Written Answers of 12 April 2002

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

  Congestion Charging (London)
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what studies his Department has conducted into the effects on the environment of the London area of the proposed introduction of congestion charging by the GLA. [39846]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 4 March 2002]: The Government commissioned and published early in 2000 a report by an independent group of experts called Road Charging Options for London——A Technical Assessment (known as the ROCOL report). Copies are available in the library. The report covers environmental effects. It says that there could be environmental and amenity benefits from the reduced traffic volumes but much would depend on the how the benefits of reduced traffic were allocated. Emissions of CO2 would be reduced, but there would be no significant improvement in local air quality.

  Rail Investment
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the private sector rail investment in the 10 year plan is expected ultimately to be on the balance sheet of Railtrack's successor. [47395]

  Mr. Jamieson
  This will be determined through the SRA's development of Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) and through negotiations with Network Rail and other possible bidders for Railtrack Plc on their proposed Business and Financing plans.

  Housing (South-east)
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the Government's total targets for new housing in the south-east has been provided for in the strategic plans of local authorities; and what proportion remains to be allocated provisional sites. [47519]

  Ms Keeble
  Regional Planning Guidance for the South East (RPG9), issued in March 2001, sets out the level of housing provision to be made in the region. Housing

  1997–98 £000s

  1998–99 £000s

  1999–00 £000s

  2000–01 £000s

  2001–02 £000s

  2002–03 £000s

  Liverpool Health Authority1

  243,040

  253,814

  350,296

  379,504

  410,236

  453,913

  Liverpool City Council

  5,262

  7,005

  8,098

  8,698

  12,882

  25,417

  Note:

  11999–2000 was the first year of unified allocations covering hospital and community helath sercives, prescribing and general practitioner infrastructure. Therefore they are not comparable to earlier years' allocations.
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  provision in existing strategic plans——namely county structure plans——is broadly in line with guidance in RPG9 for the Government Office South East area, although usually only for the period up to 2011 and in some cases only up to 2006. Some County Councils have started the process of reviewing their structure plans. At the same time, about a third of all local plans have already expired and half are due to expire by 2006. District authorities need to update their local plans in order to allocate sufficient land for housing.

  Housing Transfers
  Mr. Hopkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what the cost is to the Department of writing off the over-hanging debt for local authorities transferring their housing stock to RSLs in(a) the current year and (b) each of the past five years; and what the projected cost is in (i) 2002–03 and (ii) 2003–04. [46363]

  Ms Keeble
  [holding answer 26 March 2002]: The overhanging debt payments made to date are £21 million in 1999–2000 and £256 million in 2000–01. No payments were made in 2001–02. The projected costs are £500 million in 2002–03 and £800 million in 2003–04. These are estimates and are likely to change as details of transfer proposals are finalised.

  Brownfield Developments
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how close the house-building industry is to meeting the Government's target of brownfield site development. [48592]

  Ms Keeble
  The Government's target is that by 2008, 60 per cent of additional housing should be provided on previously developed land and through conversions of existing buildings. The latest statistics (for 2000) show that achievement against target is 57 per cent.

  Finance (Liverpool)
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how much funding he has made available for social services and community care in Liverpool through(a) the local authority, (b) the Health Service and (c) the voluntary sector in each of the last five years; and what funding he has indicated will be made available in 2002–03. [44394]

  Jacqui Smith
  I have been asked to reply.

  The table provides details of funding which the Department has made available for social services and community care to Liverpool Health Authority and Liverpool City Council, in each of the last five years and for 2002–03.
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  The section 64 general scheme of grants is the Department's main avenue of support for national voluntary organisations in England. Grants are not awarded on a geographical or regional basis.

  Children's Homes
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many local authority children's homes there were in(a) 1990, (b) 1995 and (c) on the latest date for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [43233]

  Jacqui Smith
  I have been asked to reply.

  Information for the years ending 31 March 1995 and 31 March 2000, latest information available, is shown in the table. Information for 1990 is not available.

  Table: Number of local authority children's homes for the years ending 31 March 1995 and 2000

  England

  Type of LA home

  1995

  2000

  Maintained

  741

  672

  Controlled

  28

  28

  Assisted

  30

  21

  Total Community Homes

  799

  721

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Smallpox
  Mr. Robert Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance has been issued to law enforcement agencies in the event of a large-scale smallpox outbreak. [33336]

  Mr. John Denham
  [holding answer 5 February 2002]: I apologise for the delay in replying. Smallpox has been eradicated world-wide and no specific guidance has been issued to law enforcement agencies. Guidance on smallpox, accessible both to public and professionals is available from the Public Health Laboratory Service.

  A major outbreak of non-terrorist origin would be co-ordinated at the national level through the Civil Contingencies Committee; a terrorist incident would be handled through Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (C'OBR).

  Secondments (Energy Industry)
  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff were seconded between(a) BP, (b) Shell, (c) Enron, (d) Exxon-Mobil, (e) Conoco, (f) Texaco and (g) TotalFinaElf and his Department in (i) 1999–2000, (ii) 2000–01 and (iii) April 2001 to the latest date for which figures are available. [33198]

  Angela Eagle
  No staff were seconded between the Home Department and the companies identified for the periods in question.

  Animal Experiments
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans his Department has to 628W
  improve the care standards for non-human primates in the Code of Practice for the Housing and Care of Animals Used in Scientific Puposes; and if he will make a statement. [47998]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Standards for the housing and care of laboratory animals, including non-human primates, are currently the subject of review under the auspices of the Council of Europe. This work is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2002. We will review the relevant codes of practice applicable in the United Kingdom in the light of the outcome of the Council of Europe review and any consequential changes to European directive 86/609/EEC.

  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many breeding establishments in Mauritius are authorised as sources of non-human primates under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986; and if he will make a statement. [47997]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: There is currently authority for non-human primates from one breeding establishment in Mauritius to be used in programmes of work licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

  Prisoner Escapes
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the target for the rate of escapes from contracted-out escorts expressed as a ratio of prisoners handled was met by March 2001. [47234]

  Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The Prison Service met this key performance indicator target in the 2000–01 year. There was one escape for every 21,649 prisoners handled during the year. This was better than the target not to exceed one per 20,000 prisoners handled.

  Nationality Applications
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many nationality applications were completed in the year to March 2001; and how many he expects to be completed in the year to March 2002. [47236]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: In the year to March 2001 94,090 nationality applications were completed, exceeding the target of 91,000.

  The target for the year to March 2002 remained at 91,000 and indications are that the target will again be exceeded and the final total will be higher than that achieved in the year to March 2001.

  Drug Misusing Offenders
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the PSA target of a reduction in the level of reoffending by drug misusing offenders(a) was met by March 2001 and (b) has since been exceeded. [47233]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The Public Service Agreement target currently is: to reduce levels of repeat offending amongst drug misusing offenders by 25 per cent by 2005 (and by 50 per cent by 2008). There is no interim target set for 2001.
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  We are currently reviewing the drugs strategy targets and progress against them to ensure we still have the right balance and focus.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of decisions on asylum cases will have been made within two months in the year ending 31 March. [47228]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The target for the year ending 31 March 2002 is to decide and serve 60 per cent of new substantive asylum claims made in that same year within two months. The latest provisional data, published on 28 February 2002, indicate that nearly half (48 per cent) of applications received in the period April to September 2001 inclusive had initial decisions served within two months. Information on the percentage of asylum cases in the year ending 31 March 2002 with decisions made and served within two months is not yet available.

  The data are published in the quarterly asylum statistics. The next publication will be available from 31 May 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many failed asylum seekers were removed in the year to March 2001; and how many he expects to be removed in the year to March 2002. [47238]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The number of failed asylum seekers removed in the year to March 2001 was 8,930. The current Service Delivery Agreement target relating to the removal of failed asylum seekers from the United Kingdom is to remove 30,000 in 2001–02; 33,000 in 2002–03; and 37,000 in 2003–04. The totals include dependants.

  The precise number removed in March will be available in about two months.

  The 30,000 target for this year has always been ambitious and high risk. To enable us to reach and exceed 30,000 removals per year by 2003, we need to remove about 2,500 people per month. It is our aim to achieve this monthly total as soon as possible.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum decisions were made in the year to March 2001; and how many he expects to be made in the year to March 2002. [47237]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: 132,840 initial decisions were made in the period 1 April 2000 to 31 March 2001, inclusive.

  Information on the number of initial decisions made in the year to 31 March 2002 is not yet available. However, in line with plans, the number of cases awaiting an initial decision has continued to fall, 71,320 initial decisions were made during the period April 2001 to December 2001, compared with 85,960 in the same period a year previously.
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  Information on initial decisions is published quarterly. The next publication will cover the period up to March 2002, and will be available from 31 May 2002 on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uldrds/immigrationl.html.

  Julie Morgan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the impact on the policy of detaining children who are seeking asylum of the(a) provisions of the Children Act 1989 and (b) provisions of the Human Rights Act 1998; [48280]

  (2) what risk assessments are undertaken before a child seeking asylum is detained; [48278]

  (3) whether the rights and needs of the child must be considered before any decision to detain a child seeking asylum is taken. [48279]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The Children Act 1989 places a duty on local social services departments to provide for unaccompanied asylum seeking children. As a matter of policy and practice all those accepted as being unaccompanied asylum seeking children are referred to the local social services department. Unaccompanied asylum seeking children are not routinely detained under immigration powers. But detention may occasionally be necessary in exceptional circumstances whilst alternative arrangements for their care are made. Where detention is in such circumstances necessary, this is normally limited to overnight, with appropriate care.

  The decision to detain a family is always taken with due regard to Article 8 of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).

  Families may be detained at the Oakington Reception Centre whilst their claim for asylum is processed. In other cases a family would be detained in line with the general detention criteria, which include consideration of the likelihood of removal, evidence of previous absconding and previous history of complying with the requirements of immigration control. There is however, as in any other case, a presumption in favour of granting temporary admission or temporary release.

  Any case where it is proposed to detain a family will be risk-assessed by the Immigration Service. Checks are made to see if any child is on the "At Risk" register. In addition the family protection team at the local police station will be contacted. If there has been any involvement by the Social Services in any particular family case, they will also be consulted before an operation leading to the detention of children is undertaken.

  Criminal Justice
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what(a) financial and (b) other criteria are to be used for measurement of the PSA target on efficiency in the criminal justice system. [47410]

  Mr. Keith Bradley
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The 2000 Criminal Justice System Public Service Agreement (PSA) committed the criminal justice departments in defining a measure for value for money (rather than efficiency) in the system. Work is continuing

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  on this, but it has not yet proved possible to devise a satisfactory single measure of system-wide performance. Meanwhile, however, each component part of the system has an efficiency or value for money target, and has plans in place to meet its target.

  Immigration (Detainees)
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people detained under immigration law have died in each of the past five years; and of those how many are believed to have committed suicide. [48626]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: There was one incident of a death in immigration detention in the last five years. The incident occurred in January 2000 and is believed to have been a suicide although the inquest returned an open verdict.

  Correspondence
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department will reply to the letter dated 18 September 2001 from the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell relating to an inquiry by Mr. C Barfield of 2 Cuddington Avenue, Worcester Park, Surrey. [48211]

  Angela Eagle
  A reply to the hon. Member was sent on 27 March 2002.

  Prison Officers
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prison officers there were in each year since 1997; and how many retired due to long-term illness. [47376]

  Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The information is provided in the table.

  Officers in Post 31 March

  Ill Health Retirements per Calendar Year

  1997

  23,058

  451

  1998

  23,444

  220

  1999

  23,875

  199

  2000

  24,090

  165

  2001

  23,777

  152

  2002 (to 25/03/02)

  23,067

  18

  Figures include prison officers, senior officers and principal officers.

  Illegal Immigrants
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what extra security measures his Department has taken at Shoreham Port to help combat entry by illegal immigrants; [47374]

  (2) how many illegal immigrants have been caught trying to enter this country at Shoreham Port, listed by country of origin; and how many of these have claimed political asylum since 1997. [47373]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: It is not possible to provide statistics for the total number of illegal entrants detected having entered the United Kingdom via
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  Shoreham seaport. This is because illegal entrants are frequently detected inland and will not identify, or cannot be attributed to, any particular port of entry.

  Shoreham seaport does not receive any passenger vessels and so has no permanent immigration presence. However, for the purposes of immigration control the port is covered by Immigration Service staff based at Newhaven who may be deployed there should a need be identified. Remote coverage is also provided by officers from Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and Sussex Police, Special Branch.

  The Immigration Service views very seriously any potential breach of immigration controls, as well as the risks that migrants take by seeking to enter the United Kingdom clandestinely. Whilst there is currently no evidence to suggest that Shoreham seaport is being targeted for such activity, should such information be received, it would be passed to the District Intelligence Unit at Gatwick. They would assess the risk and ensure that appropriate measures were taken to combat any threat to the integrity of the immigration control.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to improve the response time to parliamentary questions. [47721]

  Mr. Blunkett
  [holding answer 9 April 2002]: In its response to the Public Administration Select Committee's Second Report of Session 2000–2001 on Ministerial Accountability and Parliamentary Questions, the Government made clear their commitment to providing prompt and accurate answers to Parliamentary Questions. This continues to be the Government's position. I am committed to improving the performance of the Home Office and am working with the Department on practical steps to achieve this.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  PSA Targets
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what new initiatives her Department has taken in 2001–02 to assist in achieving its Public Service Agreement targets. [47189]

  Dr. Howells
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Details of new initiatives and policies designed to assist in achieving the Public Service Agreement targets for 1999–2002 were set out in my previous parliamentary answers to the hon. Member for Buckingham on 19 December (Official Report, columns 310–15W), 8 January (Official Report, columns 543–45W), and 10 January (Official Report, columns 971–72W).

  The main initiatives undertaken to help achieve the Public Service Agreement targets for 2001–2004 are as follows: the setting-up of Creative Partnerships in 16 deprived areas; the introduction of the School Sports Co-ordinator and Spaces for Sport and the Arts programmes; and the introduction of free access for all to national museums and galleries on 1 December 2001.

  Digital Television
  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the level of take up of digital television services has been from 1998 to the date for which the most recent figures are available. [46916]

  Dr. Howells
  These are the figures from December 1998 to December 2001 for digital television uptake, based on subscriber figures supplied by platform operators.

  Date

  per cent TV Households which are digital

  31 December 98

  0.9 per cent

  31 March 99

  2.2 per cent

  30 June 99

  3.9 per cent

  30 September 99

  7.0 per cent

  31 December 99

  11.1 per cent

  30 March 00

  18.0 per cent

  30 June 00

  19.4 per cent

  30 September 00

  22.5 per cent

  31 December 00

  26.8 per cent

  31 March 01

  30.0 per cent

  30 June 01

  32.5 per cent

  30 September 01

  34.7 per cent

  31 December 01

  36.6 per cent

HOUSE OF COMMONS

  Information
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission, if the Commission will make further information about its work available to hon. Members. [50505]

  Archy Kirkwood
  Pages on the Parliamentary Intranet, accessed through "House Administration" give information about the Commission's role, responsibilities and membership, together with contact details. The pages provide links to the Commission's Annual Reports, and to Questions answered on behalf of the Commission. We have now decided to supplement this with periodic reports on Commission business: subjects considered, decisions taken, and work in progress. The first such report, covering Commission meetings between December 2001 and March 2002, will be posted on the Intranet today.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  SME Industrial Trends
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on SME industrial trends. [37652]

  Nigel Griffiths
  The last year for which figures are available (2000) shows an increase in the number of SME manufacturers.

  Small and Medium Sized Enterprises continue to play an important role in the UK economy accounting for over 99 per cent of businesses, 44 per cent of non-government employment and 37 per cent of turnover. They employ 12 million people and contribute £1 trillion to the economy pa.
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  Number of SMEs (0–249 employees) by sector

  UK, number

  Number of businesses

  Sector

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  All

  3,701,070

  3,651,230

  3,670,210

  3,715,865

  Agriculture, Fishing

  220,850

  192,825

  185,285

  190,375

  Mining & Energy

  5,455

  5,705

  4,085

  3,615

  Manufacturing

  319,610

  329,550

  329,535

  329,685

  Construction

  828,810

  728,445

  683,250

  678,215

  Wholesale, retail & repairs

  525,465

  552,765

  532,155

  535,045

  Hotels & Restaurants

  148,610

  153,065

  154,125

  157,005

  Transport

  211,395

  210,695

  225,315

  227,635

  Financial intermediation

  51,160

  65,580

  59,115

  58,690

  Real Estate, business activities

  707,785

  735,995

  799,555

  825,160

  Education

  108,610

  100,875

  107,785

  110,965

  Health & social work

  217,295

  202,690

  202,910

  206,815

  Other services

  356,015

  373,025

  387,090

  392,660

  Source:

  Small Business Service, SME Statistics in the UK

  Company Auditing Policy
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will name the members of the group she has set up to review company auditing policy and practices, together with relevant interests or employment. [42615]

  Ms Melanie Johnson
  My right hon. Friends, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and the Chancellor of the Exchequer have invited the Economic Secretary, HM Treasury and myself, to lead a co-ordinating group on accounting and audit issues, which will ensure that there is a comprehensive work programme, to be undertaken by individual regulators, and avoiding unnecessary overlap;
  provide a progress report by the summer, with a final report at a later stage;
  commission additional work or reviews, if that is judged appropriate;
  reach a view on the adequacy of the proposals, and, if appropriate, make specific recommendations.

  The members of the co-ordinating group are as follows:
  Melanie Johnson MP, Minister for Competition, Consumers & Markets, DTI;
  Ruth Kelly MP, Economic Secretary to the Treasury;
  Sir John Bourn. Comptroller and Auditor General. Chairman, Accountancy Foundation's Review Board;
  Michael Foot, Managing Director, Deposit Takers and Markets Directorate, Financial Services Authority;
  Mary Keegan, Chairman, Accounting Standards Board;
  Professor Ian Percy, formerly Chairman, Accounts Commission for Scotland. Former Deputy Chairman, Auditing Practices Board;
  Rosemary Radcliffe, formerly a member of the Company Law Review Steering Group and Chief Economist, Pricewaterhouse Coopers. Complaints Commissioner, Financial Services Authority.

  The co-ordinating group at its first meeting discussed the work the regulators have in hand to address the key regulatory issues for audit and accounting raised in the wake of the Enron collapse. This focused on audit quality and auditor independence, financial reporting and auditing requirements, and corporate governance, in particular the role of the Audit Committee. The group will ensure that there is a comprehensive and co-ordinated work programme to be taken forward by regulators over the coming months.
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  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the group she has set up to review company auditing policy and practices will take evidence from outside Government; which organisations have been asked to give evidence to it; and whether its report will be published. [42616]

  Ms Melanie Johnson
  The purpose of the Group is to ensure that the accounting and audit issues raised following the collapse in the US of Enron are addressed by individual regulators in the UK In a comprehensive and coordinated way.

  At the first meeting of the group, it was agreed to invite comments from outside Government in relation to the group's coordinating role on the issues for audit and accountancy raised by the collapse of Enron. Further details will appear shortly on the DTI website (www.dti.gov.uk/cld). The group will provide a progress report by the summer, with a final report at a later stage. These will be published.

  Small Businesses (Administrative Burden)
  Laura Moffatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress is being made in reducing the administrative burden on small businesses. [46431]

  Nigel Griffiths
  The Government have put in place a number of measures to reduce the administrative burden of regulations on small businesses, including:Announced in January 2000 that employers with 4 or fewer employees will be exempt from the requirements to provide access to stakeholder pensions and deduct pension contributions.
  Announced in April 2000 an increase in the statutory audit threshold for companies from £350,000 to £1 million. This measure will relieve up to 150,000 small firms from the burden of statutory audit, saving small companies up to £180 million a year.
  We have exempted small shops from the new EU unit pricing requirements.
  We have exempted employers with twenty or fewer employees from the trade union recognition procedures in the Employment Relations Act.
  Small Business Service has produced clear guidance on a number of complex regulations.
  The Business Link Website is now attracting 80,000 alerts about regulations automatically.
  A 12 weeks period between regulations being agreed users per month——and businesses can register to receive and implemented has been actioned, allowing owner managers time to adapt to the new regulations.
  Assisted and supported 6000 individuals wanting to start and grow a business and helped a further 6000 with mentoring advice.
  The Patrick Carter review of payroll administration.

  General Agreement on Trade in Services
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which services the United Kingdom will(a) as part of the European Union and (b) unilaterally be offering for liberalisation under the World Trade Organisation's General Agreement on Trade in Services. [47416]

  Ms Hewitt
  The United Kingdom negotiates in the World Trade Organisation as part of the European Union. Offers of liberalisation of services will be considered in the light of requests received from other WTO Members. The Doha Ministerial Declaration set June 2002 as the 636W
  date for the submission of initial requests. The Government will consult on any offer they are minded to make as part of the EU's offer. Liberalisation is, however, a matter of domestic policy choice. The current negotiations under the General Agreement on Trade in Services cannot force liberalisation where we do not wish it.

  Unsolicited Faxes
  Dr. Kumar
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action her Department recommend people take if they are the target of unsolicited faxes. [48585]

  Mr. Alexander
  There are safeguards for both individual and corporate subscribers who do not wish to receive unsolicited direct marketing faxes. Under the Telecommunications (Data Protection and Privacy) Regulations 1999, no one may send unsolicited direct marketing faxes to individual subscribers without their prior consent. These Regulations are enforced by the Information Commissioner, and any breaches should be reported to her office.

  Corporate subscribers have opt-out rights under the same Regulations; no-one may send unsolicited direct marketing faxes to any subscriber who has registered with the Fax Preference Service, or who has told the direct marketer concerned not to send any further faxes. The Fax Preference Service is also open to individual subscribers who may find it useful to register in order to reinforce their rights. Subscribers should report any breaches of these regulations to the Information Commissioner's Office, or to the Fax Preference Service if they have registered with it.

  Television Licences
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the(a) number and (b) total cost of television licences paid for by her Department. [48338]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: No licence is required for equipment use for official purposes. A detailed answer would involve disproportionate cost.

  Digital Services
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and industry if she will list the number of subscriptions to (a) digital terrestrial,(b) digital satellite and (c) digital cable television held by her Department for services in any departmental building from which Ministers work, stating for each subscription its (i) cost and (i) purpose. [48339]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: No data are held centrally and providing an answer would involve disproportionate cost.

  Post Offices Capital Scheme
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been paid out each month since its inception under the Start-Up Capital Scheme for Post Offices. [47316]
  637W
  Mr. Alexander
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I have been informed by Post Office Limited that to the end of March 2002, applications totalling £375,431 have been approved under the Scheme and that the following amounts have been paid:

  £

  December 2001

  13,230

  January 2002

  11,699

  February 2002

  10,365

  March 2002

  43,778

  Total

  £79.072

  Employment Relations
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will publish a consultation document on the use of section 23 of the Employment Relations Act 1999 to extend rights contained in employment legislation to individuals of a specified description. [48743]

  Alan Johnson
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Twickenham (Dr. Cable) on 13 February 2002,Official Report, column 443W.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

  Bereavement Allowance
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Minister for Women what plans she has to make representations to the Department for Work and Pensions to secure a review of the operation and level of payment of bereavement allowance. [31276]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer January 2002]: I have no plans at present to make representations to the Department for Work and Pensions in order to secure a review of the operation and level of bereavement allowance.

DEFENCE

  Gulf War Veterans
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Gulf war veterans have been diagnosed as suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; and how many of those diagnosed have subsequently died. [32331]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 12 February 2002]: In the United Kingdom, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is classified as motor neurone disease (MND). As at 22 March 2002, the Ministry of Defence's Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Unit was aware of four of the 53,462 members of the United Kingdom armed forces identified as having deployed to a state in the Gulf region at some time between 1 September 1990 and 30 June 1991 who have been diagnosed as suffering from MND. We do not however hold complete morbidity data for all veterans of the Gulf conflict so it is possible that MND may have been diagnosed in other veterans without our knowledge.
  638W
  According to formal notification to my Department by the Office of National Statistics NHS Central Register, and the Register Generals of Gulf veterans whose deaths have been recorded in England, Wales and Scotland, all four of the UK Gulf veterans diagnosed with MND referred to above have died.

  Explosives
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many high explosive bombs the RAF purchased in(a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01 and (c) 2001–02. [43395]

  Dr. Moonie
  No high explosive bombs were purchased by the RAF during these years. Although some purchases to support training and development were made during this time, these were not classified as high explosive.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many special advisers there were at 10 Downing Street; and what their salaries were in each of the last five years. [47058]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Two Special Advisers were in post on 9 April 2002. I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 10 April 2002 (Official Report, column 11W) by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister.

  Imber
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what expenditure has been incurred on the maintenance of the parish church at Imber for each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [48624]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Although the parish church of St Giles at Imber is the property of Salisbury Diocese, the Ministry of Defence has always voluntarily maintained the building in a wind and weatherproof condition and has incurred the following expenditure in each of the last five years:

  Year

  Amount £

  1997

  Details not available

  1998

  1,256.49

  1999

  2,747.15

  2000

  Nil

  2001

  158.63

  Note:

  Although general administrative costs are not available, the services of an Establishment Works Consultant has been provided at £210.00 per year-an additional £1,050 over the five year period.

  I am, of course, unable to provide details of any expenditure that may have been incurred by Salisbury Diocese.

  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many days in each of the past five years the roads on Imber Ranges and in Imber village have been open to the public. [48539]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The metalled roads from Gore Cross to Warminster via Imber, and Heytesbury to Bratton via Imber are open for up to

  639W
  50 days annually depending on operational training commitments. In each of the last five years these roads were open as follows:

  Year

  Number of Days

  1997

  21

  1998

  23

  1999

  26

  2000

  25

  2001

  24

  QinetiQ
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if(a) UK, (b) EU and (c) foreign defence contractors will be considered as strategic partners of QinetiQ. [47645]

  Dr. Moonie
  I refer the hon Member to the announcement I made in the House on 6 March 2002, (Official Report, columns 313–14W). We have always made it clear that we will not consider any defence manufacturers as strategic partners of QinetiQ, nor any parties which would pose a risk to the defence and security interests of the United Kingdom. However, a large number of organisations which provide a wide range of services to Ministry of Defence could be regarded as defence contractors. As long as they do not fall into either of the two categories above, they will not be excluded from the QinetiQ transaction.

  Dimbleby Interview
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will place in the Library a transcript of his interview on the Jonathan Dimbleby programme on 24 March. [47664]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Ministry of Defence does not routinely hold full transcripts of interviews given by Ministers on radio or television programmes. I suggest that the hon. Member approaches LWT if he requires a full transcript of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence's interview on the Jonathan Dimbleby programme broadcast on ITV on 24 March.

  Apprentice Training (Aberporth)
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly regarding apprentice training at Aberporth, Ceredigion. [47754]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I have had no discussions with the First Minister for Wales about apprentice training at Aberporth. I wrote to him however on 25 March explaining the situation once the decision had been taken. There was no previous correspondence on the issue.

  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he met representatives of the Learning and Skills Council for Wales to discuss apprentice training at Aberporth, Ceredigion. [47755]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I have had no discussions on apprentice training at Aberporth with representatives of the Learning and Skills Council for Wales.

  MOD and Military Police (Retirement)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many personnel have retired from(a) the Military Police and (b) the MoD police in each of the last five years. [15166]

  Dr. Moonie
  Pursuant to the written answer given by my right hon. Friend Adam Ingram of 8 January 2002, (Official Report, column 556W). The number of MOD Police retirements during Financial Year 1999–2000, should read 25, not 24.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  New Deal
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years under(a) the New Deal for Young People, (b) the New Deal for the Over 50s and (c) the New Deal for Lone Parents; and at what cost, listed by category, to public funds. [44916]

  Dr. John Reid
  In the last three years the NIO (and its agencies) have employed seven people under the New Deal for Young People, one under the New Deal for Over 50s and no-one under the New Deal for Lone Parents.

  Of the seven employed under the New Deal for Young People six were recruited in 1999 and one in 2000.

  The one person employed under the New deal for Over 50s was recruited in 1999.

  New dealers are recruited to the NIO on a subsidised basis and take up existing vacancies. Therefore extra costs are limited to the subsidy and any additional training and development which may be needed. The cost of the latter cannot be readily identified.

  Government Procurement Card
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the procurement transactions were made with the Government procurement card by 31 March 2001. [45990]

  Dr. John Reid
  No procurement transactions using the Government Procurement Card were made by the Northern Ireland Office by the 31 March 2001. The Northern Ireland Prison Service has however commenced a pilot scheme since that date.

  Terrorism
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland(i) how many political parties in Northern Ireland have informed him that they (a) support and (b) oppose an amnesty for all terrorist-related offences committed in Northern Ireland before 10 April 1998; and if he will list them; [44323]

  (2) what representations he has received from individuals and organisations in Northern Ireland in support of a general amnesty for all terrorist-related offences before 10 April 1998; and if he will list them. [44324]
  641W
  Dr. John Reid
  It is not Government practice to make private discussions or submissions a matter of public record. It would of course be open to the hon. Member to seek the views of the political parties in Northern Ireland directly.

  Scheduled Offences
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those people subject to extradition proceedings in connection with scheduled offences committed in Northern Ireland before 10 April 1998; and for what offences extradition is being sought. [44335]

  Dr. John Reid
  There are currently no people subject to extradition proceedings in connection with scheduled offences committed in Northern Ireland before 10 April 1998. In addition, the Attorney General informs me that there are currently no people subject to the Backing of Warrants arrangements with the Republic of Ireland in connection with scheduled offences committed in Northern Ireland before 10 April 1998.

  Lost/Stolen Property
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list those items valued at less than £50 each which have been stolen or lost from his Department in each of the last four years. [34221]

  Dr. John Reid
  As there are no records kept centrally of items valued at less than £50 each, either stolen or lost from the Northern Ireland Office, I could only answer this question at disproportionate cost.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  New Deal
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people have been employed by his Department in each of the last three years under(a) the New Deal for Young People, (b) the New Deal for the Over 50s and (c) the New Deal for Lone Parents; and at what cost, listed by category, to public funds. [44914]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The attached table gives the numbers employed by my Department and its agencies under the New Deal Programme for(a) Young People; (b) the Over 50s; and (c) Lone parents.

  New Deal recruits take up existing vacancies so extra costs to public funds are limited to the subsidy, where appropriate, and any additional training and development which may be needed. The cost of the latter cannot be readily identified.

  New Deal——Lord Chancellor's Department

  Year

  No Employed

  Scheme

  1999

  0

  Young People

  2000

  5

  Young People

  2001

  19

  Young People

  2001

  1

  Over 50

  642W
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people employed by his Department under the New Deal for Young People in each of the last four years have subsequently(a) found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks and (b) returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits. [45085]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Information is not held centrally on the number of New Dealers who have found unsubsidised employment for more than 13 weeks or who have returned to jobseekers' allowance or other benefits. However, New Dealers who have left my Department will have acquired skills making them more marketable for employment.

  Illegal Agreements
  Andy King
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what assessment he has made of the policy of the Legal Services Commission in supporting actions to enforce illegal agreements; and if he will make a statement; [48065]

  (2) whether it is his Department's policy that the Legal Services Commission should grant funding to individuals seeking to enforce illegal agreements; and if he will make a statement. [48066]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Legal Services Commission (LSC) would not grant public funding to an applicant seeking to enforce an agreement that was clearly illegal from the contents of the application for funding. Where the legality of an agreement is the issue, funding could only be granted if the type of case fell within the scope of the Commission's Funding Code and the prospects of the applicant succeeding in the case were sufficient to satisfy the rigorous requirements of the Code.

  Applications for civil legal aid funding are considered under the Commission's Funding Code. The Code sets out the criteria for deciding whether to fund or continue to fund services. The Code has been approved by the Lord Chancellor and by each House of Parliament.

  Marriage and Relationship Support
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what organisations his Department supports under its Marriage and Relationship Support programme. [47610]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Marriage and Relationship Support (MARS) Branch of the Lord Chancellor's Department provides primary support to MARS organisations through its annual grant programme. The grant for the financial year 2001–02 was £4.5 million, and for 2002–03 it is £5 million.

  As well as financial support, MARS officials also offer advice, guidance and information to all providers of MARS services, whether funding recipients or not.

  Information on the organisations that have received, or are to receive funding for the financial years April 2001-March 2002 and April 2002-March 2003 and the amounts awarded is in the tables.
  643W

  Organisations funded April 2001-March 2002

  Amount (£000s)

  2as 1

  124

  Asian Family Counselling Service

  51

  The Church Of England

  45

  Family Matters York (Community Family Project)

  50

  Family Welfare Association

  139

  Futureway Trust (National Marriage Week)

  31

  Jewish Marriage Council

  78

  London Marriage Guidance Council

  177

  Marriage Care

  366

  One Plus One

  341

  Parentline Plus

  102

  Relate

  2,384

  Somerset Family Partnership (Community Family)

  50

  Students Exploring Marriage (Grubb Institute)

  4

  Tavistock Marital Studies Institute

  497

  Totnes Family Partnership (Community Family)

  10

  Organisations funded April 2002–March 2003

  Amount (£000s)

  2as 1

  150

  Aquila Care Trust

  88

  Asian Family Counselling Service

  50

  BASIC For Life

  34

  Bristol Community Family Trust

  50

  Brook in Birmingham

  39

  Care For the Family

  19

  CFP Guildford

  40

  The Cogwheel Trust

  4

  The Church Of England

  54

  Family Matters York

  50

  Family Welfare Association

  30

  Jewish Marriage Council

  84

  The Lesbian and Gay Foundation

  48

  London Marriage Guidance Council

  174

  Marriage Care

  330

  The Minster Centre

  72

  Muslim Women's Helpline

  20

  One Plus One

  327

  Parentline Plus

  62

  Poole Community Family Trust

  50

  Prisoners Families and Friends Service

  12

  Project for Advocacy, Counselling and Education

  46

  Relate

  2,206

  The Richmond Centre

  38

  The Salvation Army

  40

  Somerset Family Partnership

  50

  Sussex Family Mediation Service

  26

  Talking Matters

  24

  Tavistock Marital Studies Institute

  414

  Totnes Family Partnership

  58

  University of Exeter, School of Psychology

  43

  2as1/Relate Partnership Projects

  186

  Malcolm Robert Ross
  Andy King
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) what sums have been paid out in each of the last 10 financial years to solicitors acting for Mr. Malcolm Robert Ross in litigation related to Mr. Ross's bankruptcy and involving disputes with Stonewood Securities Limited and its shareholders; and what sums have been received back from other parties to the litigation in costs recovery; [48064]

  (2) if he will request a report from the Legal Services Commission on the handling of the request for funding by Mr. Malcolm Robert Ross. [48067]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  I have requested a report from the Legal Services Commission (LSC). According to their records, Mr. Ross has been granted a number of civil legal aid certificates. These cases relate either to Mr Ross's bankruptcy or involve disputes with Stonewood Securities Limited. One case has been concluded; the others are 644W
  ongoing. As all the certificates are material to ongoing litigation, the LSC cannot provide details of payments made to the solicitors in connection with the closed case.

  In respect of the ongoing litigation, the Commission has not yet received final bills from the solicitors involved and so, in any event, is not in a position to provide information about sums paid out. Normally, only when the actions have been concluded and the solicitor's bills assessed would meaningful figures be available on the costs of the proceedings. If the cases are successful, an order for costs in the individual's favour could be made and the Commission reimbursed.

  Most of the certificates predate the implementation of the Access to Justice Act 1999 which significantly reduced the scope for funding cases which arise out of the carrying on of a business.

  Public Record Office
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much revenue the Public Record Office has received from pre-payment revenues for the Public Record Office on-line-service; and how much has been refunded. [48678]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  QinetiQ Ltd has received a total to date of £278,019 from pre-payment vouchers. The refunds requested and paid by the Public Record Office and QinetiQ is £1,287.

  Census 1901
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when the 1901 Census on-line in-house facilities will be reinstated at designated service centres; and when the full 1901 Census Internet Service will resume. [48679]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  QinetiQ Ltd, is continuing to work on the technical enhancements. Once configuring of the technical enhancements is complete, rigorous testing will be undertaken on all aspects of the system. These enhancements are intended to make the site sufficiently robust to permit general Internet access, and are being done with a sense of urgency. However, the most important consideration is to ensure that the service is re-launched successfully. The system will again be made available to designated service centres as part of the general re-introduction of the site. General on-line searches will be available as soon as practicable following testing and availability at the service centres.

  Child Killings
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps the Government are taking to end child abuse deaths; and if he will make a statement. [45883]

  Jacqui Smith
  I have been asked to reply. We are committed to reducing the number of deaths of children through abuse and neglect. That is why over the last few years we have introduced new legislation, new guidance, new structures and new policy initiatives to make children safer and to ensure that there is a proper focus on children at the very heart of Government. These measures include:
  645W
  The Care Standards Act 2000 to improve the inspection and regulation of children's care services, and the Protection of Children Act 1999 which makes it much more difficult for unsuitable people to work with children:
  Revised core interagency child protection guidance: Working Together to Safeguard Children (1999) and the new Framework for the Assessment of Children in Need and Their Families (2000);
  New guidance focusing on Safeguarding Children Involved in Prostitution (2000) and a National Plan for Safeguarding Children from Commercial Sexual Exploitation (2001);
  A Minister for Young People. John Denham, and a new Cabinet Committee focusing on Children and Young People's issues;
  The first ever national Children's Rights Director for England——Roger Morgan——to act as a powerful champion for some of the most vulnerable children in our country;
  The establishment of the Children and Young People's Unit, which is responsible for ensuring the coherence of Government policies that affect all children and young people under 19; and
  Radical new initiatives such as the £885 million Quality Protects programme, Sure Start and Connexions.

  In addition, the Department will shortly be publishing the first of a series of biennial overview reports drawing out the key findings of a sample of serious case reviews following child deaths or other cases of serious abuse in recent years. These reports will draw out common themes and trends and their implications for policy and practice. We will disseminate these findings widely to enable practitioners and managers to learn from them. It will be important for professionals to consider how their own practice might be developed or improved as a result of these findings to help prevent avoidable injuries to, and deaths of, children.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Catering Services
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cost was of(a) in-house canteen and (b) other catering services provided by his Department in each of the last four years. [38919]

  Mr. MacShane
  In-house canteen services are provided by an external contractor. Staff pay for their own refreshments, although the FCO has provided a subsidy to the contractor as follows:

  Financial Year

  Amount Paid

  1997–98

  £210,696.31

  1998–99

  £132,604.26

  1999–2000

  £99,275.37

  2000–01

  £200,433.96

  2001–02

  £179,000.00 (Forecast only)

  The information requested on part (b) of the question is not centrally maintained and could only he provided at disproportionate cost.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many special advisers there were in his Department; and what their salaries were in each of the last five years. [46959]
  646W
  Mr. Bradshaw
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Two. I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 11W.

  Yasser Arafat
  Mr. Alan Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made since 18 March to the(a) Israeli Government and (b) US Administration about Yasser Arafat's attendance at and return from the forthcoming Arab Summit in Beirut. [46645]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: In the months leading up to the Arab League Summit in Beirut, we repeatedly called on the Israeli government to release the restrictions on Arafat's freedom of movement. We were also in close contact with our US colleagues who were working to achieve the same goal.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Laxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the report by the International Monetary Fund on 19 March. [48309]

  Peter Hain
  We welcome the report, which recognises progress that Gibraltar has made in the regulation and supervision of its developing financial services industry.

  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the legal basis of his claim that the integration of Gibraltar into the UK would contravene the Treaty of Utrecht. [47565]

  Peter Hain
  I did not say that the integration of Gibraltar into the UK would contravene the Treaty of Utrecht. I said that it was not this Government's policy to integrate Gibraltar. I reminded the Committee that the Treaty of Utrecht gave Spain first refusal in the event that Britain ever relinquished sovereignty over Gibraltar; and that the position of Gibraltar was therefore different from that of Ceuta and Melilla.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Refrigerators
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the risk of food being stored in ineffective refrigeration systems because refurbishment has been delayed because of the inability to recycle redundant refrigerators. [25722]

  Mr. Meacher
  There is no reason why refurbishment should be delayed. ineffective refrigeration systems can already be disposed of in the UK via mobile fridge recycling plant or high temperature incineration, they can be exported for recycling in other Member States, or they are stored pending treatment in the UK. There is sufficient capacity in the UK to store waste refrigeration equipment for up to one year. The risk of food being stored in ineffective systems for this reason is therefore negligible.

  Waste Disposal
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the proportion of waste sent to landfill which could be converted to biofuel through the an aerobic digestion process; and if she will make a statement. [37702]

  Mr. Meacher
  We have not carried out such an assessment. Experience has shown that although anaerobic digestion is an appropriate treatment for a wide range of biodegradable wastes there are doubts about its commercial viability.

  The Government support the development of anaerobic digestion through mechanisms such as eligibility for the Renewable Obligation Certificates. The waste management industry is reviewing the role of anaerobic digestion, along with other treatment options, to achieve the reduction in the biodegradable content of MSW sent to landfill as required by the Landfill Directive.

  In these circumstances it is considered to be premature to make a realistic assessment of the quantities of wastes that will be treated by this option.

  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which Government Departments participated in the waste strategy summit. [46791]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Waste Summit was held on 21 November 2001 and was hosted by the Secretary of State. Government officials who attended represented the Departments for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Trade and Industry and Transport, Local Government and the Regions and Her Majesty's Treasury. Other officials represented No. 10's Policy Unit, the Cabinet Office Performance and Innovation Unit and the Devolved Administrations.

  EU Directives
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the action she took in response to the formal notice and the reasoned opinion on UK compliance with EU law relating to the(a) Drinking Water Directive, (b) Hazardous Waste Directive, and (c) Waste Framework Directive. [40647]

  Mr. Meacher
  Cabinet Office rules require that details of relations between the Commission and Member States on inspection proceedings are confidential. However, I can confirm that the Government is dealing with the points made by the Commission in its letters of formal notice and reasoned opinions addressed to the United Kingdom in relation to the implementation of the three Directives.

  Manure
  Mrs. Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals she has to permit the spreading of organic manure on light to sandy soils in August, September and October under licence under the regulations contained in the Nitrate Vulnerable Zone Directive; and what assessment she has 648W
  made of the effectiveness of (a) cover crops and (b) catch crops in reducing nitrate leaching during autumn and winter months. [46388]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Action Programme measures required by the Nitrates Directive 1991 which apply in Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs) detail closed periods prohibiting the application of manures containing a higher proportion of available nitrogen (slurries, poultry manures and liquid digested sewage sludges) on to sandy or shallow soils which are more prone to nitrate leaching. Relaxation of these measures would entail a high risk of increased nitrate leaching so there are no plans to allow exemptions under licence.

  The Action Programme measures take account of information produced by the Government funded research programme on nitrates and experiences gained during operation of the Nitrate Sensitive Areas Scheme. For further information about cover and catch crops please refer to MAFF Booklet PB3578 "The Pilot Nitrate Sensitive Areas Scheme: Final Report" available from DEFRA publications (08459 556000).

  Cover crops and also catch crops, used late in the year, can help to reduce nitrate loss compared with both uncropped land and land sown with autumn sown cereals. This benefit is recognised in the Action Programme measures with the shorter closed period for manure applications for land sown with a cover crop before 1 October and not removed before 1 December of the same year.

  Advice on using cover or catch crops to reduce nitrate leaching in fields that would otherwise be bare over the autumn and winter months is also given in the DEFRA Booklet PB5505 "Guidelines for Farmers in NVZs".

  Environmental Impact Assessment
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 28 January,Official Report, columns 92–3W, which FTSE companies reported upon their environmental impacts; which mentioned environmental issues; and which did not submit an environmental response to the Government. [46263]

  Mr. Meacher
  Since my answer of 28 January we have been reviewing the response to the Prime Minister's challenge to FTSE350 companies to report on their environmental performance.

  Not all companies have yet published their reports for 2001, but at present we estimate 76 of the top 350 companies have produced a stand alone environmental report, including quantified environmental performance data, or otherwise published this information.

  A further 88 have also taken at least one step towards meeting the Prime Minister's challenge such as publishing an environmental policy or environmental performance targets. We are writing to FTSE350 companies to check our estimates and will make the final tally public as soon as possible.

  A list of FTSE 350 companies with our latest estimates of their respective reporting performance has been made available in the Library of the House.

  Water and Industrial Accidents Conventions
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role her Department has played in discussions relating to the UNECE Water and Industrial Accidents Conventions. [46555]

  Mr. Meacher
  These Conventions were adopted in 1992 and the UK is a signatory to both of them. My department has been involved in discussions in the past year on a possible liability protocol under both Conventions in a United Nations Economic Commission for Europe working group.

  The protocol would provide compensation for damage to transboundary waters from accidents covered by the industrial accidents Convention. The aim is for the protocol to he adopted at the conference of European Environment Ministers next year.

  Environmental Protocols
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department has taken in response to the LRTAP Protocols on(a) heavy metals, (b) persistent organic pollutants and (c) abatement of acidification, eutrophication and ground level ozone. [46567]

  Mr. Meacher
  Since becoming Party to the 1979 Convention on Long Range Transboundary Air Pollution (LRTAP) the UK has worked at an international level to abate transboundary air pollutants. The UK is preparing to ratify these three Protocols.

  I issued a consultation paper on 20 March 2002 outlining the steps necessary to ratify the 1998 Protocol on Heavy Metals; comments are invited by 12 June 2002 I have arranged for a copy of the consultation paper to be placed in the Library. The consultation paper sets out a draft strategy for the UK to meet its commitments under the Protocol. The main requirements are the reduction of annual emissions to air of cadmium, lead and mercury to below 1990 levels. We already meet these requirement!, as annual emissions in the UK in 1999 were 30 per cent, or less, of 1990 levels for the three metals. Subject to the results of the consultation exercise, I hope to ratify the Protocol by the end of 2002.

  The Department is also looking at what measures need to be in place for the UK to ratify the 1998 Protocol on Persistent Organic Pollutants, although the basic obligation to reduce emissions of POPs below their 1990 levels has already been achieved.

  The UK signed the Protocol to abate acidification, eutrophication and ground level ozone (the "Gothenburg Protocol") in December 1999. The main requirement of the Protocol is to reduce emissions of sulphur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide, volatile organic compounds and ammonia to meet individual national ceilings from 2010. The Protocol covers the same four pollutants as the European Union National Emission Ceilings Directive, adopted last November, and ratification of the Protocol and and implementation of the Directive will be done jointly. I hope to issue a consultation paper later in the year on our proposals. Projections suggest that the UK is
  650W
  on course to meet the emission ceilings from 2010. Subject to consultations I hope that the UK will be able to ratify the Gothenburg Protocol by the end of 2002.

  Water Pollution
  Mr. Barker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost of removing pesticide and fertiliser contamination from water in water catchment and other areas that affect drinking water supplies was in(a) areas of standard farming procedures and (b) areas where farming is carried out to Soil Association organic standards in the last year for which figures are available. [46638]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Environment Agency, which is responsible for monitoring ground and surface waters for pesticides, does not distinguish between compounds used in conventional and organic farming. Similarly, the costs to water companies of treatment to remove traces of pesticides before water can be put into supply are not quantified and apportioned according to the different farming methods, which may vary within any single water catchment area.

  GM Crops
  Mr. Barker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which EU member states have been notified of the action taken by the National Assembly for Wales under the safeguard clause of the EU Deliberate Release Directive in respect of GM maize being grown in the UK; and when they were informed. [46640]

  Mr. Meacher
  The European Commission was informed of the action taken by the Assembly on 13 July 2001, as required under Directive 90/220/EEC. At the same time, copies of the notification were sent to the Permanent Representations of all other Member States.

  Mr. Barker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects the European Commission to respond to the action taken by the National Assembly of Wales under the safeguard clause of the EU Deliberate Release Directive in respect of GM maize being grown in the United Kingdom. [46639]

  Mr. Meacher
  It is not known when the Commission will respond.

  Biodiversity
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many of the biodiversity action plans for species and habitats at risk have been implemented. [46749]

  Mr. Meacher
  There are 391 species action plans and 45 habitat action plans. All are being implemented in partnership with a wide range of statutory, voluntary and private sector organisations. A progress report on implementation was made in"Sustaining the variety of life: 5 years of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan", published in March 2001. The report can be viewed on www.ukbap.org.uk.

  Water Sports
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she will respond to the University of Brighton report on water based sports and recreation. [47971]

  Alun Michael
  The report was published in December, since when a number of discussions have taken place. Recently officials met British Waterways, the Countryside Agency, the Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency and Sport England as the other sponsors of the research along with other interested Government Departments. Last month I met representatives of the British Canoe Union with my hon. Friend the Member for Harrow, West (Mr. Thomas). In the light of these and other discussions we are considering what action to take in the light of the report's findings.

  Countryside and Rights of Way Act
  Ross Cranston
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 24 January 2002,Official Report, column 1032W, when she expects to publish the consultation paper on the closure or diversion of rights of way. [47612]

  Alun Michael
  I have set high priority on implementing the measures in the CROW Act to enable the closure or diversion of rights of way where this is needed for crime prevention but I also want to make sure that the processes are kept as straightforward as possible. The same applies for the provisions in relation to locations where the safety of school pupils is the issue. With this in mind, I am currently refining our proposals and intend to issue a consultation paper very soon.

  CERRIE
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 20 March 2002 to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith),Official Report, column 372W, on CERRIE, what the terms of reference are for the Consultative Exercise on Radiation Risk from Internal Emitters, including the responsibilities of individual members of the Committee, what reports are to be placed in the public domain from the proceedings of CERRIE; and what guidelines individual members of CERRIE have been given on (a) disclosing proceedings and (b) publishing material subsequently that relate to CERRIE. [47527]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Committee Examining Radiation Risks of Internal Emitters (CERRIE) is a working group of the Committee on the Medical Aspects of Radiation in the Environment (COMARE). CERRIE has been given the remit"To consider the present risk models for radiation and health that apply to exposure to radiation from internal radionuclides in the light of recent studies and any further research that might be needed".
  CERRIE will prepare a report for COMARE, which will be published. COMARE will then advise Ministers on the need for changes to the existing risk models and for further work. Each of the members of CERRIE has been appointed because of their knowledge and experience of
  652W
  the issues under discussion. They have joint responsibility to evaluate thoroughly the existing evidence and make recommendations, in line with the Committee's remit.

  In order to facilitate the free flow of views during Committee meetings, CERRIE has decided that its work would be best carried out under the "Chatham House Rule". This approach will allow ideas/information raised in meetings to be discussed outside them, but the anonymity of their authors would be retained so that they will not be inhibited from developing and changing their views later on. In order to be transparent about their discussions, CERRIE are preparing their own website which will include, among other things, summary minutes of their meetings. During and after the period of the Committee's deliberations and preparation of its report, members will be free to publish technical papers that they have prepared to inform the Committee, but the views expressed in them should be clearly attributable to the individual and should not imply that they reflect the views of the Committee collectively.

  Climate Change
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions the Government will have with the administration in the United States of America regarding the need to ratify the Kyoto protocol on climate change. [47047]

  Mr. Meacher
  The UK Government maintain regular contact on climate change with the US Administration, both at ministerial and official levels. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs held discussions on climate change with a range of representatives of the Administration in Washington in December and intends to do so again when the visits Washington in April. Other Government Ministers take every opportunity to raise the issue with our American counterparts.

  The UK Government firmly believes that the Kyoto Protocol remains the best way to take forward international action on climate change and will continue to emphasise this point in discussions with the US Administration.

  Environmental Protection
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps her Department has taken to promote the implementation of Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration; [46563]

  (2) if she will make a statement on action taken by her Department with regards to (a) the Aarhus Convention and (b) the ECE Sofia Guidelines on Access to Environmental Information and Public Participation in Environmental decision-making. [46564]

  Mr. Meacher
  Whilst not formally revoked, the ECE Sofia Guidelines are effectively superseded by the Aarhus Convention. The Aarhus Convention is the primary vehicle for the promotion of Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration. The Government strongly support this Convention and signed the treaty when it opened for signature in 1998.
  653W
  The majority of the Convention is already implemented in the UK. This Department is responsible for some of the necessary legislative amendments, in particular to the Environmental Information Regulations 1992. These will be made as soon as possible after the EU draft Directive on Public Access to Environmental Information is adopted to replace Directive 90/313/EEC. The Government intend to ratify the Convention as soon as all of the necessary legal provisions are in place. This date will depend on the legislative timetables of the devolved administrations.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Young People's Services
  Phil Hope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the implementation of the Children and Young People's Unit Core Principles for Government will be evaluated. [46328]

  Mr. Denham
  Departments will be encouraged to develop an evaluation strategy as part of their implementation of the Core Principles over the coming year. The Unit will monitor action across Government, including on evaluation and will publish reports on the progress made. The Unit will be in an excellent position to identify and disseminate:(a) real innovation in how Departments consult and engage with children and young people in the formulation and delivery of their policies, and (b) mainstreaming strategies through which engaging children and young people becomes part of Central Government's wider work in consulting with the public.

  School Playing Fields
  Mr. Wyatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school playing fields were sold in(a) 2000–01 and (b) 2001–02; and what acreage this involved. [44447]

  John Healey
  In the financial year April 2000 to March 2001, the Department approved 38 applications to sell areas of school playing field larger than a small sports pitch for the under 10s, that is greater than 2,000m2. The total area involved was 540,000m2, or about 131 acres. Of this total, 40 acres were at closed or closing school sites.

  In the financial year from April 2001 to date, the Department has approved 18 applications to sell areas larger than a school sports pitch for the under 10s. The total area involved amounts to some 280,000m2, or about 69 acres, of which 39 acres are at closed or closing school sites. The Department does not know how many of these approved applications have resulted in actual sales. In all cases, we have ensured that the remaining playing fields would meet the full needs of the schools involved and of other schools in the local area.

  Some of the proceeds from these approved applications are earmarked to provide 13 new sports halls and to improve other sports facilities at schools, such as new all-weather pitches and to bring other, poorly drained, pitches back into use. In other cases, the proceeds are to be used to improve educational facilities——for example, by providing modern, up to date, teaching
  654W
  accommodation, such as science and technology classrooms. In a number of cases, the proceeds are to be used to help build new schools or to enable multi-site schools to consolidate on to one site.

  Higher Education Funding
  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what planned expenditure on higher education was in 1996–97 and each of the subsequent five financial years; and what the total outturn spending on higher education was in each of those years excluding proceeds of tuition fees. [45256]

  Margaret Hodge
  Publicly planned expenditure for higher education in England is set out in the annual Grant letter issued to the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The data set used in calculating the out-turn for public and student contributions to fees differ from that used in calculating publicly planned expenditure on fees. The tuition fee data for planned expenditure are for all students, including students from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, at English HE institutions, while for out-turn the figures are based on students from England at English HE institutions. The two sets of data are not therefore directly comparable. The figures, excluding all planned tuition fee income, are:

  Publicly planned expenditure excluding fees1

  Out-turn excluding fees2

  1996–97

  3646

  3678

  1997–98

  3702

  3743

  1998–99

  3757

  3791

  1999–2000

  4422

  4423

  2000–2001

  4643

  4811

  1Figures reflect Grant Letter announcements and include ear-marked capital, allocations for access and widening participation paid via institutions, HE expenditure for the British Academy and directly funded DfES small programmes. They exclude public and student contributions to tuition fees and funds paid to students for their maintenance support.

  2The differences between planned and actual expenditure are explained in part by the different coverage used for tuition fees and by in year adjustments.

  School Sixth Forms
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many representations she has received from schools which will lose sixth-form funding as a result of the transition to Learning and Skills Council funding; [45406]

  (2) how many schools have sixth-forms which will receive a lower budget after the transition to Learning and Skills Council funding. [45407]

  Margaret Hodge
  My right hon. Friend has received representations from a number of headteachers, deputy headteachers and chairs of school governors. However, through our Real Terms Guarantee, we are ensuring that no school sixth form can lose compared with its 2000–01 funding levels, provided pupil numbers are maintained. For sixth forms that are reducing in size, the guarantee will be maintained but at a proportionately reduced level.
  655W
  The Learning and Skills Council has calculated two figures for each sixth form——its RTG and its LSC formula allocation——and they will receive the higher of these two. The Financing of Maintained School Regulations 2002 have been amended to ensure that sixth forms funded through the LSC formula see some benefit. Schools should gain at least one third of the potential benefit from the LSC's allocations for 2002–03. We intend to amend the regulations further for 2003–04 to ensure that such schools have a minimum two-thirds gain in that year.

  Age:

  0:20

  21:25

  26:30

  31:35

  36:40

  41:45

  46:50

  51:55

  56:60

  61:65

  66:95

  other

  total

  Total:

  13

  876

  2194

  2193

  2151

  1741

  1475

  1596

  1222

  688

  107

  10

  14266

  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency's Staff Record 2000–01.

  Higher education institutions are responsible for planning their own future development including academic posts.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many special advisers there were in her Department; and what their salaries were in each of the last five years. [46952]

  Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The Department has two special advisers in post as at 9 April 2002.

  In relation to special adviser salaries I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 10 April 2002, Official Report, column 11W).

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of the staff of her Department are part-time employees. [47170]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by the Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office on 10 April.

  Faith Schools
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) primary. (b) secondary and (c) both primary and secondary schools that select some or all of their pupils on the basis of faith have (i) opened and (ii) closed in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority. [47749]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The information requested is not readily available. I will write to the hon. Member shortly and place a copy of my reply in the Library.

  University Funding
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to her answer of 19 March 2002,Official Report, column 251W, on university funding, if she will list the low participation postcodes which entail additional costs in student recruitment. [47757]

  Lecturers
  Linda Perham
  ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the (a) age profile of university lecturers in engineering departments and (b) likely future teaching capacity of those departments. [45831]

  Margaret Hodge
  The latest provisional data, as collated by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, show the age profile of academic staff in engineering disciplines to be:

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: This is a matter for the Higher Education Funding Council for England. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive of the Funding Council to reply to the hon. Gentleman's question and to place a copy of his reply in the Commons library.

  Higher Education Funding
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what decision has been taken on the future of funding students in higher education; and if she will make a statement. [48257]

  Margaret Hodge/holding
  answer 10 April 2002]: The Government have announced a review of student finance. We are considering a number of options and no decisions have been made.

  Higher Education Entrants
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of each year group between 18 and 30 entered higher education for the first time in 1999–2000. [47758]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 18 March, Official Report, cols 114W, which gave the entry rates to higher education for each individual age from 18 to 30.

  University Applications
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many university applications there were in England, broken down by(a) local authority area and (b) local government ward in the last year for which figures are available. [47759]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The latest available information from the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), showing the number of English domiciled applicants to full-time and sandwich undergraduate courses by their area of permanent residence, is shown in the table. UCAS does not hold data on applicants from each local government ward.
  657W
  Through the Excellence Challenge, which began in 2001, we are hoping to raise the aspirations and attainment among young people in Excellence in Cities areas and Education Action Zones, to encourage them to enter higher education.

  Home Domiciled Applicants to UCAS for entry into HE Courses (Degree & HND combined): and having an Area of Permanent Residence in England 2001 Year of Entry

  By Area of Permanent Residence (Local Education Authority)

  Applicants Area of Permanent Residence

  Year 2001

  Barking

  794

  Barnet

  3,486

  Barnsley

  1,023

  Bath & NE Somerset

  1,318

  Bedfordshire

  2,498

  Bexley

  1,211

  Birmingham

  6,945

  Blackburn with Darwen

  990

  Blackpool

  759

  Bolton

  1,661

  Bournemouth

  1,109

  Bracknell Forest

  692

  Bradford

  3,438

  Brent

  3,132

  Brighton & Hove

  1,567

  Bristol

  2,552

  Bromley

  2,126

  Buckinghamshire

  3,770

  Bury

  1,249

  Calderdale

  1,262

  Cambridgeshire

  3,592

  Camden

  1,717

  Cheshire

  4,882

  City of Derby

  1,448

  City of London

  126

  Cornwall

  3,354

  Coventry

  1,927

  Croydon

  2,758

  Cumbria

  2,735

  Darlington

  583

  Derbyshire

  4,045

  Devon

  4,607

  Doncaster

  1,398

  Dorset

  2,500

  Dudley

  1,659

  Durham

  2,605

  Ealing

  3,116

  East Riding

  1,934

  East Sussex

  3,141

  Enfield

  2,439

  Essex

  7,311

  Gateshead

  978

  Gloucestershire

  4,036

  Greenwich

  1,576

  Hackney

  1,846

  Halton

  662

  Hammersmith & Fulham

  1,287

  Hampshire

  8,038

  Haringey

  2,080

  Harrow

  2,548

  Hartlepool

  518

  Havering

  1,125

  Herefordshire

  1,156

  Hertfordshire

  7,537

  Hillingdon

  1,739

  Hounslow

  2,002

  Hull

  1,125

  Isle of Wight

  705

  Isles of Scilly

  13

  Islington

  1,411

  Kensington & Chelsea

  1,328

  Kent

  8,133

  658W

  Home Domiciled Applicants to UCAS for entry into HE Courses (Degree & HND combined): and having an Area of Permanent Residence in England 2001 Year of Entry

  By Area of Permanent Residence (Local Education Authority)

  Applicants Area of Permanent Residence

  Year 2001

  Kingston

  1,337

  Kirklees

  2,681

  Knowsley

  770

  Lambeth

  2,430

  Lancashire

  8,091

  Leeds

  4,290

  Leicester

  2,510

  Leicestershire

  4,130

  Lewisham

  2,019

  Lincolnshire

  3,777

  Liverpool

  2,738

  Luton

  1,325

  Manchester

  2,709

  Merton

  1,519

  Middlesbrough

  1,048

  Milton Keynes

  1,271

  N Lincolnshire

  850

  N Somerset

  1,201

  NE Lincolnshire

  822

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  1,967

  Newham

  2,880

  Norfolk

  4,068

  North Tyneside

  1,120

  North Yorkshire

  4,014

  Northamptonshire

  4,000

  Northumberland

  1,910

  Nottingham

  1,477

  Nottinghamshire

  4,154

  Oldham

  1,363

  Oxfordshire

  4,506

  Peterborough

  960

  Plymouth

  1,437

  Poole

  775

  Portsmouth

  953

  Readinq

  1,033

  Redbridge

  2,505

  Redcar & Cleveland

  828

  Richmond

  1,529

  Rochdale

  1,316

  Rochester & Gillingham

  1,382

  Rotherham

  1,237

  Rutland

  289

  S Gloucestershire

  1,292

  Salford

  954

  Sandwell

  1,563

  Sefton

  2,260

  Sheffield

  2,753

  Shropshire

  2,057

  Slough

  947

  Solihull

  1,555

  Somerset

  3,309

  South Tyneside

  786

  Southampton

  1,200

  Southend on Sea

  881

  Southwark

  2,196

  St Helens

  1,056

  Staffordshire

  5,269

  Stockport

  1,997

  Stockton On Tees

  1,309

  Stoke-on-Trent

  1,210

  Suffolk

  3,841

  Sunderland

  1,449

  Surrey

  8,182

  Sutton

  1,233

  Swindon

  875

  Tameside

  980

  The Wrekin

  882

  Thurrock

  437

  Torbay

  714

  659W

  Home Domiciled Applicants to UCAS for entry into HE Courses (Degree & HND combined): and having an Area of Permanent Residence in England 2001 Year of Entry

  By Area of Permanent Residence (Local Education Authority)

  Applicants Area of Permanent Residence

  Year 2001

  Tower Hamlets

  1,589

  Trafford

  1,523

  Wakefield

  1,535

  Walsall

  1,428

  Waltham Forest

  1,935

  Wandsworth

  1,973

  Warrington

  1,053

  Warwickshire

  3,452

  West Berkshire

  1,008

  West Sussex

  4,814

  Westminster

  1,463

  Wigan

  1,490

  Wiltshire

  3,076

  Windsor & Maidenhead

  1,058

  Wirral

  2,214

  Wokingham

  1,295

  Wolverhampton

  1,743

  Worcestershire

  3,613

  York

  1,335

  UK not known

  273

  Grand Total

  329,580

  Performance Targets
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment she has made of whether the 2001–02 target of 280 secondary subject and 51 primary inspections meeting HM Chief Inspector's standard will be achieved. [47896]

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

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if the target to develop a target for satisfaction for childcare providers by Decembe: 2001 was met on time. [47904]

  Margaret Hodge
  This is a matter for the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) and I have asked HM Chief Inspector for Schools, Mike Tomlinson, to write to the hon. Gentleman and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

  Number of free early education places taken up by three year olds England find Lincolnshire Local Education Authority area 1997 and 2001

  Position in January each year

  1997

  2001

  maintained nursery and primary schools1

  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers2

  total

  maintained nursery and primary schools1

  other maintained and private, voluntary and independent providers2

  total

  England

  214,173

  0

  214,173

  226,634

  108,815

  335,449

  Lincolnshire

  1,686

  0

  1,686

  1,749

  41

  1,790

  Notes:

  1 Headcount of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year, from the Annual Schools Census.

  2 Part-time equivalent number of children aged three at 31 December in the previous calendar year, from the Nursery Education Grant data collection exercise.
  660W
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if the target to develop targets for dealing with complaints from childcare providers by December 2001 was met on time. [47903]

  Margaret Hodge
  This is a matter for the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) and I have asked HM Chief Inspector for Schools, Mike Tomlinson, to write to the hon. Gentleman and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent assessment she has made of whether the performance target to establish integrated inspections of childcare and nursery education by April 2003 will be met. [47901]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) has developed an inspection framework for combined care and nusery education inspections which is currently being piloted. The pilot will be evaluated by the end of April 2002 and OFSTED are on course to meet the target of 1,200 inspections per year for those providers which are not schools but offer a service that includes both childcare and Government funded nursery education.

  Pre-school Education
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how (1) many three year olds in Lincolnshire are in pre-school education; and how many were in pre-school education in(a) 1997 and (b) 1992; [48164]

  (2) how many three year olds are in pre-school education; and how many were attending pre schools in (a) 1997 and (b) 1992. [48165]

  Margaret Hodge
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  The available information on numbers of free early years education places taken up by three year olds in England and Lincolnshire Local Education Authority area is shown in the table.

  The information was derived from the table published alongside Statistical Bulletin 11/2001 "Provision For Children Under Five Years Of Age in England——January 2001" on the Department's statistical web site www.dfes.gov.uk/statistics/.

  The Department is planning to publish information for January 2002 in May.

  Undergraduates
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what proportion of undergraduates failed to complete a course at a higher education institution, broken down by institution and course title, in each year since 1997. [48246]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Nationally, the non-completion rate has remained broadly the same at 17–18 per cent since 1991–92. In 2000, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) published a table comparing estimates of non-completion rates in member countries. They showed an average of around a third of university students did not complete their course in OECD countries. The UK boasts the second lowest non-completion rale among the OECD countries.

  The available information on non-completion rates is contained in "Performance Indicators in Higher Education in the UK" published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), copies of which are available from the House library. The figures cover full-time first degree courses only, and show, for each individual HE institution in the UK, the proportion of entrants who failed to complete their course. Copies of the HEFCE publication are available for students starting courses in 1996–97, 1997–98 and 1998–99. The next edition, covering students starting courses in 1999–2000, is scheduled for publication in autumn 2002.

  Local Education Authority Spending
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what checks are made to ensure that local education authorities do not transfer education funds to non-educational activities. [48566]

  Mr. Timms
  Most of the funding made available to local education authorities by the Government is unhypothecated. In recent years, however, LEAs have been strongly encouraged by the Secretary of State to increase their education budgets annually by an amount at least equal to the increase in their Education Standard Spending Assessments, and the Department monitors the extent to which this target has been achieved. The Education Bill currently before Parliament contains a provision, intended for exceptional use only, empowering my right hon. Friend to set a minimum level for an LEA's schools budget where she considers that the budget proposed by the LEA for a particular year is seriously inadequate.

  Specific and special grants from the Government are subject to appropriate audit arrangements, the nature of which varies from grant to grant.

  Education Funding (Essex)
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations she has received about the allocation of funds for education made by Essex County Council; and if she will make a statement. [48567]

  Mr. Timms
  My right hon. Friend has received one letter from a school in Essex about the decision by Essex County Council not to increase its education budget by as much as the increase in its Education Standard Spending 662W
  Assessment. Authorities are strongly encouraged to achieve such an increase and the Department publishes annually a table showing which authorities have not done so.

  Skills Base (Coastal Towns)
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what analysis has been carried out by the Learning and Skills Council on how the skills base in seaside and coastal towns compares to the national average. [48594]

  Margaret Hodge
  This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. I have therefore asked John Harwood, the Council's Chief Executive, to write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and to place a copy of his reply in the Library.

  Vacant Teaching Posts
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many vacant deputy head teacher posts existed in(a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) special schools and (d) all schools, expressed as percentage of the total number of head teachers, for each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority. [47508]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many vacant teacher posts existed in(a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) special schools and (d) all schools, expressed as percentage of the total number of teachers, in each year since 1997, broken down by local education authority; [47507]

  (2) how many teacher vacancies in (a) primary schools, (b) secondary schools, (c) special schools and (d) all schools there were in each year since 1997 (i) expressed as a percentage of all teachers broken down by local education authority and (ii) broken down by health authority. [47744]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The information requested has been placed in the Libraries.

  Child Care
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if the target to set targets for the registration and inspection of childcare providers by December 2001 was met on time. [47902]

  Margaret Hodge
  This is a matter for the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) and I have asked HM Chief Inspector for Schools, Mike Tomlinson, to write to the hon. Gentleman and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the work of the Early Years Directorate in implementing a national system of regulation of childcare. [47899]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Department receives regular reports about the work of the Early Years Directorate in the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED). We are
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  aware of the good work that has been done to establish a new national system of childcare regulation, and the considerable progress that has been made during the current transitional period. We understand that OFSTED is on target to achieve the inspection of all childcare providers by the end of March 2003.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the National Register of Childminders and Day Care Providers can be viewed. [47900]

  Margaret Hodge
  This is a matter for the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) and I have asked HM Chief Inspector for Schools, Mike Tomlinson, to write to the hon. Gentleman and to place a copy of his letter in the Library.

  Nursing Diploma
  Mr. Edwards
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many students were recruited into nursing diploma courses in the academic year 2001–02; and what evidence she has collected on the impact of the cost of studying on numbers of nursing students; [43335]

  (2) what plans she has to allow nurses on diploma courses access to student loans; [43334]

  (3) what assessment has been made of the level of debt incurred by nurses on diploma courses; [43336]

  (4) what assessment she has made of the number of nurses on diploma courses who have dependents. [43332]

  Mr. Hutton
  I have been asked to reply

  Consistent with our aim of encouraging wider access to the health professions, a significant (and growing) number of student nurses are mature entrants, single parents and others with dependants.

  Approximately 13 per cent of diploma level nursing and midwifery students receive the additional dependants' allowances available to those who have financial responsibility for dependants (including adult dependants). Other sources of information available to the Department, including a recent survey from the Royal College of Nursing, indicate that up to 35 per cent of nursing and midwifery students have children living with them.

  NHS Bursaries were introduced in recognition of the demands of health professional training and the need to guarantee the supply of staff to the service. The Government are increasing the number of health professional training places at both diploma and degree level, and already during the current academic year 15,000 students have embarked on diploma level nursing and midwifery programmes. The number of individuals applying for these courses is now running at a buoyant level with the number of applicants having mole than doubled since the 1997–98 academic year. There are now on average more than two applicants for every training place.
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  There are no plans to move diploma level nursing and midwifery students (or any other health professional trainees) to a loan-based system of support.

  The Department does not routinely monitor the level of debt amongst diploma level nursing and midwifery students. These students are not reliant on student loans and instead receive a flat-rate basic maintenance grant with no contribution required from the student's income or their family's. In addition, the NHS meets students' liability for a tuition fee contribution (currently £1,075 a year) in full and without means testing. This package of support is, in many circumstances, more favourable that the loan-based system of support available to most other students.

HEALTH

  RSV
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost in the last 12 months of treating infants suffering from RSV infection in terms of(a) hospital stays and (b) intensive care unit stays. [41474]

  Yvette Cooper
  Most children who contract Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) do so by the age of three. In the latest year for which figures are available, 2000–01, there were 182 admissions to NHS hospitals in England for respiratory diseases, with a subsidiary classification of RSV, for children under 4 years. Costs associated with admission vary significantly with severe cases requiring paediatric intensive care, assisted ventilation and specialised interventions. Information on the cost of these admissions is not collected centrally.

  Press Officers
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many press officers there were in each health authority in each year since 1997. [41712]

  Mr. Hutton
  This information has never been collected centrally.

  Celebrations
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what arrangements his Department has made to celebrate(a) St Patrick's Day, (b) St Georges's Day, (c) St Andrew's Day, and (d) Her Majesty the Queen's Golden Jubilee; and how his Department celebrated St David's Day. [42270]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 11 March 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport gave to the hon. Member for South Suffolk (Mr. Yeo) on 11 February, Official Report, columns 58–59W.

  My Department is represented on the Steering Group on Eligibility Criteria for The Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. The Medal will be awarded to serving members of the frontline emergency services including the ambulance service in England. No special arrangements have been made to celebrate St Patrick's Day, St George's Day, St Andrew's Day, or St David's Day.

  Hospital-acquired Infection
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to improve the prioritisation of resources for dealing with hospital acquired infection in response to the report of the National Audit Office entitled "The Management and Control of Hospital-Acquired Infection in Acute NHS Trusts in England" (HC 230). [43120]

  Ms Blears
  Since the publication of the National Audit Office report in February 2000 we have made it clear that tackling healthcare associated infection is a high priority. It was recognised in the National Plan implementation programme, published in November 2000, as a core requirement underpinning other priorities. We have made it clear to the National Health Service that trusts and health authorities should put infection control and basic hygiene at the heart of good management and clinical practice with appropriate resources.

  Old target

  Revised target

  Reason

  Our objective is to narrow the health gap in childhood and throughout life between socio-economic groups and between the most deprived areas and the rest of the country.

  Our objective is to narrow the health gap in childhood and throughout life between socio-economic groups and between the most deprived areas and the rest of the country.

  The original wording of the Department's PSA target concerning health inequalities stated that "Specific national targets will be developed in consultation with external stakeholders and experts early in 2001." The first two of these specific national targets (concerning infant mortality and life expectancy) were shown in the 2001 departmental report:

  Starting with children under one year, by 2010 to reduce by at least 10 per cent the gap in mortality between manual groups and the population as a whole.

  Starting with children under one year, by 2010 to reduce by at least 10 per cent the gap in mortality between manual groups and the population as a whole.

  A third specific national target (concerning teenage pregnancy) has now been developed and will be shown in the next departmental report (due Spring 2002).

  Starting with health authorities, by 2010 to reduce by at least 10 per cent the gap between the quintile of areas with the lowest life expectancy at birth and the population as a whole.

  Starting with health authorities, by 2010 to reduce by at least 10 per cent the gap between the quintile of areas with the lowest life expectancy at birth and the population as a whole.

  By achieving agreed local conception reduction targets, to reduce the national under 18 conception rate by 15 per cent by 2004 and 50 per cent by 2010, while reducing the level of inequality in rates between the worst fifth of wards and the average by at least a quarter.

  Prevention of Admission Scheme
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding allocation was provided to the prevention of admission scheme in the last five years by(a) region and (b) local authority; how many people were assisted as part of the scheme; and how many people were subsequently admitted to hospital after receiving care on the scheme. [42600]

  Jacqui Smith
  holding answer 13 March 2002]: The NHS Plan announced an extra £900 million annually by 2003–04 for new intermediate care and related services to promote independence and improve quality of care for older people. Further details are in HSC 2001–01, LAC (2001) 01, published in January 2001 [which is in the Library of the House].

  The NHS funding earmarked for intermediate care which commenced in 2000–01 forms part of unified allocations to health authorities. Unified allocations are based on a weighted capitation formula that determines

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the number and expected cost to his Department of special advisers in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [43278]

  Ms Blears
  There are currently 2 special advisers.1

  Under the terms of the Ministerial Code, Cabinet Ministers may each appoint up to two Special Advisers.1
  1Details of costs for Special Advisers within the individual departments are not given, in order to protect the privacy of the small number of individuals concerned.

  Public Service Agreements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the public service agreement targets which have been revised and those which have been introduced since the publication of the 2001 departmental report. [43252]

  Ms Blears
  The following table sets out revised public service agreement targets since the publication of the Department's 2001 Departmental report.

  every health authority's fair share of available resources. The Government's policy is not to hypothecate resources made available to councils unless it is essential to do so. Deployment of resources made available through the Standard Spending Assessment remains a decision for councils to make in the light of local circumstances.

  The results of the survey of NHS intermediate care in England carried out last Summer show that, by the end of this year there will be, compared to the baseline of 1999–2000, around an additional 126,000 people in receipt of intermediate care services. The full results of the survey, giving data by Region and by health authority, are in the Library. Information on the number of people admitted to hospital after receiving intermediate care is not available.

  Plasticised Cadavers
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what implications there are for public health arising from the exhibition of plasticised cadavers; and if he will make a statement. [43234]
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  Yvette Cooper
  The representatives of Professor von Hagens have been informed that his proposed exhibition would require a licence under the Anatomy Act. Any public health considerations would be addressed when determining whether to grant a licence.

  Speech and Language Therapists
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies there were for speech and language therapists in each English primary care group trust at the latest date for which figures are available. [43027]

  Mr. Hutton
  Between 1997 and 2001 the number of speech and language therapists employed in the NHS increased by 810 (17 per cent).

  At 31 September 2000 only one of the seventeen Primary Care Trusts (South Peterborough PCT) then existing employed speech and language therapists. The national vacancy rate and information for South Peterborough Primary Care Trust is in the table below.

  Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2001

  Vacancies by Primary Care Trusts for Qualified speech and language therapists 3 month vacancy rates2 numbers1 and staff in post2

  whole-time equivalent

  Organisation code

  Organisation Name

  3 month vacancy rates

  3 month vacancies

  staff in post

  England

  4.7 per cent

  200

  4,070

  4LA06

  South Peterborough PCT

  0.0 per cent

  0

  15

  Notes:

  1. Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents)

  2. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the September 2000 non-medical workforce census (whole time equivalent)

  3. At 3 September 2000 Non-medical workforce census, 17 PCTs were in existence, of which only one, 4LA06, had Speech Language Therapy staff. As SIP figures from the census are required for the calculation of vacancy rates, no rates are available for the PCTs formed on 1 October 2000.

  4. Data will be available from the March 2002 Vacancy survey in July 2002.

  5. Numbers are rounded to the nearest ten

  6. Percentages rounded to one decimal place

  Source:

  Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2001

  Department of Health Non Medical Workforce Census

  Abortion
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department has taken in response to the audit of abortion services in 1999 by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists; and if he will make a statement. [43329]

  Yvette Cooper
  The audit of abortion services funded by the Department provided valuable baseline data on abortion services prior to the publication of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' (RCOG) Evidence Based Guideline The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion.
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  The audit found good awareness of and compliance with the RCOG guidelines available at the time and the report informed the development of the our sexual health and HIV strategy, which was issued for consultation in July 2001. The strategy recommends that services should be developed in line with the Royal College's guidelines ensuring that women meeting the legal requirements for an abortion are referred without delay. In addition, we have set a target in the strategy that from 2005, commissioners should ensure that women who meet the legal requirements have access to an abortion within 3 weeks of their first appointment with their general practioner or other referring doctor.

  An action plan setting out how the strategy will be implemented will be published in the spring. The audit data will help us monitor progress in improving services.

  Suicide
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the research commissioned by him in the last five years on(a) suicide, (b) assisted suicide and (c) voluntary euthanasia, with special reference to practice in European jurisdictions. [43321]

  Ms Blears
  The Department commissioned a research project on suicide in high risk occupational groups, conducted by Professor Keith Hawton and colleagues at the centre for suicide research, University of Oxford. The project was funded over the period 1 December 1993 to 30 June 2000.

  In addition, the Department funds the national confidential inquiry into suicides and homicides by people with mental illness to ensure that everyone involved with mental health services learns and implements lessons from the factors associated with serious incidents. The inquiry, led by Professor Louis Appleby, is crucial to gaining a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding homicides and suicides committed by people with mental illness.

  Safety First, the 5 year report on suicide and homicide by psychiatric patients, builds on Professor Appleby's earlier report "Safer Services" published in 1999. The Department is committed to taking necessary action in response to the findings of the Inquiry. We have already published the national service framework for mental health and national plan which specifically address a number of the recommendations out lined in the earlier report. The key findings and further recommendations outlined in Safety First will be given full consideration and will help to inform the national suicide prevention strategy that we are currently developing.

  In addition, the Department has funded:
  A trial of social work interventions for adolescents who have attempted suicide.
  A pilot study of mental health crisis cards.
  Factors underlying and maintaining nurses' positive therapeutic attitudes to patients with severe personality disorder.
  A study "Does dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) reduce deliberate self-harm in female patients with borderline personality disorder?"
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  In addition the NHS funds the following projects:
  Suicides and open verdicts on the Railway Network
  An investigation into recent temporal trends and geographic patterns of suicide.
  Lay understandings of suicide, its aetiology and preventibility: a qualitative analysis of interviews with bereaved relatives.
  A case control study of suicide among persons not known to mental health services.
  The role of primary care in suicide prevention
  Psychosocial characteristics of attempted suicide patients in Oxford
  Evaluation of the effects of legislation about the availability of paracetamol and asprin on suicide and attempted suicide
  A study to determine the psychological distress experienced by parents bereaved by suicide or by other uncertain causes.
  There are currently no directly funded research projects, funded by the Department into assisted suicide or voluntary euthanasia.

  Hospital Beds
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospital bed places have been created in(a) England and (b) Coventry since 1997. [43526]

  Mr. Hutton
  Annual information on the average daily number of available and occupied beds for England, regional office areas and each NHS trust is on the Department of Health web site www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity.

  NHS Hospitals
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many applications to register parts of NHS hospitals as town or village greens there have been; when these applications were made; how many applications were successful; how many have been refused by his Department; and if he will make a statement. [43823]

  Ms Blears
  Applications for the registration of land as a town or village green are made to the appropriate registration authority who would advise Department officials, or the National Health Service trust owner if appropriate, about the application. The Department is aware of seven applications made between 1992 and 2000, three of which were refused by the registration authority concerned, two have been successful and two are outstanding.

  These applications are handled by the relevant registration authority. They make the decisions whether they are successful or not.

  Care Resources
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what increased resources have been spent in the last year on(a) primary care and (b) secondary care in (i) each English health authority and (ii) England. [43609]
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  Mr. Hutton
  The increase in primary care and secondary care expenditure for each English health authority and for England, between 1999–2000 and 2000–2001, is shown in the table.

  Health authority

  1999–2000 to 2000–2001

  Primary Care £000

  Secondary Care £000

  Avon

  10,373

  66,133

  Barking and Havering

  4,046

  16,495

  Barnet

  1,486

  64,112

  Barnsley

  3,310

  15,551

  Bedfordshire

  10,040

  21,605

  Berkshire

  6,955

  42,842

  Bexley and Greenwich

  4,679

  26,467

  Birmingham

  13,310

  27,665

  Bradford

  11,746

  3,470

  Brent and Harrow

  5,703

  (1,643)

  Bromley

  2,739

  343

  Buckinghamshire

  11,103

  39,563

  Bury and Rochdale

  3,436

  16,530

  Calderdale and Kirklees

  6,214

  32,030

  Cambridgeshire

  38,678

  20,253

  Camden and Islington

  6,354

  79,677

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  10,057

  9,701

  County Durham and Darlington

  7,695

  23,001

  Coventry

  3,584

  19,412

  Croydon

  4,124

  61,354

  Doncaster

  3,534

  6,254

  Dorset

  38,408

  133,761

  Dudley

  2,620

  15,027

  Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow

  6,245

  46,124

  East and North Hertfordshire

  5,258

  26,027

  East Kent

  10,318

  30,717

  East Lancashire

  6,942

  2,904

  East London and The City

  4,945

  30,474

  East Riding and Hull

  7,481

  29,270

  East Surrey

  4,967

  14,626

  East Sussex, Brighton and Hove

  9,660

  (3,788)

  Enfield and Haringey

  5,897

  42,469

  Gateshead and South Tyneside

  3,925

  20,665

  Gloucestershire

  5,052

  20,214

  Herefordshire

  2,045

  (14,484)

  Hillingdon

  3,333

  (1,282)

  Isle of Wight

  1,903

  8,390

  Kensington, Chelsea and Westminster

  4,585

  50,144

  Kingston and Richmond

  2,762

  20,044

  Lambeth, Southwark and Lewisham

  13,516

  37,013

  Leeds

  10,493

  23,345

  Leicestershire

  10,298

  25,906

  Lincolnshire

  9,784

  15,479

  Liverpool

  12,384

  24,234

  Manchester

  10,455

  24,128

  Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth

  9,869

  (20,754)

  Morecambe Bay

  2,476

  5,758

  Newcastle and North Tyneside

  4,303

  1,878

  Norfolk

  9,103

  24,346

  North And East Devon

  6,273

  22,433

  North and Mid Hampshire

  5,930

  39,556

  North Cheshire

  4,317

  9,311

  North Cumbria

  6,171

  14,516

  North Derbyshire

  5,570

  11,458

  North Essex

  26,404

  41,688

  North Nottinghamshire

  11,597

  6,547

  North Staffordshire

  11,133

  17,619

  North West Lancashire

  7,175

  10,488

  North Yorkshire

  9,090

  27,029

  Northamptonshire

  3,149

  24,348

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  Health authority

  1999–2000 to 2000–2001

  Primary Care £000

  Secondary Care £000

  Northumberland

  (718)

  4,965

  Nottingham

  10,046

  33,316

  Oxfordshire

  8,869

  26,430

  Portsmouth and South East Hampshire

  5,328

  30,116

  Redbridge and Waltham Forest

  4,506

  32,521

  Rotherham

  4,135

  9,834

  Salford and Trafford

  13,418

  16,505

  Sandwell

  2,629

  10,899

  Sefton

  5,041

  87,121

  Sheffield

  5,247

  367

  Shropshire

  (1,311)

  13,658

  Solihull

  2,098

  8,038

  Somerset

  6,129

  23,294

  South and West Devon

  8,347

  21,196

  South Cheshire

  6,710

  21,620

  South Essex

  8,743

  43,993

  South Humber

  6,090

  (2,047)

  South Lancashire

  2,391

  10,284

  South Staffordshire

  5,990

  21,507

  Southampton and South West Hampshire

  7,136

  23,504

  Southern Derbyshire

  6,028

  20,659

  St Helens and Knowsley

  6,052

  17,754

  Stockport

  3,262

  5,818

  Suffolk

  7,774

  27,844

  Sunderland

  2,838

  24,112

  Tees

  7,392

  20,740

  Wakefield

  10,303

  23,669

  Walsall

  3,939

  3,780

  Warwickshire

  5,209

  17,493

  West Hertfordshire

  7,156

  26,648

  West Kent

  6,286

  (5,853)

  West Pennine

  5,718

  19,536

  West Surrey

  7,578

  9,754

  West Sussex

  11,687

  33,752

  Wigan And Bolton

  7,899

  34,635

  Wiltshire

  17,347

  7,237

  Wirral

  4,226

  11,909

  Wolverhampton

  5,420

  9,488

  Worcestershire

  7,840

  32,900

  England total

  729,780

  2,227,439

  Notes:

  1. In many health authorities there are factors which distort the expenditure. These include:

  the health authority acting in a lead capacity to commission healthcare on behalf of other health bodies;

  asset revaluations in NHS Trusts being funded through health authorities;

  some double counting of expenditure between health authorities and primary care trusts within the health authority area; and the calculation is not precise as relevant expenditure in primary care trusts is not analysed completely into the purchase of primary and secondary healthcare. Prescribing services expenditure has been added in to primary health care expenditure but there may he other elements of expenditure which cannot be identified which should be incorporated within the answer.

  Expenditure cannot therefore be reliably compared between health authorities.

  Allocations provide a much more reliable measure to identify differences between funding of health authorities.

  2. Source: Health authority audited summarisation forms 1999–2000 and 2000–2001 Primary care trust audited summarisation schedules 2000–2001

  3. Expenditure is taken from health authority and primary care trust summarisation forms which are prepared on a resource basis and therefore differ from cash allocations in the year. The expenditure is the total spent on primary and secondary healthcare by the health authority and by the primary care trusts within each health authority area. The majority of General Dental Services expenditure is not
  672W
  included in the health authority or primary care trust accounts and is separately accounted for by the Dental Practice Board. An element of expenditure on pharmaceutical services is accounted for by the Prescription Pricing Authority and not by health authorities.

  4. Health authorities and primary care trusts should account for their expenditure on a gross basis. This results in an element of double counting where one body acts as the main commissioner and is then reimbursed by other bodies. The effect of this double counting within the answer cannot he identified.

  5 Major increases in expenditure and reductions in individual cases can be explained as follows:

  The increase in Dorset health authority is due to the majority of expenditure being double counted between the health authority and primary care trusts (£38,408,000 primary, £133.761,000 secondary).

  The £87,121,000 increase in secondary care expenditure in Sefton health authority is due mainly to an extra £63million included in its accounts as it was the lead body in the region for mental health secure commissioning in 2000–01.

  The reduction in secondary care in Herefordshire is caused by Herefordshire PCT taking over the commissioning of community health services in 2000–01 from the health authority and netting off the expenditure against income, resulting in a £14,484,000 apparent reduction in 2000–01.

  The apparent decrease in secondary care expenditure in Merton, Sutton & Wandsworth health authority of £20,754,000 is caused by the treatment of asset revaluations in NHS trusts. The reduction is solely a result of accounting practice agreed with their auditors.

  Decreases in secondary care expenditure in Brent and Harrow, East Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Hillingdon. South Humber and West Kent health authorities are also caused by the treatment of asset re valuations in NHS trusts.

  Decreases in primary care expenditure in Northumberland and Shropshire health authorities in principally due to lower drug costs in 2000–01.

  Refugee Doctors Steering Group
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been disbursed by the refugee doctors steering group since its establishment; and how much of its funds are still to be disbursed. [43417]

  Mr. Hutton
  The refugee health professionals' steering group has disbursed all £500,000 allocated for the year 2001–2. This has been given to projects targeting all health professionals, not just doctors. The funded projects provide services to help refugee health professionals prepare to take up work in the UK. A further £500,000 has been provided for 2002–03 and bids will be invited in April.

  New Status Health Authorities
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what role PCTs will play in the new status health authorities. [43397]

  Mr. Hutton
  From 1 April 2002, primary care trusts have taken on the majority of functions previously undertaken by health authorities. Subject to progress with the NHS Reform and Health Care Professions Bill, the new health authorities that were established on 1 April 2002 will be re-designated as strategic health authorities, from around October 2002, with further functions devolved at that stage to primary care trusts.

  The new health authorities have assumed some of the functions previously exercised by NHS Regional Offices. They are responsible for creating a strategic framework for the delivery of the NHS Plan locally; securing annual performance agreements with, and performance

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  managing, local NHS bodies, including primary care trusts and NHS Trusts; and building capacity and supporting performance improvement locally.

  Primary care trusts are responsible for improving the health and well-being of the community, developing primary care, securing the provision of high quality services and integrating health and social care locally. Subject to legislation, primary care trusts will be given new powers and control over resources to shape and secure the provision of services across hospital, community and primary services and from the whole range of possible providers in public, private and voluntary sectors.

  Primary care trusts will also be responsible for the delivery of the public health service at a local level. All primary care trusts will have a Director of Public Health appointed to their Boards who will lead a multi-disciplinary public health team. The style and approach of public health at a primary care trust level will be an operational one with a focus on community engagement and empowering frontline clinicians.

  Clinicians (Overspends)
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the level of unnecessary overspends by individual clinicians; and what measures are in place to reduce them. [44013]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested is not collected centrally.

  Social Care Workers
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health who is responsible for outlining the new code of practice for the National Register of Social Care Workers; and if he will make a statement. [44636]

  Jacqui Smith
  The general social care council (GSCC) is required, under section 62 of the Care Standards Act 2000, to publish codes setting down standards of conduct and practice for social care workers and their employers. The GSCC issued draft codes for consultation on 9 January 2002.

  General Practitioners
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many whole-time-equivalent general practitioners per 100,000 population there were in(a) 1997, (b) 1998 and (c) 2001. [44276]

  Mr. Hutton
  The number of whole-time equivalent general practitioners (GPs) excluding GP retainers and GP registrars (the NHS Plan group) per 100,000 population were(a) 53.5 in 1997, (b) 53.5 in 1998, and (c) 53.0 in 2001.

  The total number of whole-time equivalent general practitioners (excluding GP Retainers) per 100,000 population for these years were (a) 56.1 in 1997, (b) 56.3 in 1998, and (c) 56.6 in 2001.

  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average annual increase of whole time equivalent general practitioners was in percentage terms in England in each year since 1996, including the latest year for which figures are available. [45717]
  674W
  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: Information is shown in the table, a copy of which is in the Library. Between 1996 and 2001 there was an average annual increase of whole time equivalent general practitioner's (excluding GP Retainers) of 0.6 per cent and an average annual increase of whole time equivalent unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs) of 0.3 per cent.

  Domiciliary Oxygen Therapy
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the consultation document on the Review of Domiciliary Oxygen Services. [44303]

  Ms Blears
  We expect to consider possible options arising from the review of the domiciliary oxygen service shortly.

  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the different forms of domiciliary oxygen therapy available on the NHS drugs tariff for prescription to people who are on longterm oxygen therapy. [44300]

  Ms Blears
  Long term oxygen therapy should, wherever possible, be provided by an oxygen concentrator installed in the patient's home. Gaseous oxygen in cylinders is also available, but is primarily intended for patients needing intermittent therapy.

  Cardiac Services
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many hospitals used by the NHS for cardiac services meet the 400 CABGs standard identified by the NSF for coronary heart disease; and if he will list those that do not. [44284]

  Yvette Cooper
  According to Hospital Episode Statistics for 2000–1, 28 National Health Service (NHS) Trusts meet the national service framework standard. One trust, the Royal Free Hampstead Hospitals NHS Trust, has fewer than 400 coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) procedures recorded. However, that trust stopped performing CABGs early in the year. Other trusts do not carry out CABGs.

  Figures for operations carried out by hospitals in the independent sector used by the NHS are not collected centrally at the present time.

  Hepatitis B Vaccines
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the criteria to be met for people to receive Hepatitis B vaccines free of charge. [44657]

  Yvette Cooper
  Hepatitis B immunisation is provided free of charge, if in a general practitioner's clinical opinion, the procedure is medically necessary. Some groups typically at risk from infection are health care workers, medical students, injecting drug misusers, haemophiliacs and patients with chronic renal failure.

  Criminal Damage
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost has been of criminal damage to his Department's buildings in each of the last four years. [44846]
  675W
  Ms Blears
  The recorded costs of repair to the Department's buildings attributable to criminal damage within the last four financial years are:

  £

  1997–98

  £3,698

  1998–99

  £5,908

  1999–00

  £1,650

  2000–01

  £3,289

  Care Homes
  Mr. David Atkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) residential and (b) nursing care homes and their beds there were in the borough of Bournemouth from 1997 to 2001. [45952]

  Jacqui Smith
  Information on the total number of residential care homes and places in Bournemouth for the years 1997 to 2001 is shown in Table 1. Information on the number of nursing homes and places is collected by health authority only. Figures for Dorset Health Authority are in Table 2.

  Table 1: Residential care homes and places Bournemouth at 31 March 1997 to 2001

  Number

  Year

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Residential:

  Homes

  —

  261

  211

  181

  166

  Places

  ——

  3,339

  3,043

  2,662

  2,520

  —— Not available

  Table 2: Nursing care homes and places Dorset at 31 March 1997 to 2001

  Number

  Year

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Nursing:

  Homes

  144

  124

  133

  125

  117

  Places

  3,496

  3141

  3,414

  3,126

  3,086

  —— Not available

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he plans to publish the guidance on the decision to admit someone to a care home; and if he will make a statement. [41604]

  Jacqui Smith
  It is anticipated that guidance on eligibility criteria for adult social care will be published shortly.

  NHS Trust

  Capital Cost £m

  Start on site date

  Funding method

  Thames Gateway NHS Trust

  13.5

  May 2001

  Public capital

  West London Mental Health NHS Trust

  14.0

  September 2001

  Public capital

  North Lincolnshire & Goole Hospitals NHS Trust

  11.8

  January 2002

  Public Capital

  Barnet Primary Care Trust (Edgware)

  23.8

  April 2001

  Public Capital

  Berkshire Healthcare NHS Trust

  29.7

  April 2001

  Private Finance Initiative (PFI)

  West Middlesex University University Hospitals NHS Trust

  60.0

  January 2001

  PFI

  Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust

  137.0

  May 2001

  PF1

  Hospitals (Shropshire)
  Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice NHS bodies in Shropshire have received about(a) the urgency and (b) the scope of a merger between hospital trusts in the county. [45730]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: I am not aware that NHS bodies in Shropshire received advice concerning any urgent need to prepare an Expression of Interest document to put before the Secretary of State.

  The full scope of the proposal cannot be determined at this early stage, although all concerned parties are to be engaged whilst preparing the Expression of Interest document.

  Peter Bradley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice was sought by or given to NHS bodies in Shropshire about the timing of the launch of its consultation on a prospective expression of interest in the merger of hospital trusts in the county in relation to the abolition of the local health authority and the establishment of primary care trusts. [45731]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust and the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust made a decision that preparing the Expression of Interest document should wait until the uncertainty around the future roles of the NHS bodies in Shropshire were resolved to ensure their full involvement in the process.

  I understand that the roles have been made clear, and the new Strategic Health Authority and Primary Care Trusts although physically not in place when the Trusts made their intentions public, had been included in discussions affecting the future of healthcare services within the locality.

  Audiologists
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many audiologists are employed in the NHS; and how many vacancies there are. [45979]

  Mr. Hutton
  Workforce and vacancy information collected annually by the Department does not identify audiologists. The Department is working with the professional bodies and National Health Service employers to develop an accurate picture of the entire healthcare scientist workforce.

  Hospital Construction
  Mr. Chope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new hospitals construction started in 2001–02. [46118]

  Mr. Hutton
  The following hospital schemes with a capital value of £10 million or greater began construction in 2001–02.
  677W

  NHS Trust

  Capital Cost £m

  Start on site date

  Funding method

  Northumbria Health Care NHS Trust

  28.8

  April 2001

  PFI

  (Hexham)

  Royston Buntingford & Bishop's Stortford PCT

  14.7

  May 2001

  PF1

  Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust

  12.80

  March 2002

  PF1

  Surrey Hampshire Borders NHS (Farnham)

  15.0

  October 2001

  PFI

  Adoption
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many children were placed for adoption by each local authority with(a) a married couple and (b) a single person in each of the last three years; [46409]

  (2) how many applications for adoption were made to each local authority by (a) a married couple and (b) a single person in each of the last three years. [46408]

  Jacqui Smith
  The information requested can only he provided at disproportionate cost.

  Information on the total number of adoption orders granted to married couples and single people in England in each of the last three years is shown in the table. The figures include domestic, inter-country and stepparent adoptions and adopters assessed through local authorities and voluntary adoption agencies.

  Year ending 31 December

  Total number of adoption orders

  Number of adoption orders to married couples

  Number of adoption orders to single people

  1999

  4748

  4537

  211

  2000

  4789

  4546

  243

  2001

  5047

  4745

  302

  Source:

  The Registrar General for England and Wales at the General Register Office (Office for National Statistics)

  Nurses
  Laura Moffatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the impact of the Key Worker Scheme on recruitment and retention of nursing staff in the South East. [46434]

  Ms Blears
  The Starter Home Initiative scheme, announced on 6 September 2001, is still in its early stages and will eventually enable around 5,000 nurses and other essential health workers to be assisted in buying homes.

  Information on the number of key workers who have purchased homes in the South East under the Starter Home Initiative during the financial year 2001–2002 will be available towards the end of April 2002.

  It is proposed that the DTLR will conduct an evaluation of the scheme later this year, or early in 2003.

  Cancer Plan
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average wait was for urgent GP referral to treatment for(a) children's cancers, (b) testicular cancers, (c) acute leukaemia, (d) breast cancers and (e) all cancers at the latest date for which figures are available. [45783]
  678W
  Yvette Cooper
  We do not currently hold data on waiting times from urgent general practitioner (GP) referral to treatment for all cancer patients. Standards of a maximum wait of one month from diagnosis to first treatment for breast cancer and one month from urgent GP referral to treatment for children's and testicular cancers and acute leukaemia came into effect at the end of December 2001. Central monitoring of these standards began on 1 January 2002 and data will be published on a quarterly basis. Data collection on waiting times to treatment for other tumour types will be introduced as we rollout the Cancer Plan waiting times targets.

  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress he has made in developing services to improve genetic risk assessment for cancer under the Cancer Plan. [45775]

  Yvette Cooper
  In April 2001, the Secretary of State announced a £30 million package of investment in genetic services pver the next three years. Part of this money has been allocated to boost capacity in counselling and testing genetic services around the regions.

  The National Institute for Clinical Excellent (NICE) are developing a clinical guideline on the classification of risk in, and management of, patients presenting with a familial risk of breast cancer.

  The National Screening Committee (NSC) organised three workshops in autumn 2000 to investigate population genetic screening for colorectal cancer, breast and ovarian cancer and heritable thrombophilia. The outcomes of the workshops and the subsequent advice of the NSC was that at present there was no case for population screening for any of these late onset genetic diseases, however this will be kept under review.

  Work on common datasets is being developed as part of the development of the National Cancer Dataset.

  Dentists
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists worked in the UK in 2001; and what was the comparable figure for 1997. [46180]

  Ms Blears
  The number of NHS dentists working in the UK is shown in the table for 30 September in the years 1997 and 2001 for each NHS dental service.

  These figures are on a headcount basis rather than whole time equivalent (wte) and take no account of part-time working. Dentists working in more than one dental service are included in each service apart from dentists working in both PDS and GDS who are counted in the GDS only.

  Dentists working solely in private dentistry are not covered in these figures.
  679W

  Number of dentists working at 30 September in 1997 and 2001 United Kingdom

  30 September

  General Dental Service1

  Salaried service of GDS

  Personal Dental Service2

  Community Dental Service

  Hospital Dental Service

  Total

  1997

  220

  20,270

  1,850

  2,772

  25,114

  2001

  130

  467

  22,220

  1,8323

  2,7833

  27,432

  Notes:

  1. The General Dental Service (GDS) cover principals on a HA list, assistants and vocational dental practitioners.

  2. The Personal Dental Service (PDS) began in October 1998. The data covers dentists working in the PDS who are not working in the GDS.

  3. For Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, September 2000 figures are used.

  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many dentists in each health authority are practising in the NHS. [46179]

  Ms Blears
  The number of NHS dentists working in England at 30 September 2001 is shown in the table for each Health Authority for each NHS dental service.

  Number of dentists working in the NHS by Health Authority at 30 September 2001 England

  Health Authority

  General Dental Service1

  Salaried service of GDS

  Personal Dental Service dentists2

  Community Dental Service dentists3

  Hospital Dental Service dentists3

  Total3,4

  England

  18,354

  86

  467

  1,348

  2,184

  22,439

  Avon

  441

  0

  8

  40

  70

  560

  Barking & Havering

  131

  13

  0

  10

  10

  160

  Barnet, Enfield & Haringey

  377

  0

  1

  20

  20

  420

  Barnsley

  66

  0

  1

  0

  10

  70

  Bedfordshire

  189

  6

  19

  30

  20

  260

  Berkshire

  313

  0

  0

  30

  20

  360

  Bexley, Bromley & Greenwich

  294

  6

  5

  30

  10

  340

  Birmingham

  320

  0

  24

  30

  150

  520

  Bradford

  144

  0

  0

  20

  20

  190

  Brent & Harrow

  221

  0

  0

  20

  20

  250

  Buckinghamshire

  294

  1

  24

  30

  10

  360

  Bury & Rochdale

  120

  0

  5

  10

  10

  150

  Calderdale & Kirklees

  199

  0

  0

  20

  20

  230

  Cambridgeshire

  248

  7

  4

  20

  30

  310

  Camden & Islington

  225

  1

  1

  20

  110

  360

  Cornwall & Isles of Scilly

  178

  2

  29

  40

  10

  260

  County Durham & Darlington

  167

  0

  0

  10

  0

  180

  Coventry

  94

  0

  0

  10

  20

  120

  Croydon

  151

  0

  0

  10

  20

  180

  Doncaster

  99

  0

  0

  0

  10

  110

  Dorset

  279

  0

  0

  10

  30

  310

  Dudley

  91

  0

  0

  10

  10

  110

  Ealing, Hammersmith & Hounslow

  352

  0

  6

  0

  20

  380

  East Kent

  210

  0

  5

  10

  20

  250

  East Lancashire

  165

  0

  3

  20

  20

  210

  East London & The City

  204

  9

  1

  30

  70

  320

  East Riding & Hull

  155

  0

  7

  20

  30

  210

  East Surrey

  199

  0

  0

  10

  0

  210

  East Sussex, Brighton & Hove

  324

  0

  1

  20

  30

  370

  Gateshead & South Tyneside

  125

  0

  0

  10

  0

  140

  Gloucestershire

  225

  0

  13

  30

  20

  290

  Herefordshire

  74

  0

  9

  10

  0

  100

  Hertfordshire

  512

  0

  0

  20

  10

  550

  Hillingdon

  104

  2

  0

  0

  0

  110

  Isle of Wight, Portsmouth & SE Hampshire

  238

  0

  11

  30

  30

  310

  Kensington, Chelsea & Westminster

  217

  8

  0

  40

  10

  280

  Kingston & Richmond

  159

  0

  0

  10

  30

  190

  Lambeth, Southwark & Lewisham

  272

  0

  27

  20

  170

  490

  Leeds

  284

  0

  0

  10

  70

  360

  Leicestershire

  282

  0

  1

  20

  30

  330

  Lincolnshire

  157

  2

  4

  10

  20

  200

  Liverpool

  154

  0

  11

  30

  60

  250

  Manchester

  171

  0

  2

  20

  130

  330

  Merton, Sutton & Wandsworth

  298

  3

  0

  30

  20

  350

  Morecambe Bay

  117

  1

  1

  10

  10

  140

  Newcastle & North Tyneside

  170

  0

  0

  0

  110

  290

  Norfolk

  284

  0

  4

  20

  40

  340

  North & East Devon

  204

  0

  5

  10

  20

  230

  North & Mid Hampshire

  206

  0

  0

  10

  20

  230

  North Cheshire

  95

  0

  7

  20

  10

  130

  North Cumbria

  107

  0

  1

  10

  10

  130

  North Derbyshire

  117

  0

  5

  10

  10

  140

  680W
  These figures are on a headcount basis rather than whole time equivalent (wte) and take no account of part-time working. Dentists working in more than one dental service are included in each service apart from dentists working in both PDS and GDS who are counted in the GDS only.

  Dentists working solely in private dentistry are not covered in these figures.
  681W

  Number of dentists working in the NHS by Health Authority at 30 September 2001 England

  Health Authority

  General Dental Service1

  Salaried service of GDS

  Personal Dental Service dentists2

  Community Dental Service dentists3

  Hospital Dental Service dentists3

  Total3,4

  North Essex

  319

  0

  0

  10

  30

  360

  North Nottinghamshire

  120

  0

  0

  0

  10

  130

  North Staffordshire

  126

  0

  15

  0

  0

  140

  North West Lancashire

  172

  0

  1

  10

  20

  200

  North Yorkshire

  304

  0

  4

  30

  40

  380

  Northamptonshire

  171

  0

  0

  10

  20

  200

  Northumberland

  101

  0

  0

  0

  0

  110

  Nottingham

  225

  0

  0

  10

  20

  250

  Oxfordshire

  257

  0

  13

  20

  30

  320

  Redbridge & Waltham Forest

  185

  0

  0

  10

  10

  200

  Rotherham

  76

  1

  0

  10

  10

  90

  Salford & Trafford

  158

  0

  3

  10

  10

  180

  Sandwell

  93

  0

  2

  20

  0

  110

  Sefton

  96

  0

  5

  0

  30

  130

  Sheffield

  199

  0

  0

  10

  70

  290

  Shropshire

  143

  0

  4

  20

  10

  180

  Solihull

  68

  0

  5

  10

  0

  80

  Somerset

  176

  1

  7

  10

  20

  210

  South & West Devon

  254

  14

  10

  20

  40

  340

  South Cheshire

  256

  0

  22

  20

  20

  310

  South Derbyshire

  180

  0

  5

  20

  20

  220

  South Essex

  247

  0

  0

  10

  20

  270

  South Humber

  81

  0

  0

  10

  10

  100

  South Lancashire

  97

  2

  2

  20

  0

  120

  South Staffordshire

  178

  0

  11

  10

  10

  220

  Southampton & South West Hampshire

  200

  0

  19

  40

  20

  280

  St Helens & Knowsley

  104

  0

  8

  10

  10

  130

  Stockport

  119

  0

  0

  10

  10

  130

  Suffolk

  228

  0

  3

  0

  20

  260

  Sunderland

  95

  0

  0

  10

  20

  120

  Tees

  208

  0

  0

  10

  30

  250

  Wakefield

  108

  0

  0

  10

  10

  120

  Walsall

  57

  0

  3

  10

  0

  70

  Warwickshire

  170

  0

  6

  20

  10

  200

  West Kent

  367

  2

  0

  30

  30

  420

  West Pennine

  151

  1

  0

  10

  10

  170

  West Surrey

  307

  0

  32

  30

  30

  400

  West Sussex

  349

  0

  11

  0

  30

  390

  Wigan & Bolton

  182

  0

  0

  10

  10

  210

  Wiltshire

  215

  4

  6

  30

  20

  280

  Wirral

  136

  0

  8

  10

  10

  160

  Wolverhampton

  71

  0

  5

  10

  10

  90

  Worcestershire

  183

  0

  12

  20

  10

  230

  Notes:

  1. The General Dental Service (GDS) figures cover principals on a HA list, assistants and vocational dental practitioners.

  2. The Personal Dental Service (PDS) covers dentists working in the PDS who are not working in the GDS.

  3. Figures by Health Authority are rounded to the nearest 10.

  Waiting Lists (Leicestershire)
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the waiting lists are for operations in the Leicestershire health area in each category. [46181]

  Yvette Cooper
  The table below shows the waiting lists for elective admission by specialty in the Leicestershire Health Authority area as at 31 December 2001——the latest published figures that are available:

  Specialty

  Ordinary admissions

  Day cases

  General surgery

  1768

  1605

  Urology

  296

  442

  Trauma/orthopaedics

  1698

  917

  ENT

  1393

  270

  Ophthalmology

  717

  2083

  Oral surgery

  159

  362

  Neurosurgery

  21

  1

  Plastic surgery

  444

  328

  Cardiothoracic surgery

  320

  ——

  Paediatric surgery

  49

  139

  A&E

  ——

  30

  Anaesthetics

  212

  231

  Pain management

  30

  163

  682W

  Specialty

  Ordinary admissions

  Day cases

  General medicine

  1

  67

  Gastroenterology

  0

  103

  Cardiology

  274

  548

  Dermatology

  0

  18

  Thoracic medicine

  0

  6

  Nephrology

  0

  3

  Neurology

  13

  42

  Rheumatology

  0

  7

  Gynaecology

  707

  529

  Clinical oncology

  0

  383

  Total (all specialties)

  8102

  8277

  Source:

  Hospital Waiting List Statistics: England (copies are available in House of Commons Library and on the DoH website at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/waitingtimes/).

  Cystic Fibrosis
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Department has spent on research into cystic fibrosis since 1997; and which organisations the Government have met to discuss raising awareness of the disease. [46167]
  683W
  Jacqui Smith
  The Department funds research to support policy and the delivery of effective practice in health and social care. Since 1997 the Department's expenditure on directly commissioned research projects relating to cystic fibrosis is approximately £394 thousand.

  In addition to specific projects, the Department also provides support funding for research commissioned by charities and the research councils that takes place in the National Health Service. Management of much of the research supported by NHS research and development funding is devolved and expenditure at project level is not held centrally by the Department but the total investment is considerably greater than just the spend on directly commissioned projects.

  The Medical Research Council (MRC) is the main Government agency for research into the causes of and treatments for disease and receives its funding via the Department of Trade and Industry. The MRC has spent an estimated £8.4 million on cystic fibrosis research since 1997.

  The Government met with the Cystic Fibrosis Trust in 2001. Discussions included raising awareness of the disease.

  Children at Risk
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children classified as at risk have been killed in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [46440]

  Jacqui Smith
  The information requested is not currently collected centrally. However, we are developing a comprehensive database of all serious case reviews, carried out in accordance with Chapter 8 of Working Together to Safeguard Children——the Government's guide to inter-agency working to safeguard and promote the welfare of children, to improve the national recording of serious incidents, including deaths and serious injuries. This will enable us to identify the numbers and types of a range of serious cases, where the children concerned are known to social services Departments.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter of 5 December 2001 from the hon. Member for Fareham, concerning his constituent Mr. Fred Johnson. [45807]

  Yvette Cooper
  A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 25 March.

  Deep Vein Thrombosis
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the link between air travel and deep vein thrombosis. [47043]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: We take the health of aircraft passengers and aircrew
  684W
  members very seriously. Although further research needs to be carried out into the links between deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and long distance travel, blood clots can occur when people remain immobile and seated for long periods of time and therefore could occur in a range of travel situations.

  On 30 November 2001 the Department issued information and advice to the airlines and the public about minimising the risk of DVT during long journeys. This included practical advice for air passengers on long haul flights. It also identified certain groups who may be at a higher risk of DVT and advised them to seek medical advice before travelling and described simple in-seat exercises that should be recommended to all air passengers.

  To maximise access for the public to this information and advice it is available through health services, the internet, the airlines and NHS Direct and will be kept under review in the light of new research information.

  Performance Targets
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of whether the PSA target to increase the proportion of departmental business undertaken electronically to 25 per cent by 2002 will be met. [47363]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Information about progress on PSA targets will be published in the Department's 2002 Departmental Report.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment he has made of whether the PSA target for the payment of all undisputed invoices within 30 days or the agreed contractual terms will be met. [47280]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Information about progress on PSA targets will be published in the Department's 2002 Departmental Report.

  National Institute for Clinical Excellence
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the independence of NICE. [46828]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: It has always been our intention that the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) should have a large measure of independence from Government and from other interests while remaining visibly a part of the National Health Service. In particular. NICE decides on its own processes for developing its guidance. We have announced in our recently published response to the Kennedy report, that we intend to further strengthen NICE's independence. We will bring forward measures to remove the requirement for approval from the Secretary of State for Health and the National Assembly for Wales for disseminating NICE guidance and for appointments to NICE committees.
  685W
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the funding of NICE. [46738]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The Department has allocated £14.8 million for the National Institute for Clinical Excellence in 2002–2003.

  Entertainment Costs
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will list for each of the last five years the total amount of money spent by Ministers in his Department on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for entertainment purposes; [47209]

  (2) how much was spent by departmental special advisers on food, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks for entertainment purposes in each of the last five years. [46845]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: Expenditure arises on hospitality and entertainment only in the context of promoting the Department's business objectives. Departmental information systems do not classify expenditure by Ministers, special advisers or other employment category, nor do information systems provide a detailed breakdown of food and drink.

  In the last five years the total amount spent by the Department on hospitality has been as follows:

  £

  1997–98

  £90,883

  1998–99

  £67,953

  1999–00

  £50,114

  2000–01

  £93,091

  2001–02

  £80,077 to 31 December 2001

  To identify expenditure by Ministers or special advisers on food, alcohol and non-alcoholic drinks would involve disproportionate cost.

  Hospices
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what meetings he and his Ministers have had with representatives of hospices providing palliative care to children since 7 June 2001. [47023]

  Yvette Cooper
  Last month I was pleased to meet the management and supporters of the Richard House Children's Hospice in London, on the occasion of the launch of the New Opportunities Fund application process for funding palliative care projects in support of both children and adults. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State previously visited this hospice for its official opening. Last November my noble Friend Lord Hunt met the representatives of two other children's hospices.

  Foreign Nurses (English Tests)
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will support moves by the UKCC to introduce English tests for foreign nursing recruits. [47871]
  686W
  Mr. Hutton
  The UKCC was replaced on 1 April by the Nursing and Midwifery Council. It will be for the new Council to consult widely on how it proposes to exercise its functions, which include assessing the knowledge of English of overseas-qualified practitioners, other than nationals of European Economic Area States. In the meantime it will inherit existing policies and procedures, which already provide for such assessments.

  Mental Health
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the use of sport in the treatment of depressive illness. [47434]

  Jacqui Smith
  No formal assessment has been made of the use of sport in the treatment of depressive illness. However, regular physical activity reduces the risk of depression and has positive benefits for mental health including reduced anxiety, enhanced mood and self esteem.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that health and social workers dealing with children and adolescents are trained to recognise mental health problems. [47437]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The national service framework for children, which includes child and adolescent mental health and psychological well being, will consider the training and competencies of health and social care workers and the early recognition of mental health problems.

  In September 2003 we are replacing the diploma in social work with a three-year degree level qualification. The qualification will be based on a prescribed curriculum, which will include key areas which students must undertake as part of their learning and assessment. One of these will be human growth and development, which will incorporate mental health matters.

  Asthma
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of the(a) adult population and (b) population under 16 use (i) puffer inhalers and (ii) spacer inhalers in the treatment of asthma. [47466]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 10 April 2002]: The information requested is not collected centrally.

  Broomfield Hospital, Essex
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) nurse and (b) consultant vacancies there are at Broomfield Hospital, Essex at the latest available date. [46709]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 10 April]: Broomfield Hospital is a hospital within Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust. Data is collected at Trust level only.
  687W

  Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2001

  Vacancies in NHS Trusts by Region, HA area and NHS Trust, consultant and qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff 3 month vacancy rates1,2 an numbers

  All consultants

  Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff

  3 month vacancy rates per cent

  3 month vacancies

  Staff in post (wte)

  Staff in post (hc)

  3 month vacancy rates per cent

  3 month vacancies

  Staff in post (wte)

  Staff in post (hc)

  England Total

  3.0 per cent

  672

  21,580

  23,661

  3.4 per cent

  8,997

  255,903

  316,280

  Mid Essex Hospital Services NHS Trust

  2.1 per cent

  2

  100

  98

  2.6 per cent

  21

  776

  1,005

  Notes:

  1. Three month vacancies are vacancies as at 31 March 2001 which trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents)

  2. Three month vacancy rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post from the September 2000 medical & dental and non medical workforce censuses (whole time equivalents)

  3. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest ten

  4. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place

  5. * = figures based on less than ten posts

  6. Totals may not equal sum of component parts due to rounding

  7. HA figures are based on Trusts, and do not necessarily reflect the geographical provision of healthcare

  8. Figures may not match previously published data due to

  (i) a different method of rounding used on the staff in post data ii) NHS Trusts "mapped" into different

  (ii) NHS Trusts "mapped" into different HA Areas/Regions to be consistents with Vacancies data (as at 31 March 2001)

  Source:

  Department of Health Vacancies Survey 2001

  Department of Health non-medical workforce census 2000

  Department of Health medical and dental workforce census 2000

  Tobacco Advertising And Promotion Bill
  Ann Keen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to notify the Tobacco Advertising and Promotion Bill to the European Commission as a technical regulation under Directive 98/34/EC. [50050]

  Yvette Cooper
  We notified the Bill on 28 March 2002. The notification is without prejudice to the Government's view that the Bill does not contain any technical regulations.

  Drug-resistant Micro-organisms
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what collections of drug resistant micro organisms are known to the Health Protection Agency; and what steps are being taken to maintain and support such collections. [45751]

  Yvette Cooper
  Currently, the National Collection of Type Cultures (NCTC) and National Collection of Pathogenic Fungi (NCPF), are comprehensive collections of pathogenic micro-organisms, including strains known to be drug resistant. Both NCTC and NCPF are maintained by the Public Health Laboratory Service in the NCTC laboratory and supported by the funding provided to the Public Health Laboratory Service by the Department of Health and the Welsh Assembly Government.

  The Chief Medical Officer's strategy, Getting Ahead of the Curve, proposes the creation of a Health Protection Agency which will take over functions currently performed by the PHLS and other bodies. We aim to establish the new agency by 1 April 2003.

  Health Services (Barnet)
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of waiting times at 688W
  (a) Barnet and (b) Northwick Park Hospitals' accident and emergency departments; and if he will make a statement. [45820]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: Waiting times at Barnet and Chase Farm NHS Trusts and North West London Hospitals NHS Trust are monitored via the NHS regional office. Information on numbers of patients waiting over 2 hours, between 2–4 hours and over 4 hours for admission is published every quarter. Latest information is available via www.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity

  Scoliosis
  Mr. Fallon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations for Scoliosis correction were carried out by the NHS in each of the last three years; and what plans he has to increase this number. [45872]

  Ms Blears
  The numbers of Finished Consultant Episodes for patients with a primary diagnosis of scoliosis* who underwent a procedure in the National Health Service for each of the last three years are outlined in shown in the table. It is for health authorities in partnership with primary care groups/trusts and other local stakeholders to decide what services to provide for their populations including those who require operations for scoliosis. There are no plans to introduce national targets specifically for this service.

  NHS Hospitals in England

  1998–99

  1999–00

  2000–01

  Finished Consultant Episodes

  1,172

  1,193

  1,212

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health, England*. ICD-10: M41.0 - M41.9 (ICD-10 refers to the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (10th edition)). This is the international classification system for diseases. The codes are 4 digits (a letter followed by 3 numbers).

  Retirement Health Checks
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) women and (b) men pensioners in 2000–01 broken down by regional health authority completed a free health check on retirement through the pilot scheme announced in the NHS Plan; and if he will make a statement. [46282]

  Yvette Cooper
  None. The first pre retirement health check pilots began in 2001–2. They are focused on the health needs of people who have not yet retired, in the 50–65 age group, many still in active employment, although some retired people are also involved in them.

  NHS Publications
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what publications were published by NHSplus in 2000–01; how many of each publication were printed and distributed; and what the cost was of each publication. [46347]

  Yvette Cooper
  There were no publications by NHS Plus in 2000–01. (NHS Plus was launched in November 2001. In 2001–2 its only publication was a "flyer" leaflet,"Bringing Good Health To Your Business", the total cost of which was £3,335 for 15,000 leaflets. Generally, NHS Plus provides information via its website (www.nhsplus.nhs.uk).

  Doctors (Suspensions)
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many doctors were on suspension at the most recent date for which figures are available. [45729]

  Mr. Hutton
  As at 31 December 2001, the latest date for which figures are available, 29 hospital and community medical and dental staff had been suspended for more than six months.

  Transferring body

  Liabilities £000

  Receiving primary care trust

  Cambridgeshire HA

  1,706

  Fenland

  1,190

  North Peterborough

  795

  South Peterborough

  Cornwall & Isles of Scilly HA

  660

  Carrick

  Doneaster HA

  2,358

  Doncaster Central

  Dorset HA

  2,950

  Bournemouth

  1,577

  Poole

  1,558

  North Dorset

  1,395

  Poole Central and North

  East Lancashire HA

  2,636

  Blackburn with Darwen

  Hillingdon HA

  7,870

  Hillingdon

  Norfolk HA

  2,869

  West Norfolk

  North Staffordshire HA

  2,280

  North Stoke

  Northampton HA

  1,860

  Daventry and South Northamptonshire

  South Essex HA

  3,286

  Southend on Sea

  South Humber HA

  4,002

  North East Lincolnshire

  Southampton and South West Hampshire HA

  2,292

  Southampton East Healthcare

  Southern Derbyshire HA

  1,497

  Central Derby

  West Kent HA

  3,666

  Dartford, Gravesham and Swanley

  North Nottinghamshire HA

  1,733

  Mansfield District

  2,450

  Newark and Sherwood

  Merton, Sutton & Wandsworth HA

  2,442

  Nelson and West Merton

  Herefordshire Community

  423

  Herefordshire

  NHS Procurement
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department ensured(a) that all NHS trusts set a target of at least three per cent in 2000–01 for procurement savings and (b) that delivery of these savings was monitored. [45727]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: All National Health Service trusts were set a target of 3 per cent purchasing savings by the Department of Health for the year 2000–01.

  These savings were monitored by National Health Service trusts and by Department of Health regional offices.

  NHS Finance
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the transfer of a liability to a PCT from a health authority or trust has an impact on the level of resources available to that PCT for spending on patient care; and if he will make a statement. [45851]

  Mr. Hutton
  The level of resources available to primary care trusts for spending on patient care in year will be unaffected by the transfer of assets and liabilities.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much money by way of liabilities each PCT(a) has taken responsibility for and (b) is expected to take responsibility for; and from whom the responsibility is transferred; [45844]

  (2) if he will list the liabilities by value of trusts and health authorities which (a) have been and (b) are to be transferred to PCTs. [45843]

  Mr. Hutton
  The transfer of liabilities from health authorities and National Health Service trusts to primary care trusts in 2000–2001 is shown in the table. Information on liabilities transferring for the 2001–02 financial year will not be available until the autumn.
  691W

  Transferring body

  Liabilities £000

  Receiving primary care trust

  NHS Trust

  Milton Keynes Community

  1,642

  Milton Keynes

  NHS Trust

  Source:

  Health authority audited summarisation forms 2000–01

  PCT audited summarisation schedules 2000–01

  The table shows only liabilities of over £150,000.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the amount was of NHS trust deficits in each trust in each of the last five years; [45850]

  (2) how many NHS trusts have an in-year deficit position; and what is the deficit. [45849]

  Mr. Hutton
  Information relating to National Health Service trust deficits for the financial years 1996–7 to 2000–01 has been placed in the Library. Changes (in line with best accounting practice) in the accounting and financial reporting arrangements for NHS trusts mean that the figures provided for 1996–97 are not directly comparable with 1997–98 or thereafter.

  We are in discussions with NHS trusts, health authorities and primary care trusts about managing their end-of-year positions. The information requested for the current year will be available when the annual audited accounts are completed and published.
  692W
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the underlying deficits are(a) in each NHS trust and/or body and (b) in England. [45848]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested for National Health Service trusts has been placed in the Library. A change in the format of the annual accounts from 2000–01 means health authorities are no longer required to account on an income and expenditure basis.

  Cancer Treatment
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his assessment is of the likelihood of his new target for treatment of urgent cancers being met in Oxfordshire in 2002–03. [45931]

  Yvette Cooper
  [holding answer 25 March 2002]: The Oxfordshire health economy recognises the importance of the cancer targets in 2002–03 and will invest extra resources this year to support their achievement of targets in this area. In support of this, the Four Counties Cancer Network is working to improve cancer services to deliver better quality services to patients.