Written Answers of 15 November 2001

DEFENCE

  Territorial Army
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about the role of the Territorial Army in guarding UK installations against terrorist attack. [13679]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 8 November 2001,Official Report, column 377W, to the hon. Member for North Essex (Mr. Jenkin)

  Porton Down
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library copies of correspondence between his Department and the Medical Research Council prior to 21 November 2000, relating to the proposal to seek its advice on the feasibility of an epidemiological study into volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down. [14743]

  Dr. Moonie
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 13 December 2000,Official Report, columns 163–64W. There is no such correspondence on this matter other than that which was placed in the Library of the House.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many officials in his Department are employed to carry out the comprehensive survey of the service volunteer programme at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down announced on 1 May; what grade each of these officials is; and on what date each started work on the comprehensive survey. [14748]

  Dr. Moonie
  With effect from 28 February 2001 the historical survey has been undertaken by a Principal (Grade B2) working for the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit. Additional support has been provided, as required, by staff based at Porton Down and within the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will issue a press release announcing the winners of the contract to carry out the epidemiological study to explore the health of volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical and biological defence establishment, Porton Down; and when the winners will be chosen. [14749]

  Dr. Moonie
  At the request of the Ministry of Defence the Medical Research Council (MRC) invited proposals for such a study and these are now under consideration. Recommendations about which proposals are suitable for funding by the MOD are expected after the next meeting of the MRC's Physiological, Medicine and Infections 824W
  Board in January. I expect to be in a position to make an announcement about which proposals will be taken forward shortly after that.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff are employed in his Department's Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit specifically to deal with issues relating to Porton Down volunteers. [14753]

  Dr. Moonie
  At present, four Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit staff deal full time with issues relating to Porton Down volunteers; a further six staff assist with these issues on a part-time basis as required.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, have been referred to the medical assessment programme since 21 November 2000; and how many of these have been seen by the medical assessment programme. [14762]

  Dr. Moonie
  During the period 21 November 2000 to 8 November 2001, 94 former Porton Down volunteers have been referred to the MAP. Of this number 88 have been seen.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many teams of scientists and academics have expressed an interest in carrying out the epidemiological study to explore the health of volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down, since 21 June; if he will list these teams; and if he will place in the Library copies of the submissions of interest of those teams which have now withdrawn from the competition to conduct this study. [14757]

  Dr. Moonie
  This is a matter for the Medical Research Council (MRC), which has invited research proposals on behalf of the Ministry of Defence and will make recommendations about which proposals merit funding early next year. The MRC treats competing applications for peer review in strict confidence and therefore details of the proposals may not be released. However, we have been advised by the MRC that they received 15 expressions of interest, of which seven were shortlisted. Subsequently five research proposals were received from four United Kingdom groups.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates officials in his Department have held meetings with the Medical Research Council since 5 April, to discuss the epidemiological study into volunteers who took part in experiments at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down. [14744]

  Dr. Moonie
  Meetings between Ministry of Defence staff and the Medical Research Council to discuss epidemiological research into Porton Down volunteers took place on 30 May, 2 August, and 3 August.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many questionnaires have been sent out to former service personnel by his Department's officials conducting the comprehensive survey of the service volunteer programme at the chemical defence establishment, Porton Down; and how many questionnaires have been returned by former service personnel who took part in the experiments. [14755]
  825W
  Dr. Moonie
  Some 726 questionnaires seeking recollections from former participants of the Porton Down Service Volunteer programme have been distributed by the Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit via the Wiltshire police and the Medical Assessment Programme. As at 13 November 2001, 400 questionnaires had been returned.

  Freedom of Information Act
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date his Department established a working group of officials to prepare his Department for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and on what dates this committee has met since it was set up. [14769]

  Dr. Moonie
  Following Royal Assent in November 2000, officials in the relevant Ministry of Defence policy branch began making initial preparations for implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000. This has involved an ad hoc programme of briefings, meetings and workshops to heighten awareness and improve understanding of the Act. As a result, the main defence management areas and policy branches were asked in August 2001 to nominate representatives to participate in the principal Freedom of Information (FOI) working group, which has responsibility for ensuring smooth implementation of the Act across the MOD. The FOI Working Group had its inaugural meeting on 17 October and it will meet again in mid-December.

  Afghanistan
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what instructions have been given to service personnel engaged in Afghanistan in the event of them encountering UK citizens fighting for(a) the Taliban and (b) al-Qaeda; and if he will make a statement; [13629]

  (2) what instructions have been issued to UK forces in Afghanistan in the event of them taking prisoner a UK citizen fighting for (a) the Taliban and (b) al-Qaeda; and if he will make a statement. [13623]

  Mr. Hoon
  Wherever they are engaged, British forces are required to act in accordance with national and international law. Any prisoners taken would be treated in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if cluster bomblets are defined as precision munitions in the conflict with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan. [14263]

  Mr. Ingram
  Cluster bombs rely on a ballistic delivery—for example, on the skill of the crew to ensure accuracy—and neither the bombs nor the bomblets that they release are laser guided. They are used with discretion and proportionality as international law requires, and against legitimate and appropriate terrorist and military targets that are selected with great care. Our targeting and weapons selection processes are rigorous with every effort made to avoid civilian casualties.

  Ex-prisoners of War
  Chris Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for ex gratia payments for former captives of the Japanese have been refused; and what the circumstances of those applicants were. [13972]
  826W
  Dr. Moonie
  As at 12 November 2001, 3,741 claims for ex gratia payments for former captives of the Japanese have been refused. The circumstances of those applicants vary widely, but include civilian internees who did not meet the criteria of being a British subject either born in the UK or having a parent or grandparent born in the UK, those not interned and children of former prisoners of war of the Japanese.

  Nuclear Submarines (Secondment)
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the two nuclear submarines that may be allocated to the European Peacekeeping and Peacemaking Corps., include types capable of firing(a) tomahawks and (b) nuclear missiles. [14826]

  Mr. Hoon
  There is no European Peacekeeping and Peacemaking Corps. The UK has offered to provide two nuclear-powered attack submarines to the pool of forces and capabilities required to meet the EU's Helsinki Headline Goal. These submarines are capable of firing Tomahawk missiles. No nuclear forces have been offered.

  MOD Police
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many redundancies have taken place within the MOD police in each of the last three years; and how many MOD police have been transferred to the police service. [15167]

  Dr. Moonie
  Eleven Ministry of Defence Police (MDP) officers, through a limited mobility waiver scheme, accepted voluntary redundancy on compulsory early retirement/compulsory early severance terms during financial year 1998–99. There were no such redundancies during financial years 1999–2000 and 2000–01. The number of officers who have resigned from the MDP and joined Home or Scottish Office forces are shown in the table:

  Year

  Number Resigned

  1998–99

  1

  1999–2000

  8

  2000–01

  34

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had on the merger of MOD police and the atomic energy police. [15168]

  Dr. Moonie
  The respective Quinquennial Reviews of the Ministry of Defence Police and the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority Constabulary are considering a range of options in regard to these organisations. The outcome of these reviews will be made known in due course.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of running the MOD police was in the last 12 months. [15170]

  Dr. Moonie
  The total net operating cost of the Ministry of Defence Police Agency for financial year 2000–01 was £151.869 million.

  Defence Aviation Repair Agency
  Mr. John Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Chief Executive of the Defence Aviation Repair Agency met the First Minister to discuss the relocation of the fixed wing aircraft repair business from RAF St. Athan to Cardiff International Airport. [15157]

  Mr. Ingram
  Defence Aviation Repair Agency records show that the meeting with the First Minister took place on 28 March 2001.

  Projects
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on projects(a) Connaught and (b) Allenby. [15070]

  Dr. Moonie
  The management of Project Allenby and Connaught has been combined. The project's feasibility studies into the Army's accommodation and support service requirements for garrisons around the Salisbury Plain and in Aldershot were completed in the summer and their recommendations are being considered by Ministers.

  Churches
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to make funding available to carry out essential repairs to the Royal Garrison Church, Aldershot. [15068]

  Dr. Moonie
  A total of £18,000 will be spent on planned maintenance and unforeseen repairs to the Royal Garrison Church, Aldershot in this financial year. Of this, some £4,000 has already been spent.

  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many churches in the United Kingdom are maintained by his Department; and if he will list their locations by denomination. [15071]

  Dr. Moonie
  I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Proposed Payment System
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the proposed Ministry of Defence payment system and the role of prime contractor EDS. [14629]

  Mr. Ingram
  The delivery of armed forces pay under the new arrangements introduced by Pay 2000 involved rebuilding the core of the three single service pay systems. Since 1 April 2001, 95 per cent. of our regular armed forces have been paid under these systems. The remainder will be transferred by April 2003. The Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency (AFPAA) has a PFI partnering arrangement with Electronic Data Systems (EDS) for the delivery of information systems and information technology in support of the personnel administration and pay of service personnel.

  Reservists
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists, called up in the last month, have reported for duty; and if he will make a statement. [15185]
  828W
  Mr. Ingram
  During the past month 118 reservists were called out and all have reported for duty. This reflects the success of our policy of seeking volunteers to be called out. They are serving in a variety of locations including the former Yugoslavia and Sierra Leone and in support of operations resulting from the terrorist attacks in the United States of America on 11 September.

  Ballistic Missiles
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 9 November 2001,Official Report, column 434W, on ballistic missiles, when he will place a copy of the code of conduct in the Library. [15182]

  Mr. Hoon
  A copy of the draft International Code of Conduct on Ballistic Missiles was placed in the Library of the House today.

  September 11 (Financial Consequences)
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the answer of 9 November 2001,Official Report, column 435W, on the cost of Operation Veritas, for what reason he has referred the hon. Member for North Essex to an answer to a previous question, referring to a letter to the hon. Member for Lewes (Mr. Baker), 23 October 2001, Official Report, column 114W, which has not been sent; and when he will (a) give and (b) publish in the Official Report a substantive answer to the question from the hon. Member for North Essex. [15275]

  Mr. Hoon
  The financial data required to provide a substantive answer on the costs to date of Operation Veritas are still being gathered. I hope to be able to provide the information requested in due course.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

  Railtrack
  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on what date he instructed officials to draw up draft legislation to prevent the Rail Regulator performing an interim financial review on Railtrack. [10404]

  Mr. Spellar
  Details of internal communications are exempt from disclosure under paragraph 2, part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Mr. Norman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he contacted(a) the Chairman and (b) directors of Railtrack plc on Saturday 6 October to ask whether the Board accepted that Railtrack plc was insolvent; [14461]

  (2) if he will list the contacts made by (a) him and (b) his officials with the Board of Railtrack Group plc on Saturday 6 October. [14462]

  Mr. Jamieson
  [holding answer 13 November 2001]There were numerous contacts at various levels between my Department and Railtrack plc and our respective legal and financial advisers on Saturday 6 October.

  Scottish Devolution
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his policy is regarding consultations prior to the publication of proposals involving the transfer of powers to the Scottish Executive by(a) primary legislation and (b) Order in Council. [13826]

  Dr. Whitehead
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, on 14 November 2001,Official Report, column 748W.

  Home Condition Inspections
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what his estimate is of(a) the number of home inspectors who will be needed to enforce the proposals in the seller's pack and (b) the cost to the taxpayer of policing compliance with the seller's pack. [13808]

  Ms Keeble
  Home condition inspection should not be confused with enforcement. The home condition report will be a standard mid-level survey that we propose should be a mandatory part of the seller's pack. This survey will be carried out by accredited professionals who may be surveyors, buildings inspectors or any other professional who satisfies the accreditation body that they have the necessary skills and knowledge.

  We anticipate that some 7,000 to 9,000 people will need to have been accredited through the certification regime in order to provide home condition reports. The vast majority of these will be currently practising professionals.

  The cost of enforcement would depend on the regime agreed by Parliament. But the assessment provided by L.A.C.O.T.S. of the costs arising from the proposals in the 2000 Homes Bill suggested an average of around £5,000 per annum for each local authority to meet the costs of enforcement work by trading standards officers.

  Fire and Civil Defence Authorities
  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to mitigate the reductions in the 2001–02 budgets of fire and civil defence authorities arising from the fire call element of the standard spending assessment. [13598]

  Dr. Whitehead
  All metropolitan fire authorities received an increase in grant in 2001–02 and will receive an increase in grant, as a result of the floor and ceiling mechanism, in the 2002–03 local government finance settlement.

  We recognise that the fire calls element of the fire Standard Spending Assessment is a perverse incentive and are committed to removing this indicator as part of the current review of local government finance. That review, which is being undertaken in partnership with local government, is looking at a number of ways in which the fire calls indicator might be replaced from 2003–04.

  Swimming Pools
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what 830W
  financial support he gives for the construction of swimming pools in partnership with local and regional authorities. [14040]

  Dr. Whitehead
  This Department makes no specific financial provision available for construction of swimming pools. However local authorities may use their non ring-fenced basic credit approvals, which are issued by this Department, to support borrowing for any capital projects. The majority of capital funding for sport is channelled through the sports councils. Sport England is the distributor for the Lottery Sports Fund, to which local authorities may apply, which provides funding for a range of community sports facilities, including swimming pools.

  Access Road (Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital)
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to provide a second access road to the new Norfolk and Norwich University hospital. [13863]

  Mr. Jamieson
  None. South Norfolk district council are currently considering an outline planning application for residential development at Cringleford together with a new link road between the A11 and Colney Lane. The new link road would have the potential to provide an alternative route to the new Norfolk and Norwich hospital.

  It is for Norfolk county council, as the local highway authority, to consider the question of a second access for the hospital. The Highways Agency looked at the acceptability of allowing direct access to the hospital from the A47 and concluded that an additional junction between the B1108 Watton road and the A11 would affect the safe and efficient operation of this section of the A47. Subsequently a technical assessment of a direct link between the A47 and the hospital was commissioned by Norfolk county council and the Highways Agency is currently examining proposals received from the county council on 1 November.

  Connex South Eastern
  Dr. Ladyman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what subsidies have been paid to Connex South Eastern to assist them with the purchase of new trains; when these payments were made; what Connex is required to do as a consequence of accepting these payments; how many confirmed orders for new trains Connex has informed his Department it has made; and how many trains Connex has accepted. [13874]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Between 13 October 1996 and 31 March 2001, the following amounts of franchise support were paid to Connex South Eastern by the franchising director and, since 1 February 2001, by the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA).

  Year

  Cash price (£ million)

  1996–97

  58

  1997–98

  115

  1998–99

  86

  1999–2000

  64

  2000–01

  43

  831W
  Franchise support for Connex South Eastern is the franchising director's and the SRA's contribution to funding all the company's expenditure under its franchise agreement, including expenditure on new trains. Under the agreement, the company is required to use all reasonable endeavours to introduce new trains on time. I understand that the company has ordered 210 vehicles, 16 of which are in passenger service.

  London Underground
  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what are London Underground's estimated(a) passengers, (b) passenger kilometres operated, (c) gross operating costs, (d) total income from fares and (e) gross operating margin for 2001–02. [14606]

  Mr. Jamieson
  [holding answer 13 November 2001]The budgeted information for 2001–02 for London Underground Ltd. (including the InfraCos) is as follows:

  (a) Fare paying passenger journeys—975 million;

  (b) Passenger kilometres operated—7,518 million;

  (c) Gross operating costs—£1,387 million;

  (d) Total fare income—£1,175 million; and

  (e) Gross operating margin—(£122 million).

  The actual figures for 2001–02 will be published in due course as part of the London Transport Annual Report 2001–'02.

  Brownfield Development
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on targets for development on brownfield sites, with specific reference on how to prevent town cramming. [14841]

  Ms Keeble
  [holding answer 14 November 2001]Our national target is that by 2008, 60 per cent. of additional housing should be provided on previously developed land and through conversions of existing buildings.

  Regional planning bodies should propose land recycling targets to be set in regional planning guidance, drawing on the urban housing capacity studies undertaken by their constituent local authorities. These targets should contribute to achieving the national target. Local planning authorities should adopt their own land recycling targets in development plans which will contribute to attaining the regional target and which are consistent with data from their urban housing capacity studies.

  Good design and layout of new development can help to achieve the Government's objectives of making the best use of previously developed land and improving the quality and attractiveness of residential areas.

  Gayton Level Crossing
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when work to replace the Gayton level crossing on the West Coast Main Line with a bridge will be(a) initiated and (b) completed. [15008]
  832W
  Mr. Jamieson
  I am not aware of any proposal to replace this level crossing. This would be a matter for Railtrack in the first instance, who are responsible for maintaining the network infrastructure.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many people over retirement age were made homeless in(a) 1997 and (b) 2001 to date; and what proposals the Government have to counter this problem. [15199]

  Ms Keeble
  Homeless acceptances represent households in need who are helped by local authorities into accommodation. Information reported to the Department by local authorities for total acceptances and those where a member of the household is identified as vulnerable due to old age are as follows:

  1997

  2000

  Total

  102,410

  111,550

  Of which vulnerable due to old age

  4,220

  4,050

  Percentage

  4

  4

  The Government have introduced the Homelessness Bill whose provisions will
  require housing authorities to take a more strategic, multi-agency approach to the prevention of homelessness and the re-housing of homeless households;
  ensure that everyone accepted by housing authorities as unintentionally homeless and in priority need must be provided with suitable accommodation until they obtain a settled housing solution; and
  allow housing authorities greater flexibility to assist non-priority homeless households, principally through a new power for housing authorities to secure accommodation for such households where they have the scope to do so.

  To support these provisions, investment in new affordable housing through the Housing Corporation will rise to over £1.2 billion by 2003–04—about double the current level.

  Additionally, the Government have been consulting on their overall approach to tackling homelessness and are considering a number of constructive suggestions.

  Fire Service Personnel
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the shortfall is in the number of Fire Service personnel in the UK; and what plans he has to encourage more people into the service. [12960]

  Dr. Whitehead
  Based on provisional figures taken from annual returns to HM Fire Service Inspectorate, the difference between establishment and actual strength of the fire service in England and Wales, as 31 March, was 3,582.

  To help encourage people from all backgrounds to join the fire service, officials from my Department have been working in collaboration with stakeholders from all parts of the fire service to produce effective and informative national recruitment literature. This literature will be produced centrally for use by fire authorities in their recruitment activities. The production of this literature

  833W
  forms part of a strategic approach to recruitment across the fire service which aims to raise awareness among under-represented groups of the fire service as a career choice.

  We will be launching the first of the recruitment publications shortly.

  Green Spaces
  Ms Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what progress has been made in delivering the Government's proposals for improving the quality of urban parks and green spaces. [15791]

  Ms Keeble
  The Urban Green Spaces Taskforce was set up in January 2001 to advise the Government on its proposals for improving the quality of our urban parks, play areas and green spaces.

  The taskforce has, today, published its interim report: "Green Spaces, Better Places". The report describes the taskforce's work, some preliminary findings, and how proposals are being developed. Copies of the report are available in the Libraries of the House.

  The final report of the taskforce will be published in April 2002.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Cluster Bombs
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Solicitor-General, pursuant to her answer to the hon. Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Lynne Jones) of 5 November 2001,Official Report, column 1W, on cluster bombs, if she will make it her policy to change the convention covering advice given by the Law Officers; and if she will set out the reasons for the current policy of non disclosure of Law Officers' advice. [14691]

  The Solicitor-General
  British Council Of>: The Ministerial Code provides that the fact and content of advice given by the Law Officers, either individually or collectively, must not be disclosed outside Government without their authority. This long-standing convention, observed by successive Governments, protects the confidentiality of the legal advice given to the Government. There are no plans to change Government policy on this matter but we keep under continuing review all arrangements relating to our work.

  Internet Fraud
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Solicitor-General how many investigations were conducted by the Serious Fraud Office into alleged fraud on the internet in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement. [14383]

  The Solicitor-General
  The SFO is currently investigating one case where the internet was the principal medium through which the fraud was carried out. There are a number of other SFO cases where the internet has been used, but not as the principal medium for the fraud. The SFO does not record these separately.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Compensation Agency
  Colin Burgon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he has made a decision about the future of the Compensation Agency. [15302]

  Dr. John Reid
  I have agreed that the executive agency status of the Compensation Agency should be continued until 31 March 2004. My decision follows the completion of stage 1 of a quinquennial review which examined the past performance of the agency and the other organisational arrangements available for the administration of compensation schemes. Stage 2 of the review will look at ways of improving the delivery of services.

  Copies of the report of stage 1 have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Trial by Jury
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he has taken to set mechanisms in place for the re-introduction of trial by jury following the most recent report of General de Chastelain. [13913]

  Jane Kennedy
  The mechanism for reviewing trials without jury in Northern Ireland is already in place. The Northern Ireland specific emergency provisions as contained at part VII of the Terrorism Act 2000 (which came into force on 19 February 2001) are time-limited to five years and subject to annual renewal; its provisions can be phased out by order, individually if appropriate, as soon as the security situation allows. Section 75 of the Act relating to mode of trial on indictment which falls within part VII is therefore subject to this process.

  Influencing factors relating to the re-introduction of trial by jury will be the risk of juror intimidation; the subsequent risk of perverse verdicts; and an assessment of the level of threat/security situation. The annual report(s) of the independent reviewer of the Terrorism Act 2000 will assist in informing future decisions and parliamentary debates on part VII of the Act.

PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

  Computer Crime
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the President of the Council how many cases of computer(a) hacking, (b) fraud and (c) theft his Department recorded in (i) 2000 and (ii) 2001; and on how many occasions in those years computer systems have been illegally accessed by computer hackers (a) within and (B) outside his Department. [13139]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  None.

  House of Lords Appointments Commission
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the President of the Council when the House of Lords Appointments Commission will publish its annual report. [13870]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  My understanding is that the Commission will publish its annual report in the new year.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Afghanistan
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he was informed of the Russian submission to the United Nations Security Council in March on Al-Qaeda's infrastructure; and what action he took. [12180]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  [holding answer 2 November 2001]: We have no knowledge of any submission by Russia on the infrastructure of Al-Qaeda in March this year to either the Security Council or the Afghanistan sanctions committee.

  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received concerning the Shelter Now aid workers imprisoned by the Taliban regime in Afghanistan since August. [14786]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We welcome the liberation of all the Shelter Now International (SNI) workers on 15 November.

  Entry Clearance
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visa applications refused by entry clearance officers were subsequently granted on appeal in each of the last five years. [13643]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The Home Office has provided the following statistics. The outcome of entry clearance appeals to immigration adjudicators is:

  Total dealt with

  Allowed

  Outcome Dismissed

  Withdrawn

  1996

  7,320

  1,790

  4,200

  1,330

  1997

  8,760

  2,670

  4,110

  1,970

  1998

  7,600

  2,200

  4,100

  1,200

  1999

  5,800

  2,070

  3,280

  450

  2000

  6,650

  2,360

  3,690

  600

  The source of these statistics is the "Control of Immigration Statistics United Kingdom 2000" copies of which are available from the Libraries of the House.

  Overseas Territories
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives from overseas territories with regard to the reciprocal rights to reside and work in(a) the UK and (b) those territories of the citizens of both categories. [13914]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  Discussions have been held with the overseas territories on a regular basis since the preparation of the 1999 White Paper on the relationship with the overseas territories, "Partnership for Progress and Prosperity".

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the nature and extent of British military presence in British territories overseas. [13980]
  836W
  Mr. Bradshaw
  There are 5,132 British military personnel deployed in British overseas territories and sovereign base areas. They are deployed to maintain garrison facilities and provide on-going defence to the British overseas territories.

  Human Rights
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what dates the(a) Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948, (b) International Labour Organisation Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97), (c) Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, 1949, (d) Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951, and its 1967 Protocol, (e) International Labour Organisation Discrimination Convention (Employment and Occupation), 1958 (No. 111), (f) Convention against Discrimination in Education, adopted on 14 December 1960 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, (g) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979, with a view to achieving universal ratification within five years, and its Optional Protocol of 1999, (h) Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1989 and its two Optional Protocols of 2000, and the International Labour Organisation Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) and Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182), (i) International Labour Organisation Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143), (j) International Labour Organisation Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169) and the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992, (k) International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, 1990, (1) Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, 1998, (m) United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, supplementing the Convention and the Protocol against the smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, supplementing the Convention, 2000 and (n) the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 36/55, of 25 November 1981 instruments were (i) signed and (ii) ratified; and what further progress he expects to make with these in the next 12 months. [13924]

  Peter Hain
  (a) The United Kingdom acceded to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, 1948 on 30 January 1970.

  (b) The UK signed the International Labour Organisation Migration for Employment Convention (Revised), 1949 (No. 97) on 1 July 1949 and ratified on 22 January 1951.

  (c)The UK is not party to the Convention for the Suppression of the Traffic in Persons and of the Exploitation of the Prostitution of Others, 1949.

  (d) The UK signed the Convention relating to the Status of Refugees of 1951 on 28 July 1951 and ratified on 11 March 1954. The UK acceded to the 1967 Protocol on 4 September 1968.
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  (e) The UK ratified the International Labour Organisation Discrimination Convention (Employment and Occupation), 1958 (No. 111) on 8 June 1999.

  (f) The UK accepted the Convention against Discrimination in Education, adopted on 14 December 1960 by the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, on 14 March 1962.

  g) The UK signed the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women 1979 in July 1981 and ratified on 7 April 1986. The UK is not party to the Optional Protocol of 1999.

  (h) The UK signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child on 19 April 1980 and ratified on 16 December 1991. The UK signed the two Optional Protocols (2000) to the Convention on 7 September 2000. The UK ratified the International Labour Organisation Minimum Age Convention, 1973 (No. 138) on 7 June 2000 and ratified the Worst Forms of Child Labour Convention, 1999 (No. 182) on 23 March 2000.

  (i) The UK is not party to the International Labour Organisation Migrant Workers (Supplementary Provisions) Convention, 1975 (No. 143).

  (j) The UK is not party to the International Labour Organisation Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169). The UK signed the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992 on 12 June 1992 and ratified on 3 June 1994.

  (k) The UK is not party to the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families, 1990.

  (l) The UK signed the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court on 30 November 1998 and ratified on 4 October 2001.

  (m) The UK signed the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organised Crime, the Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, and the Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air, on 14 December 2000.

  (n) The UK supported the adoption by consensus of the Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and of Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, proclaimed by the General Assembly in its resolution 36/55, of 25 November 1981.

  Over the next 12 months, the UK will be working for early ratification of the two Optional Protocols to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime and the two Optional Protocols supplementing the Convention.

  September 11
  Hywel Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest estimate is of the number of British subjects killed in the terrorist attacks on 11 September. [14199]
  838W
  Mr. Bradshaw
  To date, four British nationals have been positively identified as among the dead. A further 74 people are identified as missing. This number includes 56 British nationals, four dual nationals and 14 foreign nationals with close links to the United Kingdom.

  Zimbabwe
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Zimbabwean Government's plans for foreign and independent monitoring of the upcoming presidential elections; and what plans he has to help ensure free and fair elections in that country. [14395]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We are following the Zimbabwean Government's plans for monitoring and observation of the forthcoming presidential elections closely. We have made clear repeatedly to the Government of Zimbabwe our view that the presence of international election observers is a key element in creating a climate conducive to free and fair elections. We support the initiative of President Obasanjo of Nigeria to seek agreement from President Mugabe to allow access for international election observers. We shall work with our partners in the EU, the Commonwealth, the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the US to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to admit international observers.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what attempts he is making to ensure that foreign observers will be present to monitor the lead up to the elections in Zimbabwe. [14522]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to admit international election observers in the lead up to, and during the forthcoming Presidential elections. Most recently my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary raised this matter with the Zimbabwean Minister of Foreign affairs, Mr. Mudenge, in New York on 10 November. We shall also work with our EU partners to press for early access for international observers in the pre-election period, in particular during forthcoming consultations with the Government of Zimbabwe under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what efforts he is making to ensure that foreign observers are present to monitor the registration of voters in Zimbabwe. [14523]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to admit international observers and to create a climate conducive to free and fair elections. Most recently my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this when he met Zimbabwe's Foreign Minister, Stan Mudenge, on 10 November in New York. We shall, with our EU partners, also focus on the electoral process during forthcoming consultations with the Government of Zimbabwe, under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.

  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to ensure that the registration of voters in Zimbabwe is free and fair. [14524]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to create a climate conducive to a free and fair election including the registration of voters. We are also working with our EU colleagues to encourage a free
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  and fair electoral process and will continue to do so in the context of consultations with the Government of Zimbabwe under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Zimbabwe Government concerning the forthcoming presidential elections; and if he will make a statement. [14739]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We continue to urge the Government of Zimbabwe to admit international election observers and to create a climate conducive to free and fair elections. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary reiterated this when he met the Zimbabwean Foreign Minister, Stan Mudenge, on 10 November in New York.

  British Council Offices
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the new offices of the British Council opened in each of the last three years. [14736]

  Mr. MacShane
  The British Council has opened the following offices in the last three years.

  April 1998 to March 1999:

  Curitiba (Brazil)

  Mandalay (Burma)

  Havana (Cuba)

  Auckland (New Zealand)

  Gilgit (Pakistan)

  Sochi (Russia)

  Yaroslavl (Russia)

  Sharjah (UAE)

  April 1999 to March 2000:

  Ramallah (East Jerusalem)

  Brasov (Romania)

  Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Russia)

  Pristina (Yugoslavia)

  April 2000 to March 2001:

  Chongging (China)

  Chandigarh (India)

  Tehran (Iran)

  Tripoli (Libya)

  Multan (Russia)

  Irkutsk (Russia)

  Samara (Russia).

  Jedda
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Saudi authorities concerning the arrest and continuing incarceration of Christians in Jedda. [15194]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We are aware of the cases of a number of Christians of various nationalities (none British) arrested in Jedda. Saudi law prohibits the practise of any religion other than Islam. The British Consulate-General in Jedda has discussed these cases with EU partners and other diplomatic representatives. All those detained have received visits from their own diplomatic representatives. We raise our concerns about human rights with the Saudi authorities on a regular basis.

  China
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if UK approval for China's application to join the World Trade Organisation was contingent on an improvement in human rights within(a) China and (b) Tibet. [15195]

  Peter Hain
  As the WTO accession process is primarily dependent on fulfilling trade-related and economic objectives, this was the basis of the approval of China's application for WTO membership. The UK will encourage China to implement its WTO obligations in ways which respect international human rights standards. We believe that closer integration of China into the international community will make an important contribution to improving the human rights situation in China over the longer term.

  Refugees (Zakynthos)
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Government of Greece regarding the condition of the Afghan, Iraqi Kurds and Pakistani refugees who recently disembarked on the island of Zakynthos. [14738]

  Peter Hain
  The Government have made no representations to the Government of Greece about the condition of refugees recently disembarked on the island of Zakynthos.

  HM Government wholly condemn the people-traffickers who cause the kind of human suffering witnessed in this incident and are working energetically with colleagues, including EU colleagues, to crack down on this evil trade.

TREASURY

  Taper Relief
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to Tax Bulletin Issue No 53,(a) in the context of taper, what the Inland Revenue defines as "security", (b) for what reasons the Inland Revenue regards not all debentures as securities and (c) what guidance has been issued to relevant inspectors of taxes when considering the question as to whether a particular instrument was a security. [9759]

  Dawn Primarolo
  (a) For capital gains tax taper relief, "security" takes its ordinary meaning. In addition, certain earn-out rights under section 138A of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 may be treated as securities for the purposes of the whole Act, and thus for taper relief.

  For planned changes to the meaning of "security" for the purposes of taper relief, I refer the hon. Gentleman to my written answer to his question on deemed securities.

  (b) Whether a debenture is a security depends on the characteristics of the individual instrument.

  (c) Tax Bulletin 53 states that the Inland Revenue will accept that any debt instrument which has the characteristics of a "debt on a security", as that term has been explained in judicial decisions, is a security for taper

  841W
  purposes. Guidance on the meaning of the expression "debt on a security" is given in the Capital Gains Manual which is available to both tax offices and the public.

  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to extend section 251 (6) of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 to apply as a definition of security in the context of taper relief. [9760]

  Dawn Primarolo
  In order to simplify capital gains tax (CGT) and reduce uncertainty, especially in take-overs and company reconstructions, the Government will introduce legislation to provide that debentures that are deemed to be securities under section 251(6) of the Taxation of Chargeable Gains Act 1992 are also treated as securities for CGT taper relief.

  The new provision will take effect for holding periods from 6 April 1998 and for disposals from 6 April 2001.

  Climate Change Levy
  Mr. Howard
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of the climate change levy on manufacturing productivity. [R] [10256]

  Mr. Boateng
  The climate change levy is a broadly revenue neutral instrument which will raise the relative price of energy but lower the relative cost of employment.

  The impact on any specific sector or industry will depend on a number of factors including:
  The future energy consumption of firms in the sector and the use they make of levy funded energy efficiency support.
  Employment levels in those sectors and the benefits received from the levy funded reductions in employers' national insurance contributions.
  The number of energy intensive firms in that sector that are eligible to receive a discount on the main rates of the levy by signing up to an energy efficiency agreement.
  What use firms in that sector make of electricity generated from levy exempt sources of energy such as new renewables and combined heat and power.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to widen the discount schemes for the climate change levy. [14432]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Government have no plans to amend the eligibility criteria for businesses entering into negotiated agreements for improving energy efficiency in return for 80 per cent. discounts of the climate change levy.

  Customs and Excise
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the statutory instruments affecting the working of HM Customs and Excise that have come into force since 31 March 1999. [11174]

  Mr. Boateng
  [holding answer 5 November 2001]Statutory instruments that affect the work of the Department can be found listed in the HM Customs and Excise annual reports. The next report is due to be published at the end of November.

  Public-private Partnerships
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 30 October 2001,842W
  Official Report, column 623W, on the Mott MacDonald study, if any public-private partnerships will be examined by the study; for what reasons he is unable to place the terms of reference in the Library; and if he will make a statement. [13456]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The study is intended to inform risk assessment in future publicly procured projects. For this reason, the study is confined to conventional procurement, as per the terms of reference, which are available in full in the Library.

  Intellectual Property Rights
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which organisation owns the intellectual property rights to(a) the Inland Revenue proprietary system for processing tax returns, (b) the National Insurance Recording System 2 and (c) Customs and Excise proprietary systems; and if he will make a statement. [14742]

  Dawn Primarolo

  (a) Inland Revenue—Under the strategic partnership contract with EDS, the Inland Revenue owns all the Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) created as part of the delivery of IT services to the Department.

  (b) NIRS 2—The NIRS 2 deal with Accenture (then Andersen Consulting) is a Private Finance Initiative (PEI) and accordingly the IPRs were granted to Accenture.

  The PFI deal permits IR to have 'licence to use' the IPRs in perpetuity for a sliding scale of charge.

  (c) Customs and Excise—All IPRs in Customs and Excise propriety systems are owned by the Department.

  Child Care Tax Credits
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland are eligible for (i) the working families tax credit and (ii) the child care tax credit. [15147]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The number of families in receipt of the working families tax credit (WFTC) in each country are shown in the WFTC quarterly inquiries, copies of which are in the Library.

  The following are estimates of the number of families in each country in receipt of the child care tax credit within WFTC at May 2001:

  Country

  (a) England

  119,400

  (b) Wales

  6,900

  (c) Scotland

  14,200

  (d) Northern Ireland

  3,900

  Note:

  The figures for England, Wales and Scotland are estimates based on a 5 per cent. sample of awards, and are therefore subject to sampling error. In addition, there were a small number of families for which the country was not known from the data used to compile these estimates.

  Tax Receipts
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what impact the reduced rate of output in manufacturing since January has had on(a) corporation tax receipts and (b) VAT receipts. [14423]
  843W
  Mr. Andrew Smith
  An updated projection for corporation tax and VAT receipts will be presented in the forthcoming pre-Budget Report.

  British Petroleum
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received from BP; and if he will place them in the Library. [14443]

  Mr. Boateng
  Treasury Ministers receive a large number of representations from a wide range of organisations on a wide range of subjects.

  Company Cars
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the total cost to business that will result from the changes to company car tax from April 2002. [14391]

  Mr. Boateng
  The Inland Revenue estimates that employers will pay around £25 million less in national insurance contributions over the first three years of the new system as a result of the reforms to company car tax.

  The Inland Revenue also estimates that employers will save around £20 million per year in recurring compliance costs as a result of the reforms. A Regulatory Impact Assessment document looking in detail at the impacts of the company car tax changes on employers' compliance costs is on the Inland Revenue's website.

  Customs and Excise (Rosyth)
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Customs and Excise officers the Rosyth ferry terminal will employ; and what special measures will be included in their roles to prevent smuggling and the entry of illegal immigrants. [13938]

  Mr. Boateng
  [holding answer 12 November 2001]: It is a matter for the Commissioners of HM Customs and Excise where and how they deploy their staff. They continually keep the position under review and will deploy staff based on the assessed level of risk and results from smuggling.

  The Immigration service rather than Customs and Excise are responsible for preventing the entry of illegal immigrants.

  NHS Funding Review
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will publish the result of the review of the future funding of the NHS, commissioned from Derek Wanless, upon receipt of the report in April 2002. [15054]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Budget 2001 announced that Derek Wanless had been asked to carry out a review to examine the technological, demographic and medical trends over the next two decades that may affect the health service in the UK as a whole. I confirm that the Government intend to publish his report when it is completed.

  Capital Modernisation Grant Scheme
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to which nations and regions of the United Kingdom the Government capital modernisation grant scheme is applicable. [15067]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The capital modernisation fund applies to all parts of the United Kingdom for non-devolved functions and to England for devolved functions. Where money is allocated to English Departments, corresponding allocations are made to the devolved Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland based on the usual Barnett formula. The amounts allocated to the devolved Administrations from the fund are set out in the table 1.12 of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2001–02.

  Pre-Budget Report
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will publish his pre-Budget report; and if he will make a statement. [14145]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  The Chancellor will present the pre-Budget report on 27 November.

  Illegal Food Imports
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of customs resources available to control the importation of illegal food. [15197]

  Mr. Boateng
  The lead responsibility for controls on imported food lies with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and agencies acting on its behalf. Customs has both provided support to these agencies and dealt with illicit meat detected as part of Customs normal control activities on imports. It is examining with DEFRA how it can best contribute to the overall Government response to the risks presented by illegal meat imports.

  Refurbishment Project
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what(a) building and (b) refurbishment projects are planned by his Department in (i) the current year and (ii) the next financial year; and what the costs are of each project. [6523]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire (Mrs. Lawrence) on 5 May 2000,Official Report, column 231W.

  Approved Pension Schemes (Tax Relief)
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much of the total cost of tax relief for approved pension schemes in the last financial year was provided to higher rate taxpayers. [14417]

  Ruth Kelly
  The estimates available for 2000–01 are as follows:Cost of relief at 40 per cent. on pension contributions paid by employees and self-employed—£3.5 billion.
  Cost of relief at 40 per cent. on pensions contributions paid by employers in respect of higher rate employees—£4.6 billion.
  845W
  The employers' component is estimated on the basis that under present arrangements, employers' contributions are not taxable as a benefit in kind of the employees. The estimates assume that the proportion of total employers' contributions related to higher rate taxpayers is the same as that observed for employees' contributions. It is not possible to apportion the other elements of the total cost of tax relief between higher rate taxpayers and others.

  Estimates are provisional, based on the Survey of Personal Incomes 1999–2000.

  Departmental Secondments
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many secondees in his Department are paid by(a) their previous employer and (b) his Department. [14702]

  Ruth Kelly
  There are currently 20 people seconded to HM Treasury from outside the civil service. In each case the Treasury meets the salary cost by reimbursing the employer.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the term of secondment of each secondee in his Department; and if they are renewable. [14701]

  Ruth Kelly
  Details of the people seconded from outside the civil service are set out in the table:

  Name

  Start date

  End date

  Trevor Ashenden

  3 April 2000

  2 April 2002

  Rachel Austin

  24 September 2001

  23 September 2003

  Paul Bilton

  13 August 2001

  12 February 2003

  Dee Bingham

  24 September 2001

  28 December 2001

  Nick Bloom

  24 September 2001

  23 April 2002

  Graeme Brown

  26 February 2001

  31 August 2002

  Tony Burdon

  3 September 2001

  2 September 2002

  Nick Buxton

  5 June 2000

  4 June 2002

  Steven Cain

  4 January 2000

  3 January 2002

  Nigel Fawcett

  12 February 2001

  30 November 2001

  Paul Gregg

  24 May 1999

  23 May 2002

  Robert Jennings

  3 October 2001

  2 April 2002

  Paul Kennedy

  15 November 1999

  1 December 2001

  Birone Lynch

  23 April 2001

  30 November 2002

  Richard Maddison

  26 October 2000

  30 November 2002

  Ciaran Martin

  10 January 2000

  9 January 2002

  Simon Pink

  6 August 2001

  5 February 2003

  Cohn Stratton

  8 January 2001

  7 January 2003

  David Watkins

  10 January 2000

  9 January 2002

  Peter Westaway

  1 September 2001

  31 December 20011

  1Four days per week.

  Secondments are not renewable but may be extended by mutual agreement.

  All secondments in HM Treasury operate in accordance with Civil Service Commissioners Recruitment Code, which states that periods of secondment may be granted up to three years and extended to a period not exceeding five years.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Steel Industry
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with Corns management in the last six months regarding the future of the steel industry; and if she will make a statement. [13728]
  846W
  Mr. Wilson
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry met Corus management recently for a general discussion. The Government attach great importance to the steel industry and will maintain close contact with Corns and other key players in order to maintain its future.

  Terrorist Threat
  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost is of additional security arrangements at nuclear installations since 11 September; and what her calculation is of the annual future costs of these arrangements if they are continued. [13719]

  Mr. Wilson
  Robust security arrangements were already in place at civil nuclear installations before the events of 11 September. Security at nuclear sites is kept under regular review. The additional costs to the operators of increased security has not been collated centrally.

  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her policy is on the protection of(a) nuclear power stations and (b) road and rail bridges from terrorist attack. [13411]

  Mr. Wilson
  The Government's policy on the protection of nuclear power stations is to maintain an independent regulatory authority and provide it with regulatory powers. The Government's security regulator is the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), which is responsible for setting security standards and enforcing compliance under the Nuclear Generating Stations (Security) Regulations 1996 made under the Health and Safety at Work, etc. Act 1974. OCNS ensures that levels of protection at nuclear power stations is adequate, taking into account the likely level of threat against them.

  In respect of road and rail bridges, security policy is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions.

  Nuclear Energy
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government plans are with regard to nuclear energy; and if she will make a statement. [13885]

  Mr. Wilson
  Nuclear power currently produces about 25 per cent. of electricity generated in the UK, and with almost zero carbon emissions is contributing to the achievement of UK and international carbon emissions targets. Existing nuclear stations are expected to continue to contribute to our energy requirements, provided they meet the stringent safety and environmental standards currently required. The Cabinet Office's Performance and Innovation Unit review of energy policy announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 25 June is looking at the objectives of energy policy to develop a strategy that ensures current policy commitments are consistent with longer-term goals. To achieve its aim, the review is considering all sources of energy including nuclear. At this stage, there is no presumption of any change in nuclear industry policies. The review is due to report to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister at the end of the year.

  Sellafield
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list each of the buildings at Sellafield which have facility arrangements and particular safeguards provisions in place for the application of international safeguards; and, for each building or group of buildings, when the safeguards provisions came into effect. [14688]

  Mr. Wilson
  The European Commission has provided particular safeguards provisions for a total of 28 Material Balance Areas at the BNFL Sellafield facility. Facility Attachments for the two parts of the BNFL Sellafield facility (Special Nuclear Materials Store 9 and the THORP Plutonium Product Store) that the IAEA has designated for routine inspection have been drawn-up with the European Commission and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Under Exemption 1.1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, disclosure of detailed information on nuclear material accountancy arrangements, including the description and location of Material Balance Areas, would harm national security and would not be in the public interest.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is the annual cost of storing plutonium at Sellafield; and what proportion of the cost is recovered from overseas customers. [14693]

  Mr. Wilson
  This is a commercial matter for BNFL and its customers, under Exemption 13—Third Party's Commercial Confidences—of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Regional Development Agencies
  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what(a) financial investment and (b) other assistance the North-west Regional Development Agency has put into St. Helens in each of the last three years. [14718]

  Alan Johnson
  The North-west Development Agency has invested in a range of projects in St. Helens during the last three years. Expenditure breaks down as follows:

  Year

  £million

  1998–99

  7.2

  1999–2000

  7.3

  2000–01

  8.9

  Total investment during the current financial year is expected to be approximately £7.1 million. The agency also works closely with St. Helens metropolitan borough council and other partners to provide advice and guidance on economic development and regeneration issues.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  South Africa (AIDS)
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial aid the UK Government have allocated to help combat the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. [14455]
  848W
  Clare Short
  DFID is currently designing a new multi-sectoral HIV/AIDS programme, due to start next year, with an anticipated budget of £40 million over four years. Since 1994, the UK Government have allocated £19 million to help combat the HIV/AIDS epidemic in South Africa.

  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps she has taken to help combat the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. [14454]

  Clare Short
  DFID's co-operation with South Africa includes support to the Government's National HIV/AIDS and STD programme, finance for a national condom social marketing programme and assistance to various NGOs to help promote behaviour change and improve HIV/AIDS-related services. We are now working with South African partners to design a substantial new initiative which will extend our support to include the education system and the private sector.

  Democratic Republic of Congo
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on progress made by the UN panel in Zimbabwe on the report into resource exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo. [14401]

  Clare Short
  The final report of the UN panel into resource exploitation in the Democratic Republic of Congo has not yet been published. The report is due to be published in the near future. We are not aware of the contents of the final report.

  Commonwealth Scholarships
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many students from southern Sudan have been awarded Commonwealth scholarships in 2000–01. [14400]

  Clare Short
  Sudan is not a member of the Commonwealth and is not eligible for such awards.

  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Commonwealth scholarships have been awarded to students who were nominated by bodies other than the student's own Government in 2000–01. [14399]

  Clare Short
  In 2000–01, 241 individuals took up places under the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship plan, 134 of whom were nominated through agencies appointed by the governments of their respective countries. 107 were also nominated directly from their universities, except in the case of the Indian sub-continent, where nominations come from the national university authorities of the countries concerned.

  World Trade Summit
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which non-Governmental organisations she has invited to accompany the United Kingdom delegation to the world trade negotiations in Doha. [14683]
  849W
  Clare Short
  The official UK delegation included representation from the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress and the UK NGO Trade Network.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will set out the policies she plans to put forward at the world trade summit in Doha; and if she will place in the Library copies of all documents(a) submitted by the United Kingdom to the Doha summit and (b) distributed at Doha by (i) other countries and (ii) international bodies. [14694]

  Clare Short
  I advocated the launch of a 'Development Round' in which cuts are made to the tariffs and subsidies which act as barriers to the exports of developing countries, and in which the problems developing countries face in implementing WTO agreements are addressed.

  I will have the documents submitted by the UK to the WTO Ministerial placed in the Library. However, I regret that the other documents requested are not available to me.

  Uganda/Rwanda
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on the outcome of the talks between the presidents of Uganda and Rwanda on Tuesday 6 November. [14534]

  Clare Short
  This was an important and fruitful meeting. The two Presidents signed an Understanding not to interfere in each other's affairs and to set up mechanisms to monitor this with the UK acting as Third Party. The Prime Minister briefly joined the talks.

  Sex Trade (Africa)
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what actions the Government are taking to reduce the sex trade in young girls in(a) the Ivory Coast and (b) Africa. [14074]

  Clare Short
  The Government have signed the optional protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child that strengthens the protection it gives against the sale of children, and child prostitution, and also the new convention against transnational crime that includes a protocol on trafficking of women and children.

  Our support for the work of the International Labour Organisation is focused on eliminating such worst forms of child labour.

  We are working with European partners and African states on this issue. It was one of the most important issues tackled at the recent Africa-EU summit. The states in the region are making serious efforts to counter it.

  Consultation Documents
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many consultation documents were issued by her Department and its predecessor office from(a) 15 October to 14 January, (b) 15 January to 14 April, (c) 15 April to 14 July and (d) 15 July to 14 October in each year from 1996. [12900]
  850W
  Clare Short
  The following consultation documents were issued by my Department:

  One in the period 15 July 20 14 October 1997;

  Two in the period 15 April to 14 July 1999;

  Three in the period 15 October 1999 to 14 January 2000:

  One in the period 15 January to 14 April 2000;

  Two in the period 15 April to 14 July 2000;1

  One in the period 15 October 2000 to 14 January 2001; and

  One in the period 15 January to 14 April 2001.

  Records of its predecessor office do not list consultation documents.

HEALTH

  Cardiologists
  Mr. Swire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many qualified cardiologists there were in(a) 1996–97 and (b) 2000–01. [15144]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested is provided in the table. Data for 2000 are the latest available.

  Hospital medical staff within the cardiology specialty, England at 30 September

  Number

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  All staff

  1,020

  1,080

  1,220

  1,220

  1,340

  Consultants

  390

  400

  460

  470

  550

  Note:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest ten.

  Source:

  Department of Health medical and dental workforce census

  Nurses
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what is the baseline year for measuring the extra numbers of nurses recruited to meet the target contained in the National Plan. [15053]

  Mr. Hutton
  The baseline for the NHS Plan workforce targets is the 1999 workforce census.

  Student Nurses
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what grants are available to student nurses on(a) diploma and (b) degree courses. [14141]

  Mr. Hutton
  National health service bursaries are available to those accepted onto NHS-funded preregistration nurse training programmes at both diploma and degree levels.

  Those undertaking the diploma-level qualification receive a non-means tested bursary (currently £5,305 (£6,232 in London)), while those on the degree-level programme receive a means tested bursary (current rate £2,098 (£2,578 in London)) and student loan. Degree-level students receive additional payments to take account of the longer length of academic year undertaken by health professional students and for both groups additional allowances are available to older students, single parents and others with dependants.
  851W
  In addition the NHS meets all students' liability for a tuition fee contribution (currently £1,075) on their behalf, in full and without means testing.

  With effect from September the basic bursaries were increased by 10.4 per cent. coupled with a 2.4 per cent. inflation increase in the additional allowances and other elements of the bursary scheme. This is the biggest increase since the introduction of the bursary more than 10 years ago.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements exist to help student nurses complete their courses in the event of financial hardship. [14142]

  Mr. Hutton
  National health service-funded students studying at degree-level who have taken out their full entitlement to a bursary and loan and who find themselves in financial difficulty can apply through their university/college for additional help in the form of hardship loans. Degree-level students who have exhausted all other sources of financial help may, in exceptional circumstances be eligible for an NHS hardship grant.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced on 4 October 2001 that there would be a review of student funding policy, to include consideration of hardship support. The Department will consider the findings of the review in relation to NHS-funded students.

  Health Care Professions (Discipline)
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the bodies responsible for disciplinary matters in the(a) medical profession, (b) nursing profession and (c) other professions allied to medicine or associated with healthcare.[15049]

  Mr. Hutton
  Disciplinary matters in the national health service are dealt with by managers at a local level in the first instance. Some consultant doctors have a right of appeal to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State against dismissal; the NHS Plan made a commitment to remove this. General practitioners can appeal to a Family Health Services Appeal Authority (FHSAA) against a decision that they have breached their terms of service. A separate NHS Tribunal decides if a GP can be suspended or disqualified. The NHS Tribunal will be abolished later this year and its powers transferred to health authorities, with a right of appeal to an independent FHSAA.

  If a person's fitness to practise their profession is called into question, this will be dealt with by the regulatory body responsible for regulation of that profession.

  The eight regulatory bodies responsible for regulation of healthcare professionals are:

  General Medical Council

  United Kingdom Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting

  Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain

  General Dental Council

  General Optical Council

  General Osteopathic Council

  General Chiropractic Council

  Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine.

  NHS Staff (Pay)
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to move away from annual pay rounds for health service staff. [15048]

  Mr. Hutton
  There are no current plans to move away from the annual pay round. We are keeping under review the possibility of longer-term pay deals where these would be of benefit to the national health service.

  Regulatory Bodies
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the regulatory bodies in the(a) NHS social care and (b) private health social care spheres. [15274]

  Mr. Hutton
  Local authorities are responsible for the regulation of residential care homes provided by national health service trusts. Both local authorities and health authorities are currently responsible for the regulation of private health social care services depending on whether personal care, nursing care or both are provided in such settings. This responsibility will be taken over by the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) from 1 April 2002. NHS care homes providing nursing come within the scope of the Commission for Health Improvement (CHI). We expect the NCSC and CHI to work together to ensure that consistent standards are applied across these services.

  Waiting Times
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trusts have achieved(a) the six month, (b) the 12 month and (c) the 15 month in-patient waiting targets. [15063]

  Mr. Hutton
  The NHS Plan, published in July 2000, sets out our plans to reduce maximum in-patient waiting times from 18 months now to 15 months by March 2002. Maximum in-patient waiting times will continue to fall to six months by March 2005.

  The trusts with no in-patients waiting over six, 12 and 15 months at 30 September 2001 are given in the tables, copies of which are in the Library.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list in(a) rank and (b) alphabetical order of NHS trust in London region, the (i) proportion and (ii) number of patients waiting (A) over 12 months and (B) over 18 months or more for in-patient treatment (1) at the latest available date, (2) in March 1997 and (3) in June 1997. [15286]

  Mr. Hutton
  Since the start of the waiting list initiative in 1998 London has made very significant progress. In-patient waiting lists have fallen by a quarter from 216,000 to 159,000. This marks the largest reduction in the country.

  Furthermore, since March 1998 the number of patients in London waiting over 12 months for treatment has reduced by nearly half from 17,500 to 9,500 and, before the end of March 2002 no patient should be waiting over 15 months for treatment.

  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Outcome Indicators
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what recent discussions he has had with European Health Ministers on ways to develop common sets of outcome indicators; [15060]

  (2) what steps he is taking to develop clinical outcome measurements for (a) cancer, (b) coronary heart disease and (c) other conditions which allow comparison with European outcome indicators. [15058]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Department participates in the following initiatives involving the European Community which look at the quality of healthcare:Under the auspices of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) officials have been exploring the feasibility of developing common outcome indicators for some or all of the OECD's member countries.
  The European Union Diabetes Indicator Project is developing and piloting a set of indicators for monitoring diabetes and outcomes across all EC countries.

  Inter-consultant Referrals
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients there are waiting on out-patient lists as result of inter-consultant referrals. [15059]

  Mr. Hutton
  Data are not collected on the number of out-patients waiting as a result of inter-consultant referrals. Data are collected only on the number of first out-patient referrals from general practitioners.

  Government Statistical Service
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which health Minister is responsible for checking statistics issued by the Government Statistical Service. [15183]

  Mr. Hutton
  Department of Health statistics are prepared by the Government Statistical Service and issued on the authority of the Director of Statistics.

  NHS Leadership Agency
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will outline the senior management structure of the NHS Leadership Centre. [15278]

  Mr. Hutton
  The national health service Leadership Centre forms part of the NHS Modernisation Agency which was established in April 2001. Barbara Harris is the Director of the Leadership Centre and is accountable to David Fillingham, Director of the NHS Modernisation Agency who in turn is accountable to Nigel Crisp, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health and Chief Executive of the NHS.

  An interim senior management structure is in place for the Leadership Centre comprising staff from the pre-existing NHS Leadership Programme, and clinicians and managers on secondment from the NHS and the Department of Health. A permanent structure will be finalised early in 2002.

  Operation Cancellations
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what(a) geographical, (b) financial and (c) provider restrictions
  854W
  there are on the range of hospitals patients can choose to utilise, should their operations be cancelled at the last minute and not rescheduled within 28 days. [15050]

  Mr. Hutton
  From April 2002, when a patient's operation is cancelled by the hospital on the day of surgery for non-clinical reasons, the hospital will have to offer another binding date within a maximum of the next 28 days or fund the patient's treatment at the time and the hospital of the patient's choice. Patients may choose national health service or private treatment and the NHS will fund the operation. Trusts will met the cost from their existing budgets.

  Ward Beds
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trusts have not conformed to the standard of four beds per ward. [15047]

  Mr. Hutton
  There is no absolute standard that states that trusts must have a maximum of four beds in a ward bay. National Health Service Estates issues guidance on design of wards and departments, and this suggests a number of possible configurations, including multi-bed bays and single rooms. Health Building Note 4 states"a preference is emerging for a four-bedded room with designated sanitary facilities for each bedroom"
  but this does not rule out other configurations.

  A variety of factors govern the layout of any particular ward, including patient preference and clinical caseload and mix. Whatever the layout, it is important that privacy and dignity are maintained. The Department has issued guidance in this area, including "Essence of Care" benchmarks which support staff in developing best practice in fundamental nursing care. Privacy and dignity is one of these benchmarks.

  We have issued £40 million this year to help eliminate Nightingale wards for older people. This will involve refurbishment of existing wards to smaller bed bays, with a number of single rooms.

  Team Bonuses Projects
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which trusts are operating pilot team bonuses projects. [15056]

  Mr. Hutton
  The following national health service trusts have been selected to take part in the first wave of NHS team bonus pilots, which was launched in October.

  Location/Trust

  Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Ambulance Trust

  Bradford City Primary Care Trust

  Bradford Hospitals and Bradford South and West PCT

  Calderstones Learning Disabilities Trust

  Lincolnshire Ambulance Trust

  Newham Primary Care Trust

  Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust

  Norfolk and Norwich Health Care NHS Trust

  South Devon Health Care NHS Trust.

  A further wave of team bonus pilots will be announced shortly.

  Private Hospitals
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) in each of the last five years, what has been the cost of publicly funded treatments for patients in(a) United Kingdom private hospitals and (b) overseas hospitals; [7220]

  (2) how many patients have been treated in private hospitals, funded by the NHS, in each of the last five years. [7219]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 15 October 2001]: The table sets out the total amount of national health service funds spent by health authorities in England outside the NHS. These figures include expenditure on treatment for NHS patients in private hospitals, local authorities and the voluntary sector.

  £ billion

  Year

  Spend

  1996–97

  0.87

  1997–98

  1.08

  1998–99

  1.25

  1999–2000

  1.41

  2000–01

  1.47

  Source:

  Department of Health Common Information Core, Out-turn

  United Kingdom residents are personally liable for costs of hospital and other medical treatment overseas unless there are reciprocal health agreements under which the costs are assumed by Governments. Since many of these agreements are on a cost-waiver basis, information on the cost of patients treated in overseas hospitals is not available.

  A meaningful time series of data on the number of NHS patients treated in private hospitals is not available

  Press Release
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which Minister(a) considered and (b) approved the press release, reference 2001/0530. [15198]

  Mr. Hutton
  Ministers do not approve statistical press releases issued by the Government Statistical Service. They are issued on the authority of the Director of Statistics. As soon as the error was identified, a corrected version was issued by the Government Statistical Service.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Skills and IT Training
  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information her Department has evaluated regarding age discrimination in the provision of skills and IT training. [13170]

  John Healey
  The Government support a wide-ranging research programme to inform the development of their education and training policies, including those relating to participation in learning by older people. In addition to survey data and academic and action research, we consult with the providers of education and training, employers, trade unions and, of course, older learners themselves.
  856W
  Following the launch of the Code of Practice on Age Diversity in Employment, the Government undertook a comprehensive evaluation programme. This involved an evaluation of the "employment cycle" including training and development within work; and a qualitative study into the effectiveness of three Government training programmes to help unemployed older people into work. The results from this research have been used to develop policy on combating age discrimination. For example, the evaluation of the Age Diversity Code led to an enhancement of the "Age Positive" campaign, which promotes the benefits of an age diverse workforce to employers; and it also helped to target the campaign effectively on small and medium sized employers.

  School Buildings
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact of devolving financing of school buildings on head teachers' ability to carry out their core educational work. [13251]

  Mr. Timms
  School buildings that are well maintained and are suitable for delivering the curriculum are a key element supporting improvement in educational standards in schools. In January this year the Department published findings from an initial evaluation study, which supported this view.

  Since school buildings are key to raising standards, we believe that head teachers and their governing bodies should be able to play a decisive role in the management of their school buildings. To help schools do this, consistent delegation of all revenue funded repairs to school buildings was introduced for all schools from April 1999, and each school has been allocated a devolved capital budget since April 2000. Most capital funding. for major work to repair, improve or expand school buildings is still managed by local authorities. But we believe giving schools their own capital budgets as well means that decisions about smaller works are improved, since they are taken by those who best know where their impact can increase standards. They also enable schools to influence local authority decisions about major capital investment.

  Modern Apprenticeships
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the cost of(a) advanced modern apprenticeships and (b) foundation modern apprenticeships in the last 12 months. [14221]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The information requested is not available. Training and Enterprise Councils were not required to supply such breakdowns. However, the total amount spent by TECs in the 12 months ending 31 March 2001 on work based training for young people, which included advanced modern apprenticeships, foundation modern apprenticeships, lifeskills training and other training, was £811 million.

  Skills Shortages
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on skills shortages in the Buckingham constituency. [14208]
  857W
  Mr. Goodman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on skills shortages in the Wycombe constituency. [14874]

  John Healey
  Data on skills shortages are not collected on a constituency basis by the Department. However, the Employers Skill Survey 2001, which was funded by the Department, provides estimates within Local Learning and Skills Council boundaries. In this survey, skill shortage vacancies were reported by five per cent. of employers in the Oxfordshire, Milton Keynes and Buckinghamshire Local Learning and Skills Council area. This compares to a national average of four per cent. and a high of eight per cent.

  Pre-school Education
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost is of the effective provision of pre-school education project. [14098]

  Mr. Timms
  The total cost of the effective provision of pre-school education research project, as agreed in the project's contract, for the period 1 September 1996 to 31 August 2003 is £1,858,419.

  Public Service Agreements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the public service agreement target for costs of contracted inspections in(a) 1999–2000 and (b) 2000–01. [14102]

  Mr. Timms
  These are matters for HM Chief Inspector of Schools and I have therefore asked Mike Tomlinson to write to the hon. Member and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

  Mentors/Support Units
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost is in 2001–02 of the learning mentors and learning support units. [14105]

  Mr. Timms
  We have allocated just over £100 million to support learning mentors and learning support units in Excellence in Cities and Excellence Clusters this financial year. An additional £21 million has been allocated for learning support units outside the areas covered by Excellence in Cities and Excellence Clusters. Schools are free to use their other sources of funding to pay for additional learning mentors and learning support units.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost is in 2001–02 of her Department's support for the national mentoring network. [14084]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  My Department's general financial support to the national mentoring network in 2001–02 is £600,000. This funding is used to promote and develop high quality volunteer mentoring programmes to help young people. In addition the Department is providing the national mentoring network with £30,000 a year for two years specifically to co-ordinate the membership of Excellence in Cities Learning Mentors and to develop relevant networks and activities for them.

  Literacy/Numeracy
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the(a) number and (b) cost of family literacy and numeracy initiatives in the last 12 months. [14219]

  John Healey
  Family literacy and numeracy is a key element of Skills for Life, the national strategy for adult literacy and numeracy, which was launched in March 2001 by the Prime Minister. This is a national initiative to enable parents and their children to improve their literacy and numeracy skills, learning together.

  Funding of £7 million through the Standards Fund will reach up to 20,000 families in 2001–02. An additional sum of £10 million will also be made available in 2001–02 to widen access to family literacy and numeracy programmes to reach at least 64,000 parents and 28,000 children.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the number of children who are not educationally sub-normal and who left school in each of the last five years unable to(a) read and write and (b) undertake simple arithmetic; and if she will make a statement. [14069]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The number and percentage of 15 year olds achieving, and not achieving, a GCSE pass (A*- G) in English or Mathematics in the last five years are listed in the following tables.

  Number and percentage of pupils achieving A*-G in maths or English

  Percentage

  Number

  English

  Maths

  English

  Maths

  1996–97

  89

  87

  522,221

  510,486

  1997–98

  89

  87

  511,936

  500,432

  1998–99

  90

  89

  522,874

  517,955

  1999–2000

  91

  90

  528,157

  522,353

  2000–011

  91

  90

  622,246

  615,408

  1 2001 figures are based on provisional data

  Number and percentage of pupils not achieving A*—G in maths or English

  Percentage

  Number

  English

  Maths

  English

  Maths

  1996–97

  11

  13

  64,544

  76,279

  1997–98

  11

  13

  63,273

  74,777

  1998–99

  10

  11

  58,097

  63,906

  1999–2000

  9

  10

  52,235

  58,039

  2000–011

  9

  10

  54,340

  60,378

  12001 figures are based on provisional data

  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of literacy problems in England in the last three years; and what progress she has made with tackling illiteracy in that period. [13516]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 14 November 2001]: Lord Moser's 1999 Report, "A Fresh Start", notes that perhaps as many as 7 million people (roughly one in five adults) in England have difficulties with functional literacy and numeracy. We are commissioning a new survey next year to provide an up-to-date assessment of the scale of basic skills need in England.
  859W
  The Government are fully committed to helping those who do not have adequate literacy skills. For adults, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minster launched Skills for Life, the national strategy for improving adult literacy and numeracy in England on 1 March 2001. New national standards, a core curriculum for literacy and numeracy, teacher training and national tests in literacy and numeracy are all now available nationally after a successful pilot. A national promotional campaign is currently boosting demand. We are working across Government and with key partner organisations to ensure that all those who can help adults with literacy and numeracy skills needs are able to do so. Our target is that 750,000 adults improve their literacy and numeracy by 2004. More than 70,000 adults have already gained literacy and numeracy qualifications since April 2001.

  We are also committed to raising literacy standards for all children. The national literacy strategy. introduced in all primary schools in September 1998. is raising literacy standards for all primary aged pupils. This year 75 per cent. of 11 year olds achieved Level 4 or above in the Key Stage 2 English tests, a 10 per cent. point improvement since 1998. Literacy standards are also rising consistently at Key Stage 1.

  Learndirect
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the cost of the Learndirect development centres. [14220]

  John Healey
  We made available £44 million in 1999–2000 and £74 million in 2000–01 to support the development and operation of Ufi Ltd. This money was used by Ufi to support a wide range of developmental activities including the Learndirect development centres.

  Ofsted
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the performance target of(a) transferring staff from local authorities to Ofsted and (b) providing initial training by September. [14067]

  Mr. Timms
  This is a matter for Ofsted to comment on and I have asked HM Chief Inspector of Schools, Mike Tomlinson, to write to the hon. Gentleman and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

  £ million

  Grant name

  Total allocation

  DfES contribution

  LEA contribution

  Ethnic minority achievement

  153.9

  81.6

  72.4

  Traveller children achievement

  15.6

  8.3

  7.4

  National literacy strategy

  74.8

  51.4

  23.4

  National numeracy strategy

  74.8

  51.4

  23.5

  Key stage 3

  63.2

  38.4

  24.8

  Literacy and numeracy summer schools

  22.0

  11.7

  10.3

  Family literacy and numeracy

  6.9

  3.6

  3.2

  Early years training and development

  13.5

  7.2

  6.3

  Social inclusion: pupil support

  161.9

  85.8

  76.1

  Adult:Pupil ratios in reception classes

  27.8

  14.7

  13.1

  Supported early retirement scheme for heads

  9.2

  4.9

  4.3

  860W

  School Funding
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what the cost is in 2001–02 of the ethnic minority and traveller achievement grant;[14088]

  (2) what the cost is in 2001–02 of expenditure through the standards fund to raise standards in literacy and numeracy; [14097]

  (3) what the cost is of the early years training and development standards fund in 2001–02; [14099]

  (4) what the cost is in 2001–02 of the social inclusion: pupil support standards fund; [14104]

  (5) what the cost is of standards fund grants in England in 2001–02 for (a) improving adult pupil ratios in reception classes, (b) the supported early retirement scheme for heads, (c) administrative support in small schools, (d) performance management and threshold assessment training, (e) the working environment fund, (f) the small school support fund, (g) teaching assistants, (h) support for parent governor representatives, (i) teaching incentives for new maths and science teachers, (j) education and health partnerships, (k) local authority support for lifelong learning, (l) protecting and expanding local education authority music services, (m) school security and (n) the learning mentors and learning support units programme; [14200]

  (6) what the cost is of standards fund grants in England in 2001–02 for (a) gifted and talented children, (b) the access fund for 16 to 19-year-olds, (c) social inclusion pupil support, drug prevention and youth service, (d) special educational needs, (e) study support, (f) playing for success, (g) family literacy and family numeracy, (h) year of literacy and numeracy booster classes, (i) summer literacy and numeracy skills, (j) early excellence centres, (k) early years training and development, (l) specialist and beacon schools, (m) advanced skills teachers, (n) initial teacher training schools, (o) the new national curriculum, (p) qualifications, (q) school leadership and (r) school improvement. [14201]

  Mr. Timms
  The cost of these grants in 2001–02 are shown in the table. Administrative support in small schools and the small school support fund have combined into the small schools fund. The working environment fund was for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 only. Support for parent governor representatives is included in the School Improvement Grant for 2001–02. Local authority support for lifelong learning is funded through the Learning and Skills Council for 2001–02. Access funding for 16 to 19-year-olds of £10 million has been made available by the Government for 2001–02, but is no longer part of the Standards Fund.
  861W

  £ million

  Grant name

  Total allocation

  DfES contribution

  LEA Contribution

  Small schools fund

  78.4

  41.6

  36.9

  Performance management and threshold assessment

  28.0

  28.0

  0.0

  Teaching assistants

  197.2

  104.5

  92.7

  Teacher recruitment measures (golden hellos)

  0.5

  0.5

  0.0

  Education health partnerships

  5.7

  5.7

  0.0

  LEA music services

  50.0

  50.0

  0.0

  School security

  21.5

  11.4

  10.1

  Learning support units

  21.0

  21.0

  0.0

  Excellence in cities: gifted and talented children, learning support units and learning mentors

  127.8

  127.8

  0.0

  Gifted and talented summer schools

  3.8

  3.8

  0.0

  Drug prevention

  12.5

  9.0

  3.5

  Youth service

  2.0

  1.1

  0.9

  Special educational needs

  73.0

  38.7

  34.3

  Study support

  67.1

  41.2

  25.9

  Playing for success

  4.6

  2.4

  2.1

  Booster classes

  46.0

  46.0

  0.0

  Early excellence centre

  4.1

  4.1

  0.0

  Specialist schools

  79.1

  79.1

  0.0

  Beacon schools

  30.6

  30.6

  0.0

  Advanced skills teachers

  29.0

  15.4

  13.6

  Training schools

  4.4

  4.4

  0.0

  National curriculum

  17.9

  9.5

  8.4

  Qualifications

  2.9

  1.6

  1.4

  School leadership

  26.2

  21.6

  4.6

  School improvement, including support for parent governor representatives

  206.9

  110.5

  96.3

  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans she has to review the national schools funding formula. [15046]

  Mr. Timms
  There is no national formula for funding schools, and there are no plans to introduce one. We confirmed in the Green Paper "Modernising Local Government Finance", published in September 2000, that the allocation of funds between schools would remain a local responsibility.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the cost of the(a) Standards Fund for further education and (b) first 15 beacon colleges. [14250]

  Margaret Hodge
  The standards fund for further education is £160 million in 2001–02—twice the amount available in 2000–01. Every beacon college, and there are now 18, is eligible for £50,000 from the standards fund to help them promote and disseminate examples of their good practice.

  Departmental Name Change
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost has been to public funds of re-branding her Department to accommodate its name change following the last general election. [14435]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 11 July 2001,Official Report, column 554w.

  Local Government Finance
  Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the amount of each item of funding outside the revenue support grant which her Department has made available to(a) Telford and the Wrekin council and (b) Shropshire county council in 2001–02 to date. [14475]
  862W
  Mr. Timms
  The tables show the Department's allocated grants to Telford and Wrekin and Shropshire local education authorities in 2001–02.

  Telford and Wrekin local education authority

  £

  Standards Fund Grant

  4,523,820

  Teachers Pay Reform Grant

  1,122,193

  Nursery Education Grant (3-year-olds)

  1,700,000

  Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership Grant

  575,952

  School Standards Grant

  2,313,000

  Education Budget Support Grant

  310,000

  Capital

  7,810,000

  Shropshire local education authority

  £

  Standards Fund Grant

  6,164,397

  Teachers Pay Reform Grant

  1,798,619

  Nursery Education Grant 13 Year Olds)

  888,000

  Early Years Development and Childcare Partnership Grant

  766,232

  School Standards Grant

  3,588,000

  Education Budget Support Grant

  100,000

  Capital

  7,353,000

  Key Stage 2 (Cheating)
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority with respect to their procedures relating to allegations of cheating in Key Stage 2.[14502]

  Mr. Timms
  I have received a report on incidents of malpractice in this year's National Curriculum Assessment Tests and their outcomes. I am pleased to note that the majority of reported incidents were minor, with 24 being sufficiently serious to warrant the schools' results being adjusted. Of these, two were whole school
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  annulments, seven were partial annulments in one or more subjects and 15 were cases where individual pupils results were adjusted.

  Student Finance
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for what reasons student loans are provided at a lower than commercial rate of interest. [14535]

  Margaret Hodge
  The costs of higher education are shared between the state, parents and graduates, given the clear evidence that the graduates benefit financially from their higher education. Student loans are provided at a zero real rate of interest as part of the Government's contribution to the costs of higher education.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average annual(a) subsistence and (b) study costs were of taking a degree at (i) Oxford, (ii) Cambridge, (iii) London and (iv) other English universities in the most recent year for which figures are available. [14536]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Department's latest student income and expenditure survey of a representative sample of higher education students shows the following figures for students' reported expenditure in the academic year 1998–99:

  Average expenditure of full-time undergraduate and PGCE students, 1998–99

  £

  London

  Other England

  Living costs1

  4,109

  4,094

  Accommodation costs2

  1,534

  1,279

  Participation costs3

  824

  780

  Expenditure on children

  65

  48

  1Includes food, household goods, personal items such as toiletries, clothes and tobacco, entertainment including alcohol, non-course related travel and other general expenditure.

  2 Includes rent, mortgage, retainer fee paid over the vacation, council tax, household insurance and utility bills.

  3Includes students' personal contribution to fees, books, equipment and stationery, travel to and from college and childcare costs.

  Source:

  Changing student finances: income, expenditure and the take-up of student loans among full- and part-time higher education students in 1998–99, by Claire Callender and Martin Kemp, DfEE Research report 213, December 2000

  Figures are not available for Cambridge and Oxford universities separately from 'Other England'. Cambridge university was not among the institutions selected to take part in the survey, and the sample of students at Oxford university was too small to provide reliable data.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when she will publish the Student Funding review. [14532]

  Margaret Hodge
  The outcome of the Student Funding review will be announced next year. We will be consulting on proposals for change before any decisions are made.

  Terrorism
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance has been issued by 864W
  her Department to (a) local education authorities and (b) teachers in respect of discussion of (i) the global campaign against terrorism and (ii) the use of military force in Afghanistan. [14687]

  Mr. Timms
  Guidance was recently made available to local authorities and local education authorities relating to the events of September 11 and the subsequent conflict. It can be accessed from the home page of the DfES website and on Teachernet. The guidance does not specifically inform teachers how to address discussion of the global campaign and the use of military force in Afghanistan. Its purpose is to help teachers allay the fears of pupils and to offer examples of good practice to ensure the emotional and physical well being of both pupils and staff. It recognises that schools have done a great deal already and that heads and teachers have the professionalism and expertise to deal with issues as they arise. It reminds them of existing sources of help and encourages a local response and co-operation with local agencies. The guidance is work-in-progress and will be regularly updated in response to comments received and changing circumstances.

  Freedom of Information Act
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills on what date her Department established a working group of officials to prepare her Department for the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act 2000; and on what dates this committee has met since it was set up. [14766]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The Department's strategy paper for implementation of the Freedom of Information Act includes provision for a forum of officials to help in formulating policy and guidance especially involving their own areas of work. The intention is to establish the forum early in the new year.

  In the meantime, the Department has been active in preparing for implementation by developing and commencing a training and awareness programme, setting up a dedicated intranet site, alerting our non-departmental public bodies to their legal responsibilities, and holding discussions with key stakeholders on the development of the publication scheme.

  Individual Learning Accounts
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will publish the correspondence she received from training providers offering views on the pilot programmes of individual learning accounts. [14581]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 13 November 2001]: No. The Department only publishes correspondence if it has invited stakeholders to specifically write or feed back on an issue and that the information supplied will be placed in the public domain. Correspondents with the Department would not expect to see the contents of their correspondence published, except in these circumstances. Such a process was not undertaken in 1998, 1999 or 2000 prior to the national framework, nor in relation to the pilot or development work.

  Any relevant material will be made public through the forthcoming Public Accounts Committee hearing on ILAs.
  865W
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what advice she has received from the police in the last three months on the extent of fraud in connection with individual learning accounts. [14582]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 13 October 2001]: My Department has received no direct advice from the police on the extent of fraud in connection with ILAs. At the end of October, the police were carrying out formal investigations into four learning providers (although only three of these have claimed funds from the Department) and are making preliminary inquiries into a fifth learning provider.

  My Department's special investigations unit is currently conducting enquiries into a further nine learning providers which may potentially become police cases and will be considering, with the police, any lessons learned.

  Mr. Caton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the number of jobs that will be lost as a result of the suspension of the individual learning accounts programme from 7 December, in England. [12394]

  John Healey
  I appreciate the business concerns expressed by some learning providers. However, we have given more than six weeks' notice of the suspension of the ILA programme. Eligible learning from existing ILA holders booked in advance with the ILA Centre by 7 December will attract the discounts from the scheme and that learning can start within a period of up to six months later. This will give learning providers a period of time in which to adjust their business plans.

  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what level of fraud involving individual learning accounts has been detected in the London borough of Sutton. [12525]

  John Healey
  Complaints received from individuals about alleged fraudulent activities are not recorded by geographical area.

  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 30 October 2001,Official Report column 618W, on Individual Learning Accounts, when she first received complaints from individuals alleging that providers had claimed individual learning account incentives without their knowledge.[12289]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 2 November 2001]: The first ILA provider to have been suspended because of a number of such complaints was on 25 June 2001. On 11 June 2001 the Department received the first letter in relation to this particular case, about incentives claimed without the knowledge of the account holder. From July of this year the Department received an increasing number of similar complaints from individuals and local Trading Standards Officers.

  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make it her policy to provide funding to support the programmes of 866W
  community-based learning providers where these are affected by the decision to suspend individual learning accounts. [13245]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 14 November 2001]: We have supported five community-based ILA pilot projects of which two were in Liverpool and one each in Sheffield, London, and Kent. These were originally due to end in June but were extended to end on 28 December 2001.

  We have given more than six weeks notice of the suspension of the ILA programme. Eligible learning booked by existing ILA holders with the ILA Centre by 7 December will attract the discounts from the scheme as long as the start date of the learning is within six months of the registration. It is likely that the impact on the pilots of the decision to suspend ILAs will be small but officials are meeting with the local providers concerned.

  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions she has had with representatives of community-based learning providers in respect of the impact on their provision of the suspension of individual learning accounts. [13246]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 14 November 2001]: During the recent debate in the House on 6 November 2001, 1 said I would look into the effect on some organisations of the withdrawal of the ILA programme. My officials are now arranging meetings with those most affected.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has had no discussions with representatives of community-based learning providers although officials met the five community based organisations who are running ILA pilots yesterday.

  Nursery Places
  Stephen Hesford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress is being made in ensuring a nursery place is available for every three and four-year-old whose parents require it. [14725]

  Mr. Timms
  Since September 1998 all four-year-olds have been able to access a free, part-time early education place.

  Around 62 per cent. of all three-year-olds currently have access to a free, part-time, early education place. We expect this to rise to 66 per cent. by March 2002, with every three-year-old, whose parents want one, entitled to a place by September 2004.

  Teachers (Early Retirement)
  Mr. Caton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of requests for ill health early retirement under the Teachers' Pensions Regulations were agreed on application in each of the last three years; and what percentage of appeals against refusal were successful over the same period. [14724]

  Mr. Timms
  Applications for ill health benefits are considered on the medical evidence provided in support of the application. There is no time limit on appeals and they are often therefore associated with the submission
  867W
  of further medical evidence. The percentages of all recommendations leading to acceptance in the last three years are:

  Percentage

  April 1998-March 1999

  79

  April 1999-March 2000

  78

  April 2000-March 2001

  75

  Separate figures for appeals are only available from 2000–01. Of the 47 per cent. of teachers who appealed against the rejection of their application, 65 per cent. were ultimately awarded ill-health retirement benefits.

  Asset Management Plans
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 26 October 2001,Official Report, column 468W, on asset management plans, when in November the results will be published. [13112]

  Mr. Timms
  The Department will be publishing the information at the end of November.

  Pupil Achievement
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on the achievements of pupils of comparable ability in areas of(a) selective secondary education and (b) comprehensive secondary education. [10074]

  Mr. Timms
  GCSE results (based on grades and average point scores) for 15-year-olds in grammar schools are, broadly speaking, similar to the top 25 per cent. in comprehensive schools. 25 per cent. reflects the proportion of pupils typically admitted by grammar schools in fully selective LEAs.

  Skills Councils
  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) when she will invite applications from existing national training organisations to become trail-blazer sector skills councils; [10930]

  (2) what criteria she will use in approving the trail-blazer sector skills councils; [10928]

  (3) what plans she has to issue provisional licences to trail-blazer sector skills councils. [10929]

  John Healey
  [holding answer 29 October 2001]: Trail-blazer sector skills councils will provide an early assessment of the impact of influential employer-led bodies in sectors with an employment base of economic or strategic significance. Up to six trail-blazers will be chosen to offer a mix of sectors with a range of different needs and experiences. The trail-blazers will be announced by mid December and will receive provisional licences. In addition to meeting the criteria for being licensed as a Sector Skills Council, trail-blazers will have the capacity to become operational in the spring of 2002.

  I have written to the existing National Training Organisations and other sector based employer groups about expressing an interest in becoming a trail-blazer.
  868W
  When the proposed trail-blazer SSCs are approved, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Education and Skills will issue licences on behalf of the UK lifelong learning Ministers.

  Free School Dinners
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will rank the top 30 local education authorities according to the percentage of day pupils eligible for free school dinners.[14070]

  Mr. Timms
  The data requested on the percentage of day pupils eligible for free school dinners in England for January 2000 have been placed in the House of Commons Library. Data for January 2001 will be placed in the Library as soon as they are available.

  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of school children eligible for free school dinners attend schools in each region of England and Wales. [14071]

  Mr. Timms
  Information on school meal arrangements for maintained nursery and primary, maintained secondary and special schools by local education authority area in England for January 2000 has been placed in the House of Commons Library. Data for January 2001 will be placed in the Library as soon as they are available.

  For information on school meals in Wales, I refer my hon. Friend to the National Assembly for Wales.

  Local Education (Leeds)
  Mr. Mudie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the contracts and their financial value awarded by (a) her Department and (b) the local education authorities to Capita. [13735]
  Mr. Timms
  Any contracts between local education authorities and Capita are a matter between the parties concerned and not the Department.

  The Department has contracts with Capita for the administration of the Teachers' Pension Scheme, individual learning accounts, implementation of the Connexions Card and provision of general management consultancy support.

  The financial value of individual contracts between the Department and Capita is commercial in confidence.

  Higher Education Students
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will reconsider the criteria relating to the award of bursaries to higher education students so that students living in Excellence in Cities areas and attending further education colleges outside that location are not excluded from eligibility. [13778]

  Margaret Hodge
  Eligibility for Opportunity Bursaries depends on whether a student is attending one of the schools or further education colleges covered by the Excellence Challenge programme. The programme is being piloted over the next three years in Excellence in Cities (EiC) Phase 1 and 2 areas and Education Action Zones (EAZ). Local EiC Partnerships and EAZ Forums
  869W
  have determined whether to include further education colleges located outside these areas within their Excellence Challenge plans.

  There is £93 million available within the Access and Hardship Funds in 2001–02, over four times the amount provided in 1997–98. Higher education institutions are encouraged to use part of this money to provide bursaries for students who do not meet the criteria for an Opportunity Bursary.

  Political Subjects
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what guidance she gives to teachers and head teachers to maintain political impartiality when controversial political subjects are discussed in school; [13395]

  (2) if she will make a statement about the wearing of political badges by teachers and head teachers in school. [13394]

  Mr. Timms
  The law guards against biased or unbalanced teaching. Teachers must take "reasonably practicable steps" to ensure that, where political or controversial issues are brought to pupils' attention, they are offered a balanced presentation of opposing views (Section 407 of the Education Act 1996).

  Practical advice on how to teach controversial issues has been sent to all schools (Citizenship at Key Stage 3 Teachers Guide). We trust the professionalism of teachers to work within the framework of the school's values in relation to their expressing political opinions in class.

  There is no other legislation or guidance issued from the Department which covers the wearing of political badges by school staff. The head teacher of a school has day-to-day responsibility for the conduct of the school and of staff and we would expect them to take a common sense view when dealing with staff whose attire indicates a particular political view. Where it is the head teacher who is visibly demonstrating political allegiance, it would be for the governing body, which is ultimately responsible for the direction of the school, to intervene, again taking a common sense view and taking account of local circumstances.

  Section 11 Funding
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much section 11 funding is allocated to each of the London borough authorities. [14942]

  Mr. Timms
  The education element of the Home Office's Section 11 Grant scheme ceased on 31 March 1999. It was replaced with the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant, which is administered by my Department. For 2001–02 £153,914 is available nationally to improve attainment of minority ethnic pupils. The amounts allocated to London boroughs are set out in the table.

  LEA

  Ethnic minority achievement grant

  Corporation of London

  107,415

  Camden

  2,931,900

  Greenwich

  1,912,505

  Hackney

  4,299,222

  870W

  LEA

  Ethnic minority achievement grant

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1,202,577

  Islington

  2,529,175

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1,164,506

  Lambeth

  3,402,055

  Lewisham

  2,698,457

  Southwark

  2,053,869

  Tower Hamlets

  8,044,136

  Wandsworth

  2,332,179

  Westminster

  2,136.538

  Barking

  634,870

  Barnet

  1,913,572

  Bexley

  273,969

  Brent

  2,991,961

  Bromley

  112,808

  Croydon

  2,107,095

  Ealing

  3,701,735

  Enfield

  2,476,533

  Haringey

  3,599,985

  Harrow

  1,263,821

  Havering

  109,926

  Hillingdon

  792,240

  Hounslow

  2,360,138

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  312,690

  Merton

  989,608

  Newham

  1,410,781

  Redbridge

  2,417,966

  Richmond-upon-Thames

  142,621

  Sutton

  229,067

  Waltham Forest

  2,557,579

  Note:

  All figures include both DfES grant and LEA contribution

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action her Department is taking to monitor the number of classes with over 30 pupils in Key Stage 1 and to deal with such cases. [15009]

  Mr. Timms
  Infant class size counts currently take place in January, as part of the Annual Schools Census, and September. From this September local education authorities and schools have been responsible for ensuring that infant classes for five, six, and seven-year-olds comply with the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 requirement to contain 30 or fewer children except in certain limited circumstances.

  In January 1998, 29 per cent. of all infants were in classes of 31 or more. Figures published this morning show that in September 2001 after taking out the permitted exceptions allowed by law there are now less than 0.1 per cent. of the 63,000 infant classes that have extra children.

  Special Needs Pupils
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the impact of special needs pupils on primary school SATs results for(a) England and (b) Shropshire [14791]

  Mr. Timms
  The Department does not collect separate data on the performance of pupils with SEN and it is not therefore possible to assess their impact on the National Curriculum Assessment Tests.

  We have made no specific assessment of the position of pupils with SEN on primary school National Curriculum Assessment Test results in Shropshire. The percentage of

  871W
  pupils with SEN in maintained primary schools in that LEA was 21.1 per cent. in January 2000, compared to the corresponding national figure of 21.6 per cent.

  The Department established an SEN Data Strategy Group which, earlier this year, recommended a number of improvements to the collection of data on pupils with SEN. We are now considering how best these recommendations could be implemented, including developing appropriate data collection software and taking the views of schools and LEAs.

  Primary School Therapists
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the waiting time is and how many are on the waiting list for(a) behavioural therapists and (b) speech therapists for primary school children in(a) England and (b) Shropshire. [14790]

  Mr. Timms
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Under the Standards Fund 2001–02, support is available to local education authorities to enhance speech and language therapy services in conjunction with the NHS and the voluntary sector. This support will be extended to other therapies in the 2002–03 round.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Government Office for London
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many people were employed by the Government office for London in(a) May 2000,22 (b) November 2000, (c) May 2001 and (d) November 2001. [15044]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Government office for London employed approximately 375 people in May 2000, 270 in November 2000, 245 in May 2001 and 255 in November 2001.

  UK Online Project
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the allocations this year to each London local authority area under the UK online project. [13661]

  Dr. Whitehead
  I have been asked to reply.

  As part of the wider drive to get the UK online, some £25 million has been made available to support 25 local authority e-government pathfinders for 2001–02, in a programme of innovation and shared learning. Five of these pathfinders are London boroughs and their individual allocations are set out in the table.

  £

  Local authority

  Amount of funding

  London borough of Brent

  1,050,000

  London borough of Bromley

  1,550,000

  London borough of Camden

  1,810,000

  London borough of Newham

  1,150,000

  London borough of Wandsworth

  883,000

  Written Answers
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will issue guidance to Departments to require that 872W
  answers to written questions which are replied to by letter during a parliamentary recess are sent for publication in the Official Report for the following sitting day. [12073]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I have been asked to reply.

  I welcome the hon. Lady's suggestion. My office has today issued guidance to all Whitehall parliamentary clerks setting out new standing instructions.

  This guidance states that when a written question is replied to by letter during a recess a copy of the parliamentary question and the reply must be sent to Hansard, in order for it to appear in the Official Report the next sitting day.

SCOTLAND

  Energy Efficiency Week
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what action her Department took in recognition of Energy Efficiency Week. [11515]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 30 October 2001,Official Report, column 592W.

  Scottish Estuary Forums
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what support is provided by the Crown Estate to each of the Scottish estuary forums. [11547]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The Crown Estate provides funding and other support to each of the Scottish estuary forums. In addition, it has one member of staff on secondment to the Scottish Coastal Forum of which it is a member and participates in the management groups of the Tay, Forth, Cromarty Firth, Clyde and Solway Forums.

  Parliamentary Questions
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when she will reply to the questions tabled by the hon. Member for Edinburgh, West on 29 October. [13872]

  Mrs. Liddell
  I replied to the hon. Member on 14 November 2001,Official Report, columns 747–48W.

  Electoral Registration (Ethnic Minorities)
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps she took prior to 1 July to encourage members of ethnic minorities in Scotland to register to vote. [14327]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The Scotland Office's publicity campaign in February this year operated in tandem with the Home Office's campaign on new electoral arrangements. It included a number of initiatives which specifically targeted people from ethnic minority communities across the United Kingdom. In particular, notices and material were placed in UK-wide publications and other media specifically aimed at ethnic minority groups, and it was arranged for the organisation's Operation Black Vote to use its database of ethnic minority contact points throughout the country, including Scotland, to distribute information leaflets.

  Cohesion Report
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what response she is making to the Scottish Executive's discussion paper on Scottish economic development in light of the cohesion report. [14406]

  Mrs. Liddell
  The paper to which my hon. Friend refers is one of a series of discussion papers produced by the Scottish Executive Economist Group.

  It will be a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to consider whether to respond on the policy issues raised in this particular paper.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Islamic Society of Britain
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of links between the Islamic Society of Britain and(a) Muslim fundamentalist extremists and (b) anti-Zionist activism. [14842]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 14 November 2001]: We are not aware of any links that give rise to any criminal or security concerns, but if the hon. Member has any evidence to the contrary he should pass it to the police.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department under what circumstances an immigrant or asylum seeker is able to have visits from family members abroad. [10111]

  Angela Eagle
  The Immigration Rules make provision for visits to the United Kingdom. To qualify for entry as a visitor, applicants must demonstrate that they are genuinely seeking entry as a visitor for the period stated, that they have sufficient funds to support and accommodate themselves and any dependants without working or recourse to public funds, and that they will leave the United Kingdom at the end of the visit. The maximum period allowed for a visit is six months.

  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people seeking asylum have been dispersed to other areas of the UK from London in each of the last three years. [14730]

  Angela Eagle
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Asylum seekers were not dispersed centrally before April 2000.

  Information recorded by the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) shows that as at the end of July 2001, 28,1301, 2 asylum seekers, including dependants, were being supported in NASS accommodation outside of London after dispersal.

  The number of these asylum seekers who were in London prior to dispersal is not available. NASS currently does not hold statistics on the location of asylum seekers before they are dispersed by NASS. Statistics are only available on the areas that asylum seekers are dispersed to.

  1Figure rounded to the nearest 10

  2Cases which have had their support terminated are excluded from this figure
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  Denzil Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for political asylum in the United Kingdom were made in the three months to(a) 1 October 2001 and (b) 1 October 2000. [14310]

  Angela Eagle
  The table provides the information requested for the latest three months for which data are available, and for the corresponding period in 2000.

  Applications for asylum to the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, May-July 2000 and May-July 20011, 2

  Month

  Applications

  2000

  May

  6,725

  June

  6,545

  July

  6,870

  Total May-July

  20,140

  2001

  May

  5,290

  June

  5,300

  July

  5,975

  Total May-July

  16,570

  1All data rounded to nearest 5 The monthly data shown may not sum to three-monthly totals due to rounding.

  2 Provisional

  Information on asylum applications and initial decisions is published regularly in the annual statistical bulletin "Asylum Statistics United Kingdom", a copy of which is available in the Library of the House, and from the Research Developments and Statistics (RDS) website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/irrunigrationl.html. Data for the period July to September 2001 will be published on 30 November. Revised monthly data for 2000 are available at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs/asylumrev2k.pdf.

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of how many(a) refugees and (b) those with special immigration status in each of the last five years have medical qualifications; [14313]

  (2) what plans he has to fast-track (a) refugees and (b) those with special immigration status with medical qualifications through English language classes; [14316]

  (3) what assessment he has made of the cost of a fast-track system to teach (a) refugees and (b) those with special immigration status with medical qualifications to speak English. [14317]

  Angela Eagle
  We are aware that a number of the refugees who come to the United Kingdom are highly skilled and many have professional experience in the medical sector. However, asylum applications are judged solely on the basis of whether the applicant is genuinely fleeing persecution. Information about professional skills which are not relevant to the asylum claim, are not therefore collected on arrival.

  We have no current plans to fast-track refugees or those with exceptional leave to remain, with medical qualifications, through English language classes. But we want to be able to identify the types of intervention that will assist people to gain employment quickly in their field of expertise, if they are given the right to remain in the United Kingdom.
  875W
  There is close co-operation between the Home Office and the Department of Health and other agencies to look at how we can do more to identify people with medical qualifications at an early stage. For example, over the last year, the Department of Health has worked with the Refugee Council to set up a voluntary refugee doctor database, which now contains the details of over 400 refugee doctors. In addition, the British Medical Association has been encouraged to prepare guidelines for clinical attachments for overseas and refugee doctors. This will help to provide valuable experience of the national health service and help preparations for language and clinical skill tests.

  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers, previously under care of local authorities while under 18 years of age, upon reaching 18 have been dispersed to each of the NASS-designated dispersal areas. [14717]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 15 November 2001]: The information requested is not available. The figures recorded by National Asylum Support Service (NASS) for the dispersal of asylum seekers do not show the number of asylum seekers who were previously treated as an Unaccompanied Asylum Seeking Child (UASC).

  Under the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000, local authorities continue to have duties and powers in respect of UASCs who have been accommodated under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 until they are at least 18 and to assist them until they are at least 21. The Government's policy of dispersing asylum seekers would have made these duties difficult to implement. It has therefore been agreed that with effect from 1 October 2001, except in exceptional circumstances. MASS will not seek to disperse those young people who have been accommodated by the local authority under section 20 of the Children Act 1989 and who reach the age of 18 without a final decision being reached on their asylum claim.

  Mr. Woodward
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Hull, North (Mr. McNamara), 3 July 2001,Official Report, column 100W, on asylum seekers, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the increase between 1999 and 2000 of refusal of asylum applications on the basis of non-compliance. [11974]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 5 November 2001]: A higher proportion of applications were refused on grounds of non-compliance in 1999 and 2000 than had previously been the case. The increase was due partly to the stricter enforcement of the 10 day deadline for return of the Statement of Evidence Form (SEF) and partly to administrative problems which led to a backlog of correspondence within the Immigration and Nationality Directorate and some flawed refusals as a consequence. We have made a number of changes over the past 12 months to improve our administrative processes and reduce flawed refusals. These include the introduction of a dedicated PO Box for the return of completed SEFs, and adjustments to internal procedures to ensure that the receipt of SEFs is registered on a database.

  We have also taken steps to improve asylum applicants' understanding of the asylum process and of the importance of meeting the time limit. We have done this by simplifying the explanatory leaflet which is sent out
  876W
  with the SEF, and by making it available in the 33 languages spoken by most asylum seekers in the United Kingdom. The SEF form has also been simplified. Non-governmental organisations were consulted about these improvements.

  Al-Muhajiroun
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to proscribe al-Muhajiroun; and if he will make a statement. [12160]

  Mr. Blunkett
  The Government are well aware of the statements made by the al-Muhajiroun organisation and any suggestion that these statements breach the law will be thoroughly investigated. To qualify for proscription under the Terrorism Act 2000, I must be satisfied in accordance with section 3 of the Act that an organisation is "concerned in terrorism". The Government are keeping under close review whether the activities of al-Muhajiroun bring that organisation within the requirements for proscription set out in section 3 and, if the conclusion is that this organisation is concerned in terrorism, I will give full consideration as to whether it is appropriate to recommend their proscription to Parliament.

  Revenue Support
  Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the amount of each item of funding outside the revenue support grant which his Department has made available to(a) Telford and the Wrekin council and (b) Shropshire county council in 2001–02 to date. [14476]

  Angela Eagle: I will write to my hon. Friend and place a copy of my letter in the Library.

  Landmark/Inn on the Park
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what issues were raised in the representations received by(a) him and (b) NASS in relation to (i) Landmark and (ii) Inn on the Park in Everton, Liverpool. [14457]

  Angela Eagle
  Issues raised in representations received by Home Office Ministers and the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) in relation to the Landmark and Inn on the Park buildings have included the quality of the accommodation, concern over public order and allegations about the treatment of asylum seekers.

  Full consideration has been given to all the issues raised in representations, and the allegations surrounding the treatment of asylum seekers housed by NASS in the Landmark building have been thoroughly investigated by the police and by the Head of NASS's Investigations section. Those investigations and an on-going programme of contract management control by NASS, have indicated areas for improvement in the provision of Landmark's delivery of their contract and these either have been or are being dealt with. NASS continues to monitor all of its providers and where contractual obligations are not met the ultimate sanction is termination of the contract.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Colman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Putney will receive
  877W
  a substantive reply to his letter of 21 September, for which he received an acknowledgement on 7 November, on behalf of his constituent Mrs. Olga Brown. [14370]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 14 November 2001]: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 15 November 2001. I am sorry I did not reply sooner.

  Ports of Entry
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people seeking entry into the UK at ports of entry were refused and immediately removed in 2000. [13927]

  Angela Eagle
  38,275 persons seeking entry into the United Kingdom at ports of entry were refused leave to enter and subsequently removed in 2000. Information about the interval between arrival and eventual removal is not collected centrally, and could only be established by reference to individual records. It is therefore not possible to say how many were removed immediately.

  Immigration Law
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) men and (b) women were held in custody under UK immigration law, on 1 November, broken down by nationality. [13925]

  Angela Eagle
  The requested information on persons detained under Immigration Act powers as at 30 June 2001 is given in the table. The table excludes persons detained at Oakington Reception Centre, for which gender information is not available, but includes persons detained in prison establishments under dual Immigration Act and other powers.

  More recent information is not currently available. We plan to publish data on immigration detention on 30 November on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html, relating to persons detained as at 30 September.

  Immigration Act detainees us at 30 June 20011, 2

  Nationality

  Male detainees

  Female detainees

  Afghanistan

  25

  —

  Albania

  70

  *

  Algeria

  75

  —

  Angola

  10

  —

  Bangladesh

  45

  —

  Cameroon

  15

  *

  China, People's Republic of

  65

  5

  Colombia

  15

  *

  Czech Republic

  15

  —

  Gambia

  10

  *

  Ghana

  30

  5

  India

  100

  *

  Iran

  15

  —

  Iraq

  15

  —

  Ivory Coast

  10

  —

  Jamaica

  105

  5

  Kenya

  15

  5

  Latvia

  10

  —

  Lithuania

  20

  —

  Moldova

  10

  *

  Morocco

  15

  —

  Nigeria

  80

  5

  Pakistan

  115

  *

  878W

  Immigration Act detainees as at 30 June 20011, 2

  Male

  Female

  Nationality

  detainees

  detainees

  Poland

  15

  *

  Romania

  30

  *

  Russia

  15

  —

  South Africa

  10

  5

  Sri Lanka

  65

  —

  Turkey

  35

  —

  Uganda

  15

  —

  Ukraine

  40

  *

  Yugoslavia, Federal Republic of

  120

  5

  Zimbabwe

  85

  10

  Other nationalities3

  130

  10

  Total

  1,440

  55

  1Figures rounded to the nearest five, with *= one or two, and exclude persons detained in Oakington Reception Centre and police cells. Figures may not sum due to rounding

  2>Figures include 245 persons detained in prison establishments under dual Immigration Act and other powers

  3>Other nationalities with five or fewer detainees

  Rats
  Jane Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers he has to regulate the transport of caged rats; and if he will make a statement. [R] [14068]

  Angela Eagle
  The Home Office has responsibility for the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986. Under section 21 of that Act, a Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals in Designated Breeding Establishments is in place, which covers best practice for the care of laboratory animals during transport. Failure to comply with this Code a Practice does not, however, render a person liable to criminal or civil proceedings.

  The Welfare of Animals (Transport) Order 1997 applies to all vertebrates transported for commercial purposes, and under the Protection of Animals Act 1911 it is an offence to convey a captive or domestic animal in such a way as to cause it unnecessary suffering. These pieces of legislation are the responsibility of the Secretary of State for the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

  Afghanistan (Media Guidelines)
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance he has given to the UK news media on the handling of sensitive security issues during the conflict in Afghanistan. [13675]

  Mr. Blunkett
  There are well-established arrangements with the news media for the discussion of hoaxes, false alarms, and the handling of public safety information. These are co-ordinated by the Civil Contingencies Secretariat of the Cabinet Office, and have recently covered suspected anthrax incidents.

  Additionally, No. 10 spoke informally to selected broadcasters about the potential dangers of broadcasting material issued by bin Laden.

  Antisocial Behaviour Orders
  Mr. Stinchcombe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what higher court judicial decisions
  879W
  have been made as to the admissibility of hearsay evidence in proceedings seeking Antisocial Behaviour Orders; and if he will make a statement. [12027]

  Mr. Denham
  In R. (on the application of McCann and Others)v. Manchester Crown court, the Court of Appeal held that applications for Antisocial Behaviour Orders are made in civil proceedings, and that therefore the civil standard of proof applied (although that standard is a flexible one) and hearsay evidence was admissible.

  Departmental Spending (Deprived Areas)
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much of the expenditure by his Department in each of the years(a) 1996–97, (b) 1997–98, (c) 1998–99, (d) 1999–2000, (e) 2000–01, (f) 2001-–02 and (g) 2002–03 (estimated) was allocated with reference to the index of multiple deprivation; which expenditure programmes are allocated with respect to this index and other measures of relative geographic deprivation; and if he will make a statement. [8941]

  Mr. Blunkett
  [holding answer 25 October 2001]: In 2001–02, £2.9 million for a scheme to improve the security of local shops in deprived areas has been allocated by reference both to the indices of deprivation compiled by the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions and to the Welsh index of deprivation. We plan to allocate a further £5.8 million under the scheme by reference to those indices in 2002–03. Police grant and probation area funding are also allocated on the basis of formulas that take account of relative deprivation. In the current financial year. police grant is expected to be approximately £3,995 million and grant to local probation boards approximately £500 million.

  Mobile Phones
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent discussions he has had with(a) telecoms companies and (b) mobile phone manufacturers concerning the redesigning of mobile phones to make inadvertent 999 calls less likely. [10391]

  Mr. Denham
  The Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) have been working together to address the issue of inadvertent silent 999 calls from mobile phones.

  British Telecom and Cable and Wireless carry all emergency 999–112 calls. Following a successful trial with the Metropolitan police, ACPO have arranged for British Telecom and Cable and Wireless to route all silent 999 calls for England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland through a switch that engages a recorded message. This message states that the emergency services have been called, but that no voice connection has been detected, and that the number "5" on the keypad should be pressed twice if the emergency services are required.

  This service came into effect nationally on 1 October 2001 and will remove silent calls that were previously routed to police command and control rooms throughout the country. These accounted for approximately 20 per cent. of all 999 calls and their removal will improve the efficiency of control rooms and their ability to deal with genuine emergency calls.
  880W
  Oftel are currently working with manufacturers to improve the design of mobile phones to reduce problems. These changes should be introduced from 2003 onwards. Interim solutions are being sought from manufacturers to provide specific key protection around the "9" and "1" keys to prevent accidental activation.

  Communications Data Access
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if it is his policy to allow law enforcement agencies access to all communications data of every UK telephone and Internet user; and if he will make a statement. [15186]

  Mr. Blunkett
  Access to communications data may be sought only for specified purposes (including, for example, investigation of crime) under the Data Protection Act 1998 or the Telecommunications Act 1984. It may additionally be supplied in obedience to court orders.

  Chapter II of Part I of The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA) will provide a more regulated structure for access requests and create a system of safeguards.

  A test of necessity (for example in the interests of national security or for the purpose of preventing or detecting crime) must be met before any communications data are obtained under Chapter II. An authorising officer must also consider the conduct involved in obtaining the communications data to be proportionate to what it seeks to achieve.

  The use of powers to access data will be subject to oversight by the Interception Commissioner.

  Security Appeals Tribunal
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to respond to the decision of the National Security Appeals Tribunal, dated 1 October, in respect of the hon. Member for Lewes (Norman Baker) and MI5; and if he will make a statement. [15276]

  Mr. Blunkett
  I expect by the end of November to have decided on a course of action in response to the determination of the National Security Panel of the Information Tribunal on the appeal by the hon. Member for Lewes against a Data Protection Act 1998 national security exemption certificate covering the security service.

  Protection of Badgers Act
  Ian Lucas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he plans to change the way in which offences committed under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 are recorded by the Criminal Records Office [12692]

  Mr. Denham
  In common with all other offence provisions which carry the possibility of imprisonment, convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings under sections 1(1) and (3), 2 and 3 of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 are recordable by police forces on the Police National Computer. These include offences of wilfully killing, injuring or taking a badger, cruelly ill-treating a
  881W
  badger, and intentionally or recklessly interfering with a badger sett. There are no plans to change these arrangements.

  Firearms Act
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to set a minimum age requirement for(a) possession of and (b) use of weapons under (i) section 1 of the Firearms Act 1968 and (ii) section 2 of the Firearms Act 1968. [7247]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 15 October 2001]: As indicated in the Government's response to the Home Affairs Select Committee's (HAC) second report on Controls over Firearms, we do not believe there is a need for a minimum age limit for the possession and use of a firearm providing that young people below a certain age are under proper adult supervision. The present legal position is complex, and different age limits apply to different types of firearms according to the circumstances in which they are used and the degree of supervision. We have therefore asked the Firearms Consultative Committee to look at this issue in the context of the Government's response to the HAC and to advise on the detailed implications of any changes.

  National Asylum Support Service
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what facilities he has to conduct independent investigations into the National Asylum Support Service's monitoring of the contracts it has awarded in relation to accommodation and support for asylum seekers. [10824]

  Angela Eagle
  The work of the contract management staff of the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) is overseen by the Head of Procurement who reports to the Director, NASS. The service is an integral part of the Immigration and Nationality Directorate of the Home Office and its work is subject to the normal management, audit and complaints procedures of that Directorate.

  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints were submitted to the National Asylum Support Service in its recent investigation into management and support service at Landmark and Inn on the Park in Everton, Liverpool.[10989]

  Angela Eagle
  Twelve such complaints from asylum seekers were received during the investigation.

  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the results of his Department's recent investigation into management and support services at Landmark and Inn on the Park in Everton, Liverpool.[10974]

  Angela Eagle
  The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) investigation was internal and there are no plans to publish a report.

  Terrorism Act
  Stephen Hesford
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements he has made for the review of the Terrorism Act 2000; and how observations from(a) interested persons and (b) organisations may be submitted for consideration.[15789]
  882W
  Mr. Blunkett
  I am pleased to say that Lord Carlile of Berriew QC has accepted my invitation to carry out the annual review of the Terrorism Act 2000.

  Written observations about the operation of the Act should be submitted to Lord Carlile, c/o 6 Floor, West Wing, Home Office, 50 Queen Anne's Gate, London SW1H 9AT by 31 December 2001.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Public-private Partnerships
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture. Media and Sport if she will list the projects in her Department which have been considered as potential public-private partnerships since 1997 which have not been undertaken because the public sector comparator had a lower net present value than the public-private partnership proposed; and if she will make a statement. [13452]

  Dr. Howells
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on 13 November 2001,Official Report, column 607W.

  There have been no projects considered by my Department and the Royal Parks Agency as potential public-private partnerships which have not been undertaken because the public sector comparator had a lower net present value than the public-private partnership proposed.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Recycling
  Angela Watkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the level of usage of recycled materials as a proportion of the volume collected in the last 12 months. [13073]

  Mr. Meacher
  In 1999–2000, 11 per cent. of municipal waste in England and Wales was collected for recycling or composting. The Department does not hold information on the level of usage of materials as a proportion of the amounts collected for recycling.

  Mr. Bill O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to involve the public in decisions on waste recycling and disposal; and if she will make a statement.[13101]

  Mr. Meacher
  Both waste recycling and disposal are covered by statutory performance standards set using the Best Value regime which requires that local authorities' services are subject to regular reviews which must involve consultation with local people.

  Fodder
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the cost and availability of fodder. [13079]

  Mr. Morley
  The Arthur Rank Centre, RSPCA, ADAS and industry bodies have been examining the prices and availability of fodder and grazing throughout the country. The foot and mouth disease culls and movement
  883W
  restrictions have resulted in some farmers having fodder and bedding in surplus and others having an unexpected need for it. The Department has been discussing the work of charities in brokering fodder supplies between farmers. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Rural Affairs was pleased to announce on 6 November a further £2 million to help address the problems farmers and rural communities are facing as a result of foot and mouth disease restrictions. The money will be largely channelled as matched funding through the Addington Trust Fund and other charities to help them meet these needs.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her policy to promote energy efficiency in UK companies. [13080]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government are committed to improving energy efficiency as a highly cost-effective way of achieving our climate change goals. The Energy Efficiency Commitment will, from next April, provide a substantial boost to domestic energy efficiency activity. The Energy Saving Trust and Carbon Trust receive over £66 million from the Department to promote domestic, business and public sector energy efficiency and the take-up of low carbon technology. The climate change levy, and its associated voluntary agreements, are an important spur to business energy efficiency.

  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the contribution that more efficient use of energy can make in the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.[13094]

  Mr. Meacher
  Energy efficiency outside the transport sector is expected to contribute more than 50 per cent. of the CO2 reductions outlined in the Government's climate change programme and about 45 per cent. of the total greenhouse gas reductions. These figures increase to around 75 per cent. and 65 per cent. respectively if more efficient use of energy in transport is included. Assessments made by my Department for the PIU Energy Review covering the period up to 2050 suggest that there is substantial scope for further cost-effective energy efficiency savings across the economy.

  Climate Change
  Tony Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress of the climate change negotiations at Marrakesh. [13081]

  Margaret Beckett
  UK Ministers, officials and experts played a leading role in the negotiations in Marrakesh. We believe the agreement reached should now pave the way for ratification and entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. The UK intends to ratify, along with our EU partners, in time to allow entry into force before the World Summit on Sustainable Development next September.

  Waste Management
  Mr. Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs what structures are being put in place to help local authorities achieve their statutory waste targets. [13082]

  Mr. Meacher
  We are helping councils deliver their Statutory Performance Standards for recycling and composting through major extra funding from the Spending Review 2000. By 2003–04 revenue support will have risen by £1.1 billion over current provision; there is £220 million for PFI waste schemes over the spending review period; and there is a £140 million ring-fenced fund for waste and recycling over the next two years. £50 million of New Opportunities Fund moneys will also be available over the next two years to support community sector work on recycling in the UK.

  The Government have also established the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP), a company with £40 million funding to help to overcome market barriers to recycling. It will operate across all waste streams to foster markets for recycled materials.

  We view the statutory targets we have set for local authority recycling and composting of household waste as a major priority. Where authorities fail to deliver those targets the Secretary of State has powers to intervene under Section 15 of the Local Government Act 1999.

  A protocol has been agreed with the Local Government Association setting out the principles under which these powers will be used. These could range from inviting the authority to submit an action plan setting out how it proposed to meet the statutory recycling targets by a given deadline, to at the other end of the scale, removing the management of the waste function from the authority completely and asking another agent to conduct the waste service on their behalf.

  Genetically Modified Organisms
  Mr. Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made in implementing the new EU directive on deliberate releases of GMOs. [13083]

  Mr. Meacher
  Consultations with stakeholders on the broad issues raised by the new Directive were completed in England on 26 October. The Department is currently analysing the 43 responses received, and will make this analysis and copies of the responses available to the public and to Parliament (unless specifically asked to treat responses in confidence).

  We will consult further on draft implementing regulations early in the new year, with a view to laying them before Parliament by June 2002.

  The Scottish Executive, the National Assembly for Wales and the Department of Environment for Northern Ireland will make separate implementing regulations on issues for which they have devolved powers.

  Diversification
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial and
  885W
  technical assistance is offered by her Department to farmers who wish to diversify their operations; and if she will make a statement. [13084]

  Alun Michael
  The Department provides grants for farmers in England for good diversification projects through the Rural Enterprise Scheme, and skills training to support those projects through the Vocational Training Scheme, both of which are part of the England Rural Development Programme. Funds are also available from the Regional Development Agencies to renovate redundant farm buildings. Technical assistance is provided by the Rural Development Service and through the Farm Business Advice Service.

  Charlotte Atkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial assistance is available to hill farmers to diversify their businesses. [13099]

  Alun Michael
  The Rural Enterprise Scheme (RES), which is a part of the England Rural Development Programme, provides grants for all types of farmers, including hill farmers, seeking to pursue good diversification projects. The RES has a total budget of £152 million between 2001 and 2006. Financial assistance is also available for planning consultancy advice for viable diversification projects under the RES. Other funding is available from Regional Development Agencies in the form of Redundant Building Grant. Additional measures, such as the Vocational Training Scheme and the Farm Business Advice Service, also offer relevant support.

  Flood Prevention
  Mr. Swire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much was spent by central Government, local government and agencies on flood defences and flood prevention in(a) 1997–98 and (b) 2000–01; and what the estimated spending is for 2001–02. [13085]

  Mr. Morley
  Flood defence is provided by the Environment Agency, local authorities and internal drainage boards. The table shows expenditure by the Environment Agency in England, by English local authorities and estimated expenditure by internal drainage boards.

  1997–98

  2000–01

  Environment Agency

  255.2

  270.4

  Local authorities

  13.0

  120.1

  Internal Drainage Boards

  240.0

  241.0

  Total

  308.2

  331.5

  1Provisional

  2Estimate

  It is not possible to provide a fully broken down estimate of expenditure in 2001–02 but DEFRA grant will increase by some £26 million and levies to the Environment Agency increased by some £19 million indicating that overall expenditure could increase by some £45 million on the 2000–01 figure.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to implement the recommendations of the National Audit 886W
  Office to increase levels of investment in capital and maintenance in preparation for floods; and if she will make a statement. [13882].

  Mr. Morley
  Operational responsibility for flood alleviation measures rests with local operating authorities, namely the Environment Agency, local authorities and Internal Drainage Boards. This Department provides funding on capital works and the provision available for flood and coastal defence has already been increased from last year's outturn of £66 million to £114 million in 2003–04. The operating authorities' maintenance and operational programmes are funded largely through local government funding arrangements. Currently some £264 million a year is provided through Standard Spending Assessments which are largely supported by central grant and non-domestic rate income. Further increase in both funding streams will be considered in the Spending Review 2002 process.

  Sewage
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what her policy is on the placing of combined sewage overflow tanks; and if she will make a statement. [13087]

  Mr. Meacher
  The siting of combined sewer overflow tanks is subject to local authority planning development control.

  Local Farm Produce
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with large retailers about developing more local sourcing of farm produce. [13088]

  Alun Michael
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any recent meetings with large scale retailers about local sourcing of farm produce. However, Food from Britain, whom we grant aid, have been working with the major supermarkets to encourage them to source more local produce and we are aware that there has been a considerable expansion in local sourcing in recent years.

  CHP
  Mr. Stunell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government are taking to ensure that the target for combined heat and power is reached by 2010; and what assessment has been made of the impact upon capacity of the introduction of the new electricity trading arrangements in March 2001.[13089]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Department is developing, in close collaboration with other Departments, a draft CHP strategy, which will set out the measures needed to achieve the Government's target of at least 10,000 MW of installed CHP electrical capacity by 2010. I expect to issue the draft strategy for consultation around the turn of the year.

  The recent report by the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, 'Report to DTI on the Review of the Initial Impact of NETA on Smaller Generators' issued in August, indicated that the export of power from CHP has reduced by around 60 per cent. since the introduction of

  887W
  NETA. The Government have issued a response to Ofgem's review and through this are consulting on a number of specific points to address the issues that CHP generators face under NETA.

  Kyoto Protocol
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on those countries who are signatories to the Kyoto agreement and whose carbon dioxide emissions are increasing. [13090]

  Mr. Meacher
  As of 28 September, there were 84 signatories to the Kyoto Protocol. Nearly 40 of these are developed countries with emissions reduction or limitation targets. Carbon dioxide emissions in about two thirds of these countries increased between 1990 and 1999, which is the most recent year for which data are available, but total emissions from developed countries (including the US) were about the same as in 1990.

  The Protocol gives developed countries considerable flexibility as to how they meet their Kyoto targets, including using international emissions trading and projects to reduce emissions in other countries to supplement domestic action. The Protocol also allows countries to count increased carbon uptake by forests and soils (so-called "sinks"), and to make reductions across a basket of six greenhouse gases, not just carbon dioxide.

  BSE
  Clive Efford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tests for BSE are carried out on livestock destined for human consumption; and what plans she has to review this in the future. [13092]

  Mr. Morley
  The EU surveillance programme for TSE's requires testing for BSE in all cattle over 30 months destined for human consumption. In the UK, this applies only to a small number of animals belonging to Beef Assurance Scheme herds which can be sold for human consumption up to 42 months old. These cattle have been tested since January this year.

  The EU programme has been extended to cattle aged 24–30 months which have died on farm or in transit and are casualties. A small proportion of casualties will be eligible for human consumption and arrangements are being made for them to be tested.

  In line with EU requirements, arrangements are also being made to test 20,000 sheep aged over 18 months.

  The Commission will be reviewing the testing programme in the light of results from member states.

  Online Services
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of her Department's progress in meeting the Government's targets for making all its services available online. [13093]

  Mr. Morley
  Regular progress reports are made to the Office of the e-Envoy. The latest figures submitted in October show that 53 per cent. of DEFRA's services are available electronically.

  Rights of Way
  Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress she has made in identifying and mapping public rights of way under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000. [13095]

  Alun Michael
  The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 provides for a cut-off date in 25 years time for the recording of certain rights of way on definitive maps and the extinguishment of those not so recorded by that date. In order to ensure that the definitive maps are as complete as possible by this date, we have asked the Countryside Agency to consider ways of co-ordinating the efforts of user groups in researching any, as yet, undiscovered rights of way.

  The Countryside Agency is currently in phase 1 of this project, which will assess the scale of the task. The contractors (made up of a consortium led by Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education) will be consulting all interested parties on the best way of supporting the research and on providing information and training. The aim is that by spring 2002 the Agency will have sufficient information to put in place a mechanism for managing grant aid to provide support and training and for undertaking research.

  The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 does not include a separate requirement to identify and map public rights of way. Definitive maps of public rights of way were first required to be produced under the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act, 1949. They are the responsibility of the local highway authority who (under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981) have a duty to keep the definitive map and statement under continuous review and to make such modifications as they deem necessary.

  Foot and Mouth
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to receive the reports of the independent inquiries into foot and mouth disease; and if she will make a statement.[13096]

  Mr. Morley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for mid-Bedfordshire (Mr. Sayeed) on 1 November 2001,Official Report, column 804W.

  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the extent of the foot and mouth epidemic. [13098]

  Mr. Morley
  The last confirmed case of foot and mouth disease was on 30 September. We have made progress on lifting infected area restrictions and most counties are now classified as foot and mouth disease free. However, there is no room for complacency and we may yet identify isolated pockets of remaining infection as our testing programme proceeds. Any relaxation of restrictions must be proportionate to the risks involved.

  Michael Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the report by Devon county council on the Government's handling of the foot and mouth outbreak. [13100]
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  Mr. Morley
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my noble Friend the Under-Secretary on 31 October 2001,Official Report, column 1416 in another place.

  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs what evidence she has collated recently of meat from animals vaccinated against foot and mouth disease entering the UK from(a) France, (b) Holland, (c) other EU countries, (d) Argentina and (e) South Africa. [14057]

  Mr. Morley
  None. Within the EU the Netherlands was the only country that vaccinated against foot and mouth disease (FMD). However, the vaccinated animals were subsequently slaughtered and meat from them was not exported.

  The importation into the UK of fresh meat derived from FMD susceptible animals originating in Argentina is currently prohibited. Prior to the prohibition, meat from vaccinated animals could be imported from Argentina. but had to be deboned and fully matured so as to remove any risk of the live FMD virus being present. Following outbreaks of FMD in South Africa, the UK prohibited imports of fresh meat with effect from January 2001. Following an improvement in the FMD situation in South Africa, and appropriate guarantees from the South African authorities, this prohibition was lifted in June 2001 in line with EC law. This meant that meat originating in certain areas of South Africa which are FMD free can be imported into the UK. Imports of meat from vaccinated animals in South Africa is not permitted; however, meat imports must still be deboned and matured.

  End of Life Vehicle Directive
  Barbara Follett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to assist local authorities with the implementation of the European end of life vehicle directive.[13097]

  Mr. Meacher
  Local authorities are not intended to have any direct responsibility for implementing the European end of life directive.

  The directive requires producers to be responsible for all or a significant part of the costs of take-back and treatment of end of life vehicles from 2007. These arrangements should help to ease the situation for local authorities in dealing with abandoned vehicles. It has not yet been decided how take-back and treatment of end of life vehicles between 2002 and 2007 will be funded.

  Foxhunting
  Mr. Barker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will publish the veterinary risk assessment report commissioned by her into the resumption of foxhunting.[13078]

  Mr. Morley
  The Veterinary Risk Assessment has been placed in the Library of the House and published on the DEFRA website http://www.defra.gov.uk/.

  The Government issued a document this morning on proposals to replace the current blanket ban on hunting in England and Wales. The proposed new arrangements permit certain forms of hunting with dogs to recommence under a permit issued by a Divisional Veterinary Manager, in foot and mouth disease free counties. All
  890W
  forms of hunting will remain prohibited in foot and mouth disease infected areas as does the hunting of deer in the whole of England and Wales.

  Lembit Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to lift the suspension on fox hunting with dogs; and if she will make a statement. [14403]

  Alun Michael
  The Veterinary Risk Assessment has been placed in the Library of the House and published on the DEFRA website http://www.defra.gov.uk/.

  The Government issued a document this morning on proposals to replace the current blanket ban on hunting in England and Wales. The proposed new arrangements permit certain forms of hunting with dogs to recommence under a permit issued by a Divisional Veterinary Manager, in foot and mouth disease free counties. All forms of hunting will remain prohibited in foot and mouth disease infected areas as does the hunting of deer in the whole of England and Wales.

  Sheep Identification
  Mr. Roger Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has for an individual identification system for sheep. [13086]

  Mr. Morley
  If we are to free up movements of sheep for the spring we must put in place arrangements that will enable us to trace sheep movements in the event that there is a resurgence of foot and mouth disease. We have had initial discussions with industry representatives, which covered individual identification. We are now examining a number of points on which they expressed concern. Officials will be considering these further with them, before coming to a final decision.

  I am aware that industry would prefer to move straight towards electronic identification. Electronic identification also remains the Department's objective but it would take time to implement and would not deal with immediate problems.

  Bee Diseases
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will meet representatives of Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd. to discuss measures to control bee diseases. [12757]

  Mr. Morley
  The Department held its annual meeting with the beekeeping sector on 8 November. Bee Diseases Insurance Ltd. was among the organisations that sent representatives. The meeting discussed a range of issues affecting the sector, including measures to control bee diseases.

  Fuel Poverty
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will include an aim to deal with fuel poverty within her Department's aims and objectives. [11790]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 1 November 2001]: The Department's overall aim is sustainable development, and its responsibilities are broad, encompassing the food chain and farming, environmental protection and the well-being of the economy and communities in rural areas. Reference

  891W
  to each and every specific policy area is therefore not written into the Department's general aim and objectives. I remain fully committed however, to implementation of the Government's fuel poverty strategy, the final version of which will be published shortly, and which will provide the framework for ending the blight of fuel poverty for vulnerable households by 2010. The Department's overall objectives enhance this priority.

  Recycling (Refrigerators)
  Mr. Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of(a) refrigerators and (b) deep-freezers local authorities will have to store in the years (i) 2001–02 and (ii) 2002–03, before they can be recycled. [12034]

  Mr. Meacher
  It has been estimated that up to 3 million domestic refrigeration units are disposed of in the UK each year. The number that will require storage prior to recycling depends on the construction of suitable facilities for the recovery of ozone depleting substances. Some of these could be operational as early as spring 2002. The Department estimates that up to 750,000 units will need to be stored in 2001–02. Many of these will be stored by, or on behalf of, local authorities. It is more difficult to estimate storage requirements for 2002–03, although the requirement for storage will decrease as recovery and recycling facilities become operational. It is estimated that of the 750,000 units stored, 540,000 would be fridges, 120,000 fridge-freezers and 90,000 freezers.

  Wildlife
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will review her Department's guidelines to safeguard the wilflife in south-east England.[13071]

  Mr. Meacher
  We have recently improved protection of wildlife and their habitats across England and Wales, through provisions in the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000, the first major wildlife legislation for 20 years. Work continues to review and develop nature conservation policy, guidelines and legislation and we have consulted widely on a revised Code of Guidance to English Nature, which we aim to publish shortly.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken by the CSA in the last 12 months to obtain an attachment of earnings order from the date of application to the courts is; what the upper decile time is; and how many orders are in the upper decile.[14357]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
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  Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 14 November 2001:

  I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the Child Support Agency.
  You have requested average times for obtaining Attachment of earnings orders from the date of application to the courts.
  The Child Support Agency does not make Attachment of earnings orders. The Child Support Agency has provision to make Deduction from Earnings orders which do not require court action.
  A Deduction from earnings order is a legally binding instruction to an employer to deduct child maintenance and arrears from a non resident parent's earnings and to pay it to the Child Support Agency.
  Deduction from earnings orders are an effective way of ensuring payment of child support where a non-resident parent chooses to pay in this way, or where other methods have failed. In cases where a non-resident parent refuses to pay child support, a deduction from earnings order is often the best way to ensure regular and reliable maintenance is paid.
  In May 2001, 141,600 non resident parents were paying child support via deduction from earnings orders.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken by the CSA in the last 12 months to determine an absent parent's contribution to child support is; what the upper decile time is; and how many determinations are in the upper decile.[14358]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.

  Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated 14 November 2001:

  I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the Child Support Agency.
  You asked what the average time is for the CSA in the last 12 months to determine a non resident parent's contribution to child support; what the upper decile time is; and how many determinations are in the upper decile.
  The information you have requested is not available in the format requested. The information that is available is provided at Appendix A.
  I hope this is helpful. Appendix A:

  Time taken to make child support assessments (November 2000-October 2001)

  Number of cases

  Time taken

  assessed

  Percentage

  Less than 20 weeks

  49,165

  48.5

  Between 20 and 52 weeks

  32,115

  31.6

  Over 52 weeks

  20,156

  19.9

  Total

  101.436

  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken by the CSA in the last 12 months to recover underpayments by absent parents is; what the upper decile time is; and how many vacancies are in the upper decile [14359]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive, Mr. Doug Smith. He will write to the hon. Member.
  893W
  Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Andrew Smith, dated 14 November 2001:

  I am replying to your Parliamentary Questions to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions about the Child Support Agency.
  You asked what the average time is for the CSA in the last 12 months to recover underpayments by Non resident parents.
  The information you have requested is not available as it is not collected in the format you have requested.
  Maintenance that is due but not paid is collected as arrears. Clients are asked to pay arrears in a lump sum, or to agree to make regular payments towards arrears in addition to regular maintenance. Agreements follow negotiations which take into account the non resident parent's ability to pay and the need for maintenance to reach the parent with care as soon as possible. If no agreement can be reached between the Agency and the non resident parent the case is subject to enforcement action.
  I hope this is helpful.

  Jobcentre Plus
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the feasibility of bringing responsibility for Housing Benefit claims within the(a) remit and (b) locality of the new Jobcentre Plus offices; and if he will make a statement [14297]

  Malcolm Wicks
  There are no plans to bring responsibility for Housing Benefit claims into Jobcentre Plus. We expect Jobcentre Plus and local authorities to work closely together to provide a coherent service for customers. We are aligning Jobcentre Plus district boundaries with local authority boundaries so as to manage the interaction between the two more effectively.

  Income Support
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were in receipt of income support payments under the preserved rights scheme in each year since 1997; and how many were(a) under 65 and (b) over 65 years in each case [15180]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The information is in the table.

  Thousand

  Year

  All preserved rights customers

  Aged under 65

  Aged 65 and over

  1997

  123.7

  40.6

  83.1

  1998

  103.6

  38.4

  65.2

  1999

  86.2

  36.0

  50.1

  2000

  74.3

  34.0

  40.3

  2001

  65.1

  31.9

  33.1

  Notes

  1. Figures are based on 5 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling error.

  2. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred and are expressed in thousands.

  Source:

  Income Support Quarterly Statistical Inquiries, May 1997-May 2001.

  Rented Accommodation
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will monitor the impact(a) nationally and (b) regionally of the revised definition of the single room rent on access to, and affordability of, privately rented accommodation for young people aged under 25 years. [11501]
  894W
  Malcolm Wicks
  The revised definition of the single room rent was introduced from 2 July 2001. We are currently considering options for monitoring the effect of the new definition.

WALES

  Water Supply (Ceredigion)
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on water supply in Ceredigion.[13063]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  That is a matter for the National Assembly for Wales. However, I refer the hon. Member to the comments my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary addressed to him in the debate in Westminster Hall on 14 November 2001,Official Report, column 296–97WH.

  Chernobyl
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what area of land in Wales is affected by the radioactive fallout from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear accident; and what estimate he has made of how long it will take for all restrictions arising from Chernobyl to be lifted.[14685]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  Information about the land area affected by the radioactive fallout is not held centrally. However, 5,000 farms across Wales were placed on restriction following the Chernobyl accident. Of those, 360 remain on restriction. Monitoring is carried out continually and the Food Standards Agency will take scientific advice as to when restrictions can be relaxed.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Statutory Bereavement Payment
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to increase the statutory bereavement payment in fatal accident cases; and if he will make a statement.[14203]

  Mr. Wills
  Consideration is being given to both the costs and benefits of an increase. A regulatory impact assessment has been completed. analysing the effects of increasing the level of bereavement damages. Any increase would have an impact on business and other Government Departments, and before an announcement can be made the Lord Chancellor will need to consult his colleagues.

  An announcement on whether or not an increase will be made is expected by March 2002.

  Magistrates Courts
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department, pursuant to his answer of 31 October 2001,Official Report, column 754W, if he will publish the full results of the pilot study run in nine magistrates courts committee areas between 2 April and 29 June; and if he will make a statement. [14458]

  Mr. Wills
  I have today placed a copy of the evaluation report prepared following the pilot scheme run in the nine magistrates courts committee areas in the Library of each
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  House. This report includes the national results for the pilot period. The scheme for cracked, ineffective and vacated trials has been endorsed for national roll-out in January 2002.

  Freedom of Information Act
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if it is his policy that the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is to be implemented in stages.[15196]
  896W
  Mr. Wills
  The Freedom of Information Act will be fully implemented by January 2005, 11 months before the timetable set out in the Act itself. The publication scheme provisions will be implemented first, on a rolling programme, starting with central Government in November 2002. A full schedule of organisations and dates of implementation was placed in the Libraries of both Houses on 13 November. This roll-out will be completed in June 2004 and the individual right of access to information held by all public authorities will be implemented in January 2005.

  Incitement to Religious Hatred
  Incitement to Religious Hatred
  Terrorism Act 2000
  Terrorism Act 2000
  Inheritance Tax
  Inheritance Tax
  Ocean Resources and Environment
  Ocean Resources and Environment
  Rural Recovery Report
  Rural Recovery Report
  BSE: Testing of Sheep Brains
  BSE: Testing of Sheep Brains
  London Air Quality
  London Air Quality
  Cross-London Rail Link
  Cross-London Rail Link
  Railtrack
  Railtrack
  Railtrack Land Holdings
  Railtrack Land Holdings
  Millennium Dome: Maintenance and Decommissioning Costs
  Millennium Dome: Maintenance and Decommissioning Costs
  Physical Agents Directives
  Physical Agents Directives
  Bus Lane Enforcement Cameras
  Bus Lane Enforcement Cameras
  Individual Learning Accounts
  Individual Learning Accounts
  Culture On Line
  Culture On Line
  Golden Jubilee and Tourism
  Golden Jubilee and Tourism