Written Answers of 20 July 2000

DEFENCE

  HMS Cambridge
  Mr. Caplin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the closure of HMS Cambridge. [132232]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 8 June 2000,Official Report, column 338W, to the hon. Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr. Duncan Smith). The investment appraisal concluded that the establishment's residual training activities could be delivered more cost-effectively elsewhere and the matter was subject to a period of formal consultation with the MOD trade unions. No representations have been received and consultation on this matter is now complete.

  I have, therefore, endorsed the proposal that HMS Cambridge should close and that plans for decommissioning and site vacation should proceed accordingly.

  Consultation will continue on matters affecting staff.

  Duke of York's Royal Military School
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Key Targets have been set for the Duke of York's Royal Military School for the financial year 2000–01. [132238]

  Dr. Moonie
  The chief executive of The Duke of York's Royal Military School has been set the following Key Targets for 2000–01.

  Key Target 1
  To achieve 100 per cent. of GCSE passes at grades A* to G.

  Key Target 2
  To achieve five or more GCSE passes at grades A* to C; 2000–01 target is 88 per cent.

  Key Target 3
  To achieve 90 per cent. of A level passes at grades A to E.

  Key Target 4
  To achieve three or more A level passes at grades A to E; 2000–01 target is 84 per cent.

  Key Target 5
  To achieve 36.5 per cent. of A level passes at Grades A and B.

  Key Target 6
  To achieve 100 per cent. award rate for GNVQ Advanced and BTEC National Diploma courses.

  Key Target 7
  To achieve places in higher education for at least 82 per cent. of sixth form leavers.

  Key Target 8
  To achieve a pupil per capita cost of no more than £13,064.
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  Key Target 9
  To generate income of at least £500,000.

  Key Target 10
  To achieve at least 280 applications for September 2001 intake.

  Defence Estates Agency
  Mr. Leslie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what Key Targets have been set for the Defence Estates Agency for the financial year 2000–01. [132239]

  Dr. Moonie
  The following key targets have been set for Defence Estates for 2000–01:

  Key Target 1
  To demonstrate an improvement of 5 per cent. (over the figure for 1999–2000) in the levels of satisfaction expressed by the agency's customers both with customer service and effectiveness of communication, as measured by the 2000–01 customer survey.

  Key Target 2
  To achieve net disposal receipts of £155 million by 31 March 2001.

  Key Target 3
  To launch the procurement phase of three 'one stop shop' prime contracts by 31 March 2001.

  Key Target 4
  To publish an interim stewardship report on performance against the strategy for the defence estate by 31 December 2000.

  Key Target 5
  To achieve 90 per cent. of all agreed project milestones during 2000–01.

  Key Target 6
  To launch an improved guide to public access to the defence estate supported by an internet website during 2000–01.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the pattern of military low flying activity in the United Kingdom during the training year 1999–2000. [132240]

  Dr. Moonie
  The ability to fly fast and low continues to be an essential skill in our armoury of tactics. Training for aircrew to achieve and maintain these skills is vital.

  The amount of low flying training carried out in the UK Low Flying System during the training year April 1999 to March 2000 was the minimum necessary for aircrew to reach and maintain these skills. Hours booked for low flying training during this period amounted to some 15 per cent. less than for 1998. Some of this reduction can be attributed to the number of aircraft and crews committed to overseas deployments. Since detailed records of hours booked began in 1995, the total overall has reduced by 36 per cent. (some 24,200 hours) with fixed-wing activity showing the greatest reduction of 42 per cent. (19,800 hours).

  The distribution of low flying training across the UK has not changed significantly. We continue to try and spread it as widely as practicable, but for a variety of operational, geographical and climatic constraints some parts of the country will see more than others.

  The paper published for 1998 (see the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Brent, North (Mr. Gardiner) 28 April 1999, Official Report, column 147W), made clear that for the future this information

  247W
  would be published on a financial year basis. I have today placed in the Library of the House a paper giving a detailed account of low flying training in the UK Low Flying System. It provides information for the transitional period January 1999 to March 2000.

  Further copies of the paper, and the video and leaflet mentioned in the text, can be obtained from the following address:

  Secretariat (Air Staff) 2

  Ministry of Defence

  Room 8247

  Main Building

  Whitehall

  London SWIA 2HB.

  Gulf Veterans
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the most recent figures for deaths among(a) Gulf veterans and (b) the comparison group. [132241]

  Deaths of UK Gulf veterans1 April 1991–30 June 2000—Causes (coded to ICD-9)2

  ICD Chapter

  Cause of death

  Gulf

  Era

  Mortality rate

  All deaths

  452

  439

  1.03

  All cause coded deaths

  445

  429

  1.04

  Disease-related causes

  156

  190

  0.82

  I

  Infectious and parasitic diseases

  3

  2

  1.50

  II

  Cancers

  64

  68

  0.94

  III

  Endocrine and immune disorders

  1

  4

  0.25

  V

  Mental disorders

  8

  11

  0.73

  VI

  Diseases of the nervous system and sense organs

  7

  4

  1.75

  VII

  Diseases of the circulatory system

  57

  76

  0.75

  VIII

  Diseases of the respiratory system

  7

  4

  1.75

  IX

  Diseases of the digestive system

  6

  11

  0.55

  IV, X-XVI

  All other disease-related causes

  3

  10

  0.30

  EXVII

  External causes of injury and poisoning

  289

  239

  1.21

  Railway accidents

  4

  1

  4.00

  Motor vehicle accidents

  103

  80

  1.29

  Water transport accidents

  3

  1

  3.00

  Air and space accidents

  25

  16

  1.56

  Other vehicle accidents

  0

  2

  0.00

  Accidental poisoning

  9

  12

  0.75

  Accidental falls

  7

  6

  1.17

  Accidents due to fire/flames

  0

  1

  0.00

  Accidents due to natural environmental factors

  2

  2

  1.00

  Accidents due to submersion/suffocation/foreign bodies

  15

  6

  2.50

  Other accidents

  31

  24

  1.29

  Late effects of accident/injury

  0

  1

  0.00

  Suicide and injury undetermined whether accidental

  83

  79

  1.05

  Homicide

  4

  4

  1.00

  Injury resulting from the operations of war

  3

  4

  0.75

  Other deaths for which coded cause data are not yet available

  4

  5

  —

  Overseas deaths for which cause data are not available

  3

  5

  —

  1 Service and ex-Service personnel only

  2 World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases 9th revision 1977

  Mrs. Humble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what data he has collated on the general pattern of chemical warfare agent alerts during the Gulf conflict. [132242]

  Mr. Spellar
  Our 1997 policy statement "Gulf Veterans' Illnesses: A New Beginning" set out a number of commitments to help address the health concerns of Gulf Veterans. One of these commitments was to review specific incidents of suggested biological or chemical
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  Mr. Spellar
  Peer reviewed scientific data comparing the mortality of UK Gulf veterans to an era group of service personnel who did not deploy to the Gulf was published for the first time in "The Lancet" on 1 July 2000. The Ministry of Defence will now continue to monitor the mortality of both Gulf veterans and the era group and will publish updated figures on a regular basis. The figures as at 30 June 2000 are shown in the table. Overall, in the period 1 April 1991 to 30 June 2000 the mortality of UK Gulf veterans was only slightly greater than that of the comparison group. The number of Gulf veterans dying from disease-related causes is rather less than for the comparison group, whereas the number of Gulf veterans dying of external causes is rather higher than for the comparison group.

  The Ministry of Defence will conduct a more detailed analysis of road traffic accidents, to establish whether there are any underlying tends that might help explain this excess.

  warfare exposures. As part of this commitment I am today publishing the third paper looking at incidents where veterans have suggested they were exposed to chemical warfare agents. This paper is entitled "A Review of UK Forces Chemical Warfare Agent Alerts During the 1990–1991 Gulf Conflict". I am placing a copy in the Library of the House.

  This paper looks at the general pattern of chemical alarms during the conflict. The review has shown that

  249W
  there was usually a straightforward explanation given at the time for chemical warfare agent detection equipment alarming. There is no evidence to suggest Iraqi use of chemical weapons, or the presence of chemical weapons in any of the UK alarms.

  The paper reviews in detail two specific incidents: Dhahran on the night of 20 January 1991 when a Scud was destroyed by a Patriot missile close to the airfield there, and Al Jubayl on the morning of 16 February 1991 when a Scud landed in the water in the port area. On both occasions there is no evidence to suggest that the Scuds carried anything other than a conventional warhead.

  Military Bases (Ministerial Visits)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the(a) RAF, (b) Royal Naval, (c) Army and (d) other military bases in the United Kingdom where US personnel outnumber UK personnel have been visited by Ministers from his Department since 1 May 1997; and what percentage this represents of the total number of each such base in the United Kingdom. [131330]

  Dr. Moonie
  Of the bases, all RAF, in the UK where US personnel outnumber UK personnel, two have been visited by Ministers from this Department since 1 May 1997. These are RAF Fairford and RAF Menwith Hill. This represents 25 per cent. of the total number of such bases.

  Chinook Crash
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the simulation undertaken by the Defence Research Agency as part of the Board of Inquiry investigation into the crash of RAF Chinook ZD576 was able to determine the(a) precise indicated airspeed and (b) height of the aircraft 40 seconds prior to impact; [131525]

  (2) if DERA at Boscombe Down considered the FADEC system for the Chinook MKII to be flight safety critical at the time of the Mull of Kintyre crash in 1994. [131524]

  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to the hon. Member, and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Air Accident Investigation Branch were given unrestricted access to all personnel and all information during the investigation into the crash of RAF Chinook ZD576. [131526]

  Mr. Spellar
  Yes.

  Royal Irish Regiment
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will describe the deployment of each home unit of the Royal Irish Regiment on each day from 2 to 13 July. [130465]

  Mr. Spellar
  During the period in question, the six Home Service Battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment were deployed at various locations around the Province on security duties in support of the RUC. Information about the specific deployment of each unit within each 250W
  Battalion for each day in the period 2–13 July is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many soldiers of the Royal Irish Regiment in each unit(a) applied to take and (b) took leave from their duties on (i) 25 June, (ii) 2 July and (iii) 9 July. [130466]

  Mr. Spellar
  The dates mentioned fell within a period during which the Royal Irish Regiment were either preparing for, or actually engaged in, operations to support the RUC over the Marching Season. This precludes the taking of leave.

  Special Investigations Branch
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 12 June 2000,Official Report, column 449W, (a) in what circumstances this photograph was taken, what interpretation he puts on this photo-shoot and what assessment has he made of the impact of this upon community relations in the area, (b) what formal administrative action procedures have been initiated and what stage they are at now, (c) what body or rank of officer was responsible for considering whether to initiate disciplinary action against (i) the major and (ii) the warrant officer who took photographs, (d) what instructions have been issued subsequent to this inquiry concerning soldiers agreeing to pose for photographs with sectarian displays, (e) if the soldiers were under orders to pose for these photographs, (f) how many refused, (g) what attempts have been made to seek the return and destruction of these photographs, (h) if the flag was obtained with the consent of the Loyal Orange Lodge, (i) how the flag was transported to the Royal Irish Regiment barracks, (j) what the cost of printing 40 copies of the photograph was, (k) who paid this bill, (1) who owned the camera with which the photograph was taken, (m) how many companies of the Royal Irish Regiment have posed for regimental photographs with sectarian flags or banners in the current year and (n) if he will place a copy of the Special Investigations report in the Library. [130467]

  Mr. Spellar
  I will write to my hon. Friend, and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Loyal Orange Order
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to his answer of 15 March 2000,Official Report, column 204W, if he will review his decision not to deem the Loyal Orange Order a secretive organisation within the scope of the Joint Service Defence Council Instruction (JS DCI 75/99) on Membership of Societies such as Freemasons. [130468]

  Mr. Spellar
  I have no plans to review my decision.

  Type 45 Destroyers (Procurement)
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will quantify the amount of work potentially available to yards other than those of BAE Systems and Vosper Thornycroft under the modular procurement system to be used for the purchase of Type 45 destroyers. [130632]

  Mr. Hoon
  This is a matter for the chief executive of the Defence Procurement Agency. I have asked the chief executive to write to my hon. Friend.
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  Letter from G. Beaven to Mr. Ben Chapman, dated 20 July 2000:
  I am writing in response to your question to the Secretary of State for Defence with regard to the amount of Type 45 work potentially available to yards other than those of BAE SYSTEMS and Vosper Thornycroft. This falls within my area of responsibility as Chief of Defence Procurement and Chief Executive of the Defence Procurement Agency.
  Subject to the completion of satisfactory negotiations, the order for the first three Type 45 destroyers is planned for placement later this year with BAE SYSTEMS, the Prime Contractor for the Programme. The first and third ship are planned to be assembled by BAE SYSTEMS Marine and the second by Vosper Thornycroft.
  The intended construction method distinguishes between `assembly' and the 'manufacture' of modules which can be constructed at a number of different locations and brought together at a shipyard for final assembly. We intend that BAE SYSTEMS Marine and Vosper Thornycroft will, between them, undertake as a minimum about 50 per cent. of the manufacture of the first three ships with the remainder being competed widely within UK industry. This provides the opportunity for shipyards around the UK such as Cammell Laird to bid for work in this programme. If they wish to do so, it is important that they contact the Prime Contractor and register their interest.
  I expect an order to be placed around 2004 for the second batch of three Type 45 ships and we anticipate that the competition for sub-contracts to manufacture the modules for these vessels will rise to 100 per cent.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Expenditure
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what amounts were(a) budgeted for by her Department, (b) expended and (c) not spent in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99 and (iii) 1999–2000; and if the funds not spent in each of those years were carried forward. [130864]

  Clare Short
  Expenditure compared with Departmental Expenditure Limits (DEL) for the period in question is as follows:

  £ million

  Total DEL

  Total expenditure

  Balance carried forward

  1997–98

  1,595

  1,592

  3

  1998–99

  1,777

  1,740

  37

  1999–2000

  1,943

  11,938

  5

  1 Estimated, subject to confirmation by the National Audit Office.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  BNFL
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will request from BNFL copies of technical papers on the subject of the dry storage of previously wet stored magnox fuel and place them in the Library. [131364]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I understand that BNFL does hold technical papers which deal with this issue. These are the property of either BNFL or other companies. I have, therefore, asked the Chairman of BNFL to write to my hon. Friend directly in response to his request.
  252W
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implications of the agreement at the June 2000 OSPAR conference for BNFL's future business plan. [130866]

  Mrs. Liddell
  In planning its future business, BNFL will need to take account of the UK's commitments to OSPAR and in particular of the draft National Discharge Strategy published by DETR in June. BNFL has already stated that it welcomes that strategy document and has expressed its commitment to helping to achieve its aims.

  Bereavement
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance the Government provide to people who have recently suffered a bereavement or who are considering funeral arrangements. [132231]

  Dr. Howells
  In conjunction with his ongoing inquires into consumer issues related to at-need funerals, the Director General of the Office of Fair Trading has published online advice to help anyone who is in the daunting position of planning a funeral. The website is at www.oft.gov.uk

  E-commerce
  Mr. Sawford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his plans to assist firms to develop e-commerce capacity. [130166]

  Ms Hewitt
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Morecambe and Lunesdale (Miss Smith) on 27 June 2000,Official Report, column 457W, which described plans to support firms to develop e-commerce capacity.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April which requested information, pursuant to his previous answers. [131227]

  Mr. Byers
  Of the 1,552 parliamentary questions tabled during the period, 56 requested information pursuant to previous answers.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  GM Crops
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to the oral statement by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food of 8 June 2000,Official Report, column 501, if he will list the (a) dates on which meetings took place between Advanta Seeds and officials from his Department between 17 April and 17 May, (b) names and functions of the officials attending those meetings, (c) subjects discussed, (d) conclusions reached and (e) advice given by his officials to Advanta Seeds. [128467]
  253W
  Mr. Meacher
  Officials from my Department met with representatives from Advanta Seeds Ltd. on 17 April. A note of that meeting, which gives the information requested, is available in the House Library. There were no subsequent meetings.

  Genetically Modified Organisms
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made on evaluating research commissioned by him on the effect of GMOs in the human and animal food chain; and what representations he has received on such research. [128595]

  Mr. Meacher
  My Department has not commissioned any research on the effect of the GMOs in the human and animal food chain. Responsibility for this lies with the Food Standards Agency.

  MOT Centres
  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by administrative region for each of the last five years the number of(a) MOT centres that have lost their certification, (b) nominated testers that have lost their accreditation in these centres, (c) nominated testers that have lost their accreditation in centres that have not closed, (d) complaints

  Summary of authorised examiners withdrawn and nominated testers disqualified following a check by VI

  1999–2000

  1998–99

  1997–98

  1996–97

  1995–96

  Area

  AEs withdrawn

  Testers disqualified

  AEs withdrawn

  Testers disqualified

  AEs withdrawn

  Testers disqualified

  AEs withdrawn

  Testers disqualified

  AEs withdrawn

  Testers disqualified

  Scotland

  13

  23

  7

  18

  10

  25

  18

  35

  17

  30

  North Eastern

  13

  60

  19

  44

  31

  55

  25

  73

  37

  67

  North Western

  13

  23

  19

  27

  14

  28

  17

  68

  15

  53

  West Midlands

  10

  25

  32

  34

  17

  37

  19

  45

  12

  21

  Eastern

  8

  32

  19

  31

  26

  34

  21

  25

  17

  28

  South Eastern

  12

  33

  15

  65

  13

  64

  53

  87

  35

  53

  Western

  9

  24

  17

  51

  17

  50

  21

  66

  24

  75

  South Wales

  15

  22

  15

  19

  13

  7

  7

  9

  10

  9

  National

  93

  242

  143

  289

  141

  300

  181

  407

  167

  336

  Total checks

  55,561

  57,913

  74,742

  73,642

  72,202

  As percentage of checks

  0.17

  0.44

  0.25

  0.50

  0.19

  0.40

  0.25

  0.55

  0.23

  0.47

  Note:

  Total checks includes routine visits, targeted checks and inspections following a complaint

  Summary of authorised examiners withdrawn and nominated testers disqualified following a targeted check or complaint

  Number

  Targeted checks and complaints

  As percentage of checks

  1999–2000

  Authorised Examiners

  67

  16,176

  0.41

  Nominated Testers

  232

  1.43

  1998–99

  Authorised Examiners

  127

  19,567

  0.65

  Nominated Testers

  274

  1.40

  1997–98

  Authorised Examiners

  133

  25,668

  0.52

  Nominated Testers

  286

  1.11

  1996–97

  Authorised Examiners

  145

  26,024

  0.56

  Nominated Testers

  381

  1.46

  1995–96

  Authorised Examiners

  140

  26,888

  0.52

  Nominated Testers

  330

  1.23

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  investigated about MOT centres and the percentage which led to the withdrawal of (i) MOT centre certification and (ii) nominated tester accreditation and (e) routine inspections carried out and the percentage which have led to the withdrawal of (i) MOT centre certification and (ii) nominated tester accreditation. [130021]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 13 July 2000]: The premises at which MOT testing is carried out are known as vehicle testing stations (VTS), operated by an Authorised Examiner (AE), which may be an individual, a partnership or a company. If an examiner's authorisation is withdrawn, the premises can no longer be used as a Vehicle Testing Station and identity as such ceases. Nominated Testers (NT) work under the direction of the Authorised Examiner.

  The number of Authorised Examiners that have had their authorisation withdrawn and nominated testers disqualified from testing in the last five years, by region, is shown in the table.

  The number of authorisations withdrawn or testers disqualified, following complaint to, or targeted check by the Vehicle Inspectorate, or following a routine check, is not collated by region and could be supplied only at disproportionate cost; the tables show the figures nationally.

  The number of nominated testers disqualified from testing at VTS where the authorised examiner's authorisation has not been withdrawn is not held centrally.

  Summary of authorised examiners withdrawn and nominated testers disqualified following a routine check by VI

  Number

  Routine checks

  As percentage of checks

  1999–2000

  Authorised Examiners

  26

  39,385

  0.07

  Nominated Testers

  10

  0.03

  1998–99

  Authorised Examiners

  16

  38,346

  0.04

  Nominated Testers

  15

  0.04

  1997–98

  Authorised Examiners

  8

  49,074

  0.02

  Nominated Testers

  14

  0.03

  7996–97

  Authorised Examiners

  36

  47,618

  0.08

  Nominated Testers

  26

  0.05

  1995–96

  Authorised Examiners

  27

  45,314

  0.06

  Nominated Testers

  6

  0.01

  Vehicle Ownership (Registration)
  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans his Department has to(a) strengthen and (b) enforce the legal requirement for changes of vehicle ownership to be registered; and if he will make a statement. [130644]

  Mr. Hill
  The Vehicle Crime Reduction Action Team (VCRAT) has drawn up a number of proposals, which will strengthen vehicle registration requirements. The Government are seeking a suitable opportunity to introduce the necessary legislation.

  Both the buyer and seller are required to tell the Secretary of State of a vehicle transfer. DVLA already takes enforcement action against vehicle keepers who do not comply with the requirements to notify acquisition and disposal. Around 39,000 cases were dealt with last year. In addition, a further 12,000 cases were actioned following failure to undertake Statutory Off-Road Notification (SORN).

  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assistance his Department is giving to councils which, because changes of vehicle ownership have not been registered, are(a) unable to recover the cost of removing abandoned vehicles and (b) cannot take action to prosecute; and if he will make a statement. [130645]

  Mr. Hill
  No assistance is being given at this time. The existing arrangements with local authorities will be reviewed as we develop proposals for implementing the proposed European End-of-Life Vehicles Directive in the UK.

  Former Railway Land
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if RDAs are notified by the British Railways Board of its intention to dispose of former railway land; if their consent for disposal is needed; and if he will make a statement. [130627]

  Mr. Hill
  Before the British Railways Board disposes of former railway land, the marketing process requires the Board to notify rail industry parties, local authorities, local transport operators and Passenger Transport Executives of its intention. The British Railways Board has confirmed that it includes Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) in this notification process. The consent of RDAs is not a prerequisite for disposal but their views are taken into account before a final decision is taken.

  London Tramways
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to encourage the development of a tramway system in the Greater London area. [131161]

  Mr. Hill
  This is a matter for the Mayor of London. However, as the Government's 10 year plan for transport indicates, the Government will provide resources which could deliver at least two new tram/guided bus schemes in London.

  Regional Planning Guidance
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his reasons were for delegating to the Government Office of the South East the response to Horsham District Council's letter of 31 May regarding regional planning guidance. [130793]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The Government Office for the South East, who lead on the work on Regional Planning Guidance, have received over 900 responses to consultation on the draft Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9). In the case of such consultation exercises it is normal practice for the Secretary of State to delegate to officials the task of collating, analysing and acknowledging responses.

  Rural Bus Services
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on measures to increase rural bus services in Shrewsbury and Atcham. [131158]

  Mr. Hill
  Shropshire County Council was allocated £630,354 of Rural Bus Subsidy Grant in 1998–99, with the same amount allocated to the Council for 1999–2000 and 2000–01.

  In 1999–2000 the Council used its allocation to fund 58 services, of which 28 served Shrewsbury. Of the services serving Shrewsbury, 10 were entirely new and 18 were improvements to existing services. The County Council have also introduced a bike bus between Ellesmere and Shrewsbury, funded through the 1999 Rural Bus Challenge Competition, and on 11 July we invited bids for the 2000 Rural Bus Challenge Competition.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what reports he has received on the hearing held by the European Parliament's Transport Committee in June on the transport of nuclear waste and other radioactive materials. [130847]

  Mr. Hill
  I have not received any reports of the public hearings held by the European Parliament's Committee on Regional policy, Transport and Tourism on 21 June into the Transport of Radioactive Material in the European Union at this time. I understand that information on these hearings, including any reports, will be made available on the internet website http://www.europarl.eu.int/ when they are published.

  Ports
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will request from the European Commission more time for the European Transport Workers' Federation to consult its members on the Commission's proposals on Access to the Port Service Market; [R] [130858]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the implications for the Port of London Authority of the proposals of the European Commissioner for Energy and Transport made on 26 May in respect of state aid and port services; and if he will make a statement; [R] [130860]
  257W
  (3) if Ministers will meet dock and maritime trade union representatives prior to formulating the United Kingdom response to the proposals of the European Commissioner for Energy and Transport made on 26 May in respect of ports competition and which are now the subject of consultation; and if he will make a statement. [R] [130861]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: The European Commission has not yet published formal proposals on port services and state aid, but we understand that proposals are planned for later this year. Officials are continuing to keep in touch with the Commission on these issues. We shall consult widely on any specific proposals that the Commission brings forward, and I would be happy to meet representatives of the dock and maritime trade unions in due course.

  Power Stations (Carlisle)
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when his officials last met representatives of Border Biofuels; and what discussions they had concerning the construction of a power station at Carlisle. [131411]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  There have been no meetings between the Secretary of State's officials and Border Biofuels to discuss their planning application, but I understand that the company has been in discussion with the Environment Agency about related (IPPC) authorisations.

  Port Waste Reception Facilities
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the Scottish port authorities consulted by his Department regarding the inclusion of indirect fees for port waste management facilities into the harbour dues, proposed by the European Parliament in the Draft Directive on Port Waste Reception Facilities; and if he will make a statement. [131013]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 19 July 2000]: Throughout the process of working up the Government's policy on port waste management planning, we developed our proposals through consultation with the Marine Pollution Advisory Group, which includes representatives of central and local government, the ports, shipping and waste industries and environmental non-governmental organisations. Because the provision of adequate port waste reception facilities is an international obligation under the MARPOL Convention, we need a national strategy. That strategy takes account of the interests of ports in all parts of the UK.

  The EC Directive substantially mirrors the UK's own port waste management legislation and practice. The UK has been involved at every stage of the Directive, and—while we have not consulted, or received representations from, any individual ports—we have consulted closely with the representative bodies of the UK ports industry on specific issues associated with the Directive.

  Building Regulations
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how he monitors the application of building regulations; and if he will make a statement; [131575]
  258W
  (2) which organisation is responsible for ensuring that building regulations are complied with; and if he will make a statement. [131573]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  Under the Building Act 1984, local authorities are responsible for enforcing building regulations in the areas, subject to provisions in the Act for private sector approved inspectors to carry out building control in cases where the person carrying out the work opts for this alternative. Local authorities' building control services are subject to the duty of Best Value, and are periodically inspected by the Audit Commission.

  Under the approved inspectors regulations persons or bodies wishing to become approved inspectors must apply to the Construction Industry Council which is the body designated by the Secretary of State for the purpose of approving inspectors. The CIC carefully scrutinises applicants' qualifications and experience. Approved inspectors' terms of approval last for five years, and those wishing to continue must apply to the CIC for re-approval.

  OSPAR Conference
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the outcome of the June 2000 OSPAR conference. [130867]

  Mr. Meacher
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Blaenau Gwent (Mr. Smith) on 10 July 2000,Official Report, columns 397–98W.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what written guidance he has given to BNFL on ensuring its commitments under the OSPAR Sintra agreement are met in respect of discharges from Sellafield. [130868]

  Mr. Meacher
  BNFL is aware of the Government's policy that there should be progressive reductions in radioactive discharges. The Government will shortly publish for consultation a draft of the statutory guidance that it proposes to issue to the Environment Agency on the setting of radioactive discharge authorisations under the Radioactive Substances Act. The draft guidance will reiterate the requirement that there should be progressive reductions in radioactive discharges. The guidance will also ensure that discharge authorisations granted by the Agency are consistent with the Government's radioactive discharges strategy, a draft of which was published for consultation on 21 June. The strategy sets out how the Government are going to meet the commitments entered into at the OSPAR meeting in Sintra in 1998 to reduce radioactive discharges.

  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has received a copy of the resolution passed by the Isle of Man Tynwald on 21 June in respect of the OSPAR convention and Sellafield; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [130869]

  Mr. Meacher
  Yes. I understand that the text of the resolution can be found in the Tynwald Votes and Proceedings on the Tynwald website www.tynwald.isle-of-man.org.im. I will place a copy in the Library.

  Fuel Duty Rebate
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will extend the fuel duty rebate to electrically-operated vehicles which perform taxi duties. [131531]

  Mr. Hill
  Under current legislation operators of local bus services are rebated part of the duty they have paid on the fuel used in providing those services. We have no plans to pay fuel duty rebate to the operators of taxi services or to extend it so that it provides a grant to operators of vehicles to which fuel duty is not applicable.

  The Commission for Integrated Transport is currently examining possible changes to the fuel duty rebate scheme as part of its study of all aspects of public funding for bus services. We will carefully consider the Commission's recommendations which are due later this year.

  Regional Planning Guidance (South West)
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the public examination of the draft Regional Planning Guidance for the South West will be completed; when the Inspector's report on the draft Regional Planning Guidance for the South West will be issued; when the final Regional Planning Guidance for the South West will be issued for material consideration by planning authorities; and if he will make a statement. [131580]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The Public Examination of the draft Regional Planning Guidance for the South West took place in March 2000. The report of the Panel for the Public Examination has not yet been received, but is expected shortly. Arrangements will be made for its publication on receipt of it. The Secretary of State's proposals for change to the draft Regional Planning Guidance will be made in the light of the Panel's report and recommendations, and other consultation comments received by the Panel in autumn 1999 but not addressed at the Public Examination. These proposals for change should be available for consultation in the autumn, and the final revised Regional Planning Guidance for the South West published early in 2001.

  Birmingham Northern Relief Road
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the net present cost is of the Birmingham Northern Relief Road project under the Private Finance Initiative; what the value is of the public sector comparators in(a) pre-risk and (b) risk adjusted terms; what risks are identified as having been transferred; and if he will make a statement. [131585]

  Mr. Hill
  The Birmingham Northern Relief Road is to be built, financed, operated and maintained by the concessionaire Midland Expressway Ltd. at its own cost and risk and without recourse to Government Funds or to Government guarantees. A cost benefit analysis carried out in 1991 showed the scheme proposed by Midland Expressway having a benefit: cost ratio of more than 2:1.

  Pollution
  Mr. Quinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Government Response to the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution's 21 report (Setting Environmental Standards) will be published. [132371]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government's Response to the Commission's Report on Setting Environmental Standards has been published today. I wish to express my thanks to the previous Chairman of the Commission, Sir John Houghton, the current Chairman, Sir Tom Blundell, and their colleagues for their continued commitment to issues which are of equal importance to the public as to the Government.

  The Government are responding positively to many of the points made by the Commission in its report on Setting Environmental Standards;
  On the significance of environmental standards the Government agree with the Commission that the nature of environmental standards has significantly changed over the last 30 years. There are more numerical standards, more standards set internationally and more formal techniques to aid decision-making. There is also increased recognition that environmental standards need to be seen more broadly, hence the emphasis the Government are putting on sustainable development.
  On procedures for setting standards the Government agree with the Commission that policy analysis needs to identify various components, such as scientific assessment, risk and economic appraisal. There is a need for transparency in the decision-making process and public values need to be articulated and considered.
  On scientific understanding the Government agree with the Commission that limitations and uncertainties in scientific understanding must be openly acknowledged, and that social and ethical considerations must be accounted for.
  On technological options the Government agree with the importance the Commission accords life cycle assessment as a tool for managing environmental impacts, and wishes to point out that they are actively addressing particular concerns on chemicals following the Chemicals Strategy.
  On risk and uncertainty the Government recognise the importance of transparent risk assessment and would like to point out that much work is in hand by the HSE and the Environment Agency, among others.
  On economic appraisal the Government agree with the Commission that economic appraisal is a part of all policy-making, although this can pose particular challenges as many environmental goods cannot be valued in money terms. As part of the "Modernising Government" work on good policy-making, the Cabinet Office has developed a "Toolkit for Policy-makers". The aim of this Toolkit is to ensure that policy makers take into account the impact of policy proposals on environment, business, charities and the voluntary sector, health, race, gender, the disabled, etc.
  On implementing environmental policies the Government agree that different instruments should be used in combination to achieve the best result; economic instruments and voluntary agreements are complementary to direct regulation and not alternatives.
  On articulating values the Government recognise that traditional methods of consultation are not always adequate, and are making a real effort to give attention to new, more open, participation methods.

  The full Response will be available on the Department website (www.detr.gov.uk) and I am placing copies in the Library.

  Road Traffic Offences
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to implement the proposal in his White Paper, entitled "Tomorrow's Roads, a Review of Penalties for Road Traffic Offences". [130304]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  I have been asked to reply.

  The work of the review of penalties for road traffic offences is almost complete. The Government hope to publish a consultation document, setting out the proposals of the review, shortly.

PRIME MINISTER

  House of Lords
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will break down the appointments to the House of Lords, by party affiliation, since 1 May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [123626]

  The Prime Minister
  The information requested is as follows:

  Appointments to the House of Lords since 1 May 19971

  Party

  New life peerages2

  Hereditaries who became life peers on 2 November 19993

  Law Lords

  Conservative

  30

  7

  —

  Labour4

  98

  2

  —

  Lib. Dem.

  31

  0

  —

  Crossbench

  27

  1

  4

  Other

  1

  —

  —

  1 Appointment is taken to mean the date on which a peerage was publicly announced

  2 Includes the right hon. Member for Huntingdon's (Mr. Major) Resignation Honours (10 Conservative, announced on 2 August 1997), but not his Dissolution Honours which were announced before 1 May 1997

  3 Four Hereditaries of first creation who accepted life peerages and six Hereditaries who were former Leaders of the House

  4 Includes Baroness Lester, now deceased

  The current position is that there are 233 Conservative peers, compared to 199 Labour peers and 63 Liberal Democrats. The remainder are 164 Crossbenchers, 26 archbishops and bishops and 10 others.

  From 1979 to 1997 the last Conservative Government created 365 peers (excluding Law Lords). Despite retaining an almost 4 to 1 advantage over Labour in the House of Lords the number of Conservative peers created was nearly double that of Labour peers. The party breakdown of these was as follows: Conservative 173, Labour 96, Liberal/SDP/Liberal Democrats 27 and Independent/Crossbencher 69.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Serious Fraud Office
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Solicitor-General when the Director of the Serious Fraud Office intends to publish her annual report. [132237]
  262W
  The Solicitor-General
  I can confirm that I have today placed copies of the annual report in the Libraries of the House.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  GM Seeds
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when Ministers in(a) his Department, (b) the DETR, (c) the Scotland Office, (d) the Wales Office, (e) the Northern Ireland Office and (f) the Cabinet Office were first informed of the contamination of Advanta rapeseed with GM varieties. [126859]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 19 June 2000]: MAFF Ministers were informed on 18 April. The co-ordination of Government policy in this area falls outside my ministerial responsibilities.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Government first informed(a) the Food Standards Agency, (b) English Nature, (c) the Scottish Executive, (d) the Welsh Assembly, (e) the Advisory Commission on Releases into the Environment and (f) the Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes that Advanta rapeseed had become contaminated with GM varieties. [126820]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 19 June 2000]: The co-ordination of Government policy in this area is not part of my ministerial responsibility.

  Agricultural Aid
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the administration costs of paying agricultural aid. [128304]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 29 June 2000]: The administration costs of paying agricultural aid was approximately £67.5 million in the last financial year. This figure covers the payment of some £2.2 billion under CAP and agri-environment schemes, and BSE emergency measures, by the Ministry's regional organisation and the Intervention Board. It also includes the cost of support work carried out by the Farming and Rural Conservation Agency and ADAS on the agri-environment schemes.

  Fallen Stock
  Sir Nicholas Lyell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of the national herds of cattle and national flocks of sheep which die each year and have to be disposed of as fallen stock; what estimates he has made of the costs involved; and to what extent such work is currently performed by hunts. [130264]

  Ms Quin
  This Department has made no estimates of the proportion of the cattle and sheep populations which have to be disposed of as fallen stock, or of the costs involved. However, the Meat and Livestock Commission estimates that for all livestock production, the proportion is between 2 and 4 per cent. For cattle, the Licensed Animal Slaughterers and Salvage Association has estimated the proportions as 7.5 per cent. (dairy) 3.5 per cent. (beef) and 5.5 per cent. (other cattle). A small-scale and limited survey carried out by this Department suggested that, of these
  263W
  fallen stock, around 40 per cent. of calves, 32 per cent. of adult bovines and 15 per cent. of sheep were disposed of to hunt kennels in 1999.

  Food Distribution Industry
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received from the Institute of Grocery Distribution in respect of a code of practice for buyers and sellers in the food chain. [130925]

  Ms Quin
  We have encouraged the major retailers to draw up a code of good practice covering business relationships throughout the food chain. The Institute of Grocery Distribution is facilitating this exercise and is keeping us informed of progress.

  Fisheries
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the level of quota swap which has occurred between sand eels and Baltic cod. [131252]

  Mr. Morley
  None. There have been no recent exchanges of quota between member states involving sand eels and Baltic cod.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the Government support the National Federation of Fishermen's Organisations and the Scottish Fishermen's Federation policy document, "Zonal management; a new vision of Europe's fisheries". [131352]

  Mr. Morley
  The Government welcome this document which makes a useful and constructive contribution to the debate on how to secure an improved regional dimension to the Common Fisheries Policy and greater involvement by fishermen in fisheries management.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on expenditure in the UK in the past three years from EU budget line B2–903A. [130786]

  Mr. Morley
  This is a new budget line established in 2000. I would refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to him on 28 June 2000,Official Report, column 497W, which explained its purpose and that it does not cover funding of national projects.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many vessels, broken down by nationality, fish for sand eels within the six and 12 mile limits. [130789]

  Mr. Morley
  Only UK vessels are able to fish for sand eels within the six to 12 mile limits. However, our records do not enable us to identify how many do so.

  Specified Risk Material
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if any specified risk material has been imported for destruction in this country. [131378]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: The Specified Risk Material Order 1997 and the Specified Risk Material (Northern Ireland) Order 1997, in force since 1 January 1998, do not permit the importation of SRM into the UK for destruction.
  264W
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the applications he has received seeking permission to import specified risk material into this country, indicating in each case the(a) name of the applicant, (b) date of the application and (c) outcome of the application. [131377]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: Since the introduction of the Specified Risk Material Order 1997 and the Specified Risk Material (Northern Ireland) Order 1977 on 1 January 1998, eight applications have been received to import SRM into the UK, all of which were approved. Details of the names of the applicants are commercially confidential.

  Central Science Laboratory
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will publish the 1999–2000 Annual Report for the Central Science Laboratory. [132367]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  The 1999–2000 Annual Report and Accounts for the Central Science Laboratory were laid before Parliament today. Copies are available in the Library of the House.

  Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme
  Mr. Ruffley
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many applications for resources allocated under the outgoers element of the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme have been made by pig producers(a) nationally, (b) in the Bury St. Edmunds parliamentary constituency and (c) in Suffolk. [131134]

  Ms Quin
  None; under state aid rules, we must await European Commission clearance of the Pig Industry Restructuring Scheme before opening the outgoers element for applications.

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many abattoirs have closed in each of the past 18 months. [131097]

  Ms Stuart
  I have been asked to reply.

  The number of abattoirs in Great Britain which ceased operating in each month from January 1999 to June 2000 is in the table.

  Fresh meat

  Poultry meat, farmed game meat and rabbit meat

  Full throughput

  Low throughput

  Full throughput

  Low throughput

  1999

  January

  —

  —

  1

  2

  February

  —

  2

  —

  1

  March

  —

  3

  —

  1

  April

  —

  3

  —

  2

  May

  2

  —

  —

  —

  June

  —

  2

  —

  —

  July

  —

  3

  —

  1

  August

  —

  —

  —

  —

  September

  —

  1

  —

  —

  October

  —

  2

  —

  —

  November

  1

  1

  —

  1

  December

  —

  2

  1

  —

  265W

  Fresh meat

  Poultry meat, farmed game meat and rabbit meat

  Full throughput

  Low throughput

  Full throughput

  Low throughput

  2000

  January

  —

  —

  —

  1

  February

  1

  —

  —

  —

  March

  3

  4

  1

  —

  April

  1

  —

  —

  —

  May

  2

  2

  —

  —

  June

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Total for Period

  10

  26

  3

  9

WALES

  Departmental Vehicles
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 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. [128995]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The only cars used by the Wales Office are provided for ministerial use by the Government Car Service, and no commercial vehicles are used. My Department does not have any agencies, and neither leases nor buys vehicles.

  The answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 19 July 2000, Official Report, column 191W, gives details for cars provided for the use of Ministers by the Government Car Service.

  New Deal
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales who have completed the New Deal once have(a) re-entered the gateway to New Deal for a second time and (b) progressed onto a second New Deal option. [130987]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  To the end of April 2000, 2,560 young people in Wales entered the gateway for a second time. Of these, 873 progressed onto a New Deal option.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many people in Wales who have been participants in(a) the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds, (b) the New Deal for those aged 25 and over and (c) the New Deal for older workers have subsequently enrolled on the New Deal for a second time. [130989]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  To the end of April 2000, 3,030 young people in Wales and 4,100 people aged 25+ entered the New Deal for a second time. Similar information is not available for the 50+ New Deal programme.

  Assembly
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what procedures are in place to monitor the effectiveness of the concordats between the Government and the Welsh Assembly. [131042]
  266W
  Mr. Paul Murphy
  My Office has responsibility for ensuring that the devolution settlement for Wales continues to be implemented as effectively as possible. This includes monitoring the mechanisms and procedures which have been put in place to deliver devolution.

  The concordats are informal and flexible agreements to which both parties commit themselves. The overarching and bilateral concordats provide for a review by the parties to them after one year of operation and thereafter at regular intervals.

  The Joint Ministerial Committee also keeps the broad operation of the settlement under review and looks at the effectiveness of concordats and bilateral relations in general.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April which requested information, pursuant to his previous answers. [131226]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  Between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 there were three parliamentary questions tabled to my Department which requested information pursuant to previous answers.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans his Department has for ministerial visits in(a) the rest of 2000 and (b) 2001 to (i) Bulgaria, (ii) Cyprus, (iii) the Czech Republic, (iv) Estonia, (v) Hungary, (vi) Latvia, (vii) Lithuania, (viii) Malta, (ix) Poland, (x) Romania, (xi) the Slovak Republic, (xii) Slovenia and (xiii) Turkey; and if he will make a statement. [130855]

  Mr. Vaz
  The ministerial visits programme for 2001 has not yet been agreed. For the remainder of 2000 the visits programme is as follows:

  (i) Bulgaria
  I intend to visit later this year.

  (ii) Cyprus
  I intend to visit later this year.

  (iii) Czech Republic
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will visit on 25–26 July. I intend to visit later this year.

  (iv) Estonia
  I intend to visit next year. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited last year and President Men visited the UK in March this year.

  (v) Hungary
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary will visit on 24–25 July.

  (vi) Latvia
  I intend to visit later this year.

  (vii) Lithuania
  I intend to visit later this year.

  (viii) Malta
  I visited earlier this month.
  267W
  (ix) Poland
  The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State Baroness Scotland attended the 'Community of Democracies' conference from 25–27 June.

  (x) Romania
  President Constantinescu and Foreign Minister Roman have both visited the UK this year. I do not intend to visit this year but hope to do so in early 2001 after the Romanian general elections.

  (xi) Slovak Republic
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited in March. I intend to visit later this year.

  (xii) Slovenia
  I intend to visit later this year.

  (xiii) Turkey
  The Minister of State my hon. Friend the Member for Leeds, West (Mr. Battle) intends to visit in November. I also intend to visit later this year.

  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the occasions in each year from 1995 to 2000 when(a) Bulgaria, (b) Cyprus, (c) the Czech Republic, (d) Estonia, (e) Hungary, (f) Latvia, (g) Lithuania, (h) Malta, (i) Poland, (j) Romania, (k) the Slovak Republic, (l) Slovenia and (m) Turkey received ministerial visits from his Department; in each instance indicating the (i) head of the UK delegation and (ii) length of stay; and if he will make a statement. [130854]

  Mr. Vaz
  It will take some time to collate all the information requested by the hon. Member. I will write to him once it is available and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

  Sanctions (Yugoslavia)
  Mr. Sarwar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action he plans to take following the admission by Romania that it broke United Nations sanctions against Yugoslavia. [130948]

  Mr. Hain
  The UK has consistently urged all states to comply fully with their obligations to implement and enforce mandatory United Nations sanctions. We understand that the Romanian Government is conducting an inquiry into allegations concerning violations of the UN sanctions against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia during the previous Romanian Administration.

  Middle East
  Mr. Sarwar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the latest Middle East talks chaired by President Clinton. [130951]

  Mr. Hain
  We welcome the summit at Camp David between the Israelis and Palestinians, called by President Clinton. It is an important event in the progress towards a Permanent Status Agreement. We encourage all participants to show the courage needed to reach an agreement which is just and lasting.

  Indonesia
  Mr. Sarwar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the ethnic conflict in Indonesia. [130953]
  268W
  Mr. Battle
  We have been deeply disturbed by reports of escalating violence in Maluku. Diplomatic efforts are focused on bringing pressure to bear on the Indonesian government to take effective action and bring the perpetrators of violence to justice. I discussed this with the Indonesian Ambassador on 3 July. The head of the Diplomatic Service raised our concerns directly with President Wahid on 4 July and EU Ambassadors reinforced this at a further meeting with the President on 17 July. There is an urgent need to respond to the growing humanitarian crisis. We are pressing the Indonesians to ensure guaranteed safe access and acceptance of a humanitarian response by UN agencies and Indonesian NGOs. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is working closely with the Indonesians on humanitarian co-ordination.

  Iran
  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of assassinations of Christian leaders in Iran in the past five years. [130773]

  Mr. Hain
  None, however I refer my hon. Friend to my answer today to his question UIN 130772,Official Report column 269W.

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage religious tolerance in Iran. [130771]

  Mr. Hain
  Human Rights are a high priority in our dealings with the Iranian Government. We and our EU partners take every appropriate opportunity to press the Iranian authorities over our concerns about their treatment of religious minorities in Iran, particularly the Bahai and Jewish communities. The Iranian authorities are well aware that we and our EU partners view persecution on religious grounds as totally unacceptable.

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received concerning religious liberty in Iran. [130792]

  Mr. Hain
  We receive reports from a number of sources on a wide range of human rights issues in Iran including religious liberty. These sources include among others our Embassy in Tehran, the UK and Iranian media, Amnesty International and the United Nations Commission of Human Rights Special Representative's annual reports. Most of these sources recognise that there have been a number of improvements in Iran since the election of President Khatami in 1997, but that a number of concerns remain. Our policy of engagement allows us to raise our concerns with the Iranian authorities.

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received concerning the activities of the Ministry of Islamic Guidance in Iran. [130790]

  Mr. Hain
  Our Embassy in Tehran has reported that the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance is responsible for issuing licences and control of all printed material, music, film and other cultural and touristic activities. It also has responsibility for maintaining religious standards.
  269W
  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Iranian authorities concerning the assassination of Christian pastors. [130772]

  Mr. Hain
  There have recently been a number of calls in Iran for further investigation into the appalling killings of four Christian clerics in 1994. We and our EU partners continue to hope that those responsible for these crimes will be brought to justice.

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Iranian authorities concerning(a) equality of access to education for all religions,(b) freedom of the press and (c) the death sentence for apostasy. [130791]

  Mr. Hain
  (a) and (c) are most relevant in the context of Iranian treatment of the Baha'i community. We and our EU partners regularly raise our concerns about Iranian treatment of the Baha'is. We do so bilaterally through our Embassy in Tehran, and the Iranian Ambassador to London. We also do so multilaterally through the twice yearly UN resolutions on Human Rights in Iran, which we sponsor in conjunction with our EU partners, the most recent of which was adopted in April.

  We also raise our concerns through the EU/Iran dialogue. On (b), at the last meeting in Tehran in June, the EU presidency, on behalf of all EU partners, pressed the Iranian authorities over our concern about the recent suppression of freedom of the press in Iran.

  Ministers' Spouses (Hospitality)
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those spouses of Ministers who within the last year have stayed as guests at the British(a) Embassy and (b) Residence in Lisbon when not accompanied by their Minister spouses; and if he will give the duration of the stay in each case. [131260]

  Mr. Vaz
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: The only unaccompanied ministerial spouse to stay at the Residence in Lisbon during the last year was my wife, Maria Fernandes, who stayed for one night on 26 June before the EU-India Business Summit on 27 June. As Minister for Europe, I had planned to attend the Summit but was forced to cancel owing to other ministerial duties. Ms Fernandes attended the Summit in her own right as a Member of the Council of the Law Society for Ethnic Minorities and met her own travel expenses to and from the Summit.

  TV Licence Discounts
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government have taken to ensure that people who are partially sighted claim their entitled discount on their TV licence; and if he will make a statement. [130289]

  Janet Anderson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The 50 per cent. reduction in the television licence fee which the Government introduced on 1 April this year is available to all registered blind people. Statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system, including concessions, rests with the BBC. I understand that the BBC's agent, TV Licensing, is
  270W
  including details of the concession in letters that are being sent to every household about free television licences for the over-75s. Additional leaflets have also been produced, with audio and Braille versions. Other promotional activity includes local radio trails, information on the BBC's Website and liaison with community links and outreach centres. The BBC has liaised with the Royal National Institute for the Blind on the subject of this concession and Post Office Counters staff have been informed of it.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Winter Fuel Payments
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners in the Carlisle constituency received Winter Fuel Payments in(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000; and how much was paid in total in each of those years. [127807]

  Angela Eagle
  The administration of Winter Fuel Payments is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Eric Martlew, dated 20 July 2000:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many pensioners in the Carlisle constituency received Winter Fuel Payments (WFPs) in (a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000; and how much was paid in total in each of those years.
  In 1998/99, there were 13,157 WFPs made in the Carlisle constituency totalling £283,210. In 1999–00, there were 14,938 payments totalling £1,138,350.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the total amount spent on Cold Weather Payments and Winter Fuel Payments to pensioners in Warrington, North constituency for each year since 1979. [127316]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 26 June 2000]: The administration of Cold Weather and Winter Fuel Payments is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Helen Jones, dated 20 July 2000:
  The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for the total amount spent on Cold Weather Payments (CWPs) and Winter Fuel Payments (WFPs) to pensioners in the Warrington North constituency for each year since 1979.
  The information requested on CWPs is not available. CWP information is collected on the estimated number of qualifying customers, which include non-pensioners, and by weather station area rather than by Benefits Agency district or MP constituency areas. There are no details held of CWPs before 1995/96. The information that is available is provided in the attached table.
  The Warrington North constituency was served by the Manchester Airport (Ringway) weather station until the winter of 1995/96 and by Crosby weather station since 1996. These weather stations also cover postcodes outside of the Warrington North constituency.
  WFPs were introduced in the winter of 1997/98. In 1997/98, WFP expenditure for Warrington North constituency was £258,170; in 1998/99 it was £239,780; and in 1999/00 it was £963,700.
  I hope this is helpful.
  271W

  Estimated qualifiers and total expenditure on Cold Weather Payments since the winter of 1995–96 at the weather stations linked to Warrington, North constituency

  Estimated number of qualifiers

  Total expenditure (£)

  Weather station

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1995–96

  1996–97

  Ringway

  244,000

  —

  16,213,000

  —

  Crosby

  —

  232,000

  —

  21,971,000

  1 Three periods of cold weather were triggered at Ringway weather station in 1995–96

  2 One period of cold weather triggered at Crosby weather station in 1996–97

  Notes:

  1. The figures provided are rounded to the nearest £1,000

  2. No data are held for periods prior to 1995–96

  3. Figures for estimated qualifiers include non-pensioners.

  4. An estimate of the number of pensioners among the estimated qualifiers is not available.

  5. No periods of cold weather have triggered at either station since 1996–97.

  6. All Postcode areas served by the weather stations are detailed in Schedule 1 of the Social Fund Cold Weather payments (General) Regulations.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many valid Winter Fuel Payment claims for the years(a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999 are outstanding; and when he expects all these payments to be completed. [130125]

  Angela Eagle
  Under the original Winter Fuel Payment scheme, before changes in light of the European Court of Justice ruling on 'Taylor', Winter Fuel Payments were made automatically to those entitled. Claims were not required. All payments for last winter were made before Christmas 1999.

  However, in light of the changes, those who are now eligible to Winter Fuel Payments must make a claim for payments for any of the past winters if they think they are eligible (1997–98, 1998–99 and 1999–2000).

  We are currently processing these claims and payments for past winters are being made just as soon as the claims are determined. The first payments were issued in the week commencing 26 June 2000 and our current plan is that all payments should be issued by the end of September.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 25 May 2000,Official Report, column 618W, how many people were denied Winter Fuel Payments because they were in temporary respite care from 20 to 26 September 1999; what the cost would be of paying them Winter Fuel Payments; and for what reason the revisions to regulations were not applied in respect of such people. [130126]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is not available in the format requested. Under the original Winter Fuel Payment scheme people living in residential care or nursing homes who received Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance were not eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment (unless they were a member of a couple admitted temporarily while their partner remained in the family home). This provision was made on the basis that people in such situations were already receiving public assistance with their care costs—which includes heating.
  272W
  However, in the light of representations highlighting some difficult cases, we changed the eligibility conditions of the scheme. The new provision means that people getting Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance and living in residential care or nursing homes for a temporary period1 are eligible for a Winter Fuel Payment based on their usual household circumstances.

  The Social Fund legislation was amended in time to take effect for this coming winter's payments. We have no power to make regulations retrospectively therefore the changes cannot apply to previous winters.

  1 'temporary' for the purposes of the Winter Fuel Payment scheme is less than 13 weeks by the end of the qualifying week.

  Pensioner Incomes
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what, in each European Union country, the(a) average pensioner income and (b) average state pension, is on a comparable basis; and what each of these figures was at the beginning of 1997. [130690]

  Mr. Rooker
  The information is not available in the format requested. Information in relation to Great Britain pensioner income is set out in The Pensioners' Incomes Series.

  PFI Contracts
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the estimated rate of return on capital is to the contractors under the PFI contracts in his Department. [131348]

  Angela Eagle
  We currently have only one PFI contract, the Private Sector Resource Initiative for Management of the Estate (PRIME), and this information is commercially confidential to the contractor, Trillium.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the total paid in 1999 by fathers to their children via the CSA; and what was the total unpaid liability. [131108]

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

  Letter from Mrs. Faith Boardman to Mr. Gerald Howarth, dated 20 July 2000:
  I am replying to your Parliamentary Question to the Secretary of State for Social Security about the Child Support Agency.
  During 1999/2000, CSA collected and arranged almost £731m in child maintenance. Of this money, over £492m was passed via the Agency's collection service and the remainder arranged by the Agency but passed directly between the Non-resident parent (NRP) and the Parent with Care (PWC). The figure of £731m represents an 11% increase over the previous year and is nearly double the figure (£400m) for 96/97. A small part of the money collected will have represented arrears owed from previous years but paid during 1999/00.
  Unfortunately, figures are not available to say exactly how much liability was not met, but the Department's statistical division has estimated that just under £210m was unpaid in 1999/00. This does not include interim assessments set deliberately high in order to encourage non-compliant NRP's to co-operate and provide the details to make a full assessment.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Minimum Income Guarantee
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioners receive the Minimum Income Guarantee and live in the London Borough of Wandsworth. [131472]

  Mr. Rooker
  There are around 7,400 pensioners benefiting from the Minimum Income Guarantee in the local authority area of Wandsworth.

  Source:

  Data drawn from Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, February 2000

  Pensions
  Mr. Gardiner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will provide a breakdown of his calculation of the estimated total spending on pensions during the life of this Parliament. [131488]

  Mr. Rooker
  Information on actual and forecast Social Security expenditure on people aged 60 or over during the life of this Parliament is shown in Table 3 of the Social Security Departmental Report (Cm 4614) as Objective 4, "Support for people over working age".

  Households Below Average Income
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security where the 1998–99 Households Below Average Income Statistics was available to(a) hon. Members and (b) the public on the day it was published. [131523]

  Mr. Bayley
  On 13 July, copies of "Households Below Average Income" were placed in the library. Copies of all departmental publications are available to hon. Members on request.

  Copies were on sale to the public directly from the publisher. Volumes were also available for reference in the library of the Office for National Statistics.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral answer of 17 July 2000,Official Report, column 7–8, if he will identify the specific results from his Department's Households Below Average Income report on which he based his statement that the proportion of pensioners living in poverty was the same in 1998–99 as in the last year of the previous Parliament. [131582]

  Mr. Bayley
  I refer the hon. Member to the table on Page 135 of "Households Below Average Income 1994–95 to 1998–99". This shows that the proportion of pensioners living below a threshold of 60 per cent. of median income, after housing costs, remained static at 27 per cent. between 1996–97 and 1998–99.

  Disability Living Allowance (Multiple Sclerosis)
  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the difficulties facing individuals who suffer from relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis in seeking to qualify for Disability Living Allowance. [131219]

  Mr. Bayley
  Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance (DLA) is based on a person's needs, and not in recognition of their specific medical condition. People with multiple sclerosis, as with other potentially disabling conditions, are 274W
  therefore asked to state their care and mobility needs arising from their condition when completing a DLA claim form. Decision makers are given information on the needs arising from disabilities, including multiple sclerosis, in the "Disability Handbook", which is compiled by senior doctors in the Department and approved and monitored by the Disability Living Allowance Advisory Board.

  With conditions such as remitting-relapsing multiple sclerosis, decision makers must consider the help required over a period of time. Due to the variable nature of this condition, the Disability Handbook advises decision makers that a medical report may be helpful where a person's needs over a period of time are unclear.

  If someone claiming DLA is dissatisfied with the decision on their application (including on the grounds that the decision does not adequately recognise a fluctuating condition), they can ask for it to be looked at again or they can appeal the decision to an independent tribunal.

  We are exploring alternatives to the current tests for DLA. Following discussions with groups representing disabled people, we have developed a possible approach based on an assessment of activities involved in managing life. We plan to commence trialling this early next year, to see if it would lead to a better system.

  Fraud
  Mr. Ruffley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what discussions his Department has had with the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of(a) St. Edmundsbury borough council and (b) Mid Suffolk district council; and if he will make a statement. [131133]

  Mr. Rooker
  None.

  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if his Department has a target to reduce fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance by 10 per cent. by 2002. [131605]

  Mr. Rooker
  We have now raised our targets with a view to reducing losses from fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker' s Allowance by 25 per cent. by March 2004 and by 50 per cent. by March 2006. The expectation is that by March 2002 at least 10 per cent. will have been saved.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 have not received substantive answers, citing as the reason that the information is(a) not held centrally, (b) not held in the form requested and (c) not available. [131233]

  Mr. Rooker
  Of the 1,815 questions we received during this period, we answered two questions where the information was not held centrally1, 108 questions where the information was not available in the form requested and 25 questions where the information was not available.

  1 These were answers where the information was not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Tourism
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what per capita Government spending on tourism was in(a) England, (b) Scotland, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland in this last financial year; and what the planned figures are for the current year. [129724]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: Grant-in-aid to the national tourist boards and per capita spend for the last financial year as well as planned figures for the current year are set out in the table.

  GIA (£ million)

  Population (million)

  £ per head (£/pence)

  BTA

  1999–2000

  34.5

  57.78

  0.60

  2000–01

  35.5

  58.01

  0.61

  ETC

  1999–2000

  10

  49.73

  0.20

  2000–01

  10

  49.96

  0.20

  STB

  1999–2000

  19.6

  5.12

  3.82

  2000–01

  24.3

  5.11

  4.76

  WTB

  1999–2000

  15.436

  2.94

  5.25

  2000–01

  15.436

  2.95

  5.23

  NITB

  1999–2000

  13.9

  1.70

  8.18

  2000–01

  13.9

  1.70

  8.18

  Notes:

  1. An additional £2.8 million was made available to the ETC over 2 years for the transition costs of transforming the English Tourist Board to the more strategic English Tourism Council

  Distributor

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  Arts Council of England

  3,111,553

  168,688

  57,790

  14,732

  Millennium Commission

  0

  945,947

  0

  0

  National Lottery Charities Board

  463,455

  927,072

  2,052,365

  264,205

  New Opportunities Fund

  0

  0

  1,056,702

  213,967

  Sport England

  35,098

  49,771

  13,360

  9,209

  UK Sport

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000 which requested information, pursuant to his previous answers. [131189]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: Thirty four such questions were tabled to my Department.

HEALTH

  Acute Hospital Beds
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many acute hospital beds there are per 1,000 of local populations in each health authority area of England and Wales; and how many such beds there will be in the
  276W
  2. All population figures are BTA's estimates based on the 'Annual Abstract of Statistics—2000 Edition'

  3. The population of Britain under BTA excludes Northern Ireland

  4. BTA grant-in-aid excludes Focus London grant (£1.5 million in 1999–2000 and 2000–01)

  5. STB 2000–01 grant-in-aid includes additional "special projects" funding

  Departmental Initiatives
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list each departmental initiative since May 1997 requiring bids for funding together with the total resources available, the number of successful bids and the proportion this represents of total bids received; and what data he collects on the average expenditure of organisations bidding for funding through each initiative. [131081]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  New spending plans for the years 2001–02 and 2003–04 were considered in the current Spending Review. The outcome of the Review was announced on 18 July.

  Lottery Funding
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much Lottery funding has been awarded by(a) the Arts Council of England, (b) the Millennium Commission, (c) the National Lotteries Charities Board, (d) the New Opportunities Fund, (e) Sport England and (f) UK Sport to organisations and individuals in Shrewsbury and Atcham in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [131135]

  Kate Hoey
  The table shows the amount of Lottery funding, according to my Department's National Lottery Awards Database, for each of the six distributors requested for each year since 1997.

  Worcestershire health authority area per 1,000 of population after the complete implementation of the authority's Investing in Excellence strategy. [125457]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 12 June 2000]: We are committed to ensuring more beds in the whole care system. The average daily number of acute beds in 1998–99 by National Health Service trusts in England aggregated to health authority location, per 1,000 population, is given in the table. Figures for Wales are a matter for the devolved administration. There are no acute beds in this health authority because patients are treated within acute trusts in the neighbouring Birmingham health authority area, which, as a result, has a higher than average figure.

  The important issue for the health service in Worcestershire is the number of patients who need to be treated and the appropriateness of their care. In line with this, the current estimate is that following hospital reorganisation there will be approximately 1,400 acute and

  277W
  community based beds available across Worcestershire. There will be more high dependency unit and intensive care unit beds in the new acute hospital for Worcester due to the investment the Government have made to modernise services in Worcestershire. The Government have awarded Worcestershire health authority a special allocation over the last two years to help with the re-configuration of their health services, amounting to £3.5 million in 1998–99 and £4.5 million in 1999–2000.

  The report of the Government's National Beds Inquiry, set up to review assumptions about the demand for inpatient care and the implications for hospital bed numbers, was published for consultation on 10 February 2000. The consultation, which completed on 15 May, focused on how health services, and specifically hospital beds, should be developed over the next 10–20 years. The aim of the consultation is to enable us to get the right number of the right sort of beds in the right places. Our response to the consultation will be published in the summer.

  Average daily number of available acute beds per 1,000 population, wards open overnight (ie 24 hours), by NHS trusts aggregated to health authority location, 1998–99

  Health authority

  Acute beds per 1,000 population

  Avon

  2.12

  Barking and Havering

  1.81

  Barnet

  1.23

  Barnsley

  2.28

  Bedfordshire

  1.11

  Berkshire

  1.48

  Bexley and Greenwich

  1.53

  Birmingham

  3.38

  Bradford

  2.19

  Brent and Harrow

  1.50

  Bromley

  1.17

  Buckinghamshire

  1.75

  Bury and Rochdale

  2.41

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  1.61

  Cambridge and Huntingdon

  2.68

  Camden and Islington

  6.32

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  1.78

  County Durham

  1.95

  Coventry

  3.74

  Croydon

  1.47

  Doncaster

  2.39

  Dorset

  2.24

  Dudley

  2.48

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  2.47

  East Kent

  1.83

  East Lancashire

  2.42

  East London and The City

  3.13

  East Norfolk

  2.28

  East Riding

  2.07

  East Surrey

  0.72

  East Sussex

  1.86

  Enfield and Haringey

  1.49

  Gateshead and South Tyneside

  2.36

  Gloucester

  2.08

  Herefordshire

  1.81

  Hillingdon

  1.13

  Isle of Wight

  1.86

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  4.31

  Kingston and Richmond

  1.32

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  3.13

  Leeds

  2.98

  Leicestershire

  2.02

  Lincolnshire

  2.04

  Liverpool

  3.18

  Manchester

  5.39

  278W

  Average daily number of available acute beds per 1,000 population, wards open overnight (ie 24 hours), by NHS trusts aggregated to health authority location, 1998–99

  Health authority

  Acute beds per 1,000 population

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  2.00

  Morecambe Bay

  2.32

  Newcastle and North Tyneside

  3.27

  North and East Devon

  2.64

  North and East Hertfordshire

  1.33

  North and Mid Hampshire

  1.21

  North Cheshire

  1.78

  North Cumbria

  2.09

  North Derbyshire

  1.42

  North Essex

  1.56

  North Nottinghamshire

  2.25

  North Staffordshire

  2.42

  North West Anglia

  2.08

  North West Lancashire

  3.07

  North Yorkshire

  1.88

  Northamptonshire

  1.73

  Northumberland

  2.75

  Nottingham

  2.75

  Oxfordshire

  2.39

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  1.73

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  1.77

  Rotherham

  1.88

  Salford and Trafford

  2.60

  Sandwell

  1.86

  Sefton

  4.05

  Sheffield

  3.73

  Shropshire

  1.86

  Solihull

  0.00

  Somerset

  2.01

  South and West Devon

  2.78

  South Cheshire

  1.75

  South Derbyshire

  1.87

  South Essex

  1.30

  South Humber

  2.28

  South Lancashire

  2.07

  South Staffordshire

  1.34

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  2.43

  St. Helens and Knowsley

  1.93

  Stockport

  1.92

  Suffolk

  1.53

  Sunderland

  2.27

  Tees

  2.87

  Wakefield

  2.82

  Walsall

  1.76

  Warwickshire

  1.46

  West Hertfordshire

  1.42

  West Kent

  1.63

  West Pennine

  2.11

  West Surrey

  2.23

  West Sussex

  1.83

  Wigan and Bolton

  1.95

  Wiltshire

  3.05

  Wirral

  2.85

  Wolverhampton

  2.55

  Worcester

  1.52

  Source:

  DH form KHO3

  The figures in the table have been created by aggregating data from NHS trusts to health authorities determined by the location of the NHS Trust's main site. Therefore, where NHS trusts have hospital sites which cross health authority boundaries (e.g. Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull) the figures do not reflect the actual number of beds located within those health authorities.
  279W
  The latest figures are for 1998–99 and are available in the annual publication 'Bed Availability and Occupancy, England', copies of which are in the Library.

  NDPBs (Appointments)
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of the(a) paid and (b) unpaid appointments which he has made to non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997 were women. [129840]

  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 11 July 2000]: A total of 429 appointments have been made to non-departmental public bodies since 1 May 1997. 289 of these were paid appointments, of which 105 (36.3 per cent.) were women. 140 were unpaid appointments, of which 51 (36.4 per cent.) were women. In addition, a total of 3,400 appointments have been made to the boards of National Health Service Trusts, health authorities and primary care trusts since 1 May 1997. All these posts are paid, and 1,695 (49.8 per cent.) of those appointed were women.

  We are committed to increasing the representation of women in public life. In support of this the Department has drawn up an action plan for increasing the number of women and people from the ethnic minorities holding public appointments. The latest plans, together with the Government's overall plan, were published on 24 May 2000 in "Quangos: Opening up Public Appointments 2000–2003", copies of which are available in the Library.

  Ambulance Service (Tees, East and North Yorkshire)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has made to TENYAS for additional funding to enable it to meet the ORCON standards. [130423]

  Ms Stuart
  On 16 May 2000 we announced an additional £21 million to achieve ORCON standards, of which the Tees, East and North Yorkshire Ambulance Service National Health Service Trust (TENYAS) received £720,390.

  Glyphosates
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the maximum safe level is of glyphosates for daily intake, per kilogram of body weight per day. [131005]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 17 July 2000]: I have been asked to reply.

  The World Health Organisation has established an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for glyphosate of a maximum of 0.3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. The ADI is the amount of a chemical which can be consumed every day of an individual's entire lifetime in the practical certainty, on the basis of all known facts, that no harm will result.

  E.coli
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many persons suffered from the E.coli bacterium during the most recent 12 months for which figures are available; and what assessment he has made of the trends in the frequency of such outbreaks. [131419]
  280W
  Ms Stuart
  Provisional figures indicate there were 1,084 confirmed isolations of verocytotoxin-producing "E.coli" 0157 (VTEC 0157) from humans in England and Wales in 1999.

  There has been a rising trend in laboratory reports of VTEC 0157 from humans in England and Wales during the 1990s.

  Midwifery
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the consultation process for his draft orders on regulation of midwives and other professions will commence. [131313]

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the timescale for consulting with the Stakeholder Reference Group on midwifery regulations. [130817]

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress the Government are making on consultation prior to introducing legislation required for the regulation of midwives and midwifery. [131308]

  Mr. Denham
  Consultation on the new legislation will begin shortly.

  NHS Contracts
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the NHS contracts, with their annual value, undertaken by private sector companies for the provision of goods and services for the financial years(a) 1998–99 and (b) 1999–2000. [131156]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  PFI Contracts
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer to my hon. Friend the Member for North Devon (Mr. Harvey) of 3 July 2000,Official Report, column 46W, which major private finance initiative new hospital scheme has had a penalty clause invoked; what the nature of the breach of contract was; and what the penalty was under that clause. [130840]

  Mr. Denham
  The only instance to date of a penalty clause being invoked on a new major private finance initiative hospital scheme has been for the failure of the electrical power supply system at South Buckinghamshire National Health Service Trust. The exact value of the penalty has yet to be finalised.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) acute and (b) immediate case beds are included in hospital projects currently being pursued under the PFI in (i) the outline business case and (ii) the final contract. [131347]

  Mr. Denham
  Figures for bed numbers are provided for all the major private finance initiative hospital schemes (capital value £25 million or over) which have a
  281W
  signed final contract. 'Acute' beds is interpreted as meaning all staffed in-patient beds excluding day case beds. In addition to providing the indicative requirement

  Trust

  Current number of in-patient beds

  Number of in-patient beds proposed in the OBC

  Number of in-patient beds in PFI scheme

  Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust

  453

  400

  402

  Carlisle Hospitals NHS Trust

  1—

  474

  444

  South Buckinghamshire NHS Trust

  550

  537

  537

  Norfolk and Norwich NHS Trust

  955

  809

  953

  North Durham Health Care NHS Trust

  544

  565

  476

  Greenwich Healthcare NHS Trust

  588

  621

  571

  Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust

  704

  569

  569

  South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust

  882

  881

  910

  Bromley Healthcare NHS Trust

  621

  540

  525

  Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust

  437

  406

  426

  Worcester Royal Infirmary NHS Trust

  483

  390

  474

  Hereford Hospitals NHS Trust

  379

  340

  340

  South Durham Healthcare NHS Trust

  334

  304

  304

  South Tees Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  1,033

  955

  1,010

  Swindon and Marlborough NHS Trust

  540

  516

  463

  King's Healthcare NHS Trust

  903

  895

  902

  St. George's Hospital NHS Trust

  1,026

  1,017

  1,050

  University College London Hospitals NHS Trust (UCLH)

  660

  619

  664

  1 New PFI hospital now fully open

  All of these schemes apart from UCLH reached financial close before the publication of the National Beds Inquiry (NBI) report. NHS trusts and health authorities were not required to specifically identify intermediate care bed provision as part of their service planning strategies.

  UCLH revised its general and acute bed numbers in the light of the NBI report. Also following from the NBI report, all PH and publicly funded hospital schemes under construction and which involve reductions in bed numbers have been instructed to ensure that parallel plans, for example for expanding intermediate care, should be established as quickly as possible.

  Muslim Patients
  Mr. Sarwar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy on caring for Muslim patients. [130949]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Department's strategy for meeting the needs of minority ethnic communities, including Muslims, is to mainstream race equality issues into all aspects of its work, including policy development, NHS and social care service delivery and workforce issues. This approach was set out in the race equality agenda of the Department, published in January, and copies have been placed in the Library.

  Primary Care Groups and Trusts
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the reasons for setting up(a) primary care groups and (b) primary care trusts; and what estimate he has made of the overall impact of the establishment of groups and trusts on the numbers employed in the administration of the Health Service. [131306]

  Mr. Denham
  Primary care groups and trusts are already making real differences to the way services are being provided to benefit patients across the country.
  282W
  as identified in the outline business case and those to be provided under the PFI solution we have also provided the current number of staffed in-patient beds.

  They have begun to integrate the delivery of primary and community services and have started to build real partnerships with social services.

  That is why they are a key part of our programme for improving care, through empowering clinicians to deliver accessible, convenient local services for patients.

  In September 1999 the numbers employed in administration and estates in the health service was 204,620 (an increase of 3 per cent.). It is estimated that the real terms savings in year on total National Health Service management costs for the financial year 1998–99 were in excess of £65 million.

  Drug Addiction
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number of places currently available for in-patient treatment for drug addiction in each county in England. [131315]

  Ms Stuart
  The information requested is not collected centrally. The number of hospital admissions in 1998–99 of National Health Service and private patients for diagnoses relating to drug misuse are shown in the table, by health authority of treatment. The data do not include treatment in private hospitals.

  Number of drug addiction related admissions to NHS hospitals of NHS and private patients by health authority of treatment, England 1998–99

  Health authority

  Number of admissions

  England

  9,282

  QA2 Hillingdon

  43

  QA3 Kensington Chelsea and Westminster

  134

  QA4 Enfield and Haringey

  60

  QA5 Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  80

  QA6 Bedfordshire

  40

  283W

  Number of drug addiction related admissions to NHS hospitals of NHS and private patients by health authority of treatment, England 1998–99

  Health authority

  Number of admissions

  QA7 Berkshire

  42

  QA8 Buckinghamshire

  39

  QA9 Cambridge and Huntingdon

  187

  QAA Bexley and Greenwich

  55

  QAC Bromley

  455

  QAD Croydon

  4

  QAE East Kent

  44

  QAF West Kent

  116

  QAG Kingston and Richmond

  28

  QAH Lambeth Southwark and Lewisham

  45

  QAJ Merton Sutton and Wandsworth

  211

  QAK East Surrey

  29

  QAL West Surrey

  138

  QAM East Sussex Brighton and Hove

  150

  QAN West Sussex

  11

  QAP Barking and Havering

  29

  QAQ Barnet

  1

  QAR Brent and Harrow

  55

  QAT Camden and Islington

  132

  QAV Ealing Hammersmith and Hounslow

  175

  QAW East London and The City

  94

  QAX North Essex

  90

  QAY South Essex

  126

  QC1 South Lancashire

  57

  QC2 Liverpool

  316

  QC3 Manchester

  103

  QC4 Morecambe Bay

  55

  QC5 St. Helens and Knowsley

  51

  QC6 Salford and Trafford

  467

  QC7 Sefton

  73

  QC8 Stockport

  17

  QC9 West Pennine

  134

  QCA East Norfolk

  97

  QCC Northamptonshire

  33

  QCD North West Anglia

  36

  QCE Oxfordshire

  83

  QCF Suffolk

  53

  QCG Barnsley

  253

  QCH North Derbyshire

  24

  QCJ South Derbyshire

  49

  QCK Doncaster

  63

  QCL Leicestershire

  127

  QCM Lincolnshire

  142

  QCN North Nottingamshire

  45

  QCP Nottingham

  253

  QCQ Rotherham

  118

  QCR Sheffield

  168

  QCT Bury and Rochdale

  61

  QCV North Cheshire

  73

  QCW South Cheshire

  92

  QCX East Lancashire

  81

  QCY North West Lancashire

  68

  QD1 North and Mid Hampshire

  38

  QD2 Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  304

  QD3 Southampton and South West Hampshire

  44

  QD4 Isle of Wight

  33

  QD5 Somerset

  67

  QD6 South and West Devon

  97

  QD7 Wiltshire

  76

  QD8 Avon

  112

  QD9 Birmingham

  85

  QDA Wigan and Bolton

  111

  QDC Wirral

  150

  QDD Bradford

  51

  QDE County Durham

  96

  QDF East Riding

  37

  QDG Gateshead and South Tyneside

  49

  QDH Leeds

  68

  284W

  Number of drug addiction related admissions to NHS hospitals of NHS and private patients by health authority of treatment, England 1998–99

  Health authority

  Number of admissions

  QDJ Newcastle and North Tyneside

  110

  QDK North Cumbria

  48

  QDL South Humber

  46

  QDM Northumberland

  53

  QDN Sunderland

  59

  QDP Tees

  222

  QDQ Wakefield

  61

  QDR North Yorkshire

  43

  QDT Calderdale and Kirlees

  70

  QDV Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  61

  QDW Dorset

  186

  QDX North and East Devon

  97

  QDY Gloucestershire

  122

  QEA Coventry

  86

  QEC Dudley

  59

  QED Herefordshire

  3

  QEE Sandwell

  2

  QEF Shropshire

  155

  QEG Solihull

  11

  QEH North Staffordshire

  139

  QEJ South Staffordshire

  174

  QEK Walsall

  43

  QEL Warwickshire

  60

  QEM Wolverhampton

  36

  QEN Worcestershire

  47

  QEP East and North Hertfordshire

  26

  QEQ West Hertfordshire

  40

  Notes:

  1. The data relate to admissions where the primary condition is shown as belonging to one of the following International Classification Diseases (ICD revision 10) diseases—Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of: opioids (F11); cannabinoids (F12), sedatives or hypnotics (F13); cocaine (F14); other stimulants, including caffeine (F15); hallucinogens (F16); volatile solvents (F18); multiple drug use and use of other psychoactive substances (F 19).

  2. Data in this table are grossed for both coverage and unknown/ invalid clinical data.

  Contractual Liabilities
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many health authorities, NHS trusts or social services departments engaged Mrs. Jenny Upshall as a consultant or trainer or in any other capacity during the time she worked for Integrate Services in Warrington; and if he will estimate the cost of these services to the NHS; [130670]

  (2) what advice was given to the North Cheshire Health Authority on the use of NHS funds to underwrite redundancy payments to Mr. T. Upshall and Mrs. J. Upshall of Integrate Services by (a) his Department, (b) the North-west Regional Office and (c) other public bodies; and if he will place copies of that advice in the Library. [130705]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: Full details of Mrs. Upshall' s employment history are not held by the Department. North Cheshire Health Authority took legal advice about underwriting redundancy payments; neither the Department centrally or regionally, nor any other public body as far as I can ascertain, were approached for guidance.

  Pregnancy and Sexually Transmitted Diseases (Young People in Care)
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reason his Department does not collect data on the incidence of pregnancy and sexually-transmitted diseases among young people who are in the care of the state; and if he will make a statement. [131416]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 19 July 2000]: The Department does not collect data through social care systems on the incidence of pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases among young people who are in the care of the state. Young people over 16 and those under 16 who are deemed to be Gillick-competent have the right to seek medical advice for pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases without the consent or knowledge of parents or carers.

  Within the Quality Protects programme, the Department does require councils to draw up proposals for assessing and reducing rates of teenage pregnancy in their areas, especially among those young people for whom they have parenting responsibilities.

  CJD
  Mr. David Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many of the cases of confirmed or probable new variant CJD in the UK have been individuals who have lived in Leicestershire; what assessment he has made of whether this constitutes a cluster which is unlikely to have occurred by chance; what investigation into this problem in Leicestershire is planned; and if he will make a statement. [131213]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 19 July 2000]: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stockport (Ms Coffey) on 17 July 2000, Official Report, column 78W.

  Radiographers
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make it his policy to publish annually the decisions of the Radiographers Board in relation to applications from foreign qualified radiographers to work as diagnostic radiographers in the UK, indicating the number who(a) apply by country, (b) are rejected by country, (c) appeal successfully and (d) after an adaptation period are accepted by the Board, stating the length of adaptation period. [131217]

  Mr. Denham
  I understand that decisions of the Radiographers Board relating to applications from radiographers qualified in other member states of the European Economic Area are provided biennially to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, together with decisions made by all other competent authorities in the member states. The combined figures for all member states are published biennially by the European Commission. The figures for 1997–98 were published on 1 May 2000 and are available from the European Commission Rue de la Loi 200, B, 1049, Brussels, Belgium under reference number MARKT/ D4/8550/2-EN. Information about applications from other foreign qualified radiographers is available from the Radiographers Board on request.
  286W
  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons German-trained radiographers are not accepted by the Radiographers Board for work in the United Kingdom until they have completed a period of adaptation. [131218]

  Mr. Denham
  This is a matter for the Radiographers Board of the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine. The Board may require applicants from member states of the European Economic Area to complete an adaptation period or take an aptitude test where the education and training they have received differs substantially from those required for registration in the United Kingdom.

  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many radiographers qualified in Germany, who applied to the Radiographers Board for registration in the UK as diagnostic radiographers and have been rejected until they have completed a period of adaptation, have successfully appealed against the decision in the last three years. [131220]

  Mr. Denham
  This is a matter for the Radiographers Board of the Council of Professions Supplementary to Medicine, but I understand that there have been no successful appeals against a Board decision.

  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many radiographers who qualified in Germany and have applied for registration as a diagnostic radiographer to the Radiographers Board have been registered in each of the last three years. [131221]

  Mr. Denham
  The Radiographers Board has informed me that in 1997 there were two applications from German-trained radiographers of whom one was registered and one was given a period of 12 months adaptation; in 1998, there were no applications; and in 1999 there was one application which resulted in a 12 month period of adaptation. Both have successfully completed the period of adaptation and have been registered.

  "Protecting Children, Supporting Parents"
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many responses have been received to his Department's consultative paper entitled "Protecting Children, Supporting Parents" which organisations and individuals responded to the consultation; if he will place copies of the responses in the Library; and when he plans to publish the Government's proposals. [131236]

  Mr. Hutton
  Responses to the consultation document "Protecting Children, Supporting Parents" are still being logged, but over 865 responses had been received by the end of April 2000.

  This substantial set of responses is currently being analysed and once this is complete, a summary of the views will be published, together with our proposals. We expect this to be available in the autumn.

  It is not normal practice to list the names of all those who have responded, nor to place copies of responses in the Library, and we have no plans to do so. It is of course open to individuals and organisations to make their responses public, should they wish to do so.

  HC1 Forms
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he will take to simplify the HC1 form in order to reduce the number of forms which are incorrectly filled in. [130972]

  Ms Stuart
  The HC1 claim form has to collect all the information needed to calculate entitlement to help with health costs under the National Health Service Low Income Scheme. The options for making it simpler are therefore limited. It is already written in plain english, set out in sections and is fully "signposted" to guide people through it. It has been amended recently and the effectiveness of the latest version will be monitored closely.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many written parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April; and how many have not received substantive answers, with disproportionate cost cited as the reason. [131223]

  Ms Stuart
  Of the 2,797 Questions tabled to the Department in the period between 19 October 1999 and 20 April 2000, we were unable to answer nine questions wholly or partially without incurring disproportionate costs.

  "Fit for the Future?"
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to announce his conclusions based on the responses received to "Fit For The Future?"; and if he will make a statement. [132064]

  Mr. Hutton
  I am today announcing the conclusions the Government have reached in relation to the physical standards in residential and nursing homes based on the responses to the consultation process on "Fit for the Future?". These are:

  the standard for single rooms in existing care homes will be 10 sq m from 2007;

  the standard for single rooms in new care homes will be 12 sq m from 2002;

  wheelchair users should have rooms of 12 sq m and door widths of 800 mm for their own accommodation and communal rooms;

  each resident should, in addition to the above, have a minimum of 4.1 sq m of communal day space within the care home;

  shared rooms in existing homes may constitute no more than 20 per cent. of overall resident places from 2002.

  To ensure flexibility for existing provision that does not meet all of these standards but is otherwise of good quality, specific criteria will be set out over the standard relating to room sizes to allow some rooms which do not currently meet the 10 sq m standard to remain in use. These criteria will include:
  an expectation that no room should fall below 9.3 sq m (equivalent to 100 sq ft) provided compensatory space either in the form of en-suite facilities or additional communal day space which residents can use individually if they wish, is made available;
  homes which provide spacious individual rooms, but do not currently meet the standard of 4.1 sq m communal space per resident will be allowed to meet a lower minimum of 3.7 sq m.
  The net result should be that a total space of 14.1 sq m per resident is provided, with some flexibility about how it is deployed.
  288W
  The standards for nine out of the 11 topic areas that we consulted upon in "Fit for the Future?" received overwhelming support and these will form the basis for the full set of national minimum standards which the Government will publish later this year.

  I have today written to hon. and right hon. Members, as well as to the residential and nursing home organisations and other relevant bodies who have made representations on these issues.

  Medicines Control Agency
  Ms Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the annual report and accounts of the Medicines Control Agency. [132235]

  Yvette Cooper
  We have received the report and copies have today been laid before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of sections 5(2) and 5(3) of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921. Copies have also been placed in the Library.

  Medical Devices Agency
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the 1999–2000 annual report and accounts of the Medical Devices Agency. [132233]

  Yvette Cooper
  We have received the Report and Accounts of the Medical Devices Agency and copies have today been laid before both Houses of Parliament in accordance with the requirements of sections 5(2) and 5(3) of the Exchequer and Audit Departments Act 1921. Copies have also been placed in the Library.

  Medicines Commission
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will receive the annual report of the Medicines Commission for 1999; and if he will publish it. [132234]

  Yvette Cooper
  We have received the report, and copies have been laid before both Houses of Parliament today in accordance with the requirements of section 5(2) of the Medicines Act 1968. Copies have also been placed in the Library.

  Bound volumes have been placed in the Library containing the 1999 reports of the Medicines Commission, the Committee on Safety of Medicines, the Advisory Board on the Registration of Homoeopathic Products, the British Pharmacopoeia Commission and the Veterinary Products Committee.

  We are glad to acknowledge the valuable work done by the distinguished members of the Medicines Act Advisory Bodies and thank them for the time and effort dedicated in the public interest to this important work.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Drumcree
  Mr. Pound
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he last met the Parades Commission to discuss the Drumcree marches. [125472]
  289W
  Mr. Mandelson
  The Parades Commission is an independent body responsible for making binding determinations on contentious parades like Drumcree. I have not met them to discuss how they carry out their function.

  Departmental Payments
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 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. [130045]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The information is as follows:

  (a) I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Elmet (Mr. Burgon) on 23 July 1999, Official Report, columns 677–78W.

  (b) Departments and their Agencies are currently collating this information for 1999–2000 and this will be made available to the House shortly.

  Departmental Initiatives
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list each departmental initiative requiring bids for funding together with the total resources available, the number of successful bids and the proportion this represents of total bids received; and what data he collects on the average expenditure of organisations bidding for funding through each initiative. [131087]

  Mr. Mandelson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 17 July 2000,Official Report, column 93W.

  Ulster Freedom Fighters
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons participated in protest actions in Portadown on 2 July wearing T-shirts soliciting support for the Ulster Freedom Fighters; how many persons carried the banner with the inscription Shankill Road UFF 2 Battalion C Company; how many photographs were taken of this parade by the police; how many participants have

  Company

  Responsibilities within the Department

  Balfour and Manson

  Solicitor's Office—Motorway Development

  Balfour and Manson

  Solicitor's Office—Motorway Development

  Bank of Scotland

  Health Department—Private Finance

  BP

  Personnel Division—Devolution Planning

  Fife Careers Ltd.

  Education Department—Skills and Life Long Learning

  Project Management International plc

  Parliament Building Division

  Shepherd and Wedderburn

  Solicitor's Office—Reciprocal Trainee Scheme

  New Deal
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many employees of his Department and its agencies have been recruited from the New Deal; and what percentage this represents of total staff. [129092]

  Dr. Reid
  My Department has one member of staff from the New Deal and this represents 1 per cent. of total staff.
  290W
  now been identified; what actions against these persons are being taken by the police; how many have been charged with criminal offences; and if police have identified the organisers of the event. [130464]

  Mr. Ingram
  The investigations into this incident on 3 July are still at an early stage. However, the Royal Ulster Constabulary have advised that approximately 50 persons were dressed wearing the T-shirts referred to. Two persons carried the flag. Video tape has not yet been fully processed and the number of still photographs from it has yet to be quantified. There is an investigatory process relating to the use of video evidence and at 14 July no controlled viewings have taken place because of the demand on resources. When evidence has been fully collated and analysed, and offences and offenders identified, files will be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for directions. As a result of this no persons have yet been charged to date and no formal identifications yet made.

SCOTLAND

  Secondments
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough (Mr. Willis) of 10 February 2000,Official Report, column 279W, on secondments, if he will give the names, grades and job titles of the staff seconded into his Department from each organisation mentioned, stating in each case the name of the section they were seconded to and a summary of the work that they were involved with. [128245]

  Dr. Reid
  [holding answer 29 June 2000]:Secondments and attachments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between the civil service and other organisations. Before an Interchange can occur all parties must be satisfied that no conflict of interest arises.

  Further information on the inward secondments to the Scotland Office referred to in my previous answer is provided as follows:

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered citing disproportionate cost, stating that the information is(a) not available, (b) not held centrally, (c) not held in the form requested and (d) citing commercial or other confidentiality; [131235]
  291W
  (2) how many written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April did not receive substantive answers, citing as the reason commercial or other confidentiality. [131169]

  Dr. Reid
  The information requested is set out in the table:

  Where answer states that the information is:

  In respect of part of the information requested

  In respect of all information requested

  (a) Not available

  1

  1

  (b) Not held centrally

  4

  2

  (c) Not held in the form requested

  0

  0

  (d) Citing commercial or other confidentiality

  0

  2

  £ million

  ESCOM

  PFI contract IT Partnership

  HR Partnership

  Net present cost of contract

  5.5

  289.0

  30.4

  Net present cost—public sector comparator (pre risk)

  24.6

  353.0

  38.4

  Net present cost—public sector comparator (risk adjusted)

  1—

  392.0

  41.4

  1 Not calculated

  Vocational Training Courses
  Mr. Pollard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action his Department is taking to provide vocational training courses in building and allied trades for non-academic school leavers; and if he will make a statement. [130643]

  Mr. Wicks
  The Government have made a substantial investment in vocational training for young people who have decided not to continue in learning through the academic route. Foundation and Advanced Modern Apprenticeships provide young people with a high quality work-based route to learning in over 80 sectors of industry and business. Construction is one of the more popular with some 9,200 Advanced and 4,200 Foundation Modern Apprentices in training. In order to build on the strong foundations that Modern Apprenticeships have developed we are currently consulting on how to introduce further measures which will create an apprenticeship framework which better meets the needs of the individuals and businesses; is broader and more coherent than before; offers even greater opportunities for progression including HE; secures the highest possible standards; and is part of a coherent vocational learning system.

  Students in schools and colleges can take Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced GNVQs (to be known as vocational A levels) in subjects such as Art and Design, Business, Construction and the Built Environment, and Health and Social Care. These qualifications can lead on to employment, higher education or further study such as Modern Apprenticeships.

  From 2002 "vocational GCSEs" will replace the current Foundation, Intermediate and Part One GNVQs and will be available for 14 to 16-year-olds in schools, as well as students in colleges, to study.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the net present cost is of each project undertaken in his Department under the private finance initiative; what the value is of their public sector comparators in(a) pre-risk and (b) risk-adjusted terms; what risks have been identified as having been transferred; and if he will place information on other relevant costs for each private finance initiative project in the Library. [130251]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 13 July 2000]: Net present costs of the Department's PFI projects are as follows:

  The ESCOM contractor's major risk relates to the demand for the service. Both the IT Partnership and the HR Partnership contracts have transferred the risks relating to service availability and performance, which are seen as critical in the delivery of services under the contract.

  The bids made during the competition to select the successful private finance initiative contractor, in particular any financial information, are commercially confidential as is any subsequent documentation directly referring to the bids. I am therefore unfortunately unable to place information on costs in the Library.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the cost of the Birmingham LEA grouped school refurbishment PFI project at each stage of its development; if he will list the causes of significant change in costs; and if he will make a statement. [131586]

  Jacqui Smith
  Birmingham local education authority's outline business case for the school rebuilds package PFI scheme was approved by the Treasury-chaired Project Review Group in December 1998 at an estimated cost in net present value (NPV) terms of £61.2 million. A contract was signed in February 2000 on the basis of a final business case which estimated the cost of the scheme, in NPV terms, at £78 million. The main causes of the increase were:

  (a) improvements to the output specification—for example, to accommodate children with special needs in mainstream schools and to improve sports facilities;

  (b) technical changes to the calculation of the cost of the scheme—for example, the fall in the local authority rate of discount from 8.9 per cent. to 8.4 per cent.;

  (c) an underestimate in the outline business case of the cost of operation of the new and refurbished schools over the 30 year life of the contract.

  The local authority has confirmed that this PH scheme provides better value for money than would have been achieved through conventional procurement.

  Assaults (Teachers)
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers have been assaulted by(a) pupils and (b) others in school in each of the last six years; and if he will make a statement. [130978]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  This information is not available centrally.

  Reports by Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools have shown that most schools are orderly places, and Ofsted inspections show that violent or exceptionally malicious behaviour by pupils is fortunately rare.

  My Department's Circular "Social Inclusion
  Pupil Support" provides detailed guidance to schools on managing pupil behaviour and we have made clear that we support headteachers who permanently exclude violent pupils. In addition, our Circular on "The use of force to control or restrain pupils" makes clear that teachers have the right to defend themselves against an attack provided they do not use a disproportionate degree of force. We have also issued joint guidance with the Home Office on "School Security: Dealing with Troublemakers", which offers advice about, among other things, dealing with any assaults on teachers.

  Teachers (Shrewsbury and Atcham)
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many additional teachers have been employed since 1997 in schools in Shrewsbury and Atcham. [131143]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Information on the numbers of full-time equivalent qualified teachers1 employed within maintained primary and secondary schools in the Shrewsbury and Atcham parliamentary constituency is shown in the following table.

  There was a growth of 6,900 full-time equivalent regular teachers2 in service in the maintained sector between January 1998 and January 2000.

  1 Excludes all unqualified teachers and teachers providing short term cover as well as teachers absent for a term or more but including the latter's qualified replacements, if any-Source: Annual Census of schools.
  2 Teachers in service includes both qualified teachers (including those not in school) and teachers without qualified teacher status—Source: 618a. Regular teachers are teachers either on a permanent contract or who have a temporary contract of one month or more.

  Full-time equivalent1.2 number of qualified teachers in maintained Primary and Secondary schools in the parliamentary constituency area of Shrewsbury and Atcham: 1997 to 20003

  Position at January each year

  Number of full-time equivalent qualified teachers

  20003

  614

  1999

  607

  1998

  607

  1997

  603

  1 Excludes all unqualified teachers and teachers providing short term cover.

  2 The Schools Teachers' Pay and Conditions Document has, since 1987, required a full-time teacher to be available to undertake the professional duties assigned to him or her by the headteacher for 1,265 hours allocated reasonably throughout a working year of 195 days. The 'directed' hours per week of part-time teachers are converted to full-time equivalent teacher numbers by dividing by

  294W
  32.5. This conversion factor is derived by dividing 1,265 (directed hours per year) by 195 (working days per year) and multiplying by 5 (working days per week).

  3 Provisional

  School Statistics
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) of 20 June 2000,Official Report, column 168W, on statistics, if he will list (a) in total and (b) by parliamentary constituency of the school, the number of unauthorised absences for 1998–99. [131190]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: The number and percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absence for 1998–99, analysed by (a) England and (b) by parliamentary constituency is shown in the following table.

  Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absences— England 1998–99 analysed by parliamentary constituency

  Parliamentary constituency

  Number of half days missed (thousand)

  Percentage of half days missed

  England

  14,964.8

  0.7

  Aldershot

  19.1

  0.4

  Aldridge-Brownhills

  16.2

  0.4

  Altrincham and Sale, West

  9.0

  0.2

  Amber Valley

  28.9

  0.7

  Arundel and South Downs

  12.6

  0.4

  Ashfield

  33.2

  0.8

  Ashford

  24.0

  0.6

  Ashton-upon-Lyne

  38.4

  0.8

  Aylesbury

  17.2

  0.3

  Banbury

  45.3

  1.1

  Barking

  42.1

  1.5

  Barnsley, Central

  44.4

  1.3

  Barnsley, East and Mexborough

  49.8

  1.3

  Barnsley, West and Penistone

  34.5

  1.1

  Barrow and Fumess

  15.7

  0.4

  Basildon

  53.1

  1.1

  Basingstoke

  31.4

  0.7

  Bassetlaw

  40.7

  1.2

  Bath

  16.7

  0.5

  Batley and Spen

  72.3

  1.7

  Battersea

  15.6

  0.8

  Beaconsfield

  6.9

  0.2

  Beckenham

  19.3

  0.5

  Bedford

  21.7

  0.6

  Berwick-upon-Tweed

  10.7

  0.4

  Bethnal Green and Bow

  85.7

  1.7

  Beverley and Holderness

  35.0

  0.8

  Bexhill and Battle

  10.2

  0.3

  Bexleyheath and Crayford

  21.3

  0.6

  Billericay

  32.6

  0.8

  Birkenhead

  34.3

  0.9

  Birmingham, Edgbaston

  28.3

  0.9

  Birmingham, Erdington

  41.1

  1.2

  Birmingham, Hall Green

  22.7

  0.7

  Birmingham, Hodge Hill

  65.0

  1.5

  Birmingham, Ladywood

  87.2

  1.7

  Birmingham, Northfield

  45.6

  1.3

  Birmingham, Perry Barr

  53.3

  1.1

  Birmingham, Selly Oak

  28.6

  0.6

  Birmingham, Sparkbrook and Small Heath

  91.9

  1.5

  Birmingham, Yardley

  28.0

  1.1

  Bishop Auckland

  22.0

  0.6

  Blaby

  11.9

  0.3

  Blackburn

  55.2

  1.0

  Blackpool, North and Fleetwood

  25.1

  0.7

  Blackpool. South

  44.5

  1.2

  Blaydon

  16.0

  0.5

  295W

  Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absences—England 1998–99 analysed by Parliamentary constituency

  Parliamentary constituency

  Number of half days missed (thousand)

  Percentage of half days missed

  Blyth Valley

  12.8

  0.4

  Bognor Regis and Littlehampton

  19.4

  0.7

  Bolsover

  33.2

  1.0

  Bolton, North-East

  36.8

  0.9

  Bolton, South-East

  36.3

  0.8

  Bolton, West

  33.3

  1.0

  Bootle

  29.4

  0.8

  Boston and Skegness

  32.4

  1.0

  Bosworth

  28.8

  0.7

  Bournemouth, East

  22.5

  0.7

  Bournemouth, West

  17.7

  0.7

  Bracknell

  23.7

  0.5

  Bradford, North

  96.6

  2.1

  Bradford, South

  80.3

  1.9

  Bradford, West

  84.4

  1.8

  Braintree

  21.6

  0.5

  Brent, East

  19.7

  0.8

  Brent, North

  15.9

  0.5

  Brent, South

  32.1

  1.0

  Brentford and Isleworth

  48.1

  1.0

  Brentwood and Ongar

  12.9

  0.3

  Bridgwater

  19.6

  0.6

  Brigg and Goole

  14.0

  0.4

  Brighton, Kemptown

  26.8

  1.0

  Brighton, Pavilion

  13.8

  0.6

  Bristol, East

  43.0

  1.4

  Bristol, North-West

  55.1

  1.2

  Bristol, South

  67.4

  1.6

  Bristol, West

  16.8

  0.7

  Bromley and Chislehurst

  15.8

  0.4

  Bromsgrove

  16.9

  0.4

  Broxbourne

  16.3

  0.4

  Broxtowe

  25.8

  0.7

  Buckingham

  3.2

  0.1

  Burnley

  45.7

  1.0

  Burton

  18.7

  0.4

  Bury, North

  21.5

  0.4

  Bury, South

  20.0

  0.5

  Bury St. Edmunds

  8.2

  0.2

  Calder Valley

  15.1

  0.3

  Camberwell and Peckham

  47.0

  1.6

  Cambridge

  23.3

  1.0

  Cannock Chase

  17.3

  0.4

  Canterbury

  30.0

  0.7

  Carlisle

  21.1

  0.6

  Carshalton and Wallington

  19.3

  0.5

  Castle Point

  21.3

  0.5

  Central Suffolk and Ipswich, North

  13.0

  0.4

  Charnwood

  12.8

  0.3

  Chatham and Aylesford

  18.8

  0.4

  Cheadle

  25.5

  0.6

  Cheltenham

  12.3

  0.4

  Chesham and Amersham

  11.0

  0.3

  Chesterfield

  29.1

  0.8

  Chichester

  15.6

  0.4

  Chingford and Woodford Green

  27.5

  0.7

  Chipping Barnet

  24.4

  0.6

  Chorley

  18.5

  0.4

  Christchurch

  13.7

  0.4

  Cities of London and Westminster

  29.5

  1.4

  City of Chester

  29.4

  0.8

  City of Durham

  15.0

  0.5

  City of York

  26.5

  0.8

  Cleethorpes

  34.5

  0.7

  Colchester

  28.8

  0.6

  Colne Valley

  15.2

  0.4

  Congleton

  10.7

  0.3

  Copeland

  12.7

  0.4

  Corby

  24.2

  0.6

  Cotswold

  4.9

  0.1

  Coventry, North-East

  46.9

  1.0

  Coventry, North-West

  33.5

  0.8

  Coventry, South

  30.2

  0.8

  296W

  Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absences — England 1998–99 analysed by parliamentary constituency

  Parliamentary constituency

  Number of half days missed (thousand)

  Percentage of half days missed

  Crawley

  18.2

  0.4

  Crewe and Nantwich

  23.1

  0.6

  Crosby

  4.3

  0.1

  Croydon, Central

  39.0

  0.9

  Croydon, North

  33.3

  0.8

  Croydon, South

  13.4

  0.4

  Dagenham

  76.4

  1.8

  Darlington

  25.5

  0.7

  Dartford

  12.9

  0.3

  Daventry

  15.7

  0.3

  Denton and Reddish

  21.8

  0.5

  Derby, North

  20.1

  0.5

  Derby, South

  36.3

  0.8

  Devizes

  23.5

  0.5

  Dewsbury

  54.1

  1.2

  Doncaster, Central

  51.1

  1.2

  Doncaster, North

  60.8

  1.7

  Don Valley

  41.0

  1.0

  Dover

  18.0

  0.5

  Dudley, North

  25.3

  0.6

  Dudley, South

  21.8

  0.7

  Dulwich and West Norwood

  41.7

  1.7

  Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush

  57.7

  1.9

  Ealing, North

  22.8

  0.6

  Ealing, Southall

  36.7

  0.8

  Easington

  28.8

  0.8

  East Devon

  18.1

  0.7

  East Ham

  111.1

  2.2

  East Hampshire

  20.9

  0.5

  East Surrey

  7.9

  0.2

  East Worthing and Shoreham

  19.4

  0.5

  East Yorkshire

  27.2

  0.8

  Eastbourne

  22.0

  0.7

  Eastleigh

  17.2

  0.4

  Eccles

  44.0

  1.0

  Eddisbury

  12.9

  0.4

  Edmonton

  65.1

  1.6

  Ellesmere Port and Neston

  16.7

  0.5

  Elmet

  9.1

  0.2

  Eltham

  49.3

  1.5

  Enfield, North

  51.9

  1.1

  Enfield, Southgate

  22.0

  0.7

  Epping Forest

  15.4

  0.5

  Epsom and Ewell

  15.1

  0.4

  Erewash

  22.3

  0.5

  Erith and Thamesmead

  48.3

  1.1

  Esher and Walton

  11.3

  0.5

  Exeter

  36.4

  1.0

  Falmouth and Camborne

  20.0

  0.5

  Fareham

  18.1

  0.5

  Faversham and Mid Kent

  8.8

  0.3

  Feltham and Heston

  37.0

  0.9

  Finchley and Golders Green

  26.2

  0.7

  Folkestone and Hythe

  22.0

  0.6

  Forest of Dean

  8.0

  0.3

  Fylde

  11.3

  0.3

  Gainsborough

  15.0

  0.4

  Gateshead, East and Washington, West

  37.6

  0.9

  Gedling

  34.8

  0.9

  Gillingham

  42.9

  0.9

  Gloucester

  36.1

  0.7

  Gosport

  35.0

  0.9

  Grantham and Stamford

  11.3

  0.3

  Gravesham

  35.5

  0.8

  Great Grimsby

  44.6

  1.3

  Great Yarmouth

  28.8

  0.8

  Greenwich and Woolwich

  74.5

  2.1

  Guildford

  15.4

  0.4

  Hackney, North and Stoke Newington

  57.9

  2.2

  Hackney, South and Shoreditch

  59.7

  1.6

  Halesowen and Rowley Regis

  27.8

  0.7

  Halifax

  31.8

  0.7

  Haltemprice and Howden

  17.4

  0.4

  297W

  Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absences— England 1998–99 analysed by parliamentary constituency

  Parliamentary constituency

  Number of half days missed (thousand)

  Percentage of half days missed

  Halton

  42.3

  1.0

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  42.6

  1.4

  Hampstead and Highgate

  27.5

  1.2

  Harborough

  26.2

  0.5

  Harlow

  28.8

  0.8

  Harrogate and Knaresborough

  9.5

  0.2

  Harrow, East

  20.2

  0.5

  Harrow, West

  18.2

  0.5

  Hartlepool

  54.9

  1.2

  Harwich

  38.6

  1.1

  Hastings and Rye

  58.9

  1.5

  Havant

  36.6

  0.9

  Hayes and Harlington

  42.0

  1.4

  Hazel Grove

  27.9

  0.8

  Hemel Hempstead

  27.1

  0.7

  Hemsworth

  27.3

  0.6

  Hendon

  32.1

  0.8

  Henley

  20.2

  0.6

  Hereford

  18.2

  0.5

  Hertford and Stortford

  14.5

  0.3

  Hertsmere

  31.0

  0.8

  Hexham

  5.0

  0.2

  Heywood and Middleton

  37.0

  0.8

  High Peak

  17.8

  0.4

  Hitchin and Harpenden

  9.8

  0.3

  Holborn and St. Pancras

  53.1

  1.7

  Hornchurch

  11.8

  0.3

  Hornsey and Wood Green

  61.1

  1.5

  Horsham

  9.3

  0.3

  Houghton and Washington, East

  18.9

  0.6

  Hove

  16.2

  0.5

  Huddersfield

  55.8

  1.5

  Huntingdon

  26.3

  0.6

  Hyndburn

  37.9

  0.9

  Ilford, North

  21.0

  0.5

  Ilford, South

  36.3

  0.9

  Ipswich

  19.7

  0.5

  Isle of Wight

  23.6

  0.5

  Islington, North

  49.5

  1.6

  Islington, South and Finsbury

  52.4

  1.9

  Jarrow

  12.0

  0.3

  Keighley

  41.1

  1.1

  Kensington and Chelsea

  28.9

  1.8

  Kettering

  26.2

  0.5

  Kingston and Surbiton

  19.9

  0.6

  Kingston upon Hull, East

  77.2

  1.7

  Kingston upon Hull, North

  81.1

  2.0

  Kingston upon Hull, West and Hessle

  38.3

  1.6

  Kingswood

  35.6

  0.9

  Knowsley, North and Sefton, East

  48.5

  1.0

  Knowsley, South

  74.8

  1.6

  Lancaster and Wyre

  13.0

  0.3

  Leeds, Central

  100.5

  2.4

  Leeds, East

  47.3

  1.5

  Leeds, North-East

  48.9

  1.3

  Leeds, North-West

  22.2

  0.8

  Leeds, West

  47.4

  1.6

  Leicester, East

  42.2

  0.8

  Leicester, South

  39.5

  1.0

  Leicester, West

  74.6

  1.8

  Leigh

  39.3

  1.0

  Leominster

  12.5

  0.4

  Lewes

  15.3

  0.5

  Lewisham, Deptford

  41.6

  1.6

  Lewisham, East

  45.4

  1.6

  Lewisham, West

  59.8

  2.0

  Leyton and Wanstead

  36.1

  1.0

  Lichfield

  10.3

  0.3

  Lincoln

  43.9

  1.3

  Liverpool, Garston

  57.1

  1.3

  Liverpool, Riverside

  32.8

  1.0

  Liverpool, Walton

  48.1

  1.2

  Liverpool, Wavertree

  46.0

  1.0

  298W

  Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absences — England 1998–99 analysed by parliamentary constituency

  Parliamentary constituency

  Number of half days missed (thousand)

  Percentage of half days missed

  Liverpool, West Derby

  48.3

  1.2

  Loughborough

  34.7

  0.8

  Louth and Horncastle

  21.3

  0.6

  Ludlow

  10.2

  0.3

  Luton, North

  34.2

  0.7

  Luton, South

  24.3

  0.6

  Macclesfield

  14.7

  0.4

  Maidenhead

  10.5

  0.3

  Maidstone and The Weald

  18.4

  0.4

  Makerfield

  28.3

  0.6

  Maldon and East Chelmsford

  13.8

  0.4

  Manchester, Blackley

  58.0

  1.3

  Manchester, Central

  51.2

  1.6

  Manchester, Gorton

  54.6

  1.7

  Manchester, Withington

  35.6

  1.0

  Mansfield

  52.4

  1.3

  Medway

  23.5

  0.5

  Meriden

  28.1

  0.6

  Mid Bedfordshire

  13.9

  0.3

  Mid Dorset and North Pool

  18.2

  0.4

  Mid Norfolk

  7.2

  0.2

  Mid Sussex

  9.7

  0.2

  Mid Worcestershire

  14.4

  0.4

  Middlesbrough

  45.4

  0.9

  Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East

  20.4

  0.5

  Milton Keynes, South-West

  24.6

  0.5

  Milton Keynes, North-East

  13.9

  0.4

  Mitcham and Morden

  50.0

  1.6

  Mole Valley

  7.2

  0.3

  Morecambe and Lunesdale

  25.1

  0.7

  Morley and Rothwell

  50.4

  1.1

  New Forest, East

  20.3

  0.6

  New Forest, West

  7.7

  0.3

  Newark

  39.4

  0.9

  Newbury

  11.5

  0.3

  Newcastle upon Tyne, Central

  24.1

  0.8

  Newcastle upon Tyne, East and Wallsend

  33.3

  1.0

  Newcastle upon Tyne, North

  18.8

  0.6

  Newcastle-under-Lyme

  16.6

  0.5

  Normanton

  19.8

  0.5

  North Cornwall

  19.6

  0.4

  North Devon

  16.1

  0.4

  North Dorset

  10.6

  0.3

  North Durham

  21.3

  0.6

  North-East Bedfordshire

  14.6

  0.4

  North-East Cambridgeshire

  43.0

  1.2

  North-East Derbyshire

  31.6

  0.8

  North-East Hampshire

  15.5

  0.4

  North-East Hertfordshire

  12.2

  0.3

  North Essex

  11.3

  0.4

  North Norfolk

  15.7

  0.5

  North Shropshire

  13.2

  0.4

  North Swindon

  18.4

  0.5

  North Thanet

  26.8

  0.9

  North Tyneside

  12.1

  0.4

  North Warwickshire

  16.0

  0.4

  North-West Cambridgeshire

  24.9

  0.6

  North-West Durham

  18.6

  0.6

  North-West Hampshire

  23.0

  0.6

  North-West Leicestershire

  22.0

  0.6

  North-West Norfolk

  38.1

  1.0

  North Wiltshire

  11.4

  0.2

  Northampton, North

  39.2

  0.9

  Northampton, South

  22.9

  0.6

  Northavon

  14.4

  0.3

  Norwich, North

  32.4

  0.8

  Norwich, South

  19.8

  0.7

  Nottingham, East

  45.9

  1.7

  Nottingham, North

  109.2

  2.2

  Nottingham, South

  36.3

  1.2

  Nuneaton

  19.2

  0.5

  Old Bexley and Sidcup

  12.9

  0.3

  Oldham, East and Saddleworth

  43.6

  0.9

  299W

  Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absences — England 1998–99 analysed by parliamentary constituency

  Parliamentary constituency

  Number of half days missed (thousand)

  Percentage of half days missed

  Oldham, West and Royton

  66.9

  1.3

  Orpington

  19.5

  0.5

  Oxford, East

  58.3

  1.8

  Oxford, West and Abingdon

  28.0

  0.8

  Pendle

  36.5

  0.8

  Penrith and The Border

  7.2

  0.2

  Peterborough

  40.0

  0.8

  Plymouth, Devonport

  25.0

  0.5

  Plymouth, Sutton

  23.3

  0.7

  Pontefract and Castleford

  40.7

  1.1

  Poole

  17.0

  0.7

  Poplar and Canning Town

  92.3

  2.0

  Portsmouth, North

  45.2

  1.2

  Portsmouth, South

  28.4

  0.9

  Preston

  39.5

  1.1

  Pudsey

  22.4

  0.5

  Putney

  20.5

  1.0

  Rayleigh

  10.2

  0.3

  Reading, East

  20.5

  0.7

  Reading, West

  37.1

  0.8

  Redcar

  41.8

  0.9

  Redditch

  26.6

  0.7

  Regent's Park and Kensington, North

  98.0

  3.0

  Reigate

  7.3

  0.3

  Ribble Valley

  9.6

  0.2

  Richmond, Yorks

  9.9

  0.3

  Richmond Park

  15.4

  0.5

  Rochdale

  36.3

  0.8

  Rochford and Southend, East

  39.5

  1.0

  Romford

  10.0

  0.3

  Romsey

  12.1

  0.3

  Rossendale and Darwen

  35.1

  0.7

  Rother Valley

  47.1

  1.0

  Rotherham

  30.4

  0.8

  Rugby and Kenilworth

  16.7

  0.4

  Ruislip-Northwood

  21.4

  0.7

  Runnymede and Weybridge

  9.2

  0.3

  Rushcliffe

  23.9

  0.6

  Rutland and Melton

  12.0

  0.3

  Ryedale

  7.0

  0.2

  Saffron Walden

  14.3

  0.4

  St. Albans

  16.7

  0.4

  St. Helens, North

  7.5

  0.2

  St. Helens, South

  21.9

  0.6

  St. Ives

  15.0

  0.4

  Salford

  44.1

  1.4

  Salisbury

  19.5

  0.5

  Scarborough and Whitby

  24.4

  0.6

  Scunthorpe

  29.5

  0.7

  Sedgefield

  28.7

  0.8

  Selby

  10.0

  0.2

  Sevenoaks

  10.8

  0.5

  Sheffield, Attercliffe

  30.6

  0.9

  Sheffield, Brightside

  99.5

  2.8

  Sheffield, Central

  52.4

  2.5

  Sheffield, Hallam

  15.9

  0.4

  Sheffield, Heeley

  42.7

  1.3

  Sheffield, Hillsborough

  25.0

  0.7

  Sherwood

  25.7

  0.6

  Shipley

  42.7

  1.1

  Shrewsbury and Atcham

  11.8

  0.3

  Sittingbourne and Sheppey

  18.0

  0.4

  Skipton and Ripon

  11.4

  0.3

  Sleaford and North, Hykeham

  8.4

  0.2

  Slough

  43.8

  0.9

  Solihull

  13.1

  0.3

  Somerton and Frome

  12.3

  0.3

  South Cambridgeshire

  6.4

  0.2

  South Derbyshire

  23.0

  0.5

  South Dorset

  13.7

  0.5

  South-East Cambridgeshire

  14.0

  0.3

  South-East Cornwall

  12.8

  0.3

  South Holland and The Deepings

  19.9

  0.5

  300W

  Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absences — England 1998–99 analysed by parliamentary constituency

  Parliamentary constituency

  Number of half days missed (thousand)

  Percentage of half days missed

  South Norfolk

  14.1

  0.3

  South Ribble

  14.3

  0.3

  South Shields

  8.7

  0.2

  South Staffordshire

  13.7

  0.4

  South Suffolk

  10.4

  0.3

  South Swindon

  24.1

  0.6

  South Thanet

  17.9

  0.5

  South-West Bedfordshire

  18.4

  0.4

  South-West Devon

  9.4

  0.2

  South-West Hertfordshire

  14.5

  0.4

  South-West Norfolk

  25.8

  0.6

  South-West Surrey

  9.4

  0.3

  Southampton, Itchen

  44.6

  1.0

  Southampton, Test

  37.4

  1.1

  Southend, West

  26.7

  0.8

  Southport

  8.4

  0.3

  Southwark, North and Bermondsey

  80.4

  2.1

  Spelthorne

  16.0

  0.5

  Stafford

  17.2

  0.5

  Staffordshire Moorlands

  9.9

  0.3

  Stalybridge and Hyde

  38.1

  0.9

  Stevenage

  24.8

  0.5

  Stockport

  29.8

  1.0

  Stockton, North

  20.7

  0.5

  Stockton, South

  20.5

  0.4

  Stoke-on-Trent, Central

  27.1

  0.9

  Stoke-on-Trent, North

  31.3

  0.9

  Stoke-on-Trent, South

  26.7

  0.7

  Stone

  6.2

  0.2

  Stourbridge

  5.7

  0.2

  Stratford-on-Avon

  9.1

  0.2

  Streatham

  23.7

  0.8

  Stretford and Urmston

  45.8

  1.1

  Stroud

  5.6

  0.2

  Suffolk Coastal

  9.7

  0.3

  Sunderland, North

  15.4

  0.5

  Sunderland, South

  41.2

  0.9

  Surrey Heath

  13.8

  0.4

  Sutton and Cheam

  9.5

  0.3

  Sutton Coldfield

  16.7

  0.4

  Tamworth

  23.2

  0.6

  Tatton

  10.1

  0.4

  Taunton

  10.2

  0.3

  Teignbridge

  15.8

  0.4

  Telford

  23.9

  0.6

  Tewkesbury

  9.0

  0.2

  The Wrekin

  21.4

  0.6

  Thurrock

  52.3

  1.2

  Tiverton and Honiton

  17.2

  0.4

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  12.2

  0.3

  Tooting

  19.4

  0.7

  Torbay

  23.5

  0.6

  Torridge and West Devon

  24.1

  0.6

  Totnes

  13.0

  0.4

  Tottenham

  71.0

  1.9

  Truro and St. Austell

  15.8

  0.4

  Tunbridge Wells

  9.2

  0.3

  Twickenham

  30.5

  0.8

  Tyne Bridge

  26.0

  1.2

  Tynemouth

  11.7

  0.3

  Upminster

  13.6

  0.4

  Uxbridge

  48.5

  1.3

  Vale of York

  5.5

  0.2

  Vauxhall

  34.7

  1.2

  Wakefield

  28.5

  0.9

  Wallasey

  27.8

  0.7

  Walsall, North

  35.7

  0.9

  Walsall, South

  39.5

  1.0

  Walthamstow

  44.1

  1.2

  Wansbeck

  23.8

  0.6

  Wansdyke

  24.1

  0.5

  Wantage

  17.5

  0.5

  Warley

  32.6

  0.9

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  Percentage of half days missed due to unauthorised absences — England 1998–99 analysed by parliamentary constituency

  Parliamentary constituency

  Number of half days missed (thousand)

  Percentage of half days missed

  Warrington, North

  20.2

  0.5

  Warrington, South

  12.0

  0.3

  Warwick and Leamington

  16.5

  0.4

  Watford

  19.8

  0.5

  Waveney

  14.4

  0.3

  Wealden

  16.3

  0.4

  Weaver Vale

  36.3

  0.8

  Wellingborough

  33.0

  0.8

  Wells

  12.8

  0.3

  Welwyn Hatfield

  18.4

  0.5

  Wentworth

  33.5

  0.8

  West Bromwich, East

  34.8

  0.9

  West Bromwich, West

  40.5

  1.1

  West Chelmsford

  13.4

  0.3

  West Derbyshire

  14.4

  0.4

  West Dorset

  13.7

  0.4

  West Ham

  135.6

  2.5

  West Lancashire

  22.8

  0.5

  West Suffolk

  12.4

  0.4

  West Worcestershire

  16.8

  0.5

  Westbury

  17.2

  0.4

  Westmorland and Lonsdale

  5.4

  0.2

  Weston-super-Mare

  30.7

  0.8

  Wigan

  23.9

  0.6

  Wimbledon

  31.1

  1.1

  Winchester

  11.5

  0.3

  Windsor

  10.4

  0.4

  Wirral, South

  6.7

  0.2

  Wirral, West

  15.0

  0.4

  Witney

  14.6

  0.4

  Woking

  13.5

  0.4

  Wokingham

  13.5

  0.3

  Wolverhampton, North-East

  53.1

  1.3

  Wolverhampton, South-East

  42.3

  1.4

  Wolverhampton, South-West

  16.7

  0.5

  Woodspring

  12.3

  0.3

  Worcester

  28.4

  0.9

  Workington

  7.0

  0.2

  Worsley

  31.9

  0.7

  Worthing, West

  11.0

  0.4

  Wycombe

  16.1

  0.4

  Wyre Forest

  19.9

  0.5

  Wythenshawe and Sale, East

  58.5

  1.3

  Yeovil

  10.4

  0.3

  Individual Learning Accounts
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people have taken advantage of individual learning accounts in(a) the UK, (b) Teesside Region and (c) the constituency of Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East; and if he will make a statement. [131209]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: From April 1999 to the end of April 2000 a total of 125,992 accounts had been opened through Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs). The national framework for Individual Learning Accounts became partly operational on 12 June 2000 since when an additional 8,000 Individual Learning Accounts have been opened with the national Individual
  302W
  Learning Accounts Centre. Tees Valley TEC have opened 4,682 Individual Learning Accounts of which 840 are held by people in the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East constituency.

  By April 2001 we aim to have 500,000 Individual Learning Accounts opened rising to a million by April 2002.

  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what steps he has taken to promote Individual Learning Accounts; and if he will make a statement. [131208]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: Individual Learning Accounts (ILAs) have been available locally through Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) in England and Wales since April 1999 and have therefore been promoted locally. A national framework for learning accounts has now been developed and a part service, where individuals and learning providers can register for the initiative, has been available since 12 June 2000. The national framework, operating a full service in England, will replace local accounts with effect from 4 September 2000. A total of 125,992 accounts have been opened through TECs by the end of April 2000 with a further 8,000 under national arrangements.

  Since April this year officials from my Department have held more than 30 events with public and private learning providers to promote the introduction of the national framework. In addition, more than 750,000 leaflets setting out details of the national framework have been distributed since the part-service became operational in June. The leaflets have been sent to public and private learning providers, advice centres, partner organisations and members of the public. The Individual Learning Account website also provides our partners with regular updates and marketing information. We will build on this initial promotional work over the coming months by working, for example, with employers and trade unions, to ensure that those people who will benefit most from Individual Learning Accounts get the information they need.

  Adult Education (Middlesbrough)
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what funding plans he has made to improve(a) levels of literacy and numeracy and (b) IT skills among the adult population of Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East; and if he will make a statement. [131207]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: Government support to improve adult basic skills in Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East includes funding for family learning, which supports programmes like 'Story Teller' and 'Computers Together'. Additional funding for family literacy and numeracy announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment in May will mean that Middlesbrough LEA will receive funding for an additional 41 'Keeping up with the Children' courses, five 'Family Numeracy' courses, five 'Family Literacy' courses and 13 'Family Numeracy' workshops.

  We recognise the importance of ensuring that there are opportunities for people of all ages to develop IT skills in areas such as Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East.

  303W
  That is why we have provided £252 million nationally to fund ICT Learning Centres. Within the Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East areas we have received one full application to establish two centres in the Skinningrove area, and three expressions of interest for later phases of the initiative.

  The Government have already announced an additional £37 million nationally for improvements in the quality and range of adult basic skills provision, including family literacy and numeracy, over the past year. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment plans to announce later this year the Government's full strategy to help adults with poor basic skills.

  Truancy
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what recent discussions he has had with London education departments on truancy of school children within their boroughs. [131470]

  Jacqui Smith
  We are in regular contact with many local education authorities in London about truancy, and the disruption it has on continuity of learning and the wider social and community costs.

  We have in place a range of measures to tackle truancy and improve attendance in our schools. Our Social Inclusion: Pupil Support Grant—worth over £500 million in three years—is providing practical support to local education authorities and schools. For 2000–01, London local education authorities will receive just over £26.5 million out of the grant to support local projects. Projects include electronic equipment to monitor attendance, additional staff to chase-up truants and reward schemes for acknowledging regular attendance.

  £ million

  Provisional expenditure1

  Programme

  1999–2000 allocation

  Amount

  Percentage

  Carry forward

  New Deal for young people

  775

  287

  37

  488

  New Deal for long-term unemployed

  222

  80

  36

  142

  New Deal for lone parents2

  51

  34

  67

  17

  New Deal for disabled2

  12

  9

  75

  3

  Total

  1,060

  410

  38

  3650

  1 Expenditure figures, while unlikely to change significantly, remain provisional until end year accounts are finalised and exclude a total of £86 million spent out of existing departmental provision

  2 New Deals for lone parents and the disabled are programmes operating jointly between the DfEE and DSS and figures given are those for DfEE only

  3 Underspends are either carried forward to cover anticipated expenditure for respective New Deals into future years or made available to support the Welfare to Work programme

  The numbers of people entering New Deal programmes were lower than had earlier been projected on the basis of the Government's unemployment assumption at the time. That is one major reason why expenditure in 1999–2000 was considerably below the level of the original allocation. A second reason is the success of the New Deal for young people itself which also contributed to the level of expenditure being much lower than the original allocations.

  The programme aims to help as many people as possible to leave its Gateway for jobs. The original planning assumption was that 60 per cent. would need to
  304W
  We are also encouraging local education authorities to undertake regular "Truancy Sweeps" in conjunction with the police. During these sweeps, truants are picked up from the streets during school hours and are taken back either to their schools or a designated place. Several effective sweeps have been undertaken in London with our support.

  In addition, I recently announced the pilot areas to test the devolvement of Education Welfare Services to secondary schools. The aim is to see whether attendance officers employed directly by schools would make it easier to deal with truancy quickly. Of the 15 local education authorities selected, five are from London—Barnet, Camden, Haringey, Havering and Westminster. I am pleased that the pilot will be fully tested in London, in a variety of boroughs. We will be in regular contact with these authorities as the pilot progresses.

  Windfall Tax (New Deal)
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what(a) amount and (b) percentage of the proceeds of the Windfall Tax allocated in the 1999 Budget to (i) the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds, (ii) the New Deal for the long-term unemployed, (iii) the New Deal for lone parents and (iv) the New Deal for the sick and disabled, for expenditure during the 1999–2000 financial year was (1) spent during that year and (2) carried forward for future years, indicating the reasons for underspend. [131216]

  Mr. Blunkett
  The following table shows the amount of windfall tax set out in the 1999 Budget Report allocated to the Department for Education and Employment, for the New Deal programmes shown, in 1999–2000 together with provisional expenditure estimates and carry forward.

  move on from the New Deal Gateway into one of the four options. Because of the effective performance of the Gateway in 1998–99, only some 45 per cent. of entrant were in fact moving into an option. The New Deal for young people did better still in 1999–2000, when this figure reduced to some 40 per cent. Fewer young people into options has the effect of reducing expenditure on option provision, allowances and Follow-Through.

  Expenditure on the Government's Welfare to Work programme is, of course, planned over the medium term and unspent resources in any single year are available for spending in future years. Revised estimates were

  305W
  calculated at the time of Budget 2000, to reflect our latest assumptions about unemployment and what we have now learned from experience about the way the New Deal operates.

  Further Education Funding
  Mr. Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what representations he has received about the consistency of the allocation process of funds by the Further Education Funding Council to further education colleges in Manchester, as part of the national settlement; and if he will make a statement. [131415]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 19 July 2000]: My right hon. Friend has received a number of representations about the allocation of funds by the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) to further education colleges in Manchester. The representations raise a series of complex technical points which the FEFC is now pursuing urgently. I will write to my hon. Friend when the FEFC has responded to the concerns raised.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the possibility of legal liability arising from the overruling and reversal of advice given by officers acting for the Further Education Funding Council. [131359]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 19 July 2000]: Any potential liability arising in the circumstances described in the question would be an issue between the Further Education Funding Council and any colleges affected.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list those colleges of further education which are in dispute with the Further Education Funding Council over the interpretation of the Council's two per cent. tolerance policy based on the 1996–97 funding agreement; and what assessment he has made of the impact on those colleges' financial planning and policies of advice on interpretation of the two per cent. tolerance policy given by the Council's officers. [131358]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 19 July 2000]: One college, Eastleigh, has lodged a formal complaint with the Further Education Funding Council and others are in discussion with the Council. A college which had assumed it could write off a 2 per cent. shortfall should now aim to make up the difference either by repaying the funds or absorbing some unfunded growth. The Council has offered flexible terms to assist any college in this position.

  Performance Tables
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make it his policy to include the publication of pupil achievements at entry and foundation level in the annual publication of the school performance league tables. [130870]

  Jacqui Smith
  The achievements of pupils at foundation level are already included in the annual secondary school performance tables. The first results in Entry Level qualifications are available this year, following accreditation of courses from 1998. We have recently sought advice from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority on the suitability of Entry Level qualifications for inclusion in the calculation of measures 306W
  of value added for publication in the performance tables. Doing so would ensure increased coverage of the achievements of pupils with special educational needs in our measurement of pupils' progress in schools from one stage of education to another, in line with our overall policy of inclusion for these pupils.

  Mr. Ronnie Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to adjust the reporting of data in the school performance tables to provide a more accurate picture of schools which take in pupils from overseas with English language difficulties. [132063]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Government have considered very carefully the representations they have received from schools which take in significant numbers of pupils form overseas, including refugee and asylum seeker children, who have difficulties with the English language. Until they have had an opportunity to improve their language skills and to become familiar with the English curriculum, such pupils will not do their best in National Curriculum tests and in public examinations.

  We have therefore decided that pupils recently arrived from overseas, with English language difficulties, should not be counted as being on school rolls when performance is calculated for the purpose of producing the primary and secondary school performance tables. This change will apply with effect from this year's performance tables, which will be published towards the end of the year. It will apply to all pupils from overseas whose first language is not English and who were admitted to an English school for the first time on or after the start of Year 5 (for the primary school tables) or Year 10 (for the secondary school tables).

  Schools will be invited in the autumn to provide officials in the Department for Education and Employment with information about those pupils who fall into the category described above and who should not be counted as being on the school roll for performance tables purposes. Further details will be made available to schools early in the autumn term.

  This change will apply only to school and local educational authority level data in the performance tables. National data will continue to be reported on the same basis as in previous years, with overseas pupils included.

TREASURY

  National Health Service
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the changes made to the level of NHS spending as a result of his Budget announcements. [130137]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  In Budget 2000, the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced the biggest, most sustained growth in funding of any 4-year period in the history of the NHS, with annual average real terms growth of 6.1 per cent. in the UK, over double the rate achieved under the last Government. Table 5.1 in the Economic and Financial Strategy Report gives NHS spending plans.

  Children's Tax Credit
  Mr. Browne
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Scotland will benefit from the Children's Tax Credit when it is introduced next April. [130142]

  Dawn Primarolo
  We estimate that 400,000 families in Scotland could benefit from the Children's Tax Credit.

  Mr. Jenkins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in the West Midlands region will benefit from the Children's Tax Credit. [130152]

  Dawn Primarolo
  We estimate that 450,000 families in the West Midlands region could benefit from the Children's Tax Credit.

  Mr. Ian Stewart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in the North-west region will benefit from the Children's Tax Credit when it is introduced in April 2001. [130158]

  Dawn Primarolo
  We estimate that 625,000 families in the North-west region could benefit from the Children's Tax Credit.

  Financial Products (Mis-selling)
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Financial Services Authority's role in respect of the mis-selling of endowment mortgages. [130143]

  Mr. Timms
  Where mortgage borrowers have been mis-sold an endowment, the regulators have powers to take disciplinary action which can result in firms being directed to make compensation. Lower inflation has meant that the proceeds of an endowment may be lower than initially hoped for, but that does not necessarily mean that there has been mis-selling. The borrower will also of course have benefited from lower mortgage interest payments.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has to reduce the mis-selling of financial products. [130150]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Financial Services and Markets Act puts in place a single regulator, with statutory objectives to maintain market confidence, protect customers, promote consumer awareness and reduce financial crime.

  Single Currency
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to measure public opinion on the question of the United Kingdom joining the single European currency. [130144]

  Mr. Timms
  The Government receive a large number of letters from members of the public expressing their views about UK membership of the single currency. The Government also have access to independent surveys of public opinion on UK membership, which are in the public domain.

  The Government's policy on membership of the single currency remains as set out by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his statement to the house in October 1997 and restated recently in his speech at the Mansion House.
  308W
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary about the UK's eventual membership of a European single currency. [130153]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer meets Cabinet colleagues to discuss a range of issues. The Government's policy towards the single currency has not changed and will not change. We will only recommend joining a successful single currency if it is in our national economic interest to do so, and if the economic case for the UK joining is clear and unambiguous. The Treasury will make another assessment of the five economic tests early in the next Parliament.

  Mr. Brooke
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues concerning his policy on the euro. [130157]

  Mr. Timms
  The Chancellor meets with his colleagues to discuss a range of issues.

  Tony Wright
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will commission an independent assessment at the appropriate time of whether the five economic tests for entry into the single currency have been met. [130163]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 5 July 2000,Official Report, column 200W.

  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received on his policy on the euro. [130164]

  Mr. Timms
  I frequently receive representations on a range of Government policies including the Government's policy on the euro.

  Business Taxation
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received concerning business taxes introduced since May 1997. [130146]

  Mr. Timms
  The Treasury has received a number of representations from business, including comments from the Institute of Directors that the Budget shows that the Government believe in the enterprise culture.

  Third-world Debt
  Mrs. Betty Williams
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the IMF's role in reducing the debts of third-world countries. [130147]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The IMF has committed to providing $2.3 billion of debt relief (in net present value terms) under the enhanced HIPC initiative. In the context of assisting countries to prepare their Poverty Reduction Strategies and ensuring progress on delivering the enhanced debt relief, the IMF will work together with the World bank and the HIPC countries themselves to ensure that the benefits of this debt relief go to reducing poverty.

  Education (Investment)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated cost is to public funds of his plans for investment in education in each of the next four years. [130148]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Plans for expenditure on education and training were set out by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 18 July in the Spending Review White Paper. Expenditure on education and training in England will rise from £38.8 billion this year to £42.1 billion in 2001–02, £45.6 billion in 2002–03 and £49.2 billion in 2003–04—an average real increase of 5.6 per cent. across the three years.

  E-commerce
  Mr. Pearson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect his tax relief on computer and IT investments will have on e-commerce in the UK. [130149]

  Mr. Timms
  The new 100 per cent. capital allowances on computer and IT investments will encourage small businesses to acquire the means to exploit the opportunities offered by e-commerce. These opportunities include access to markets that were previously inaccessible and potentially lower business transaction costs. Small businesses are targeted because they are less prepared for e-commerce than larger businesses. This measure complements other Government initiatives to encourage e-commerce, including investing £60 million to provide advice and planning to help small and medium-sized businesses get on line.

  Tax Changes
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received on the tax changes he has made since May 1997. [130151]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government keep all taxes under review and receive representations on a range of issues.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on the finances of an average-income family of changes to indirect taxation since May 1997. [130156]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Information on changes in indirect taxes and the effect on typical amounts can be found in the Financial Statement and Budget Report.

  Tax and National Insurance
  Mr. Baldry
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the percentage of GDP which was accounted for by net taxes and social security contributions in(a) 1996–97 and (b) 1999–2000. [130154]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The Treasury updates its fiscal and economic forecasts, and the ratio of tax receipts to GDP, twice a year in the Budget and Pre-Budget Report, and most recently in the Budget Red Book, where it shows the share falling from 37 per cent. of GDP last year to 36.9 per cent. of GDP this year and 36.7 per cent. of GDP in 2003–04.
  310W
  As the Chancellor said on Tuesday, the combination of a stronger economy leading to higher revenues and £4.5 billion lower spending meant that the net debt repayment last year was not £11.9 billion, as we said at the time of the Budget, but £18.1 billion.

  Small and Medium-sized Enterprises
  Mr. Casale
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to promote the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. [130155]

  Mr. Timms
  Since 1997, the Government have cut the average corporation tax bill for small companies by nearly 25 per cent., transformed the capital gains tax system and introduced enhanced capital allowances, including 100 per cent. capital allowances for investment by small companies in ICT equipment.

  The Spending Review builds on this by substantially increasing the resources available to the Small Business Service and Regional Development Agencies. This represents a comprehensive approach to improving the climate for enterprise and innovation.

  Taxpayer Confidentiality
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effectiveness of current measures to ensure the security of taxpayers' information. [130159]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Inland Revenue issues a range of guidance material to staff which emphasises the need to be extremely vigilant when dealing with people over the telephone. They also issue periodic reminders to reinforce this message.

  Employment
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect his Department's policies have had on levels of employment in the eastern region since May 1997. [130160]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  In the east, as in the rest of the UK, we have created a sound and credible platform of economic stability that will help us attain our objective of high and stable levels of growth and employment. Since the election, employment in the east has risen by 134,000 and unemployment has fallen by 59,000.

  Ms Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the policies announced in the Budget to increase employment. [130161]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Chancellor announced a range of measures in Budget 2000 which build on existing employment programmes. These policies are all set out in Chapter 4 of the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report, which outlines progress made towards the Government's aim of providing employment opportunity for all—the modern definition of full employment.

  Macroeconomic stability is a prerequisite for achieving this aim, and the microeconomic policies announced, reinforced by reforms in the tax and benefits systems, are designed to help people move from welfare into work, and to ensure that employment is rewarding, that there is

  311W
  a secure transition into work, and that there is the chance to gain skills which will help progression up the earnings ladder.

  One of the new measures in the Budget was the introduction of Action Teams. These will work to match long term unemployed people in areas with high unemployment to nearby vacancies. As revealed last week, Lewisham is to be an Action Team area.

  Married Persons Tax Allowance
  Mr. Bill O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received following the abolition of the Married Persons Tax Allowance; and if he will make a statement. [130162]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Treasury Ministers regularly receive representations about all aspects of the tax system.

  The abolition of the Married Couples Allowance for couples aged under 65, and associated reliefs, was part of a package of reforms designed to focus more support on families with children. By April 2001, we will be spending an extra £7 billion a year on support for children. As a result of all our measures, families with children will on average be £850 a year better off.

  Inflation Forecasts
  Mr. Derek Twigg
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the inflation forecasts set out in the Red Book. [130165]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hastings and Rye (Mr. Foster) on 22 June 2000,Official Report, column 286W.

  Bank Closures
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what assessment he has made of the impact of bank closures on financial activities and investment levels in communities that have experienced bank closures; and if he will make a statement; [129663]

  (2) what steps he has taken to encourage banks to make social impact assessments before announcing branch closures. [129712]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 7 July 2000]: The Government have challenged banks to develop new products and delivery channels—including working closely with the Post Office on its plans for a Universal bank—to meet the financial services needs of deprived communities.

  Former Civil Servants
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date Mike Burt(a) ceased to be the head of procurement practice and development at HM Treasury and (b) became Chief Executive of Cityjobs.com plc. [130054]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  I have been asked to reply.

  Mike Burt was an employee of my Department on loan to HM Treasury at the time of his resignation. I understand
  312W
  that he ceased to be the head of procurement practice and development at HM Treasury on 26 May 2000 and became Chief Executive of Cityjobs.com plc on 5 June 2000.

  Cross-departmental Initiatives
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the cross-departmental initiatives that his Department leads; and if he will make a statement. [130266]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 12 July 2000]: The Treasury is involved in a wide range of cross-departmental initiatives. Fifteen cross-departmental reviews were conducted as part of Spending Review 2000 and are listed on page 101 of the Spending Review 2000 White Paper. Each review was conducted by an interdepartmental team, including Treasury officials.

  I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the Spending Review 2000 on Tuesday 18 July.

  PFI Contracts
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much has been spent on consultants in respect of private finance initiative projects in each of the last five years. [130504]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 17 July 2000]: The information sought is not held centrally.

  Technical Note No. 3, "How to Appoint and Manage Advisers", issued by the former Treasury taskforce, sets out best practice in this area. It suggests that accounting officers may wish to take the guidance into account in accordance with their responsibilities on value for money.

  Procurement Guidance No. 3, "Appointment of Consultants and Contractors", issued by the former procurement group of HM Treasury, provides advice on how to achieve value for money in the appointment of consultants and contractors.

  Both publications are now the responsibility of the Office of Government Commerce.

  I am today placing copies of both publications in the Library.

  Working Families Tax Credit
  Mr. Salmond
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with representatives of the small business community in Scotland regarding the additional responsibilities placed on small businesses through Government fiscal policy, with special reference to the Working Families Tax Credit. [130547]

  Dawn Primarolo
  [holding answer 17 July 2000]: The Inland Revenue has been consulting employer representatives, including those from the small business community, since May 1998 with the aim of minimising any additional costs to employers who pay tax credits through the payroll. This consultation process is ongoing.

  The regulations relating to employer's involvement in Working Families Tax Credit reflect many of the comments received from the representative bodies and others during the consultation period.

  Labour Statistics
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of 16 and 17-year-olds who work full-time(a) in the UK, (b) in Teesside Region and (c) in the constituency of Middlesbrough, South and Cleveland, East. [131011]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 17 July 2000]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Ashok Kumar, dated 17 July 2000:
  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about 16 and 17 year olds in full-time employment in the UK, Teesside and the constituency of Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland.
  The latest available non-seasonally adjusted data from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which is National Statistics' main source of labour market data on individuals, show that there were 182,000 16 and 17 year olds in full-time employment in the UK in the spring (March-May) quarter of 2000.
  The LFS is able to provide estimates at local or small area levels but as with any sample survey these are subject to sampling variability. The smaller the estimate, the larger the variability relative to the size of the estimate. Unfortunately, analyses of employment among 16 & 17 year olds for both the Teesside area and the Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland constituency do not provide reliable estimates.
  People aged 16 or over are classed as in employment by the LFS if they have done at least one hour of paid work (as an employee or self-employed) in the week prior to their LFS interview or if they have a job that they are temporarily away from. People who do unpaid work in a family business and people on Government-supported training and employment programmes are also included according to the International Labour Organisation convention.

  Financial Services and Markets Act 2000
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the timetable for implementation of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [131530]

  Table 2.4: Changes in the surplus on current budget and net borrowing since Budget 991

  £ billion

  Outturn2

  Estimate

  Projections

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  2003–04

  2004–05

  Surplus on current budget1,3

  Budget 99

  4.1

  2

  4

  8

  9

  11

  —

  Effect of revision/forecasting changes

  3.1

  7

  8

  6

  4

  1

  —

  Effect of policy measures

  —

  —

  -1

  -1

  -1

  -1

  —

  PBR99

  7.2

  9.5

  11

  13

  13

  12

  11

  Effect of revision/forecasting changes

  0.3

  7.5

  6

  11

  10

  8

  9

  Effect of policy measures

  —

  —

  -3

  -9

  -10

  -12

  -12

  Net borrowing1,3

  Budget 99

  -1.0

  3

  3

  1

  3

  4

  —

  Effect of revision/forecasting changes

  -1.5

  -6

  -7

  -5

  -3

  0

  —

  Effect of policy measures

  —

  —

  1

  1

  1

  1

  —

  PBR99

  -2.5

  -3.5

  -3

  -3

  1

  4

  6

  Effect of revision/forecasting changes

  -0.3

  -8.4

  -6

  -13

  -10

  -8

  -9

  Effect of policy measures

  —

  —

  4

  12

  13

  16

  16

  Budget 2000

  -2.8

  -11.9

  -6

  -5

  3

  1113

  1 Excluding windfall tax receipts and associated spending

  2 The 1998–99 figures were estimates in Budget 99

  3 Figures may not sum due to rounding

  314W
  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 18 July 2000,Official Report, column 109W.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 11 July 2000,Official Report, column 508W, concerning targets for answering parliamentary questions, if he will list the performance of his Department in financial year 1999–2000 against each of the targets; and if he will make a statement. [131642]

  Mr. Timms
  The Treasury's targets for answering parliamentary questions relate to parliamentary sessions not financial years. We are on track to meet our targets in the 1999–2000 session: 62 per cent. of named day questions have been answered on time; 75 per cent. of ordinary written questions; and 93 per cent. of House of Lords written questions.

  Economic Growth Rates
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 13 July 2000,Official Report, column 689W, what estimate he has made of the correlation coefficient of the UK against the growth rates of (a) the USA, (b) France and (c) Germany; and if he will make a statement. [131618]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Economic Secretary gave him on 3 February 2000,Official Report, column 685W.

  Economic and Financial Strategy Report
  Mr. Russell Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about Table 2.4 in the Economic and Financial Strategy report of March 2000. [132236]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  There were some minor errors in this table affecting the decomposition of changes between projects. A corrected version is printed as follows:

  Barnett Formula
  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if EU funds for transport improvements in Scotland have been(a) paid in addition to or (b) included in, the Barnett Formula settlement in each year since 1997. [129800]

  Dr. Reid
  I have been asked to reply:

  Public expenditure funded by the European Union for transport improvements in Scotland has been provided for in the Scottish Block (now the Scottish Assigned Budget). The level of provision is determined with regard to plans agreed with the Commission and to the submission of claims by project sponsors.

  The Barnett Formula is a mechanism for determining aggregate expenditure provision for the Assigned Budget, by providing an increase in total provision over current

  As at 13 July 2000

  Rover

  Jaguar

  Ford

  Department

  800 UK

  400 UK

  R45 UK

  Discovery UK

  Jag/Daimler UK

  Limousine UK

  Mondeo Belgium

  Galaxy Portugal

  Sierra Belgium

  Cabinet Office

  1

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  3

  2

  —

  Crown Prosecution Service

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Department for Culture, Media and Sport

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  5

  —

  —

  Department for Education and Employment

  —

  2

  1

  —

  1

  —

  4

  —

  —

  Department for International Development

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Department of Social Security

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  —

  —

  Department for Trade and Industry

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Export Credit Guarantee Department

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  Department of Health

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  HM Treasury

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Home Office

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Law Officer's Department

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  >

  3

  —

  —

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  Ministry of Defence

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Northern Ireland Office

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Office of the Rail Regulator

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Office of Government Commerce

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Privy Council Office

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Scotland Office

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Treasury Solicitor

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Wales Office

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Sub total

  10

  5

  2

  0

  5

  0

  41

  2

  0

  GCDA1

  25

  0

  0

  2

  6

  1

  14

  1

  1

  Total

  35

  5

  2

  2

  11

  1

  55

  3

  1

  1 Includes security vehicles

  As at 13 July 2000

  Vauxhall

  Nissan

  Department

  Omega Germany

  Vectra Germany

  Vectra UK

  Astra Germany

  Cavalier UK

  Primera UK

  Total

  Cabinet Office

  5

  1

  2

  4

  —

  —

  20

  Crown Prosecution Service

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Department for Culture, Media and Sport

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  1

  9

  Department for Education and Employment

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  9

  Department for International Development

  1

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Department of Social Security

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6

  Department for Trade and Industry

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  2

  7

  Export Credit Guarantee Department

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  5

  Department of Health

  1

  2

  —

  —

  1

  8

  HM Treasury

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  6

  316W
  plans equivalent to a population-based share of increases in England on comparable programmes.

CABINET OFFICE

  Government Cars
  Mr. Burden
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will list by Department the numbers of cars in the Government car fleet, broken down by make of car and country of manufacture. [126550]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  Information for cars operated by the Government Car and Despatch Agency, on behalf of the Government as a whole, and the Cabinet Office is set out in the table. Some Departments, such as the Department of Social Security and the Inland Revenue, operate cars in addition to those on the list but details of the make and the country of origin are not held centrally.
  317W

  As at 13 July 2000

  Vauxhall

  Nissan

  Department

  Omega Germany

  Vectra Germany

  Vectra UK

  Astra Germany

  Cavalier UK

  Primera UK

  Total

  Home Office

  —

  3

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5

  Law Officer's Department

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Lord Chancellor's Department

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  5

  Ministry of Defence

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Northern Ireland Office

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  —

  4

  Office of the Rail Regulator

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Office of Government Commerce

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Privy Council Office

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Scotland Office

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Treasury Solicitor

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Wales Office

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2

  Sub total

  15

  18

  2

  4

  0

  6

  110

  GCDA1

  20

  8

  1

  0

  1

  0

  80

  Total

  35

  26

  3

  4

  1

  6

  190

  1 Includes security vehicles

  Agenda Computer System
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to her answer of 23 June 2000,Official Report, column 306W, regarding the Agenda computer system, what the non-IT costs were with regard to the Agenda computer system in each year since it became operational in February 1998. [129721]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The non-IT costs incurred by my Department in supporting the Agenda system since it became operational in February 1998 are summarised in the table:

  Financial year

  £

  1997–98

  4,750

  1998–99

  30,636

  1999–2000

  37,014

  2000 to date

  9,621

  Civil Servants (Television Appearances)
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what rules govern the appearance of civil servants on television programmes about politics. [130720]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  Civil servants appearing on the radio or on television must comply with the requirements of the Civil Service Code and the Civil Service Management Code.

  Mileage Rates
  Mr. Efford
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans she has to review the mileage rates paid to civil service staff who use their own cars to carry out contractual duties, with particular reference to bringing these rates in line with the Inland Revenue's fixed profit car scheme. [131345]

  Mr. Stringer
  Motor mileage rates for civil servants who use their own cars on official business are not set centrally. Departments and agencies have delegated authority to reimburse the expenses incurred by their own staff in connection with their employment.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Gavin Mellor
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much has been spent on legal aid to date in respect of the case of Gavin Mellor. [131307]

  Mr. Lock
  Mr. Mellor was granted a legal aid certificate on 1 February 1999, to bring judicial review proceedings against the Home Secretary's decision not to allow him and his wife access to artificial insemination facilities.

  In a complex legal matter such as this, it is the practice of the Legal Services Commission to carry out periodic reviews of the case to ensure that the criteria for public funding continue to be met. It would be unusual to fund a case of this type unless a favourable counsel's opinion had been received.

  As at 14 July 2000, the total amount that had been paid on the certificate was a disbursement of £277. No other bills have so far been submitted by Mr. Mellor's solicitors.

  Nuisance Actions
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate she has made of the number of actions for nuisance brought in the last 12 months by local authorities for which figures are available where professional witnesses of fact were involved. [131170]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Court Service does not collect statistics on the reasons for the issue of possession actions such as nuisance, nor the type of witnesses involved in such cases. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost to the Department.

  Freedom of Information Bill
  Maria Eagle
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he proposes to publish a
  319W
  draft code of practice on the management of records under the proposals contained in the Freedom of Information Bill. [132305]

  Mr. Lock
  I am delighted to publish today a working draft of the Code of Practice on the management of records under Freedom of Information. Copies of the draft have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report will also be available on the internet.

  The aims of the Code are twofold. The first is to set out practices which bodies subject to the Freedom of Information Act should follow in relation to the creation, keeping, management and destruction of their records. The second is to provide guidance on the review and transfer of public records to the Public Record Office, to places of deposit for public records appointed under the Public Records Act 1958, and to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland. The Code covers records in all technical or physical formats.

  Any freedom of information legislation is only as good as the quality of the records to which it provides access. Such rights are of little use if reliable records are not created in the first place, if they cannot be found when needed or if the arrangements for their eventual archiving or destruction are inadequate. Consequently all public authorities are encouraged to pay heed to the guidance in the Code. Authorities should note that if they fail to comply with the Code, they may be in breach of their statutory obligations.

  The Code would satisfy a duty proposed in the Freedom of Information Bill.

  Electronic Records
  Maria Eagle
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when he intends to publish a policy statement on electronic records management. [132306]

  Mr. Lock
  The Government's policy on electronic records management was published in April. It is called the "Framework for Information Age Government: Electronic Records Management, an Annex to e-government, A strategic framework for public services in the Information Age". Copies of the report have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report is also available on the internet.

  Effective management of electronic records is essential to the Information Age Government programme. The replacement of manual and paper based processes with electronic processes requires the development of effective records management, covering existing as well as new electronic records. In government such records must be managed so as to retain their integrity, authenticity and accessibility through migrations as hardware and software change and to conform with the relevant Data Protection and Freedom of Information regulations.

  Any electronic government record is potentially a public record and for this reason all such records will be subject to additional controls including retention and disposal scheduling and prevention of content alteration.

  The development of a common system of electronic records management will facilitate collaboration between Government Departments and agencies.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many parliamentary questions were tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April which requested information, pursuant to his previous answers. [131225]

  Mr. Lock
  According to departmental records covering the relevant period, six parliamentary questions were tabled to the Lord Chancellor's Department requesting information pursuant to previous answers.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Rural Police Forces
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he intends to allocate in the current year the money recently agreed for police forces in rural areas. [132066]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for The Wrekin (Mr. Bradley) of 15 June 2000,Official Report, column 714W, announced provision of £15 million, made available in the Budget, for assistance to police forces in rural areas this year.

  The allocations for 2000–01 are shown in the table.

  Police authority

  £

  Avon and Somerset

  494,892

  Bedfordshire

  81,390

  Cambridgeshire

  561,585

  Cheshire

  115,058

  City of London

  0

  Cleveland

  0

  Cumbria

  690,613

  Derbyshire

  208,347

  Devon and Cornwall

  1,554,673

  Dorset

  221,858

  Durham

  124,270

  Dyfed Powys

  1,297,570

  Essex

  251,315

  Gloucestershire

  387,093

  Greater Manchester

  0

  Gwent

  102,895

  Hampshire

  110,175

  Hertfordshire

  0

  Humberside

  357,640

  Kent

  298,863

  Lancashire

  32,228

  Leicestershire

  216,758

  Lincolnshire

  985,951

  Merseyside

  0

  Metropolitan

  0

  Norfolk

  1,036,848

  North Wales

  770,617

  North Yorkshire

  1,005,224

  Northamptonshire

  350,892

  Northumbria

  0

  Nottinghamshire

  0

  South Wales

  0

  South Yorkshire

  0

  Staffordshire

  138,358

  Suffolk

  711,353

  Surrey

  5,463

  Sussex

  273,834

  Thames Valley

  629,559

  Warwickshire

  282,108

  West Mercia

  1,157,670

  321W

  Police authority

  £

  West Midlands

  0

  West Yorkshire

  0

  Wiltshire

  544,900

  All police authorities

  15,000,000

  The sums have been apportioned on the basis of population weighted by a sparsity score. Payment will be made shortly.

  Financial provision for future years has been included in the Spending Review 2000 settlement.

  Leave to Remain Application Forms
  Dr. Palmer
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to replace the current application forms for foreign nationals wishing to apply for leave to remain in the United Kingdom. [132067]

  Mrs. Roche
  The current application forms are valid for use only until 14 October 2000. Revised forms will be prescribed before then. It is planned to make them available before the end of September. From the time they are issued until 14 October 2000, applications may be made on either the newly prescribed forms or the present versions. Only the new forms may be used for applications made on or after 15 October 2000. Copies will be placed in the Library as soon as they are available.

  Criminal Records Bureau
  Ms Coffey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will announce the outcome of the invitation to tender for the Criminal Records Bureau Information Systems and Services; and if he will make a statement. [132068]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Criminal Records Bureau issued an invitation to tender on 12 June 2000, for the provision of information systems and services through a public private sector partnership. Three firms had previously been shortlisted, and they provided their submissions in response to the invitation to tender on 28 June.

  Following a thorough evaluation against separate qualitative and financial criteria, Bernard Herdan, chief executive of the Criminal Records Bureau, has accepted the recommendation of the tender evaluation board that the tender from Capita should be selected as the one which is the most economically advantageous based on the best combination of technical design, customer service, quality, schedule, risk transfer and cost. The Criminal Records Bureau and Capita will now commence preferred supplier negotiations with a view to awarding a contract in the near future, subject to completion of a satisfactory appraisal and business case.

  National Probation Service
  Mr. Pond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how he plans to meet urgent expenditure relating to the new National Probation Service for England and Wales prior to the enactment of the Criminal Justice and Court Service Bill. [132069]
  322W
  Mr. Boateng
  Parliamentary approval for expenditure on the new National Probation Service for England and Wales will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the Home Office Vote (Class IV Vote 1). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £670,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund. This expenditure is required to ensure that the National Probation Service would be able to come into effect on 1 April 2001, subject to the successful passage of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill.

  Reform of the Probation Service is key to the Government's crime reduction and effective punishment strategy. Current plans envisage a vesting date of 1 April 2001 for the new National Probation Service. This date is key for delivering operational effectiveness gains, which would otherwise be lost or significantly delayed. Two critical ingredients of reform are changes in governance and leadership of the new service and it is in these areas that urgent expenditure would be incurred. The critical path for achieving the target date is dependent upon starting the process of selection to the 42 new probation boards, and the recruitment of chief officers for the eight amalgamated services, by July.

  New Deal
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees of his Department and its agencies have been recruited from the New Deal; and what percentage of total staff this represents. [129143]

  Mr. Straw
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 22 July 1999,Official Report, column 618W, and also the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (Marjorie Mowlam) to my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, North (Mr. Rooney) on 6 July 2000, Official Report, column 286W.

  Since my reply of 22 July 1999 the number of people recruited to the Home Office and its agencies under New Deal has increased to 25. This represents 0.71 per cent. of the total number of administrative assistants and equivalent grades (the grade at which New Dealers are engaged) in the Home Office.

  In addition, a further 39 people on New Deal have secured employment with the Prison Service through normal recruitment channels. This brings the percentage up to 1.83 per cent. of the total number of staff in the grade.

  Police Numbers (Suffolk)
  Mr. Ruffley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the number of serving police constables in the Suffolk Constabulary in(a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99 and (d) 1999–2000. [130761]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The number of constables in the Suffolk Constabulary is set out in the table and is for 31 March of each year.
  323W

  Suffolk Constabulary

  Financial year (as at 31 March)

  Number of constables1

  1996–97: at 31 March 1997

  932

  1997–98: at 31 March 1998

  927

  1998–99: at 31 March 2000

  935

  1999–2000: at 13 March 2000

  890

  1 Full-time equivalents

  Road Safety (Cyclists)
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been prosecuted under section 30 of the Road Traffic Act 1988 for being drunk in charge of a bicycle. [131244]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Information for 1989 to 1999 taken from the Home Office Court Proceedings Database is given in the table.

  Number of defendants prosecuted for the offence of riding a pedal cycle under the influence of drink or drugs, England and Wales, 1989–99

  Year

  Number of defendants prosecuted

  1989

  261

  1990

  211

  1991

  191

  1992

  108

  1993

  105

  1994

  71

  1995

  75

  1996

  85

  1997

  103

  1998

  98

  19991

  84

  1 1999 data are provisional

  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when on-the-spot fines for cyclists riding on the pavement were introduced; and how many have been imposed. [131062]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Cycling on the pavement was made a fixed penalty offence on 1 August 1999. The fixed penalty is not an on-the-spot fine: payment is not required on-the-spot and the person receiving it can challenge its issue in court. In the period August to December 1999, 39 police forces in England and Wales issued 570 fixed penalty notices for the offence of cycling on the pavement; figures for the other four are not available.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 4 July 2000,Official Report, column 166W, ref. 128237, how many asylum seekers were supported in 1999–2000. [130841]

  Mrs. Roche
  In 1999–2000, asylum seekers were supported by either the Department of Social Security or local authorities. The available information shows that in the final quarter of 1999–2000, there were estimated to be 49,660 asylum seeker principal applicants being supported by the Department of Social Security each month. In the week ending 31 March 2000, 35,815 asylum seeker principal applicants were being supported by local authorities in London.
  324W
  Information on asylum seeker principal applicants supported by local authorities outside of London is not held centrally.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 4 July 2000,Official Report, column 166W, on asylum seekers, for what reason information on average decision times was not available; and if he will make a statement. [130843]

  Mrs. Roche
  Average times for initial decisions were calculated until the end of 1999. In December 1999 the average time taken to reach initial decisions was 13 months. The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) are setting in place new systems, which will enable average decision times to be calculated and to report the percentage of applications receiving an initial decision within two months.

  Details of the time to final resolution, as previously requested, are not available as there is no source from which to obtain this information. IND and the Lord Chancellor's Department are working together to enable such information to be available in future.

  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff have been allocated to the performance monitoring inspections team for asylum seeker accommodation providers; how many of these staff will be engaged on personally inspecting accommodation and support arrangements; and what targets have been set for the proportion of asylum seeker accommodation to be inspected by the performance monitoring inspections team. [131424]

  Mrs. Roche
  It is currently anticipated that the performance monitoring section of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) will comprise of around 83 staff. About 20 of these will be involved in personally inspecting accommodation. Inspections will also be carried out by the property advisers to the civil estate. The remaining staff in the performance monitoring section will be engaged in carrying out investigations into complaints and allegations of fraud. Final targets have not yet been set but the accommodation inspection team is required to have inspected all NASS contracted houses of multiple occupancy of 20 bed spaces or more by 31 March 2001.

  Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill implements the recommendation in paragraph 65 of the 1999 report of the Commissioner for the Interception of Communications relating to sections 6 and 7 of the Official Secrets Act 1989. [130945]

  Mr. Straw
  Clause 18 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill implements the recommendation in paragraph 65 of the report. It imposes a duty on all those involved in the interception of communications in obedience to a warrant to keep secret the existence and contents of a warrant and anything done in pursuance to it. It also creates a criminal offence where a person makes a disclosure to another of anything that he is required to keep secret, and sets out certain statutory defences.

  Football (Disorder)
  Sir Nicholas Lyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the nature of the several offences committed by the 390 UK citizens arrested at Charleroi in Belgium during Euro 2000, indicating how many had committed each such offence. [131401]

  Mr. Straw
  As I told the House in my Statement on 4 July 2000,Official Report, columns 170–183, 965 England supporters were arrested or detained during Euro 2000. Of these, 391 had previously been convicted of a criminal offence. The National Criminal Intelligence Service advise that these people had between them: 133 convictions for violence, 200 for disorder, 38 for the possession of an offensive weapon, 122 for criminal damage and 250 for other offences. Some supporters will have been convicted of more than one type of offence.

  Sir Nicholas Lyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list in relation to each of the past five years the periods which would have been control periods in relation to external tournaments, pursuant to paragraph 14(6) of the Football Spectators Act 1989 as amended by the Football (Disorder) Bill. [131402]

  Mr. Straw
  The Football (Disorder) Bill defines the term "control period" in respect of an external tournament. It relates to any period beginning five days before the day of the first match of the tournament. If this was applied to external tournaments involving England and Wales within the last five years, the designated control periods would be: Friday 5 June—Friday 17 July 1998 (World Cup—France 98) and Monday 5 June—Friday 7 July 2000 (Euro 2000—Holland/Belgium).

  Rape
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of alleged rape were reported in England and Wales in 1999 which resulted in charges being brought against the alleged perpetrators. [131164]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The number of cases reported to the police and persons charged for rape offences are not available centrally.

  Initiatives

  May 1997–98 (£000)

  1998–99 (£000)

  1999–2000 (£000)

  2000–01 (£000)

  Successful bids

  Percentage of total bids

  Crime Reduction Programme

  Crime Reduction Partnership Training and Support

  0

  0

  800

  5,642

  —1

  —1

  Reducing Burglary

  0

  0

  600

  20,200

  161

  93

  Targeted Policing

  0

  0

  600

  13,000

  27

  16

  On Track

  0

  0

  200

  12,500

  24

  32

  Work With Offenders

  0

  0

  900

  8,000

  —2

  —2

  Intervention in Schools

  0

  0

  600

  6,000

  —2

  —2

  Youth Inclusion Schemes

  0

  0

  100

  4,250

  —1

  —1

  Sentencing and Restorative Justice

  0

  0

  200

  500

  1

  100

  Design Against Crime

  0

  0

  400

  1,500

  —1

  —1

  Drug Arrest Referral Schemes

  0

  0

  700

  9,000

  —2

  —2

  CCTV

  15,000

  1,500

  3,600

  60,000

  —2

  —2

  Violence against Women

  0

  0

  0

  5,000

  34

  16

  Neighbourhood Wardens

  0

  0

  0

  1,500

  —2

  —2

  Crime Fighting Fund3

  0

  0

  0

  59,000

  43

  100

  Support After Murder and Manslaughter

  0

  43

  100

  100

  —1

  —1

  326W
  The number of rape offences recorded by the police, and the number of cautions, prosecutions and convictions for rape offences1 are as follows:

  Number

  Rape offences recorded in 1999–2000

  8,409

  Cautions for offences of rape 19992

  33

  Prosecutions for offences of rape 19992

  2,157

  of which: Convictions

  634

  1 Includes offences of rape and attempted rape

  2 Provisional

  It should be noted that as the recorded crime figures relate to offences, and the number of cautions, prosecutions and convictions relate to defendants, the two types of data are not directly comparable.

  Armed Police Officers
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions armed police officers were called to incidents in the Greater London area during the last 12 months. [130766]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Over the period 1 July 1999 to 30 June 2000, armed officers were called to a total of 26,743 incidents in the Greater London area. Of these, armed officers were actually deployed in 1,494 incidents. Deployment is defined as the use of armed officers to resolve the incident.

  Departmental Initiatives
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list each departmental initiative since May 1997 requiring bids for funding together with the total resources available, the number of successful bids and the proportion this represents of total bids received; and what data he collects on the average expenditure of organisations bidding for funding through each initiative. [131089]

  Mr. Straw
  The information requested for Home Office initiatives for which grants are given, including those subject to a competitive bidding process, for the four financial years from May 1997 to 2000–01 is provided in the table.
  327W

  Initiatives

  May 1997–98 (£000)

  1998–99 (£000)

  1999–2000 (£000)

  2000–01 (£000)

  Successful bids

  Percentage of total bids

  Community Support Grants

  Active Community Initiatives

  0

  0

  700

  1,311

  5

  45

  Older Volunteers Initiative

  0

  0

  788

  416

  27

  93

  Regional Voluntary Sector Networks

  0

  0

  573

  1,060

  18

  100

  Support for Community Self-Help

  0

  0

  420

  820

  2

  100

  Business Partnerships

  0

  0

  137

  220

  3

  100

  Family Support Grant

  National Family and Parenting Institute

  0

  0

  200

  2,205

  —2

  —2

  Family Support Grant

  0

  0

  1,000

  3,000

  64

  30

  Parent Line

  0

  0

  333

  333

  —2

  —2

  Fire Service Youth Training Association

  0

  0

  25

  58

  —2

  —2

  Reception and Resettlement of Refugees

  Montserrat

  723

  511

  537

  0

  —1

  —1

  Kosovo

  0

  0

  14,400

  20,200

  43

  94

  Voluntary Bodies to Support Kosovan Refugees

  0

  0

  8,900

  5,500

  6

  100

  National Asylum Support Services (NASS)4

  Hard Cases Grant

  0

  0

  0

  7,011

  —1

  —1

  Refugee Council

  0

  0

  930

  6,532

  —1

  —1

  Central Services Team

  0

  0

  160

  294

  —1

  —1

  Refugee Council Offices

  0

  0

  54

  68

  —1

  —1

  Migrant Helpline

  0

  0

  294

  2,070

  —1

  —1

  Refugee Arrivals Project

  0

  0

  293

  1,802

  —1

  —1

  Refugee Action

  0

  0

  304

  2,024

  —1

  —1

  Scottish Refugee Council

  0

  0

  128

  651

  —1

  —1

  Welsh Refugee Council

  0

  0

  0

  537

  —1

  —1

  Prison Service Initiatives

  Partners of Prisoners' Support Groups

  0

  27

  3

  0

  0

  0

  Federation of Prisoners' Families Support Groups

  0

  19

  20

  0

  0

  0

  Institute of Linguists Educational Trust

  0

  3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Prisoners' Community Liaison

  0

  9

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Female Prisoners' Welfare Project

  0

  20

  0

  0

  0

  0

  The New Bridge to support rehabilitative projects

  0

  20

  20

  20

  —1

  —1

  Prisons' Video Trust

  0

  0

  70

  70

  —1

  —1

  Literacy and Black Incarceration Project

  0

  0

  7

  0

  0

  0

  Race Equality Grant

  0

  0

  0

  2,200

  0

  0

  Research

  Innovative Research Fund

  0

  0

  840

  200

  —

  —

  1 Initiatives not subject to a competitive bidding process.

  2 Initiatives for which the bidding process is still in progress, as the total and successful number of bids are not yet known.

  3 The Crime Fighting Fund was set up to enable recruitment of 3,000 police officers over and above current levels. All 43 police authorities bid for funding and all were successful in at least part of their bid.

  4 Grant funding arrangements for NASS arose out of an existing relationship with the refugee voluntary sector. There are no plans to put bids for these initiatives out to competitive tender until after 31 March 2000. The existing organisations receiving funds will be notified of such a move by 31 March 2001.

  Note:

  1. The figures for 2000–01 are estimates and could be subject to in-year changes. The figures do not take account of any locally funded initiatives undertaken by individual prisons nor all those funded by the Home Office's non-departmental public bodies, as such detail could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  The figures for "successful bids" and "proportion of total bids" are for 2000–01 only, as figures for the three previous years could also be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  The table does not include specific grants to bodies where these were initiated before May 1997. Nor does the table include the Capital Modernisation Fund and the Invest to Save Budget, which are not Home Office specific initiatives.

  The data collected on average expenditure of organisations bidding for funding through each initiative
  328W
  is dependent on the type of grants and size of payment. The minimum requirements are that an organisation provides:
  either, a copy of the receipts and payments accounts and Assets and Liabilities Statement (or, if one is produced, an Income and Expenditure account),
  or, in the case of charities or organisations with a turnover in excess of £1,000,000, a copy of the Income and Expenditure account, balance sheet, external audit report or independent accountants' opinion.

  New Year's Eve 2000–01
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he plans in respect of extending licensing hours on new year's eve 2000–01. [130946]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We still hope to have made a deregulation order under the Deregulation and Contracting Out Act 1994 to reduce the present restrictions on Sunday dancing in time to be of benefit for the coming new year's eve. Such an order, as well as removing the statutory ban on commercial dancing, would give licensing justices the power in appropriate cases to extend permitted drinking hours on Sunday nights on licensed premises providing entertainment in the form of music or dancing.

  So far as other licensed premises are concerned, any extension of permitted hours nationally would need a separate deregulation order under the 1994 Act. The timescales for statutory public consultation and the subsequent parliamentary process are dictated by the 1994 Act, and it is now unlikely that the process could be completed in time for next new year.

  Under existing licensing law, it remains the case that any holder of a justices' on-licence may apply to the licensing justices in his or her area for a special order of exemption extending permitted hours during a special occasion such as new year's eve.

  Computer Disasters
  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the time it would take to get new computers running in the wake of a major computer disaster in his Department. [130971]

  Mr. Straw
  [holding answer 19 July 2000]: Each computer system used by my Department has contingency arrangements in accordance with its operational needs. The timing of recovery to normal working depends on the nature of the system and the extent of the disaster, but would be planned to be commensurate with importance of the business process concerned.
  330W
  These arrangements are part of wider business continuity plans, which were reviewed recently as part of preparations for the year 2000 date change.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered citing(a) disproportionate cost, (b) that the information is not available, not held centrally, or not held in the form requested and (c) commercial or other confidentiality; [131124]

  (2) how many of the written parliamentary questions tabled to his Department between 19 October 1999 and 20 April have not received substantive answers, excluding those not answered citing (a) disproportionate cost, (b) that the information is not available, not held centrally, or not held in the form requested and (c) commercial confidentiality or other confidentiality. [131122]

  Mr. Straw
  [holding answer 18 July 2000]: My Department answered a total of 2,751 written parliamentary questions between 19 October-20 April 2000. Other than for the reasons set out in my replies to the right hon. Member for Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross (Mr. Maclennan) on 23 June 2000, Official Report, columns 339–40W, and on 4 July 2000, Official Report, columns 165–66W respectively, there were no other occasions when I gave non-substantive replies.

  Clay Pigeon Shooting
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the number of persons involved in clay pigeon shooting, both as(a) participants in the sport and (b) employees of the organisations providing the facilities. [131305]

  Kate Hoey
  I have been asked to reply.

  My Department has contacted Sport England, UK Sport and the Clay Pigeon Shooting Association to request the information required, and I will write to the hon. Member as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Library of the House.

  Judicial Committee of the Privy Council: Professional Disciplinary Cases
  Judicial Committee of the Privy Council: Professional Disciplinary Cases
  Electronic Records Management
  Electronic Records Management
  Records Management under Freedom of Information Act
  Records Management under Freedom of Information Act
  Public Order Act: Incitement Prosecutions and Convictions
  Public Order Act: Incitement Prosecutions and Convictions
  SFO Annual Report
  SFO Annual Report
  National Savings Ordinary Accounts: Administration Costs
  National Savings Ordinary Accounts: Administration Costs
  Sterling Exchange Rate
  Sterling Exchange Rate
  Chemical Warfare Alerts during Gulf Conflict
  Chemical Warfare Alerts during Gulf Conflict
  Gulf Veterans: Mortality
  Gulf Veterans: Mortality
  Territorial Army: Restructuring
  Territorial Army: Restructuring
  Military Low Flying Activity
  Military Low Flying Activity
  Departmental Cars
  Departmental Cars
  NHS: Cost of Employing Additional Staff
  NHS: Cost of Employing Additional Staff
  Allopurinol: Cost to NHS
  Allopurinol: Cost to NHS
  Children's Services
  Children's Services
  Medicines Commission Annual Report
  Medicines Commission Annual Report
  Medicines Control Agency: Annual Report and Accounts
  Medicines Control Agency: Annual Report and Accounts
  Medical Devices Agency: Annual Report and Accounts
  Medical Devices Agency: Annual Report and Accounts
  French Motorway Tolls: Revenue
  French Motorway Tolls: Revenue
  Central Science Laboratory Annual Report
  Central Science Laboratory Annual Report
  Film and Television Working Conditions
  Film and Television Working Conditions
  Smoking: Depiction in Drama
  Smoking: Depiction in Drama
  Public Appointments by Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport
  Public Appointments by Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport