Written Answers of 14 March 2000

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Sports Colleges
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if grammar schools are eligible for sports college status. [114474]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  I can confirm that the specialist schools programme is open to applications from all types of maintained secondary schools—whether or not their admissions arrangements are selective. Schools which are designated Sports, Arts, Language or Technology Colleges are expected to work closely with a "family of schools" to spread the benefits to pupils beyond their own school boundaries and to the wider community.

  Allocations to Worcester Education Authority 1997–98 to 1999–2000 (Hereford and Worcester in 1997–98)1

  £

  Initiative

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  (a) Reduction of infant class sizes:

  (i) revenue

  n/a

  —

  548,000

  (ii) capital

  n/a

  —

  1,156,000

  (b) National Grid for Learning (Standards Fund)

  n/a

  1,125,048

  900,000

  (c) Literacy Programmes (Standards Fund)

  —

  545,785

  631,862

  (d) Numeracy Programmes (Standards Fund)

  —

  4,950

  594,700

  (e) Books for Schools

  359,500

  271,100

  542,200

  (f) Truancy (Standards Fund)

  72,900

  58,100

  224,940

  (g) School Security (Standards Fund)

  303,000

  229,936

  247,714

  (h) School Effectiveness (Standards Fund)

  1,948,200

  1,649,787

  2,646,633

  (i) Excellence in Cities (Standards Fund)

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  (j) New Deal for Schools

  733,000

  1,637,302

  2,390,990

  (k) Voluntary Aided Schools Capital

  711,000

  975,000

  1,137,000

  (l) Energy Efficiency

  n/a

  135,000

  n/a

  (m) Music Programmes

  n/a

  n/a

  1,051,596

  (n) Year 6 Booster Classes

  n/a

  120,337

  434,653

  (o) Education Standard Spending Assessment2

  230,777,000

  187,840,000

  198,180,000

  1 Worcester was part of Hereford and Worcester LEA prior to 1 April 1998

  2 In 1997–98 £527 million was removed from Education Standard Spending at national level for the Nursery Voucher Scheme

  Note:

  n/a—not applicable

  Education Spending
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what were the(a) percentage and (b) actual changes in the national education budget for each of the past 10 years. [113194]

  Mr. Blunkett
  [holding answer 6 March 2000]: Details of the percentage and actual changes in UK education expenditure in real terms for 1994–95 to 2001–02 are given in the table. The figures are taken from table 1.4 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 1999–2000 (Cm 4201). Comparable figures for earlier years could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

  LEA Funding (Worcestershire)
  Mr. Michael J. Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much funding was awarded to Worcestershire local education authority in each year from 1997–98 to 1999–2000 in respect of(a) reduction in infant class sizes, broken down by (i) revenue and (ii) capital, (b) the National Grid for Learning, (c) literacy programmes, (d) numeracy programmes, (e) books for schools, (f) truancy initiatives, (g) schools security, (h) standards fund school effectiveness grant, (i) excellence in cities, (j) New Deal for schools, (k) voluntary-aided schools capital grant, (l) energy efficiency, (m) music programmes, (n) year 6 booster classes and (o) Education SSA. [113914]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The figures requested are shown in the table. For Standards Fund grants, the figures include both the Government's and the local education authority's contributions where appropriate. The figures shown for Education Standard Spending Assessment also include provision for the Authority's contribution to the Standards Fund. For 1997–98, figures are given for Hereford and Worcester.

  As a proportion of GDP, education spending is forecast to increase from 4.7 per cent. in 1996–97 to some 4.9 per cent. in 2001–02.

  1997–98 prices

  Year

  Education spending (£ billion)

  Percentage change

  Actual change (£ billion)

  1994–95

  37.8

  3.3

  1.2

  1995–96

  37.6

  -0.3

  -0.1

  1996–97

  37.1

  -1.5

  -0.6

  1997–98

  37.4

  0.9

  0.3

  1998–99

  37.4

  0.0

  0.0

  1999–2000

  39.3

  5.1

  1.9

  2000–01

  41.6

  5.9

  2.3

  2001–02

  43.5

  4.6

  1.9

  101W
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what has been the percentage increase in revenue spending on education by Her Majesty's Government in each of the past 10 years. [113886]

  Mr. Blunkett
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: Details of changes in UK education spending since 1994–95 were provided in the reply given today to my hon. Friend the Member for Vale of Clwyd (Mr. Ruane). Information on the revenue elements of these figures could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

SCOTLAND

  Electricity Regulation
  Mr. Welsh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what assessment he has made of the impact of the Utilities Bill on electricity supply and distribution and renewable energy in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [113610]

  Mr. Wilson
  This Government are determined to put the interests of consumers first, both north and south of the border. The Utilities Bill contains provisions aimed at facilitating further competition in the electricity and gas markets, and thus are expected to lead to price reductions for consumers. This includes a bar on supply and distribution licences being held by the same legal person. It also allows for the continuation of arrangements ensuring that remote areas of Scotland do not suffer from discriminatory pricing.

  The Bill contains a provision for a separate renewables obligation in Scotland which will contribute towards the Government's target of renewable energy providing 10 per cent. of UK electricity supplies by 2010.

  Wage Differentials
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will meet Ministers in the Scottish Executive to discuss steps to investigate the reasons for the difference between the average weekly wages of women and men in Glasgow. [113214]

  Dr. Reid
  I meet Scottish Executive Ministers, including the First Minister, on a regular basis and discuss a wide range of issues with them, including action to reduce inequalities such as the gender pay gap. The UK Government are tackling the gender pay gap across Great Britain through a range of measures such as encouraging less gender stereotyping and considering ways of interesting more women in careers in information and communication technology. Other measures to help people, predominantly women, combine work and other responsibilities include the campaign on work/life balance, New Deals for Lone Parents and Partners, the Working Families Tax Credit and childcare tax credit and fairness at work measures such as parental leave, improved maternity leave and rights for part-time workers.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  General Pinochet
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Solicitor-General if he will publish the papers he has concerning the request made to the Attorney-General for permission to pursue a private prosecution of General Pinochet for the death of William Beausire and Father Michael Woodward. [113942]

  The Solicitor-General
  Applications for Law Officer consent to prosecute Senator Pinochet were received from three firms of solicitors. The offences alleged which required Law Officer consent concerned torture contrary to section 134 of the Criminal Justice Act 1988 and hostage taking contrary to the Taking of Hostages Act 1982. The allegations against Senator Pinochet concerned a number of different victims.

  My right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Aberavon (Sir J. Morris) considered applications from the first two firms of solicitors when he was Attorney-General. The last application was considered by myself. The applications were taken seriously and given careful consideration. We received counsel's advice on them. Having done so consent was refused in respect of each application.

  It would not be appropriate for me to publish material that others have submitted in support of their applications for Law Officer consent. That is for the solicitors. The reason why consent was declined was explained to the solicitors at the time and outlined in my statement to the House on 2 March 2000, Official Report, columns 589–92.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Carter Center, Atlanta
  Mr. Colman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the(a) projects carried out since 1997 and (b) work in progress under part or full funding by her Department by the Carter Center, Atlanta, United States of America. [112748]

  Clare Short
  My Department has provided the following funding to the Carter Center.£2 million over four years (1996–97 to 1999–2000) for a Guinea worm eradication project covering a variety of countries in the West Africa region.
  £230,014 towards the cost of Carter Center monitoring of Mozambique 1999 General Elections. This ongoing project will conclude with Carter Center's final election assessment visit to Mozambique.

  Polish-British Enterprise Project
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will place in the Library a copy of the letter from Mr. Jeremy Davenport of her Department to the British Council dated 4 December 1994 concerning the outcome of the Polish-British Enterprise Project. [113738]

  Clare Short
  A copy of the letter is being placed in the Library.
  103W
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what evaluation her Department made of the leadership of Dr. Brian Burrows on the Polish-British Enterprise Project between 13 and 18 November 1994. [113737]

  Clare Short
  The first monitoring visit to the project took place from 13–18 November 1994. A number of recommendations concerning project strategy and direction were made in the report which followed and some problems within the project at that time were also highlighted. A copy of the report was provided to Dr. Burrows.

  India
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what was the level of financial support given by her Department to projects in India in each year since 1992 and 1993. [113652]

  Clare Short
  The table lists spending by my Department on projects in India for each year since 1992–93:

  £000

  Financial year

  Spending on projects

  1992–93

  74,719

  1993–94

  79,231

  1994–95

  83,795

  1995–96

  99,774

  1996–97

  92,393

  1997–98

  80,896

  1998–99

  92,275

DEFENCE

  Depleted Uranium Shells
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps are taken to protect personnel in training and operational areas exposed to discharged depleted uranium ammunition. [112839]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 7 March 2000]: We do not use depleted uranium during routine training. It is used during trials and has been used in operations. Detailed safety instructions are distributed to all Arms and Services Training Establishments and to all units serving in operational theatres where there may be a risk of exposure to discharged depleted uranium ammunition. MOD trial sites are subject to a comprehensive programme of monitoring, the results of which are published annually.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds of depleted uranium shells were fired by coalition forces during the Gulf War; how many were fired by UK tanks; how many UK tanks carried depleted uranium shells; and if he will make a statement. [113956]

  Mr. Spellar
  The US Department of Defense has assessed that over 860,000 DU-based ammunition rounds, of varying calibre, were used by US Forces during the 1990–91 Gulf conflict. The MOD's current assessment is that UK tanks fired fewer than 100 DU rounds against Iraqi military forces during hostilities, although additional 104W
  rounds were fired during earlier work-up training in Saudi Arabia. DU munitions were available in-theatre for the British Main Battle Tanks deployed in combat. These totalled 176 with a further 45 as in-theatre War Reserve.

  DU-based tank ammunition was brought into service by the Ministry of Defence because of its unique capability as a kinetic penetrator against the most modern types of Main Battle Tank armour. No satisfactory alternative material currently exists to achieve the levels of penetration required to defeat modern tanks. Although research is being conducted into alternative materials, none have so far demonstrated significant potential. There are, therefore, no plans to remove DU-based ammunition from service. Indeed, if the safety of British troops in any conflict required such a capability against modern Main Battle Tank armour, DU-based ammunition would be deployed and used.

  Surplus Nuclear Material
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what quantities of strategic nuclear material have been declared surplus to military requirements in the last 10 years; when, and in what form, the material was transferred to civilian facilities and in which locations; on what date the material was notified to Euratom and IAEA safeguards authorities as non-military; when the first visits were paid by inspection teams from each body respectively to verify the notification; and what costs have been incurred to date in the transfer of status of the nuclear material. [113285]

  Dr. Moonie
  Details of the defence nuclear materials which are now deemed to be surplus to our requirements are given in paragraph 26 of Supporting Essay 5 of the Strategic Defence Review (Cm 3999), copies of which are in the Library of the House.

  During July and August 1998, the following material was brought into safeguards:

  Approximately 4.1 tonnes of plutonium stored at the BNFL Sellafield facility; Approximately 9,000 tonnes of depleted natural and low enriched uranium at the BNFL Capenhurst, Chapelcross, Sellafield and Springfields facilities and UKAEA Harwell.

  Steps are being taken to move 0.3 tonnes of weapon grade plutonium (in the form of oxide) stored at AWE Aldermaston to Sellafield when it too will be formally reported to Euratom and brought into safeguards. To date, some 73 kilograms of this material have been transferred; the remainder will be moved as soon as is practicable.

  In addition to the material referred to above, there have been a number of occasions over the last 10 years where material has been brought into safeguards—notably in 1996 when the Calder Hall reactors and the fuel associated with them came into safeguards. The Department for Trade and Industry are responsible for safeguards issues. However, they have advised that the detailed information requested on the large numbers of these other transfers into safeguards and also inspections by the international safeguards authorities is not collated centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
  105W
  Activities to verify nuclear material which has been brought into safeguards have been added to Euratom's ongoing schedule of routine safeguards inspections at the facilities concerned. These routine inspections are such that there is essentially continuous Euratom presence at Sellafield, weekly inspections at the Springfields location and less frequent inspection visits to the other facilities concerned.

  The costs to the Defence Budget of the transfers to date are £524,000 (including VAT) and include the costs of preparation, transports, acceptance of the material at Sellafield and storage.

  Astute Class Submarines
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what benefits the equipping of the CM010 optronic masts to the Astute Class nuclear attack submarines will provide; what is the cost of the contract for them; and if he will make a statement. [113912]

  Dr. Moonie
  The optronics masts to be fitted to the three Astute Class submarines currently on order supersede the conventional optical periscopes fitted to earlier RN submarines. The optronics masts offer significant benefits over conventional periscopes. These include improved hull integrity (strength) as the optronics mast no longer needs to penetrate the hull of the submarine; and greater operational flexibility such as improved target analysis, improved effectiveness in different sea states/weather conditions, improved night vision and the ability to distribute and display images on other systems within the submarine. The optronics masts also offer lower through life costs as they require a lower level of technical expertise and maintenance facilities to support them.

  The optronics masts are being procured from Pilkington Optronics Ltd. The contract for the masts was placed by the Ministry's Prime Contractor for the Astute Class submarines (BAE SYSTEMS) following competition. The terms and conditions of the sub-contract, including the price, are "commercial—in confidence" and I am, therefore, withholding this information under exemption 13 of the Government's Code on Open Government.

  Gulf War Syndrome
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the long-term effects of smoke inhalation from burning oil wells incurred during and immediately following the Gulf War; and if he will make a statement. [113911]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Ministry of Defence has examined the possibility that pollution caused by oil well fires during the Gulf conflict could be responsible for the ill-health now being experienced by some UK Gulf veterans. No evidence has so far emerged to suggest that this is the case. In March 1991, when UK Forces were stationed in Kuwait, consideration was given to the health risks from oil well fires. Information supplied by Shell UK stated that Kuwaiti crude oil had a high (2.5 per cent.) sulphur content. Combustion products were said to contain carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide and particulates which were not carcinogens.
  106W
  From June to October 1991, the health of personnel serving in 21 EOD Squadron Royal Engineers, who worked in the area affected by smoke, was monitored. A description of this work was published in the Royal Army Medical Corps Journal 1993; 139: 95–97. The results were that exposure to oil fire smoke did not appear to have any effect on respiratory function. No assessment has since been made by the Ministry of Defence of the long-term effects of smoke inhalations in the Gulf.

  MOD Property
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 7 March 2000,Official Report, column 638W, and his oral answers of 21 February 2000, Official Report, column 1219 and 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 10, concerning future use of MOD property, what the relationship is between the confidentiality requested by developers and the requirement to provide information to local and national elected representatives. [114417]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: There is no relationship between the confidentiality requested by developers and the requirement to provide information to local and national elected representatives.

  It is my Department's policy to inform all purchasers of surplus Ministry of Defence property that the final sale price will be made known to any party who requests that information. A purchaser can, however, refuse consent to the sale price being made public on the grounds of commercial confidentiality and in these instances exemption 7 of the Code on Access to Government Information is invoked.

  Discussions on the future use of MOD property take place with local authorities at a much earlier stage and I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces on 24 January 2000, Official Report, column 60W, on this point. If a purchaser subsequently refuses consent for the final sale price to be made public, this does not affect these early discussions in any way.

  Departmental Staff
  Caroline Flint
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what child care provision was made available in the financial year 1998–99 for use by (i) his departmental staff and (ii) employees of executive agencies under the control of his Department; what was the cost to parents of this child care; and how many parents used the facilities. [108833]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Civil Service, as a whole, is striving for an improved balance between work and family life. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 15 February 2000,Official Report, columns 518–19W, which provides further details about the importance of family life policies to the Civil Service Reform programme.

  During 1998–99, there were a total of 15 workplace nurseries available to my Departmental staff, with a further two in operation for staff employed in executive agencies. These facilities, together with a number of places purchased in off-site private nurseries, provided some 700 full-time places for children of civilian and, occasionally, Service personnel working in Ministry of

  107W
  Defence establishments. The monthly cost to parents of a full-time place ranged from approximately £242 to £411 (depending on the location and level of departmental subsidy) for Departmental staff, and from approximately £320 to £340 for staff employed in executive agencies, giving an average monthly cost of £308. In addition, my Department subsidises a number of places in holiday play schemes for children of school age. Information about the number of personnel who used these facilities during 1998–99 is not kept centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Caroline Flint
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in the last five years, what proportion of women employees in (i) his Department and (ii) executive agencies under the control of his Department,(a) returned to work after childbirth, (b) returned to work after childbirth before the end of maternity leave, indicating the (1) time-range and (2) mean time, (c) returned to work after childbirth on reduced working hours, indicating the average hours worked and (d) returned to work after childbirth full-time and subsequently reduced their hours. [109237]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Civil Service, as a whole, is striving for an improved balance between work and family life. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 15 February 2000,Official Report, column 519W, which provides further details about the importance of family life policies to the Civil Service Reform programme.

  In respect of my Department, I regret that information on maternity leave and working patterns following maternity leave is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Kosovo (Unexploded Ordnance)
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people have been(a) killed and (b) injured in Kosovo as a result of unexploded ordnance in the form of bomblets within cluster bombs used by UK forces in Kosovo since the cessation of the campaign there. [112362]

  Mr. Spellar
  It is not always possible to identify accurately which nation's munitions have been the cause of casualties arising from incidents involving cluster bomblets. Nor is the precise type of munition always identifiable.

  The most recent figures provided by NATO assess that cluster bomblets have killed 22 civilians in Kosovo with a further 27 injured. Additionally, a further three military personnel have been killed, with four injured.

  KFOR has now cleared more than 8,870 unexploded bomblets from Kosovo. All unexploded ordnance sites in the UK-led sector of Kosovo have now been marked, and 90 per cent. of unexploded cluster bomb munitions cleared.

  Precision Guided Weapons
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what types of precision guided weapons are in service with the Royal Air Force. [113746]
  108W
  Dr. Moonie
  There are currently nine guided weapons in service with the RAF: Sidewinder, ALARM, Skyflash, Harpoon, Rapier, Stingray, AMRAAM, PAVEWAY II and PAVEWAY III. All these weapons are capable of being guided precisely to their target.

  Sighting Systems
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many striker helmet-mounted sighting systems his Department plans to acquire; at what cost; if they will be used in the Royal Navy; and if he will make a statement. [113910]

  Dr. Moonie
  Forty-six helmet mounted sighting systems have been procured for Royal Air Force Jaguar GR3A aircraft at a cost of some £3.5 million. There are currently no plans to install the system on Royal Navy aircraft.

  Equipment Approval
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the outcome of the meeting of the Equipment Approval Committee on 21 February regarding Air Foyle's plan to use two Antonov AN-24–100 airliners for short-term strategic airlift requirements; and if he will make a statement. [113953]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Ministry of Defence Equipment Approvals Committee's consideration of the short-term strategic airlift project constitutes advice to Ministers and I am therefore withholding details under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  European Collaborative Ventures
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take account of(a) the likely effect of the number of aircraft ordered on the overall share of business for British companies generated by the A400M aircraft and (b) the risk that United Kingdom firms might be excluded from future European collaborative ventures when reaching a decision between the A400M and the C17 aircraft. [113907]

  Dr. Moonie
  In reaching conclusions on our future air transport requirements, we will take into account a range of factors, including the industrial and international factors you mention, while at the same time seeking value for money for the taxpayer.

  Landmines
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment his Department has made of the threat posed by anti-personnel mines to members of British armed forces deployed in relief efforts in Mozambique. [114369]

  Mr. Spellar
  My Department has made an assessment of the mine threat to our forces supporting relief operations in Mozambique based on information from a variety of sources, including the UN and Non-Government Organisations dealing with the mine threat left over from the civil war. Based on such information, we have taken a series of steps to make all our forces in Mozambique aware of the hazards, and to advise them on appropriate precautionary measures to minimise the risks.

  Training Ammunition
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the amount of training ammunition expended by the(a) Army infantry, (b) Royal Artillery and (c) Navy, expressed as a percentage, in each of the last five years, taking 1995 as 100 per cent. [114254]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Housing Executive
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in the current year's Defence Housing Executive upgrade programme(a) what percentage of contractors underbid significantly, (b) if he will list the contractors who
  (i) underbid and (ii) were subsequently dismissed and
  (c) by what percentage retendered prices were higher than the original bids. [113751]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Defence Housing Executive is not aware of any contractors who have significantly underbid for contracts in the current year's upgrade programme. There have, however, been instances of such problems relating to sub-contractors for response repair work in some locations. I am obtaining data on these and will write to the hon. Member.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the reduction in this year's Defence Housing Executive budget for upgrades will be restored in the next financial year. [113753]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: Budget allocations for the coming financial year have yet to be decided, but it is the intention to achieve or better the target date for completion of the upgrade programme by the end of 2005.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the review of the Defence Housing Executive prepared jointly by his Department and the Treasury. [113755]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: A joint Treasury/MOD review of Service housing has recently completed and the report is in the final course of drafting. My Ministerial colleagues in the Treasury and I have not yet had an opportunity to consider its recommendations. There are no plans to publish what is an internal document. However, I would expect the outcome of the review to be announced in due course.

  Family Quarters
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what price will be charged to service families for the Defence Housing Executive's contract cleaning scheme on vacating property; where it will be trialled; when it will be available universally; and if he will make a statement. [113757]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The charges for cleaning Families' Quarters on vacation have yet to be determined and are likely to vary according to location and property size. The trial will be run in all areas where the Defence Housing Executive has managerial responsibility; that is to say, throughout the UK mainland.
  110W
  The trial, which will run from autumn 2000 for 12 months, is designed to identify and iron out any procedural difficulties in order that a cost effective long term contract can be put in place on its completion. Use of the scheme by occupants will be entirely optional. They may, if they choose, continue as now to make their own arrangements for cleaning on moving out.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the return rate for the defence housing executive's customer satisfaction slips; and if he will make a statement. [113752]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: Between June and November 1999 (the latest available figures) the Defence Housing Executive (DHE) had a 15.7 per cent. response rate from customers in Families' Quarters who had requested repairs to their properties. Of these, 91.2 per cent. indicated that they were satisfied with the repairs made.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many married quarters in each grade are available to the Defence Housing Executive; how many service families are entitled to quarters in each grade; and if he will make a statement. [113758]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The breakdown of family quarters by type is as follows:

  Number

  Officers:

  I

  73

  II

  370

  III

  1,986

  IV

  3,962

  V

  5,629

  Other ranks

  D

  3,842

  C

  28,807

  B

  17,034

  A

  0

  All married personnel in the Armed Forces are entitled to a quarter near their place of duty and the allocation of quarters is based partly on rank and partly on family size. Entitlement to a type of quarter changes whenever either of those variables alters. It is therefore not possible to break down the figures to indicate how many Service families are entitled to quarters in each grade.

  When seeking to identify demand for future housing stock levels, current demand (which is a reflection of family requirements) is used as an indicator. DHE would not, for example, seek to retain or replace quarters of a type for which current demand was low.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy towards service families left living in service quarters after divorce or separation from the serviceman or woman to whom those quarters had been allocated. [114207]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: In the event of marital breakdown, the Marital Category of the Service person changes from married to single. At this point, unless the Service person has custodial responsibilities for a child, they are no longer entitled to occupy a family quarter and are consequently required

  111W
  to move into single living accommodation. The estranged family is also required to vacate the family quarter but is given a 93 day notice period in which to do so. The Service person continues to be liable to pay the entitled rate of accommodation charges for the duration of the notice period.

  DHE issues a Notice to Vacate at the beginning of the 93 day period and advises the estranged spouse to contact the local authority to inquire about housing. If the estranged spouse remains in the family quarter after the 93 day notice has expired, they become liable to pay Damages for Trespass. This charge is calculated on the basis of prevailing market rents in that particular area. At the 93 day point, DHE will review the particular circumstances and decide whether to apply for a Possession Order.

  If the quarter is required for another, entitled, Service family or if the local authority will not consider the estranged family for local authority housing unless they can demonstrate impending homelessness, the DHE will seek a Possession Order.

  DHE officials liaise with local authority staff on such cases and it is usually possible for local authorities and DHE to agree a mutually convenient move out date for the family.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the review of married quarters estates produced by Professor Ian Cole of Sheffield University. [113754]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: Copies of Professor Cole's study on the Ministry of Defence Mixed Estates were placed in the Library of the House in 1998.

  RAF Accommodation
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many quarters at(a) RAF Halton and (b) RAF High Wycombe are the subject of repossession proceedings; how many of those cases involve households with dependent children; and if he will make a statement. [114206]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: There are no extant possession orders—nor are any being sought at RAF High Wycombe. At RAF Halton, there are four extant possession orders and a further ten are being sought. Thirteen of these 14 cases involve dependent children. Evictions from Service Family Quarters are very rare. Issue of a possession order is often, however, a pre-requirement by local authorities to accept responsibility for re-housing families. DHE officials are in regular contact with the local authorities and the Station Welfare representatives to help rehouse these families.

  Reserve Forces
  Ann Keen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to callout members of the reserve forces to support United Nations operations in Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. [114880]

  Mr. Spellar
  A call-out order has been made under section 56 of the Reserve Forces Act 1996 to permit members of the reserve forces to be called out for service with the UN monitoring and observer forces in Sierra 112W
  Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Only a small number are expected to be called out, as and when suitable posts arise, and all will be volunteers for this work.

  Strategic Airlift
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a copy of the European Staff Requirement on strategic airlift. [113934]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The European Staff Requirement for the Future Large Aircraft (now A400M) includes the specific requirements of all seven countries involved in the programme and has security and commercial sensitivities attached to some of the information it contains. I am therefore withholding this information under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  London Underground Escalators
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how long the London Underground escalators to the Victoria Line from Kings Cross railway station will be out of commission. [113077]

  Mr. Hill
  These are operational matters for London Underground. They have informed me that in addition to temporary repairs, agreed with HMRI, to bring some of the recently discovered defective escalators back into service quickly, they will start a full programme of work to repair or replace the defective escalators in late May, once redesigned shafts have been manufactured. The programme will be completed in the autumn. Kings Cross is high on London Underground's priorities along with Oxford Circus and Walthamstow Central.

  Asbestos-related Deaths
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is the total number of deaths from asbestos-related diseases in the UK for each of the last five years for which figures are available broken down by(a) region and (b) occupation. [113328]

  Mr. Meacher
  The figures available are set out in the tables. These detail the deaths from mesothelioma and asbestosis in Great Britain between 1993 and 1997 by region and by occupational group. Occupational information is only available for people aged under 75 at the time of death and has only been recorded in the Health and Safety Executive's register of asbestosis deaths since 1995. No information is available for asbestos-related lung cancer because it cannot be medically distinguished from lung cancer from other causes.

  A more detailed breakdown of the figures on mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain by occupation and by geographical distribution, published by the Health and Safety Executive, will be placed in the House of Commons Library.

  113W

  Table 1: Mesothelioma deaths in Great Britain by region

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  North

  114

  112

  119

  118

  145

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  91

  120

  120

  130

  106

  North West

  111

  128

  127

  121

  152

  West Midlands

  74

  82

  84

  85

  99

  East Midlands

  70

  58

  79

  76

  71

  South West

  103

  93

  96

  116

  105

  East Anglia

  39

  38

  50

  57

  50

  South East excluding Greater London

  228

  297

  298

  291

  282

  Greater London

  140

  134

  138

  137

  154

  Wales

  51

  51

  53

  50

  53

  Scotland

  122

  128

  150

  123

  113

  Overseas

  —

  —

  3

  —

  —

  Great Britain

  1,143

  1,241

  1,317

  1,304

  1,330

  Table 3: Mesothelioma deaths aged under 75 in Great Britain by occupational order group

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  Professional and related supporting management; senior national and local government managers

  27

  20

  27

  26

  23

  Professional and related in education, welfare and health

  24

  27

  32

  21

  25

  Literary, artistic and sports

  5

  —

  5

  6

  2

  Professional and related in science, engineering, technology and similar fields

  39

  42

  48

  44

  50

  Managerial

  75

  64

  82

  70

  80

  Clerical and related

  44

  60

  57

  52

  44

  Selling

  18

  19

  17

  14

  18

  Security and protective services

  8

  25

  15

  16

  20

  Catering, cleaning, hairdressing and other personal service

  31

  34

  34

  31

  39

  Farming, fishing and related

  5

  8

  8

  4

  5

  Materials processing; making and repairing (excluding metal and electrical)

  79

  99

  94

  110

  75

  Processing, making, repairing and related (metal and electrical)

  259

  244

  261

  260

  272

  Painting, repetitive assembling, product inspecting, packaging and related

  43

  37

  41

  42

  32

  Construction, mining and related not identified elsewhere

  46

  81

  79

  74

  90

  Transport operating, materials moving and storing and related

  58

  70

  68

  65

  77

  Miscellaneous

  37

  46

  49

  46

  41

  Occupation not stated on death certificate

  59

  61

  55

  52

  47

  All occupations

  857

  937

  972

  933

  940

  Table 4: Asbestosis deaths (excluding those also mentioning mesothelioma) aged under 75 in Great Britain by occupational order group

  1995

  1996

  1997

  Professional and related supporting management; senior national and local government managers

  1

  —

  —

  Professional and related in education, welfare and health

  1

  1

  —

  Literary, artistic and sports

  1

  —

  1

  Professional and related in science, engineering, technology and similar fields

  —

  1

  1

  Managerial

  2

  2

  6

  Clerical and related

  1

  2

  2

  Selling

  —

  —

  2

  Security and protective services

  3

  4

  2

  Catering, cleaning, hairdressing and other personal service

  3

  9

  3

  Farming, fishing and related

  —

  —

  3

  Materials processing; making and repairing (excluding metal and electrical)

  12

  5

  10

  Processing, making, repairing and related (metal and electrical)

  32

  46

  47

  Painting, repetitive assembling, product inspecting, packaging and related

  1

  4

  6

  Construction, mining and related not identified elsewhere

  23

  23

  17

  Transport operating, materials moving and storing and related

  9

  6

  4

  Miscellaneous

  6

  12

  5

  Occupation not stated on death certificate

  6

  3

  2

  All occupations

  101

  118

  111

  Dumped Motor Vehicles
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many dumped motor vehicles there were in the Greater London area in 1999; and if he will make a statement. [113605]114W

  Table 2: Asbestosis deaths (excluding those also mentioning mesothelioma) in Great Britain by region

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  North

  35

  41

  29

  36

  33

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  17

  21

  17

  9

  14

  North West

  32

  28

  30

  46

  32

  West Midlands

  6

  6

  8

  5

  8

  East Midlands

  4

  8

  7

  3

  5

  South West

  21

  16

  16

  16

  23

  East Anglia

  1

  2

  1

  3

  3

  South East excluding Greater London

  15

  14

  12

  22

  21

  Greater London

  23

  21

  18

  38

  25

  Wales

  4

  4

  6

  12

  8

  Scotland

  14

  12

  22

  5

  16

  Overseas

  1

  1

  —

  1

  1

  Great Britain

  173

  174

  166

  196

  189

  Mr. Mullin
  The removal of abandoned vehicles in the Greater London area is the responsibility of local authorities under the Refuse Disposal (Amenity) Act 1978 and the Department holds no central records of the number of vehicles identified as abandoned and subsequently removed and disposed of.

  Tourist Buses
  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what monitoring his Department carries out on emissions from open-topped tourist buses in town and city centres. [113639]

  Mr. Hill
  The Government do not specifically monitor emissions from open-topped tourist buses. These vehicles only account for a very small proportion of bus journeys, even in towns and cities with a large tourism industry.

  The Government, nevertheless, want to encourage more clean, low emission vehicles for public and private bus services in towns and cities. We have introduced fiscal measures to encourage cleaner vehicles and fuels, including a VED concession for buses with very low particulate emissions and a fuel duty differential for ultra low sulphur diesel.

  All buses and coaches are already subject to a black smoke emission test, as part of the annual roadworthiness test, and the Vehicle Inspectorate has powers to conduct roadside emission testing of these vehicles. The Government are also currently considering whether local authorities should have similar powers following trials by seven local authorities.

  Concessionary Fares
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the cost of extending the 50 per cent. concessionary fare scheme to 100 per cent., using the same basis as outlined in the national concessionary fares scheme cost assessment (annexe B), in the consultation document, "Implementation of Statutory Minimum Concessionary Fares Commitment". [113582]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 8 March 2000]: The estimated extra cost, in respect of people of pensionable age, and assuming a minimum charge of £5 for a bus pass, is in the order of £300 million per year for local authorities in England and Wales. This reflects the fact that relatively few local authorities already operate concessionary fare schemes which provide travel at less than half fare.

  Nautical Studies
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what steps his Department is taking to encourage nautical education; [113546]

  (2) what recent representations he has received regarding the GCSE course and examination in nautical studies; [113548]

  (3) what recent discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the GCSE in nautical studies. [113577]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 8 March 2000]: The Government attach great importance to encouraging young people to consider a career at sea. DETR provides training support grants through the Support for Maritime Training (SMarT) scheme, proposes to attach a minimum training obligation to the shipping tonnage tax, and
  116W
  strongly supports the educational role played by the Merchant Navy Training Board as the National Training Organisation.

  Following representation on behalf of the Hull Trinity House School and the London Nautical School, we are consulting colleagues in the Department for Education and Employment on how best to support nautical education, including GCSE Nautical Studies.

  Cycling and Walking
  Mr. Bradshaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people within his Department are working full-time on(a) cycling and (b) walking; and what the figures were in each of the last five years. [113913]

  Mr. Hill
  A total 11 staff in my Department are employed wholly or almost wholly on matters concerned with cycling and/or walking. All are full-time. This is the same number as a year ago. Figures for earlier years are not available on a comparable basis.

  Hedgerows
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the length of hedgerows which have been destroyed during each of the last three years. [114138]

  Mr. Meacher
  This information is not held centrally. However, a survey of hedgerow stock is being undertaken as part of Countryside Survey 2000 and the results are due to be published around the end of this year. This will provide estimates of the length of hedgerow that has been lost from the countryside since previous surveys in 1990 and 1993, and a baseline for monitoring future changes.

  Gatwick Airport
  Sir Paul Beresford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department's south-east and east of England Regional Air Services Study will include an assessment of the northern runway option at Gatwick. [114344]

  Mr. Mullin
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: As the then Minister for Transport, my right hon. Friend the Member for Hamilton, North and Bellshill (Dr. Reid), announced on 11 March 1999, Official Report, columns 360–61W, the study will examine a wide range of options, including both terminal and runway capacity. The study has started from the position that nothing is ruled in or ruled out. Options will be appraised through a process of successive sifts. Following completion of the study there will be a public consultation on the options arising from it. Until then, it would be premature to comment on the status of any option.

  Dangerous Loads
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the safety aspects relating to potentially dangerous loads of the accident on the M3 near Basingstoke on 7 March. [114371]
  117W
  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The police and HSE are currently investigating this serious incident which occurred near Junction 7 on the M3 on 7 March and involved a lorry carrying butane gas cylinders. I will consider any general implications for amendments to safety regulation once that investigation has been reported.

  Estates Renewal Challenge Fund
  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) when he will give details of his replacement for the Estates Renewal Challenge Fund; [114415]

  (2) what additional money will be available for the replacement of the Estates Renewal Challenge Fund next year. [114414]

  Mr. Mullin
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Estates Renewal Challenge Fund facilitated the transfer of negative value council housing stock to registered social landlords. Where its housing strategy includes such a transfer, a local authority may now consider funding it through its main housing investment programme and, as my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning announced on 7 December 1999, over £2 billion has been allocated for local authority housing investment in 2000–01. The New Deal for Communities programme, the Single Regeneration Budget and the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme may also be used to fund negative value transfers.

  Brownfield Sites
  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what is his estimate of the acreage of brownfield sites available for housing development in(a) London and (b) the South East Region; [114385]

  (2) what register there is of brownfield sites available for housing development in (a) London and (b) the South East Region. [114384]

  Mr. Raynsford
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: Information on previously developed sites in England, which may be available for redevelopment has been collected in Phase I of the National Land Use Database. Summary provisional estimates published last May in the DETR/GSS Information Bulletin 500 show the area for each Government Office Region of vacant, derelict and other previously developed land and the amounts which either had planning permission or were judged suitable for housing. The extract table shows the provisional results for the Government Office Regions for South East and London. Final estimates will be published shortly. The estimates are a 'snapshot' for 1998, based on the sites reported by local authorities at the time and may only be a partial appraisal. They take no account of future supply of previously developed land. Urban capacity studies, as required by Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing (issued 7 March), will provide local authorities with a further means of identifying the full scope for reuse of land and buildings for housing.
  118W

  All previously developed land that is unused or may be available for redevelopment 1 by planned use, suitability for housing and Government Office Region: England 1998

  Hectares/numbers

  Government Office Region

  London

  South East

  Planning allocation or permission 2:

  Housing

  660

  1,870

  Mixed use

  920

  1,740

  Other

  680

  2,890

  None

  570

  3,240

  All previously developed land that is unused or may be available for redevelopment:

  2,820

  9,740

  of which-Suitable for housing 3

  Total area

  1,720

  81,650

  Number of dwellings4

  5,460

  119,820

  1 Comprises previously developed vacant and derelict land, vacant buildings (excluding single dwellings except where they could be developed into 10 or more dwellings); land or buildings currently in use, which are allocated in the local plan for any developed use, have planning permission for housing or with known potential for redevelopment

  2 Land that has planning permission or is allocated in a local plan for the use indicated (includes some allocations in draft plans)

  3 Based on sites judged by the local authorities to be suitable for residential development immediately, within 5 years, or suitable with planning or development constraints

  4 Based on existing planning permissions or estimated capacity based on current density assumptions

  Ill Health Retirement Guidelines
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the ill health retirement guidelines for ME sufferers who are members of the Local government Pension Scheme; and if he will make a statement. [114380]

  Ms Armstrong
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: There are no medical guidelines on ill-health retirement for Local Government Pension Scheme members suffering from ME published by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Decisions on whether or not to retire an employee on medical grounds are for individual local authority employers to take within their available powers.

  London Underground (Access)
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if each station on the new Jubilee tube line is fully accessible to disabled people; [114353]

  (2) what facilities exist at Westminster tube station for access without assistance to trains by wheelchair users. [114354]

  Mr. Hill
  London Transport's Unit for Disabled Passengers provides a comprehensive advice and information service for disabled travellers including a guide book entitled "Access to the Underground".

  I can confirm that step free access has been provided from the street to Jubilee Line trains at all of the stations between Westminster and Stratford inclusive on the Extended Jubilee Line. (In addition, lift access has been provided to the East London Line at Canada Water, the

  119W
  Northern Line at London Bridge and the District and Circle Lines at Westminster as part of the Jubilee Line Extension project).

  Mobility impaired passengers can travel unassisted at Canada Water, Canary Wharf and North Greenwich stations. At Stratford, West Ham and Bermondsey and Southwark stations lifts can at present only be used by passengers accompanied by staff. Unfortunately the lifts at London Bridge and Waterloo are not yet in service and some at Westminster station are temporarily unserviceable. Detailed plans are in hand to bring these lifts into service.

  On Westminster station specifically, once all lifts are back in service, wheelchair users will be able to access trains on the Jubilee line unaided. (Assistance will continue to be available to wheelchair users travelling on the District and Circle Line at Westminster station since there is no level access between train and platform on this line).

  Video Conferencing
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what evaluation he has made of the use of video conferencing by his Department to help reduce journeys by car for business purposes; and if he will make a statement on the contribution of video conferencing to reducing car journeys. [114579]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  My Department's travel plans promote the use of video conferencing as one of the means to reduce car journeys. DETR(C) has set a target to increase the use of video conferencing by 10 per cent. a year. Use of video conferencing will be included in future annual reports on greening DETR.

  Voluntary and Community Transport
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to publish a report on voluntary and community transport. [114483]

  Mr. Hill
  A major review of voluntary and community transport, commissioned by my Department, was completed last summer and a report of the main findings was published in July and widely disseminated to voluntary transport groups and to local authorities, inviting their comments.

  A list of action points has now been identified which affects both central and local Government and the voluntary and community transport sector itself. These points are being addressed.

  In parallel the Department is running a series of seminars around the country in conjunction with the Community Transport Association and with local authorities to highlight key issues arising from the review.

  Rail Summit
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has decided the date, time and venue for the proposed rail summit in May; and if he will make a statement. [114482]
  120W
  Mr. Hill
  It is now confirmed that the next National Rail Summit will be held at the QEII centre in London on the 25 May this year.

  London Mayoral Election
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he will take to ensure sufficient availability of paper for the central production of the Greater London Mayoral Elections Booklet; and if he will make a statement. [114484]

  Mr. Hill
  No measures are needed. I am pleased to say that all the necessary paper has been ordered at the request of the Greater London Returning Officer.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  EU Structural Funds
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the answer of 28 February 2000, Official Report, column 134W, on EU structural funds, if he will state in both sterling and euros the amounts allocated to(a) Scotland, (b) Northern Ireland, (c) Wales and (d) England, the totals in each area of the matching funds required, and (i) the amounts so far agreed and (ii) yet to be found by Her Majesty's Government and other sources. [113728]

  Mr. Caborn
  The table gives the 1999 EU structural fund allocations for Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England for Objective 1, 2 and 5b. Objectives 3, 4, 5a and the Community Initiatives totalling £296 million, 448 million euros, are managed on a UK basis and cannot be attributed by region. The 1999 match funding figures do not include the UK managed funds or the amount yet to be found which is still to be calculated.

  1999 Structural Funds

  million

  £

  Euros

  Allocations

  Scotland

  190

  286

  Wales

  75

  113

  Northern Ireland

  446

  672

  England

  741

  1,118

  Match funding

  Scotland

  243

  366

  Wales

  111

  167

  Northern Ireland

  159

  240

  England

  820

  1,237

  BNFL
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what liaison has taken place between his Department and the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate, since July 1999, in respect of assessing progress made by BNFL in meeting the enhanced safety targets he established in his statement on the proposed PPP for BNFL. [114083]
  121W
  Dr. Howells
  While NII has no formal role in assessing BNFL's performance against the targets announced last July by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, my officials are in regular contact with HSE, of which NII is a part, on BNFL's safety performance.

  "A Fairer Measure"
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the conclusions of the consultation on the document, "A Fairer Measure"; and if he will make a statement. [113963]

  Dr. Howells
  The response to the DTI consultation paper on up-dating and simplifying the regulation of goods sold by weight or measure has generally been favourable. I hope to make a statement in the near future about the detailed legislative changes that the Government intend to propose.

  International Price Comparisons
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has for further research into international price comparisons. [114077]

  Dr. Howells
  The international price comparisons survey published on 13 February 2000 was the first time the Government have tried to compare UK prices with those in America and other European countries. My officials shall be discussing with the Office of Fair Trading, retail groups, and consumer groups the lessons that can be learned and how we develop this research in the future.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what consultations his Department had with consumer organisations on the range of products to be included in the AC Nielsen survey into international price comparisons. [114076]

  Dr. Howells
  There were no consultations with consumer organisations on the range of products to be included in the international price comparisons survey. This was determined in close consultation with the contractor to ensure it reflected current consumer expenditure patterns.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response the Government have made to the Dresdner Kleinwort Benson report into international supermarket prices. [114081]

  Dr. Howells
  Many organisations regularly produce international comparisons of supermarket prices. While taking an interest in these, the Government do not respond on an individual basis.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what account he took of the potential for conflict of interest in deciding on an organisation to carry out a survey into international price comparisons. [114078]

  Dr. Howells
  AC Nielsen were chosen to carry out the survey into international price comparisons following a competitive bidding process in full accordance with EC procurement legislation. In choosing them the Department 122W
  took full account of the fact that they, like all market research companies, work for businesses that produce branded goods.

  EU (Cost of Living)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response the Government have made to the report by Employment Conditions Abroad on the cost of living within European Union member states. [114080]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  Many organisations regularly produce reports on price levels and the cost of living in different countries. While taking interest in these, the Government do not respond to them on an individual basis.

  Correspondence
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the hon. Member for Broxbourne will receive a reply to her letters of 21 September, 20 October, 17 November, 14 December, 11 January and 8 February relating to Mr. James Gardiner, a constituent. [113929]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 10 March 2000]: My Department has no record of any such correspondence being received from the hon. Lady. If she sends me copies of her letters I will ensure that the matter is dealt with promptly.

  Export Licences
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) which UK manufacturers are exempt from the requirement to provide end-user documentation in applying for export licences; and if he will make a statement; [114360]

  (2) under what circumstances UK manufacturers are not required to provide end-user documentation in applying for export licences; and if he will make a statement. [114361]

  Dr. Howells
  In almost all circumstances, applications for a Standard Individual Export Licence (SIEL) must be supported by appropriate end-user documentation. Where the intended consignee is a Government body, and the application is not for a licence to export chemicals listed in Schedule 2 or 3 to the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) to a state which has not ratified the CWC, a copy of the official Government purchase order or a copy of the relevant part of the Government contract covering the order is normally sufficient.

  An Open Individual Export Licence (OIEL) is specific to an individual exporter and covers multiple shipments of specified goods to specified destinations and/or, in some cases, specified consignees. The exporter must obtain from each consignee an appropriate end-user undertaking for each export before the export takes place, or not later than one month after the date of exportation.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who was the intended recipient in(a) the Republic of Korea and (b) Singapore the military explosives or additives for which standard individual

  123W
  export licences were issued between 1 January 1999 and 21 January 2000; and if he will list the named exporter in each case. [114359]

  Dr. Howells
  The first of these licences was issued to Lancaster Synthesis Ltd. for the export of di-isopropylamine, N,N-diemethylhydrazine, triethyl phosphite and phosphorus pentachloride to Daejung Chemicals and Metals Ltd. in the Republic of Korea. The second of these licences was issued to Merck Ltd. for the export of zirconium powder to Nanyang Technological University in Singapore.

  The two licensees concerned were consulted and did not object to the disclosure of this information, which I am disclosing in accordance with the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Pakistan (Arms Sales)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list all arms sales to Pakistan, for which export licences have been applied for in the past year, together with the level of ECGD support provided and the costs to the British High Commissioner of promoting such sales. [113825]

  Dr. Howells
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The entry in the relevant legislation under which the export of goods is controlled is known as their rating. The Export Control Organisation's computer databases have been interrogated and the following results were obtained. Between 1 January 1999 and 3 March 2000,69 Standard Individual Export Licences (SIELs) and 18 Open Individual Export Licences (OIELs) were issued covering the export to consignees or end-users in Pakistan of goods subject to export control by being listed in Part III of Schedule 1 to the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994, commonly known as the Military List. Individual licences may cover a range of goods with various ratings (and OIELs may also cover a range of countries). Where this is so, the licence is included in the table in the total for all of the relevant ratings.

  Individual licences issued between 1 January 1999 and 3 March 2000 covering the export to Pakistan of goods on the Military List

  Rating

  Number of SIELs issued covering goods with this rating

  Number of OIELs issued covering goods with this rating

  ML1

  1

  0

  ML2

  1

  0

  ML3

  1

  0

  ML4

  4

  1

  ML5

  3

  1

  ML6

  5

  1

  ML9

  8

  5

  ML10

  11

  4

  ML11

  7

  5

  ML13

  0

  1

  ML15

  1

  0

  ML18

  1

  1

  ML22

  2

  2

  PL5017

  5

  1

  PL5033

  0

  1

  End use

  13

  0

  This information does not cover any Media OIELs that may have been issued during this period. Media OIELs
  124W
  authorise the export to all destinations of protective clothing, mainly for the protection of aid agency workers and journalists when working in areas of conflict.

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

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

  As regards the level of ECGD support, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade and Industry on 8 February 2000, Official Report, column 122W.

  Finally, as regards costs to the British High Commissioner of promoting defence sales, I understand this information is not compiled.

  NTL/Cable and Wireless
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the advice of the Director General of the Office of Fair Trading on the proposed acquisition by NTL of Cable and Wireless when he publishes the report of the Competition Commission on this case. [114576]

  Dr. Howells
  In line with current practice, I do not intend to publish the advice of the Director General of Fair Trading on the proposed acquisition by NTL Incorporated of the cable business of Cable and Wireless Communications plc. However the Office of Fair Trading are looking at ways of publishing, in the future, the Director General's advice on whether to refer key mergers to the Competition Commission.

  Sub-post Offices
  Mr. Ashdown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his estimate of the number of sub-post offices which closed in the United Kingdom in 1999–2000; and if he will make a statement. [114165]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  I understand from the Post Office that the number of sub-post office closures in their 1999–2000 financial year is not yet available. In the 1998–99 financial year, 232 sub-post offices closed.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  RUC (Compensation Claims)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what expenses have been incurred to date arising from compensation claims against the RUC in the last 10 years. [113436]

  Mr. Ingram
  The information requested is not readily available and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

  News Releases
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the(a) national, (b) regional and (c) local newspapers and media bodies to which his Department sent news releases during the period 2 May 1997 to 29 February 2000. [113985]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 10 March 2000]: The information requested is as follows:

  Breakdown of media press release distribution

  National press

  News London

  David McKitterick

  ITN

  GMTV

  Reuters

  RTE

  Sky News

  BBC

  Liam Clarke

  Press Association

  UK News

  Associated Press

  Channel 5 News

  Merrick Power

  Bloomberg News

  New Dawn Publications

  TNAG

  John Murray Brown

  Jim Dee

  Sunday Times

  The Times

  T Hanna

  Nerve Amoric

  Regional Press

  Scope Magazine

  Belfast City Beat

  Eamon Maillie

  News Letter

  UTV

  Irish Times

  Ulster Press Agency

  Irish Independent

  Belfast Telegraph

  Sunday Life

  Irish News

  Downtown Radio

  Bob Rodwell

  Ed Maloney

  Alan Murray

  Democratic Dialogue

  John Simpson

  John Mullin

  Carmel McQuaid

  North West News Agency

  126W

  Chris Ryder

  Terry Dick

  Fortnight

  ONTV

  Ulsternews International

  Anne Hailes

  Shandwick

  McMillan Media

  Sunday Tribune

  Sunday World

  Farm Trader

  Farm Week

  Irish Farmers Journal

  Irish News

  News Letter

  Local Press

  Channel 9

  Q102

  Radio Ireland

  Carmah Communication

  Q97.2 Radio

  Radio Foyle

  Bangor News

  Tyrone Times

  Ulster Gazette

  Deny Journal

  Tyrone Constitution

  Ulster Herald

  Antrim Guardian

  Antrim Times

  Ballymoney Times

  Ulster Star

  Ballymena Guardian

  Banbirdge Chronicle

  Down Democrat

  Down Recorder

  Down Spectator

  Dromore Star

  Mourne Observer

  Newry Reporter

  Newtownards Chronicle

  Outlook Press

  Coleraine Chronicle

  Coleraine Times

  Ulster Television

  RTE

  Downtown Radio

  BBC NI

  Farmgate BBC Radio

  127W

  Fermanagh Herald

  Mid-Ulster Mail

  Tyrone Courier

  Derg & District News

  Roe Valley Sentinel

  Londonderry Sentinel

  Ballyclare Gazette

  Lurgan Mail

  Portadown Times

  Larne Gazette

  Ballymena Observer

  Banbridge Leader

  Carrick Times

  Carrick Advertiser

  Newtownabbey Times

  Impartial Reporter

  Northern Constitution

  Ballymena Times

  Dungannon Observer

  Strabane Weekly News

  Armagh Observer

  Cross Examiner

  Dromore Leader

  Lame Times

  Newtownards Spectator

  Tyrone Democrat.

  Public Authorities
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the bodies which he intends to designate as public authorities under section 75(3)(a) and (3)(d) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998; which Departments, corporations or bodies listed in Schedule 2 to the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 will not be so designated; and when he intends to make the final list public. [113560]

  Ward/school/centre

  Number of funded reception places 1

  Number of funded voluntary/private pre-school places

  Number of statutory nursery places

  Total number of funded pre-school places

  Number of P1 children

  Abbey Park

  St. Patrick's Primary School

  7

  —

  —

  7

  66

  College Farm Nursery

  —

  —

  52

  52

  —

  Downs

  Christian Brothers' Primary School

  13

  —

  —

  13

  44

  St. Malachy's Primary School

  —

  —

  —

  —

  30

  Naiscoil Ard Macha

  —

  8

  —

  8

  —

  Dara Playgroup

  —

  18

  —

  18

  —

  Scotwell House

  —

  9

  —

  9

  —

  Callanbridge

  Mount St. Catherine's Primary School

  11

  —

  —

  11

  30

  O'Fiaich Playgroup

  —

  8

  —

  8

  —

  Early Bird Monnesson Playgroup

  —

  8

  —

  8

  —

  The Mall

  Drelimcourt Infants' Primary School

  4

  —

  —

  4

  11

  Grove Nursery School

  —

  —

  51

  51

  —

  128W
  Mr. George Howarth
  The Northern Ireland Act 1998 defines over one hundred public bodies to which the section 75 obligations already apply. However, the Secretary of State may designate additional bodies under section 75(3)(a) and (d) of the Act, including those listed in the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967, to which the obligation should apply. The Parliamentary Commissioner Act lists a large number of public authorities, many of which have little or no influence in Northern Ireland.

  I have met the Equality Commission to discuss the contents of the proposed designation order. At our meeting, the Equality Commission suggested a considerable number of other bodies for inclusion in the order. We plan to consult those bodies suggested to us by the Equality Commission which carry out functions relating to Northern Ireland as part of our consideration of whether they should be designated.

  We intend to lay an order before Parliament as soon as possible which will list a number of bodies in respect of which our consultation is complete. In due course we hope a more comprehensive designation order will be drafted, for making later this year.

  Armstrong Primary School
  Mr. John D. Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the total number of(a) applicants and (b) admissions into the Armstrong Primary School in Armagh City in September 1999; what provision there is for a pre-school class at this school; at which locations in Armagh City he has approved pre-school provision; if there is an application by the Armstrong Primary School for approval of a pre-school facility; and if he will make a statement. [113685]

  Mr. George Howarth
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The total number of applicants and the total number of admissions to the Armstrong Primary School, Armagh in September 1999 was 37. This includes 22 applications for reception during the current school year as they reach their fourth birthdays. Funded pre-school education provisions exists or has been approved through the 1999–2000 Pre-School Education Development Plan for the Southern Education and Library Board area in the following settings in Armagh City.
  129W

  Ward/school/centre

  Number of funded reception places 1

  Number of funded voluntary/private pre-school places

  Number of statutory nursery places

  Total number of funded pre-school places

  Number of P1 children

  Observatory

  Armstrong Primary School

  6

  —

  —

  6

  34

  Armagh Nursery School

  —

  —

  29

  29

  —

  Royal School Prep Department

  —

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Saints and Scholars Integrated Primary School

  28

  —

  226

  26

  22

  Total

  49

  51

  158

  250

  240

  1 Number of reception children in attendance on 31 October 1998.

  2 The reception places are due to be replaced by the nursery places in the 2000–01 school year.

  Note:

  There is currently no application by Armstrong Primary School for approval of a pre-school facility in addition to its reception group. A proposal in 1999 from the Southern area Pre-School Education Advisory Group for the establishment of a nursery unit at the school was not approved by the Department of Education.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Organic Farming
  Sir Geoffrey Johnson Smith
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the main obstacles to the growth of the organic farming sector. [113827]

  Mr. Morley
  As part of the Review of the Organic Farming Scheme we are commissioning a study to ascertain farmers' views on organic farming and to identify the nature and extent of the main barriers to conversion.

  Tree Felling Licences
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000,Official Report, column 723W, on tree felling licences, if he will place a copy of the licence referred to in the Library. [114430]

  Mr. Morley
  I have arranged for a copy of the tree felling licence for Avon Heath Country Park to be placed in the Library.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000,Official Report, column 723W, on tree felling

  Year ending 31 March

  Location

  Number of trees licensed for felling

  Size of area (hectares)

  Expiry date

  1996

  Lakenheath Fen, Suffolk

  390

  3.7

  March 1988

  1997

  Nil

  —

  —

  —

  1998

  Stowborough Nature Reserve, Dorset

  200

  0.6

  April 2000

  1998

  Grange Heath, Dorset

  800

  8.0

  September 1999

  1998

  Sandy Warren, Bedfordshire

  2,680

  2.6

  February 2000

  1998

  Aldringham Walks, Suffolk

  180

  5.0

  October 1999

  1999

  Avon Heath Country Park, Dorset

  86,000

  77.9

  January 2004

  1999

  Sandy Warren, Bedfordshire

  15

  0.1

  March 2001

  2000

  Grange Heath, Dorset

  210

  0.5

  January 2004

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will place in the Library a copy of the preliminary guidance drawn up by the Forestry 130W
  licences, if he will identify in respect of each of the breaches the owner or organisation responsible and the nature of the breaches alleged. [114386]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: In the last five years, three owners were successfully prosecuted for breaches of tree felling licences. One owner had felled unapproved trees within the approved area; his conviction is now spent under the terms of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act. The other two owners, Mr. L. B. Holliday and Mr. C. A. P. Duncombe, had both felled trees outside the approved area.

  In the other breaches investigated by the Forestry Commission over the last five years the owners were not successfully prosecuted so it would not be appropriate to give their names. In each case they had either felled trees outside the approved area or felled unapproved trees within the approved area.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his answer of 7 March 2000,Official Report, columns 581–82W, on tree felling licences, what was the size and location of each area covered by the licences; and how long each licence is to remain in force. [114213]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The size, location and expiry dates of tree felling licences granted to the RSPB in each of the last five years are given in the table.

  Commission as to how its staff when considering felling licences should respond to potential conflict arising from the EU requirement to restore heathland habitats in Dorset

  131W
  and the need to retain trees as a habitat for woodland birds and as an amenity landscape feature. [114322]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Forestry Commission's guidance to staff on this issue is given on pages 13, 14 and 29 of the Forestry Commission's publication "Lowland Heaths and Forestry", a copy of which has been placed in the Library. The Commission is currently drafting more detailed guidance for its staff, and I have asked the Commission to send the hon. Member a copy of the first draft.

  Hedgerows
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on how the Government intend to encourage farmers(a) to protect and maintain hedgerows and (b) to increase the number and area of field buffer strips; and if he will make a statement. [114173]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: The Ministry operates a range of schemes to encourage environmentally friendly farming. The Countryside Stewardship (CSS) Scheme and the Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) Scheme both provide for the planting, laying and coppicing of hedgerows. 10,000 km of hedgerows are currently managed under these schemes.

  The CSS and some of the 22 ESAs also offer incentives to create field buffer strips. The Ministry is the lead partner in the Habitat Action Plans for cereal field margins and ancient species-rich hedgerows. The announcement by the Minister on 7 December that the funding of agrienvironment schemes will be doubled over the next seven years will allow for more hedgerows and field margins to be managed under these schemes.

  Fisheries
  Mr. McDonnell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Salmon and Freshwater Fisheries Review Committee will publish its report. [114437]

  Mr. Morley
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Wirral, South (Mr. Chapman) on 9 March 2000,Official Report, column 800W.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he intends to reply to the letters to him dated 11 November and 16 December 1999 and 20 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. J. Smith. [114580]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  A reply to my right hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Gorton was sent on 13 March 2000.

  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will reply to the letter of 10 January from the hon. Member for Hexham about the restrictions imposed by his Department on organo-phosphate dips. [114543]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  My noble Friend the Baroness Hayman replied to the letter from the hon. Member for Hexham on 28 February.

HEALTH

  TV Patientline Cards
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to give pensioners and benefit recipients concessions for the purchase of TV Patientline cards in NHS hospitals. [103556]

  Mr. Denham
  There are televisions in most day rooms and ward bays which are provided free of charge by National Health Service trusts. Some trusts have reached agreement with the manufacturers of Patientline to offer an improved service to those patients who wish to use it. The installation and pricing policy will be a matter for agreement between the company and the NHS trust.

  Consultants
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department's agencies and non-departmental public bodies have spent on external consultants and advisers since May 1997. [102099]

  Yvette Cooper
  Total expenditure on external consultants and advisers, by the Department of Health's agencies and non-departmental public bodies (including Special Health Authorities1), from May 1997 to 31 September 1999 is as follows:

  £ million

  Agencies

  3.08

  NDPBs

  4.38

  1 Except the National Blood Authority

  Biomedical Staff
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what basis he calculated the number of biomedical staff who will benefit from a 26 per cent. pay increase from April 1999. [112445]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 1 March 2000]: I regret that my answer of 31 January 2000, Official Report, column 453W in relation to the number of trainee Medical Laboratory Scientific Officers to benefit from a 26 per cent. pay offer from 1 April 1999 was incorrect.

  Trainee MLSOs will receive increases ranging between 6.6 per cent. for those on spine points 6, 7, 8 and 9 to 26 per cent. for those on spine point 1. The figures broken down are as follows, rounded to the nearest 100:

  Spine point

  Numbers of staff

  per cent. increase

  01

  100

  26

  02

  50

  22

  03

  100

  18

  04

  100

  14

  05

  100

  10.25

  06

  550

  6.6

  07

  6.6

  08

  6.6

  09

  6.6

  Spine points 01 to 06 are effectively abolished under the terms of this offer, which establishes a new 4-point spine.

  Medical Laboratory Science Officers
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many medical laboratory science officers left the NHS in each of the past 10 years; [113192]

  (2) how many people qualified as medical laboratory science officers, and how many of them went into direct employment in the NHS, in each of the last 10 years. [113199]

  Mr. Denham
  Information on numbers of medical laboratory scientific officers who qualify, join or leave National Health Service employment in each of the last 10 years is not held centrally.

  Patient Referrals
  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish information about the extent to which patients in other countries have the right to select or be referred to the consultant or hospital of their choice. [113854]

  Ms Stuart
  Comprehensive information is not available within the Department.

  Drug Treatment Programmes
  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will introduce measures to encourage general practitioners to become involved in treating patients with drug addiction problems. [113954]

  Ms Stuart
  We have made available £50 million over three years for health authorities to improve treatment services for drug misusers. A priority is to develop and increase the provision of primary care, which is recognised as the ideal setting for the treatment of the basic health needs of drug misusers and problems associated with drug misuse. The Department has set the target of involving at least 20 per cent. of general practitioners in the treatment of drug misusers. Revised clinical guidelines were issued in April last year which recommend shared care as the model for treating drug misusers in primary care. The Standing Conference on Drug Abuse produced a "training pack" last year for primary care teams in support of the clinical guidelines, on behalf of the Department.

  NHS Direct
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has he made of the extent of disruption to NHS Direct Services caused by the failure of computers in the week beginning 20 February; and what action is being taken to ensure complete reliability in the telecommunications infrastructure for NHS Direct. [113180]

  Ms Stuart
  On 20 February, British Telecom had a major fault with two of the three main BT routers for 0845, 0345, 0870, 0645, 0800 link-line numbers. This left one router to carry all traffic. This British Telecom problem, over which "NHS Direct" has no control, affected many services including banks, building societies, and insurance companies, public utility emergency numbers and the Samaritans and domestic violence helplines, among others within the voluntary sector. This was the first time that this problem has occurred. "NHS Direct" on that day handled about 1,000 calls less than the number of calls expected.
  134W
  In order to communicate this problem, "NHS Direct" immediately released a press notice urging callers who were unable to get a ringing tone after trying 0845 4647 to use alternative health services.

  BT has apologised for the interruption to the service and has reassured the Department that it will not happen again.

  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the(a) constituencies, (b) health authorities and (c) counties that are (i) covered and (ii) not covered by NHS Direct; and what is his timetable is for extending coverage. [113203]

  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 6 March 2000]: The White Paper "The New NHS; Modern, and Dependable" announced our commitment to NHS Direct. At present, NHS Direct covers 65 per cent. of the population. By the end of October this year, the whole of England will be covered. I have placed copies of the list of (a) constituencies, (b) health authorities and (c) counties that are (i) covered and (ii) not covered by NHS Direct in the Library.

  NHS Direct on-line provides users with the facility to determine whether their postcode or telephone number is covered by NHS Direct.

  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies he has commissioned to establish how many users, as distinct from individual calls, there are of NHS Direct. [114496]

  Ms Stuart
  We have not commissioned any studies to establish how many users, as distinct from individual calls, there are of NHS Direct.

  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses are employed by NHS Direct; and how many are expected to be employed once the service has achieved national coverage. [114497]

  Ms Stuart
  NHS Direct currently accounts nationally for about 600 whole-time equivalent nurses. Following the national rollout later this year, we expect the number to increase to about 1,000 nurses, a small number against the overall size of the nursing workforce (330,000 whole-time equivalent in England as of 30 September 1998).

  NHS Direct recruits nurses from a wide range of different backgrounds. Some are from a hospital background, others are from primary care or are working outside the National Health Service. NHS Direct also provides opportunities for disabled and work injured nurses. Many staff who work for NHS Direct do so on a part-time basis, allowing them to combine working for NHS Direct with other clinical duties.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Burma
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received on behalf of the Karen people. [112886]
  135W
  Mr. Battle
  I am grateful that my hon. Friend has persistently raised the case of the Karens. I continue to receive a number of letters reflecting the great deal of interest amongst Parliamentarians and members of the public about ethnic minorities in Burma. We also receive representations from Burmese exiles and non-governmental organisations.

  We continue to monitor carefully the situation of ethnic minorities in Burma and along the Thai-Burma border; and to condemn violations of their human rights at every opportunity.

  Mr. Savidge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support Her Majesty's Government are giving in James Mawdsley's case; and if he will make a statement on the political situation in Burma. [112905]

  Mr. Battle
  We continue to do all we properly can to ensure that James's rights are respected but we cannot intervene in the Burmese judicial process just as we would not allow them to intervene in ours.

  We remain appalled by the lack of democracy and human rights in Burma: we are at the forefront of international action to press the Burmese regime to improve the situation.

  Arms Exports
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his role in advising on approval of ECGD cover for arms exports. [112887]

  Mr. Hain
  The FCO carefully scrutinises all applications for arms sales abroad via the reformed and tightened export-licensing regime.

  Once an export licence is approved it is up to ECGD to decide whether or not to provide export credit support.

  However, stricter conditions apply in poor and heavily indebted developing countries to ensure ECGD only covers projects that clearly contribute to social and economic development. ECGD will always consult other Whitehall Departments, including FCO, to ensure these conditions are met.

  Angola
  Kali Mountford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the scale of breaches of UN sanctions against UNITA, with particular reference to breaches by neighbouring countries. [112888]

  Mr. Hain
  I am extremely concerned by any allegations of breaches of UN sanctions against UNITA, especially through South Africa, Zambia, Rwanda, Burkina Faso, Togo and Uganda.

  Iran
  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Iran on the funding of Hezbullah and Hamas. [112889]
  136W
  Mr. Hain
  This Government and our EU colleagues have frequently raised with the Iranians our concerns about their support for groups who use violent methods to oppose the Middle East Peace Process and will continue to do so.

  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he last made representations to the Government of Iran on the situation of the 13 Jews arrested on charges of espionage. [112935]

  Mr. Hain
  The continued detention on espionage charges of a number of Iranians including members of the Iranian Jewish community is a matter of great concern to us. We and our EU partners have repeatedly stressed to the Iranian authorities the importance we attach to this issue. We have also stressed our belief that those detained should either be released or be granted a speedy, fair and open trial.

  The Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary both raised this issue with the Iranian Foreign Minister Dr. Kharrazi during his visit in January. They pressed for the release of all those detained or for their early trial. Since then three of the detainees have been released on bail and a trial date of 13 April announced. Dr. Kharrazi said that those detained would receive a fair trial with access to lawyers and their families.

  I raised this issue with Deputy Foreign Minister Sarmadi when we met on 7 March.

  Mercenaries
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the steps he is taking to control the hiring of mercenaries and marketing of small arms(a) within and (b) via the United Kingdom. [112890]

  Mr. Hain
  The Government deplore the use, financing and recruitment of mercenaries. We are committed to publishing a Green Paper on mercenary activity by November 2000.

  On small arms, the UK has some of the most stringent controls on firearms in the world. In order to sell, transfer or expose for sale any firearm by way of business or trade, a person must be registered with the police as a firearms dealer. All applications for licences to export small arms from the UK are rigorously assessed against our national export licensing criteria and those in the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. We will not issue export licences where there is a clearly identifiable risk that the small arms might be used for internal repression or international aggression.

  St. Helena
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to commemorate the 500 anniversary of the discovery of the Island of St. Helena. [112891]

  Mr. Battle
  A contribution of £160,000 has been agreed from the FCO towards a new much larger museum that will also house the national archives and so tell the story of St. Helena's 500 year history more professionally and comprehensively. Work will start this week and will be completed in time for the quincentenary celebrations in 2002.

  Bosnia
  Mr. Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs under what conditions the British Government will support Bosnia-Herzegovina's application for membership of the Council of Europe. [112892]

  Mr. Vaz
  The British Government have supported in principle Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership of the Council of Europe since its application in December 1998. But we believe that Bosnia and Herzegovina must be able to meet the basic commitments and obligations arising from membership. The Council of Europe has set down 12 central preconditions for Bosnia and Herzegovina's membership. It is clear that further progress is still needed towards the requirements set down by the Council of Europe, particularly in areas such as the functioning of the state-level institutions and the passage of an Election Law. We are continuing to assist Bosnia and Herzegovina in its efforts to meet these requirements and have recently given £50,000 to the Council of Europe for additional assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina specifically for this purpose.

  Cyprus
  Sir David Madel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make an official visit to Cyprus. [112893]

  Mr. Vaz
  I have no plans to visit Cyprus at present. But my Special Representative for Cyprus, Sir David Hannay, concludes a visit to the island today.

  Pakistan
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Pakistan concerning the restrictions on the reporting of the trial of the former Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif. [112894]

  Mr. Hain
  From the outset, we have urged on the Pakistani authorities the need for a fair and transparent trial for Nawaz Sharif and his co-defendants. We have made clear that there should be no "show trials". Members of EU missions in Karachi attend each court hearing, as do representatives of the national and international media.

  Middle East Peace Process
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about the middle east peace process. [112895]

  Mr. Hain
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I are in frequent contact with all the parties to the Middle East Peace Process. Most recently, for example, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had discussions with Nabil Shaath, Palestinian Minister for Planning and International Co-ordination, Yossi Beilin, Israeli Minister for Justice and Farouk a-Shara'a, Syrian Foreign Minister. In recent days, I myself have discussed the Middle East Peace Process with Shlomo Ben-Ami, Israeli Minister for Internal Security, and received a group of Arab Ambassadors in London.

  European Security and Defence Initiative
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from the United States Secretary of State about the European Security and Defence Initiative. [112896]

  Mr. Vaz
  The United States Secretary of State and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discuss European Defence on a regular basis, most recently during his visit to Washington on 8–10 February 2000. Mrs. Albright follows developments closely, and continues firmly to support our efforts to build a NATO-friendly crisis management capability in the EU.

  Congo
  Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on his steps to bring peace to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [112897]

  Mr. Hain
  Bringing peace to DRC matters to Britain. That is why we are actively supporting the Lusaka Agreement. It provides a realistic peace formula. So our aim is to make it work and to keep DRC on the international agenda.

  At the Security Council meetings in December and January, and in bilateral discussions with all those involved, I made clear that Britain would back all those determined to make Lusaka work: with finance, practical help, people on the ground and political support. I encouraged others to follow suit.

  And if we all play our part in driving the process forward; if there is sustained international support; if the parties to the conflict work for peace, Lusaka can be implemented.

  Nigeria
  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the political situation in Nigeria. [112898]

  Mr. Hain
  We welcome the strong start that the government of President Obasanjo has made since taking office in May 1999 and his commitment to reform. There are many serious challenges ahead for Nigeria. Britain will continue to support Nigeria's reform programme.

  Falkland Islands
  Mr. Borrow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions Her Majesty's Government have had with the new Argentine administration about the Falklands Islands. [112899]

  Mr. Battle
  We have established a good working relationship with the new Argentine Government. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has met President De la Rua twice. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has met Rodriguez Giavarini. I attended the Argentine Presidential inauguration and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence has met the Argentine President and Defence Minister.
  139W
  On these and other occasions both sides have reaffirmed their commitment to the Joint Statement of July 1999 and to continue our dialogue on issues of common interest.

  This does not affect our sovereignty of the Falkland Islands or our commitment to the Islanders' rights to determine their own future.

  East Timor
  Mr. Tom Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions Her Majesty's Government have held with the Australian and New Zealand Governments on the situation in East Timor. [112900]

  Maria Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Australian and New Zealand Governments about the situation in East Timor. [112902]

  Mr. Battle
  We hold regular discussions with the Australian and New Zealand Governments on a range of issues, including East Timor. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I held talks with the Australian Foreign Minister during his visit to London in January, and I visited Australia from 21–26 February and New Zealand from 27 February to 2 March for discussions with members of both Governments. We will continue to work together to ensure the transition of East Timor to a new democracy.

  Mrs. Betty Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support Her Majesty's Government are providing for institution-building in East Timor. [112901]

  Mr. Battle
  We are working closely with the UN Transitional Administration (UNTAET) to help East Timor prepare for statehood. We have committed a total of £19.71 million to help with humanitarian relief, reconstruction and institution-building. In addition 14 British policemen and four military liaison officers are serving in UNTAET. We look forward to seeing East Timor emerge as the first new democracy of the 21st century.

  Palestinian Refugees
  Mr. St. Aubyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the policy of Her Majesty's Government with respect to the status of Palestinian refugees. [112903]

  Mr. Hain
  Both the status and the condition of Palestinian refugees are of great importance to us. We support UN General Assembly Resolution 194. Our contributions to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, bilaterally through the EU, make us the largest EU donor and second largest country donor.

  Palestine
  Ms Perham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to assist the Palestinian authority to build democratic and accountable institutions. [112904]

  Mr. Hain
  The UK's programme of assistance to the Palestinians includes several projects to strengthen their institutions and promote good governance. For example 140W
  the FCO fund the Palestinian rights Programme which is the largest FCO human rights programme anywhere in the world. DfID are also providing technical and legal assistance to the Palestinian Authority, for example to the Ministry of Economy and Trade to help prepare trade negotiations.

  Colombia
  Mr. Goggins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the recent Human Rights Watch report on conditions in Colombia. [112906]

  Mr. Battle
  We have considered the recent Human Rights Watch report carefully.

  The allegations in this report are serious, particularly those of collusion between the Armed Forces and the paramilitaries.

  We are encouraged by assurances from the Colombian Government that it is taking steps to address these issues. We will continue to follow this closely.

  China
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's relations with China. [112907]

  Mr. Battle
  China is an important and growing presence in the world, with which we need to engage. We have a good and wide ranging relationship with China, which is not just political and commercial, but includes areas such as culture, education and science and technology. Engagement with the Chinese at all levels enables us to promote our interests in these areas and to raise our concerns about human rights and other sensitive issues.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of the proposed resolution on China, to be tabled at the 56th United Nations Commission on Human Rights; [114420]

  (2) if he will make a statement on his policy in respect of co-sponsoring a resolution on China at the 56th United Nations Commission on Human Rights. [114422]

  Mr. Battle
  We are aware that the United States intends to table a resolution critical of China at the forthcoming 56th session of the UN Commission on Human Rights. We are considering policy towards the resolution, including a position on co-sponsorship, with EU partners, as was the case in 1999. The matter will be discussed at the General Affairs Council on 21 March.

  Mozambique
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK's relations with Mozambique. [112884]

  Mr. Hain
  UK/Mozambique relations are close and friendly, and the UK has been at the forefront of the emergency relief effort following floods and future development assistance.

  Sri Lanka
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further efforts he is making to encourage a peaceful resolution of the conflict in Sri Lanka between Government forces and the Tamil Tigers. [113653]

  Mr. Hain
  We take every opportunity at bilateral meetings to stress the need for a political settlement to end the conflict in Sri Lanka. We have made clear that we stand ready to help if both sides ask us to play a role.

  Embassies
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many meetings have been held within his Department to consider his plan to change the name of British embassies to United Kingdom embassies; and what was the cost of holding these meetings. [113845]

  Mr. Hain
  No meetings were held to discuss this. We have no plans to stop using 'British' in describing our diplomatic missions overseas. British Embassies will continue to be known as British Embassies.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what will be the cost of changing the name of the British Embassy in the United States of America to the United Kingdom Embassy. [113846]

  Mr. Hain
  There are no plans to change the name of the British Embassy in the United States of America. I would be opposed to any such change.

  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the cost of implementing his plan to change the name of British Embassies to United Kingdom Embassies. [113844]

  Mr. Hain
  We have no plans to stop using "British" in describing our diplomatic missions overseas. British Embassies will continue to be known as British Embassies.

  Balkans
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received from(a) the US State Department and (b) the EU partner countries on the political and security situation in (i) Kosovo, (ii) Montenegro and (iii) Serbia. [113875]

  Mr. Vaz
  [holding answer 10 March 2000]: We are in frequent regular contact with the US Government and with our EU partners on the political and security situations in Kosovo, Montenegro and Serbia.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to visit(a) Kosovo and (b) Montenegro. [113869]

  Mr. Vaz
  [holding answer 10 March 2000]: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no present plans to visit Kosovo or Montenegro.

  Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what changes have been made to measures in place against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. [114824]

  Mr. Vaz
  The European Union's ECOFIN Council on 28 February adopted a Common Position and Council Decision implementing changes to the EU sanctions regime on the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia which had been agreed at the General Affairs Council on 14 February. Council Decision 2000/177/CFSP introduced, with immediate effect, a revised and expanded list of FRY citizens (representing an increase to a total of 794 names) against whom the EU visa ban applies, and Common Position 2000/176/CFSP suspended the EU flight ban on the FRY for a period of six months. The suspension of the flight ban will come into effect when the necessary amendments have been made to the relevant Council regulations. In parallel we are working with our partners to tighten up the implementation of financial sanctions targeted against the regime.

  Further to the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd)—the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs—on 13 July 1999, Official Report, columns 141–42W, the Government have decided to introduce a case by case approach to consideration of export licence applications for dual use goods to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia including Kosovo and Montenegro. There are humanitarian developmental and commercial reasons for doing so and it brings us into line with the practice of our major partners. Reconstruction in Kosovo is crucial to the province's development and the UK contribution to Kosovo could potentially be hindered without a change in practice. Applications will be considered consistent with the national export licensing criteria announced in July 1997 and those in the EU Code of Conduct on Arms Exports. We will not approve any dual use goods licence applications which could benefit the armed forces, internal security forces or similar entities of the authorities in Belgrade.

  Overseas Embassies (Staff)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the employees working in embassies overseas paid for by business, indicating in each case(a) the name of the employee, (b) the business providing the financial support, (c) the level of financial support and (d) the embassy. [114421]

  Mr. Hain
  Since 1979, the FCO has arranged 56 secondments to British diplomatic missions overseas from 40 private sector organisations. In line with HMG's policy of increased interchange with the private sector as part of the Modernising Government agenda, there are at present eight private sector secondees at posts overseas, primarily in the US and the Far East. A further 14 secondments were completed over the last year. These include substantive secondments of up to four years and short-term attachments of 3–6 months under the Short Term Business Attachment Scheme. In all cases, the secondees are bound by Diplomatic Service Regulations relating to conduct and discipline, and are answerable to the head of the diplomatic post at which they are serving.
  143W
  It would not be appropriate to list the names of individual secondees.

  Panchen Lama
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to establish whether the Panchen Lama is alive. [114111]

  Mr. Battle
  We remain concerned about the absence of any independent verification of the whereabouts of Gedhun Choekyi Nyima, the Dalai Lama's choice as Panchen Lama. We regularly urge the Chinese authorities to allow access by diplomats or an independent figure to confirm his state of health and living conditions. I raised the matter with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister, Wang Yingfan, in Beijing on 9 November 1999, and was given a written assurance that reports that Gedhun Choekyi Nyima had died were not accurate and that he was alive and well. We also raised the Gedhun's case during the fourth round of the UK/China bilateral human rights dialogue in February and received similar assurances. We will continue to press for independent access.

  Egypt
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received from the Egyptian Government regarding the grounds for the charges brought against Father Gabriel Abdel-Massesh Gabriel following the sectarian violence in Al-Kosheh. [114590]

  Mr. Hain
  Following the violence in Al-Kosheh, it was announced that Father Gabriel Abdel-Massesh Gabriel had been charged with attempted murder and illegal possession of weapons. He was released on bail. The Egyptian Public Prosecutor's Office has now concluded its report on the incident. At a press conference on 11 March the Public Prosecutor reportedly confirmed that no religious leaders would be charged.

  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the UK's relations with Egypt. [112870]

  Mr. Hain
  The British Government have a strong relationship with the government of President Mubarak and UK/Egypt trade relations continue to grow.

  Kosovo
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made in setting up a local Kosovo police force. [113874]

  Mr. Vaz
  [holding answer 10 March 2000]: So far 349 recruits have graduated from the OSCE Police Training School in Kosovo. A third course of 250 students began their initial training on 22 February 2000. This group consisted of 217 Albanians, 22 Serbs and 11 other minority members.

  All students undergo nine weeks of basic police training instruction. This consists of both classroom training and practical exercises in democratic policing, legal affairs, patrol duties, firearms, administration, defensive tactics, crime investigation, forensics and traffic control. Following this, each student undergoes a further
  144W
  17 weeks of field training with an UNMIK police officer and an additional 80 hours of advanced classroom training. Having successfully completed the three phases of instruction, each recruit is eligible for certification and independent assignment.

  The OSCE training mandate is to develop and deliver basic police training for approximately 3,500 police recruits within the next 16 months.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to him by experts on the level of international police numbers in Kosovo. [114577]

  Mr. Hain
  The Secretary-General has determined that the number of civilian police officers required for UNMIK is 4,718. The UN has consistently underlined the urgency of reaching that number soon. The only other representation received by the UK is that from the European SecretaryGeneral/High Representative, Mr. Javier Solana, as set out in my answer of 6 March 2000,Official Report, column 500W.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2000,Official Report, column 501W, on which two dates the UN Secretariat requested additional police officers for the international peacekeeping effort in Kosovo. [114692]

  Mr. Hain
  The UN Secretariat issued requests for police officers for Kosovo on 11 June and 18 November 1999.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether the number of(a) international police officers and (b) UK police officers in Kosovo is sufficient to ensure security in the province. [114578]

  Mr. Hain
  We share the UN Secretary-General's assessment of the number of international police officers required to ensure security in Kosovo. Until the full police strength is achieved, KFOR is offering assistance in this area.

  To date, the UN have requested 120 UK police officers for Kosovo. We have been able to respond positively to this request, and hope to deploy the remainder of the contingent to the region in the near future.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2000,Official Report, column 501W, concerning the UN Secretariat's requests for more police officers for Kosovo, for how many police officers the UN Secretariat asked on (a) the first and (b) the second occasion; and how many police officers the United Kingdom offered in response to each request. [114691]

  Mr. Hain
  On both occasions, the UN Secretariat requested 60 UK police officers. The UK has met the first request in full, and 60 police officers have been in Kosovo since November 1999. In order to meet the second request, the UK is identifying 60 suitable officers for deployment in the near future.

  "Europe Day"
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral answer
  145W
  of 15 February 2000, Official Report, column 759, if he will set out the terms of reference and budget for "Europe Day" on 9 May. [114147]

  Mr. Vaz
  The FCO will mark "Europe Day" this year with a Europe-focused open day on 9 May. This will launch a series of 12 open days, on successive Tuesdays between May and June of this year. Each will focus on a different aspect of the FCO's work.

  The FCO's series of "open days" form part of the London String of Pearls Millennium Festival, a year long event involving 60 historic buildings along the Thames. These will open their doors to the public in order to celebrate the social, political and cultural achievement of the last Millennium.

  The FCO's "Europe Day" event aims to make the UK public more aware of the culture of our European neighbours, and of Britain's place in Europe.

  The budget for this event is £40,000.

  Iraq
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the criteria used by his Department to decide the number of people travelling to Iraq on the flight organised by the hon. Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway). [114134]

  Mr. Hain
  The hon. Member for Kelvin applied for clearance for a humanitarian flight carrying medical supplies to Iraq. On receipt of a passenger list containing 207 names, I advised the hon. Member that the practice of the UN Sanctions Committee indicated that a humanitarian flight with this number of passengers was unlikely to receive Sanctions Committee approval. The hon. Member reduced the number of passengers to 29 on 6 March. The flight application was then submitted to the UN Sanctions Committee, which approved the flight on 8 March.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the hon. Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway) was told that his original plans for the flight to Iraq were not acceptable to his Department. [114133]

  Mr. Hain
  On receipt of a passenger list containing 207 names, I advised the hon. Member for Kelvin on 4 March that, because of the large number of passengers on what was a humanitarian flight, it was unlikely that the UN Sanctions Committee on Iraq would approve the flight application. The hon. Member reduced the number of passengers to 29 on 6 March. The application for the flight and its cargo of medicine was then submitted to the UN Sanctions Committee, which approved the flight on 8 March in time for it to proceed.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the(a) meetings and (b) discussions which have taken place between the hon. Member for Glasgow, Kelvin (Mr. Galloway) and (i) Ministers and (ii) officials in his Department, regarding the proposed flight to Iraq. [114232]
  146W
  Mr. Hain
  I and my officials have been in regular contact with the hon. Member for Kelvin since January regarding the proposed flight to Iraq. On my recommendation it was given clearance by the UN Sanctions Committee. But for reasons best known to himself, the hon. Member decided not to proceed.

  Ministerial Visit (Loughborough)
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the oral answer of 15 February 2000,Official Report, column 759, when the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) will visit Loughborough; and what other towns and cities he plans to visit and on what dates. [114145]

  Mr. Vaz
  I plan to visit several cities in the next few months, including Reading on 26 May. I have also written to local councils in Liverpool, Norwich, Leeds and Southampton to ask for their support in organising Europe Days during May and June. I hope to visit a number of other towns and cities, including Loughborough, later in the year.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Maternity Pay
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of increasing Statutory Maternity Pay at 90 per cent. of earnings to 18 weeks, but restricting the additional entitlement to those women not paying the higher rate tax. [113660]

  Mr. Bayley
  The estimated cost of increasing Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) at 90 per cent. of earnings to 18 weeks but, restricting the additional entitlement to women not paying higher rate tax, is an additional full year cost of £460 million.

  Note:

  This estimate is based on the Government Actuary's Department projection of 2000–01 average case load of SMP.

  Means-tested Benefits
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he plans to make with regard to(a) savings and (b) capital held by claimants applying for means-tested benefits. [113962]

  Mr. Bayley
  The Pensions Green Paper outlined our commitment to looking at ways to better reward savers. We will bring forward our proposals later in the Parliament.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the(a) local authorities which have contracted out the administration of Housing Benefit and (b) companies contracted by each authority for this work. [112651]

  Angela Eagle
  As there is no formal requirement on local authorities to inform the Department that Housing Benefit administration has been contracted out, comprehensive data are not available. Such information as is available is set out in the table:
  147W

  Local authority

  Contractor

  Barrow-in-Furness

  CSL

  Bexley

  Capita Business Services

  Brent

  Electronic Data Services Ltd.

  Bromley

  Capita Business Services

  Broxbourne

  W. S. Atkins

  Croydon

  CSL

  Ealing

  Vertex Datasciences Ltd.

  East Cambridgeshire

  Capita Business Services

  Hackney

  ITNet

  Havant

  Capita Business Services

  Horsham

  Seimens Business Services

  Hounslow

  ITNet

  Islington

  ITNet

  Lambeth

  Capita Business Services

  Mendip

  Capita Business Services

  North Somerset

  CSL

  Rother

  CSL

  Sheffield

  CSL

  South Bucks

  ITNet

  South Oxfordshire

  CSL

  Southwark

  CSL

  Taunton Deane

  CSL

  Westminster

  Capita Business Services

  West Devon

  Capita Business Services

  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what has been the total estimated saving from Single Room Rent restrictions(a) in total and (b) in London for each year since 1996; and how many people have been subject to these restrictions in each year. [114099]

  Angela Eagle
  When the Single Room Rent restriction was introduced, the estimated yearly savings, which took little account of behavioural changes, for 1996–97,1997–98 and 1998–99 were £13/£57/£62 million respectively. However, we are unable to provide actual savings because there is insufficient quantitative information to assess how this group as a whole responded to the change.

  Because of the number of reasons which could limit the contractual rent, on which data are not held, it is not possible to estimate the savings from Housing Benefit restrictions.

  The measures which limit the rent for Housing Benefit purposes are:
  certain service charges included in the contractual rent which are not generally eligible for Housing Benefit, for example, charges for cleaning, laundry, fuel, meals and personal care and nursing;
  the range of determinations, including determinations of single room rents, made by rent officers in respect of most claims from tenants living in the private rented sector; and
  where local authorities consider that the rent is unreasonably high or the accommodation overlarge or the eligible rent is none the less too high in respect of a particular case.

  Such information as is available is contained in the table:

  Date

  Numbers assessed under the Single Room Rent restriction rules

  May 1997

  30,000

  May 1998

  32,000

  Source:

  Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit Annual Summary Statistics May 1998.
  148W
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what was the total estimated savings from Housing Benefit restrictions(a) in total and (b) in London for the period 1994–95 to 1998–99; [114098]

  (2) how many households with children were subject to Housing Benefit restrictions as a consequence of rent restrictions in 1997,1998 and 1999; [114095]

  (3) how many households on income support were subject to restrictions of Housing Benefit entitlement (a) in total and (b) in each London borough in 1997–98 and 1998–99. [114097]

  Angela Eagle
  Because of the number of reasons which could limit the contractual rent, on which data are not held, it is not possible to estimate the savings from Housing Benefit restrictions.

  The measures which limit the rent for Housing Benefit purposes are:
  certain service charges included in the contractual rent which are not generally eligible for Housing Benefit, for example, charges for cleaning, laundry, fuel, meals and personal care and nursing;
  the range of determinations, including determinations of single room rents, made by rent officers in respect of most claims from tenants living in the private rented sector; and
  where local authorities consider that the rent is unreasonably high or the accommodation overlarge or the eligible rent is none the less too high in respect of a particular case.

  Under the current arrangements, Rent Officers are required to make rental determinations in respect of claims from most tenants living in the deregulated private rented sector. These determinations restrict the rent for a variety of reasons. We do not centrally collect information on individuals' contractual rent and are unable to provide the information for specific household compositions.

  Mr. Lepper
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what research his Department has(a) carried out and (b) commissioned on the effects of single room rent restriction on the accessibility of housing for those aged 18 to 24 years; and if he will make a statement on the findings of such research. [114517]

  Angela Eagle
  In 1997, the Department of Social Security and the Department of the Environment Transport and Regions (DETR) commissioned the London Research Centre to explore the role of Housing Benefit in the private rented sector. In particular, the study sought to investigate the impact of the single room rent and local reference rent. The study included interviews with young people who had their Housing Benefit restricted under the single room rent rules, as well as with other tenants, landlords, Housing Benefit Officers and Rent Officers. The report was published by DETR in April 1999, with the title 'Housing Benefit and the Private Rented Sector'.

  The findings of the report concluded that the single room rent restriction is causing difficulties for some young people under 25 years in accessing and maintaining accommodation. We are considering the future of the single room rent as part of our wider review of housing. We will be taking account of all the available research which will include the localised reports we received from a variety of organisations on the effects of the single room rent.
  149W
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the cost of implementing the housing benefit verification framework; and what estimates have been made of the savings in housing benefit costs through fraud reduction. [114103]

  Angela Eagle
  The Government have made available £100 million to enable all local authorities to implement the Verification Framework. By the end of 1999–2000 we expect to have spent over £34.5 million funding the implementation of the Verification Framework in 229 local authorities. Some authorities will have received set-up costs, some will have received continuing costs and some will have received both set-up and continuing costs.

  Although it is too early to draw firm conclusions about the impact of the implementation of the Framework on savings in Housing Benefit costs the increasing number of authorities implementing the Framework will make an important contribution towards reducing the estimated £840 million lost each year through fraud and error in Housing and Council Tax Benefit claims. A robust approach to checking at the outset and during the life of a claim will prevent fraudulent claims from entering the system and will detect fraud at the earliest point during the life of a claim. Initial views from local authorities that are fully compliant with the Framework indicate that its implementation has already led to the prevention and detection of a considerable amount of fraudulent claims.

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what evidence he has assessed and what monitoring is being undertaken, of the impact of the housing benefit verification framework on(a) the overall level of housing benefit claims, (b) the level of housing benefit claims from pensioners and (c) the time taken to process new and repeat claims for housing benefit. [114102]

  Angela Eagle
  All local authorities are required to provide Housing Benefit management information. In addition, local authorities fully compliant with the Framework provide Verification Framework management information. This information will enable us to measure the impact of the introduction of the Framework. At present we only have initial views and anecdotal information concerning a limited number of local authorities.

  We are currently examining, and we will continue to monitor, the impact of the Verification Framework on the number of Housing Benefit claims, the overall Housing Benefit caseload and the time taken to process claims. As part of our on-going evaluation of the Framework we will examine the number of pensioners receiving Housing Benefit.

  As soon as robust evidence becomes available the Department will consider publishing this in the usual way.

  ONE Pilot Scheme
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) who employs the personal advisers working in the ONE pilot area currently being run by the Reed/Shaw Trust; [114230]

  (2) from which organisations personal advisers in the ONE pilot areas run by the Reed/Shaw Trust are on secondment. [114231]
  150W
  Angela Eagle
  Reed in Partnership Ltd. is leading a consortium (also comprising the Shaw Trust, Nat West Bank plc and SEMA Group Ltd.) to deliver the ONE pilot in North Nottinghamshire. Their teams of Personal Advisers are staffed by direct employees from Reed in Partnership Ltd., and also by staff on voluntary secondment from the Employment Service, the Benefits Agency, and Ashfield District Council.

  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what training in adjudication has been given to the personal advisers in the ONE pilot scheme. [114229]

  Angela Eagle
  Personal advisers are not trained to adjudicate on benefit entitlement which is the responsibility of fully trained officers of the Benefits Agency or relevant local authority. From 3 April, the personal advisers will decide whether a client has fulfilled the new requirement to take part in a work-focused meeting as part of the normal claims process.

  Benefit Statistics
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what is the margin of error of the statistics being used to measure(a) Jobseeker's Allowance, (b) Income Support and (c) Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance for his Department's Public Service Agreement. [114671]

  Angela Eagle
  There is 95 per cent. confidence that the true figure for fraud and error for Jobseeker's Allowance and Income Support individually is within 8 per cent. of the estimate.

  There is 95 per cent. confidence that the true figure for fraud and error in Income Support and Jobseeker's Allowance combined in the Public Service Agreement are within 5 per cent. of the estimate.

  Landlords
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if a representative sample of landlords is included in the current area benefit review. [114670]

  Angela Eagle
  The review's objective is to measure the extent of losses due to fraud and error, including fraud involving landlords, in Housing Benefit paid with Income Support or Jobseeker's Allowance (Income Based). The sample to be reviewed is therefore made up of a random selection of Housing Benefit claimants including those whose benefit is paid direct to their landlord. The results will give us a representative value for the amount lost through landlord fraud.

  Pensions
  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will seek to amend the Pensions Act 1995 to ensure that the remit of the trustees of a pension scheme includes improving the level of protection of the interests of employees. [112865]

  Mr. Rooker
  We have no plans to amend the Pensions Act in this respect. Under Trust Law pension scheme trustees already have a fiduciary duty to act in the best
  151W
  interests of the beneficiaries of the scheme, including those members who are employees of the sponsoring employer.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many cases the Office of the Pensions Advisory Service has referred to the Pensions Ombudsman in the last year for which figures are available; and of these how many were upheld and subsequently enforced. [112864]

  Mr. Rooker
  In the year ending 31 March 1999, the Office of the Pensions Advisory Service (OPAS) recommended 170 complainants take their case to the Pensions Ombudsman. OPAS suggested that a further 73 complainants, where the evidence was inconclusive, might consider taking their case to the Pensions Ombudsman. Of the 510 cases determined by the Pensions Ombudsman in the year to 31 March 1999, 122 of those upheld had been referred by OPAS.

  It is expected that the determinations of the Pensions Ombudsman will be complied with. Determinations are enforceable by the complainant by means of a County Court order. The Pensions Ombudsman will assist in this procedure if necessary but is not able to keep records as to the total number of cases that have been enforced. There were no Court applications with which he assisted in the year to 31 March 1999.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what steps he will take to ensure all pension schemes are compliant with the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [112861]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Department for Education and Employment has published a Code of Practice which provides practical guidance for anyone with duties under the Act's employment provisions, including managers and trustees of occupational pension schemes.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many grievances about occupational pension schemes have been considered by the Pensions Ombudsman in the last year for which figures are available. [112863]

  Mr. Rooker
  In the year to 31 March 1999, the Pensions Ombudsman's office received 3,067 inquiries. The majority of these inquiries (1,940) were either referred back to the scheme to undergo the internal dispute resolution procedure or on to the Office of the Pensions Advisory Service or the appropriate regulatory authority. 719 cases were accepted for investigation. In addition, 624 cases were already being investigated at the start of the year. The Pensions Ombudsman issued 510 determinations in the year to 31 March 1999.

  Source:

  The Pensions Ombudsman's annual report 1998–99.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what cases of complaint to the(a) Office of the Pensions Advisory Service and (b) the Pensions Ombudsman, have involved breaches of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [112867]

  Mr. Rooker
  No complaints specifically involving breaches of the Disability Discrimination Act have been received by either the Office of the Pensions Advisory Service or the Pensions Ombudsman. Both organisations are aware that a small number of individuals may make reference to this Act in support of complaints about other 152W
  pensions matters. However, neither office keeps statistics on the number of complaints that refer to the Disability Discrimination Act.

  Mrs. Fyfe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what reports he has received as a result of monitoring and evaluating pension schemes of failures to comply with the Pensions Act 1995. [112866]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA) is responsible for securing compliance with those provisions of the Pensions Act 1995 which govern the running of occupational pension schemes. As required by section 2 of that Act, the Secretary of State receives annual reports from the Chairman of OPRA about the activities of the Authority and lays them before Parliament.

  The reports include detailed information and statistics relating to the investigations undertaken by OPRA in the last financial year, the numbers of investigations opened and closed, referrals to the Police and the Serious Fraud Office, and the nature of the penalties imposed by OPRA on those found to have failed to comply with the provisions of the Pensions Act. Copies of the three reports received to date, covering the financial years from 1996–97 to 1998–99, are in the Library.

  Benefit Savings Scheme
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what was the amount of the Security and Control Programme funding for the weekly benefit savings scheme for each year between 1996 and 1999. [114589]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Security and Control Program (S and CP) funding from 1996 to 1999 is shown in the table:

  £ million

  Year

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  S and CP Funding

  106.5

  164

  246

  264

  Note:

  Figures are the audited figures validated by the NAO. (As reported in the NAO Report on Vote 1 Appropriation Account 1995–96 to 1998–99).

PRIME MINISTER

  Ministerial Conduct
  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Prime Minister if the Chancellor of the Exchequer sought his advice on whether the circumstances in which he acquired a flat from AGB Research Ltd. in 1992 presented a possible conflict of interest with his present role in Her Majesty's Government. [104669]

  The Prime Minister
  No.

  Mr. Heathcoat-Amory
  To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the operation of the Ministerial Code, with particular reference to actual or apparent conflicts of interest between Ministers' public duties and private interests in relation to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's purchase of a flat which had been owned by AGB Research Ltd. [104671]

  The Prime Minister
  None.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Millennium Dome
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what days to date all available tickets for the Millennium Dome have been sold; and what was the attendance on those days. [110464]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 17 February 2000]: All available tickets were sold from 1 to 3 January, from 18 to 26 February and on 28 February. Attendances on those days were as follows:

  1 January: 11,190

  2 January: 22,252

  3 January: 21,718

  18 February: 27,000

  19 February: 24,700

  20 February: 26,200

  21 February: 27,621

  22 February: 27,508

  23 February: 25,825

  24 February: 26,443

  25 February: 25,984

  26 February: 24,757

  28 February: 24,969.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the total sum that has been paid by the New Millennium Experience Company since the commencement of the Millennium Dome project in compensation to contractors and designers whose employment or contracts have been terminated by the NMEC. [110917]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 21 February 2000]: No termination payments have been made by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to contractors or designers.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what are the most recent attendance figures for the New Millennium Experience. [113446]

  Janet Anderson
  The Millennium Dome welcomed its one millionth visitor on Saturday 4 March. There were 569,538 visitors to the Millennium Dome in February and 366,420 in January, an increase of 55 per cent.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will invite Jean-Marie Gerbeaux to contribute his expertise to the operation of the Millennium Dome. [113505]

  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 7 March 2000]: It is for the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) to decide what expertise it requires.

  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Millennium Dome tickets have been sold through National Lottery terminals. [112860]

  Janet Anderson
  At 29 February, 289,071 tickets for the Millennium Dome had been sold through National Lottery terminals.

  31 December 2000
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proposals he has for celebrating the start of the new millennium on 31 December 2000. [111802]

  Janet Anderson
  The Millennium Commission was set up to fund projects to mark the year 2000 and the beginning of the third millennium. The Millennium Festival is running throughout the year 2000 and includes events scheduled for new year's eve 2000. In addition, smaller grants are still available to community organisations who can plan millennial celebrations for their villages and towns on 31 December 2000.

  Select Committee Report
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport at what time on 2 March he(a) received a copy of the Fourth report from the Culture, Media and Sport Committee (HC164) and (b) finalised the content of his Department's press notice No. 49/2000. [113777]

  Kate Hoey
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State received a Confidential Final Revise copy of the Fourth Report from the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee shortly after 2.00pm on 2 March. The Departmental press notice was issued shortly after 3.00pm on the same day.

  Athletics Venues
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list those organisations and individuals outside his Department whom he met in the week beginning 28 February to discuss venues for major athletics events and related issues; and at what time and on what date those meetings were held. [113778]

  Kate Hoey
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State had no meetings in that week to discuss venues for major athletics events. I met David Moorcroft and Adam Walker from UK Athletics at 2.30pm on 1 March 2000 in my office at DCMS about a range of issues including, possible venues for major athletics events including the 2005 World Athletics Championships.

  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions his Department has had with(a) Sheffield City Council, (b) Gateshead Council, (c) the City of Edinburgh Council and (d) the Scottish Executive about a national athletics stadium; and if he will make a statement. [113818]

  Kate Hoey
  [holding answer 13 March 2000]: My Department has had no discussions with representatives from City Councils at Sheffield, Gateshead, Edinburgh or the Scottish Executive about a national athletics stadium.

  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the location of a national athletics stadium; [114178]

  (2) if he will make a statement about his policy on the selection of a venue for a British bid to stage the 2005 World Athletics Championships; [113761]
  155W
  (3) if he will make a statement about his Department's consideration of Twickenham Stadium as a venue for (a) the World Athletics Championships in 2005 and (b) track and field events and opening and closing ceremonies during a London Olympic Games. [113760]

  Kate Hoey
  [holding answers 13 March 2000]: Sport England is, together with UK Sport, UK Athletics, the BOA and the Department, undertaking further work on non-Wembley options for staging international athletics events. The Rugby Football Union (RFU) proposed that Twickenham might be used for such events and constructive discussions have taken place between my Department, Sport England, UK Athletics, the BOA, the RFU and the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. Sport England have, in discussion with the parties above, drawn together further information and evaluation criteria and a further announcement will be made shortly.

  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement about his Department's discussions with Manchester City Council about a national athletics stadium. [113937]

  Kate Hoey
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and I met a delegation from Manchester City Council on 19 January 2000 led by my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd), to discuss proposals for holding the 2005 World Athletics Championships. This presentation was followed up by my officials and Sport England who discussed the proposals further with the Chief Executive of Manchester City Council. However, the decision by UK Athletics to submit a London bid for the 2005 World Athletics Championships and the BOA confirming that it will only consider a London based Olympic bid has effectively ruled out Manchester as an option for a national athletics venue. I also understand that the delay caused by redesigning the Manchester stadium upgrade to host the World Athletics Championships could have put the 2002 Commonwealth Games in jeopardy.

  Sports Institute
  Mr. Faber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement about progress in the development of Crystal Palace as a London site for the United Kingdom Sports Institute. [113945]

  Kate Hoey
  Sport England is considering Crystal Palace as a potential site for an English Institute of Sport Network Centre. A major component of the London Centre will be provision for athletics training.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Public Record Office
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what criteria determine the removal for disposal of documents from the Public Record Office; how many were so disposed of in 1999; and if he will make a statement. [114109]

  Mr. Lock
  The criteria which determine the removal for disposal of documents, which have been selected for permanent preservation and have been accessioned into 156W
  the national collection at the Public Record Office, are governed by section 4 (3) of the Public Records Act 1958, which states:
  "The Lord Chancellor may at any time direct that public records shall be transferred from the Public Record Office to a place of deposit appointed under this section or from such a place of deposit to the Public Record Office, or another place of deposit".

  This provision has usually been employed to allow public records which are primarily of local or specialist interest to be transferred to the appropriate local authority record office or specialist archive. These institutions must be approved placed of deposit and are required to have suitable facilities for the safekeeping, preservation and inspection by the public of the records concerned.

  In the calendar year 1999, no public records were transferred from the Public Record Office.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Animal Experiments
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many animals were being used in the UK for scientific experiments on 1 March. [113833]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Records are not held in such a way as to identify the overall number of animals used in procedures on any one day.

  The Statistics of Scientific Procedures on Living Animals (Great Britain 1998) provides a great deal of information on the numbers of animals used including the total number of animals per species used each year. Figures for 1999 are in the process of being collated and are due to be published in the summer.

  Home Detention Curfew
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for each year that figures are available what percentage of the prisoners released on licence under home detention curfew were(a) juveniles and (b) young offenders. [113915]

  Mr. Boateng
  From 28 January 1999 to 31 January 2000, 15.5 per cent. of those prisoners placed on Home Detention Curfew were under the age of 21. Of these, none was aged under 18, as Home Detention Curfew does not apply to prisoners under the age of 18.

  Harlan Animal Breeding Centre
  Mr. David Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will release the unpublished sections of the investigation into the operations of the Harlan UK animal breeding centre in Belton, North West Leicestershire. [114310]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Blanked out areas of the text in the report which I placed in the Library on 8 March represent points bearing on commercial sensitivity, personal safety or confidentiality agreements entered into by the Home Office with the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV) at the outset of our investigation.
  157W
  It is my wish to publish a fuller version of the report, but I cannot do so without the agreement of the BUAV to waive its confidentiality agreement. We are awaiting a final response from the BUAV on this point. They have agreed to waive a couple of the lines out of the ninety lines blanked out and are considering whether they will lift the restrictions on the rest of the blanked out sections of the report.

  Visitor Bond Scheme
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to introduce a bond scheme for visitors to the UK from areas other than South Africa; and if he will make a statement. [113941]

  Mrs. Roche
  We have not yet decided where to run the pilot scheme. A bond scheme can, however, operate only in countries whose nationals require a visa prior to travelling here. As South African nationals do not require prior entry clearance, consideration is not being given to operating the pilot there.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the Government's response to the consultation on its proposal for a bond scheme for visitors to the UK. [113940]

  Mrs. Roche
  An announcement about the results of the consultation process will be made in due course. We will also publish our proposals for the scheme when they are finalised. These will take account of all the representations made to us, including those in response to the consultation document.

  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will publish the responses to the consultation process on a bond scheme for visitors to the UK. [113939]

  Mrs. Roche
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave him on 8 February 2000,Official Report, column 145W.

  Police Pensions
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many early leavers there were from the police pension scheme in each police authority area in(a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999; [114456]

  (2) how many early leavers there were from the Police Pension Scheme in each police authority area between 30 September 1998 and 30 September 1999. [114455]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Police Pension Scheme is administered locally by individual police authorities. Information about those who opt out of the Police Pension Scheme is not held centrally.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what was the number of police pensions in payment in each police authority area in(a) 1989, (b) 1997 and (c) 1999; [114459]

  (2) what was the number of deferred members of the police pension fund in each police authority area in (a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999. [114460]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Police Pension Scheme is administered locally by individual police authorities. The information requested is not held centrally.
  158W
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers in each police authority area were eligible to be members of the police pension fund in(a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999. [114462]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  All regular police officers in the United Kingdom are eligible to be members of the Police Pension Scheme. Membership is automatic unless officers exercise their right to opt out of the Scheme. There are, however, some restrictions on eligibility to rejoin the Scheme after a decision to opt out.

  Information on the total number of police officers in each force in 1997, 1998 and 1999 is set out in the table, a copy of which has been placed in the Library.

  Total police officer strength including secondments within the police service in England and Wales

  Police force

  March 1997

  March 1998

  March 1999

  Avon and Somerset

  3,045

  3,033

  3,010

  Bedfordshire

  1,113

  1,098

  1,050

  Cambridgeshire

  1,322

  1,309

  1,282

  Cheshire

  2,087

  2,083

  2,084

  Cleveland

  1,480

  1,510

  1,450

  Cumbria

  1,164

  1,186

  1,132

  Derbyshire

  1,824

  1,802

  1,768

  Devon and Cornwall

  2,908

  3,006

  2,904

  Dorset

  1,306

  1,331

  1,287

  Durham

  1,489

  1,543

  1,577

  Essex

  2,996

  2,962

  2,898

  Gloucestershire

  1,153

  1,124

  1,106

  Greater Manchester

  7,031

  7,070

  6,836

  Hampshire

  3,504

  3,535

  3,514

  Hertfordshire

  1,793

  1,740

  1,732

  Humberside

  2,071

  2,045

  1,980

  Kent

  3,310

  3,294

  3,246

  Lancashire

  3,309

  3,328

  3,257

  Leicestershire

  1,991

  2,025

  2,006

  Lincolnshire

  1,218

  1,211

  1,146

  London, City of (2)

  883

  846

  787

  Merseyside

  4,332

  4,311

  4,229

  Metropolitan police (1,2)

  27,123

  26,561

  26,133

  Norfolk

  1,455

  1,446

  1,384

  Northamptonshire

  1,199

  1,191

  1,146

  Northumbria

  3,732

  3,821

  3,853

  North Yorkshire

  1,367

  1,396

  1,345

  Nottinghamshire

  2,358

  2,355

  2,234

  South Yorkshire

  3,202

  3,231

  3,215

  Staffordshire

  2,249

  2,326

  2,272

  Suffolk

  1,199

  1,206

  1,192

  Surrey

  1,643

  1,626

  1,667

  Sussex

  3,140

  3,046

  2,867

  Thames Valley

  3,762

  3,838

  3,768

  Warwickshire

  951

  947

  921

  West Mercia

  2,073

  2,046

  2,036

  West Midlands

  7,217

  7,245

  7,352

  West Yorkshire

  5,283

  5,226

  4,996

  Wiltshire

  1,178

  1,184

  1,156

  Dyfed-Powys

  1,016

  1,012

  1,034

  Gwent

  1,261

  1,249

  1,259

  North Wales

  1,397

  1,420

  1,416

  South Wales

  3,030

  3.053

  2,994

  Total of all 43 forces

  127,158

  126,814

  124,520

  NCS

  —

  —

  1,333

  NCIS

  —

  —

  243

  Total

  127,158

  126,814

  126,096

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the number of active members of the police pension fund in each police authority area in(a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 1999. [114461]
  159W
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Police Pension Scheme is administered locally by individual police authorities and the information requested is not held centrally. However, as the vast majority of regular police officers choose to be members of the Police Pension Scheme the number of active members of the Scheme in each force will be slightly less than its total number of officers.

  Police (Best Value)
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the national application of the Association of Chief Police Officers' document, "Harmonisation of Business Processes", and its role in delivering best value by comparison of police forces' performance. [114464]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Association of Chief Police Officers' "Harmonisation of Business Processes" document has been one of a number of emerging influences which have been taken account of, and incorporated into, the new inspection model developed by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. The new inspection model will assist us in our efforts to compare performance across police authorities and Basic Command Units.

  Police (Inspections)
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to use the business excellence model as the framework for future inspections of police forces by Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. [114463]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary has developed a new inspection model which will come into effect on 1 April 2000. This coincides with the introduction of best value into the police service.

  The principles of the Business Excellence Model have been closely followed during the development of this new inspection model. However, the model has been tailored to meet the particular needs of policing.

  A manual explaining the new inspection model is due to be published in April.

  City Status
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the towns which have applied for city status for the third millennium. [114587]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The following towns have submitted bids for the grant of city status for the millennium:

  England

  Blackburn with Darwen

  Blackpool Bolton

  Brighton and Hove

  Chelmsford

  Colchester

  Croydon

  Doncaster

  Dover

  Guildford

  160W

  Ipswich

  Luton

  Maidstone

  Medway

  Middlesbrough

  Milton Keynes

  Northampton

  Preston

  Reading

  Shrewsbury

  Southend

  Southwark

  Stockport

  Swindon

  Telford

  Warrington

  Wolverhampton

  Northern Ireland

  Ballymena

  Lisburn

  Scotland

  Ayr

  Inverness

  Paisley

  Stirling

  Wales

  Aberystwyth

  Machynlleth

  Newport

  Newtown

  St. Asaph

  Wrexham.

  British Nationality Applications
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for British nationality are awaiting approval; and if he will make a statement. [114252]

  Mrs. Roche
  As at 31 January, the current estimated number of British nationality applications awaiting approval was 94,000.

  Stop and Search Operations
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were stopped and searched in 1998 and in 1989; how many people were arrested following stop and search in 1998 and 1999; how many white people per 1,000 population were stopped and searched in 1998 and 1999; how many black and ethnic minority people per 1,000 population were stopped and searched in 1998 and 1999; how many white people per 1,000 population were arrested following stop and search in 1998 and 1999; how many black and ethnic minority people were arrested following stop and search in 1998 and 1999; what was the ratio of stop and searches for black and ethnic minority people for each white person stopped and searched in 1998 and 1999; what was the ratio of arrest following stop and search for black and ethnic minority people for each white person arrested following stop and search in 1998 and 1999; and what
  161W
  was the ratio for conviction following stop and search for black and ethnic minority people for each white person convicted following stop and search in 1998 and 1999 for each police authority in England, and for each borough in the Metropolitan Police area. [114431]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Information by police force area and ethnic appearance of suspect for persons stopped and searched by the police and those subsequently arrested, is published annually by the Home Office in 'Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System', a copy of which is in the Library. This information is also available through the Home Office web site www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/publf.htm. The latest information published in December 1999, covers information for the financial year 1998–99. No information is available centrally for each borough in the Metropolitan Police area or for the number of convictions following a stop and search.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letters to him dated 15 November and 16 December 1999 and 20 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. A. H. Sameh. [114582]

  Mrs. Roche
  My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to my right hon. Friend the Member for Gorton on 9 March.

  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letters to him dated 16 November and 15 December 1999 and 20 January from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. K. Mandelsi Ibrahim. [114581]

  Mrs. Roche
  My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to my right hon. Friend the Member for Gorton on 14 March. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

  Porton Down
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total cost to date of the investigation by Wiltshire Constabulary into the Chemical and Biological Defence establishment at Porton Down; and how many(a) police officers and (b) civilians are employed on it. [114224]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The total costs, as of 29 February 2000, are estimated at approximately £203,000. This figure includes all salaries, overtime, subsistence, travel, accommodation and purchase of additional computer and other equipment.

  Fourteen police officers (one on a part-time basis) and two civilian support staff are employed on the investigation.

  Asylum Seekers Voucher Scheme
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the testing of asylum seeker support vouchers began; and what progress has been made with those tests. [114541]

  Mrs. Roche
  Sodexho Pass began testing the voucher scheme in early March. This is an ongoing process that will continue until the scheme goes live on 3 April.
  162W
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which local authorities have been consulted by Sodexho about the implementation of the new asylum seeker voucher scheme. [114584]

  Mrs. Roche
  Sodexho Pass is not contractually bound to consult local authorities in regard to the voucher scheme. However, the National Asylum Support Service continues to liaise and work with local authorities, through the regional consortia and the Local Government Association, on all aspects of the new support arrangements.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he expects Sodexho to have an asylum seeker voucher scheme ready to implement on 1 April; and if he will make a statement. [114583]

  Mrs. Roche
  Yes. Sodexho Pass, the contractor for the asylum support voucher scheme, will be ready to implement the voucher scheme from 3 April when the new national asylum support scheme begins to be phased in.

  Anti-social Behaviour Orders
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list, for each local authority, the number of anti-social behaviour orders(a) in total and (b) per head of population; and if he will make a statement. [114588]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  As I said in my reply to the hon. Member for Surrey Heath (Mr. Hawkins) on 21 February 2000,Official Report, column 824W, records of numbers of anti-social behaviour orders applied for are not currently held centrally. We understand that about 25–30 orders have been made in England and Wales since the order came into force in April last year.

  Young Offenders
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the(a) number of incidents of concerted indiscipline at each young offender institution and (b) average daily population at each young offender institution in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [114638]

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

  Number of incidents of concerted indiscipline at young offender institutions between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 1999

  Prison Service establishment

  Number of incidents1

  Altcourse

  1

  Aylesbury

  2

  Brinsford

  2

  Brockhill

  1

  Castington

  10

  Deerbolt

  1

  Doncaster

  2

  Dover

  1

  Exeter

  3

  Feltham

  3

  Gloucester

  6

  Hollesley Bay

  2

  Lancaster Farms

  1

  Moorland

  2

  New Hall

  1

  Northallerton

  1

  163W

  Number of incidents of concerted indiscipline at young offender institutions between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 1999

  Prison Service establishment

  Number of incidents1

  Parc

  3

  Rochester

  5

  Stoke Heath

  4

  Wetherby

  2

  Total

  53

  1 Provisional figures

  Average population in young offender institutions in England and Wales in 1999

  Prison Service establishment

  Average population

  Male

  Altcourse

  105

  Ashfield

  32

  Aylesbury

  357

  Brinsford

  500

  Cardiff

  88

  Castington

  350

  Deerbolt

  421

  Doncaster

  515

  Dorchester

  24

  Dover

  265

  Exeter

  63

  Feltham

  822

  Glen Parva

  827

  Gloucester

  119

  Guys Marsh

  134

  Haslar

  150

  Hatfield

  119

  Hindley

  462

  Hollesley Bay

  204

  Hull

  134

  Huntercombe

  305

  Lancaster Farms

  482

  Lewes

  82

  Moorland

  386

  Northallerton

  268

  Norwich

  149

  Onley

  590

  Parc

  253

  Portland

  545

  Reading

  220

  Rochester

  272

  Stoke Heath

  611

  Swansea

  71

  Swinfen Hall

  283

  Thorn Cross

  231

  Usk

  15

  Werrington

  100

  Wetherby

  332

  Woodhill

  78

  Female

  Brockhill

  10

  Bullwood Hall

  65

  Drake Hall

  18

  East Sutton Park

  3

  Holloway

  38

  New Hall

  105

  Styal

  58

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the average time between arrest and sentencing for persistent young offenders(a) in 1999 and (b) from July to December 1999; and if he will make a statement. [114639]
  164W
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The average time between arrest and sentence for persistent young offenders in the first half of 1999 was 110 days. Figures for the whole of 1999 are expected to be available within the next two months.

  Millennium Celebrations (Policing)
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the cost to police forces of additional commitments for policing for the Millennium celebrations; and if he will make a statement. [114649]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The detailed information is not collected centrally, but estimates were provided in the reply that I gave the hon. Member on 21 December 1999,Official Report, column 485W.

  Secure Training Centres
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of concerted indiscipline have been recorded at each secure training centre in each quarterly period since they have been open and in total to date; and if he will make a statement. [114640]

  Mr. Boateng
  There have been a total of 45 recorded incidents of concerted indiscipline at the three secure training centres (STC) since the first centre opened. Medway opened on 17 April 1998, Rainsbrook opened on 1 July 1999 and Hassockfield opened on 17 September 1999.

  The definition of concerted indiscipline is not uniform across the three contracts. In the Medway and Rainsbrook contracts, "concerted indiscipline" is defined as
  Any single act committed by a group of more than two Trainees, which is in breach of the STC Rules.

  In the Hassockfield contract, "concerted indiscipline" is defined as
  Any single incident when two or more Trainees act together with the intention of disrupting the order and discipline of the Secure Training Centre and/or refusing to desist any action or to comply with any lawful order.

  A quarterly breakdown of the total of recorded incidents of concerted indiscipline, by individual centre, is as follows:

  Medway

  Rainsbrook

  Hassockfield

  April-June 1998

  2

  1—

  1—

  July-September 1998

  10

  1—

  1—

  October-December 1998

  5

  1—

  1—

  January-March 1999

  1

  1—

  1—

  April-June 1999

  5

  1—

  1—

  July-September 1999

  3

  1

  1

  October-December 1999

  5

  2

  4

  January-10 March 2000

  2

  0

  4

  1 Not open

  Persistent young offenders often exhibit challenging behaviour. Preliminary analysis shows that half of the early recipients of the Secure Training Order had been excluded from school and at least 75 per cent. had been in local authority homes care. Many trainees have a history of disruptive behaviour in local authority homes. Previous community-based attempts to tackle their offending have proven to be unsuccessful.
  165W
  Dealing with large groups of volatile young offenders has been problematical. The centres have experienced early operating difficulties, each to varying degrees. The contractors continue to learn from their experience and my officials, with the assistance of inspectors from Social Services Inspectorate and Ofsted, continue to monitor the management of each of the centres.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the(a) capital cost of establishing each secure training centre and (b) average cost per place per year; how many places are there in total at secure training centres; what plans he has to open further secure training centres; and if he will make a statement. [114643]

  Mr. Boateng
  The capital costs of secure training centres are met by the contractors, with part of the contract payment (the fixed element) covering the cost of financing the capital expenditure. We estimate that the capital costs are in the order of £10 million per centre. The average cost per place per year, including the fixed element and based on full occupancy, is: Medway £149,445; Rainsbrook £118,161 and; Hassockfield £131,827 (all at January 2000 prices). There are 120 places in total at the three centres. There are currently plans to provide two further secure training centres. From 1 April, the Youth Justice Board for England and Wales will take on the function of commissioning and purchasing secure accommodation for remanded and sentenced children and young people.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many employees involved in education have resigned at each secure training centre since they opened; and if he will make a statement. [114642]

  Mr. Boateng
  There are three secure training centres, each contracted to hold up to 40 trainees. Medway opened on 17 April 1998, Rainsbrook opened on 1 July 1999 and Hassockfield opened on 17 September 1999.

  As at 10 March 2000, the number of teaching staff who have resigned at each of these centres since they opened is six at Medway; one at Rainsbrook; and five at Hassockfield. A further two teachers at Hassockfield are working their period of notice.

  The contracts require each centre to provide each trainee with 25 hours per week of education and/or vocational training, and for nine full time equivalent teachers to be employed at each centre. Occasional shortfalls in the number of full time teachers have been remedied by the use of sessional teachers and all three centres have continued to deliver the requirement for twenty five hours of education per week per trainee throughout the period of contract.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the cost to date of damage caused by those held at each secure training centre; and if he will make a statement. [114641]

  Mr. Boateng
  The cost of damage caused by those held at secure training centres is met in full by the contractor and not passed on to the Home Office. Contractors are not required to provide details of such costs to the Home Office and the information requested is not, therefore, available.

  Vivisection Investigation
  Dr. Ladyman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 8 March 2000,Official Report, columns 661–62W, (1) how many hours work his officials put into investigating the allegations made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection against Harlan UK; what was the total cost of the investigation, including the cost of the time spent on it by his officials; and what plans he has to recoup that cost from the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection; [114200]

  (2) how many allegations of breaches of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, its codes of practices and licence conditions were made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection in their report about Harlan UK; and how many of these were substantiated by the results of the investigation made by his officials; [114201]

  (3) how many lines of text of his officials' report into the allegations made by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection against Harlan UK were blanked out or removed at the request of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection before a copy was placed in the Library; what subjects these sections refer to; what reasons were given by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection for requesting that these sections of the report be blanked out or removed; if these sections include suggestions by his officers that the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection investigator was herself responsible for the breaches that formed the basis of the allegations made against Harlan UK; and if he will publish the full, unedited version of his official's report of their investigation. [114202]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  As originally summarised by the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection (BUAV), there were 22 clusters of allegations which were investigated by the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate. A further set of eight allegations was submitted in July 1999. One breach of a condition of certification, mentioned separately in two allegations, was confirmed. No action has been judged necessary in relation to the remaining allegations.

  Blanked out areas of the text in the report placed in the Library on 8 March reflect confidentiality agreements entered into by the Home Office and points of commercial sensitivity and personal safety. About 90 lines of text were blanked out because of a confidentiality agreement with the BUAV, accepted in July 1999 in order to obtain information to enable a full Home Office investigation. This agreement covered incidental material from videotapes, an audio-tape and diaries kept by the undercover investigator. An interview conducted with her in the course of the Inspectorate's investigation was also subject to the same reservations. Discussions are continuing with the BUAV about the release of confidentiality of these sections of the report, so that a fuller version can be published.

  In excess of 1,000 hours were expended on the investigation into the allegations and the preparation of the report at a cost of more than £36,000. Inspectors were also diverted from other work protecting animals to

  167W
  investigate these allegations. There is no mechanism by which I can recoup the costs from the BUAV: they will form a minor part of the expenditure in operating the 1986 Act which must be recouped each year through levying fees on designated establishments and personal licence holders.

  Automatic Release
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is his estimate of the impact on the average daily prison population of ending automatic release on licence of offenders; and if he will make a statement. [114644]

  Mr. Boateng
  Prisoners sentenced to less than 12 months are released automatically half way through their sentence unless additional days have been imposed for breaches of discipline. These prisoners will be "at risk" until the end of their sentence; that is, if they commit a further imprisonable offence before the end of their original sentence, the court dealing with the new offence may add all or part of the outstanding sentence to any new sentence it imposes. The effect of stopping automatic unconditional release would be approximately to double the number of prisoners currently serving sentences of up to 12 months, which at the end of January 2000 was 7,200.

  Prisoners sentenced to 12 months or more but less than four years are released automatically half way through their sentence (subject to additional days). They are released on licence and subject to supervision up to the three-quarter point of their sentence (or to the end in the case of some sex offenders) and are "at risk" until the end of their original sentence. The effect of stopping automatic conditional release would be to double the number of prisoners currently serving sentences of 12 months and up to four years, which at the end of January 2000 was 19,400.

  Those sentenced to four years or more are eligible for parole half way through their sentence. If parole is not granted then or at a subsequent parole review, release occurs at the two-thirds point of the sentence. Release is on licence and subject to supervision up to the three-quarters point of the sentence (or to the end in the case of some sex offenders). All are "at risk" until the end of their original sentence. The effect of stopping discretionary release could be to increase the number of prisoners serving determinate sentences of four years or more by up to 20,000.

  These estimates assume no change in sentencing practice by the courts.

  Special Constables
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the number of special constables recruited to the Metropolitan Police Service between 30 September 1998 and 30 September 1999 is available; and if he will make a statement. [114454]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that 84 special constables were recruited to the Metropolitan Police Service between 30 September 1998 and 30 September 1999.

  External Consultants
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the external consultants used by his Department since 1997, excluding public relations and marketing consultants, and their cost. [114453]

  Mr. Straw
  Information listing the name and cost of all external consultants used by the Department since 1997, excluding public relations and marketing consultants can be obtained only at short notice at disproportionate cost. The individual values of consultancy contracts are commercial in confidence. The available information is as follows:

  Consultant

  Helix Consulting Group

  Janet Maitland

  Debenham Consulting

  Kinsley Lord

  Ioanann Management Consultants

  Kermon

  KPMG

  Smythe Dorward Lambert

  Clear Communication

  BDO Stay Hayward

  Admiral

  Manpower IT Services

  Institute for Employment Studies

  Ernst & Young/Qi/Bull

  EcSoft

  Equilibra

  Angela Harris

  Mary Manolias

  Tom Debenham Consultant

  Capitas Ras

  PA Consultancy

  Gensys Editoral

  Priority Training Ltd. (Bull)

  Hendra

  PA Consulting Group

  Price Waterhouse Coopers

  Sir William Stubbs

  Summerfield Wilmot Keene

  Mark Carroll

  Mike Briggs

  Brian Farrington Ltd.

  Mott McDonald

  Mr. Ron Harrington

  Winfield Consulting

  AWA Associates

  South Bank University Enterprises

  Derek Sullivan

  Guy Sears

  Munro Sutherland

  West Midlands Fire Service

  J. Carven

  David Hayton

  C. Herbert

  J. Greenwell

  W. Mumford

  J. Mulley

  R. Hastie Smith

  169W

  Cashton

  W. Kirkham

  B. Venner

  Holmes Ellis Consultants

  Central Communications Telecommunications Agency

  Beamount Colson Ltd.

  Dr. Saroj Patel

  Total Value: £6,208,025.

  Best Value
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if, in delivering best value, it is his policy that comparisons should be made between the performance of basic command units within police forces; and if he will make a statement on the criteria to be used. [114457]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  In January this year, for the first time, the recorded crime statistics were published at Basic Command Unit (BCU) level. This allows local people to judge and compare the performance of their local police. From July 2000, this will be augmented with recorded crime statistics being published at crime and disorder reduction partnership level.

  Both the BCU and the partnerships' data will be published in a form which will assist comparison on a like with like basis. We are working, in conjunction with Leeds University, to draw up families of BCUs and partnerships, so that they can be compared with one another within these families. We expect the existence of these families to be a significant help to police forces and authorities who, under Best Value, wish to benchmark performance at local level.

  Minister

  Location

  Date of travel

  Date of return

  Purpose

  Kate Hoey

  The Hague

  7 February 1999

  8 February 1999

  Ministerial visit to Europol

  Kate Hoey

  Berlin

  10 February 1999

  12 February 1999

  Informal meeting of Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA)

  Home Secretary

  Berlin

  11 February 1999

  11 February 1999

  Informal meeting of JHA Council

  Kate Hoey

  Bonn

  23 February 1999

  23 February 1999

  Restricted meeting of the JHA

  Home Secretary

  Brussels

  11 March 1999

  12 March 1999

  JHA Council Meeting

  Kate Hoey

  Brussels

  11 March 1999

  12 March 1999

  JHA Council Meeting

  Paul Boateng

  Brussels

  13 March 1999

  14 March 1999

  Meeting with EU Commissioner for Social Affairs

  Lord Williams

  Thailand and Cambodia

  13 March 1999

  19 March 1999

  Meetings regarding child sex exploitation matters

  George Howarth

  Brussels

  16 March 1999

  16 March 1999

  Meetings regarding drugs and European elections

  Kate Hoey

  Cologne

  24 March 1999

  28 March 1999

  Attending conference on domestic violence/violence against women.

  Kate Hoey

  Luxembourg

  7 April 1999

  7 April 1999

  Special JHA council on Kosovo

  Home Secretary

  Luxembourg

  7 April 1999

  7 April 1999

  Special JHA council on Kosovo

  Kate Hoey

  Brussels and Turin

  20 April 1999

  22 April 1999

  Appearance at Civil Liberties Committee and football intelligence officers

  Lord Williams

  Germany

  10 May 1999

  12 May 1999

  Meetings with German Minister responsible for prisons

  Home Secretary

  Bonn

  10 May 1999

  10 May 1999

  Meeting with Interior Minister

  Home Secretary

  Brussels

  26 May 1999

  27 May 1999

  JHA Council Meeting

  Kate Hoey

  Brussels

  26 May 1999

  28 May 1999

  JHA Council Meeting

  Paul Boateng

  Chicago

  26 May 1999

  28 May 1999

  Meetings regarding policing, drugs and social exclusion

  Paul Boateng

  Washington

  28 May 1999

  7 June 1999

  Severe personality disorder. Meetings and visits

  Kate Hoey

  Vilnius

  30 June 1999

  1 July 1999

  Meetings regarding immigration and organized crime

  Kate Hoey

  Helsinki

  17 July 1999

  18 July 1999

  Pre-Presidency ministerial visit

  170W
  From April 2001, Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary hope to undertake more comprehensive inspections at BCU level. This will also allow comparisons to be made. These inspections will be based upon the same principles as the new Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary inspection model for police authorities. A BCU inspection protocol is currently being developed.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy that police forces should use(a) external consultants or (b) internal assessment for the purposes of assessing Best Value performance. [114465]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Under the Local Government Act 1999, individual police authorities are responsible for delivering best value. This includes the extent to which they use external consultants or undertake internal assessments.

  Immigration and Nationality Directorate
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were employed in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate on 1 February. [112620]

  Mrs. Roche
  [pursuant to her reply, 6 March 2000, c. 545]: The number of staff employed in the Immigration and Nationality Directorate on 1 February was 5,806.

  Ministerial Visits
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the occasions on which he and Ministers in his Department have undertaken overseas visits in the cause of their ministerial duties since 28 January 1999, indicating the purpose and duration of each visit. [114458]

  Mr. Straw
  The information requested is given in the table.
  171W

  Minister

  Location

  Date of travel

  Date of return

  Purpose

  Lord Bassam

  Lille

  19 August 1999

  19 August 1999

  Attending French launch of 'Show Racism the Red Card' campaign

  Home Secretary

  Turku, Finland

  15 September 1999

  17 September 1999

  JHA Council (informal meeting)

  Barbara Roche

  Turku, Finland

  15 September 1999

  17 September 1999

  JHA Council (informal meeting)

  Barbara Roche

  Warsaw, Poland

  23 September 1999

  23 September 1999

  Meeting with Polish Minister of Interior

  Home Secretary

  Tampere, Finland

  14 October 1999

  16 October 1999

  Special JHA Council meeting

  Paul Boateng

  Madrid

  14 October 1999

  15 October 1999

  Meetings regarding volunteering and prison matters

  Barbara Roche

  Luxembourg

  29 October 1999

  29 October 1999

  JHA Council Meeting

  Paul Boateng

  Paris

  16 November 1999

  17 November 1999

  Attending Community Service Volunteering Conference

  Paul Boateng

  Utrecht, Holland

  18 November 1999

  19 November 1999

  Visit to Centre for treating severely personality disorder individuals

  Home Secretary

  Brussels

  2 December 1999

  3 December 1999

  JHA Council Meeting

  Home Secretary

  Brussels

  2 December 1999

  3 December 1999

  JHA Council Meeting

  Barbara Roche

  Brussels

  2 December 1999

  3 December 1999

  JHA Council Meeting

  Barbara Roche

  The Hague

  20 January 2000

  21 January 2000

  Visit to The Netherlands. Minister Job Cohen—to see Dutch asylam

  Paul Boateng

  Stockholm

  26 January 2000

  26 January 2000

  Stockholm International Conference on the Holocaust (accompanying Foreign Secretary)

  Home Secretary

  Lisbon

  3 March 2000

  4 March 2000

  JHA Meeting

  172W

  Refugees: NACAB Proposal
  Refugees: NACAB Proposal
  Interception of Communications
  Interception of Communications
  War Crimes: Definition
  War Crimes: Definition
  Blakenhurst: Request/Complaint Procedures
  Blakenhurst: Request/Complaint Procedures
  Cultural Diversity
  Cultural Diversity
  Demining
  Demining
  Army Transport Museum: Exhibits
  Army Transport Museum: Exhibits
  National Army Museum Chairman
  National Army Museum Chairman
  National Army Museum Vehicles
  National Army Museum Vehicles
  National Army Museum: Role North of Watford
  National Army Museum: Role North of Watford
  Sierra Leone and Congo: Use of Reserve Forces
  Sierra Leone and Congo: Use of Reserve Forces
  Disability Benefit Take-up
  Disability Benefit Take-up
  Greenwich Park: Car-parking Charges
  Greenwich Park: Car-parking Charges
  IACS: Field Margins
  IACS: Field Margins