Written Answers of 15 June 2000

DEFENCE

  Laser Range-finders
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total cost to his Department was of the supply of 226 LH-40C hand-held laser range-finders to the Army; how many units have been purchased; which companies bid for this contract; if the bid by the Eloptro Division of Denel company was the lowest; and if he will make a statement. [124883]

  Dr. Moonie
  The total cost to the Department, including three years support, is in the region of £2 million, but the details are a matter of commercial confidentiality. Bids were received from four companies in November 1999: Eloptro, a division of Denel; Leica Geosystems Ltd.; Litton Laser Systems; and Simrad Optronics Ltd.

  Following a detailed technical evaluation including extensive trials of all candidate equipment only Eloptro provided a compliant tender and this, therefore, was the lowest acceptable bid. A contract for the supply and support of the 226 systems was awarded to Eloptro on 23 March 2000. The unsuccessful companies have been given the opportunity for a formal debrief and, while all have indicated that they wish to take up this offer, only Leica have done so to date.

  Type 45 Destroyers
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what are the planned in-service dates for follow-on Type 45 destroyers; and if he will make a statement. [124993]

  Dr. Moonie
  On current plans, we expect that the first Type 45 destroyer will enter service with the Royal Navy in 2007 and that the last will enter service in 2014, with progressive deliveries between these dates. The delivery programmes for the ships have yet to be negotiated.

  US Defence Trade Security Initiative
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the benefits of the United Kingdom being granted special status under the US International Traffic in Arms Regulations; and if he will make a statement. [125380]

  Mr. Hoon
  We welcome the announcement of the Defence Trade Security Initiative made by the US Government on 24 May 2000. The proposed reforms to US defence export control arrangements should reduce munitions licensing process times in general and simplify many licensing procedures, particularly for NATO countries, Japan and Australia. They represent a significant step towards enhancing alliance interoperability and preventing the widening of the technology gap.
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  The initiative includes a proposal for an International Traffic in Arms Regulations exemption for the UK and other close allies. This would enhance the ability of UK firms to compete in the US market; to benefit from US Research and Development expenditure; and give access to some of the most advanced defence technologies in the world. US defence companies are, of course, free to compete in the UK market.

  We expect early discussions with the US to take this forward as part of the implementation of the UK/US Declaration of Principles.

  Maritime Mining System
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what role DERA played in securing the contract by BAe Systems to be the supplier to the Australian Defence Force of the Stone Fish MKIII Maritime Mining System; and if he will make a statement. [125435]

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

  Letter from John Chisholm to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 15 June 2000:
  I am replying to your parliamentary question about a contract secured by BAE Systems.
  I can confirm that DERA has had no role or involvement in the securing of a contract by BAE Systems to be the supplier to the Australian Defence Force of the Stone Fish MKIII Maritime Mining System.
  I hope this is helpful.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Market Research
  Mr. MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much his Department spent on opinion research in the financial year 1999–2000. [123049]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The Government are committed to consulting and involving the public to help inform policy formulation and the delivery of better quality public services. Both are an important part of the Modernising Government initiative.

  The Government only commission market or opinion research when it is justified by the needs of the policy or programme and is the most economical, efficient and effective way to achieve the purpose.

  During the financial year 1999–2000, the amount spent on opinion research was £658,521. This information is broken down as follows:

  £

  Department of Agriculture and Rural Development

  20,536

  Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure

  13,000

  Department of Education

  5,975

  Department of Environment

  16,590

  Department for Regional Development

  15,050

  Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment

  39,695

  Department of Finance and Personnel

  23,000

  Department of Health, Social Services and PS

  20,000

  Department of Higher and Further Education, TE

  346,375

  669W

  £

  Department for Social Development

  56,315

  Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister

  11,000

  Northern Ireland Office

  90,985

  Responsibility in respect of research carried out by the Northern Ireland Departments has been devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly and is no longer a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Mr. MacKay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list opinion research projects undertaken on behalf of the Department in the financial year 1999–2000 itemising(a) focus group research, (b) quantitative surveys and (c) other market research surveys, indicating in each case (i) when and (ii) where the results were published. [123050]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The information for the Northern Ireland Office and Northern Ireland Departments has been placed in the Library.

  Responsibility in respect of research carried out by the Northern Ireland Departments has been devolved to the Northern Ireland Assembly and is no longer a matter for the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

  Demilitarisation
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the demilitarisation measures taken in the past year; and if he will make a statement. [123506]

  Mr. Ingram
  Listed are normalisation measures taken during 1999.24 to 26 January 1999—Vacation of Patrol Bases at Mullan Bridge, Roscor Bridge, Wattle Bridge, Clonratty Bridge, Gortmullan Bridge, Killyvilly and Annaghmartin.
  3 February 1999—Demolition of Aughnacloy Permanent Vehicle Check Point.
  8 February 1999—Demolition of V3 Permanent Vehicle Check Point (Hump).
  12 February 1999—Demolition of V4 Permanent Vehicle Check Point (Muff).
  26 February 1999—Demolition of V1 Permanent Vehicle Check Point (Letterkenny Road).
  21 May 1999—Demolition of Fort Whiterock completed.
  9 July 1999—Requisitioned land in Crossmaglen returned to the GAA.
  3 August 1999—Demolition of Gortmullan Patrol Base completed.
  5 September 1999—Vacation of Carrickfergus Base.
  31 December 1999—Closure of Castlereagh Holding Centre.

  In April 2000, the Belfast Roulement Battalion was withdrawn.

  The Royal Ulster Constabulary is also making increased use of soft-skinned and high profile liveried vehicles and beat patrols. Police officers increasingly wear fluorescent jackets and now patrol without military support in most parts of the Province.

  In light of the lowering of the overall threat following the recent statement by the IRA the Chief Constable announced on 9 May further steps which will be taken within weeks to normalise security.
  670W
  A further review of possible normalisation steps will be conducted in three months time taking account of the level of threat prevailing at the time and the circumstances on the ground.

  Laptops
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many laptop computers used by Ministers, officials and special advisers in his Department have been(a) lost and (b) stolen since May 1997. [123742]

  Mr. Mandelson
  The information requested is as follows:

  (a) None

  (b) Seven

  Forms
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the net change in each year since May 1997 in the number of forms issued by his Department which(a) charities and (b) other voluntary organisations are required to complete. [123944]

  Mr. Ingram
  The answer to this question could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

  Paramedics
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of places on training courses for paramedics; and what plans he has to increase the number of places available. [122581]

  Ms Stuart
  There has been no central estimate of the number of places on training courses for paramedics as this training is managed directly by the 32 National Health Service ambulance service trusts around the country. We have made £21 million extra available per annum to support the ambulance services in meeting the national target of responding to 75 per cent. of all life threatening 999 calls within eight minutes. £18.5 million of this allocation is to provide additional staff, in particular paramedics, thereby increasing significantly the number of training places.

  Buprenorphine
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when Subutex (buprenorphine) will be added to the list of drugs that can be dispensed using forms FP10(HP)(ad) and FP 10(MDA). [122899]

  Ms Stuart
  Ministers have agreed in principle to allow the prescription of buprenorphine (of which Subutex is a brand) on an instalment basis. We are currently consulting a range of organisations which could be affected by the proposal on how best to introduce it.

  Health Policies
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the relative priorities accorded to mental and physical health in the Government's health policies. [125371]
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  Mr. Hutton
  We have set out our priorities in "Modernising Health and Social Services: National Priorities Guidance 2000/01–2002/03" which include physical and mental health problems as priorities for the National Health Service and Social Services.

  NHS Consultation Process
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many responses to his consultation on the future of the NHS made reference to mental health or to mental illness; [125369]

  (2) how many responses he received (a) in time and (b) out of time to his recent consultation on the future of the National Health Service; [125368]

  (3) when and in what way he expects to announce a summary of the responses to the recent questionnaire on the NHS; [125374]

  (4) how many responses to his consultation on the future of the NHS made reference to the medical needs and extra costs of patients aged over 85 years; [125370]

  (5) what way NHS mental health patients were included in the consultation on the future of the NHS; [125372]

  (6) if he will issue questionnaires to 12 million people relating to his top three priorities for mental health reform. [125367]

  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many staff consultation papers, "Have Your Say on a Better NHS", were distributed to the consultees by 4 June; and how many were received back by the closing date of 5 June. [125771]

  Mr. Denham
  The consultation process included written consultation with key national organisations; telephone consultation and two seminars with patient groups; use of NHS Direct; and issues emerging from the regional consultation process.

  As part of the overall consultation strategy, in the week leading up to National Health Census day on 31 May 2000, 12 million consultation leaflets were made available at supermarkets, high street chemists and other NHS facilities. There were one million staff leaflets and 11 million public leaflets. It was also published on the worldwide web.

  For those who may have had difficulty reading the text or completing the form in these formats, the leaflet was also made available on tape with the facility to either record responses on the tape or by dictating over the telephone. There have been eight requests for the tape, none of which have used the telephone facility.

  The total cost of the design, printing and distribution of the leaflet was £475,487.

  200,960 leaflets have been received so far. In addition, 7,385 e-mails have been received. 1,663 letters have been received. NHS Direct has received 654 responses. In total, responses received so far are 210,662.

  Of the responses received and analysed to date, 1,975 made reference to mental health or mental illness. 3,707 made reference to care of the elderly. A review of a sample of early responses showed that suggestions related to the elderly did not mention specific threshold ages.
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  We plan to make public a summary of responses when we have worked through the analysis in more detail. We do not have plans to issue a further questionnaire to 12 million on mental health priorities.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many survey forms were issued to NHS staff and patients; and how many were returned(a) by the initial closing date and (b) to date. [125797]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 13 June 2000]Of the 12 million leaflets made available to staff and the public, 200,960 have been returned so far.

  The results of these submissions will be reported to the meeting of the modernisation action teams working on the national plan. All responses will be incorporated into developing the national plan.

  Advertising
  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by his Department on advertising in each year since May 1997. [125688]

  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 12 June 2000]The figures for the annual spend on advertising for the Department for the financial years 1997–98 to 1999–2000 are shown in the table.

  Financial year

  Advertising expenditure (£ million)

  1997–98

  2.27

  1998–99

  8.63

  1999–2000

  14.83

  The principal increases since 1997–98 are in the following areas:

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Blood donation

  0.60

  1.70

  10.22

  Nurse recruitment

  0.30

  4.90

  4.21

  NHS Direct

  0.12

  0.78

  1.20

  Smoking2

  0.00

  0.00

  6.18

  Winter campaign

  0.00

  0.00

  1.07

  1 The Department's spend on blood donation advertising reduced in 1999–2000 because most of this activity was funded direct by the National Blood Authority

  2 Prior to 1999–2000 advertising on smoking was undertaken by the Health Education Authority

  Digital Hearing Aids
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when digital hearing aids will be available through the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [125774]

  Mr. Hutton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Wentworth (Mr. Healey) on 6 June 2000,Official Report, columns 143–44.

  Diabetes
  Mr. Singh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure early identification of people with diabetes. [125957]
  673W
  Mr. Denham
  We recognise the importance of detecting diabetes as early as possible. Ministers have asked the United Kingdom National Screening Committee, which advises us on all aspects of screening policy, to consider whether there is a case for the introduction of a targeted screening programme for Type 2 diabetes and, if so, how this could most effectively be achieved. The conclusions of the Committee will inform the work of the Expert Reference Group for the National Service Framework (NSF) for diabetes in England which we announced last year.

  CJD
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the eighth annual report of the National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit. [126745]

  Yvette Cooper
  The National Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease Surveillance Unit's eighth annual report has been published today. Copies have been placed in the Library. The report documents the Unit's findings in relation to sporadic, familial, iatrogenic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, and also variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, up to 31 December 1999.

  Intermediate Care
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if intermediate care services will be provided by(a) the NHS and (b) the private sector; and if he will make a statement. [126225]

  Mr. Hutton
  We remain committed to the modernisation of the National Health Service which will continue to provide a universal service, free at the point of use and available to all on the basis of clinical need. Development of intermediate care is a key part of the Government's programme to improve services for older people, including the National Service Framework. It can be achieved in a number of ways—by investing more in NHS hospitals, including giving new life to community hospitals, and by entering into new arrangements with the private sector.

  The whole system approach, which typifies intermediate care and is essential to its development, should recognise the contribution made by all partners in the health and social care system, including the independent sector. The same standards of clinical quality and effectiveness will apply to both NHS and non-NHS providers, and services should provide value for money.

  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish details of the proposed new intermediate care arrangements and their impact on local authority services; and if he will make a statement. [126224]

  Mr. Hutton
  We shall announce detailed proposals on the introduction of new intermediate care services later this summer. Intermediate care involves a variety of different services in preventing inappropriate admissions to hospitals or long-term care and in providing active rehabilitation and support on discharge from hospital. Local authority services will have an important part to play in intermediate care. Our proposals will be influenced by the work of the modernisation action team on partnership, charged with ensuring that all parts of the health and social care, including local authority services, work together more efficiently.
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  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his definition is of intermediate care. [126227]

  Mr. Hutton
  Intermediate care is a whole system approach to a range of multi-disciplinary, multi-agency services designed to promote independence by reducing avoidable hospital admission; facilitating timely discharge from hospital and promoting effective rehabilitation; and minimising premature or avoidable dependence on long-term care in institutional settings.

  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice and guidance he has issued to(a) the NHS and (b) local authority social services regarding intermediate care since 1999. [126226]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Health Service Circular of 23 May issued jointly to local health and social care communities made it clear that the development of intermediate care was an integral part of winter planning. More detailed planning guidance is to be issued to health and social care communities in the summer.

  Diamorphine
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what projects have been carried out to evaluate the efficacy of prescribing diamorphine to heroin addicts; and if he will make a statement. [125998]

  Ms Stuart
  The Department has not carried out any projects on the efficacy of prescribing diamorphine to heroin addicts, which is subject to the Misuse of Drugs Act (Supply to Addicts) Regulations 1997. The Department is funding a £2.4 million research initiative on drug misuse. Over the next four years this will deliver evidence to underpin our 10 year anti-drugs strategy. A major aim of this initiative is to improve knowledge on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of treatment and care procedures. The initiative includes a trial comparing the efficacy of substitute prescribing of injectable and liquid methadone.

  Vaccine Damage
  Dr. Whitehead
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements exist to consider cases before vaccine damage tribunals of simultaneous administration of multiple vaccines which have led to vaccine damage to recipients. [125873]

  Mr. Bayley
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Appeals Service tribunals hear appeals in relation to vaccine damage. These tribunals are constituted of an independent legally qualified panel member and one or two independent specialist medically qualified panel members, all appointed by the Lord Chancellor. These arrangements apply to all cases involving the administration of one or more vaccinations against diseases specified in the Vaccine Damage Payment Act 1979.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to reply to the questions tabled by the hon. Member for North Shropshire on 9 May. [125813]

  Ms Stuart
  I replied to 23 of the hon. Member's 29 questions on 12 and 13 June.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  GM Crops
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the GM crop test sites that are not on his Department's website by(a) type of crop and (b) county. [123916]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Department's website is updated regularly to include a list of all the sites which have been notified by consent holders for Part B research and development releases (www.environment.detr.gov.uk/acre/trials.htm).

  There is no requirement to notify the Department of releases of a GM crop which has a Europe wide Part C marketing consent for cultivation. However, the industry body SCIMAC has agreed to provide location details for the GM maize being grown in the Farm Scale Evaluations under a Part C consent. All Farm Scale Evaluations sites are listed at www.environment.detr.gov.uk/fse/location/index.htm.

  We have no information on any other small scale test sites for such crops with Part C consent as they do not have to be notified to the Department. Growing for any purpose other than small scale trials is precluded by the terms of the agreement with SCIMAC on the growing of GM crops finalised last November.

  Estate Action Programmes (Westminster)
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what was the total expenditure by his Department on each estate action programme in the borough of Westminster since 1993; and what this was as a percentage of the total cost of each programme. [125423]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The total expenditure for each of the estate action projects in Westminster since 1993 is as follows:

  £

  Mozart Estate

  Lisson Green

  1993–94

  179,000

  —

  1994–95

  1,500,000

  1,136,000

  1995–96

  1,384,000

  945,000

  1996–97

  2,180,000

  1,955,000

  1997–98

  3,000,600

  6,000,000

  1998–99

  3,200,000

  2,660,000

  1999–2000

  600,000

  1,701,400

  Total

  12,043,600

  14,397,400

  The total expenditure detailed above as a percentage of the total cost of programme is:

  Total cost of programmer

  Percentage of grant expenditure
  against total cost

  Mozart Estate

  37,636,000

  32

  Lisson Green

  63,031,000

  22.8

  Low Bridges
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many accidents arising from strikes on bridges recorded in the last two years have been(a) fatal, (b) minor and (c) serious; and what has been the cost in the last two years of road strikes on low bridges. [125587]

  Mr. Hill
  The number of injury accidents in Great Britain which involved a road vehicle striking the side or roof of any bridge are given in the following table for the two most recent years for which figures are available.

  Fatal

  Serious

  Slight

  1997

  9

  69

  264

  1998

  14

  67

  282

  Railtrack estimate that the annual cost of road strikes on low railway bridges is of the order of £10 million. This includes both the repair and delay costs, including those in damage-only accidents.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action the Government are taking in conjunction with(a) railway companies and (b) highway authorities to minimise damage to bridges caused by road vehicles striking low bridges. [125590]

  Mr. Hill
  Guidance has already been published on a range of measures to prevent bridge strikes, and regulations now require the height of the motor vehicle to be displayed in the cab, if the overall travelling height is in excess of three metres. The Department continues to chair the Bridge Strike Prevention Group which meets twice a year to discuss issues related to bridge strikes with the road transport industry, local authorities and bridge owners, to review trends and to encourage the adoption (and where appropriate the development) of new cost-effective measures to reduce the number and severity of bridge strikes.

  A436
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what additional information he requires to enable him to approve funding to upgrade the A436 in Gloucestershire; [125540]

  (2) what factors he took into account in deciding not to fund Gloucestershire County Council's priority request to upgrade the A436 between Shipton Solers and Crickley Hill. [125539]

  Mr. Hill
  The Government Office for the South West wrote to Gloucestershire County Council on 16 December 1999 explaining why my Department was unable to accept the A436 Shipton Solers to Air Balloon scheme for support in the 2000–01 Local Transport Capital Settlement. The County Council has been advised to consider alternative solutions including looking at the feasibility of dealing with the safety issues by a combination of smaller scale schemes.

  Central London Journey Times
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the average speed of a journey through central London in daylight by(a) car, (b) bus and (c) bicycle. [124861]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 9 June 2000]The average speeds recorded in the 1999 DETR door-to-door journey times survey in central London were:

  Miles per hour

  (a) Car

  3.4

  (b) Bus

  2.5

  (c) Bicycle

  5.4

  These are door-to-door journey times and so include an element of walking to and from bus stops, car parks etc. All journeys are made within the hours of 7am and 7pm.

  The full results of the survey are published in the DETR Transport Statistics Bulletin SB (00) 14, "Journey Times Survey, Inner and Central London: 1999", available in the House of Commons Library.

  Railways (Expenditure)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the increase in capacity on the railways that would result from additional expenditure of(a) £500 million per year and (b) £1 billion per year. [125548]

  Mr. Hill
  The effect of expenditure on capacity would obviously depend on the nature of the expenditure. I cannot anticipate the conclusions on railway capacity and expenditure which will be reflected in the 10-year Plan for Transport which my right hon. Friend will be publishing next month.

  Bus Accidents
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what statistics he collects about bus accidents involving loose wheels. [125737]

  Mr. Hill
  Currently, all Vehicle Examiners who receive a request from the police to inspect vehicles that have been involved in a road traffic accident are required to complete a comprehensive report to help determine whether defects on the vehicle caused or contributed to the reason for the accident or to the severity of any injuries. Most of the requests are for examinations of heavy vehicles. A copy of the report goes to the police while another is sent to the VI Vehicle Safety Branch in Bristol. The information in the report is entered into the Inspectorate's "accidents" database which contains details of any faults or defects found on the vehicles examined, for example, wheel loss or brake failure.

  Vehicle Safety Branch are currently responsible for managing the database, on behalf of DETR's Vehicle Standards and Engineering Division. Since 1991, when the database was last revised, there have been 122 reported incidents of wheel loss on public service or large
  678W
  passenger vehicles above 16 passenger seats capacity, and four reported incidents on mini-buses with between nine and 16 passenger seats.

  Mobile Phone Masts
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received calling for change in planning regulations that govern the erection of mobile phone masts. [125877]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  In the past year, we have received around 175 letters calling for changes in planning regulations that govern the erection of mobile phone masts.

  In addition, the report of the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones, published on 11 May, recommended that for all base stations, permitted development rights for their erection should be revoked and that the siting of all new base stations should be subject to the normal planning process.

  In its response to the report, issued on the same day and placed in the Libraries of both Houses, the Government said that they were minded to introduce a requirement for an application for full planning permission for all new telecommunications masts, but would need to consult widely before doing so, including on the principle and precise scope of any new arrangements.

  Road Maintenance
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what percentage of transport spending was on national road maintenance and highways maintenance in England in each of the last five years. [125811]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 12 June 2000]The percentage of transport spending in England on national road maintenance and local road maintenance for the five years up to 1998–99 is given in the tale. Figures for 1999–2000 are not yet available.

  Percentage

  National road maintenance

  Local road maintenance

  1994–951

  8.3

  20.4

  1995–961

  6.5

  21.1

  1996–971

  6.7

  23.3

  1997–981

  7.6

  24.4

  1998–991

  9.3

  27.9

  1Outturn

  Road Deaths
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment his Department has made of the correlation between(a) speed, (b) alcohol consumption and (c) road conditions, and road deaths. [125812]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 13 June 2000]The Department estimate that excess or inappropriate speed is a contributory factor in one in three road deaths.
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  In 1998 one in seven fatalities occurred in an accident in which at least one driver or rider was over the blood alcohol limit.

  A study in 1978–81 estimated that road conditions contributed to one in 17 of all accidents. No separate figure is available for deaths.

  The Department will shortly begin a sample on the spot accident investigation which will provide further information on contributory factors. Some information will also emerge from a pilot scheme to collect information from police accident records.

  Playing Fields
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to issue a new Planning Policy Guidance notice concerning playing fields. [125926]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  I hope to publish a draft revision of Planning Policy Guidance note 17 (PPG17) on sport and recreation for consultation shortly. This will update the existing guidance on playing fields.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the total number of valid applications he has received for the sale of playing fields in each month since October 1998. [125927]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The Secretary of State's consent to the disposal of land by local authorities under their general powers is required only where they wish to do so at less than the best reasonably obtainable consideration, which is normally open market value Six applications for consent for the sale of playing fields have been received since October 1998.

  Home Ownership Schemes
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many interest-free equity loans have been granted to date under the Homebuy Scheme to residents in(a) Christchurch, (b) East Dorset, (c) Bournemouth, (d) Poole and (e) the New Forest since the inception of the scheme; [125970]

  (2) how many households have been housed in England in each of the last five years under the Do-It-Yourself-Shared-Ownership Scheme; [125972]

  (3) how many interest-free equity loans have been granted to date under the Homebuy Scheme in England; and how many he expects to be granted in 2000–01; [125971]

  (4) how many residents in (a) Christchurch, (b) East Dorset, (c) Bournemouth, (d) Poole and (e) the New Forest have purchased homes under the Do-It-Yourself-Shared-Ownership Scheme in each of the last five years. [125973]

  Mr. Mullin
  The Homebuy scheme started in April 1999. Homebuy replaced the Do-It-Yourself-Shared-Ownership (DIYSO) scheme following the rationalisation of the low cost home ownership programme offered by registered social landlords and funded by the Housing Corporation.680W
  However, local authorities continue to have the option to fund DIYSO until March 2001 when the position will be reviewed.

  The total number of Homebuy loans granted in England to the end of May 2000 is 1,083. 1,334 such loans are planned for the year 2000–01. The table shows the number of Homebuy loans granted to residents in the local authority areas named.

  Number of Homebuy loans by local authority area

  Local authority

  1999–2000

  2000–011

  Total

  New Forest

  8

  1

  9

  Bournemouth

  7

  0

  7

  Christchurch

  2

  0

  2

  Poole

  4

  1

  5

  East Dorset

  3

  0

  3

  Total

  24

  2

  26

  1 1 April to 31 May 2000

  The total number of households housed in England in each of the last five years under the Do-It-Yourself-Shared-Ownership (DIYSO) Scheme is as follows:

  Total number of DIYSO units completed 1995–2000

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Total

  Local authority funded

  312

  230

  252

  192

  226

  1,212

  Housing Corporation funded

  4,588

  2,435

  1,986

  1,472

  191

  10,672

  Grand total

  4,900

  2,665

  2,238

  1,664

  417

  11,884

  The following table shows the number of residents who have purchased homes under the DIYSO scheme in each of the last five years in the local authority areas shown.

  Annual DIYSO completions by local authority area for period 1995–2000

  Local authority

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Total

  New Forest

  32

  29

  17

  23

  18

  119

  Bournemouth

  19

  9

  8

  11

  0

  47

  Christchurch

  13

  9

  2

  3

  0

  27

  Poole

  13

  16

  8

  9

  0

  46

  East Dorset

  7

  7

  7

  4

  0

  25

  Total

  84

  70

  42

  50

  18

  264

  Byker Heat Station
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 6 June 2000,Official Report, columns 195–96W, if (a) the Model allotments, (b) Moorside allotment and (c) Nun's Moor allotment have been subjected to unauthorised excavation for bottles and metal material since toxic ash from Byker Heat Station was deposited. [126007]
  681W
  Mr. Meacher
  Newcastle city council advise that they are not aware of any unauthorised excavations at the Model allotments or Moorside allotments. Nun's Moor allotment has experienced some small-scale unauthorised excavations, however these were not in the area of the ash paths.

  The Fenham Allotments, as opposed to the Fenham Model allotments, have experienced severe damage from unauthorised excavations for bottles. This site, however, has not received ash from the Byker Heat Station.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 6 June 2000,Official Report, columns 195–96W, what prima facie failures of statutory duty of care under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 have occurred in the distribution of toxic ash from the Byker Heat Station to bridleways and allotments. [126008]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Environment Agency investigation, referred to by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State in his answer of 6 June 2000,Official Report, columns 197–98W, into the deposit of ash at allotments and other sites in the Newcastle area, is continuing.

  The Agency investigation will establish whether the waste management controls under Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 have been contravened, including any breaches of the statutory duty of care imposed under section 34 of the 1990 Act. If there is evidence of contravention, action will be taken in accordance with the Agency's published Enforcement policy.

  Flooding (Newcastle)
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 6 June 2000,Official Report, columns 197–98W, if he will list the flooding incidents at Jesmond Dene and Ouseburn that have occurred from 1 May to date; how many properties were so affected; and what assessment he has made of the impact the proposed sustainable urban drainage system from Newcastle Great Park would have had on flooding incidents. [126009]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Environment Agency's records indicate that since 1 May 2000 one domestic garage has flooded from the Ouseburn. The Environment Agency is aware of further surface water flooding within the Red House Farm estate and within Brunton Park, Gosforth. This flooding was caused by the drainage systems within these estates being unable to discharge into the Ouseburn when in flood. Although precise numbers are not available, the Environment Agency believes around eight properties on the Red House Farm estate were affected, along with a similar number on the Brunton Park estate.

  The Environment Agency believes, based on detailed modelling studies, that the development of the Newcastle Great Park will have no adverse impact in terms of flooding within the Ouseburn catchment. The use of Sustainable Urban Drainage techniques, in the form of large balancing ponds, will maintain water and discharge flow into the Ouseburn at a rate equivalent to the undeveloped site. The design criteria utilised will reduce flows from the development site in extreme
  682W
  rainfall events. The development will also benefit from a sewerage system in which foul sewage and surface water will be dealt with separately.

  Transport Strategies (Lancaster)
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the potential impact of the Government's transport strategies and the development of industrial land on the local economy in Lancaster. [124599]

  Mr. Hill
  Such assessments should be included in the District Local Plan and Local Transport Plan, which are the responsibility of Lancaster city council and Lancaster county council respectively.

  Combined Heat and Power
  Mr. Pond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government policy relating to combined heat and power projects. [124593]

  Mr. Meacher
  Combined heat and power is vital to helping us meet our Kyoto commitments. The Government are actively working towards a target of at least 10,000 megawatts by 2010, and will issue and consult on a new CHP Strategy for achieving the target. The Government have already announced that Good Quality CHP will be eligible for Climate Change Levy exemption, Enhanced Capital Allowances, and de-rating of electricity generating plant and machinery, from April next year. I announced the basis on which "Good Quality" would be assessed, following consultation, on 17 May.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, in his statement to the House on energy policy on 17 April 2000, Official Report, columns 697–99, reaffirmed the Government's strong support for CHP, and indicated that it would continue to expect developers to explore opportunities to use CHP, in considering notifications and applications under the Electricity and Energy Acts.

  The Government actively work to increase the use of CHP in their own property, other public organisations, industry and commerce. On 17 May I also launched the CHP Club, strengthening the information and advice provided by Government to existing, new and potential CHP users.

  Park Homes
  Mr. Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to bring the purchasing of park homes within the scope of the existing laws covering the purchase of houses and land; and if he will make a statement. [126093]

  Mr. Mullin
  My Department will publish the recommendations of the Park Homes Working Party in July, and we will announce our conclusions on them in due course. The report's recommendations include changes to the arrangements for the sale of park homes, but do not propose that park homes be brought within the scope of existing housing legislation.

  Construction Industry Advisory Group
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what payment and expenses the Chairman of the construction industry advisory group, Movement for Innovation, receives; [126169]

  (2) what the term of office is of the Chairman of the construction industry advisory group, Movement for Innovation; [126170]

  (3) if he will review the appointment of the present Chairman of the construction industry advisory group, Movement for Innovation, taking account of his resignation as managing director of a building company. [126171]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The appointment and term of office of the Chairman of the Movement for Innovation Board are matters for the Board. He has never received any payment or expenses for his work as Chairman. The Movement for Innovation Board and their Chairman have played an important role in promoting radical change in the construction industry and have had a major impact in little more than 18 months. I applaud the very considerable contribution they have made.

  Second Homes (Norfolk)
  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will estimate for councils in Norfolk the reduction in revenue from council tax which arises from the 50 per cent. dispensation for second homes; [125109]

  (2) if he will estimate the reduction in revenue to the Norfolk Police Authority which arises from the 50 per cent. dispensation in council tax for second homes. [125108]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  There should be no loss of revenue to Norfolk councils. If a local authority has a reduced tax base because it has dwellings subject to a discount or exemption (this includes second homes discounts), it will receive more grant from the Government.

  Water Industry (Consumer Representation)
  Tony Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the future of consumer representation in the water industry. [124585]

  Mr. Mullin
  There are currently 10 Customer Service Committees operating in the interests of consumers in England and Wales as part of the Office of Water Services (OFWAT). The OWFAT National Consumer Council consists of the chairmen of each regional Customer Service Committee and speaks for water consumers at the national level.

  The Government have reviewed their policy on consumer representation in the regulated utilities. They published two consultation papers: "A Fair Deal for Consumers: Modernising the Framework for Utility Regulation" (March 1998); and the subsequent "Consumer Councils" (September 1998). The Government's policy was set out in the responses to these consultations published respectively in July 1998 and April 1999.
  684W
  The proposals on consumer representation in the water industry, including the establishment of an independent Consumer Council for Water will require legislation. The Government will be consulting on specific policies in the forthcoming draft Water Bill.

  Energy Efficiency
  Angela Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish proposals for changes to Part L of the Building Regulations, which deals with energy efficiency; and if he will make a statement. [126584]

  Mr. Raynsford
  A consultation on proposals for substantial changes to the energy conservation requirements in Part L of the Building Regulations has been published today. The consultation period will end on 29 September 2000. The Government have made clear their aim to do all they can to address the global problem of adverse climate change. This cannot be achieved by any one policy, and the contribution made by each separate initiative will be crucial to achieving our overall aim.

  Buildings produce about half of the total national CO2 emissions, and average building performance is poor by comparison with current best practice. If implemented, the proposals would yield significant improvements in the energy efficiency of new buildings and also in existing buildings when they are renovated. This would contribute directly to our vision of more sustainable construction set out in "Building a better quality of life". The draft proposals aim to contribute to the Government's climate change programme while keeping the Regulations technically sound, cost-effective and proportionate. Other improvements would also accrue for those who occupy buildings in terms of the opportunities for increased comfort and reduced energy costs.

  This consultation has been anticipated by all sectors of the construction industry and by others who have a desire to see standards of energy efficiency raised. We anticipate receiving comments on the proposals from all interested parties, and all such comments will be considered when drafting our final proposals for amendments. Participation by all interested parties will ensure that the eventual amendments reflect the broadest views of what can reasonably be achieved by the Building Regulations.

  Otterburn Training Area
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he received the report of the inspector with the revised plans for the Otterburn training area; and when he will make a decision on the proposals. [124578]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Inspector's report on the re-opened public inquiry into the MOD proposals for Otterburn Training Area reached Government Office officials on 21 October 1999.

  The right hon. Member will be aware of the complex issues involved and the substantial amount of evidence to be considered. I am unable at this stage to give any indication as to when a decision is likely. However, the Secretary of State does appreciate the concern of those who feel that delays are creating uncertainty.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Departmental Contracts
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to her answer of 30 March 2000,Official Report, column 249W, concerning contracts, if she will list the companies concerned; and whether these contracts were subject to a competitive tendering process. [124815]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 7 June 2000]Pursuant to my answer of 30 March 2000,Official Report, column 249W, the information required is as follows.

  The specific companies with the associated contract values are:

  Companies awarded contracts on a competitive basis

  £

  BAe

  84,300

  Douglas Clarke Projects

  5,000

  HEDRA Ltd.

  7,357

  KPMG

  5,000

  Rayfield Mills

  24,000

  Companies awarded contracts on a non-competitive basis

  £

  K. Bates

  43,489

  DERA

  44,308

  HVR Consultancy Services

  5,000

  PCMS

  124,011

  J. Watson Associates

  700

  Fishing Vessels (Satellite Monitoring Equipment)
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how many UK vessels are obliged under EU regulations to carry operational satellite monitoring equipment; and how many UK vessels comply; [125133]

  (2) how many UK vessels have satellite monitoring equipment on board which is not operational; and in which fleet segment these vessels are concentrated. [125134]

  Mr. Morley
  Some 430 UK fishing vessels over 24 metres overall length are required to carry satellite monitoring equipment. Our records, and those of the devolved administrations, show that all vessels are equipped. The vast majority of vessels are complying with the requirement to provide position reports at the required frequency. Those which are not submitting reports are mostly in the demersal segment. Some vessels have not submitted reports because they have recently been inactive due to lack of fishing opportunities and the number not complying is declining. Appropriate action is being taken against active vessels which are not yet fully compliant.

  Water Level Management Plans
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much grant in aid his Department 686W
  has provided for the implementation of water level management plans in (a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01. [125779]

  Mr. Morley
  MAFF provides grant towards the cost of approved capital works undertaken by the Environment Agency, local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards, inter alia, to implement water level management plans. The amounts of grant paid in 1999–2000 and so far in 2000–01 are £47,000 and £1,000 respectively.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many water level management plans have been adopted by the operating authority and agreed by English Nature. [125776]

  Mr. Morley
  There are 61 Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation with water level management plans (WLMPs) that have been fully agreed by English Nature, and a further 26 that have been agreed in principle. This means that there may need to be some modification to the plans prior to implementation.

  For those SSIs that are not SPAs or SACs, there are 130 WLMPs that have been fully agreed by English Nature, and a further 31 that have been agreed in principle.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many water level management plans(a) have been completed and (b) are outstanding for (i) Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation and (ii) sites of special scientific interest; and if he will list their locations in each case. [125778]

  Mr. Morley:
  A Water Level Management Plan has been completed, at least in draft, for 112 sites that are designated or proposed Special Protection Areas, or candidate Special Areas of Conservation. These include a number of larger sites where more than one plan has been prepared to cover separate areas.

  There are a further 25 Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation where a Water Level Management Plan is required, but where English Nature has not yet received a draft plan, and are therefore considered to be outstanding.

  For those sites that are Sites of Special Scientific Interest but are not SPAs or SACs, there are 194 that are completed at least in draft.

  A further 123 SSSIs require a WLMP but have no plan prepared to date. The deadline for completing these plans is December 2000.

  Lists of all the above sites have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what targets his Department has set for the completion of water level management plans for sites of special scientific interest which are also special protection areas or special areas of conservation. [125777]

  Mr. Morley
  The Government's High Level Targets for Flood and Coastal Defence document produced in November 1999 set, in partnership with English Nature, a target date of 30 March 2000 for completion of water level management plans for sites of special interest which are also special protection areas of conservation.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Rape Statistics
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Solicitor-General how many cases of alleged rape were passed to the Crown Prosecution Service by the Police which were not proceeded with, together with the reasons for not proceeding, in each of the last five years for which statistics are available. [125787]

  The Solicitor-General
  The Crown Prosecution Service holds no central records on the outcome of particular offences. The information is held on individual case files, and could be recovered only by examining every relevant file in each CPS office. The costs of such an exercise would be prohibitive.

TREASURY

  Census
  Mr. Colman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what decision has been made about whether to include a question about religious identity in the 2001 Census. [125875]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Tony Colman, dated 15 June 2000:
  As the Director of the Office for National Statistics (ONS) I have been asked to reply to recent question asking if a decision has been made to include a religious identity question in the 2001 Census.
  A Bill to amend the Census Act 1920 to provide for particulars with respect to religion to be asked for in a census in England and Wales was approved in the House of Lords, on 28 March. In the course of its passage through the Lords, the Bill was amended to make any question on religion voluntary.
  After its passage through the Lords the Bill has hitherto failed to get an unopposed Second Reading in the House of Commons.
  The Government recognises the strength of the case for information on religion to be collected in the Census. The question will enhance data obtained from the ethnic group question and contribute to the Census providing data to help address the concerns and needs of all sections of the community.
  In the light of this, the Government has agreed to provide time within its own legislative programme to progress the Bill through its remaining stages. It will do all that it can so that the Census Act may be amended in time to allow the proposed religious question to be included in the 2001 Census in England and Wales.
  Subject to the Bill obtaining Royal Assent, the Government proposes to lay before both Houses of Parliament the necessary amendment to the Census Order providing for the question on religion to be asked in the 2001 Census in England and Wales.
  The Scottish Parliament has already approved legislation to amend the Act in Scotland where the Census is a devolved matter. Legislation in Northern Ireland already allows for a question in respect of religion to be asked in the Census.

  Fuel Duty
  Mr. Edward Davey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proportion of the revenue from fuel duty was raised in each country and region of the UK in each of the last five years. [125792]
  688W
  Mr. Timms
  Duty on hydrocarbon oil products is collected centrally and there is no direct information available to provide a geographical breakdown of the revenue raised.

  Figures for inland deliveries of fuel and oil by country are published in the Department of Trade and Industry's "Digest of UK Energy Statistics".

  Knowledge Economy
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisations and individuals he has consulted while undertaking the cross-departmental review of the Knowledge Economy; in what form he has consulted them; on how many occasions he has met them; and if he will make a statement. [126005]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Informal consultations were held in confidence with a range of external organisations and individuals during the course of the review. The outcome of the review will be announced as part of the Government's new spending plans for 2001–02 to 2003–04.

  Spending Review
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the Treasury will require Departments to include environmental appraisals in their submissions to the Treasury on the spending review. [125977]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The guidance issued to Departments for the conduct of the Spending Review makes clear that evaluation of policy options should be carried out in accordance with the Treasury document "Appraisal and Evaluation in Central Government" (revised 1997) and by DETR's publication "Policy Appraisal and the Environment: Policy Guidance" (1998). Both of these stress the importance of environmental costs and benefits being considered in appraisals, even when these cannot be easily quantified.

  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what training has been undertaken to assist staff of Government Departments to assess the implications of spending reviews for the Government's sustainable development objectives. [125978]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  It is a matter for individual Departments to ensure the relevant staff are adequately trained in policy appraisal. Within the Treasury, economic appraisal is included in microeconomics training for staff. The Spending Review guidance issued to Departments included references to sources of guidance on policy appraisal. It also reminded Departments that advice on sustainable development, or sources of expertise on environmental considerations can be obtained from DETR's Sustainable Development Unit.

  In addition, the First Annual Report of the Green Ministers Committee included a commitment that all Departments would put in place strategies to raise awareness on sustainable development and general environmental issues.

  Community Banking
  Ms Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what consultations he has had on the expansion of community banking; and with whom. [124588]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  On 16 November 1999 the Government published a report by Police Action Team 14 on ways to improve individual access to financial services, and by the Credit Unions Taskforce on ways in which banks and building societies could help credit unions to grow. Last month I met members of the All Party Group on Community Banking Services and will soon be meeting with the Association of British Credit Unions.

  Barnett Formula
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what the expenditure per head was in(a) Scotland, (b) Wales, (c) England and (d) each Government Office region in England in each year since 1990 on (i) health and social services and (ii) education services covered by the Barnett formula; [126002]

  (2) what proportion of public expenditure in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales was of the type covered by the Barnett formula in each year since 1990; and what expenditure per head in each country for that share of spending resulted; [126010]

  (3) what categories of expenditure in (a) England, (b) Scotland and (c) Wales were covered by the Barnett formula in each year since 1979; and what changes in those categories he has under review in the current spending review; [126003]

  (4) if he will publish the population-based spending allocation formula share for each year since 1979 for (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Scotland; and what population share he proposes to adopt as the basis for spending allocations in the 2000 expenditure review. [126004]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Information on the coverage of the Barnett Formula since 1979 was published in 1997 in Annexe 1 of the Treasury Committee report on the Barnett formula. The current coverage was published last year by the Treasury in the Statement of Funding Policy. No decisions have been made yet on the outcome of the current spending review.

  The population-based spending allocation formula was set out in Annexe B of the Statement of Funding Policy and was also referred to in the above Treasury Committee report.

  Information which is available on public expenditure trends by country and region including expenditure per head is published in the analysis of identifiable total managed expenditure by country and region in Chapter 8 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (Cm 4601).

  Dormant Accounts
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) if he will introduce legislation to compel banks and other institutions to search for claimants to accounts which have remained dormant for more than five years; [126174]
  690W
  (2) if he will introduce legislation to ensure that money in dormant accounts is not held by banks or other institutions for longer than 10 years. [126173]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  We have no plans to do so.

INTERNALIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Trade Barriers
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans the Government have to encourage other developed nations to lift trade barriers and quotas to help developing countries compete in the export market. [115921]

  Clare Short
  The Government have pressed the EU—which represents all member states in WTO negotiations—to seek, in the next Round of multilateral trade negotiations in the WTO, reduction of the barriers to agricultural and non-agricultural trade. We are also strongly committed to provide duty free access for essentially all products from the Least Developed Countries by 2005. We are pressing the Commission to bring forward proposals to fulfil this commitment and to exempt as few products as possible. Thereafter, we will press for all remaining barriers on imports from the Least Developed Countries to be removed as pledged by the Prime Minister in his speech at Mansion House on 22 November. We are urging other developed countries to match this commitment.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Careers Service
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 5 May 2000,Official Report, column 218W, on the Careers Service, if he will produce a revised list of the Careers Service contractors holding (a) a Charter Mark, (b) an Investors in People award and (c) an International Standards Organisation registration. [126517]

  Mr. Wicks
  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 5 June 2000,Official Report, columns 144–47W.

  PE Teachers
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what action he is taking to celebrate excellence among PE teachers; and if he will make a statement. [124681]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 5 June 2000]The Sports Strategy, which was published in April this year, explicitly recognises the contribution of inspirational PE teachers in enabling young people to develop physical skills, in promoting personal and social development and in laying foundations for sport and healthy exercise to become a lifelong habit. The Sport England awards, Sportsmark and Activemark, recognise good practice nationally in primary and secondary schools and celebrate the teachers responsible for attaining these very high standards, and I attended the recent Sportsmark national presentation. We have also introduced Advanced Skills Teachers, a grade which offers experienced, excellent
  691W
  classroom teachers, including specialists in physical education, an enhanced pay scale, encouraging them to stay as front-line teachers rather than moving into management. We have also introduced this year new arrangements which give all good qualified teachers the opportunity to cross the threshold onto a new upper pay range.

  National Curriculum (International Dimension)
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the contents of the international dimension to the revised National Curriculum, with particular reference to(a) values and (b) issues covered. [124747]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Government's approach to the international dimension in the National Curriculum is spelt out in the "Values, aims and purposes" section of the National Curriculum handbook:Education influences and reflects the values of society, and the kind of society we want to be. It is important, therefore, to recognise a broad set of common values and purposes that underpin the school curriculum and the work of schools.
  Foremost is a belief in education, at home and at school, as a route to the spiritual, moral, social, cultural, physical and mental development, and thus the well-being of the individual. Education is also a route to equality of opportunity for all, a healthy and just democracy, a productive economy, and sustainable development. Education should reflect the enduring values that contribute to these ends. These include valuing ourselves, our families and other relationships, the wider groups to which we belong, the diversity of our society and the environment in which we live. Education should also reaffirm our commitment to the virtues of truth, justice, honesty, trust and a sense of duty.
  At the same time, education must enable us to respond positively to the opportunities and challenges of the rapidly changing world in which we live and work. In particular, we need to be prepared to engage as individuals, parents, workers and citizens with economic, social and cultural change, including the continued globalisation of the economy and society, with new work and leisure patterns and with the rapid expansion of communication technologies.

  The Programmes of Study outline the issues, including those relating to the international dimension, covered in each subject area.

  Youth Parliament
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what part the Youth Parliament will play in the Government's citizenship programme; [125641]

  (2) what support his Department has given to the Youth Parliament in the form of (a) finance and (b) staff. [125640]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 13 June 2000]The Government welcome the setting up of a UK Youth Parliament (UKYP). The development of a UKYP fits with the Government's commitment to involve young people in all aspects of Government and to develop citizenship skills among young people—an essential element of education is citizenship and the teaching of democracy in schools. As the Department with the lead responsibility for the Connexions strategy and the development of citizenship through the National Curriculum, DfEE has a particular interest in supporting the work of the UKYP. For example, we recently agreed to a full-time member of staff from the Department being 692W
  seconded to the UKYP for 12 months. In addition, the Department has funded consultancy support for the group of young people and other representatives who make up the UKYP steering group, taking forward the development of the UKYP. And the training process for prospective young Members of the Youth Parliament, currently being developed, will include sessions on citizenship—the UKYP is in discussion with DfEE on the help that we will be able to provide for those sessions, which are scheduled to take place in late October. While DfEE and other Government Departments are helping in its development, the UKYP is independent of Government and political parties and will belong to the young people themselves. It is the young people who will ultimately decide how the UKYP will be run, what issues they want to debate and the part they wish to play in future citizenship developments.

  New Deal
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) how many people have joined the subsidised employment option of the New Deal since implementation, by unit of delivery; how many and what percentage of these(a) completed their programme before leaving the New Deal, (b) left their programme before completing it and (c) left at any stage for unknown destinations; [113555]

  (2) how many people have joined the Environmental Task Force option of the New Deal since implementation, by unit of delivery; how many and what percentage of these (a) completed their programme before leaving the New Deal, (b) left their programme before completing it and (c) left at any stage for unknown destinations; [113554]

  (3) how many people have joined the voluntary sector option of the New Deal since implementation, by unit of delivery; how many and what percentage of these (a) completed their programme before leaving the New Deal, (b) left their programme before completing it and (c) left at any stage for unknown destinations; [113556]

  (4) how many people have joined the full-time education and training option of the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds since implementation, by unit of delivery; how many and what percentage of these (a) completed their courses before leaving the New Deal, (b) left their courses before completing it and (c) left at any stage for unknown destinations; [113557]

  (5) pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam of 27 March 2000, Official Report, column 40W, on the new deal for 18 to 24-year-olds, how many (a) 18 to 24-year-olds have left the New Deal for young people to jobs lasting less than 13 weeks and (b) 18 to 24-year-olds have left the full-time education and training option of the New Deal for young people to jobs lasting less than 13 weeks, broken down by unit of delivery; [117246]

  (6) if he will list by unit of delivery how many people joined the voluntary sector option of the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds between January 1998 and the end of July 1999; and how many of these (a) completed their course before leaving the New Deal and (b) left their course before completing the New Deal; [118220]

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  (7) if he will list by unit of delivery how many people left the voluntary sector option of the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds between January 1998 and July 1999 for (a) destination unknown, (b) other known destination, (c) sustained unsubsidised employment, (d) jobs lasting less than 13 weeks and (e) other benefits; [118221]

  (8) how many people left the employment option of the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds, by unit of delivery, between January 1998 and July 1999 for (a) destination unknown, (b) another known destination, (c) sustained unsubsidised employment, (d) jobs lasting less than 13 weeks and (e) other benefits; [118493]

  (9) how many people joined the Employment option of the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds, by unit of delivery, between January 1998 and the end of July 1999; and how many of these (a) completed and (b) left their course before completing the New Deal; [118494]

  (10) how many people, by unit of delivery, left the Environmental Task Force option of the New Deal for young people aged 18 to 24 years for (a) unknown destination, (b) other known destination, (c) sustained unsubsidised employment, (d) jobs lasting less than 13 weeks and (e) other benefits; [118701]

  (11) how many people, by unit of delivery, joined the Environmental Task Force option of the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds between January 1998 and the end of July 1999; how many of these (a) completed their course before leaving the New Deal and (b) left their course before completing the New Deal; [118705]

  (12) when the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam will receive replies to his questions of 6 April, 7 April and 10 April. [123282]

  Ms Jowell
  [holding answer 3 April 2000]The information showing, by Unit of Delivery, cumulative data from the start of the New Deal to the end of March 2000, the latest date for which information is available, is contained in a number of tables, copies of which have been placed in the Libraries.

  The tables show:
  the number of starts to each of the four options
  the number of New Deal leavers who have taken part in each of
  the four options—and their destinations on leaving the New Deal.

  At a national level, this information is shown in the monthly Government Statistical Service New Deal Statistical First Release. Destinations on leaving New Deal are categorised as:
  sustained unsubsidised employment
  transfers to other benefits
  leavers to other known destinations
  JSA leavers to unknown destinations

  Young people who move on from the New Deal for jobs that last less than 13 weeks rejoin the programme immediately when they renew their claims for Jobseeker's Allowance. They cannot therefore be described as having left the New Deal.

  Of those who have left the New Deal for known destinations, having taken part in options, including leavers from the Follow Through stage of New Deal, 46 per cent. found work. We do not know the destination on leaving New Deal for 28 per cent. of those who have participated in options. People leaving
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  the New Deal are not required to tell us where they are going if they cease to claim benefits. In order to know as much as possible about the destinations of people leaving the New Deal the Government are conducting further surveys of those who leave the New Deal for unknown destinations. The results will be available later this year. So far surveys have shown that the pattern of actual destinations for those recorded as leaving the New Deal for unknown destinations is in line with the pattern among those whose destinations were known.

  Comprehensive information on whether young people left their options having completed them or before having done so is not collected in that form. The New Deal aims to help unemployed people to move as quickly as possible from welfare into employment. Many young people will leave their New Deal options before completing them because they have found jobs in the regular labour market and are no longer unemployed. Young people do not therefore need to complete their New Deal options in order to succeed in the programme.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Broadcasting Industry (North-West)
  Mr. Woolas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the role of the broadcasting industry in the economy of the north-west. [124597]

  Dr. Howells
  The broadcasting industry makes an important contribution to the economy of the north-west. The creative and media industries have been identified as identified as priority sectors by the north-west Development Agency.

  Manufacturing (East Midlands)
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the performance of manufacturing industry in the east midlands region. [124598]

  Mr. Caborn
  Some sectors of manufacturing in the east midlands have continued to suffer, particularly in clothing and textiles and more traditional engineering. Other sectors, including those in higher technology, are faring much better. Overall manufacturing confidence remains significantly higher than for the same period last year.

  Directors' Pay
  Mr. Dobbin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he plans to introduce to increase shareholders' power in respect of setting directors' pay. [124600]

  Dr. Howells
  The Department of Trade and Industry published a consultation paper on directors' remuneration last year which put forward a number of proposals for improving disclosure of directors' remuneration and the board's accountability to shareholders. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will make an announcement shortly on the Government's response to the consultation.

  Steel Industry
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he next intends to meet the directors of Corus to discuss rail production in Workington. [124601]

  Mr. Caborn
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has met senior executives from Corus on several occasions to discuss a range of matters of interest to the steel industry. My Department maintains a regular dialogue with Corus and other companies as well as with other key organisations in the steel industry.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent representations he has received on steel-making in the United Kingdom. [124608]

  Mr. Caborn
  My right hon. Friend regularly receives representations on steel-making in the United Kingdom from a variety of sources. He has also held discussions recently with senior executives from the Corus Group plc and representatives from the Steel and Metals Union (ISTC) to discuss a range of issues relating to steel-making.

  Energy Policy
  Mr. Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his policy is on electricity generation. [124603]

  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the Government's energy policy. [124609]

  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on his energy policy. [124606]

  Mrs. Liddell
  Our policy is to ensure secure, diverse and sustainable supplies of energy at competitive prices.

  Ford
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with Ford motor company concerning its future investment in the United Kingdom. [124604]

  Mr. Byers
  I have had frequent discussions with Ford over their recent review of European operations and its implications for the United Kingdom, particularly at Dagenham.

  We shall maintain this close contact as their future investment plans for the United Kingdom develop.

  Rover
  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with the west midlands regional development agency regarding the future of the Rover Longbridge plant. [124607]

  Mr. Byers
  The Rover Longbridge plant is in private ownership. I have had no recent discussions with the West Midlands Regional Development Agency about the future of the Longbridge plant.

  Regional Venture Capital Funds
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements he has made for managing and distributing the funds for regional venture capital and innovation. [124612]

  Mr. Byers
  Arrangements are currently being put in place for the creation of Regional Venture Capital Funds with Government support based on bidding guidance published in December 1999. Lessons learned from this exercise will inform how the new money announced in the Budget will be managed in the English Regions.

  National Minimum Wage
  Shona Mclsaac
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action has been taken against employers who pay below the national minimum wage. [124613]

  Dr. Howells
  The National Minimum Wage (NMW) Act 1998 contains a number of provisions relating to enforcement, both civil and criminal. To date, 155 enforcement notices have been issued which require employers to start paying the NMW and make good any past failure to pay the NMW. Two notices have so far required follow up action with a penalty notice fining the employer for each day of non-compliance with the enforcement notice.

  It is also a criminal offence to refuse or wilfully neglect to pay the NMW. So far it has not been necessary to take a criminal prosecution, though enforcement officers will do so in appropriate circumstances.

  British Trade International
  Ms Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the merger between the Invest in Britain Bureau and British Trade International. [124614]

  Mr. Caborn
  I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I gave to the House on 24 May 2000,Official Report, columns 522–23W.

  Miners' Compensation
  Mr. Bill O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the number of compensation claims from retired miners that have been settled to date. [124615]

  Mrs. Liddell
  To date the Department has made payments in full or part settlement of claims totalling some £60.5 million to 21,500 respiratory disease claimants, and some £120 million to 25,300 Vibration White Finger claimants.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Bill Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the performance of manufacturing industry in the Yorkshire region in the past 12 months. [124616]

  Mr. Caborn
  The performance of manufacturing industry in the Yorkshire and the Humber Region is regularly assessed by a number of organisations. Most
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  recently a joint initiative has been launched by the regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, and the CBI to gauge business activity in the region.

  The Government Office for Yorkshire and the Humber is in regular contact with local and regional partners about business matters in the region.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will undertake an assessment of the performance of manufacturing industry in Lancashire and the North West region. [124611]

  Mr. Byers
  Manufacturing industry is important to Lancashire and the North West. It accounts for 129,000 or 26 per cent. of jobs in Lancashire. All business performance is being continually assessed by markets operating in conditions of free and fair competition. This Government's first priority is to create and maintain the conditions of economic stability, which allow companies to plan ahead with confidence.

  Research and Development
  Ms Rosie Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote research and development among UK companies. [124617]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Government are taking a number of significant steps to promote research and development among UK companies. Working closely with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, we have recently introduced an R&D tax credit for small and medium-sized companies which gives them 150 per cent. relief for the cost of staff and consumables used in R&D. The R&D tax credit will be supported by new Guidelines on R&D which will help companies of all sizes to benefit from Research and Development Allowances. We are also increasing the DTI Innovation Budget by some 20 per cent. over three years to nearly £230 million by 2001–02. This budget will fund a number of new and enlarged initiatives designed to drive forward a fundamental change in innovation performance in the UK. This includes for example the Smart scheme which supports R&D activities in private small and medium-sized companies and is being expanded and extended over the period 1999–2002, and the technology transfer scheme known as TCS, for which DTI is doubling its expenditure. Our aim is to improve the overall climate for investment in R&D and innovation. But the level of R&D investment by companies is for companies themselves to determine. DTI helps companies make an informed decision by providing a valuable source of information on UK and international R&D investment through the annual R&D Scoreboard.

  Unsolicited Faxes
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the arrangements for preventing unsolicited fax messages. [124618]

  Dr. Howells
  The arrangements for avoiding unsolicited direct marketing faxes are contained in the Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999. These ban the sending of unsolicited direct marketing faxes to individual subscribers, and introduce an "opt-out" scheme—the Fax Preference Service—for corporate subscribers.
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  There is good evidence that the arrangements are delivering effective protection to subscribers from unwanted faxes. The number of complaints to Oftel about these faxes has fallen sharply since the Regulations came into force. Over the same period of time, the number of subscribers registered with the Fax Preference Service has risen from less than 15,000 to over 280,000.

  The Data Protection Commissioner's Office are responsible for enforcing the Regulations and will take action against those that they feel have wilfully or negligently breathed the Regulations. The Data Protection Commissioner has recently issued enforcement notices to two companies in relation to the sending of direct marketing faxes, and is considering enforcement actions against a number of others.

  Regional ITV Companies
  Mr. Healey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the economic impact of regional ITV companies on their region. [124584]

  Dr. Howells
  As high technology companies employing people with valuable skills, ITV companies are likely to have a significant impact on the economies of the regions they are in.

  Pringle's Knitwear Factory
  Mr. Beith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement about the Berwick Task Force following the closure of the Pringle's knitwear factory. [124610]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Task Force, set up after the announcement of the closure of the Pringles knitwear factory in Berwick has met on a number of occasions since July 1998, the latest meeting being held this week. A consultancy firm has been engaged to work with the Task Force and the local authority to help establish a comprehensive regeneration strategy for the town, and a bid for further Single Regeneration Budget funding is likely.

  Rats
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to collect figures on expenditure by(a) catering establishments, (b) farms and agricultural holdings, (c) water and sewerage companies, (d) other business and (e) local authorities of (i) treating rat infestations and (ii) remedying damage caused by rats. [113047]

  Ms Hewitt
  I have no plans to do so.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the hon. Member for Cunninghame, South will receive a reply to his letters of 16 December and 7 March, concerning Mr. James Murdoch, of Kilwinning. [125387]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  I have replied to my hon. Friend today.

  Animal Testing
  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to require cosmetic products imported into the United Kingdom which have been tested on animals to be labelled with this information; and if he will make a statement. [125952]

  Dr. Howells
  Under the current Cosmetic Products (Safety) Regulations 1996, any reference to testing on animals in the labelling of a cosmetic product must state clearly whether the tests carried out involved the cosmetic product itself or its ingredients. (However, if manufacturers market their products without any reference to animal testing, the regulations do not require them to alter that practice).

  The European Commission has proposed a 7th Amendment to the Cosmetics Directive, which aims to ban animal testing in the EU. One aspect of the proposed amendment will be that the Commission, in collaboration with member states, will produce guidelines to ensure that common criteria are applied to any claims relating to animal testing, and that such claims do not mislead the consumer.

  Inward Investment
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the current UK share is of internationally mobile projects with growth potential; and by how much he aims to increase this in 2000–01. [125968]

  Mr. Caborn
  The UK's share of inward investment stock reached a record figure of £244.1 billion at the end of 1999, an increase of 26 per cent. over the previous year. This is a larger share than for any other EU member state.

  The Government are fully committed to ensuring that the UK remains the No. 1 location in Europe for inward investment, including for projects with growth potential. We will continue to pursue economic policies which enhance the UK's attractions including: developing a skills base, provide flexible labour markets and a stable economy.

  Broadband Fixed Wireless Access
  Maria Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements he intends to make for the licensing of broadband fixed wireless access at 28 GHz. [126773]

  Ms Hewitt
  Following extensive consultation with interested parties, I intend to award by auction later this year licences for the provision of broadband fixed wireless access at 28 GHz. There will be three licences available in each of 11 English licence areas and in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Each licence will have forward and return channels of 112 MHz. A successful bidder will be able to hold just one licence in each licence area, but will be able to hold a licence in any number of licence areas. Licences will be for a term of 15 years.

  I will shortly be publishing draft Regulations to be made under section 3 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1998 to provide for this auction. The period for comments to be received concludes on 17 July. I hope to lay the Regulations before Parliament by the end of July. With
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  the draft Regulations I am also publishing for comment a draft of the Notice that I intend to issue under the Regulations. The Notice sets out the detailed arrangements for the auction and will include the date on which applications should be made. I am placing copies of the draft Regulations and the draft Notice in the Libraries of the House.

  Gas-fired Power Station, Avonmouth
  Dr. Naysmith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce his decision on Northern Electric plc's proposal to build a gas-fired power station at Sevelco works, Avonmouth. [126774]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The proposal to build a new 180 MW gas-fired combined heat and power station at the Sevelco works, Avonmouth, has several potential benefits particularly those to the local area in terms of atmospheric pollution and the requirements of the Environment Agency for a pollution control arrangement. The Station being combined heat and power, albeit not fully meeting the criteria given in the Energy White Paper, the benefits are such that I have decided not to use my powers, under section 14(3) of the Energy Act 1976, to defer or halt this project. However, local planning and other clearances are still required under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.

  I have placed copies of this Press Notice and the decision letter in the Library of the House.

  Merchant Vessels
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what was the total gross registered tonnage of merchant vessels constructed in United Kingdom shipyards in(a) 1990, (b) 1995 and (c) 1999. [124605]

  Mr. Caborn
  The information for merchant vessels completed in the United Kingdom is in the table.

  Merchant vessels completed in the United Kingdom

  Number

  Gross tonnage Number (thousand)

  1990

  28

  127

  1995

  24

  127

  1999

  13

  23

  Source:

  Lloyd's Register, World Fleet Statistics

  Textiles Industry
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the prospects for future employment in the UK textiles industry. [124582]

  Mr. Byers
  I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answer given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Amber Valley (Judy Mallaber),Official Report, column 1097.

  World Trade Organisation
  Dr. Palmer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the progress of World Trade Organisation negotiations since the Seattle meeting. [124590]
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  Mr. Caborn
  Since Seattle, the mandated negotiations on agriculture and on services have been launched. Consultations have also been conducted by the Director-General and the Chair of the General Council. The General Council meeting on 3–8 May included discussion on the progress of two areas of consultation. The first involved a package of confidence-building measures aimed at helping developing countries, including establishing an implementation review mechanism. Discussions on the second, on improving consultative and decision-making procedures, are continuing in Geneva.

PRIME MINISTER

  Strategic Communications Unit
  Mr. Peter Bottomley
  To ask the Prime Minister what controls there are on the Downing Street Strategic Communications Unit to prevent it furthering party purposes. [125728]

  The Prime Minister
  Staff in the Strategic Communications Unit are subject to the requirements of the "Civil Service Code" and "Guidance on the Work of the Government Information Service", which make clear that public resources must not be used for party political purposes. Ministers are also under a duty, set out in the "Ministerial Code", to uphold the political impartiality of the civil service, and not to ask civil servants to act in any way which would conflict with the "Civil Service Code".

  Government Annual Report
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Prime Minister when he expects to publish the Government's third annual report. [126217]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to his hon. Friend the Member for Ribble Valley (Mr. Evans) on 14 June 2000,Official Report, column 647W.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  European Regulations and Directives
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many regulations and directives were printed in the Official Journal of the European Communities, having effect for (a) 1970 to 1972, (b) 1973 to 1982, (c) 1983 to 1992 and (d) 1993 to 1999; and how many pages of the Journal were devoted to such publication in each of these periods. [125253]

  Mr. Vaz
  All regulations and directives are published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Statistics on legislative instruments for a given year are available on the Celex database.

  Sierra Leone
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the US Administration in respect of their claim against the UN for the cost of their airlift operation in Sierra Leone. [125436]
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  Mr. Hain
  We have been informed by the United Nations Secretariat that they have not received a claim from the United States for the cost of their airlift operation in Sierra Leone.

  Turkey
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received of human rights abuses against the Christian population in Turkuey. [125760]

  Mr. Vaz
  We have received reports of alleged human rights abuses against Christians in Turkey. In December 1999, we received reports of police raids on Christian churches in Istanbul and Izmir, and, recently, of two Turkish Christians arrested in Izmir for distributing Christian literature. Officials from the British Embassy in Ankara have raised both these cases with the Turkish authorities. The trial of the two Christians arrested in Izmir was attended by a representative from our Consulate in Izmir and we were pleased to see both were acquitted in May and permission granted for the return of their material.

  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations(a) he and (b) his European counterparts have made to the Turkish authorities concerning the harassment of Christians in Turkey [125740]

  Mr. Vaz
  We have a long standing concern about the position of the Greek and Syrian Orthodox communities in Turkey. We continue to monitor closely the situation of minorities in Turkey and, where appropriate, to raise with Turkish authorities cases of human rights abuses against minorities. In December 1999, we received reports of police raids on Christian churches in Istanbul and Izmir, and, recently, of two Turkish Christians arrested in Izmir for distributing Christian literature. The trial of the two Christians arrested was attended by a representative from our Consulate in Izmir and we were pleased to see that both were acquitted in May.

  We know that other EU partners are also concerned about these issues at and we understand that they, too, have raised their concerns with the Turkish authorities.

  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to assist in the training of the Turkish police in human rights matters. [125761]

  Mr. Vaz
  There is currently a comprehensive police training project under way in Turkey. We have allocated £107,000 to this project which builds on police training workshops held last year. The objective is to increase dialogue on issues of interest to both the British and Turkish police by holding seminars on public order, anti-terrorism, custody and detention. The project focuses on policing methods that protect human rights and are in line with international human rights law. As part of this project, a group of Turkish policemen visited Britain in May to study British policing methods. Further training projects are planned with the Turkish police which are likely to focus on transparency and accountability.

  Study Visas
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to make it easier for foreign students to obtain visas to study in the UK. [125963]

  Mr. Vaz
  All our entry clearance posts abroad have been fully briefed on my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's initiative to attract more overseas students to the United Kingdom, and reminded of the importance of ensuring that the entry clearance process is as straightforward and user-friendly as possible. With this in mind, we and the British Council have updated our guidance material for students. We are also working with the British Council in a number of key markets to help students who are qualified to come here to submit properly completed and fully documented visa applications. This makes processing their applications easier and in many cases does away with the need for the applicant to be interviewed.

  Interahamwe
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received regarding the identity of those responsible for training Interahamwe troops. [125961]

  Mr. Hain
  We have seen various reports alleging that the DRC government, and others in the region, have been training the Interahamwe. We have raised this issue with the countries concerned.

  International Criminal Court
  Mr. Gander
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he proposes to introduce legislation to ratify the Treaty signed in Rome on the International Criminal Court. [126220]

  Mr. Hain
  I refer the hon. and learned Member to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Clydebank and Milngavie (Mr. Worthington) on 3 May 2000,Official Report, column 122W.

  Mercenaries
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is regarding private military companies operating from the United Kingdom and dependent territories which are involved in the supply of mercenaries and related military services. [125280]

  Mr. Hain
  We condemn the recruitment, use, financing and training of mercenaries. We are committed to issuing a Green Paper on mercenary activity by November 2000. This will be a consultative document which will look at the options for further Government action in this area.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is regarding the International Convention against the Recruitment, Use, Financing and Training of Mercenaries; and if he will make a statement. [125310]

  Mr. Hain
  Her Majesty's Government have no plans to sign the 1989 International Convention on Mercenaries. We do not consider that it would be enforceable in the 704W
  UK courts. Although the Convention was adopted more than ten years ago, it has not yet attracted sufficient ratifications to enter into force.

  Sri Lanka
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Commonwealth counterparts concerning a negotiated settlement to the conflict in Sri Lanka. [125814]

  Mr. Hain
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have spoken to our Indian counterparts about the need for a political settlement in Sri Lanka. We told them that we recognised the importance of India's role in the search for peace. We have not yet held discussions with other Commonwealth partners.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with(a) his EU counterparts and (b) his UN counterparts concerning the implementation of an arms embargo on Sri Lanka. [125815]

  Mr. Hain
  None.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his UN counterparts concerning the sending of a human rights monitor to Sri Lanka. [125816]

  Mr. Hain
  The human rights situation in Sri Lanka was discussed at this year's UN Commission on Human Rights in Geneva. We monitor the situation carefully and maintain close and regular contact with international partners, including the UN and NGOs.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last discussed the issue of access by non-governmental organisations to facilitate aid distribution with the Government of Sri Lanka. [125817]

  Mr. Hain
  Our High Commission in Colombo last discussed these concerns, and the humanitarian situation in the Jaffna peninsula as a whole, on 30 May.

  United Nations
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterparts concerning the payment of dues owed to the UN; and if he will make a statement. [125818]

  Mr. Hain
  There have been no discussions recently but, at ministerial level, the UK has long pressed for a resolution to the problem of US arrears to the UN. Though we have welcomed US agreement under the Helms-Biden legislation to pay a substantial portion of their arrears, the US will need to convince the UN membership of the case for accepting the conditions attached to the legislation. At the EU General Affairs Council on 20 March, Foreign Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to securing a comprehensive reform of UN finances to put them on a sound, sustainable and equitable basis, and emphasised that the EU could only consider a reordering of UN contributions which protected EU member states' financial interests.
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  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his UN counterparts concerning the establishment of a constitutional conference to discuss reform of the UN. [125819]

  Mr. Hain
  There have been no recent ministerial discussions on the question of a conference to discuss reform of the United Nations. However, the Government are committed to supporting the UN Secretary-General's efforts to modernise the UN, based on his 1997 package of reform recommendations. We look forward to a discussion on strengthening the UN at the Millennium Summit in September.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the UK Government have to discuss UN reform at the UN Millennium Summit. [125820]

  Mr. Hain
  We look forward to a wide-ranging discussion of the role of the United Nations in the 21st century at the Millennium Summit in September. We agree with comments made by the UN Secretary-General in his Millennium Report that, among other things, the Summit should consider the need to make the organisation more effective, efficient and accessible to the world's peoples.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his UN counterparts regarding(a) the World Bank, (b) the IMF and (c) the WTO and their relationship with the Economic and Social Council of the UN. [125821]

  Mr. Hain
  Although this had not been discussed at ministerial level, the Government consider good relations between the United Nations, the international financial institutions and the WTO to be a high priority. We encourage and support the efforts of the Economic and Social Council and the World Bank and the IMF to strengthen their ties. The WTO is also involved in the UN's Financing for Development process in which the UK is playing an active role with our EU partners.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Millennium Bug
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the President of the Council if she will list examples of serious problems that have been reported in the UK, including those which arose as a result of problems abroad, arising from the Millennium Bug. [123293]

  Mrs. Beckett
  I have received no reports of serious problems in the UK caused by the century date change computer problem subsequent to my statement of 20 April 2000.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  English Heritage
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 24 May 2000,Official Report, column 560W, on English Heritage, (1) if
  706W
  he will place in the Library the information requested, covering the period from 1990 to 1996, as soon as the information is readily collatable; [124404]

  (2) if he will place in the Library similar information to that requested in the original question relating to the English Heritage's advisory committees and panels for each year from 1990. [124457]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 14 June 2000]English Heritage is unable to provide details of grants made to advisory panel members as they have no part in the formal grant decision making process, and are therefore not required to make a declaration of their interests. The other details requested will be made available for placing in the Library as soon as English Heritage is able to collate the necessary information.

  Millennium Visitor Attractions
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment his Department has made of the impact on(a) employment at, (b) profitability of and (c) other aspects of other individual tourist attractions in the United Kingdom, of the Millennium Experience exhibition at the Millennium Dome. [124947]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 8 June 2000]It is too early to make a detailed assessment of the impact of the many new lottery-assisted visitor attractions opening all around the UK to mark the millennium. However, the Millennium Commission is undertaking a large-scale Economic Impact Study of these projects. The British Tourist Authority (BTA) will also be analysing the impact of their international Millennium marketing Campaign "Britain—now is the time".

  Millennium Bridge
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what fees have been paid to safety consultants in relation to the Millennium Bridge(a) prior to its official opening and (b) subsequently; [126243]

  (2) if he will publish the contracts between the Millennium Bridge Trust and (a) the architects and (b) the builders of the Millennium Bridge; [126236]

  (3) what estimates he has made of the cost of work to ensure the safety of the Millennium Bridge; and if public funds will be made available; [126241]

  (4) if he will make a statement on the closure of the Millennium Bridge; [126240]

  (5) what studies were made of safety issues at the Millennium Bridge by the Health and Safety Executive prior to its opening; and what fees were paid by the Millennium Bridge Trust for this work; [126242]

  (6) what guarantees or indemnities were provided by (a) the architects and (b) the builders of the Millennium Bridge in relation to safety issues; [126237]

  (7) what estimate he has made of the level of resources the Millennium Commission has available; [126239]

  (8) when he expects is the Millennium Bridge to re-open to the public. [126238]

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  Mr. Chris Smith
  These are matters for the Millennium Commission. I will write to the hon. Member in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission, and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of the House.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Time Exchange Scheme
  Mrs. Gilroy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if participation in a Time Exchange Scheme would affect entitlement to benefits. [126848]

  Angela Eagle
  Our legal advice is that time credits derived from participation in a Time Exchange Scheme, such as Fair Shares, do not constitute earnings for income-related benefit purposes and therefore participation does not constitute remunerative work. Entitlement to those benefits would therefore be unaffected. Guidance to local decision-makers will be issued shortly.

  Pension (Mr. Ridler)
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security on what date Mr. Ridler of Ferndown in the Christchurch constituency will he paid the additional pension to which he has been entitled since his retirement; and what additional interest and compensation will be payable. [125916]

  Mr. Rooker
  This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Christopher Chope, dated 14 June 2000:
  The Secretary Of State has asked me to respond to your recent Parliamentary Question asking on what date Mr Ridler of Ferndown in the Christchurch constituency will be paid the additional pension to which he has been entitled since his retirement; and what additional interest and compensation will be payable.
  As you will appreciate, individual customers' cases are confidential. I will therefore, write to you privately on this matter.

  Service Delivery
  Caroline Flint
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in what ways his Department and its executive agencies deliver services to meet the needs of the public as consumers, with particular reference to families. [124643]

  Angela Eagle
  We are modernising the way the Department's services are delivered to provide a comprehensive, dedicated service, focused on the needs of our key client groups: pensioners, working age people and children. We have appointed a senior member of the Departmental Board as the consumer champion, responsible for giving consumers a voice at the heart of the Department.

  We are restructuring the Department to focus on our client groups: through a new pensions organisation focused on the needs of pensioners we will develop a modern and integrated service easily accessible from one point. We are bringing together the responsibilities of the Employment Service and part of the Benefits Agency to create a dedicated agency for people of working age. And
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  we are working with the Inland Revenue to introduce the Integrated Child Credit from 2003 to bring together help for children provided through the tax and benefits system.

  We are also reforming the Child Support system to provide a simple, straightforward child maintenance system that is fair and which people can understand. In the meantime we are already taking action to improve the more commonly used forms of our service delivery, including:
  gathering client's views through consultation and evaluation, such as the Better Government for Older People Programme, to help design and improve the quality of our services to the public;
  making it easier for people to understand and resolve questions about benefit entitlement through the new decision making and appeals procedure;
  re-designing our benefit leaflets and departmental website to allow people to find the information they need more easily and to do more business with us electronically;
  providing a direct tele-claims service to pensioners so that we can take claims from Retirement Pension and deal with queries over the phone;
  offering one-to-one personal help under the New Deals and the ONE service to enable people to take up jobs and training opportunities open to them, already 306,476 people have found work through the New Deals—including nearly 51,000 lone parents through the New Deal for Lone Parents;
  extending opening hours of the Child Support Agency so that the public can contact us when it is convenient for them, increasing the use of the telephone to gather information and making more staff available to offer a face to face interview.

  Income Support
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the savings from extending the waiting period for income support mortgage interest payments from nine to 14 months. [125297]

  Mr. Bayley
  If the waiting period for mortgage interest payments was extended from 9 to 14 months, the estimated annual savings would be around £25 million per year, based on 1999 levels of mortgage interest payments. This estimate takes account of pensioners but not other special groups who do not have to serve the current waiting period.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the effect of the nine months income support mortgage interest payments waiting period on the level of arrears and repossessions. [125299]

  Mr. Bayley
  No information is collected by the Department about the accrual of arrears or repossession activity in mortgages taken out by Income Support and income based Jobseeker's Allowance recipients. Benefit help for homeowners with housing costs is intended to provide reasonable protection to help secure the home. The mortgage lenders have agreed, under the Mortgage Code, to consider all cases of financial difficulty and mortgage arrears sympathetically and positively.

  Mr. Michael Jabez Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of single pensioners receiving income support who have income resources being taken into account of £73.45 or more per week. [125793]
  709W
  Mr. Bayley
  As at February 2000, there were 344,000 single pensioners receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee paid through Income Support who had income resources of £73.45 or more per week being taken into account.Notes:
  1. Figure is based on a 5 per cent. sample and is therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
  2. Figure is rounded to the nearest hundred cases.
  Source:
  Income Support Statistics Quarterly Inquiry, February 2000.

  Mr. Michael Jabez Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the number of pensioner couples receiving Income Support who have income resources being taken into account of £114.95 or more per week. [125794]

  Mr. Bayley
  As at February 2000, there were 69,500 pensioner couples receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee paid through Income Support who had income resources of £114.95 or more per week being taken into account.Notes:
  1. Pensioners are defined as where the claimant is aged over 60 or over.
  2. Figure is based on a 5 per cent. sample and is therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.
  3. Figure is rounded to the nearest hundred cases.
  Source:
  Income Support Statistics Quarterly Enquiry, February 2000

  ONE Service
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when, following the assessment of the first four ONE service pilots, changes will be made in the way that benefits are claimed. [125878]

  Angela Eagle
  The ONE pilots are planned to run until March 2002 and will be fully evaluated. No decision has yet been taken as to when the changes to the claiming process, being trialled within those pilots, may be more widely applied or the possibility of extending these arrangements beyond the pilot areas.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will publish the assessments that have been made of the first four pilot schemes for the ONE service; and if he will make a statement. [125444]

  Angela Eagle
  The ONE pilots are planned to run until March 2002 and are the subject of thorough evaluation. When robust and reliable research findings are available they will be published.

  Appeals
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many awards of each type of benefit were made or increased as a result of appeals in the year 1999–2000; what the cost to his Department will be of the making or increasing of those awards; how much the appeal process cost his Department in that year; and if he will make a statement. [125879]
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  Angela Eagle
  The information is not available in the format requested and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. Such information as is available is as follows.

  In the year ending September 1999 (the latest date available), of 262,971 appeals heard by the Appeals Service, 92,776 were found in the appellants favour.
  Notes:
  1. As figures for September 1999 are not due to be published until 22 June, the figures quoted are provisional and may be subject to revision.
  2. Appeals found in the appellants favour includes References revised in favour of the appellant.
  Source:
  100 per cent. download from the Appeals Service Generic Appeals Processing system.

  Estimated cost of processing appeals within the Department for the year 1999–2000

  £ million

  Estimated cost

  Appeals Services

  156.917

  Benefits Agency

  224.260

  Child Support Agency

  4.000

  1 This figure excludes the cost of the launch of the Appeals Service agency and the introduction of the Decision Making and Appeals changes.

  2 This figure reflects appeals processing within the district network and Disability and Caters Benefit Directorate only. Appeals costs for the Child Benefit Directorate and Pensions Overseas Directorate cannot be separately identified.

  A new system to streamline and modernise the appeals system has been introduced. This will lead to a faster and more efficient service. The Appeals Service has already made significant improvements to clear backlogs and reduce waiting times. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has set challenging targets to improve the service still further.

  Client Surveys
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes have been made by his Department as a result of representative surveys of its clients carried out in 1998–99 and 1999–2000; and what the(a) costs and (b) savings from such changes will be in each of the next five years. [125876]

  Mr. Rooker
  Representative surveys of clients are only one of many sources of information and evidence the Department uses to develop, monitor and evaluate policies and their delivery. Survey findings do not contribute to the policy process in isolation but are used alongside other information such as management and administrative data. It is not possible, therefore, to say what changes have been made directly as a result of representative surveys of clients and to determine costs and savings arising.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Fraser
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) if he will make a statement on the role of the National Intelligence Unit in tackling benefit fraud in Dorset; [125724]

  (2) what recent discussions he has had with the Benefits Agency about tackling benefit fraud in Dorset. [125730]
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  Mr. Rooker
  The purpose of the National Intelligence Unit (NIU) is to provide "information for action" or anti-fraud intelligence that facilitates better informed decision making at managerial and operational levels. The NIU is located over five sites and consists primarily of data collection sections and teams of analysts. Once analysed, all intelligence which can be used to help combat benefit fraud is referred to relevant sections of the Benefits Agency. No information is available on the role of the NIU in tackling benefit fraud in specific towns, cities or counties as the unit operates on a national level.
  Although we have held no recent discussions with the Benefits Agency about tackling benefit fraud specifically in Dorset, national policy on combating fraud applies throughout Great Britain. We set out the strategy for tackling fraud in the White Paper "Safeguarding Social Security" presented to Parliament in March 1999.

  The four key principles are; getting it right—benefit payments should be correct from day one; keeping it right—ensuring payments are adjusted as circumstances change; putting it right—detecting when payments go wrong and taking prompt action to correct them with appropriate penalties to prevent a recurrence; and making sure our strategy works—by monitoring progress, evaluating the strength of our defences and adjusting them in the light of experience.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the value of additional detected fraud and overpayments if the National Fraud Initiative scheme was extended to all councils in the UK. [125283]

  Mr. Rooker
  The estimates requested are not available. However, we welcome the recently published National Fraud Initiative report which, like this Departments' Housing Benefit Matching Service, is a good example of what can be achieved by well targeted data matching.

  Child Support
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases since 1 April the Benefits Agency has decided that a lone parent has good cause not to co-operate with the Child Support Agency in obtaining maintenance; what estimate he has made of the financial benefits which have accrued to(a) his Department, (b) claimants and (c) children affected; and if he will make a statement. [125440]

  Angela Eagle
  During April this year, the latest date for which information is available, it was accepted that 501 parents with care had good cause for not co-operating with the Child Support Agency. This compares with some 11,000 parents with care claiming Income Support or income-based Jobseeker's Allowance over the same period.

  The underlying purpose of the requirement to co-operate with the Child Support Agency where these benefits are in payment is to ensure that, wherever possible, parents and not the taxpayer take responsibility for supporting their children. The receipt of regular maintenance can also play an important part in helping to lift children out of poverty.

  Earnings Disregard
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the(a) gross and (b) net costs of increasing the Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit earnings disregard by (i) £5, (ii) £10, (iii) £15 and (iv) £20 per week; and how many households would (1) benefit and (2) be taken off Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit as a result. [125575]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is in the table.

  No cases would be lifted out of Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit (CTB) as a result of these measures. In fact extra cases will become entitled to the benefits.

  Estimates of the costs of increasing earnings disregards in HB/CTB and the numbers gaining

  Number of cases benefiting

  Cost in 2000–01 (£ million)

  HB (thousand)

  CTB (thousand)

  £5

  75

  390

  350

  £10

  175

  400

  360

  £15

  250

  420

  380

  £20

  350

  450

  400

  Notes:

  1. The gross and net costs of increasing the Housing Benefit/Council Tax Benefit earnings disregard will be identical, since Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit are not taken into account in the calculation of other benefits.

  2. Estimates based on the 1997–98 Family Resources Survey and Housing Benefit Administrative data for May 1998.

  3. Costs are rounded to the nearest £5 million, gainers are rounded to the nearest 10,000 cases.

  4. The numbers benefiting are expressed in terms of benefit units rather than households. It is not possible to calculate the total number of households benefiting from the measures by summing the Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit gainers since some cases will gain in both benefits.

  5. The number of cases benefiting includes cases who float on to the benefits as a result of these measures.

  Tax Credits
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many households have been taken off(a) Housing Benefit and (b) Council Tax Benefit as a consequence of Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit in (i) the UK and (ii) each region. [125415]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is not available in the format requested as the most recent available data for Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit relate to August 1999, which is prior to the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit.

  However, we estimate that the introduction of Working Families Tax Credit will move about 90,000 claimants off Housing Benefit in Great Britain in 2000–01, with similar numbers moving off Council Tax Benefit.

  Estimates for the effects of the Working Families Tax Credit are based on the Family Resources Survey. This does not have an adequate sample size to produce corresponding estimates for Disabled Persons Tax Credit, since only a small number of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit recipients also received Disability Working Allowance. The reduction in the number of

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  recipients of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit as a result of the introduction of the Disabled Persons Tax Credit is, however, likely to be small.

  Regional estimates of the effect of Working Families Tax Credit are not available owing to the small sample sizes in the Family Resources Survey when analysed at a regional level.

  Housing Benefit (Chelmsford)
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the national guidelines are for the time a local authority should take to process a Housing Benefit application; and what is the average time it is taking in the Chelmsford local authority area. [126022]

  Angela Eagle
  Under regulation 76 of the Housing Benefit (General) Regulations 1987, where a local authority has received sufficient information to determine a claim, it must make the determination within 14 days of receipt of that information or as soon as reasonably practicable thereafter.

  Under the Best Value regime introduced from April 2000, local authorities are required to submit data on the average length of time taken to determine claims. Previously, information was collected on the percentage of claims determined within 14 days. Between 1 April 1998 and 31 March 1999, the latest period for which data are available, Chelmsford Borough Council determined 48 per cent. of all Housing Benefit claims within 14 days.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Metropolitan Police
  Mrs. Gordon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis to publish full-year data for the performance of the Metropolitan police in relation to its policing plan for 1999–2000. [126743]

  Mr. Straw
  The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis included performance data for the first 11 months of the last financial year, and projected performance in its final month, in his Policing and Performance Plan for 2000–01 which he published on 31 March, on the Metropolitan police website http://www.met.police.uk.

  The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that he expects to publish a hard-copy version of the Plan on 21 June. This will include full-year performance data for 1999–2000. These data confirm, I understand, the provisional out-turns included in the version of the Plan published on 31 March.

  It may benefit right hon. and hon. Members, in particular those preparing to take part in the debate on the policing of London which, subject to the demands of business, we hope the House will be able to hold before the end of this month, to have early sight of the hard-copy version of the Plan. I am, therefore, today placing proof copies of the Plan in the Vote Office, and in the Library.

  Robbery
  Ms McCafferty
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional support he intends to provide to the police service for reducing robbery. [126776]

  Mr. Straw
  I am announcing today the allocation of £20 million additional resources for tackling robbery in the five metropolitan areas in which 70 per cent. of all robberies take place, and for which challenging targets have been set for the police forces concerned by their respective police authorities. The £20 million forms part of the £91 million which my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer allocated in the Budget for additional measures to support the delivery of crime reduction.

  The specific amounts being made available are:

  £ million

  Metropolitan police

  9.1

  West Midlands

  3.3

  Greater Manchester

  3.2

  West Yorkshire

  2.6

  Merseyside

  1.8

  The five forces will now be drawing up plans to achieve early reductions in robbery levels.

  Rural Policing
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional support he intends to provide to the police service for addressing rural crime. [126777]

  Mr. Straw
  I am announcing today that £15 million of the £91 million for police modernisation will be used to meet the special needs of rural policing. We are discussing with the police service how this money is to be allocated to improve performance. In particular, we will be discussing a national standard response time for emergency calls in rural areas. Additional funding for future years will be considered as part of the Spending Review 2000 process.

  Hunting With Hounds
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the additional police numbers that will be needed in rural areas to enforce legislation banning hunting with dogs. [126091]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  We will be consulting with the police on the implications to them of the legislative options contained in the proposed Bill on hunting with dogs.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will estimate the cost of compensation(a) per person on average and (b) in total for loss of livelihood if hunting with dogs is made illegal. [126092]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The consequences of the provisions of the proposed Bill on hunting with dogs will be considered as legislative options are drawn up.

  Police Pensions
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many certificates to forfeit police pensions have been issued in the last 10 years. [125994]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Secretary of State for the Home Department has issued 24 certificates to forfeit police pensions in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what specific offences have led to the issue of certificates to forfeit police pensions on the basis that the offence in question was determined to be liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service during the last five years. [125993]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The following offences have led to the issue of certificates to forfeit police pensions on the basis that the offence in question was determined to be liable to lead to serious loss of confidence in the public service during the last five years:

  Attempting to pervert the course of justice

  Blackmail

  Conspiracy to commit misconduct in a public office

  Conspiracy to defraud a building society

  Conspiracy to pervert the course of justice

  Conspiracy to, and/or, supply of a controlled drug, Class B cannabis resin

  Corruption

  Deception

  Dishonesty

  Indecent assault

  Importation of controlled drugs

  Murder

  Perverting the course of justice/dangerous driving

  Theft

  Theft by deception

  Using a false instrument

  Drug Testing
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the drugs that he proposes to include in the mandatory drug testing for offenders under the provisions of the Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill. [125996]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Initially it is proposed to test specifically for heroin and crack/cocaine, which research has shown to have a particularly strong connection with acquisitive crime. The Bill provides for the Secretary of State to specify, by order, the Class A drugs applicable. Consideration will be given to including other Class A drugs in the testing programme if research evidence demonstrates a similar link to the commissioning of crime.

  Number and proportion of defendants tried and convicted at the Crown court for rape offences1 by Police Force Area, 1994–98

  Police Force Area

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  1994 Percentage convicted

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  1995 Percentage convicted

  Avon and Somerset

  22

  12

  55

  31

  15

  48

  Bedfordshire

  14

  3

  21

  8

  5

  63

  Cambridgeshire

  19

  4

  21

  17

  12

  71

  Cheshire

  14

  8

  57

  17

  10

  59

  Cleveland

  9

  5

  56

  17

  10

  59

  Cumbria

  5

  4

  80

  13

  7

  54

  Drugs Misuse
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs is expected to report on the Police Foundation's inquiry into the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. [125995]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Further to the reply I gave my hon. Friend on 8 May 2000,Official Report, column 298W, I understand that the Advisory Council had a short discussion on the Police Foundation's Report at its meeting on 25 May. The Council noted that the Government had made it clear that they were not persuaded that the classification or overall legal framework for LSD, ecstasy or cannabis should be changed, but would be giving careful consideration to the other recommendations arising from the Police Foundation's Inquiry.

  The Council also noted that the United Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator, Keith Hellawell, is to chair an inter-departmental working group to consider the other recommendations of the Police Foundation Inquiry's Report. I understand that the working group plans to provide a progress report to Ministers later this summer. It is not possible to speculate at this stage whether the consideration by the inter-departmental working group will lead the Government to seek the views of the Advisory Council on any of the recommendations being considered. However, under provisions in the misuse of drugs legislation, the Advisory Council would need to be consulted on any proposed amendments to the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

  No-smoking Policy
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on(a) the effectiveness of his Department's no-smoking policy and (b) the proportion of his Department's offices that do not allow smoking. [125152]

  Mr. Straw
  I am satisfied that my Department's policy, under which smoking in its main buildings in London, Croydon and Merseyside is only permitted in designated smoking rooms, is working satisfactorily. 99 per cent. of these offices do not allow smoking.

  Rape Statistics
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the conviction rates were for rape(a) nationally and (b) in each Crown Prosecution Service area in England and Wales in each of the last five years for which statistics are available. [125789]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Rape is an indictable only offence. The available information, on defendants tried in the Crown court, is by Police Force Area and is given in the table.
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  Number and proportion of defendants tried and convicted at the Crown court for rape offences1 by Police Force Area, 1994–98

  Police Force Area

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  1994 Percentage convicted

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  1995 Percentage convicted

  Derbyshire

  15

  5

  33

  20

  16

  80

  Devon and Cornwall

  13

  9

  69

  18

  12

  67

  Dorset

  13

  10

  77

  8

  3

  38

  Durham

  11

  7

  64

  17

  12

  71

  Essex

  14

  6

  43

  17

  10

  59

  Gloucestershire

  8

  3

  38

  8

  5

  63

  Greater Manchester

  72

  37

  51

  91

  47

  52

  Hampshire

  29

  11

  38

  20

  10

  50

  Hertfordshire

  6

  4

  67

  4

  3

  75

  Humberside

  5

  3

  60

  15

  11

  73

  Kent

  18

  9

  50

  29

  19

  66

  Lancashire

  20

  8

  40

  23

  14

  61

  Leicestershire

  4

  2

  50

  17

  4

  24

  Lincolnshire

  8

  2

  25

  10

  1

  10

  Merseyside

  29

  14

  48

  24

  15

  63

  Metropolitan police2

  214

  90

  42

  205

  94

  46

  Norfolk

  13

  3

  23

  9

  4

  44

  Northamptonshire

  9

  2

  22

  14

  6

  43

  Northumbria

  41

  22

  54

  50

  24

  48

  North Yorkshire

  13

  3

  23

  13

  8

  62

  Nottinghamshire

  26

  13

  50

  24

  7

  29

  South Yorkshire

  22

  13

  59

  19

  12

  63

  Staffordshire

  19

  12

  63

  20

  7

  35

  Suffolk

  12

  3

  25

  12

  7

  58

  Surrey

  4

  2

  50

  9

  4

  44

  Sussex

  11

  7

  64

  18

  6

  33

  Thames Valley

  10

  4

  40

  15

  5

  33

  Warwickshire

  3

  3

  100

  4

  2

  50

  West Mercia

  11

  5

  45

  8

  5

  63

  West Midlands

  62

  32

  52

  67

  35

  52

  West Yorkshire

  41

  21

  51

  46

  30

  65

  Wiltshire

  4

  0

  0

  13

  9

  69

  England

  863

  401

  46

  970

  506

  52

  Dyfed-Powys

  4

  3

  75

  4

  4

  100

  Gwent

  11

  7

  64

  2

  1

  50

  North Wales

  9

  4

  44

  22

  13

  59

  South Wales

  35

  20

  57

  46

  29

  63

  Wales

  59

  34

  58

  74

  47

  64

  England and Wales

  922

  435

  47

  1,044

  553

  53

  1996

  1997

  1998

  police Force Area

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  Percentage convicted

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  Percentage convicted

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  Percentage convicted

  Avon and Somerset

  23

  7

  30

  30

  10

  33

  35

  15

  43

  Bedfordshire

  13

  7

  54

  15

  6

  40

  16

  5

  31

  Cambridgeshire

  14

  6

  43

  13

  6

  46

  9

  3

  33

  Cheshire

  20

  10

  50

  19

  12

  63

  19

  12

  63

  Cleveland

  14

  9

  64

  14

  7

  50

  10

  5

  50

  Cumbria

  9

  5

  56

  4

  0

  0

  7

  5

  71

  Derbyshire

  22

  12

  55

  20

  9

  45

  14

  7

  50

  Devon and Cornwall

  16

  15

  94

  24

  13

  54

  39

  23

  59

  Dorset

  12

  7

  58

  10

  5

  50

  8

  4

  50

  Durham

  9

  5

  56

  12

  8

  67

  21

  9

  43

  Essex

  19

  11

  58

  30

  21

  70

  28

  14

  50

  Gloucestershire

  4

  2

  50

  8

  2

  25

  5

  2

  40

  Greater Manchester

  82

  33

  40

  85

  30

  35

  133

  54

  41

  Hampshire

  23

  8

  35

  45

  28

  62

  54

  23

  43

  Hertfordshire

  9

  8

  89

  17

  13

  76

  15

  8

  53

  Humberside

  22

  13

  59

  20

  11

  55

  20

  8

  40

  Kent

  26

  15

  58

  36

  16

  44

  32

  11

  34

  Lancashire

  21

  13

  62

  26

  14

  54

  38

  20

  53

  Leicestershire

  17

  9

  53

  22

  11

  50

  30

  18

  60

  Lincolnshire

  6

  4

  67

  13

  8

  62

  18

  8

  44

  Merseyside

  36

  17

  47

  38

  17

  45

  53

  20

  38

  Metropolitan police2

  250

  116

  46

  258

  115

  45

  299

  111

  37

  Norfolk

  8

  1

  13

  9

  2

  22

  12

  4

  33

  718W

  719W

  1996

  1997

  1998

  Police Force Area

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  Percentage convicted

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  Percentage convicted

  Number tried

  Total convicted

  Percentage convicted

  Northamptonshire

  6

  2

  33

  5

  4

  80

  16

  5

  31

  Northumbria

  50

  25

  50

  42

  26

  62

  64

  22

  34

  North Yorkshire

  15

  8

  53

  12

  4

  33

  14

  8

  57

  Nottinghamshire

  25

  14

  56

  28

  14

  50

  39

  19

  49

  South Yorkshire

  18

  10

  56

  26

  16

  62

  41

  13

  32

  Staffordshire

  23

  12

  52

  27

  13

  48

  20

  11

  55

  Suffolk

  9

  3

  33

  15

  6

  40

  19

  7

  37

  Surrey

  8

  5

  63

  7

  3

  43

  7

  4

  57

  Sussex

  15

  9

  60

  24

  15

  63

  23

  15

  65

  Thames Valley

  37

  16

  43

  42

  16

  38

  28

  9

  32

  Warwickshire

  6

  5

  83

  3

  1

  33

  5

  3

  60

  West Mercia

  13

  8

  62

  21

  13

  62

  24

  12

  50

  West Midlands

  71

  37

  52

  77

  38

  49

  95

  51

  54

  West Yorkshire

  63

  37

  59

  43

  26

  60

  84

  48

  57

  Wiltshire

  11

  7

  64

  11

  3

  27

  5

  3

  60

  England

  1,045

  531

  51

  1,151

  562

  49

  1,399

  619

  44

  Dyfed-Powys

  5

  4

  80

  9

  7

  78

  11

  4

  36

  Gwent

  20

  9

  45

  20

  13

  65

  18

  4

  22

  North Wales

  18

  7

  39

  14

  8

  57

  22

  11

  50

  South Wales

  37

  24

  65

  55

  25

  45

  6

  36

  53

  Wales

  80

  44

  55

  98

  53

  54

  119

  55

  46

  England and Wales

  1,125

  575

  51

  1,249

  615

  49

  1,518

  674

  44

  1 Rape offences cover rape, attempted rate and associated offences under the Mental Health Act 1959

  2 Including City of London

  Cross-examination (Sexual History)
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications have been made under section 41 of the Youth Justice and Criminal Evidence Act 1999 to cross-examine a complainant as to previous sexual history; and how many such applications were successful. [125788]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  These provisions are not yet in force. Rules of court are being prepared for the implementation of section 41, which have been the subject of recent consultation. The Government intend to implement these provisions as soon as these Rules are in place.

  Wrongful Convictions
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much financial compensation was paid in each of the last three years to people freed by courts in England and Wales for wrongful conviction for a criminal offence; and if he will make a statement. [125985]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The total amounts paid in compensation to people who have been wrongly convicted, or charged, for each of the last three financial years are as follows:

  Year

  Million

  1997–98

  6.652

  1998–99

  5.302

  1999–2000

  5.647

  In all cases, the Secretary of State decides whether in principle an applicant qualifies for compensation, but the amount of the award is determined by the independent assessor he has appointed.

  Child Contact Centres
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the annual expenditure is on child contact centres through probation partnerships. [125953]

  Mr. Boateng
  In 1998–99, the probation service spent a total of £1,106,299 on partnership projects relating to Family Court Welfare Work, £153,862 of which was devoted specifically to child contact centres.

  Internet Monitoring
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what institutions he plans will be involved in the monitoring of internet and e-mail communications; and if he will make a statement. [125668]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Bill does not provide for routine monitoring of any communications. Clause 24 of the Bill allows for the acquisition of communications data, which would include the addressing data but not the content of the communication, by:a police force;
  the National Criminal Intelligence Service;
  the National Crime Squad;
  the Commissioners of Customs and Excise and their departments; and
  any of the intelligence services (taken to mean the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service and Government Communications Headquarters).

  The Bill provides for this list to be added to by Order.

  We have included a number of oversight procedures to cover the collection of communications data. No authorising officer may authorise a notice unless obtaining the communications data is both necessary for certain specified purposes, and proportionate.
  721W
  In addition, the Bill places oversight of the use of this power under the remit of the Interception Commissioner. We intend for an audit team from the Commissioner's office to undertake periodic inspections of each body to ensure that the power is being used responsibly.

  Alcohol Licences (River Boats)
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Thames river boats operate open-ticket party events where alcohol is served; and how many open-ticket party events were held on Thames river boats in(a) 1999, (b) 1995 and (c) 1990. [125445]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  This information is not collected, and is not readily available.

  Fire Service
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will end the consultation period on the document entitled, "The Future of Fire Service Control Rooms and Communication"; [125721]

  (2) if he will list the consultees in relation to the document entitled, "The Future of Fire Service Control Rooms and Communication". [125720]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The management summary of the Fire Service Communications and Control Rooms Study was circulated to the Central Fire Brigades Advisory Council immediately prior to its meeting on 16 May 2000. The summary and the full report will be discussed at its meeting on 19 July. The Council is the statutory body appointed under section 29 of the Fire Services Act 1947 to advise the Secretary of State, on fire service matters. Current membership includes the following fire service representative bodies; the Local Government Association, the Chief and Assistant Chief Fire Officers' Association, the Fire Brigades Union and the Retained Firefighters' Union.

  Best Value authorities are required to carry out reviews of all their functions over a period of five years from April 2000. To help fire authorities make the most of opportunities for improved efficiency through greater collaboration, a common timetable has been set in the Local Government (Best Value) Performance Plans and Reviews Order 1999 (SI 1999 No. 3251) in respect of fire authorities for the review of particular functions, including communications and control in year one (2000–01). The aim of the above study is to provide advice for authorities on how best to meet their future mobile communications and control room requirements.

  Fire authorities in England and Wales have been invited to consider the findings of the study and to take these into account in conducting the Best Value reviews of their control and communications functions in accordance with SI 1999 No. 3251. The relevant fire service circular (No 8/2000) was issued on 10 May to fire authorities and brigades and to other bodies with an interest in fire service matters. A copy of the circular is in the Library.

  Gammahydroxybutyrate
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the Metropolitan Police Service's programme of research into drug-assisted sexual assault, with particular reference to the classification of gammahydroxybutyrate. [126014]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  This research is being carried out by the Metropolitan Police Service with funding from the Home Office under the Police Research Award Scheme.

  I understand that the report has not yet been released and is due to be launched by the Metropolitan Police Service on 21 June 2000.

CABINET OFFICE

  Anti-drugs Strategy
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what has been the total spending on anti-drugs strategies during each of the last 10 years; and what proportion in each of those years was spent on(a) drug enforcement measures and (b) rehabilitation. [125997]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The first UK drugs strategy "Tackling Drugs Together" was launched in May 1995 and allocated £8.8 million over three years to Drug Action Teams, £5.9 million on schools drug education for 1995–96, and £1 million in the same year for services for young people at an early stage of drug misuse. For the present strategy, "Tackling Drugs To Build A Better Britain", the 1998 Comprehensive Spending Review settlement provided an additional £217 million of resources for three years, of which £70.5 million (32.4 per cent.) was allocated for new treatment services in communities, and £60 million (27.6 per cent.) for treatment services in prisons. No extra resources were allocated for enforcement. The overall aim of the Government's present anti-drugs strategy is to shift the emphasis away from dealing with the consequences of the drugs problem towards positive investment in preventing and targeting it, and Government drug-related expenditure will reflect this over the length of the strategy.

  Public Sector Ombudsman
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will make a statement on the review of the Public Sector Ombudsman in England. [126311]

  Mr. Stringer
  As part of our programme of modernisation, the Government have reviewed the organisation and operation of the Public Sector Ombudsmen in England. Underlying this review was a recognition of the need to ease public access and improve efficiency in dealing with complaints across different sectors. The review was published on 13 April 2000,Official Report, column 241W.

  While the review was well received, it was always our intention to consult widely on the outcome of the review. We want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to comment on the review's recommendations

  723W
  which, if implemented in full, will radically reform the ombudsmen system in England. That is why we have today published a consultation paper inviting comments on the review and on any other aspect of the organisation or operation of the Public Sector Ombudsmen in England. Copies of the consultation paper have been placed in the Libraries of the House and in the Vote Office.

  The Government recognise and value the contribution made by everyone involved in the work of the ombudsmen. We also recognise the significant contribution made by the ombudsmen themselves in helping public bodies maintain and improve the standards of service they offer. The challenge now is to consider how to strengthen that contribution and ensure that all public bodies provide a first class service to all citizens.

  Better Government for Older People
  Mrs. Lawrence
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the report of the Better Government for Older People programme will be published. [126312]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  "All Our Futures", the report of the Better Government for Older People programme, is being published today. Copies are being placed in the Libraries of the House.

  The Government are committed to better policy making and more responsive public services as part of the "Modernising Government" agenda. The recommendations of the Better Government for Older People programme, a unique partnership between central and local government, the voluntary sector and the academic world, provide new evidence of how to combat age discrimination, better engage with older people, improve decision-making, better meet older people's needs and promote a strategic and joined-up approach to an ageing population. The Inter-Ministerial Group on Older People will now consider the recommendations carefully with a view to early action and a full response.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Judges
  Mr. Woolas
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if the Lord Chancellor has completed the review of the guidance which is given to judges on outside activities and interests. [126775]

  Mr. Lock
  Yes. Copies of the revised guidance to be used in future have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The Lord Chancellor is satisfied that the substance of the existing guidance, which is long standing, remains basically sound. It is necessarily of a general kind, for application in individual circumstances. The Lord Chancellor is satisfied that it strikes an appropriate balance in discouraging activities or interests which may be seen to undermine judicial impartiality, or conflict with judicial office, without being unduly restrictive. He has at the same time made a number of detailed changes in the text and added a statement of general principles. The new guidance will be kept under review in the light of experience. The general guidance on outside activities and interests is separate from any question of conflict of interest arising in individual cases on which the Court of Appeal recently gave further authoritative guidance in its judgment in the case of Lockbail (UK) Ltd. v. Bayfield Properties Ltd.

  Child Contact Centres
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what arrangements will be made for the funding of child contact centres after the Family Court Welfare Service is replaced by the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service. [125954]

  Jane Kennedy
  As part of the arrangements for establishing CAFCASS, funds, including partnership funding for contact centres will transfer from the probation service. The Criminal Justice and Court Services Bill provides for CAFCASS to have grant making powers to continue such work.

  Ascension Island: Feral Cat Control
  Ascension Island: Feral Cat Control
  Sudan
  Sudan
  Peru
  Peru
  European Agreement Relating to Persons Participating in Proceedings of the European Court of Human Rights
  European Agreement Relating to Persons Participating in Proceedings of the European Court of Human Rights
  Older People: Report Recommendations
  Older People: Report Recommendations
  Departmental Cars
  Departmental Cars
  Judges: Guidance on Outside Activities and Interests
  Judges: Guidance on Outside Activities and Interests
  Bulgarian Citizens: UK Visas
  Bulgarian Citizens: UK Visas
  Prison Governors' Adjudications
  Prison Governors' Adjudications
  Kainos Community: Prison Work
  Kainos Community: Prison Work
  Police Complaints System
  Police Complaints System
  South London Murders: Classification
  South London Murders: Classification
  Rural Policing
  Rural Policing
  Metropolitan Police: Performance Assessment
  Metropolitan Police: Performance Assessment
  Robbery
  Robbery
  Airport Runways: Increased Capacity
  Airport Runways: Increased Capacity
  Grammar School: Definition
  Grammar School: Definition
  GCSE Point Scores
  GCSE Point Scores