Written Answers of 29 March 2001

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Departmental Policies (North Devon)
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Solicitor-General if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the North Devon constituency, the effects on North Devon of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [155906]

  The Solicitor-General
  The North Devon constituency falls within the geographical area covered by the Devon and Cornwall Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). In November 1999, in line with national policy, CPS Devon and Cornwall, in liaison with the police and the North Devon magistrates court, introduced procedures based on the Narey proposals. All adult defendants charged with a criminal offence in North Devon should make their first appearance before Barnstaple magistrates court within eight days.

  A CPS Crown court Unit based in Exeter deals with serious crime at Exeter and Barnstaple Crown courts. The CPS has set as a goal the better handling of serious cases in the interests of justice and the victims. From 15 January 2001, a fast-track procedure was adopted which will ensure that offences, which must be heard in the Crown court, normally come before a judge within eight clear days of their first hearing in the magistrates court.

  The CPS together with other agencies has been working to speed up youth justice, particularly Persistent Youth Offenders. The time taken for Persistent Youth Cases has fallen in the CPS Devon and Cornwall Area from 141 days in 1997 to 60 days in 2000 This places Devon and Cornwall at the top of the national league.

  All these changes illustrate the government's successful policy of speeding up the criminal justice system.

  On 30 November 2000, the Exeter office of CPS Devon and Cornwall altered its structure so as to fall in line with proposals in the Glidewell Review This represents a policy of more effective working between the police and prosecutors and will enable the CPS to place greater emphasis on the more serious criminal cases.

  Action and policies of the Treasury Solicitor's Department and the Serious Fraud 0ffice do not directly affect the hon. Member's constituency

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  New Millennium Experience Company
  Mr. Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to release for(a) parliamentary and (b) public scrutiny the papers held by the New Millennium Experience Company. [155472]
  716W
  Janet Anderson
  [holding answer 26 March 2001]: As a non-departmental public body, the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) will release to the Public Records Office papers across the spectrum of the Millennium Experience project that are potentially of historic interest or significance. Other papers will be passed to my Department for archiving. NMEC's arrangements regarding the PRO and the Department have been informed by discussions between NMEC and my Department to ensure that public sector archiving guidelines and requirements are followed, and that they have due regard to NMEC's status as a Companies Acts company.

  The Department and NMEC fall within the scope of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, and will respond to specific requests for information in accordance with that Code.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Conference on Research Infrastructure
  Mr. Hilary Benn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry by whom the UK Government were represented at the conference on Research Infrastructure held in Strasbourg in September 2000. [153673]

  Ms Hewitt
  The UK was represented by a senior official of the Office of Science and Technology who in turn was representing my noble Friend the Minister for Science.

  Insolvent Companies
  Sir Sydney Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions directors of insolvent companies have been disqualified under section 6 of the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986; and what this is as a percentage of the total number of directors. [156006]

  Dr. Howells: As at 28 February 2001 there had been a total of 9,734 directors disqualified since 1986 when the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 commenced. A further 1,721 cases are awaiting a court hearing of which 90 per cent. are expected to result in disqualification orders. The exact total numbers of directors returned as serving in office at any given time is not available (because, for example, some individuals hold more than one directorship) but an approximate number is 3.6 million.

  Small Building Contractors (Regulations)
  Mr. Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade
  and Industry what proposals he has to improve regulations for small building contractors. [153509]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 14 March 2001]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has no plans to increase regulation specifically for small building contractors.

  Universal Banking Services
  Mr. Cotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress in establishing the universal bank. [155914]
  717W
  Mr. Alan Johnson
  Good progress is being made with the development of Universal Banking Services. Discussions with the banks are at an advanced stage and I hope they will be resolved shortly.

  Windfarm (Northumberland)
  Mr. Lammy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will announce his decision on AMEC Border Wind's proposal to build a windfarm at Humble Hill, Kielder, Northumberland. [156637]

  Mr. Byers
  I have today, reluctantly, decided that consent under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 to AMEC Border Wind's application to build a 80 MW windfarm at Humber Hill, Kielder, Northumberland cannot be given. However keen the Government are to see new wind projects, we are not in the business of taking risks with aircrew lives.

  My decision was taken only after extensive discussions over a period of years to try to resolve the difficulties.

  Despite these protracted discussions and the willingness of everyone to try to reach agreement and enable the windfarm to proceed, the underlying concern of the Ministry of Defence could not be removed. That concern rested on the effect the proposed windfarm would have on the operation at the Spadeadam Electronic Warfare Tactics Range (EWTR).

  The EWTR lies to the south of the site of the proposed windfarm and aircraft approaching it would have had to fly over the windfarm. There is no other route and the proposed windfarm would interfere with radar and with low flying, particularly at times of poor visibility.

  The MOD informed me that facilities at the EWTR are unique, as there is no other site like this in Europe, so it is imperative for the front line training of RAF crews and therefore the tactical training value of the range must be safeguarded. Safety is of paramount importance. DTI and MOD are working closely together to find solutions to the problem of developing commercial windfarms, both onshore and offshore, while preserving the UK's defence interests.

  This decision was due to the unique local circumstances and is not a general precedent. Our policy remains that each application will be considered on its merits, but in doing so it is quite right that we should look carefully at concerns over a particular siting. It also remains our intention that 10 per cent. of our electricity supply should be generated by renewable resources by 2010.

  Copies of the Press Notice and the decision letter are being places in the Library of the House.

  Electricity Security and Stability
  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress the steering group on electricity security and stability issues has made in following up the recommendations made by the consultants Merz and McLellan in the White Paper "Conclusions of the Review of Energy Sources for Power Generation" and the Government response to the fourth and fifth reports of the Trade and Industry Committee, Cm 4071. [156550]
  718W
  Mr. Hain
  The steering group, chaired by my Department, published its final report today. The conclusions take into account the responses to a consultation paper issued by the group in April 2000, which set out their initial conclusions. The group concluded that the further work recommended by Merz and McLellan or raised in the responses to the consultation exercise has been undertaken or is in hand. In the responses to the consultation document, there was general agreement with the steering group's recommendation that following the introduction of New Electricity Trading Arrangements (NETA), the Regulator—the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets (Ofgem)—should keep under review system security to ensure that the electricity and gas systems remain robust, that roles and operational responsibilities are clearly identified, and that adequate emergency procedures are in place. Further work will therefore be taken forward by Ofgem in consultation with interested parties. The group's report also addresses the detailed points raised during the consultation exercise.

  Copies of the report are being circulated, in the first instance, to all those who responded to the consultation document. I am placing copies in the Libraries of the House. The document, and the earlier consultation paper, are available on the DTI website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/ energy/ and on request from Natalia Davie, NEP, DTI, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H OET (Phone: 0207 215 6488).

  Overseas Investment (Human Rights)
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how his Department ensures that investments made by UK companies overseas are in projects that comply with the international human rights commitments to which the Government are a signatory. [155138]

  Mr. Caborn
  Advice on the prevailing market conditions is made available to UK companies on request. This reflects the Government's position on human rights elements, for example on the desirability of trade with certain countries. It is however for UK companies to judge whether to bid for projects or invest in particular markets.

  More generally, the Government have sought to raise the profile of human rights considerations in the operations of companies overseas. for example in promoting the OECD Guidelines for Mult national Enterprises.

  Export Control and Non-Proliferation Bill
  Liz Blackman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will publish the draft Export Control and Non-Proliferation Bill. [156094]

  Mr. Byers
  I am today publishing for consultation the draft Export Control and Non-Proliferation Bill. Copies of the "Consultation on Draft Legislation: the Export Control and Non-Proliferation Bill" (CM5091) will be laid before the House and will be available at the Vote Office. Copies will also be available from the Stationery Office and on my Department's website.

  The draft Bill replaces in full the export control powers in the Import, Export and Customs (Powers) Defence Act 1939. Export controls currently imposed under the 1939 Act include both strategic export controls which are the responsibility of my Department and export controls on cultural objects which are the responsibility of the

  719W
  Department for Culture, Media and Sport. The Bill is intended both to provide for improved accountability for and transparency in export controls and to provide a more up-to-date and comprehensive legislative framework for export controls.

  The draft Bill establishes the purposes for which export controls can be imposed and will provide for parliamentary scrutiny of secondary legislation made under it. These measures will meet recommendations made by Sir Richard Scott in his report of the Inquiry into the Export of Defence Equipment and Dual-Use Goods to Iraq and Related Prosecutions. The Bill also provides for annual reports to be laid before Parliament.

  The draft Bill provides Government with new powers to impose controls on the transfer of military and dual-use technology by intangible means and the provisions of related technical assistance, and on activities connected with international trade (usually referred to as trafficking and brokering) between overseas countries in military or dual-use equipment.

  The Introduction to the Bill in Part I of the "Consultation on draft legislation" sets out the controls which the Government propose to introduce in secondary legislation to be made under these new powers. These are as follows:
  Controls on the electronic transfer of military technology in line with similar controls already used for dual-use technology in the new European Dual-Use Items Regulation which came into force in September 2000.
  Controls on the transfer of technology by any intangible means and the provision of technical services intended for weapons of mass destruction and related missile programmes. These controls will meet the requirements of a Europe an Union Joint Action agreed in June 2000.
  Controls on the trafficking and brokering of weapons and related equipment to any destination. In addition controls will be introduced which will be used to prohibit trafficking and brokering to embargoed destinations and trafficking and brokering in types of equipment whose export we have already banned because of evidence of their use in torture.

  The Bill will also allow for the imposition of export licensing procedures and includes a power to require the provision of certain information which is intended primarily to ensure that the Government can meet their reporting obligations to international bodies, such as the UN Conventional Arms Register. The Bill allows for the maximum penalty for offences in respect of matters controlled under the powers in the Bill to be raised from the current maximum level of seven years' imprisonment to a maximum of 10 years.

  £

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  The HALO Trust

  1,417,600

  1,092,000

  1,751,468

  4,166,000

  UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Assistance for Afghanistan (UNOCHA)

  500,000

  2,000,000

  —

  1,700,000

  Mines Advisory Group (MAG)

  1,033,307

  951,908

  2,204,000

  2,999,000

  Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC) (via UNDP)

  —

  —

  —

  187,500

  Government of Egypt>

  500,000

  87.308

  —

  —

  UN Mine Action Centre (UNMAC) (Sarajevo),

  220,000

  —

  —

  —

  Government of Yemen (via UN Development Programme) (UNDP)

  47,772

  —

  —

  —

  International Trust Fund for De-mining

  —

  —

  —

  500,000

  Croatian Mine Advisory Centre

  —

  —

  —

  100,000

  Government of Jordan

  —

  —

  —

  581,000

  Organisation of American States (Nicaragua de-mining)

  —

  —

  —

  283,000

  720W
  Views are invited from all those with an interest in either strategic export controls or export controls on cultural objects by Thursday 24 May.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Afghanistan
  Dr. Starkey
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what response the Government are making to the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement. [156479]

  Clare Short
  Afghanistan is currently suffering from its worst drought in 30 years. This, combined with continuing conflict and the absence of significant economic recovery, has led to dramatic deterioration in the humanitarian situation. The UN indicates that about 12 million people (over half the country's population) have been affected by the drought; 3 to 4 million of them seriously. One million people are thought to be at risk of famine. Neighbouring countries are becoming increasingly unreceptive to population flows from Afghanistan and there have been reports of border closures over recent months.

  We have continued to provide humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan where this can be done effectively. This financial year, we have provided some £10.5 million through UN agencies, the Red Cross and NGOs. As well as drought relief assistance, this includes a longer-term programme of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan population. both in Afghanistan itself and to Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran. We intend to continue with this programme in the coming year, and stand ready to respond to additional needs as required.

  We have also reviewed our policy of not financing NGO activities that involved UK nationals, because of the personal security risks. There have been no serious security incidents involving expatriates for some time. With this in mind, we have decided to consider funding on a case by case basis for NGOs that send UK nationals into the country. As before, the appraisal proposals will continue to include an assessment of the agency's personnel security arrangements. Only if these arrangements are judged to be appropriate would the agency be eligible for funding.

  Mine Clearance
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the organisations to which the Government have given money for the purpose of mine clearance in each year since 1996, and, in each case, the amount received by each organisation. [155997]

  Clare Short
  The table gives the figures requested:
  721W

  £

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  United Nations Mine Action Service (Sierra Leone)

  —

  —

  —

  4,500

  United Nations Mine Action Service (Kosovo)

  —

  —

  —

  489,600

  BACTEC (Kosovo)

  —

  —

  —

  691,000

  DSL (Kosovo)

  —

  —

  —

  1,290,000

  ELS (Kosovo)

  —

  —

  —

  833,000

  UNMAS (Global)

  —

  —

  —

  29,000

  UNICEF

  —

  —

  —

  1,000,000

  Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian De-mining (GICHD)

  —

  —

  —

  275,138

  Cranfield Mine Action

  —

  —

  —

  74,000

  Warwick University

  —

  —

  —

  165,000

  AIGIS

  —

  —

  —

  3,600

  Landmine Monitor

  —

  —

  —

  185,000

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was spent by Government on(a) humanitarian mine clearance, (b) commercial mine clearance, (c) military initiative

  £

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  (a)Humanitarian mine clearance1

  34,288,860

  34,149,642

  33,990,468

  12,300,000

  465,082

  4200,000

  4250,000

  435,000

  (b) Military initiative min2

  —

  —

  205,000

  —

  —

  51,25,000

  —

  (c) Mine awareness

  70,000

  4250,000

  —

  1,292,339

  (d) Research and development

  —

  376,673

  548,343

  500,000

  1Includes clearance of anti-personnel landmines and other unexploded ordnance as well as mines awareness. As programmes are often integrated separate costs of awareness are not available.

  2Military mine clearance have taken place in the Balkans since 1992. Military advisers have been attached to UN Mine Action Centres assisting in the development of mine action programmes. They have also supervised the mint clearance carried out by the Entity Armed Forces and provided mine awareness to local populations. The Mine Information Training Centre (MITC) at Minley has provided mine awareness training to over 30,000 people. The MOD has also continued to monitor minefields in the Falkland Islands. This work is part of the wider responsibilities of those involved and is impossible to cost accurately.

  3Includes integrated mine awareness activities.

  4Payment made from Foreign and Commonwealth Office funds.

  5Value of surplus equipment re-deployed to mine clearance projects.

  Notes:

  1. Figures for 2000—01 will be available June 2001.

  2. Expenditure by Department of International Development (DFID) unless otherwise indicated DFID has not funded commercial mine clearance. There are no records of UK commercial demining activities currently available in Department of Trade and Industry.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what Government expenditure was on humanitarian mine clearance for each year since 1996, broken down by country [155897]

  £

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  Afghanistan

  1,050,000

  2,106,500

  920,000

  1,900,000

  Albania

  –

  –

  –

  50,070

  Angola

  –

  –

  –

  –

  Bosnia

  –

  –

  –

  –

  Cambodia

  1,058,700

  689,686

  693,000

  2,274,000

  Chad

  –

  –

  –

  –

  Croatia

  –

  –

  –

  100,000

  Egypt

  500,000

  87,308

  –

  –

  Eritrea/Ethiopia

  –

  –

  –

  –

  Georgia

  –

  –

  220,781

  –

  Guinea Bissau

  –

  –

  –

  138,860

  Iraq

  785,000

  658,972

  740,000

  451,764

  Jordan

  –

  –

  –

  587,156

  Laos

  148,307

  101,250

  500,000

  833,351

  Lebanon

  –

  –

  –

  –

  722W
  mine clearance, (d) mine awareness, (e) victim assistance and (f) research and development for mine clearance in each year since 1996. [155893]

  Clare Short
  Disbursements are as follows

  Clare Short
  Government expenditure on mine action
  programmes is indicated in the table:
  723W

  £

  1996—97

  1997—98

  1998—99

  1999—2000

  Mozambique

  408,900

  487,500

  362,500

  –

  Nicaragua

  –

  –

  –

  283,000

  Thailand

  –

  –

  –

  –

  Yemen

  47,772

  –

  –

  –

  Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Kosovo)

  275,000

  –

  –

  5,664,339

  Global/Regional

  –

  1200,000

  2375,000

  90,000

  1Foreign and Commonwealth Office funded activities.

  2Value of surplus equipment re-deployed by DFID and MOD to mine clearance projects.

  Notes:

  1. Figures for 2000–01 will be available Jun 2001.

  2. Expenditure by Department for International Development unless otherwise stated.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of funds made available through the UN Mine Action Service to support the work of the Croatian Mine Action Centre in 1999 to 2001 was expended on UNMAS administrative costs. [155896]

  Clare Short
  Of the £250,000 mad available towards the United Nations Mines Assistance Programme in Croatia, UNMAS administrative costs were 3 per cent.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of grants to commercial organisations for humanitarian mine clearance in Kosovo has been taken as profit. [155996]

  Clare Short
  Under the terms of the, contracts between DFID and the commercial organisations is engaged for mine clearance work in Kosovo, profit details are commercially confidential. DFID operates well established procurement and contractual procedures designed to ensure value for money.

  Palestinian National Authority
  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much funding is provided by the European Union to the Palestine National Authority for education. [155788]

  Clare Short
  The European Commission advise that since 1991 they have committed a total of 172.5 million euro to support education development initiatives with the Palestinian National Authority.

  Recipient Countries
  Mr. Alexander
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the countries which received UK overseas aid in each year since 1990, indicating the amount of aid given in each case. [155785]

  Clare Short
  Since 1990 a total of 156 countries received official development assistance (oda) or official aid (oa) from the UK.

  A copy of the full list of countries and amounts given in each year will be placed in the Library of the House. More information on international development is held in "Statistics on International Development 1995/96–1999/2000", a copy of which is also available in the Library of the House.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Police Numbers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions since 2 May 1997 his Department has issued a correction to police numbers statistics. [155843]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  [holding answer 27 March 2001]: The statistical bulletin for the September 2000 figures was reissued on 16 January 2001 as a result of receiving revised police strength figures from the Metropolitan police. There have been three other publications where corrections to the figures for earlier periods have been made in the light of revised figures submitted by the police: figures for March 1998 were corrected in the statistical bulletin number 14/99, published on 26 August 1999, entitled "Police Service Personnel England and Wales, as at 31 March 1999", after Sussex corrected their data for that year. Revised figures for March 2000 were included in both the original and revised bulletins for September 2000, after the number of secondments to central services were corrected when double counting was discovered. This originated from the National Criminal Intelligence Service return being completed incorrectly. The revised bulletin for September 2000 was entitled "Police Service Strength England and Wales", published on 16 January 2001, and was statistical bulletin number 2/01. Figures for September 2000 had to be adjusted when the Metropolitan police reported that officers on loan to adjacent forces had been deducted from their figures twice. They also provided revised figures for ethnic minority officers. A revised bulletin for September 2000 was issued, with details as given in (2).

  The forthcoming bulletin to be published in June will contain revised Northumbria strength figures for 30 September 2000 that became apparent during the preparation of the 30 January 2001 figures. It should be noted that it is a standard practice to include corrections in statistical publications when improved data are provided by data sources. Indeed, this practice is quite commonplace, although the corrections are minor in the vast majority of cases.

  Voluntary Organisations (Government Funding)
  Mr. Hilary Benn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what has been the total amount of Government funding for voluntary and not-for-profit organisations in each of the last 10 years. [153939]
  725W
  Mr. Boateng
  I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

  Probation Officers (Middlesex)
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many probation officers are serving in Middlesex; what his Department's target complement is; and how many served in Middlesex in each of the past five years. [155935]

  Mr. Boateng
  [holding answer 27 March 2001]: The available information is as follows:

  Middlesex probation officers in post

  31 December

  Number of persons1

  1995

  278

  1996

  263

  1997

  260

  1998

  260

  1999

  262

  2000

  254

  1Whole-time equivalent

  Middlesex will become part of the area of the new London Local Probation Board on 1 April, and that body will determine its staffing needs. Across England and Wales it is planned to recruit over 1,000 trainee probation officers in the next 12 months.

  Prisoners
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were(a) aged over 65 years, (b) required major surgery and (c) had significant impairments or disabilities in each of the past five years; and what plans he has to make special arrangements for prisoners in these categories. [155674]

  Mr. Boateng
  The number of prisoners aged over 65 in each of the past five years is as follows:

  Year

  Number

  1996

  281

  1997

  317

  1998

  354

  1999

  427

  2000

  472

  The number of prisoners who require major surgery or have significant impairments or disabilities is not collected centrally. Prisons, and their local health authorities, are currently assessing the health needs of prisoners, identifying appropriate services to meet those needs and effective ways of delivery. The aim of the needs assessment process is to provide prisoners with access to the same range and quality of services that the general public receive.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to speed the assessment of discretionary life prisoners and to ensure greater consistency in approach, with particular reference to(a) sentence length and (b) treatment programmes for sex offenders. [155675]
  726W
  Mr. Boateng
  Discretionary lifers, particularly those set a short tariff by the trial judge, are transferred from a local prison to a first stage lifer prison as soon as possible after sentencing (tariff being the minimum period the lifer is required to serve to meet the requirements of retribution and deterrence). In order to enhance the working of the current system, the Government are investing an extra £500,000 in the next financial year to fund work in local prisons with new and potential lifers. This will enable speedier assessment and identification of the risk factors which lifers need to address.

  In addition, the Government are providing funding for nearly 800 extra lifer places, together with additional resources to increase the number of places available on the sex offender treatment programme. The Prison Service is also to introduce a simpler and more streamlined planning system for all life sentence prisoners which should ensure greater consistency of approach and improve the management of risk assessment and risk reduction as a lifer progresses through the system.

  The Prison Service fully recognises the need to give particular priority to the needs of short tariff lifers. The aim is to manage the system so that the Parole Board can release such lifers on or near tariff expiry where it is satisfied that their risk factors have been addressed and release is consistent with the overriding need to protect the public.

  S. P. Hinduja
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if Mr. S. P. Hinduja was physically present in the United Kingdom on 22 October 1993; and if he will make a statement. [156007]

  Mrs. Roche
  The full circumstances of Mr. S. P. Hinduja's naturalisation application are detailed in Sir Anthony Hammond's Review which was published on 9 March 2001.

  The question of whether Mr. Hinduja was physically present in the United Kingdom on the date in question is covered in paragraphs 5.153 to 5.155 of the review.

  Probation Directorate
  Jackie Ballard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of staff in the probation directorate have operational experience. [155155]

  Mr. Boateng
  23 per cent. of staff in the National Probation Directorate have operational experience. These include the national director, who is a former chief probation officer, two of the six strategic heads, and one chief probation officer, one deputy chief probation officer, thirteen assistant chief probation officers, seven senior probation officers, two principal psychologists, and a seconded chief inspector of police.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum refusals from applicants from(a) Somalia, (b) Sudan, (c) Iraq, (d) Sri Lanka, (e) Congo and (f) Iran have been refused because of non-compliance in each of the last six months; and if he will make a statement. [155596]
  727W
  Mrs. Roche
  A non-compliance refusal is generated when the applicant fails without reasonable explanation to make a prompt and full disclosure of material facts either orally, or in writing or otherwise to assist the Secretary of State to the full in establishing the facts of the asylum case, for example not attending an interview, and any information provided does not establish that the applicant is not a refugee. In these circumstances the application falls to be refused under paragraphs 340 and 336 of HC 395 (as amended).

  A nationality breakdown of non-compliance refusals is not available prior to October 2000.

  The available information is given in the table.

  Refusals

  Nationality

  1,3,4Total

  1,2,3,4Non Compliance

  Percentage of total

  October 2000

  Somalia

  300

  250

  85

  Sudan

  25

  15

  65

  Iraq

  430

  300

  70

  Sri Lanka

  500

  215

  43

  Congo

  35

  20

  60

  Iran

  320

  170

  53

  November 2000

  Somalia

  350

  235

  67

  Sudan

  35

  20

  50

  Iraq

  495

  295

  60

  Sri Lanka

  715

  310

  43

  Congo

  85

  30

  33

  Iran

  450

  210

  47

  December 2000

  Somalia

  275

  215

  78

  Sudan

  35

  15

  43

  Iraq

  470

  220

  47

  Sri Lanka

  665

  185

  28

  Congo

  75

  7

  9

  Iran

  395

  145

  36

  January 2001

  Somalia

  295

  200

  68

  Sudan

  70

  10

  13

  Iraq

  1,030

  450

  44

  Sri Lanka

  1,065

  220

  21

  Congo

  65

  20

  30

  Iran

  775

  250

  32

  February 2001

  Somalia

  300

  205

  68

  Sudan

  70

  15

  2

  Iraq

  690

  225

  33

  Sri Lanka

  1,245

  155

  13

  Congo

  75

  22

  30

  Iran

  645

  175

  27

  1 Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest 5.

  2 Non-compliance refusals (under paragraph 340 of the immigration rules and paragraph 180F prior to October 1994) are for failure to provide evidence to support the asylum claim within a reasonable period.

  3Outcome of initial decisions only.

  4Provisional figures.

  Discharged Prism ters
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what range of payments in cash and 728W
  in kind is available to discharged prisoners by way of (a) grants, (b) loans and (c) specific access to social security payments. [155553]

  Mr. Boateng
  A discharge grant is payable to most prisoners in order to ensure that the prisoner has sufficient money to meet immediate needs on release. It is not a substitute for social security payments. The current rates are:

  Standard

  £

  25 and older

  46.75

  18–24

  37.00

  Higher

  94.40

  The higher rate is paid only if there is a need to seek, obtain and pay for accommodation. It is only paid to prisoners with no accommodation arranged in advance, if this arises through no fault of the prisoner. Except those being deported or removed under Immigration Act 1988 powers, discharged prisoners receive payment or a travel warrant for their journey home. If they have not received a discharge grant, they may be given an appropriate subsistence allowance for their journey. Prisoners who do not have their own clothing may receive appropriate clothing on release.

  Discharged prisoners are generally treated in the same way as any other claimants for social security payments and must satisfy the eligibility criteria for each benefit claimed. The available benefits include Jobseeker' s Allowance (JSA), Income Support, Housing Benefit and crisis loans and community care grants from the Social Fund. Exceptionally, the JSA regulations contain specific provisions for those released from detention. They may be treated as available for work for a period of seven days commencing with the date of their release. They may also be treated as actively seeking employment for the first full week of their JSA claim if they have been treated as available for work for part of that week.

  Fire Services
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations he has received from fire services that have installed virtual reality training systems in the last two years on the effectiveness of the training; and what evaluation his Department has made of its effectiveness. [155778]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I am told no such representations have been received. Fire brigades are encouraged by the Home Office to improve fire-fighting techniques by undertaking virtual reality training, the effectiveness of which is assessed by individual brigades and reviewed by Her Majesty's Fire Service Inspectorate during brigade inspections.

  Emergency Response
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what occupational standard of competence is required of senior members of the fire and police services in respect of directing response to major emergencies. [155781]
  729W
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Fire Brigade command course sets out the requirements for brigade commanders, including planning and directing responses to major emergencies. Underpinning competences which are developed are the qualities of leadership, interpersonal skill, analytical processing and dynamism. The competences trained for include: decision making involving longer term contingency planning; decision making after call-out and before arrival at a major incident; decision making on arrival, taking over command and the handing over process; and post-incident longer term decisions.

  Current Fire Service training on major emergencies is based on guidance prepared by the Government's Civil Emergencies Adviser and is comparable with that of the other emergency services. National occupational standards for operational command, which will include response to major emergencies, are in an advanced state of development.

  Occupational standards for the police service will be set by the Police National Training Organisation (NTO) once that is established. The Police NTO received recognition from the Department for Education and Employment earlier this month and is due to be incorporated in May 2001. In the meantime work is being done on the development of competences for various roles, including the management of major incidents. Police National Training provide training in the management of disasters and civil emergencies which can be taken either separately or as part of the strategic command course, which must be undertaken by officers who wish to seek appointment to the rank of assistant chief constable or commander.

  British Citizenship
  Mr. Hope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to change the procedures for dealing with applications for British citizenship. [156549]

  Mrs. Roche
  During April 2001, the Integrated Casework Directorate (ICD) of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) will devote some of its resources to starting applications for British citizenship on receipt. All cases, at both ends of the queue for consideration, will be considered using new procedures and working practices. New applicants will be asked to supply supporting documentation at the time of application and to respond more quickly to requests for further information than has previously been the case. The aim of these changes is to eliminate the current backlog of nationality applications by attacking it from both ends. This approach has been successfully used elsewhere in IND, for example in the production of travel documents.

  ICD will have achieved its target of 91,000 decisions by the end of March 2001, which is more than twice the total for 1997. By the end of February 2001, the average waiting time for all types of citizenship applications had fallen to exactly 12 months, as compared with nearly 20 months at the same time last year. These improvements flow from significantly increased investment in the system and the new service delivery culture now becoming established in the ICD.
  730W
  Because of these improvements ICD is now in a position to deal with the remaining backlog of work from both ends, cutting out unnecessary handling. This approach has proven very successful in other parts of IND' s work. More resources will continue to be devoted to those application ; that have been waiting longest, but the ICD' s intention is to reduce the waiting time for all applications to an average of six months by April 2002 and to three months by April 2004.

DEFENCE

  Warship Support Agency
  Mr. Beard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the formation of the Warship Support Agency; and what key targets have been set for 2001–02. [156486]

  Mr. Spellar
  On 2 April 2001 the Warship Support Agency (WSA) will be established as a Defence Agency through the merger of the Ships Support Agency (SSA) and the majority of the Naval Bases and Supply Agency (NBSA). The WSA will be responsible for providing responsive and cost-effective warship support to the Royal Navy and other customers. The WSA's first Chief Executive (CE) will be Mr. John Coles, currently CE SSA, who will initially be located at Foxhill, Bath together with the WSA Corporate Directors. The WSA Agency will employ some 9,000 civilian and 3,500 military staff at various other locations throughout the United Kingdom, including Bath and Bristol, HM Naval Bases Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth, and HM Mooring and Marine. Salvage Depot, Pembroke Dock.

  The formation of the Agency will remove internal business boundaries between the SSA and the NBSA, creating a new organisation that will be more able to manage warship support coherently and be more responsive to customer requirements. The WSA corporate aim is to provide "World Class Support to a World Class Navy".

  The Chief Executive has been sent the following Key Targets for the first year of operation:

  Key Target 1Quantity To achieve 95 per cent. of Available Vessel days.
  To increase the provision of Single Living Accommodation (SLA) at Grades 1 and 2 standard to 25 per cent. of bed nights provided, recognising the long-term nature of capital works necessary to upgrade accommodation.

  Key Target 2: Timeliness
  To achieve the deep maintenance (Upkeep) programme with less than 7 per cent. overrun, and to achieve 95 per cent. of Capability Upgrades within target date and to an acceptance standard.

  Key Target 3: Quality
  To provide a quality of service that meets the ISO 9000 standard, and to achieve 95 pet cent. or better customer satisfaction rating of service delivery against agreed requirements.

  Key Target 4: Cost/Efficiency
  To make the necessary Agency contribution to the Defence Logistics Organisation's 20 per cent. target reduction of output costs by 2005, while conitinuing to deliver and, where appropriate, improve the quality of outputs.

  I am placing a copy of the Agency's Framework Document in the Library of the House.
  731W

  Sonar Systems
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department will select prime contractors to provide the new sonar systems for the Type 23 frigates and Hunt class mine counter-measures vessels. [156485]

  Dr. Moonie
  I am pleased to be able to announce that the competitions for these two important new sonar systems have now been completed and that Thomson Marconi Sonar Ltd. (TMSL) has beer selected as prime contractor for both. We intend to be in a position to place contracts for the sonars in April.

  Sonar 2087 will provide our Type 23 anti-submarine warfare frigates with the ability to defeat, classify and track submarines beyond the submarine's ability to engage forces under protection. This advanced system will assure our detection advantage against modern nuclear and conventionally powered submarines. Following trials of the initial ship system, it will enter service in 2006.

  Sonar 2193 has been designed to replace the existing Sonar 193M mine-hunting sonar in cur Hunt class mine counter-measures vessels. This new system will maintain the effectiveness of our forces in this increasingly important area. The first equipment will be installed in a trials vessel next year and the system will enter service in early 2004.

  At the same time, we are taking the opportunity to replace the Command System in the Hunt Class. The new system will be developed from the NAUTIS system which is already fitted in our Sandown class ships.

  These orders will safeguard jobs at Thomson Marconi's sites at Cheadle Heath in Cheshire and at Templecombe in Somerset, as well as at a number of sub-contractor sites around the UK. The work will maintain UK industry's capabilities in this important technological area and, for the mine-hunting sonar, could lead to considerable export opportunities.

  Service Personnel (Communications)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how long(a) 20 minutes of free telephone calls each week, (b) free e-blueys and (c) free e-mail facilities have been available to service personnel on (i) operations and (ii) exercises lasting more than two months; and what the annual cost of each service is. [155326]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 28 March 2001]: Previously, operational welfare support has been provided only to personnel who are deployed overseas on operations under the command of PJHQ. As of 1 April 2001, welfare provision will be extended to include those personnel on maritime deployments that are expected to be away from the UK for two months or more and, also, other exercise deployments that are expected to last for two months or more outside the country in which the personnel are based.

  All personnel deployed on overseas operations under the command of PJHQ have been entitled to 20 minutes of free telephone calls since September 1999. Access to
  732W
  free e-bluey facilities is gradually being made available as equipment is delivered and personnel trained in its use. E-bluey equipment was deployed to the Balkans and the Falkland Islands for trials in December 1999. It was subsequently deployed to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Cyprus and Sierra Leone during 2000 and is to be deployed to Turkey in May 2001. UK service personnel who are deployed to the Gulf have for some time been given free access to the US forces own e-mail system, as a goodwill gesture. There is no information available to indicate when the US system was first deployed. Limited e-mail facilities were introduced in the Balkans in February 1999, and extended theatre-wide in November 2000, on completion of a programme of communication network infrastructure improvements. An e-mail facility was introduced in February 2001 for personnel deployed to Freetown, Sierra Leone. The system will be extended to all personnel in theatre in April 2001, with the deployment of an additional satellite terminal.

  The annual cost of giving personnel a free 20-minute telephone call each week is currently in the region of £6 million and forecast to rise by £6.3 million from April. The annual cost of the e-bluey facility is £1.39 million and forecast to rise to £2.19 million from April. Information on the annual running costs of the e-mail facilities could be provided only at disproportionate cost, because call charges for this are contained in the telephone bills for each of the operational theatres.

  The figures given assume that the current level of operational commitment remains unchanged and do not include the provision of welfare communications for personnel deploying to Oman on Exercise SAIF SAREEA later in the year, the costs for which are expected to be in the region of £6 million to £8 million.

  Deployed Forces Facilities
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list operational deployments where British forces do not have access to hot shower facilities and laundry; [155322]

  (2) on which exercises lasting for two months or more British forces have not had access to hot shower and laundry facilities; [155323]

  (3) which units and agencies will be responsible for the provision of hot shower facilities and laundry facilities for deployed forces. [155324]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 28 March 2001]: Previously, operational welfare support has been provided only to personnel who are deployed overseas on operations under the command of PJHQ. As of 1 April, however, such welfare provision will be extended to include personnel on maritime deployments that are expected to be away from the UK for two months or more and, also, other exercise deployments that are expected to last for two months or more outside the country in which the personnel are based. This will result in improvements to, among other things, the provision of shower and laundry facilities.
  733W
  Currently, not all personnel deployed on operations have access to hot shower facilities. At Ali Al Salam, in Kuwait, the reliability and quality of the facilities is poor and the Ministry of Defence is currently addressing this problem. Also, Short-Term Training Team personnel in Sierra Leone do not have hot water shower facilities; they do, however, have access to cold water showers, which is regarded as satisfactory in view of the climate. All current operational deployments have access to laundry facilities.

  Information on the availability of hot shower and laundry facilities during exercises is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We are, however, conscious of the fact that there have been significant shortfalls in this area and have therefore provided additional funding within the new Operational Welfare Package, amounting to more than £6 million over the next four years, specifically to redress the problem. We expect future shower and laundry facilities to be incorporated in the Expeditionary Campaign Infrastructure Procurement programme, due in Service in 2004. It is expected that they will be cabin-based, similar to those procured under the Improved Tented Camp urgent operational requirement for Kosovo.

  The senior deployed logistics officer is responsible for ensuring that hot shower and laundry facilities are provided. The one exception to this is that UK Service personnel deployed on UN operations are administered under UN arrangements.

  International Criminal Court
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 16 March 2001,Official Report, column 756W, if he will place in the Library copies of reports and representations made to him by the armed forces during the consultation period and drafting of the International Criminal Court Bill, with particular reference to those that set out concerns expressed by the armed forces. [155921]

  Mr. Hoon
  No report or representations were made to me by the armed forces during the drafting of the International Criminal Court Bill or during the formal consultation period on the Bill starting in August 2000. Advice provided to Ministers during the development of policy on the International Criminal Court is withheld in accordance with Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information and cannot therefore be placed in the Library of the House.

  Holy Loch
  Mr. Swinney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of the clean-up operation on Holy Loch has been, broken down by component. [155315]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 26 March 2001]: The total cost of the UK clearance activity in Holy Loch to date is £10.5 million. This covered an initial survey and pilot phase, clearance and disposal, a further survey and environmental management. A further £0.2 million will be spent in financial year 2001–02 as the project winds down.

  Ministry of Defence Police
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 22 March 2001,Official Report, column 298W on Ministry of Defence police, in what way the proposals in clause 32 of the Armed Forces Bill are designed to restore parity between his Department's police and Home Department forces in respect of disciplinary procedures. [156103]

  Mr. Spellar
  The proposals contained in clause 32 give effect to schedule 5 to the Bill. Schedule 5 introduces amendments to the Ministry of Defence Police Act 1987, in particular the introduction of section 3A(2)(a)(i) and 3A(2)(b), thereby restoring parity between the Ministry of Defence Police discipline regulations and the discipline regulations of the Home Department forces which were introduced in August 1999.

  In particular they allow persons other than the Secretary of State—for example, Appeals Tribunals—to make decisions, whereas order the present regulations decisions are confined to the Secretary of State.

  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the report by chief inspector Reid into the complaint against the Ministry of Defence police by Mr. E. McHugh was forwarded to the Police Complaints Authority. [156002]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Deputy Chief Constable Ministry of Defence police is currently examining the report and will forward it, together with his recommendations, to the Police Complaints Authority in due course.

  Foot and Mouth
  Mr. Duncan Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on how the costs of members of the armed services assisting in dealing with the Foot and Mouth outbreak will be apportioned between Government Departments. [155558]

  Mr. Spellar
  Any additional costs that the armed forces incur as a result of providing military assistance in dealing with Foot and Mouth will be recovered from the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

ENVIRONMENT, TRANSPORT AND THE REGIONS

  Departmental Policies (Walthamstow)
  Mr. Gerrard
  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 constituency, the effect on the Walthamstow constituency of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [154179]

  Ms Armstrong
  The principal funding that this Department has provided to Waltham Forest in the years 1997–98 to 2001–02 is 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 in the Walthamstow constituency. It is for the local authority to decide where within its boundary these resources are applied.
  735W

  Waltham Forest

  £million

  Nature of funding

  1997–8

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–021

  Revenue Support Grant2

  119.632

  127.547

  131.501

  131.124

  139.903

  Income from National Non-Domestic Rates 2

  48.277

  50.137

  54.129

  61.461

  59.480

  Neighbourhood Renewal Funding

  0

  0

  0

  0

  .638

  Transport Supplementary Grant

  .150

  .150

  .270

  n/a

  n/a

  Transport Annual Capital Guideline

  .075

  .075

  .135

  n/a

  n/a

  Transport Block Supplementary Credit Approval

  .996

  .789

  1.247

  1.439

  n/a

  Capital Challenge (Supplementary Credit and Basic Credit Approvals)

  1.800

  3.564

  2.430

  0

  0

  ERDF funding

  0

  1.520

  1.379

  0

  0

  Housing Investment Programme

  6.2473

  6.605

  7.922

  422.418

  524.435

  Housing Revenue Account Subsidy

  27.028

  25.146

  24.141

  24.478

  n/a

  Capital receipts Initiative

  1.289

  4.221

  4.967

  n/a

  n/a

  Cash Incentive Scheme

  1.028

  .731

  .044

  0

  0

  SRB funding

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  5.793

  n/a

  1 Where known

  >2 The amounts of Revenue Support Grant and Income from National Non-Domestic Rates shown for 1997–98 and 1998–99 are the revised amounts allocated under "The Local Govern vent Finance Report (England) 1997–98 Amending Report 1999" and "The Local Government Finance Report (England) 1998–99 Amending Report 2000" respectively.

  31997–8 HIP allocation inherited from the previous Government's spending plans. Present Government introduced CRI from 1997–98.

  4 Single Housing Pot introduced from 2000– 01 resulting in CRI being merged with HIP.

  5Resource accounting has resulted in a change to the way capital resources are allocated for 2001–02, with the introduction of a new Major Repairs Allowance (MRA) to cover the cost of maintaining local authority housing in a sound condition. Waltham Forest's MRA allocation for 2001–02 is £9.937 million and, for comparison purposes, is included in the 2001–02 HIP allocation above.

  n/a = not available

  Crash Barriers
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the annual cost to British industry of delays caused by repairs to corrugated steel barriers for the most recent year for which figures are available. [154474]

  Mr. Hill
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Resources Redistribution
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to divert resources from London and the South East to other parts of the country; [154298]

  (2) if he will place in the Library a copy of the memorandum written by the Prime Minister's principal private secretary in February concerning movement of resources from London and the South East to other parts of the country. [154296]

  Ms Armstrong
  There are no plans to divert resources from London and the South East to other parts of the country.

  Ministerial Meetings
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many ministerial meetings with hon. Members have been cancelled by Ministers since 1 January. [155237]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Pollution
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps his Department is taking to encourage the use of less-polluting vehicles in major cities. [155461]
  736W
  Mr. Hill
  My Department sponsors the Energy Saving Trust's "Powershift" programme, providing financial support and other measures to encourage the purchase of new gas and electric vehicles. Powershift has been running since 1996, and my Department is today launching a consultation on proposals for the future direction of the programme, aimed at getting the greatest environmental and health benefits and encouraging the wider uptake of cleaner fuel vehicles in the cities and towns which have the biggest air quality challenges. The consultation document describes new initiatives designed to promote more use of natural gas for heavy public service and delivery lorries, which are cleaner and much quieter than diesel engines; and to encourage more use of electric vehicles, which have zero tailpipe emissions.

  Powershift, dealing with new vehicles, is complemented by the Clean Up programme, which provides grants towards existing vehicles being fitted with pollution control measures. Both programmes help local authorities to give their residents a cleaner and healthier environment, using the new powers to set up priority Air Quality Management Areas.

  Rail Saver Tickets
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many reduced price saver-type tickets were purchased(a) in total and (b) as a proportion of all rail tickets sold in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available. [155734]

  Mr. Hill
  The information required is not held centrally. Individual train operators would be free to provide this information at their commercial discretion.

  Highways Agency
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the expenditure of the Highways Agency was in Hull in each
  737W
  of the past five years, indicating the schemes on which it has been spent and the proposals for the next five years; and what the expenditure was for estuarial (a) ports and (b) cities, of a similar size and location to Hull. [155386]

  Mr. Hill
  [holding answer 26 March 2001]: The question relates to operational matters on the Trunk Road in Hull. I have accordingly asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Mr. Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Tim Matthews to Mr. Kevin McNamara, dated 29 March 2001:

  The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on expenditure by the Highways Agency in Hull.

  In broad terms the Agency has spent £ 7.631m over the past five years on routine maintenance and small-scale improvements on the A63 and A1033 in Kingston upon Hull including preparation work for the A1033 Hedon Road Improvement. This expenditure is split over the last 5 years as follows:

  Financial year

  £ million

  1996–97

  0.177

  1997–98

  1.134

  1998–99

  1.551

  1999–2000

  1.943

  2000–01

  2.826

  Total

  7.631

  The Agency allocates its resources on the basis of need and in accordance with the objectives laid down in our Business Plan as agreed with Ministers. I regret that since information is not held by the Agency in a format that allows comparison with other estuarial ports and cities of similar size to Hull, I am not able to supply this.

  As to the future, the Agency's recently produced Business Plan for 2001/02 places a continuing emphasis on maintenance with an increase in resources over the next 3 years. Also, construction will shortly begin on the Hedon Road Improvement at an estimated cost of £53m. Construction will take place over a 2½ year period.

  In addition to this, work is underway on the Hull East-West Corridor Multi-Modal Study. Led by the Government Office Yorkshire and Humberside the study will develop a sustainable and

  Year

  Nature of work

  1997–98 (from I May)

  Survey on home composting1

  Research on effectiveness of proposed publicity for London Government Referendum2

  1998–99

  None

  1999–2000

  Research on awareness of abolition of leaded petrol1

  2000–01 (to date)

  Bus passenger satisfaction survey1

  DETR (Central) staff attitudes survey1,2

  1 Quantitative

  2 Qualitative

  Total planned expenditure on all these projects will reach £282,974 (excluding VAT) by the end of April 2001. Several projects involve both qualitative and quantitative research and it is not always possible to
  738W
  integrated plan to address the problems on the A63/A1033 through Kingston upon Hull and its surrounding area. Amongst the matters being considered are measures that will:

  Reduce congestion on the A63/A1033

  Improve the economic viability of the Port of Hull and the use of the route as part of the E20 Trans European Corridor

  Facilitate, where possible, economic growth and regeneration in Kingston upon Hull and East Riding

  Reduce the environmental problems along the route (in particular noise and air quality).

  The study is due to report in Autumn 2001 and its findings will be taken forward to the Regional Planning Body for their consideration in the first instance. Any proposals may subsequently go forward as candidates for programme entry.

  Should you require any further information, please contact the Area Manager for this part of the Network, John Bagley at our Leeds office, on 0113 283 6495.

  Road Signs
  Mr. Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent survey his Department has undertaken on the standards, upkeep and adequacy of road signs in the United Kingdom; and if he will make a statement. [155964]

  Mr. Hill
  My Department is not responsible for roads other than those in England. We have not surveyed English roads for which the Secretary of State is not the highway authority, as these are the responsibility of local government. The Highways Agency carries out regular inspections of the condition of traffic signs on trunk roads and trunk road motorways, in accordance with the departmental standard for sign maintenance, which has recently been updated. The new standard is based more on the actual visual performance and effectiveness of the signs than the previous version, and is less reliant on subjective judgments.

  Opinion Polling
  Mr. St. Aubyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what(a) quantitative and (b) qualitative analytical work his Department has commissioned from GGC/NOP since 1 May 1997; and what was (i) the cost of the contract and (ii) the specific nature of the work commissioned. [155660]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth [holding answer 28 March 2001]
  The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Central) has commissioned the following research projects from NOP Market Research Group Ltd. and NOP Solutions since 1 May 1997:

  separate out the costs of these two elements. However, £252,624 of the total was spent on mostly quantitative research and £30,350 on mostly qualitative.
  739W
  DETR contracts like these are let through competitive tendering, in compliance with Treasury rules. In order to protect DETR's ability to purchase services at best value through the competitive tendering process we do not usually publish costs of individual contracts.

  Vacant Dwellings
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many vacant domestic dwellings there are in the UK. [155990]

  Mr. Robert Ainsworth
  The latest available information, based on data supplied by local authorities in their annual Housing Investment Programme returns, indicates that 763,900 residential properties were vacant in England on 1 April 2000. A level of vacancy is a usual feature of the housing market, reflecting turnover and movement within the stock.

  I refer the hon. Member to the Secretaries of State for Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland for equivalent information in those countries.

  Roadside Emissions Equipment
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provision he is making for the testing of roadside emissions equipment and for the training of its operators. [155673]

  Mr. Hill
  Roadside exhaust emissions testing is already carried out by personnel from the Department's Vehicle Inspectorate. They are fully trained to carry out this work and use the same specification equipment for testing as that which is used in MOT testing stations.

  We plan to extend the power to carry out roadside exhaust emissions checks to local authorities which have declared Air Quality Management Areas designated under section 83 of the Environment Act 1995. We hope that this will be possible from April 2002, and we plan to consult further with interested parties on detailed issues such as training of personnel over this next few months.

  Lead Shot
  Mr. Burgon
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the Lead Shot Legislation (England) Review Group will report; and what plans the Government have to take forward the group's recommendations. [156402]

  Mr. Meacher
  I have just received the report from the Lead Shot Legislation (England) Review Group. The report is the unanimous view of the organisations represented on the Group. The recommendations include proposals for some changes to the Schedules to the Lead Shot Legislation and my Department will shortly be carrying out a consultation exercise on the recommendations.

  Civil Aviation Authority
  Shona Mclsaac
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will issue directions to the Civil Aviation Authority under section 66 of the Transport Act 2000; and if he will make a statement. [156438]
  740W
  Mr. Prescott
  Following consultation with the Secretary of State for Defence, I have today given directions to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in respect of their conduct of their air navigation functions under Chapter III of Part I of the Transport Act 2000. The directions set out how the CAA is to:organise the Directorate of Airspace Policy
  consult and liaise with military and civil providers of air traffic services and with airspace users, and
  mitigate the environmental impact of air operations, and
  charge the CAA, inter alia, with procuring the provision of a Lower Airspace Radar Service (LARS) in UK airspace and with ensuring the provision of an aeronautical information service.

  I have placed copies of the directions in the Library of the House.

  The Secretary of State for Defence and I regard airspace policy as a crucial component of the joint and integrated provision of air traffic services, to which the Government attach considerable importance. We intend, therefore, to agree together on:
  the appointment of the Director of Airspace Policy, who will be the member of the CAA nominated under section 66(3) of the Act;
  the content of any future direction to the CAA under section 66(1) or 68(3) of the Act.

  The member of the CAA with national security responsibility under section 67 of the Act is nominated by the Secretary of State for Defence and appointed by me.

  Smoking (Taxis)
  Ms Blears
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he has reached a decision following his consultation paper on smoking in taxis issued in October 1999. [156640]

  Mr. Hill
  I have given careful thought to all the responses received and, while recognising the merits of the arguments put forward for all the options proposed, I have decided that on balance the case is not sufficiently strong to make a commitment for legislation to prohibit smoking in taxis in some way when parliamentary time permits. I am satisfied that the present voluntary approach whereby taxi drivers have the choice of asking passengers not to smoke for the most part works satisfactorily and accordingly should continue.

  Train Protection Systems
  Mr. Quinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when the joint inquiry report into train protection systems chaired by Lord Cullen and Professor Uff is expected to report. [156641]

  Mr. Hill
  The report is being published today by the Health and Safety Commission. Copies are being placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Local Government
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects to publish proposals for the use of the powers contained in section 16 of the Local Government Act 1999; and if he will make a statement. [156699]
  741W
  Ms Armstrong
  I have today published "Working with Others to Achieve Best Value: A Consultation Paper on Changes to the Legal Framework to Facilitate Partnership Working". This sets out proposals to provide new partnership powers to local councils under section 16 of the Local Government Act 1999. Copies have been placed in the Library of the House.

  The proposals are designed to encourage innovative partnerships with the private, voluntary and public sectors under Best Value and ultimately the delivery of better local services for all. They will give councils a toolkit of partnership powers to use in the pursuit of Best Value service delivery.

  To encourage joint working, the new powers will allow councils to provide grants, loans and guarantees, and to second or loan staff to and from anyone in the public, private and voluntary sectors in the pursuit of Best Value public services. The proposed new powers will allow councils to pool budgets and take the lead role in commissioning goods and service.

  The proposals will also provide council with a general power to form and participate in corporate bodies and to allow delegation of their functions to council-controlled companies. The proposals published today will extend the circumstances in which councils can supply the full range of goods and services to partners, whether in the public or private sectors.

  In the case of waste management, these new powers will remove the current requirements which force councils to either divest to the private sector or transfer to "arms' length" the agency that provides this service. Councils will be allowed to determine whatever method of service delivery provides Best Value, including keeping those services in-house.

  The closing date for comments on the consultation exercise is 25 May 2001. It is intended that Draft Orders will be laid before Parliament following the conclusion of the consultation exercise.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Promotional Campaigns
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 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. [153421]

  Mr. Wilson
  [holding answer 12 March 2001]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Bath (Mr. Foster) on 8 March 2001, Official Report, columns 278–79W. This sets out expenditure incurred by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  The FCO's only Executive Agency is Wilton Park, which organises conferences on international themes. It has conducted no promotional advertising or other promotional campaigns in the past five years.
  742W
  The FCO has responsibility for a total of six Executive non-departmental public bodies: the British Council, British Association for Central and Eastern Europe, Westminster Foundation for Democracy, Britain-Russia Centre, Great Britain-China Centre and the Marshall Aid Commemoration Commission. Aside from routine advertising in the domestic press for recruitment purposes, none of these organisations has undertaken promotional campaigns in the United Kingdom in the past five years.

  Palestinian Authority
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance he has provided to Chairman Arafat in seeking to control the violence in the Palestinian Authority. [155756]

  Clare Short
  I have been asked to reply.

  We do not provide any assistance to Chairman Arafat in order to control the violence in the Palestinian Authority.

  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make representations to Chairman Arafat regarding action by the Palestinian Authority against Force 17. [155620]

  Mr. Wilson
  The British Government continue to urge both Israel and the Palestinian Authority to take immediate parallel steps to address the current crisis. We expect both parties to insist on restraint and disciplined behaviour by their military and security personnel and to restrain activities by extremists.

  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the percentage of Palestinians in the(a) West bank and (b) Gaza strip living under the auspices of the Palestinian Authority. [155757]

  Mr. Wilson
  Areas of the Occupied Territories for which the Palestinian Authority has civil powers and responsibilities (c. 40 per cent. of the West bank and c. 70 per cent. of the Gaza strip) encompass approximately 95 per cent. of Palestinians in the West bank and all Palestinians in the Gaza strip. These figures do not take account of the Palestinian population of East Jerusalem which also remains under Israeli military occupation (c.210,000—according to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics 1997 census).

  Macedonia
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British soldiers will be involved in NATO peacekeeping duties in Macedonia. 1155016]

  Mr. Vaz
  NATO has no mandate for peacekeeping operations in Macedonia. Some 31 British troops are based in Macedonia as a National Support element in KFOR (Rear).

  Parliamentary Questions
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the average response time for answering parliamentary written questions in his Department is; and how many responses have taken more than 24 working days in the last 12 months. [155135]
  743W
  Mr. Robin Cook
  My Department aims to answer all ordinary written parliamentary questions within five working days and as many named day written parliamentary questions as possible on the day named. The information required to provide the average response time for all written questions could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In the last 12 months, the FCO took more than 24 days to respond to only three questions out of a total of more than 1,300 written questions answered.

  Middle East Peace Process
  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he next plans to meet representatives of the Israeli Government and Palestinian Authority to discuss the United Kingdom's role in assisting the peace process. [155448]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Government are in frequent contact with Israeli and Palestinian representatives to discuss the situation in the middle east, as well as bilateral issues. I met Nabil Sha'ath, Palestinian Minister for Planning and International Co-operation, in London on 20 March. The Foreign Secretary spoke to Shimon Peres, Israeli Foreign Minister on 21 March. We continue to urge both parties to take steps to resume contacts, rebuild confidence and restart negotiations. We will remain in frequent contact at all levels, acting on our commitment to do all we can to bring about a just comprehensive and lasting peace in the middle east.

  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Palestinian Authority regarding the threat posed to the peace process by Hamas. [155450]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Government condemn all acts of violence in the middle east and call on both parties to take immediate parallel steps to address the current crisis. We are in regular contact with the Palestinian Authority and the Government of Israel, and urge, them to resume security co-operation and to do all in their power to end violence, restrain extremism and minimise incitement and provocations.

  Morocco
  Mr. Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to alter his policy on arms exports to Morocco; and if he will make a statement.[155732]

  Mr. Wilson
  All applications to export, to Morocco, goods on the Military List, which forms Part III of Schedule 1 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order 1994 (as amended) are assessed against the consolidated European Union and national arms export licensing criteria, as are such applications for any country. All such applications are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking account of all available information at the time.

  Iran
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Iran regarding the eligibility of members of the Christian, Bahai and Jewish faiths holding senior national positions in that country. [155760]
  744W
  Mr. Wilson
  We and our EU partners regularly raise concerns over human rights issues in Iran, particularly those affecting religious minorities. The Iranian authorities are fully aware that we and our EU partners consider discrimination on religious grounds to be intolerable. Christians and Jews (but not Bahais) have their own representatives in the Majles.

  European Councils
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the forthcoming business in the Council of the European Union for April and the major European Union events for the period between 30 April and September. [156543]

  Mr. Vaz
  To date we have received the detailed agendas for the following Council meetings in April:

  4–5: Transport and Telecommunications Council—Luxembourg

  1. Adoption of the provisional agenda.

  2. Approbation of the list of "A" items.

  Telecommunications

  3. Proposal for a Directive on a common regulatory framework for electronic communications networks and services—political agreement.

  4. Proposal for a Directive on access to, and interconnection of, electronic communications networks and associated facilities—political agreement.

  5. Proposal for a Directive on the authorisation of electronic communications networks and services—political agreement.

  6. Proposal for a Directive on universal service and users' rights relating to electronic communications networks and services—progress report.

  7. Proposal for a Regulation on the implementation of Internet Top Level Domain ".EU"—common orientation.

  8. Proposal for a Directive amending Directive 97/67/EC with regard to further opening to competition of Community postal services—information from the Presidency.

  9. Commission Communication on the introduction of third generation mobile communication (3G) in the European Union: state of play and the way forward—presentation by the Commission.

  10. eEurope Action Plan 2002.

  (a) Report—information from the Commission.

  (b) Network security—information from the Presidency/ Commission.

  Horizontal transport issues

  11. (poss.) Commission communication on a revised strategy for the common transport policy ("White Paper")—presentation by the Commission.

  12. (poss.) Proposal for amending the decision 1692/96/EC on guidelines for Trans-European Networks for transport (general revision)—presentation by the Commission.

  13. Strategy for integrating environment and sustainable mobility into the transport policy (Cardiff/Helsinki follow-up)— Council resolution.

  14. Galileo—Council resolution.

  Air transport

  15. Aviation and environment: ICAO regulations for gaseous and noise emissions—common approach for the ICAO Assembly.

  16. Aviation safety: Proposal for a Regulation establishing common rules in the field of civil aviation safety and setting up of a European Aviation Safety Authority (EASA)—progress report and policy debate.
  745W
  17. Montreal Convention on Air carrier liability:

  —decision for conclusion of this Convention by the Community.

  —Council conclusions on the ratification process of the Convention.

  —progress report on the draft regulation (amendment of Reg. 2027/97).

  Land transport

  18. Proposal for a Regulation on action by member states concerning public service requirements and the award of public service contracts in passenger transport by rail, road and inland waterway—progress report and policy debate.

  19. Proposal for a Regulation on certain rules concerning the control of drivers engaged by road transport operators established in the EU when carrying out with Community vehicles intra-Community transport operations (third country drivers)—common orientation.

  20. Proposal for a Directive on a transport system of harmonised rules for driving restriction on heavy goods vehicles involved on international transport on designated roads (weekend bans)—common orientation.

  21. Proposal for amending Directive 91/671/EEC on compulsory use of safety belts, including compulsory use of type-approved child restraint systems—common orientation.

  22. Commission Recommendation on the maximum permitted blood alcohol level for vehicle drivers—Council conclusions.

  23. Proposal for amending directive 96/53/EC on weights and dimensions of heavy vehicles—5 meter buses—common position.

  Shipping

  24. Maritime safety—second package:

  —Directive on the establishment of a Community system for the monitoring and control of and information on maritime traffic.

  —Regulation concerning the creation of a fund for compensation in the case of oil pollution in European waters and the adoption of related measures.

  Regulation setting up a European agency for maritime safety.

  —Policy debate.

  Other business

  8–10: Brussels—General Affairs Council

  8–10: Ostersund—Agriculture Council (Informal)

  20–22: Malmo—ECOFIN

  24–25: Brussels—Agriculture Council

  25–26: Brussels—Fisheries Council

  26–28: Lund Internal Market, Consumers and Tourism Council (Informal).

  No agendas for the above are available at present.

  The following are the principal events in the EU between 1 May and September 2001 (certain relevant events are also included: the table is based on the information available at the date of issue).

  Date

  Location

  Principal events

  May

  5–6

  Brussels

  Gymnich

  7

  Brussels

  ECOFIN Council

  7

  Brussels

  Employment and Social Council (possible)

  14–15

  Brussels

  General Affairs Council

  14–15

  Brussels

  Industry and Energy Council

  22–23

  Brussels

  Agriculture Council

  28–29

  Brussels

  Justice and Home Affairs Council

  28

  Brussels

  Education and Youth Council

  30

  Brussels

  Development Council

  31

  Brussels

  Health Council

  746W

  Date

  Location

  Principal events

  June

  5

  Brussels

  ECOFIN Council

  5

  Brussels

  Internal market/Consumer Council

  7–8

  Brussels

  Environment Council

  11–12

  Brussels

  General Affairs Council

  11

  Brussels

  Employment/Social Affairs Council

  15–16

  Gothenberg

  European Council

  18

  Brussels

  Fisheries Council (possible)

  19–20

  Brussels

  Agriculture Council

  19

  Brussels

  ECOFIN Council (possible)

  21

  Brussels

  Culture Council

  25–26

  Brussels

  General Affairs Council

  26

  Brussels

  Research Council

  27–28

  Brussels

  Transport/Telecommunications Council

  July

  6–7

  Brussels

  Informal Employment and Social Affairs Council

  10

  Brussels

  ECOFIN Council

  13–14

  Brussels

  Regional Territories Council (Informal)?

  16–17

  Brussels

  General Affairs Council

  16–17

  Brussels

  General Affairs Council

  20

  Brussels

  Budget Council

  23–24

  Brussels

  Agriculture Council

  August

  1—

  1—

  Septembe

  8–9

  Brussels

  Gymnich

  14–16

  Brussels

  Environment and Transport Council (Informal)

  16–18

  Brussels

  Agriculture (Ministerial Informal)

  22–23

  Brussels

  ECOFIN (Informal)

  24–25

  Brussels

  Agriculture Council

  27–28

  Brussels

  Justice and Home Affairs Council

  1There are no Councils scheduled for August

  Belize
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice the High Commission in Mize has given to British businesses there as to the legality of their use of call-back services when telephoning the UK; and if he will make a statement. [155056]

  Mr. Battle
  The High Commission has not been asked by British business to advise on the legality of using call-back services when telephoning the UK.

  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the UK authorities have made to the Chairman of Belize Telecoms about his threat to withdraw telephone services from the British High Commission and others in Belize; what has been his response; and if he will make a statement. [155059]

  Mr. Battle
  The High Commissioner in Belmopan has been in correspondence with the Chairman of Belize Telecommunications Ltd. and has pointed out that it would constitute an unlawful act if BTL were to cease to provide telephone services to the High Commission because of the disagreement about the legality of the High Commission's use of call-back services. The Belizean Government would be obliged under the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations to ensure that normal service is resumed if the High Commission's telephone services were cut off in these circumstances.

  The Chairman of BTL has responded reiterating BTL's claim that the use of call-back services is illegal.
  747W
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affair; what contact there has been between Interoute (UK) Ltd. and the UK authorities about its right to offer its commercial services to clients and potential clients in Belize; and if he will make a statement. [155058]

  Mr. Battle
  None directly. In October 2000, Interoute sent a promotional leaflet to the High Commission in Belmopan. The High Commission circulated it as part of its normal activities in support of UK business, and informed Interoute of this action.

  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the dispute between Belize Telecom and the British High Commission in Belize has been resolved; and if he will make a statement. [155055]

  Mr. Battle
  It has not yet been resolved. The British High Commission (BHC) in Belmopan has been in correspondence with the.Chairman of Belize Telecommunications Ltd. (BTL) The latest position is that BTL stands by its claim that the use of call-back services by the BHC is illegal. They are insisting that the BHC stop using call-back services and have raised the question of compensation. BTL have claimed that they are not obliged to maintain telephone services to subscribers who use call-back services.

  The BHC believed the call-back services represented good value for money. The BHC is clear that the use of call-back services is lawful, and that any action by BTL to terminate its telephone services in these circumstances would itself be unlawful.

  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what has been the saving to the British High Commission in Belize from its use of call-back services; what has been the cost of its dispute with Belize Telecoms; if this cost is recoverable from the company; and if he will make a statement. [155060]

  Mr. Battle
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to his question on 25 January 2001,Official Report, column 662W, on the savings issue. We do not hold details of the number of man-hours used to deal with this matter. To date no other costs have been incurred.

  We estimate that the cost of the loss of call-back services to the High Commission would be in the region of £10,000 per year.

  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the British High Commission in Belize by companies and others seeking to use call-back services when telephoning the UK; and if he will make a statement. [155057]

  Mr. Battle
  A very small number of representations have been received by the High Commission. The High Commission has described its understanding of the situation and has recommended that companies and others take their own legal advice.

  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what legal proceedings have arisen from the dispute between Belize Telecom and the British High Commission in Belize; and if he will make a statement. [155054]
  748W
  Mr. Battle
  No legal proceedings have been instigated by the High Commission in Belmopan. Neither are we aware of any being taken by Belize Telecommunications Ltd.

PRIME MINISTER

  Ilisu Dam
  Mr. Austin
  To ask the Prime Minister what representations he has received from the World Archaeological Congress regarding Hasankeyf and the Ilisu Dam; and if he will make a statement. [146852]

  The Prime Minister
  [pursuant to my answer, 2 February 2001, c. 331W]: I have received a letter from the President of the World Archaeological Congress. My right hon. Friend, the Minister for Trade, replied to the President's letter.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Holding Centre Report
  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will publish the eighth annual report of the Independent Commissioner for the Holding Centre. [156482]

  Dr. Reid
  I have today arranged for copies of Dr. Bill Norris' Annual Report for 2000 to be placed in the Library of both Houses.

  I welcome Dr. Norris' Report and I will consider it carefully. I will respond as soon as possible.

  Crime Reduction
  Mr. Pond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to reduce crime in Northern Ireland. [156481]

  Mr. Ingram
  A number of significant steps have recently been taken to reduce crime in Northern Ireland, including my announcements last week of a strategy to tackle organised crime, a small business security grant scheme available from early April, and the introduction of Banknote Watch, an initiative aimed at providing enhanced security for the cash-in-transit industry.

  In addition, I have now decided to introduce specific crime reduction targets to address volume crime in Northern Ireland. After careful consideration I have set the following three targets to be achieved over a five year period: 15 per cent. reduction in domestic burglary; a 10 per cent. reduction in vehicle thefts; and a 10 per cent. reduction in theft from vehicles.

  Baselines will be set during 2001–02 and the reductions sought over the following five years. The Government are committed over the same period to achieving a reduction in the rate of increase of overall crime.

  These targets are tailored to the specific circumstances of Northern Ireland. Research has indicated that these crimes, which between them account for over 20 per cent. of all recorded crime, are the crimes of greatest concern to the general public.
  749W
  These targets will not be for the police alone to deliver. Experience has shown that the most effective way to tackle crime is for agencies to come together in a partnership-based approach. We shall be discussing with the First and Deputy First Ministers how the necessary partnerships might best be delivered.

  While Northern Ireland has experienced a relatively low rate of crime compared to other jurisdictions, this initiative demonstrates that the Government are not complacent and that we continue to take the steps necessary to tackle this issue. Crime and the fear of crime affect everyone's quality of life and must be addressed in a robust and effective way.

  Remembrance Memorial
  Siobhain McDonagh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Government's provision of a national memorial in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the service of the Crown during the course of the Northern Ireland troubles. [156480]

  Dr. Reid
  A memorial, to be known as the Ash Grove Memorial, has been sited within the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas in Staffordshire. The memorial takes the form of a grove of ash trees, at the centre of which is a circle of six large boulders, quarried from each of the six counties in Northern Ireland. These boulders encase a granite monolith which will bear the inscription:

  IN MEMORIAM
  In grateful memory of the men and women of the Royal Ulster Constabulary, the Royal Ulster Constabulary Reserve,the Armed Forces and other organisations in the service of the Crown who have laid down their lives in the cause of peace in Northern Ireland 1969–2001
ADVOCATE-GENERAL

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Alasdair Morgan
  To ask the Advocate-General for Scotland when she will reply to question 147384 tabled on 23 January in relation to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers (Scotland) Bill. [155129]

  The Advocate-General
  I replied to the hon. Member on 21 March 2001,Official Report, column 270W.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Food Safety
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the President of the Council if she will make a statement on the current work undertaken by the Ministerial Group on Food Safety. [141642]

  Ms Stuart
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Ministerial Group on Food Safety was dissolved on 9 November 1999. The Food Standards Agency advises the Government on food safety and standards matters. The agency is a non-ministerial department accountable to Parliament through Health Ministers.
  750W
  The agency has as its main objective in discharging its functions the protection of public health and the interests of consumers in relation to food.

HEALTH

  Drugs Dispensing
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions he has had with the pharmaceutical industry concerning the cost of drugs to(a) consumers and (b) the NHS following the requirement to dispense drugs in blister packs.[144761]

  Ms Stuart
  No medicines are legally required only to be dispensed or sold in blister packs. The type of packaging used for medicines is a commercial decision for the manufacturer concerned, provided the quality and safety of the product are maintained. The Department for Health has frequented discussions with representatives of the pharmaceutical industry and those discussions have on occasions included Issues relating to the packaging of medicines.

  Haemophiliacs
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if value-added tax is chargeable on(a) supplies of recombinant factor VIII for the treatment of haemophiliacs and (b) supplies of conventionally produced factor VIII; what representations he has made to HM Treasury in respect of charging VAT on these substances; on what date he made those representations; and what response ho has received. [146958]

  Mr. Denham
  Value Added Tax is a matter for Her Majesty's Treasury Ministers. The United Kingdom exempts from VAT whole human blood and components and derivatives of human blood such as human Factor VIII fraction, when used for therapeutic purposes. Synthetic 'blood' products such as those of animal origin or genetically engineered products are not exempt from VAT. In November 1996, this decision was upheld by a tribunal. Given that a judgment has been made, we have not asked HM Treasury to reconsider this matter.

  Animal Feed
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice the Food Standards Agency has provided to the Government on the scientific justification for a ban in the United Kingdom on the use of fishmeal in animal feed. [146405]

  Ms Stuart
  The chairman of the Food Standards Agency advised my right hon. Friend the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food that the agency did not see an immediate human health risk from the use in animal feed of fish meal and certain animal material. Nor was there a need on purely public health grounds to launch a major recall scheme for feeds containing fish meal and the other material, although their use should be phased out as soon as practicable.

  Meat Imports
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assumptions about French BSE controls underlay the advice from the Food Standards Agency on French beef imports. [144316]

  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 8 January 2001]: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that its advice on French imports was based on the assumptions given in Dr. Christl Donnelly's study published in "Nature" on 13 December 2000. These were that if the over-30-months (OTM) rule is fully enforced there is virtually no risk from French beef imported to Britain. If the OTM rule is only 75 per cent. enforced then risks posed by British and French meat sold in the United Kingdom would be comparable. The FSA estimates that enforcement levels in the UK are above 75 per cent. This allows for the fact that there may have been under-reporting of BSE cases in France and that the French feed ban may not have been fully effective until late 2000.

  Inspection missions to member states are carried out by the European Commission's Food and Veterinary Office (FVO). An additional programme of urgent FVO missions is currently under way to all member states. France was visited in the week beginning 4 December 2000. The report of the mission will be published in due course in line with normal practice.

  In advising on the safety of French beef imports, the FSA has made clear that it keeps the position under constant review, taking account of the latest available scientific and other information. This will include the outcome of the FVO inspection mission to France once it is available.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of imported cattle carcases are individually checked for specified risk material contamination. [147857]

  Ms Stuart
  Imported cattle careases are generally
  checked for the presence of specified risk material (SRM) on a targeted basis. Imports from other parts of the European Union (EU) are checked by the Meat Hygiene Service at licensed meat plants in Great Britain, or by local authorities at other meat plants. Imports from non-EU countries are checked at border inspection posts, where checks in all cases are made of the accompanying veterinary certificate (declaring that SRM has been removed) and where a sample of consignments are in addition subject to physical checks. Only imports from Australia and New Zealand are exempt from these requirements under the Specified Risk Materials Order 1997.

  The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has advised that the checks should be proportionate to the risk. Recently, and as a response to the identification of SRM in imported beef from Germany and the Netherlands, the MHS has been instructed by the FSA to check 100 pet cent. of carcase beef imports from Germany at GB meat plants. The MHS has also been required to give special attention to imports from abattoirs in other countries from which previous consignments of beef with SRM attached were imported.

  The FSA has also instructed the MHS to step up the level of checks on imported meat, in recognition of the likely increase in the volume of imports, due to the effects of the foot and mouth disease crisis on domestic supplies.
  752W
  Mr. Cawsey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he has taken following the discovery of spinal cord in imported beef from other EU countries. [149915]

  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what investigations he has carried out into the presence of spinal cords in beef imported into the UK from Germany; what the findings were of those investigations; and if he will make a statement. [150222]

  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to stop the import of meat that contains specified risk material; and if he will make a statement. [155296]

  Ms Stuart
  The Government are advised on matters of food safety by the Food Standards Agency (FSA).

  Controls on specified risk materials (SRM), such as spinal cord, are a crucial part of the protection of United Kingdom consumers against BSE, and the UK has had rules requiring the removal and safe disposal of SRM for several years. New, harmonised European-wide SRM controls were introduced with effect from 1 October 2000. Responsibility for ensuring that SRM controls are being enforced by all member states lies with the European Commission, which is currently carrying out inspection missions to all member states to check on this.

  Where consignments of beef imported into the UK have been found with SRM attached, the issue has been taken up vigorously with the European Commission, and with the authorities of the member states involved—Germany, the Netherlands, Spain and Italy. The FSA policy is to press for plant closures if evidence suggests that there is a system failure. It is for the national authorities to review the inspection systems at the abattoirs concerned, and three abattoirs, two in Germany and one in the Netherlands, have had their operating licences suspended by their relevant authorities until they can guarantee that no more contaminated meat will come into circulation on the market. The FSA has also instructed the Meat Hygiene Service (MHS) (and its counterpart in Northern Ireland) to inspect every consignment of carcase beef imported from Germany to licensed meat plants in the UK, and all consignments from the other overseas abattoirs concerned. Reports from the MHS show that the large majority of consignments of imported beef have had the SRM properly removed. In addition, local authorities have been advised to check all consignment of imported carcase beef from Germany at meat plants under their supervision.

  Smoking
  Dr. Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent and is allocated to be spent in England on specialist advice and support in the NHS for smokers wanting to quit in(a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02. [153439]

  Yvette Cooper
  Details of allocation and expenditure are shown in the table.

  £ million

  Health action zones

  Health authorities

  Allocation Total

  Total Expenditure

  1999–2000

  10

  0

  10

  5.0

  2000–01

  10

  10

  20

  16.1

  2001–02

  10

  10

  20

  N/A

  1April to September (Figures for October to March not available)

  753W
  The table shows investment in National Health Service smoking cessation support services. In 2001–02 health authorities have been given additional resources to fund the new smoking cessation aid, Zyban, and Nicotine Replacement Therapy on NHS prescription.

  Research has confirmed that complex services such as cessation services take time to establish. As a result the total allocation was not spent in the first year. The remainder was carried over for expenditure on the services during the following year.

  NHS Trusts (Shropshire)
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what savings in administration have been made by each NHS trust in Shropshire since 1 May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [154657]

  Yvette Cooper
  Individually and collectively the National Health Service trusts in Shropshire have achieved real terms savings in management costs. The three acute trusts are all in the upper quartile for achieving management costs efficiency for the West Midlands region.

  A comparison of the 1997–98 baseline management cost position with the 1999–2000 accounts figure deflated to 1997–98 levels, shows real term savings of:

  NHS Trust

  £000

  Royal Shrewsbury Hospital

  103

  Princess Royal Hospital

  25

  Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt

  112

  Shropshire's Community and Mental Health'

  656

  Total

  896

  1 The high level of savings from Shropshire's Community and Mental Health NHS trust is due to the merger of two trusts.

  Source:

  West Midlands Regional Office

  Overhead Power Lines
  Ms Keeble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the reported links between electricity pylons and childhood leukaemia. [153635]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 22 March 2001]: The Department obtains advice on potential health risks associated with electromagnetic fields (EMF) from the National Radiological Protection Board (NRPB). In a report published on 6 March the NRPB's advisory group on non-ionising radiation has provided an assessment of the potential risks of cancer from extremely low frequency EMFs, (documents of the NRPB Vol. 12, No 1, 2001) and copies have been placed in the Library.

  The report states that
  "there is some epidemiological evidence that prolonged exposure to higher levels of power frequency magnetic fields is associated with a small risk of leukaemia in children. In practice, such levels are seldom encountered by the general public in this country."

  The NRPB have calculated that this relates to about 0.5 per cent. of the total population.

  The board of the NRPB also published a response statement that can be found on the NRPB website www.nrpb.org.uk. The statement includes the following points. From the findings of the main study in this country
  754W
  (United Kingdom childhood cancer study) the higher levels of magnetic fields are not attributable solely to proximity to power lines. The conclusions of the report indicate that the question whether exposure to electromagnetic fields can influence the development of cancer cannot at present be completely resolved. The report made a number of specific research recommendations. The board also considers that the report provides no additional scientific evidence to require a change in exposure guidelines.

  The Department will consider carefully the recommendations of the NRPB and commission appropriate research in the light of that which is already under way. Current research includes Government-funded studies in this country and support for the multinational EMFs project set up and co-ordinated by the World Health Organisation.

  Drug Reviews
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) for how long the decision to prescribe beta interferons and copaxone for multiple sclerosis sufferers has been under review; [155613]

  (2) when NICE is expected to issue guidance on beta interferons and glat ramer acetate (copaxone). [155611]

  Mr. Denham
  We asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to conduct an authoritative appraisal of beta Intelferon and glatiramer acetate in August 1999. We expect NICE to produce its authoritative guidance on these drugs in November 2001, provided there are no appeals

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the same criteria of cost effectiveness applied to beta interferons and copaxone were applied in the appraisal of Orlistat for the treatment of obesity. [155612]

  Mr. Denham
  Guidance on how the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) should carry out its appraisals is contained in Annexe C of its framework document. The detailed application of the approach is a matter for NICE.

  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria are to be used in the economic modelling to measure the cost effectiveness of disease modifying MS drugs being assessed by NICE. [155585]

  Mr. Denham
  Detailed issues of the appraisal process are a matter for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). I understand that NICE is currently discussing additional economic modelling with relevant interested parties.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent representations he has received concerning the derision by NICE to delay issuing guidance on beta interferon and glatiramer acetate (copaxone). [155581]

  Mr. Denham
  On 22 December the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) announced that it was extending the time scale for its appraisal of beta interferon and glatiramer acetate to enable further modelling to be undertaken on their cost effectiveness. Since that date my Department's records indicate receipt of approximately 300 written representations from hon. Members, patient groups and the public about the current arrangements for
  755W
  prescribing and funding of beta interferon. I have also met representatives of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, the MS Research Trust and the Association of British Neurologists.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to ensure that common standards are applied for appraising drugs and treatments for the NHS. [155583]

  Mr. Denham
  We are setting common standards through the National Institute for Clinical Excellence.

  Multiple Sclerosis Drugs
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made in reducing local variations in prescription rates of disease modifying drugs for MS. [155582]

  Mr. Denham
  It is because there appeared to be genuine uncertainty over the appropriate use of beta interferon, which was reflected in different prescribing patterns across the country, that we asked the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) to conduct an authoritative appraisal of the evidence on disease-modifying drugs for multiple sclerosis. We expect NICE to produce its authoritative guidance in November, provided there are no appeals.

  Consultants
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many additional non-surgical cancer consultants are in post in the NHS in England; and how many were in post on the date of publication of the NHS Plan; [155408]

  (2) what the growth rate was in numbers of NHS consultants in England between (a) 1994 and 1997 and (b) 1997 and 1999, expressed as an annualised percentage rate; [155403]

  (3) if all cancer consultants appointed up to 2006 in the NHS, if trained in the United Kingdom, will have been in training before 1 May 1997; [155401]

  (4) what the percentage increase is in NHS consultants in England, expressed as an annualised percentage rate (a) between 1994 and 1997 and (b) between 1997 and the projected figure according to the targets set out in the NHS Plan for 2006; [155402]

  (5) what analysis his Department has made of trends in the rate of growth in consultant numbers in the period (a) 1997 to 2000 and (b) 1994 to 1997; [155404]

  (6) which Minister took the decision to include the figure of nearly 1,000 as the target for growth in numbers of non-surgical cancer consultants by 2006; [155407]

  (7) pursuant to his oral statement of 13 March 2001, Official Report, column 805, by what date the target of nearly 1,000 additional non-surgical cancer consultants by 2006 included in the NHS Plan will be met; and what advice he received from Professor Mike Richards on the prospects for meeting the target. [155396]

  Mr. Denham
  The NHS Cancer Plan was drawn up through extensive consultation with professionals and patients across the country, led by the National Cancer 756W
  Director, Professor Mike Richards. It states that the increases of 971 in the number of non-surgical cancer consultants will be achieved by 2006.

  The typical training period for these specialties is three to six years, so of those appointed through higher specialist training in the United Kingdom, virtually all will have entered higher specialist training after 1997.

  Consultant numbers increased by 4.2 per cent. per year between 1997 and 1999, and will increase by 7.2 per cent. per year over the NHS Plan period. Direct comparison with the period 1994 to 1997 would be misleading, because the method of data collection changed in 1995 when data were collected directly from National Health Service trusts for the first time.

  The number of non-surgical cancer consultants in posts in the NHS in England was 3,528 (at 30 September 2000) and the number in post on 30 September 1999 was 3,3621. This is an increase of 170.

  The NHS Cancer Plan states that there will be an increase of nearly 1,000 in the number of non-surgical cancer consultants by 2006.

  1 Source: Medical and Dental Workforce Census

  Primary Care Organisations
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if the additional £100 million a year allocated to primary care organisations in England will be taken from the existing budget of his Department. [155628]

  Mr. Denham
  In the recent Budget, the National Health Service in England received on average an additional £275 million per year for the next three years.

  £45 million of the £100 million announced to support general practitioners will come from this additional funding, with £55 million to be funded through existing provision for NHS expenditure.

  Cycling
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to encourage more people to switch from using cars to using bicycles for health reasons. [155462]

  Yvette Cooper
  Moderate intensity physical activity, such as walking and cycling, can significantly reduce the risk of developing coronary heart disease and stroke and other chronic diseases.

  We are taking action across Government to support physical activity, including cycling, working closely with the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The Department of Health is a member of the National Cycle Forum, convened by the DETR, which is working towards national targets for increasing rates of cycling, and the school travel advisory group, also set up by the DETR, which aims to increase cycling and walking to school.

  The National Service Framework for coronary heart disease requires that all National Health Service bodies working closely with local authorities will have agreed and be contributing to the delivery of local programmes of effective policies on increasing physical activity by

  757W
  April 2001. Guidance issued by the Health Development Agency identifies cycling as a recommended component of local programmes.

  The third stage of the safe and sound challenge was launched in December 2000. The scheme encourages children to walk or cycle to school along safe routes with cash prizes awarded to schools with the most innovative plans. This year safe and sound is offering schools in socially deprived areas the opportunity to develop healthy active modes of travel to school. This complements work being carried out through the national healthy school programme, which advocates a whole-school approach to health promotion, including encouraging cycling to school.

  Patient Forums
  Joan Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures will be put in place to ensure that patient forums will represent the diversity of the local population. [155908]

  Ms Stuart
  Subject to legislation, the members of a forum will be drawn equally from the trust's patients and local voluntary organisations. The independent National Health Service Appointments Commission will appoint the members of a forum according to selection criteria that will ensure membership reflects the nature of the local community which the forum serves.

  Abattoirs
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to make abattoirs responsible for meat inspection; and if he will make a statement. [155633]

  Ms Stuart
  [holding answer 27 March 2001]: I am advised by the Food Standards Agency (FSA) that the rules on meat inspection are prescribed by European Union legislation and any proposals to change those rules would need to be made by the European Commission (EC).

  No such proposal has yet been made by the EC, although an EC working document, made available by the FSA to interested organisations earlier this year, sets out some initial ideas on what might form the main elements of a future risk-based meat inspection system. Any legislative proposals that flow from this working document would be subject to formal public consultation in the United Kingdom, negotiations with and agreement by the member states, and both EU and UK Parliamentary scrutiny, before any changes could come into force.

  Correspondence
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) when the hon. Member for Broxbourne will receive a reply to her letters of 10 November 2000, 6 December 2000, 3 January and 1 February, relating to her constituent Mr. J. A. Barham of Cuffley; [149104]

  (2) when the hon. Member for Broxbourne will receive a substantive reply to her letters of 10 November 2000, 6 December 2000, 3 January and 1 February, and the written question replied to on 6 January relating to her constituent, Mr. J. A. Barham of Cuffley, Hertfordshire. [151679]
  758W
  Mr. Denham
  Replies to the hon. Member's letters were sent on 27 March 2001.

  Orlistat
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment was made of the long-term offset in savings for primary care resources prior to the issuing of NICE guidance on orlistat for the treatment of obesity. 155653]

  Mr. Denham
  The National Institute for Clinical Excellence recognised the link between obesity and other diseases, but concluded that the long-term savings from treating the obese with orlistat were impossible to estimate accurately

  Medical Devices Agency
  Mr. Efford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the key targets for 2001–2 for the Medical Devices Agency. [156548]

  Yvette Cooper
  We have agreed the Agency's key targets for 2001–02 and copies have been placed in the Library.

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT

  Teacher Shortages
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many child-days of education have been lost in(a) 2000 and (b) 2001 as a result of teacher shortages. [154154]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 16 March 2001]: This information is not held centrally.

  The small number of schools, of which my Department is aware, that have had to send any classes home temporarily during the last year have done so for a range of reasons including teacher sickness, adverse weather conditions and the effects of the foot and mouth epidemic. It is impossible to be sure of the effect that any teacher shortages alone have had.

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

  There was a growth of 2,300 in the number of people recruited to train is teachers between 1999–2000 and 2000–01, the first such increase since 1992–93.

  Teacher Recruitment
  Mr. Sawford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers were recruited to serve in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each of the past 10 years. [154390]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Teachers reported to DfEE as in service at the end of each financial year who were not in service at the end If the previous financial year for full,
  759W
  part-time and occasional posts in the maintained schools sector in England are as follows:

  Year

  Nursery/Primary

  Secondary

  FTE regular teachers in January each year Nursery/ primary and Secondary sectors

  1989–901

  19,000

  18,300

  385,700

  1990–911

  17,300

  17,300

  383,300

  1991–921

  17,000

  17,200

  383,200

  1992–931

  15,400

  16,900

  384,700

  1993–942

  15,600

  17,800

  378,900

  1994–95

  17,100

  19,400

  381,400

  1995–96

  16,600

  18,000

  381,500

  1996–97

  17,100

  18,400

  381,100

  1997–98

  17,300

  19,400

  379,700

  1998–99

  16,300

  19,000

  382,900

  1Includes Sixth Form Colleges.

  2Recruits for 1993–94 exclude teachers moving from a sixth form college to a maintained nursery, primary or secondary school.

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

  There was a growth of 2,300 in the number of people recruited to train as teachers between 1999–2000 and 2000–01, the first such increase since 1992–93.

  Teacher Retention
  Mr. St. Aubyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many teachers left the profession in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [155646]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Full-time and part-time teachers leaving the maintained schools sector in England for the last three years for which data are available.

  Financial year

  Leavers1

  Rate2

  1996–97

  33,150

  7.9

  1997–98

  34,250

  8.2

  1998–993,4

  27,570

  6.6

  1 Teachers leaving the maintained nursery, primary, secondary, special and PRU sector including those moving to the FE, HE or the independent schools sector. Teachers ret ring but then rejoining the maintained nursery, primary, secondary, special and PRU sector have not been included in the figures. Teachers retiring and then joining the FE, HE or the independent schools sector are included. Teachers barred from service and dying in service are included

  2Leavers expressed as a percentage of teachers in post at the start of the year shown

  3The number of teachers leaving on premature or ill-health retirement has now stabilised at a lower level, following the reform of the Teachers Pensions Scheme in 1997

  4Provisional

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

  There was a growth of 2,300 in the number of people training to be teachers between 1999–2000 and 2000–01, the first such increase since 1992–93
  760W
  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).

  Teacher Training
  Mr. St. Aubyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of those who started a teacher training course completed that course within the original timetable in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [155650]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  Information about the number of people who complete a teacher training course within the original timetable is not collected centrally.

  Special Schools
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment which local education authorities are currently reviewing their provision of special schools. [155677]

  Jacqui Smith
  A number of LEAs are currently reviewing their special needs provision. The prime aim of these reorganisations is to enhance and improve existing provision for all pupils with special educational needs. Many of these reviews will cover provision for children in mainstream schools, special units attached to mainstream schools and special schools. The overall population of pupils in special schools fell from 1.3 per cent. in 1991 to 1.2 per cent. in 1995 but has remained constant in the past six years with roughly 97,000 pupils. We do not envisage that this will change dramatically. The Department is aware that the following LEAs are currently reviewing their special school provision:Essex, Hertfordshire, Sandwell, Warwickshire, Peterborough, Cornwall, Gloucestershire, Devon, Blackburn, Cheshire, Knowsley, Lancashire, Manchester, Oldham, Sefton, Trafford, Lambeth, Tower Hamlets, Haringey, Harrow, Wokingham, Buckinghamshire, Reading, Greenwich, Oxfordshire, Richmond, Slough, Lewisham, Surrey, Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, North Yorkshire, City of York, Sheffield, Doncaster, Darlington, Gateshead, Hartlepool, Kirklees and the East Riding of Yorkshire.

  New Deal (Romsey)
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how much New Deal money has been received by Romsey constituents. [155860]

  Ms Jowell
  [holding answer 28 March 2001]: It is not possible to provide resource information for New Deals by constituency, as the Employment Service systems are not set up to allocate or monitor resources at constituency level. However, the total resource allocation for all New Deals in 2000–01 for the London and south-east region, which includes Romsey, was £134 million.

  Training
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will define(a) the future role of the Employment Service in providing work-based training for adults and (b) its relationship with the Learning and Skills Council. [155864]
  761W
  Ms Jowell
  [holding answer 28 March 2001]: From April work-based learning for adults, which is a programme designed to help unemployed people into work by equipping them with appropriate skills, becomes the responsibility of the Employment Service (ES). This transfer of responsibility will help achieve greater integration with the rest of the Welfare-to-Work agenda, and particularly the New Deal. The role of the ES will include contracting for, monitoring and evaluating the programme.

  The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) will become fully operational from 2 April 2001. It will be responsible for planning, funding and improving the quality of all post-16 learning up to university level, focusing particularly on providing the skills needed in the labour market. The LSC and the Employment Service will work together at national and local levels to plan provision for unemployed people to get the skills and qualifications they need to find and stay in work. The ES and LSC will share a common approach on such issues as the quality framework and inspection which will help reduce the burdens on training providers.

  More information is available in a number of publications issued to date about the role of the LSC, including the "Learning to Succeed" White Paper, the Learning and Skills Council Prospectus and the LSC Remit Letter. All of these are available via DfEE's website: www.dfee.gov.uk/post16.

  Departmental Policies (Newbury)
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment 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. [154571]

  Mr. Wills
  [holding answer 20 March 2001]: Outlined are details of the effects of a range of the Department's policies on the Newbury constituency and west Berkshire LEA.

  Beacon Schools

  There are three Beacon schools in west Berkshire:

  Type

  Start

  John Rankin

  Infant

  1 September 2000

  Stockcross CE

  Junior and Infant

  1 September 2000

  Downs School

  Foundation Secondary

  1 September 2000

  Specialist Schools

  There are six Specialist Schools in west Berkshire:

  School

  Specialism

  Start-September

  Trinity

  Arts

  2001

  Denefield

  Technology

  1994

  Kennet

  Technology

  2000

  Park House

  Sports

  1998

  Theale Green Community

  Arts

  1997

  Willink

  Language

  1996

  762W

  Infant class sizes-west Berkshire

  Revenue

  Capital

  1998–99

  0

  0

  1999–2000

  196,000

  984,226

  2000–01

  513,215

  165,376

  2001–02

  464,419

  0

  The September 2000 figure shows that there are now only 31 (0.8 per cent.) pupils remaining in infant class sizes of 31 or more. The figure in January 1997 was 672 (16.4 per cent.).

  Performance Indicators

  Key Stage 2 rest Its-pupils achieving level 4 and above

  Percentage

  2000

  1999

  1998

  1997

  English

  LEA

  79

  76

  72

  n/a

  England

  75

  71

  65

  63

  Maths

  LEA

  76

  74

  63

  n/a

  England

  72

  69

  59

  62

  Science

  LEA

  87

  85

  77

  n/a

  England

  85

  78

  69

  69

  GCSE/GNVQ results

  Percentage

  2000

  1999

  1998

  1997

  5+A*-C

  LEA average

  56.0

  56.8

  54.5

  n/a

  England average

  49.2

  47.9

  46.3

  45.1

  5+/A*-G

  LEA average

  93.8

  95.0

  94.8

  n/a

  England average

  88.9

  88.5

  87.5

  86.4

  No passes

  LEA average

  3.8

  3.4

  3.0

  n/a

  England average

  5.6

  6.0

  6.6

  7.7

  A/AS level, Advanced GNVQ

  Percentage

  2000

  1999

  1998

  1997

  Average points for 2 or more A/AS levels:

  LEA average

  17.8

  17.6

  16.3

  n/a

  England average

  18.5

  18.2

  17.8

  17.3

  A/AS average per entry:

  LEA average

  5.4

  5.6

  5.3

  n/a

  England average

  5.5

  5.5

  5.4

  5.3

  Average points score GNVQ:

  LEA average

  11.0

  10.0

  9.5

  n/a

  England average

  10.1

  9.9

  9.6

  n/a

  Pre-1998, west Berkshire was not a separate LEA, it was part of Berkshire LEA along with Bracknell Forest, Windsor and Maidenhead. Reading, Slough and Wokingham.

  Funding per pupil

  In west Berkshire LEA, funding per pupil has increased by 340 in real terms between 1997–98 and 2000–01.
  763W

  Capital Funding

  £000

  2001–02

  2000–01

  1999–2000

  1998–99

  1997–98

  ACG

  10

  2,651

  1,641

  536

  1,673

  SCA

  —

  1,657

  2,212

  5

  231

  NDS

  —

  2,031

  588

  626

  761

  VA Grant

  220

  61

  37

  27

  990

  Seed

  —

  126

  —

  —

  —

  PPP

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Formula Capital

  —

  1,199

  —

  —

  —

  NGFL

  —

  558

  260

  307

  —

  Science LABS

  132

  132

  —

  —

  —

  SSLU

  23

  26

  —

  —

  —

  Access at 85 per cent.

  232

  3

  —

  —

  —

  Security

  39

  56

  55

  47

  181

  Class size

  —

  766

  189

  —

  —

  Outside toilets

  —

  —

  —

  89

  —

  Energy efficiency

  —

  —

  —

  34

  —

  Assistance with AMP

  —

  —

  25

  —

  —

  Nursery provision

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Further Education

  Student numbers at all FEFC funded institutions where home postcode is in the local authority district of Newbury.

  1996–97 to 1999–2000

  16–18

  Adult

  Full-time

  Part-time

  Full-time

  Part-time

  FEFC funded

  1996–97

  872

  351

  414

  4,940

  1997–98

  790

  437

  333

  5,554

  1998–99

  727

  364

  345

  5,140

  1999–2000

  752

  382

  330

  6,259

  Non-FEFC funded

  1996–97

  48

  210

  93

  506

  1997–98

  54

  216

  57

  410

  1998–99

  40

  166

  65

  415

  1999–2000

  48

  295

  125

  3,943

  Modern Apprenticeships

  Since 2 May 1997, we know of 802 starts on Modern Apprenticeships in the Newbury and west Berkshire constituency (as at 31 December 2000). Broken down by financial year these are as follows:

  Final Year

  Foundation Modern Apprenticeships1

  Modern Advanced Apprenticeships2

  Total

  1997–98

  0

  131

  131

  1998–99

  27

  104

  131

  1999–2000

  156

  115

  271

  2000–013

  148

  121

  269

  Total

  331

  471

  807

  1 Foundation Modern Apprenticeships, formerly known as National Traineeships, were introduced nationally in September 1997.

  2Advanced Modern Apprenticeships, formerly known as ModernApprenticeships, were introduced nationally in September 1995

  3 To date

  Notes:

  1. The Trainee Database System (TDS), from which these data are taken, is less complete than Management Information supplied to the Department by Training and Enterprise Councils (TECs) (around 95 per cent.)
  764W
  2. In addition, the postcode information on the TDS, from which parliamentary constituency data are compiled, are 95 per cent. complete.

  3. TEC Management Information does not provide information at parliamentary constituency level.

  Source:

  WBTYP trainee database

  New Deal for Young People

  In the Newbury constituency, 172 young people have joined the New Deal to end December 2000. 93 have found jobs, 74 of which are sustained.

  Labour Market Statistics

  The working age employment rate in west Berkshire in autumn 2000 was 83.8 per cent., above the UK rate of 74.7 per cent. The rate in autumn 1997 was 79.9 per cent.

  The claimant unemployment rate has fallen from 1.8 per cent. in February 1997 to 0.7 per cent. in February 2001 in the Newbury constituency.

  Schools Resources (Romsey)
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will estimate the cash resources to be paid directly to schools in the Romsey constituency, by sector, in 2001-02; and if he will list the sums to be allocated to each school. [155884]

  Ms Estelle Morris
  The estimated amounts of School Standards Grant and devolved formula capital grant to be paid to schools in the Romsey constituency for 2001–02 are, for each sector:

  £

  School Standards Grant

  Devolved formula capital

  Nursery

  7,000

  6,876

  Primary

  580,000

  306,992

  Secondary

  514,000

  207,246

  Special

  88,000

  37,902

  Pupil Referral Units

  7,000

  6,092

  Amounts for individual schools cannot yet be listed as data from the Annual Schools Census have not yet been finalised. However, a typical primary school is expected

  765W
  to receive £24,000 in School Standards Grant and £9,750 in devolved formula capital grant; and a typical secondary school £70,000 and £28,500 respectively.

  Computers for Teachers
  Mr. Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has to continue the computers for teachers initiative. [156544]

  Mr. Wills
  We have now agreed further funding and secured a total of £50 million which will be available over the next three years. This unprecedented investment in personal access to ICT for teachers will enable many more teachers who want access to have it. It will enable around 70,000 more teachers to have subsidised computer purchases.

  I want to see a wider debate on the future strategy related to this scheme and so I am seeking views on the best way forward via a consultation. Anyone who would like to take part in the consultation can get a copy of the questionnaire on the CFT website (www.cft.ngfl.gov.uk) or by phoning the CFT consultation line (0870 241 4938). The main teaching associations will also be consulted.

  New Deal
  Mr. Salter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the extension of the New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People. [156638]

  Ms Jowell
  From 23 April 2001, partners of those receiving Income Support, Incapacity Benefit, Invalid Care Allowance and Severe Disablement Allowance will be eligible to participate in New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People. To reflect the wider group, from that date New Deal for Partners of Unemployed People will formally become New Deal for Partners.

  About 450,000 partners of existing long-term claimants of those benefits will become eligible with a further 80,000 partners becoming eligible during the first year.

  The aim of New Deal for Partners is to help reduce the number of workless households. Partners will have the opportunity to use the services of a personal adviser to help them directly into a job or, for those who are not job-ready, to training, education and other support.

TREASURY

  Euro
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take account of the performance of the euro since 1999 in addition to the five economic tests under his policy towards the single currency. [154611]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Government have said that the determining factor underpinning any Government decision on membership of the single currency is the national economic interest and whether the economic case for joining is clear and unambiguous.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he will take of the performance of the eurozone since 1 January 1999 in reaching a decision on British membership of the euro. [154617]
  766W
  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Government have said we will recommend joining a successful single currency only if it is in our national economic interest to do so, and if the economic case for the UK joining is clear and unambiguous.

  Family Allowances
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures he is taking to ensure a high take-up by families with children of allowances to which they are entitled. [154613]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government are actively encouraging families to take up the support to which they are entitled. Publicity campaigns have provided information to clarify entitlement. Reductions in the administrative burden for recipients have made it simpler and more straightfoward to apply.

  Taxation (Pensioners)
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on taxation of those over 65. [154615]

  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his future taxation policy towards pensioners. [154624]

  Dawn Primarolo
  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.

  Climate Change Levy
  Sir Sydney Chapman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the effect on business activity of the climate change levy. [154616]

  Mr. Timms
  The climate change levy will raise an estimated £1 billion in its first year, all of which will be recycled back to business via a 0.3 percentage point cut in employers' National Insurance Contributions and substantial investments in energy efficiency.

  The Government expect the levy to be broadly neutral between services and manufacturing. The effect on any specific business, sector or region will depend on a number of factors, including their future energy consumption, the level of employment, eligibility for discounts, use of renewable or combined heat and power energy, and take-up of enhanced capital allowances.

  Debt Relief
  Mr. Hope
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from charities and the churches on Government plans to write off debt owed by the poorest countries. [154620]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Campaigns by non-governmental organisations, faith groups and members of the public have helped to maintain the issue of debt relief at the top of the international agenda. Last year, around a third of all letters received by the Treasury related to debt relief.
  767W
  Faith groups and charities were just two of the groups who participated in the recent "International Action Against Child Poverty" conference, which the Government hosted in London. This was also attended by representatives of developed and developing countries, businesses and civil society groups, the heads of the IMF, World bank, UNICEF and UNDP, and the conference was addressed by Kofi Annan and Nelson Mandela.

  Faith groups and charities also attended three special seminars in Downing street last year, where they were able to put their concerns about debt relief directly to the Chancellor, the Secretary of State for International Development, and international figures such as the head of the IMF, Horst Kohler. A further seminar will shortly be arranged, to keep up the momentum from the child poverty conference.

  Working Families Tax Credit
  Dr. Iddon
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the impact of the Working Families Tax Credit in reducing child poverty. [154621]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit, along with other changes to the tax and benefit system during this Parliament, will lift 1.2 million children out of relative poverty.

  The personal tax and benefit measures introduced over this Parliament mean that by October 2001 families with children in the poorest fifth of the population will on average be £1,700 a year better off. These families include around 4 million children.

  Largely as a result of the introduction of the Working Families Tax Credit, real living standards for a single-earner family on half average earnings and with two young children will rise by 28 per cent. over this Parliament.

  Married Couples Allowance
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have been affected by the abolition of the Married Couples Allowance. [154622]

  Dawn Primarolo
  We are replacing the Married Couples Allowance with the Children's Tax Credit as part of a package of measures to focus resources on families with children. The Children's Tax Credit is worth over twice as much as the Married Couples Allowance and will benefit about 5 million families.

  24. Mr. Tredinnick
  To ask tile Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the abolition of the married couples allowance will cost the average couple of working age in a full financial year. [154623]

  Dawn Primarolo
  By October 2001, as a result of personal tax and benefit measures, UK households will be on average £590 a year better off, and families with children will be on average £1,000 a year better off from measures introduced over this Parliament as a whole.

  Employment (Scotland)
  Mr. McFall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his targets for employment in Scotland. [154625]
  768W
  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Government have no specific employment targets for Scotland alone, but across Great Britain as a whole they strive for employment opportunity for all, with the aim that by the end of the decade there will be a higher proportion of people in work than ever before, defined as high and stable levels of employment, taking account of the economic cycle, so that at least three quarters of the working age population are in work by 2010.

  However, in Scotland, by December of last year employment had risen by 4.9 per cent. to 2.3 million, while ILO unemployment stood at 165,000, a reduction of 22.5 per cent. since May 1997. Furthermore, by January of this year claimant unemployment in Scotland stood at 109,200, a reduction of 32.8 per cent. since May 1997.

  In order to help this trend to continue in Scotland as well as Great Britain as a whole, the Spending Review 2000 committed the Government to the following PSA targets for the period 2001–04:
  Increase employment over the economic cycle;
  A continued reduction in the number of unemployed people over the age of 18, over the three years to 2004, taking account of the economic cycle;
  Reduce the number of children in workless households with no-one in work over the three years to 2004; and
  Over the three years to 2004, increase the employment rates of disadvantaged areas and groups, taking account of the economic cycle—people with disabilities, lone parents, ethnic minorities and the over 50s, the 30 local authority districts with the poorest labour market position—and reduce the difference between their employment rates and the overall rates.

  Building on these PSA targets, the Government have recently committed to increase the proportion of lone parents in work to 70 per cent. over the next 10 years.

  Objective 1 Funding
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made in the delivery of EU Objective 1 funds to Objective 1 regions. [154626]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Good progress has been made, given that we are only seven months into the current Objective 1 programme. The picture in Cornwall is particularly encouraging, with over £40 million of the programme already committed.

  Global Health Fund
  Ms Drown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his recent announcement on the establishment of a purchase fund for global health. [154628]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  At the recent International Action Against Child Poverty conference that the UK hosted in London, the Chancellor announced a package of measures aimed at combating diseases such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. Every year, about six million people—mostly in the world's poorest countries—die from these diseases.

  Alongside plans for a tax credit into vaccine and drug research, the Chancellor announced plans for a new global purchase fund to provide a credible commitment to create a market for current and future treatments for developing countries.
  769W
  The Government will work closely with other governments, the G8 and international institutions to develop these proposals.

  Savings
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the taxation of savings. [154629]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The Government receive many representations on tax, including tax on savings. The Government are encouraging more people to provide for their financial security throughout their lives, in line with their savings strategy is set out in "Helping People to Save", published alongside the November 2000 pre-Budget report.

  The Government have introduced individual savings accounts (ISAs)—5 million people invested over £28.4 billion in the first year alone. In the first nine months of ISAs' second year, a further £20 billion was invested.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Bailey
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the measures in his Budget on unemployment rates in the UK. [154630]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  As the Government recently announced, claimant count unemployment has fallen below one million and is now at its lowest level since December 1975.

  Moreover, up to December last year we had placed almost 280,000 young people into work, further building on our manifesto of moving 250,000 young people from welfare into work.

  Some of the measures outlined in Budget 2001 seek to increase employment opportunity for all, aiming to get a higher proportion of people into work than ever before, by the end of the decade. The measures include:
  Extending the new package of choices in the New Deal for Lone Parents to include help with starting up in self-employment, training, a new outreach service to attract more lone parents to the New Deal, and extra childcare support;
  Investing additional resources to tackle the problems facing claimants whose drug problems may be getting in the way of their finding a job, and provide more help for ex-users to move into work;
  Enhancing the New Deal and other programmes over the coming three years to focus on employer needs, the hardest to help and the most disadvantaged areas;

  Increasing the National Minimum Wage for workers over 22 from £3.70 an hour to £4.10 an hour from October 2001 to make work pay; and

  Increasing the childcare tax credit limits in the Working Families' Tax Credit and Disabled Person's Tax Credit from £100 to £135 a week for one child and from £150 to £200 a week for two or more children from June 2001 to help overcome barriers to work due to childcare costs.

  Annuities
  Sir George Young
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his policies on annuities. [154631]
  770W
  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I refer the right hon. Member to Sections 5.66 to 5.69 of our Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report published on Budget Day, available in the House of Commons Library.

  Small Businesses (Ceredigion)
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the measures in his Budget which will benefit small businesses in Ceredigion. [154632]

  Mr. Timms
  In the Budget the Government announced further assistance for small and medium-sized enterprises which will benefit small businesses in Ceredigion and across the UK:reduction in the tax compliance costs for small companies: the Government are consulting on radical proposals to allow small companies to follow their own accounts for tax purposes;
  consultation on further measures to help small firms manage their entry into the VAT system. reducing compliance costs and easing cash flow constraints;
  an expansion of the Enterprise Management Incentive scheme to help small businesses recruit and retain key personnel through tax-advantaged option awards;
  improved incentives for employee share ownership, by widening access to the more generous business assets Capital Gains Tax taper relief;
  improvement of the Enterprise Investment Scheme and Venture Capital Trusts to boost the supply of equity finance;
  consultation on proposals for a community investment tax credit;
  action to help small firms improve their "investment readiness".

  These build on the substantial tax and spending measures announced in previous Budgets that are aimed at making the UK one of then most competitive environments in the world for small firms to start and grow.

  Fiscal Forecasts
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account he takes in making his fiscal forecasts of the cyclical nature of the economy. [154633]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Government take full account of the economic cycle in making their public finance projections. In accordance with the Code for Fiscal Stability, the Government publish projections of both actual and cyclically adjusted fiscal aggregates in the pre-Budget report and Budget. The latest figures are set out in Table 2.5 of the March 2001 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report.

  Tax Changess (Liverpool)
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the tax changes announced in the Budget on the regeneration in Liverpool. [154634]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government announced in Budget 2001 a package of fiscal measures to help regenerate Britain's towns and cities. This package includes stamp duty exemption for property transactions in disadvantaged communities, 150 per cent. payable tax credit for cleaning up contaminated land, reduced rate of VAT for residential coversions, and 100 per cent. capital allowances for "creating flats over shops" for letting.
  771W
  The measures will tackle physical regeneration of towns and cities—helping to bring derelict and under-utilised land and property back into productive use and reducing pressure for development on greenfield land.

  The total value of these measures is, estimated at over £1 billion over five years, across the UK.

  It is not possible to quantify the impact of these tax changes on the regeneration of Liverpool.

  New Deal
  Mr. Andrew George
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much money was received by St. Ives constituents under each of the New Deal schemes. [155748]

  Ms Jowell
  I have been asked to reply.

  It is not possible to provide resource information for New Deals by constituency, as the Employment Service systems are not set up to allocat or monitor resources at constituency level. However, the total resource allocation for all New Deals in 2000–2001 for the South West Region, which includes St. Ives, was £34 million.

SOCIAL SECURIT

  Benefit Statistics
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security, pursuant to his answer of 28 February 2001,Official Report, columns 697–98W, if he will recalculate the first column, excluding those who are entitled to income-based Jobseeker' s Allowance. [153375]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 12 March 2001]: The information is not available in the format requested.

  Disability Premium
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many and what percentage of people in receipt of(a) incapacity benefit, (b) severe disablement allowance and (c) income support with a disability premium are undertaking therapeutic work as provided for in regulation 17(1)(a)(i) of the Social security (Incapacity for Work)(General) Regulations 1995 [154555]

  Mr. Bayley
  The information is not available. However, research by the Department has estimated that about 1 to 2 per cent. of people receiving incapacity benefits are engaged in therapeutic work.

  We are keen to encourage incapacity benefits recipients to undertake some form of paid work which may ease their way back into full-time work. In my written answer to the hon. Member for Aberdeen, South (Miss Begg) on 22 March 2001, Official Report, columns 340–41W, we announced that from April 2002 we are introducing new, fairer and more flexible work rules to help people receiving incapacity benefits to get back into work.

  Lone Parents
  Mr. Kemp
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many lone parents on Income Support there were in the Northern Region(a) in 1996 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [155015]
  772W
  Mr. Bayley
  The information is in the table.

  Number of Lone Parents on Income Support—North East Government Office Region

  Thousand

  May 1996

  56.5

  November 2000

  48.7

  Notes:

  1. Lone parents are defined as single claimants with dependants who are not receiving the disability or pensioner premiums.

  2. Based on 5 per cent. sample, therefore subject to sampling error.

  3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and quoted in thousands.

  4. Cases are allocated to each Government Office region by matching postcodes against the relevant version of the ONS Postcode Directory.

  Source:

  Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1996 and November 2000.

  Mr. Kemp
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many children in lone families on Income Support there were in the northern region in(a) 1996 and (b) at the latest date for which figures are available. [155014]

  Mr. Bayley
  The information is in the table.

  Number of children in lone parent families on Income Support North East Government Office Region

  Thousand

  May 1996

  99.8

  November 2000

  84.9

  Notes:

  1. Lone parents are defined as single claimants with dependants who are not receiving the disability or pensioner premiums

  2. Based on 5 per cent. sample, therefore subject to sampling error

  3. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and quoted in thousands

  4. Children are defined as aged 0–15 years

  5. Cases are allocated to each Government Office region by matching postcodes against the relevant version of the ONS Postcode Directory

  Source:

  Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiries, May 1996 and November 2000

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what assessment the Government have made of the proportion of lone parents who have found work under the New Deal for Lone Parents who return to the Income Support case load within(a) one month, (b) six months and (c) one year. [155418]

  Angela Eagle
  By the end of December 2000, 81,311 lone parents had found work through the New Deal for Lone Parents (NDLP). An assessment of the numbers of lone parents returning to Income Support will form part of the evaluation of NDLP which is currently under way.

  Child Support
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what measurement the Government will use to assess how well the new child support regulations are working and when to move existing cases to the new system. [155417]
  773W
  Angela Eagle
  Existing child support cases will be transferred to the new scheme only after it has been introduced for new cases and is seen to be operating properly.

  We will carefully monitor the new scheme, evaluating Child Support Agency progress towards meeting the targets set out in the public service agreement, such as the speed and accuracy of child support assessments.

  Departmental Policies (North Devon)
  Mr. Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will set out, including statistical information relating as directly as possible to the North Devon constituency, the effects on North Devon of his Department's policies and actions since 2 May 1997. [155900]

  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 North Devon since May 1997.

  Measures in our five Budgets so far will lift over 1.2 million children nationally 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 seven million families receive Child Benefit, and in North Devon 10,387 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 Jobseekers' Allowance nationally has reduced from 1,562,400 to 960,600; in North Devon the number has reduced from 2,000 to 1,600. Since May 1997 the number of lone parents who claim Income Support has decreased from 1,013,500 to 894,100 nationally and in North Devon from 1,300 to 1,200.
  774W
  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 22,300 older people in North Devon 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 21,800 pensioners in North Devon 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 t If whom we estimate there are about 9,700 in North Devon 2,900 pensioner families in North Devon 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, letter 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.

  Benefits Agency
  Mr. Edward Davey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many times the Benefits Agency has overruled decisions made by the appeals tribunal in the last three years. [155955]

  Angela Eagle
  The Benefits Agency cannot overrule decisions made by tribunals.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has for the phasing in of existing CSA cases when the new method of calculating maintenance liabilities is introduced; and what plans he has to cushion large rises and falls in maintenance liabilities in such cases. [156137]

  Angela Eagle
  The new child support scheme will be introduced for new cases by April 2002. Existing cases will be transferred across once it is seen to be working well and getting maintenance paid regularly and reliably.

  For parents with existing child support assessments, new liabilities will be phased in stages of £2.50, £5 or £10, depending on the weekly income of the non-resident parent. These levels have been set to give parents whose liability under the few scheme will differ markedly from their current child support assessment time to adjust to the new arrangements.

  National Insurance
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if he will list his Department's responsibilities in respect of(a) the national insurance scheme and (b) other aspects of national insurance in (i) 1979 and (ii) at present. [156096]
  775W
  Mr. Rooker
  As in 1979 the Department remains responsible for matters relating to national insurance benefits and pensions. Responsibility for matters relating to national insurance contributions (apart from policy on the reduced rates and rebates payable in respect of contracted-out pensions) was transferred to the Inland Revenue by the Social Security Contributions (Transfer of Functions, Etc.) Act 1999.

  Appeals Service
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) what has been the average clearance time for appeals against benefit assessments in each of the last four years; [155885]

  (2) how many appeals were made during the last 12 months against benefit assessments and how many of these appeals are outstanding; [155886]

  (3) if he will set out the strategy implemented by the Appeals Service in order to reduce waiting times for all appellants; and what assessment he has made of its success; [155887]

  (4) how many appeals were heard by the Appeals Service in (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to A 2000; and how many of the appeals in each of these years were successful; [155888]

  Appeals received

  Average clearance time for appeals from lodgement at first tier agency in weeks

  Number of appeals heard and decided

  Number of appeals found in weeks appellant's favour

  1 May 1997 to 30 April 1998

  300,389

  25.2

  158,8381

  50,4661

  I May 1998 to 30 April 1999

  316,395

  30.3

  282,535

  98,516

  I May 1999 to 30 April 2000

  247,294

  31.4

  207,724

  75,810

  1 May 2000 to 30 September 2000

  108,879

  28.8

  70,564

  28,668

  1 Figures include appeals not held on the GAPS system for the period 1 July 1997 to 31 December 1997.

  Notes:

  1. Information taken from 100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System (GAPS).

  2. The table covers appeals from all sources. It is not possible to distinguish appeals against benefit assessments.

  3. Figures may change as later data becomes available.

  Since taking up post as Chief Executive in 1999, initially of the Independent Tribunal Service and now o the Appeals Service, I have been fully committed to improving the services that we offer to appellants and others who use or rely upon our services. I have set about this systematically, in three ways:

  (i) The backlog of oldest cases I inherited has been tackled and largely cleared. At the end of February 1999, over half—some 77,000 appeals—of our outstanding appeals load were over six months old and many of them considerably older. Priority was given to clearing these appeals on the basis that all appeals were—and still are—death with on the basis of "First In, First Out", with staff and tribunal members alike seeing wherever possible to clear the oldest cases first. Of that original 77,000 just over 800 remain and these are almost entirely appeals awaiting decisions from higher courts on lead cases, the outcome of which will have a direct bearing on the outstanding appeals.

  (ii) At the same time and for newer appeals, we have sought to reduce both the waiting times that appellants have to wait to have their appeal heard and, where cases are adjourned by tribunals, the length of time they remain outstanding. These measures are now reflected in the targets the Secretary of State has set for the Appeal Service Agency and performance will be reported in the Agency's Annual Report. Currently, the national average waiting time for appellants is

  776W
  (5) how many appeals were lodged with the Appeals Service following refusal of benefit in (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to April 2000. [155889]

  Angela Eagle
  The administration of appeals is a matter for Neil Ward, Chief Executive of the Appeals Service. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Neil Ward to Mr. Patrick Nicholls, dated 29 March 2001:
  The Secretary of State for Social Security has asked me to reply to your recent Parliamentary Questions. You asked:

  1) What has been the average clearance time for appeals against benefit assessments in each of the last four years (PQ983).

  2) How many appeals were made during the last 12 months against benefit assessments; and how many of these appeals are outstanding (PQ984).

  3) What strategy was implemented by the Appeals Service in order to reduce waiting times for all appellants; and what assessment has been made of its success (PQ985).

  4) How many appeals were heard by the Appeals Service in (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to April 2000; and how many of the appeals in each of these years were successful;(PQ986).

  5) How many appeals were lodged with the Appeals Service following refusal of benefit in (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999 and (c) May 1999 to April 2000 (PQ987).

  I am unable to provide all the information in the form you have requested it. However the information that is available is as follows:

  13.7 weeks and some 23 per cent. of our outstanding appeals are over six months old, of which 7,600 appeals cannot proceed until lead cases with higher counts are decided. The current number of appeals outstanding and sitting with the Appeals Service is some 77,600. This progress reflects improvements in delivery of our services in all regions although the extent of the gains varies. Particular attention is now being paid to reducing variations in performance aimed at bringing performance everywhere up to the standards of the best of our offices and we have strengthened our direct service delivery teams accordingly.

  (iii) To secure these gains, the Appeals Service has had to become a learning organisation. We have secured Investors in People accreditation and place great importance on practical training programmes designed to improve service delivery. We use the European Foundation for Quality Management's Excellence Model to identify internally areas for improvement; we have run customer and staff surveys to tell us where those who use or operate our services believe improvements can best be made; and we make use of direct feedback from individual appellants, their representatives, Members of Parliament or the Ombudsman.

  Improvements are being made and will continue to be so.

  I hope this information is helpful.
  777W

  Housing/Council Tax Benefit
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what the total expenditure is on(a) Housing Benefit and (b) Council Tax Benefit for pensioners with an income of less than £210 per week. [153789]

  Mr. Rooker [holding answer 15 March 2001]
  The estimated Housing and Council Tax Benefit expenditure attributable to pensioners—defined as Benefit Units with at least one person aged 60 or over—with an income of less than £210 per week is £3,865 million and £1,140 million respectively, in 1999–2000, in Great Britain.

  Notes:

  1. These estimates are based on the estimated out-turn expenditure for 1999–2000 and the May 1999 I per cent. sample which provides information on claimant incomes.

  2. The expenditure refers to the benefit paid to claimants irrespective of the source of funding.

  3. Figures are rounded to the nearest £5 million.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Goggins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans he has to allow registered social landlords to undertake elements of Housing Benefit administration. [156684]

  Angela Eagle
  We have secured agreement with all interested parties to involve registered social landlords in certain aspects of the Housing Benefit verification process. This builds on our commitment to improve Housing Benefit administration.

  Our intention is to run a pilot in a number of areas, and we will shortly be inviting expressions of interests from local authorities in the form of a joint bid from them and their participating registered social landlords. We will set out the criteria for taking part in the pilot and the way in which we intend to evaluate the bids.

  Funeral Payments
  Mr. Goggins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what changes he proposes to make to the rules regarding funeral payments. [156685]

  Angela Eagle
  Social Fund funeral payments are intended to enable those on the lowest incomes to provide for a simple, respectful funeral where no other family member can meet the cost. We are acting to remove an anomaly in the regulations so that claimants' relatives in receipt of help under the National Asylum Support Service are treated in the same way as those receiving qualifying benefits. Amending regulations to achieve this will be laid before the House shortly.

AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD

  BSE
  Mr. Dobbin
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will publish the most recent figures for confirmed BSE cases broken down by year of birth. [156642]
  778W
  Ms Quin
  The position in Great Britain as at 26 March 2001 was as follows:

  Year of birth

  Total number of confirmed cases

  1974

  1

  1975

  0

  1976

  2

  1977

  10

  1978

  6

  1979

  41

  1980

  101

  1981

  261

  1982

  1,393

  1983

  4,462

  1984

  8,067

  1985

  11,065

  1986

  19,733

  1987

  36,876

  1988

  22,192

  1989

  12,652

  1990

  5,647

  1991

  4,591

  1992

  3,201

  1993

  2,454

  1994

  1,351

  1995

  379

  1996

  15

  Unknown

  43,322

  Total

  177,812

  1A fourth case of BSE in an an animal born in 1996 was confirmed on 9 February. The animal was born in January 1996, before the feed ban is considered to have been fully effective.

  A fifth case of BSE in an animal born in 1996 was confirmed on 22 March. The animal was born in May 1996, before the feed ban is considered to have been fully effective.

  The unknown dates of birth relate to cattle born before 1 July 1996 when it became mandatory for cattle to have passports which show their date of birth. In some cases it is not possible to confirm the date of birth of these animals from farm records.

  Animal Movement Licences
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the application by Bristol Zoo for licence to move animals on welfare grounds was given priority over other similar applications by farmers in South Gloucestershire; and if he will make a statement. [156136]

  Mr. Morley
  The application from Bristol Zoo took its place in the queue. A licence has now been issued.

  Foot and Mouth
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received on behalf of pig farmers about the welfare implications for pigs on farms within areas under foot and mouth restrictions; and if he will make a statement. [155622]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 26 March 2001]: In response to representations from pig farmers, we have arranged for them to be able to take advantage of the wide range of movement schemes which we have recently introduced.

  They can also us.the welfare disposal scheme and a scheme for the movement of finished animals to slaughter.

  Agriculture Council
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what the outcome was of the Agriculture Council held in Brussels on 19 and 20 March; what the Government's voting record was at the Council; and if he will make a statement. [155102]

  Mr. Nick Brown
  I represented the United Kingdom at a meeting of the EU Council of Agriculture Ministers on 19 March in Brussels.

  I gave the Council a full account of the present state of the foot and mouth outbreak in the UK and the measures which we are taking to eradicate the disease. A similar report was made to the Council by the French Minister of Agriculture in respect of the FMD outbreak confirmed last week in France. The European Commission supported the tough measures being taken in both countries, and discussion revealed a consensus in tie Council in favour of a policy of eradication by slaughter rather than one based on vaccination.

  In relation to BSE, the Commission brought the Council up to date on progress in extending to third countries the rules for removing specified risk material from cattle. Preliminary results were given from the BSE testing programme which was agreed in December.

  In a brief discussion of proposals to adjust the EU beef regime, Commissioner Fischler reported some market improvement following the steep drop in beef consumption of recent months. Meanwhile the special purchase scheme had been passed by Management Committee on 19 March and should have an impact in firming up market prices.

  In light of discussion of progress on reform of the sugar and cotton regimes, the Council agreed to work to early conclusions, if possible in April. The Commission introduced a report on prospects for the vegetable protein market which would be further examined at the technical level.

  Flood Defences
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) if he will make a statement on the allocation of statutory responsibilities for flood defence management in the(a) south-eastern and (b) eastern regions of England; and what plans he has to rieview flood defence management structures; [155607]

  (2) what plans he has to review the funding of flood defence bodies in the (a) south-ear tern and (b) eastern regions of England. [155593]

  Mr. Morley
  Throughout England MAFF has policy responsibility for flood and coastal defence while operational responsibility falls to the "operating authorities"; the Environment Agency, internal drainage boards and local authorities.

  The Environment Agency has a statutory supervisory duty over all matters relating to flood defence and has permissive powers to undertake sea defence works and works on designated main rivers. Internal Drainage Boards have permissive powers to undertake works on ordinary watercourses within their districts while local authorities have similar powers on ordinary watercourses outside those districts. Where defences are privately
  780W
  owned, responsibility rests with the riparian owner. Finally, maritime local authorities have coast protection powers and may also undertake sea defence works.

  A review of the funding arrangements for flood and coastal defence is currently under way and is due to report by September 2001. It is possible that the outcome of that review, and of a separate financial management and policy review of the Environment Agency which is also being undertaken, could give rise to the need to adjust the present institutional arrangements.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he plans to compensate landowners for work carried out on their land to maintain and establish flood defences in(a) Norfolk, (b) Suffolk,(c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Bedfordshire, (e) Hertfordshire, (f) Essex and (g) each London borough in (i) 1995–96,(ii) 1996–97, (iii) 1997–98, (iv) 1998–99, (v) 1999–2000,(vi) 2000–01 and (vii) 2001–02. [155610]

  Mr. Morley
  Ministry grants are available to operating authorities but not to private landowners. However, operating authorities may compensate landowners in certain circumstances when undertaking flood defence works. Where such compensation is regarded as a necessary part of grant aided works, Ministry grant is paid towards the compensation costs.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) how much was provided for flood control to each of those local authorities affected by floods in 2000; [155606]

  (2) how much was provided for flood control to (a) Norfolk, (b) Suffolk, (c) Cambridgeshire,(d) Bedfordshire, (e) Hertfordshire, (f) Essex and (g) each London borough in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97,(iii) 1997–98, (iv) 1998–99, (v) 1999–2000, (vi) 2000–01 and will be provided for in (vii) 2001–02, (viii) 2002–03 and (ix) 2003–04; [155614]

  (3) what plans he has to offer compensation for flood defence works carried out by county and district councils and internal drainage boards in (a) Norfolk, (b) Suffolk, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Bedfordshire, (e) Hertfordshire, (f) Essex and (g) each London borough; [155609]

  (4) what percentage of funding for flood defence management in (a) Norfolk, (b) Suffolk, (c) Cambridgeshire, (d) Bedfordshire, (e) Hertfordshire, (f) Essex and (g) each London borough was grant specific in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97, (iii) 1997–98, (iv) 1998-99, (v) 1999-2000, (vi) 2000-01 and will be in (vii) 2001–02, (viii) 2002–03 and (ix) 2003–04. [155608]

  Mr. Morley
  Local authorities' expenditure on flood defence falls into three categories: the levy they pay to the Environment Agency, special levies paid to internal drainage boards, and the local authority's own expenditure on flood defence works. Government support for local authority expenditure on flood defence is allocated through the flood defence standard spending assessment (SSA), and distributed as revenue support grant (RSG). RSG is not ring-fenced, as it is one of the key principles of the local government finance systems that local authorities should be able to decide how to allocate their own, and their own taxpayers', money, taking account of statutory requirements and local circumstances. These decisions will reflect each authority's policies for which it is accountable
  781W
  to local people. The SSAs for the local authorities and years specified, is set out in a table which is available in the Libraries of the House.

  The Ministry provides grants (and Supplementary Credit Approvals to local authorities) rather than compensation to the Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards for flood defence capital works that meet economic, technical and environmental criteria and achieve an appropriate priority score. Responsibility for decisions on which works to promote and their timing rests with those operating authorities. Information on specific Ministry flood defence grants is not readily available in the form requested and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

  Many local authorities incurred costs in responding to flood emergencies in 2000. Eligible costs may be refunded by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions under a Bellwin scheme. To date 14 local authorities have received a total of £3.8 million under the Bellwin arrangements. These are as follows:

  £

  Bridgenorth

  19,300

  Canterbury

  51,800

  East Sussex

  187,200

  Elmbridge

  65,587

  Lewes

  179,500

  Maidstone

  182,767

  Newark and Sherwood

  8,361

  Shropshire

  380,000

  Tonbridge and Mailing

  59,026

  Wealden

  44,887

  West Sussex

  1,841,600

  Woking

  129,195

  Wyre

  19,229

  City of York

  708,060

  Total

  3,876,512

  With the exception of Netwark and Sherwood, which has been paid in full, all are interim payments of 80 per cent. of the total claim. The balance will be paid on the basis of audited accounts. Claims from other local authorities are expected.

CABINET OFFICE

  e-business
  Mr. Bailey
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment she has made of departmental e-business strategies. [156545]

  Mr. Ian McCartney
  All main central Government Departments have now produced initial e-business strategies, as required by the e-government strategic framework I published last year. The strategies are published on the web, and links to them can be found at www e-envoy.go v.uk/estrats.htm.

  The strategies represent an important step towards achieving the Government's target that all services should be available online by 2005. They demonstrate the increasing importance of e-government in transforming the quality of services offered to individuals and to businesses.
  782W
  The Government's objective, though, is to do more than put individual services online, important though that is. It is to transform the delivery of Government services, so that they are based on customer needs rather than the structures of government. The departmental e-business strategies represent the first step towards that larger goal, but require further development if that wider objective is to be met.

  Building on the foundation provided by the initial versions, Departments will therefore develop their strategies to address the major challenges of e-government: working across organisational boundaries to deliver joined-up services; transforming the internal efficiency of government by organising to meet consumer needs not producer preferences; putting e-government at the heart of strategic planning; and developing new partnerships in service delivery.

  I am today publishing a note which explains the strategy process in more detail on the e-Envoy's website. Copies will also be placed in the Library.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Public Trust Office
  Mr. Darvill
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps the Lord Chancellor is taking to reform the Public Trust Office; and if she will make a statement. [156639]

  Jane Kennedy
  On 1 April 2001 the Public Guardianship Office will become a new executive agency of the Lord Chancellor's Department. Also from 1 April 2001, the Public Trust Office's Court Funds Office will transfer to the Court Service and its trust work to the Office of the Official Solicitor. The Public Trust Office will cease to exist.

  The Public Guardianship Office will discharge the Court of Protection's decisions on behalf of people with mental incapacity. In creating the Public Guardianship Office, the Lord Chancellor wishes to promote and protect the financial and social well-being of people with mental incapacity by providing a seamless service that is responsive to their needs. The Public Guardianship Office will provide a service which will strike the right balance between protecting the vulnerable while avoiding unnecessary State intervention.

  The Lord Chancellor will retain ministerial accountability for the new agency's performance. The Chief Executive of the Public Guardianship Office will have clear responsibilities for improvements in efficiency, effectiveness and quality of service. These responsibilities are set out in the agency's Framework Document, which will be published and copies placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  A Corporate and Business Plan setting out the Public Guardianship Office's plans to achieve its aim and objectives over the first three years of its operation will be published and copies placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The following Key Performance Measures have been set to challenge the Public Guardianship Office to provide a high quality and efficient service to its clients while developing increasing professionalism as an organisation.
  783W
  Public Guardianship Office Executive Agency Key Performance Measures and Targets 2001–02

  KPMI:

  To develop an effective system for identifying clients needs.

  To develop and implement a comprehensive needs assessment system by 31 March 2004.

  KPM2

  To increase the proportion of effective visits

  To maintain the current level of visits and to develop appropriate criteria as a basis to measure improvements in effectiveness by end June 2001, thereafter to announce challenging targets against which to measure the Public Guardianship Office's performance in increasing the proportion of effective visits.

  KPM3

  To increase the percentage of accounts collected on time and reviewed on time, as a basis for effective action to meet clients' needs.

  To complete the review of 95 per cent. of accounts received or have requested further information within six weeks of receipt.

  To collect 50 per cent. of accounts within two months of the accounting end date, 70 per cent. within four months of the accounting end date and 100 per cent. within six months of the accounting end date, referring cases to the Court of Protection where necessary or taking other steps to ensure proper accounts are produced on behalf of clients.

  KPM4:

  To improve investment performance

  To ensure that annually 85 per cent. and on a three year rolling basis 80 per cent. of measured funds perform in line with a model performance based upon the Association of Private Client and Investment Managers' (APCIMS) capital indices; or an acceptable performance is achieved, taking into account the client's overall circumstances, including the income generated.

  KPM5

  To secure an improved service in: responding to correspondence; payment out; providing information to receivers to enable them to support our clients; closing cases; and to survey at two-yearly intervals to ensure that these are the most important areas for customer care.

  Responding to Letter:

  Respond to 85 per cent. letters, faxes and e-mails within 15 working days of receipt and 95 per cent. in 20 days.

  Payment out:

  For 95 per cent. of requests, pay out or despatch direction to external receiver allowing access to funds to use for benefit of client within 15 working days of receipt.

  Information to Receivers:

  Despatch court orders and directions to applicants, receivers or their representatives in 95 per cent. of cases within 30 days of their being made.

  Closing cases:

  For 95 per cent. of complete applications for final directions, transfer all of clients' assets to personal representatives within 25 days.

  KPM6:

  To establish protocols for working with our receivers and our partners setting out the outcomes we intend to achieve jointly for clients.

  To establish protocols with the key bodies with whom the Public Guardianship Office has regular dealings by April 2002, setting out the outcomes to be achieved jointly for clients and memorandums of understanding setting out the ways the Office and its partners will work together to achieve those outcomes.

  KPM7:

  To demonstrate our capability through a basket of measures:percentage of staff having required skills and competencies;
  784W
  percentage receiving training; an effective research programme which underpins planning to meet clients' needs; and development of an automated case management system.

  Staff Skills and Competencies:

  At least 90 per cent. of permanent staff to have a current Personal Development Plan which identifies their learning and development needs and makes specific plans to develop their skills and competencies to defined standards.

  Staff Training:

  At least 75 per cent. of permanent staff to receive at least three days training in line with their Personal Development Plan.

  Research:

  To complete at least one research study by 31 March 2002 and Develop and publish a detailed research plan by 31 March 2002.

  Automated case management system (MERIS):

  To award the contract for an automated case management system to a supplier before end of third quarter 2001–02; design and development by supplier to commence before the end of the fourth quarter 2001–02.

  KPM8:

  Cost per unit. To develop an appropriate unit cost per case as a basis to measure improvements in efficiency by end June 2001. To announce targets for 2001–02 requiring improvements in efficiency based on the unit cost.

  Civil Procedure Rules
  Mr. Doug Henderson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the evaluation of the Civil Procedure Rules. [156636]

  Mr. Lock
  My Department has today published "Emerging Findings: An Early Evaluation of the Civil Justice Reforms" which sets out the evidence we have so far and plans for further evaluation. The paper shows that the reforms have been generally welcomed and appear to be working well.

  The key findings from the report are:
  Overall there has been a drop in the number of claims issued, in particular in the types of claim where the new Civil Procedure Rules have been introduced;
  Anecdotal evidence suggests pre-action protocols are working well to promote settlement before issue and to reduce the number of ill founded claims;
  The system of claimants offers has been welcomed by all interested groups as a means of resolving claims more quickly;
  There has been a rise in the number of cases in which Alternative Dispute Resolution is used suggesting that, since the introduction of the Civil Procedure Rules, parties are more likely to try alternative means of settling claims;
  The use of single joint experts appears to have worked well. It is likely that their use has contributed to a less adversarial culture, earlier settlement and may have cut costs;
  The time between issue and hearing for those cases which go to trial has fallen.
  It is too early to provide a definitive view on costs with statistics difficult to obtain and conflicting anecdotal evidence.

  Copies of the report have been placed in the Library of the House.

  War Pension Disability Orders
  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when she expects the Appeals Service to hear the complaint of Mr. P. R. Manifield. [155891]
  785W
  Jane Kennedy
  Mr. Manifield has appealed to the Pensions Appeal Tribunals against a decision of the War Pensions Agency to reduce his disablement benefit. Mr. Manifield's appeal has been listed for hearing at the Pensions Appeal Tribunal in Exeter on 22 May 2001.

  Mr. Nicholls
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what the average time is before(a) all types of appeals and (b) appeals relating to war pension disability orders are heard by appeal tribunals; and if she will make a statement; [1558901

  (2) if she will make a statement on the ability of the War Pension Appeal procedure to deal efficiently and effectively with the cases of ex-service personnel. [155892]

  Jane Kennedy
  Appeals to the Pensions Appeal Tribunal currently all relate to war pensions entitlement and disability assessments. The average waiting time between the receipt of an appeal by the Pensions Appeal Tribunals and hearing is currently 82 weeks.

  Provisions in The Child Support, Pensions and Social Security Act 2000, which came into force in England and Wales on 9 April 2001, will enable appeals to be listed for hearing more quickly and allow for appeals to be dealt with efficiently and effectively.

  The introduction of a six-month time limit will mean that the information available to the tribunal to determine the appeal will be more timely. At present there is no time limit for appealing a decision of the War Pensions Agency and in some cases the tribunal have to decide appeals where the decision has been made many years before.

  Additionally the tribunal will, from 9 April 2001, be required to consider only those factors pertaining at the time the decision was made. Under the existing rules the
  786W
  tribunal also have to take into account any changes that may have occurred between the decision being made and the date of the hearing. In practice this has meant that the tribunal often had to obtain new evidence which was not considered by the War Pensions Agency in making their decision.

  These provisions, along with operational improvements including additional sitting capacity, will help to reduce the waiting times.

  Women Judges
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans the Lord Chancellor has to appoint more women judges. [155973]

  Mr. Lock
  The Lord Chancellor appoints to judicial office on merit from among those who are eligible, suitable and who put themselves forward for appointment. The number of women holding judicial office reflects the number of women practitioners in the legal profession with the appropriate period of experience. In the more senior positions there are now more women judges than every before. As of 31 March 2000, there were 11 women judges in the High Court and above and, of the 12 senior appointments made last year, five were of women. The Lord Chancellor has introduced a number of initiatives to encourage greater numbers to apply for judicial office, and to secure equality of opportunity. For example, he has made information about the appointments procedures widely available; he applies the procedures flexibly in relation to the age and sitting arrangements; he has introduced a work shadowing scheme; and he has reviewed the criteria for appointment. These efforts will continue and be developed with a view to progressive increases in numbers as the pool of suitable candidates grows.

  Magistrates: Political Affiliations
  Magistrates: Political Affiliations
  Civil Procedure Rules
  Civil Procedure Rules
  Public Trust Office
  Public Trust Office
  Export Control and Non-Proliferation Bill: Draft
  Export Control and Non-Proliferation Bill: Draft
  Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: Consultation on Orders
  Financial Services and Markets Act 2000: Consultation on Orders
  Rural Tourism Initiatives
  Rural Tourism Initiatives
  Silbury Hill
  Silbury Hill
  London Underground: Escalator Replacement
  London Underground: Escalator Replacement
  London Underground: Delays to Trains
  London Underground: Delays to Trains
  Maritime Safety: IMO "White List"
  Maritime Safety: IMO "White List"
  Foreign Seafarers' Qualifications: Scrutiny
  Foreign Seafarers' Qualifications: Scrutiny
  Experience Corps Company Proposal
  Experience Corps Company Proposal
  Pensioners Living Abroad: Pensions Uprating
  Pensioners Living Abroad: Pensions Uprating
  Asylum Applications by Zimbabwean Nationals
  Asylum Applications by Zimbabwean Nationals
  Immigration Act Detainees, Lindholme and Haslar Prisons: Telephone Calls and Faxes
  Immigration Act Detainees, Lindholme and Haslar Prisons: Telephone Calls and Faxes
  Immigration Act Detainees, Belmarsh Prison
  Immigration Act Detainees, Belmarsh Prison
  Winson Green Prison: Action on Chief Inspector's Report
  Winson Green Prison: Action on Chief Inspector's Report
  British Citizenship Application Procedures
  British Citizenship Application Procedures
  Special Educational Needs Children: Inclusion Costs and Resources
  Special Educational Needs Children: Inclusion Costs and Resources
  Afghanistan: Humanitarian Assistance
  Afghanistan: Humanitarian Assistance
  BSE
  BSE