Written Answers of 7 March 2001

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Ronald Maddison
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Solicitor-General if he has received a recent request from the Wiltshire Coroner to hold a fresh inquest on the death of Ronald Maddison at the defence research establishment at Porton Down; and if he will make a statement. [152378]

  The Solicitor-General
  Her Majesty's Coroner for Wiltshire and Swindon has requested the Attorney-General's consent for a fresh inquest into the death of Ronald Maddison which occurred in 1953. The Coroner has been asked to provide further information.

  The procedure is governed by section 13 of the Coroners Act 1988. Only the High Court may order a fresh inquest to be held. The Attorney-General's consent is required for the application to the High Court for that fresh inquest.

  The application for the Attorney-General's consent will be considered when the further information he has requested arrives. If the Attorney-General grants his consent the Coroner will then be able to make the necessary application to the High Court.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Prison Places
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisons being built in England and Wales; when each is expected to open; and how many inmate places there will be at each. [152679]

  Mr. Boateng
  One prison is currently under construction, Dovegate prison, and is due to open on 9 July 2001. There will be 800 prisoner places, of which 200 will form a therapeutic community.

  Asylum
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for asylum in the UK have been rejected on non-compliance grounds in each of the last three years; and how many of those claims have subsequently been given substantive consideration(a) prior to an appeal hearing and (b) following a successful appeal. [151625]

  Mrs. Roche
  The available information on the number of non-compliance decisions is given in the table.

  Statistical information for each of the last three years on the consideration of non-compliance cases following an initial decision but before appeal is not held centrally and would therefore only be available through examination of case records at a disproportionate cost.
  216W
  We have not generally reconsidered claims following a successful appeal, although it is open to the Department to challenge the outcome of an appeal through the tribunal.

  Non-compliance refusals (under paragraph 340 of the immigration rules and paragraph 180F prior to October 1994) are for failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim, including non-attendance at a substantive interview within a reasonable period. From November 1991, these include refusals for failure to respond to invitations to interview to establish identity under the measures introduced then.

  Refusals of asylum on non-compliance grounds in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, 1998 to 20001, 2

  Refused on non-compliance grounds

  Year

  Number of decisions

  Cases under normal procedures

  Cases under backlog criteria3

  1998

  31,570

  2,995

  5—

  19994

  33,720

  1,085

  1,275

  20004

  110,065

  26,630

  1,335

  1 Information is for initial decision, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.

  2 Figures rounded to the nearest 5.

  3 Includes cases decided under measures announced in the White Paper.

  4 Provisional figures.

  5 Nil.

  Wandsworth Prison
  Mr. Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason and by what amount Wandsworth prison's budget was cut last year; what other prisons received notification of budget cuts and what the amounts were in each case; and if he will make a statement on the budgetary control system for prisons. [152325]

  Mr. Boateng
  Under the 1998 comprehensive settlement review (CSR) settlement, the Prison Service was required to make cash-releasing efficiency savings of £18 million, equivalent to one per cent., in 2000–01. Prison establishments were required to contribute efficiency savings towards this target, and their budget baselines adjusted accordingly. The table shows the amounts by which individual establishments' baselines were reduced.

  The 1998 CSR also provided an additional £226 million over three years for the Prison Service to manage population increases and provide purposeful regimes for prisoners designed to prevent their reoffending. This money was allocated to individual establishments for specific purposes related to this aim.

  It follows, therefore, that in some cases establishments will have experienced reductions in their baseline at the same time as they received additional CSR funding. The reductions in the baseline reflected required efficiency savings in performing existing functions, while the CSR allocations were to facilitate specific new work.

  The allocation of budgets and the efficiency savings required of individual establishments are designed to achieve the most equitable allocation of resources across the service in the context of tight financial constraints and the requirement to make efficiency savings.

  217W

  Establishment

  Efficiency savings 2000–01

  Acklington

  60,000

  Albany

  80,320

  Ashwell

  50,000

  Askham Grange

  50,000

  Aylesbury

  91,300

  Bedford

  69,890

  Belmarsh

  288,000

  Birmingham

  160,000

  Blantyre House

  20,570

  Blundeston

  82,010

  Brinsford

  70,000

  Bristol

  153,950

  Brixton

  163,430

  Brockhill

  25,000

  Bullingdon

  126,370

  Bullwood Hall

  37,320

  Camp Hill

  79,620

  Canterbury

  63,230

  Cardiff

  110,540

  Castington

  45,000

  Channings Wood

  90,810

  Chelmsford

  86,730

  Coldingley

  54,660

  Cookham Wood

  30,160

  Dartmoor

  124,970

  Deerbolt

  50,000

  Dorchester

  42,080

  Dover

  56,750

  Downview

  61,860

  Drake Hall

  60,000

  Durham

  95,000

  East Sutton Park

  16,480

  Eastwood Park

  61,550

  Elmley

  137,910

  Erlestoke

  53,520

  Everthorpe

  60,000

  Exeter

  87,560

  Featherstone

  60,000

  Feltham

  162,800

  Ford

  53,120

  Foston Hall

  25,000

  Frankland

  227,000

  Full Sutton

  231,000

  Garth

  230,000

  Gartree

  77,510

  Glen Parva

  85,000

  Gloucester

  59,250

  Grendon

  93,690

  Guys Marsh

  71,010

  Haslar

  24,790

  Hatfield

  50,000

  Haverigg

  60,000

  Hewell Grange

  25,000

  High Down

  162,070

  Highpoint

  123,190

  Hindley

  70,000

  Hollesley Bay

  84,480

  Holloway

  177,700

  Holme House

  170,000

  Hull

  150,000

  Huntercombe

  68,980

  Kingston

  39,170

  Kirkham

  200,000

  Kirklevington Grange

  35,000

  Lancaster Castle

  60,000

  Lancaster Farms

  85,000

  Latchmere House

  22,680

  Leeds

  245,000

  Leicester

  310,000

  218W

  Establishment

  Efficiency savings 2000–01

  Lewes

  91,030

  Leyhill

  58,070

  Lincoln

  105,000

  Lindholme

  200,000

  Littlehey

  86,880

  Liverpool

  860,000

  Long Lartin

  203,000

  Low Newton

  35,000

  Maidstone

  97,010

  Manchester

  600,000

  Moorland

  210,000

  Morton Hall

  25,000

  New Hall

  95,000

  North Sea Camp

  35,000

  Northallerton

  60,000

  Norwich

  118,420

  Nottingham

  95,000

  Onley

  99,760

  Parkhurst

  103,810

  Pentonville

  185,780

  Portland

  88,240

  Preston

  180,000

  Ranby

  110,000

  Reading

  53,630

  Risley

  160,000

  Rochester

  77,060

  Send

  37,510

  Shepton Mallet

  39,720

  Shrewsbury

  50,000

  Stafford

  220,000

  Standford Hill

  50,280

  Stocken

  80,000

  Stoke Heath

  50,000

  Styal

  60,000

  Sudbury

  50,000

  Swaleside

  118,620

  Swansea

  64,740

  Swinfen Hall

  40,000

  The Mount

  95,580

  Thorn Cross

  95,000

  Usk/Prescoed

  50,100

  Verne

  79,750

  Wakefield

  197,000

  Wandsworth

  203,160

  Wayland

  87,370

  Wealstun

  95,000

  Weare

  —

  Wellingborough

  79,610

  Werrington

  25,000

  Wetherby

  110,000

  Whatton

  25,000

  Whitemoor

  222,000

  Winchester

  104,480

  Woodhill

  108,000

  Wormwood Scrubs

  188,580

  Wymott

  190,000

  Total

  13,384,220

  Prisons Activities
  Miss Widdecombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisons operate industrial workshops; how many prisoners are employed in such workshops; what the income and expenditure of each prison workshop is; and if he will make a statement. [151210]
  219W
  Mr. Boateng
  [pursuant to his reply, 26 February 2001, c. 492W]On 31 March 2000 there were 9,527 employed in public sector workshops, not 1,041 as previously stated.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  RUC (Redundancies)
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if training of new replacement recruits will be completed before redundant RUC officers leave. [152384]

  Mr. Ingram
  Officers began to leave the RUC under the terms of the early retirement/voluntary severance scheme in January 2001. The first police trainees will join the Police Service of Northern Ireland in September 2001, and are expected to have completed their training by February 2002.

  Force Research Unit
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what date the Chief Constable of the RUC requested an investigation into the operation of the Force Research Unit; how many items of correspondence he has received from the RUC on the subject of the FRU in the past 12 months; and at how many meetings this subject has been discussed. [150579]

  Mr. Ingram
  On 19 April 1999 the Chief Constable asked Sir John Stevens to investigate the murder of Mr. Patrick Finucane plus associated allegations contained within the British Irish Rights Watch report on the subject. An investigation into the activities of the FRU is an important part of Sir John's investigation. In the last 12 months neither the Secretary of State nor his predecessor received any correspondence from the RUC specifically on the subject of the activities of the FRU. In that same period the Stevens Inquiry has been discussed at ministerial level in a number of meetings held with a range of individuals.

DEFENCE

  Warrior Armoured Vehicle
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the use of the Warrior armoured vehicle. [153038]

  Mr. Spellar
  I announced on 30 November 2000,Official Report, columns 726–27W, that a number of precautionary operating restrictions had been put in place on the use of the Warrior armoured vehicle following the failure of the driveshaft system in some vehicles. A technical solution to the problem has now been developed and the fitting of modified parts commenced on 5 March 2001. The operating restrictions are being lifted from individual vehicles as they receive the modified driveshafts. The programme to convert all Warrior vehicles is expected to be completed by July 2001.

  Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) where ex-servicemen who suffer post-traumatic stress disorder can be treated; [152007]
  220W
  (2) if he will ensure that the Duke of Kent Hospital at Catterick offers treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder to ex-servicemen who require it; and if he will provide the necessary funding; [152006]

  (3) if he will make funds available for the hospital treatment of ex-servicemen who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. [152008]

  Dr. Moonie
  Ex-service personnel seeking advice on post-traumatic stress disorder from the Ministry of Defence's veterans advice unit are referred to a variety of contacts for assistance, including their own national health service (NHS) GP and ex-service welfare organisations, especially those that specialise in stress-related disorders. However, if any treatment was necessary, it would be carried out by the NHS, as it becomes responsible for the health care of personnel when they leave the armed forces. There are no plans to change this arrangement. The NHS has a range of psychiatric services available, including those that specialise in the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder. Current NHS guidance provides priority for out-patient and in-patient treatment to be given to war pensioners, where they require treatment for the condition for which they receive their war pension.

  Defence Medical Services
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by specialty and rank the number of Defence Medical Services personnel on operational duty in Sierra Leone in September 2000; and if he will make a statement. [151799]

  Dr. Moonie
  The number of Defence Medical Services personnel on operational duty in Sierra Leone during September 2000 is set out. The majority of these personnel deployed to provide initial medical support to UK troops. A surgical team also deployed briefly to Sierra Leone in support of the UK military operation which successfully freed six members of the Royal Irish Regiment on 10 September, and this is included in the details as shown. Medical support to UK forces was also provided by the UN hospital which was then run by the Indian armed forces.

  Lieutenant Colonel—Consultant General Surgeon

  Lieutenant Colonel—Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon

  Lieutenant Colonel—Consultant Anaesthetist

  Lieutenant Colonel—Medical Officer

  Lieutenant Colonel—General Medical Practitioner

  Major—Consultant Anaesthetist

  Captain—Medical Officer

  Captain—Medical Officer

  Flight Lieutenant—Nursing Officer

  Warrant Officer Class 1—Operating Department Practitioner Class 1

  Warrant Officer Class 2—Combat Medical Technician Class 1

  Staff Sergeant x 2—Operating Department Practitioner Class 1

  Sergeant—Regimental Medical Assistant Class 1

  Sergeant x 2—Operating Department Practitioner Class 1

  Sergeant—Registered General Nurse

  Sergeant x 3—Combat Medical Technician Class 1

  Corporal x 3—Combat Medical Technician Class 1

  Corporal—Environmental Health Technician Class 1

  Corporal x 2—Operating Department Practitioner Class 1

  221W

  Ranger x 2—Regimental Medical Assistant Class 2

  Lance Corporal—Combat Medical Technician Class 1

  Lance Corporal—Regimental Medical Assistant Class 1

  Lance Corporal—Operating Department Practitioner Class 1

  Lance Corporal—Regimental Medical Assistant Class 3

  Senior Aircraftman—RAF Medical Assistant

  Private—Combat Medical Technician Class 1.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by specialty the number of Defence Medical Services personnel who will be deployed as part of Exercise Saif Sareea 2 stating in each case how many are(a) regular and (b) reserves; and if he will make a statement. [151808]

  Dr. Moonie
  Requirements for medical support to Exercise Saif Sareea 2 have not yet been finalised. Consequently, we are not yet able to determine the numbers and specialties of the Defence Medical Services personnel who will be deployed, nor whether they will be regular or reserves.

  Iraq
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions(a) coalition aircraft and (b) UK aircraft patrolling the southern no fly-zone in Iraq have released ordnance in response to violations from 12 January to date, stating in percentage terms (i) the nature of the threat, (ii) the category of the target attacked and the tonnage of ordnance released on each category of target in proportion to the overall tonnage released; and if he will make a statement. [151804]

  Mr. Hoon
  Between 12 January 2001 and 28 February 2001, coalition aircrew conducting legitimate humanitarian patrols in the southern no-fly zone were directly threatened by Iraqi air defence forces on 39 occasions and responded in self-defence on six occasions against Iraqi military facilities posing a direct threat to coalition forces. UK aircraft released ordnance on four occasions. Details of the threats to coalition aircraft, targets and UK ordnance, in percentage and weight terms as appropriate, are as follows:(i) Nature of threat:
  Anti-Aircraft Artillery/Surface to Air Missile firings—100 per cent.
  (ii) Category of Target Attacked:
  Integrated Air Defence System—100 per cent.
  (iii) UK Weapons Released Against Integrated Ground Based Air Defence System
  (A) By tonnage—6.6 tonnes
  (B) By per cent.—100 per cent.

  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what legal powers recent international military intervention took place in Iraqi no-fly zones. [152460]

  Mr. Hoon
  I refer my hon. Friend to the statement I made in the House on 26 February 2001,Official Report, columns 620–34, about coalition operations to enforce the no-fly zones over Iraq.

  Depleted Uranium
  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the oral statement by the Minister for the Armed Forces on 9 January 2001,Official Report,
  222W
  column 878, concerning oversight of the firing programme of DU shells at the Dundrennan range, if he will specify the nature and extent of the oversight. [151868]

  Mr. Spellar
  Officials from the Health and Safety Executive and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and its predecessor organisations were consulted before test firing began at Dundrennan. Inspectors from both organisations have visited the site on several occasions and are kept fully informed of all activities on the site.

  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many depleted uranium shells were fired in Wales in each of the last 10 years. [152628]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: No depleted uranium rounds have been fired in Wales in the last 10 years.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what reports he has received on the long-term effects of depleted uranium ammunition on the troops responsible for using the ammunition and recovering vehicles damaged by depleted uranium ammunition. [152155]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 26 February 2001,Official Report, column 558W; to the independent analysis by Steve Fetter and Frank von Hippel in Science and Global Security, 1999, Volume 8.2, pages 125 to 161; and to the Ministry of Defence paper "Depleted uranium—Documents explaining the Ministry of Defence position on the risks and health hazards", a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House on 25 January 2001. The Ministry of Defence is also in the process of compiling a list of risk assessments we have undertaken to assess any possible dangers to the environment and human health arising from the use of depleted uranium-based ammunition. That list will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Road Accidents (Balkans)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the UK has paid out in compensation because of road accidents to non-UK persons for road accidents involving UK personnel; how many civilians have been(a) killed and (b) seriously injured in such accidents in (i) Bosnia and (ii) Kosovo; and if he will make a statement. [152596]

  Mr. Spellar
  A total of £808,674.78 has been paid in compensation to non-UK persons involved in road traffic accidents involving UK personnel in Bosnia. This sum includes compensation in respect of five fatalities and 50 cases of personal injury. No compensation has been paid so far in similar circumstances in Kosovo.

  Centre for Defence Medicine
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research facilities exist at the Centre for Defence Medicine; how much money has been earmarked for the development of research facilities; and if he will make statement. [151801]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Centre for Defence Medicine will develop medical research opportunities which are relevant to the Defence Medical Services in close conjunction with its partners, in particular the University of Birmingham. It will also work closely with other elements of the
  223W
  Ministry of Defence concerned with medical research activities. No dedicated military medical research facilities are currently envisaged.

  MOD Establishments (Security)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the state of security at his Department's bases and headquarters in the UK and the steps taken to deter unwanted intrusion; what review of security procedures at his Department's bases and headquarters he plans to undertake; what the remit of the investigations will be; which bases and headquarters will be investigated; when he expects investigations to be completed; and if he will make a statement. [151805]

  Mr. Hoon
  Security at Ministry of Defence (MOD) establishments is given the highest priority and procedures are kept under constant review. For obvious reasons it is not the practice to discuss MOD security measures publicly. However, I can assure the right hon. Member that wherever a security incident occurs, it is speedily investigated and remedial action is taken if appropriate.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many breaches of security were reported at his Department's bases and headquarters in each of the last five years; how many arrests and prosecutions have resulted; and if he will make a statement. [151806]

  Mr. Hoon
  Taking breaches of security incursions on to the Ministry of Defence estate, the figures for each of the last four years were: 1996–97 67; 1997–98: 87; 1998–99: 182; 1999–2000: 239; central records were not kept prior to 1996–97. The figures cover sites in Great Britain (excluding USAF installations) and Germany. The great majority of the incursions related to anti-nuclear demonstrators, whose activities have increased over the last two years. I will write to the right hon. and learned Member with the numbers of arrests and prosecutions recorded by the Ministry of Defence police. Information on incidents dealt with by local constabularies could be provided only at disproportionate costs.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Parental Leave
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to give mothers and fathers the right to work reduced hours after the birth of a child. [152279]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  The Green Paper "Work and Parents: Competitiveness and Choice", published by the Government in December 2000, sets out a number of options to help parents balance their family and work responsibilities. It includes three options on a right to work reduced hours:whether there should be a right for mothers to work reduced hours during the period of maternity leave,
  whether fathers should have a right to work reduced hours during the period of maternity leave,
  or whether both parents should have a right to work reduced hours when the mother's maternity leave ends.
  224W
  The options included the fact that the impact on employers would be minimised through giving employers the right to refuse requests if to grant them would unduly disrupt the business and an exemption for employers of a certain size.

  The Green Paper makes it clear that not all options can be pursued. Employers, large and small, and parents have been invited to indicate which options are of greatest priority to them. The closing date for comments is 7 March 2001. Responses to the consultation are being considered carefully.

  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to introduce flexible paid parental leave. [152282]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  The Green Paper "Work and Parents: Competitiveness and Choice", published by the Government in December 2000, sets out a number of options to help parents balance their family and work responsibilities. It invites views on whether paid parental leave should be introduced, although it notes that the cost to employers and the State of doing so would be considerable. Another option is whether funding should be available to help employers develop more flexible parental leave schemes.

  The Green Paper makes it clear that not all options can be pursued. Employers, large and small, and parents have been invited to indicate which options are of greatest priority to them. The closing date for comments is 7 March 2001. Responses to the consultation are being considered carefully.

  Mercedes-Benz
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions(a) he and (b) his officials have held with (i) Mercedes-Benz (UK) and (ii) the Retail Motor Industry Federation on the future plans for the sale of Mercedes-Benz cars in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [152097]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  (i) Neither I nor my officials have had any discussions as yet with Mercedes-Benz (UK) on the future plans for the sale of their cars in the UK.

  (ii) My officials have had preliminary discussions with the Retail Motor Industry Federation (RMIF) on the future plans of Mercedes-Benz. The Retail Motor Industry Federation has written to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, requesting a meeting to discuss this subject along with other issues pertaining to the retail motor industry. This is in the process of being arranged.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he has had with the Director General of Fair Trading on the proposals by Mercedes-Benz (UK) for their planned future car sales structure in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [152096]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  I have had no discussions as yet with the Director General of Fair Trading on the proposals by Mercedes-Benz (UK) for their planned future car sales structure in the UK. I understand that Mercedes-Benz Dealer representatives have sent a letter to DaimlerChrysler UK calling on the company to justify or withdraw the termination notices, failing which the Dealers intend to commence legal proceedings.

  Miners' Compensation (Warrington, North)
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many former miners in Warrington, North have(a) claimed and (b) received payments in compensation for (i) chronic bronchitis and emphysema and (ii) vibration white finger. [152458]

  Mr. Hain
  In the area of Warrington, as defined by the postcodes WA2, WA3, WAl2 and M44, which encompasses the Warrington, North constituency, IRISC, the Department's claims handlers, have registered 274 claims in respect of compensation for respiratory disease and 176 claims in relation to Vibration White Finger, VWF. To date, there have been 65 individual payments totalling £236,000 in respect of respiratory disease and 59 individual payments in respect of VWF amounting to £358,000.

  Directors' Remuneration
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how he intends to take forward the proposals in his Department's consultative document on directors' remuneration. [152845]

  Mr. Byers
  My Department received 140 responses to its consultative document on directors' remuneration. Most respondents supported the Government's proposals to promote a more effective linkage between performance and boardroom pay. The Government have now decided to introduce secondary legislation under the Companies Act 1985 which will require quoted companies incorporated in Great Britain to publish a report on directors' remuneration as part of the company's annual reporting cycle. Companies will be required to disclose within the report details of individual directors' remuneration packages, the role of the board's remuneration committee and the board's remuneration policy, including information on performance linkage, directors' service contracts and compensation payments.

  The Government recognise that it is also important that directors are accountable to shareholders in this area, not least because boards of directors face a conflict of interest in relation to directors' remuneration. The Government continue to be concerned that many quoted companies are failing to respond adequately to the best practice recommendations on accountability, but they are also aware that the Company Law Review is looking at a number of issues in adjacent areas. I will therefore take a final decision on how to improve accountability on boardroom pay, including whether or not to introduce a compulsory vote on the board's remuneration report, in the light of the Review's wider recommendations on company law reform.

  Ahead of this there is of course nothing to stop institutional investors taking action now. I have had helpful discussions with the Association of British Insurers and the National Association of Pension Funds and with some of their members about the action they are taking to improve compliance with best practice in this area. In particular, I will be looking to see further evidence that:
  remuneration committees are composed exclusively of independent non-executive directors;
  companies are complying with the spirit of existing best practice on accountability and that shareholders are fully involved.

  Foresight
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when Foresight was established; which of its reports are placed in the public domain; how many(a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers participate in its work; how many regular (i) non-departmental and (ii) departmental staff participate in its work; and how many of these work for Foresight on a full-time basis. [152037]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  Foresight was established, and the first round launched in 1994, with a second round starting in 1999. All the reports produced by Foresight are in the public domain.

  No departmental or non-departmental special advisers participate in the work of Foresight. (However, special advisers give advice to Ministers on the programme and its outputs from time to time as they do for any other Departmental activity.)

  There are currently 40 people in the Foresight Secretariat in the Office of Science and Technology/DTI, and these are the only people fully occupied on Foresight. They are made up as follows:

  Organisation

  Full-time

  Part-time

  DTI

  24

  3

  Other Government Departments

  3

  —

  Research Council Secondees

  2

  —

  Industry Secondees

  1

  1

  Consultant

  1

  —

  Temporary/Agency Staff

  5

  —

  In addition, of the 500–600 people who were members of the 14 Foresight Panels and 64 associated Task Forces in the current round, 18 were DTI officials and 72 were officials from other Government Departments and the Research Councils.

  Respiratory Disease Compensation Scheme
  Tony Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims have been received by former miners in the Cannock Chase area under the respiratory disease compensation scheme; and how many of these claimants have received(a) interim payments and (b) full and final payments. [152412]

  Mr. Hain
  In the area of Cannock, as defined by the postcodes WS11, WS12 and WA15, which encompasses the Cannock Chase constituency, IRISC, the Department's claims handlers, have registered 1,961 claims in respect of compensation for respiratory disease. To date, there have been 539 interim payments made, including bereavement awards, and 42 full and final settlements totalling together £1,685,000. Until now, it has not been possible to make full and final settlements in all cases because compensation for some heads of damages, e.g. pensions, had not been agreed. This has now been settled, as I announced last week, and more full and final awards can be made.

  Rural Post Offices
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the post offices that have been closed in(a) North and (b) South Wales in the past year. [150521]
  227W
  Mr. Byers
  This information is not available in the form requested.

  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will list the post offices in Wales, indicating those he defines as rural. [150520]

  Mr. Byers
  Details of individual post offices are maintained at a local level and a centralised listing of the type requested is not available.

TREASURY

  Government Investments
  Barbara Follett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the Government's investments. [152738]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Following a detailed review of the gold sales programme, which considered the recommendations made in the recently published National Audit Office Report on "The sale of part of the UK gold reserves", we have today confirmed our plans to sell 120 tonnes of gold in 2001–02. As in previous years the sales will be made through Bank of England auctions. There will be six auctions during 2001–02, which will be held every other month starting in May. The auctions will be of approximately 20 tonnes and will continue to be conducted on a single price basis.

  Hourly Earnings
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of workers on adult rates of pay in part-time employment have hourly earnings, including and excluding overtime pay, that are less than(a) £5, (b) £6, (c) £7 and (d) £3.60 in (i) Scotland, (ii) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland and (iii) Great Britain, broken down by (1) male manual, (2) male non-manual, (3) all male workers, (4) female manual, (5) female non-manual, (6) all female workers, (7) all manual, (8) all non-manual and (9) all workers; what the average weekly earnings are, including and excluding overtime, for part-time workers in (A) Scotland and (B) each of the local unitary local authority areas in Scotland for (X) all employment and (Y) non-manual employment. [152153]

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

  Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Douglas Alexander, dated 7 March 2001:
  The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question on average weekly earnings and hourly earnings for workers in Great Britain, Scotland and the unitary authorities in Scotland (152153). I am replying in his absence.
  In order to address the issue of weekly pay, I have used data from the New Earnings Survey (NES). This survey can provide earnings data for small geographical areas. The release of NES data is restricted to figures that are derived from a sufficiently large sample of employees, and have an acceptable level of accuracy. I have provided the available data for average weekly earnings for part-time workers for Scotland and the unitary authority areas in Scotland. These are based on the 2000 NES, the latest survey for which data are available.
  228W
  For hourly pay, I refer you to estimates which have been developed to measure low hourly pay more accurately. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has published estimates of the number of jobs paid at less than specific hourly low pay thresholds for all workers in the United Kingdom for Spring 2000, and the number of jobs paid at less than National Minimum Wage rates for Spring 2000, desegregated by gender and full and part time. These estimates are based on an improved methodology using data from the NES and Labour Force Survey (LFS). This methodology provides the best estimates for the number of jobs in the UK paid below low hourly rate thresholds. These estimates are posted on the National Statistics website at:
  www.statistics.gov.uk/themes/labour_market/nmw_lowpay_tables.asp.
  The improved methodology has been developed to overcome the deficiencies inherent in the two surveys, the NES and the LFS, in measuring low pay. Estimates based on this methodology are not available for the areas and population sub-groups requested.
  Whilst it is possible to produce estimates for the proportion of employee jobs earning less than the specified hourly thresholds from the NES, the NES underestimates the number of low pay jobs since it does not provide a comprehensive picture of the lower end of the earnings distribution.

  Average weekly gross earnings, excluding overtime, for part-time employees for Scotland

  £

  Average earnings

  All employees

  Non-manual

  139.1

  All

  121.7

  Average weekly gross earnings, excluding overtime, for part-time employees for unitary authority areas in Scotland

  £

  Average earnings

  All employees

  Non-manual

  Edinburgh, City of

  136.7

  Glasgow City

  130.2

  All

  Edinburgh, City of

  122.4

  Glasgow City

  117.4

  South Lanarkshire

  111.4

  Average weekly gross earnings, including overtime, for part-time employees for Scotland

  £

  Average earnings

  All employees

  Non-manual

  145.6

  All

  128.2

  Average weekly gross earnings, including overtime, for part-time employees for unitary authority areas in Scotland

  £

  Average earnings

  All employees

  Non-manual

  Edinburgh, City of

  143.4

  Glasgow City

  134.9

  All

  Edinburgh, City of

  128.5

  Glasgow City

  122.7

  South Lanarkshire

  118.3

  Tobacco and Alcohol Smuggling
  Mrs. Lawrence
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest assessment is of tobacco and alcohol smuggling and its impact on Government revenues; and what action he is taking to tackle it. [153056]

  Dawn Primarolo
  In March 2000, Customs and Excise forecast that tobacco duty revenues for 2000–01 would be £7.4 billion. In fact, tobacco duty revenues for 2000–01 are now expected to be £7.5 billion, the first time in four years that the forecast yield has been exceeded.

  Last March, the Government announced their "Tackling Tobacco Smuggling" strategy, which is designed first to slow the growth in tobacco smuggling, which has been on a strong upward trend, and then to put it into decline within three years. The strategy provided £209 million for investment in 1,000 extra staff and a national network of X-ray scanners. This strategy is at an early stage but it is already beginning to show results. In the first nine months of 2000–01, Customs have seized more than 1.4 billion cigarettes in the UK and helped overseas enforcement agencies seize nearly 700 million cigarettes en route to the UK. Customs investigators have also broken up 38 major organised crime gangs involved in the smuggling and supply of huge volumes of illicit cigarettes. As more front-line staff are put in place, new X-ray scanners come on line, and tobacco pack marks come into force, Customs will be able to take even more effective action against the criminals involved in tobacco smuggling.

  As part of the "Tackling Tobacco Smuggling" strategy, Customs are pursuing a target for 2000–01 of holding illicit market penetration to 21 per cent. of the UK cigarette market, equating to £2.8 billion in lost revenues. Customs' assessment for the calendar year 2000 suggests that 22 per cent. of the UK cigarette market is made up of smuggled cigarettes, equating to £2.9 billion in lost revenues. Customs also estimate that 70 per cent. of cigarette consumption in the calendar year 2000 was of UK tax paid product and 8 per cent. was legitimately purchased for personal consumption free of UK taxes.

  Detailed estimates of revenue lost (excise and VAT) through cross-border shopping and smuggling of alcohol and tobacco for the calendar year 2000 and revised figures for 1999 are contained in the tables. In reaching these estimates using the best information currently available, Customs' assessment is that overall cigarette consumption in 2000 was approximately 81 billion cigarettes.

  Table 1: Revenue lost through all forms of tobacco smuggling

  £ million1

  1999

  2000

  Cross-Channel smuggling of2:

  Hand rolling tobacco

  670

  890

  Cigarettes and other tobacco

  320

  470

  Total cross-Channel smuggling of tobacco

  985

  1,360

  Tobacco smuggling by air passengers, Internet and parcel

  110

  120

  Freight smuggling of cigarettes3

  1,600

  2,300

  Assessment of all forms of tobacco smuggling and evasion4,5

  2,700

  3,800

  1 Figures have been independently rounded to £5 million. Components may not therefore sum to the totals shown. Figures for freight smuggling and the overall assessment are rounded to the nearest £100 million.
  230W
  2The 1999 cross-Channel smuggling figures have been revised to take into account new data on traffic flows from the ONS International Passenger Survey.

  3Freight smuggling of cigarettes is calculated as the residual after the other forms of revenue loss have been subtracted from the overall assessment.

  4Customs have only published assessments of all forms of tobacco smuggling and evasion for 1998 and 1999. Estimates of cross-Channel smuggling were first published in 1996.

  5A comparable table of overall alcohol losses is being prepared and will be published in due course.

  Table 2: Revenue lost through cross-border shopping of EU duty paid tobacco

  £ million

  Product type

  1998

  1999

  Cigarettes and other tobacco products

  n/a

  185

  Hand-rolling tobacco

  n/a

  35

  Total

  85

  220

  Notes:

  1. Figures have been independently rounded to £5 million. Components may not therefore sum to the totals shown.

  2. The figures shown for revenue lost assume that 100 per cent. of all tobacco purchased abroad substitutes for similar purchases in the UK.

  3. The increase in the cross-border shopping estimates between 1998 and 1999 reflects the effects of the abolition of intra-EU duty free sale in July 1999. Prior to abolition duty free sales were not included in the estimates of cross-border shopping: from July 1999 onwards duty free sales have largely been replaced by EU duty paid sales, which are included in cross-border shopping. Because the switch from duty free sales to EU duty paid sales does not involve an additional revenue loss, the measured increase in cross-border shopping between 1998 and 1999 overstates the net additional loss of revenue.

  4. Prior to 1999 the split between the different tobacco products was not robust enough to publish.

  Table 3: Revenue evaded and revenue lost through cross-Channel smuggling of alcohol

  £ million

  19991

  2000

  Product type

  Revenue evaded

  Revenue lost

  Revenue evaded

  Revenue lost

  Beer

  190

  140

  245

  185

  Wine

  45

  30

  65

  50

  Spirits

  20

  15

  15

  15

  Total

  255

  190

  325

  245

  1Revised

  Table 4: Revenue lost through cross-border shopping of EU duty paid alcohol

  £ million

  Product type

  1998

  1999

  Beer

  55

  60

  Wine

  180

  220

  Spirits

  50

  90

  Total

  290

  370

  Notes:

  1. Figures have been independently rounded to £5 million. Components may not therefore sum to the totals shown.

  2. The figures shown for revenue lost assume that between 70 per cent. and 80 per cent. of all alcohol purchased abroad substitutes for similar purchases in the UK.

  3. The figures exclude any amounts for revenue lost on alcohol products smuggled in freight consignments or diversion fraud.
  231W
  4. The 1999 cross-Channel smuggling figures have been revised to take into account new data on traffic flows from the ONS International Passenger Survey.

  5. Prior to abolition duty free sales were not included in the estimates of cross-border shopping from July 1999 onwards duty free sales have largely been replaced by EU duty paid sales, which are included in cross-border shopping. Because the switch from duty free sales to EU duty paid sales does not involve an additional revenue loss, the measured increase in cross-border shopping between 1998 and 1999 overstates the net additional loss of revenue.

  Government Finance
  Mr. Russell Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will outline the Government's financing plans for 2001–02. [152844]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Information concerning the Government's financing plans for 2001–02 can be found in the "Debt and Reserve Management Report 2001–02", which has been published today. Copies of the Report are available in the Library of the House.

  EU Growth and Stability Pact
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if, with reference to Protocol 5 of the Maastricht Treaty concerning budget deficits and the document known as the Stability Pact, he will list(a) the last published paper issued by Her Majesty's Government containing the text of the Protocol, (b) the Treaty Base of the Stability Pact and the date on which it was (i) first published and (ii) approved by the Ministerial Council, (c) when it was presented to Parliament, considered by a Committee of either House and reported upon, and (d) the debates held or Resolutions made in respect of the document in either House of Parliament. [151496]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Protocol on the Excessive Deficit Procedure is annexed to the Treaty Establishing the European Community, as a result of the Treaty on European Union agreed at Maastricht on 9–10 December 1991. Royal Assent was given to the European Communities (Amendment) Act 1993 on 20 July 1993, amending UK law, following its third and final reading in the House of Lords.

  Detail on the legal bases used for the Stability and Growth Pact and background on the submission of the proposals for UK parliamentary scrutiny is contained in the comprehensive Explanatory Memorandum which covered them, submitted to Parliament by HM Treasury on 3 June 1997 (6946/97 and 6947/97).

  The House of Commons Select Committee on European Legislation noted, in its Second Report of the 1997–98 Session, that the documents had been the subject of a full day's debate on the Floor of the House, and had cleared scrutiny by virtue of the Resolution come to at the end of that debate. I refer my hon. Friend to column 896 of the Official Report on 9 June 1997. The House of Lords Scrutiny Committee confirmed that these items had cleared scrutiny in their 11 June 1997 Progress of Scrutiny Report.

  The draft Resolution was adopted by the Amsterdam European Council on 16 and 17 June 1997, which invited ECOFIN to adopt the two regulations.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Benefits Agency (Chief Executive)
  Mr. Winnick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if it is the practice of the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency to sign the substantive replies to hon. Members who have written to him on behalf of constituents. [152615]

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

  Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. David Winnick, dated 6 March 2001:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if it is the practice of the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency to sign the substantive replies for honourable Members who have written to him on behalf of constituents.
  The commitments I have as Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency means that I am at several of the Agency's locations throughout the week and I am therefore not always able to personally sign the substantive replies to MP's letters. I sign in the region of 40% of the letters I receive from MPs each week. When I am unable to sign the reply myself, I ask a Director to sign on my behalf.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Minimum Income Guarantee
  Mr. Fitzpatrick
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will announce the outcome of the Government's consultation on the future of the minimum funding requirement. [153039]

  Mr. Darling
  I am setting out the Government's proposals on the future of the minimum funding requirement in a joint DSS/HMT paper "Security for Occupational Pensions: The Government's Proposals", which I am placing in the Library.

  Pensions
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many firms have said they intend to replace their existing occupational pension scheme with a stakeholder pension. [152440]

  Mr. Rooker
  No firms have contacted us to say they intend to replace their existing occupational pension scheme with a stakeholder pension, and we would not expect them to do so.

  Winter Fuel Payments
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if(a) a British pensioner living in France and (b) a French pensioner living in Britain is entitled to the Winter Fuel Payment. [152352]

  Mr. Rooker
  Winter Fuel Payments are one of the initiatives in our commitment to tackle fuel poverty in Great Britain. They are not only paid to pensioners and are not linked to receipt of State Retirement Pension.

  Winter Fuel Payments are paid to people aged 60 and over who satisfy the qualifying conditions during the relevant qualifying week. One of the main qualifying conditions is that a person should be ordinarily resident in Great Britain.

  Pension Credit Consultation Paper
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people requesting copies of the Pension credit consultation paper have been told that it was out of stock; for what periods it was not available; and if he will extend the consultation period to take account of such periods. [152353]

  Mr. Rooker
  The consultation paper has been continuously available since November 2000 on the internet. During this period 4,233 copies of the consultation document have been issued. Due to the high demand for copies, the Department ordered a second print of the command paper to replenish stocks. Printed copies of the document were not available for a short period of 12 days while delivery was awaited. During this time 441 orders were placed for 515 copies.

  Electronic Signatures (Benefit Payments)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if the(a) Benefits Agency and (b) Benefits Fraud Inspectorate will accept the use of electronic signatures by claimants as valid. [152421]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Department does not currently accept the use of electronic signatures on claims or other applications. It is envisaged that electronic signatures will be accepted as soon as the necessary legal, security and authentication issues have been resolved.

  Departmental Advertising Campaigns
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list the total cost of advertising campaigns run by his Department and its agencies in each year since 1992 and the projected cost for the current year. [151453]

  Mr. Rooker
  The information is in the table.

  The estimated increase in spending on Advertising for the year 2000–01 takes into account the work being undertaken by the Department around the Minimum Income Guarantee take up campaign, Pensions Education and anti-fraud activity.

  Cost of advertising campaigns since 1991–92

  Year

  Cost (£)

  1991–92

  4,834,813

  1992–93

  4,452,277

  1993–94

  5,964,988

  1994–95

  3,597.308

  1995–96

  6,383,467

  1996–971

  3,691,170

  Average Yearly Cost

  4,820,671

  1997–98

  1,430,698

  1998–99

  4,671,862

  1999–2000

  2,788,062

  2000–01

  11,336,000

  Average Yearly Cost

  5,056,656

  1Figures only available for the Department's Headquarters.

  National Insurance Numbers
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list for each of the past 20 years(a) the number of National Insurance numbers, (b) the number
  234W
  of National Insurance numbers created, (c) the number of National Insurance numbers cancelled and (d) the population aged 16 years or older. [151921]

  Mr. Rooker
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: The information for the past 12 years is in the tables. There is no confirmed information available for earlier years.

  There are currently 82 million NINOs in existence. This includes:
  approximately 13.5 million deceased records kept in case spouses make a claim on their partner's contribution. These cannot be used for fraud as they have a death date on them;
  approximately 12.5 million Child Reference Numbers for all children included on claims to Child Benefit. These become proper NINOs when the child reaches 16;
  of the remainder the vast majority are people who have moved abroad some of whom will return and need their NINO.

  National Insurance numbers (NINOs) held

  Million

  Year

  Total of NINOs at 31 December

  1989

  58

  1990

  60

  1991

  61

  1992

  71

  1993

  75

  1994

  76

  1995

  77

  1996

  77

  1997

  79

  1998

  80

  1999

  81

  2000

  82

  Note:

  Figures rounded to the nearest million.

  Number of national insurance numbers created per year

  Year (January to December)

  NINOs created

  1989

  894,000

  1990

  1,862,000

  1991

  1,146,000

  1992

  9,765,000

  1993

  3,292,000

  1994

  1,057,000

  1995

  1,008,000

  1996

  979,000

  1997

  1,018,000

  1998

  1,027,000

  1999

  1,023,000

  2000

  996,000

  Notes:

  1.Figures rounded to the nearest thousand.

  2.The reason for the large increase in NINO creation for years 1990–93 is:

  During 1990–91 NINOs were created for all those customers in receipt of retirement pensions where the customer did not have a NINO.

  During 1992–93 Child Reference Numbers (CRN) for all children included on claims to Child Benefit were allocated. CRNs become NINOs when the child reaches age 16.

  Number of national insurance numbers removed per year

  Year (January to December)

  NINOs removed

  1989

  13,000

  1990

  18,000

  1991

  19,000

  1992

  21,000

  1993

  19,000

  1994

  15,000

  235W

  Number of national insurance numbers removed per year

  Year (January to December)

  NINOs removed

  1995

  16,000

  1996

  55,000

  1997

  58,000

  1998

  38,000

  1999

  61,000

  2000

  182,000

  Notes:

  1. Figures rounded to the nearest million.

  2.The varying figures for removals are due to the varying Data Cleanse exercises (i.e. not all of the exercises involved the removal of records).

  Estimated mid-year resident population aged 16 and over, 1979–99

  thousands

  Mid-year

  UK population over age 16

  1979

  43,210.1

  1980

  43,535.9

  1981

  43,814.7

  1982

  44,028.1

  1983

  44,311.1

  1984

  44,620.2

  1985

  44,931.8

  1986

  45,183.0

  1987

  45,439.7

  1988

  45,625.8

  1989

  45,811.3

  1990

  45,942.4

  1991

  46,071.3

  1992

  46,161.4

  1993

  46,231.5

  1994

  46,325.6

  1995

  46,505.0

  1996

  46,708.0

  1997

  46,906.6

  1998

  47,126.5

  1999

  47,387.0

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 7 February 2001,Official Report, column 552W, on national insurance numbers, what reasons underlay the increase in the number of national insurance numbers removed from the Departmental Central Index. [152442]

  Mr. Rooker
  The primary objective of the Departmental Central Index (DCI) Data Cleaning Project was to undertake an analysis of the DCI database to identify specific data issues which would need to be resolved to clean up the DCI database.

  The Project removed 182,000 National Insurance Numbers (NINOs) during this financial year—more than in the whole of the last Parliament. The increase in the number of NINOs removed is due to the Project designing various enhanced IT scans which identified high risk records and continued to target duplicate records. Since the Project commenced only 10 fraudulent NINOs have been discovered, the vast majority were duplicates.

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many new national insurance numbers have been(a) created and (b) cancelled in each year since 1992. [148487]

  Mr. Rooker
  [pursuant to the reply, 7 February 2001, c. 552 W]: The information is in the table.
  236W

  January to December

  NINOs created on DCI

  NINOs removed from DCI

  1992

  9,765,000

  21,000

  1993

  3,292,000

  19,000

  1994

  1,057,000

  15,000

  1995

  1,008,000

  16,000

  1996

  979,000

  55,000

  1997

  1,018,000

  58,000

  1998

  1,027,000

  38,000

  1999

  1,023,000

  61,000

  2000

  996,000

  182,000

  Note:

  Departmental Central Index (DCI)

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Timber
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if his Department's annual report on timber procurement to the Committee of Green Ministers will be published. [152106]

  Mr. Battle
  My Department will provide information on timber procurement to DETR as part of the Green Ministers' Committee reporting process.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much certified timber has been purchased by his Department over the past six months; and what proportion of total timber purchases this represents. [152146]

  Mr. Battle
  Figures on timber procurement are not readily available. The interdepartmental timber working group is working to develop a common reporting template which will form the basis for future reporting on timber procurement. New FCO guidance has been issued to help buyers to work to ensure that timber procurement is in accordance with international agreements such as CITES and bought from sustainable legal sources.

  Science and Technology
  Mr. Roy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to increase the resources his Department devotes to international science and technology work. [152947]

  Mr. Battle
  As part of their contribution to the Government's competitiveness agenda, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds and manages a Science and Technology Network currently based in 10 countries. As a result of the 2000 Spending Review they can now allocate an additional £3 million to Science and Technology work over the next three Financial Years (2001–04). This will mean doubling the number of countries in which our diplomatic posts have specialist Science and Technology staff, and the creation of a dedicated Science and Technology Unit in the FCO.

  Zanzibar
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings he has had with representatives of the Commonwealth regarding the situation in Zanzibar. [151693]
  237W
  Mr. Wilson
  We remain in close touch with the Commonwealth Secretariat over the situation in Zanzibar. We have encouraged the Commonwealth Secretary General to become personally engaged in the search for a solution to the continuing political impasse on the islands. We have reiterated our support for the implementation of key provisions of the Commonwealth brokered agreement between the parties, which we continue to see as the best way of achieving a durable solution.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken to ensure that the Government of Tanzania discontinue the harassment of opposition politicians on the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. [151694]

  Mr. Wilson
  We were shocked by the killings, mass arrests and other human rights abuses carried out by the security forces on Zanzibar at the end of January against civilians exercising their democratic right to peaceful assembly.

  We believe that progress can be made only through serious dialogue between the Government and the Opposition.

  When I saw the Tanzanian Foreign Minister on 15 February I urged him to ensure that the security forces acted with restraint and that the Governments of Tanzania and Zanzibar entered into dialogue without preconditions with the Opposition.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is in respect of the elections held in Zanzibar in 2000; and if he will press for a re-run of the elections. [151695]

  Mr. Wilson
  The organisation of the elections on Zanzibar in October and November 2000 was inadequate. International observers noted numerous irregularities, including the excessive use of force by Government forces against opposition supporters.

  A re-run of the elections in the same circumstances would be unlikely to advance the cause of democracy in Zanzibar. The only way forward is through the establishment of serious dialogue between the Government and the Opposition, to enable needed reforms to the Zanzibar electoral and judicial systems to be discussed and implemented. I made this point to the leader of the Zanzibar Opposition when I saw him on 1 February and also discussed it with the Tanzanian Foreign Minister at my meeting with him on 15 February.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department has taken to prevent human rights abuses on the islands of(a) Zanzibar and (b) Pemba, following the arrests and deaths of political opponents of the Government of Tanzania. [151696]

  Mr. Wilson
  Following the shocking incidents in Zanzibar and Pemba over the weekend of 27–28 January 2001, the EU issued a statement condemning the actions of the security forces and calling on the Government of Tanzania to ensure respect for human rights. We also raised our concerns with the Government of Tanzania and pressed for swift humanitarian access to those injured and detained on both islands. The ICRC have since been given access to Zanzibar and Pemba.
  238W
  I reinforced these concerns when I saw the Tanzanian Foreign Minister on 15 February. We believe the Tanzanian Government have a duty to find a peaceful solution to the political impasse on Zanzibar that respects the human and democratic rights of all Zanzibaris.

  EU Council of Ministers
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many technical committees and working parties of the EU Council of Ministers have been(a) attended and (b) led by Scottish Executive officials in a UK capacity since 1 July 1999. [152354]

  Mr. Vaz
  This information is not held centrally, and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

HEALTH

  Stem Cell Research
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information his Department collects on companies involved in(a) germ line therapy, (b) stem cell techniques and (c) transgenic technologies. [146859]

  Yvette Cooper
  Stem cell techniques are very widely used in human and animal cell research. During 2000 over 4,000 scientific papers were published in peer-reviewed journals. Applications for stem cell research involving the use of embryos require a licence from the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. No companies have applied for a licence.

  Transgenic techniques are used in many areas of scientific research including work with plants and animals. All transgenic techniques involving animals and plants fall under the definition of "genetic modification" as defined in the Genetically Modified Organisms (Contained Use) Regulations 2000. This includes germ line therapy in animals. All premises where genetic modification is undertaken have to be notified to the competent authorities (CA) under these Regulations. Where the genetically modified animal or plant poses a greater risk to humans than the non modified animal or plant, the activity must be notified to the CA. For England and Wales the CA comprises the Health and Safety Executive (HSE), the Secretary of State and the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. For Scotland the CA comprises the HSE and Scottish Ministers.

  When transgenic techniques are used in humans these are for the purpose of gene therapy. A list of all United Kingdom gene therapy trials is published in the annual report of the Gene Therapy Advisory Committee, copies of which are available in the Library.

  Germ line therapy is not permitted in humans.

  Correspondence
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the hon. Member for Broxbourne will receive a reply to her letters of(a) 5 October 2000, (b) 31 October 2000, (c) 22 November 2000, (d) 29 November 2000, (e) 9 January and (f) 8 February relating to her constituent, Mr. S. Russell of Wormley. [150335]
  239W
  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 13 February 2001]: A reply to the hon Member's letter was sent on 5 March 2001.

  Serco Contracts
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the contracts that exist between Serco

  Period

  Value (£)

  Coverage

  Leicestershire Royal Infirmary (University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust)

  August 1996-July 2003

  40 million over seven years

  All non-clinical support services

  Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust

  April 1994-March 1999

  20 million over five years

  Full Facilities Management contract (catering, estates, portering, transport, switchboard, domestic). Contract partially cancelled July 1998 except catering and domestic which continued until the end of the contract in March 1999

  Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust

  January 1999-December 2001 (option to extend to December 2003)

  7.5 million over two years

  Domestic, portering and ward beverage service. Contract is for existing hospital

  August 2001-July 2006

  11.1 million per annum

  Soft services within the PFI new hospital Services include grounds maintenance, domestics and portering, catering, waste disposal, laundry, car parking and security, non-emergency transport and utilities dealt with as they pass through

  Premier Health NHS Trust

  October 1999-September 2002

  (a) £48,000

  (a) Wheelchair modification

  (b) £22,000

  (b) Preventative maintenance

  Mid Staffordshire General Hospitals

  October 1999-September 2002

  (a) £69,000 (indexed) per annum for repair

  Wheelchair services

  (b) £33,000 (indexed) per annum for annual inspection

  Birmingham Specialist Community Health

  April 1994-September 2001

  130,000 per annum

  Wheelchair repair service

  Worcestershire Community and Mental Health

  April 2000-March 2003

  67,000 per annum plus £13.65 per hour for modifications

  Repair service for all wheelchairs and minor modifications

  Rampton Hospital Authority

  September 2000-August 2001

  Estimated at £2,000. Time charge basis as and when required

  Authorising Engineer Services for three disciplines—high voltage, low voltage, pressure systems

  University Hospitals of Leicester (LRI, Leicester General and Glenfield

  August 1996-July 2003

  7.2 million per annum

  Full facilities management comprising of: Estate service, catering, domestic, car parking, switchboard, portering, security, reception, linen service, post room service.

  North East Essex Mental Health

  1998-ongoing

  10,000 per annum

  Serco subcontract gardening services from the trust to fulfil contract with new possibilities

  New Possibilities NHS Trust

  Rolling Contract

  500,000 per annum

  All non-clinical services

  Southend Hospital

  January 2001-ongoing

  6,000 per annum

  Medical Records Storage

  Ashford and St. Peters Hospitals NHS Trust/Sussex Ambulance NHS Trust

  April 1994-March 1999

  20 million over five years

  Facilities and Estates Management

  Sussex Ambulance NHS Trust

  Rolling contract

  1,000 per annum

  Wheeled Bin Collection Service for commercial waste

  Eastbourne Hospital NHS Trust

  1 June 1995–7 September 1998

  33,543.28

  Trust contract van hire

  1 April 1996–10 March 1999

  104,862.31

  ECS contract van hire

  30 April 1998–11 May 1999

  5,585.89

  Contract van hire and excess mileage charge

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  and the Department, its executive agencies and associated public bodies; and if he will list those which have existed in the last three years. [151345]

  Mr. Denham
  NHS bodies with contracts for goods or services provided by Serco since May 1997 are:
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  Period

  Value (£)

  Coverage

  Hastings and Rother NHS Trust

  Rolling contract until 5 March 2001

  4,222.40 per annum

  Refuse disposal at Bexhill Hospital and Rye Clinic

  Medway NHS Trust

  Rolling contract since 1995

  7,500 per annum

  Staff discount scheme at local leisure centre

  Kent Ambulance Service

  Rolling contract since 1997

  100 per annum

  Waste Collection—Herne Bay

  Rolling contract since 1997

  200 per annum

  Waste Collection—Canterbury

  Parkside Health NHS Trust

  April 1999-March 2004 (option to extend to 2006)

  574,000 per annum

  Wheelchair maintenance

  South West London NHS Trust

  April 2001-March 2006

  430,000 per annum

  Wheelchair maintenance

  Others

  The Department, its agencies and associated public bodies, have also used Serco for a number of very small one-off payments.

  Human Rights Act
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consideration he has taken since the enactment of the Human Rights Act 1998 of its implications for the exercise of his powers of ministerial decision on proposed developments within the NHS to which community health councils have lodged official objection. [151257]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 26 February 2001]: Under section 6 of the Human Rights Act 1998 it is unlawful for a public authority, including the Secretary of State, to act in any way incompatibly with the rights under various articles of the European Convention on Human Rights. When making any decision, the Secretary of State will consider and seek appropriate advice on any relevant human rights issues, in particular whether his actions would be compatible with those Convention rights.

  East Surrey Health Authority
  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much additional funding above the GDP deflator will be available to East Surrey Health Authority for the 2001–02 financial year; and what the change in cash resources will be available to East Surrey Health Authority to spend at its discretion in meeting local health priorities above the GDP deflator for the 2001–02 financial year. [151687]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: East Surrey Health Authority (ESHA) will receive a total cash increase of £22,572,000 for the 2001–02 financial year. This is a 8.46 per cent. total cash increase or 5.82 per cent. in real terms. In monetary terms the additional funding in real terms is £15,516k.

  The total cash increase figure includes the increase owing to the extra £140 million resources issued in February plus cost of living and performance fund elements. This gives the total recurrent/non-recurrent cash increase available to ESHA.

  East Surrey health community, in line with all other health systems is currently implementing the NHS Plan at a local level through its annual planning process. The local priorities are set out in the East Surrey Health Improvement Programme and demonstrate robust close partnership working.
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  The new NHS Performance Fund, worth £250 million for 2001–02 and rising to £500 million by 2003–04, is being made available on a fair share basis to all health authorities. It will provide resources for locally developed and designed incentive schemes across each health economy, tailored to the particular needs of each area but aimed overall at supporting implementation of the NHS Plan.

  Fishery Product
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what comments Her Majesty's Government have made on the recommendations made in the Mission report (ref. XXIV/1042/99 MR Final 22–26 Feb '99) to the Food and Veterinary Office on 26 April 1999; what visits Her Majesty's Government have received from EU officials to discuss the placing on the market of live bivalve molluscs and of fishery products in member states; what future visits have been notified to Her Majesty's Government under the EU's FVO Missions Programme for 2001; what progress has been made in implementing recommendations made to Her Majesty's Government following previous inspections; and if he will make a statement. [152094]

  Ms Stuart
  The Chief Veterinary Officer (CVO) wrote to the European Commission following receipt of the draft Food and Veterinary Office (FVO) report of its mission to the United Kingdom to evaluate implementation of Directive 91/492/EEC. A number of comments were submitted both to correct inaccuracies in the draft report and to provide clarification on certain points. The CVO commented on two issues which had been identified as requiring immediate corrective measures. These concerned the immediate closure of production areas following the detection of diarrhoeic shellfish poison and the coverage of the phytoplankton and biotoxin monitoring programme in England and Wales. Action has been taken on these two recommendations. The CVO also welcomed the Commission's evaluation of the Directive within the European Community and indicated that the UK would play a full and active part in the proposed commission working group to discuss further some of the issues which were identified during the inspections visits to member states.

  Apart from the visit by FVO inspectors in February 1999 Commission inspectors visited the UK in October 1995 and in May 1996 to evaluate implementation of Directive 91/493/EEC. No specific dates for a future visit to the UK have been decided but the FVO programme of

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  visits for the first half of this year indicates that the FVO will visit the UK to carry out inspections of fishery products and bivalve molluscs.

  Following all visits, in those cases where deficiencies were noted by the inspectors in individual establishments, the relevant local food authorities were asked to ensure that corrected action is taken. In those cases where the recommendations are addressed to the competent authority, action has generally either been taken or is being considered as part of a wider strategy.

  Hypodermic Needles
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual cost is of equipping the NHS with conventional hypodermic needles; what assessment he has made of the annual cost of equipping the service with safer needles; and if he will make a statement. [152074]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: Sales of hypodermic syringes and needles to the National Health Service via the NHS Logistics Authority total £15.5 million per annum. This may not be the total figure because some NHS trusts may have their own contracts for these items for which records are not held centrally.

  The cost to the NHS to introduce safer products and to replace the standard ones already available could be anything up to five times this amount depending on the type of product selected (from simple needle guard protectors to highly sophisticated products which automatically retract the needle into the syringe barrel).

  There is not one single, optimum product which will meet everyone's needs.

  Hospital Pharmacists
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will place in the Library information relating to(a) the number of hospital pharmacists, (b) their recruitment and retention rates, (c) the number employed and the number of vacancies in each trust and (d) their pay scales in 2000 and 2001; and what plans he has to review the status and pay of hospital pharmacists. [152058]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: The information requested has been placed in the Library. Information requested about hospital pharmacists' recruitment and retention is not collected centrally.

  Offers have been made to health care pharmacists in line with those for other non pay review body staff of pay increases from 1 April 2000 of 3.25 per cent. or £300 if greater, and from 1 April 2001 of 3.7 per cent. or £380 if greater. We are working closely with unions and employers on a new pay system for National Health Service staff, and future arrangements for determining the pay of health care pharmacists are the subject of those negotiations.

  Needlestick Injuries
  Mr. Clapham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many settlements the NHS has made for needlestick injuries; how many of these cases were settled out of court; and what the total value of cases settled was in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [152075]
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  (2) how many needlestick injuries have been reported in the NHS; what the estimated figure including unreported needlestick injuries is; what proportion of those reporting injuries developed a blood borne infectious disease; and how many of these developed (a) hepatitis and (b) HIV in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [152072]

  (3) how many days have been lost by NHS staff that have suffered a needlestick injury; and what the cost to the service was in each of the last three years for which figures are available; [152076]

  (4) if he will list the 10 NHS trusts with the (a) highest and (b) lowest rate of needlestick injuries, indicating how many in (b) use safer needles; [152073]

  (5) how many NHS staff are recorded as having lost time off work following a needlestick injury due to anxiety and stress in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [152077]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answers 6 March 2001]: Data on needlestick injuries to National Health Service staff and any absence resulting from such injuries, are not collected centrally unless the incident involves the risk of transmission of a blood borne virus. Information on needlestick injuries would be reflected in incident reports held locally by individual NHS employers.

  Data collected as part of the National Surveillance of Occupational Exposure to Blood Borne Viruses in Health Care Workers between July 1997 and December 2000 indicated that 1,044 NHS staff were exposed to blood borne viruses during this period.

  NHS Working Conditions
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in providing more flexible working conditions for NHS staff; and if he will make a statement. [151942]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: We are fully committed to investing in National Health Service staff. We recognise that a modern NHS must offer staff a better deal in their working lives including the provision of more flexible working practices.

  The Improving Working Lives Standard, launched in October 2000, has been developed to set a model of good employment practices against which NHS organisations will be measured. NHS organisations are required to provide a portfolio of evidence showing that they are delivering more flexible working for all staff by April 2003.

  Evidence of flexible working is a component of trusts' pledge to achieve Improving Working Lives accreditation. In a number of trusts including Warrington General Hospital, where a ward pilot is currently taking place, a self-rostering system has been introduced to give staff more control and flexibility in their working lives. Team based self-rostering is also evident in Blackburn, North Manchester and Stepping Hill Hospitals.

  The NHS has received funding of £1 million to support Improving Working Lives during 1999 and again in 2000. The NHS Plan announced investment building up to over £30 million by 2004 to boost child care arrangements and give parents more affordable, accessible, good quality child care.

  Health Care Assistants
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made towards setting up a registration system for health care assistants; and if he will make a statement. [151944]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: We are consulting the other Health Departments with a view to publishing the De Montfort University report on support workers shortly, and expect to follow this up with proposals for the effective regulation of support workers later this year.

  Tobacco
  Mr. Terry Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he intends to introduce to prevent the use of oral tobacco products from overseas sources. [152455]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: So long as oral tobacco from overseas sources does not fall within a banned category, complies with United Kingdom Customs and Excise duty regulations and carries health warnings, its use in the UK is not illegal.

  However, we want to ensure that people have information about health risks. We are, therefore, seeking to develop greater awareness of the health risks associated with oral tobacco as part of our tobacco information strategy. We are working on a dedicated campaign, focused on high risk ethnic minority populations, to address the health risks of smoking and the use of oral tobacco in order to decrease demand for these products. We are also training trading standards officers in this area.

  Angiographers
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the recommended level of angiographers per 1,000 head of population is; and which health authorities are(a) above and (b) below this level. [152627]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: There is no recommended level of staff performing angiographs per head of population.

  NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency
  Mr. Borrow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency will publish its framework document. [152682]

  Ms Stuart
  We are pleased to announce that the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency's framework document has been published today and copies have been placed in the Library.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Regeneration Initiatives
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the criteria for assessing applications for financial support for economic and physical regeneration initiatives for funds administered by his Department; and how they take account of(a) the
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  variation in the availability of previously developed land and buildings and (b) other considerations of environmental capacity. [152340]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I do not administer any regeneration initiatives, although many public bodies in the culture and leisure field, including many funded by DCMS, participate in them.

  Dance
  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures are being taken to improve the efficiency of the funding system for dance projects which are of benefit to public health. [152533]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: My Department, the Arts Council of England and the Regional Arts Boards all recognise the clear links between dance and public health. The Arts Council funds a wide range of dance organisations, many of which have developed extensive education programmes which have a particular relevance to public health. These include organisations such as Green Candle Dance Company, the Foundation for Community Dance and The Place National Dance Agency. Support from the arts funding system also usefully functions as a lever for funding from sources such as local health authorities and health action zones. The efficiency of the funding system is kept under continuous review.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  BSE
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if BSE prions are live in rendered material produced under the OTMS. [151809]

  Ms Quin
  Current rendering methods do not completely remove prion infectivity. OTMS material must therefore be incinerated regardless of whether or not it has previously been rendered.

  Hill Farm Allowance
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when his Department notified farmers of the stocking densities affecting their eligibility for hill farm allowance. [151742]

  Ms Quin
  Following extensive consultation with interested parties, a minimum stocking density of 0.15 livestock units per hectare in the hills was included in the proposals which were submitted to the Commission in January 2000. This was retained in the revised proposals sent to the Commission last August, and approved in October. These were matters of public record at the time and known to NFU and farmers organisations, although farmers were not notified individually until guidance notes were distributed in December 2000. These notes included an explanation of how the stocking density would be calculated to allow farmers to work out the position on their own holdings.

  Imported Meat
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received
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  calling for imported pig products to match the same health and hygiene standards as the UK's domestic pig industry. [151670]

  Ms Quin
  Representations on this issue are received from time to time. Animal health and meat hygiene standards are established in EU legislation and apply in all member states. In addition, there are harmonised rules for the import of pigmeat and pig products from third countries approved by the EC to export into the Community.

  EU Tobacco Subsidies
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how much was paid in subsidies out of the EU budget in the latest available financial year to tobacco growers within the EU. [151899]

  Ms Quin
  The last year for which figures are available is the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund financial year ending 15 October 2000 when 984.5 meuro (£592.1 million1) was paid in subsidies out of the EU budget to tobacco growers.
  1£1 = 1.6631 euro

  Bovine TB
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement about the recommendations of the Phillips report about preventing the spread of TB from badgers. [152285]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: The report of the BSE inquiry (the "Phillips Report") contained no specific recommendations about preventing the spread of TB from badgers.

  Farming Legislation
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many items of primary and secondary legislation relating to farming matters have been introduced since May 1997. [152306]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: Out of 461 statutory instruments which the Ministry has laid since May 1997, some 330 might be said to relate to farming matters. Many of these are amendments to, or revocations of, previous instruments. In the same period the Ministry has introduced four Bills, three of which can be related to farming matters and have been enacted.

  Veterinarians
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many registered veterinarians employed within his Department and its agencies are engaged in clinical diagnosis, epidemiological management and statutory control of animal disease. [151923]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: 404 registered veterinarians employed by MAFF and its agencies are involved in one or more aspects of clinical diagnosis, epidemiological investigations and statutory control measures in relation to animal health and welfare.

  Foot and Mouth
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what plans he has to ensure that exclusion zones are lifted as soon as a suspected case of foot and mouth disease produces a negative test and the farm in question is found to be clear of the disease. [151929]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: In the event of a negative test result for foot and mouth disease, restrictions on a suspected premises will be removed as quickly as possible. This will include any associated `Form C' area restrictions in an eight kilometre zone.

  Mr. Prior
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on the application of the foot and mouth disease restrictions on importers of non-EU origin meat and dairy products who process it for immediate re-export outside the EU. [152514]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: Provision has been made in EU and UK legislation concerning the foot and mouth disease export restrictions for such trade to take place under tightly controlled conditions. Information has been made available to the trade about these requirements and can be found on the MAFF website at http://maffweb/animalh/int-trde/misc/foot/fmd.htm.

  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what studies he has(a) undertaken and (b) plans to commission to assess the effects of the large scale closure of small slaughterhouses on the geographical and chronological spread of foot and mouth disease. [151872]

  Ms Quin
  The reduction in the number of small abattoirs does not appear to be a factor in the spread of foot and mouth disease during the current outbreak. The main cause for the spread of the disease appears to be the movement of sheep for trade purposes. However, detailed epidemiological studies into the outbreak will continue.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Travellers
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money was spent by the Highways Agency in respect of their site occupied by travellers near the A50/A38 junction in Willington, Derbyshire on(a) clearing waste, (b) erecting barriers and (c) maintaining security in the last 18 months. [151813]

  Mr. Hill
  I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Mark Todd, dated 7 March 2001:
  The Transport Minister, Keith Hill, has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about costs incurred by the Highways Agency in clearing waste, erecting barriers, and maintaining security following its occupation by travellers in April 2000.
  The costs were £13,800, £3,700 and £17,200 respectively.

  Public Safety Zones (Biggin Hill Airport)
  Mr. Horam
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the status is of the maps and co-ordinates issued by his Department showing public safety zones for Biggin Hill airport; what consultation preceded their publication; under what powers public safety zones are established; and upon what information the designation of the public safety zones is determined. [151995]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  Public safety zones have no basis at present in legislation, although reference to them is included in Department of the Environment Circular 2–92 and they have existed near an increasing number of airports since their introduction over 40 years ago. Following a review of public safety zone policy and its administration, my Department carried out public consultation in 1997–98 on a proposal that public safety zones should be redefined on the basis of risk contour modelling. My hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Ms Jackson), the then Under Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, announced on 31 July 1998,Official Report, columns 638–39W, that public safety zones would correspond essentially to the areas which might be expected to experience an individual risk of death from aircraft accidents of one in 100,000 per year or greater, based on broad assumptions about the numbers and types of aircraft expected to use the relevant airports in 15 years time. She announced on 15 June 1999, Official Report, column 86W, that public safety zones would be defined on this basis at the other airports for which modelling work suggested that this would be justified. On the same day my Department issued for public consultation a draft circular containing guidance to local planning authorities for considering planning applications arising within public safety zones.

  My hon. Friend the Member for Sunderland, South (Mr. Mullin), then the Under Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, announced on 19 April 2000, Official Report, columns 495–496W, that public safety zones would be established for the first time at Biggin Hill and several other airports. On 26 May 2000 my Department asked local planning authorities to apply the guidance in the draft circular on an interim basis when determining planning applications within these zones. Biggin Hill is one of 26 airports for which public safety zones have so far been established and Ordnance Survey grid co-ordinates issued, based on airports' forecasts of the numbers and types of aircraft expected to use the respective airports in 2015. I hope to issue the final version of the guidance and definitive maps of the zones in the next few months.

  Policy Planning Guidance Notes
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the advantages and disadvantages in combining PPGs 15 and 16; and if he will make a statement. [151864]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  We have made no such assessment and we have no current plans to combine these planning policy guidance notes.

  One NorthEast
  Mr. Peter Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much funding was made available to One NorthEast and its predecessor bodies engaged in regional regeneration in each year since 1995. [152472]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The predecessor bodies of One NorthEast that were engaged in regional regeneration were English Partnerships North East Regional Office, the Northern Regional Office of the Rural Development Commission, the Northern Development Company and the Government Office for the North East. The funding to these bodies from central Government from 1995–96 to 1998–99 is shown in the table:

  From 1 April 1999 One NorthEast was funded by grant in aid from the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, from European programmes and from receipts generated from the management and disposal of its land and property assets. For 1999–2000 the grant-in-aid was £93,479,000 and for 2000–01 it is currently estimated to be £105,799,000.

  £ million.

  Year

  Government Office for the North East1

  English Partnership2

  Rural Development Commission3

  Northern Development Company4

  1995–96

  80

  34

  3.332

  1.800

  1996–97

  158

  32

  2.674

  1.813

  1997–98

  142

  47

  2.463

  1.823

  1998–99

  20

  43

  2.322

  1.826

  1The funding relates to the Single Regeneration Budget that was administered by the Government Office for the North East until 31 March 1999. The funding relates to the relevant SRB bidding round and for approved schemes for up to seven years.

  2English Partnerships funding is a mixture of grant-in-aid and income generated from assets. Funds from all sources were pooled and allocated to each English Partnerships region.

  3The figures represent spending on the Rural Development Commission's Rural Programme for the North East region.

  4The figures represent funding received from the Department of Trade and Industry for inward investment and Regional Supply Office activities only.

  Regeneration Initiatives
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the criteria for assessing applications for financial support for economic and physical regeneration initiatives for funds administered by his Department; and what account they take of(a) the variation in the availability of previously developed land and buildings and (b) other considerations of environmental capacity. [152338]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The assessment of applications for financial support for regeneration initiatives is based on a project appraisal. Guidance on appraisal is provided in the Treasury Green Book (1997) and in "A Framework for the Evaluation of Regeneration Projects and Programmes" (EGRUP, 1995). The basic requirements for an appraisal include assessing:

  need for the project;

  the project's fit with local regeneration strategies;

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  sustainability;

  aims of the project;

  alternative options;

  costs, values and benefits of a project, including environmental and economic effects;

  timing of these costs, values and benefits;

  value for money;

  additionality of outputs—looking at what additional outputs are delivered above those that would occur anyway;

  project viability and risks to the project, including details as to how these risks will be minimised.

  The appraisal should assess whether there are any suitable brownfield sites on which to locate the project before considering greenfield sites.

  The Single Regeneration Budget supports schemes run by local regeneration partnerships, which can include economic and physical regeneration projects. It is for the partnership to decide the criteria for supporting a project, subject to it linking to the overall scheme objectives agreed previously with the RDA; limits under EC state aid regulations; and rigorous project appraisal, which would include all of the above.

  Cycling
  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many kilometres of dedicated cycle paths have been created in each year since 1992. [152345]

  Mr. Hill
  Information about the lengths of cycle lanes created on the carriageway and cycle tracks away from the road is not held centrally.

  We are encouraging all local highway authorities to increase the provision of cycle facilities in accordance with a cycling strategy as part of their Local Transport Plans.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much has been spent by Government on dedicated cycling infrastructure in each financial year since 1992–93. [152344]

  Mr. Hill
  This information is not available in the form requested.

  As far as local authority schemes are concerned, no separate funding is made available to encourage cycling. It is for individual authorities to decide the amount to spend on cycling from their overall total allocation of funding. Total allocations, from which spending on schemes to encourage cycling could be made, have been as follows.

  £ million

  Year

  Amount available

  1992–93

  109

  1993–94

  125

  1994–95

  70

  1995–96

  128

  1996–97

  118

  1997–98

  79

  1998–99

  85

  1999–2000

  160

  2000–01

  250

  2001–02

  559

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  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much has been spent by Government on schemes in the Cycle Challenge project in each financial year since its creation. [152347]

  Mr. Hill
  The Cycle Challenge project was a one-off initiative. Payments were made only in 1995–96 and 1996–97. The Department spent £1,989,694.00 on 74 projects spread around the country. All the projects were designed to promote cycling at a local level.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much has been spent by Government on(a) research into promoting cycling and making cycling safer in each financial year since 1992 and (b) the marketing of the National Cycling Strategy in each financial year since its creation. [152346]

  Mr. Hill
  Government spend since 1992 on research into promoting cycling and making cycling safer is shown in the table.

  Spend by financial year on cycling research projects

  Year

  £000 (gross)

  1992–93

  186

  1993–94

  156

  1994–95

  239

  1995–96

  432

  1996–97

  508

  1997–98

  606

  1998–99

  283

  1999–2000

  493

  2000–01

  1302

  1Part year spend only

  The Highways Agency also conducts research into promoting cycling and making cycling safer, on which we work collaboratively. The estimated spend last financial year was £100,000.

  A contract to market the National Cycling Strategy was let in April 2000 and is due for completion in March 2002. The contract, which aims to deliver the main objectives of the Strategy to key decision makers in the public and private sectors, is worth £350,000. In addition, a further £35,000 was spent in 2001 on the production of a promotional video.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many kilometres of the London Cycle Network have been created in each year since its creation; and how much has been allocated to London boroughs for the London Cycle Network for each financial year since its creation. [152348]

  Mr. Hill
  The figures for kilometres created in individual years before 1997 are unavailable. In 1996–97 the London Cycle Network (LCN) was 908 kilometres long.

  Length (km)

  1996–97

  908

  1997–98

  147

  1998–99

  161

  1999–2000

  129

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  The LCN is currently some 1,345 kilometres long.

  The following table provides details of the resources that my Department has allocated for the LCN under the Local Transport Settlement. Future allocations will be made by the Mayor and Transport for London.

  Allocation (£ million)

  1995–96

  3.00

  1996–97

  14.00

  1997–98

  4.00

  1998–99

  5.00

  1999–2000

  5.50

  2000–01

  6.00

  Total

  27.50

  1Includes £1 million for London Cycling Initiative

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the timetable and interim targets are for completion of the London Cycle Network; and if he will make a statement. [152343]

  Mr. Hill
  Responsibility for the London Cycle Network has transferred to the Mayor.

  Mr. Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the timetable and interim targets are for achieving the National Cycling Strategy's objective concerning the proportion of journeys made by bicycle; and if he will make a statement. [152342]

  Mr. Hill
  The Government endorsed the targets in the 1996 National Cycling Strategy, to double the number of cycle trips by 2002, and to quadruple them by 2012. To achieve increases on the scale envisaged, major improvements need to be made in the infrastructure for cycling. It has become increasingly clear that the interim target for 2002 did not allow enough time for such improvements to be planned and implemented. The Government remain committed to the target for 2012, and in the 10-Year Transport Plan we have set a new interim target of trebling cycling by 2010.

  Housing Investment (London Boroughs)
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what has been the(a) percentage change and (b) cash change in real terms in the housing investment programme for each London borough in each year since 1996–97. [152333]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Planning Officers
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what mechanisms exist for members of the public to complain about the conduct of planning officers; and what remedies exist in respect of complaints which are upheld. [152264]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  Complaints about officers' conduct should, in the first instance, be directed to the local authority concerned, to be handled in accordance with its complaints procedures and disciplinary code. If, after receiving the local authority's response, the complainant wishes to pursue the matter, it could be put to the Local 254W
  Government Ombudsman, who is the independent and impartial body charged by Parliament with investigating complaints of maladministration causing injustice.

  The Ombudsman may deal with complaints by correspondence or issue a report which the local authority must consider. Remedy may involve the payment of compensation, review of the authority's policy and procedures, or both.

  Rail Speed Restrictions
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many speed restrictions were in place on the rail network at the end of each month since October 2000; and how many are anticipated at the end of March and April 2001. [152358]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: Railtrack report the number of temporary speed restrictions at the end of each month as:

  Number

  October 2000

  346

  November 2000

  852

  December 2000

  456

  January 2001

  422

  February 2001

  307

  March 20011

  177

  April 20011

  61

  1Plan

  This covers temporary speed restrictions imposed since Hatfield because of gauge corner cracking and adverse weather, and addressed in the company's National Recovery Plan of 18 January 2001. It excludes speed restrictions in force at any one time for other reasons (including some gauge corner restrictions imposed since 18 January 2001).

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if all the speed restrictions on the London to Norwich railway line will be lifted by Easter. [152361]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: Railtrack is removing the remaining speed restrictions on the London-Norwich line in accordance with its National Recovery Plan, but some of the less severe restrictions will remain in place into the summer. Additionally, as with other parts of the network, the London—Norwich line will continue to be affected by speed restrictions imposed for other reasons.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate his Department has made of the effect of speed restrictions on journey times on the London to Norwich railway line. [152360]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: The Association of Train Operators reports that current average journey times for London to Norwich are between two hours 10 minutes and two hours 15 minutes. The normal timetable time is one hour 47 minutes.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what
  255W
  representations he has made to Railtrack about the continued enforcement of speed restrictions; and when he estimates that the final restrictions will be lifted. [152355]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: The Rail Recovery Action Group, chaired by my noble Friend the Minister for Transport, is pressing and helping Railtrack to ensure that temporary speed restrictions imposed in the light of the Hatfield accident are removed as soon as possible, consistent with high safety standards. Many other speed restrictions imposed for other reasons will remain, and so the group has not estimated when all restrictions might be lifted.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many speed restrictions are still in force on the rail network; and on which lines. [152349]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: As of 5 March, 287 temporary speed restrictions imposed in the light of the Hatfield accident remain in force at various points on the rail network, including on 32 of the 45 strategic routes identified in Railtrack's Network Management Statement:

  West Coast Mainline

  East Coast Mainline

  Great Western Mainline

  Reading and Bristol to Penzance

  Midland Mainline

  Channel Tunnel Routes

  Derby to Bristol and Didcot

  North Transpennine

  Birmingham and Coventry to Peterborough

  Crewe to Newport

  Wolverhampton to Chester and Aberystwyth

  Manchester and Crewe to North Wales

  Manchester to Sheffield and North Lincolnshire

  Edinburgh to Glasgow, Glasgow and Edinburgh to Aberdeen and Inverness

  West Anglia Mainline

  Great Eastern Mainline

  Chatham Mainline and North Kent

  Brighton Mainline and South London Network

  South Coastal Route Portsmouth to Ashford

  London to Portsmouth

  Wessex Routes

  Chiltern lines

  North London Line

  Cardiff Valleys

  West Midlands local routes

  East Midlands local routes

  Yorkshire

  North East England

  South West Scotland

  Strathclyde

  Freight-only routes North England

  Freight-only routes Scotland.

  In addition, at any one time there is always a larger number of speed restrictions in force on the network, needed to maintain safe operation in adverse operating conditions and to enable normal maintenance activities to be completed.
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  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what speed restrictions have been placed on the London to Norwich railway line in each of the last six months; how many of these restrictions remain; what monitoring of the situation he is undertaking; and what representations he has made to Railtrack about the disruption these restrictions have caused to journey times. [152359]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]: Railtrack is responsible for the management of speed restrictions, and reports to the Rail Recovery Action Group on the total in force nationally in the light of the Hatfield accident. The detailed figures for individual lines are a matter for Railtrack.

  In the light of its concern about extended journey times on London-Norwich and other services, the group, chaired by the Minister for Transport, is urging Railtrack to remove temporary speed restrictions as soon as possible, consistent with high safety standards.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many speed restrictions were in place on the London to Norwich railway line in each month since the end of October 2000; and how many are anticipated at the end of March and April this year. [152362]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]This is a matter for Railtrack.

  Rail Industry
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what regular meetings the Minister for Transport holds with representatives of the rail industry. [152357]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 5 March 2001]My noble Friend the Minister for Transport chairs the Rail Recovery Action Group, meeting each week and bringing together senior rail industry representatives to help get services back to normal. Ministers have frequent meetings on a bilateral basis with a range of industry figures.

  Sewers
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many miles of sewers in(a) Lancashire and (b) the United Kingdom are in a serious state of disrepair and need to be (i) repaired and (ii) replaced within the next 10 years; and if he will make a statement. [152275]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  Information is available only on a water company basis. In the North West Water region, 4,597 miles of sewer (18.6 per cent. of their total) are assessed as being in a poor condition. For England and Wales. 10.6 per cent. of the sewer network is assessed as being in a poor condition. My Department does not have information covering the United Kingdom as a whole.

  Between 2000 and 2005, North West Water plans to renew or renovate 281 miles of sewer. For England and Wales, the comparable figure is 1,130 miles. Companies' plans for 2006 to 2010 will be reviewed as part of the next periodic review of water companies' prices.
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  The condition of sewers is only one of several factors to be taken into account when assessing whether they need to be repaired or replaced. Various studies are under way to review the basis for future investment.

  First Group School Bus Pilot
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if his Department has authorised the First Group School Bus pilot initiative on the basis that the vehicles are classified as coaches; and if he will make a statement;[152476]

  (2) if he has made it a condition that vehicles used in the First Group School Bus pilot comply with (a) ECER 66 regulations and (b) ECEM 3 standard regulations; [152475]

  (3) if the glass used in the construction of the First Group School Bus pilot meets the same standards as required for UK public service vehicles; and if he will make a statement. [152477]

  Mr. Hill
  The vehicles to be operated in the First Bus Pilot School Project are considered to be coaches. However, because they do not have any under-floor luggage space they are not required to comply with ECE Regulation 66. Before they can be used the vehicles will be modified to meet the requirements of the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, as amended; the Public Service Vehicles (Conditions of Fitness, Equipment, Use and Certification) Regulations 1981, as amended; and the Road Vehicles Lighting

  £ million

  Nature of funding

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  Revenue Support Grant1

  4.5

  57.5

  58.9

  56.7

  61.4

  Income from National Non-Domestic Rates1

  5.9

  44.5

  48.4

  54.8

  53.6

  Local Government Reorganisation Supplementary Credit Approval

  3.3

  2.3

  —

  —

  —

  Housing Investment Programme

  2.2

  2.1

  3.7

  4.6

  1.7

  Major Repairs Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  5.4

  Housing Revenue Account Subsidy

  6.1

  5.3

  5.0

  4.4

  3.8

  Capital Receipts Initiative

  —

  1.3

  1.3

  —

  —

  Cash Incentive Scheme

  0.1

  0.1

  —

  —

  —

  Loan Charges Defective Housing

  0.005

  0.005

  0.005

  0.005

  0.005

  SRB Funding2

  —

  0.04

  0.08

  0.2

  0.2

  Transport Supplementary Grant1

  —

  0.6

  0.7

  —

  —

  Transport Annual Capital Guideline1

  —

  0.6

  0.7

  —

  —

  Transport Block Supplementary Credit Approval1

  —

  0.3

  0.7

  2.7

  4.3

  Rural Bus Subsidy Grant1

  —

  0.06

  0.06

  0.06

  0.06

  Capital Challenge (Supplementary Credit and Basic Credit Approvals)

  —

  0.1

  0.1

  —

  —

  1Warrington became a unitary authority from 1 April 1998.

  For 1997–98 the following funding relating to the Warrington Borough area will have gone to Cheshire County Council:

  Transport Supplementary Grant

  Transport ACG

  Transport SCA

  Rural Bus Subsidy Grant

  The change to Unitary status also explains the large increases in Revenue Support Grant and National Non-Domestic Rates from 1998–99.

  2Single Regeneration Budget—Round 4

  The T.R.E.E. Project (Training and Retraining for Employment and Employability)

  The four-year scheme aims to develop an innovative solution to tackle deprivation on several estates in Warrington. Three key priority areas will be tackled—training and employability, community business support and community development.

  Total SRB £584,000.

  Electronic Signatures (Departmental Communications)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress his Department has made in implementing the 258W
  Regulations 1986. These are the equivalent standards in the UK to those contained in the ECE regulations relating to the construction of large buses and coaches (ECE Category M3).

  Where any of the component parts, such as the glazing, are not marked showing compliance with UK standards we have determined that the performance will be equivalent to UK standards.

  On accessibility, we have agreed to exempt these vehicles from the seat spacing and destination display requirements of the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations, which are not generally relevant to school services.

  Departmental Policies (Warrington, North)
  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Warrington, North constituency, the effects on Warrington, North of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152313]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 6 March 2001]: The principal kinds of funding which this Department has provided to Warrington in 1997–98 to 2000–01 are shown in the table. These include grants and borrowings approvals for revenue and capital expenditure.

  It is not possible to determine how much money has been spent on Warrington, North. It is for the local authority to decide where within its boundary these resources are invested.

  policy objective of the increased use of electronic signatures in communications (a) between officials, (b) from officials to persons and organisations outside and (c) from persons and organisations outside to officials in his Department. [152423]
  259W
  Ms Beverley Hughes
  DETR(C) is aware that Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and its associated use of encryption and digital signatures will be used to provide strong authentication, non-repudiation and confidentiality for transactions which are designated to be above Level 1 in the "Guidelines for Trust and Authentication" of the "Confidentiality Services Framework" as defined by Cabinet Office.

  Our plans include:

  (a) for internal use-DETR(C) is currently carrying out a routine maintenance upgrade of its networking infrastructure; the new revision of the software will support the use of electronic signatures. Further work is under way to identify appropriate electronic signature products to work with the revised infrastructure, and the most effective way to deploy them.

  (b) from officials to persons and organisations outside and (c) from persons and organisations outside to officials in his Department—DETR(C) will ensure that our systems serve both the authentication needs for internal departmental communications, and for those with external persons and organisations. For that reason, we are in discussion with OGC, the E-envoy's office, CESG and the Gateway team so that the eventual solution will be compatible with facilities to be provided through the Government Gateway, the Government Secure Intranet and meet all interoperability requirements.

  Nuclear Waste (Wandsworth)
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, if he will list the local and regional authorities with which he has had discussions regarding the transporting of nuclear waste by train through Wandsworth; and if he will make a statement. [152677]

  Mr. Hill
  No such list is maintained.

  Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment
  Ms Rosie Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment. Transport and the Regions what the outcome was of the Meeting of the Parties to the UNECE Convention on Environmental Impact Assessment in a Transboundary Context held in Sofia from 25 to 27 February. [152846]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The second meeting of the Parties to this Convention agreed to begin negotiations on a protocol to the Convention covering strategic environmental assessment with a view to its adoption at the Environment for Europe Conference at Kiev in 2003. The meeting adopted a proposal, developed under UK leadership, to establish an Implementation Committee to develop reporting procedures and to assist Parties to meet fully their obligations under the Convention. The UK will support this work and will chair the Implementation Committee for its first year. The UK also agreed to work closely with the Russian Federation on a project to develop guidelines on public participation in environmental impact assessment in a transboundary context. A decision was taken to adopt some minor amendments to the Convention. A review group was established to consider the need for further amendments, taking into account developments in environmental impact assessment since the Convention 260W
  was signed 10 years ago, and other changes that may be necessary to harmonise with other relevant multi-lateral environmental agreements. A work programme and funding to give effect to these decisions was agreed.

WALES

  Euro (Manufacturing Industry)
  Mr. Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the impact of future UK membership of the single European currency on manufacturing industry in Wales. [151056]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The Government have said that they will make an assessment of the five economic tests early in the next Parliament. If the five tests have been met and there is clear and unambiguous evidence of the benefits of joining a single currency, the Government will then make a decision to recommend membership to Parliament, and then because of the magnitude of the decision, put it to a referendum of the British people.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the latest calculation is of the level of unemployment in Wales. [151058]

  Mr. Hanson
  The latest available statistics for Wales show a fall in claimant count unemployment from 6.6 per cent. in April 1997 to 4.4 per cent. in January 2001.

  Mrs. Betty Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about long-term and youth unemployment in Wales. [151062]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I regularly meet the First Secretary and discuss a wide range of issues including employment in Wales.

  Thanks to the success of the Government's New Deal programme, long-term unemployment in Wales now stands at 11,300 and youth unemployment in Wales now stands at 15,900, their lowest figures since 1986.

  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the level of unemployment in Wales. [151064]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I regularly meet the First Secretary and discuss a wide range of issues including employment in Wales.

  Recent labour market statistics show that unemployment is at its lowest for 25 years under this Government. Unemployment is down to 1.005 million UK wide and down to 55,000 in Wales.

  Since the New Deal was launched throughout Wales, there has been a 39 per cent. fall in the number of people aged 25 and over who have been unemployed and claiming the Job Seeker's Allowance for two years or more.

  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about long-term and youth unemployment in Wales. [151065]
  261W
  Ms Julie Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about long-term and youth unemployment in Wales. [151063]

  Mr. Hanson
  I regularly meet the First Secretary and discuss a number of issues including long-term and youth unemployment in Wales.

  The latest seasonally adjusted claimant count unemployment rate in Wales was 4.4 per cent. of workforce for January 2001, its lowest level since August 1975, and long-term unemployment and youth unemployment are at their lowest levels in Wales since 1986 at 11,300 and 15,900 respectively.

  In addition to this, the Government's New Deal programme has been an outstanding success in helping 27,000 people into work in Wales.

  Miners' Compensation
  Mr. Alan W. Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the Welsh monitoring group on miners' compensation claims last met; and if he will make a statement. [151059]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I established the Welsh sub-group of the Coal Health Claims Monitoring Group specifically to address coal health issues in Wales and to report back to the GB-wide group. The Group had its second meeting on 12 February, attended by my hon. Friend the Minister for Energy and Competitiveness in Europe, and again proved extremely constructive. I am convinced that the measures we have discussed, and the actions we have agreed, will further speed up the processing of coal health claims.

  Small Businesses
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about small business development in Wales. [151060]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I regularly meet the First Minister and discuss a wide range of issues including small businesses in Wales.

  The Government launched their White Paper on Enterprise, Skills and Innovation on 13 February 2001 setting out the next steps for Government in helping individuals, communities and businesses to prosper. The Assembly were fully consulted during production of the White Paper.

  Employment
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last discussed the level of employment in Wales with the First Secretary of the Assembly. [151061]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I regularly meet the First Secretary and discuss a wide range of issues including employment in Wales.

  The employment rate in Wales for the period October to December 2000 represents 69.5 per cent. of the working age population.

  Mr. Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives he is taking to increase investment and employment in Wales. [151073]
  262W
  Mr. Paul Murphy
  While I do not retain any executive functions which would allow me to make direct proposals investment of investment or employment matters, I am in regular contact with Cabinet colleagues and with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales to discuss how best to shape and take forward initiatives.

  I am, however, responsible for securing the Welsh block for the Assembly. This Government secured Objective 1 status and funding for Wales, and provided funding over and above the Barnett allocation as part of the comprehensive spending review. This is further evidence of this Government's commitment to regenerate some of the most deprived areas of Wales.

  Steel Industry
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will meet the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales to discuss the impact of steel closures at Llanwern and Ebbw Vale on Monmouthshire. [151066]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I regularly meet the First Secretary and discuss a number of issues including the steel industry in Wales.

  The Government and the Assembly are looking to provide help to the individuals affected and the communities in which they live. This will include new job opportunities, retraining, and economic regeneration.

  We will announce proposals in due course but we do not want to cut across the talks the trade unions are having with Corus.

  Student Support
  Mr. St. Aubyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary on the system of student support. [151067]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I meet the First Secretary on a regular basis to discuss a range of issues.

  Tuition fees and student support policy for higher education is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Employment for both England and Wales. I understand, however, that the Assembly is concerned about student hardship, including the impact of tuition fees on the financial position of students. The Assembly announced on 5 December that they have commissioned an independent investigation into the issue of student hardship and funding, dealing with those issues covered in the Scottish 'Cubie Report' which fall within the Assembly's remit.

  Anti-drugs Strategy
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary concerning the Government's anti-drugs strategy. [151068]

  Mr. Hanson
  My right hon. Friend and I have regular meetings with the First Secretary to discuss a range of issues.

  The Assembly Health and Social Services Secretary launched the Welsh strategy "Tackling Substance Misuse in Wales: A Partnership Approach" in May 2000 in the light of the UK anti-drugs strategy. This embraces the

  263W
  four key aims of the UK anti-drugs strategy within the Welsh strategic framework and covers the full range of substances that are misused in Wales, including illegal drugs and alcohol.

  Copies of the Assembly's strategy have been placed in the House Libraries.

  Household Incomes
  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with the First Secretary about the level of household incomes in Wales. [151069]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I have regular meetings with the First Secretary to discuss a range of issues including the impact of incomes in Wales.

  The Assembly is committed to producing an annual report monitoring progress against key indicators of social exclusion. Information on household incomes by local authority area is given in the National Assembly's report entitled "Mapping Social Exclusion in Wales". A copy of this report is in the Library of the House.

  Manufacturing
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the most recent figures for jobs in manufacturing in Wales. [151070]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The Government recognise that there have been major job losses but the latest available figures show that between autumn 1999 and autumn 2000 there were 14,500 new manufacturing jobs in Wales, 4,000 as a result of new openings and 10,500 through expansions at existing plants.

  Mr. Ieuan Wyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on recent discussions he has had with the Treasury on resources for areas of Wales which have lost jobs in the manufacturing sector. [151077]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I have regular discussions with my Cabinet colleagues, including the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, about a range of issues.

  Mr. Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he will next meet the Engineering Employers Federation to discuss manufacturing in Wales. [151057]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I am in regular contact with a broad range of manufacturing representatives in Wales and have met representatives of the Engineering Employers' Federation.

  Despite recent job losses in some sectors of manufacturing in Wales, the announcement of further investment by Ford at Bridgend, together with recent positive decisions on production in the UK by Toyota and Nissan, demonstrates confidence in the economic stability and favourable business environment this Government have established.

  Incinerator, Wrexham
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the assessment being made of the effects on Cheshire residents of proposals for an incinerator in Wrexham. [151071]
  264W
  Mr. Paul Murphy
  The National Assembly for Wales Planning Committee is responsible for making a decision on the proposal, on the basis of a report currently being prepared by the planning inspector, with specialist advice from an assessor. To that end, a public inquiry on this application opened on 11 October 2000 and closed on 10 January 2001. I understand that the inquiry took evidence from a significant number of individuals and groups on all aspects of the case and that the views of Cheshire residents were well represented.

  Crime Reduction
  Mrs. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he next plans to visit west Wales to discuss crime reduction. [151072]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I have no immediate plans to visit west Wales to discuss crime reduction. However, I meet the chief constables of all four Welsh police authorities regularly to discuss a range of issues, including crime reduction. My most recent meeting with chief constables was on 15 January. The Under-Secretary of State for Wales and I also make regular visits to organisations across Wales to discuss a wide range of issues, including crime reduction.

  Mr. John Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met the Chief Constable of South Wales to discuss crime reduction in the Vale of Glamorgan. [151074]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I met the Chief Constable of South Wales on 15 January to discuss a range of issues affecting policing in Wales, including crime reduction. South Wales police are doing an excellent job in tackling crime, and recent crime figures published by the Home Office show that south Wales has experienced a record 16.9 per cent. fall in crime in the 12 months to September 2000—the largest fall of any police force area in England and Wales.

  Mr. Win Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Home Secretary about crime levels in Wales and joint efforts to reduce them. [151076]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I meet the Home Secretary regularly to discuss a range of issues, including crime levels and joint efforts to reduce crime.

  I welcome the work being done by statutory crime and disorder reduction partnerships across Wales in implementing local crime reduction strategies, and in particular the close co-operation between police and local authorities on crime reduction issues.

  Wales has so far attracted investment of £5.6 million from the Government's Crime Reduction Programme and the programme is supported in Wales by complementary Assembly initiatives tackling a range of related issues. These joint efforts to reduce crime will be instrumental in building safer communities throughout Wales.

  Mr. Michael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he has discussed with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales the role of the health service in crime reduction in Wales. [151053]

  Mr. Hanson
  NHS Trusts in Wales have a crucial role to play in local crime and disorder reduction partnerships. There have been some notable examples of best practice,
  265W
  and both the UK Government and the Assembly are actively encouraging greater participation by NHS Trusts and the Health Service across Wales.

  I know that my right hon. Friend has been closely involved with the violence reduction project focused on the Accident and Emergency Unit at University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff and that both he, as First Secretary, and my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary have commended it as an example of best practice.

  Floods
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the Rural Affairs Secretary of the National Assembly on the recent floods in border areas; and if he will make a statement. [151075]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I have regular discussions with the First Minister which have included both agriculture and flooding. My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State also has discussions on a regular basis with both the Assembly Rural Affairs Secretary and the Assembly Minister for the Environment.

  In November the Assembly Rural Affairs Secretary announced that farmers who have lost crops would not lose out on European Arable Area Subsidy payments and an extension to the latest sowing date from 15 May to 31 May has been agreed. Farmers in Wales will also be allowed to set aside 100 per cent. of their eligible land where it has been affected by flooding, as well as provision for flexibility in normal requirements for green cover on set-aside land.

  On January 25 the Assembly Secretary for the Environment announced plans to spend nearly £25 million over three years on flood and coastal defence in Wales. Much of this work will clearly benefit farmers, as repairs to flood banks will protect agricultural land.

  I welcome these initiatives to alleviate the suffering of farmers in Wales resulting from the exceptional recent flooding.

CABINET OFFICE

  Executive Agencies
  Mr. Goggins
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans she has to review arrangements for delivering public services through executive agencies. [152985]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  Executive Agencies play a crucial role in delivering high quality public services to specific and visible targets. They have ensured and strengthened managerial accountability.

  However, in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, we have decided that it is an opportune time to review the arrangements for
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  Executive Agencies to see what lessons can be drawn from current models. The review will be sponsored jointly by the Cabinet Office and the Treasury. In the context of Modernising Government and the Civil Service Reform Programme, it will focus on:
  what versions of the agency model have been most successful and least, and in what context, focusing on the output and services delivered by organisations, and taking into account other models of service delivery;
  how agency objectives and targets can best be aligned with PSA and SDA objectives and targets and given the right degree of stretch;
  what degree of control from parent departments and the centre and what degree of freedom to manage is appropriate;
  how appropriate the current level and scope of central scrutiny is, including quinquennial reviews, better quality services reviews and PSA/SDA monitoring;
  how joined up service delivery can best be promoted via the agency model;
  how service delivery and policy can best be integrated to ensure that policy is properly informed by practicalities;
  how to ensure that agencies have in place appropriate corporate governance including the roles of ministerial advisory boards and "Fraser" figures;
  how best to secure transparency and thoroughness in reporting on agency matters including performance to the public.

  We place great importance on the involvement of the civil service unions in taking forward the modernising Government agenda. In the full spirit of our partnership agreement with the unions, officials will be involving them regularly during the course of the review.

  E-strategy (Benefit Payments)
  Mr. Campbell-Savours
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what progress has been made by her Department in ensuring that Departments of State charged with the payment of benefits comply with the Government's e-strategy. [152422]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  The e-government strategy published in April .2000 committed Departments to"report on how their current IT plans will converge"

  with the Government strategy, and that in particular, Departments should publish "initial e-business strategies" by October 2000.

  The office of the e-envoy has received these strategies, which represent an important first step towards putting Government services online and changing the way Government is organised to deliver those services.

  Further work remains to be done and Departments will continue to develop and publish further versions of their strategies. The office of the e-envoy will be working with Departments to help deliver these strategies.

  Progress by Departments of State on the delivery by 2005 of all their services contained in their Public Service Agreements and Service Delivery Agreements is monitored on a six monthly cycle and the latest report was laid before the House on 16 January 2001, Official Report, column 176W, and may be found on the web at: www.e-envoy.gov.uk/esd.htm.

  Links to Departmental e-business strategies may be found on the web at: www.e-envoy.gov.uk/estrats.htm.

SCOTLAND

  Tanker Traffic (The Minch)
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what her Department's policy is on the proposed establishment of a European Maritime Safety Agency, with specific reference to the issue of tanker traffic in the Minch; and if she will make a statement. [149427]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by the Under Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, my hon Friend the Member for Streatham (Mr. Hill) on 14 February 2001,Official Report, columns 147–48W.

  Winter Fuel Payments (Renfrewshire)
  Dr. Godman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if the Winter Fuel Payments for the winter of 2000–01 have been made to all those eligible in Renfrewshire; and if he will make a statement. [152420]

  Mr. Foulkes
  Around 1 million people across Scotland have benefited from Winter Fuel Payments this winter. Automatic payments, where entitlement was established, were made before Christmas 2000.

  In some cases, people have to make a claim for the Payment. All payments in respect of successful claims determined by 9 November 2000 were also made before Christmas 2000. Claims that were determined after 9 November and before 15 January are due to be paid during the first two weeks in March. The Department of Social Security will be making further payments in April 2001 and again in June 2001.

  The Department of Social Security identified early on that there might be difficulties in relation to areas with tenement buildings. In some cases, there may not be individual flat numbers and the customer may not have supplied a postcode. This could mean that the correct payments might not be made. The Department of Social Security have addressed this issue. Their practice now is to look at all known tenement cases on an individual basis and pay the correct amount due, taking into account whether anyone else can be identified as living in the same household.

  People with any queries about their Winter Fuel Payment should contact their local Benefits Agency office.

  Salmon Anaemia
  Mrs. Ray Michie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what(a) direct and (b) consequential loss was sustained by salmon farmers between 1997 and the latest date for which data are available as a result of the implementation of destruction orders following outbreaks of infectious salmon anaemia. [152327]
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  Mr. Foulkes
  In 2000 Hydro Seafoods GSP reported to the Competition Commission, in the context of the inquiry into the proposed acquisition by Nutreco, that exceptional costs of more than £18 million in 1997 and 1998 arose from the outbreak of ISA. We have no comparable information for other companies.

  From 1 July 1999 fisheries was devolved and is a matter for the Scottish Executive. I understand that in recognition of the importance of the salmon farming industry to the rural economy in Scotland, £9 million has been made available through Highlands and Islands Enterprise to assist companies directly affected by ISA to regain their previous level of trading. Grants of £2.9 million and £1.4 million have been approved and are under consideration respectively. The scheme will remain open until Spring 2002.

PRIME MINISTER

  Council of Europe and WEU
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library the latest information bulletin on the activities of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and the Assembly of Western European Union covering the period May to October 2000. [152843]

  The Prime Minister
  I have done so today.

  US National Missile Defence
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Prime Minister if his joint communiqué with the President of the United States and his subsequent statement to the press represent a change in the Government's policy towards potential US plans for National Missile Defence. [151856]

  The Prime Minister
  No. We continue to share US concerns about the threat posed by the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, and we recognise the role that missile defence can play as one part of a strategy to deal with it.

  Arms Control and Disarmament
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Prime Minister if he discussed strategies for reducing and eliminating the threat from weapons of mass destruction through arms control and disarmament during his recent meetings at Camp David with the President of the United States. [151858]

  The Prime Minister
  President Bush and I discussed a range of issues including the growing threat from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery and the need for common efforts to counter this. As made clear in our joint statement, arms control and disarmament will continue to be important elements of our strategy to combat this threat.

  Grey Squirrels and Foot and Mouth Disease
  Grey Squirrels and Foot and Mouth Disease
  QCs and Judges: Appointments Scrutiny
  QCs and Judges: Appointments Scrutiny
  Public Houses: Entertainment
  Public Houses: Entertainment
  Prisons: Multi-faith Accommodation
  Prisons: Multi-faith Accommodation
  Disabled and Infirm Life Sentence Prisoners
  Disabled and Infirm Life Sentence Prisoners
  Alleged Threat to Iraqi Refugees in UK
  Alleged Threat to Iraqi Refugees in UK
  Algeria: Human Rights
  Algeria: Human Rights
  International Science and Technology Work: FCO Funding
  International Science and Technology Work: FCO Funding
  NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency
  NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency
  Air Traffic Controllers
  Air Traffic Controllers
  Olympic Athletes: Funding
  Olympic Athletes: Funding
  European Treaty Article 122(2): UK Derogation
  European Treaty Article 122(2): UK Derogation
  Bow Wave Process: Allocation of Space on BT Local Exchanges
  Bow Wave Process: Allocation of Space on BT Local Exchanges