Written Answers of 20 March 2001

DEFENCE

  Type 45 Destroyer
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if the price of the DFM contract for the first three type 45 destroyers awarded to BAE Systems assumes(a) the involvement of BAE Systems Marine and Vosper Thornycroft in developing a single design definition for the type 45 destroyer and (b) that the first and third ships will be assembled by BAE Systems Marine and the second ship by Vosper Thornycroft; [153706]

  (2) if it is his policy that a single design definition for the type 45 destroyer should be developed involving BAE Systems Marine and Vosper Thornycroft and that the first and third ships will be assembled by BAE Systems Marine and the second ship by Vosper Thornycroft; [153705]

  (3) if the DFM contract for the first three type 45 destroyers awarded to BAE Systems (a) requires BAE Systems to develop a single design definition for the type 45 destroyer involving BAE Systems Marine and Vosper Thornycroft and (b) requires the first and third ships to be built by BAE Systems Marine and the second by Vosper Thornycroft. [153707]

  Dr. Moonie
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 30 January 2001,Official Report, column 99W. I can confirm that the type 45 DFM contract assumes, and is priced on the basis of, the procurement strategy for this Programme announced by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence on 11 July 2000, Official Report, columns 701–02. Under this, the first ship would be assembled by BAE Systems Marine with a substantial contribution by Vosper Thornycroft (VT), the second by VT and the third by BAE Systems.

  Armed Forces (Sierra Leone)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the components are of the welfare package for forces serving in Sierra Leone. [154581]

  Mr. Hoon
  The components of the Operational Welfare Package (OWP) for Op Silkman are as follows:

  Leave

  (a) Additional Carry Over of Leave. The right to carry forward annual privilege leave entitlements in excess of the existing 14 days maximum—subject to the proviso that the exigencies of the service may make it impractical for this leave to be taken—is granted for those on tours in excess of six months.

  (b) Post Operational Tour Leave (POTL). POTL, which is granted in accordance with single service guidelines.

  Family travel concessions

  Welfare concessions for families' travel, as follows:

  (a) Service Personnel Stationed in the UK. Dependants of married service personnel stationed in the UK but serving in
  106W
  theatre for four months or more are entitled to two extra UK leave warrants, to enable families to visit their next of kin, or parents, children at boarding school or close relatives.

  (b) Personnel Stationed Overseas (in north west Europe).

  (i) Four-month tours. Dependants of married accompanied personnel who serve in theatre for four months or more are entitled to one return journey at public expense to an address in UK for the purpose of visiting NOK or close relatives.

  (ii) Six-month tours. Dependants of married accompanied personnel who are serving in theatre for six months or more are entitled to two return journeys at public expense to an address in the UK for the purposes of visiting NOK or close relatives.

  (c) Transfer of entitlement. Any or all of these warrants may be transferred to up to two close relatives for reverse travel from the UK.

  Rest and Recuperation (R&R)

  Personnel in theatre for more than four months are granted one period of R&R. A second period of R&R is authorised for personnel who have an expectation of serving between seven to 10 months inclusive and a third period for those with an expectation of serving more than 11 months.

  Welfare telephones

  Twenty minutes of publicly funded telephone calls per week, using welfare telephone facilities provided by Project Welcome.

  Forces free aerogrammes (blueys)/concessionary parcel rates

  Free "blueys" (aerogrammes) and concessionary parcel rates, authorised in both directions.

  Electronic bluey

  Free access to an "e-bluey" system.

  E-mail/internet

  Free access to e-mail and internet facilities.

  News media

  Forces deployed receive free newspapers and access to BFBS TV and radio facilities.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) e-mail terminals, (b) telephones and (c) mail drops per week are available for Her Majesty's forces serving in Sierra Leone. [154580]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Operational Welfare Package (OWP) for Op Silkman includes internet access, telephones and mail drops. The numbers are as follows:

  (a) There are currently four e-mail terminals, with a further eight on order. Access to e-mails and the internet is free.

  (b) There are 12 welfare telephones provided under Project Welcome. Service personnel are allowed 20 minutes of publicly funded telephone calls per week.

  (c) There is one resupply flight a week that brings in and takes out mail. Free `blueys' (aerogrammes) and concessionary parcel rates are authorised in both directions.

  Nuclear Submarines
  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 13 March 2001,Official Report, column 509W, on nuclear submarines, where his Department plans to situate the land storage facility for redundant nuclear submarines. [154494]

  Mr. Spellar
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 14 March 2001,Official Report. columns 601–02W, to the hon. Member for South-East Cornwall (Mr. Breed).

  Correspondence
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence further to his answer of 23 January 2001,Official Report, column 536W, on depleted uranium (a) when he expects to send his letter and (b) what are the reasons for the delay. [152820]

  Mr. Spellar
  I have replied today to my hon. Friend. The delay in replying was caused by the need to obtain information from sources outside the Ministry of Defence.

  Sir Brian Mawhinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will give a substantive reply to the letter from the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire on behalf of his constituent Mr. Coakes, following preliminary responses on 22 November 2000 and 6 January 2001. [154724]

  Mr. Hoon
  In my letters, I explained that research into the issues raised was continuing. This has involved research into records dating back 10 years and contacting key personnel in the unit to which Mr. Coakes was attached. Our inquiries are now complete and I hope to write to the right hon. Member within the next week.

  Saville Inquiry
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) civil servants and (b) other personnel from his Department have attended sessions of the Saville inquiry. [154050]

  Mr. Spellar
  Sessions of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry have been attended variously by nine Ministry of Defence officials and one Army officer.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many persons, from which divisions and with which specialisms comprise the Bloody Sunday Inquiry Unit in his Department; [154051]

  (2) what the composition is of the Bloody Sunday Inquiry Unit in terms of (a) perceived community origin and (b) gender. [154052]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Bloody Sunday Inquiry Unit is an integral part of the Ministry of Defence and comprises five officials who are dedicated full-time to supporting the work of the Inquiry. They are all administrators; currently three are men and two are women; none of them come from Northern Ireland.

  Service Pensions
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will review the pension provision for officers who were in service before their 21st birthdays but whose service before those dates is not counted for service pension purposes. [154295]

  Mr. Spellar
  The recently published Ministry of Defence Consultation Document on a new Armed Forces Pension Scheme includes the proposal that pension benefits should begin to accrue from the date of entry to the armed forces for both officers and other ranks. This compares with the current scheme under which benefits accrue from age 21 for officers and age 18 for other ranks. In line with usual practice in public sector pension schemes, these changes would not be retrospective.

  MOD Police
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence under what statutory powers he appoints members of the MOD Police Committee. [154579]

  Mr. Spellar
  Members of the Ministry of Defence Police Committee are appointed in accordance with the provisions of section 1(5) of the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

  Meetings
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, how many meetings of the Church Commissioners there were in 2000; and what the attendance record was of each commissioner. [153768]

  Mr. Stuart Bell
  The Church Commissioners' Board of Governors, of which all but six of the 33 Commissioners are members, met five times in 2000. The Annual General Meeting of the Church Commissioners was also held. Average attendance at Board meetings was 70 per cent.

  The Church Commissioners' six committees, whose members include Commissioners and others, met throughout the year to transact the business for which they have separate responsibility. Attendance was broadly in the region of 65 per cent. to 80 per cent.

  The committees' membership and remit are detailed in the Church Commissioners' annual report and accounts, of which my hon. Friend will have received a copy. It is not the Commissioners' practice to publicise the attendance details of individual members.

WALES

  Corus
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent consultations he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales on assistance to Corus workers. [154085]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  I regularly discuss a wide range of issues with the First Secretary, including the assistance available to help those facing job losses in Corus.

  Promotional Campaigns
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the, television, newspaper and radio advertising and other promotional campaigns conducted by(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its departmental public bodies, in each of the past five years, showing for each the expenditure incurred by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [153410]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  [holding answer 12 March 2001]My Department has run no television, newspaper, radio advertising or any other kind of promotional campaign since its creation in July 1999. It has no agencies or departmental public bodies within its responsibilities. Its predecessor Department, the Welsh Office, spent
  109W
  £1,795,000 in 1996–97, £2,661,000 in 1997–98, and £2,685,000 in 1998–99 on a variety of advertising campaigns and projects.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Rapid Reaction Force
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his Danish counterpart on the exercise of Denmark's automatic opt-out in relation to the EU Rapid Reaction Force under the terms of the Edinburgh agreement. [153502]

  Mr. Vaz
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the European Security and Defence Policy and Denmark's opt-out when he met his Danish counterpart in London on 17 January 2001.

  Treaty of Nice
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Ministers signed the provisional Treaty of Nice on 26 February; and what press statements were released in connection with this event. [153501]

  Mr. Vaz
  The Treaty of Nice was signed on 26 February by the Foreign Ministers of all 15 member states of the European Union. This event was highlighted in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) daily bulletin of 23 February, available on the website at www.fco.gov.uk. An FCO press release was sent to various national newspapers, and the FCO published a pamphlet setting out the main features of the Nice Treaty.

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to publish the text of the Treaty of Nice as signed on 26 February. [154929]

  Mr. Vaz
  A Command Paper containing the Treaty of Nice as signed on 26 February was published today as Cm 5090. Copies are available from the Vote Office and the Printed Paper Office.

  For the first time in generations, there is a real prospect of uniting Europe. The Treaty of Nice brings this goal closer by reforming the EU's institutions to enable them to operate effectively after the accession of up to 12 new member states.

  The Treaty increases the relative weight of Britain's vote in the Council of Ministers and raises the threshold for a qualified majority. The democratic legitimacy of decisions taken by qualified majority voting is assured by the addition of a population threshold, which means that the three largest member states (including the UK) can still block decisions together. In addition a qualified majority must have the support of at least the majority of member states.

  The Treaty delivers a reformed Commission, with one Commissioner per member state from 2005 up to a maximum of 27. It proposes more qualified majority voting where this is in Britain's interests, and preserves the veto in areas where the Government said we would.
  110W
  It allows groups of member states to move ahead faster in some areas where it is clear that not all are ready to, provided that this co-operation meets the conditions we secured to protect the Single Market, prevent discrimination in trade between member states, ensure compatibility with existing agreements, and guarantee that co-operation is open to all.

  A Declaration to the Treaty looks forward to a wide public debate about the future of the European Union. A further Intergovernmental Conference will be held in 2004 to make changes arising from this debate. Public consultation was launched on 7 March.

  In making the institutional changes necessary for the accession of new member states, the Nice Treaty opens the way for enlargement of the EU. This has been the goal of successive Governments for the sake of the peace, stability, and prosperity of Europe.

  The Nice Treaty cannot enter into force until all member states have ratified it in accordance with their national procedures. The Government intend to introduce legislation to enable the UK to ratify the Nice Treaty as soon as it is practically possible.

  Shageldy Atakov
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further representations he will make to the Government of Turkmenistan on behalf of Shageldy Atakov. [153724]

  Mr. Vaz
  On 23 February the British Government, with EU Partners and the US issued a demarche to the Turkmen Foreign Minister regarding the detention of Shageldy Atakov and called for his release on humanitarian grounds. The Foreign Minister took note, and undertook to pursue the issue. We still await a formal response but will continue to remind the Turkmen authorities of our concern.

  Balkans
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the security situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the progress made in implementing the Dayton Peace Accords. [154018]

  Mr. Vaz
  I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 9 March 2001,Official Report, column 397W. I also refer him to the letter I sent him on 16 March.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the granting of financial aid to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia conditional upon its Government co-operating with The Hague concerning the tribunal case against Slobodan Milosevic. [154055]

  Mr. Vaz
  No conditionality relating to the International Criminal Tribunal on the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) was attached to the 200 million euro package of humanitarian and emergency assistance to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) agreed by the EU in October 2000, nor to UK bilateral assistance programmes over the winter (amounting to over £13 million).
  111W
  Future assistance to the FRY will need to take full account where appropriate of the FRY's progress towards political and economic reform and its legal obligation to co-operate with the ICTY.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's position is on the future status of Montenegro. [154019]

  Mr. Vaz
  The UK and the EU would prefer to see a renegotiation of the relationship between Montenegro and Serbia take place within the framework of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The EU set out this preference in the Conclusions of the General Affairs Council of 22 January. Decisions on status will need to be taken in an open, democratic and consensual manner, taking full account of the need to preserve the internal stability of the FRY and the regional stability of south eastern Europe.

  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is on the future status of Vojvodina. [154013]

  Mr. Vaz
  Vojvodina is a province of the Republic of Serbia. We support the efforts of the democratically-elected authorities in Novi Sad and Belgrade to reach political agreement on a redefinition of the autonomous powers of Vojvodina within that framework.

  Mr. Leslie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the situation in southern Serbia and Macedonia. [154930]

  Mr. Vaz
  The Yugoslav Army (VJ) and ethnic Albanian extremist groups in southern Serbia agreed a ceasefire brokered by NATO on 12 March. The agreement provides for the unconditional cessation of all military activities and use of force by either side. The Commander of KFOR (COMKFOR) retains his authority over the 5 km ground safety zone on the Kosovo/Serbia boundary. On Macedonia the situation remains tense. KFOR is providing support to the Macedonian authorities.

  UN Commission on Human Rights
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which Minister will attend the UN Commission on human rights in Geneva this month; and for how long. [154014]

  Mr. Battle
  I will visit Geneva on 20–22 March, and deliver the UK national statement to the plenary session of the Commission on Human Rights on 22 March.

  During my stay, I will also meet the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (Mrs. Mary Robinson), the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (Mr. Rudd Lubbers), the Director of the Joint UN Programme on HIV/AIDS (Dr. Peter Piot), and the Director-Generals of the International Labour Organisation (Mr. Juan Somavia), the UN Office at Geneva (Mr. Vladimir Petrovsky), the International Organisation of Migration (Mr. Brunson McKinley) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (Mr. Paul Grossrieder).

  Minister for Europe
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the additional
  112W
  responsibilities that have been allocated to the Minister for Europe since 1 May 1997, indicating the dates of, and the reasons for, the changes. [154053]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The allocation of responsibilities between Ministers at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office is a matter for my discretion.

  On 7 May 1997, the Minister for Europe, then my hon. Friend the Member for Newcastle-upon-Tyne, North (Mr. Henderson), was allocated responsibility for Europe, Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union.

  On 28 July 1998, my right hon. Friend the Member for Gateshead, East and Washington, West (Ms Quin) was appointed Minister for Europe. The portfolio was not amended.

  On 29 July 1999, my right hon. Friend the Member for Ashfield (Mr. Hoo) was appointed Minister for Europe. He was allocated responsibility for Europe, Eastern Europe, and the former Soviet Union, the Balkans and Defence.

  My hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Mr. Vaz) was appointed Minister for Europe on 12 October 1999. He was allocated responsibility for Europe, Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the Balkans, Defence and Entry Clearance.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what occasions the enfranchisement of citizens of Gibraltar for European parliamentary elections has been raised at meetings of the European Council in the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [153996]

  Mr. Vaz [holding answer 16 March 2001]
  The enfranchisement of Gibraltar for European parliamentary elections has never been raised at European Council. However it has been raised at General Affairs Council and remains on the agenda of the relevant Council working group.

  HMG unequivocally accepts the obligation, arising out of the Matthews judgment, to secure the European parliamentary franchise for Gibraltar. We are carefully considering all possible options for achieving this objective before the 2004 European parliamentary elections.

  Mr. David Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Spain on the enfranchisement of citizens of Gibraltar for European parliamentary elections. [153995]

  Mr. Vaz
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]The Foreign Secretary last raised the issue of the enfranchisement of Gibraltar for European parliamentary elections with the Spanish Foreign Minister, Sr. Pique, in London on 24 January.

  Police Service (Northern Ireland)
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what communications he has received from the Holy See concerning discussions with Catholic bishops in Northern Ireland on the future of the Police Service in Northern Ireland. [154076]
  113W
  Mr. Vaz
  The Government have had discussions with the Catholic Bishops about policing arrangements in Northern Ireland and believe that this is consistent with the Good Friday agreement, which calls for new arrangements to be"unambiguously accepted and actively supported by the whole community".

  The Government have, however, received no communication from the Holy See concerning these discussions.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Road Barriers
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on safety standards for road barriers. [152920]

  Mr. Prescott
  Safety barriers on roads are designed to contain and then deflect along the line of the barrier a typical car colliding with it at a shallow angle. The safety barrier at Great Heck was 42.7 metres long. The minimum standard required is 30 metres at full height. Pending the report of the police into the tragic accident at Great Heck near Selby on 28 February, I have asked the Highways Agency to review the standards for safety barriers.

  Cycle Lanes (London)
  Mr. MacShane
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to encourage the creation of bicycle lanes in central London. [152921]

  Mr. Hill
  This is now a matter for the Mayor of London and the relevant local highway authorities. My Department allocates an annual transport grant to the Greater London Authority to help maintain and improve transport in London. Over the next three financial years, this grant will amount to some £3.2 billion.

  Road Safety
  Mr. Andy King
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on road safety. [152922]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The Government launched their new road safety strategy for Great Britain, "Tomorrow's Roads—Safer for Everyone", in March 2000. This included targets to reduce overall deaths and serious injuries by 40 per cent. and to reduce child deaths and serious injuries by 50 per cent. by 2010, compared with the average for 1994 to 1998,together with details of many policies and initiatives that will help to achieve them.

  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make further funds available to enable the provision of additional traffic calming road safety schemes. [152941]

  Mr. Hill
  We have made £8.4 billion available for local transport improvements over the next five years with £2.8 billion available for small-scale measures. In 2001–02 the total allocation, from which spending on traffic calming could be made, is £559 million. It is for individual
  114W
  authorities to decide expenditure on traffic calming schemes. I see no reason at present to provide additional funds.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Darvill
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will make a statement about his proposals on the reform of local government finance. [152923]

  Ms Armstrong
  A White Paper setting out our decisions on the way forward will be published later this year.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he will take to reform the local government grant system to reflect the importance of the services provided by local authorities. [153849]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 19 March 2001]Ensuring the availability of high quality services is a primary objective for local authorities depends in part on the resources each authority receives through the grant system.

  Last September's local government finance Green Paper consulted on options for making the current grant distribution system for local authorities fairer. A White Paper will be published later this year setting out our decisions on the way forward.

  Local Transport Plans
  Mr. Paul Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on local transport plans. [152924]

  Mr. Hill
  Authorities submitted their first full Local Transport Plans last July. In December we announced an £8.4 billion package for local transport improvements over the next five years to help deliver what local people want. Authorities will be submitting their first annual progress reports later this year and we shall be closely monitoring the delivery of schemes on the ground.

  Shipping Industry
  Mr. Ernie Ross
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government support for the UK's shipping industry. [152925]

  Mr. Hill
  We have a tonnage tax option for shipping companies, and a capital allowances measure for those not in tonnage tax.

  The Government support seafarer training.

  We also pay crew relief cost grant. And seafarers spending more than half the year abroad pay no income tax. We have removed excess regulation.

  Neighbourhood Wardens
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the introduction of neighbourhood wardens. [152926]
  115W
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the neighbourhood wardens programme. [152938]

  Ms Armstrong
  DETR and the Home Office have jointly allocated £18.5 million until 2003–04 towards the Neighbourhood Warden programme. 86 Neighbourhood Warden schemes are receiving funding across England and Wales. Neighbourhood Wardens have a number of different roles depending on local need. Their overall purpose is to tackle anti-social behaviour, racial harassment, litter and graffiti. They will help to reduce crime and the fear of crime and will contribute to environmental and quality of life improvements.

  Civil Aviation (Wales)
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the future of civil aviation in Wales. [152927]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The study of regional airports and air services in Wales announced in the 1998 Transport White Paper was completed last year. Its findings are currently being reviewed as part of a UK wide Regional Co-ordination Study. This will provide a basis for a series of Regional Air Services Consultation Documents to be published later on this year. One of these documents will cover Wales and will provide a framework for discussion of the future of civil aviation within Wales. Responses will be considered alongside those on "The Future of Aviation" national document, on which we are currently consulting, providing a key input to the Air Transport White Paper.

  Transport (Disabled Access)
  Mr. Crausby
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on measures to improve access for disabled people to transport services. [152928]

  Mr. Hill
  We have made significant progress over recent years towards a transport system that is accessible to all our citizens, including those who are disabled.

  Accessibility regulations for new trains, and more recently, for new buses and coaches used on local and scheduled services have been introduced under the Disability Discrimination Act 1995, which set technical standards for accessibility, including wheelchair access. Similar regulations for taxis will follow.

  Access to public transport infrastructure is also being addressed under Part III of the DDA.

  In addition, the 10 Year Transport Plan, published last summer, introduced a new commitment to ensuring that access for disabled people is a condition of all new public investment in transport.

  Taken together such initiatives will ensure that in future disabled people, including those who use wheelchairs, have the same opportunities for mobility as everyone else.

  Municipal Parks
  Mr. Illsley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to provide assistance to improve local municipal parks. [152929]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  Since 1997–98, Government grant to local government has gone up by 13.6 per cent. in real terms. Local authority spending on the Environmental, Protective and Cultural Services Block which covers spending on parks, will increase each year by an average 1.8 per cent. in real terms up to 2003–04. We are also encouraging more effective use of resources and promoting better practice, by developing more specific Best Value performance indicators and a new Beacon Council theme for 'Improving Urban Green Spaces'

  Last November, we published our Urban White Paper—"Our towns and cities: the future", which sets out our comprehensive proposals for improving urban parks, play areas and green spaces. In January we set up the Urban Green Spaces Taskforce, which has begun its work to drive forward the implementation of our commitments. We will set up a Working Group of the Taskforce to examine resource issues and how to make best use of the funding streams that are available.

  Council Tax
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent assessment he has made of the operation of the council tax system. [152930]

  Ms Armstrong
  An assessment of the council tax system was included in our Green Paper on modernising local government finance which we published in September 2000. We have recently published a summary of responses to the Green Paper on the DETR website and will announce our policy intentions for the local government finance system, including council tax, in a White Paper later this year.

  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in how many local authorities are over 50 per cent. of homes in band A for council tax. [152931]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  According to the Valuation List for each local authority on 16 October 2000, 57 billing authorities have over 50 per cent. of their homes in council tax band A.

  Asylum Seekers (Housing)
  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions in projecting housing needs, what assumption he has made of the number of asylum seekers who will remain in the UK in each year up to 2016. [152932]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Household projections, and population projections on which they are based, are one piece of the evidence used to assess housing requirements. In forming projections of population growth the Government Actuary's Department includes projections of asylum seekers allowed to remain per annum based on information from the Home Office.
  117W
  The UK national 1996-based population projections included a long-term assumption of 5,000 asylum seekers allowed to remain per annum. Figures for England are not available. The latest 1996-based household projections for England were based on these population projections.

  More recent information from the Home Office has enabled the Government Actuary's Department to incorporate a higher long-term projection of 20,000 asylum seekers allowed to remain per annum in the latest 1998-based population projections for the UK.

  London Underground
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will announce the initiation of the public-private partnership for the London underground within two months. [152934]

  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on progress made towards a public-private partnership for the London underground. [152946]

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to conclude the public-private partnership arrangements for the London underground. [152933]

  Mr. Hill
  My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced last month that he had agreed to work together with the Commissioner of Transport for London, Bob Kiley, and with London Underground, on developing mutually acceptable modifications to the public-private partnership. Mr. Kiley has said in discussions with the Government that he seeks the unified management control of key Underground operations, mainly through keeping the maintenance of track and signalling within London Underground. The 55-point plan that he is now discussing with us provides for that control within the overall structure of the PPP.

  There are inevitably some technical issues still to be worked out but I believe that there is now a real basis for an agreement to allow the PPP competitions to proceed to a satisfactory conclusion. Discussions are being taken forward as quickly as possible so that we can get on with the PPP competitions and the massive investment which the Underground so urgently needs.

  Landfill Tax
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received about the introduction of the landfill tax. [152936]

  Mr. Meacher
  The tax was introduced in 1996. Since then we have had comments on the level and coverage of the tax from various individuals and bodies.

  Planning
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the requirement for impartiality laid on his Department for considering planning applications which have been called in by his Department. [152937]
  118W
  Mr. Raynsford
  General guidance is given to all Ministers in the "Ministerial Code—A Code of Conduct on Procedures for Ministers". The activities of officials in handling planning casework and providing advice to Ministers are governed by the "Civil Service Code" and the "Staff Handbook". There is also specific "Guidance on Propriety Issues in the Handling of Planning Casework in DETR". A copy of the "Guidance" may be found on the Department's website. The guidance which applies to Ministers also applies to Parliamentary Private Secretaries in DETR.

  The "Guidance" includes the advice that any Planning Minister should
  "act, and he seen to act, fairly and evenhandedly, by bringing an unbiased, properly directed and independent mind to his consideration of the matter."

  The advice in the "Guidance" also applies, where relevant, to officials concerned with planning decisions.

  The principles enshrined in the "Guidance" also apply to other decisions of a quasi-judicial nature taken by DETR Ministers.

  Waste Incinerators
  Mr. St. Aubyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on the number of incinerators which convert waste into energy which are to be built over the next 10 years. [152939]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government set out their aims and objectives for sustainable waste management in "Waste Strategy 2000", published in May 2000.

  The choice of waste facilities is a matter for local councils to take, in consultation with their local communities. The Government have no plan for any particular number of incinerators, but recognise that the recovery of energy from waste may have a role to play, alongside recycling and composting, in an integrated waste management plan.

  BCC Pipeworks, Clay Cross
  Mr. Barnes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will re-assess the needs of the North-East Derbyshire district council following the closure of the BCC pipeworks at Clay Cross. [152940]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  We continue to work with North-East Derbyshire district council, and other local partners in the BCC Response Group, to assess how best to meet the needs of those affected by the closure and its wider economic impact.

  Railtrack
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent representations he has received on the subject of bringing Railtrack back into(a) full public ownership and (b) part-public ownership; and if he will make a statement. [152943]

  Mr. Hill
  I have received representations on both issues. The Government have no plans to implement options which entail reorganisation, upheaval and loss of
  119W
  management focus; and which would divert resources away from the investment programme envisaged in our Ten Year Plan for Transport.

  Regional Funding (South-West)
  Mr. Ian Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much Government funding has been given to the(a) south-west regional development agency and (b) Government office of the south-west in the 2000–01 financial year. [152944]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The south-west RDA out-turn allocation for 2000–01 is £81.3 million. The Agency expects to generate income of £20.3 million during 2000–01, leaving net Government funding of £61.0 million. Running costs stand at £8.6 million.

  Government office for the south west has funded a wide range of programmes in the 2000–01 year with a total value of £446.8 million. The running cost allocation to Government Office for the south west in 2000–01 totalled £8,721,830.

  Mobile Phone Masts
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his policy on planning permission for mobile phone masts. [152945]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 16 March 2001,Official Report, columns 748–51W by my hon. Friend the Minister for Housing and Planning, in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Basildon (Angela Smith).

  Logos and Branding
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much has been spent by his Department on departmental and agency logos and associated branding since 1 May 1997. [152658]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The main departmental or agency logo and brand development costs that can be separately identified since 1 May 1997 are £176,690.

  This figure covers development of the following logos:

  DETR corporate

  Maritime and Coastguard Agency corporate

  Driving Standards Agency corporate

  The Rent Service Agency corporate

  Think! Road Safety campaign

  Sustainable Development

  Beacon Councils

  Best Value

  National Land Use database

  English House Condition Survey

  Supporting People (which promotes housing-related services to improve the quality of life for vulnerable people).

  Expenditure on departmental logos and branding is sometimes part of advertising and publicity campaigns. In a few cases expenditure cannot easily be separated out. It is, however, included in replies to Parliamentary questions about advertising expenditure, the most recent of which can be found in my answer of 15 February 2001, Official Report, column 222W.

  Climate Change Programme (Air Conditioning Equipment)
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he takes to ensure that the environmental commitments of Her Majesty's Government through the Kyoto Protocol and the UK Climate Change Programme are reflected in the EU's determination of European standards for air conditioning equipment; and if he will make a statement. [153618]

  Mr. Meacher
  European Standards (ENs) are determined by the European Committee for Standardization (CEN). The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the United Kingdom member of that Committee and carries out public consultations on draft ENs. In developing any proposal for standards on air conditioning equipment, the Government would expect BSI, CEN and industry to take account of the commitments given by the UK Government and the European Union as a whole to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. However, responsibility for these standards and resolving any technical issues, ultimately falls to the BSI.

  Rail Services
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he has taken since 1997 to improve services for passengers travelling into Euston from Hatch End, Headstone Lane, and Harrow and Wealdstone stations. [153567]

  Mr. Hill
  On the route between Hatch End, Headstone Lane and Harrow and Wealdstone stations, there have been track renewals and drainage improvements, which helped to improve performance. The SRA are currently considering an extension to the Silverlink franchise, providing it offers tangible improvements for passengers and value for money.

  The Government are committed to developing an integrated transport system. We have created the Strategic Rail Authority and announced our Ten Year Transport Plan which provides for long term investment in transport of £180 billion to cut congestion and modernise the nation's transport system. This includes £60 billion for railways.

  Regional Governance
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will(a) publish green and white papers on regional governance and (b) introduce referendums to allow the creation of directly-elected regional assemblies. [153770]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  We remain committed to move to directly-elected regional assemblies where there is support as demonstrated in referendums. As a first step, we would expect to undertake a public consultation exercise on the way forward.

  Community Initiatives
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what powers local councils have to establish community initiatives. [153936]
  121W
  Ms Beverley Hughes
  Local authorities have a broad new power which enables them to take action to promote or improve the economic, social or environmental well-being of their area, including establishing and supporting local community initiatives. In deciding how to exercise the power, authorities must have regard to their community strategy, which should reflect local communities' priorities and long-term aspirations. Local authorities must work through local strategic partnerships to develop and implement their community strategies, to integrate the work of the council with that of other public, private, voluntary and community organisations.

  Business Rate
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on Government policy on restoring the business rate to the control of local councils. [153802]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  In our White Paper, "Modern Local Government: In Touch with the People" (July 1998), we said that the present system of a national business rate had some advantages and we would therefore retain it. However we said that we would also give local authorities a limited freedom to vary the business rate in their areas. In our Green Paper, Modernising Local Government Finance (September 2000), we sought views on how this might work in detail. A summary of the responses to the Green Paper has been published on the DETR website. We will publish our conclusions in a White Paper later this year.

  Council Housing (Staffordshire)
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many council houses for rent were held on 21 April 1991 by each of(a) Cannock Chase, (b) East Staffordshire, (c) Lichfield, (d) Newcastle-Under-Lyme, (e) South Staffordshire, (f) Stafford, (g) Staffordshire, Moorlands, (h) Stoke-on-Trent and (i) Tamworth; and what the current figures are. [154146]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The latest available information provided by local authorities on their annual Housing Investment Programme returns is as follows:

  Total local authority stock on 1 April

  1991

  2000

  Cannock Chase

  7,743

  6,858

  East Staffordshire

  6,232

  5,756

  Lichfield

  5,686

  0

  Newcastle-Under-Lyme

  10,621

  0

  South Staffordshire

  5,732

  0

  Stafford

  7,441

  6,528

  Staffordshire Moorlands

  3,674

  3,168

  Stoke-on-Trent

  25,412

  22,606

  Tamworth

  6,399

  5,634

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many council houses for rent in each of(a) Cannock Chase, (b) East Staffordshire, (c) Lichfield, (d) Newcastle-under-Lyme, (e) South Staffordshire, (f) Stafford, (g) Staffordshire, Moorlands, (h) Stoke-on-Trent and (i) Tamworth local
  122W
  authorities were transferred by a large scale voluntary transfer in each authority before 1 May 1997 and after 1 May 1997. [154145]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The authorities in Staffordshire which have transferred all or part of their housing stock under Large Scale Voluntary Transfer arrangements are as follows:

  Number of

  Authority

  Date

  dwellings1

  Transfers before 1 May 1997

  South Staffordshire

  7 March 1997

  5,273

  Lichfield

  19 March 1997

  4,921

  Transfers after 1 May 1997

  Stoke-on-Trent

  31 March 1998

  2917

  Newcastle-under-Lyme

  31 January 2000

  9,887

  Staffordshire, Moorlands

  26 February 2001

  3,132

  1The number of dwellings specified in the consent letter includes dwellings held on long leaseholds (eg flats sold under Right to Buy provisions) where the authority had retained the freehold

  2Partial transfer

  In addition, East Staffordshire has sought the Secretary of State's consent to the transfer of its housing stock, which if granted, will enable the transfer of 5,637 homes at or before the end of this month.

  National Air Traffic Services
  Mr. Nigel Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many of NATS' air traffic controllers are eligible to retire under the early retirement agreement; how many of these are watch supervisors; how many are involved in training for the NERC; how many his Department estimates will exercise their option to retire if Serco is selected as NATS' strategic partner; and what impact this would have on the capacity of the air traffic control system. [153964]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The Flexible Retirement Scheme for NATS Air Traffic Controllers (ATCOs) was introduced on 1 April 1998. Since the scheme was introduced, 106 Controllers have become eligible to retire early, of whom 25 have exercised their right to do so. Of the remaining 81, 52 remain in employment and could exercise their right to retire. Controllers wishing to retire under the scheme are required to give a minimum of"12 months notice of intention to retire".

  This "notice of intention" was specifically built into the agreement to minimise the impact on the operational service of controllers wishing to retire under the scheme.

  Between 1 April 2001 and 31 March 2002, a further 56 NATS Controllers become eligible to retire under the scheme, of whom two are watch managers and 18 work on the activity to be transferred to NERC.

  It is not possible to estimate whether any more air traffic controllers might opt to retire early as a result of the selection of a Strategic Partner for the NATS PPP.

  As regards the impact on capacity, the training programme for the transfer of air traffic operations from West Drayton to Swanwick is in progress and the overall staffing position is currently tight but manageable. If a
  123W
  significant number of controllers chose to retire early this coming year, there would be a corresponding impact on the capacity of the air traffic control system.

  A74
  Mr. Martlew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on his plans to improve the A74 between Carlisle and the Scottish border. [154229]

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

  Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Eric Martlew, dated 20 March 2001

  The Transport Minister, Keith Hill. has asked me to reply to your recent question about plans to improve the A74 between Carlisle and the Scottish border.

  The design agents appointed last September are currently assessing route options for a dual three-lane motorway using as much of the existing route as possible. We are aiming to consult the public next summer on the proposals that emerge. Progress thereafter will depend on the outcome of the consultations and how quickly we can then complete the necessary statutory procedures. As with all schemes in the Targeted Programme of Improvements announced in 1998, the aim is to start work within seven years, although we will better that if we can.

  If you would like any further information about this matter, you may wish to contact the Agency's Project Sponsor for the scheme, John Hornagold, at Sunley Tower, Piccadilly Plaza. Manchester, M1 4BE (telephone 0161 930 5725).

  Aviation Fuels
  Mr. Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research he has carried out to develop alternative fuels for aircraft; and if he will make a statement. [154008]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  None. We are aware of industry research which has identified several potential alternative fuels. For technical, economic or environmental reasons, singly or in combination, none seems viable at present. The possible exception is hydrogen, which is being examined further.

  Environment Ministers Meeting (Trieste)
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the outcome of the meeting of G8 environment ministers in Trieste. [154208]

  Mr. Meacher
  I am pleased with the outcome of the recent G8 Environment Ministers' meeting, which I attended in Trieste. On Climate Change, all Ministers—including the US—expressed the view. that a successful outcome at COP6 bis was necessary to allow early entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. Ministers also confirmed their support for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (Rio+10) in 2002 and the importance of improving existing environmental governance structures. We also re-affirmed our continued support for the development of common environmental guidelines for Environmental Credit Agencies. Food safety and the links between the environment and health were also discussed. Ministers also agreed unanimously to condemn the
  124W
  destruction of statues and shrines in Afghanistan. I am placing a copy of the Communiqué in the House of Commons Library.

  Section 28
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans his Department has to repeal Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988. [154022]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  Following the vote by the House of Lords against the repeal of section 28 during the passage of the Local Government Act 2000 last summer, the Government reluctantly concluded that it could not pursue the repeal in that Act without jeopardising the other important reforms it contained.

  The Government remain committed to the repeal of this unnecessary and div sive piece of legislation at the earliest opportunity to do so effectively.

  EU Structural Funding
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the funding for objective 2 grants for the East of England was received from the EU; and where the money is at present located. [153977]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The European Commission is expected to formally approve the East of England Objective 2 Programme by the end of March and to release the first block of funds in April.

  Ministerial Visit (Chelmsford)
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will explain the reasons behind, and apologise to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford for, breaching the Ministerial Code of Conduct by failing to give him advance warning of his visit to Chelmsford on Tuesday 13 March. [154323]

  Mr. Prescott [holding answer 19 March 2001]
  Paragraph 79 of the Ministerial Code says that it is the custom for MPs to be informed when a Minister visits their constituency. My office is under strict instructions to inform constituency MPs of all Government or Departmental visits. My visit to Chelmsford was to attend a private Labour Party function and under those circumstances I did not consider it necessary or indeed appropriate to inform the constituency MP.

  Bellwin Scheme Payments (Lewes)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to make a payment to Lewes district council in respect of the application made under the Bellwin Scheme. [154493]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  My Department has received an interim claim dated 28 February 2001 from Lewes district council in respect of costs arising out of flooding between October and December 2000. In accordance with arrangements to which I referred in answers given to the hon. Member for Vale of York (Miss McIntosh) on 8 February 2001,Official Report, column 642W and
  125W
  12 February 2001, Official Report, column 6W, payment was authorised within 15 working days of receipt of the claim.

  GNER Timetable
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what reports he receives from Railtrack about its approval of rail company timetables; and if he will make a statement about GNER timetables after 6 April. [154664]

  Mr. Hill
  None. The passenger railway timetable is agreed between the train operator and Railtrack. I understand from GNER that a nearly normal timetable will be introduced in early April.

  Driving Standards Agency
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions to what purpose financial surpluses from the Driving Standards Agency are put. [154736]

  Mr. Hill
  The Driving Standards Agency operates under a trading fund regime and is required to generate a financial surplus equivalent to 6 per cent. of its average net assets in order to cover the cost of the public resources being used by the organisation. This 6 per cent. return is paid to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in the form of dividends plus loan repayments and interest.

  Where the Agency makes a financial surplus above the 6 per cent. requirement, this is retained by the Agency as a reserve and may be used to offset future fee increases.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions by what process the Driving Standards Agency informs is test applicants of a vehicle recall. [154737]

  Mr. Hill
  Motor manufacturers are responsible for advising owners of vehicle recalls. If the Driving Standards Agency becomes aware of a vehicle problem that could affect the safety of the candidate, the examiner and other road users, the Agency would display information on posters in driving test centres and on the Agency's website. The Agency would also tell driving instructors via its newsletter "Despatch".

  Prestwick Airport
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if Scottish and North of England en-route services will be provided from the new air traffic control centre at Prestwick; and if Oceanic services for the North East Atlantic will continue to be served from Prestwich; [154717]

  £million

  2001–02

  Nature of funding

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  (where known)

  Lincoln city council

  Revenue support grant

  5.285

  5.048

  5.000

  4.867

  5.208

  Income from national non-domestic rates

  2.674

  2.678

  2.861

  3.151

  3.117

  Housing investment programme

  1.665

  1.642

  1.733

  5.269

  16.914

  Housing revenue account subsidy (manager rent and

  £826.19 per

  £836.63 per

  £866.39 per

  £902.07 per

  £934.72 per

  maintenance allowance)

  property

  property

  property

  property

  property

  126W
  (2) what assessment he has made of the capability of the Prestwick air traffic control centre to pick up replica services in the event of a catastrophe at Swanwick. [154722]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The NSC, as part of NATS' two centre strategy for the provision of en route air navigation services endorsed by the Government, is expected to have the capacity to service the Scottish FIR, the Oceanic region and provide a significant contingency in the case of catastrophic failure of the Swanwick or West Drayton centres. The latest review of the two centre strategy, carried out in 1997, proposed the transfer of the services provided by the Manchester Area Control Centre to Swanwick, although the NATS Strategic Partner may wish to review this.

  NATS has informed the Government that a New Scottish Centre with around half the number of workstations that Swanwick will have should be able to handle up to about 70 per cent. of normal traffic levels in the event of the Swanwick centre going out of action.

  Rail Travellers Survey (C2C)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason passengers from Tilbury Town Station were not invited by the Strategic Rail Authority to complete the UK Rail Travellers Survey on 15 March; in which stations(a) in the borough of Thurrock and (b) outside Thurrock on the c2c line to Surrey the survey was distributed; and if he will make a statement. [154667]

  Mr. Hill
  In the latest wave of National Passenger Survey, all but one of C2C's stations, Dagenham Dock, have been or will be covered between 3 March and 23 March. Tilbury Town was covered on 8 March and 13 March.

  Departmental Policies (Lincoln)
  Gillian Merron
  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 Lincoln constituency, the effects on Lincoln of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152979]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The majority of Lincoln constituency lies within the city of Lincoln and the district of North Kesteven. The principal kinds of funding that this Department has provided to the local authorities between 1997–98 and 2001–02 are shown in the tables. These include grants and borrowing approvals for revenue and capital expenditure.

  It is not possible to determine how much of this money Lincolnshire county council and North Kesteven district council have spent on Lincoln constituency. It is for the local authorities to decide where within their boundary these resources are applied. The city of Lincoln lies entirely within the Lincoln constituency.
  127W

  £million

  2001–02

  Nature of funding

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  (where known)

  Capital receipts initiative

  —

  1.128

  1.021

  —

  —

  SRB funding2

  1.128

  1.545

  2.118

  32.318

  42.439

  Neighbourhood renewal funding

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0.2

  North Kesteven district council

  Revenue support grant

  2.040

  1.927

  1.838

  1.612

  1.841

  Income from national non-domestic rates

  2.694

  2.779

  2.986

  3.337

  3.394

  Standard spending assessment reduction grant

  0.057

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Housing investment programme

  0.805

  0.614

  0.680

  1.829

  12.686

  Housing revenue account subsidy (management and

  £702.60 per

  £710.46 per

  £735.77 per

  £765.05 per

  £757.40 per

  maintenance allowance)

  property

  property

  property

  property

  property

  Capital receipts initiative

  —

  0.513

  0.480

  —

  —

  Lincolnshire county council

  Transport supplementary grant

  3.565

  1.669

  1.966

  0.043

  —

  Transport annual capital guideline

  3.565

  1.669

  1.966

  0.043

  —

  Transport block supplementary credit approval

  0.777

  0.825

  2.140

  6.148

  16.362

  Rural bus challenge grant5 (from 1999–2000)

  —

  —

  1.220

  1.622

  0.547

  Rural bus subsidy grant (from 1998–99)

  —

  1.194

  1.194

  1.194

  1.525

  1Includes major repairs allowance

  2SRB schemes include a 10 year project led by Lincoln city council and Lincolnshire Development which concentrates on investment and physical regeneration of dereliction in the city centre and on the University of Lincolnshire by Brayford Pool and a 5 year project targeting Abbey and Park wards in Lincoln aiming to develop tourism, improve skills and support communities by tackling barriers to opportunities, capacity building and social regeneration.

  3Forecast figure

  4Does not include potential spend from the SRB6 programme as forecast expenditure is not yet available.

  5Figures are for total project costs and refer to schemes for which approval was announced in the December or January preceding the financial year shown.

  Departmental Policies (Newbury)
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Newbury constituency, the effects on Newbury and west Berkshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154572]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  The principal kinds of funding

  £million

  Nature of Funding

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–021

  Revenue Support Grant

  2—

  36.023

  35.205

  33.867

  38.760

  Income from National Non-Domestic Rates

  2—

  33.874

  36.819

  41.541

  40.669

  Local Government Reorganisation Supplementary Credit

  Approval

  3—

  3—

  2.643

  3.740

  —

  Housing Investment Programme

  0.299

  0.253

  0.269

  1.317

  0.604

  Capital Receipts Initiative

  0.087

  0.274

  0.277

  —

  —

  ERDF Funding

  0.895

  0.179

  —

  —

  —

  Transport Supplementary Grant

  0.675

  0.234

  0.600

  —

  —

  Transport Annual Capital Guideline

  0.675

  0.234

  0.600

  —

  —

  Transport Block Supplementary Credit Approval

  2.481

  0.370

  0.650

  1.819

  2.885

  Rural Bus Challenge Grant

  —

  0.033

  0.076

  0.102

  —

  Rural Bus Subsidy Grant

  —

  0.233

  0.233

  0.233

  0.297

  1Where known

  2Not available

  3No bid made

  Notes:

  Revenue Support Grant and Income from National Non-Domestic Rates—figures not available for 1997–98 owing to local government re-organisation.

  Local Government Reorganisation Supplementary Credit Approval—ends after 2000–01; the figure for 2000–01 is a bid, which will be assessed August/September this year.

  Capital Receipts Initiative—ended 1999–2000.

  ERDF Funding—KONVER funding allocated. This is a European scheme to help areas where the local economy depends on military bases—Greenham Common in the Newbury area. Funding provided retrospectively.

  Rural Bus Challenge Grant—not available in 1997–98 and no entry for 2001—02 yet as it is calculated retrospectively.

  Rural Bus Subsidy Grant—not available in 1997–98.
  128W
  this Department has provided to west Berkshire in 1997–98,1998–99, l999–2000, 2000–01 and 2001–02 are shown in the table. These include grants and borrowing approvals for revenue and capital expenditure.

  It is not possible to determine how much of this money has been spent on the Newbury constituency. It is for the local authority to decide where within its boundary these resources are applies

  Local Government Commission
  Maria Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to transfer the functions of the Local Government Commission for England to the Electoral Commission; what the consequences for the programme of periodic electoral reviews will be; and if he will make a statement. [154900]

  Ms Beverley Hughes
  As the Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department, my hon. Friend the Member for North Warwickshire (Mr. O'Brien), told the House on 8 January 2001,Official Report, column 830, we intend, subject to the approval of the House and the other place, to make an Order under section 18 of the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000, transferring the functions of the Local Government Commission for England (LGC) to the Electoral Commission with effect from 1 April 2002. We also intend, provided for in the 2000 Act, to include provisions in the Order to modify and to transfer to the independent Electoral Commission the Secretary of State's current functions relating to the implementation of the LGC's recommendations on electoral reviews. The proposed modifications are to take account of the constitution of the independent Electoral Commission and its statutory Boundary Committee for England, and to improve the procedures for conducting and implementing reviews, including allowing the Commission's Boundary Committee, after undertaking a review, to undertake a further review of the electoral arrangements of part of the local authority's area.

  On this basis, from 1 April 2002, the programme of periodic electoral reviews and their implementation would become the responsibility of the Electoral Commission.

  Electoral reviews are implemented, on a normal election day for the council concerned, by the making of an electoral changes order prior to that date. We intend that it will be for the Electoral Commission to make all the electoral change orders for reviews implemented on the normal election day in 2004 and subsequent normal election days. Electoral change orders for reviews to be implemented on the normal election day in 2003 will also be made by the Electoral Commission, except where a review is completed sufficiently prior to April 2002 that it is practicable for the Secretary of State to make the Order to assist the Electoral Commission as it takes on its new functions transferred from the LGC.

  This approach means that it will be for the Electoral Commission, on or after 1 April 2002, to decide whether or not to give effect to the LGC's current review recommendations for the counties of Derbyshire, Devon, Durham and Surrey which are due to be implemented on the normal election day in 2005 under the programme of reviews announced to the House on 2 July 1999, Official Report, column 356.

  Road Charges (Disabled People)
  Mr. Berry
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will announce the exemptions or concessions he will prescribe for disabled people from road user charges and the workplace parking levy in England. [154902]
  130W
  Mr. Hill
  The Government are at present reviewing the operation of the Blue Badge scheme for parking concessions for disabled people. As part of the review we will be seeking views on whether there should be a link between that scheme and the exemption or concession arrangements for disabled motorists from road user charges and workplace parking levies. We expect to complete this review by the end of this year, and we then plan to consult on the scope of England-wide exemptions or concessions from road user charges and workplace parking levies.

  The aim will be to provide a uniform minimum standard of exemptions and/or concessions throughout England including Greater London, subject to considering whether an exception should be made for the unique circumstances of central London. It will be open to individual charging authorities to give exemptions and/or concessions above the minimum if they wish.

  If in due course the Government decide on an England-wide exemption or concession which is greater than one included by a charging authority in a charging scheme, we will give the authority adequate time to bring its scheme into line with the national requirements.

  Barford Bypass
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions on what date construction work on the Barford bypass in Warwickshire is expected to start. [154723]

  Mr. Hill
  The Barford bypass was provisionally accepted for funding in the Local Transport Settlement announced on 14 December 2000. Warwickshire county council are now progressing the £6.9 million scheme with the aim of starting construction in 2003.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much high activity liquid waste is projected to arise from reprocessing at the Thorp plant at Sellafield; and what plans there are to condition this radioactive waste for long-term management. [154198]

  Mr. Hain
  I have been asked to reply.

  The 1998 United Kingdom Radioactive Waste Inventory indicates total arisings of 2,350 m3 of high level liquid radioactive waste from Thorp.

  BNFL currently plans to vitrify these wastes for long-term management, as described in the report the storage of liquid high level waste at BNFL, Sellafield, published by the Health and Safety Executive in February 2000.

HEALTH

  Spongiform Encephalopathy
  Mr. Efford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to introduce routine checks for spongiform encephalopathy in all animals slaughtered for human consumption. [141645]
  131W
  Ms Stuart
  Following discussion by the European Union Council of Ministers, member states agreed to introduce the testing for bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) of animals slaughtered at over-30-months old, both those dying on the farm or in transport and those subject to normal slaughter, so that only meat from those animals with a negative test result may enter the human chain. All member states have been required to carry out this testing since 1 January 2001. In the United Kingdom, since we prohibit the sale for human consumption of beef from cattle aged over-30-months at slaughter, this testing requirement only applies to cattle slaughtered aged up to 42 months under the Beef Assurance Scheme, which covers registered herds with very low risk of BSE. Fallen stock is also being tested as required, although these do not go into the food chain. There are no plans routinely to test animals slaughtered at 30 months of age or younger.

  Beef Imports
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment the Government have made of the threat to human health posed by the illegal sale of imported over-30-month beef; and when that assessment was made. [144250]

  Ms Stuart [holding answer 8 January 2001]
  I am advised by the Food Standards Agency that it assessed, in December 2000, that any illegal sale of imported over-30-month (OTM) old beef from countries where there have been cases of BSE would pose a slightly higher risk than legally sold carcase meat imported from those countries. It should be borne in mind that the OTM rule is only the first defence against BSE and that the most risky parts of the animal, the specified risk material, such as the brain and spinal cord, are removed at slaughter. This greatly reduces the amount of infective material from older cattle.

  In addition, from 1 January 2001 cattle aged over-30-months that are slaughtered in the European Union must test negative for BSE before being allowed into the food chain. This provides consumers with some additional protection, though the tests are limited in their sensitivity to pre-clinical infection.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what studies the Government have conducted of the impact on health of eating French beef products. [144389]

  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 8 January 2001]I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave him on 30 January 2001,Official Report, columns 149–50W.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps have been taken to inform consumers about the inclusion of processed meat products in the ban on sales of imported over-30-months meat. [144492]

  Ms Stuart [holding answer 8 January 2001]
  The Food Standards Agency issued a statement advising on imported beef and beef products on 22 December 2000. This is available on the Agency's BSE controls review website, and a copy has been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Ministry has responsibility for preparations to enforce a ban on the import of beef. [146403]
  132W
  Ms Stuart [holding answer 22 January 2001]
  No such ban is envisaged, for the reasons given in the reply to the hon. Member on 8 January 2001,Official Report, column 436W.

  Children's Rights Director
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the draft regulations covering the work of the Children's Rights Director; and if he will list the organisations and individuals he intends to consult about them. [146515]

  Mr. Hutton [holding answer 23 January 2001]
  We plan to publish the draft regulations covering the work of the Children's Rights Director later this year. There will then be a full public consultation.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prosecutions there have been in respect of imported food that has been repacked or processed in the UK and sold as British. [150987]

  Ms Stuart
  Information is not collected in the form requested.

  Local authority enforcement data for 1999, collected under Article 14 of the Official Controls of Foodstuffs Directive 89/397/EEC, does not distinguish prosecutions taken in respect of imported food repacked or processed in the UK.

  A copy of the full return for 1999, the most recent year for which figures are available, is in the Library.

  MMR Vaccine
  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list those countries in Europe and North America which license the MMR and those which license single vaccinations for mumps, measles and rubella. [149345]

  Yvette Cooper
  All European Union member states and the United Stales of America recommend a two dose vaccination schedule with MMR vaccine.

  There is no comprehensive list available of measles, mumps and rubella combination vaccines, two-component vaccines or single component vaccines that are currently licensed in Europe and North America. The Medicines Control Agency has obtained the following information from The European Drug Index (1997 edition), from national compendia of licensed medicinal products in France, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden (1998 to 2000 editions), from the 2001 edition of the USA Physician's Desk Reference, and from two companies. While these references indicate that such products are currently licensed as listed in the named countries, it is not known whether or not they are on the market at the present time.

  In the EU and Swi zerland

  There are combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccines currently licensed in all countries in the EU. including the United Kingdom.
  133W
  Measles plus rubella vaccines are licensed in at least Italy, Switzerland and the UK.

  Measles plus mumps vaccines are licensed in at least Germany, Portugal and Switzerland.

  At least one measles single component vaccine is licensed in Italy, Belgium, France, Germany. Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain, Greece and the UK.

  At least one single component mumps vaccine is licensed in Italy, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Netherlands, Switzerland. Portugal and the UK.

  There are numerous single component rubella vaccines licensed across the EU, including the UK.

  In the USA

  There is one combined measles, mumps and rubella vaccine listed in the 2001 edition of the USA Physician's Desk Reference.

  Also licensed are a measles plus rubella vaccine, a measles plus mumps vaccine and single component vaccines for each of measles, mumps and rubella.

  Mrs. Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 2001,Official Report, column 430W, on MMR vaccine, which measles and mumps vaccines meet the specifications of the extant licences for those vaccines; and under what circumstances those vaccines can be imported. [149362]

  Yvette Cooper
  None of the single measles and mumps vaccines licensed in the United Kingdom is manufactured for, or marketed in the UK, and the licence holders advise that the products they manufacture outside the UK for other countries do not fully comply with their UK licences. None of the single measles and mumps vaccines imported into the UK are licensed for use in the UK, or in full compliance with an extant UK product licence. Consequently, as unlicensed vaccines, they may only be imported and supplied to fulfil special needs, in response to the prescription of a doctor, and for use by his/her individual patients on his/her direct personal responsibility.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the unit cost of an injection of(a) MMR and (b) each of its constituent it vaccines if given separately. [150096]

  Yvette Cooper
  The United Kingdom is supplied by two manufacturers of measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and by one supplier of rubella vaccine. The cost to the Department of purchasing MMR and rubella vaccines is commercially confidential. However, the price of a single dose of MMR vaccine as listed in the British National

  £million

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–011

  Ambulance Services

  0.40

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Antibiotics

  —

  —

  —

  0.17

  —

  Blood Donation

  0.38

  0.60

  1.70

  20.22

  —

  Children's Services

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0.60

  Drugs

  —

  —

  —

  0.34

  —

  Flu

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0.23

  Maternity

  0.10

  —

  —

  —

  —

  NHS including Nurse Recruitment

  1.43

  1.30

  4.90

  4.21

  4.90

  NHS Direct

  —

  0.12

  0.78

  1.20

  1.15

  Organ Donation

  —

  —

  0.77

  0.47

  0.49

  Prescription Fraud

  —

  —

  0.38

  —

  1.40

  Sexwise/Teenage Pregnancy

  —

  —

  —

  0.39

  1.01

  134W
  Formulary is £6.23 for that manufactured by SmithKline Beecham and £10.17 for that manufactured by Aventis Pasteur. The list price for rubella vaccine, manufactured by SmithKline Beecham, is £2.53 per vial.

  Children are recommended to receive two doses of MMR vaccine. Rubella vaccine is recommended for non-immune women. No licensed single component mumps or measles vaccines are manufactured for or marketed in the UK.

  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children aged between 12 and 15 months who have not received their MMR vaccination in each of the last six months. [150383]

  Yvette Cooper
  This information is not available in the format requested. At 31 March 2000, the latest date for which figures are available, 87.6 per cent. of children in England aged two had received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. 12.4 per cent. of children aged two had, therefore, not received the MMR vaccine. This means that approximately 75,000 children aged two at 31 March 2000 had not been immunised with the MMR vaccine by their 2nd birthday.

  Public Relations (Expenditure)
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the total expenditure and the breakdown of expenditure was in his Department for the financial years(a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99 and (d) 1999–2000, and what the planned expenditure and breakdown of expenditure for 2000–01 is on (i) public opinion research, (ii) television, radio and newspaper advertising and (iii) direct mail. [149265]

  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 8 February 2001]The figures for the total spend on advertising for the Department for the financial years 1996–97 to 2000–01 are shown in the table.

  £ million

  Financial year

  Advertising expenditure

  1996–97

  2.50

  1997–98

  2.27

  1998–99

  8.63

  1999–2000

  14.83

  2000–01 (planned)

  21.09

  Major advertising spend on individual campaigns is shown in the table.
  135W

  £ million

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–011

  Smoking

  —

  —

  —

  36.18

  8.66

  Travel Safe

  0.85

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Walk-In Centres

  —

  —

  —

  —

  0.30

  Winter

  —

  —

  —

  1.07

  2.35

  1Planned

  2The Department's spend on blood donation advertising reduced in 1999–2000 because most of this activity was funded directly by the National Blood Authority, who took over full responsibility for this expenditure on 1 April 2000.

  3Prior to 1999–2000 advertising on smoking was undertaken by the Health Education Authority

  Mental Health
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children and adolescents are waiting for treatment for mental health problems in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement. [149675]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 9 February 2001]Patients in England receive treatment for mental health problems in a wide range of health care settings, particularly primary care, and we do not collect waiting list information for most of these. We are aware that in some places waiting times for treatment for mental health problems are unacceptably long.

  The development of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) is an important part of the work we will be taking forward in implementing the National Health Service Plan. The £30 million we have made available for CAMHS in 2000–01, and which will be available again in 2001–02, will help reduce waiting times for these services.

  Information for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are matters for the devolved Administrations.

  SSA (Stoke-on-Trent)
  Mr. Stevenson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the standard spending assessment allocation for social services and the expenditure are per head of population in Stoke-on-Trent was for each year from 1996–97 to date. [150182]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested is in the table:

  Gross current expenditure and personal social services (PSS)standard spending assessment (SSA) per capita for Stoke-on-Trent.1997–98 to 2000–011

  £

  Gross current

  expenditure per capita

  PSS SSA per capita

  1997–98

  228.52

  150.46

  1998–99

  240.38

  163.79

  1999–20002

  252.39

  186.57

  2000–013

  204.77

  195.71

  1Data for Stoke-on-Trent are not available for 1996–97 as it did not become a unitary authority until 1 April 1997

  2Gross current expenditure figures are based on provisional outturn

  3Gross current expenditure figures are not comparable with figures for earlier years as these figures are net of income from client contributions etc

  Heart Research
  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what proposals he has to match fund charitable funding of(a) heart research and (b) medical research; [152617]

  (2) what (a) his Department's and (b) charitable organisations' expenditure on heart research was in each of the last 10 years and what the projected expenditure is in each category over the next three years. [152626]

  Yvette Cooper
  Government funding for research on heart disease, as for other areas of medical research, is provided through a number of routes:

  The research councils, who receive their funding from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)—the Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease; the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council also supports basic research relevant to health.

  The Department of Health funds research to support policy and practice in health and social care.

  Health Departments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also provide support for research on health.

  The Higher Education Funding Councils fund the research infrastructure in medical schools and other relevant research groups in higher education institutions. Funding for the Higher Education Funding Council for England is provided by the Department for Education and Employment.

  The figures for the Department of Health's annual expenditure on heart research over the last ten years are not available in the form requested. In 1999–2000 the Department of Health spent approximately £49.6 million on research for cardiovascular disease and stroke. The MRC spent approximately £10.5 million on cardiovascular disease in the same year. It is not possible to predict what the future level of Department expenditure will be on specific areas of research as new research is regularly being commissioned.

  Figures for annual expenditure by charities on heart disease research are not held centrally. According to their entry in the Association of Medical Research Charities (AMRC) Handbook 2000, the British Heart Foundation, one of the largest charities involved in supporting heart disease research, anticipated research expenditure of £45 million in 1999–2000.

  The Department of Health's research funding for cardiovascular disease includes support for the work of research councils and charities that takes place in the National Health Service. The Department is working more closely with relevant charities to improve the support for and co-ordination of research on heart disease. A cardiovascular research funders forum has been established, which aims to bring together the major funding
  137W
  bodies in this area to address research issues, ranging from basic and clinical research through to epidemiological studies related to prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment, and to consider areas that would benefit from a co-ordinated approach. The forum will also help to improve information about on-going research, facilitate partnerships between funders and researchers, consider how to accelerate recruitment for clinical trials and how best to exploit the findings from research to develop new approaches to diagnosis and disease. The membership currently consists of the four United Kingdom Health Departments, the MRC and three charities: the Wellcome Trust, the British Heart Foundation and Diabetes UK. The work of the forum will inform the future pattern of Department of Health Research and Development expenditure on cardiovascular disease

  Government expenditure on all medical and health related research is currently estimated at £1 billion per annum. The AMRC estimates that their member charities make a financial contribution to medical research of about £540 million a year. The Government seek to work closely with the medical charities to ensure the best use of all research resources for the benefit of patients.

  Dental Charges
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost to public Funds of(a) reducing the maximum payment for a course of NHS dental charges paid by the patient to 50 per cent., (b) reducing the maximum payment for a course of NHS dental treatment to £100, (c) reducing the percentage of NHS dental charges paid by the patient to 50 per cent. and reducing the maximum payment for a course of NHS dental treatment to £100, (d) extending free dental check-ups to people aged 60 years and over, and (e) exempting people aged over 60 years from all dental charges. [153063]

  Mr. Hutton
  The estimated costs of making changes to the percentage of dental fees paid by charge paying patients and the maximum patient charge for the General Dental Service in England based on 1999–2000 figures are:

  £million

  Change in maximum/patient charge

  Annual cost

  (a) reducing the percentage of dental charge paid by the patient for a course of treatment under the National Health Service to 50 per cent. with unchanged maximum patient charge

  155

  (b) reducing the maximum payment paid by, the patient for a course of treatment under the NHS to £100 with unchanged percentage of dental fees paid by charge paying patients

  35

  (c) reducing the percentage of dental charge paid by the patient for a course of treatment under the NHS to 50 per cent. and reducing the maximum charge to £100

  170

  (d) extending free dental examinations to people aged 60 and over

  19

  (e) exempting people aged 60 and over from all dental charges

  85

  138W
  These estimates would be higher if the changes stimulated greater demand for dental examinations and dental treatment.

  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many adult courses of NHS dental treatment cost(a) under £100, (b) £100 to £199.99, (c) £200 to £200.99 and (d) £300 or over in the last year for which figures are available. [153064]

  Mr. Hutton
  The table shows the number of courses of dental treatment for patients aged 18 and over with gross cost in the ranges; under £100, £100 to £199.99, £200 to £299.99 and £300 or more in the General Dental Services for England in 1999—2000. Gross cost is the fee paid to the dentist for the dental treatment and it includes patient charge where applicable.

  General Dental Service: number of courses of treatment for patients aged 18 and over by cost of dental treatment for year ending 31 March 2000 in England

  Total number of courses of treatment1

  Cost of treatment

  (thousand)

  Under £100

  24,036.2

  £100 to £199.99

  1,544.1

  £200 to £200.99

  306.7

  £300 or more

  171.4

  Total

  26,058.4

  1Numbers include about 140 thousand correction records for resubmitted claims

  Orthodontic Treatment
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for changes to regulations relating to charging for orthodontic treatment; and if he will make a statement. [153675]

  Mr. Hutton
  Reforms to the provision of National Health Service orthodontic treatment and the associated dentists' fee scales were announced in "Modernising NHS Dentistry—Implementing the NHS Plan" which was published in September 2000. Proposals are being discussed with the profession. The aim of the reforms is to ensure that those who need treatment are able to get quality orthodontic care without undue delay. We are aiming to introduce the changes later this year. There are no plans to change the existing arrangements for patients' charges.

  Incontinence
  Dr. Naysmith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what were the costs of urinary incontinence products(a) to the NHS, including surgery and appliances, and (b) to the social services, including cost of carers, in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [153547]

  Mr. Hutton
  The National Health Service spent £35.9 million on various continence appliances and products in 1999–2000. We are not able, however, to allocate this expenditure between urinary and faecal incontinence products. Information on the costs of urinary incontinence products in terms of surgery and costs to social services is not collected centrally.

  Prescription Pricing Authority
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will set out the process for appealing a decision of the Prescription Pricing Authority regarding a claim for health costs covered under the NHS low income scheme. [153937]

  Ms Stuart
  As forms HC1 (claim form) and HC3 (which conveys a decision that a person is not entitled to full help under the National Health Service low income scheme) make clear, anyone who wants the decision reviewed has only to write and request this. That review will be dealt with by the Prescription Pricing Authority's (PPA) independent review section, which is not involved in the day to day calculation of low income scheme entitlement.

  If it is clear to the independent review section that an error has been made in the original calculation, this will be corrected. In all cases, an explanation will be given of how the decision has been reached. If the explanation is not acceptable, a detailed commentary on the legal provisions used to calculate entitlement will be provided on request. If, after this, the explanation remains unacceptable, it is open to the person making the claim to seek a judicial review of the PPA's decision.

  Suicide
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken to reduce the suicide rates in young males. [153974]

  Mr. Hutton
  We know that it is young men who are at most risk of suicide. In December 1997 the Department launched the Campaign Against Living Miserably telephone helpline in Manchester. The helpline, aimed at young men, offers advice, guidance, information and counselling at the onset of depression. CALM has been extended to Merseyside and Cumbria and we are looking to make it available in other areas in partnership with local agencies. Ultimately, we hope that the helpline will help to bring down the suicide rate in young men.

  Also, as a result of new investment and new services outlined in the National Health Service Plan, we expect that every young person who develops a serious mental illness will benefit from specialist teams who can offer them the help and treatment they require. In addition, work in prisons and improved community crisis resolution services will target the particular needs of high suicide risk areas, as well as making the mental health system more responsive.

  Kathleen Smith
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will seek from the Chief Executive of the Central Manchester Healthcare NHS trust an explanation for his failure to reply to the letters sent to him on 5 December 2000 and 15 January and 15 February 2001 by the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton, with regard to Mrs. Kathleen Smith. [154586]

  Ms Stuart
  The chief executive of Central Manchester Healthcare National Health Service Trust wrote to the family of the late Kathleen Smith on 5 March 2001.
  140W
  I understand that a copy of that letter was also sent both to my right hon. Friend and to my hon. Friend the Member for Denton and Reddish (Mr. Bennett).

  Nursing Care Homes
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what processes and procedures he is planning to put in place to reimburse care homes for nursing care provided to residents in accordance with the provisions of the Health and Social Care Bill. [152906]

  Mr. Hutton
  Subject to the passage of the Health and Social Care Bill, the registered nurse input to care in any setting will be the responsibility of the National Health Service. People's need for nursing care will be assessed as part of a single health and social care assessment and the contribution of a registered nurse to their care will be determined.

  Where care is received in a care home, the NHS will arrange for the registered nurse input to be provided, either by nursing staff in the home or by NHS staff visiting the home.

  We plan to issue detailed guidance on implementation in May.

  Patient Representation
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to improve arrangements for patient representation within the NHS. [151904]

  Ms Stuart
  The National Health Service Plan sets out the framework for improvements to patient and public involvement in the NHS and the Health and Social Care Bill continues its passage through Parliament to ensure the necessary legislation. Debates have addressed many issues including those of independence and accountability in the new system. Further discussions will continue in the House of Lords.

  Learning Disabilities
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what strategies he has in place to improve services for people with learning disabilities. [154823]

  Mr. Hutton
  I am today publishing "Valuing People: A New Strategy For Learning Disability For the 21st Century", which sets out cross-Government proposals for improving the life chances of people with learning disabilities. This is the first White Paper on learning disability for 30 years and sets out an ambitious and challenging programme of action for improving services for a particularly vulnerable and socially excluded group in our society. Copies have been placed in the Library.

  Our proposals are based on four key principles: civil rights, independence, choice, and inclusion. Valuing People takes a life-long approach, beginning with an integrated approach to services for disabled children and their families and then providing new opportunities for a full and purposeful adult life. It has cross-Government backing and its proposals are intended to result in improvements in education, social services, health, employment, housing, and support for people with learning disabilities aid their families and carers.
  141W
  We are establishing a new Learning Disability Development Fund of up to £50 million a year to support the proposals for adults in the White Paper. Up to £30 million a year of this will be revenue funding and £20 million capital. The fund will be introduced from April 2002 and will be targeted on the priorities set out in the White Paper. We are also setting up an Implementation Support Fund of £2 3 million a year for three years from April 2001 to provide central support for key aspects of the White Paper. Priorities for the Implementation Fund, which includes £300,000 a year from the Home Office Active Community budget, include developing independent advocacy services and establishing a National Learning Disability Information Centre and Helpline in partnership with Mencap.

  We will be setting up a Learning Disability Taskforce to take forward the implementation of the White Paper and an Implementation Support Team to promote good practice and share practical experience.

  We are also publishing: an accessible version of the White Paper; "Nothing About Us Without Us", a report from the Learning Disability Service Users Advisory Group; "Learning Difficulties and Ethnicity", a report commissioned from the Centre for Research in Primary Care, University of Leeds; and "Family Matters, Counting Families In", a report on the particular needs of family carers. Copies will be placed in the Library.

  I should like to pay particular tribute to the people with learning disabilities who helped us develop "Valuing People". This is the first occasion on which people with learning disabilities have taken part in developing Government policy; their contribution has been invaluable and has helped us understand the problems they and their families face every day.

  Police strength

  Police strength

  (all ranks) as at 30

  (constables) as at

  Police officers per

  Police constables per

  Force

  September 2000

  30 September 2000

  1,000 of population

  1,000 of population

  Avon and Somerset

  2,941

  2,293.9

  1.96

  1.53

  Bedfordshire

  1,006

  783.3

  1.79

  1.39

  Cambridgeshire

  1,266

  989.2

  1.75

  1.36

  Cheshire

  2,000

  1,521.5

  2.04

  1.55

  City of London

  720

  557.3

  1

  1

  Cleveland

  1,421

  1,129.1

  2.56

  2.03

  Cumbria

  1,048

  816.6

  2.13

  1.66

  Derbyshire

  1,780

  1,363.0

  1.83

  1.4

  Devon and Cornwall

  2,873

  2,261.3

  1.83

  1.44

  Dorset

  1,299

  999.5

  1.88

  1.44

  Durham

  1,581

  1,243.7

  2.61

  2.05

  Dyfed-Powys

  1,045

  779.0

  2.17

  1.62

  Essex

  2,780

  2,147.4

  1.72

  1.33

  Gloucestershire

  1,142

  887.3

  2.03

  1.58

  Greater Manchester

  6,767

  5,284.8

  2.63

  2.05

  Gwent

  1,271

  980.6

  2.28

  1.76

  Hampshire

  3,435

  2,663.2

  1.93

  1.49

  Hertfordshire

  1,961

  1,530.0

  1.88

  1.47

  Humberside

  1,905

  1,486.1

  2.16

  1.69

  Kent

  3,239

  2,544.0

  2.04

  1.60

  Lancashire

  3,215

  2,463.3

  2.25

  1.73

  Leicestershire

  2,010

  1,613.8

  2.15

  1.73

  Lincolnshire

  1,162

  888.3

  1.85

  1.41

  Merseyside

  4,081

  3203.4

  2.91

  2.28

  Metropolitan Police

  24,695

  18,981.0

  3.49

  2.68

  Norfolk

  1,387

  1,062.3

  1.74

  1.33

  Northamptonshire

  1,166

  925.0

  1.88

  1.49

  Northumbria

  3,885

  3,037.2

  2.74

  2.14

  North Wales

  1,393

  1,066.0

  2.12

  1.62

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Film Subtitles
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if feature films, to which subtitles for deaf and hard of hearing people have been added, are required to be re-submitted to the British Board of Film Classification prior to being screened in cinemas. [154752]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Under the cinema licensing regime provided by the Cinemas Act 1985, local authorities have the power to determine whether particular films may be shown in cinemas in their area. I understand that local authorities generally require cinemas to abide by the classification certificate issued by the British Board of Film Classification.

  With regard to the issue of separate classification of films for which subtitles have been added, I understand that the Board are currently working with the Industry Disability Working Group on this matter and they have confirmed that they are happy to waive their normal fee for script reading, if the script for sub-titling is supplied to them at the same time as the film.

  Police Numbers
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will indicate, for each constabulary in Britain, the number of(a) police officers and (b) constables per 1,000 of population [154718]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The information for England and Wales is given in the table. The Scottish Executive have responsibility for the police service in Scotland.
  143W

  Police strength

  Police strength

  (all ranks) as at 30

  (constables) as at

  Police officers per

  Police constables per

  Force

  September 2000

  30 September 2000

  1,000 of population

  1,000 of population

  North Yorkshire

  1,293

  990.7

  1.73

  1.32

  Nottinghamshire

  2,232

  1,762.4

  2.16

  1.71

  South Wales

  3,029

  2,343.0

  2.44

  1.89

  South Yorkshire

  3,184

  2,420.3

  2.44

  1.86

  Staffordshire

  2,157

  1,672.3

  2.03

  1.58

  Suffolk

  1,115

  859.6

  1.65

  1.27

  Surrey

  2,113

  1,673.0

  1.96

  1.55

  Sussex

  2,812

  2,118.5

  1.86

  1.40

  Thames Valley

  3,748

  2,905.5

  1.77

  1.37

  Warwickshire

  912

  728.1

  1.79

  1.43

  West Mercia

  1,906

  1,470.7

  1.67

  1.29

  West Midlands

  7,350

  5,931.4

  2.80

  2.26

  West Yorkshire

  4,806

  3,792.6

  2.27

  1.79

  Wiltshire

  1.099

  828.6

  1.80

  1.36

  1Figures for City of London and Metropolitan police are combined.

  Note:

  The figures provided in the table are the police numbers for the 43 forces in England and Wales and do not include secondments. Further information on police numbers at 30 September 2000 can be found in Home Office Statistical Bulletin No 2/01 "Police Service Strength (England and Wales)" which was published on 16 January. A copy is available in the Library.

  Departmental Policies (Lincoln)
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lincoln constituency, the effects on Lincoln of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152977]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office Annual Reports. A copy of the most recent report, Home Office Annual Report 1999–2000, is available in the Library. The next report will be published shortly. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by Basic Command Unit and Crime and Disorder partnerships.

  The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested although set out are examples relating to the Lincoln constituency or the immediate locality:

  Reducing Burglary Initiative

  One scheme in St. Giles Estate, Lincoln was awarded £60,000 under the Reducing Burglary Initiative which will include the employment of a Civilian Crime Reduction Officer. A multi-agency approach (Crime Prevention Officer, Police, Housing Department) will be taken to tackle issues including: anti-social tenants; community policing; targeting unemployment; social exclusion; substance misuse and extending Neighbourhood watch. The scheme will also concentrate on target hardening of houses that have been burgled and intelligence-led policing.
  144W
  Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)

  Under round one of the Crime Reduction Programme's CCTV initiative, the Lincoln Crime Reduction Executive was awarded £76,000 for the Shuttleworth House CCTV Initiative. The scheme covers a multi-storey block of flats in the Abbey Ward area of Lincoln. The main aims of the scheme are to combat fear of crime and to directly impact upon the incidence of racist graffiti.

  Youth Offending Teams (YOTs)

  In response to the Crime and Disorder Act 1998, key agencies came together in partnership to initially set up the Youth Offending Service (YOS) in Lincolnshire. This group has now evolved into Lincolnshire in Partnership and oversees the YOS (Drug Action Team) (DAT), Road Safety Partnership, Domestic Violence Project etc. The group comprises the Chief Officers of Social Services, Health, Education, Police, Probation, Health, Highways and Planning, Director of Community Safety, Chief Crown Prosecutor, Chief Executive of Magistrates Courts Committee and a Chief Executive representing the District Councils. There is a very strong emphasis placed on working in Partnership in Lincolnshire, which is also reflected in the fact that Lincolnshire and Rutland will have one of the first Connexions Services in the country as of April 2000. There are three area YOTs covering the east, south and west of the county. The west YOT covers the City of Lincoln. Each team has representatives from the five key agencies and provides services predominantly to Young People in trouble, their families, the Police and the Courts. Lincoln City Council has a very active Crime Reduction Partnership Group and the YOS are involved in this group and the other six district council groups within the County. A range of new orders are available to the Courts including Reparation Orders, Action Plan Orders, Parenting Orders which the YOS are providing along with other Community sentences. Although it is too early to assess the full impact of the YOTs in Lincolnshire early indications are Promising. For example out of a total of 146 young offenders who have received an intervention from the YOS between October and December 2000, 86 per cent. or 130 young people have not been charged or convicted of a further offence.
  145W
  More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Lincoln to a greater or lesser extent. For example:
  Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have been established;
  racial harassment and racially motivated crimes have been made criminal offences by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998;
  he asylum backlog has been cut from 103,495 at the end of January 2000 to 66,195 by the end of December 2000;
  good progress is being made in reducing the incidence of fire deaths in England and Wales. They have dropped from 605 in 1997 to 534 in 1999.

  Information on the Home Office and its policies is also published on its website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

  Fraud
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what information he collects on the proportion of expenditure spent by the police in relation to fraud(a) in total and (b) by each police force. [154585]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Information on expenditure by the police in relation to fraud is not collected centrally.

  Hinduja Brothers
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department for what reason G. P. Hinduja's passport application was considered more rapidly than the average. [154319]

  Mrs. Roche [holding answer 19 March 2001]
  I presume that the right hon. Member is referring to the application for naturalisation made by Mr. G. P. Hinduja.

  The full circumstances of the naturalisation application are detailed in Sir Anthony Hammond's Review, which was published on 9 March 2001.

  The detail of the priority afforded to the application is given at paragraphs 4.2, 4.9, 5.166 and 5.169 of the Review.

  The general guidance for the handling of requests for priority treatment of citizenship applications is given at Annex D of the Review.

  Having been granted British citizenship, Mr. Hinduja was then eligible to apply for a British passport.

  Departmental Policies (Newbury)
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Newbury constituency, the effects on Newbury and west Berkshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154574]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office Annual Reports. A copy of the most recent report, Home Office Annual Report 1999–2000 is available in the Library. The latest report will be published shortly. Information on recorded crime and policing is also
  146W
  published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by Basic Command Unit and Crime and Disorder partnerships.

  The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested although set out are examples relating to the Newbury constituency or the immediate locality:

  Closed Circuit Television (CCTV)
  West Berkshire Council was awarded £16,500 under round 1 of the CCTV Initiative for a Mobile Unit. The scheme will assist with specific problems, particularly car crime and anti-social behaviour in rural areas and on various housing estates.

  Youth Offending Teams (YOTs)
  The West Berkshire YOT offers all young people receiving Final Warnings an assessment and intervention programme. The ASSET assessment tool is used at the beginning and end of all YOT interventions. Work has been done with the victim liaison project to maximise consultation with victims of youth crime and maximise opportunities for direct reparation to victims. A range of parenting groups has been organised across West Berkshire for parents of young people at risk of offending. With the assistance of police and courts targets for timescales from arrest to sentence of young offenders are consistently being met and intensive packages for supervision of young people at most risk of offending are being developed.
  The Youth Justice Board (YJB) are currently funding two Intervention Schemes and one Bail Supervision Scheme in Newbury and west Berkshire. The YJB are contributing approximately £41,000 to the West Berkshire Parenting, Education and Support Project. This project works towards developing an effective process to meet the expectations of the Crime and Disorder Act in relation to meeting the needs of the victim. It develops the principles of restorative justice establishing effective participant involvement, preparation, reparation agreements and evaluation. Almost £72,000 is being used to fund another intervention scheme: Developing Skills Accredited Community Service (Education, Training and Employment). This project develops and delivers support to families of children who may be offending or at risk of offending. A Bail Support Scheme to develop systems and interventions to prevent re-offending while on bail has been awarded nearly £44,000. The funding for these schemes runs from April 1999 until March 2002.

  More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Newbury to a greater or lesser extent. For example:
  376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have been established;
  racial harassment and racially motivated crimes have been made criminal offences by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998;
  the asylum backlog has been cut from 103,495 at the end of January 2000 to 66,195 by the end of December 2000; and
  good progress is being made in reducing the incidence of fire deaths in England and Wales. They have dropped from 605 in 1997 to 534 in 1999.

  Information on the Home Office and its policies is also published on its website www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

  Departmental Policies (Walthamstow)
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the
  147W
  constituency, the effect on the Walthamstow constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154176]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Home Office is working to build a safe, just and tolerant society in which the rights and responsibilities of individuals, families and communities are properly balanced, and the protection and security of the public are maintained. Detailed information on the impact of Home Office policies across the full range of responsibilities is set out in Home Office Annual Reports. A copy of the most recent report, Home Office Annual Report 1999–2000, is available in the Library. The next report will be published shortly. Information on recorded crime and policing is also published. "Recorded Crime England and Wales, 12 months to September 2000" and "Police Service Strength England and Wales, 30 September 2000" can be found in the Library. The recorded crime statistics include information on recorded crime by Basic Command Unit and Crime and Disorder partnerships.

  The impact of Home Office policies and actions is not normally examined by constituency and the statistics which the Department collects, such as recorded crime, cannot be matched in the way requested although set out are examples relating to the Walthamstow constituency or the immediate locality:

  Youth Offending

  The area of Waltham Forest (Chingford Hall) has been involved in the Youth Justice Board Easter and Summer Splash scheme in 2000 and 2001. During school holiday periods in summer 2000, 102 Summer Splash projects were run in England and Wales in disadvantaged neighbourhoods to address offending by young people (especially 13 to 17-year-olds). Each project was awarded up to £25,000. The results have been extremely encouraging. The five areas traditionally associated with youth crime—burglary, motor crime, criminal damage, street robbery and juvenile nuisance—all showed significant reductions compared with the corresponding period in the previous year. The combined drop for these crimes was 14 per cent. and the Home Secretary recently agreed a further £2.1 million from the Home Office Crime Reduction Programme to run 150 Easter and summer school holiday Splash programmes in 2001.

  Drug Action Team (DAT)

  As of November 2000, Redbridge and Waltham Forest Drug Action Team split into two borough based DATs. Waltham Forest now has its own DAT that met for the first time on 2 March 2001. The DATs have local targets to meet the National Drugs Strategy. Objectives for young people include: to increase drug education and decrease drug-related incidents in Waltham Forest primary and secondary schools; develop service agreements with the local Youth Offending Team regarding drugs education for high risk young people; explore the development of drug referral programmes for first time offenders; co-ordinate and increase the access to treatment services for under-18s. Other interventions for adults include: the establishment of Arrest Referral, which aims to reduce drug-related crime by increasing numbers of arrested problem drug users attending treatment; extend the Redbridge Court Referral project to Waltham Forest;
  148W
  roll-out of Drug Treatment and Testing Orders (DTTOs). Since roll-out of DTTOs in October 2000, seven Orders have been made (six male, one female) and two of these are receiving residential treatment and five participated in a Day Programme based in Walthamstow. Information sharing protocols have been established between police, probation and housing services, and a collaborative approach against raising awareness has been undertaken between Safer Clubbing, Community Drug Awareness Project and treatment services.

  More generally, all of the policies of the Home Office will impact on the residents of Walthamstow to a greater or lesser extent. For example:
  376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships have been established;
  racial harassment and racially motivated crimes have been made criminal offences by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998;
  the asylum backlog has been cut from 103,495 at the end of January 2000 to 66,195 by the end of December 2000; and
  good progress is being made in reducing the incidence of fire deaths in England and Wales. They have dropped from 605 in 1997 to 534 in 1999.

  Information on the Home Office and its policies is also published on its website www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

  Shotguns
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what consultations he has had since 1 October 2000 with the Association of Chief Police Officers and representatives of shooting organisations, on the criteria for having a good reason for possessing shotguns; and if he will make a statement. [153970]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Government believe that it is right in principle that a person wishing to own a shotgun should have a good reason for doing so. However, we acknowledge that this is a complex area of law and practice and we would wish to consult widely on this issue.

  For this reason I have asked the Firearms Consultative Committee (FCC), the independent statutory body that advises the Government on firearms matters, to consider this matter further and to report back later this year. The FCC itself includes members of the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and of the main shooting organisations. The FCC in turn has sought the views of a wide variety of shooting and other organisations and convened a working group to discuss this issue in detail.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Offenders Centre Rules (Northern Ireland)
  Ms Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what use has been made of the power in Rule 5(1) of the Prison and Young Offenders Centre Rules (Northern Ireland) 1995 to vary the list of prisons set out in the schedule to these Rules. [154822]
  149W
  Mr. Ingram
  The power has been exercised on one occasion to remove Belfast and Maze prisons from the list and to extend the boundaries of Maghaberry Prison to include these two sites. In practice, these sites have been under the control of the Governor of Maghaberry Prison for some time and the variation simply regularises the situation.

  Logos and Branding
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent by his Department on departmental and agency logos and associated branding since 1 May 1997. [152654]

  Dr. Reid
  The Northern Ireland Office accounts structure does not record expenditure in a way that would allow spending on departmental and agency logos and associated branding to be easily identified.

  Timber
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much certified timber has been purchased by his Department over the past six months; and what proportion of total timber purchases this represents. [152107]

  Scottish domiciled entrants, aged under 21, to vocational further and higher education in Scotland, 1997–98 to 1998–991

  Population of

  Percentage

  Students at HEIs and FECs

  Total

  HE

  FE

  16–21 year olds2

  in HE and FE

  1997–98

  Total

  141,091

  40,734

  100,357

  384,009

  37

  Aberdeenshire

  7,327

  2,465

  4,862

  17,257

  42

  Angus

  3,488

  1,410

  2,078

  7,354

  47

  Argyll and Bute

  1,896

  780

  1,116

  6,331

  30

  City of Aberdeen

  5,317

  1,797

  3,520

  17,867

  30

  City of Dundee

  5,120

  438

  4,682

  12,856

  40

  City of Edinburgh

  13,093

  2,553

  10,540

  34,830

  38

  City of Glasgow

  17,097

  4,101

  12,996

  48,122

  36

  Clackmannanshire

  1,680

  416

  1,264

  3,303

  51

  Dumfries and Galloway

  2,700

  903

  1,797

  9,196

  29

  East Ayrshire

  2,444

  775

  1,669

  8,190

  30

  East Dunbartonshire

  2,688

  1,352

  1,336

  8,750

  31

  East Lothian

  2,362

  470

  1,892

  5,784

  41

  East Renfrewshire

  1,709

  875

  834

  6,610

  26

  Falkirk

  4,586

  1,088

  3,498

  9,997

  46

  Fife

  12,372

  3,141

  9,231

  26,753

  46

  Highland

  5,434

  1,799

  3,635

  14,348

  38

  Inverclyde

  2,549

  824

  1,725

  6,220

  41

  Midlothian

  2,652

  519

  2,133

  6,085

  44

  Moray

  2,077

  556

  1,521

  6,389

  33

  North Ayrshire

  3,327

  1,217

  2,110

  10,518

  32

  North Lanarkshire

  6,671

  2,265

  4,406

  25,857

  26

  Orkney

  672

  168

  504

  1,176

  57

  Perth and Kinross

  3,346

  1,042

  2,304

  8,707

  38

  Renfrewshire

  5,913

  1,605

  4,308

  12,862

  46

  Scottish Borders

  3,714

  685

  3,029

  6,482

  57

  Shetland

  474

  171

  303

  1,713

  28

  South Ayrshire

  2,544

  979

  1,565

  8,332

  31

  South Lanarkshire

  5,978

  2,681

  3,297

  23,471

  25

  Stirling

  2,093

  692

  1,401

  7,772

  27

  West Dunbartonshire

  1,403

  503

  900

  7,219

  19

  West Lothian

  5,857

  1,043

  4,814

  11,552

  51

  Western Isles

  1,417

  332

  1,085

  2,106

  67

  Scotland Unknown

  1,091

  1,089

  2

  n/a

  n/a

  150W
  Dr. Reid
  The Northern Ireland Office does not have a system in place to provide data on the proportion of certified timber purchased.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if his Department's annual report on timber procurement to the Committee of Green Ministers will be published. [152148]

  Dr. Reid
  The key information on timber procurement will he published in the Green Minister's annual report.

SCOTLAND

  Further and Higher Education
  Ms Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what proportion of young people in each constituency in Scotland went on to further and higher education in each year since 1997. [152466]

  Mrs. Liddell
  [holding answer 12 March 2001]The information is not available in the format requested. The table details for each local authority area in Scotland the number of young people, also shown by proportion, who have entered into vocational further and higher education in 1997–98 to 1998–99. Further and higher education in Scotland have been devolved since July 1999.
  151W

  Scottish domiciled entrants, aged under 21, to vocational further and higher education n Scotland, 1997–98 to 1998–991

  Population of

  Percentage

  Students at HEIs and FECs

  Total

  HE

  FE

  16–21 year olds2

  in HE and FE

  1998–99

  Total

  141,775

  41,618

  100,157

  383,648

  37

  Aberdeenshire

  7,050

  2,565

  4,485

  16,274

  43

  Angus

  3,370

  1,602

  1,768

  7,352

  46

  Argyll and Bute

  1,724

  740

  984

  6,167

  28

  City of Aberdeen

  5,193

  1,959

  3,234

  17,703

  29

  City of Dundee

  4,824

  498

  4,326

  12,478

  39

  City of Edinburgh

  14,059

  2,791

  11,268

  35,689

  39

  City of Glasgow

  18,117

  4,427

  13,690

  50,674

  36

  Clackmannanshire

  1,367

  407

  960

  3,121

  44

  Dumfries and Galloway

  2,869

  834

  2,035

  9,024

  32

  East Ayrshire

  2,351

  849

  1,502

  8,189

  29

  East Dunbartonshire

  2,351

  1,265

  1,086

  8,585

  27

  East Lothian

  2,660

  500

  2,160

  5,854

  45

  East Renfrewshire

  1,883

  949

  934

  6,552

  29

  Falkirk

  3,418

  1,047

  2,371

  10,078

  34

  Fife

  13,779

  3,120

  10,659

  26,462

  52

  Highland

  5,572

  1,897

  3,675

  13,893

  40

  Inverclyde

  2,778

  779

  1,999

  6,228

  45

  Midlothian

  2,895

  504

  2,391

  6,120

  47

  Moray

  2,180

  632

  1,548

  6,309

  35

  North Ayrshire

  3,368

  1,227

  2,141

  10,572

  32

  North Lanarkshire

  6,812

  2,521

  4,291

  25,947

  26

  Orkney

  721

  176

  545

  1,195

  60

  Perth and Kinross

  2,916

  1,076

  1,840

  8,566

  34

  Renfrewshire

  6,372

  1,578

  4,794

  12,669

  50

  Scottish Borders

  3,227

  854

  2,373

  6,323

  51

  Shetland

  457

  203

  254

  1,715

  27

  South Ayrshire

  2,288

  969

  1,319

  8,370

  27

  South Lanarkshire

  5,860

  2,696

  3,14

  23,111

  25

  Stirling

  1,989

  701

  1,288

  7,787

  26

  West Dunbartonshire

  652

  386

  266

  7,383

  9

  West Lothian

  6,838

  1,132

  5,706

  11,385

  60

  Western Isles

  1,448

  347

  1,101

  1,873

  77

  Scotland Unknown

  387

  387

  0

  n/a

  n/a

  1A student may be enrolled on more than one course

  2Taken from 1996 GRO population projections

  3Taken from 1998 GRO population estimates

  Non-powered Craft
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions she has had with the Scottish Parliament about plans to increase access to water for non-powered craft; and if she will make a statement. [153683]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I understand that the draft Land Reform (Scotland) Bill, which is currently out to public consultation, contains provisions for creating a right of responsible access to inland waters for non-powered craft.

  This is a devolved matter and, while I have seen the Scottish Executive's consultation paper on the draft Bill, this is not a matter within my responsibility.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Higher Education Entrants
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of pupils left secondary school to take up university courses in(a) 1971, (b) 1977, (c) 1987, (d) 1997, (e) 1998, (f) 1999 and (g) 2000. [152160]
  152W
  Mr. Wicks
  The available data, showing the proportion of under 21-year-olds who enter higher education, are shown in the following table. There was an increase in the index in 1997–98 related partly to changes in the funding arrangements for higher education, with students choosing to enter HE rather than wait until 1998–99. There was a corresponding reduction in 1998–99 before the entry rates started to increase again in 1999–2000. Between 1996–97 and 1999–2000, total HE students in English universities and colleges rose by 76,000.

  Age participation index (API)1

  Academic year

  Percentage

  1971–72

  14

  1977–78

  13

  1987–88

  15

  1997–98

  33

  1998–99

  31

  1999–2000

  32

  2000–012

  32–34

  1The API is defined as the number of home domiciled initial entrants to full-time and sandwich undergraduate HE aged under 21, expressed as a percentage of the average number of 18 and 19-year-olds in the population.

  2Projected: data on initial entrants are not yet available.

  Schools Funding
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the cash resources to be paid directly to Stroud schools, by sector, in 2001–02 on the basis of proposals in the pre-Budget report; and if he will list the schools to benefit, giving the sum in each case. [152179]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer March 2001]The following table shows the estimated allocations made to schools in the Stroud constituency for additional devolved formula capital in 2000–01, following the pre-Budget report. This funding was made available in 2000–01 rather than 2001–02. Gloucestershire local education authority will be able to confirm the final allocations made to non-Voluntary Aided schools. A total of £4.346 million devolved formula capital has been made available to schools in Gloucestershire in 2000–01.

  Schools in Gloucestershire will benefit from over £11.5 million through New Deal for Schools Devolved formula capital over the three years 2001–02 to 2003–04, plus a share of the £300 million of additional funds made available by the Chancellor for the programme in his Budget of 7 March.

  Overall, central Government support for capital investment in school buildings in England has tripled from £683 million a year in 1996–97 to over £2 billion in 2000–01. It will be £3.5 billion in 2003–04, including grant, credit approvals and Private Finance Initiative credits. There will be central Government investment of £8.5 billion in school buildings in total from 2001–02 to 2003–04.

  Additional devolved formula capital announced in the pre-Budget report November 2000. Allocations to schools in Stroud Constituency

  Allocation

  to school

  School name

  School type

  (£)

  Thomas Keble School

  Non-VA

  9,139

  Maidenhill School

  Non-VA

  11,258

  Archway School

  Non-VA

  17,039

  Berkeley Vale Community School

  Non-VA

  7,203

  Rednock School

  Non-VA

  20,924

  Parliament Primary School

  Non-VA

  5,642

  Cam Woodfield Infant

  Non-VA

  4,997

  Marling School

  Non-VA

  13,638

  Stroud High School

  Non-VA

  14,083

  Berkeley Primary School

  Non-VA

  5,415

  Eastcombe Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,116

  Chalford Hill Primary School

  Non-VA

  5,276

  Eastington Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,796

  Sharpness Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,622

  Sheepscombe Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,037

  Slimbridge Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,343

  Stroud Valley Community School

  Non-VA

  6,095

  Uplands Community Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,534

  The Thrupp School

  Non-VA

  4,569

  Whiteshill Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,238

  Cashes Green Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,988

  Rodborough Community Primary School

  Non-VA

  5,310

  The Croft School

  Non-VA

  4,630

  Callowell Primary School

  Non-VA

  5,258

  Foxmoor Primary School

  Non-VA

  5,912

  Gastrells Community Primary School

  Non-VA

  5,119

  Cam Everlands Primary School

  Non-VA

  5,546

  Bisley Blue CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,098

  Coaley CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,125

  Dursley CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  6,139

  Frampton-on-Severn CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,273

  Saul CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,404

  154W

  Additional devolved formula capital announced in the pre-Budget report November 2000. Allocations to schools in Stroud Constituency

  Allocation

  to school

  School name

  School type

  (£)

  Stone with Woodford CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,177

  Haresfield CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,395

  Longley CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,543

  Nailsworth CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  5,685

  Randwick CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,142

  Uley CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,404

  Upton St. Leonards CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  6,762

  Whitminster Endowed CE Primary School

  Non-VA

  4,194

  Minchinhampton School

  Non-VA

  5,851

  King's Stanley CE Infant School

  Non-VA

  4,212

  The Park Infant School

  Non-VA

  5,476

  Park Junior School

  Non-VA

  6,374

  King's Stanley CE Junior School

  Non-VA

  4,561

  The Cam Woodfield Junior School

  Non-VA

  5,485

  The Whitminster Centre

  Non-VA

  3,933

  Cam House Special School

  Non-VA

  4,927

  Amberley Ridge School

  Non-VA

  5,267

  Bownham Park School

  Non-VA

  5,869

  The Shrubberies School

  Non-VA

  5,267

  LEA Liabilities at VA Schools

  16.976

  Total allocation to Non-VA Schools

  328,263

  Oakridge Parochial School

  VA

  3,149

  Cam Hopton CE Primary School

  VA

  4,258

  Christ Church CE Primary School

  VA

  3,115

  Bussage CE Primary School

  VA

  4,139

  Cranham CE Primary School

  VA

  3,066

  Hardwicke Parochial Primary School

  VA

  5,526

  Horsley CE Primary School

  VA

  3,442

  Leonard Stanley CE Primary School

  VA

  3,944

  Amberely Parochial School

  VA

  3,547

  Brimscombe CE Primary School

  VA

  3,372

  Miserden CE Primary School

  VA

  3,219

  North Nibley CE Primary School

  VA

  3,491

  Sapperton CE Primary School

  VA

  3,198

  St. Matthew's CE Primary School

  VA

  4,801

  Woodchester Endowed CE Primary School

  VA

  3,930

  St. Dominic's RC Primary School

  VA

  3,435

  St. Joseph's RC Primary School

  VA

  3,930

  The Rosary RC Primary School

  VA

  4,292

  Total allocation to VA Schools

  67,854

  Total additional allocation to schools

  396,117

  Mr. Trickett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the cash resources paid to schools, by phase, in(a) Hemsworth constituency and (b) Wakefield district in each financial year since 2 May 1997; and if he will list the schools that benefited and indicate the sum in each case. [153005]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The first table shows amounts payable to schools for School Standards Grant and devolved capital allocations in the financial year 2000–01. Neither grant was payable before that year. The amounts payable by phase are as follows:

  £

  Nursery

  Primary

  Secondary

  Special

  PRU

  Hemsworth

  School Standards Grant

  —

  279,000

  320,000

  30,000

  3,000

  Devolved capital

  —

  440,319

  296,664

  22,052

  5,476

  Wakefield

  School Standards Grant

  15,000

  1,005,000

  780,000

  135,000

  6,000

  Devolved capital

  15,543

  1,563,764

  720,064

  103,054

  11,135

  155W
  The following table shows funding allocations for Wakefield LEA since 1997–98 for Standard Spending Assessment, Standards Fund (including class size grant from 1999–2000) and NDS capital:

  £ million

  SSA

  Standards Fund

  NDS

  1997–98

  111.5

  2.960

  0.600

  1998–99

  122.9

  5.045

  1.924

  1999–2000

  129.0

  7.503

  2.382

  2000–01

  135.5

  12.466

  4.422

  2001–02

  141.0

  112.156

  21.997

  1Allocation not finalised and likely to increase

  2NDS Condition and NDS Devolved Formula; not related to NDS4 in 2000–01

  The amounts payable to each school for School Standards Grant and devolved capital are contained in tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

  The increase in funding in Wakefield LEA between 1997–98 and 2000–01 is £340 per pupil in real terms.

  Lone Parents (Wansbeck)
  Mr. Denis Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many lone parents in Wansbeck have entered employment through the New Deal for Lone Parents in the last year. [153142]

  Ms Hodge
  In the year January to December 2000, 45 lone parents in Wansbeck have entered employment through the New Deal for Lone Parents. Since this New Deal was introduced in October 1998, 89 lone parents in Wansbeck have found jobs.

  Youth Parliament
  Mr. Õpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will meet representatives of the UK Youth Parliament to discuss its Youth Manifesto; and if he will make a statement; [153150]

  (2) what assessment his Department has made of the proceedings of the UK Youth Parliament held in London on 25 February; and if he will make a statement; [153151]

  (3) how he plans to develop the relationship between the Home Office and the UK Youth Parliament; and if he will make a statement. [153152]

  Mr. Wicks
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent (Mr. Rowe) on 14 March 2001,Official Report, column 614W. I was pleased to attend the first sitting of the UK Youth Parliament; however, no formal assessment of the first sitting has been made by my Department in advance of the publication of the UKYP Youth Manifesto. Relationships between the Home Office and the UK Youth Parliament are properly the business of the Home Office and I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Faversham and Mid-Kent by the Minister of State, Home Office with responsibilities for young people, my right hon. Friend the Member for Brent, South (Mr. Boateng) on 15 March 2001, Official Report, column 692W.

  ONE Service
  Ms Perham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when a decision will be made on the future of the ONE Project. [153223]
  156W
  Ms Jowell
  The 12 existing ONE pilots are due to run until March 2002, and we are investing considerable resources in a thorough evaluation. Clearly, we do not want to prejudge the results of the full evaluation, but the lessons we are learning front the pilots are helping to inform the development of the service to be delivered by the Working Age Agency, which will bring together the services of the Employment Service and working age-related elements of the Benefits Agency. On 14 March of this year, the Secretary of State for Education and Employment, and the Secretary of State for Social Security, together announced the establishment from October this year of around 50 Pathfinder sites for the Working Age Agency. The Government's commitment to expanding the approach tested in ONE is being taken forward through these Pathfinders, which will deliver a ONE-style service to all working age benefit claimants. This will form the basis for the service we expect the Working Age Agency to deliver, over time, across the country.

  Promotional Campaigns
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the television, newspaper and radio advertising and other promotional campaigns conducted by(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its departmental public bodies, in each of the past five years, showing for each the expenditure incurred by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [153419]

  Mr. Wills
  [holding answer 12 March 2001]I refer the hon. Member to the replies given on 18 January 2001,Official Report, columns 330–33W and on 26 February 2001, Official Report, column 380W.

  Advertising campaigns undertaken by the Employment Service in the past five years are:

  1996–97
  Just the Job: To advise unemployed people of the range of opportunities available and to encourage them to use Jobcentre services—£700,709
  Employer Campaign: To encourage employers to use Jobcentre services to recruit unemployed jobseekers—£1,076,000

  1998—99
  Launch of Employment Service Direct: To promote the launch of the Agency's new telephone job finding service—£2,500,000

  1999—2000
  One in a Millennium: To encourage employers and jobseekers to use Jobcentre services —£500,000.

  Information on expenditure by Non-Departmental Public Bodies is not held centrally.

  Further Education Colleges (Concessionary Fees)
  Mrs. Betty Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what advice he has given to colleges of further education about the age at which men may be offered concessionary fees where women are offered such fees at the age of 60 years. [154056]

  Mr. Wicks
  Colleges of further education are generally free to vary or waive fees as they wish. The Further Education Funding Council (which is succeeded, from 1 April 2001, by the Learning and Skills Council) will
  157W
  compensate them where they remit fees to certain groups of individuals, but these groups do not automatically include those aged 60 years and over

  Learning and Skills Council
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance he has issued to the Learning and Skills Council regarding the minimum size for a school sixth form to be considered viable. [154156]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]My right hon. Friend has no plans to issue such guidance. Viability is a matter for schools and local education authorities, not the Learning and Skills Council. The LSC only has a role in respect of sixth forms which fail two consecutive Ofsted inspections.

  University Funding
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the funding requirement identified by the final report from the Funding Options Review Group of Universities UK; and what plans he has to meet this requirement. [154026]

  Mr. Wicks
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]The Government welcome the report from the Funding Options Review Group of Universities UK as a helpful contribution to the debate about the funding of higher education. The Government are increasing funding to universities and higher education colleges in England by £1.7 billion over the six years to 2003–04; funding per full-time equivalent student will increase in real terms in 2001–02 for the first time in over a decade. The funding shortfall identified in the Universities UK report is for 2003–04. The Government will address the funding needs of the sector from 2003–04 in the next Spending Review.

  Science A-levels
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many candidates have entered for A-level(a) mathematics, (b) physics and (c) chemistry in each of the last five years. [154158]

  Mr. Wicks [holding answer 16 March 2001]
  The number of candidates entered for A-level mathematics, physics and chemistry in each of the last five years is given in the following table:

  Mathematics

  Physics

  Chemistry

  All subjects

  1995–96

  51,862

  24,847

  29,800

  178,328

  1996–97

  54,000

  25,652

  31,669

  192,425

  1997–98

  54,980

  26,440

  32,269

  198,479

  1998–99

  54,111

  26,277

  31,039

  196,969

  1999–2000

  52,811

  25,469

  31,385

  197,583

  The number of candidates entered for the specified subjects expressed as a percentage of all candidates is given in the following table.

  Percentage

  Mathematics

  Physics

  Chemistry

  1995–96

  29

  14

  17

  1996–97

  28

  13

  16

  1997–98

  28

  13

  16

  1998–99

  27

  13

  16

  1999–2000

  27

  13

  16

  Specialist Schools
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the net change in the number of specialist schools which will arise from the proposals in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Bill [Lords]. [154155]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]The Government want an inclusive education service to offer excellence and choice. Where parents want a mainstream place for their child everything reasonably possible should be done to provide one. Equally where more specialist provision is what is sought, it is important and right that the wishes of parents are listened to.

  There is a continuing and vital role for special schools. As has always been the case there will be changes to provision to reflect local needs and circumstances. While some special schools have closed, others have been enlarged and new special schools have opened. The overall size of the special school sector has remained broadly the same since 1996 and caters for 1.2 per cent. of all pupils. The Government do not envisage this will change dramatically.

  Sundorne Secondary School
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the funding of a replacement playground for Sundorne Secondary School in Shrewsbury. [154460]

  Jacqui Smith
  This is a matter for Shropshire local education authority (LEA) to manage, working with the school. I understand that the school has made representations to the authority to secure funding for this project.

  Several possible sources of funding exist for this project. In January this year, we announced New Deal for Schools (NDS) Condition and New Deal for Schools (NDS) Devolved formula funding for the next three years to 2003–04. From that funding, Shropshire LEA and its schools will receive around £4.08 million NDS Condition funding and £5.82 million NDS Devolved formula funding over the period. The NDS Devolved formula allocation will be increased by the extra funding announced in the Chancellor's Budget statement on 7 March. As a result, I estimate that Sundorne Secondary School will receive over £16,000 in total next year under the NDS Devolved capital funding programme, with increased amounts in later years, for it to use on priority capital work.

  New Deal for Schools (NDS) Modernisation funding, totalling £555 million for schools in England, will further increase funding available to Shropshire LEA from 2002–03.

  Supply Teachers
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many(a) agency teachers and (b) teachers on contracts of one term or less are employed in schools in England and Wales. [154153]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]There were 4,800 agency supply teachers on a contract of less than one month in the maintained schools sector in
  159W
  England working for the whole of the survey date of 20 January 2000. There were a further 11,860 non-agency supply teachers on contracts of less than one month.

  At January 2000 there were 750 full-time teachers (including agency teachers) employed on a fixed term contract of one month and less than one term in the maintained nursery, primary and secondary sector in England. Agency teachers on contracts of one month or more are not identified centrally.

  Information for Wales is the responsibility of the National Assembly for Wales.

  A number of factors may have affected the demand for short term supply teachers in January 2000 including the requirement for schools to give teachers in their induction year a 10 per cent. reduction in timetable, and a flu epidemic that some education authorities reported.

  The number of regular teachers (excluding short term supply teachers) in the maintained schools sector in England in January 2000 was 404,600, the highest for 10 years, and 6,900 higher than January 1998.

  There was a growth of more than 2,300 in the number of people training to be teachers between 1999–2000 and 2000–01, the first such increase since 1992–93.

  From April 2001 new graduate recruits can expect to earn £17,000 a year (up 6 per cent. from the previous year) and starting salaries in Inner London will rise to £20,000 (up 9 per cent. from the previous year).

  European Year of Languages
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what financial incentives are being offered, as part of the European Year of Languages, to encourage individuals to improve their linguistic skills. [154482]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 19 March 2001]European Year of Languages aims to raise awareness of the benefits of knowing another language, provide information about teaching and learning languages and celebrate other languages and cultures.

  No specific financial incentives are being offered as part of the Year. However, the Centre for Information on Language Teaching, which is managing the UK's contribution, has produced a broad and inclusive programme of opportunities for people to participate in a wide range of projects and events. It includes a mixture of roadshows, lectures and concerts to raise awareness of the importance of language learning. A number of specific events like "Adult Learners Week" will also be held.

  Teachers' Pensions
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will relax the rules that prevent teachers who have taken retirement on the

  School achievement awards by LEA and type of school

  LEA

  Nursery

  Primary

  PRU

  Secondary

  Special

  Barking and Dagenham

  —

  19

  —

  4

  1

  Barnet

  2

  36

  1

  7

  —

  Barnsley

  —

  25

  —

  5

  —

  Bath and North East Somerset

  —

  26

  —

  5

  3

  Bedfordshire

  —

  39

  —

  13

  1

  160W
  grounds of ill health from undertaking any employment in teaching, without forfeiting their entitlement to pension benefits. [154668]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Ill-health benefits are now granted on the basis that a teacher is permanently unfit to teach, and include compensation in the form of enhancement of service for the loss of future working years. It would therefore be inappropriate to allow teachers in receipt of an ill-health retirement pension to retain that benefit if they are deemed fit to return to the classroom.

  The numbers of teachers who retire on ill-health grounds have reduced by 50 per cent. since 1997. Occupational Health Guidance which has been issued recently, as part of the Healthy Schools Programme, outlines the value and importance of a fit and healthy teaching workforce and the subsequent benefits to both teachers and the pupils they teach.

  School Achievement Awards
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by education authority those special schools, pupil referral units, very small primary schools and nursery schools which were nominated for achievement awards. [154745]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The 921 eligible schools nominated for School Achievement Awards are listed in a table, copies of which have been placed in the Library. The nominations wore assessed by independent panels with expert knowledge of the particular type of school. 381 (41 per cent.) of these schools are receiving awards.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he will list, by category, the schools which have won achievement awards for excellence and the local education authority area in which they are situated; [154748]

  (2) if he will list by constituency the number of achievement awards made to schools. [154747]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The information requested is contained in tables, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how the difference between school results in 1997 and 2000 was calculated in assessing eligibility for improvement awards. [154746]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Improvement awards were based on the absolute difference between schools" results in 1997 and 2000.

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority the number of(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools which have received achievement awards. [154742]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The information requested is shown in the following table.
  161W

  School achievement awards by LEA and type of school

  LEA

  Nursery

  Primary

  PRU

  Secondary

  Special

  Bexley

  —

  23

  —

  6

  —

  Birmingham

  1

  134

  —

  27

  6

  Blackburn with Darwen

  —

  18

  —

  4

  —

  Blackpool

  —

  7

  —

  2

  —

  Bolton

  —

  43

  —

  4

  1

  Bournemouth

  —

  7

  —

  2

  1

  Bracknell Forest

  —

  11

  —

  1

  —

  Bradford

  1

  37

  —

  6

  2

  Brent

  —

  20

  1

  5

  —

  Brighton and Hove

  —

  22

  —

  4

  4

  Bristol, City of

  4

  42

  —

  3

  —

  Bromley

  —

  22

  —

  5

  1

  Buckinghamshire

  —

  46

  3

  7

  —

  Bury

  1

  22

  —

  1

  2

  Calderdale

  —

  29

  —

  3

  1

  Cambridgeshire

  —

  57

  —

  5

  1

  Camden

  —

  13

  1

  5

  —

  Cheshire

  —

  80

  —

  11

  —

  City of London

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Cornwall

  —

  45

  —

  7

  —

  Coventry

  —

  22

  —

  5

  1

  Croydon

  3

  22

  1

  5

  2

  Cumbria

  —

  87

  1

  17

  —

  Darlington

  —

  7

  —

  4

  1

  Derby

  3

  23

  —

  3

  3

  Derbyshire

  2

  94

  —

  19

  —

  Devon

  —

  99

  —

  10

  —

  Doncaster

  —

  33

  —

  7

  —

  Dorset

  —

  31

  —

  10

  1

  Dudley

  —

  26

  —

  9

  —

  Durham

  3

  94

  —

  8

  4

  Ealing

  —

  30

  —

  9

  1

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  —

  30

  —

  4

  1

  East Sussex

  —

  43

  —

  4

  —

  Enfield

  —

  19

  —

  7

  —

  Essex

  —

  139

  2

  21

  3

  Gateshead

  1

  35

  —

  4

  —

  Gloucestershire

  —

  60

  —

  9

  2

  Greenwich

  —

  25

  —

  5

  —

  Hackney

  —

  23

  —

  3

  —

  Halton

  2

  24

  —

  3

  1

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  2

  19

  5

  3

  Hampshire

  —

  133

  2

  16

  5

  Haringey

  —

  19

  —

  4

  —

  Harrow

  —

  18

  —

  4

  1

  Hartlepool

  —

  7

  —

  4

  1

  Havering

  —

  25

  1

  10

  —

  Herefordshire

  —

  16

  —

  4

  —

  Hertfordshire

  —

  125

  1

  28

  3

  Hillingdon

  —

  23

  —

  7

  —

  Hounslow

  —

  22

  —

  4

  —

  Isle of Wight

  —

  15

  —

  2

  —

  Islington

  1

  15

  —

  3

  —

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1

  19

  —

  2

  —

  Kent

  —

  128

  2

  28

  2

  Kingston Upon Hull, City of

  —

  30

  —

  5

  1

  Kingston upon Thames

  —

  13

  1

  3

  2

  Kirklees

  —

  58

  —

  8

  —

  Knowsley

  —

  25

  —

  —

  —

  Lambeth

  1

  22

  —

  3

  2

  Lancashire

  7

  116

  4

  32

  9

  Leeds

  —

  90

  —

  7

  1

  Leicester

  —

  32

  —

  1

  —

  Leicestershire

  —

  64

  —

  16

  —

  Lewisham

  1

  30

  1

  6

  3

  Lincolnshire

  —

  57

  —

  27

  3

  Liverpool

  —

  57

  —

  14

  3

  Luton

  —

  18

  1

  3

  —

  Manchester

  —

  44

  —

  6

  6

  Medway

  —

  27

  —

  5

  —

  Merton

  —

  20

  —

  2

  1

  Middlesbrough

  —

  19

  —

  2

  2

  Milton Keynes

  —

  22

  —

  3

  —

  162W 163W

  School achievement awards by LEA and type of school

  LEA

  Nursery

  Primary

  PRU

  Secondary

  Special

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  —

  34

  1

  2

  1

  Newham

  —

  26

  —

  7

  1

  Norfolk

  —

  105

  —

  16

  —

  North East Lincolnshire

  —

  18

  —

  4

  1

  North Lincolnshire

  —

  16

  —

  4

  —

  North Somerset

  —

  13

  —

  3

  1

  North Tyneside

  —

  31

  —

  6

  —

  North Yorkshire

  —

  73

  —

  13

  —

  Northamptonshire

  3

  62

  —

  8

  1

  Northumberland

  —

  42

  —

  17

  4

  Nottingham

  2

  40

  —

  7

  2

  Nottinghamshire

  —

  84

  —

  13

  2

  Oldham

  —

  31

  —

  4

  1

  Oxfordshire

  3

  49

  1

  13

  4

  Peterborough

  —

  28

  —

  4

  1

  Plymouth

  —

  24

  —

  5

  —

  Poole

  —

  9

  —

  3

  —

  Portsmouth

  1

  18

  1

  —

  5

  Reading

  1

  12

  1

  5

  —

  Redbridge

  —

  21

  1

  9

  —

  Redcar and Cleveland

  —

  20

  1

  6

  2

  Richmond upon Thames

  1

  16

  —

  3

  —

  Rochdale

  —

  17

  —

  4

  3

  Rotherham

  —

  40

  —

  5

  —

  Rutland

  —

  3

  —

  2

  —

  Salford

  —

  29

  —

  4

  3

  Sandwell

  —

  37

  —

  6

  —

  Sefton

  —

  28

  —

  13

  2

  Sheffield

  2

  33

  —

  6

  3

  Shropshire

  —

  36

  —

  4

  —

  Slough

  —

  15

  1

  6

  —

  Solihull

  —

  29

  —

  4

  —

  Somerset

  —

  60

  —

  9

  3

  South Gloucestershire

  —

  20

  1

  3

  —

  South Tyneside

  4

  24

  2

  3

  1

  Southampton

  —

  28

  —

  3

  2

  Southend-on-Sea

  —

  17

  —

  5

  1

  Southwark

  2

  27

  —

  7

  1

  St. Helens

  1

  25

  —

  2

  3

  Staffordshire

  —

  85

  1

  18

  6

  Stockport

  —

  29

  —

  3

  1

  Stockton-on-Tees

  —

  22

  —

  6

  —

  Stoke-on-Trent

  5

  30

  1

  4

  2

  Suffolk

  —

  73

  —

  19

  1

  Sunderland

  —

  31

  —

  5

  4

  Surrey

  1

  105

  —

  17

  —

  Sutton

  1

  12

  —

  8

  —

  Swindon

  —

  13

  —

  —

  —

  Tameside

  —

  30

  —

  4

  2

  Telford and Wrekin

  —

  22

  —

  5

  —

  Thurrock

  —

  19

  —

  5

  2

  Torbay

  —

  13

  —

  4

  —

  Tower Hamlets

  2

  35

  1

  8

  3

  Trafford

  —

  33

  —

  9

  —

  Wakefield

  —

  40

  —

  6

  —

  Walsall

  —

  30

  —

  7

  1

  Waltham Forest

  1

  13

  —

  6

  1

  Wandsworth

  —

  21

  —

  4

  1

  Warrington

  1

  26

  —

  1

  —

  Warwickshire

  3

  59

  —

  14

  4

  West Berkshire

  —

  21

  —

  2

  1

  West Sussex

  —

  73

  2

  7

  3

  Westminster

  —

  21

  —

  4

  —

  Wigan

  —

  35

  —

  2

  2

  Wiltshire

  —

  44

  —

  11

  1

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  —

  16

  —

  3

  —

  Wirral

  —

  44

  —

  2

  4

  Wokingham

  —

  16

  —

  2

  —

  Wolverhampton

  3

  28

  —

  7

  2

  Worcestershire

  1

  60

  1

  11

  1

  York

  —

  14

  1

  2

  2

  164W 165W
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list by local education authority the total value of achievement awards made and the percentage of the national total budget which schools in each local education authority received. [154749]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The information requested is shown in the following table.

  Total value of school achievement awards by LEA

  Value of

  Percentage of

  LEA

  awards (£)

  total value1

  City of London

  6,610

  0.0

  Camden

  260,600

  0.4

  Greenwich

  264,010

  0.4

  Hackney

  227,870

  0.4

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  275,780

  0.5

  Islington

  209,820

  0.4

  Kensington and Chelsea

  187,690

  0.3

  Lambeth

  253,750

  0.4

  Lewisham

  433,720

  0.7

  Southwark

  366,440

  0.6

  Tower Hamlets

  543,630

  0.9

  Wandsworth

  310,270

  0.5

  Westminster

  250,170

  0.4

  Barking and Dagenham

  373,310

  0.6

  Barnet

  473,380

  0.8

  Bexley

  358,070

  0.6

  Brent

  379,050

  0.6

  Bromley

  327,390

  0.5

  Croydon

  313,200

  0.5

  Ealing

  603,740

  1.0

  Enfield

  439,770

  0.7

  Haringey

  298,750

  0.5

  Harrow

  252,640

  0.4

  Havering

  399,680

  0.7

  Hillingdon

  387,710

  0.6

  Hounslow

  293,070

  0.5

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  183,130

  0.3

  Merton

  203,590

  0.3

  Newham

  565,390

  0.9

  Redbridge

  472,510

  0.8

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  189,520

  0.3

  Sutton

  302,960

  0.5

  Waltham Forest

  265,680

  0.4

  Birmingham

  2,001,640

  3.4

  Coventry

  328,030

  0.5

  Dudley

  413,510

  0.7

  Sandwell

  430,380

  0.7

  Solihull

  329,610

  0.6

  Walsall

  384,040

  0.6

  Wolverhampton

  398,430

  0.7

  Knowsley

  160,900

  0.3

  Liverpool

  799,370

  1.3

  St. Helens

  273,390

  0.5

  Sefton

  542,430

  0.9

  Wirral

  382,240

  0.6

  Bolton

  437,670

  0.7

  Bury

  165,620

  0.3

  Manchester

  610,510

  1.0

  Oldham

  310,020

  0.5

  Rochdale

  241,340

  0.4

  Salford

  273,730

  0.5

  Stockport

  236,030

  0.4

  Tameside

  296,450

  0.5

  Trafford

  431,790

  0.7

  Wigan

  313,230

  0.5

  Barnsley

  244,590

  0.4

  Doncaster

  430,320

  0.7

  Rotherham

  375,860

  0.6

  Sheffield

  477,760

  0.8

  166W

  Total value of school achievement awards by LEA

  Value of

  Percentage of

  LEA

  awards (£)

  total value1

  Bradford

  379,760

  0.6

  Calderdale

  254,900

  0.4

  Kirklees

  566,200

  0.9

  Leeds

  827,610

  1.4

  Wakefield

  384,100

  0.6

  Gateshead

  308,840

  0.5

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  244,260

  0.4

  North Tyneside

  352,990

  0.6

  South Tyneside

  255,360

  0.4

  Sunderland

  440,550

  0.7

  Bath and North East Somerset

  262,970

  0.4

  Bristol, City of

  354,560

  0.6

  North Somerset

  181,660

  0.3

  South Gloucestershire

  219,720

  0.4

  Hartlepool

  187,330

  0.3

  Middlesbrough

  216,830

  0.4

  Redcar and Cleveland

  276,380

  0.5

  Stockton-on-Tees

  321,600

  0.5

  Kingston upon Hull, City of

  347,090

  0.6

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  289,490

  0.5

  North East Lincolnshire

  238,490

  0.4

  North Lincolnshire

  162,240

  0.3

  North Yorkshire

  566,660

  0.9

  York

  126,600

  0.2

  Bedfordshire

  370,370

  0.6

  Luton

  200,230

  0.3

  Buckinghamshire

  382,570

  0.6

  Milton Keynes

  245,380

  0.4

  Derbyshire

  912,250

  1.5

  Derby

  258,240

  0.4

  Dorset

  326,690

  0.5

  Poole

  128,100

  0.2

  Bournemouth

  119,180

  0.2

  Durham

  657,720

  1.1

  Darlington

  134,020

  0.2

  East Sussex

  315,230

  0.5

  Brighton and Hove

  329,970

  0.6

  Hampshire

  1,145,780

  1.9

  Portsmouth

  155,350

  0.3

  Southampton

  273,280

  0.5

  Leicestershire

  626,900

  1.1

  Leicester

  267,780

  0.4

  Rutland

  55,790

  0.1

  Staffordshire

  856,010

  1.4

  Stoke-on-Trent

  322,820

  0.5

  Wiltshire

  419,190

  0.7

  Swindon

  74,190

  0.1

  Bracknell Forest

  81,440

  0.1

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  132,210

  0.2

  West Berkshire

  164,660

  0.3

  Reading

  180,680

  0.3

  Slough

  246,520

  0.4

  Wokingham

  151,110

  0.3

  Cambridgeshire

  448,450

  0.8

  Peterborough

  324,610

  0.5

  Cheshire

  721,700

  1.2

  Halton

  238,600

  0.4

  Warrington

  186,930

  0.3

  Devon

  728,400

  1.2

  Plymouth

  261,320

  0.4

  Torbay

  213,650

  0.4

  Essex

  1,395,330

  2.3

  Southend-on-Sea

  267,630

  0.4

  Thurrock

  263,040

  0.4

  Herefordshire

  118,850

  0.2

  Worcestershire

  548,640

  0.9

  Kent

  1,360,550

  2.3

  Medway

  275,810

  0.5

  167W

  Total value of school achievement awards by LEA

  Value of

  Percentage of

  LEA

  awards (£)

  total value1

  Lancashire

  1,364,860

  2.3

  Blackburn with Darwen

  221,530

  0.4

  Blackpool

  92,260

  0.2

  Nottinghamshire

  770,020

  1.3

  Nottingham

  456,390

  0.8

  Shropshire

  223,880

  0.4

  Telford and Wrekin

  234,740

  0.4

  Cornwall

  343,750

  0.6

  Cumbria

  755,410

  1.3

  Gloucestershire

  489,990

  0.8

  Hertfordshire

  1,362,070

  2.3

  Isle of Wight

  83,710

  0.1

  Lincolnshire

  779,450

  1.3

  Norfolk

  907,260

  1.5

  Northamptonshire

  481,520

  0.8

  Northumberland

  425,040

  0.7

  FSM groups1

  FSM group

  Primary

  Secondary

  1

  Up to and including 8 per cent.

  Up to and including 5 per cent.

  2

  More than 8 per cent. and up to 20 per cent.

  More than 5 per cent. and up to 9 per cent.

  3

  More than 20 per cent. and up to 35 per cent.

  More than 9 per cent. and up to 13 per cent.

  4

  More than 35 per cent. and up to 50 per cent.

  More than 13 per cent. and up to 21 per cent.

  5

  More than 50 per cent.

  More than 21 per cent. and up to 35 per cent.

  6

  —

  More than 35 per cent. and up to 50 per cent.

  7

  —

  More than 50 per cent.

  8

  —

  Grammar schools

  9

  —

  Secondary moderns and FSM up to and including 13 per cent.

  10

  —

  Secondary moderns and FSM more than 13 per cent. and up to 21 per cent.

  11

  —

  Secondary moderns and FSM more than 21 per cent.

  1Percentage of pupils 'known to be eligible for free school meals (FSM)' based on information returned to the Department's 2000 Annual Schools' Census

  Schools receiving school achievement awards in Christchurch constituency by FSM group

  School

  FSM group

  Ferndown First School

  Primary 1

  Highcliffe Junior School

  Primary 1

  Mudeford Junior School

  Primary 1

  The Priory Church of England Primary School

  Primary 1

  Three Legged Cross First School

  Primary 2

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Promotional Campaigns
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the television, newspaper and radio advertising and other promotional campaigns conducted by(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) its departmental public bodies, in each of the past five years, showing for each the expenditure incurred by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [153418]

  Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 12 March 2001]
  The Department and the Royal Parks Agency have incurred no expenditure on television, radio and newspaper advertising and other promotional campaigns in the last five years.

  Information on campaigns run by the Department's non-departmental public bodies is not held centrally.
  168W

  Total value of school achievement awards by LEA

  Value of

  Percentage of

  LEA

  awards (£)

  total value1

  Oxfordshire

  539,420

  0.9

  Somerset

  493,350

  0.8

  Suffolk

  674,160

  1.1

  Surrey

  1,049,370

  1.8

  Warwickshire

  731,920

  1.2

  West Sussex

  594,280

  1.0

  1Total value of awards to schools was £59.7 million

  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many different groupings schools have been divided into based on the proportion of pupils eligible for school meals for the purpose of allocating school achievement awards; and if he will list the schools in the Christchurch constituency in each group. [154744]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The information requested is shown in the tables.

  Digital Television (Wales)
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the impact of the efficiency savings he asked the BBC to make on spending by the BBC on provision of digital services in Welsh. [154256]

  Janet Anderson
  None. Such an assessment would be a matter for the BBC's Board of Governors who are responsible for ensuring that the BBC meets the requirements of its Royal Charter and Agreement and any commitments made by the Corporation, including commitments on services for Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland and the English regions.

  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the future budgetary needs of S4C to meet the demands of expanding programming required by converting to digital television. [154255]

  Janet Anderson
  The Department for Culture, Media and Sport last year considered a bid for additional funding for S4C, following the Authority's assessment of its future budgetary needs. Departmental spending limits and competing priorities precluded our meeting the bid, but annual increases in S4C's grant in line with the Retail Prices Index, under the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 1996, are maintaining the real value of the grant. The
  169W
  1996 Act has also given S4C the power to develop commercial services, enabling it to generate additional revenue to supplement its public service fund.

  Foot and Mouth
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the impact of foot and mouth on(a) the British tourist industry and (b) tourism in the South West; and if he will make a statement. [154301]

  Janet Anderson
  I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State in the House on 14 March 2001,Official Report, columns 1021–36. The overall economic impact on the rural tourism industry in England following the foot and mouth outbreak is running at approximately £100 million a week and could grow. South West Tourism has estimated that the impact to tourism in the South West is currently running at around £17 million a week.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourism businesses have been directly affected by the issuance of form C notices under the foot and mouth procedures. [154237]

  Mr. Chris Smith [holding answer 16 March 2001]
  There are no figures available for the number of tourism businesses directly affected by the issuance of Form C notices under the provisions of the Foot and Mouth Disease Order 1983 which prohibits the movement of animals into or out of an area within an 8 km radius of the place of a suspected outbreak. There is, however, overwhelming evidence of a very adverse impact on tourism businesses throughout the country as a result of visit cancellations.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will estimate the weekly cost to the tourist industry in Shropshire of the impact of the foot and mouth outbreak; and if he will make a statement. [154486]

  Janet Anderson [holding answer 19 March 2001]
  There are no figures currently available to make an assessment of the weekly cost to the tourism industry in Shropshire following the foot and mouth outbreak. However, the overall economic impact on the rural tourism industry in England is running at approximately £100 million a week. The Heart of England Tourist Board has estimated that the impact to rural tourism in the 12 counties that make up their region, including Shropshire, is currently running at around £10 million per week.

  Free Television Licences
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on progress on applications for free television licences for people aged 75 years and over and the timetable for issuing licences and refunds. [154274]

  Janet Anderson
  The BBC, as Licensing Authority, has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system, including free licences for the over-75s. TV Licensing carries out the day to day administration as agent for the Corporation.
  170W
  The target turnaround time for verification of entitlement to the free licence is one week, provided the application form is completed correctly and the details match those provided to the BBC by the Department of Social Security. Where the details do not match, further information needs to be requested from the applicant and the time taken to verify the application will vary according to the individual case. The timetable for verifying refund applications is the same as for free licences, but short term licences for people approaching the age of 75 have been available since April 2000, so refunds should now be the exception rather than the rule.

  The BBC has indicated that approximately 2.95 million free licences and 1.1 million refund cheques have been issued since the introduction of the concession last November. The majority of applications now being received are from people currently aged 74; approximately half a million such applications have been validated and free licences will be issued when the applicants turn 75. Approximately 86,000 applications are currently awaiting validation but the majority of these are from people under the age of 75. 11,000 applications submitted prior to November last year have still to be verified and action is being taken to clear these by the end of this month.

  Applications by housing managers on behalf of over-75s who have previously benefited from the £5 Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) concessionary licence are being processed as the current ARC licence falls due for renewal.

  Arts Council for England
  Mr. Maclennan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the present term of office of the chairman of the Arts Council for England expires; and when, and by whom, an announcement was made regarding his successor. [154780]

  Mr. Alan Howarth
  Gerry Robinson's first term as Chairman of the Arts Council of England expired at the end of January 2001. He was reappointed to a second three-year term in February 2001, which expires at the end of January 2004.

  Advertising Campaigns
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost of advertising campaigns run by his Department and its predecessor and its agencies was in each year since 1992; and if he will give the projected advertising budget for the current year. [154753]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  The following table shows the cost of newspaper advertising to attract candidates for the many public appointments for which I am responsible.

  Year

  £

  1996–97

  0

  1997–98

  0

  1998–99

  242,700

  1999–2000

  139,501

  2000–011

  85,823

  2000–012

  90,000

  1 Spend to date

  2 Planned spend

  171W
  Additional expenditure information on advertising by my Department and its agencies is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Regional Arts Boards
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with the Regional Cultural consortiums regarding the Arts Council for England's commitment to integrating the regional arts boards. [154754]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  Discussions have not yet begun with the Regional Cultural Consortiums about the Arts Council of England' s proposal for the integrating of the regional arts boards. The proposals made by the Arts Council will be formally discussed with stakeholders, including the Regional Cultural Consortiums, in due course.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he has had with(a) the Arts Council for England and (b) the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions regarding the council's commitment to integrating the regional arts boards. [154755]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I discussed the proposals with the Chair and Chief Executive of the Arts Council shortly before they were announced, and I can confirm that DETR have been informed. I am looking forward to receiving formal detailed proposals in due course, and will of course consult with colleagues further on those once I have received them.

  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions he had with the Arts Council for England concerning the future role of the regional arts boards prior to the council's announcement of 15 March; and if he will make a statement. [154756]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I have discussed with the Chairman and Chief Executive of the Arts Council the proposals they announced on 15 March and will formally consider the detailed proposals in due course.

  University Museums
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations he has received from non-charging university museums regarding the repayment of irrecoverable VAT; what discussions he has had with HM Treasury regarding this matter; and if he will make a statement. [154750]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  I have received representations from one university about the scheme under which national museums and galleries which are directly sponsored by Government and which do not charge for admission will be able to recover the VAT that relates to the free admission element of their normal business. The scheme was announced by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer in his Budget statement on 7 March and will apply to directly funded national museums and galleries. It is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Chancellor to determine which institutions are included in the scheme.

  Intellectual Copyright
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what measures he proposes to take to ensure that Culture On Line's activities do not infringe intellectual copyright; [154758]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the potential cost of Culture On Line to public funds. [154757]

  Mr. Chris Smith
  In September 2000 we secured £5 million from HM Treasury to develop the concept for Culture Online. We are currently preparing a business case for Culture Online, which will include an assessment of both the cost of delivering Culture Online and the scope for any commercial participation. The business case will be completed by July 2001 and will establish the case, if any, for public funding. It will also include an assessment of the most suitable business model for Culture Online, taking into account a number of issues including ownership of Intellectual Property Rights. Specialist legal advice will be included in this assessment.

TREASURY

  University Museums
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to permit non-charging university museums to recover the value of VAT payments; and if he will make a statement. [154751]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government's VAT refund scheme for the main national museums and galleries was set out in the March 2001 Budget.

  Chester Street Holdings
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what action was taken to enforce the provisions of the Insurance Companies Act 1982 concerning margins of solvency following the restructuring of lion Trades Holdings Ltd. and the liquidation of Chester Street Holdings; [154169]

  (2) for what reason the Government's powers of intervention under the Insurance Companies Act 1982 were not used in the case of the restructuring of Iron Trades Holdings prior to the liquidation of Chester Street Holdings. [154170]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Since 1 January 1999, the Financial Services Authority has been the prudential supervisor of insurance companies, operating under contract to the Treasury. In carrying out functions under the Insurance Companies Act 1982 the FSA keeps under review the appropriate use of the intervention powers available to it under that Act.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to ensure that sufferers from an asbestos-related disease working in a publicly owned industry at the time of their contact with asbestos do not lose their rights to compensation following the liquidation of Chester Street Holdings. [154080]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  As I said in Westminster Hall on 6 March 2001,Official Report, columns 46–49WH, the insolvency of Chester Street Holdings Limited does
  173W
  not affect the liability of an employer to its employees or former employees. That is the case for all employers, whether they are in the private or public sector.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contact he had with the Financial Services Authority about the conduct of Chester Street Holdings in the period before liquidation; and what action is being taken as a result. [154167]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The financial Services Authority is in regular contact with Treasury officials about a wide range of insurance supervisory matters.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to investigate the reasons underlying the decision by the Financial Services Authority to approve the restructuring of Iron Trades Holdings shortly before the collapse of Chester Street Holdings. [154168]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  As I said in Westminster Hall on 6 March 2001,Official Report, columns 46–49WH, the provisional liquidators are required to review the affairs of Chester Street Holdings and the actions of the directors and other parties. The provisional liquidators will report on their findings.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent contact he has had with the Association of British Insurers about Chester Street Holdings and compensation for asbestos sufferers. [154166]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Treasury officials are in regular contact with the Association of British Insurers.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he is taking to ensure that insurance companies honour asbestos-related claims. [154269]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Insurance Companies are under a contractual obligation to meet a claim made by a policyholder where this falls within the terms of a contractual policy agreement. The Policyholders Protection Act 1975 has been established to protect the interests of policyholders of insolvent insurance companies.

  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the insurance industry about(a) the sufficiency of their funding for the Policyholders Protection Board to fully compensate those suffering from asbestos-related diseases and (b) about safeguarding those suffering from asbestos-related diseases who were in contact with asbestos before 1972 and who are not safeguarded under the terms of the present Policyholders Protection Board. [154222]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Under the Policyholders Protection Act 1975, the Policyholders Protection Board may impose levies on authorised insurance companies carrying on business in the UK to meet the liabilities of the board incurred in assisting or protecting policyholders under that Act.

  As I said in Westminster Hall on 6 March 2001, Official Report, column 47WH, the insolvency of Chester Street Holdings Ltd. does not affect the liability of an employer to its employees or former employees. We are investigating carefully the position of employees whose employers no longer exist.

  Policyholders Protection Board
  Mr. Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the next meeting of the Policyholders Protection Board is. [154268]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I understand that the next meeting will take place on Wednesday 21 March.

  Road Fuel Duty
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the reduction in duty for road fuel gases announced in the Budget will be applied; and if he expects the reduction in price to be passed on to consumers. [154738]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The duty reduction for road fuel gases applies from 6pm on 7 March 2001. Pricing decisions are a matter for the fuel suppliers.

  Departmental Policies (Newbury)
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Newbury constituency, the effects on Newbury and west Berkshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154577]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Newbury, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, is benefiting from the long-term action we have taken to build economic stability and secure high and stable levels of growth and employment. Since the general election, claimant unemployment in the constituency has fallen by 565, or 55 per cent., youth unemployment is down by 93 per cent. and long-term unemployment has fallen by 85 per cent.

  Macro-economic stability is being complemented at the micro-economic level by the Government's policies to ease the transition from welfare into work and to make work pay. To the end of December 2000, the New Deal for 18–24 year olds had helped 172 young people in Newbury constituency gain valuable skills and experience—93 (54 per cent) of whom had moved into employment. The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), introduced in October 1999, is helping to make work pay for low and middle income families. In August 2000, 1,300 families in Newbury constituency were benefiting from WFTC.

  The Government are also committed to policies which enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. All pensioners, including 14,100 in Newbury, will receive an above-inflation increase in the basic state pension from April 2001. Single pensioners will receive an extra £5 a week, and couples will receive an extra £8 a week. All pensioners aged 75 or over have also been entitled to a free TV licence since November 2000—including around 9,000 in Newbury.

  Census
  Mr. Ottaway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the basis is for the statement on the census form concerning the voluntary completion of the question concerning religion. [154669]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Census (Amendment) Act 2000, which came into force on 28 July 2000, by amending the schedule to the Census Act 1920, provides a power to include in census returns particulars in respect
  175W
  of religion. The Act also removes the liability to the penalty for anyone refusing or neglecting to state any such particulars. This has the effect of making any question on religion included in the census voluntary. A statement to that effect is included in the question on the form itself.

  Mr. Ottaway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the anticipated non-response rates in the forthcoming census are. [154670]

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

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Richard Ottaway, dated 20 March 2001:

  As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what is the anticipated non-response rate in the forthcoming census. (154670)

  The aim for the 2001 Census is to achieve a 100 per cent. count. Having said that I am fully aware of the problems associated with carrying out a census enumeration in some areas, particularly where there are high levels of ethnic minority populations, multi-occupied accommodation, poorer quality housing estates and more modern-style apartments protected by entryphone and other security systems. Many of the new measures and initiatives developed for the 2001 Census are aimed at combating these very difficulties.

  A particular success in this area is the new Local Community Liaison Programme in which the ONS is working in partnership with minority groups, charitable organisations and local and health authorities in order to encourage participation in the Census and to help identify sources of potential enumerators.

  The adoption of mail-back for the first time as the prime collection methodology in a census in England and Wales will facilitate the concentration of field resources in those areas where lower levels of response are experienced and where additional effort may be required.

  An extensive publicity campaign for the 2001 Census in England and Wales, under the banner logo "Count Me In" aims to encourage universal self-inclusion in the Census. In addition to the main campaign there are several other promotions and initiatives being developed to encourage public participation in the Census in an attempt to improve coverage, particularly among those sectors of the community where there was significant under-enumeration in the 1991 Census. Separate drives have been aimed at recruiting enumerators in local areas and to raise the profile of the Census.

  The extent and nature of non-response to the Census will be more accurately assessed this time than ever before by conducting an extensive separate follow-up Census Coverage Survey to be carried out by interviewing around 300,000 households shortly after the Census enumeration is completed. Results from this voluntary follow-up survey will be used, in conjunction with the Census data itself, to help produce a consistent set out census-based counts that will form the new base for the series of annual mid-year population estimates for local and health authorities.

  Departmental Policies (Lincoln)
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lincoln constituency, the effects on Lincoln of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152973]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Lincoln, along with the rest of the United Kingdom, is benefiting from the long-term action we have taken to build economic stability and secure high and stable levels of growth and employment. Since the general election, claimant unemployment in the
  176W
  constituency has fallen by 1,858, or 48 per cent., youth unemployment is down by 86 per cent., and long-term unemployment has fallen by 82 per cent.

  Macro-economic stability is being complemented at the micro-economic level by the Government's policies to ease the transition from welfare into work and to make work pay. To the end of December 2000, the New Deal for 18 to 24-year-olds had helped 1,319 young people in Lincoln constituency gain valuable skills and experience—668 (51 per cent.) of whom had moved into employment. The Working Families Tax Credit (WFTC), introduced in October 1999, is helping to make work pay for low and middle income families. In August 2000, 2,400 families in Lincoln constituency were benefiting from WFTC.

  The Government are also committed to policies which enable pensioners to share in the country's rising prosperity. All pensioners, including 15,500 in Lincoln constituency, will receive an above-inflation increase in the basic state pension from April 2001. Single pensioners will receive an extra £5 a week, and couples will receive an extra £8 a week. All pensioners aged 75 or over have also been entitled to a free TV licence since November 2000—including around 10,000 in Lincoln constituency.

  Correspondence
  Sir Brian Mawhinney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire will receive a reply to his letter on behalf of his constituent Mr. Chilton forwarded to the right hon. Gentleman by the Minister of State, Department of Social Security in early January. [154725]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There is no record of this letter being received. If the right hon. Member would like to forward a copy to me it will be dealt with immediately.

  Drug Addiction
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will set out his reasons for limiting his new aid for drug addiction to those who are no longer using drugs. [154082]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The measures were announced by the Chancellor in the Budget. £40 million will be invested over three years in additional resources to help benefit claimants whose drug problems may be getting in the way of their finding a job. The money will help skill up the Employment Service to spot and refer those on drugs into treatment programmes, and provide extra help in securing employment for those who have successfully completed treatment programmes and have come off drugs. The package is not limited to those who are no longer using drugs. Rather, proposals aim to ensure that in receiving help addicts undertake a responsibility to tackle their own addiction and become drug-free.

  Euro (Forgery)
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he will take to assist banks, bureaux de change and similar agencies in the United Kingdom to detect the presence of forged euro notes and coins presented to them for valid transactions after 2 January 2002. [154063]
  177W
  Miss Melanie Johnson
  ECOFIN reached political agreement on 12 February 2001 on a Council regulation designed to protect the euro from counterfeiting. As part of this, the UK is committed to ensuring that banks, bureaux de change and similar agencies will have access to appropriate information on security characteristics which are incorporated into the design of euro notes and coins so as to be able to detect counterfeits presented to them for valid transactions.

  EU Accession Canvassing
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which Article of which treaty, and which budget line of the authorised expenditure of the European Community for(a) 2001 and (b) 2002 authorise expenditure by a body or institution of the European Community for advocating to the citizens of a state applying to become a member that they should approve accession of their country to the European Union. [154011]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  There is no treaty article or EC budget line which authorises expenditure for advocating to citizens of candidate states that they should approve accession of their country to the EU.

  Post-war Credits
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claims there were for post-war credits in each of the last 10 years; what the total value was of those claims in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. [154563]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The number of successful claims was as follows:

  Number

  1990—91

  2,279

  1991—92

  1,685

  1992—93

  1,700

  1993—94

  1,835

  1994—95

  1,784

  1995—96

  1,276

  1996—97

  1,563

  1997—98

  839

  1998—99

  985

  1999—2000

  815

  The total value of claims for each year is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. It is estimated that some 95 per cent. of the original credit has been repaid, following extensive publicity campaigns.

  Taxation (Over-65s)
  Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what representations he has received from interested organisations on the level of taxation on the over-65s. [154702]

  Dawn Primarolo
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer receives a number of representations on a wide range of subjects. By April, as a result of the Government's personal tax and benefit changes, pensioner households will be £600 a year better off on average compared to 1997.

  Unemployment (Shrewsbury and Atcham)
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many(a) total unemployed, (b) long-term unemployed and (c) young unemployed there were in each ward of Shrewsbury and Atcham in each year since 1979; and if he will make a statement. [154712]

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

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Marsden, dated 20 March 2001:

  As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question regarding the number of (a) total unemployed, (b) long term unemployed and (c) young unemployed there were in each ward in Shrewsbury and Atcham in each year since 1979.

  The ONS publishes unemployment statistics at national and sub-national levels from the Labour Force Survey following the definitional guidelines promulgated by the International Labour Organisation. This information is however, unavailable for the areas requested.

  The ONS also publishes information based on the administrative records of claimants of unemployment-related benefits. These cover all people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance or National Insurance credits at Employment Service local offices. They must declare that they are out of work, capable of, available for and actively seeking work during the week in which the claim is made.

  Information on the claimant count of each month since June 1983 for each ward of Shrewsbury and Atcham can be obtained from the Nomis® database at the House of Commons Library.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Sir Brian Mawhinney
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will give a substantive reply to the question tabled by the right hon. Member for North-West Cambridgeshire for answer on 26 February. [154726]

  Mr. Timms
  Shortly.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Gas and Electricity Bills
  Mr. Hilary Benn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what were the average annual domestic bills for(a) electricity and (b) gas in the UK for the year 2000 broken down by (i) direct debit, (ii) standard quarterly credit and (iii) pre-payment meter payment methods. [154506]

  Mr. Hain
  Average annual domestic bills1 for (a) electricity and (b) gas in cash terms for the year 2000 are as follows:

  1 Averages are weighted by customer numbers and based on all supply companies.

  £

  Payment method

  Electricity1

  Gas2

  Quarterly Credit

  256

  295

  Direct Debit

  244

  265

  Prepayment meter

  274

  311

  1 An annual consumption level of 3,300 kWh has been assumed. Customers with electric central heating are likely to consume considerably more electricity.

  2An annual consumption level of 18,000 kWh has been assumed.

  179W
  Annual figures for previous years are published in the Department's annual "Digest of UK Energy Statistics" and in the "Energy Report".

  Newspaper Industry
  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of self-regulation in the newspaper wholesaling and retailing sectors; and if he will make a statement. [154464]

  Dr. Howells
  DTI works closely with those involved across the newspaper sector and, although no formal assessment of the effectiveness of self regulation in the sector has recently been carried out, I believe that in general self regulation is working reasonably well. In particular, I am aware of the recent agreement by those involved in both newspapers and magazines to enter into a process to re-examine distribution issues and we shall be following developments in those discussions.

  Mr. Coaker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with the National Federation of Retail Newsagents about problems facing independent retailers; and if he will make a statement. [154463]

  Ms Hewitt
  Small independent retailers are a vitally important part of the economic life of the country, creating wealth, satisfying customer demands, providing employment and playing an important social role within communities. Although there has been no recent contact with the National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) we do recognise the difficulties their members face. For example, the Better Regulation Task Force will this year be investigating the regulatory burden faced by small retailers and will be reporting on this in due course.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Ennis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the outcome is of the consultation on the renewables obligation. [154901]

  Mr. Hain
  I am pleased to announce today the publication of the analysis of responses to the Renewables Obligation Preliminary Consultation. Key issues were the cost of the Obligation to the consumer, whether or not to include energy from waste in the Obligation, the proposed level of capital grants, the treatment of imports, support for the longer term technologies and the profile of the Obligation up to 2010.

  With more than 200 responses received, it is encouraging that our proposed policy has met with broad support from the industry and the public.

  All the comments received have been given careful consideration and we shall be making our final proposals in the statutory consultation in May, prior to laying the necessary Order before the House.

  Ms Dari Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what Government funding has been allocated for(a) the market stimulation and (b) research into the development of renewable fuels; [151123]
  180W
  (2) what the organisations that received public funding for research into the development of renewable fuels spent the money on in each year (a) between 1992 and 1997 and (b) since 1997; how much they received; and if he will list the organisations. [151124]

  Mr. Hain
  The Government have announced substantial initiatives towards achieving the target of obtaining 10 per cent. of our electricity from renewable energy by 2010.

  The main mechanisms for the market stimulation of renewable energy are the proposed Renewables Obligation and the earlier Non Fossil Fuel Obligation (NFFO). Funds provided by the NFFO programme and its Scottish equivalent are estimated to peak at around £150 million per annum in years between 2003–04 and 2009–10. The Renewables Obligation is estimated to provide up to £600 million per annum by 2010.

  Over the next three years, the Government have allocated over £250 million for the development of renewable energy. This includes:
  support of £89 million in capital grants for early demonstration offshore wind and energy crop projects, and £12 million in MAFF planting grants for energy crops;
  the further £100 million public funding announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 6 March for the promotion of new generation renewable technologies;
  and over £55 million for renewables R&D.

  The Enterprise, Skills and Innovation White Paper published on 13 February proposes a major initiative to achieve a UK solar photovoltaic demonstration programme in line with those of our major competitors. An initial £10 million has been made available for the first three years.

  Exemption of renewables electricity from the Climate Change Levy is also an important driver.

  DTI directly supports research, development, demonstration, technology transfer and export promotion activities relating to a range of renewable energy sources through its New and Renewable Energy Programme. The breakdown of expenditure on specific renewable energy sources in the years since 1991–92, including programme management costs, is as shown. This Government have set rising budgets for the programme to begin to reverse the trend set under the previous Administration, and to bring forward new technologies. A budget of £14 million was allocated to the programme for this year. Proposed provision for the programme over the three year period 2001–04 is £55.5 million.

  In addition, through the Science Budget, DTI supports relevant research being undertaken by the Research Councils. Expenditure for the full period between 1992 and 1997 is not readily available. Between 1997 and 2000, the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, the main Research Council funding work on renewables, spent £22.8 million on projects on renewable and clean electricity generation. The total value of current EPSRC projects in this field is £13.4 million.

  Under the European Commission's 5th Framework Programme (1998–2002), funding for renewable energy projects co-ordinated by UK companies amounts to some 23 million euros to date.
  181W
  Taking into account the cost of obtaining the information provided in this answer, a list of all the organisations involved in over 2000 projects supported

  £ million

  1991–921

  1992–931

  1993–941

  1994–951

  1995–961

  1996–971

  1997–981

  Biomass

  1.45

  2.39

  3.00

  3.41

  3.20

  2.62

  1.90

  Wastes

  1.56

  1.41

  1.16

  1.79

  1.76

  0.87

  0.24

  Fuel Cells

  0.40

  0.54

  1.14

  1.33

  1.56

  1.22

  1.20

  Solar

  2.97

  2.81

  2.99

  3.02

  2.27

  2.15

  1.95

  Wind

  8.42

  10.61

  9.19

  3.98

  4.15

  2.90

  1.63

  Hydro

  0.15

  0.09

  0.21

  0.22

  0.14

  0.25

  0.19

  Wave

  0.59

  0.40

  0.25

  0.16

  0.07

  0.09

  0.00

  Tidal

  2.44

  2.11

  0.73

  0.32

  0.29

  0.00

  0.00

  Geo-Hot Dry Rocks

  1.98

  1.33

  1.24

  0.35

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  Geo-Aquifers

  0.06

  0.16

  0.18

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  Commercialisation

  0.65

  0.98

  1.46

  1.90

  1.80

  1.44

  1.12

  Exports

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.34

  0.60

  0.80

  International

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.32

  0.24

  0.26

  General Studies/Strategic Studies/Strategy and Evaluation

  0.94

  1.00

  0.79

  0.43

  0.32

  0.31

  0.39

  Marketing and Evaluation

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  0.56

  0.49

  0.61

  Other

  3.34

  1.66

  2.77

  2.31

  1.43

  0.73

  0.67

  Total

  24.95

  25.49

  25.11

  19.22

  18.21

  13.91

  10.96

  £ million

  1998–991

  1999–20001

  2000–011

  2001–021

  2002–031

  2003–041

  Biomass

  1.75

  2.24

  2.74

  —

  —

  —

  Wastes

  0.05

  0.02

  0.00

  —

  —

  —

  Fuel Cells

  1.59

  1.55

  2.41

  —

  —

  —

  Solar

  1.39

  1.73

  2.43

  —

  —

  —

  Wind

  1.38

  1.24

  2.39

  —

  —

  —

  Hydro

  0.15

  0.33

  0.21

  —

  —

  —

  Wave

  0.16

  0.01

  0.57

  —

  —

  —

  Tidal

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  —

  —

  Geo-Hot Dry Rocks

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  —

  —

  Geo-Aquifers

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  —

  —

  Commercialisation

  1.06

  1.14

  1.53

  —

  —

  —

  Exports

  0.86

  0.89

  0.92

  —

  —

  —

  International

  0.23

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  —

  —

  General Studies/Strategic Studies/Strategy and Evaluation

  0.00

  0.00

  0.00

  —

  —

  —

  Marketing and Evaluation

  0.66

  0.64

  0.61

  —

  —

  —

  Other

  0.25

  0.23

  0.19

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  9.53

  10.02

  14.00

  18

  18.5

  19

  1Total spend

  2Allocation

  3Plans

  Note:

  Detailed allocation of provision for 2001–04 remains to be decided

  Employment Tribunals
  Mr. Gorrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will take steps to increase the number of trained people available to provide representation to appellants at employment tribunals. [154424]

  Mr. Alan Johnson
  No. While I have responsibility for the tribunals, that does not extend to the training of the legal and lay representatives who may appear before them. Applicants can represent themselves at an employment tribunal and many do so, although they may be represented if they prefer.

  Miners' Compensation
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many miners have died before receiving
  182W
  under the DTI's New and Renewable Energy programme since 1991—92 could not be provided without disproportionate cost.

  compensation awarded to them as a result of the High Court action brought by NACODS; and if he will make a statement. [154186]

  Mr. Hain
  The Department's claims handling agents, 1RISC, have registered a total of 7,468 claims by former miners who have died and where the date of death is after the date of claim. In all these cases, the claims will be continued by the claimant's widow or dependants. In addition, where the claimant's death certificate shows that one of the respiratory diseases for which British Coal were found liable either caused or materially contributed to the death, the Department will also make bereavement or loss of society awards. To date, the Department has made 5,197 bereavement or loss of society awards, totalling £43.1 million.
  183W
  In addition, the Department is also making £2,000 interim payments to those widows who have previously received a bereavement award but still await payment of damages.

  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many outstanding cases there are of applications for compensation to invalid miners following the High Court action brought by NACODS; what the figure was in November 2000; and if he will make a statement. [154182]

  Mr. Hain
  As at 26 November, some 127,925 claims were registered for respiratory disease and 115,034 for Vibration White Finger, VWF. Of these, 122,380 and 96,263 respectively remained outstanding.

  As at 11 March 2001, some 138,294 claims have been registered for respiratory disease and 117,908 for VWF. Of these, 130,517 and 96,263 respectively remain outstanding.

  To date, the Department has paid out £124.6 million in respect of compensation for respiratory disease and £235.3 million in relation to VWF. The Department continues to pay out around £1 million a day in mining compensation.

  About 1,000 new claims are being registered each week.

  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims have been made in respect of respiratory diseases by(a) the sufferer and (b) widows and dependants where the claimant has died after the date of claim. [147804]

  Mr. Hain
  The Department's claim handling agents, IRISC, have registered a total of 6,802 claims by former miners who have died and where the date of death is after the date of claim. In all these cases the claims will be continued by the claimant's widow or dependants. In addition, where the claimant's death certificate shows that one of the respiratory diseases for which British Coal were found liable either caused or materially contributed to the death, the Department will also make a bereavement award to the claimant's widow. To date the Department has made 5,200 bereavement awards, totalling £43.1 million. In addition, we announced on 2 March that we propose to make £2,000 interim payments to those widows who have previously received a bereavement award but still await payment on account of damages.

  IRISC are not informed by solicitors of the dates of death of widows and dependants and the information is therefore not available.

  Green Energy (Thurrock)
  Mr. Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the impact of the Government's new funds for green energy on Thurrock. [152935]

  Mr. Hain
  The additional £100 million announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 6 March 2001 will be used to encourage a range of renewable energy technologies: photovoltaics (PV), offshore wind, energy crops and other new generation technologies. Allocation of this funding to different renewable technologies will
  184W
  take account of the Performance and Innovation Unit's Report on Resource Productivity and Renewable Energy later this year.

  The new funds are additional to previously announced support of £89 million in the form of capital grants for the generation of energy from offshore wind and energy crops.

  Companies in Thurrock will be eligible to apply for all the support available and also to apply for support under the Department's New and Renewable Energy Programme that supports R and D on renewables.

  Manufacturing (Shrewsbury and Atcham)
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what financial support has been given to benefit manufacturing companies in Shrewsbury and Atcham since 1 May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [154648]

  Mr. Caborn
  Shrewsbury and Atcham is outside the Assisted Area so the main DTI financial support schemes such as Regional Selective Assistance and Regional Enterprise Grants are not available to manufacturing businesses in this area.

  However, manufacturing businesses in the Shrewsbury area are able to benefit from assistance available from the Training and Enterprise Council, the Business Link and other DTI schemes such as the Teaching Company Scheme. Unfortunately, it ha not been possible in the time available to quantify the extent to which manufacturing businesses in the area will have taken advantage of assistance available from these other support mechanisms.

  Departmental Policies (Lincoln)
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lincoln constituency, the effects on Lincoln of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152974]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Lincoln constituency has benefited from a range of initiatives since May 1997 including:Business Link—the Business Link network provides a wide range of business advice and support to SMEs. It is not possible to isolate Business Link data for the Lincoln constituency. However within the Lincoln city Local Authority District, from 1997 to date, Business Link Lincolnshire has assisted 843 existing businesses and 1,066 potential business start ups and contributed to 278 new business start ups.
  Invest UK—an initiative to help investors wishing to set up business in the UK Over 300 jobs in Lincoln City have been secured under this initiative since 1997.
  Regional Supply Office—an initiative which provides a range of support for supply chain development. It is not possible to isolate data for the Liner In constituency. However since 1997 the Regional Supply Office (RSO) has matched £65 million of business opportunities to Lincolnshire companies. In addition the RSO has worked with Lincoln City Council to resolve supply chain problems.
  Smart—a discretionary grant available to SMEs to help them develop technologically innovative products and processes. Within the Lincoln constituency three grants worth £149,850 in total have been awarded since May 1997.
  European Regional Development Fund—in 1999 for the first time parts of Lincoln City became eligible to benefit from European Structural Funds under Objective 2, enabling people in the city to
  185W

  share in a regeneration programme worth some £228 million of grant funding over the next seven years. Grants will help with site development and provision of business premises, SME support, improving the skills of the work force and community economic development.
  Enterprise Grants—a new discretionary grant introduced in 2000. Provides support to SMEs investing in capital projects which would not otherwise go ahead. Although SMEs in Lincoln City are eligible to receive Enterprise Grants, no grants have yet been awarded in this area.

  Ms Shipley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to(a) Stourbridge and (b) the metropolitan borough of Dudley the effects on the area of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154732]

  Mr. Caborn
  Since 2 May 1997 the DTI has made grant offers to businesses in the Dudley metropolitan borough council area including Stourbridge totalling £2.14 million. These grants under the Regional Selective Assistance and Regional Enterprise Grant schemes have helped to create or safeguard 838 jobs and unlock private sector investment totalling over £20 million. During the same period 14 businesses in the Dudley area have received Smart grants totalling £575 233 to assist with research into the development of new products and processes.

  In addition to these direct grant mechanisms businesses in the Dudley area will have benefited from assistance available through the local Business link and other DTI funded initiatives such as the Teaching, Company Scheme which will have had a positive impact on the area's economy.

  Redundancies (Paignton)
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effects of manufacturing redundancies at Nortel Networks, Paignton, on the South Devon economy; and if he will make a statement. [154300]

  Mr. Caborn
  All the local agencies, including the Employment Service, the RDA and the Government Office, are working closely with the company and the local authority to assess the impact of the redundancies at Nortel.

  Radioactive Waste
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, pursuant to the reply to the hon. Member for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton (Mr. Gibb) of 26 February 2001,Official Report column 314W, on radioactive waste, if he will list the criteria his Department uses to evaluate what constitutes as soon as practicable in respect of the return of high level radioactive waste to country of origin. [154228]

  Mr. Hain
  Wastes will be returned as required by contracts when they have been put into a form suitable for transfer, the facilities for export and receipt are ready and all appropriate approvals are in pace.

  Sellafield
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the Health
  186W
  and Safety Executive report, on progress on BNFL's response to three reports on Sellafield issued by the Health and Safety Executive on 18 February 2000. [154201]

  Mr. Hain
  I welcome this thorough report from the Health and Safety Executive. I also welcome the progress that BNFL has made in addressing the recommendations in HSE' s three reports published on 18 February 2000.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Departmental Policies (Lincoln)
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lincoln constituency, the effects on Lincoln of the Lord Chancellor's Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152976]

  Mr. Lock
  The Lord Chancellor's Department is responsible for the administration of the courts and for legal services. We have taken steps to improve the management and effectiveness of the services we provide and to meet customer needs, including working closely with other agencies to provide a fair, swift and effective system of justice, improve the availability of affordable and good quality legal services and to improve the lives of children and help build and sustain strong families.

  Lincoln constituency is covered by the Lincolnshire and Rutland Community Legal Service Partnership which will be formally launched on 21 March. It is one of the 165 Community Legal Service Partnerships throughout England and Wales.

  Within Lincoln 12 solicitor firms and two not for profit organisations have been awarded Legal Services Commission contracts with an expected expenditure value for the year 2001–02 of £635,000. The contracts cover a range of categories, and these include welfare benefits, debt, family and employment.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  Flooding (Environment Agency Report)
  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the Environment Agency's report on the serious flooding in autumn and winter 2000; and if he will make a statement. [154898]

  Mr. Morley
  I am today publishing this report, copies of which are being placed in the House Libraries. Copies of the regional reports will be placed in the Libraries by 30 March. I welcome publication of this report which I commissioned the Environment Agency to produce, in partnership with the other bodies responsible for responding to the flooding, particularly local authorities and the emergency services.

  The report shows that since last October we have seen the worst flooding for half a century, following the wettest autumn on record. Thankfully no loss of life was directly associated with the floods, though 10,000 properties suffered flooding—some repeatedly—and I again extend the Government's sympathies to all those who were affected.
  187W
  I endorse the key finding that the Agency, and those responsible for the emergency response, performed well. I am particularly pleased to note that the seamless and integrated service of flood forecasting, warning and response, for which I called after the Easter 1998 floods, was delivered in most if not all areas. I am also pleased to note that in a number of localities the emergency response arrangements benefited from exercises conducted last summer between the Environment Agency, local authorities and the emergency services. The new flood warning codes, introduced by the Agency within weeks of the floods, also worked well.

  I want to thank the Agency, and all the other organisations and individuals involved, for their efforts in response to the flooding. This involved many hours of long, hard work, rapid decisions which needed to be made, and also individual acts of bravery, for which the country must express its gratitude. The effects of the flooding would almost certainly have been much worse were it not for their efforts.

  Nevertheless, the report identifies some further lessons to be learned, the key ones being:
  The flood warning arrangements worked well but there are some detailed lessons for further improvement. I have asked the Agency to provide me with their proposals for implementing changes by September 2001. Also, the report notes some deficiencies in the weather forecasts received by the Agency. A review will be taken forward by the Environment Agency in conjunction with the Met Office, to report by September 2001.
  There is a need for the current Home Office review of local authority emergency planning arrangements to take account of the lessons learned from the floods.
  There remains some confusion in the minds of the public about responsibility for measures to prevent flooding, and for responding to it. The key to sound action is planning, partnership and provision of information. Through the Ministry's High Level Targets, operating authorities are required to provide policy statement which will indicate flood risk locally and how it will be managed, and to describe local partnerships. Such statements are due to be completed soon. These statements will provide information on "assumed" responsibility which will provide a useful basis for determining if further action on attribution is necessary in specific instances and developing a sound local partnership. Provision of a "one stop shop" may then be possible by local agreement.
  We have a High Level Target in place for the Environment Agency to organise a programme of local and regional emergency exercises and should also conduct a national emergency exercise during the course of 2001. While local and regional exercises should continue, I have accepted the Agency's recommendation that it is unnecessary to conduct a national exercise this year. I shall consider with the Agency the timetable for a future national exercise.
  We need to determine the appropriate level of investment in flood and coastal defence. Substantial increases were made in the Comprehensive Spending Review and the 2000 Spending Review. An additional £51 million was announced in November, and we have also put together an £11.6 million package to fund the exceptional costs of the Environment Agency in responding to the flooding and in undertaking emergency repairs. However, I recognise that we need to be ready to consider whether further expenditure may be justified. We have already instituted additional research to identify in broad terms what future investment may be required so that this can be considered in future spending reviews. Other developments such as strategic catchment studies should assist in the future production of more realistic needs-based expenditure programmes.
  We have established a series of High Level Targets to ensure Government policy for flood and coastal defence is delivered by the operating authorities and others. One group of targets requires

  188W

  the Environment Agency to establish a database of flood and coastal defences and to record information on their condition, based on inspection, undertaken by the operating authorities. The database is an important development, for which MAFF is currently contributing towards the cost; we will consider whether additional funding is needed. It is also necessary to ensure that inspections of defences are completed by the operating authorities accurately and to time. I am asking the Environment Agency to report on this, as hart of their report on the inspections and assessment of flood risk required under the High Level Targets.
  The Environment Agency's report raises questions about the process for making investment decisions. I have asked the Agency to provide me with supporting evidence by September 2001 and I will consider with them, and the other operating authorities, whether changes are required. This issue will be relevant to the review, already under way, of the priority scoring arrangements for consideration of MAFF financial support for flood and coastal defence schemes.
  Also under way is a review of the current funding arrangements for flood and coastal defence. I shall ensure that relevant recommendations in the report are considered by the Review Steering Group.
  The Agency has also undertaken to carry forward further reviews and studies which I anticipate receiving with interest.

  My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister was right when, on 31 October 2000, Official Report, column 607, he referred to the effects of the earlier violent storm as a "wake up call". We can certainly expect climate change to mean that events of this type will occur more frequently in future. Another inevitable fact is that Governments—past, present and future—cannot prevent all flooding; but where it is sensible and sustainable to do so, we can take further action to reduce the risk.

  We can also take action to ensure that as a nation we are prepared to deal with the effects of severe weather, including but not limited to flooding, and that our key national infrastructure can withstand these effects. This is a matter on which we are working closely with local authorities and other key players through the Central Local Partnership.

  In summary, if it had not been for the effective response of the Agency and others, the flooding would have had much more serious effects than it did. There are still lessons to be learned, but we have all come a long way since the flooding three years ago.

  Serco Contracts
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the contracts that exist between SERCO and the Department, its executive agencies and associated public bodies; and if he will list those which have existed in the last three years. [151343]

  Ms Quin
  For the last three years, the Department's expenditure profile with the SERCO group of companies has been as follows:

  £

  1998–99

  17,818.55

  1999–2000

  27,270.50

  2000–01

  30,399.42

  This expenditure comprises a total 139 individual transactions concerned with the supply of photographic film, fuel and vehicle maintenance. From records held
  189W
  centrally, the Department's Executive Agencies and Associated Public Bodies have had no dealings with the SERCO Group over the last three years.

  EU Sugar Programme
  Mr. Denzil Davies
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the total cost to the EU Budget was of the EU's sugar programme in the latest year for which figures are available. [153984]

  Ms Quin
  Total expenditure on the sugar chapter for the 1999 EAGGF year was 2.113 billion euro. This was offset to some extent by sugar levies of 1.204 billion euro.

  Aquaculture Scientists
  Mr. Charles Kennedy
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food how many of his Department's and its relevant agencies' fish disease scientists dealing with aquaculture hold qualifications from an internationally recognised professional body; if he will list the bodies with which they are qualified; and if he will make a statement. [154061]

  Ms Quin
  At the Weymouth Laboratory of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science, there are nine scientists working on aspects of fish disease in aquaculture who hold a qualification from an internationally recognised professional body. These bodies are:

  The Institute of Biology

  The Zoological Society of London

  The Royal College of Science

  The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons

  The Panhellenic Veterinary Association (Greece)

  Université de Médecine (France)

  BSE
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the total UK stocks of rendered over 30 month scheme material were at the latest available date; and for what sum of money the Government are eligible for reimbursement by the European Union when those stocks are incinerated. [153921]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]The total UK stocks of rendered material as at 4 March 2001 were 426,474 tonnes of MBM and 215,442 tonnes of tallow.

  The total amount of reimbursement represented by these stocks, claimable at incineration, is approximately £150 million.

  Bovine Tuberculosis
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what research is being undertaken into the survival of M.bovis in(a) soil, (b) dust, (c) water and (d) other materials. [154034]

  Plant protection products containing organophosphate pesticides which have been granted approval since September 1998

  Registration number

  Product name

  Marketing company

  Products containing 2-chloroethylphosphonic acid

  M09748

  Aventis Cerone

  Rhöne-Poulenc Agriculture

  M09972

  Aventis Cerone

  Aventis CropScience (UK) Ltd.

  M09985

  Cerone

  Aventis CropScience (UK) Ltd.

  M09986

  Charger

  Aventis CropScience (UK) Ltd.

  M09868

  Cleancrop Fonic

  United Agri Products

  M09553

  Cleancrop Fonic M

  United Agri Products

  190W
  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]The current research programme is designed to improve knowledge of the epidemiology, modes of transmission, pathogenesis and risk factors associated with bovine TB.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what account his Department is taking of the threat of increased genetic susceptibility to bovine TB of cattle. [154033]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]The Government have accepted the advice of the Independent Scientific Group on Cattle TB (ISG) that research into the genetic base of disease resistance in cattle is not a priority at present, given the major practical difficulties the ISG has identified in pursuing research, and given that any genetic differences seem likely to affect mainly the severity of the disease in cattle, whereas current control policies are based on the removal of all infected animals identified through an immune response.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what methods his Department uses to restrict the spread of bovine TB during the foot and mouth epidemic. [154035]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]All cattle movements in Great Britain are prohibited under the current foot and mouth disease control measures, except when conducted under special MAFF licences.

  Organophosphates
  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the plant protection products containing organophosphate pesticides which have had approval revoked since September 1998, giving the reason for revocation in each case. [154252]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 19 March 2001]85 plant protection products containing organophosphate pesticides have had their approvals revoked by Ministers since September 1998. A further 61 products are in the process of being revoked. A list of all the products is available in the Libraries of the House, with the reasons for revocation for each product.

  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the plant protection products containing organophosphate pesticides which have been granted approval under Regulation 5 of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 since September 1998. [154251]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 19 March 2001]41 plant protection products containing organophosphate pesticides have been granted approval by Ministers since September 1998. A list of all the 41 products which have gained approval is provided in the table.
  191W

  Plant protection products containing organophosphate pesticides which have been granted approval since September 1998

  Registration number

  Product name

  Marketing company

  M09989

  EXP03149D

  Aventis CropScience (UK) Ltd.

  M09571

  Greencrop Tycoon

  Greencrop Technology Ltd.

  M10394

  Ice

  BASF plc

  M09979

  Marnoch Phonet

  Marnoch Ventures Ltd.

  M10004

  Nomad

  Aventis CropScience (UK) Ltd.

  M10395

  Satellite

  BASF plc

  M09373

  Standon Mepiquat Plus

  Standon Chemicals Ltd.

  M10020

  Strate

  Aventis CropScience (UK) Ltd.

  M09634

  Terpitz

  Me2 Crop Protection

  M10029

  Upgrade

  Aventis CropScience (UK) Ltd.

  Products containing azamethiphos

  M09439

  Alfacron Plus

  Novartis Animal Health (UK) Ltd.

  M09314

  Farm Fly Spray 10 WP

  Rentokil Initial (UK) Ltd.

  Products containing chlorpyrifos

  M09775

  Ballad

  Headland Amenity Ltd.

  M09778

  Choir

  Nufarm Whyte Agriculture Ltd.

  M09929

  Crossfire 480

  Aventis Environmental Science

  M09153

  Dursban WG

  Dow AgroSciences Ltd.

  M09667

  Greencrop Pontoon

  Greencrop Technology Ltd.

  M10139

  Lorsban WG

  Dow AgroSciences Ltd.

  M09274

  Maraud

  The Scotts Company (UK) Ltd.

  M09226

  Suscon Green

  Scotts Europe BV

  M09902

  Suscon Indigo Soil Insecticide

  Fargro Ltd.

  Products containing dimethoate

  M09583

  Danadim

  Cheminova Agro (UK) Ltd.

  M09477

  Greencrop Pelethon

  Greencrop Technology Ltd.

  M10492

  Sector

  Cheminova Agro (UK) Ltd.

  Products containing ethoprophos

  M09973

  Aventis Mocap 10G

  Aventis CropScience (UK) Ltd.

  M09750

  Aventis Mocap 10G

  Rhöne-Poulenc Agriculture

  M10003

  Mocap 10G

  Aventis CropScience (UK) Ltd.

  Products containing fenitrothion

  M09598

  Dicofen

  pbi Agrochemicals Ltd.

  Products containing pirimiphos-methyl

  M10508

  Actellic 2% Dust

  Syngenta Crop Protection UK Ltd.

  M 10509

  Actellic D

  Syngenta Crop Protection UK Ltd.

  M10448

  Actellic Smoke Generator No 10

  Sorex Ltd.

  M10540

  Actellic Smoke Generator No 20

  Syngenta Crop Protection UK Ltd.

  M09501

  Fumite General Purpose Insecticide Smoke Cone

  The Scotts Company (UK) Ltd.

  Products containing tolclofos-methyl

  M09673

  Rizolex

  Sumitomo Chemical Agro Europe SA

  M09358

  Rizolex Flowable

  Sumitomo Chemical Agro Europe SA

  Mr. Tyler
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will list the plant protection products containing the active ingredient chlorpyrifos which have been granted approval under Regulation 5 of the Control of Pesticides Regulations 1986 in the last 12 months. [154250]

  Ms Quin [holding answer 19 March 2001]
  Two plant protection products containing chlorpyrifos have been granted approval by Ministers in the last 12 months to 13 March 2001. These are:

  Reg. Number

  Product name

  Marketing company

  M09153

  Dursban WG

  Dow AgroSciences Ltd.

  M10139

  Lorsban WG

  Dow AgroSciences Ltd.

  Agricultural Exports (Shropshire)
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the value in 2000 was of agricultural exports from farms based in Shropshire, broken down by agricultural products; and if he will make a statement. [154704]

  Ms Quin
  Statistics on the value of agricultural exports are only compiled for the UK as a whole. No information is available on the value of exports from farms based in Shropshire. The total value of exports of food, feed and drink from the UK in 2000 amounted to £8.6 billion.

  Foot and Mouth
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he is issuing in relation to the foot and mouth epidemic to local authorities about pedestrian access to canal towpaths. [152690]
  193W
  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 8 March 2001]The Ministry has not issued specific advice regarding pedestrian access to canal footpaths. However we have posted advice on MAFF's website regarding restrictions and precautions on outdoor activities in an infected area. We advise members of the public not to take part in activities on land where livestock is kept, or which might bring them into contact with susceptible species.

  The Ministry has issued advice to Local Authorities on the Foot and Mouth Disease (Amendment) (England) Order 2001 and the Foot and Mouth (Amendment) (No 2) Order 2001. These Regulations allow, with exceptions, MAFF and local authorities to prevent the entry of any person onto any land or into any agricultural building in a controlled area (currently Great Britain has been declared a controlled area). They also allow local authorities to prohibit the movement members of the public onto any land where there may be animals and onto any footpath or right of way within identified areas in their districts, for the purpose of preventing the spread of foot and mouth disease. These restrictions could be applied to canal footpaths.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will make a statement on compensation arrangements for animals culled because of possible infection with the foot and mouth virus, with particular reference to(a) effects on hill subsidies and environmental allowances if stocks have been removed thus contravening the requirements for receiving subsidy, (b) the time scale for payments to be made and(c) valuations.[152951]

  Ms Quin
  We are aware that, as a consequence of foot and mouth disease, farmers are facing difficulties in respect of CAP subsidy schemes, including those funded under the England Rural Development Programme. Although some of these difficulties may be covered by force majeure provisions, some will need changes to specific regulations. We are in urgent discussions with the European Commission about them. In the meantime it is important that farmers contact their Regional Service Centre if they believe they will have difficulty in complying with scheme requirements.

  Arrangements are in place to ensure that compensation claims for animals slaughtered to prevent the spread of foot and mouth disease will be processed and paid as quickly as possible. We aim to pay compensation to owners within about a week of slaughter taking place.

  An independent valuation is carried out on the animals which are due to be slaughtered and the owner is invited to agree a statement of valuation. If an owner chooses to reject this valuation, he may call in his own valuer so that the matter can go to arbitration.

  Mr. Fearn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what steps have been taken to protect zoos from the recent outbreak of foot and mouth disease. [153767]

  Ms Quin
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Ryedale (Mr. Greenway) on 13 March 2001,Official Report, column 564W.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what criteria are used by his Department to define an outbreak of foot and mouth disease that has more than one geographical location associated with it. [153838]
  194W
  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 15 March 2001]An outbreak of foot and mouth disease is declared when disease is confirmed on any separate or distinct holding. For example, if a single business consisting of two separately located farms had foot and mouth disease confirmed at both locations, this would be treated as two separate outbreaks.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what advice he has given to retail premises specialising in products for farmers about the risk of cross-infection of the foot and mouth virus. [153839]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 15 March 2001]Such businesses should comply with the general advice posted on the MAFF website www.maff.gov.uk for persons who work in the countryside.

  Central to this advice is that people should follow strict cleansing procedures which would include leaving vehicles outside the farm, disinfecting boots and wearing boots or clothing supplied by the farm. People working in the countryside should ensure that all mud, slurry and manure is washed off before they leave the premises.

  It is essential that all visits to farms and possible contacts with animals are recorded. The records should include the date and time of the visit. Should disease occur on a farm then these records will be used to trace movements and possible spread of the disease.

  Operators of retail outlets may wish to advertise the MAFF guidance to their customers.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if outbreaks of foot and mouth disease have occurred in the vicinity of landfill sites; and if he will make a statement about the implications for the control of the disease. [153821]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 15 March 2001]Information as to whether infected premises are located in the vicinity of a landfill site is not readily available. However, veterinary advice is that landfill sites have not played any part in the spread of the disease.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what estimate he has made of the average annual cost per farmer of buying foot and mouth vaccine. [153719]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 15 March 2001]If the Ministry were to approve vaccination against foot and mouth disease, vaccine would be dispatched to local control centres. Veterinary surgeons employed by the Ministry for the purposes of foot and mouth control would be responsible for the vaccination of susceptible species. There would be no cost to livestock farmers.

  Mr. Derek Twigg
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food for what reason the Prosper De Mulder rendering plant in Widnes was chosen as the sole site to dispose of animals slaughtered as a result of foot and mouth disease; what plans he has to use other rendering plants in the United Kingdom; and if he will list the locations of other rendering plants. [154074]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]The Prosper De Mulder plant in Widnes was chosen on the basis of its capacity, its location, and its ability to meet
  195W
  a range of bio-security considerations. Following the successful use of this facility, a further site near Exeter is now being used and further sites are under consideration.

  Mr. Gill
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which contractors he has engaged to provide fuel for on-farm incineration of animals put down as foot and mouth suspects. [154214]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]The Ministry is using a great many contractors at a local level throughout the country. This information could be collected only at disproportionate cost.

  Hand-carried Imported Food Stuffs
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of controls over the importing of fruit and vegetables hand-carried by visitors to the United Kingdom. [154248]

  Ms Quin
  [holding answer 19 March 2001]An assessment of the plant health risks from passengers' baggage was carried out in 1992, as a result of which personal imports from outside the EU of vegetables (except potatoes) and up to 2 kg of fruit are permitted. Customs officers seize fruit in excess of 2 kg, and any potatoes, when they are detected at entry. There are no restrictions on the quantity of fruit or vegetables which may be brought into the UK from within the EU.

  Flood Defences (Lewes)
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects the Environment Agency to identify a costed preferred scheme to improve flood defences in Lewes. [154334]

  Mr. Morley
  I understand that the Environment Agency is starting work on studies leading to the preparation of a flood defence strategy for the River Ouse and its tributaries. It is expected that the strategy, which will seek to identify sustainable options for flood defence in the catchment, will take eight to 12 months to complete. The timing of applications for grant aid on individual schemes will then be a matter for the Agency.

  Quarantine Laws
  Mr. Flynn
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture. Fisheries and Food what recent assessment he has made of the result of the changes made in the quarantine laws; and what further changes he proposes. [154084]

  Ms Quin
  The Ministry is currently carrying out an evaluation of the Pet Travel Scheme, which will be published in due course. We are also committed to reviewing the possible inclusion of North America in the Pet Travel Scheme. We will consider further changes to the scheme when the result of this work is available.

  Hill Farmers
  Mr. Gordon. Prentice
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he will complete his review of hill farm incomes. [153498]

  Ms Quin
  Hill farm incomes are reviewed, every autumn. The results of last year's review, entitled "Economic Conditions in the Hills and Uplands in the
  196W
  United Kingdom: Statistical Tables", were made available to the Libraries of the House on 29 November 2000. The Hills Task Force, set up in November 2000 to look at hill farmers' access to support under the ERDP and other measures, has been asked to report by the end of March 2001.

PRIME MINISTER

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress made to date by the G8 renewables task force. [154193]

  The Prime Minister
  The G8 Renewable Energy Task Force will present its final report to the G8 Heads of Government at the Genoa Summit in July 2001. The UK is pleased with the Task Force's progress to date, and particularly with the active involvement of so many high-level representatives from business, Government and non-government organisations. We will make a full statement of how the UK intends to carry forward the Task Force recommendations once the final report is available.

  Pensioners (Annuities)
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer on 14 March 2001,Official Report, column 1011, if he will estimate the cost to the Exchequer of giving pensioners the freedom to choose to invest in products other than an annuity. [154324]

  The Prime Minister
  [holding answer 19 March 2001]Relaxing the existing requirement to purchase an annuity would provide an incentive for some to use pension schemes for purposes other than providing a secure income throughout retirement. Costs will vary depending on the nature of any reforms, including what level of income must first be secured and what tax charge is applied to withdrawals above that level. Proposals for tax-free withdrawals could cost billions of pounds a year in lost income tax and extra tax relief.

  Strategic Communications Unit
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work programme for the Strategic Communications Unit for the year 2000–01. [154335]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for South Cambridgeshire (Mr. Lansley) on 23 June 2000,Official Report, column 328W.

CABINET

  Absenteeism
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to her answer of 12 March 2001,Official Report, column 472W, for what reasons the Office for National Statistics no longer presents the data to which she refers broken down by public and private sector. [153951]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I have been asked to reply.
  197W
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Philip Hammond, dated 20 March 2001:

  The National Statistician has been asked to, reply to your recent question on why Labour Force Survey data on absence from work due to illness and injury is no longer presented by public and private sector (153951). I am replying in his absence

  Information about absence from work due to sickness and injury is collected in the Labour Force Survey (LFS). The LFS also includes a question about the industrial sector hat respondents work in, which is classified to public or private sector groupings.

  The LFS databases provide this information and can be accessed by the House of Commons Library. In addition, an article was published in the December 2000 issue of Labour Market Trends which includes an analysis of sickness absence in the public and private sectors for Summer 2000.

  Driving Standards Agency
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if she will award the Driving Standards Agency a charter mark. [154740]

  Mr. Stringer
  The Driving Standards Agency was last awarded a charter mark in 1997. They reapplied last year. The independent Charter Mark Judging Panel concluded that this application should be deferred pending improvement in a number of areas. The re-application will therefore be assessed again in the summer.

  Political Advisers
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many political advisers will resign when a general election is called; and what severance compensation they will be entitled to. [154290]

  Marjorie Mowlam
  I refer the right hon. Member to my answer to the hon. Member for Chichester (Mr. Tyrie) on 13 February 2001,Official Report, column 130W. Entitlement to severance compensation is also set out in the Model Contract.

SOCIAL SECURITY

  Departmental Compensation Scheme
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will ensure that when pensioners are written to they, as part of the implementation of the Social Security (Inherited SERPS) Regulations 2001, are notified of his Department's compensation scheme for financial loss as a result of misleading information supplied by his Department. [154578]

  Mr. Rooker
  Under our proposals, the spouses of existing pensioners are fully protected; they will be able to inherit up to 100 per cent. of their late spouse's SERPS, as now. They do not need to claim compensation for their position to be fully restored. We are in the process of writing to all pensioners to explain the position.

  Severe Disablement Allowance
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many new claims for Severe Disablement Allowance have been received each month since April 2000. [154078]

  Mr. Bayley
  The information is in the table.

  Number of new claims to Severe Disablement Allowance (SDA) in each month since April 2000

  Month

  SDA new claims

  April 2000

  3,459

  May 2000

  3,884

  June 2000

  3,966

  July 2000

  3,830

  August 2000

  4,172

  September 2000

  4,226

  October 2000

  4,418

  November 2000

  4,539

  December 2000

  3,122

  January 2001

  4,065

  Source:

  Figures are taken from Central Data Unit 100 per cent. counts.

  Winter Fuel Payment
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people were eligible to receive Winter Fuel Payment in(a) 1999 and (b) 2000; and how many he estimates will receive it in 2001. [153581]

  Mr. Rooker
  Around 10 million people were eligible for Winter Fuel Payments in the winter of 1999–2000. Up to 11.5 million people could be eligible for the payment this winter, 2000–01, with a similar figure for next winter, 2001–02.

  Lone Parents
  Mr. Hilary Benn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents on Income Support there are in the Leeds, Central constituency; and how many there were in May 1997. [154287]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is in the table.

  Lone parents receiving Income Support in Leeds, Central constituency

  Thousand

  Leeds, Central constituency

  May 1997

  3.3

  November 2000

  3.1

  Notes:

  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

  2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore may be subject to sampling error.

  3. Lone parents are defined as single claimants with dependant children. not in receipt of Pensioner or Disability Premium.

  4. Dependant children are defined as children aged up to 15 or aged 16 to 18 in full-time education.

  Source:

  Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 and November 2000.

  Dr. David Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents on Income Support there are in(a) South Tyneside and (b) South Shields constituency; and how many there were in May 1997. [154438]
  199W
  Angela Eagle [holding answer 19 March 2001]
  The information is in the table.

  Lone parents receiving Income Support in South Tyneside metropolitan borough council area and South Shields constituency

  Thousand

  May

  November

  1997

  2000

  South Tyneside Local Authority Area

  3.5

  3.4

  South Shields Parliamentary Constituency

  2.0

  2.1

  Notes:

  1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 100.

  2. Figures are based on a 5 per cent. sample and therefore may be subject to sampling error.

  3. Lone parents are defined as single claimants with dependant children, not in receipt of Pensioner or Disability Premium.

  4. Dependant children are defined as children aged up to 15 or aged 16 to 18 in full-time education.

  Source:

  Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1997 and November 2000.

  Departmental Policies (Lincoln)
  Gillian Merron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, with statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Lincoln constituency, the effects on Lincoln of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [152975]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Department's policies and initiatives have made a significant contribution to the Government's overall objectives of:Eradicating child poverty in 20 years, and halving it within 10;
  Promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age while protecting the position of those in greatest need; and,
  Combating poverty and promoting security and independence in retirement for today's and tomorrow's pensioners.

  These goals are being pursued nationwide and our achievements are set out in our annual "Opportunity for all" reports. Our second report, "Opportunity for all—One year on: making a difference" (CM4865, September 2000) sets out what progress has been made in the past year, as well as highlighting what more needs to be done. Nationwide statistical information is necessarily more complete than constituency level data, but the following provides a comparative guide to the effect of the Department's policies and actions in Lincoln since May 1997.

  Measures in our five Budgets so far will lift over 1.2 million children out of poverty. These include record increases to Child Benefit, the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit, increases in the income-related benefits, the minimum wage and tax changes.

  Child Benefit will be worth £15.50 a week for the eldest child and £10.35 a week for other children from April 2001: nationally about 7 million families receive Child Benefit, and in Lincoln 10,634 families benefit.

  We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 25 years. The New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, the over 50s and partners of the unemployed to move from benefit into work. In the period since May 1997 the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance nationally has reduced from 1,562,400 to 1,044,900; in Lincoln the number has reduced from 3,500 to 1,800. Since May 1997
  200W
  the number of lo e parents who claim Income Support has decreased from 1,013,500 to 894,100 nationally, and in Lincoln from 2,00 to 1,700.

  Older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. So we have introduced Winter Fuel Payments to help with their heaviest fuel bill. This winter, the payment is £200 for households who qualify. Around 16,500 older people in Lincoln have received a Winter Fuel Payment for this winter.

  To demonstrate our commitment to combating pensioner poverty, this year we will spend £4.5 billion extra in real terms on pensioners. Some 15,500 pensioners in Lincoln will benefit from the substantial increases in the basic State pension this April and next; this year's increase is £5 a week for single pensioners and £8 for couples. In addition we have introduced free TV licences for the over 75s of whom we estimate there are about 6,600 in Lincoln. 2,800 pensioner families in Lincoln are receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee, which we introduced in April 1999 to help our poorest pensioners. From April they will be at least £15 a week, or £800 a year, better off in real terms as a result of Government measures since 1997.

  Other reforms in the pipeline include: the new Pension Credit in 2003 designed to ensure that pensioners benefit from their savings the launch of Stakeholder Pensions in April this year; and the introduction of the State Second Pension in April 2002 both of which will help provide greater security for tomorrow's pensioners.

  Departmental Policies (Newbury)
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the Newbury constituency, the effects on Newbury and west Berkshire of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154575]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Department's policies and initiatives have made a significant contribution to the Government's overall objectives of:Eradicating child poverty in 20 years, and halving it within 10;
  Promoting work as the best form of welfare for people of working age while protecting the position of those in greatest need; and,
  Combating poverty and promoting security and independence in retirement for today's and tomorrow's pensioners.

  These goals are being pursued nationwide and our achievements are set out in our annual "Opportunity for all" reports. Our second report, "Opportunity for all—One year on: making a difference" (CM4865, September 2000) sets out what progress has been made in the past year, as well as highlighting what more needs to be done. Nationwide statistical information is necessarily more complete than constituency level data, but the following provides a comparative guide to the effect of the Department's policies and actions in Newbury since May 1997.

  Measures in our five Budgets so far will lift over 1.2 million children out of poverty. These include record increases to Child Benefit, the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit, increases in the income-related benefits, the minimum wage and tax changes.
  201W
  Child Benefit will be worth £15.50 a week for the eldest child and £10.35 a week for other children from April 2001: nationally about seven million families receive Child Benefit, and in Newbury 12.034 families benefit.

  We now have the lowest unemployment rate in 25 years. The New Deals have helped lone parents, the young unemployed, the long-term unemployed, the over 50s and partners of the unemployed to move from benefit into work. In the period since May 1997 the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance nationally has reduced from 1,562,400 to 960,600; in Newbury the number has reduced from 900 to 600. Since May 1997 the number of lone parents who claim Income Support has decreased from 1,013,500 to 894,100; in Newbury the number has remained at around 800

  Older people are disproportionately affected by fuel poverty. So we have introduced Winter Fuel Payments to help with their heaviest fuel bill. This winter, the payment is £200 for households who qualify. Around 16,400 older people in Newbury have received a Winter Fuel Payment for this winter.

  To demonstrate our commitment to combating pensioner poverty, this year we will spend £4.5 billion extra in real terms on pensioners. Some 14,000 pensioners in Newbury will benefit from the substantial increases in the basic State pension this April and next; this year's increase is £5 a week for single pensioners and £8 for couples. In addition we have introduced free TV licences for the over 75s of whom we estimate there are about 5,700 in Newbury. 1,200 pensioner families in Newbury are receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee, which we introduced in April 1999 to help our poorest pensioners. From April they will be at least £15 a week, or £800 a year, better off in real terms as a result of Government measures since 1997.

  Other reforms in the pipeline include: the new Pension Credit in 2003 designed to ensure that pensioners benefit from their savings; the launch of Stakeholder Pensions in April this year; and the introduction of the State Second Pension in April 2002 both of which will help provide greater security for tomorrow's pensioners.

  Pension Contributions
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the cost of pension contributions incurred by his Department was in(a) 1997–98, (b) 1998–99, (c) 1999–2000 and (d) 2000–01 in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK. [154444]

  Mr. Rooker
  The information is in the table.

  Cost of pension contributions incurred by this Department in the UK

  Year

  Cost £ million

  1997–98

  141

  1998–99

  149.6

  1999–2000

  157.6

  2000–01

  1—

  1Not yet available

  The cost of pension contributions relating to staff in Scotland is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Logos and Branding
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how much has been spent by his Department on departmental and agency logos and associated branding since 1 May 1997. [152652]

  Mr. Rooker
  Since May 1997 spending by the Department on departmental or agency logos or associated branding is as follows:

  Better Government for Older People—Life Begins at 50. A logo developed for the InterMinisterial Group for Older People to link communications across Government.

  Logo Cost: £7,050

  Focus on Delivery—a logo used internally to brand all communications activity about major changes in the way the Department is organised and operates.

  Logo cost: £1,175

  50 Anniversary of the Welfare State—the Departmental logo was adapted for the year in which it celebrated its 50 Anniversary (1998)—includes all guidelines.

  Logo cost: £9,000

  Note:

  This includes some stationery costs as it is not possible to separate them out.

  Minister for Women Logo—introduced in 1997.

  Logo cost: £9,000

  Notes:

  1. Includes some inseparable stationery costs.

  2. The Minister for Women has an Intralink, website containing a logo. A breakdown of its cost is inseparable.

  The Working Age Agency—Branding of the new Agency is ongoing, therefore, costs are inseparable at this stage.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the average length of time is for the Independent Case Examiner of the Child Support Agency to investigate a claim once it has been filed. [153938]

  Angela Eagle
  The current average clearance time for cases referred to the office of the Independent Case Examiner at February 2001 is 32.3 weeks. When a case is received, an initial review is carried out before a full investigation can begin. Once the initial review has been undertaken, cases currently wait around 16 weeks for the full investigation to start.

  Revenue Savings
  Mr. Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate he has made of the revenue savings from reducing the period during which a jobseeker's allowance claimant can turn down a job without losing benefit to eight weeks. [151546]

  Angela Eagle
  No such estimate has been made.

  Minimum Income Guarantee
  Mrs. Eliman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment he has made of the number of pensioners who would qualify for(a) Housing Benefit, (b) Income Support and (c) Council Tax Benefit for the first time as a result of the increase in the Minimum Income Guarantee in April. [153746]
  203W
  Mr. Rooker
  The information is in the table and gives the number of additional pensioners floating on to the main Income Related benefits in 2001–02 resulting from the increase to the applicable amount. This includes all the measures announced in the November 2000 pre-Budget report; aligning the different pensioner premiums, protecting the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) in line with the increases to the basic State pension in 2001 and earnings uprating. It also includes the increase to the capital limits announced in Budget 2000.

  These figures are not additive because people may be entitled to more than one of these benefits.

  Number of additional pensioners that will float on to the main income related benefits under the changes compared to Rossi uprating alone

  Thousand

  2001–02

  MIG

  140

  Housing Benefit

  30

  Council Tax Benefit

  50

  Notes

  1. The assumption used is that the costs of the MIG have been calculated over and above the cost of uprating the MIG by Rossi.

  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10,000 cases.

  3. The number of floaters has been calculated using the Policy Simulation Model for Income Related Benefits. This models the benefit system in 2001–02 and is based on data from the Family Resource Survey (FRS) for 1997–98, uprated to 2001 prices. Figures for floaters are calibrated to historical take up assumptions and therefore do not reflect behavioural changes due to recent initiatives.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Wigley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what the(a) target and (b) actual clearance times were for Disability Living Allowance (i) initial applications, (ii) renewal claims, (iii) reviews and (iv) appeals in each quarter from 1996 to October 1999 and monthly from November 1999 to date; [152023]

  (2) what the (a) target and (b) actual clearance times were for Disability Living Allowance (i) revisions and (ii) supersessions in each month from November 1999 to date. [152026]

  Mr. Bayley
  The administration of Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. She will write to the right hon. Member.

  Letter from Alexis Cleveland to Mr. Dafydd Wigley, dated 16 March 2001:

  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions asking what the (a) target and (b) actual clearance times were for disability living allowance (a) revisions and (b) supersessions in each month form November 1999 to date. Also what the (a) target and (b) actual clearance times

  Monthly

  Initial claims

  Renewals

  Reconsiderations

  Supersessions

  Appeals

  October 1999

  40.00

  35.00

  46.00

  32.00

  48.00

  November 1999

  44.00

  50.00

  30.00

  38.00

  49.00

  December 1999

  47.00

  51.00

  37.00

  45.00

  50.00

  January 2000

  51.00

  54.00

  50.00

  58.00

  57.00

  February 2000

  51.00

  53.00

  61.00

  68.00

  64.00

  March 2000

  49.00

  53.00

  66.00

  74.00

  67.00

  204W
  were for disability living allowance (i) initial applications, (ii) renewal claims, (iii) reviews and (iv) appeals in each quarter from 1996 to October 1999 and monthly from November 1999 to date.

  The information you require is as follows:

  1. Targets

  Primary

  Secondary

  April 1996 to March 1997

  Initial applications

  65% in 30 days

  85% in 53 days

  Renewal claims

  65% in 30 days

  85% in 55 days

  Reviews

  60% in 55 days

  80% in 75 days

  Appeals

  60% in 30 days

  90% in 60 days

  April 1997 to March 1999

  Initial applications

  62% in 30 days

  85% in 53 days

  Renewal claims

  65% in 30 days

  85% in 55 days

  Reviews

  60% in 55 days

  80% in 75 days

  Appeals

  60% in 30 days

  90% in 60 days

  From April 1999, the Benefits Agency changed the format for reporting performance to a single-tier target.

  Target

  April 1999 to March 2000

  Initial applications

  85% in 53 days

  Renewal claims

  85% in 55 days

  Reviews

  80% in 75 days

  Appeals

  90% in 60 days

  April 2000 to March 2001

  Initial applications

  95% in 53 days

  Renewal claims

  95% in 84 days

  Reviews

  95% in 99 days

  Appeals

  95% in 99 days

  It should be noted that 'reviews' includes in-time and out-of-time reviews prior to October 1999, and both reconsiderations and supersessions after that date.

  2. Actual average clearance times are expressed in days and are:

  2. Actual average clearance times—expressed in days

  Initial claims

  Renewals

  Reviews

  Appeals

  June 1996

  28.51

  22.78

  44.43

  29.32

  September 1996

  31.21

  23.90

  47.33

  29.90

  December 1996

  32.01

  23.86

  48.66

  30.12

  March 1997

  32.10

  23.96

  49.31

  30.04

  June 1997

  34.20

  24.46

  49.50

  27.95

  September 1997

  36.51

  28.14

  53.44

  31.67

  December 1997

  37.34

  29.19

  53.29

  32.79

  March 1998

  37.23

  29.79

  52.28

  33.20

  June 1998

  31.50

  34.22

  46.98

  32.17

  September 1998

  32 44

  37.80

  48.95

  34.57

  December 1998

  33.93

  37.78

  49.47

  35.08

  March 1999

  35.03

  37.56

  49.67

  36.08

  June 1999

  37.54

  38.36

  54.77

  40.72

  September 1999

  38.72

  39.48

  57.25

  46.38

  205W

  Monthly

  Initial claims

  Renewals

  Reconsiderations

  Supersessions

  Appeals

  April 2000

  49.10

  50.00

  66.10

  73.90

  67.40

  May 2000

  51.50

  50.70

  60.30

  70.40

  67.70

  June 2000

  51.40

  49.00

  54.50

  67.90

  66.50

  July 2000

  48.70

  39.30

  49.00

  62.10

  63.90

  August 2000

  47.50

  39.40

  43.00

  57.90

  58.60

  September 2000

  46.20

  34.80

  44.80

  55.60

  61.00

  October 2000

  45.70

  32.30

  44.70

  55.00

  55.40

  November 2000

  44.50

  32.10

  42.60

  52.50

  51.90

  December 2000

  44.00

  31.90

  39.40

  51.50

  48.40

  New procedures for assessing claims for DLA/AA were introduced last year to improve the accuracy of decisions on entitlement. Customers can receive clearer explanations of decisions on their benefit entitlement. Initially these changes led to significant increases in the time it took to process each case which, together with a growing caseload, created a temporary, but significant, backlog of work. In addition, the backlog of work caused an increase in the number of enquiries received from customers, resulting in additional work for staff to process. The backlog has been tackled as a priority with a number of improvements being made to processes. forms and the use of IT in order in turn to improve clearance times. However, changes of this order require time for staff to be trained and to become familiar with new processes before they can become fully effective. Decision-makers have become accustomed to the new procedures and the backlog has now been cleared.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Newcastle City Council. [155013]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) report was published today in respect of Newcastle City Council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

  The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.

  BFI looked at the performance of Newcastle in August 1997 as one of a series of trial inspections during the initial set up of BFI, but the findings were not published.

  Inspectors report that Newcastle has responded positively to their 1997 findings and recommendations. The council has a large HB and CTB caseload and a transient population and the BFI was pleased to note that there were no backlogs at the time of their on-site inspection, despite the volume of work.

  There have been noticeable improvements in the council's administration. In particular, its claim form, verification and liaison with the Benefits Agency, Rent Service, private sector landlords and Housing Associations.
  206W
  The report also notes that substantial progress has been made in counter fraud work. The council now undertakes its own prosecutions and has introduced a computerised fraud management system.

  The report acknowledges a significant improvement has been the development of a joint protocol between Internal Audit and District Audit which ensures both teams are working together to ensure maximum audit coverage and effectiveness.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

  Mr. Bailey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security when he will publish the inspection report of the Benefit Fraud Inspectorate in respect of Sandwell metropolitan borough council. [155012]

  Mr. Rooker
  The Benefit Fraud Inspectorate (BFI) report was published today in respect of Sandwell metropolitan borough council and copies of the report have been placed in the Library.

  The report makes recommendations to help the council address weaknesses and to improve the administration of Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit, as well as its counter fraud activities.

  This was a follow-up inspection. The BFI previously reported on Sandwell metropolitan borough council in August 1999. Since then the council has responded very positively to BFI's recommendations and has been particularly active in taking steps to tackle fraud and error, despite a high level of staff turnover and recruitment problems.

  Inspectors noted that the council had implemented most of their recommendations and this had led to improvements in its overall administration and counter fraud performance.

  Inspectors noted that the council had approved a prosecution policy and together with training for its fraud officers this had led to the council conducting a large number of successful prosecutions. Inspectors found the council had the best performing fraud section of the 30 highest spending local authorities the BFI have inspected to date.

  Inspectors also noted that centralising benefit processing has helped the council reduce backlogs and improve clearance times.
  207W
  The report concludes that the council has achieved a lot in a short space of time and this is commendable. However, there is still room for further improvement, in particular through the council implementing the Verification Framework to support the council's counter fraud strategy, and the report makes recommendations for this.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State is now considering the report and will be asking the council for its proposals in response to the findings and recommendations of the BFI.

  Pensions Agreement (Japan)
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will make a statement on the effects of the recent agreement with Japan on the pensions of UK citizens who live in Japan. [154133]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I have been asked to reply.

  The recent agreement with Japan has no effect on pensions of UK citizens who live in Japan.

  UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights: Funding
  UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights: Funding
  European Security and Defence Policy and NATO
  European Security and Defence Policy and NATO
  East Timorese Refugees
  East Timorese Refugees
  Treaty of Pelindaba: Ratification of Protocols I and II
  Treaty of Pelindaba: Ratification of Protocols I and II
  Learning Disability Services
  Learning Disability Services
  Flooding: Environment Agency Report
  Flooding: Environment Agency Report
  National Taxing Team: Untaxed Claims
  National Taxing Team: Untaxed Claims
  European Development Fund: Disbursement Rate
  European Development Fund: Disbursement Rate
  House of Lords: Modes of Address
  House of Lords: Modes of Address
  Public Libraries: Internet Access
  Public Libraries: Internet Access
  Sudanese Nationals Working in UK Engineering and Power Industries
  Sudanese Nationals Working in UK Engineering and Power Industries
  Equal Employment and Occupational Treatment Directive
  Equal Employment and Occupational Treatment Directive
  Free-to-air Digital TV Channels
  Free-to-air Digital TV Channels
  BBC Digital Television Service
  BBC Digital Television Service
  Resort Regeneration
  Resort Regeneration
  Duty-free Sales
  Duty-free Sales
  Trafficking in Persons
  Trafficking in Persons
  Mr Phillip Wilson (Stephen Darren Boch)
  Mr Phillip Wilson (Stephen Darren Boch)
  Asylum Seekers: Appeal Conditions
  Asylum Seekers: Appeal Conditions
  Human Rights Convention: Protection of Atheists and Agnostics
  Human Rights Convention: Protection of Atheists and Agnostics
  Asylum Applications: "Safe Countries"
  Asylum Applications: "Safe Countries"
  Illegal Immigrants on Eurostar
  Illegal Immigrants on Eurostar
  European Telecommunications Market: Liberalisation
  European Telecommunications Market: Liberalisation