system give callers a choice between leaving a message or holding to speak to an operator.

  Pensioners (Benefits)
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what income support benefits are available to British pensioners living in other EU countries other than basic state pension and disability benefits. [129737]

  Angela Eagle
  Most of the contributory benefits, with the exception of contribution-based Jobseeker's Allowance are available to pensioners living in other EU countries. However, it is a condition of entitlement to the income related benefits (Income Support, income-based Jobseeker's Allowance, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit) that a person is resident in Great Britain.

  Ministerial Code
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) on how many occasions since May 1997 Ministers in his Department have made a declaration of interest to their colleagues under circumstances envisaged in Paragraph 110 of the Ministerial Code; [129154]

  (2) how many times Ministers in his Department have sought the advice of the Permanent Secretary under the circumstances envisaged in Paragraphs 118, 121 and 123 of the Ministerial Code; and on which occasions such advice was sought. [129169]

  Mr. Darling
  Information relating to internal advice and consultation is not disclosed under Exemption II of the code of practice on access to Government information.

  Housing Benefit
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to amend the period of time during which Housing Benefit claimants may appeal against their benefit decision; and if he will make a statement. [129470]

  Angela Eagle
  As part of our proposals to bring Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit decisions within the scope of the Appeals Service from 1 April 2001 we intend to introduce regulations to mirror the decision-making arrangements for other social security benefits.

  This will mean that Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit claimants will be given a calendar month to dispute a decision. This period may be extended for up to a maximum of 13 months where there are special reasons for delay.
  485W
  We will be consulting with local authority associations and the Council of Tribunals on these changes in due course.

  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to amend the regulations concerning the backdating of Housing Benefit; and if he will make a statement. [129469]

  Angela Eagle
  We propose to introduce regulations to align the current Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit backdating rules with those for the other income-related benefits from April 2001. This will involve replacing the current 52 week limit which rests on a broad definition of "good cause". Instead, where a claimant delays his claim, that claim can be backdated for up to three months based on a set of prescriptive circumstances.

  The Social Security Advisory Committee are currently consulting on the draft regulations and will report to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in due course. We also propose to open consultation with the local authority associations this week.

  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimates he has made of savings in Housing Benefit arising from reduced house repossessions if a flat rate housing allowance were introduced at(a) £10, (b) £15, (c) £20, (d) £25 and (e) £30 per week and paid to all households in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit. [125411]

  Angela Eagle
  The uncertain behavioural effects that would result from the introduction of such an allowance means that no reliable estimates can be made.

  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what he estimates to be the gross cost to public funds of a flat rate housing allowance payable to recipients of working families tax credit and disabled persons tax credit, if such an allowance was paid at the rate of(a) £10 per week, (b) £15 per week, (c) £20 per week, (d) £25 per week and (e) £30 per week. [125409]

  Angela Eagle
  Precise estimates cannot be made because of the uncertain behavioural effects that would result from the introduction of such an allowance. If a flat rate housing allowance of £30 per week were introduced for all recipients of the tax credits, it is estimated that the gross cost would be of the order of £2 billion per year.

  Pensions
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps are being undertaken to establish the means by which pensioners prefer to have their pensions paid. [129452]

  Mr. Rooker
  Pensioners are routinely asked to specify which method of payment they prefer when making a claim to Retirement Pension from the choices of Post Office or ACT into a bank or building society.

  Currently over 50 per cent. of new pensioners are choosing to have their pension paid into a bank or building society account.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Russell Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many claimants over the last five years in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) Scotland and (c) South West Scotland District have had their Incapacity Benefit withdrawn after an all work test carried out by the Benefits Agency Medical Services; how many of these claimants requested a review; how many went to appeal; and how many of these (i)reviews and (ii) appeals resulted in benefit being re-instated. [129498]

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

  Entitlement to Incapacity Benefit requires the claimant to provide evidence of incapacity. An initial award of benefit is made if there is acceptable medical evidence to support the claim. Subsequently, incapacity is assessed under the relevant medical test: during the first 28 weeks of incapacity, where the claimant has a recent work record, this is the own occupation test; after 28 weeks, or from the start of the claim where the claimant has not recently worked, it is the All Work Test (AWT) which was replaced from 3 April 2000 by the Personal Capability Assessment. If the relevant test is not satisfied, benefit is disallowed from that point. Incapacity is reassessed from time to time to check continuing entitlement.

  Information on disallowances following the All Work Test is in table 1 (Great Britain) and table 2 (Scotland). The national data on benefit disallowances shown in table 1 are derived from a different source, and are collected over a different period from the available data for Scotland in table 2. The two tables are therefore not directly comparable. Disallowances include claimants who have failed to return the All Work Test questionnaire or attend for medical examination.

  Data on appeals are in table 3. The time lag between disallowance, lodging and hearing an appeal means there is no direct relationship between decisions to disallow benefit and appeals made and heard in each year.

  There has never been a requirement in Incapacity Benefit for a person who is dissatisfied with their decision to apply for a review. Since September 1999 a claimant may ask for an unfavourable decision to be reconsidered and revised within a one month time limit.

  Table 1.

  Great Britain

  Total AWT disallowances

  19951

  54,080

  1996

  189,571

  1997

  208,545

  1998

  219,007

  1999

  196,928

  1From the introduction of Incapacity Benefit (IB) on 13 April 1995

  Note:

  Includes credits only disallowances

  Source:

  These figures for All Work Test disallowances are taken from a 100 per cent. count of adjudication decisions from the benefit computer system. Multiple decisions are given where increases for dependants are also claimed
  487W

  Table 2.

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Scotland

  Total AWT disallowances

  30,700

  26,020

  20,760

  South West Scotland District

  Total AWT disallowances

  2,840

  2,820

  2,380

  Notes:

  1. The year is taken from 1 March to 28(9) February in each year. Data on disallowances are not available from this source for the period 13 April 1995 (the introduction data of IB) up to and including 31 August 1996. Because of changes to the recording system, terminations due to the All Work Test are unreliable for November 1998.

  2. The Government Office Region figures from February 2000, are derived using the claimant's postcode. Prior to this date the GOR figures were derived using the local office serial number.

  3. Includes credits only disallowances.

  Source:

  Five per cent. scan of the benefit computer system of benefit spells ending and will exclude some clerically held cases. Figures are not directly comparable to those in Table 1.

  Table 3.

  All Work Test appeals

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  Great Britain

  Number cleared at hearing

  3,038

  38,473

  51,153

  62,603

  57,151

  Found in favour of the appellant

  1,471

  18,024

  22,162

  25,175

  23,646

  Percentage found in favour

  48.4

  46.8

  43.3

  40.2

  41.4

  Scotland

  Number cleared at hearing

  1,173

  7,313

  7,897

  9,696

  11,321

  Found in favour of the appellant

  598

  3,273

  3,837

  4,555

  5,729

  Percentage found in favour

  51.0

  44.8

  48.6

  47.0

  50.6

  Notes:

  1. Appeals data are in calendar years. Figures for 1999 are up to and including September 1999.

  2. There is no breakdown of South West Scotland available.

  3. Figures are based on cases at the Glasgow office of The Appeals Service, which covers all Scotland.

  Sources:

  1. For figures prior to Autumn 1997, 100 per cent. extract from ITS computerised records.

  2. For figures after Autumn 1997, 100 per cent. download from the Appeals Service GAPS computer system.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many non-resident parents who have not co-operated with the Child Support Agency have(a) been processed through Child Support Agency enforcement procedures, (b) been made to pay maintenance, (c) had arrest warrants issued against them and (d) been imprisoned. [129249]

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

  Letter from Mike Isaac to Mr. Chris Ruane, dated 10 July 2000:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about enforcement action taken by the Child Support Agency. Mrs. Boardman is unavailable and therefore I am writing to you on her behalf.
  The information that I have provided is applicable to England and Wales. Different arrangements apply to Scotland though the underlying principles are similar. The Government believes that
  488W
  non-resident parents should pay maintenance for their children if they can afford to do so and we will continue to pursue non-resident parents who persistently seek to avoid their responsibilities.
  The Agency's policy is that, if necessary, it will use the powers given to it by Parliament to enforce payment of child maintenance. Where normal collection arrangements fail and arrears of child maintenance build up, the Agency will initiate enforcement action if the non-resident parent does not make an acceptable offer to pay. However, each case is considered on its merits and the Agency will take account of the likely effect of enforcement action on the welfare of any children involved.
  The full range of powers available will be considered. Where an uncooperative non-resident parent is employed a deduction from earnings order can be imposed. This is an effective, value for money method of collecting maintenance and arrears without resorting to the court system. It is a criminal offence for an employer to fail to act on a deduction from earnings order. Where an employer does fail to act they may be prosecuted. During 1999–2000 the Agency prosecuted 5 such cases.
  Where a deduction from earnings order cannot be issued, e.g. the non-resident parent is self-employed, and no agreement can be reached to pay maintenance, a Liability Order is made. This means the debt is registered with the Magistrates Court and a County Court Judgement will then be considered making it difficult for a non-resident parent to obtain credit, mortgage, loans etc. During 1999–2000 Liability Orders were granted on 2,169 cases and County Court Judgements sought on 563 cases.
  By taking this action it is hoped that the non-resident parent will start to cooperate, however, if this proves ineffective, Bailiff action is taken to seize goods to the value of the debt or, alternatively, a Garnishee or Charging order is imposed. A Garnishee Order freezes the non-resident parent's bank account. A Charging order freezes the non-resident parent's property that could be sold, for example, a car or house that may be up for sale at the time of the order. During 1999–2000 the Agency applied for 130 Garnishee Orders, 69 Charging Orders and took Bailiff action on 1,916 cases.
  The final sanction is committal to prison, although this does not discharge the debt. During 1999–2000 a total of 22 applications for committal to prison were made. Of these 18 were successful, 11 of which were suspended sentences.
  By making positive telephone or face to face contact with a non-resident parent early on in the assessment process the Agency aims to obtain full compliance and reduce the number of parents who refuse to cooperate. Non-resident parents are encouraged to make regular payments, preferably by direct debt, standing order or a deduction from earnings order.
  The Government believes that child maintenance should not be seen as an optional expense to be paid or not as personal circumstances dictate. New legislation, which will support the Child Support Reforms means that maintenance assessments will be simpler to calculate and easier for both parents to understand. This should encourage more parents to co-operate. It will allow the Agency to use more of its resources to deal with those parents who refuse to pay their assessed liability. Additional penalties such as the removal of driving licences are also being considered, though the Agency's aim will remain to ensure the proper flow of maintenance without the use of penalties.
  I hope this is helpful.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Stations
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to make public transport stations safer. [128414]

  Mr. Hill
  We have a number of initiatives planned or under way to improve safety at both rail and bus stations. For example, we are encouraging station operators to
  489W
  apply for accreditation under the Secure Stations Scheme that we introduced in April 1998, which is designed to improve and standardise good security practices at all overground and underground stations. 63 stations are currently accredited.

  We are also currently undertaking research designed to improve personal security in bus travel (including at bus stations) and we are piloting a safe transport route in the North West of England.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to address homelessness in the capital. [128415]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The aim of the Government's housing strategy, set out in the Housing Green Paper, "Quality and Choices: A decent home for all", is to offer everyone the opportunity of a decent home and so promote social cohesion, well-being and self-dependence. We have increased housing investment programme resources for London local authorities by 54 per cent. in the current financial year and we are supporting the Association of London Government's Housing Partnership Initiative to help alleviate the shortage of social housing in the London area. We are also spending £160 million in London over the three financial years to April 2002 as part of our commitment to reducing the numbers sleeping rough.

  Regional Development Agencies
  Mr. Quinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the role of the Regional Development Agencies in the regional economy in Yorkshire and the Humber. [128416]

  Ms Armstrong
  The role of Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency for Yorkshire and Humber, is to improve the region's competitiveness through the promotion of integrated sustainable economic development and social and physical regeneration. Key to achieving this is working in close partnership with a range of regional and local partners.

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress Regional Development Agencies are making in the development of regional economic strategies. [128423]

  Ms Armstrong
  RDAs submitted their Regional Strategies to Ministers in October of last year. The Government responded in January this year giving them a broad welcome. The RDAs have since been implementing their Strategies through the production of a series of Action Plans.

  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the remuneration of each director of each Regional Development Agency. [129114]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 4 July 2000]: The annual accounts of the RDAs contain complete information on the remuneration and pension arrangements for senior personnel. The annual accounts for the year ended 31 March are currently with the National Audit Office. When the audit reports on these
  490W
  accounts have been signed they will be laid in the Library of both Houses in line with the Department's usual practice.

  NATS
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received from(a) the IPMS and (b) BALPA on National Air Traffic Services Ltd. [128418]

  Mr. Hill
  My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for Transport has had continuing discussions with the IPMS on employees' interests in the proposed public-private partnership for National Air Traffic Services, and on their views on safety. We have received no recent representations from BALPA.

  Council Tax (Pensioners)
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will meet Age Concern to discuss the level of Council Tax upon pensioners. [128419]

  Ms Armstrong
  I will be happy to meet Age Concern if they want a meeting.

  Local Authority Housing
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the management of local authority-owned housing. [128420]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Tenants have a right to expect well managed, high quality housing and services. The Housing Green Paper sets out our commitment to achieve a step change in the quality and management of social housing over the next decade.

  We set out in the Green Paper various approaches which we believe will help to achieve this change: stock transfer, arm's-length management companies, and the Private Finance Initiative.

  Traffic Calming
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make additional funds available to local authorities for the purpose of providing more road safety traffic calming schemes. [128421]

  Mr. Hill
  Local authorities support road safety schemes from the general resources that we make available for integrated transport in the annual local transport capital settlement. This year these increased by 20 per cent., and we plan to increase them further for 2001–02. In addition, a further £30 million was made available to authorities in the Budget to spend on child safety, safe routes to school and other small scale improvements.

  Song Thrushes
  Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received about the declining number of song thrushes in Britain. [128422]
  491W
  Mr. Meacher
  My Department has received a number of representations concerning the decline in populations for a number of song birds, including Song Thrushes.

  Railway Land
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take steps to prevent the British Railways Board from selling former railway land which could in future be returned to railway use. [128424]

  Mr. Hill
  The British Railways Board is now part of the shadow Strategic Rail Authority (SSRA), which is currently reviewing sites where a potential transport interest has been identified. SSRA is prepared to withhold sites with a potential strategic transport use from the sale process for sufficient time to allow for detailed consideration of the future use and ownership of the site.

  Economic Regeneration (Birmingham)
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his Department's plans to promote economic and community regeneration in south-west Birmingham. [128425]

  Ms Armstrong
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry received the Final Report of the Rover Task Force on 3 July. The report sets out a strategic framework for helping the communities in South West Birmingham and more widely within the West Midlands. The Government are considering the report's recommendations and will work with Advantage West Midlands and other partners to ensure that the local business economy is better able to cope with future changes.

  Civic Forums
  Mr. Casale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the role of civic forums in promoting participation in local decision-making processes. [128426]

  Ms Armstrong
  In September and October 1998 my Department published a research report and guidance on how local authorities can develop and enhance public participation in local decision making ("Enhancing Public Participation in Local Government—A research report", DETR, September 1998; "Guidance on Enhancing Public Participation", DETR, October 1998). Local organisations such as residents groups and civic amenity societies must always be an important feature of local authorities' consultation and participation strategies.

  Local Deprivation
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the underlying data used to compile the proposed index of local deprivation. [128427]

  Ms Armstrong
  Last December, we published for consultation the information relating to local authority district rankings on five different measures of deprivation. As part of the consultation exercise we also offered each authority information on the ward rankings for their area. The summary report will be published later this year,492W
  along with the deprivation scores and ranks of all wards and districts in England. The report will provide details of where to obtain the underlying raw data.

  Seaside Transport Links
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps are being taken to improve transport links to seaside towns. [128428]

  Mr. Hill
  We have made more resources available to authorities to implement their integrated transport strategies, with an increase of 20 per cent. over last year. The requirement to produce Local Transport Plans and Regional Transport Strategies will ensure that authorities work together towards meeting transport need such as improving transport links to seaside towns. Investment in the trunk road network, through the Targeted Programme of Improvements, will also in a number of cases improve such links.

  Regional Railways
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on planned subsidies to regional railways. [128429]

  Mr. Hill
  The level of subsidy for each year of the existing rail franchises including those which cover regional railways—is published in the Franchising Director's Annual Report (copies are available in the House Libraries). The Franchising Director has recently announced proposals to change the franchise map of Great Britain (copies of his Press Release are available in the House Libraries). That will lead to some adjustment of contracted subsidies.

  Council Tax Bands
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will increase the number of Council Tax bands. [128430]

  Ms Armstrong
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to the hon. Member for Oxford, West and Abingdon (Dr. Harris) on 29 June 2000,Official Report, column 603W.

  Canals
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on prospects for the use of the canal network for(a) urban and (b) rural regeneration. [128431]

  Mr. Hill
  Our policy paper "Waterways for Tomorrow", published on 27 June, describes how our inland waterways can make a significant contribution to tackling social exclusion and deprivation by acting as a catalyst for economic and social renewal. Improving and restoring our waterways, and redeveloping disused and derelict waterside land can help deliver the Government's target for development on brownfield sites as well as creating jobs and business opportunities.

  Fuel Taxation
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the impact of taxes on fuel on the road haulage industry. [128432]

  Mr. Hill
  The Government keep under review the impact of fuel taxation on all sectors of UK industry, including the road haulage industry. Budget 2000 itself contained an important package of measures specifically to further boost the competitiveness of the road haulage industry. These included £45 million of cuts to Vehicle Excise Duty; the introduction of 44-tonne lorries; and tougher enforcement to tackle illegally operating hauliers and protect the competitiveness of legitimate operators. The Road Haulage Forum chaired by Lord Macdonald is also continuing to consider the competitive pressures facing the industry.

  Construction Industry
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the performance of the construction industry. [128433]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Having experienced a recession in the early 1990s, the UK construction industry is now showing clear signs of steady growth. Output has risen by about 2.5 per cent. in real terms between the last two financial years, and that level of growth is forecast to continue at least until 2002.

  Council Housing
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the levels of public investment he plans to make available to improve the council housing stock. [128435]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The level of allocations for housing investment by local authorities for the next three years will be decided in the current spending review, the results of which are due to be announced later this month.

  Development (South-East)
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from(a) SERPLAN and (b) councillors from the south-east region concerning development in the south-east. [128436]

  Mr. Raynsford
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received SERPLAN's response and also over 800 other responses, including representations from local authorities. All responses are now being considered.

  Local Government
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received from councils concerning the abolition of the committee system in local government. [128437]
  494W
  Ms Armstrong
  We have received a wide range of comments in response to the various consultations we have conducted about councils' executive constitutions, for which the Local Government Bill [Lords], now passed by this House, provides.

  HFCs
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what further progress he has made in reducing emissions of HFCs. [128438]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government set out their policy position on HFCs in the draft climate change programme, which was published for consultation earlier this year. This included a series of possible measures which could be taken to reduce emissions of HFCs. The consultation has now ended and we will be developing these measures further taking account of the points raised during the consultation.

  Road Haulage
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's energy policy and its impact on the road haulage industry. [128439]

  Mr. Hill
  The Government are determined to encourage energy conservation and efficiency across all sectors of the economy, as part of our strategy to tackle climate change and improve the competitiveness of UK industry. In the road haulage sector, we are committed to improving the efficiency of freight transport and logistic operations, and set out last year how we would achieve this in our Sustainable Distribution Strategy. The strategy sets out a wide range of measures, including, for instance, the dissemination of advice to hauliers through my Department's Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme about ways of reducing fuel costs.

  VAT (Housing)
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received in relation to the harmonisation of VAT between new build and repair in connection with the forthcoming urban and rural White Papers. [128417]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Lord Rogers's Urban Taskforce recommended that we should harmonise VAT on new build and repair and maintenance. Our Urban and White Papers will take forward the Government's response to Lord Rogers's recommendations, although final decisions on taxation will be for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor.

  Incinerator Ash
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) which UK heat stations other than Byker have used incinerator ash for construction; [126334]

  (2) what data (a) the Government and (b) the Environment Agency hold on levels of dioxin contamination in incinerator ashes. [126335]
  495W
  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 20 June 2000]: Data on levels of dioxins in ash sent for disposal are not routinely held by the Agency or my Department.

  The operators of incineration plant are required by section 34 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to provide sufficient information to those managing waste ash to ensure that is it disposed of appropriately, for example chemical and physical information. They are also required to ensure that ashes which contain hazardous substances above certain thresholds are disposed of in accordance with the Special Waste Regulations 1996 (as amended).

  Commercially processed incineration bottom ash is currently supplied to the construction market from the following incinerators: Edmonton, SE London Combined Heat and Power (SELCHP), and Tyseley.

  Data from these incinerators indicate that the processed ash entering the construction market has dioxin concentrations of between 20 to 50 ng/kg toxic equivalent, which falls within the range observed in urban soils.

  Aldermaston
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the statutory consultees for the Environment Agency's consultation on the re-authorisation of the radioactive discharges from Aldermaston; and if he will place copies of submissions by(a) statutory consultees and (b) other parties in the Library. [128455]

  Mr. Meacher
  The statutory consultees for the re-authorisation of the Aldermaston discharges are MAFF, HSE (NII), Thames Water, West Berkshire council and Reading borough council. The Environment Agency has provided copies of their responses to my Department and copies are being placed in the Library.

  Approximately 4,000 responses were received by the Agency. These responses are summarised, and some of them are quoted with the consent of the consultees concerned, in the Agency's decision document. I am arranging for copies of that document to be placed in the Library shortly.

  Rail Franchises
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what periods of consultation have taken place between the shadow Strategic Rail Authority and interested local parties over the award of(a) new and (b) extended rail franchises. [129390]

  Mr. Hill
  The Franchising Director is operating an inclusive consultation process for franchise replacement. The Instructions and Guidance given to him by the Deputy Prime Minister require him to consult the Chairman of the British Railways Board, local authorities, Passenger Transport Executives. the Rail Regulator, regional planning bodies, Regional Development Agencies and Rail Passenger Committees. He has consulted widely about the replacement of franchises and there will be further on-going consultation as the process continues. Bidders will be encouraged to consult interested stakeholders, including local authorities and Rail Passengers' Committees, giving them the opportunity to raise issues which they would like to see addressed.
  496W
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what account the Government and the shadow Strategic Rail Authority will take of the record, including safety record, of an existing franchisee and its owner company in the award of(a) new and (b) extended franchises. [129392]

  Mr. Hill
  The Deputy Prime Minister has asked the Franchising Director to evaluate bids for replacement franchises against the following criteria: commitment to secure better performance and customer services, the extent to which extra or earlier investment can be secured, the extent to which passengers will be given a greater voice in the level and standard of services, and value for money to the taxpayer. Bidders will be encouraged to consult interested stakeholders, including local authorities and Rail Passengers' Committees, giving them the opportunity to raise issues which they would like to see addressed.

  Rural Bus Services
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will meet representatives of Stagecoach to discuss the withdrawal of rural bus services. [129645]

  Mr. Hill
  I meet various representatives of the bus industry from time to time, to discuss a range of relevant issues, which can include rural services.

  Decisions on withdrawal of individual local services are matters for the bus operator concerned and for the relevant local authority, which has the power to provide subsidy for socially necessary services which would otherwise not be provided.

  HGVs
  Mr. Levitt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what data he collates on the stopping and thinking distances relating to HGVs. [129644]

  Mr. Hill
  Stopping distances for HGVs are governed by United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Regulation Number 13 and European Council Directive 71/320/EEC as amended by Commission Directive 98/12/EC.

  Provided that the vehicle meets the requirements for stopping distance and deceleration during the Type Approval test there are no further requirements for measuring and collating stopping distances.

  Strategic Rail Authority
  Mr. Moore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information has been supplied to him by the shadow Strategic Rail Authority on its plans for a Scottish office, with particular reference to the number of staff it will employ. [129802]

  Mr. Hill
  The Strategic Rail Authority, which will be the national strategic rail authority for Great Britain, is currently based in London and has no plans to establish separate offices in Scotland, or any other part of Britain.

  Toxic Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many methane explosions have taken place in the past 10 years arising from the operation of landfill sites. [129975]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Environment Agency has no records of any explosions attributable to landfill gas occurring in England and Wales since 1 April 1996. Records for the period prior to this are not held centrally.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment procedures are in place to monitor the spread of toxic leachate from landfill sites; and what remedial measures exist to combat public health threats from such leachate. [129964]

  Mr. Meacher
  Recommended procedures and protocols for monitoring ground and surface waters for evidence of contamination by leachate are set out in the Government's statutory guidance to the Environmet Agency—Waste Management Papers 4 and 26. Operators of landfills must undertake such monitoring and report the results to the Agency on a regular basis. The Agency also undertakes its own monitoring as a check on operator performance. Extensive research has been conducted on landfill leachate and, although potentially polluting, it is not normally classed as toxic.

  Landfill Sites
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessments he has made of the increase in(a) heavy vehicle traffic, (b) vermin and (c) noise levels arising from the operation of a landfill site. [129969]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government have not made such assessments for individual sites. An assessment of the impact of an individual site is made when a development planning application is made.

  The Government have published two relevant studies. "The Control of Noise at Surface Mineral Workings" was in 1990, and "The Environmental Effects of Traffic Associated with Minerals Working" in 1998. While they refer to surface mineral workings, the contents are applicable to landfilling. The Department issued in May 2000 a consultation draft of Mineral Planning Guidance Note 11, "Controlling and Mitigating the Environmental Effects of Minerals Extraction in England". This provides guidance on noise, with specific reference to the issue of waste disposal sites.

  Vermin should be controlled by the operator and regulated by suitable conditions in the waste management licence.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many landfill operators were prosecuted for breach of the site licence in the past 10 years; and what were the(a) largest and (b) smallest fines imposed for those found guilty. [129974]

  Mr. Meacher
  Data are only available from April 1999, since when there have been 50 prosecutions relating to waste management licences. The largest total fine since April 1999 was for £87,500, and the smallest was £400.
  498W
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he gives to landfill operators to reduce gas generation from putrescible materials deposited to their site. [129970]

  Mr. Meacher
  None. Guidance from the Secretary of State is directed at controlling emissions of landfill gas. This is in the form of Waste Management Papers which address the issues of site design, engineering and operation. Waste Management Paper 27 relates solely to landfill gas.

  Tolls
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many(a) tunnels and (b) bridges in the UK are subject to tolls. [130100]

  Mr. Hill
  In the United Kingdom the following undertakings are part of a public highway and have their tolls set by statute:

  The Aldwark Bridge, Yorkshire

  The Cleddau Bridge, Wales

  The Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol

  The Dartford Thurrock Crossings—Bridge and Tunnels

  The Dunham Bridge, Lincolnshire

  The Erskine Bridge, Scotland

  The Forth Bridge, Scotland

  The Mersey Tunnel

  The Humber Bridge

  The Itchen Bridge, Southampton

  The Rixton and Warburton Bridge, on the Manchester Ship Canal

  The Severn Bridges

  The Shrewsbury (Kingsland) Bridge

  The Skye Bridge, Scotland

  The Swinford Bridge (Oxfordshire)

  The Tamar Bridge

  The Tay Bridge, Scotland

  The Tyne Tunnel

  The Whitchurch Bridge (Oxfordshire)

  The Whitney on Wye Bridge (Hereford and Worcester).

  There are also a number of toll bridges that provide access across private land. Because they do not have their tolls set by a statutory procedure I do not have a complete list.

  Road Traffic Reduction
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason he has abandoned plans to set targets for reductions in national road traffic levels. [128434]

  Mr. Hill
  The Government have never promised that they would set a national road traffic reduction target; nor does the Road Traffic Reduction (National Targets) Act 1998 require us to do so, if we are satisfied that other measures or targets would be better for tackling the adverse effects of traffic. As we set out in "Tackling Congestion and Pollution", our first report under the 1998 Act, published in January, our targets and policies focus on improving the outcomes that matter to people, such as congestion, pollution and road safety, rather than national traffic volume figures.

  Health and Safety Executive
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many internal and external advertisements were placed from 1997 to 2000 for inspector vacancies in the Hull office which stated that Hull was the location for the post; and if he will place copies of such advertisements in the Library. [128792]

  Mr. Meacher
  External recruitment of inspectors is conducted on a national basis and recruitment adverts do not state a particular location for posts. Our records show that no advertisements for Inspectors have stated Hull as the location for a post since 1997.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many educational and promotional visits were made by HSE inspectors to locations in(a) Hull, (b) East Riding, (c) North Lincolnshire and (d) North East Lincolnshire from 1974 to 2000; and in which offices the visiting speakers were based. [128793]

  Mr. Meacher
  The data provided are for 1996 onwards. Data pre 1996 are available only at disproportionate cost.

  Educational and promotional visits made by HSE inspectors

  Year

  Hull

  East Riding

  North Lincolnshire

  North East Lincolnshire

  1996–97

  18

  9

  7

  12

  1997–98

  5

  2

  3

  4

  1998–99

  12

  11

  2

  6

  1999–2000

  13

  10

  0

  9

  HSE does not keep records of visiting speakers. However, our records on FOCUS are able to determine how many educational and promotional visits were made to each of the named locations by Inspectors based in Hull.

  LA Area

  Top Tier

  TT (Gas)

  TT (Exp)

  Lower Tier

  LT (Gas)

  LT (Exp)

  Total

  (a) Hull

  1

  —

  —

  3

  1

  —

  5

  (b) East Riding

  5

  1

  —

  8

  —

  2

  16

  (c) East Lincolnshire

  10

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  13

  (d) North East Lincolnshire

  10

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  13

  (e) Barnsley

  —

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  3

  (f) Doncaster

  1

  1

  1

  2

  1

  —

  6

  (g) Sheffield

  3

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  7

  (h) Rotherham

  2

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  6

  Totals

  33

  2

  1

  29

  4

  2

  71

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the costing upon which the closure of the Hull HSE office was based took account of future travel and transfer expenses; and what environmental assessment was carried out. [128795]

  Mr. Meacher
  I can confirm that account has been taken of future travel and transfer expenses. Consideration has been made in relation to the issue of environmental considerations, as transferring the two operational inspector posts to Sheffield will incur some additional
  500W

  Educational and promotional visits made by HSE inspectors based in Hull

  Year

  Hull

  East Riding

  North Lincolnshire

  North East Lincolnshire

  1996–97

  11

  6

  2

  3

  1997–98

  4

  2

  1

  2

  1998–99

  7

  9

  0

  5

  1999–2000

  3

  5

  0

  9

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many HSE inspectors within the jurisdiction of the Hazardous Installation Directorate are located in each of the following divisions and how many Control of Major Accident Hazards sites there are by upper and lower tier in(a) Hull, (b) East Riding, (c) East Lincolnshire, (d) North East Lincolnshire, (e) Barnsley, (f) Doncaster, (g) Sheffield and (h) Rotherham. [128794]

  Mr. Meacher
  For the inspection of COMAH sites and other premises storing and manufacturing chemicals in the ares listed the Hazardous Installations Directorate of HSE has six Inspectors based at Sheffield, managed by a Principal Inspector. These Inspectors also cover the rest of Lincolnshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. COMAH sites operated by BG Transco are inspected by a separate group of five Inspectors, also based at Sheffield, who inspect BG Transco sites throughout the north of England. Explosives sites subject to COMAH are inspected by three HM Explosives Inspectors who cover eastern and south east England.

  All these Inspectors are able to call on the advice and assistance of other HSE inspectors to provide support on a range of specialist topics.

  The enforcement of COMAH is undertaken by the Competent Authority (HSE and the Environment Agency). Therefore, Environment Agency Inspectors are also involved in the inspect of COMAH sites.

  The number of premises subject to COMAH in the following local authority areas are:

  mileage. It is difficult to be specific about the actual extra mileage as it will depend on where the inspectors choose to live and the operational need for visits to Humberside.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he held before deciding to close the HSE office in Hull with(a) local employers, (b) trade unions and (c) local authorities; over what length of time such consultations took place; and what the opinions were of those who were consulted. [128796]
  501W
  Mr. Meacher
  On this occasion at the request of the Deputy Prime Minister, Bill Callaghan, Chair, Health and Safety Commission and Chris Willby, Director, HSE Yorkshire and North East have met with trade unions to discuss with them how HSE' s role in the current and future issues of Hull is properly preserved.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many inspectors of Band 2 or equivalent and below were in(a) Health and Safety Executive offices and (b) operational inspection groups in each year between 1974 and 2000 in(i)Newcastle, (ii) Leeds, (iii) Sheffield, (iv) Hull and (v)North Allerton. [128845]

  Mr. Meacher
  Information is provided from 1995. Information prior to that date could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  (a) Total inspectors at Band 2 and below in all HSE offices

  Date as at 1 April

  Band 2

  Band 3

  Band 4

  Total

  1995

  449

  892

  143

  1,484

  1996

  471

  916

  80

  1,467

  1997

  462

  890

  105

  1,457

  1998

  460

  895

  105

  1,460

  1999

  448

  925

  157

  1,530

  2000

  476

  915

  140

  1,531

  (b) Total inspectors at Band 2 and below in Newcastle, Leeds, Sheffield, Hull and North Allerton

  Band

  Newcastle

  Leeds

  Sheffield

  Hull

  North Allerton

  1 April 1995:

  2

  10

  16

  6

  2

  1

  3

  24

  33

  19

  4

  1

  4

  6

  9

  6

  2

  1

  Total

  40

  58

  31

  8

  3

  1 April 1996:

  2

  7

  15

  5

  2

  1

  3

  29

  40

  22

  5

  2

  4

  2

  2

  6

  —

  —

  Total

  38

  57

  33

  7

  3

  1 April 1997:

  2

  7

  15

  5

  2

  1

  3

  28

  37

  17

  4

  2

  4

  3

  3

  5

  —

  —

  Total

  38

  55

  27

  6

  3

  1 April 1998:

  2

  6

  14

  6

  2

  —

  3

  32

  35

  20

  3

  —

  4

  3

  5

  5

  —

  —

  Total

  41

  54

  31

  5

  0

  1 April 1999:

  2

  6

  14

  5

  2

  —

  3

  35

  36

  25

  3

  —

  4

  5

  8

  8

  —

  —

  Total

  46

  58

  38

  5

  0

  1 April 2000:

  2

  6

  15

  5

  2

  —

  3

  34

  38

  28

  4

  —

  4

  8

  8

  7

  —

  —

  Total

  48

  61

  40

  6

  0

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many premises, for which the HSE had inspection responsibility,502W
  were registered on HSE databases for Areas 14, 15 and 19 in each year from 1974 to 1995; and how many open incumbent records there were for each of these areas for the years 1996 to 2000. [128846]

  Mr. Meacher
  The question asks for data from 1974 to 2000. The Field Operations Directorate of HSE currently uses a computer data system introduced in 1996. The previous data system was in use from 1980 to 1995. The information requested is not kept in a format which allows the question to be answered. FOCUS is a dynamic record of clients and locations with which HSE has had recent and/or continuing contact. The following table gives the current number of open incumbent records categorised by role, e.g. employer, self-employed, sub-contractor etc.

  Open incumbents by 'incumbent role' in FOCUS databases for areas 14, 15 and 19 on 3 July 2000

  Area 14

  Area 15

  Area 19

  Employer

  21,738

  32,260

  23,958

  Self-employed

  626

  1,631

  1,061

  Partner

  112

  284

  173

  Responsible officer

  17

  37

  9

  Employee

  54

  49

  25

  Principal contractor

  2,118

  3,146

  1,324

  Sub-contractor

  1,561

  1,660

  860

  Plant hirer

  48

  98

  27

  Product supplier

  81

  188

  74

  Importer

  9

  11

  5

  Installer

  360

  291

  276

  Quarry owner

  29

  54

  3

  Competent person

  18

  13

  12

  Professional adviser

  100

  62

  38

  Vehicle operator

  113

  29

  37

  Landlord

  312

  616

  383

  Managing agent

  37

  81

  47

  Trainer

  75

  35

  24

  Employment agency

  11

  21

  3

  Others

  349

  466

  515

  Client

  186

  269

  113

  Designer

  36

  96

  54

  Planning supervisor

  164

  303

  100

  Intermediary

  4

  6

  6

  Source:

  FOCUS live database as at 3 July 2000

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many site visits and contacts of all types were made by HSE inspectors in each of Areas 14, 15 and 19 in each year from 1974 to 2000. [128844]

  Meacher
  The following data are provided 1996 onwards. Data pre-1996 are available only at disproportionate cost.

  FOCUS recorded contacts 1996–97 to 1999–2000 for databases 14, 15 and 19 by contact location

  Contact location

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Area 14

  Elsewhere1

  583

  394

  252

  256

  Head office2

  176

  105

  56

  45

  HSE office3

  1,017

  1,290

  1,596

  1,586

  Site4

  7,446

  4,996

  4,582

  5,535

  Area 15

  Elsewhere1

  736

  534

  517

  457

  Head office2

  300

  224

  163

  140

  HSE office3

  2,390

  1,605

  1,756

  1,665

  Site4

  8,054

  7,713

  7,763

  6,542

  503W

  FOCUS recorded contacts 1996–97 to 1999–2000 for databases 14,15 and 19 by contact location

  Contact location

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Area 19

  Elsewhere1

  524

  464

  324

  441

  Head office2

  199

  165

  93

  95

  HSE office3

  622

  824

  1,389

  954

  Site4

  7,619

  6,508

  6,954

  7,538

  1Used when an activity/topic is dealt with at a location other than site, office or head office.

  2Used when an activity/topic is dealt with at the head office of any client.

  3Used when an activity/topic is dealt with at an HSE office or any other place regarded as an HSE office.

  4Used when an activity/topic is dealt with at an incumbent's location.

  Source:

  FOCUS live database as at 3 July 2000

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many(a) site visits and (b) incumbent contacts were made to premises in Humberside County Commission area in each year from 1974 to 2000 (i)by HSE inspectors based in Hull and (ii) by all inspectors. [128847]

  Mr. Meacher
  The following data cover the period from 1996 onwards.

  Site visits and incumbent contacts made to premises in Humberside County Commission by HSE inspectors based in Hull

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Site visits

  1,366

  905

  657

  520

  Incumbent contacts

  1,718

  1,243

  883

  638

  Site visits and incumbent contacts made to premises in Humberside County Commission by all HSE inspectors (including those based in Hull)

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Site visits

  3,481

  2,205

  2,193

  2,235

  Incumbent contacts

  4,377

  3,045

  3,022

  2,823

  The question asks for data from 1974 to 2000. The Field Operations Directorate of HSE currently uses a computer data system introduced in 1996. The previous data system was in use from 1980 to 1995. It is no longer practicable to search in this database for the details requested. There was no database prior to 1980. Data pre-1996 are available only at disproportionate cost.

  Freightliner
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to continue funding the track access grants for Freightliner. [130193]

  Mr. Hill
  In December 1999, Freightliner Ltd. lodged an application with the Department's Freight Grants Unit for track access and freight facilities grants, to take effect on the expiry of the existing grant arrangements in May 2001. PricewaterhouseCoopers were appointed jointly by the Department and the shadow Strategic Rail Authority to advise on the application, and their report was received 504W
  at the end of May. The Secretary of State is currently considering the application in the light of advice from PricewaterhouseCoopers and officials.

  Gas Installers
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about his plans to replace the CORGI registration system for gas installers. [130051]

  Mr. Meacher
  There are no such plans. The Health and Safety Commission is currently carrying out a review of the gas safety regime, and is likely to report to Ministers within the next few months with its conclusions and recommendations. One of the issues being examined in the review is whether the statutory registration scheme for gas installation businesses is still appropriate. The Commission has not yet formed a view on that question.

  Cornelis Johanna
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will reply to the compensation claim submitted to his Department by Mr. Paul Reeman, of Beverly Court, Upton, Manor Road, Brixham, following the report by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration dated 10 August 1999, regarding the certificate of seaworthiness for the fishing vessel 'Cornelis Johanna'. [130116]

  Mr. Hill
  A significant interim payment was made to Mr. P. Reeman by the Department in November 1999, prior to the submission of a fully substantiated claim. The Treasury Solicitors' Department is considering carefully the detailed claim submitted by Mr. Reeman's solicitors on 22 May 2000, and will be responding to them very shortly.

  A30
  Mr. Bradshaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish the latest noise tests on the A30 Exeter to Honiton Road; and if he will make a statement. [130363]

  Mr. Hill
  I have published today the results of the tests. Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of both House. The report shows that noise levels are somewhat higher than expected. Our 10-year Transport Strategy which will be published shortly will include further proposals for dealing with road noise. One result will be that this stretch of the A30 will be resurfaced with a lower noise surface.

  Park Homes
  Maria Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the report of the Park Homes Working Party. [130364]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I am pleased to announce today the publication of the report of the Park Homes Working Party, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. I would like to thank the members of the Working Party for the work they have done over the last two years to consider the operation of the control regime applying to the residential park homes
  505W
  sector. The Working Party has produced a large number of wide-ranging recommendations for changes to this regime.

  The recommendations will need careful consideration, and it would be helpful therefore to have comments on them from interested bodies or individuals who have not already had a change to contribute to the report. I am requesting that any such comments are sent to my Department by 31 October. I will announce my conclusions on the recommendations in due course after that date.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Telephone Steering Systems
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the President of the Council how many of her Department's telephone lines used by the general public are responded to by touch tone telephone steering systems. [129626]

  Mrs. Beckett
  My Department has no touch tone telephone steering systems.

  New Deal
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the President of the Council how many employees of her Department and its agencies have been recruited from the New Deal; and what percentage this represents of total staff. [129090]

  Mrs. Beckett
  My Department has recruited one employee from the New Deal, who started work on 3 April 2000. The Department is small, with low recruitment requirements, and this represents 3 per cent. of the total staff.

TREASURY

  Internet Access
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 28 June 2000,Official Report, column 540W, on the knowledge economy, (1) what is the maximum distance or travelling time a member of the public can reside from a public internet access point under the definition of having access to the internet; and if he will make a statement; [129216]

  (2) what is the maximum distance that a person can live from a point of public access to the internet and still be considered to have access; what is the maximum cost that a provider of a point of public access to the internet can charge with access still being considered to be available; and if he will make a statement. [130074]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  It is not so defined; the Government are considering the steps to improve access, bearing in mind the need for a practical approach, the underlying objective of convenient, affordable access to the internet, and taking into account a wide range of factors, including the developing market.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 4 July 2000,Official Report, column 178W, if he will list his Department's
  506W
  targets for answering (a) named day questions, (b) ordinary written questions and (c) written questions tabled in the House of Lords; and if he will make a statement. [130026]

  Mr. Timms
  The targets are to answer(a) 50 per cent. of named day questions on the nominated day; (b) 70 per cent. of ordinary written questions within a working week of tabling; and (c) 80 per cent. of House of Lords written questions within a fortnight of tabling.

  Public Sector (Ill-health Retirement)
  Mrs. Lawrence
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the review of ill-health retirement in the public sector. [130362]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The report of the review is being published today. A copy is being placed in the House library.

  The review has confirmed that ill-health retirement should be available to employees who are genuinely unable to remain in employment for health reasons. But it has found that the present levels of ill-health retirement in the public sector are higher than necessary and higher than in the private sector. Variations in rates between individual sectors, and between employers in the same sector, are also significant indicating that there is scope to bring rates down.

  The review concluded that the rules and procedures governing the granting of ill-health retirements need to be tightened in a number of cases, and that action is needed to prevent its misuse and to expose the cost involved. It also concluded that many employers can help to reduce the number of such retirements by adopting best practice on workplace health.

  The report sets out 36 recommendations for reducing the incidence of ill-health retirement across the public sector. Departments will draw up action plans for each sector implementing these recommendations. Targets will be set challenging individual employers with the highest rates to reduce these to match those of the best in their sector by 2005.

  VAT (Fuels)
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what VAT revenue from petrol and diesel sales was anticipated for 2000–01 at the time of the Budget; and what his current forecast is of the yield. [129273]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 6 July 2000]: The forecasts of total VAT are published each year in the Financial Statement and Budget report. No forecasts are made of VAT on individual goods and services.

  National Insurance Numbers
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many new National Insurance numbers were awarded to(a) children and (b) adults in each year since 1990, broken down into geographical regions. [128936]
  507W
  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 4 July 2000]: New NI numbers were no allocated to children until May 1992. The numbers allocated since that date are as follows:

  Calendar year

  Numbers allocated

  1992 (from May)

  8,424,054

  1993

  2,909,215

  1994

  797,372

  1995

  759,368

  1996

  732,072

  1997

  720,541

  1998

  712,643

  1999

  702,221

  2000 (to June)

  347,497

  As numbers are allocated centrally, it is not possible to break the number down geographically.

  Bank Access (Wales)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many bank branches closed in Wales(a) between 1990 and 1997 and (b) since 1997. [129735]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information is not available.

  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people in Wales do not have a bank account. [129734]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Results from the 1998–99 Family Resources Survey suggest that around 300,000 adults in Wales do not have a bank or building society account.

  Euro
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what costs have so far been incurred by(a) the Inland Revenue and (b) Her Majesty's Customs and Excise in preparing for a possible changeover to the euro. [129593]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Expenditure on changeover planning was set out in the second Outline National Changeover Plan, published on 9 March.

  Working Families Tax Credit
  Mr. Donald Anderson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the procedures involved in relation to the working families tax credit when a company becomes insolvent; and what targets the Inland Revenue has for resolving cases which arise in this area within a particular time. [129405]

  Dawn Primarolo
  When a company that is paying tax credits to one or more of its employees becomes insolvent, the Inland Revenue will pay the tax credits direct to the employee for the remainder of the tax credit award period. The system is designed to ensure that employees of the insolvent company continue to receive their tax credit payments on time.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Stipendiary Magistrates
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many stipendiary magistrates, including deputy and acting stipendiary magistrates, sit in the courts of each region of England and Wales. [130194]

  Jane Kennedy
  The table lists the stipendiary and acting stipendiary magistrates sitting in each commission area in England and Wales. Some acting stipendiary magistrates sit in more than one commission area. All commission areas can request stipendiary cover when the need arises.

  Commission area

  Stipendiary magistrate

  Acting stipendiaries

  Avon

  1

  2

  Cheshire

  1

  4

  Derbyshire

  2

  2

  Devon

  1

  7

  Dorset

  1

  0

  Essex

  1

  3

  Greater Manchester

  4

  9

  Hampshire

  2

  4

  Outer London

  4

  3

  Norfolk

  1

  2

  Nottinghamshire

  2

  6

  Shropshire

  1

  2

  South Yorkshire

  5

  17

  Humberside

  11

  5

  Leicestershire

  2

  5

  Merseyside

  3

  6

  Lancashire

  1

  0

  South Wales

  3

  4

  Staffordshire

  1

  6

  East & West Sussex

  2

  6

  West Midlands

  7

  15

  West Yorkshire

  4

  11

  Inner London

  47

  39

  1vacant at present

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 20 June 2000 to the hon. Member for North-West Leicestershire (Mr. Taylor),Official Report, column 168W, if he will estimate the number of trials heard in magistrates courts by (a) lay benches and (b) stipendiary magistrates, including acting and deputy stipendiaries, for each of the last five years. [130196]

  Jane Kennedy
  A breakdown of trials heard in magistrates courts(a) by lay benches and (b) by stipendiary magistrates, including acting and deputy stipendiaries, is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Case Guidance
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what guidance his Department provides as to the nature of the cases which should be heard by(a) lay magistrates and (b) stipendiary magistrates. [130195]
  509W
  Jane Kennedy
  The Lord Chancellor's Department provides no guidance as to the nature of the cases which should be heard by(a) lay magistrates and (b) stipendiary magistrates.

  Telephone Steering Systems
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many agencies of his Department use touch tone telephone steering systems when dealing with telephone inquiries from the general public. [129639]

  Jane Kennedy
  Both of the Department's agencies, the Court Service and Public Trust Office, make use of touch tone telephone steering systems for some of their public inquiries. These systems are also used in the Land Registry and Public Record Office, which are Departments responsible to the Lord Chancellor and run on agency lines.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many of his Department's telephone lines used by the general public are responded to by touch tone telephone steering systems. [129621]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Lord Chancellor's Department's Headquarters makes use of touch tone telephone steering on one inquiry line; the Public Trust Office uses it on its Mental Health Customer Service inquiry line; the Public Record Office uses it on its Family Record centre inquiry line. The Court Service and the Land Registry both make some use of touch tone telephone steering systems but the information requested is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Solicitors' Negligence Cases
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department in how many cases legal aid has been granted over the last five years in solicitors' negligence cases to(a) solicitors and (b) complainants. [129451]

  Mr. Lock
  Under the system in place until 31 March 2000, solicitors were unlikely to obtain legal aid to defend negligence cases as they would not usually be financially eligible. Generally they would also have the benefit of professional indemnity insurance.

  In the last five years for which figures are available, the number of certificates issued to claimants in actions for legal professional negligence was:

  Number

  1993–94

  3,342

  1994–95

  3,509

  1995–96

  3,717

  1996–97

  2,959

  1997–98

  2,365

  Figures from 1998–99 onwards are not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what has been the policy since 1989 on writing annually to those of his Department's staff who are paying reduced rates of National Insurance contributions, reminding them of the rules governing the payment of reduced rates, as recommended in the Inland Revenue guidance note on reduced rate National Insurance contributions for married women. [129483]

  Jane Kennedy
  This reply covers the Headquarters of the Lord Chancellor's Department (with Associated Offices), the Court Service and the Public Trust Office. CSL Managed Services, who provide the payroll service for this Department, write each year to staff who have been identified as making reduced rate NI contributions to determine whether these contributions continue to be appropriate.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Darvill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for the publication of crime statistics to assist comparison of performance at a local level. [130291]

  Mr. Straw
  The next publication of crime statistics is due on July 18. As in January, an Annexe to the publication will give crime and detection figures for police Basic Command Units for six types of crime which are of particular public concern. But, for the first time, my Department will be publishing these crime figures in relation to Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships. The partnership data will be published in 13 groups, or 'families', of partnerships. The families draw together areas with similar policing and crime reduction characteristics to assist comparison between the areas. There are 376 partnerships. The Home Office will today publish a Policing and Reducing Crime Unit Briefing Note to provide a description of how the family groups have been devised, which includes the list of the family groups. I have placed a copy of this briefing note in the Library.

  Departmental Payments
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of correctly presented bills were paid by his Department in(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000 within 30 days of receipt of (i)goods and services, (ii) a valid invoice and (iii) other agreed payment terms. [130034]

  Mr. Straw
  Owing to disproportionate cost, I am unable to provide information on bills paid by my Department in the format the hon. Member requires. However, I am able to provide information on the percentage of bills paid within 30 days of a valid invoice as given in the table.

  Percentage

  Year

  Valid invoices

  1998–99

  96.6

  1999–2000

  96.3

  Coroners Courts
  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research his Department is supporting into the work and efficiency of coroners courts. [130010]

  Mr. Boateng
  We are currently funding research at the University of Reading into the way in which information is provided to the bereaved by Coroners. The results of this work are expected to become available in the second half of 2001.

  Kosovan Refugees
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if his Department will reimburse local authorities for costs incurred after 25 June in respect of Kosovans evacuated to the United Kingdom under humanitarian and medical evacuation programmes; [130111]

  (2) what is his policy on the provision of accommodation and support to Kosovans who came to the United Kingdom under humanitarian or medical evacuation programmes and who remained here after 25 June. [130110]

  Mrs. Roche
  Kosovan Albanians who were evacuated to the United Kingdom on the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme between 25 April and 25 June 1999 or who were later evacuated on the medical evacuation programme were granted a maximum of 12 months leave to enter. They were eligible to claim social security benefits or to take employment during this period. They will continue to qualify for support (including accommodation) if they made an application for further exceptional leave before their original leave expired until 28 days after the decision to refuse their application. They are also eligible to work until an appeal has been dealt with. If they are granted further leave to remain they will be eligible for support during that extended period of leave.

  The special grants we propose to pay to certain local authorities in England, towards expenditure incurred in 2000–01, are specified in Special Grant Report (No. 68) which was laid before the House on 6 July.

  Under the terms of the Report, Kosovans evacuated under the Humanitarian Evacuation Programme ceased to be eligible for support when their initial period of exceptional leave to enter the UK expired (25 June 2000 at the latest). However, local authorities will be able to claim for costs associated with the closure of certain vacated reception and return centres up to 25 July.

  Expenditure on support for evacuees who arrived on authorised medical evacuation flights will continue until their initial period of exceptional leave to enter ends: up to 31 March 2001 (in some cases).

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each local authority which claimed grants from his Department for supporting asylum seekers between 6 December 1999 and 31 March 2000, giving in each case(a) the actual expenditure by the local authority and (b) the grant-eligible expenditure of the local authority. [130112]
  512W
  Mrs. Roche
  The information is as follows:

  Asylum seekers support grant 6 December to 31 March 1999–2000 Local authority claims

  £

  Local authority

  Gross expenditure net of housing benefit

  Grand total grant paid

  Barking and Dagenham

  3,864,101.00

  3,864,101.00

  Barnet

  2,413,926.09

  2,353,366.79

  Barnsley

  162,069.00

  139,960.00

  Bath and North East Somerset

  15,073.37

  15,073.37

  Bedford

  641,600.00

  619,240.00

  Bexley

  401,225.00

  401,225.00

  Birmingham

  1,085,835.20

  1,085,835.20

  Blackburn with Darwen

  39,449.00

  25,300.00

  Blackpool

  25,573.00

  25,573.00

  Blaenau Gwent County

  0.00

  0.00

  Bolton Metro

  115,368.00

  112,580.00

  Bournemouth

  139,270.00

  134,480.00

  Bracknell Forest

  12,185.71

  8,600.00

  Bradford

  70,703.68

  70,703.68

  Brent

  3,632,880.13

  2,918,720.00

  Bridgend County

  3,750.00

  3,524.00

  Brighton and Hove

  316,776.12

  316,776.12

  Bristol City

  409,448.47

  409,448.47

  Bromley

  845,307.00

  736,452.00

  Buckinghamshire

  65,557.53

  51,276.00

  Bury

  183,300.00

  79,190.00

  Caerphilly County

  8,816.63

  8,816.63

  Calderdale

  37,773.00

  37,773.00

  Cambridgeshire

  464,662.00

  464,662.00

  Camden

  3,454,298.00

  2,576,460.00

  Cardiff

  189,947.00

  189,947.00

  Carmarthenshire

  166.00

  166.00

  Ceredigion CC

  0.00

  0.00

  Cheshire

  70,295.00

  68,320.00

  City of Newcastle

  376,906.63

  376,906.63

  Conwy CBC

  0.00

  0.00

  Cornwall

  713.00

  713.00

  Corporation of London

  450,900.00

  301,000.00

  Coventry

  218,670.00

  180,123.00

  Croydon

  901,954.00

  901,954.00

  Cumbria

  350.00

  350.00

  Darlington

  2,745.00

  2,745.00

  Denbighshire County

  1,260.00

  1,300.00

  Derby

  158,420.00

  120,680.00

  Derbyshire

  23,786.00

  21,420.00

  Devon

  18,265.93

  18,265.93

  Doncaster

  47,139.63

  47,139.63

  Dorset

  12,378.00

  10,460.00

  Dudley

  73,759.00

  60,820.00

  Durham

  2,717.97

  2,717.97

  Ealing

  2,239,147.00

  2,029,940.00

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  19,664.00

  19,664.00

  East Sussex

  240,435.00

  232,048.00

  Enfield

  3,144,896.00

  3,040,122.00

  Essex

  576,145.99

  518,360.00

  Flintshire

  1,750.00

  1,750.00

  Gateshead

  54,327.00

  54,327.00

  Gloucestershire

  164,791.00

  164,791.00

  Greenwich

  1,953,404.00

  1,953,404.00

  Gwynedd

  0.00

  0.00

  Hackney

  3,713,649.86

  3,687,443.58

  Halton

  0.00

  0.00

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  4,587,902.00

  3,428,220.00

  Hampshire

  114,017.53

  107,034.29

  Haringey

  6,376,251.00

  6,376,251.00

  Harrow

  1,242,218.00

  1,016,220.00

  Hartlepool

  0.00

  0.00

  Havering

  1,093,419.00

  831,961.00

  Herefordshire

  11,568.32

  11,568.32

  Hertfordshire

  1,230,238.61

  1,230,238.61

  Hillingdon

  3,646,464.00

  2,918,320.00

  513W

  Asylum seekers support grant 6 December to 31 March 1999–2000 Local authority claims

  £

  Local authority

  Gross expenditure net of housing benefit

  Grand total grant paid

  Hounslow

  1,754,462.00

  1,632,380.00

  Isle of Anglesey CC

  —

  —

  Isle of Wight

  2,050.00

  2,050.00

  Isles of Scilly

  0.00

  0.00

  Islington

  6,894,840.00

  6,894,840.00

  Kensington and Chelsea

  3,464,507.00

  2,883,580.00

  Kent

  7,522,422.00

  7,522,422.00

  Kingston upon Hull

  215,008.00

  199,160.00

  Kingston upon Thames

  433,750.00

  360,520.00

  Kirklees

  266,883.00

  207,393.00

  Knowsley

  84,778.00

  55,648.00

  Lambeth

  4,333,762.00

  4,333,762.00

  Lancashire

  39,725.85

  39,725.85

  Leeds

  117,718.24

  117,718.24

  Leicester

  417,329.00

  412,785.00

  Leicestershire

  214,732.63

  210,954.06

  Lewisham

  3,012,011.00

  3,012,011.00

  Lincolnshire

  117,746.36

  117,746.36

  Liverpool

  603,857.02

  412,171.44

  Luton

  1,126,123.00

  1,126,123.00

  Manchester

  1,629,507.00

  1,607,460.00

  Medway

  60,710.07

  60,710.07

  Merthyr Tydfil County

  1,220.65

  1,220.65

  Merton

  1,383,158.00

  1,282,060.00

  Middlesbrough

  87,506.00

  87,506.00

  Milton Keynes

  481,624.90

  481,624.90

  Monmouthshire County

  6,425.24

  4,480.00

  Neath Port Talbot

  1,685.81

  1,685.81

  Newham

  6,521,596.00

  6,521,596.00

  Newport County (South Wales)

  29,608.82

  25,111.00

  Norfolk

  145,520.00

  145,520.00

  North East Lincolnshire

  63,051.95

  63,051.95

  North Lincolnshire

  6,853.21

  6,853.21

  North Somerset

  33,078.00

  27,140.00

  North Tyneside

  57,923.50

  32,079.83

  North Yorkshire

  8,854.09

  8,854.09

  Northamptonshire

  4,123,033.00

  4,123,033.00

  Northumberland

  1,700.00

  1,700.00

  Nottingham

  127,131.60

  127,131.60

  Nottinghamshire

  82,792.69

  71,153.98

  Oldham

  54,718.00

  54,718.00

  Oxfordshire

  2,184,757.00

  1,988,200.00

  Pembrokeshire

  6,953.32

  6,953.32

  Peterborough

  103,003.00

  103,003.00

  Plymouth

  42,449.00

  42,449.00

  Poole

  19,620.00

  19,620.00

  Portsmouth

  358,836.00

  354,680.00

  Powys CC

  0.00

  0.00

  Reading

  656,471.00

  650,562.00

  Redbridge

  2,911,757.00

  2,911,757.00

  Redcar and Cleveland

  69,265.25

  69,125.79

  Rhondda Cynon Taff County

  15,595.82

  14,160.00

  Richmond upon Thames

  1,624,087.00

  1,063,492.00

  Rochdale

  86,817.00

  78,664.00

  Rotherham

  100,318.88

  55,609.00

  Rutland

  13,994.90

  13,994.90

  Salford

  115,872.00

  115,872.00

  Sandwell

  246,195.00

  246,120.00

  Date

  Monday 24 July

  London in-country cases

  Monday 31 July

  North East, Yorkshire and Humberside and Wales in-country cases

  Monday 14 August

  In-country cases in North West, East Midlands, Eastern, South West and South Central

  Tuesday 29 August

  In-country cases in West Midlands and Sussex

  Monday 25 September

  All disbenefited cases in England and Wales

  514W

  Asylum seekers support grant 6 December to 31 March 1999–2000 Local authority claims

  £

  Local authority

  Gross expenditure net of housing benefit

  Grand total grant paid

  Sefton

  17,393.12

  17,393.12

  Sheffield

  1,163,310.00

  1,163,310.00

  Shropshire

  6,706.00

  6,706.00

  Slough

  2,557,110.00

  2,512,480.00

  Solihull

  18,243.00

  18,243.00

  Somerset

  21,859.72

  19,256.00

  South Gloucestershire

  68,514.74

  57,748.37

  South Tyneside

  80,674.00

  26,360.00

  Southampton

  405,027.78

  397,660.00

  Southend on Sea

  428,857.00

  428,857.00

  Southwark

  5,453,538.00

  4,826,420.00

  St. Helens

  560.00

  560.00

  Staffordshire

  194,055.00

  182,338.00

  Stockport

  99,134.25

  81,880.00

  Stockton on Tees

  8,340.42

  8,340.42

  Stoke on Trent

  86,624.48

  81,860.00

  Suffolk

  56,063.00

  53,281.00

  Sunderland

  84,259.03

  64,040.00

  Surrey

  570,664.00

  508,892.00

  Sutton

  1,156,266.00

  970,680.00

  Swansea City and County

  6,973.15

  6,973.15

  Swindon

  146,469.00

  146,469.00

  Tameside

  44,388.00

  37,320.00

  Telford and Wrekin

  22,813.00

  18,800.00

  Thurrock

  485,941.00

  485,941.00

  Torbay

  0.00

  0.00

  Torfaen CBC

  0.00

  0.00

  Tower Hamlets

  1,241,061.00

  998,480.00

  Trafford

  64,238.68

  64,238.68

  Vale of Glamorgan

  17,380.00

  13,320.00

  Wakefield

  236,803.98

  217,340.00

  Walsall

  75,676.00

  64,048.00

  Waltham Forest

  3,066,246.00

  3,066,246.00

  Wandsworth

  1,625,791.14

  1,280,492.52

  Warrington

  19,800.00

  16,660.00

  Warwickshire

  178,821.00

  178,821.00

  West Berkshire

  12,157.61

  12,157.61

  West Sussex

  269,666.85

  229,710.00

  Westminster

  5,373,888.00

  3,477,920.00

  Wigan

  111,399.00

  63,380.00

  Wiltshire

  78,762.00

  76,220.00

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  24,920.63

  20,060.00

  Wirral

  2,046.66

  2,046.66

  Wokingham

  41,140.00

  41,140.00

  Wolverhampton

  47,966.58

  47,966.58

  Worcestershire

  152,531.00

  152,531.00

  Wrexham

  0.00

  0.00

  York

  4,127.63

  4,127.63

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the National Asylum Support Service to assume responsibility for all in-country asylum applicants. [130118]

  Mrs. Roche
  I propose to extend the new support arrangements for asylum seekers in England and Wales as set out in Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 according to the following timetable:
  515W
  The arrangements which take effect between 24 July and 29 August will apply to all new asylum seekers in England and Wales who claim asylum on, or after, the relevant dates set out in the table (in-country applications in Scotland and Northern Ireland are already covered by the new arrangements). All asylum seekers who are currently being supported by local authority social services departments under the interim arrangements in Schedule 9 to the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 will continue to be so supported.

  "Disbenefited cases" are those asylum seekers who, prior to 3 April 2000, were in receipt of social security benefits, but who on or after 25 September 2000 receive a first negative decision, who are thus no longer eligible for social security benefits, who go on to appeal and who continue to be eligible for support.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have(a) been offered, (b) accepted and (c) refused an offer of accommodation by him under the support arrangements introduced on and after 1 April. [130108]

  Mrs. Roche
  The National Asylum Support Service began on 3 April 2000. The available information is that as at 3 July 2000 there had been 5,100 claims for support from asylum seekers. Not all claims for support will involve a request for accommodation. Of these claims, 2,190 were offered accommodation.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the state of contract negotiations between the National Asylum Support Service and each of the regional consortiums. [130113]

  Mrs. Roche
  As of 10 July, contracts have been exchanged with Scotland and the North-East. Negotiations with other consortia are ongoing and we hope that a number of areas will be signing up over the coming months. I am not prepared to give information about the current state of any of these negotiations, since to do so could harm the outcome of these negotiations.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how may children of school age are(a) asylum seekers and (b) dependants of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom; how many of those children have been dispersed outside London and the South-East; and if he will make a statement. [130109]

  Mrs. Roche
  In 1999, the United Kingdom received 3,349 applications for asylum from unaccompanied minors (aged under 18).

  Information on the age of asylum seeker dependants in the United Kingdom is not currently available.

  Information on dispersal of asylum seekers by age is not held centrally.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will delay the placement of additional asylum seekers in Plymouth until proper facilities and support services are in place which are fully funded by his Department. [130120]

  Mrs. Roche
  London and the South-East have had to manage a disproportionate number of asylum seekers and there is a recognised need to disperse asylum seekers to suitable areas throughout the United Kingdom. National Asylum Support Service (NASS) has acquired some 516W
  accommodation in Plymouth through the private sector who are contracted to provide various services, apart from accommodation. There is a "one stop shop" located in Plymouth. We are satisfied that adequate facilities and support infrastructure are available for asylum seekers in Plymouth and that there is no need to delay further placements.

  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the negotiations to place asylum seekers in Plymouth and the extent to which he consulted the South West Consortium of local authorities. [130119]

  Mrs. Roche
  We have made clear our intention to disperse asylum seekers throughout the United Kingdom. The placing of asylum seekers in Plymouth is part of that dispersal programme. As of 10 July, ten asylum seekers have been dispersed to Plymouth by the National Asylum Support Service. There is an established consultation process between NASS and the regional consortiums regarding dispersal and siting of cluster areas. NASS last wrote to the South West Consortium confirming that Plymouth remained a cluster area on 8 June. The consortium is also fully aware of the contractors within the area.

  The Director of NASS has written to the Chief Executive of South Gloucestershire explaining the circumstances surrounding the acquisition of property in Plymouth and expressing regret that we were unable to consult in advance.

  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been made to put dispersed asylum seekers in contact with immigration and advisory services which offer free advice. [129473]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Legal Services Commission provides funding, through contracts with quality-assured suppliers of legal services, for the provision of free legal advice and representation to those who are eligible. In addition, the voluntary sector is establishing "one stop shops" in each of the cluster areas where asylum seekers can obtain advice.

  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will supply immigration and advisory services that provide free advice with the names and addresses of dispersed asylum seekers. [129472]

  Mrs. Roche
  No. The routine disclosure of personal details of asylum seekers supported by the National Asylum Support Service to third parties would not be compatible with data protection legislation or our duty to confidentiality to asylum seekers.

  Europol
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what reply he has sent to the request of the Presidency of the European Union (7369/00) for approval of a draft recommendation for rules relating to requests from Europol to member states to initiate investigations on its behalf, with particular reference to the proposal that member states should inform Europol of their reasons for not agreeing to such requests. [130055]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The draft Council Recommendation relating to the possibility of Europol asking member states to initiate investigations (7369/00
  517W
  now 7369/1/00) is under discussion in the Europol Working Group. The Government's position is set out in an explanatory memorandum deposited with the scrutiny committees on 2 June, copies of which have been placed in the Library. We are negotiating the draft Recommendation on the basis that it is broadly acceptable. The Recommendation does not impose any obligations on the member states. Competent authorities in the United Kingdom would in general already adhere to the principles in the Recommendation in dealing with requests from Europol through the Europol National Unit. We consider that, while it will not always be appropriate for member states to inform Europol of the reasons for not agreeing to their request to conduct an investigation, it is good practice to do so wherever possible.

  Edwards Report
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the implementation of the recommendations of the Edwards Report. [128509]

  Mr. Straw
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle) on 16 March 2000,Official Report, column 262W.

  The Islands have continued to implement the Edwards Report. Developments since 16 March include:
  Guernsey: on 31 May, the Guernsey States approved the "policy letter" for new legislation on regulating director services, which will address the "Sark Lark", among other things. This step paves the way for drafting the legislation and presentation to the states in the autumn.
  Isle of Man: the Corporate Services Providers Bill has been making legislative process in the Isle of Man.
  Jersey: the Financial Services (Extension) (Jersey) Law has been referred to the Home Office for Royal Assent. It extends supervision to providers of services in connection with companies and trusts.

  Police Training
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the respondents to Police Training: A Consultation Document, published in November 1999. [129589]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  A full list of respondents to Police Training: A Consultation Document, published in November 1999, is as follows:

  A. Police staff associations

  1. Police Federation of England and Wales

  2. Police Superintendents' Association of England and Wales

  B. ACPO and individual forces

  3. Association of Chief Police Officers of England, Wales and Northern Ireland

  4. Metropolitan Police

  5. Avon and Somerset Constabulary

  6. Bedfordshire Police

  7. Cambridgeshire Constabulary

  8. Cleveland Constabulary

  9. Devon and Cornwall Constabulary

  10. Essex Police

  11. Gloucestershire Constabulary

  12. Greater Manchester Police

  518W

  13. Hertfordshire Constabulary

  14. Humberside Police

  15. Gwent Police

  16. Kent County Constabulary

  17. Leicestershire Constabulary

  18. Merseyside Police

  19. Norfolk Constabulary

  20. Northamptonshire Police

  21. North Wales Police

  22. North Yorkshire Police

  23. Suffolk Constabulary

  24. Thames Valley Police

  25. West Midlands Police

  26. West Yorkshire Police

  27. Wiltshire Constabulary

  C. APA and individual police authorities

  28. Association of Police Authorities

  29. Durham Police Authority

  30. Humberside Police Authority

  31. Kent Police Authority

  32. Lincolnshire Police Authority

  33. Northumbria Police Authority

  34. Nottinghamshire Police Authority

  35. Thames Valley Police Authority

  D. Others

  36. HM Inspectorate of Constabulary

  37. National Police Training

  38. British Transport Police

  39. Sir John Wheeler, Chairman of NCIS and NCS Service Authorities

  40. Ian Johnston QPM, Assistant Commissioner, Metropolitan Police

  41. DC Debbie Carson, Metropolitan Police

  42. Training Unit, Northumbria Police

  43. Inspector Karl Burns, Specialist Skills Section, Northumbria Police

  44. Management Training Team, Nottinghamshire Police

  45. No. 5 Region, ACPO Training Practitioners Group

  46. Ian Symonds, ACPO Competency Framework project

  47. Steve Trimmins, Crime Reduction College

  48. NTO Division, Department for Education and Employment

  49. Metropolitan Police Committee

  50. Metropolitan Police Special Constabulary

  51. Cheshire Special Constabulary

  52. City of London Special Constabulary

  53. Cumbria Special Constabulary

  54. Warwickshire Special Constabulary

  55. Examinations and Assessment, National Police Training

  56. National Training Centre for Scientific Support to Crime Investigation

  57. Police Complaints Authority

  58. Improvement and Development Agency

  59. Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS)

  60. Institution of Professionals, Managers and Scientists (IPMS)

  61. Unison

  62. First Division Association

  63. Community Justice NTO

  64. Justices' Clerks' Society

  65. Association of Chief Officers of Probation

  519W

  66. National Association for the Care and Rehabilitation of Offenders

  67. Commission for Racial Equality

  68. National Schizophrenia Fellowship

  69. Crime Concern

  70. Victim Support

  71. National Neighbourhood Watch Association

  72. University of Portsmouth Institute of Criminal Justice Studies

  73. The Police Foundation

  74. Edexcel

  75. The Newspaper Society

  76. Geoff Swaithe

  77. Nick Ross

  78. Gareth Hadley, Director of Personnel, Prison Service

  79. Crown Prosecution Service

  80. Donald Bligh.

  Glen Howard
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he intends to take following the inquest into the death of Glen Howard; and if he will make a statement. [129588]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Crown Prosecution Service have now received a transcript of the inquest into the death of Glenn Howard. They will be reconsidering the case in light of all the evidence that was presented there and it would not be appropriate for me to comment on the specific details at this stage. However, the use of restraint tactics when dealing with mentally disordered persons is a matter which I understand the police are reviewing as part of the continual process of evaluating and improving training.

  CS Spray
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Association of Chief Police Officers' decision to make its guidance on the use of CS spray available to interested parties; and if he will make a statement. [129584]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  I welcome it.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that the planned research into the interaction of CS spray and anti-psychotic medication used in the treatment of schizophrenia will involve wide consultation with relevant service users, carers and voluntary organisations. [129586]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  I am not aware of any research planned specifically on the interaction of CS spray and anti-psychotic medication, although the research we shall be carrying out at the recommendation of the Committee on Toxicity on the longer-term effects of CS spray may provide information on this subject.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the Association of Chief Police Officers' decision on local protocols with health and social services departments about the use of CS spray on people known to have a severe mental illness; and if he will make a statement. [129585]
  520W
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  I agree with the Association of Chief Police Officer's (ACPO) recommendation that chief officers should consider drawing up local protocols with health authorities and social services departments on this matter.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers from the Metropolitan police left the service in the last 12 months; and what were the reasons given for leaving. [129507]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Figures provided by the Metropolitan police show that in the 12 months from April 1999 to March 2000, 1,504 people ceased to serve as Metropolitan police officers. This equates to a turnover rate of 5.66 per cent.

  Out of the total 554 officers retired on ordinary police pensions, 361 resigned, 285 were medically retired and 243 transferred to other forces. A further 61 officers left for other reasons, including dismissal and death in service.

  I understand that concerns about quality of life and the costs associated with living in London have been reasons historically given by those resigning and transferring to other forces for their decisions. A new exit poll introduced by the Metropolitan police in April 2000 will give more detailed information for future years.

  Police Force Areas
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police force areas fall within which parliamentary constituencies. [129458]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The information requested is set out as follows for each police force area in England and Wales.

  Parliamentary constituencies by police force area

  Avon and Somerset constabulary

  Bath

  Bristol:

  East

  North-West

  South

  West

  Kingswood

  Northavon

  Wansdyke

  Weston-Super-Mare

  Woodspring

  Bridgwater

  Somerton and Frome

  Taunton

  Wells

  Yeovil

  Bedfordshire police

  Bedford

  Mid-Bedfordshire

  North-East Bedfordshire

  South-West Bedfordshire

  Luton, North

  Luton, South

  521W
  Cambridgeshire constabulary

  Cambridge

  North-East Cambridgeshire

  Nort-West Cambridgeshire

  South, Cambridgeshire

  South-East Cambridgeshire

  Huntingdon

  Peterborough

  Cheshire constabulary

  City of Chester

  Congleton

  Crewe and Nantwich

  Eddisbury

  Ellesmere Port and Neston

  Halton

  Macclesfield

  Tatton

  Weaver Vale

  Warrington, North

  Warrington, South

  Cleveland police

  Hartlepool

  Middlesbrough

  Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East

  Redcar

  Stockton, North

  Stockton, South

  Cumbria constabulary

  Barrow and Furness

  Carlisle

  Copeland

  Penrith and The Border

  Westmorland and Lonsdale

  Workington

  Derbyshire constabulary

  Amber Valley

  Bolsover

  Chesterfield

  Derby, North

  Derby, South

  North-East Derbyshire

  South Derbyshire

  West Derbyshire

  Erewash

  High Peak

  Devon and Cornwall constabulary

  Exeter

  East Devon

  North Devon

  South-West Devon

  Torridge and West Devon

  522W

  Plymouth, Sutton

  Plymouth, Devonport

  Teignbridge

  Tiverton and Honiton

  Torbay

  Totnes

  North Cornwall

  South-East Cornwall

  Falmouth and Camborne

  St. Ives

  Truro and St. Austell

  Dorset police

  Bournemouth, East

  Bournemouth, West

  Christchurh

  Mid-Dorset and North Poole

  North Dorset

  South Dorset

  West Dorset

  Poole

  Durham constabulary

  Bishop Auckland

  City of Durham

  Darlington

  North Durham

  North-West Durham

  Easington

  Sedgefield

  Dyfed-Powys police

  West Carmarthen and South Pembrokeshire

  East Carmarthen and Dinefwr

  Ceredigion

  Llanelli

  Preseli Pembrokeshire

  Brecon and Radnorshire

  Montgomeryshire

  Essex police

  Billericay

  Basildon

  Braintree

  Brentwood and Ongar

  Castle Point

  West Chelmsford

  Colchester

  Epping Forest

  North Essex

  Harwich

  Harlow

  Maldon and East Chelmsford

  Saffron Walden

  Rayleigh

  Rochford and Southend, East

  Southend, West

  Thurrock

  523W
  Gloucestershire constabulary

  Cheltenham

  Cotswold

  Forest of Dean

  Gloucester

  Stroud

  Tewkesbury

  Greater Manchester police

  Altrincham and Sale, West

  Ashton-under-Lyne

  Bolton, North-East

  Bolton, South-East

  Bolton, West

  Bury, North

  Bury, South

  Cheadle

  Denton and Reddish

  Eccles

  Hazel Grove

  Heywood and Middleton

  Leigh

  Makerfield

  Manchester:

  Central

  Blackley

  Gorton

  Withington

  Oldham, East and Saddleworth

  Oldham, West and Royton

  Rochdale

  Salford

  Stalybridge and Hyde

  Stockport

  Stretford and Urmston

  Wigan

  Worsley

  Wythenshawe and Sale, East

  Gwent constabulary

  Blaenau Gwent

  Islwyn

  Monmouth

  Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

  Newport, East

  Newport, West

  Torfaen

  Hampshire constabulary

  Aldershot

  Basingstoke

  Eastleigh

  Fareham

  Gosport

  East Hampshire

  North-East Hampshire

  524W

  North-West Hampshire

  Havant

  Isle of Wight

  New Forest, East

  New Forest, West

  Portsmouth, North

  Portsmouth, South

  Romsey

  Southampton, Itchen

  Southampton, Test

  Winchester

  Hertfordshire constabulary

  Broxbourne

  Hemel Hempstead

  Hertford and Stortford

  North-East Hertfordshire

  South-West Hertfordshire

  Hertsmere

  Hitchin and Harpenden

  St. Albans

  Stevenage

  Watford

  Welwyn Hatfield

  Humberside police

  Beverley and Holderness

  Brigg and Goole

  Cleethorpes

  Great Grimsby

  Haltemprice and Howden

  Hull, East

  Hull, North

  Hull, West and Hessle

  Scunthorpe

  East Yorkshire

  Kent county constabulary

  Ashford

  Canterbury

  Chatham and Aylesford

  Dartford

  Faversham and Mid-Kent

  Folkestone and Hythe

  Gillingham

  Gravesham

  Maidstone and The Weald

  Medway

  Sevenoaks

  Sittingbourne and Sheppey

  North Thanet

  South Thanet

  Tonbridge and Malling

  Tunbridge Wells

  525W
  Lancashire constabulary

  Blackburn

  Blackpool, North and Fleetwood

  Blackpool, South

  Burnley

  Chorley

  Fylde

  Hyndburn

  West Lancashire

  Lancaster and Wyre

  Morecambe and Lunesdale

  Pendle

  Preston

  South Ribble

  Ribble Valley

  Rossendale and Darwen

  Leicestershire constabulary

  Blaby

  Bosworth

  Charnwood

  Harborough

  Leicester, East

  Leicester, South

  Leicester, West

  North-West Leicestershire

  Loughborough

  Rutland and Melton

  Lincolnshire police

  Boston and Skegness

  Gainsborough

  Grantham and Stamford

  Lincoln

  Louth and Horncastle

  Sleaford and North Hykeham

  South Holland and The Deepings

  Merseyside police

  Birkenhead

  Bootle

  Crosby

  Knowsley, North and Sefton East

  Knowsley, South

  Liverpool:

  Garston

  Riverside

  Wavertree

  Walton

  West Derby

  Southport

  St. Helens, North

  St. Helens, South

  Wallasey

  Wirral, South

  Wirral, West

  526W
  Norfolk constabulary

  Great Yarmouth

  Mid-Norfolk

  North Norfolk

  North-West Norfolk

  South Norfolk

  South-West Norfolk

  Norwich, North

  Norwich, South

  Northamptonshire police

  Corby

  Daventry

  Kettering

  Northampton, North

  Northampton, South

  Wellingborough

  Northumbria police

  Berwick-upon-Tweed

  Blyth Valley

  Hexham

  Wansbeck

  Blaydon

  Gateshead, East and Washington, West

  Houghton and Washington, East

  Jarrow

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne:

  Central

  East and Wallsend

  North

  South Shields

  Sunderland, North

  Sunderland, South

  Tyne Bridge

  Tynemouth

  Tyneside, North

  North Wales police

  Caernarfon

  Conwy

  Meirionnydd Nant Conwy

  Ynys Mon

  Alyn and Deeside

  Clwyd, South

  Clwyd, West

  Delyn

  Vale of Clwyd

  Wrexham

  North Yorkshire police

  City of York

  Harrogate and Knaresborough

  Richmond

  Ryedale

  Scarborough and Whitby

  Selby

  Skipton and Ripon

  Vale of York

  527W
  Nottinghamshire police

  Ashfield

  Bassetlaw

  Broxtowe

  Gedling

  Mansfield

  Newark

  Nottingham, East

  Nottingham, North

  Nottingham, South

  Rushcliffe

  Sherwood

  South Wales police

  Bridgend

  Caerphilly

  Cynon Valley

  Ogmore

  Pontypridd

  Rhondda

  Cardiff:

  Central

  North

  South and Penarth

  West

  Vale of Glamorgan

  Aberavon

  Gower

  Neath

  Swansea, East

  Swansea, West

  South Yorkshire police

  Barnsley, Central

  Barnsley, East and Mexborough

  Barnsley, West and Penistone

  Don Valley

  Doncaster, Central

  Doncaster, North

  Rotherham

  Rother Valley

  Sheffield:

  Central

  Attercliffe

  Brightside

  Hallam

  Heeley

  Hillsborough

  Wentworth

  Staffordshire police

  Burton

  Cannock Chase

  Lichfield

  Newcastle-under-Lyme

  Stafford

  Staffordshire, Moorland

  South Staffordshire

  Stoke on Trent, Central

  Stoke on Trent, North

  Stoke on Trent, South

  Stone

  Tamworth

  528W
  Suffolk constabulary

  Bury St. Edmunds

  Central Suffolk and Ipswich, North

  Suffolk, Coastal

  South Suffolk

  West Suffolk

  Waveney

  Surrey police

  Epsom and Ewell

  Esher and Walton

  Guildford

  Mole Valley

  Reigate

  Runnymede and Weybridge

  Spelthorne

  East Surrey

  Surrey Heath

  South-West Surrey

  Woking

  Sussex police

  Arundel and South Downs

  Bexhill and Battle

  Bognor Regis and Littlehampton

  Brighton, Kemptown

  Brighton, Pavilion

  Chichester

  Crawley

  Eastbourne

  Hastings and Rye

  Horsham

  Hove

  Lewes

  Mid-Sussex

  Wealden

  East Worthing and Shoreham

  Worthing, West

  Thames Valley police

  Bracknell

  Maidenhead

  Newbury

  Reading, East

  Reading, West

  Slough

  Windsor

  Wokingham

  Banbury

  Henley

  Oxford, East

  Oxford, West and Abingdon

  Wantage

  Witney

  Aylesbury

  Beaconsfield

  Buckingham

  Milton Keynes, North-East

  Milton Keynes, South-West

  Wycombe

  529W
  Warwickshire constabulary

  Nuneaton

  Rugby and Kenilworth

  Stratford-upon-Avon

  Warwick and Leamington

  North Warwickshire

  West Mercia constabulary

  Bromsgrove

  Hereford

  Leominster

  Redditch

  Worcester

  Mid-Worcestershire

  West Worcestershire

  Wyre Forest

  Ludlow

  Shrewsbury and Atcham

  North Shropshire

  Telford

  The Wrekin

  West Midlands police

  Aldridge-Brownhills

  Birmingham:

  Sparkbrook and Small Heath

  Edgbaston

  Erdington

  Hall Green

  Hodge Hill

  Ladywood

  Northfield

  Perry Barr

  Selly Oak

  Yardley

  Coventry, North-East

  Coventry, North-West

  Coventry, South

  Dudley, North

  Dudley, South

  Halesowen and Rowley Regis

  Meriden

  Solihull

  Stourbridge

  Sutton Coldfield

  Warley

  West Bromwich, East

  West Bromwich, West

  Walsall, North

  Walsall, South

  Wolverhampton, North-East

  Wolverhampton, South-East

  Wolverhampton, South-West

  530W
  West Yorkshire police

  Batley and Spen

  Bradford, North

  Bradford, South

  Bradford, West

  Calder Valley

  Colne Valley

  Elmet

  Dewsbury

  Halifax

  Hemsworth

  Huddersfield

  Keighley

  Leeds:

  Central

  East

  North-East

  North-West

  West

  Morley and Rothwell

  Normanton

  Pontefract and Castleford

  Pudsey

  Shipley

  Wakefield

  Wiltshire constabulary

  Devizes

  Salisbury

  Swindon, North

  Swindon, South

  Westbury

  North Wiltshire

  Metropolitan police

  Barking

  Battersea

  Beckenham

  Bethnal Green and Bow

  Bexleyheath and Crayford

  Brent, East

  Brent, North

  Brent, South

  Brentford and Isleworth

  Bromley and Chislehurst

  Camberwell and Peckham

  Carshalton and Wallington

  Chingford and Woodford Green

  Chipping Barnet

  Cities of London and Westminster

  Croydon, Central

  Croydon, North

  Croydon, South

  Dagenham

  Dulwich and West Norwood

  531W

  Ealing, North

  Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush

  Ealing, Southall

  East Ham

  Edmonton

  Eltham

  Enfield, North

  Enfield, Southgate

  Erith and Thamesmead

  Feltham and Heston

  Finchley and Golders Green

  Greenwich and Woolwich

  Hackney, North and Stoke Newington

  Hackney, South and Shoreditch

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  Hampstead and Highgate

  Harrow, East

  Harrow, West

  Hayes and Harlington

  Hendon

  Holborn and St. Pancras

  Hornchurch

  Hornsey and Wood Green

  Ilford, North

  Ilford, South

  Islington, North

  Islington, South and Finsbury

  Kensington and Chelsea

  Kingston and Surbiton

  Lewisham, East

  Lewisham, West

  Lewisham Deptford

  Leyton and Wanstead

  Mitcham and Morden

  Old Bexley and Sidcup

  Orpington

  Poplar and Canning Town

  Putney

  Regent's Park and Kensington, North

  Richmond Park

  Romford

  Ruislip-Northwood

  Southwark, North and Bermondsey

  Streatham

  Sutton and Cheam

  Tooting

  Tottenham

  Twickenham

  Upminster

  Vauxhall

  Walthamstow

  West Ham

  Wimbledon

  City of London police

  Cities of London and Westminster.

  Police Complaints
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of time was the Police Complaints Authority took to deal with complaints in the last 12 months; and what the PCA guidelines stipulate this should be. [129464]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Police Complaints Authority (PCA) agreed targets for the completion of each stage of the complaints process in a joint statement of intent with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in 1992. The PCA's performance against these targets is set out in its annual report.

  In 1998–99, the last year for which figures are available, 63 per cent. of PCA supervised investigations were completed within the agreed target of 120 days. The PCA took an average of 47 days to complete its discipline review of completed investigations, against an agreed target of 28 days.

  Judicial Decisions
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under which European Union or Community instrument Her Majesty's Government(a) have agreed and (b) plan to agree the mutual recognition of court judgments among EU member states; if he will list each such document and when it (i)was published, (ii) was considered in Parliament and (iii) came into or is expected to come into force; and which bodies or persons the Government consulted before reaching such decisions. [129753]

  Mrs. Roche
  Action to follow up the conclusions of the Tampere European Council on mutual recognition of judicial decisions has not yet reached the stage of European Union or Community legislation. The French Presidency has however tabled a document in the Article 36 Committee, dated 26 June, (reference 9737/00) which outlines a programme of legislative measures to implement the principle of mutual recognition of decisions in criminal matters. The document has been deposited for scrutiny in both Houses. The Government intend to support work on the programme of measures, and will consult appropriate United Kingdom bodies including those concerned in implementing the proposals, before any legislation is adopted.

  Immigration
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 14 June 2000,Official Report, column 626W, on immigration, if he will list those parts of European treaties coming into force subsequent to the passage of the Immigration Act 1971 which permit questioning, searching and detention on grounds of public policy through derogation from treaty provisions concerning freedom of movement and absence of internal frontiers within the European Union and Community. [129754]

  Mrs. Roche
  Under the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC), the right to move and reside freely within the territory of the European Union is subject to derogations on grounds of public policy, public security and public health. These limitations on the Treaty freedoms are allowed by Article 39(3) (as regards freedom of movement for workers), Article 46 (as regards
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  the right of establishment) and Article 55 (as regards the provision of services), and are also recognised by Article 18 (inserted by the Treaty on European Union).

  The same limitations can be found in the secondary Community legislation on freedom of movement, including Directives 68/360/EEC, 73/148/EEC and 75/34/EEC. The use by member states of these derogations is subject to Directive 64/221/EEC on the co-ordination of special measures concerning the movement and residence of foreign nationals which are justified on the grounds of public policy, public security, or public health, extended by Directives 72/194/EEC and 75/35/EEC.

  In order for Immigrations Officers to decide whether a person should be excluded on the grounds of public policy, public security or public health, Article 20(2)(e)of the Immigration (European Economic Area) Order 1994 applies the powers to question, search and detain contained in Schedule 2 to the Immigration Act 1971 to EEA nationals.

  In the case of the United Kingdom, the question of derogation from provision concerning the absence of internal frontiers within the EU does not arise, having regard to our special position on the maintenance of internal frontier controls.

  Citizenship Applicants (Language Difficulties)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applicants for UK citizenship in each year since 1990 were turned down because they had an inadequate grasp of English. [129614]

  Mrs. Roche
  Information is not available in the form requested for the years 1990–94.

  The number of applications refused for an insufficient knowledge of English between 1995 and June 2000 (the latest month for which information is available) are shown in the table.

  Year

  Total

  1995

  23

  1996

  27

  1997

  46

  1998

  53

  1999

  27

  20001

  12

  1As of 30 June

  Firearms
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish his response to the Second report of the Home Affairs Committee for Session 1999–2000 on Controls over Firearms (HC95). [129505]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Government are currently considering the Select Committee's report and hopes to publish their response by way of a Command Paper shortly.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he collates on the amount of time which is taken by each constabulary to 534W
  come to a decision on applications for shotgun licences in the last five years; and what were the longest and shortest waiting times. [129506]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Government do not collect statistics routinely on the time taken by individual police forces to grant or renew shotgun certificates.

  Children's Homes
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans exist for a co-ordinated police response in relation to(a) child abuse in care, (b) disappearances from children's homes and (c) child deaths in children's homes. [129769]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO)/Local Government Association jointly issued a set of guidelines, "Missing from Care: Procedures and Practices in Caring for Missing Children" (1988), underlining the importance of close co-operation between police and social services when children go missing from care.

  "Working Together to Safeguard Children" is a Department of Health document which has been prepared and issued jointly by the DOH, the Home Office and the Department of Education and Employment. It is addressed to those who work in the health and education services, the police, social services, the probation service, and those whose work brings them into contact with children and families. It is intended to provide a national framework within which agencies at a local level draw up and agree detailed ways of working together to promote children's welfare and to protect them from abuse and neglect and, in the most extreme cases, death.

  Following publication of "Learning the Lessons—the Government's response to the Waterhouse Report", there is to be an inter-agency review of best practice in conducting complex abuse investigations. A Review Group is being established to take forward this work, bringing together representatives from the Home Office, Department of Health, Local Government Association, the Association of Directors of Social Services and the Association of Chief Police Officers.

  Child Detainees
  Dr. Vis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many girls aged 15,16 and 17 years were received into custody during 1999(a) under sentence, (b) convicted unsentenced and (c) unconvicted. [129697]

  Mr. Boateng
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Receptions1 into prisons and young offender institutions in England and Wales of females aged 15, 16 and 17, by type of custody in 19992

  Type of custody

  Age 15

  Age 16

  Age 17

  Untried

  —

  —

  219

  Convicted Unsentenced

  —

  —

  162

  Sentenced

  59

  110

  185

  1Total receptions cannot be calculated by adding together receptions in each category because there is double counting.

  2Provisional figures

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  Dr. Vis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of sentence was, by type of offence, for girls aged under 18 years received into custody in each year from 1994 to 1999. [129698]

  Mr. Boateng
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Average sentence length1 for females aged under 18 received into prisons and young offender establishments in England and Wales, by type of offence, 1994–99

  Average sentence length—months

  Year of sentenced reception

  Offence group

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  Violence against the person

  7.5

  8.5

  7.6

  6.5

  7.1

  6.4

  Sexual offences

  —

  23.7

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Burglary

  10.3

  6.4

  6.9

  10.2

  10.0

  9.0

  Robbery

  8.2

  17.6

  11.5

  13.5

  9.6

  15.3

  Theft and handling

  6.2

  6.1

  5.7

  5.2

  4.4

  5.0

  Fraud and forgery

  —

  —

  5.0

  —

  5.7

  4.8

  Drugs offences

  20.0

  10.0

  22.5

  20.3

  7.6

  16.5

  Other offences

  10.9

  10.7

  6.1

  12.3

  6.6

  5.6

  Offence not recorded

  10.6

  6.8

  10.2

  15.9

  10.7

  6.8

  All females under 18

  8.2

  10.0

  8.3

  9.6

  7.6

  7.1

  1Excludes those sentenced to life

  Immigration (Carriers' Liability)
  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the haulage companies charged under the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000 have been charged on more than one occasion. [129793]

  Mrs. Roche
  Four.

  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the haulage companies charged under the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000 were registered in Scotland. [129792]

  Mrs. Roche
  Of a total of 233 penalties raised by 6 July 2000, 59 had been raised against British registered companies. Records relating specifically to Scottish registered companies are not kept separately.

  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on(a) the effectiveness and (b) the effect upon the haulage industry of the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000. [129797]

  Mrs. Roche
  The civil penalty provisions of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 were introduced as recently as 3 April 2000. Provisional figures indicate that the number of illegal entrants detected in Kent since the introduction of the provisions has fallen by 25 per cent., and that the number detected nationally has fallen by about 22 per cent. Total penalties imposed up to 6 July 2000 amount to £2,530,000.

  There is now an obligation on lorry drivers to search their vehicles before they embark for the United Kingdom. A code of practice established in consultation with the industry protects drivers from the imposition of a civil penalty if they can show that they have complied with its terms.
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  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hauliers convicted of transporting clandestine entrants into the United Kingdom since the implementation of the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) Regulations 2000 have been fined, for each particular incident(a) £2,000, (b) £4,000, (c) £6,000, (d) £8,000, (e) £10,000, (f) £12,000, (g) £14,000, (h) £16,000, (i) £18,000, (j) £20,000, (k) £22,000, (l) £24,000, (m) £26,000, (n) £28,000, (o) £30,000, (p) £32,000, (q) £34,000, (r) £36,000, (s) £38,000, (t) £40,000, (u) £42,000, (v) £44,000, (w) £46,000, (x) £48,000, (y) £50,000 and (z) £52,000 and over. [129956]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Civil penalty is set at £2,000 for each clandestine illegal entrant found concealed in a transporter. Penalties imposed thus far have been as follows. Fourteen charges of £2,000; 31 charges of £4,000; 49 charges of £6,000; 37 charges of £8,000; 27 charges of £10,000; 18 charges of £12,000; 15 charges of £14,000; eight charges of £16,000; 10 charges of £18,000; five charges of £20,000; seven charges of £22,000; one charge of £24,000; two charges of £26,000; one charge of £28,000; one charge of £32,000; one charge of £36,000; two charges of £38,000; one charge of £42,000; one charge of £44,000; one charge of £46,000; one charge of £50,000; and one charge of £100,000.

  Xenotransplantation
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many primates have been used in the years since 1995 in research involving pig kidneys and pig hearts being transplanted into primates; and what percentage of these primates have rejected the transplanted organs. [129961]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The number used in xenotransplantation research in each of the last four years for which information is available is as follows:

  1996–60

  1997–83

  1998–81

  1999–49.

  The majority of the primates were euthanased once they began to show clinical or biochemical evidence of terminal organ failure or when their clinical condition began to give rise for concern.

  Child Curfew Orders
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what plans he has to extend the age range covered by child curfew orders; [129243]

  (2) what guidance he has issued regarding child curfew orders; [129239]

  (3) how many (a) child curfew orders and (b) antisocial behaviour orders have been granted; and if he will break down the number granted in each (i)local authority and (ii) parliamentary constituency. [129265]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Government issued detailed guidance to local authorities and the police in September 1998 on the provisions for local child curfew schemes under sections 14 and 15 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. A copy is in the Library. No applications have yet
  537W
  been received from local authorities to establish such a scheme. Following consultation with local authorities and the police, the Government are considering what improvements might be made to the provisions, including extending the age range, to ensure that they are able to contribute effectively to local partnership efforts to tackle anti-social behaviour.

  Information on the number of anti-social behaviour orders granted by the courts is being collected centrally with effect from 1 June 2000. Following a trawl of police forces we are aware that at least 80 such orders were made between 1 April 1999 and 31 May 2000, the latest date for which figures are available. We know that anti-social behaviour orders have been granted in the following police force areas, although the list is not exhaustive:

  Avon and Somerset;

  Thames Valley;

  Cambridgeshire;

  West Mercia;

  Cleveland;

  West Midlands;

  Cumbria;

  West Yorkshire;

  Derbyshire;

  Devon and Cornwall;

  Greater Manchester;

  Hampshire;

  Hertfordshire;

  Lancashire;

  Leicestershire;

  Metropolitan;

  Merseyside;

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  Norfolk;

  North Yorkshire;

  Northumbria;

  Nottinghamshire;

  South Yorkshire;

  Suffolk; and

  Sussex.

  Internet Service Providers (Defamation Law)
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to review the operation of the law of defamation as it relates to the liability of internet service providers. [129407]

  Mr. Lock
  I have been asked to reply.

  A consultation paper on perceived abuses of defamation procedures is currently being prepared by my Department. This will be issued within the next few weeks. It will cover, among other things, defamation on the internet and the subsequent liability of internet service providers.

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultation he has held with internet service providers on the law of defamation. [129406]

  Mr. Lock
  I have been asked to reply.

  No formal consultation has yet been held. However, my Department will shortly be issuing a consultation paper on perceived abuses of defamation procedures which will cover the issue of defamation on the internet. Comments will be invited from the Internet Service Providers Association.

  Firearms Act and Violent Crime Involving Handguns
  Firearms Act and Violent Crime Involving Handguns
  Young Offender Institutions: Self-harm by Inmates
  Young Offender Institutions: Self-harm by Inmates
  Brixton Prison
  Brixton Prison
  Emergency Calls: Police Response Time
  Emergency Calls: Police Response Time
  Crime Statistics and Comparison of Police Detection Performance
  Crime Statistics and Comparison of Police Detection Performance
  Telegram from HM Ambassador to Japan
  Telegram from HM Ambassador to Japan
  Tobacco-related Taxes
  Tobacco-related Taxes
  Mull of Kintyre Helicopter Crash
  Mull of Kintyre Helicopter Crash
  Transport of Military Equipment
  Transport of Military Equipment
  Smoking-related Illnesses: Cost to NHS
  Smoking-related Illnesses: Cost to NHS
  Smoking in Public Places
  Smoking in Public Places
  Tobacco Advertising and Marketing
  Tobacco Advertising and Marketing
  "Do Not Resuscitate" Instructions: Monitoring
  "Do Not Resuscitate" Instructions: Monitoring
  Nurse Recruitment
  Nurse Recruitment
  Departmental Cars
  Departmental Cars
  Historic Ships
  Historic Ships
  UK Dog Owners in Germany
  UK Dog Owners in Germany
  Joint Committee on Human Rights
  Joint Committee on Human Rights
  Legislative Programme
  Legislative Programme
  Council of Europe and WEU: Changes in Composition of Delegation
  Council of Europe and WEU: Changes in Composition of Delegation
  NMEC: Advice of Accounting Officer
  NMEC: Advice of Accounting Officer
  Strategic Communications Unit
  Strategic Communications Unit
  Millennium Dome: Distribution of Sale Proceeds
  Millennium Dome: Distribution of Sale Proceeds
  Welsh Assembly: Draft Protocol on Primary Legislation
  Welsh Assembly: Draft Protocol on Primary Legislation
  Departmental Cars
  Departmental Cars