Written Answers of 6 February 2001

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Apes
  Dr.Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what development projects her Department supports which involve the protection of apes. [148834]

  Clare Short
  Our primary aim is poverty reduction. We are not directly involved in ape protection projects. The sustainable management of ecosystems is important in improving poor peoples' livelihood and in some cases contributes to the conservation of apes and their habitats, principally through support for sustainable forest management. For example, we have recently agreed a £25 million programme to tackle illegal exploitation of forest resources in Indonesia.

  Romania
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development for what reasons her Department's support for the Romania Information Centre has ceased. [147212]

  Clare Short
  We have supported the Romanian Information Centre since 1993. This funding was not intended to be indefinite in duration and the centre has been encouraged for some years to plan for self-sustainability. An independent report, a copy of which is being placed in the Library of the House, did not make a convincing case that the centre could achieve self-sustainability. We decided therefore that we should focus our resources on the poverty challenges to be tackled in Romania.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  CPS (Victim Consultation)
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Solicitor-General what(a) statutory and (b) non-statutory duties there are on

  Total funding for marriage and relationship support since 1996

  £

  Financial year

  Organisation

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  Core

  Relate

  1,683,020.00

  1,898,620.00

  1,953,680.00

  2,067,477.00

  2,396,585.00

  One Plus One

  63,401.65

  167,000.00

  171,843.00

  217,139.08

  270,000.00

  Marriage Care

  163,770.00

  263,770.00

  271,419.00

  292,876.41

  333,516.00

  Tavistock Marital Studies Institute

  375,435.00

  385,759.46

  396,946.00

  422,757.65

  486,161.00

  Jewish Marriage Council

  16,912.00

  16,912.60

  41,912.00

  49,009.80

  48,313.00

  Family Welfare Association

  23,458.25

  23,458.25

  24,138.00

  30,741.45

  99,925.00

  Inter-Agency Co-operation

  —

  21,200.00

  —

  —

  —

  London Marriage Guidance Council

  —

  —

  —

  50,000.00

  100,000.00

  Parentline Plus

  —

  —

  —

  20,000.00

  60,000.00

  444W
  (i) the CPS and (ii) the police to consult victims before dropping or downgrading charges. [148978]

  The Solicitor-General
  In relation to the duties of the Crown Prosecution Service I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Buckingham (Mr. Bercow) on 30 January 2001,Official Report, column 112W, and that given to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Mr. Hughes) on 5 February 2001, Official Report, column 357W.

  The police no longer have any power to drop or downgrade charges as the prosecution is in the hands of the Crown Prosecution Service. The 1996 Victim's Charter commits the police to keep victim's informed of significant developments in a case—ie when a person has been charged, any decision to drop or substantially alter those charges, the date of trial and the final outcome of the case.

  The CPS seeks the views of the police prior to making a decision to discontinue or substantially to alter charges. This procedure provides the opportunity for the police to consult the victim, in appropriate cases, before the final decision is made.

  On 7 December 2000, the Attorney-General published new guidelines outlining the approach that should be adopted by a prosecution advocate when considering the acceptability of a defendant's plea. The guidelines emphasise that the prosecution should keep victims or victims' families attending court informed of developments in a case and, wherever practicable, speak with them so that their views and interests can be taken into account as part of the decision-making process.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Marriage Support
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what bids have been received in each year since 1996 for funding for marriage support; how much each bid has been worth; which of the bids have been successful; and what is the total value of grants towards marriage and relationship support. [148482]

  Jane Kennedy
  The table sets out the Department's funding for marriage and relationship support since 1996. In general, funds have been allocated after negotiation, rather than as a result of a formal bidding process. The total funding will increase to £4.5 million in 2001–02, and to £5 million in 2002–03.
  445W

  Total funding for marriage and relationship support since 1996

  £

  Financial year

  Organisation

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  Projects

  Relate

  —

  58,250.00

  18,300.00

  —

  —

  One Plus One

  —

  134,720.00

  10,000.00

  14,700.00

  87,000.00

  Marriage Care

  —

  67,214.00

  15,000.00

  —

  —

  Tavistock Marital Studies Institute

  —

  10,550.00

  10,550.00

  —

  —

  Family Welfare Association

  —

  72,550.00

  40,600.00

  —

  —

  Marriage Resource

  —

  138,128.00

  —

  —

  —

  African Family Mediation Service and London Marriage Guidance

  —

  89,190.00

  21,680.00

  —

  —

  The Light House (Christian Care Ministry)

  —

  29,580.00

  29,580.00

  —

  —

  All Souls College

  —

  42,751.00

  35,864.00

  —

  —

  Oasis Media—National Marriage Week

  —

  —

  —

  16,291.38

  30,000.00

  Community Family Projects

  —

  —

  —

  —

  30,000.00

  2asl.net

  —

  —

  —

  —

  40,000.00

  Asian Family Counselling Service

  —

  —

  —

  —

  18,500.00

  Total

  2,325,996.90

  3,419,653,31

  3,041,512.00

  3,180,992.77

  4,000,000.00

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Lottery Grants (Scotland)
  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what proportion of successful applications to each Lottery distribution body came from each Scottish local authority area in each year since the National Lottery began; [148282]

  (2) what proportion of applications made to each lottery distributor from each Scottish local authority area have been successful in each year since the National Lottery began; [148280]

  (3) what proportion of the money awarded by each Lottery distribution body went to each Scottish local authority area in each year since the National Lottery began; [148283]

  (4) what proportion of applications to each Lottery distribution body came from each Scottish local authority in each year since the National Lottery began. [148281]

  Kate Hoey
  We have contacted the National Lottery distributing bodies to request the information required, and I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as it is available, placing copies of my letter in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Mr. Donohoe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what action he will take to reduce the geographical differences in the distribution of Lottery grants in Scotland; and if he will make a statement. [148284]

  Kate Hoey
  The Government are keen to see all parts of the United Kingdom receive a fair share of Lottery funding. Reforms introduced through the National Lottery Act 1998 are designed to encourage this. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State also issued new policy directions which direct distributors to ensure that all parts of the country have access to funding, and to take into account the need to reduce economic and social deprivation.
  446W
  Ministers in the Scottish Executive can make directions and take other decisions about the Scottish operations of Lottery distributors where they relate to devolved policy areas. My Department and Lottery distributors commissioned research into the impact of the Lottery on the coalfields and other areas of low take-up and my right hon. Friend has established an action group to take forward the report's recommendations. Lottery distributors in Scotland participate in the work of the group, which also has the support of the Scottish Executive.

  Mr. Robert Bourne
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 16 January 2001,Official Report, column 135W, on what date he was first informed that Mr. Robert Bourne had made donations to the Islington, South and Finsbury Labour Party. [148565]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  [holding answer 2 February 2001]: I was first informed of such donations when they were made, prior to becoming a Minister. In relation to subsequent events I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 16 January 2001, Official Report, column 135W.

  Millennium Commission
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) on what date, and by whom, instructions were first given to the Millennium Commission with regard to the holding of, and management of, reserves; [148658]

  (2) what reserves were held by the Millennium Commission on 31 December (a) 1997, (b) 1998, (c) 1999 and (d) 2000; and what plans there are for the (i) management and (ii) disposal of these reserves. [148657]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  This is a matter for the Millennium Commission. I will write to the right hon. Member in my capacity as Chairman of the Commission, and place copies of my reply in the Libraries of both Houses.
  447W

  New Opportunities Fund
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list for each of the past 12 months(a) income and (b) expenditure of the New Opportunities Fund; and what the latest figure is for his (i) unused and (ii) uncommitted reserves of that fund. [148860]

  Kate Hoey
  Monthly income and expenditure figures from January to December 2000 are shown in the table. At 31 December 2000 the New Opportunities Fund's cumulative income since its establishment in July 1998 was £724 million, including interest; £636 million has been awarded as grants. The balance available in the National Lottery Distribution Fund is £553 million, of which £511 million is committed to grant recipients.

  New Opportunities Fund Income and Expenditure for the 12 month period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2000

  £000

  Income

  Expenditure (incl. hard commitments)

  January

  16,522.5

  15,977.1

  February

  22,652.5

  40,423.3

  March

  37,364.2

  16,138.1

  April

  16,312.4

  12,221.3

  May

  21,239.1

  20,797.0

  New opportunities fund out of school hours childcare grants in the Harrow, West constituency since 1997

  Date of Award

  School

  Organisation Running Project

  Amount (£)

  Provision

  1999

  Earlsmead F and M School

  Earlsmead F and M School

  3,559

  16 before and 16 after school places for children aged 5 to 14 years old

  1999

  Harrow High School and St. Gregory's High School

  Kufi Educational Service

  10,000

  Summer School

  2000

  St. George's School

  St. George's School and Parents and 23,200 Staff Association

  23,200

  35 additional after school, 20 before school and 20 holiday places for children aged 3 to 11 years old

  2000

  Schools local to Rayners Lane Estate

  Rayners Lane Estate Tenants and Residents Association

  6,915

  25 place holiday club for children ages 5 to 11 years old

  2000

  Kenmore park First School, Roxeth Manor Middle School and Horsenden School

  Chosen Generation Services

  48,000

  84 after school and 40 before school places for children aged 3 to 11 years old

  The Fund has also allocated £718,884 to Harrow local education authority under the Information and Communications Technology Training for Teachers programme.

  Playing Fields
  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he plans to publish a report on the findings of the Playing Fields Monitoring Group. [148696]

  Kate Hoey
  The Playing Fields Monitoring Group has met three times since being established in April last year. The Group is currently working to produce a comprehensive and unified set of statistics from the DfEE, DETR and Sport England on playing fields, which will 448W

  New Opportunities period Fund Income and Expenditure for the 12 month January 2000 to 31 December 2000

  £000

  Income

  Expenditure (incl. hard commitments)

  June

  18,528.0

  1,727.0

  July

  21,691.7

  54,118.7

  August

  43,749.5

  1-7,016.0

  September

  21,936.9

  30,629.7

  October

  21,213.8

  21,831.5

  November

  18,754.7

  20,943.6

  December

  18,575.5

  48,407.7

  Total

  278,540.8

  276,199.0

  1 An adjustment to hard commitments in August created the credit balance

  Note:

  Hard commitments outstanding at 31 December 2000 were £277,621,583.01

  Mr.Greth R.Thomas
  To ask the secretary of state for Culture for Media and Sport if he will list the New Opportunities Fund grants to school in Harrow, West constituency in each year since May 1997. [148324]

  Kate Hoey
  The new opportunities Fund has made five awards to project in the Harrow West constituency through the Out of School Hours Child care programme, totalling £91,674. Details of awards are shown in the table.
  give a clear indication of the position of playing field disposals for publication later this year. I should like to pay tribute to the assistance which the Central Council of Physical Recreation and the National Playing Fields Association are providing to the work of the Group.

  Mr.Greenway
  To ask the secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to the oral answer of 22 January 2001,Official Report, column 637,to the right hon. Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones),what criteria are used by his Department to define school playing fields. [148698]

  Kate Hoey
  In the context of my answer of 22 January 2001,Official Report, column 637, to my right hon. Friend the Member for Alyn and Deeside (Mr. Jones), my Department uses the definition of school playing fields as

  449W
  set out in the Education (School Premises) Regulations 1999. These Regulations define school team game playing fields as
  "any playing fields within the meaning (in relation to both England and Wales) of section 77 of the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 which, having regard to their configuration, are suitable for the playing of team games and which are laid out for that purpose."

PRIME MINISTER

  Mobile Phone Industry
  Mr. Green
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the meetings he has had with representatives of the mobile phone industry since 1 January 2000. [148532]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings.

  Hinduja Brothers
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress made by the inquiry conducted by Sir Anthony Hammond; and what representations he has received relating to the scope of the inquiry. [148952]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her right hon. and hon. Friends by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary on 30 January 2001,Official Report, column 167W.

  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will notify Sir Anthony Hammond of the information he has received from the Intelligence services on the Hinduja brothers. [148388]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker) on 2 February 2001,Official Report, column 335W.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Road Surfaces
  Mr. McLoughlin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which sections of concrete roads are planned to be surfaced with quieter materials in the financial year beginning in April 2001; and what criteria were used to select them for priority treatment. [145445]

  Mr. Hill
  The Highways Agency is consulting on proposed criteria for prioritising the resurfacing of concrete roads with quieter materials to meet the Government's commitment that all concrete trunk roads will be resurfaced within 10 years. As indicated in the Agency's consultation letter, copies of which are in the 450W
  Libraries of the House, the sections of concrete roads that are planned to be resurfaced in the financial year beginning April 2001 are:

  M5: part of Junction 26 to Junction 27

  M25: Junction 26 to Junction 27

  M27: Junction 2 to Junction 4 (both directions)

  M42: Junction 9 to Junction 10 (northbound)

  Al: Winthorpe to north Muskham

  A12: part of a section from M25 to Witham (Essex)

  For this year priority has been given to those roads requiring maintenance to keep them in a safe and serviceable condition. For subsequent years priorities will be set according to the criteria that will be finalised following consideration of the responses to the Agency's current consultations.

  Waste Incinerators
  Mr. Temple-Morris
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the relationship between the temperature at which municipal solid waste incinerators burn and the impact on the health of local residents associated with emissions from such incinerators; and if he will make a statement. [147509]

  Mr. Meacher
  There have been no specific studies focusing directly on the relationship between the burn temperature of an incinerator and the health of local residents.

  Temperature is not the only factor affecting emissions. It is an important component but the content of emissions is also reliant on residence time within the secondary chamber, the associated oxygen content and the turbulence of gases within this chamber.

  The UK is ultimately concerned with emissions, rather than temperature in its own right. The new Waste Incineration Directive sets a minimum temperature for operation but acknowledges that this need not be met where the required emissions limit values can be achieved notwithstanding. The UK will transpose this Directive into domestic legislation by 28 December 2002.

  MOX Fuel Shipments
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what information he has received from(a) the Japanese Government and (b) the Federation of Electric Power Companies of Japan concerning negotiations with Russia to assess the possibility of transporting nuclear waste from Sellafield to Japan via the Arctic. [147742]

  Mr. Meacher
  None, from either source.

  Start Bay, Slapton
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the environmental damage to Start Bay, Slapton following(a) the recent storm and (b) storms in 1978–79. [147290]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 26 January 2001]: My Department has not undertaken any such assessments.
  451W
  Construction of flood defences for Torcross followed the 1978–79 storms.

  I understand that South Hams district council and Devon county council are concerned about managing this sensitive area properly and on 18 January held a joint meeting with relevant agencies including the Environment Agency and English Nature to discuss a draft shoreline management plan for the area between Strete and Start Point, which encompasses Start Bay.

  Strategic Planning
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the levels of spending on strategic planning per head of population were in(a) Staffordshire and (b) each other county of England (i) in the current year and (ii) in each of the last three years, distinguishing in each case the element represented by standard spending assessment. [148290]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  Local authority expenditure on strategic planning is not separately identified in any of the returns made by local government to central Government. The SSA system does not make a separate provision for strategic planning; rather it is one of the many services funded through the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services SSA block. Consequently we are unable to provide the information requested.

  Secondments
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the secondments from commercial companies to his Department since 1997. [148405]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  Secondments are part of the Interchange Initiative which promotes the exchange of people and good practice between outside organisations and the Civil Service. All sectors of the economy are involved: Voluntary, Education, Health, Public and Private. Interchange is a key component of the reform agenda. The Modernising Government White Paper committed us to increasing interchange, in particular by bringing in more people on secondment and sending more of our people out.

  The commercial companies that have seconded staff to the Department since 1997 are as follows:

  ABROS

  AMEC Construction Ltd.

  Anchor Trust

  Balfour Beatty

  Bank of Scotland

  Bellway Urban Renewal

  Boots Chemists

  Bovis Europe

  British Gas

  British Telecom

  Building Research Establishment Ltd.

  Buro-Happold Consulting Engineers

  452W

  Christiani amp; Nielsen

  Civil Aviation Authority

  Crime Concern

  Crown House Engineering

  The Church of England

  D. A. Dawson amp; Associates

  Development Trust Association

  Digital Futures

  Drake and Scull Engineering Ltd.

  EHF NHS Trust

  English Nature

  Geoffrey Reid Associates

  Halcrow Group

  Hider

  Institute Of Fiscal Studies

  IPPR

  Japanese Construction Industry

  KPMG

  Kvaerner Cementation Foundations

  Kvaerner Construction

  London Transport

  Look Ahead Housing and Care

  Marks and Spencer

  National Grid

  National Housing Corporation

  OPM

  OVE Arup

  Robert Gordon University

  Rothschilds

  Safe in the City

  Taylor Woodrow Construction Ltd.

  Unilever

  Waste Watch

  Waters Ltd.

  Wates Construction Ltd.

  Pensions
  Mr. Bill O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the payment of pensions to members of NBPF and BEST and the National Bus Company transferees. [148303]

  Mr. Hill
  I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to the Adjournment debate held on 25 January 2001,Official Report, columns 1183–85, on this subject, in which I urged all the parties involved to reach early agreement on the outstanding matters which are impeding completion of the distribution to beneficiaries of the National Bus Company pensions settlement.

  Pollution Regulations
  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to review the implementation of the Pollution Prevention and Control (England and Wales) Regulations 2000 as they apply to small firms preparing environmental impact assessments. [148286]
  453W
  Mr. Hill
  There are no plans to review this aspect of the PPC regulations, which largely transpose the provisions in the IPPC Directive. We are, however, looking at ways in which information provided through the Environmental Impact Assessment and Pollution Prevention and Control procedures can complement each other, within the constraints set by EC legislation, to minimise the impact on small businesses.

  Diabetes (Drivers)
  Mr. Ennis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many drivers suffering from diabetes have informed the DVLA of their condition. [148617]

  Mr. Hill
  The treatment of diabetes can be by insulin, tablet or diet or a combination of these.

  Diabetics treated by diet do not need to notify the Agency of this condition.

  Diabetics treated by tablets do need to notify the Agency, but no further medical investigation is needed. A reply is sent to the driver explaining that the licence can be retained and the Agency only need to be further notified if certain conditions apply in relation to diabetic control (tablet/diet). Some 15,000 such notifications are received on an annual basis.

  Diabetics treated by insulin must notify the Agency of this. Drivers are sent a detailed questionnaire to complete. Provided the diabetes is well controlled, a three year licence is issued. Some 100,000 diabetics on insulin have notified this condition to the Agency.

  Registered Social Landlords
  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources have been allocated over the next three years to enable the transfer of council housing stock to registered social landlords. [148637]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The Housing Policy statement on 13 December 2000 confirmed that the Government's spending plans for 2001–02 to 2003–04 include provision to support the transfer of up to 200,000 local authority homes to registered social landlords each year from 2001–02, where tenants support the proposals.

  Crop Protection Chemicals
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the joint industry submission, Minimising the Environmental Impacts of Crop Protection Chemicals, Revised proposals February 2001. [148868]

  Mr. Meacher
  The November 2000 pre-Budget report announced that, in the run up to Budget 2001, the Government wished to see the Crop Protection Association make further improvements to the package of voluntary measures that the industry has been developing over the last year. This latest submission from the CPA, and a number of other stakeholders involved in the supply and use of crop protection products, was received by the Government on 29 January. It is currently being evaluated and a further statement will be made in the Budget report.
  454W

  Housing (Leeds)
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many housing capital approvals were given to Leeds in(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000. [148870]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  Housing capital allocations made to Leeds city council through the Housing Investment Programme and Capital Receipts Initiative for the years specified were as follows:

  £ million

  1997–98

  16.459

  1998–99

  22.123

  1999–2000

  23.903

  In addition, the council received the following grant for the continuing Estate Action schemes at Belle Isle, Ebor Gardens and Halton Moor:

  £ million

  1997–98

  3.856

  1998–99

  4.069

  1999–2000

  3.412

  The council is also progressing its PFI pilot project—one of only eight nationally—at Swarcliffe, which received endorsement by the PFI inter-departmental Project Review Group in November 1999.

  Driving Licences
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2001,Official Report, column 9W, on driving licences, what discretion (a) he and (b) the DVLA has to waive the two year rule regarding the period during which a test pass certificate is valid as the basis for the issuing of a full driving licence. [148652]

  Mr. Hill
  Neither the Secretary of State, nor the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, has any discretion to waive the two year validity period for a driving test pass certificate. This period is fixed by section 89(1)(a) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended by the Road Traffic (Driver Licensing and Information System) Act 1989).

  The practical test pass certificate carries a clear warning to candidates that they should change the certificate for a full licence within two years of the date of the test; otherwise they will lose the entitlement.

  Social Housing
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what measures he is taking to improve the availability of social housing in rural areas; [148966]

  (2) what steps he is taking to improve rural housing for people on low incomes. [148960]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  This Government are taking a number of steps to improve housing conditions in both rural and urban areas.
  455W
  We have set a target to bring all social housing up to a decent standard by 2010. This target will be delivered through a range of investment options available to local authorities and through a significant increase in resources for housing. An extra £1.8 billion is being made available over the next three years to improve existing stock and provide new affordable housing.

  In our recent housing policy statement "The way forward for housing" we have set out a range of proposals to tackle poor conditions in the private sector. These will give local authorities more flexibility to help poorer home owners with repairs to their homes and make it easier for them to target interventions on concentrations of poor condition stock in the private sector.

  Our Rural White Paper "Our Countryside: the future. A fair deal for rural England", published last year, set out our strategy for delivering more affordable housing in rural areas.

  This strategy includes ensuring the housing needs of rural areas are properly assessed and planned for in local housing strategies. We have significantly increased resources for delivering new affordable housing, by nearly doubling the Housing Corporation's Approved Development Programme with an extra £872 million over the next three years. We will double the number of affordable homes provided through the Housing Corporation's rural programme in settlements of less than 3,000 people over the next three years.

  We are also encouraging local authorities to fund new social housing in rural areas where there is high demand, using additional resources allocated to them. We want local authorities to make greater use of their planning powers to negotiate the provision of affordable housing as part of new private housing developments.

  Planning
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure the compatibility of planning legislation in Wales and England with European legislation and with the Human Rights Act 1998. [148318]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  I refer to the response by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning to a question from the hon. Member for Eastbourne (Mr. Waterson) on 19 December 2000,Official Report, column 119W. The judgment of the divisional court has been appealed. The appeal will be heard in the House of Lords on 26 February.

  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when planning policy guidance 13 will be revised. [149062]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  We have consulted on a revision to Planning Policy Guidance Note 13: Transport. Work on the final version of the guidance is at an advanced stage and we intend to publish it as soon as possible.

  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans 456W
  to issue a planning policy statement to clarify the approach that the Government expect local authorities to take towards farm diversification proposals. [149060]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  We are actively considering this issue and hope to make a statement shortly, by Easter if possible.

  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when his Department will publish the revised farmer's guide to the planning system. [149061]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  I expect a revised and updated version of "A Farmer's Guide to the Planning System" to be published by the summer.

  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when planning policy guidance 25 will be revised. [149047]

  Mr. Raynsford
  My Department published today a consultation document on the revised draft of Planning Policy Guidance Note (PPG) 25 "Development and flood risk". The Government have revised the original consultation draft published in April 2000 to take account of consultation responses, lessons from the floods and the Second Report of the Environment, Transport and Regional Affairs Committee "Development on, or affecting, the flood plain", which was published on 20 December 2000.

  The revision toughens and sharpens the precautionary risk-based focus of the original draft and we feel it necessary, therefore, to seek views from the interested parties before finalising the PPG. This consultation is being conducted in accordance with the Government's January 2001 "Code of practice for written consultation" over a shorter period of four weeks, rather than the standard 12 weeks. The reasons for the shorter consultation period are that this is an urgent matter, on which new guidance is required without delay, and that a full initial round of consultation has already been carried out. The revised draft substantially reflects the Select Committee report. The Government have concluded that, in the light of continuing experience with major flooding, and in line with the views of the Select Committee, the final text should be issued as soon as is consistent with consulting on the important changes to the previous draft.

  The main changes to the previous draft are:

  1. the introduction of an explicit risk-based sequential test that directs authorities and developers towards sites at lower risk from those at higher risk;

  2. within that test, a flexible approach should be used in those extensive areas of flood risk and other areas where alternative low-risk sites are not available to avoid a virtual moratorium leading to social and economic blight, while minimising any additional risk;

  3. a clear statement that building in the functional flood plains, where water flows or is held at times of flood, should be wholly exceptional and limited to essential infrastructure that has to be there;

  4. a stronger emphasis on planning in relation to river catchments at all stages in the plan-making process;

  5. a request that planning authorities should review land allocations in their development plans in the light of the latest information on flood risk, where possible in combination with the reviews of land suitable for housing already recommended

  457W
  in PPG 3. Within this requirement, planning authorities and developers should continue to give preference to previously developed land when it is possible to do so in terms of flood risk;

  6. a requirement that applicants should assess the flood risk to their proposed developments and the impact of their proposals more widely;

  7. guidance to local authorities that, where other funding is not already available, builders and developers should fully fund the provision and future maintenance of the flood mitigation and defence works required by their proposals;

  8. guidance that all new developments should, as far as possible incorporate sustainable drainage measures to avoid adding to flood risks elsewhere and to encourage developers to promote building designs that are better able to resist and cope with flooding, and which, when flooded, can recover faster;

  9. encouragement to local planning authorities to make flood-risk information available to prospective developers and property owners making planning searches.

  The Government are committed to monitoring the implementation and effectiveness of the new guidance when it is issued through the MAFF high-level targets and the relevant Government statistics. They are also committed to reviewing the impact of the guidance on development three years after its publication and with particular reference to the latest information about climate change.

  I am also considering the possibility of a Flooding Direction, which would ensure that the views of the Environment Agency on flood risk are properly considered. However, I propose to wait before consulting on such a Direction until the compatibility of the Secretary of State's call-in power with the Human Rights Act 1995 has been considered by the House of Lords within the next few months, on appeal from a number of decisions by the High Court in December 2000.

  The experience of the last few months has demonstrated the costs to all parties of development being located in vulnerable areas. Flood risk has to be taken more seriously, particularly since climate change is likely to increase the scale and frequency of flooding in the future. A proper consideration of flood risk requires the stronger and tougher guidance on which we are now consulting. As part of the consultation, we will be seeking views on the regulatory impact and the costs and benefits of implementing this guidance.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to increase transparency and openness in the planning process. [148924]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  It is vital that the planning system be open and transparent if it is to command public confidence. It needs to encourage the positive involvement of local people and others in the process and ensure that high standards of probity are maintained.

  Through our "Modernising Planning" programme we are taking a range of initiatives to promote these objectives—for example, through improvements to the arrangements for preparation of regional planning guidance and development plans, through the introduction of Best Value, and in our forthcoming proposals on planning obligations.
  458W
  The Government endorse the Local Government Association's "Probity in Planning", which recommends the practices and procedures which local authorities' codes of conduct should cover to ensure propriety in decision-making.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what arrangements his Department has for examining the codes of conduct prepared by local authorities. [148932]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  At present councillors are guided by the National Code of Local Government Conduct as set out in DOE Circular 8/90. Part III of the Local Government Act 2000 provides for the replacement of the national code by a new statutory model code of conduct. This will contain mandatory provisions which must be included by councils in codes of conduct that they will be required to adopt. Once adopted, councils' codes of conduct will be subject to the scrutiny of a new independent body—the Standards Board for England—which will be able to investigate breaches of a council's code by its members.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to monitor the observance of planning codes of conduct by individual local authorities. [148931]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  We have no current plans to do so. However, the Government endorse the Local Government Association's "Probity in Planning" which recommends the practices and procedures which local authorities' planning codes of conduct should cover. This advises that failure to follow its recommendations without good reason could be taken into account in investigations of maladministration, either by the Local Government Ombudsman or a council's internal investigation of a complaint, and have implications for the standing of councillors and professional officers.

  Affordable Rented Housing
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what his estimate is of the number of(a) new build and (b) newly converted affordable rented housing which will be available in (i) London and (ii) England in each of the next five financial years. [148387]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The Department does not make forecasts of new build or conversions.

  Homes Bill
  Ms Kelly
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many times(a) the Minister for Housing and Planning and (b) his officials met service charities to discuss Part II of the Homes Bill; and what the outcome was of these meetings. [149103]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  There have been no meetings between the Minister for Housing and Planning and service charities to discuss Part II of the Homes Bill. Officials from my Department's Rough Sleepers Unit have met service charities a number of times to discuss the prevention of homelessness among ex-servicemen.
  459W

  Clean Fuel Vehicles
  Mr. Kirk wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will estimate how many new and nearly new cars have high enough noxious emission ratings to qualify for a full conversion grant to LPG; [147898]

  (2) if he will list the schemes funded by his Department to encourage greater use of clean fuel vehicles, indicating the sums of money devoted to each such scheme; [147900]

  (3) how many grants are paid by Government sponsored schemes to encourage the use of clean fuel vehicles; [147901]

  (4) what plans he has to extend the eligibility of grants for conversion to encourage the use of clean fuel vehicles. [147902]

  Mr. Hill
  The Powershift programme, sponsored by my Department and operated by the Energy Saving Trust, provides grants towards the cost of converting new vehicles and those less than one year old to cleaner fuels including LPG. To be eligible for grant, conversion packages must be approved as safe and effective in reducing emissions. Grants range up to 75 per cent. depending on the reduction in emissions delivered.

  Conversion packages eligible for grant are available for most cars. The number of cars whose conversions could attract the full 75 per cent. grant depends on the number of different cars, and different conversion packages, chosen by consumers.

  The following table summarises the number of vehicles broken down by fuel type that have received grants from the Powershift programme:

  Fuel type

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–011

  Liquefied petroleum gas

  187

  686

  1,618

  4,425

  Natural gas

  78

  99

  28

  59

  Electricity

  38

  47

  105

  82

  Total

  303

  832

  1,751

  4,566

  1 Up to 31 December 2000

  My Department is providing Powershift with £9.9 million for the current financial year and £30 million over the next three financial years.My Department also sponsors the Clean Up programme, also operated by the Energy Saving Trust, which aims to reduce emissions from existing vehicles operating in urban areas. The programme includes projects to fit emission reduction technologies and to convert older vehicles to run on cleaner fuels where it proves cost effective and environmentally beneficial to do so. Clean Up is currently receiving £6 million for this financial year and £30 million over the next three financial years.

  My Department will also spend £9 million over the next three financial years to encourage the early introduction of technologies such as hybrid and fuel cell vehicles offering significant environmental benefits.

  The Clean Up programme has only just been launched. However, it has already provided grants towards the cost of converting 25 existing London taxis to run on LPG.

  My Department will be consulting shortly on the future direction of the expanded Powershift programme.
  460W
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will extend the scheme to allow new and nearly new cars to qualify for grant aid to encourage conversion to LPG and other clean fuel systems. [147899]

  Mr. Hill
  The Powershift programme, which is sponsored by my Department, provides grants towards the cost of converting vehicles less than one year old to cleaner fuels including LPG.

  The Government have significantly extended the scale of the scheme. This year's budget is £9.9 million. This was increased in the 2000 spending review, to £30 million over the next three financial years

  My Department will be consulting shortly on how the expanded Powershift programme should best be targeted in future years.

  Correspondence
  Sir Brian Mawhinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire of 14 November 2000 on behalf of his constituent Mr. Gillett. [149206]

  Mr. Hill
  I regret the delay in this matter. A reply will be sent to the right hon. Member shortly.

  Heathrow Airport
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if preparatory building works for the proposed fifth terminal at Heathrow have begun. [148835]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  This is a matter for the relevant local planning authority, which has responsibility for the enforcement of planning control.

  Aircraft Icefalls
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) how many icefall incidents were reported for each month in 2000; [148838]

  (2) what bacteriological investigations are required when ice falls from aircraft occur; [148840]

  (3) what plans he has to introduce fines for airlines which operate aircraft which show signs of leakage from toilet service valves; [148837]

  (4) what arrangements have been made to compensate persons injured from ice falls where the airline concerned cannot be identified. [148839]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  I refer the hon. Member to my predecessor's reply on 23 November 2000,Official Report, column 287W.

  The Secretary of State has no plans to introduce fines for airlines operating aircraft that show signs of defects in toilet service valves. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has issued guidance on checking aircraft water systems, but this only applies to UK operators and aircraft. Operators are instructed to carry out a regular review of their servicing procedures and scheduled maintenance requirements for such systems. The CAA also reminds

  461W
  operators of the requirement to initiate corrective action as soon as a defect on a sealing system is detected. Aircraft are regularly checked by the CAA in the UK and by other regulating bodies abroad for evidence of leaking systems. Responsibility for the safety of foreign aircraft however, rests with the respective State of Registry.

  The details of all reported icefall incidents in the UK are included on the Civil Aviation Authority's Mandatory Occurrence Reporting System (MORS). The MORS database shows that a total of 39 incidents were recorded in the year 2000. A monthly breakdown is shown:

  Month

  Number

  January

  6

  February

  7

  March

  2

  April

  5

  May

  3

  June

  7

  July

  2

  August

  2

  September

  2

  October

  1

  November

  0

  December

  2

  The CAA will investigate any icefall incident reported to them in sufficient detail to allow a probable identification of the source of the ice. However, this is not an easy process and it is extremely rare to be able to confirm the origin of an icefall. Where the source of an icefall can be identified then the operator, regardless of nationality, can be prosecuted under the Air Navigation Order. In such a situation, a person suffering loss or injury resulting from the icefall could also seek damages through a civil action under the Civil Aviation Act 1982. This course of action is only available where the offending aircraft can be identified.

  Given the nature of icefall incidents, it is also extremely difficult for either the Government or the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to carry out a bacteriological investigation, and there is no current requirement to do so. In many cases the ice melts or disperses within a relatively short period after the time of the incident.

  Apes
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received concerning the establishment of a labelling system of ape-friendly products for imports which have not resulted in the destruction of ape habitats. [148833]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  This Department has received 24 letters in support of a campaign launched in September 2000 by the Ape Alliance, calling for direct action to help conserve great apes, including the labelling of timber products from forests harvested in an environmentally responsible manner. Advice provided in my Department's "Green Guide for Buyers" and on our internet website, actively encourages buyers to purchase timber products from sustainably managed sources, and we are also investigating additional ways to help buyers to identify such products.
  462W

DEFENCE

  Bowman Personal Role Radio
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the Bowman Personal Role Radio. [149426]

  Dr. Moonie
  I am pleased to announce that the contract for the Bowman Personal Role Radio was signed on 2 February. British-based Marconi has been selected to supply the short-range tactical radio, which will be used within small military teams. The project has made excellent progress since we took the decision to introduce it ahead of the main Bowman programme and we expect to see the first deliveries before the end of the year. The contract award is good news for British industry—creating or sustaining around 80 jobs at Marconi and its UK sub-contractors—and of course for the front line which will see this capability introduced earlier than had been previously planned.

  The competition for the main Bowman system is also progressing well. Bids for the supply and support contract are due on 7 February from TRW, Thales and Computing Devices Canada.

  Service Discipline Acts (Journalists)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if journalists working alongside British forces in times of conflict are subject to the Service Discipline Acts. [148203]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: The Service Discipline Acts provide for the cases in which people accompanying British forces are subject to those Acts. This will be the case if a person accompanies British forces on active service or if a person is authorised by the Defence Council to accompany British forces outside the United Kingdom for the purposes of his profession or employment. In these circumstances a correspondent would be subject to the Service Discipline Acts.

  During armed conflicts involving British forces, there is an established procedure under which correspondents are accredited as accompanying British forces. Only with such accreditation are correspondents accepted to accompany British units in the front line during the build-up to potential conflict or in war. As part of the procedure a correspondent applying for accreditation is given a copy of the MOD's regulations for correspondents accompanying an operational force. This includes information that an accompanying correspondent will be subject to Service law. For accreditation as an accompanying correspondent the applicant must also give some undertakings, including to comply with the relevant Service Discipline Act, while subject to naval, military or air force law.

  Journalists who are in the theatre of operations of British forces but who are not accompanying them are not subject to the Service Discipline Acts.

  Arctic Campaign Star
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the awarding of a campaign star to veterans of the Arctic campaign in the Second World War; and if he will make a statement. [149197]
  463W
  Dr. Moonie
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Tynemouth (Mr. Campbell) on 5 February 2001,Official Report, column 360W.

  Falcon System
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Falcon studies will be completed; and if the Falcon system has the same capability as the Bowman system. [148555]

  Dr. Moonie
  The concept studies for Falcon are expected to complete in autumn 2001. Falcon and Bowman are separate but complementary communications capabilities which will operate together to support command and control across the whole spectrum of land tactical operations. In broad terms, Bowman will support tactical operations up to brigade level and will provide some elements of divisional communications infrastructure. Falcon meanwhile will support higher formations strategic and operational communications from corps level down to brigade.

  Export Licences
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will name the division within his Department with responsibility for handling export licences and the name of the civil servant who leads it. [148597]

  Dr. Moonie
  Overall responsibility for export licensing of strategically controlled goods rests with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry. Within my Department, the Directorate of Export Services Policy (DESP) is responsible for seeking and co-ordinating the views of a range of advisers within the Department to produce agreed MOD advice on all export licence applications circulated for advice by the Department of Trade and Industry. The Directorate is headed by a senior civil servant, Mr. M. K. Jenner.

  Armed Forces Discipline
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the disciplinary offences falling to summary discipline procedures for each of the armed services and the punishments which may be imposed. [148201]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: A list of disciplinary offences falling to summary discipline procedures and the punishments available will be placed in the Library of the House.

  An offence should be tried by court martial if it is likely to merit punishment in excess of a Commanding Officer's powers of punishment, when imprisonment might be awarded, or if there are legal complexities, or where the accused elects trial by court martial.

  Officer Legal Training
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officers received legal training in 2000; how long this training took; what it cost; and who the trainers were. [148202]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: All Service lawyers undertook Continuous Professional Development during the year. The Royal Navy, unlike the
  464W
  Army and the Royal Air Force, selects officers from within the Service to receive professional legal training. This is provided by the College of Law and the Inns of Court School of Law, with pupillage in chambers. There are seven officers currently undergoing this training, whose course fees and supporting material are costing a total of approximately £34,000 for the current financial year. In addition, officers received training from a variety of internal and external sources in relation to the new procedures brought in by the Armed Forces Discipline Act 2000 as well as more general training to enable them to understand the legal aspects of their administrative and command functions. It is not possible to provide details of the associated lengths of training, the costs and the trainers, since this information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Welfare Phone Facilities
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to extend welfare phone facilities to those on exercises. [148923]

  Mr. Spellar
  Consideration is being given to extending free welfare telephone facilities to Service personnel for exercise deployments outside the country in which they are based, where the deployment is expected to last for two months or more. This facility would apply to both land-based and maritime exercises and would give exercising personnel the same access to free welfare telephone facilities as those on operational deployments.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  First Point International
  Sir Richard Body
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will carry out an investigation into the operations of the company First Point International, and the reasons for defaulting on its creditors. [148904]

  Dr. Howells
  A winding-up order was made against First Point International Limited on 10 May 2000. The Official Receiver is under a statutory duty to investigate the causes of the company's failure and the promotion, formation, business, dealings and affairs of the company, and to make any appropriate reports to the court. There is therefore no need for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to mount a separate investigation of these matters.

  Coal Mining Subsidence
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to receive the Coal Authority's Sixth report on its administration of the Coal Mining Subsidence Damage Repair and Compensation Scheme. [149587]

  Mr. Hain
  I have now received this report from the Coal Authority, and have arranged for copies to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses today.

  Industrial Gas Prices
  Mr. Cotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect
  465W
  the new Bacton-Zeebrugge gas pipeline link between Britain and continental Europe has had on industrial gas prices in the UK. [148300]

  Mr. Hain
  A major cause of the price rise has been arbitrage across the UK-Belgium interconnector with high oil related gas prices in continental Europe. This has been made worse by the lack of liberalisation and competition in the Continental market and the consequent absence of real gas to gas competition.

  The high wholesale price has led to sharp increases in the price of gas to industry—particularly companies with contracts tied to the spot price.

  While arbitrage is an accepted market mechanism, the Government have had concerns about aspects of the operation of the interconnector. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry therefore wrote to Commissioner Monti requesting a Commission competition inquiry into the interconnector. I am pleased to say that on 1 February the Commission announced that they would be looking into this.

  In the meantime the Government will be pressing for increased liberalisation and competition in the Continental market. We firmly believe that this is the key to a long term solution.

  Environmental Protection (State Aid)
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will publish the European Commission's guidelines for granting state aid to firms that promote environmental protection; and if he will make a statement. [149136]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  When the guidelines are finalised, they will be published in the Official Journal. I will arrange for an English Language version to be placed in the Library of the House, and I will also send one to the hon. Member.

  Electricity
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what he estimates the cost of delay will be to consumers and industry if the New Electricity Trading Arrangements are not implemented by 27 March. [146951]

  Mr. Hain
  While we have already seen some of the benefit of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA) through lower forward prices over the past year, clearly the full benefit of NETA will not be realised until it is actually introduced. The priority is therefore to ensure that NETA is implemented on 27 March, as the target implementation date confirmed by Ofgem on 31 January.

  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what measures Ofgem are carrying out to ensure that the new electricity trading arrangements will be implemented by 27 March; [146949]

  (2) when he will announce whether the new electricity arrangements are on course to go live on 27 March. [146948]

  Mr. Hain
  When the revised timetable for the implementation of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA) was announced last October, it was the result of a comprehensive replanning exercise 466W
  undertaken by Ofgem. Since then, Ofgem have closely monitored the progress of the project against a series of key milestones. The programme is now moving into the final phase of testing, known as Unified Pre-production and, subject to the successful outcome of this, NETA remains on course for implementation on 27 March.

  I also refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Plymouth, Sutton (Mrs. Gilroy) on 31 January 2001, Official Report, column 188W.

  BAE Marine
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what communications he has had relating to the Type 45 proposal submitted by BAE Marine; and if he will make a statement. [149086]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  I have received communications from ministerial colleagues, hon. Members and other interested parties.

  The Government's response to BAE Systems's unsolicited proposal for the T45 Destroyers was set out by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 20 December 2000, Official Report, column 238W.

  Crop Protection Chemicals
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the joint industry submission, "Minimising the Environmental Impacts of Crop Protection Chemicals", revised proposals February 2001. [148863]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  The November 2000 pre-Budget report announced that, in the run up to Budget 2001, the Government wished to see the Crop Protection Association make further improvements to the package of voluntary measures that the industry has been developing over the last year. This latest submission from the CPA, and a number of other stakeholders involved in the supply and use of crop protection products, was received by the Government on 29 January. It is currently being evaluated and a further statement will be made in the Budget report.

  Ilisu Dam
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the most recent estimate of the number of Kurdish people who will be displaced from the banks of the River Tigris as a result of the Ilisu Dam project; and if he will make a statement. [148537]

  Mr. Caborn
  We do not yet have a final estimate of those affected by the project. A number of estimates have been made at different times and 78,000 has been suggested as an upper estimate of the number of people possibly affected in any way. We expect this to be clarified by the Environmental Impact Assessment Report and the Resettlement Action Plan when they become available.

  Not all of the affected people would need resettlement, and the effect on some would be quite minor. Nevertheless, the interests of all affected people must be taken into account.
  467W
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the environmental assessment relating to the Ilisu Dam project will be published. [148507]

  Mr. Caborn
  We expect that a presentation on the Environmental Impact Assessment Report will be made to the export credit agencies shortly, and that the Environmental Impact Assessment Report will be made publicly available after this presentation, and before any decision is taken regarding export credit support from the UK. As we are not the owners of the reports we cannot be more specific about timing.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate was included of the number of homeless Kurdish people in the plans to create the Ilisu Dam when it was first brought to the attention of his Department; and if he will make a statement. [148538]

  Mr. Caborn
  When the Export Credits Guarantee Department was first approached, it was advised that in the region of 15,000 people might be affected by the Ilisu Dam.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what compensation will be offered to the Kurdish people displaced to accommodate the Ilisu Dam project; and if he will make a statement. [148539]

  Mr. Caborn
  Compensation for those displaced or otherwise affected by the project is one of the issues we expect to see addressed in the Resettlement Action Plan.

  Human Rights (Turkey)
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has held with the Government of Turkey regarding human rights, specifically with regard to the Kurdish people. [148548]

  Mr. Caborn
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has had no recent discussions with the Government of Turkey on this subject. However, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and my hon. Friend the Minister for Europe regularly raise human rights issues in routine bilateral contacts with the Turkish government.

  Petroleum Discoveries
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress PILOT has made in identifying clusters of petroleum discoveries with potential for development. [149588]

  Mr. Hain
  The formal invitation for companies to apply for licenses for blocks 113/28 and 113/29 in the Eastern Irish Sea has now appeared in the Official Journal. These blocks contain gas discoveries that have been identified by PILOT'S Undeveloped Discoveries Workgroup, as having potential for development. I am pleased that the efforts of the Workgroup have led to this invitation being made.

  There is tremendous potential on the UKCS for the development of existing oil and gas discoveries. The Workgroup has made good progress in identifying a number of discovery 'clusters' that will benefit from being developed as a group rather than being assessed as individual projects.
  468W
  The decision to offer these blocks for licence was taken after consultation with a number of organisations including the Joint Nature Conservation Committee and English Nature. In the event that licences are awarded, activities carried out under them will be subject to a separate approvals process that will take account of the requirements of relevant environmental legislation.

  Mivan Ltd./Kier International
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will place details of his Department's accounting officer's note of dissent relating to Mivan Ltd. and Kier International to construct housing and provide water services in Romania in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [148287]

  Mr. Caborn
  I have considered this request under the terms of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information and concluded that providing this information would harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion within Government. The request therefore falls within the terms of exemption 2 of the Code of Practice.

  Hinduja Brothers
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the dates of(a) the meetings and (b) other contacts made by Ministers with the Hinduja brothers, indicating which (i) Ministers and (ii) other hon. Members were present and which hon. Members arranged the meeting. [148620]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave on 2 February 2001, Official Report, column 336W, to the right hon. Member for Maidstone and The Weald (Miss Widdecombe).

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Winter Fuel Payment
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 15 January 2001,Official Report, column 80W, concerning winter fuel payments, how many of the people who were incorrectly issued with a winter fuel payment in 1997–98 were allowed to keep the money. [148497]

  Mr. Rooker
  As I said in my written answer of 15 January 2001, no further information is available.

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many pensioner households in Crosby have benefited from the winter fuel allowance. [148336]

  Mr. Rooker
  The information is not available in the format requested, as Winter Fuel Payment statistics are not collected by household. For such information as is available on the number of payments made in each parliamentary constituency so far this winter I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Northavon (Mr. Webb) on 31 January 2001,Official Report, column 238W.

  Fraud
  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the cost of anti-fraud measures was in(a) 1997–98 (b) 1998–99 and (c) 1999–2000. [145201]
  469W
  Mr. Rooker
  The Department set out its strategy for tackling fraud and error in the paper—"A New Contract for Welfare: Safeguarding Social Security" (Cm 4276)—published on 23 March 1999. The overall aim of the strategy is to have a benefit system which is secure from first claim to final payment.

  The implementation of this strategy means that an anti-fraud focus is integral to the work of the Department, as is dealing with the wider agenda of error and incorrectness in benefit payments. It is therefore not possible to account for the cost of all anti-fraud work separately. It is an important part of the Department's work.

  National Insurance Numbers
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what checks are being undertaken to ensure the veracity of National Insurance numbers; and when the programme to check the accounts held on the Departmental Central Index will end. [148489]

  Mr. Rooker
  All adult applicants for a National Insurance number (NINO) will be interviewed by specially trained staff. Information given by the applicant in support of their application will be corroborated. Expert staff will also scrutinise documentation provided using specialist equipment.

  We have developed an enhanced NINO process for adult registration which will be rolled out nationally by 31 March 2001. This enhanced process will increase the veracity of new National Insurance numbers with less duplicate accounts being created.

  The Departmental Central Index (DCI) Data Cleaning Project will end on 31 March 2001. Since the project began we have removed over 204,000 duplicate records from the DCI database.

  Acquired Brain Injury
  Mr. Woolas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people with acquired brain injury are in receipt of welfare benefits. [147971]

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

  As at 1 April 1999 there were 8,300 Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit recipients with a primary diagnosis of fractured skull and facial bones, intracranial injury or crushing injury of the head.

  As at 31 August 2000 there were 3,900 Incapacity Benefit recipients and 600 Severe Disablement recipients with a primary diagnosis of fracture of the skull, intracranial injury or other head injury

  Notes:

  1.All cases of incapacity are coded using the International Classification of Disease, 10th Edition. Acquired brain injury is not recorded as a separate category in this code.

  2. Disorders recorded as secondary conditions are not recorded.

  3. Figures for Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance are based on a 5 per cent. sample of the benefit computer system and will exclude a small number of clerically held cases.

  4. Figures for Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit are based on a 10 per cent. sample of clerical records.
  470W
  5. Figures for Disability Living Allowance and Income Support are not available by this category of diagnosis.

  Ms Blears
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what assessment he has made of(a) the cost of benefit payments to individuals with acquired brain injury and (b) the number of people with acquired brain injury who have not returned to work; [147963]

  (2) what support his Department offers to people with acquired brain injury. [147960]

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

  There is a wide range of Social Security benefits available.

  It is not possible to estimate reliably the expenditure on benefit payments to individuals with acquired brain injury because it is not recorded as a separate category of incapacity for receipt of benefit. However, the latest available information on the number of people in receipt of benefit due to head injury is as follows.

  As at 1 April 1999 there were 8,300 Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit recipients with a primary diagnosis of fractured skull and facial bones, intracranial injury or crushing injury of the head.

  As at 31 August 2000 there were 3,900 Incapacity Benefit recipients and 600 Severe Disablement Allowance recipients with a primary diagnosis of fracture of the skull, intracranial injury or other head injury.

  Notes:

  1. All cases of incapacity are coded using the International Classification of Disease, 10th Edition. Acquired brain injury is not recorded as a separate category in this code. Disorders recorded as secondary conditions are not recorded.

  2. Figures for Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance are based on a 5 per cent. sample of the benefit computer system and will exclude a small number of clerically held cases.

  3. Figures for Industrial Injury Disablement Benefit are based on a 10 per cent. sample of clerical records.

  4. Figures for Disability Living Allowance and Income Support are not available by this category of diagnosis.

  Stakeholder Pensions
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Newport, West (Mr. Flynn) of 29 January 2001,Official Report, column 9, if he will make a statement on the basis on which the Minister of State said that Tesco is planning to take contributions at its supermarket checkouts. [148406]

  Mr. Rooker
  Tesco have advised that they are considering taking contributions to a stakeholder pension at their checkouts, but to date have not made a final decision on the matter. I relied, for part of my answer to my hon. Friend the Member, on a paraphrase of an item in The Observer of 21 January 2001.

  Maintenance Assessment Procedure
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what his current estimate is of the date by which all existing Child Support Agency cases will be moved on to the new maintenance assessment procedure. [148491]
  471W
  Angela Eagle
  The child support reforms in the Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000 will be introduced for new cases by April 2002. Existing cases will be transferred at a later date, once we are sure that the new system is working well.

  Pensions (Overseas Residents)
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Cheltenham (Mr. Jones) of 15 January 2001,Official Report, column 79W, how many pensioners who live abroad and receive an annually up-rated basic state pension are (a) single and (b) married; and how many in each group are under the age of 75 years. [148503]

  Mr. Rooker
  We estimate that as at 31 March 2000 there were 359,800 pensioners residing overseas who had an annually up-rated basic state pension. We further estimate that 238,600 pensioners were under the age of 75. Details are not available based on marital status.

  Notes

  1. The case count figures quoted are in thousands and are rounded to the nearest hundred.

  2. Includes all retirement pensioners resident overseas.

  3. Pensioners resident in the Channel Islands are not included in the case count figures.

  4. We are unable to supply information from the Pension Strategy Computer System based on marital status.

  Source:

  5 per cent. sample from the Pension Strategy Computer System at 31 March 2000.

  Northgate Office (Running Costs)
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many(a) staff, (b) personal computers, (c) printers, (d) fax machines and (e) vehicles are based at his Department's offices at Northgate in Glasgow; and what the annual running costs are of this facility. [148434]

  Allocations 1997–98 to 2000–01 for the City of Westminster

  £000

  Grant

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  School Capital

  1,072

  2,025

  1,339

  4,089

  Standards Fund

  490

  742

  3,153

  5,464

  School Standards Grant

  —

  —

  —

  687

  School Budget Support Grant

  —

  —

  —

  128

  Transitional Funding for former GM Schools Grant

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Nursery Education Grant (4-year-olds)

  1,209

  507

  521

  525

  Nursery Education Grant (3-year-olds)

  —

  —

  218

  1,065

  Teachers Pay Reform Threshold Special Grant

  —

  —

  —

  450

  Partners for Study Support Grant

  —

  —

  —

  3

  Independent/State School Partnership Grant Scheme

  —

  9

  7

  —

  Allocations 1997–98 to 2000–01 for the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea

  £000

  Grant

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  School Capital

  362

  1,090

  682

  1,929

  Standards Fund

  353

  311

  1,757

  4,147

  School Standards Grant

  —

  —

  —

  430

  School Budget Support Grant

  —

  —

  —

  70

  Transitional Funding for former GM Schools Grant

  —

  —

  —

  99

  Nursery Education Grant (4-year-olds)

  806

  252

  208

  229

  472W
  Angela Eagle
  This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. John Swinney, dated 5 February 2001:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your Parliamentary Question about how many (a) staff, (b) personal computers, (c) printers, (d) fax machines and (e) vehicles are based at his Department's offices at Northgate in Glasgow; and what the annual running costs are of the facility.
  There are 875 staff employed at Glasgow Benefits Centre, Northgate. 151 of these work on a part-time basis. Salary costs for April 1999 to March 2000 were £12,097,992. Non-staff costs for the same period were £934,705.
  There are 712 personal computers (PCs) attached to the benefit processing computer systems, 272 stand alone PCs, 12 laptop computers, 185 printers and 41 fax machines. There are no vehicles based at Northgate.
  I hope this is helpful.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Government Grants (Central London)
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list each category of grant, and the amount of each grant, paid by his Department to(a) Westminster and (b) Kensington and Chelsea in (i) 1997–98, (ii) 1998–99, (iii) 1999–2000 and (iv) 2000–01; and what the projected figure is for 2001–02. [146309]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Listed are the Department's school education grants and funding allocations paid to the City of Westminster and the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea for each of the last three years and the current year, and projected grant figures for 2001–02 where known. These do not include funding for former GM schools in 1997–98 and 1998–99 which received grant directly from the Funding Agency for Schools. The figures for 2000–01 are the total grants currently estimated to be paid to these local education authorities.
  473W

  Allocations 1997–98 to 2000–01 for the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea

  £000

  Grant

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  Nursery Education Grant(3-year-olds)

  —

  —

  —

  806

  Teachers Pay Reform Threshold Special Grant

  —

  —

  —

  270

  Partners for Study Support Grant

  —

  —

  —

  10

  Independent/State School Partnership Grant Scheme

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Projected grant figures for 2001–01, where known

  £000

  Grant

  Westminster

  Kensington and Chelsea

  School Capital

  2,683

  1,109

  School Standards Grant

  1,240

  810

  Nursery Education Grant (3-year-olds)

  1,091

  826

  Partners for Study Support Grant

  9

  10

  Final allocations of the Standards Fund, transitional funding for GM schools and Teachers Pay Reform Threshold Special Grant are not yet known for 2001–02.

  In addition, Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea will receive in 2000–01 and 2001–02 Special Grant funding to support other elements of the pay reform package:

  performance pay progression;

  appointments to assistant head posts (leadership group grant);

  deputies assimilation.

  It is not possible to predict figures per local education authority.

  The Volunteer Bureau within the Royal borough of Kensington and Chelsea in partnership with Westminster Volunteer Bureau have been awarded £80,000 funding spread over two years, 2000–02, to co-ordinate both the recruitment of volunteers and the provision of mentoring support across both boroughs. This includes training volunteers' mentors to support a number of primary and secondary schools mentoring programmes.

  Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea are one Excellence in Cities partnership. In 1999–2000 and 2000–01 they jointly received £35,000 for small scale projects and £6,000 for laptops in respect of this partnership. In 2000–01 they received £2,000 for good practice in respect of the partnership.

  There have also been a number of miscellaneous payments made to Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea regarding the Graduate Teacher Programme and Registered Teacher Programme. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Table 1: Children aged three in free early years education places1England and each local education authority in England, 1996–2000

  Position as at January

  19962

  19972

  19982

  19992

  20003,7

  England

  210,075

  214,173

  222,031

  225,669

  266,350

  North East

  23,955

  23,707

  22,944

  22,452

  24,280

  Cleveland5

  7,427

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Hartlepool4,6

  —

  1,143

  1,179

  1,193

  1,100

  Middlesbrough4,6

  —

  1,919

  1,898

  1,840

  1,740

  Redcar and Cleveland4,6

  —

  1,988

  1,794

  1,784

  1,800

  Stockton-on—Tees4,6

  —

  2,351

  2,177

  2,001

  1,980

  474W
  Under this Government, funding per pupil has already increased by over £300 in real terms, and it will increase by a further £150 per pupil for 2001–02. Under the last Government, funding per pupil fell by £60 in real terms between 1994–95 and 1997–98. There will be further increases in funding following the year 2000 spending review: a further £370 per pupil over the three year period, taking the total increase to nearly £700 between 1997–98 and 2003–04.

  Early Years Education
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list for the(a) United Kingdom and (b) each local authority, the number of three-year-olds with free early years education places providing five or more sessions of education per week in (i) 1979, (ii) 1990 and (iii) for each year from 1992 to 2000. [147244]

  Ms Hodge
  The information is not available in the form requested. Up to September 1999, free places for three-year-olds were available only in maintained nursery and primary schools. Since September 1999 specific funding by the Government for three-year-olds has been extended to private, voluntary and independent providers via the Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships. The table accounts for places only in the maintained sector.

  The available information on the numbers of three-year-olds in free early years provision for England and in each local education authority up to January 2000 is shown in the table. During 2000–01, £100 million has been made available to provide a further 40,000 free places for three-year-olds. In 2001–02, £250 million will be made available to provide 80,000 new additional places.

  All four-year-olds have been guaranteed a free place since September 1998. By September 2004 all three-year-olds will have a free early education place. By 2004 expenditure on nursery education will have doubled from £1 to £2 billion.

  For information on three-year-olds with free early years places in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, I refer the hon. Member to the Ministers responsible for Education in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, respectively.

  475W

  Table 1: Children aged three in free early years education places1England and each local education authority in England, 1996–2000

  Position as at January

  19962

  19972

  19982

  19992

  20003,7

  Durham5

  5,161

  5,132

  —

  —

  —

  Darlington6

  —

  —

  1,082

  1,002

  980

  Durham4,6

  —

  —

  3,935

  3,786

  4,150

  Northumberland

  2,194

  2,255

  2,207

  2,109

  2,120

  Gateshead4

  1,334

  1,259

  1,340

  1,314

  1,940

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne4

  1,896

  1,878

  1,755

  1,789

  2,340

  North Tyneside4

  1,905

  1,837

  1,783

  1,816

  1,840

  South Tyneside4

  1,599

  1,525

  1,470

  1,476

  1,450

  Sunderland4

  2,439

  2,420

  2,324

  2,342

  2,860

  North West

  42,042

  42,204

  41,967

  41,667

  49,920

  Cheshire5

  3,839

  4,021

  3,856

  —

  —

  Halton4,6

  —

  —

  —

  663

  1,190

  Warrington6

  —

  —

  —

  880

  960

  Cheshire6

  —

  —

  —

  2,242

  2,250

  Cumbria

  2,256

  2,597

  2,609

  2,490

  2,420

  Bolton4

  2,250

  2,295

  2,177

  2,104

  2,950

  Bury

  1,092

  1,079

  1,071

  1,045

  1,050

  Manchester4

  3,744

  3,722

  4,382

  4,229

  4,490

  Oldham4

  1,626

  1,540

  1,547

  1,594

  2,370

  Rochdale4

  1,421

  1,407

  1,476

  1,374

  2,180

  Salford4

  2,597

  2,231

  2,181

  2,113

  2,190

  Stockport

  1,386

  1,634

  1,494

  1,608

  1,630

  Tameside4

  1,732

  1,705

  1,631

  1,620

  2,090

  Trafford

  1,877

  1,856

  1,684

  1,627

  1,580

  Wigan

  1,436

  1,434

  1,428

  1,443

  1,510

  Lancashire5

  5,601

  5,648

  5,623

  —

  —

  Blackburn with Darwen4,6

  —

  —

  —

  1,024

  1,250

  Blackpool4,6

  —

  —

  —

  316

  1,590

  Lancashire6

  —

  —

  —

  4,427

  4,250

  Knowsley4

  2,104

  2,044

  2,037

  2,032

  2,140

  Liverpool4

  4,433

  4,187

  4,039

  3,920

  5,060

  St. Helens4

  1,108

  1,108

  1,050

  1,113

  1,460

  Sefton4

  2,028

  2,051

  1,975

  2,089

  2,370

  Wirral4

  1,512

  1,645

  1,707

  1,714

  2,940

  Yorkshire and the Humber

  31,407

  31,844

  32,499

  32,884

  38,730

  Humberside5

  4,670

  —

  —

  —

  —

  East Riding of Yorkshire6

  —

  1,053

  1,110

  1,103

  1,030

  Kingston-upon-Hull, City of4,6

  —

  2,240

  2,284

  2,252

  2,570

  North East Lincolnshire4,6

  —

  922

  978

  1,010

  1,520

  North Lincolnshire6

  —

  521

  551

  554

  590

  North Yorkshire

  2,174

  —

  —

  —

  —

  York6

  —

  676

  752

  811

  790

  North Yorkshire6

  —

  1,642

  1,728

  1,808

  1,800

  Barnsley4

  1,269

  1,264

  1,394

  1,406

  1,630

  Doncaster4

  2,435

  2,364

  2,294

  2,249

  2,330

  Rotherham4

  1,251

  1,304

  1,310

  1,443

  2,170

  Sheffield4

  2,542

  2,594

  2,707

  2,837

  4,550

  Bradford4

  4,132

  4,376

  4,795

  4,694

  5,510

  Calderdale

  1,240

  1,309

  1,281

  1,234

  1,310

  Kirklees4

  3,030

  2,974

  2,679

  2,627

  2,990

  Leeds4

  6,023

  6,065

  6,074

  6,231

  6,950

  Wakefield4

  2,641

  2,540

  2,562

  2,625

  3,010

  East Midlands

  16,772

  17,140

  17,985

  18,333

  21,450

  Derbyshire5

  5,013

  4,943

  —

  —

  —

  Derby6

  —

  —

  1,690

  1,645

  1,930

  Derbyshire6

  —

  —

  3,387

  3,472

  4,240

  Leicestershire5

  2,365

  2,479

  —

  —

  —

  Leicester4,6

  —

  —

  2,361

  2,343

  3,230

  Rutland6

  —

  —

  41

  75

  100

  Leicestershire6

  —

  —

  72

  89

  90

  Lincolnshire

  1,563

  1,686

  1,752

  1,744

  1,790

  Northamptonshire

  2,214

  2,277

  2,398

  2,330

  2,300

  Nottinghamshire5

  5,617

  5,755

  6,284

  —

  —

  Nottingham4,6

  —

  —

  —

  2,573

  3,310

  Nottinghamshire6

  —

  —

  —

  4,062

  4,460

  West Midlands

  29,020

  29,098

  30,665

  30,522

  35,690

  Hereford and Worcester5

  567

  762

  1,663

  —

  —

  Herefordshire6

  —

  —

  —

  313

  340

  Worcestershire6

  —

  —

  —

  1,376

  1,530

  476W

  477W

  Table 1: Children aged three in free early years education places1England and each local education authority in England, 1996–2000

  Position as at January

  19962

  19972

  19982

  19992

  20003,7

  Shropshire5

  749

  790

  955

  —

  —

  Telford and Wrekin4,6

  —

  —

  —

  510

  1,000

  Shropshire6

  —

  —

  —

  381

  420

  Staffordshire5

  4,630

  4,664

  —

  —

  —

  Stoke-on-Trent4,6

  —

  —

  2,023

  1,950

  2,290

  Staffordshire6

  —

  —

  2,745

  2,656

  2,560

  Warwickshire

  1,408

  1,357

  1,415

  1,490

  1,600

  Birmingham4

  7,488

  7,427

  7,527

  7,420

  10,200

  Coventry4

  1,420

  1,674

  1,905

  1,968

  2,920

  Dudley

  2,270

  2,267

  2,279

  2,283

  2,230

  Sandwell4

  3,290

  3,035

  3,104

  3,106

  3,240

  Solihull

  1,188

  1,250

  1,359

  1,464

  1,540

  Walsall4

  3,239

  3,079

  3,004

  2,951

  3,000

  Wolverhampton4

  2,771

  2,793

  2,686

  2,654

  2,820

  East of England

  9,642

  11,658

  13,331

  14,048

  14,870

  Bedfordshire5

  1,937

  2,035

  —

  —

  —

  Luton6

  —

  —

  889

  966

  950

  Bedfordshire6

  —

  —

  1,245

  1,269

  1,210

  Cambridgeshire5

  1,495

  1,466

  1,511

  —

  —

  Peterborough6

  —

  —

  —

  318

  320

  Cambridgeshire6

  —

  —

  —

  1,161

  1,090

  Essex5

  1,166

  1,964

  2,353

  —

  —

  Southend-on-Sea6

  —

  —

  —

  392

  450

  Thurrock6

  —

  —

  —

  435

  470

  Essex6

  —

  —

  —

  1,984

  1,960

  Hertfordshire

  3,853

  4,095

  4,951

  4,908

  5,890

  Norfolk

  739

  1,493

  1,823

  1,898

  1,890

  Suffolk

  452

  605

  559

  717

  630

  London

  39,869

  40,536

  42,304

  44,864

  57,190

  Inner London

  18,696

  18,959

  19,597

  21,437

  29,160

  City of London

  12

  11

  15

  11

  10

  Camden4

  765

  802

  890

  928

  1,450

  Hackney4

  1,536

  1,474

  1,543

  1,624

  2,430

  Hammersmith and Fulham4

  1,055

  1,053

  1,055

  1,061

  1,470

  Haringey4

  1,894

  2,004

  1,944

  1,949

  2,210

  Islington4

  1,342

  1,266

  1,256

  1,283

  1,840

  Kensington and Chelsea

  486

  542

  523

  513

  590

  Lambeth4

  1,396

  1,462

  1,855

  1,911

  3,150

  Lewisham4

  1,363

  1,412

  1,475

  1,877

  2,560

  Newham4

  2,074

  2,030

  2,103

  3,189

  3,860

  Southwark4

  2,158

  2,222

  2,290

  2,278

  2,820

  Tower Hamlets4

  2,288

  2,340

  2,264

  2,405

  2,610

  Wandsworth4

  1,590

  1,614

  1,590

  1,584

  2,860

  Westminster4

  737

  727

  794

  824

  1,300

  Outer London

  21,173

  21,577

  22,707

  23,427

  28,030

  Barking and Dagenham4

  1,331

  1,332

  1,408

  1,329

  1,630

  Barnet

  1,780

  2,021

  2,010

  2,026

  2,010

  Bexley

  1,009

  1,069

  1,242

  1,300

  1,390

  Brent4

  1,778

  1,712

  1,706

  1,708

  2,380

  Bromley

  111

  107

  197

  216

  240

  Croydon

  1,420

  1,537

  1,720

  1,859

  1,830

  Ealing4

  2,705

  2,625

  2,692

  2,686

  3,140

  Enfield

  1,110

  1,112

  1,136

  1,235

  1,230

  Greenwich4

  1,785

  1,981

  1,841

  1,889

  2,600

  Harrow

  489

  451

  588

  576

  620

  Havering

  378

  449

  464

  459

  550

  Hillingdon

  473

  560

  620

  636

  1,360

  Hounslow4

  1,562

  1,563

  1,605

  1,505

  1,990

  Kingston upon Thames

  931

  888

  892

  892

  940

  Merton

  1,749

  1,644

  1,707

  1,668

  1,670

  Redbridge

  626

  687

  824

  1,318

  1,600

  Richmond upon Thames

  597

  570

  587

  555

  590

  Sutton

  270

  325

  259

  289

  250

  Waltham Forest4

  1,069

  944

  1,209

  1,281

  2,040

  South East

  10,128

  10,602

  11,763

  12,155

  13,300

  Berkshire5

  1,427

  1,413

  2,049

  —

  —

  Bracknell Forest6

  —

  —

  —

  90

  110

  Windsor and Maidenhead6

  —

  —

  —

  290

  310

  West Berkshire6

  —

  —

  —

  216

  260

  478W

  479W

  Table 1: Children aged three in free early years education places1England and each local education authority in England, 1996–2000

  Position as at January

  19962

  19972

  19982

  19992

  20003,7

  Reading6

  —

  —

  —

  614

  740

  Slough6

  —

  —

  —

  822

  930

  Wokingham6

  —

  —

  —

  90

  140

  Buckinghamshire5

  758

  887

  —

  —

  —

  Milton Keynes6

  —

  —

  301

  313

  370

  Buckinghamshire6

  —

  —

  695

  686

  690

  East Sussex5

  1,351

  1,383

  —

  —

  —

  Brighton and Hove4,6

  —

  —

  816

  770

  1,460

  East Sussex6

  —

  —

  606

  595

  570

  Hampshire5

  1,396

  1,459

  —

  —

  —

  Portsmouth6

  —

  —

  459

  495

  440

  Southampton6

  —

  —

  406

  428

  440

  Hampshire6

  —

  —

  559

  60S

  600

  Isle of Wight4

  124

  115

  125

  118

  160

  Kent5

  1,676

  1,847

  1,812

  —

  —

  Medway6

  —

  —

  —

  359

  420

  Kent6

  —

  —

  —

  1,495

  1,410

  Oxfordshire

  705

  770

  866

  908

  1,000

  Surrey

  2,053

  2,080

  2,234

  2,384

  2,430

  West Sussex

  638

  648

  835

  877

  840

  South West

  7,240

  7,384

  8,573

  8,744

  10,930

  Avon5

  3,551

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Bath and North East Somerset6

  —

  308

  309

  317

  300

  Bristol, City of6

  —

  2,755

  2,817

  2,836

  2,800

  North Somerset6

  —

  159

  164

  157

  200

  South Gloucestershire6

  —

  403

  320

  325

  330

  Cornwall4

  976

  988

  962

  1,042

  2,710

  Isles of Scilly

  1

  0

  3

  2

  0

  Devon5

  1,384

  1,378

  2,210

  —

  —

  Torbay6

  —

  —

  —

  326

  390

  Plymouth4,6

  —

  —

  —

  747

  1,130

  Devon6

  —

  —

  —

  1,172

  1,200

  Dorset5

  545

  554

  —

  —

  —

  Bournemouth6

  —

  —

  287

  246

  270

  Poole6

  —

  —

  92

  78

  80

  Dorset6

  —

  —

  214

  208

  250

  Gloucestershire

  17

  58

  72

  83

  70

  Somerset

  401

  472

  499

  477

  470

  Wiltshire5

  365

  309

  —

  —

  —

  Swindon6

  —

  —

  324

  428

  410

  Wiltshire6

  —

  —

  300

  300

  320

  1 Prior to September 1999, free places for three-year-olds were available only in maintained nursery and primary schools. Since September 1999 funding has been extended to private, voluntary and independent providers.

  2 Headcount numbers collected from maintained schools in January each year as part of the Annual Schools' Census.

  3 Combining Annual Schools' Census data from maintained schools in January 2000 and data submitted by LEAs for Nursery Education Grant purposes relating to private, voluntary and independent providers in spring 2000.

  4 LEA's eligible to provide funding for three-year-olds in the private, voluntary and independent sectors via Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships. In spring 2000 there were a total of 65 such LEAs in England.

  5 Before Local Government Re-organisation.

  6 After Local Government Re-organisation.

  Note:

  Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.

  Newly Qualified Teacherss
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the sums provided in to the standards fund grants allocated to local education authorities for(a) the cost of the 10 per cent. lighter timetable for NQTs and (b) the assessment, monitoring and evaluation of the arrangements for NQTs in (i) 2000–01 and (ii) 2001–02. [147550]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 26 January 2001]: In 2000–01, the costs of the induction of Newly Qualified Teachers (NQTs) were met as part of the £290.5 million allocated for school improvement through the standards fund. The exact amount allocated to schools for induction
  480W
  purposes was left to local education authorities to decide in consultation with their schools and with reference to guidance issued in relation to the breakdown of the standards fund. For 2001–02, £64.4 million has been specifically allocated for induction for NQTs under the new standards fund arrangements. This includes £5 million for local education authorities to retain centrally for costs relating to assessment, monitoring and evaluation of the induction arrangements, and £59.4 million to be allocated to schools to provide £1,000 per term for each NQT. All figures include both the Government's and local authorities' contributions to the standards fund.
  481W

  School Playing Fields
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many school playing fields there were in(a) 1979 and (b) 1997. [147707]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 29 January 2001]: No data were collected centrally on how many school playing fields there were in either 1979 or 1997. The only data about playing fields under the previous Administration that we are aware of are derived from independent surveys carried out by the Central Council of Physical Recreation. The CCPR published a paper in 1984: "Sports Fields at Risk", which indicated that some 3,630 acres of recreation land recorded on Land Registers were at risk of disposal. A more meaningful way of quantifying the area under threat at that time is to translate it into about 5,000 school playing fields of sports pitch size.

  Data to be collected through Asset Management Plans will, in the future, provide a clearer picture of the number of school playing fields throughout England. Once they have been validated, we plan to publish data collected from Asset Management Plans later in the year.

  SSAs(Schools)
  Mr. Cotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what the average per pupil standard spending assessment is in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) England and (ii) north Somerset; and if he will estimate the sums which would be available for education in north Somerset if the average per pupil standard spending assessment for primary and secondary schools in north Somerset were the same as the average for England. [148162]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The following table shows the 2001–02 education SSA per primary and secondary pupil for north Somerset and England.

  £

  SSA

  North Somerset

  England

  Primary per pupil

  2,341

  2,588

  Secondary per pupil

  3,026

  3,313

  If north Somerset's SSA per pupil for primary and secondary schools were the same as the national average it is estimated that its 2001–02 education SSA would be £6.3 million higher. Between 1997–98 and 2000–01 funding per pupil in north Somerset has increased by £380 in real terms. In addition to an increase of £3.65 million in education SSA, schools in north Somerset will benefit from an estimated £1.83 million in Direct Grant in 2001–02. The authority will also receive £100,000 as their share of the extra £52 million made available to provide support to help some LEAs manage funding changes in 2001–02. Additionally it is estimated that north Somerset (Weston) Education Action Zone will receive DfEE grants totalling £842,000 in 2001–02 and £692,000 in 2001–02.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list, for each local education authority the(a) primary education SSA per pupil and (b) secondary education SSA per pupil for 2001–02. [148288]
  482W
  Ms Estelle Morris
  The information requested is contained in the table. In addition to SSAs, authorities and their schools also receive funding through the Standards Fund, Direct Grants, and the recently announced £52 million in additional funding for authorities facing particular pressures—these special and specific grants add £110 at national level to the funding received through SSAs. The overall increase in funding for 2001–02 is over £1.9 billion or 8 per cent. This is equivalent to around £150 per pupil in real terms.

  £

  Unit allocations 2001–02

  LEA number/name

  Primary per 5–10

  pupil Secondary per 11–15 pupil

  201 City of London

  3,347.79

  14,073.05

  202 Camden

  3,667.85

  4,536.27

  203 Greenwich

  3,433.58

  4,427.49

  204 Hackney

  3,814.77

  5,120.11

  205 Hammersmith and Fulham

  3,654.93

  4,622.48

  206 Islington

  3,719.03

  4,902.99

  207 Kensington and Chelsea

  3,847.88

  4,562.50

  208 Lambeth

  3,845.04

  5,335.77

  209 Lewisham

  3,564.68

  4,630.69

  210 Southwark

  3,687.69

  4,776.13

  211 Tower Hamlets

  3,895.67

  5,031.93

  212 Wandsworth

  3,332.74

  4,250.17

  213 Westminster

  3,550.07

  4,270.38

  301 Barking and Dagenham

  2,961.78

  3,857.86

  302 Barnet

  2,818.57

  3,552.10

  303 Bexley

  2,671.98

  3,415.54

  304 Brent

  3,238.97

  4,181.91

  305 Bromley

  2,640.57

  3,345.60

  306 Croydon

  2,879.07

  3,750.14

  307 Ealing

  3,061.29

  3,994.20

  308 Enfield

  2,935.16

  3,723.75

  309 Haringey

  3,363.24

  4,379.35

  310 Harrow

  2,775.87

  3,629.17

  311 Havering

  2,632.75

  3,389.89

  312 Hillingdon

  2,768.99

  3,544.36

  313 Hounslow

  2,988.47

  3,768.10

  314 Kingston upon Thames

  2,640.55

  3,368.52

  315 Merton

  2,830.81

  3,644.84

  316 Newham

  3,362.25

  4,332.37

  317 Redbridge

  2,819.16

  3,625.59

  318 Richmond upon Thames

  2,606.31

  3,296.95

  319 Sutton

  2,680.78

  3,360.39

  320 Waltham Forest

  3,116.95

  4,000.25

  330 Birmingham

  2,733.37

  3,542.25

  331 Coventry

  2,565.82

  3,302.88

  332 Dudley

  2,357.33

  3,023.23

  333 Sandwell

  2,593.82

  3,352.48

  334 Solihull

  2,338.77

  2,975.91

  335 Walsall

  2,485.53

  3,178.13

  336 Wolverhampton

  2,610.10

  3,362.61

  340 Knowsley

  2,864.44

  3,760.33

  341 Liverpool

  2,824.15

  3,641.64

  342 St. Helens

  2,482.24

  3,205.37

  343 Sefton

  2,470.79

  3,151.80

  344 Wirral

  2,548.58

  3,299.04

  350 Bolton

  2,470.53

  3,160.00

  351 Bury

  2,394.44

  3,064.64

  352 Manchester

  2,919.98

  3,815.11

  353 Oldham

  2,548.96

  3,267.51

  354 Rochdale

  2,580.79

  3,317.22

  355 Salford

  2,594.01

  3,370.05

  356 Stockport

  2,337.02

  3,025.37

  357 Tameside

  2,464.38

  3,156.32

  358 Trafford

  2,396.57

  3,088.26

  359 Wigan

  2,374.01

  3,039.88

  370 Barnsley

  2,480.09

  3,219.41

  371 Doncaster

  2,536.74

  3,282.76

  372 Rotherham

  2,462.02

  3,134.71

  373 Sheffield

  2,512.16

  3,233.81

  380 Bradford

  2,623.04

  3,406.58

  381 Calderdale

  2,480.12

  3,194.24

  483W

  £

  Unit allocations 2001–02

  LEA number/name

  Primary per 5–10 pupil

  Secondary per 11–15 pupil

  382 Kirklees

  2,505.11

  3,228.15

  383 Leeds

  2,479.6

  3,186.71,

  384 Wakefield

  2,409.05

  3,102.44

  390 Gateshead

  2,517.35

  3,245.29

  391 Newcastle upon Tyne

  2,652.70

  3,425.14

  392 North Tyneside

  2,447.17

  3,163.73

  393 South Tyneside

  2,575.53

  3,314.67

  394 Sunderland

  2,530.02

  3,259.95

  420 Isles of Scilly

  4,438.21

  5,670.49

  800 Bath and North East Somerset

  2,315.84

  2,926.40

  801 City of Bristol

  2,545.34

  3,292.20

  802 North Somerset

  2,340.62

  3,026.13

  803 South Gloucestershire

  2,271.91

  2,943.26

  805 Hartlepool

  2,550.29

  3,284.84

  806 Middlesbrough

  2,689.26

  3,517.04

  807 Redcar and Cleveland

  2,542.19

  3,252.52

  808 Stockton-on-Tees

  2,489.55

  3,223.13

  810 City of Kingston-upon-Hull

  2,641.07

  3,397.82

  811 East Riding of Yorkshire

  2,364.65

  3,051.22

  812 North East Lincolnshire

  2,537.29

  3,268.12

  813 North Lincolnshire

  2,463.69

  3,198.19

  815 North Yorkshire

  2,429.46

  3,096.47

  816 York

  2,350.96

  3,039.32

  820 Bedfordshire

  2,522.21

  3,240.33

  821 Luton

  2,742.45

  3,522.46

  825 Buckinghamshire

  2,518.20

  3,250.33

  826 Milton Keynes

  2,596.55

  3,349.02

  830 Derbyshire

  2,363.26

  3,046.80

  831 Derby

  2,531.95

  3,263.11

  835 Dorset

  2,368.71

  3,034.68

  836 Poole

  2,331.85

  2,992.33

  837 Bournemouth

  2,447.69

  3,126.46

  840 Durham

  2,492.59

  3,218.79

  841 Darlington

  2,470.42

  3,188.30

  845 East Sussex

  2,577.07

  3,326.17

  846 Brighton and Hove

  2,669.70

  3,424.06

  850 Hampshire

  2,450.82

  3,167.24

  851 Portsmouth

  2,639.01

  3,364.89

  852 Southampton

  2,678.97

  3,467.05

  855 Leicestershire

  2,292.22

  2,959.59

  856 Leicester

  2,693.29

  3,468.54

  857 Rutland

  2,346.01

  2,905.38

  860 Staffordshire

  2,329.15

  3,000.39

  861 Stoke on Trent

  2,520.12

  3,248.60

  865 Wiltshire

  2,382.75

  3,076.98

  866 Swindon

  2,378.54

  3,059.67

  867 BracknellForest

  2,561.93

  3,326.12

  868 Windsor and Maidenhead

  2,581.57

  3,270.23

  869 West Berkshire

  2,452.04

  3,125.91

  870 Reading

  2,640.73

  3,464.21

  871 Slough

  3,009.34

  3,965.81

  872 Wokingham

  2,337.67

  3,026.03

  873 Cambridgeshire

  2,408.39

  3,073.16

  874 Peterborough

  2,569.11

  3,301.65

  875 Cheshire

  2,347.69

  3,007.91

  876 Halton

  2,592.11

  3,363.45

  877 Warrington

  2,325.99

  3,003.39

  878 Devon

  2,436.71

  3,147.24

  879 Plymouth

  2,480.16

  3,160.24

  880 Torbay

  2,474.34

  3,187.82

  881 Essex

  2,572.03

  3,307.16

  882 Southend

  2,619.90

  3,362.39

  883 Thurrock

  2,726.73

  3,509.90

  484W

  £

  Unit allocations 2001–02

  LEA number/name

  Primary per 5–10 pupil

  Secondary per 11–15 pupil

  884 Herefordshire

  2,458.13

  3,165.61

  885 Worcestershire

  2,346.48

  3,011.43

  886 Kent

  2,572.29

  3,312.35

  887 Rochester and Gillingham

  2,547.05

  3,275.99

  888 Lancashire

  2,457.40

  3,163.75

  889 Blackburn

  2,642.25

  3,397.12

  890 Blackpool

  2,500.11

  3,249.79

  891 Nottinghamshire

  2,384.66

  3,076.05

  892 Nottingham City

  2,737.82

  3,544.07

  893 Shropshire

  2,405.90

  3,082.27

  894 The Wrekin

  2,488.61

  3,210.42

  908 Cornwall

  2,468.27

  3,186.55

  909 Cumbria

  2,453.17

  3,153.66

  916 Gloucestershire

  2,373.79

  3,043.86

  919 Hertfordshire

  2,605.09

  3,332.83

  921 Isle of Wight Council

  2,653.77

  3,441.02

  925 Lincolnshire

  2,455.29

  3,159.46

  926 Norfolk

  2,477.09

  3,173.84

  928 Northamptonshire

  2,400.40

  3,082.96

  929 Northumberland

  2,432.91

  3,135.74

  931 Oxfordshire

  2,531.08

  3,235.97

  933 Somerset

  2,404.87

  3,097.79

  935 Suffolk

  2,405.33

  3,071.22

  936 Surrey

  2,574.90

  3,298.65

  937 Warwickshire

  2,361.59

  3,026.65

  938 West Sussex

  2,499.56

  3,208.68

  England

  2,587.69

  3,313.17

  Asset Management Plans
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, pursuant to his answer of 29 January 2001,Official Report, column 33W, on asset management plans, what the timetable is for publication of local authority asset management plans condition data. [148386]

  Jacqui Smith
  We have given local education authorities the opportunity of submitting any missing Asset Management Plans condition data. Time will be needed for validation of such submissions and we anticipate that publication of data analysis will not be before this summer.

  Emergency Contraception (Staff Liability)
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) what guidance he has given to schools regarding the potential liability of(a) governors and (b) staff when emergency contraception is given to girls under the age of 16 by school staff or on school premises without the consent of parents; [148677]

  (2) what guidance he has given schools regarding the potential liability of (a) school governors, (b) teachers, (c) head teachers and (d) other school staff in the event of emergency contraception being provided to girls under the age of sixteen by school staff or on school premises without the consent of parents. [148678]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: The Learning and Skills Act makes it clear that governing bodies must have regard to our Sex and Relationship Education guidance when developing sex and relationship education policies. The guidance, published last July, clearly states that governing bodies and head teachers should consult parents in developing their sex and

  485W
  relationship education policy to ensure that they develop policies which reflect parents' wishes and the culture of the community they serve.

  Trained staff in secondary schools should be able to give young people full information about different types of contraception, including emergency contraception and their effectiveness. Outside the teaching situation, health professionals such as school nurses can give one-to-one advice or information to a pupil on a health-related matter including contraception. We would not normally expect school nurses to issue contraception or emergency contraception. In the few cases where school nurses are dispensing contraception, this should be made clear in school's sex and relationship education policy, which has to be agreed with parents. These arrangements should not proceed until parents have been consulted.

  Correspondence
  Sir Brian Mawhinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire of 14 November 2000 to the Secretary of State for Health, which was transferred to him, on behalf of his constituent Mrs. Smith. [149204]

  Mr. Wills
  A letter responding to the right hon. Member was despatched on 2 February 2001.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Kosovo
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the(a) effectiveness and (b) value for money of the UN effort in Kosovo. [148925]

  Mr. Vaz
  The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) has made significant progress in Kosovo since 1999. To date over 1.3 million refugees and displaced persons have been able to return. Hospitals and schools have re-opened, with over 300,000 children back in education. A functioning judiciary has been established. Joint administrative structures have been set up. Municipal elections were held in October 2000. However, much remains to be done, as UNMIK itself recognises. To the end of June last year, UNMIK's projected cost to date is £567.5 million. This would have been far less than the cost of further conflict. We will continue to support UNMIK's efforts to build a lasting peace.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the case for a cantonisation policy in Kosovo. [148922]

  Mr. Vaz
  HMG do not support cantonisation. We are committed to bringing about ethnic reconciliation throughout Kosovo. Cantonisation would only lead to a continued ethnic divide. Reconciliation will take some time but in the long run we believe it is the only viable option.
  486W

  St. Helena
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will restore the right of abode to residents of St. Helena; and if he will make a statement. [149199]

  Mr. Battle
  The restoration of British citizenship to the Overseas Territories will give their citizens the right of abode in the UK.

  The Government remain fully committed to introducing legislation to give British citizenship to the people of the Overseas Territories including those of St. Helena. Officials from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Home Office have been working on the principles to be set out in the Bill and draft instructions have been agreed. We recently initiated a consultation process with the Overseas Territories on issues related to the Bill and its implementation.

  We will make parliamentary time available for this measure as soon as practicable.

  Hinduja Brothers
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs for what purpose the Minister of State, the hon. Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz), caused inquiries to be made about the passport application of Mr. Hinduja; and whom he employed for this purpose. [147285]

  Mr. Vaz
  [holding answer 26 January 2001]: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the reply that was given by the Minister of State, Home Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Mrs. Roche) on 18 January 2001, Official Report, columns 351–52W.

  The hon. Gentleman will also be aware that Sir Anthony Hammond QC will conduct a review, reporting to the Prime Minister
  "to establish what approaches were made to the Home Office in 1998 in connection with the possibility of an application for naturalisation by Mr. S. P. Hinduja, and the full circumstances surrounding such approaches and the later grant of that application".

  Congo
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's position is with regard to troops from(a) Uganda, (b) Rwanda, (c) Zimbabwe, (d) Angola (e) the Interahamwe and (f) Namibia occupying part of the territory of the Democratic Republic of Congo; and if he will make a statement. [148314]

  Mr. Wilson
  The UK fully supports United Nations Security Council resolution 1291 (2000) reaffirming the sovereignty, territorial integrity and political independence of the DRC and calling for the orderly withdrawal of all foreign forces from the DRC in accordance with the Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement.

  Indonesia
  Mr. McDonnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) if he will make a statement on violence against Christians in Indonesia and the potential for a United Nations peace initiative; [148576]
  487W
  (2) what recent representations his Department has made to the Indonesian Government concerning violence directed at Christians in Indonesia. [148575]

  Mr. Battle
  The latest violence in Ambon illustrates the fragility of the security situation at a time when there had been some recent improvements; the Muslim and Christian holidays in December passed without serious incident in Ambon.

  Our Ambassador to Indonesia has just returned from a visit to the province and the Indonesian Minister for Settlement is arranging a further visit to Maluku with a group of diplomats this month. We will continue to work with the Indonesian authorities and UNDP to promote reconciliation, begin wider construction work and to offer practical assistance where appropriate.

  We continue to urge the Indonesian Government to exercise tolerance and restraint and remind them of their responsibility to maintain law and order and take immediate steps to bring the perpetrators of the violence to justice. I did so most recently with Foreign Minister Shihab on 12 December.

  Export Licences
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will name(a) the department within his Department with responsibility for handling export licences and (b) the civil servant who heads it. [148596]

  Mr. Wilson
  Within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office the processing of export licence applications is co-ordinated by the non-proliferation department. The actual scrutiny of licence applications is carried out by the relevant geographical departments, with advice from the non-proliferation department and other specialist FCO departments as needed, and consulting Ministers on sensitive cases. Since 8 January 2001, the head of the non-proliferation department has been Tim Dowse.

  Minority Ethnic Liaison Officer
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the temporary appointment of a minority ethnic liaison officer; under what length of contract the current officer is employed; and what was the budget allocation for the officer's work in(a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000 and (c) 2000–01. [148886]

  Mr. Wilson
  Linbert Spencer was employed as the Department's minority ethnic liaison adviser from December 1999 to November 2001. He continues to provide the Department with advice on a consultancy basis. He has made a major contribution to widening the Department's recruitment base to minority ethnic communities and to ensuring it benefits from the diversity of its current staff. No specific budget is allocated to this work.

  Iran
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Government of Iran about human rights in that country; and if he will make a statement. [149198]
  488W
  Mr. Wilson
  We and our EU partners take every appropriate opportunity to press the Iranian authorities over our concerns about human rights issues in Iran. The Foreign Secretary raised human rights matters with his counterpart, Dr. Kharrazi, when they met in New York on 15 September and with the Iranian Ambassador to London on 4 October. More recently, my hon. Friend the Member for Neath (Mr. Hain) discussed human rights concerns with Ambassador Sarmadi on 22 January. In conjunction with our EU partners, we also table twice yearly UN Resolutions on Human Rights in Iran. The most recent resolution, reflecting both positive developments and remaining concerns, was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 4 December.

  Caribbean Territories (Homosexuality)
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will make an Order in Council to legalise homosexual acts in the five Caribbean territories where such acts remain illegal. [148842]

  Mr. Battle
  An Order in Council to de-criminalise consensual homosexual acts between adults in private in Anguilla, the British Virgin Islands, the Cayman Islands, Montserrat and the Turks and Caicos Islands, was made by Her Majesty at the Privy Council meeting on the 13 December 2000 and came into force on 1 January 2001.

  Premier Oil
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to Premier Oil regarding their operations in Burma. [148841]

  Mr. Battle
  Premier Oil are well aware of our views which we reiterate at all opportunities: HMG do not encourage trade with or investment in Burma. We have told Premier Oil that we would welcome their moving out of Burma as soon as and to the fullest extent that they lawfully can.

SCOTLAND

  Judiciary (Training)
  Mr. Grieve
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what training the judiciary in Scotland was given between 1 May 1997 and 1 July 1999. [145890]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 16 January 2001]: Responsibility for training the judiciary in Scotland lies with the independent Judicial Studies Committee which was funded by the Scottish Office during the period in question. Between May 1997 and 1 July 1999 the Committee ran training events in connection with new legislation on criminal justice in Scotland and on changes in legislation affecting children's cases. Guidance was also issued to all members of the judiciary on a number of other pieces of legislation which came into effect during this period. Training in the use of information technology was also a prominent feature.
  489W

  Departmental Surveys
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if she will list for(a) 1992–93, (b) 1993–94, (c) 1994–95, (d) 1995–96, (e) 1996–97, (f) 1997–98, (g) 1998–99, (h) 1999–2000 and (i) 2000–01, (I) her Department's total spending on quantitative and qualitative surveys of policy issues by focus groups, opinion polling, task forces or other means and (II) the cost of each individual project. [146587]

  Mr. Foulkes
  An important element of the Modernising Government initiative is to ensure effective communication. No expenditure has been incurred by the Scotland Office since 1 July 1999 on surveys through focus groups, opinion polls or task forces. For the Scottish Office before 1 July 1999, such information was not collected centrally and the information could be obtained now only at disproportionate cost.

CABINET OFFICE

  Commonwealth Games
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much sponsorship money has been raised for the Manchester Commonwealth Games and how much more needs to be raised to meet the target set. [148981]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  Manchester 2002 Ltd. has to date announced some £18 million in commercial income for the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Manchester 2002 aim to raise income from a combination of sponsorship, television rights, merchandising and ticket sales to meet the operating costs of the Games. In addition, the sale of the Australian television rights to Channel 7 television has just been successfully negotiated. Further sponsorship deals are expected to be announced this month and Manchester 2002 Ltd. are working hard to ensure they stage a successful Games.

  Civil Service (Management Functions) Act
  Mr. Hope
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what delegations have been made in 2000 under the Civil Service (Management Functions) Act 1992; to whom those delegations were made; and what the main conditions attached to them were. [149507]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  No such delegations have been made.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the Order to implement the Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000 will be made; on what date the Act will commence; and if he will make a statement. [148108]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 1 February 2001]: The Fur Farming (Prohibition) Act 2000 received Royal Assent on 23 November 2000. We will be consulting the industry on a statutory compensation scheme as required under the Act. Under section 7(3) of the Act, the
  490W
  provisions relating to compensation for existing businesses in section 5 of the Act came into force two months after the Act received Royal Assent.

  Under section 7(2) of the Act, the ban on fur farming will come into force on a date to be appointed by commencement order, which cannot be before 1 January 2003. However, fur farmers may close down at any time after Royal Assent and before the ban comes into force, without losing eligibility for compensation. A number have indicated a desire to do so, and we have now appointed independent consultants who will be visiting the fur farms this month. The purpose of this delayed commencement is to give fur farmers an opportunity to adjust their affairs and wind down their businesses in advance of the ban. The Government are committed to implementing the ban at the earliest opportunity.

  Fish Farming
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many fish farms there are in the United Kingdom; how much it costs to acquire a licence for fish farming; and how much funding was given to fish farms in each of the last three years by his Department. [148680]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: Fish farming in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive. At 1 February 2001, there were 508 registered fish farms in England and 53 in Wales.

  Fish farmers do not require a licence to farm. They do need to be registered, but this is free of charge.

  There has been no direct funding given to fish farming by the Department in the last three years. However, some £2 million is spent each year on aquaculture research, particularly in respect of work on disease control.

  GM Crops
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what separation distances will apply to the GM farm-scale evaluations this spring. [149560]

  Ms Quin
  Following the scientific review and public consultation on separation distances that the Ministry commissioned last year, Ministers have asked the industry representative body, SCIMAC, this year to apply the separation distances for the spring farm-scale evaluations as set out in the table, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House. These include changes to the distance for varietal associations and partially restored hybrids of oilseed rape (increased from 50 metres to 100 metres), and the distance for conventional forage maize (increased from 50 metres to 80 metres).

  The purpose of the separation distances is to help ensure that any possible cross-pollination with nearby compatible crops is minimised. Based on best scientific data currently available, the distances in the table should ensure that if any cross-pollination does occur, the resulting GM presence in neighbouring crops would be extremely low. The separation distances agreed should reduce cross-pollination to a maximum of 1 per cent. for any crop and considerably below this maximum in most cases. A background note on the separation distances has been placed in the Library.
  491W
  The distances in question apply for the purposes of the spring 2001 farm-scale evaluations only, and will be kept under review for future plantings. Steps are being taken to strengthen early communication at local level with farmers in the vicinity of FSE sites. All farmers hosting trials are being given clear guidance by SCIMAC that they should discuss their cropping plans at the earliest possible opportunity beforehand with their immediate neighbours. Ministers are also encouraging early dialogue at local level between FSE operators and all relevant local organic growers, and have asked SCIMAC to work closely with certified seed producers to ensure that current and any prospective EU standards for certified seed can continue to be met. MAFF are arranging a meeting with beekeeping organisations and SCIMAC to discuss specific issues affecting local beekeepers. Communication with local fanners will begin in advance of final decision

  (a)Number of officers who left the RUC in years 1999 and 2000

  Assistant chief constable

  Chief superintendent

  Superintendent

  Establishment

  9

  161

  Leavers in 1999

  0

  2

  5

  Leavers in 2000

  1

  2

  2

  Leavers as percentage of establishment in 1999

  0.0

  4.3

  Leavers as percentage of establishment in 2000

  11.1

  2.5

  (b) Number of officers who will leave under the voluntary severance arrangements up to 31 March 2001, with appropriate percentages

  Assistant chief constable

  Chief superintendent

  Superintendent

  Establishment as at 15 January 2001

  9

  161

  Police scheduled to leave January to March 2001

  3

  21

  30

  Police eligible to leave from April to December 2001

  1

  17

  51

  (a) As percentage of establishment

  33.3

  31.7

  (b) As percentage of establishment

  11.1

  42.2

  It should be noted that a further 69 officers will satisfy the necessary criteria for the severance arrangements to leave up to 31 March 2002 but nominations have not yet been sought. In addition it is not possible to determine the number of officers who may apply to leave under natural wastage, for example, resignation, health grounds, termination.

  Robberies
  Mr. William Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many robberies of(a) post offices

  (a) Armed robberies on post offices/postal vehicles: 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2000

  Date

  Sub-division

  Target

  4 January 2000

  Woodbourne

  Post Office, Andersonstown Road, Belfast

  5 January 2000

  Newtownabbey

  Post Office, Glengormley Park, Belfast

  14 January 2000

  Lisburn

  Post Office, Moss Road, Lisburn

  16 January 2000

  Enniskillen

  Post Office, East Bridge Street, Enniskillen

  19 January 2000

  Downpatrick

  Post Office, Derryboye, Crossgar

  20 January 2000

  Cookstown

  Post Office, Coagh

  22 January 2000

  Castlereagh

  Post Office, Hillmount Drive, Moneyreagh

  31 January 2000

  Lurgan

  Post Office, Derryola Road, Ahgalee

  24 February 2000

  Newcastle

  Post Office, Letrim, Castlewellan

  28 February 2000

  Musgrave Street

  Parcel Force Van, Castle Junction, Belfast

  2 March 2000

  Strabane

  Post Office, Umey Road, Claudy

  30 March 2000

  Bangor

  Post Office, Bridge Road, Helen's Bay

  5 April 2000

  Woodbourne

  Post Office, Dairy Farm Shopping Centre, Belfast

  21 April 2000

  Banbridge

  Lenaderg Post Office, Huntley Road, Banbridge

  29 April 2000

  Dungannon

  Post Office, Dungannon Road, Coalisland

  6 May 2000

  Waterside

  Post Office, Ardmore Road, Londonderry

  31 May 2000

  Grosvenor Road

  Post Office, Falls Road, Belfast

  6 July 2000

  Waterside

  Post Office, Ardmore, Londonderry

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  making and formal public notification, to allow as much time as possible for any potential difficulties to be resolved.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  RUC
  Mr. Maginnis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many RUC(a) assistant chief constables, (b) chief superintendents and (c) superintendents left the force in (i) 1999 and (ii) 2000; how many are scheduled to leave in years (x) 2001 and (y) 2002; and what percentage of the establishment for those ranks during the relevant years this represents. [144691]

  Mr. Ingrain
  The information requested is as follows:
  and(b) Royal Mail vehicles there were in each RUC division in each of the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will estimate the total sum so stolen in each RUC division in this period. [147044]

  Mr. Ingram
  The table provides details of armed robberies of post offices and postal vehicles recorded by the Royal Ulster Constabulary for the period 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2000:
  493W

  (a) Armed robberies on post offices/postal vehicles: 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2000

  Date

  Sub-division

  Target

  20 July 2000

  Waterside

  Post Office, Lettershandoney, Londonderry

  27 July 2000

  Ballymoney

  Post Office, Straid Road, Bushmills

  28 July 2000

  Woodbourne

  Post Office, Glen Road, Belfast

  10 August 2000

  Ballymoney

  Post Office, Glenshesk Road, Amoy

  12 August 2000

  Strabane

  Post Office, Longland Road, Donemana

  17 August 2000

  Downpatrick

  Post Office, Cloughy

  25 September 2000

  Enniskillen

  Comagrade Post Office, Comagrade Road, Enniskillen

  10 October 2000

  Lurgan

  Post Office, Gawleys Gate, Lurgan

  21 November 2000

  Woodbourne

  Post Office, Monagh Road, Belfast

  9 December 2000

  Carrickfergus

  Sunnylands Post Office, Bridewell Drive, Carrickfergus

  Notes:

  1. Robberies where a firearm or the impression of a firearm is used.

  2.Does not include attempted robberies.

  (b) The total recorded cash sum taken during the listed robberies amounted to around £270,000 (this figure excludes the undisclosed value of postal orders, cheques, etc., also taken during some robberies).

  Saville Inquiry
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much the Saville inquiry has cost to date. [145478]

  Mr. George Howarth
  [pursuant to his reply, 24 January 2001, c. 637W]: The text of my answer relating to the Bloody Sunday inquiry should have read:
  "As of 31 December 2000, the cost of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry to this Department amounted to £33,834,904."

TREASURY

  Minimum Wage (Morecambe and Lunesdale)
  Miss Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many workers are estimated to benefit from the minimum wage in(a) Morecambe and Lunesdale and (b) the United Kingdom. [148962]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Miss Geraldine Smith, dated 6 February 2001:
  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question about the number of workers in Morecambe and Lunesdale and the United Kingdom who have benefited from the national minimum wage (NMW) (148962).
  The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published estimates of the number of jobs paid at less than NMW rates for 1998, 1999 and 2000. These are based on an improved methodology using data from both the New Earnings Survey and Labour Force Survey. Estimates for the United Kingdom and Government Office Regions are available on the National Statistics website at:http://www.statistics.gov.uk/nsbase/themes/labour—market/nmw—lowpay—tables.asp
  No estimates are available for Parliamentary Constituencies.

  Departmental Duties
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the titles, duties and functions of Mr. Martin Roberts and Mr. Robert Allan in his Department were prior to their transfer to the Financial Services Authority. [149200]
  494W
  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Mr. Roberts and Mr. Allen worked in the Insurance Team of the Department during 1998 prior to their transfer to the Financial Services Authority in January 1999.

  Earnings Patterns
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the impact on(a) GDP, (b) tax revenue and (c) savings in benefits if persons (i) over 50 and (ii) between the ages of 50 and 65 had the same patterns of employment and earnings as the average of the rest of the UK labour force. [147607]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  ECOFIN
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the EMU statistics which were the subject of a progress report at the ECOFIN of 19 January. [148540]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I have deposited a copy of "Information requirements in EMU: Third progress report on the implementation of the Monetary Committee's report" in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what conclusions were arrived at during the ECOFIN of 19 January 2001 regarding the implementation of the Stability and Growth Pact. [148541]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  ECOFIN examined and agreed an Opinion on the Swedish Convergence Programme, in line with the Stability and Growth Pact. A copy of the Opinion has been deposited in the Library of the House.

  Death Certificates
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what his estimate is of the net yield per annum from the issuing of death certificates(a) before and (b) after the decision not to authorise the photocopying of death certificates; [148546]

  (2) what factors underlay the decision of the Economic Secretary not to authorise the photocopying of death certificates; and if he will make a statement; [148543]
  495W
  (3) how many offences involving (a) the fraudulent use of photocopies of death certificates and (b) the fraudulent use of photocopies of death certificates endorsed by solicitors have been committed in each of the last 10 years; [148545]

  (4) how many representations he has received (a) in favour of and (b) against the decision of the Economic Secretary not to authorise the photocopying of death certificates. [148544]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Her Majesty's Stationery Office (HMSO) Guidance on the Copying of Birth, Death and Marriage Certificates (October 1999) stated that it was Government policy not to authorise the copying of certificates. I received one representation against that policy. After considering this representation, I concluded that it would be inappropriate to allow solicitors to photocopy death certificates issued in England and Wales for endorsement and use as evidence of death. One representation against this decision has been received.

  No estimate of the yield per annum from the issuing of death certificates has been made and information about the fraudulent use of photocopied certificates is not held centrally. The policy is based on the potential use of photocopied certificates for fraud and not on commercial considerations.

  The Government have a responsibility to reduce the potential for fraud. A death certificate is a certified copy of an entry in a death register. Under statute it may only be certified by the registrar who holds the register and the Registrar General who holds a certified copy of the register. Similar provisions apply to birth and marriage certificates. Photocopies can conceal alterations to original certificates and will by-pass the security features—watermarks, fugitive inks—so that fraudulent use is unlikely to be detected. Misrepresentation of documents is an important element in fraud relating to identity and status. Authorising any use of photocopied certificates for evidential purposes will signify Government approval of the practice and increase their potential use for fraud. For this reason, it has been decided that the photocopying of documents for evidential purposes should not be authorised. Representations by solicitors about the cost and inconvenience when administering an estate were considered. Any inconvenience is regretted but is outweighed by the public interest in limiting the opportunities for fraud.

  Certificates of recent events are readily available from a registrar in England and Wales at a cost of £3.50. All income from registration fees, including certificates issued at Register Offices, is paid to local authorities. The fee levels are reviewed every year and adjusted to ensure that the income continues to recover half the costs incurred by local authorities in providing the service.

  Paris Club
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy towards Russian debt to the Paris Club is; and if he will make a statement. [149041]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Russia has promised to make debt service payments to Paris Club creditors under successive rescheduling agreements. In its current 496W
  economic situation, all Russia's Paris Club creditors hold that Russia should not run into arrears on payment obligations.

  Barnett Formula
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will bring forward proposals to revise the Barnett formula. [148946]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The Government have no current plans to revise the Barnett formula.

  Aggregates Tax
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about the effect of aggregate tax on the quarry industry; what changes he plans to make in respect thereof; and if he will make a statement. [148649]

  Mr. Timms
  The Government have received a number of representations regarding the aggregates levy from a range of organisations, including the aggregates industry, local authorities and environmental groups. Most of these were in response to HM Custo Ms and Excise's consultation on the administration of the levy in 1998 and the subsequent publications of the draft clauses. These representations will be taken into account as the legislation is finalised.

  Petrol Vapour
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the environmental impact of the recovery of petrol vapour for(a) use as furnace fuel and (b) use in the production of electricity. [148606]

  Mr. Timms
  No such assessment has been made.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors underlay the decision of the Financial Secretary not to allow a rebate on petrol vapour recovered by vapour recovery systems and used to produce electricity. [148607]

  Mr. Timms
  There is no scope within the provision of the Hydrocarbon Oil Duties Act 1979 to allow such a rebate, and I am not persuaded that such a change is necessary or desirable given that recovery of vapour is required by environmental regulation.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the yield is of customs duty on petrol vapour recovered by vapour recovery systems and used in the production of electricity. [148605]

  Mr. Timms
  No such figure is available.

  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the incidence of double taxation in the imposition of duty on petrol vapour recovered by vapour recovery systems and used to produce electricity. [148604]

  Mr. Timms
  There is no double taxation. Duty is charged only once, when the petrol leaves the refinery. There is no relief from duty on petrol used to power engines or turbines.
  497W
  Petrol vapour recovered and returned to duty-suspended stocks at the refinery is, by concession, eligible for duty refund to prevent subsequent double taxation when redelivered as liquid fuel.

  Children's Tax Credit
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Wales have applied for the Children's Tax Credit. [148317]

  Mr. Timms
  The information is not available.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in Wales are eligible for the Children's Tax Credit. [148319]

  Mr. Timms
  It is estimated that 250,000 families in Wales will benefit from the Children's Tax Credit.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Immigration and Nationality Directorate
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress has been made on the introduction of the casework programme of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate. [149424]

  Mr. Straw
  In 1996 Siemens Business Services Ltd. and the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) of the Home Office agreed a specification and contract for the development and operation of an integrated casework system. For a number of reasons delivery in the time scale originally anticipated did not occur.

  Officials have however worked closely with Siemens to ensure that the Information Technology (IT) provided by them supports the expansion of immigration casework and current priorities. The systems already operating as an interim solution, with which the Directorate has achieved 110,000 asylum decisions this year, provide the practical support needed. The original full casework application now seems over-complex and out of touch with current working practices. IND has accordingly agreed with Siemens that they should stand down the resources they are using to develop the full casework application.

  Siemens continue to work actively in partnership with IND on a programme of further improvements to IND's current IT, to be completed over the next year. IND and Siemens will together work through the consequent changes to the contract and payment schedule. At present, there is no change to the current contract, which runs to October 2003.

  Clandestine Entrants
  Mr. Pond
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will extend the application of the civil penalty for carrying clandestine entrants to rail freight trains; when he will set the amount of such a penalty and bring into operation a code of practice for rail freight; and if he will publish a report on the consultation process. [149509]

  Mrs. Roche
  Following a formal consultation period, which ran from 13 November to 25 December 2000, the main set of Regulations extending the civil penalty to rail freight, the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants)498W
  (Application to Rail Freight) Regulations 2001, were laid before Parliament today along with a draft Code of Practice. The main Regulations come into force, for the purposes of making and laying two related instruments, namely, the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants and Sale of Transporters) (Amendment) Regulations 2001 and the Carriers' Liability (Clandestine Entrants) (Code of Practice for Rail Freight) Order 2001 on 7 February 2001. The remaining provisions of the main Regulations, and the two related instruments will come into force on 1 March 2001.

  The purpose of the main Regulations is to enable penalties to be imposed in respect of clandestine entrants who arrive in the United Kingdom concealed in a rail freight wagon. The other two instruments provide respectively for the amount of the penalty (and certain procedural matters), and for the coming into operation of the Code of Practice.

  I am placing a copy of the report, summarising the main responses to the consultation process, in the Library. Copies will also be available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website at www.ind.homeoffice.gov.uk.

  Police Productivity
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of productivity gains for police inspecting ranks in each of the last five years. [149216]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Information on police performance related to particular police ranks is not collected centrally.

  Essex Constabulary
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the total number of police officers who have joined the Essex constabulary as a result of the recent recruitment campaign initiated by his Department. [148697]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The National Recruitment Campaign was launched on 30 August 2000. By 31 January 2001, 22,209 Expressions of Interest had been forwarded to forces from the National Recruitment Campaign call centre, including 370 to Essex police.

  In addition to Expressions of Interest forwarded from the national call centre, I have been informed by Essex police that the force has received a further 220 requests for application forms directly from individuals as a result of the national campaign.

  Essex police have advised that it is too soon for any of the applications generated as a result of the National Campaign to have progressed to the point of recruitment, but that all the applications received are being progressed by the force in the usual way.

  Jury Trial
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his plans to restrict the right to choose jury trial for middle-ranking offences. [148568]
  499W
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  As was affirmed in the Speech from the Throne, the Government propose to give the courts, rather than the defendant, the power to decide where an either-way case should be tried.

  Correspondence
  Sir Brian Mawhinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire of 5 September 2000 on behalf of his constituent Mr. Smith. [149205]

  Mr. Straw
  The Home Office has no record of receiving this particular letter in its correspondence database. As I now have a copy of the letter, I will respond to the issues raised very shortly.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters of 12 December and 15 January from the hon. Member for Northavon regarding Cameron McArthur. [149207]

  Mr. Straw
  My right hon. Friend the Minister of State replied to the letter of 12 December 2000 on 5 February.

  The letter dated 15 January was transferred on 26 January to the Minister responsible for the issue of travellers in the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry, North-East (Mr. Ainsworth) I understand that my hon. Friend will reply as soon as possible.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Richmond Park dated 25 October 2000, regarding Miss Rosebell Kirungi (ref. K10003442). [148619]

  Mrs. Roche
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: I wrote to the hon. Member on 5 February 2001. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

  Animals (Scientific Procedures)
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will introduce legislation to repeal section 64 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement. [149111]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  There is no section 64 in this Act but the hon. Member may be referring to section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 which prevents the disclosure of information about the use of animals in scientific procedures that has been provided in confidence. Following the enactment of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, all statutory bars are being reviewed, including section 24.

  I held a seminar with representatives of animal protection groups and the scientific community in September 2000 to discuss the review of section 24 and officials have subsequently held a series of separate meetings with some of the organisations that participated
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  in the seminar. I have also received views from the Animal Procedures Committee on this subject.

  The Government have a clear commitment to Freedom of Information and are equally committed to the maintenance of the necessary protection for individual scientists and their research institutions from the actions of animal rights extremists. I am considering very carefully how these commitments can best be met. A decision on whether to repeal or amend section 24 will not be made until later this year.

  Youth Justice Board
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place the Youth Justice Board report, "Delivering the Pledge on Persistent Young Offenders", in the Library. [148979]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  This document offered advice to Ministers on the management of the work to deliver the Youth Justice Pledge. We do not propose to issue it. We publish performance figures every month.

  Police (Cumbria)
  Mr. Maclean
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will list, for each year since 1979, the total number of civilian staff employed by the police force in Cumbria; [147546]

  (2) if he will list, for each year since 1979, the total number of (a) constables and (b) police officers in Cumbria. [147547]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  [holding answer 26 January 2001]: The information is set out in the tables.

  Table A: Police and constable numbers for each year since 1979

  Year1

  Number of police officers

  Number of constables

  1979

  1,056

  766

  1980

  1,093

  806

  1981

  1,108

  813

  1982

  1,121

  824

  1983

  1,107

  808

  1984

  1,114

  817

  1985

  1,092

  794

  1986

  1,127

  829

  1987

  1,118

  810

  1988

  1,141

  829

  1989

  1,135

  820

  1990

  1,166

  852

  1991

  1,184

  872

  1992

  1,179

  869

  1993

  1,196

  889

  1994

  1,174

  876

  1995

  1,167

  877

  19962

  1,115

  846

  1997

  1,144

  882

  1998

  1,164

  911

  1999

  1,126

  873

  2000

  1,084

  838

  20003

  1,048

  817

  1 As at 31 March.

  2 From the financial year 1995–96 police numbers were collected on a full-time equivalent basis. In prior years police regulations did not permit the employment of part-time officers.

  3 30 September.

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  Table B: Civilian support staff numbers since 1979

  Year1

  2Number

  1979

  250

  1980

  254

  1981

  257

  1982

  258

  1983

  274

  1984

  280

  1985

  295

  1986

  314

  1987

  310

  1988

  340

  1989

  351

  1990

  380

  1991

  396

  1992

  409

  1993

  414

  1994

  436

  1995

  443

  1996

  408

  1997

  451

  1998

  452

  1999

  442

  2000

  469

  20003

  505

  1 As at 31 March

  2 Civilian staff numbers are full-time equivalent.

  3 30 September.

  Football Disorder Act
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) arrests have been made and (b) convictions secured under the provisions of the Football Disorder Act 2000. [148407]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Since the Act came into force on 28 July, there have been 1,534 arrests for football-related offences as defined in Schedule 1 of the Football Spectators Act 1989 (as amended by the Football (Disorder) Act 2000). No information is available on the number of convictions. Most types of offences committed in connection with football are not specific to football and convictions are recorded by category of offence rather than by the location or circumstances of the offence. However, during this period, the courts have imposed 191 of the new football banning orders introduced by the 2000 Act.

  Vehicle Crime
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ensure that road safety and the reduction of vehicle crime are included in crime and disorder audits. [148421]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 does not specify what categories of crime and disorder must be included in the audit local partnerships must produce. However, it does require that the partnership conduct a thorough review of the levels and patterns of crime, consulting widely in the local community. It is through this process that partnerships will identify the nature and extent of road safety and vehicle crime problems in their area, as well as other crime and disorder issues.

  Crime and Disorder Audits
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the next round of crime and disorder audits will be undertaken. [148420]
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  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Crime and Disorder Act 1998 requires that crime and disorder strategies are formulated and implemented for a period of three years and each subsequent period of three years. The implementation date for the next set of strategies is March 2002 and crime and disorder partnerships are beginning to undertake audits in order to formulate their strategies by that date.

  Road Safety
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the incidence of the inclusion of road safety in local crime and disorder strategies. [148419]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  A Review of Audits and Strategies produced by Crime and Disorder Partnerships in 1999 was published by Home Office, Research, Development and Statistics in November 2000 under reference Police Research Briefing Note 8/00. The review found that of the 363 strategies examined, 37 per cent. (134) of partnerships had specified road safety/dangerous driving as a priority for action. Of those 134 strategies, 37 per cent. (50) contained a specific target.

  Soft-tipped Bullets
  Mr. Cotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police forces use soft-tipped bullets. [148858]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  This information is not available centrally. All ammunition used by the police service is approved by the Police Scientific Development Branch at the Home Office, but it is an operational decision for chief officers of police to decide which ammunition is used by officers in their force.

  Mr. Cotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from hon. Members and others on the use of soft-tipped bullets by the police; and if he will make a statement. [148857]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  In addition to the hon. Member himself, we have received representations recently from four other hon. Members and occasional letters from members of the public on the use of soft-point ammunition by the police.

  Hunting Bill
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he has taken to consult the Association of Chief Police Officers on the enforcement of each of the alternatives set out in the Hunting Bill; and if he will place their responses in the Library. [148305]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Association of Chief Police Officers were shown an early draft of the Bill and consulted about the options. The Association made a number of detailed comments on the proposals contained in the three options, set out in a letter of 4 December. They also issued a Press Release, dated 24 January, saying that while it is too early to reach a final view on the resource implications of any of the options, if hunting is banned, they do not anticipate a significant additional burden on the service, over and above its current commitment. Copies of both documents will be placed in the Library.
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  Proof of Age Scheme
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received on the introduction of a national proof of age scheme. [148866]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We have received some correspondence supporting the introduction of a national proof of age card. There are a number of cards, some produced under industry-led schemes and others issued by public authorities, which provide evidence of age; and we are proposing, through the Criminal Justice and Police Bill, to strengthen the duty on licensees to satisfy themselves about customers' ages before selling alcohol to them.

  Colin Griffiths
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will call for a report from the Chief Constable of Staffordshire police concerning the death of Colin Griffiths of Stafford on 26 December 1994. [148662]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  I understand that a report from the Staffordshire police on the circumstances of Mr. Griffiths' death is currently under consideration by the Crown Prosecution Service.

  Victim Support
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been provided for victim support since May 1997. [148893]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  When we assumed office in May 1997, Victim Support's annual grant was £11.7 million. It has since been increased as shown:

  £ million

  1997–98

  12.7

  1998–99

  12.7

  1999–2000

  17.5

  2000–01

  18.4

  Special Constables
  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2001,Official Report, column 491W, on special constables, what the (a) expenditure was on special constable recruitment advertising and (b) number of special constables recruited was in each of the last five years. [148582]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: The total expenditure on special constable recruitment advertising is assessed at the end of each financial year in March. The figures for the five years 1995–96 to 1999–2000 are set out in the table:

  Year

  £

  1995–96

  1,960,000

  1996–97

  1,950,000

  1997–98

  420,000

  1998–99

  355,000

  1999–2000

  910,000

  Five year total

  5,595,000

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  The figures for the number of special constables recruited during the same period are:

  Recruited

  Male

  Female

  Total

  April 1995-March 1996

  2,565

  1,868

  4,433

  April 1996-March 1997

  2,959

  1,949

  4,908

  April 1997-March 1998

  2,255

  1,550

  3,805

  April 1998-March 1999

  1,668

  1,155

  2,823

  April 1999-March 2000

  1,123

  744

  1,867

  Five year total

  10,570

  7,266

  17,836

  Asylum Support
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many units of accommodation the National Asylum Support Service estimates it will provide in total in(a) 2000–01 and (b) each of the next three years; how many units have been provided to date in 2000–01; and if he will make a statement; [148824]

  (2) how many units of accommodation are provided in property under contract to the National Asylum Support Service; and what proportion of such accommodation was (a) occupied and (b) unoccupied on the first day of each month in 2000–01 to date. [148825]

  Mrs. Roche
  [holding answer 5 February 2001]: The information is not available in the precise form requested. As at the end of December 2000, 26,7001 units of accommodation were contracted by National Asylum Support Service (NASS), of which 16,600 units were allocated to asylum seekers and their dependants.

  NASS estimates that it will require 44,000 bedspaces in this financial year 2000–01. For 2001–02 NASS estimates that it will require somewhere in the region of 16,000 additional bedspaces. Estimates for future financial years are not available.

  1Figures rounded to nearest 100

  Criminal Records Bureau
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he gives to voluntary associations which operate in England and Scotland on paying a contribution to the Criminal Records Bureau. [148694]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  [pursuant to his reply, 5 February 2001, c. 433W]: This is to provide additional information to that which I was able to give in my previous reply, in relation to the issue of charges for the voluntary sector. We have listened very carefully to concerns expressed within the voluntary sector, and by others, including right hon. and hon. Members, on behalf of the voluntary sector, about the potential implications of charges to be made by the Criminal Records Bureau. We have made clear our commitment to and support for the voluntary sector and recently announced a major package to promote voluntary and community involvement. It remains our intention that the Bureau should be financed by means of the charges that it makes. But we have concluded that standard and enhanced disclosures, which include those working in sensitive positions with the vulnerable, should be issued free of charge to volunteers. We are continuing our

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  consideration of the appropriate fees regime and structure for other users of the Bureau's services and we shall make a further announcement shortly.

HEALTH

  NHS Plan
  Dr. George Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress in the implementation of the national health service plan. [147339]

  Mr. Milburn
  Progress on implementing the NHS Plan is well under way. Among other initiatives we have given local health services funding for three years for the first time. Investment and reform are taking hold in cancer and cardiac services, and we have provided earmarked funding for hospital cleaning.

  Patient's Charter
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in implementing the Patient's Charter. [147342]

  Ms Stuart
  On Friday 26 January, we launched "Your Guide to the NHS" a replacement for the old style Patient's Charter.

  The "Guide" fulfils the Government's Manifesto commitment of replacing the Patient's Charter with a clearer guide to patients rights, responsibilities and the national standards and services people can expect from the NHS now and in the future.

  Health Care (Cumbria)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he next intends to meet representatives of the NHS in Cumbria to discuss matters relating to health care. [147343]

  Mr. Hutton
  I have no current plans to meet representatives of the National Health Service in Cumbria to discuss matters relating to health care; however, I have regular meetings with NHS representatives in Cumbria.

  Transplant Services (Sheffield)
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had concerning the future of transplant services at Northern General Hospital, Sheffield. [147344]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Government announced the modernisation and reorganisation of organ transplant services last February. We are currently considering proposals for the future of the national cardiothoracic transplant service submitted by the National Specialist Commissioning Advisory Group which may have implications for services at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield.

  Community Hospital, Gravesend
  Mr. Pond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress towards the development of the new community hospital in Gravesend. [147345]
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  Ms Stuart
  Public consultation on the proposal to develop integrated health and social care facilities on the Gravesend and North Kent Hospital site is expected to start shortly.

  NHS Employees (Cost of Living Allowance)
  Mr. Syms:
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the distribution of the cost of living allowance to NHS employees. [147346]

  Mr. Denham
  Cost of Living Supplements are being introduced from 1 April for qualified staff within the remit of the Nurses Pay Review Body, working in high cost parts of England.

  The supplements will be payable to staff in designated health authority areas in London and the south of England determined by their staff Market Forces Factor. This is a measure of external labour market pressures on NHS employers.

  Renal Services
  Tony Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proposals he has to improve renal services. [147347]

  Mr. Denham
  The NHS Plan will deliver 450 new and replacement haemodialysis stations over the next three years, providing treatments for another 1,850 patients and better treatment for 1,200 existing patients.

  GP Waiting Times
  Mr. Bill O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to reduce waiting times for patients to see their GP; and if he will make a statement. [147348]

  Mr. Denham
  In a modernised National Health Service all patients should be able consistently to secure fast and convenient access to a general practitioner. The NHS Plan sets targets to achieve this by 2004. We are backing this commitment with the Access Fund which exists to help primary care trusts and primary care groups to deliver the access targets.

  Hospital Hygiene
  Mr. Goggins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets he has set for improving the cleanliness of hospital wards. [147349]

  Mr. Denham
  Our clean hospitals programme means every hospital is making improvements to the patient environment. Unannounced hospital cleanliness inspections are under way.

  £31.9 million was allocated this year and a further £30 million will be allocated from 1 April to assist the programme. The first ever clean hospitals standards come into effect from this April.

  NHS Manpower
  Mr. Casale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on staff levels in the NHS. [147351]
  507W
  Mr. Denham
  The most recent staff survey (Medical and Dental Workforce Census 30 September 1999 England) for which results are available showed 1,097,350 staff working in the NHS (873,220 whole time equivalent).

  This represents a percentage increase in headcount over 1997 figures of 3.66 per cent. (3.18 per cent. whole time equivalent).

  Notes:

  1. All NHS doctors includes general medical practitioners, hospital medical and dental staff (excluding hospital practitioners and clinical assistants most of whom are Gps and will already have been counted), and medical and dental staff working in Public Health Medicine and Community Health Services.

  2. GP retainers were collected for the first time in October 1999. As at 1 October 1999 there were 972 GP retainers (headcount).

  3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

  4. Figures may not equal the sum of component parts due to rounding.

  5. Figures exclude agency staff.

  Sources:

  1. Department of Health Medical and Dental Workforce Census as at 30 September for each year.

  2. Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census as at 30 September for each year.

  3. Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics as at 1 October for each year.

  Modernisation Fund
  Mr. St. Aubyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the cost of administering the Modernisation Fund. [147352]

  Mr. Denham
  The NHS Modernisation Fund has been earmarked for modernisation and developing the NHS. The purpose of the Fund is to ensure that additional resources are properly targeted to the places that need it most and can use it most effectively.

  The Government have promised, in the NHS Plan, that by 2004 the proportion the NHS spends on management costs will be reduced and a higher share of every pound will go into front line patient care.

  Nurse Recruitment (London)
  Mr. Gapes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase nurse recruitment in London. [147353]

  Mr. Denham
  The NHS Executive in London, in collaboration with NHS trusts, are implementing a plan to expand the nursing work force in London. Priority areas are:

  returning nurses to practice

  international recruitment

  recruiting from black and ethnic minority communities

  improving working lives through improved flexible working arrangements and child care provision

  market supplements effective from April 2001 affordable housing.

  National Cancer Research Institute
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will set up the National Cancer Research Institute. [147354]
  508W
  Yvette Cooper
  An announcement will be made shortly.

  Dental Services (Corby)
  Mr. Hope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the provision of dental services in Corby. [147355]

  Ms Stuart
  We are committed to making NHS dentistry available to everyone who needs it, by September this year. Last year's dental strategy showed how that could be achieved, with up to £100 million of new resources across this financial year and the next. Residents of Corby have benefited from this funding.

  Hospital Waiting Lists
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the procedure for the compilation of waiting lists for(a) referral to a consultant and (b) admission to a hospital. [147356]

  Mr. Denham
  Information on numbers of patients waiting for admission to hospital and on numbers of patients waiting more than 13 weeks for an outpatient appointment is collected from NHS Trusts and health authorities by the Department of Health and is published by the Government Statistical Office. The methodology has remained unchanged since we took office.

  Cancer Services
  Ms Dari Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about the development of cancer services in the NHS. [147357]

  Yvette Cooper
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given today,Official Report, column 180, by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to my hon. Friends the Members for Bury, North (Mr. Chaytor), for Carlisle (Mr. Martlew) and for Sheffield, Hillsborough (Helen Jackson).

  Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Strategy
  Laura Moffatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on progress with his sexual health and HIV/AIDS strategy. [147358]

  Yvette Cooper
  The merger of the sexual health and HIV strategies inevitably led to slippage in the timetable. However, considerable progress has been made with producing an integrated strategy that will set a programme of action on sexual health and HIV for England. We plan to issue the strategy for consultation shortly.

  Social Services Funding
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the growth of social services funding for community care. [147359]

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the recent trend in the level of funding for personal social services. [147363]

  Mr. Hutton
  The resources provided for personal social services, including those provided for community care, have increased substantially in recent years and will
  509W
  continue to grow in real terms over the next three years. Last year (1999–2000) the level of resources provided for social services increased in real terms by 3.8 per cent. they increased by a further 3.5 per cent. this year (2000–01), and will continue to rise by, on average, a further 3.4 per cent. per annum over the next three years (2001–02 to 2003–04). It is for councils to decide how much of these additional resources should be used for community care taking account of local circumstances and priorities.

  Community Health Councils
  Mr. Clappison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received about community health councils. [147360]

  Ms Stuart
  A number of representations have been received about community health councils and the new structures.

  Debate on the Health and Social Care Bill currently in Committee will provide an opportunity to discuss these issues in detail.

  Hospital Beds
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many additional high dependency and intensive care beds the NHS has acquired since 1 December 2000. [147361]

  Mr. Denham
  Bed figures for additional high dependency and intensive care beds the national health service has acquired since 1 December 2000 are not available. The nearest available comparison is between 15 January 2000 and 1 December 2000.

  This shows an increase in the total number of available fully staffed critical care beds (which includes both intensive care and high dependency beds) of 451 adult critical care beds over and above capacity for last winter.

  The results are given in the table.

  Critical care beds—1 December 2000

  Number

  Eastern total

  211

  London total

  647

  North West total

  411

  Northern and Yorkshire total

  443

  South East total

  341

  South West total

  227

  Trent total

  253

  West Midlands total

  280

  England total

  2,813

  Beds above 15 January 2000

  +451

  Source:

  1 December Bed Census

  CJD
  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with his European Union counterparts on the incidence of new variant CJD; and if he will make a statement. [147362]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Under-Secretary of State for Health, my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Ms Stuart) attended the Health Council in December 2000 and stressed the importance of continued 510W
  collaboration across Europe to improve our knowledge about variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD). The National CJD Surveillance Unit in Edinburgh maintains close links with its counterparts in the European Union through a Commission-funded surveillance project. We are aware of three cases of vCJD in France, and one in the Republic of Ireland.

  Coronary Heart Disease
  Mr. David Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made in improving services which will cut the incidence of coronary heart disease. [147364]

  Yvette Cooper
  The National Service Framework (NSF) for Coronary Heart Disease, published in March 2000, is a radical and far reaching programme which covers the whole spectrum of care from prevention of heart disease, through emergency care, primary and specialist care including heart surgery, and rehabilitation.

  The national health service and partner agencies are asked to identify areas of inequality, undertake health impact assessments, and to agree and be contributing to the delivery of the local programme of effective policies on reducing smoking, promoting healthy eating, increasing physical activity and reducing overweight and obesity by April 2001.

  Much progress has already been made in improving and expanding services which will cut the incidence of coronary heart disease. By 31 March 2001 a smoking cessation service will be in place across the NHS. Bupropion, a smoking cessation aid, has been made available on prescription since June 2000. By 1 April 2001, subject to consultation, nicotine replacement therapy will be available on prescription from general practitioners. In the future we will expect cessation services to focus on manual socio-economic groups and pregnant women and have set health authorities targets.

  As part of the strategy to promote healthy eating and reduce overweight and obesity the Department has started to pilot the National School Fruit Scheme. Currently 32 schools in three areas provide a free piece of fruit every school day to every child in nursery and aged four to six in infant schools. Hundreds more schools are soon to run the programme as part of the next phase. The Department is also funding local five-a-day pilot schemes to develop a local co-ordinated approach to increase the availability and awareness of fruit and vegetables across whole communities. The Department will publish a National Quality Assurance Framework on GP exercise referrals in February 2001.

  But the root causes of coronary heart disease are wider than health. Broader Government policies on poverty, employment and education all play a significant role in tackling coronary heart disease. There will be new national health inequalities targets to narrow the health gap in childhood and throughout life between socio-economic groups and between the most deprived areas and the rest of the country.
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  Folic Acid
  Barbara Follett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department is taking to ensure that women are aware of the importance of taking folic acid during pregnancy. [147365]

  Yvette Cooper
  We encourage all women of child bearing age to increase the amount of folic acid they consume, and they are advised to increase their daily intake of folic acid by eating more folate-rich foods or foods fortified with folic acid. Women who are trying to conceive are advised to take a daily supplement of 400 micrograms until the twelfth week of pregnancy.

  We disseminate this important health information which is available with advice through local services and on request.

  NHS Operation Statistics
  Mr. Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) hip replacement operations, (b) heart operations and (c) cataract operations were completed in the NHS in (i) 1979, (ii) 1997 and (iii) 2000. [146988]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 23 January 2001]: The numbers of operations in the given time periods are shown in the table.

  Operation

  1979 (discharges) (HIPE data)

  1996–97 FCEs1 (HES data)

  1999–2000 FCEs1 (HES data)

  Heart

  22,920

  162,186

  184,671

  Hip replacement2

  20,280

  37,697

  41,883

  Admissions by main diagnosis in NHS hospitals in England

  ICD-9 code and diagnosis

  1989–90

  1990–91

  1991–92

  1992–93

  1993–94

  1994–95

  800.1 and 800.3 fracture of vault of skull with intracranial injury

  665

  721

  760

  737

  694

  651

  801.1 and 801.3 fracture of base of skull with intracranial injury

  644

  688

  686

  846

  899

  785

  803.1 and 803.3 other and unqualified skull fractures with intracranial injury

  412

  426

  397

  376

  416

  432

  804.1 and 804.3 multiple fractures involving skull or face with other bones with intracranial injury

  53

  40

  36

  30

  23

  36

  850 concussion

  11,113

  10,207

  8,130

  7,118

  7,941

  7,751

  851.0 cerebral laceration and contusion without mention of intracranial wound

  522

  535

  566

  623

  556

  671

  851.1 cerebral laceration and contusion with open intracranial wound

  15

  35

  28

  33

  26

  27

  852.0 subarachnoid, subdural and extradural haemorrhage, following injury without mention of intracranial wound

  1,620

  1,616

  1,736

  1,839

  2,050

  2,249

  852.1 subarachnoid, subdural and extradural haemorrhage following injury with open intracranial wound

  41

  61

  43

  51

  45

  61

  853.0 other and unspecified intracranial haemorrhage following injury without mention of intracranial wound

  414

  422

  351

  419

  513

  455

  853.1 other and unspecified intracranial haemorrhage following injury with open intracranial wound

  13

  21

  15

  19

  14

  18

  854.0 intracranial injury of other and unspecified nature without mention of intracranial wound

  77,009

  67,547

  59,290

  60,556

  56,423

  53,198

  854.1 intracranial injury of other and unspecified nature with open intracranial wound

  907

  737

  722

  733

  772

  735

  Total

  93,428

  83,056

  72,760

  73,380

  62,455

  61,373

  ICD-10 code and diagnosis

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Intracranial injury

  S060 concussion

  6,158

  5,109

  4,221

  3,566

  2,781

  S061 traumatic cerebral oedema

  187

  157

  151

  135

  182

  512W

  Operation

  1979 (discharges) (HIPE data)

  1996–97 FCEs1 (HES data)

  1999–2000 FCEs1 (HES data)

  Cataract

  41,430

  159,958

  212,398

  1 An sultant Episode) is defined a+s a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year.

  2 Figures for hip replacement operations exclude emergency admissions and those with primary diagnosis of fractured neck of femur; i.e. the data are for elective hip replacements.

  Care should be taken when comparing Hospital Episode Statistics with Hospital In-Patient Inquiry data for time series, as the differences in the data collection and recording means that they are not directly comparable.

  Over the last three years, for which comparable data are available, there has been a 14 per cent., 11 per cent. and 33 per cent. increase in the numbers of heart, elective hip and cataract operations, respectively.

  The large increase in heart operations between 1979 and 1996–97 reflects in part the growth of revascularisation procedures, including bypass grafting.

  Acquired Brain Injury
  Ms Blears
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been diagnosed with acquired brain injury in each of the last 20 years. [147964]

  Mr. Denham
  Information is available, on hospital admissions only, from 1989 onwards. There was a change in the way information was collected in 1995 so the data for the period 1989–90 to 1994–95 are not directly comparable with data for the subsequent period.
  513W

  ICD-10 code and diagnosis

  1995–96

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  S062 diffuse brain injury

  928

  843

  937

  831

  988

  S063 focal brain injury

  378

  378

  420

  484

  404

  S064 epidural haemorrhage

  480

  530

  583

  485

  558

  S065 traumatic subdural haemorrhage

  1,741

  1,853

  1,995

  2,032

  2,139

  S066 traumatic subarachnoid haemorrhage

  327

  308

  380

  351

  366

  S067 intracranial injury with prolonged coma

  28

  15

  18

  13

  21

  S068 other intracranial injuries

  544

  601

  727

  591

  635

  S069 intracranial injury, unspecified

  12,456

  10,242

  7,098

  3,454

  2,787

  Total

  23,226

  20,036

  16,529

  11,942

  10,860

  Note:

  The main diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital

  These data are adjusted for both coverage and unknown/invalid clinical data.

  St. George's Hospital, Tooting
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many outpatients who are waiting for treatment at St. George's Hospital, Tooting, live in the London Borough of Wandsworth. [148310]

  Mr. Denham
  The Department does not collect data on where patients waiting for treatment reside.

  Children's Body Parts
  Mr. Prior
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children's body parts that have been taken without the consent of their parents at(a) Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, Norfolk, (b) James Royal Hospital, St. Edmunds and (c) Queen Elizabeth II Hospital, Kings Lynn. [148398]

  Mr. Denham
  Information is not available in the form requested. Reliable data at hospital level about the amount of organs and tissue retained following post mortem will not become available until all National Health Service trusts and medical schools have completed the cataloguing exercise to be supervised by the new Retained Organs Commission.

  Stem Cell Research
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will ensure that he receives a copy of the report from the Select Committee of the House of Lords on stem cell research as soon as it is published. [147608]

  Yvette Cooper
  Yes. We will work with the House of Lords Select Committee and will consider carefully its conclusions and any recommendations it may make.

  Multiple Sclerosis Nurses
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many specialist MS nurses there are in the UK; what plans he has to train more MS nurses; and if he will make a statement. [149196]
  514W
  Mr. Denham
  Information on specialist multiple sclerosis nurses is not collected centrally. However, we understand that the MS Society has recently launched a £2 million fund to encourage the development of MS specialist nurse posts.

  The development and funding of specialist nursing posts to treat specific conditions such as MS is for health authorities, in partnership with primary care groups/trusts and other local stakeholders, to determine.

  Hospices (Lancashire)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what financial support the Government have given to Derian House hospice and St. Catherine's hospice in Lancashire. [147332]

  Yvette Cooper
  During the year 2000–01, Derian House Hospice and St. Catherine's Hospice received funding totalling almost £500,000 from the South Lancashire and North West Lancashire Health Authorities.

  Alzheimer's Disease
  Mrs. Brinton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his plans for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. [147350]

  Mr. Hutton
  Developing and improving support for people with Alzheimer's disease is a priority for us. NICE has recently recommended that donepezil, rivastigmine and galantamine should be made available in the NHS as one component of the management of those people with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. The forthcoming National Service Framework for Older People will, for the first time, set national standards and define service models for older people's health and social care, driving up the quality and reducing the variations of that care. The NSF will look at conditions that mainly affect older people, including dementia.

  Protocol on the Position of the UK and Ireland
  Protocol on the Position of the UK and Ireland
  National Asylum Support Service
  National Asylum Support Service
  Asylum Seekers Detained in Prison: Language Facilities
  Asylum Seekers Detained in Prison: Language Facilities
  Air Weapons: Permit Requirement
  Air Weapons: Permit Requirement
  Immigration and Nationality Directorate: Casework Programme
  Immigration and Nationality Directorate: Casework Programme
  Clandestine Entrants: Rail Freight Regulations
  Clandestine Entrants: Rail Freight Regulations
  CCFs
  CCFs
  Health Food Products: EU Labelling Proposals
  Health Food Products: EU Labelling Proposals
  Milk Imports from France
  Milk Imports from France
  GM Farm-scale Evaluations
  GM Farm-scale Evaluations