Written Answers of 18 December 2002

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Abandoned Vehicles
  Lawrie Quinn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on her policies to deal with abandoned motor vehicles. [85930]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: In October 2001 we published a consultation document on measures to remove abandoned and untaxed vehicles from the streets more quickly and, for the longer term, bring forward changes to vehicle registration and licensing procedures to ensure greater accuracy of DVLA's vehicle record.

  Regulations reducing the statutory notice periods after which local authorities can remove abandoned vehicles from the highway and the storage periods for unlicensed vehicles came into force on 9 April. Local authorities can now remove those vehicles that they consider merit destruction from the highway after the expiry of a 24 hour notice placed on them.

  We have supported pilot schemes in the London boroughs of Newham and Lewisham in which the local authority was given DVLA's powers to wheelclamp and remove unlicensed vehicles after 24 hours. Following the success of the Newham pilot on 10 April, we announced that all councils who wished could operate in the same way.

  In addition, councils have targeted over 6,000 abandoned unlicensed vehicles in multi-agency "Operation Cubits" with over 4,000 vehicles crushed and more operations are planned. To date we estimate that the operations have induced more than 15,700 motorists to relicense their vehicles voluntarily bringing in over £2.3 million in additional revenue.

  The Government are currently developing proposals for the reform and modernisation of vehicle registration and licensing, to reduce evasion and to bear down on vehicle crime. In response to the recommendations of a report commissioned by the Department for Transport from the Jill Dando Institute of Crime Science, that Department has established a Modernising Vehicle Registration Implementation Board (MVRIB). This includes representatives of motorists' organisations, the motor trade, the police and the insurance industry to advise on and develop those proposals.

  The 2002 Finance Act contained provisions under which the responsibility for licensing and taxing vehicles will be placed on the registered keeper, who will remain liable for doing so until such time that the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has properly been notified of a change of keeper. These proposals will also mean that it is not necessary for a vehicle to be detected
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  on the road for effective enforcement action to take place. The implementation of these new powers is at the heart of MVRIB's agenda.

  Agri-environment Schemes
  Paddy Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will set out the timetable for the review of land based English rural development programme agri-environment schemes. [87862]

  Mr. Meacher
  The agri-environment schemes review consists of three phases. The first phase centred on an initial consultation, held between March and May 2002. This asked for views on the existing schemes and explored what people would like to see in future schemes. There were over 130 responses to this consultation, which were analysed in a report produced in July 2002. This is available on the DEFRA website at: http://defraweb/erdp/schemes/landbased/review/consultnew.htm.

  The second phase of the review is currently in progress. It consists of two main areas of work: the production of a framework document setting out the future direction of agri-environment schemes, and the development of a pilot scheme to test the proposed entry-level scheme. The framework document was issued for consultation on 16 December 2002, and responses are sought by 28 February 2003. I announced the pilot areas for the entry level scheme on 14 November 2002 and the pilot scheme is due to be launched next spring.

  The third phase of the review will involve the detailed design and development of the main entry-level scheme and a revised higher-tier scheme, intended to incorporate the best features from both the countryside stewardship and environmentally sensitive areas schemes. It is hoped to complete the review in the summer of 2004, when details of both schemes are sent to the European Commission for approval. The new schemes should open for applications early in 2005.

  Paddy Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the review of access arrangements within English Rural Development Programme agri-environment schemes; and when the results of the review will be published. [87863]

  Mr. Meacher
  The analysis of replies to the public consultation on this review will be published on the Department's website shortly and a copy placed in the House Library and the conclusions will feed into the wider Agri-environment Schemes Review.

  Combined Heat and Power
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the change in use of CHP by companies covered by climate change agreements; and if she will make a statement. [87880]

  Mr. Meacher
  There has been no assessment made of the change in use of HFC by companies covered by climate change agreements. It is estimated that total
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  HFC emissions arising from all business will be about 29 per cent. below 1995 levels, the baseline year that the UK has chosen to use for its fluorinated gases, in 2010

  Consultation Document
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the organisations to which her Department has issued copies of their consultation document, "Living Places, Powers, Rights and Responsibilities". [87222]

  Margaret Beckett
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: We have sent copies of the consultation to:

  370 local authorities (355 English and 15 Welsh). 394 local authority planning officers also received copies.

  97 police authorities and constabularies, including the metropolitan police.

  17 Government Departments and offices, including the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, Home Office, Cabinet Office and No. 10.

  23 Government related agencies.

  114 public bodies and non-governmental organisations.

  168 companies.

  In all there were over 2,000 copies of the consultation paper sent out.

  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when copies of "Living Places, Powers, Rights and Responsibilities" were distributed to local authorities. [87223]

  Margaret Beckett
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: Copies of the consultation were mailed out to local authorities the week beginning 4 November, following the urban summit which was held on 31 October and 1 November, when the consultation was launched.

  Fisheries
  Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how long the principle of relative stability in fisheries management will be continued in its present form. [87630]

  Mr. Morley
  The future provisions on relative stability, along with all other elements of the Common Fisheries Policy, are due to be determined by the Council of Agriculture and Fisheries Ministers at its current meeting.

  Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make contingency plans to establish a fisheries management committee in the event that no Council of Ministers' agreement is established for European Union fisheries management for 2003 onwards. [87631]

  Mr. Morley
  The Government's objective is to secure a meaningful reform of the Common Fisheries Policy at this Council. We shall strive to ensure that an acceptable agreement is reached. Should there be no agreement on a reformed CFP, the current system for Fisheries Management will continue.

  Hydrofluorocarbons
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many voluntary agreements within the refrigeration industry to reduce leakage of hydrofluorocarbons she has made; and what targets exist for future progress; [86494]

  (2) if she will make a statement on the progress in securing voluntary agreements within the refrigeration industry to reduce leakage of hydrofluorocarbons. [86495]

  Mr. Meacher
  In 1996, the Government concluded a voluntary agreement on the use of HFCs with the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Industry Board (ACRIB) and its member organisations to ensure emissions to atmosphere were minimised. The agreement took the form of a "declaration of intent" in recognition of the fact that the industry is very widely dispersed and that signatories to the agreement could not make a commitment on behalf of those they did not directly represent.

  The UK climate change programme published in November 2000 sets out the key elements of the Government's policy on HFCs. During 2000, discussions with ACRIB led Government to conclude that a national registration and competence scheme for refrigerant handlers would be a more effective way of limiting and minimising HFC emissions from the refrigeration sector. The industry is developing a scheme which it proposes to put to Government in early 2003. The Government's intention is to make registration and minimum competence mandatory for companies and refrigerant handlers.

  Landfill Tax
  Tony Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to allow the proceeds from landfill tax to go to local authorities. [87491]

  Mr. Meacher
  Last month's pre-Budget report announced that the Government would consult on a revenue neutral proposal to increase the landfill tax escalator to £3 per tonne in 2005–06 and to increase the rate of tax by at least £3 per tonne in future years, towards a rate of £35 per tonne. The Government will consult with stakeholders on options for the package, including the recycling of revenue, before making its decisions.

  Mr. Julian Heath
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she intends to return the P45 certificate belonging to a constituent, Mr. Julian Heath. [87861]

  Alun Michael
  I can confirm that Mr. Julian Heath's P45 has been sent to his home address.

  Recycling
  Mr. Hurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of the amount of recycled plastic required to meet the target in EC WEEE Directive. [87330]
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  Mr. Meacher
  Figures from a report by the Industry Council for Electronic Equipment Recycling (ICER) show that in 1998 there were about 915,000 tonnes of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) arising, of which approximately 22 per cent. were plastics. These data are currently being updated.

  The WEEE Directive requires that WEEE is recovered and recycled according to 10 categories, with recovery and recycling targets set at between 50 per cent. and 80 per cent. for each category. The plastics content varies considerably between the categories, however, a significant proportion of the plastics in WEEE will need to be recovered or recycled to meet the requirements of the WEEE Directive.

  Rural Deprivation
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to allocate resources to pockets of rural deprivation in the delivery of services; and what resources she is making available. [87706]

  Alun Michael
  Deprivation in rural areas tends not to be as geographically concentrated as in urban areas and it is less meaningful to think in terms of "pockets". DEFRA is currently working with the Countryside Agency and Office for National Statistics to explore a better way to identify rural deprivation. The Countryside Agency has a social exclusion programme worth almost £3 million for the three years 2002–03 to 2004–05 with which to promote demonstration projects and new research to identify and tackle social exclusion in rural areas.

  DEFRA and the Countryside Agency are actively promoting the equitable allocation of services in rural areas by helping Government Departments to "rural proof" their policies and programmes. Following the Rural White Paper we allocated over £47 million through the Vital Villages scheme, which in the first instance runs until 2003–04. This is aimed at tackling the problem of dwindling services at the root, by enabling local people to set up their own enterprises.

  I refer the hon. Member to my earlier reply given to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George) on 25 November 2002, Official Report, columns 55–57W, which gives further information on DEFRA funded projects.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH

  Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on developments in and involvement of UK representatives in the case of Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh in Pakistan. [84647]

  Mr. Rammell
  Mr. Sheikh remains in detention. The Pakistani authorities are fully aware of our opposition to the death penalty, both generally and in Mr. Sheikh's case. We will make further representations if appropriate.

  Appointments
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs to which bodies his Department makes appointments; how many members there are(a) in total and (b) in each body; and how many of those appointed are (i) businessmen, (ii) businessmen in SMEs and (iii) businessmen in micro-businesses. [87390]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 16 December 2002, Official Report, column 607W.

  Civil Servants
  Chris Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many civil servants are employed by his Department; and how much money was spent by his Department in the last 12 months, in each local authority area. [87263]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given him by my hon. Friend the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office on 16 December 2002,Official Report, column 607W.

  Convention on the Future of Europe
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he plans to hold a referendum on the outcome of the Convention on the Future of Europe. [87931]

  Mr. MacShane
  No.

  European Constitution
  Patrick Mercer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consultations he has had with(a) the EU institutions and (b) European partners about the development of a European constitution. [87619]

  Mr. MacShane
  The Government works closely with members of the EU institutions and our European partners on a range of EU issues in the Convention on the Future of Europe.

  Patrick Mercer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government is in favour in principle of a written European constitution. [87620]

  Mr. MacShane
  The Government supports an EU constitutional treaty that makes clear that the EU is a union of Nation States, and clearly and concisely sets out what the EU does, and how it does it. This would help to deliver a better organised EU, more accessible to EU citizens and better able to deliver real and practical benefits.

  Zimbabwe
  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with other member states of the Commonwealth
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  regarding the actions of the Zimbabwean Government towards the eviction of white farmers from their land. [83885]

  Mr. Rammell
  Foreign Office Ministers and officials have regular discussions with their Commonwealth counterparts about the economic, political and humanitarian situation in Zimbabwe. Zimbabwe's unsustainable programme of land seizures forms part of these discussions.

  My noble Friend Baroness Amos, FCO Minister for Africa, had the most recent contact, with the South African, Mozambican and Mauritian Foreign Ministers in Maputo on 7–8 November.

DEFENCE

  Armoured Vehicles
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) Challenger II tanks, (b) Warrior, (c) Sakern, (d) FV430, (e) Sabre, (f) Scimitar, (g) Striker, (h) Spartan, (i) Sultan, (j) Samson, (k) Samaritan armoured vehicles, (l) Challenger recovery vehicles, (m) Stormer, (n) Shielder, (o) Fuchs NBC vehicles, (p) AS90, (q) MLRS and (r) M578 were fully operational in each quarter of 2002; what percentage of fleet size this represents in each case; and if he will make a statement. [87922]

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

  AS90
  Patrick Mercer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the cost of completing the environmental enhancements to the AS90 will remain within the expected budget; when he expects the enhancements to be completed; and whether he has set a deadline for completion. [87042]

  Mr. Ingram
  The cost of completing environmental enhancements to the AS90 is expected to remain within the budget originally forecast. We expect that the necessary modifications will be completed in time for possible future operations but I am withholding specific details of this timescale under Exemption 1 (Defence, security and international relations) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. To provide such information risks jeopardising our contingency planning and harming operational security.

  In addition to the AS90s that we are modifying for contingency operations, consideration is being given to modifying further AS90s as part of the normal planning round. A decision on this has yet to be taken.

  Patrick Mercer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many expressions of interest he has received from contractors for the environmental enhancements of the AS90; and whether decisions have been made on the award of the contract. [87043]

  Mr. Ingram
  The contract for the environmental enhancement of AS90 has been sought via a single source prime contract with RO Defence plc, the design 804W
  authority for AS90. A number of sub-contracts, which are the responsibility of the prime contractor, may also be let. We expect to award the prime contract shortly.

  Patrick Mercer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what problems have been experienced with the environmental enhancements to the AS90; what progress has been made; and if he will make a statement. [87044]

  Mr. Ingram
  No significant problems have been experienced with the environmental enhancements to the AS90, and good progress is being made.

  Cruise Missiles
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cruise missiles are held by his Department and if he will make a statement on their readiness. [87918]

  Mr. Ingram
  I am withholding the information requested in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information (Defence, Security and International Relations).

  Defence Medical Services
  Mr. Viggers
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many consultants have been recruited to Defence Medical Services through the scheme which offers a £50,000 joining bonus. [84623]

  Dr. Moonie
  The initiative to offer £50,000 'golden hellos' to consultants in certain key shortage categories and to vocationally trained general medical practitioners, in return for a five year commission, was only announced on 19 November 2002. It is therefore too early for any individuals to have been recruited into the Defence Medical Services.

  European Security and Defence Policy
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to maintain the distinction between the roles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation and the Common European Security and Defence Policy. [87310]

  Mr. Hoon
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: NATO and the European Security and Defence Policy have clearly-defined and complementary roles. NATO forms the basis of the collective defence of its members and plays an important role in crisis management. ESDP allows the EU to launch military operations where NATO as a whole is not engaged, within the scope of the Petersberg tasks, which are defined in the EU Treaty as
  "humanitarian and rescue tasks, peace-keeping tasks and tasks of combat forces in crisis management, including peacemaking."
  These roles have been reflected in agreed language in both organisations: for example, the conclusions of the 2000 Nice European Council, and the communiqué from the North Atlantic Council meeting a few days later. On this basis, the EU and NATO have agreed to create a strategic partnership between the two organisations in crisis management.

  Fire Dispute
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the value was in his Department's Balance Sheet at 31 March of the equipment used in providing services withdrawn by the fire brigades. [87858]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Friendly Fire
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the armed forces' IFF status for preventing friendly fire incidents. [87921]

  Mr. Ingram
  The United Kingdom has fitted Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) to its front line aircraft, ships and land-based air defence systems. The current generation of IFF equipment (IFF Mk 10) is in the process of being replaced by an updated system, the Mk 12 standard, through the Successor IFF (SIFF) programme. The Mk 12 provides additional security by means of high reliability encrypted interrogation of platforms. IFF is one of a number of methods employed by the armed forces to assist Combat Identification and to minimise the risk of friendly fire incidents. Combat Identification is achieved through a triad of measures: Situational Awareness, Target Identification, and Tactics, Techniques and Procedures. These measures are complementary and IFF plays a part in improving situational awareness and contributes to effective identification.

  Gulf War
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what drugs were administered to servicemen during the Gulf War; what drugs have been(a) administered to date and (b) medically approved to be administered to servicemen serving in Iraq at a future date; and if he will make a statement. [86246]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 10 December 2002]: No decisions have yet been made concerning military action against Iraq.

  Service personnel are given drugs appropriate to any medical or dental conditions they may experience whether at home or on deployment. In addition, regular and volunteer reserve forces personnel are offered a range of routine vaccinations as part of an established immunisation programme. Personnel deploying to areas with a specific health hazard, and those in special occupational risk groups, such as medical personnel, may be given additional vaccinations. Drugs or vaccinations may also be provided to help protect service personnel against the effects of chemical and biological weapons.

  Drugs and medicines given to armed forces personnel by medical staff are normally those approved by the Medicines Control Agency (MCA). As is the case in the NHS, drugs and medicines that are not licensed in the United Kingdom by the MCA may be used if prescribed and administered by a doctor.

  HMS Ocean
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what maintenance work is being done to HMS Ocean; what the cost of this maintenance is; when the decision was made to do the maintenance work; what the original planned cost was of the work; and if he will make a statement. [87803]

  Mr. Ingram
  HMS Ocean completed a planned upkeep maintenance period in November at a cost of around £5 million. This package of work was completed satisfactorily. During post upkeep trials however, the Port Main Engine suffered a major defect. The defect resulted from a ship system failure which could not have been anticipated and was not related to the work undertaken during the maintenance period. The cost of this repair work is approximately £450,000.

  Inoculations
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what risk assessment has been carried out on the side effects of recent inoculations given to armed services personnel posted to the middle east. [82691]

  Dr. Moonie
  Decisions on vaccinations for service personnel are made on the basis of expert medical advice and take full account of any risk from adverse reactions, balanced against the risks from disease. Routine inoculations given to service personnel deploying to the middle east are licensed products that have been rigorously tested for safety. This includes vaccination against anthrax, which has been offered to personnel deploying to the middle east since May 2001 under the Department's voluntary immunisation programme (VIP). All personnel who elect to receive immunisation against anthrax under the VIP are briefed on, and instructed to report to medical staff, any adverse reactions to the vaccine. No serious adverse reactions have been reported.

  Pilots
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the shortfall is of trained pilots in the(a) Royal Navy, (b) Army and (c) Royal Air Force. [87855]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: For the Royal Navy the overall shortfall of trained pilots is currently 51 (9 per cent.). This however, includes staff and administrative posts; the RN's front-line shortfall is less than 5 per cent. For the Army the shortfall is 10 (1.2 per cent.) and in the RAF the current shortfall of junior officer pilots is 109 (7.3 per cent.) of the requirement.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which of his Department's signed PFI contracts have been independently audited since they were signed and started; who conducted the audit; when the audit took place; and if he will make a statement. [87580]

  Mr. Ingram
  The NAO is the only body to have independently audited a selection of the Department's PFI contracts. The individual project reports can be found
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  on the NAO website at www.nao.gov.ukypublications/vfimsublist/vfm_ppp.htm.

  Studies relating to specific defence PFI contracts

  Title

  Date

  Ministry of Defence: Redevelopment of MOD Main Building HC 748, Parliamentary Session 2001–02

  18 April 2002

  Ministry of Defence: The Joint Services Command and Staff College HC 537, Parliamentary Session 2001–02

  7 February 2002

  The Private Finance Initiative: The Contract for the Defence Fixed Telecommunications System HC 328, Parliamentary Session 1999–2000

  23 March 2000

  Ministry of Defence: The Procurement of Non-Combat Vehicles for the Royal Air Force HC 738, Parliamentary Session 1998–99

  19 August 1999

  The PFI training element of the Apache Helicopter contract was addressed in the following:

  Title

  Date

  Ministry of Defence Building an Air Manoeuvre Capability: The Introduction of the Apache Helicopter HC1246, Parliamentary Session 2001–02

  31 October 2002

  QinteiQ
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what freehold(a) land and (b) buildings have been transferred by his Department to the ownership of QinetiQ, what the latest estimated value is of those assets; and how much (i) land and (ii) buildings has been leased to QinetiQ on leases in excess of 10 years. [87772]

  Dr. Moonie
  When QinetiQ was vested as a plc on 1 July 2001, the following sites were transferred to QinetiQ: Aberporth Airfield, Alverstoke, Angle, Aquila, Bedford (three sites), Bincleaves, Chertsey, Christchurch, Cobbett Hill, Farnborough (Cody, Pyestock and Pyestock North), Fraser, Funtington North, Haslar (DERA site, not Hospital), Hurn (three sites), Hutton Moor, Malvern, Pershore, Portsdown,

  VC10

  Serviceable

  1st line

  2nd line

  3rd line

  4th line

  Modification

  RAF Brize Norton

  3

  6

  1

  0

  0

  1

  Op. RESINATE

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Munster

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Akrotiri

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Chateauroux

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Falkland Islands

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  RAF St. Athan

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  Tristar

  Serviceable

  1st line

  2nd line

  3rd line

  4th line

  Modification

  RAF Brize Norton

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Marshalls (Cambridge)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Abu Dhabi

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  Note:

  Only six of the total of nine Tristar aircraft owned by the Department are air-to-air refuelling aircraft, the remainder are air transport aircraft.
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  The projects covered by the studies carried out are as follows:

  West Drayton and Fort Halstead. The last formal valuation which included all these properties was on 30 June 2001. At this point, the total value of the land and buildings transferred from MOD to QinetiQ reported in the opening balance sheet of QinetiQ was £342 million.

  Detailed terms and conditions for a number of leases are still subject to final negotiation. Currently, the only lease from the Ministry of Defence to QinetiQ with a term exceeding 10 years is for the satellite communications centre at West Freugh

  Air-to-Air Refuelling
  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence where each of the air-to-air refueller aircraft held by his Department is; and if he will make a statement on the level of serviceability of each. [87919]

  Mr. Ingram
  The following table show the location and serviceability of the aircraft of the Royal Air Force's Air to Air refuelling fleet at 0800 hours on 16 December 2002 and presents no more than a snapshot in time at that particular moment. All aircraft in 2nd, 3rd and 4th line maintenance are undergoing scheduled maintenance. Aircraft that are in 1st and 2nd line maintenance could be brought back into service very quickly if required.

  Tracer
  Angus Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much the United Kingdom invested in the development of TRACER before it was cancelled by the US partners. [86380]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 9 December 2002]: The United Kingdom agreed jointly with our US partners not to proceed beyond the assessment phase of the TRACER programme which completed in July 2002. Total UK investment in the programme was £131 million. Arrangements have been put in place to utilise key technologies developed in the TRACER programmes in new programmes such as the future rapid effects system.

PRIME MINISTER

  Referendums
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on holding referendums. [87933]

  The Prime Minister
  The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 established a generic statutory framework for the conduct of referendums held across the UK, or a referendum held in Scotland, Wales, England or Northern Ireland, or in any region in England. Dedicated primary legislation is required for any individual referendum. The Regional Assemblies (Preparations) Bill, currently before the House, provides for referendums to be held in any of the eight English regions outside of London.

TRANSPORT

  Correspondence
  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to reply to the letter of 21 October from the right hon. Member for Hitchin and Harpenden requesting a meeting with local groups to discuss plans to expand Luton airport. [88058]

  Mr. Spellar
  We are considering the request made in the letter from the right hon. Member to meet him and members of Luton and District Association for the Control of Airport Noise (LADACAN), and will respond shortly.

  Terrorism
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve security at small ports and airfields to prevent entry of(a) terrorist suspects and (b) material for use in terrorism; and if he will make a statement. [87504]

  Mr. Jamieson
  In the UK in the immediate aftermath of September 2001 attacks we immediately tightened the security regime for commercial flights by small aircraft. Prior to that, commercial aircraft of less than 15 tonnes (maximum take off weight) were outside the requirements of the National Aviation Security Programme. That exemption has been removed, and aircraft of any weight are now subject to the programme.
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  The operators of such aircraft and the managers of the aerodromes they operate from have been issued with the relevant directions and guidance, and Department for Transport inspectors monitor compliance and undertake enforcement, prioritising those locations where the risks are judged greatest. As with all aspects of the regime, these measures are kept under review.

  A14
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to add the A14 widening project to the Targeted Programme of Improvements. [87449]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Highways Agency is progressing preparatory work on the A14 improvement with a view to recommending to the Secretary of State the most suitable design to be included in our Targeted Programme of Improvements. This work is taking longer than expected but I hope that we would be in a position to announce the results of that work in the new year.

  Aircraft Noise
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what dedicated phone lines exist for members of the public to complain about noise resulting from aircraft. [88083]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Department does not have a dedicated phone line for members of the public to complain about aircraft noise. Handling of complaints is a local matter for the airport management. Some airports maintain dedicated complaint lines.

  EU Transport Council
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the outcome was of the Transport Council held in Brussels on 5 December; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. [87253]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The transport segment of the Transport, Energy and Telecommunications Council was held in Brussels on 5–6 December, my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Transport attended on the first day, and I attended on the second day, when the Prestige incident was discussed.

  The Council came to an agreement on the Single European Sky package. The aim of the four regulations making up the package is to improve the efficiency of air traffic management across the EU, thereby reducing air traffic delays. The United Kingdom has been a strong supporter of this package from the outset and I am very pleased to be able to report the successful outcome. Civil/military co-operation is an important aspect of air traffic management, and the member states made a declaration agreeing to co-operate on military aspects.

  The Commission presented its recent Communication on the consequences for European aviation policy of the recent ECJ rulings on aviation agreements. The Commission called for rapid progress on concluding an EU-US aviation agreement, the Commissioner having written to Ministers, asking them to denounce their existing agreements with the US, which, following the

  811W
  ECJ rulings, the Commission believed were no longer valid. There was general agreement that member states and the Commission needed to discuss the consequences of the ruling urgently, including the question of a Commission mandate for negotiations with the US. COREPER was asked to work on proposals to be put to the Council.

  The Council agreed on a Regulation providing for new levels of compensation to air passengers in the event of denied boarding, cancellation and delay. A majority of Ministers accepted three levels of compensation: 250 euros for all flights of 1,500 km or less, 400 euros for intra-EU flights of more than 1,500 km and other flights between 1,500–3,500 km, and 600 euros for all other flights. These compensation levels will be reviewed four years after the Regulation comes into effect. The UK voted against the Regulation because in the absence of a link to the ticket price it could damage the interests of consumers of "no-frills" air services. During the debate, the Minister of State had voiced concern at the impact on the services of no-frills carriers, pointing out that the minimum compensation level was almost four times the average cost of a no-frills ticket. Following a suggestion from some member states that the scope of the Regulation be extended to certain passengers returning to the EU from non-Community airports, it was agreed that the Commission would publish a report on this issue.

  Conclusions were agreed setting out the basis for the continuation of the Galileo satellite navigation project, including the tendering procedure, and addressing the importance of relations with third countries. A final decision on whether to include a Public Regulated Service (PRS) in the project is to be taken before the end-of 2003. The UK and the Netherlands entered a Minutes Statement stressing that they could not accept any PRS that would overlay the US GPS M-Code.

  The Council debated the second package of rail measures. The presidency noted the progress that had been made on this package of five proposals, designed to progress the development of more harmonised technical standards for interoperability, harmonise safety regulation processes, to open up access to the market for all rail freight services, and to establish a European Rail Agency. In discussion of the main outstanding issues on the safety and interoperability proposals there was a consensus for member states to be able to maintain safety levels above any harmonised minimum standard, and general support for extending the scope of the interoperability requirements. The presidency concluded that work should continue on the package. Greece made clear that it hoped to reach agreement during its presidency.

  There was a debate on action to be taken following the Prestige accident. I, in common with other Ministers and the Commission, generally welcomed the presidency's approach in the Conclusions put to the Council. I joined others in arguing for better quality port state control inspections, and expressed the UK view that in general there should be co-ordinated EU actions leading to improvements in the international regulatory framework. The Conclusions reaffirmed the support of member states for the establishment of a supplementary compensation fund, developed in the IMO, to the benefit of the victims of oil pollution. This
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  would enhance the existing international fund. The UK's concern was that the EU should not commit itself at this stage to its own fund in the event of failure of negotiations in the IMO, for fear of prejudicing those negotiations, and we secured an amendment to this effect. The Conclusions also include commitments to a faster phasing out of single-hulled tankers and restrictions on those carrying very heavy oil. There is to be an analysis of available double-hull tanker capacity. Also included are: better implementation of port state control obligations, and possible measures by member states to prohibit within 200 miles of their coasts traffic carrying dangerous and polluting goods.

  The Council agreed on a Regulation establishing the Marco Polo programme to grant community financial aid to projects designed to achieve the shift of freight transport from road to other modes. The programme will have a total budget of 75 million euros.

  Political agreement was reached on a Regulation to prohibit the use of environmentally damaging antifouling paints on ships, in accordance with the latest IMO agreements.

  Conclusions were agreed on the integration of environment and sustainable development into transport policy, a continuation of the process begun at the Cardiff European Council in 1998.

  The Council debated the issue of Alpine transit and the ecopoint system for transit through Austria. Agreement could not be reached, and the presidency submitted the dossier to the General Affairs and External Relations Council.

  During the Council, Ministers signed the Agreement on Maritime Transport between the European Community and its member states, and the People's Republic of China.

  Guided Bus Routes
  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will to announce whether Cambridgeshire County Council has been successful in its bid for a guided bus along the Cambridge-Huntingdon route. [88150]

  Mr. Jamieson
  My Department is still appraising the proposals. As this would be a large and expensive scheme, we have asked independent external consultants to undertake a technical audit of the information received, in order to help us form a view on whether the proposal passes the established tests that determine eligibility for government funding. We will continue to work with the promoters to resolve outstanding issues as soon as possible, and would hope to be able to give them a provisional view of the scheme in advance of the next local transport investment settlement. This would be without prejudice to any statutory approvals that may be required.

  Motorway Congestion
  Mr. Battle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he will make of the South and West Yorkshire multi-modal study into motorway congestion; if he will set up further studies with a
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  broader focus; and if he will bring forward the further investment into rail and tram routes suggested in the study. [87432]

  Mr. Jamieson
  We are currently considering the study recommendations together with the comments received from the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly and others. An announcement giving our response to the study recommendations and on the way forward will be made in spring 2003.

  Rail Passenger Partnership
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many applications there have been for the Rail Passenger Partnership in rural areas since its launch; how many have been accepted; and what the average amount spent on each bid has been to date. [88144]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Rail Passenger Partnership (RPP) scheme was launched in 1999 with a budget of £105 million over three years. In December 2001 the Strategic Rail Authority re-launched RPP with a budget of £400 million until 2010–11.

  It is not possible to give a precise figure for the amount spent exclusively in rural areas, as many of the schemes for which funding has been awarded by the SRA are of benefit to rural and non-rural areas. However, since the launch of the Rail Passenger Partnership scheme, applications for 68 schemes containing a rural element have been received. Of these, 36 schemes have been approved for funding. There are a further 13 schemes with a rural element where the Strategic Rail Authority are awaiting formal bids. From the total of those approved bids containing a rural element, the average RPP funding awarded is around £100,000.

  Railways
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of changes in the average level of insurance paid per annum since 1995 within the railway industry related to cover for(a) rolling stock, (b) stations, (c) personnel, (d) passengers and (e) other infrastructure. [87628]

  Mr. Jamieson
  In February 2001, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) took over responsibility for approving all licensed operators) third party insurance arrangements from the Rail Regulator. Neither the SRA nor the Regulator holds information on premiums paid.

  Scottish Airports (Public Transport Facilities)
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of passengers who flew from(a) Edinburgh, (b) Glasgow and (c) Prestwick airports travelled to the airport by public transport in each year since 1995. [88082]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The available information is as follows.
  814W

  Percentage of passengers arriving or departing by public transport1

  Edinburgh airport

  Glasgow airport

  1996

  37

  31

  2001

  46

  34

  1 Taxi/minicab or bus/coach. For passengers whose journey included more than one mode, the final mode has been used in the calculation.

  Secretary of State Representative
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 3 December 2002,Official Report, column 673, what resources the Secretary of State representative will have at his disposal; where he is based and if the Secretary of State has powers to intervene to direct him to act. [87521]

  Mr. Jamieson
  (1) The following major resources are available to SOSREP:

  Aircraft
  2 surveillance aircraft and 2 dispersant spraying aircraft.

  Helicopters
  4 x search and rescue helicopters.

  Emergency towing vessels
  Four Government funded emergency towing vessels, strategically placed around the UK.

  Counter pollution and salvage stockpiles
  The MCA has extensive stockpiles of specialised counter pollution and salvage equipment located at Milford Haven and Burnt Island and can provide equipment such as thermal imaging cameras and intrinsically safe equipment in the event of an incident.

  Personnel
  In the event that SOSREP is unavailable when an incident occurs, the following officers may also exercise the SOSREP powers: the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's chief executive, director of operations and deputy director of operations.
  The MCA has 10 designated marine casualty officers (MCOs) around the country that during an incident would go aboard a casualty to act for SOSREP.

  SOSREP has one full time administrative support officer that deals with the every day running of the SOSREP system.
  SOSREP also has a list of independent call-off contractors that can provide salvage, technical or specialist advice. During incidents when a salvage control unit has been set up, SOSREP can request additional administrative support and this is usually provided by the coastguard service.

  Buildings and offices
  SOSREP's office is located within the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's headquarters in Southampton. SOSREP has access to all the facilities within the agency's building including the maritime emergency incident room from which the first stages of an incident are often controlled until the individual response units have been mobilised.
  SOSREP also receives information from, and can make use of, the 19 coastguard stations that are located around the UK coastline.

  (2) The powers of the Secretary of State:

  Lord Donaldson's 1999 Review of Salvage and Intervention and their Command and Control concluded that:
  "Ministers are entitled to be kept informed in the case of more serious incidents and may subsequently be accountable to Parliament. However, whilst operations are in progress, they must stand aside, and be seen to stand aside, leaving operational

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  controls in the hands of the Secretary of State's specially trained and appointed representative. As in military operations, with which a serious incident has much in common, Ministers must back the man in control or sack him."
  This is the principle on which the UK operates the SOSREP function. It is this which sets the UK's response to incidents apart from that of all other nations.

  Stingray
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 10 December 2002,Official Report, column 214W, on the Stingray system, how the revenue generated from enforcement against VED evaders caught by the Stingray systems compared with the target set in October 2001; and if he will make a statement. [88149]

  Mr. Jamieson
  No separate target was set for the Stingray AN PR camera systems in October 2001. The Stingray system was intended to, and did, contribute towards the total VED enforcement target of 720,000 successful cases for the year 2001–02. The actual figure achieved was 799,800 cases.

  Trains (Chorley)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to improve rail services between Manchester and Blackpool serving parts of Chorley borough area; and what plans he has to increase the number of trains stopping at Euxton Balshaw lane station. [87516]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The SRA is combining the local and regional services currently operated by Arriva Trains Northern and First North Western—including those between Manchester and Blackpool—to form a new 'northern' franchise, in line with its new franchising policy announced on 6 November. The SRA expects the franchise to be operational in summer 2004. There are no specific plans to increase the number of trains stopping at Euxton Balshaw lane station at present, but operators can seek to increase service levels at their own discretion.

  Vehicle Excise Duty
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many successful cases against evasion of vehicle excise duty there were between October 2001 and October 2002. [88084]

  Mr. Jamieson
  In the 13 months between October 2001 and October 2002 DVLA took successful action against 870,383 offenders.

TREASURY

  Airport Vehicles
  John Barrett
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the level of fuel taxation of land vehicles used solely within the precincts of UK airports. [88081]
  816W
  John Healey
  Vehicles operating within the confines of an airport are usually unlicensed vehicles not used on public roads. As such, they are entitled to use rebated gas oil (red diesel) as fuel. Rebated gas oil carries a duty rate of 3.13p per litre.

  Bioethanol
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 10 December 2002,Official Report, column 257W, on bioethanol fuel, what research he has published on the effect the level of duty on bioethanol fuel has had on (a) the British sugar industry, (b) British farmers and (c) the manufacturing sector. [87794]

  John Healey
  We have not published any research on this subject.

  Business Support
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 10 December 2002,Official Report, column 257W, on business support, when he expects the RDA pilots to be completed; and when a decision about the general introduction of RDA-led management and co-ordination of business support will be made. [87785]

  John Healey
  Pilots of RDA-led management and coordination of regional business support are currently in the developmental stage. The Small Business Service (SBS) and HM Treasury are continuing to work closely with RDAs to work up their proposals. An evaluation framework is being designed to capture the key learning points from the pilots. More details on timings will be announced in due course.

  Climate Change
  David Hamilton
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with manufacturers about the effect of the climate change levy on UK competitiveness. [87672]

  John Healey
  As part of the normal process of contact with business, my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer and the Treasury ministerial team have met a variety of businesses and business organisations and have heard a range of representations. As the Chancellor of the Exchequer said in his answer of 11 February,Official Report, columns 114–15, in line with previous Administrations, it is not this Government's practice to provide details of the meetings they routinely have with a wide range of organisations.

  Convergence
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will deposit in the Library the UK's 2002 convergence programme, arising from Article 7 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1466/97 of the Stability and Growth Pact, before 19 December; and if he will make a statement. [87944]

  Ruth Kelly
  The UK's 2002 convergence programme will be made available to both Houses of Parliament once it is published.

  Customs and Excise
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if the government policy on rulings in writing given by Customs and Excise Officers, as set out on 21 July 1978,Official Report, column 426, applies to oral (a) VAT advice obtained by telephone from the Department's National Advice Service and (b) VAT advice obtained from a Customs officer by e-mail; and if he will make a statement. [87625]

  John Healey
  The policy set out on 21 July 1978,Official Report, columns 426–27, has been expressed in a published concession which provides that:
  If a Customs and Excise officer, with the full facts before him has given a clear and unequivocal ruling on VAT in writing or, knowing the full facts, has misled a registered person to his detriment, any assessment of VAT due will be based on the correct ruling from the date the error was brought to the registered person's attention.
  The concession applies, in these terms, to VAT rulings given over the telephone by Customs, including their National Advice Service, and to VAT rulings given by officers in writing and communicated by letter, fax or e-mail.

  Death Duty
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to(a) reduce the percentage of death duty paid, and (b) raise the qualifying value of exemption from death duty. [87373]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Chancellor considers all taxes as part of his annual Budget judgment.

  European Tax Harmonisation
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on Franco-German plans for European tax harmonisation. [87015]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government's view is that fair tax competition is the way forward, not proposals for tax harmonisation. The Government will not support any action at European level that would threaten jobs and investment or damage the competitive position of British business.

  HIPC Initiative
  Tony Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress has been made to secure the US$1 billion for the HIPC initiative that is not financed; and if he will make a statement. [87571]

  John Healey
  The UK government have been at the forefront of the international debate on debt relief issues, and continues to press for the rapid and full implementation of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative.

  At the G7 Summit in Kananaskis in June 2002, the UK helped secure agreement for the G7 to fund their share of the financing shortfall in the enhanced HIPC initiative, recognising that it would be up to US$1 billion.

  At the annual meetings of the World bank and IMF in September the UK took a strong lead by pledging its share of the funds needed in advance. The development
  818W
  committee communiqué welcomed the pledges of support from the UK and others, and called on other countries to make firm pledges as a matter of urgency.

  The UK and 16 other donors have now agreed pledges totalling $850 million to the HIPC trust fund. EU member states have also called on the European Commission to make a contribution through the European Development Fund.

  Tony Worthington
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will seek further independent reviews of IMF growth projections for HIPC countries; and if he will make a statement. [87573]

  John Healey
  At the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on children in May 2002, the Chancellor called for greater caution over the forecasts used to calculate debt sustainability for HIPCs. And G7 leaders agreed, at their meeting in June, that the IMF and World bank should ensure that forecasts of debt sustainability are made on the basis of prudent and cautious assumptions about growth and exports. Therefore, the UK is pleased to note that in preparation for the annual meetings of the International Monetary and Financial Committee and Development Committee in September 2002, IMF and World bank staff committed to develop alternative macroeconomic scenarios, including a policy-based "optimistic" and a "conservative" scenario that would reflect country's vulnerabilities and the uncertainties of external environment. IMF and World bank staff are also expected to base their own growth projections on a thorough analysis of the likely sources of growth and to present such analyses explicitly in discussions with authorities, as well as in staff documents.

  The Independent Evaluations Office (TEO) of the IMF has been discussing its work programme for 2003, proposing an evaluation of the poverty reductions strategy papers and the poverty reduction and growth facility approach. The UK has contributed to that discussion to ensure the IE0 can conduct a thorough assessment.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to release the concluding statement of the International Monetary Fund Article IV consultations by means of a written ministerial statement; and if he will make a statement. [87626]

  John Healey
  The IMF's concluding statement at the end of the 2002 Article IV consultations was published by the IMF on 9 December. Copies of the statement were also placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

  Less Polluting Vehicles
  Mr. Hurst
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further proposals he has to increase the tax incentives to motorists for mileage on business use to change to less polluting vehicles. [87325]

  John Healey
  The new company car tax system linking the charge on the benefit of a company car to the level of its carbon dioxide emissions came into effect in April this year.

  The Inland Revenue is undertaking an extensive exercise to evaluate the effects of the reforms.
  819W
  Any changes to the system will be made in the context of the Chancellor's Budget judgment.

  Public Liability Insurance
  Ms Bridget Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made an assessment of the implications of changes in public liability insurance for constituency offices and venues where parliamentary advice surgeries are held; and if he will make a statement. [86207]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  I have been asked to reply.

  Parliament provides combined employers and public liability insurance for its Members. We are not aware of any changes to the scope of the public liability insurance.

  We have been advised that when we renew our policy at the end of March 2003, the ceiling for indemnity in respect of terrorist acts under the employers' liability provision will be reduced from £10 million to £5 million. We will inform Members of the terms of the new policy.

  Tax Avoidance
  Mr. Andrew Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what financial institutions based in the City of London have used offshore financial arrangements in the last three years as a smeans of avoiding liability for employers national insurance; and if he will make a statement; [R] [87710]

  (2) what steps he intends to take to remove the opportunity for financial institutions based in the City of London to avoid liability for national insurance by paying their employees who work in the UK under an offshore arrangement; [R] [87711]

  (3) what recent reports he has received relating to tax avoidance schemes which involve the use of offshore arrangements in the payment of employees as a vehicle for avoiding (a) tax and (b) national insurance liability. [R] [87713]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government are committed to closing loopholes in the tax and NICs systems, which allow some people to avoid paying their fair share, increasing the burden on others. In his pre-Budget report the Chancellor announced that he was introducing measures to counter the avoidance of tax and national insurance contributions through the use of employees benefit trusts. I cannot comment on the activities of individual companies.

  Training and Management Courses
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 10 December 2002,Official Report, column 266W, on training and management courses, when he will publish the consultation document described. [87791]

  John Healey
  The Government are in discussion with a number of high street banks on the detail of their proposal and will consult small businesses in due course.

  Working Families Tax Credit
  Mr. Denis Murphy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families in each of the wards in the Wansbeck constituency benefit from receipt of the working families tax credit. [88158]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I understand from the Office for National Statistics that they expect to publish these figures within the next few weeks as part of neighbourhood statistics.

CABINET OFFICE

  Non-departmental Public Bodies
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to reform non-departmental public bodies at the regional level. [86325]

  Mr. Alexander
  I have no plans for major reforms to the way that non-departmental public bodies operate at a regional level. However, the White Paper 'Your Region, Your Choice' sets out the Government's proposals to strengthen the existing regional institutions, including Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), who now enjoy increased funding and flexibility in the way that their resources can be used. In the future, in those regions where voters choose in a referendum to have an elected assembly, the RDA will be accountable to the elected assembly in the region, which will appoint the Chair and Board members and publish the regional economic strategy. Elected regional assemblies will also have a significant influence over other bodies such as the local Learning and Skills Councils, Small Business Service, Strategic Rail Authority, Environment Agency and cultural bodies, through making appointments, being consulted on strategies and co-ordinating activity.

  Regulatory Impact Unit
  Mr. Prisk
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the employment costs are, including benefits, of(a) ministers representing the Regulatory Impact Unit and (b) special advisers and their supporting staff retained by the Regulatory Impact Unit. [87607]

  Mr. Alexander
  No special advisers are retained by the Regulatory Impact Unit (R IU). The one part-time special adviser and two Ministers employed in the Cabinet Office will spend some of their time on RI U-related issues but the cost of this time is not separately identifiable from the time spent by them on other issues.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Agency Workers
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with her European counterparts regarding the Agency Workers Directive; whether she has sought to make amendments to the Directive as it stands; and if she will make a statement. [87663]
  821W
  Alan Johnson
  As I said in the debate in European Standing Committee C on 10 July 2002, the Government would like to see further flexibilities introduced to the proposal. I have been discussing and will continue to discuss this proposal with Ministers in other member states, MEPs and Commissioner Diamantopoulou. I shall be producing an Explanatory Memorandum and Regulatory Impact Assessment on the revised proposal.

  Business Leaders
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 5 December,Official Report, column 1039, if she will list the business leaders to whom she spoke between 27 November and 5 December, stating in each case whether the agreement to which she refers was volunteered. [87515]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: As the Official Report, makes clear, I was referring to a wide range of discussions with business leaders since Budget 2002, including several large meetings.

  Christmas Day Trading
  Donald Anderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what response she has received from major retailers to her appeal not to open on Christmas Day; and what action she plans for future years as a result of that response. [87987]

  Alan Johnson
  Consultation of major retailers earlier in the year indicated that the majority did not plan to open on Christmas Day 2002 or in future years.

  The need for any further action will be considered in the light of the practice of retailers at Christmas this year.

  Election Addresses
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry under what legislation the Post Office is required to deliver election addresses free of charge at general elections; what the cost of delivery was at the last general election(a) in each constituency and (b) in total; and by whom those costs are met. [87342]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: A candidate's right to send election address post free is provided for in Section 91 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 as amended by paragraph 17 of Schedule 8 to the Postal Services Act 2000. Section 91 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 entitles a candidate at a parliamentary election (subject to such reasonable terms and conditions as the universal service provider may specify) to send free of any charge certain specified postal communications to each elector. Cost is a matter that falls within the day-to-day responsibility of Royal Mail Group plc and I have therefore asked the Chairman to reply direct to the hon. Member.

  Employers Liability Insurance
  Miss Begg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what recent assessment she has made of the ability of small businesses to secure Employers' Liability Insurance; [87405]
  822W
  (2) how many businesses have gone into liquidation citing the inability to obtain affordable Employers' Liability Insurance in the last 12 months. [87403]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  As businesses enter liquidation proceedings for a number of reasons, it is not possible to single out one issue, such as difficulty in obtaining Employers Liability Insurance as the sole cause of such proceedings.

  However, my Department is very concerned by reports of significant rises in insurance costs, particularly for small businesses, and is aware of the difficulties that this has posed for some firms.

  As announced in the Chancellor's pre-Budget report in November, the Government are conducting a review to assess the scale and nature of difficulties with the Employer's Liability Insurance system. The Department for Work and Pensions is leading the review and my Department will play a full and active role to represent the needs of business. Further details about the review are available at www.dwp.gov.uk/publications/2002/mdex.htm.

  Mozambique
  Jane Griffiths
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the volume of trade between the UK and Mozambique was in the last year for which figures are available; what recent estimate she has made of UK investment in Mozambique; and what steps she has taken to encourage trade between Mozambique and the rest of the Commonwealth. [87062]

  Nigel Griffiths
  According to figures published by HM Customs and Excise, UK imports of goods from Mozambique in 2001 were valued at £7.5 million while UK exports were worth £12.6 million. In the nine months to September 2002 UK imports were worth £1.5 million while exports were £10.9 million. The figures do not take account of trade between Mozambique and British companies located in South Africa, for which statistics are not available.

  Information on UK investment in Mozambique is not available due to commercial confidentiality.

  Trade Partners UK has a small but busy section in Mozambique, assisting UK companies in the market and those wishing to access it for the first time. In addition TPUK has recently funded a high level delegation to the UK to highlight investment opportunities in a hydro-power project, Mpanda Ncua, and has given support to a trade mission from the UK planned for February 2003. It is not HMG's role to actively promote business between Mozambique and other Commonwealth countries. However, TPUK supported the Commonwealth Business Council in its efforts to run an investment promotion seminar jointly with the Mozambique Government in February 2002.

  Post Office Benefit Payments
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who will oversee the second card option for post office payment after the changes in 2003. [86557]
  823W
  Mr. Timms
  This is a matter which falls within the day-to-day responsibility of Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the chief executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

  Productivity
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment has been made of the impact on productivity of the growth of the service sector relative to the manufacturing sector. [87838]

  Alan Johnson
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: Concern is sometimes expressed that the growth of the service sector may slow overall productivity growth because measured productivity growth is lower in the service sector than in the rest of the economy. However this conclusion, which emerged in academic research in the 1960s, has been called into question by later research. Moreover a number of studies show that the UK service sector has considerable potential to catch up with best-practice productivity levels elsewhere. The Government are keen to encourage productivity growth and narrow the productivity gap in all sectors of the economy.

  Renewable Energy
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the costs of establishing a target of(a) 25 per cent. and (b) 30 per cent. of the UK's electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020. [87882]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Prospects for renewable energy, including the question of possible targets beyond the 10 per cent. target for 2010, will be addressed in the Energy White Paper which we expect to publish in the new year.

  Social Chapter
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 2 December 2002,Official Report, column 520W, on the Social Chapter, what estimates her Department has made of (a) the overall cost to date and (b) the annual cost hereafter to businesses in the UK of implementing the five directives transposed from the Social Chapter. [87674]

  Alan Johnson
  Estimates of the overall cost to businesses in the UK of implementing regulations transposing the five Social Chapter directives listed as follows were published in Regulatory Impact Assessments which are available from the Libraries of the House.

  The estimated total annual recurring implementation cost is as follows:

  Parental Leave Directive, including the 1999 extension to the implementing Regulations—£0.2 million;

  European Works Council Directive—nil;

  Part-time Work Directive—£4 million;

  Burden of Proof Directive in Sex Discrimination cases—£0.6 million;

  Fixed Term Employees Directive—£2 million.

  Solar Photovoltaics
  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what criteria have been used to exclude(a) on grid solar PV, (b) off grid solar PV and (c) hybrid systems including solar PV, from the proposed new community and household renewable energy grant scheme to be launched in January 2003. [87715]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Performance and Innovation Unit's 'Renewable Energy in the UK—Building for the Future' report recommended that up to £10 million of support be provided as capital grants specifically for renewable energy schemes that engage local communities or individual households.

  The DTI has since undertaken a broad consultation exercise to inform the positioning, design and workings of this scheme. Through the consultation the DTI has revisited the initial recommendations of the PIU. An initial scoping exercise identified schemes, which had potential overlap with the proposed Community and Household Scheme (CHS), and concluded that such a scheme would be beneficial for the advancement of renewables in the UK.

  Although the PIU recommended that no restrictions be placed on technology, the DTI has sought to identify which technologies would enhance the public's understanding of renewables. The scheme has also been designed so that it would not duplicate work under way through other Government or Industry initiatives. Although solar PV has a significant contribution to make to enhancing the public's understanding of renewables, it is already supported by the first phase of the PV Major Demonstration Programme (MDP) which has a budget of £20 million. The programme has already supported PV installations by homeowners and local groups. Technologies such as solar water heating, small wind and micro hydro can also make a positive contribution to the public's understanding of renewables. These technologies, in contrast to solar PV, receive little or no Government support.

  The scheme also aims to tackle some of the other barriers to uptake such as installer accreditation. Again installer accreditation for solar PV occurs under the MDP and so any such work in the Community and Household would be redundant.

  On off grid applications, the DTI are currently looking at whether to expand the MDP to include off grid PV systems. On hybrid systems, customers will be able to apply to the CHS for the non solar PV component and to the MDP for the solar PV component of the hybrid system.

  The technologies supported by the CHS will be reviewed throughout the lifetime of the scheme and altered if necessary.

  Trawlermen (Compensation)
  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many refused claims for compensation for former Icelandic trawlermen based in the city of Aberdeen are awaiting(a) first appeal and (b) a decision by the independent adjudicator. [87638]
  825W
  Nigel Griffiths
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: The information is as follows:

  (a) 51 Aberdeen-based claimants are currently awaiting a decision on their claim by the official responsible for considering queries about the initial decision of the Watford office.

  (b) Eight Aberdeen-based claimants are currently awaiting a decision on their claim by the independent adjudicator.

  Mr. Doran
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many refused claims for compensation for former Icelandic trawlermen based in the City of Aberdeen have been overturned(a) at first appeal and (b) by the independent adjudicator. [87639]

  Nigel Griffiths
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: The information is as follows:

  (a) The official responsible for considering queries about the initial decision of the Watford office (as regards either refusal of compensation or the amount awarded) has found in the claimant's favour in 51 cases involving Aberdeen-based claimants. Of these:
  Nine were as a result of rule changes made in November 2001;
  27 were as a result of new documentary evidence being provided to establish a longer period of continuous service than was originally calculated; and
  15 were as a result of a different view being taken on the claim.
  (b) The independent adjudicator has found in the claimant's favour in two formal appeals by Aberdeen-based claimants.

  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims under the Former Icelandic Water Trawlermen Compensation Scheme are still to be processed; how many appeals under the scheme are awaiting a decision; and what the average time to process an appeal has been. [87664]

  Nigel Griffiths
  There are no claims remaining that have not been considered on at least one occasion. There are 180 currently awaiting further information prior to an initial decision of the Watford office. There are 193 queries regarding the initial decision of the Watford office currently under consideration by the responsible DTI official. Over 1,600 other queries have already been responded to by him. There are 43 formal appeals currently with the independent adjudicator for consideration. The average time taken to process a formal appeal has been 57 days.

  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps were taken by her Department to publicise the Former Icelandic Water Trawlermen Compensation Scheme; how many representations her Department has received from fishermen enquiring about compensation under the scheme since the expiry date; and if she will extend the application process beyond that date. [87665]

  Nigel Griffiths
  The scheme was publicised in the local press and other relevant publications, with port area MPs and with the British Fishermen's Association, and on the DTI website. While the scheme was in operation, DTI officials also made numerous visits to the main port areas to meet former trawlermen and/or their representatives. Further publicity was arranged in 826W
  relevant publications and with port area representatives in advance of the 1 October 2002 closure date for new claims. Since that date, DTI officials have received fewer than 10 new inquiries from individuals who might have wished to claim compensation. The scheme rules made clear the closure date was final.

  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether, in accordance with the terms and conditions of the Former Icelandic Water Trawlermen Compensation Scheme, affidavits from independent witnesses testifying that a certain ship has been to Icelandic waters during the relevant period will be accepted as proof of that ship's validity and will trigger compensation for those having served on it; and if she will make a statement. [87666]

  Nigel Griffiths
  At the outset of the scheme, officials—in conjunction with local trawlermen and their representatives—compiled a list of Icelandic-water vessels based on independent contemporary documentary evidence. More vessels have been added to this list as further such evidence has come to light during the period of operation of the Scheme. There are now over 700 vessels on the list. We continue to believe that independent contemporary documentary evidence provides the best basis for assessing the status of particular vessels.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Jubilee Medal
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will include traffic wardens in those eligible for the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal. [87184]

  Mr. Caborn
  No. The medal is being issued to the living holders of the Victoria Cross and the George Cross, to serving members of the armed forces arid the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and to the '999' emergency services. Traffic wardens do not fall within any of these eligible groups.

  Community Developments
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the public organisations that make grant funding available for community developments, and the funds available last year for them to disburse. [87413]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Department's annual report (May 2002, Cm 5423) gives details of all the public bodies sponsored by the Department and of any grant funding that they disburse.

  Drug Testing
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what further action she has taken to increase the number of drug tests on competitors at elite sporting events in the UK; and if she will make a statement. [87887]

  Mr. Caborn
  This Government is firmly committed to combating doping in sport. The anti-doping programme in the UK is delivered through the national anti-doping organisation, UK Sport, in conjunction with sports
  827W
  governing bodies. As a result of the 2002 Spending Review this Government has allocated additional funds to UK Sport specifically to increase the number of public interest tests carried out under the anti-doping programme and to meet the additional costs of new blood tests. The funding, which amounts to £1.5 million in 2004–05 and £3.2 million in 2005–06, will ensure the continued quality and comprehensiveness of UK Sport's anti-doping programme.

  National Lottery
  Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much revenue has been collected from lottery sales in Morecambe and Lunesdale in the last 12 months. [87506]

  Mr. Caborn
  Information about National Lottery ticket sales is not collected by constituency. But the National Lottery Commission is able to provide information about sales broken down by post code area. In October this year in response to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Morley and Rothwell (Mr. Challen) on 22 October 2002,Official Report, columns 182–83W, I placed in the House Libraries a table provided by Camelot plc listing sales by postcode area since the Lottery's launch.

  New Opportunities Fund
  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total of uncommitted funds is from New Opportunities Fund Rounds 1 and 2; and if she will make a statement. [87651]

  Mr. Caborn
  The New Opportunities Fund had £1.5 billion available for its round 1 and 2 programmes which are designed to improve the quality of life for people and communities, address disadvantage and encourage community participation.

  The New Opportunities Fund has committed 93.11 per cent. of Round 1 and 2 funds. There is £97.5 million yet to commit.

  Noise Pollution
  Mr. Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment of the noise pollution caused by(a) amplified music and (b) television sets was made by her Department when considering licensing reform. [87408]

  Dr. Howells
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: We consulted local authorities and local residents groups, as well as representatives of the music industry, following the publication of our proposals for reform of the licensing laws, and considered views on public nuisance and the impact of various forms of entertainment on the community. The comments that were received during the initial review and in response to the publication of the White Paper led to our making the prevention of public nuisance one of the four primary licensing objectives of the Bill.

  During the consultation, no organisation or individual commented on the issue of noise from television sets. Subsequently, we have considered
  828W
  whether the live broadcast of television in public venues should be brought within the proposed licensing regime and concluded that this is not necessary.

  Tax Relief
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Treasury about tax relief for those charitable organisations affected by the provisions of the Licensing Bill, with regard to the requirement for applying and paying for licences for fundraising events. [87450]

  Dr. Howells
  This Department has not had discussions with the Treasury with regard to this issue.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Housing Support
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated cost of administration was in relation to the introduction of charging and means testing for housing support services in Northern Ireland. [87336]

  Mr. Browne
  In the interests of targeting resources to where the need is greatest I have decided that those who can afford to pay for their housing support services should continue to do so. However it is important that the administration costs of operating such an arrangement are kept to a minimum. Rather than spending around £250,000 to develop and administer a specific supporting people means test, I have decided that eligibility for housing benefit or any other means tested benefit, should be the automatic passport to free housing support services. This will be easy to operate with little additional costs in terms of administration.

  North-South Implementation Bodies
  Mr. Donaldson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what agreement he has reached with the Irish Government about the operation of the North-South Implementation Bodies during the period of suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly; and if he will place a copy of the agreement in the Library. [85884]

  Mr. Paul Murphy
  In an exchange of notes on 19 November the British and Irish Governments agreed a mechanism so that during the period of temporary suspension of the Assembly, decisions on policies and actions relating to the Implementation Bodies, Tourism Ireland (a publicly owned company established as an area of co-operation by NSMC) or their respective functions could be taken. The agreement was made to ensure the continuation during suspension of the necessary public functions performed by the Implementation Bodies. The agreement, which came into force on 3 December, also provided that no new functions would be conferred on the Implementation Bodies during suspension. The exchange of notes will be laid before both Houses of Parliament.

  Personal Care
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent in each of the last three
  829W
  years in Northern Ireland in providing free personal care for those living in sheltered accommodation or living in their own homes. [87331]

  Mr. Browne
  Information on the cost of providing free personal care for those living in sheltered accommodation or living in their own homes is not available. The provision of personal care includes services such as district nursing, home help, occupational and physiotherapy and applies to a number of programmes of care. Information at the level required could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Public-Voluntary Sector Partnerships
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the funding arrangements for partnerships between statutory bodies and the voluntary sector in Northern Ireland. [87057]

  Mr. Browne
  Voluntary and community sector involvement in the design and delivery of public services is a key aspect of the Modernising Government agenda.

  There are numerous and diverse partnerships at local level, funded through grant aid and service level management, between the voluntary sector and statutory bodies such as district councils and health and social services trusts. Of particular importance are Local Strategy Partnerships, supported under Peace II and now working in every district council area in Northern Ireland.

  Further detail on the wide ranging sources of funding for partnerships between government and the voluntary and community sector can be provided only at disproportionate costs.

  Voluntary Sector (Service Delivery)
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what initiatives in and between Northern Ireland Government Departments are in place to encourage and facilitate the voluntary sector in delivery of services. [87058]

  Mr. Browne
  Government strategy for support of the voluntary and community sector in Northern Ireland is set out in "Partners for Change", a consultation document launched in June 2001. The strategy aims to add value to Government in Northern Ireland through a partnership approach with the voluntary and community sector, enabling the sector's contribution to service delivery, policy comment and achievement of government objectives.

  I have endorsed the final draft of partners for change and arrangements for publishing the document are currently in place. The document will be available early in 2003 and will be posted on the Department for Social Development's website.

  An allocation of £6 million from executive programme funds was announced on 7 October 2002 to maintain important services delivered by the voluntary and community sector, which otherwise might be lost due to funding difficulties. Applications for funding
  830W
  under this initiative have now closed and Departments aim to make recommendations to Ministers by the end of January 2003.

  Longer-term sustainability issues will be considered by a Task Force on Resourcing the Voluntary and Community Sector. This Task Force will consider the further diversification of funding sources for the sector and is due to report its conclusions by April 2004.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Breakfast Clubs
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 2 December 2002,Official Report, column 551W, on breakfast clubs, if he will make it the Government's policy to fund breakfast clubs for all schools via mainstream funding. [87575]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  My previous answer of 2 December explained that many schools already offer breakfast clubs as part of their study support or child care provision.

  "Investment for Reform" spelt out our intention that, by 2006, all schools should be providing study support, in breakfast clubs or otherwise. Funding will continue to be made available to local education authorities and schools to enable them to offer a wide range of study support activities, and we will be announcing our detailed plans in due course. It will be for schools and authorities to choose whether to run breakfast clubs in particular as part of their study support, as they are best placed to determine local needs and viability.

  Judy Mallaber
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking to ensure sustainability of breakfast clubs and out-of-school activities funded by the New Opportunities Fund when this funding finishes. [87617]

  Mr. Miliband
  We are committed to promoting study support in schools, including breakfast clubs. In "Investment for Reform", we spelt out our aim for all schools to be providing study support by 2006, in breakfast clubs or other activities. We hope that participating schools will also be able to use the extended schools programme, and child care initiatives, to offer an increased range of provision including breakfast clubs.

  Funding will continue to be available for study support activity after New Opportunities Fund grants finish. We will be announcing in due course our detailed funding plans for study support over the next three years. It will of course remain for schools and local education authorities to decide precisely what provision to offer with the resources at their disposal.

  Budget Deficits
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many universities and colleges are facing deficits in their budgets in the current financial year; and what estimate he has made of the cost to universities of remedying current budget deficiencies over the next(a) three years and (b) seven years. [87309]
  831W
  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: In 2000–01, there were 48 higher education institutions in England with budget deficits out of a total of 130. Universities receive funding from a variety of sources, both private and public and set out their accounts in their annual reports. The Higher Education Funding Council for England works with institutions in financial difficulty to enable them to return to a sound financial position over time. The Government's plans for public funding for future years will be announced alongside the higher education strategy document in January.

  GCSE Results
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the secondary modern schools which achieved better results at GCSE than the average for all-ability comprehensive schools in 2002. [87830]

  £

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  England

  150

  70

  120

  240

  410

  South East

  80

  30

  80

  200

  300

  East Sussex local education authority

  90

  30

  90

  240

  330

  notes:

  1. Figures reflect all revenue grants relevant to pupils aged four to 19, in DfES's Departmental Expenditure Limits (excluding EMA and other grants where it is not possible to get figures on a comparable basis over time).

  2. The pupil numbers used are the maintained pupils underlying the SSA settlement calculations.

  3. 1997–98 figure for East Sussex has been estimated, to take account of local government reorganisation.

  4. 1997–98 figures take account of approximately £500 million nationally in respect of the nursery voucher scheme which was transferred to SSA in 1998–99.

  5. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

  Maintained Schools (Guidance)
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance his Department has given to maintained schools regarding avoidance of political bias in the display of photographs of politicians in school buildings. [87463]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  Understanding our system of government is an important part of citizenship education, which became a part of the statutory National Curriculum for 11 to 16-year-olds in September 2002. It is for teachers to decide on the most appropriate materials, including visual aids, to encourage teaching and learning in the classroom. Teachers are aware of potential political problems and are professional in their approach. There are safeguards in law to guard against biased teaching. LEAs and schools must take reasonable steps to ensure that where political or controversial issues are covered, teachers offer pupils a balanced presentation of opposing views. The law on this is contained in sections 406 and 407 of the Education Act 1996.

  Ministerial Engagements
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many engagements were undertaken outside London(a) by him or his predecessor and (b) by Ministers in his Department in January (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002. [87357]
  832W
  Mr. Miliband
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: The information requested will not be available until the secondary school performance tables are published early in 2003. A copy of the analyses will be included in the House of Commons Library when the data are available.

  Government Grants
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average amount of central Government grant was per pupil in education in(a) England, (b) the South East, (c) East Sussex and (d) Eastbourne, in each of the last five years. [87591]

  Mr. Miliband
  The following table shows the Department's total recurrent grant per pupil allocated in England, the South East and East Sussex local education authority for the financial years 1997–98 to 2001–02. It is not possible to identify separately the amounts for individual constituencies.

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 16 December 2002,Official Report, column 608W.

  Plant Hire
  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent representations he has received about the CITB levy on the plant hire industry; and if he will make a statement. [87317]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  In recent weeks I have received 153 representations from a total of 25 companies about the CITB levy on the plant hire sector. I have agreed to consider whether there is a case for removing hire services from the scope of the CITB and am awaiting proposals from the sector.

  Sir Teddy Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much CITB levy was received from the plant hire industry in the last three years. [87318]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  Companies declaring their main activity to be "plant hire or repair" paid the following amounts of levy in the last three years:

  2000: £2,043,462

  2001: £2,364,100

  2002: £2,973,690

  Postcode Premium
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the future of the postcode premium in funding higher education institutions. [87230]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: The Higher Education Funding Council for England has been reviewing the level and method of distributing funding for widening participation. We favour funding indicators more closely related to the extra costs to institutions of recruiting and supporting students from non-traditional backgrounds. The income of their parents, whether they are first in their family to attend university and whether they attend schools with no tradition of sending large numbers to university, seem more appropriate indicators. The funding answer will take this matter forward.

  School Exclusions
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost is per year of educating an excluded child in a pupil referral unit. [86876]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  [holding answer 12 December 2002]: The Department has no analysis of how much cost is incurred in educating an excluded pupil at a pupil referral unit (PRU). This is due to the wide variance in provision that any particular excluded pupil would require from a PRU, as well as other factors such as the location of the PRU and the funding structure of the local education authority.

  Funding for PRUs is contained in the Social Inclusion: Pupil Support (SIPS) grant. This grant (£176 million in 2002–03) is designed to tackle bad behaviour in schools and to provide education for pupils outside mainstream schools. PRUs can also be funded from other sources and there is therefore no measure of costs for a PRU.

  There are currently 371 PRUs open in England.

  School Funding (Kent)
  Jonathan Shaw
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the level of schools funding per pupil was in(a) Kent and (b) Medway in each year since 1996; what the predicted spending for the next three years will be in each case; and what the capital investment was each year since 1996. [87728]

  Mr. Miliband
  The tables show the Department's total education standard spending assessment, recurrent and capital grant per pupil allocated to Kent and Medway local education authorities for the financial years 1998–99 to 2002–03. The local government reorganisation means that data for 1996–97 and 1997–98 does not conform to current boundaries so comparable figures are not available.

  Kent local education authority

  £

  SSA

  Recurrent grant

  Capital grant

  1998–99

  2,610

  20

  110

  1999–2000

  2,710

  70

  110

  2000–01

  2,830

  200

  300

  834W

  Kent local education authority

  £

  SSA

  Recurrent grant

  Capital grant

  2001–02

  2,970

  290

  290

  2002–03

  3,150

  320

  350

  Notes:

  1. Figures reflect education SSA settlement figures (all sub-blocks, excluding, where relevant, the funding for 4-year-olds at private, voluntary and independent institutions) plus all revenue grants in DfES's departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 4–19 (excluding EMA and other grants where it is not possible to get figures on a comparable basis over time).

  2. The pupil numbers used are the maintained pupils underlying the SSA settlement calculations.

  3. 2002–03 SSA figures include an element for LSC allocations in respect of school sixth forms.

  4. 2002–03 figures are provisional.

  5. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

  Medway local education authority

  £

  SSA

  Recurrent grant

  Capital grant

  1998–99

  2,580

  20

  120

  1999–2000

  2,670

  80

  130

  2000–01

  2,790

  200

  270

  2001–02

  2,930

  300

  290

  2002–03

  3,120

  320

  350

  Notes:

  1. Figures reflect education SSA settlement figures (all sub-blocks, excluding, where relevant, the funding for 4-year-olds at private, voluntary and independent institutions) plus all revenue grants in DfES's departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 4–19 (excluding EMA and other grants where it is not possible to get figures on a comparable basis over time).

  2. The pupil numbers used are the maintained pupils underlying the SSA settlement calculations.

  3. 2002–03 SSA figures include an element for LSC allocations in respect of school sixth forms.

  4. 2002–03 figures are provisional.

  5. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

  As a result of our drive to give extra resources to the front line, there will be no increase in central Government spending per pupil but a national average increase of over £540 per pupil in our plans for local government spending over the next three years.

  It is not possible to set out now education formula spending shares (EFSS) for Kent and Medway for 2004–05 arid 2005–06: they will depend on pupil numbers and indicator data at January 2003 and 2004. However, we have provided Kent and Medway with figures for total education formula spending for 2004–05 and 2005–06, together with forward projections at national level of pupil numbers for those years. We have also said that there will be minimum and maximum increases for authorities as we introduce the new LEA funding system. Indicator data will be averaged over three years to provide further stability and predictability in future formula spending shares. Kent and Medway will be able to use this data—together with local knowledge about pupil numbers and indicators—to form a good estimate of what their EFSS might be in those years. That will in turn allow them to provide schools with indicative budgets for the next three years.

  School Security
  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what measures he is taking to improve security arrangements in(a) primary and (b) secondary schools; [87805]

  (2) what grants are available to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools to improve on-site security arrangements. [87806]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The Department has produced a range of guidance on school security, most recently the video "Can You See What They See?". Advice is also available on the school security website www.dfes.gov.uk/schoolsecurity.

  In 2002–03 funding of £10 million was provided to local education authorities from the capital modernisation fund for school security projects. This was allocated on a formula basis for their maintained schools, and it is for them to decide how best to use the funding to improve security in both primary and secondary schools.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much he estimates introduction of the Special Educational Needs and Disability Act 2001 will cost in respect of(a) staff training costs. (b) other recurrent costs and (c) capital costs over the quinquennium from September 2002, broken down by local education authority. [87116]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  Local education authorities (LEAs) and schools are able to use record increases in funding for education made available by the Government, of £12.8 billion between 2002–03 and 2005–06 (of which £2.7 billion is capital) to implement their duties under the SEN and Disability Act 2001.

  Increases in the SEN Standards Fund and the Schools Access Initiative have provided specific sources of extra funding for local education authorities and schools to meet the requirements to include pupils with special educational needs and disabilities within schools and to establish local parent partnership and disagreement resolution services.

  In 2002–03 a total of £91 million was made available to LEAs and schools to support the needs of pupils with SEN and disabilities and vulnerable children from the Standards Fund and in 2003–04 will remain at this record level. Eligible expenditure from the fund includes training and between 1999 and 2002 the fund has been used to establish parent partnership services, which are now statutory services.

  Substantial funding has been provided, and continues to be provided under the schools access initiative to improve access for disabled children which is standing at £70 million this year and will increase again to £100 million from 2003–04 for the next three years.

  Specialist College Status
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will abolish the financial threshold for schools bidding for specialist college status. [87654]
  836W
  Mr. Miliband
  The Department will not be abolishing the sponsorship requirement for schools applying for specialist school status.

  Raising sponsorship is a key aspect of the Specialist Schools Programme. The main rationale behind it is the need for specialist schools to build partnerships with sponsors and the local community. As a task, raising sponsorship links into the enterprising ethos that is integral to the programme as a whole and it serves as a forum for the school's public presentation of its plans for specialist designation.

  The Department has already done much to help schools which are having difficulties raising the necessary sponsorship. We grant-aid the Technology Colleges Trust and the Youth Sport Trust, which advise schools on raising sponsorship. The Trusts are often able to help schools with money donated centrally, on the basis of criteria set out by sponsors.

  In 1999 we reduced the sponsorship requirement to £50,000, and in May this year we reduced the amount of sponsorship required by small mainstream schools (defined as those with under 500 pupils on roll) to £100 per pupil, subject to a minimum of £20,000, rising to £50,000 for a school with 500 pupils.

  In November the Secretary of State for Education and Skills announced the creation of a Partnership Fund. The Fund, which will contain £3 million in 2003–04, is designed specifically to help schools which have had serious difficulties meeting the £50,000 sponsorship requirement. The Department is in the process of developing criteria for the allocation of the fund, which will be managed by the Technology Colleges Trust. The criteria will be based around evidence that the school has made a real effort to raise sponsorship and has created valuable links with businesses.

  Spending Review
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list for his Department(a) those comprehensive spending review 1998 targets that were outstanding at the time of the statement on the comprehensive spending review 2002, (b) progress on such targets since then and (c) the expected date when targets not yet achieved will be met. [87693]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: The Department publishes progress against all its outstanding PSA targets in its annual departmental report and autumn performance report. Progress against our CSR 98 targets was reported most recently in the 2002 autumn report, published in November, together with commentary where appropriate. A copy of the report is available from the House of Commons Library.

  Statemented Children
  Mrs. Laing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of children with statements have a transition plan. [85316]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The information requested is not available centrally.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Extradition Appeals
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what categories of representation may properly be considered in extradition appeals. [87633]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: The Extradition Act 1989 contains a number of statutory safeguards against surrender of which a fugitive can seek to avail himself before the courts. If no legal challenge is made, or if any that are made are unsuccessful, it falls to my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary to decide, in the exercise of residual discretion, whether to order surrender. In so deciding, he has regard

  Persons aged under 18 convicted at all courts of offences of arson, England and Wales 1992–2001, by police force area

  Police force area

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  Avon and Somerset

  8

  9

  13

  8

  8

  4

  4

  5

  9

  8

  Bedfordshire

  5

  9

  2

  —

  2

  3

  2

  2

  8

  6

  Cambridgeshire

  7

  8

  5

  2

  3

  5

  4

  3

  7

  7

  Cheshire

  6

  8

  19

  15

  10

  13

  10

  16

  7

  8

  Cleveland

  8

  8

  6

  8

  7

  8

  5

  3

  4

  11

  Cumbria

  8

  6

  2

  3

  5

  5

  5

  16

  13

  12

  Derbyshire

  12

  21

  8

  14

  11

  6

  11

  6

  9

  13

  Devon and Cornwall

  7

  4

  12

  11

  14

  13

  8

  13

  15

  14

  Dorset

  5

  4

  8

  9

  10

  —

  4

  5

  9

  9

  Durham

  21

  15

  23

  11

  12

  26

  14

  14

  16

  18

  Essex

  12

  11

  13

  16

  14

  13

  24

  11

  9

  19

  Gloucestershire

  2

  2

  1

  2

  2

  5

  7

  4

  7

  3

  Greater Manchester

  10

  25

  23

  18

  18

  15

  12

  34

  47

  35

  Hampshire

  6

  6

  17

  24

  11

  9

  15

  23

  23

  29

  Hertfordshire

  5

  7

  4

  10

  10

  5

  4

  4

  10

  6

  Humberside

  20

  14

  21

  28

  19

  7

  10

  5

  15

  16

  Kent

  7

  2

  9

  5

  9

  12

  8

  23

  11

  12

  Lancashire

  9

  9

  22

  15

  16

  20

  15

  13

  34

  25

  Leicestershire

  4

  7

  11

  22

  8

  17

  22

  22

  14

  9

  Lincolnshire

  5

  6

  8

  5

  2

  5

  9

  8

  7

  9

  London, City of

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Merseyside

  5

  10

  10

  11

  8

  8

  12

  12

  10

  16

  Metropolitan Police

  19

  11

  15

  14

  7

  15

  17

  19

  31

  17

  Norfolk

  5

  8

  4

  9

  3

  5

  3

  3

  6

  6

  Northamptonshire

  5

  3

  8

  4

  7

  2

  1

  6

  6

  3

  Northumbria

  27

  26

  31

  24

  26

  16

  15

  26

  23

  30

  North Yorkshire

  4

  5

  8

  4

  5

  1

  6

  3

  6

  8

  Nottinghamshire

  21

  17

  21

  23

  15

  15

  16

  27

  17

  29

  South Yorkshire

  11

  6

  12

  9

  15

  26

  14

  25

  25

  14

  Staffordshire1

  14

  9

  23

  15

  8

  13

  10

  12

  *

  19

  Suffolk

  2

  5

  11

  1

  5

  5

  7

  6

  10

  10

  Surrey

  4

  4

  1

  4

  2

  4

  2

  9

  5

  5

  Sussex

  6

  10

  4

  4

  5

  9

  5

  8

  8

  13

  Thames Valley

  9

  5

  9

  22

  18

  3

  11

  8

  25

  14

  Warwickshire

  8

  2

  1

  4

  2

  4

  2

  1

  3

  West Mercia

  17

  10

  11

  7

  6

  6

  4

  20

  14

  14

  West Midlands

  28

  25

  31

  30

  16

  30

  22

  33

  27

  35

  West Yorkshire

  28

  32

  36

  20

  22

  48

  37

  33

  39

  41

  Wiltshire

  6

  8

  6

  3

  7

  6

  7

  5

  14

  7

  Dyfed Powys

  1

  4

  5

  3

  10

  8

  7

  5

  9

  2

  Gwent

  7

  5

  17

  6

  9

  59

  11

  10

  14

  11

  North Wales

  8

  4

  11

  10

  2

  5

  4

  4

  2

  10

  South Wales

  12

  7

  14

  12

  20

  21

  24

  16

  20

  25

  England and Wales

  406

  404

  517

  462

  411

  498

  432

  522

  586

  601

  1 Staffordshire Police Force were only able to submit sample data for persons convicted in the magistrates' courts in 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table.

  Asylum Seekers
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of in-country
  838W
  to all the circumstances of the case and to any grounds for concluding that it would be unjust or oppressive to order surrender. As part of that consideration, the fugitive has an opportunity to make such representations against surrender as he would wish to be taken into account.

  Arson
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many under-18 year olds were convicted of arson in each year since 1992, broken down by constabulary. [86496]

  Hilary Benn
  The information requested is contained in the table.

  asylum applicants made their claim within (a) three days, (b) seven days, (c) 14 days, (d) 28 days and (e) 56 days of arrival in the UK in the last year for which figures are available. [87916]
  839W
  Beverley Hughes
  The length of time between the arrival of in-country asylum applicants in the UK and when they lodge their application for asylum is not available. The requested information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when he will reply to the hon. Member for Woking's letters of 18 September, 24 October and 14 November concerning a constituent, Mr. Raja Munir, and his application for indefinite leave to remain in the UK; [85031]

  (2) pursuant to his answer of 3 December. concerning Mr. Raja Munir, Ref 85031, by what date he expects to reply to the hon. Member for Woking's letters. [86892]

  Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: My noble Friend Lord Filkin wrote to the hon. Member on 16 December 2002. I apologise for the considerable delay in replying.

  Mr. Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when his Department intends to reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Manchester Central of(a) 3 May, regarding Mr.LB, reference P010343/2, (b) 18 June, regarding Mrs.LE, reference P012404/2, (c) 19 June, regarding Ms MB, reference P012510/2, (d) 25 June, regarding Ms MG, reference P013216/2, (e) 26 June, regarding Ms SR, reference P013449/2, (f) 10 July, regarding Mrs.TK, reference P014227/2, (g) 11 July, regarding Ms CL, reference P014427/2, (h) 6 August, regarding Ms MM, reference P016718/2, (i) 16 August, regarding Mr.AD, reference P017226/2, (j) 12 September, regarding Mr.AHA, reference P018834/2, (k) 17 September, regarding Mr.MAM, reference P019319/2 and (l) 18 September, regarding Mrs.DAH, reference P019223/2. [85240]

  Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 5 December 2002]:

  (a) PO 10343/2: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 18 December 2002.

  (b) PO 12404/2: I apologise for the considerable delay in replying to this letter. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Policing, Crime Reduction and Community Safety wrote to my hon. Friend on 4 December 2002.

  (c) PO 12510/2: I will write to my hon. Friend shortly. I am sorry for the delay in replying.

  (d) PO 13216/2: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 18 December 2002.

  (e) PO 13449/2: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 18 December 2002.

  (f) PO 14227/2: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 18 December 2002.

  (g) PO 14427/2: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 18 December 2002.

  (h) PO 16718/2: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 3 December 2002.

  (i) PO 17226/2: My noble Friend Lord Filkin wrote to my hon. Friend on 27 December 2002.
  840W
  (j) PO 18834/2: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 18 December 2002.

  (k) PO 19319/2: I wrote to my hon. Friend on 8 October 2002.

  (l) PO 19223/2: I shall write to my hon. Friend shortly. The Entry Clearance Officer in Jeddah was authorised by the Immigration and Nationality Directorate on 25 October to issue a visa in this case.

  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the hon. Member for Broxbourne will receive a reply to her letters of 14 August, 11 September, 7 November and 5 December relating to her constituent, Mr. Mohamed Mady. [87006]

  Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: I wrote to the hon. Member on 17 December 2002.

  Criminal Records Bureau
  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the mean delay for checks on volunteers was under the old system of police checks in the last 12 months of its operation; and what the mean delay for such checks has been in relation to volunteers under the new arrangements instituted by the Criminal Records Bureau in the last 12 months. [83900]

  Hilary Benn
  [holding answer 28 November 2002]: Information is not available in the form requested. Under the previous arrangements some volunteers were subject to police checks via local authorities and other organisations but separate statistics were not collected. A number of voluntary organisations accessed police checks through a body called the Voluntary Organisations Consultancy Service (VOCS), covering both volunteers and paid employees. Their last annual report covering the financial year 2001–2002 showed that they processed 13,535 police checks for voluntary organisations of which 6,595 were for paid employees and 6,940 were for volunteers. The average time for responses from the police was 30 days. VOCS' own handling time was additional.

  As to the current arrangements, no distinction is made in relation to the profession or status of an applicant. As a result, the IT system is not able at present to extract this data from the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) database (although it is expected to be able to do so in future when the system is updated). They are all subject to the same level of service. However, access to checks by the voluntary sector has been greatly increased with the advent of the CRB and many more volunteers are now subject to such checks.

  The average turnaround time for processing applications remains at about six weeks.

  This is measured from the point at which a correctly completed application form is received by the CRB, accompanied by all pertinent supporting details, to issuing a Disclosure.

  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much compensation has been paid by Capita to the Government under the terms of the contract relating to the Criminal Records Bureaux. [86720]
  841W
  Hilary Benn
  There is provision under the terms of the contract between Capita and the Home Office for penalties for delay or poor performance. Capita has incurred liquidated damages for delay although the details remain commercial in confidence and cannot be divulged. The main priority is for the Criminal Records Bureau and Capita to collaborate in order to achieve further improvement in the quality of service.

  Drug Addicts
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what provision is in place to support drug addicts on their release from prison; what information is passed to drug treatment agencies when a drug addict is released into their home community; and if drug addicts are tracked on release from prison to facilitate treatment. [87835]

  Hilary Benn
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: All prisons have a Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare service (CARAT), which seeks to put in place care plans for prisoners, which should identify need for throughcare on release. Prisoners serving sentences of 12 months or less can receive support from CARATs. Prior to release, CARATs will warn of the dangers associated with loss of tolerance in prison and will try to establish a link with a community drug service. When this is not achieved, CARATs will provide a degree of support, where practical, for up to eight weeks after release.

  Prisoners serving sentences in excess of 12 months are routinely subject to supervision by the National Probation Service. CARAT workers will advise a supervising probation officer of any continuing, post-release drug treatment needs and will request the establishment of a link with a community drug agency. A prisoner's progress will be monitored until the expiry of the supervision period.

  As outlined in the Government's updated Drug Strategy 2002, published on 3 December 2002, the Home Office, alongside the National Treatment Agency, the National Probation Directorate and the Prison Service is working to improve the availability and quality of community support for ex-prisoners with drug problems and to ensure that an effective infrastructure is in place to bridge the gap between prison and community.

  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment has been made of the number of drug addicts in(a) Hampshire and (b) England in each year since 1997. [87841]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  [holding answer 17 December 2002]: Estimating numbers of drug addicts is very difficult and figures are not available for Hampshire or England for the years requested. The latest estimates for the number of Class A problem drug users in England and Wales range from 281,125 to 506,025. The first of these figures is closest to previously reported estimates. These figures come from a Home Office study entitled: "The Economic and Social Costs of Class A drug use in England and Wales, 2000". Copies of this publication will be placed in the Library.
  842W
  Local figures are only available for those people with drug problems who have recently started drugs treatment. The most recent figures cover from 1 October 2000 to 31 March 2001. These show that for Portsmouth and South East Hampshire, Southampton and South West Hampshire health authorities a total of 501 people had entered treatment. Data are not available for the years requested.

  Female Convictions
  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women have been convicted for(a) violent and (b) non-violent offences in each of the last five years. [86641]

  Hilary Benn
  The information requested is given in the table.

  Women convicted of violent and other offences in England and Wales 1997 to 2001

  Violent offences1

  Other offences

  1997

  3,829

  213,308

  1998

  4,234

  231,344

  1999

  4,073

  215,907

  2000

  4,214

  251,804

  2001

  4,111

  233,511

  1 Violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery

  Long Lartin (Tree Preservation Orders)
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what powers his Department has to ignore tree preservation orders imposed by Wychavon district council on trees on land adjacent to Long Lartin prison; and if he will make a statement. [86917]

  Hilary Benn
  [holding answer 12 December 2002]: With the exception of one tree which is in a dangerous condition, the Prison Service has no plans to remove trees on land adjacent to Heir Majesty's Prison Long Lartin for which planning applications have recently been submitted.

  Paul Burrell/Harold Brown
  Andrew Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost was of the police investigations relating to(a) Paul Burrell and (b) Harold Brown; and if he will make a statement. [86186]

  Mr. Denham
  [holding answer 10 December 2002]: The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis has informed me that the cost of the police investigations relating to both (a) Paul Burrell and (b) Harold Brown was, in total, approximately £310,000,00. It is not possible to distinguish separately the costs for each investigation.

  Prisoner Age (Wymott and Garth Prisons)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many inmates are held in(a) Garth and (b) Wymott Prisons; and how many are over the age of (i) 65, (ii) 70, (iii) 75 and (iv) 80. [87027]

  Hilary Benn
  On 31 October 2002 (the latest data available) there were 652 persons held in Garth prison. Of these five were over the age of 65, one was over the age of 70, and there were none over the age of 75.
  843W
  On the same date there were 821 persons held in Wymott prison. Of these 28 were over the age of 65, nine were over the age of 70, three were over the age of 75 and one was over 80 years old.

  Prisons
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to reduce the number of suicides in prison. [87475]

  Hilary Benn
  The general prison population contains a large number of prisoners with a combination of psychiatric disorders, alcohol and drug dependency, family background and relationship problems, histories of self-harm and previous abuse, all of which raise their risk of suicide. Good care and support from staff saves many lives but such instances go largely unreported. The current operating environment is very challenging because an increased prisoner population and movement of prisoners puts a strain on resources and makes it harder to prevent suicides. The Prison Service's approach, in close partnership with outside organisations such as Samaritans, better identify and support those who seem at greatest risk with an approach that focuses on relationships, processes and the physical environment.

  The Prison Service's suicide prevention and self-harm reduction programme includes a series of inter-related projects to improve pre-reception, reception and induction arrangements; inter-agency information exchange; prisoner care; detoxification; prisoner peer support, and the learning from investigations into deaths in custody.

  Piloting of these projects is focused on six establishments—Wandsworth, Feltham, Eastwood Park, Leeds, Winchester and Birmingham—although others are involved in aspects of the work. An investment of £21.69 million over the three year programme from April 2001 is allowing physical improvements to be made at these six sites, for example to reception and induction areas, and through the installation of more first night centres, safer cells, crisis suites and gated cells that enable staff to watch at-risk prisoners closely. The programme will be subject to an independent quantitative and qualitative evaluation. No resources have at present been allocated to work beyond April 2004.

  Thirty full-time suicide prevention co-ordinators (SPCs) were trained and located in the most high risk establishments, and a further 99 mostly part-time SPCs are now operating across the estate. There has been a continuing increase in the numbers of prisoner "Listeners" being recruited in high-risk establishments,

  Reparation orders, final warnings, action plan orders and parenting orders made between October 1998 and 30 September 20021

  October 1998–March 20002

  April–June 20003

  July–September 2000

  October–December 2000

  January–March 2001

  April–June 2001

  Reparation order

  1,270

  605

  1,800

  1,802

  2,077

  2,196

  Final warnings

  3,504

  4,434

  7,274

  7,332

  7,095

  7,657

  Action plan order

  841

  619

  2,027

  2,236

  2,497

  2,388

  Parenting order

  284

  144

  302

  278

  255

  278

  Total

  5,899

  5,802

  11,403

  11,648

  11,924

  12,519

  844W
  with 608 new Listeners recruited within these establishments between 1 October 2001 and 31 March 2002 alone, and further recruitment and training taking place.

  Concurrently, new health care screening procedures have been piloted at 10 establishments and are to be rolled out across the estate. Wing staff will be increasingly supported in their work by in-reach mental health teams and by the establishment where possible of dedicated drug detoxification units.

  Mr. Shepherd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in the period from 28 September 2001 to 27 September 2002, how many inmates of(a) HMP North Sea Camp, (b) HMP Leyhill, (c) HMP Stanford Hill and (d) HMP Kirkham were transferred to closed conditions for breach of the conditions of their community visit or facilities licences; how many of those inmates were subsequently charged with an offence against discipline under Prison Rule 51 Paragraph 8 in connection with the breach and what the licence conditions were that were breached in each case; how many inmates were not charged with an offence under Prison Rule 51 Paragraph 8, but were nevertheless transferred because they were deemed to have behaved inappropriately while on temporary release; what the nature of the inappropriate behaviour was in each case; what conditions of his community visit or facility licence Lord Archer was held to have breached that resulted in his transfer from HMP North Sea Camp to HMP Lincoln on 27 September; and whether he was charged with an offence against discipline in respect of those breaches. [87646]

  Hilary Benn
  The information requested is not held centrally and I shall write to the hon. Member when it is available.

  Punishment Orders
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times(a) reparation orders, (b) final warnings, (c) action plan orders, (d) preventing orders and (e) court ordered secure remands have been issued in each month since their introduction. [86177]

  Hilary Benn
  [holding answer 9 December 2002]: The number of reparation orders, final warnings, action plan orders, parenting orders and court ordered secure remands are set out in the tables. The Youth Justice Board has provided the data from April 2000 onwards from returns provided by Youth Offending Teams.

  As there is no intervention called a preventing order, we have assumed that the information requested is for parenting orders.
  845W

  July–September 2001

  October–December 2001

  January–March 2002

  April–June 2002

  July–September 2002

  Total

  Reparation order

  1,947

  1,988

  2,493

  1,367

  823

  18,368

  Final warnings

  6,994

  6,660

  6,950

  7,040

  5,708

  70,648

  Action plan order

  2,214

  2,191

  2,682

  1,596

  1,153

  20,444

  Parenting order

  263

  270

  406

  239

  402

  3,121

  Total

  11,418

  11,109

  12,531

  10,242

  8,086

  112,581

  1 Data for reparation orders, final warnings, action plan orders and parenting orders include the period of the youth justice pilots, from October 1998 to March 2000, as well as national operation from then until the third quarter of 2002.

  2 Data for youth justice pilots only available as totals. The police final warning scheme, parenting orders, reparation order, and action plan order were piloted in selected areas across England and Wales between October 1998 and March 2000.

  3 Data for national operation since the youth justice pilots ended has been collected by the Youth Justice Board (YJB) based on returns from Youth Offending Teams (YOTs). These data are only available on a quarterly basis and the figures are provisional as they as based on YOT returns.

  Court ordered secure remands made between 1 June 1999–30 November 20021

  Number

  June 1999

  73

  July 1999

  79

  August 1999

  94

  September 1999

  111

  October 1999

  131

  November 1999

  139

  December 1999

  103

  January 2000

  110

  February 2000

  140

  March 2000

  131

  April 2000

  578

  May 2000

  52

  June 2000

  70

  July 2000

  58

  August 2000

  60

  September 2000

  45

  October 2000

  64

  November 2000

  44

  December 2000

  46

  January 2001

  71

  February 2001

  53

  March 2001

  51

  April 2001

  69

  May 2001

  71

  June 2001

  65

  July 2001

  102

  August 2001

  103

  September 2001

  94

  October 2001

  143

  November 2001

  142

  December 2001

  88

  January 2002

  136

  February 2002

  139

  March 2002

  151

  April 2002

  168

  May 2002

  201

  June 2002

  143

  July 2002

  194

  August 2002

  181

  September 2002

  205

  October 2002

  186

  November 2002

  181

  Total

  4,565

  1 Data for court ordered secure remands based on monthly returns collected by the Home Office between 1 June 1999 to April 2000. From April 2000, the YJB assumed responsibility for commissioning and purchasing secure remand places and they have provided the data from May 2000 to November 2002.

  2 Due to the transfer of secure remand responsibilities to the YJB from the Home Office during April 2000 only partial data are available for this month based on 60 per cent. of returns received from Local Authority Secure Units.

  Secure Units
  Mrs. Brooke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places in(a) local authority secure units, (b) young offender institutions and (c) secure training centres are planned in (i) 2002–03, (ii) 2003–04, and (iii) 2004–05. [85199]

  Hilary Benn
  The Youth Justice Board is responsible for purchasing an appropriate number of juvenile secure places from the providers. The number of places available in 2002–03 on 1 December 2002 and planned for 2003–04, subject to final decisions on allocation of funds following the Spending Review 2002 Settlement, are as follows.

  2002–03

  2003–04

  Local Authority Secure Units

  330

  330

  Young Offender Institutions

  3,066

  3,066

  Secure Training Centres

  170

  194

  Discussions are continuing between the Department and the Youth Justice Board about the provision of places in 2004–05.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Appointments
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development to which bodies her Department makes appointments; how many members there are(a) in total and (b) in each body; and how many of those appointed are (i) businessmen, (ii) businessmen in SMEs and (iii) businessmen in micro-businesses. [87393]

  Clare Short
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given on 16 December 2002, by the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on behalf of the Cabinet Office.

  Burundi
  Mr. Joyce
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what funding commitment was made by the United Kingdom at the November Geneva Round Table Donors' Meeting on Burundi; and what conditions were placed on the fulfilment of this commitment; [87145]
  847W
  (2) what funding commitment was made by the United Kingdom to Burundi at the Geneva Round Table Donors' Meeting of December 2001; what conditions were placed on the fulfilment of this commitment; and what proportion of this funding has been paid to date; [87147]

  (3) what funding commitment was made by the United Kingdom to Burundi at the Paris Donors Club Meeting of December 2000; what conditions were placed on the fulfilment of this commitment; and what proportion of this funding has been paid to date. [87146]

  Clare Short
  At the Paris Donors Roundtable Meeting in December 2000 we stated that although the UK would not become a substantial bilateral donor to Burundi we would play our part in support of others, particularly the multilateral agencies. We stated that we would continue our existing bilateral assistance (mainly humanitarian assistance, work with the media, HIV/AIDS prevention, and peace building). We said we would look favourably on making a contribution to the World Bank Multilateral Debt Trust Fund (MDTF). At the Geneva Round Table Meeting in December 2001 we pledged US$1 million to the MDTF. These funds were transferred earlier this year.

  At the recent Donors Round Table Meeting in Geneva, held on 27–28 November 2002, we agreed to consider an additional contribution of US$1 million to the MDTF.

  Civil Servants
  Chris Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants are employed by her Department; and how much money was spent by her Department in the last 12 months in each local authority area. [87262]

  Clare Short
  On the number of civil servants, I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer provided by my hon. Friend for the Cabinet Office on 16 December 2002.

  The question on local authority areas is not relevant to DFID as our work is focused overseas in developing countries.

  Kashmir
  Mr. Goodman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects(a) funded and (b) supported by her Department have been engaged in providing assistance to the people of Kashmir during the past five years. [87455]

  Clare Short
  Over the past five years, my Department has given over £1.5 million to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to support their programmes in Jammu and Kashmir (J and K). We have given a number of grants to Save the Children Fund (SCF) to support their work, including £150,000 to provide food and non-food relief to conflict afflicted families, and £47,000 to help fund their continuing work with children and internally displaced people living in 848W
  camps and temporary accommodation. We have also helped fund a wide range of mostly small-scale NGO development projects in Kashmir, and through the Small Grants Scheme we have provided support for a maternity hospital in Anantnag.

  In Pakistan-administered Kashmir, we have funded a community education project in the Muzaffarabad district, and a basic health care project in the Neelum valley.

  During my recent visit to Delhi, I raised with the Government of India the prospect of DFID providing further support for development and conflict reduction in J and K. My officials are now taking this forward.

  Mauritania
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money her Department has given to deal with the food shortage in Mauritania. [87093]

  Clare Short
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: We have provided US$158,563 to World Food Programme (WFP) in 2002 for food assistance to Mauritania. A further emergency appeal from the WFP is expected shortly. This is expected to cover food shortage needs of five countries in the region, including Mauritania. We will be considering this appeal and are also considering a related proposal from Oxfam. Funding is also provided via the EC, of which DFID share around 19 per cent. In 2000 (the latest figures available) this amounted to approximately £7.8 million.

  Ministerial Engagements
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many engagements were undertaken outside London(a) by her or her predecessor and (b) by ministers in her Department in January (i) 2000, (ii) 2001 and (iii) 2002. [87352]

  Clare Short
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office on 16 December 2002.

  New Partnership for Africa's Development
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which countries have notified the chairman of the NEPAD heads of state and Goverment Implementation Committee that they wish to participate in the African Peer Review Mechanism. [87214]

  Clare Short
  Algeria, Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda have signed the Declaration of Intent to accede to the African Peer Review Mechanism.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Pensioners (Portsmouth, South)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners within the Portsmouth, South constituency will benefit from the introduction of the pension tax credit in October 2003; and if he will make a statement. [85870]

  Mr. McCartney
  Estimates of pension credit entitlement are not available at constituency level due to the insufficient sample cases in the survey data used. However, just under half of all pensioner households across Great Britain will be eligible for Pension Credit. Such information as is available relates to pensioners in the Portsmouth, South constituency receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) and is as follows:
  As at August 2002, there were 3,200 MIG recipients in the Portsmouth, South constituency.

  Benefit Payments
  David Wright
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the process a customer will go through to ensure benefits are paid into(a) a new Post Office card account and (b) a bank account, when their DWP benefit book ends. [84290]

  Mr. McCartney
  The Department is contacting customers and providing them with information (including letters and leaflets) which clearly sets out the account options as part of the move to Direct Payment. Customers will then be able to consider the options available and choose the account that best meets their needs and circumstances. They will be asked to provide details of their chosen account so that the Department can begin to pay their benefit or pensions by Direct Payment.

  Those who wish to use an existing account will simply need to provide their account details. DWP will issue a Personal Invitation Document (PID) to customers who choose to open a Post Office card account. This document is taken to a Post Office branch where the customer will be given a Post Office card account application form.

  Benefits
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps he is taking to find the lost papers sent to his Department last July concerning the claim of Mrs Noreen Hooper of Brixham; and if he will make a statement. [81965]

  Mr. McCartney
  [holding answer 19 November 2002]: This is a matter for Alexis Cleveland, the Chief Executive of The Pension Service. As customers' personal details are confidential she will write to the hon. Member privately.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost of processing a CSA application has been in each year since its creation; and if he will make a statement on the results of the 850W
  operational readiness review conducted in September and October into the modernisation of payments programme. [83711]

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

  Letter from Mr. Doug. Smith to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated December 2002:
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from me.
  You ask what the average cost of processing a CSA application has been in each year since its creation and also, if the Secretary of State will make a statement on the results of the operational readiness review conducted in September and October into the .modernisation of payments programme.
  We do not have the average cost of processing a Child Support Agency application prior to 1999–2000. However, I have attached the details from that date to the present.

  £

  At 31 March

  Average cost per case

  2000

  77.65

  2001

  97.44

  2002

  84.48

  2002 (to October)

  90.28

  The cost per case has been calculated on the basis of the average number of staff employed on processing cases to assessment and the number of cases cleared in each of the years stated. The cost per case fluctuates due to corresponding changes in the quantity of cases cleared; the number of cases cleared changes in accordance with the Agency's operational priorities.
  The Payment Modernisation Programme has advised that the gated review process within the Department allows for a number of formal reviews. The Payment Modernisation Programme successfully navigated through the Operational Readiness Review gate during September and October. This enabled the Programme to commence the first phase in the move towards Direct Payment, including mailings sent to Veterans Agency customers from 7 October and Child Benefit customers from 28 October 2002.

  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what external audit he has commissioned of the Child Support Agency's new IT system. [85859]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive, Doug Smith. He will write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from D. Smith to Mr. Mark Todd, dated December 2002:

  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

  You ask what external audit he has commissioned of the Child Support Agency's new IT system.

  The new IT system is being built and will be operated, by EDS, a major IT service provider in the private sector. A number of reviews have been carried out over the life of the project designed to assure the Agency that the IT system will meet its requirements. These fall into three main areas:
  The Department's own Internal Assurance Service have carried out a number of audits on specific parts of the system.
  A technical review, focussed on the approach to development and testing, was carried out by an external organisation, in early 2001. The Department's own Technology Office have also continued to validate the on-going development following that initial technical review. In addition, there have also been a

  851W
  number of reviews of the wider programme, including the approach to developing the IT system carried out by external consultants.
  The Office for Government Commerce has carried out two project 'gateway' reviews. The first, in April 2001, concentrated on the development phase of the project and the second, in February 2002, on the-readiness for implementation, including the IT system. Each of these reviews highlighted the risk inherent in building and implementing a large complex IT system; but have confirmed that the Agency's risk management processes are effective.
  National Audit Office have been kept informed of the: development of the Agency's new IT system and have regular briefing sessions to keep them updated on the key issues at the various stages of development: Their staff receive copies of the high level strategies, other low level documents for information and copies of-the end of stage reviews and internal audit reports that have been carried out on specific areas of the Child Support Reform Programme that are delivering the reforms. Later this year they intend to produce a position statement building on the comments they made last year in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on(a) the CSA's complaints system and (b) the Independent Case Examiner's Annual Report 2001–02. [86534]

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

  Letter from Doug Smith to Archy Kirkwood dated 18 December 2002:
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying the your recent parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from me.
  You ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on (a) the CSA's complaints system and (b) the Independent Case Examiner's Annual Report 2001–02.
  The Agency recognises that it needs to improve the handling of complaints and as a result conducted a detailed review of the complaints process. The recommendations from this review are being taken forward as part of the Child Support Reform programme. The key deliverable from this work is a standard process and organisation for handling client complaints. This will include:
  Dedicated complaints resolution teams.
  Clients, staff and stakeholders knowing how a complaint will be progressed whatever the client's location.
  Complaint resolution plans agreed with the client, which specify the actions and timescales to resolve the complaint.
  Senior Resolution Managers heading up a technical assurance team in each Business Unit. These teams deal with cases that cannot be resolved by the complaints resolution teams or have been referred to them by the Chief Executive or Area Director.
  Accepting, recording, tracking and resolving complaints over the telephone A new aftercare process to ensure that once a case is back on track, it remains so.
  A Centre of Excellence, to analyse and learn from complaints data.
  In 2001/02 the Child Support Agency has worked hard with the Independent Case Examiner to reduce the backlog of outstanding complaints. Advice on how the Agency might best improve the way it handles complaints has proved invaluable.
  Using this information the Agency has made some significant steps forward in improving its service to our clients including:
  Restructuring the front end of its business to provide an end-toend service for new clients, and on each team have a dedicated specialist complaints handler Creating new IT support for debt management, appointed new bailiffs improve efficiency and reduce the complaints about lack of activity in this area
  852W
  These improvements are a part of the comprehensive modernisation programme in which the Agency is engaged and against that background we will continue to work closely with the Independent Case Examiner to significantly reduce the number of complaints referred to her office where she finds that the Agency has not done enough either to apologise, to offer compensation and redress or to resolve the position for the future.

  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average cost was of processing a Child Support Agency application in each year since the CSA was created. [86703]

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

  Letter from D. Smith to Mr. Archy Kirkwood, dated December 2002:
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from me.
  You ask what the average cost was of processing a Child Support Agency application in each year since the Child Support Agency was created.
  I refer you to my previous answer to parliamentary question (ref no. 83711) which states:
  'We do not have the average cost of processing a Child Support Agency application prior to 1999/00 however, I have attached the details from that date to the present.

  At 31st March

  2000

  2001

  2002

  2002(to Oct)

  Average cost per case (£)

  77.65

  97.44

  84.48

  90.28

  The cost per case has been calculated on the basis of the average number of staff employed on processing cases to assessment and the number of cases cleared in each of the years stated'.

  CSA
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what percentage of CSA cases where the resident parent is(a) a private client and (b) not a private client, (i) the non-resident parent paying regular child maintenance and (ii) the identity and contact details of the non-resident parent are known to the agency. [81955]

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

  Letter from Mr. Doug Smith to Mr. Andrew Turner, dated November 2002:
  The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in replying to your recent parliamentary questions about the Child Support Agency promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
  You ask in what percentage of Child Support Agency cases where the resident parent is (a) a private client and (b) not a private client (i) the non-resident parent paying regular child maintenance and (ii) the identity-and contact details of the nonresident parent are known to the Agency.
  84% of private clients and 74.8% of non private clients are, where amounts are due to be paid. in receipt of child maintenance payments. Unfortunately, we do not collect details of the number of non-resident parents where we have contact details.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether a claim for Disability Living Allowance in respect of ME may be classified as relating to mental illness. [87128]

  Maria Eagle
  Entitlement to Disability Living Allowance depends on the effects that severe physical or mental disability has on a person's need for personal care and/or their ability to walk, and not on particular disabilities or diagnoses. The benefit is available to people with myalgic encephalomyelitis (which can have a physical basis or a psychological basis, or can be due to a combination of factors) on exactly the same terms as other severely disabled people, and they can qualify for it provided that they meet the usual entitlement conditions.

  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his estimate is of the cost of extending entitlement to the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance to the over-65s. [87750]

  Maria Eagle
  Up to date estimates are not available. However, information from the 1996–97 Disability Survey suggested that the annual cost of extending entitlement to the mobility component of Disability Living Allowance to people who claim after the age of 65 would be in the region of £2.7 billion1.

  1 Costs is rounded to nearest 100 million and subject to a significant margin of error reflecting underlying uncertainties of modelling entitlement from available survey data. Cost includes effects on income related benefits.

  Disabled People (Opportunities)
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what measures are in place to(a) encourage employers to increase the opportunities offered to disabled people and (b) challenge people to donate time to charitable and community projects in the European Year of Disabled People. [86867]

  Maria Eagle
  Jobcentre Plus will continue to operate a number of measures involving employers during the European Year of Disabled People. Programmes such as WORKSTEP, Access to Work, the Job Introduction Scheme, and Work Preparation will identify job opportunities and help disabled people into work.

  We have launched a project fund of £2.3 million to enable a wide range of disability organisations to undertake community projects across the country. We are sponsoring more than 170 projects.

  In addition we are using the National Coordinating Committee (NCC) for the European Year to encourage participation among its membership organisations. These include the Federation of Small Businesses, the Confederation of British Industry, the Trades Union Congress, and a range of organisations representing disabled people.

  Employers Liability Insurance
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many inspections have been undertaken in North Staffordshire to measure compliance with the requirement for companies to have current employers liability insurance. [84048]
  854W
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) are not able to break down information specifically for North Staffordshire. Information available covers the Marches area, which comprises Shropshire and Staffordshire.

  During the period 1 April 2002 to 30 September 2002 HSE recorded a total of 117 contacts with companies where Employers' Liability Compulsory Insurance (ELCI) was covered in the Marches area. These contacts were achieved by a combination of visits and phone calls.

  The display of a valid certificate for employers liability insurance is one of a number of issues covered by HSE Inspectors and Workplace Contact Officers. There were four occasions in the Marches area during the period April to September 2002, where a valid certificate of employer's liability could not be produced. In each case HSE made a statutory request (Notice to Produce') for its production. All four companies complied with the request within the stated period.

  Mr. Gardiner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what timetable has been established for the review of employers' liability insurance. [87481]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  I refer the hon. Member to the Written Ministerial Statement I gave on 12 December 2002,Official Report, columns 23–24WS.

  Hand-written Medical Reports
  Mr. Lepper
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many hand-written medical reports in relation to(a) Attendance Allowance, (b) Disability Living Allowance and (c) Incapacity Benefit were prepared by doctors employed by Medical Services or its predecessors, in the five years to October 2001; how many of these reports were completed by a person other than the relevant doctor; how many completed by someone other than the relevant doctor were the subject of disability appeal tribunal hearings; in how many of the cases, which were the subject of appeal, the original decision was altered on the basis of medical evidence; and how many claimants sought and received copies of the hand-written medical reports. [86118]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  In the period 1 September 1998 to 31 October 2001 790,023 Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance reports and 1,450,554 Incapacity Benefit reports were completed. No records are kept of the number of reports completed before the contract for Medical Service was let in September 1998.

  All reports were provided by approved doctors and were hand written. In July 2001 Medical Services were made aware of two reports which had been completed by another person, from contemporaneous notes made by the approved doctor, in the interests of better legibility. As a result, guidance was issued to all doctors that no report for Medical Services can be hand written by any person other than the relevant doctor.

  As the Department does not keep records of the information used by a decision maker in individual cases it is not possible to identify the number of appeals related to reports completed by someone other than the

  855W
  relevant doctor. Neither is it possible to identify cases where the original decision was altered on the basis of medical evidence.

  The Department does not keep records of requests made for copies of medical reports.

  Housing Benefit
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his officials have met the Social Security Advisory Committee to discuss the regulations concerning housing benefit reform; and whether the Committee has requested the referral of the regulations. [83870]

  Malcolm Wicks
  We are fully committed to involving the Social Security Advisory Committee in the drafting of new regulations supporting Housing Benefit reform.

  Officials have met the Committee to provide an initial introduction to Housing Benefit reform, and draft regulations will be presented to the Committee early in the new year. The Committee will then decide whether they wish the regulations to be referred formally.

  Incapacity Benefit
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people have had income from a private pension or permanent health insurance taken into account for the purposes of calculating their incapacity benefit claiming and what the average reduction in benefit has been for people affected in this way. [86717]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  Incapacity Benefit (IB) exists to provide a measure of earnings replacement for people of working age who are incapable of work. Where a person is duplicating this provision, the law provides for this to be taken into account. If a person claiming IB receives an occupational pension, personal pension or payments through a permanent health insurance scheme of £85 per week or more, their IB is reduced by half the amount which exceeds £85. Only people making claims from 6 April 2001 are affected by the new rules.

  As of 31 August 2002, 17,500 people have had their IB reduced under these rules with an average reduction of £33.18.

  Notes:

  1. Number of people who have had their benefit reduced is rounded to the nearest hundred.

  2. Figures are subject to a degree of sampling variation.

  Source:

  5 per cent. samples of the Incapacity Benefit computer system, which exclude a small number of cases held clerically.

  Number of schemes notifying the Pensions Schemes Registry (PSR) they are commencing wind up

  Number of members in schemes notifying PSR they are commencing wind up

  Number of schemes notifying PSR they are commencing wind up and are still in the process

  Number of members in schemes notifying PSR they are commencing wind up and still in the process

  1 April 1997–31 March 1998

  7,334

  321,254

  84

  10,271

  1 April 1998–31 March 1999

  6,530

  322,699

  113

  2,309

  1 April 1999–31 March 2000

  6,003

  321,991

  4,287

  101,236

  1 April 2000–31 March 2001

  5,304

  316,205

  1,903

  74,403

  1 April 2001–31 March 2002

  4,651

  301,646

  2,206

  73,038

  Jobcentre Plus
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in which postcode areas Jobcentre Plus regulations are in force and in which particularly mandatory interviews for claimants in receipt of benefits other than Jobseekers Allowance apply. [86716]

  Malcolm Wicks
  Mandatory work-focused meetings were introduced from October 2001 in 56 Jobcentre Plus pathfinder offices and 39 work-focused interview sites. The postcode areas covered by these offices and sites are listed in a schedule to the Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2001 (SI 3210).

  These regulations were revoked in June 2002 and have been superseded by the Social Security (Jobcentre Plus Interviews) Regulations 2002 (S11703). These regulations do not include a schedule of postcodes, but allow for the gradual rollout of the new Jobcentre Plus service. The offices that have been rolled out under these regulations, and the postcodes that they cover, are in the table.

  Office

  Postcodes covered

  Bridgnorth

  DY7 5DR, DY7 5DS, DY7 5ER, DY7 5EU, DY7 5LF, DY7 5LJ, DYI2 1SU, ST19 9AP, TF11 8, TF11 9, TF12 5, TF13 6, WR15 8, WV5 7, WV6 7, WV7 3, WV8 1, WV15 5, WV15 6, WV16 4, WV16 5, WV16 6

  Cheetham

  M7 4DU, M7 4YG, M7 4YB, M7 4YT, M7 4YE, M7 4YH, M7 8YS, M7 4QA, M8, M9

  Fraserburgh

  AB 43

  Kirkby St. Chads

  L9 0, L9 5, L9 8, LIO 0, LIO 1, L10 4. LIO 6, LIO 8, L32, L33

  Nelson

  BB9

  Plympton

  PL7, PL21

  Spen Valley

  WF13, WF14. WF15, WF16, BD4, BD11, BD12, BDI 9

  Note:

  Where a full postcode is not given the office covers the whole of the postal area shown

  Pension Schemes
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensions scheme windups have there been in each of the past five years when the company has been(a) solvent and (b) insolvent; and how many members have been affected in each case. [86550]

  Mr. McCartney
  The information that is available is in the tables.

  There are different reasons why pension schemes are wound up. The schemes' sponsoring employer might, for example, become insolvent or the employer might decide to wind up one type of pension scheme in order to replace it with another type.
  857W

  year

  Number of schemes that completed winding up

  Number of members in schemes that completed winding up

  1 April 1997–31 March 1998

  23,953

  1,139,303

  1 April 1998–31 March 1999

  17,196

  899,679

  1 April 1999–31 March 2000

  12,045

  786,367

  1 April 2000–31 March 2001

  7,446

  427,509

  1 April 2001– 31 March 2002

  3,315

  196,841

  Notes:

  1. The information is based on data held by the Pension Schemes Registry (PSR). It includes all types of pension schemes. The PSR registers schemes for tracing purposes and to enable it to collect the levy from all those pension schemes required to pay it. The PSR was not designed to provide comprehensive statistical data on schemes winding up. However, the information held by the PSR is the most relevant material available.

  2. The PSR does not hold information about whether the sponsoring company of the pension scheme was solvent or insolvent, this information is not required for their purposes.

  3. There are no figures available for the period 1 April 2002 to date, due to a change in the Pension Registry's computer system. These figures will be available after March 2003.

  Pensioner Income
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Government remains committed to the commitment on page 103 of the 1998 Green Paper, Cm 4179, on increasing the proportion of pensioners' incomes that comes from the private sector. [86737]

  Mr. McCartney
  I refer the hon. Member to the oral statement made by my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State,Official Report, 17 December 2002, columns 694–710.

  Pensions
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people he estimates will claim state pension in each of the next five years. [87520]

  Mr. McCartney
  The information is not available in the format requested. However, such information as is available is set out in the table.

  Number of men and women reaching state pension age between 2003 and 2007

  2003

  2004

  2005

  2006

  2007

  Men aged 65

  275,000

  274,000

  271,000

  258,000

  274,000

  Women aged 60

  332,000

  343,000

  349,000

  355,000

  435,000

  Note:

  Figures are mid-year estimates of men aged 65 and women aged 60 in the UK, rounded to the nearest 1,000.

  Source:

  The Government Actuary's Department 2001 based Population Projections.

  Pension Credit
  Mr. Ivan Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners within the Harwich Constituency will benefit from the introduction of the pension tax credit in October 2003. [85252]
  858W
  Mr. McCartney
  Estimates of pension credit entitlement are not available at individual constituency level due to the insufficient sample cases in the survey data used. However, just under half of all pensioner households across Great Britain will be eligible to Pension Credit. Such information as is available relates to pensioners in the Harwich constituency receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) and is as follows:

  As at August 2002, there were 4,200 MIG recipients in the Harwich constituency.

  Mrs. Anne Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Eastern region will benefit from the pensions tax credit. [85280]

  Mr. McCartney
  [holding answer 12 December 2002]: Estimates of pension credit entitlement are not available on a regional basis due to the insufficient sample cases in the survey data used. However, just under half of all pensioner households across Great Britain will be eligible for Pension Credit. Such information as is available relates to pensioners in the eastern region receiving the Minimum Income Guarantee (MIG) and is as follows:
  As at August 2002, there were 133,700 MIG recipients in the Eastern region.

  Skills Training Pilots
  Mr. Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how the skills training pilots in North Nottinghamshire and Leeds are being evaluated; how many participants there were; how many sanctions were imposed; and if he will make a statement; [86701]

  (2) what plans he has to introduce the skills training pilot throughout the United Kingdom. [86702]

  Malcolm Wicks
  Between September 2001 and April 2002 we piloted a number of approaches aimed at encouraging greater take up of basic skills provision by people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance. These included testing different mechanisms to identify those with basic skills needs, and the use of financial incentives and/or benefit sanctions to encourage the take up of training.

  In North Nottinghamshire we piloted the use of benefit sanctions if a client refused an offer of training or left training early without good cause. In Leeds we combined the use of sanctions with financial incentives of £20 per week on top of their benefit for taking up training and £100 for achieving a basic skills qualification. In the two pilots, 1,623 clients had a possible basic skills need identified. Of these, 18 had sanctions applied, three because they failed to attend a basic skills assessment and 15 because they failed to attend training or left early without good cause.

  All the basic skills pilots are subject to an extensive, longitudinal evaluation study. This is looking at both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of the pilots. The final evaluation report will be available in summer 2003. We will use the evidence from the evaluation to decide what changes we might make to help encourage more Jobcentre Plus clients to take up offers of help to improve their basic skills.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Legal Aid
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if Mr. Liam Campbell and Mr. Michael McKevitt have been awarded legal aid in respect of civil charges due to be brought against them relating to the bomb attack in Omagh on 15 August 1998. [87059]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  It would be inappropriate to comment on individual legal aid applications. The grant or refusal of civil legal aid is a matter for the Law Society of Northern Ireland, through its Legal Aid Committee.

  CAFCASS
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what consultations she has had with CAFCASS regarding(a) the ratification of its new standards and (b) the complaints procedure it may put in place. [87316]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  CAFCASS is a non-departmental public body and there is no requirement for my Department to ratify their national standards. CAFCASS's corporate plan for 2002–06, agreed with Ministers and published in February 2002, set out CAFCASS's commitment to develop national standards and a new complaints procedure for the service. CAFCASS consulted widely on their proposed national standards and complaints procedure. CAFCASS intend to implement both next year.

  Parental Responsibility
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what the Government's policy is on the EU proposal for a Council Regulation on Mutual Recognition of Decisions on Parental Responsibility; if he will place a copy of the current text of the Proposal in the Library; and whether the current text will be detrimental to the effective operation of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction between EU member states. [87246]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Government support the underlying aim of this proposal, namely to extend the principle of mutual recognition to all decisions on parental responsibility by establishing a clear and coherent set of rules for attributing jurisdiction, and putting in place arrangements for co-operation between the courts and central authorities of member states. Agreement was reached at a Council of Ministers meeting on 29 November, on revised provisions relating to child abduction. The Government support strongly these additional measures which will, for intra-EU cases, augment the 1980 Hague Convention without affecting its operation, and have met with approval in the Permanent Bureau of the Hague Conference. A copy of this agreement has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

  Transsexual People
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department when she expects full legal status to be granted to transsexual people; and if she will make a statement. [87784]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Government is committed to legislating as soon as possible to give legal recognition to transsexual people in their acquired gender. I refer the hon. Member to the Ministerial Statement I gave on Monday 16 December 2002.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department (1) when she expects to respond to the European Court of Justice ruling that discrimination against transsexuals is in breach of the Equal Treatment Directive; [87280]

  (2) what plans she has for ending discrimination against transsexuals. [87276]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  I refer the hon. Member to the Ministerial Statement I made on Monday 16 December. This sets out our plans for giving transsexual people legal recognition in their acquired gender. Transsexual people are already protected from discrimination in employment and vocational training by the Sex Discrimination (Gender Reassignment) Regulations 1999, subject to limited exceptions. The Government are considering whether those exceptions should be modified in respect of transsexual people granted legal recognition in their acquired gender.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Affordable Housing
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps he is taking to provide sufficient affordable housing in the south-west. [86330]

  Mr. McNulty
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has increased investment. The south-west will receive £74.3million for affordable housing through the Housing Corporation's ADP in 2003–04, up £12.5million on this year. And reforms to the planning process will make the system more responsive to the need for affordable housing. Housing market imbalances are a key consideration as my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister develops a long-term programme of action for thriving communities—my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has promised to report back to the House on this in the new year.

  Comprehensive Performance Assessment
  Jim Knight
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what(a) capacity support and (b) intervention will be available for under-performing authorities identified through the comprehensive performance assessment process. [86331]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Government want the public to receive a continuously improving standard of services from local authorities. The Government will work with those authorities which are identified as poorly
  861W
  performing by the comprehensive performance assessment to ensure that they move swiftly to put an effective recovery plan in place.

  Decent Home Standards
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the progress he has made in setting the decent home standards. [86332]

  Mr. McNulty
  The decent home standard was finalised in February and guidance on its implementation was issued in Mach.

  Firefighters' Training
  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what disruption to the training of firefighters has been caused by the allocation of fire-fighting equipment from training facilities to the armed forces. [86333]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Some courses have had to be postponed at the Fire Service College at Moreton in Marsh due to the non-availability of appliances. The scope for re-arranging these courses will be reviewed in the new year in consultation with the fire brigades.

  Local fire authorities who have provided reserve training red engines, have reported no significant disruption to their training schedules.

  Local Authority Housing (Sheffield)
  Mr. Allan
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what representations he has received since May concerning the future of local authority housing in Sheffield. [86334]

  Mr. McNulty
  Since May 2002, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has received representations from the Leader, the Leader of the Opposition and the Chief Executive of Sheffield city council, from Jean Gleadall, Chair of Sheffield Tenants and Residents Together, and from an individual tenant and from the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam.

  Homelessness
  Mike Gapes
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his policies are for tackling homelessness. [86335]

  Mrs. Roche
  The March 2002 report, "More than a Roof", sets out our new approach to tackling homelessness. This includes stronger homelessness legislation, £125 million investment this year, and action to sustain reductions in rough sleeping and to ensure that homeless families with children are not forced to live in B&B hotels.

  "More than a roof' and the Government's response to it set out a challenging new approach to tackling homelessness. One that focuses as much on the problems homeless people face as the places they live.
  862W
  Specific measures include:
  £125 million investment to tackle homelessness (2002–03);
  a commitment that by March 2004 local authorities will ensure that no homeless family with children has to live in a B&B hotel, except in an emergency—and in these cases use should not be for longer than 6 weeks;
  changes to housing benefit rules worth around £10 million, to boost incentives for private sector leasing by local authorities. This change increases the housing benefit subsidy levels for self-contained private sector leasing which makes it more financially viable, especially when compared to B&B subsidy rates.

  Planning
  Andrew Mackinlay
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his plans to reform the planning system. [86336]

  Mr. McNulty
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Northampton, South (Mr. Clarke) on 18 December 2002.

  New Towns
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he has had with representatives of the New Towns since the Government's reply to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee's report on the Future of the New Towns. [86337]

  Mr. McNulty
  Officials at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister have been in touch with the New Town Special Interest Group to discuss the way forward in the context of my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister's sustainable communities agenda.

  Transport and Social Exclusion
  Mr. Miller
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Social Exclusion Unit report, "Transport and Social Exclusion". [86338]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Social Exclusion Unit published interim findings from its transport and social exclusion project on its website in May 2002. Copies of the report are available in the Library of the House.

  The Unit's final report, which builds on the interim report and examines the links between transport provision, the location of services, and social exclusion, will be published shortly.

  Council Housing
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his plans to increase the provision of council housing. [86339]

  Mr. McNulty
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has no plans to increase the provision of council housing.

  Increases in the supply of affordable housing are now delivered through Registered Social Landlords.

  Housing
  Margaret Moran
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is taking to further encourage development of housing on brown-field sites and through refurbishment. [86340]
  863W
  Mr. McNulty
  Planning Policy Guidance Note 3, `Housing' gives priority to re-using previously-developed land within urban areas, bringing empty homes back into use and converting existing buildings in preference to the development of green-field sites. Planning policies are backed by a package of fiscal measures, including a 150 per cent. tax credit for cleaning up contaminated land, reductions in VAT to encourage conversions of existing property into dwellings and the re-use of long-term empty homes, and a tax allowance for flats over shops to encourage use of redundant space.

  British Standards (Compliance Costs)
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what recent representations he has had regarding compliance costs relating to British Standard EN 54.4 and EN 54.2. [86341]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not received any recent representations about compliance costs relating to British Standard EN 54.

  Houses in Multiple Occupation
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will introduce legislation to license landlords of houses in multiple occupation. [86342]

  Mr. McNulty
  As announced in the Queen's Speech, the Government intend to publish a draft Housing Bill this session. The Bill will, among other measures, include provisions to introduce a mandatory licensing scheme for houses in multiple occupation.

  Following consultation and scrutiny of the draft Bill, it is the Government's intention that it be introduced to Parliament at the earliest possible opportunity.

  Firefighters' Dispute
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress he has made towards resolving the firefighters' dispute. [86343]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I refer the hon. Member for Vale of York to the answer given by my right. hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister to my hon. Friend the Member for Blackpool, North and Fleetwood (Mrs. Humble) on 18 December 2002,Official Report.

  Council Tax Banding
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to review the council tax banding system. [86344]

  Mr. Leslie
  The Local Government Bill currently before this House clarifies the power to vary the number of council tax bands. Ahead of the next English council tax revaluation in 2005, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will listen to the views of local government and taxpayers about council tax bands.

  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to change the housing bands for council tax; how he estimates they will benefit poorer people; and if he will make a statement. [87372]
  864W
  Mr. Leslie
  The Local Government Bill currently before Parliament clarifies the power to vary the number of council tax bands. Work on an English council tax revaluation will begin in 2005, with council tax bills based on updated property values issuing in 2007. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is aware of the concerns of people who live in low value houses about the current width of band A. Ahead of revaluation the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will listen to the views of local government and taxpayers about council tax bands. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will decide on any changes to the banding structure nearer to the time of the revaluation.

  Local Authority Performance Measures
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will review the measures he uses to assess the performance of local authorities with reference to the initial experience of such measures. [86345]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Local Government White Paper, "Strong Local Leadership-Quality Public Services", charged the Audit Commission with developing and implementing the methodology for Comprehensive Performance Assessment (CPA) of local authorities in England. The Commission reported the CPA outcomes for county and unitary authorities last week. An assessment framework for district councils is currently being developed and trialed.

  Both the Audit Commission and the Government will wish to reflect on what has been learnt from CPA this year.

  High Performing Councils
  Valerie Davey
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what additional freedoms and flexibilities he expects to be able to give to high performing councils. [86346]

  Mr. Raynsford
  For the very best authorities there will be no ring-fencing of funding (other than grants passed to schools); a three year 'inspection holiday'; removal of almost all requirements to produce plans and an opportunity to discuss with Government further freedoms through an Innovations Forum.

  South-east Regional Assembly
  Mr. Cameron
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many representations he has received about the establishment of a regional assembly in the South East in the last 12 months. [86347]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Between 9 May 2002, when the White Paper "Your Region, Your Choice" was published, and 6 December 2002, we received 215 written or e-mailed responses to the White Paper which can be identified as having come from the South East. In addition we have received 2,333 cut-out coupons, in response to a campaign organised by Conservative MEPs in the South East, which express opposition to an elected assembly in the region.

  Electoral Pilot
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which local authorities have applied to participate in the May 2003 electoral pilot programme; and which type of programme they have applied for, in each case. [87464]
  865W
  Mr. Leslie
  Sixty three applications to hold an electoral pilot scheme at the May 2003 local elections have been received. My right hon. Friend the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich issued on 17 December 2002 a written statement which lists the 41 applications which have been accepted, relating to non e-voting pilot schemes.

  A further 20 applications were submitted by councils wishing to run e-voting pilots. As set out in the prospectus that we published in September, the successful applicants for e-voting pilots will be announced in January. The 20 applicants for e-voting pilots schemes is tabled as follows:

  E-Voting—Total: 20

  Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council

  Chester City Council

  Chorley Borough Council

  East Northamptonshire Council

  Epping Forest District Council

  Ipswich Borough Council

  Kerrier District Council

  Malvern Hills District Council

  Norwich City Council

  Rushmoor Borough Council

  Sheffield City Council

  Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council

  South Somerset District Council

  South Tyneside Metropolitan Borough Council

  St Albans City and District Council

  Stratford-on-Avon District Council

  Stroud District Council

  Swindon Borough Council

  Vale Royal Borough Council

  Waveney District Council

  The applications submitted by Nottingham City Council (dual early-postal and traditional voting pilot) and by Mid-Suffolk District Council (all-postal pilot in three wards only) have not been accepted at this stage. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister officials will be in discussion with those authorities to consider whether revised applications can be put forward.

  Environmental Impact Assessments
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his Answer of 12 December ref. 86872, on environmental impact assessments, for what types of project an environmental impact assessment is mandatory. [87906]

  Mr. Leslie
  Projects for which Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is required are set out in the Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) (England and Wales) Regulations 1999. Schedule 1 to the Regulations lists projects for which EIA is always required. Schedule 2 lists those that the planning authority must screen to establish whether they are likely to have significant effects on the environment, in which case EIA will be required. There is nothing to prevent a developer voluntarily undertaking an assessment for a project for which there is no statutory requirement for EIA.

  Fire Safety Bill
  John McDonnell
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to publish a fire safety bill. [87800]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Government will publish a White Paper on the Fire Service in the spring. This will set out in detail the legislative and other changes required to take forward the modernisation programmes set out in the final report of the Independent Review of the Fire Service.

  Fire Services
  John McDonnell
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether the Government intend to review the funding formula for the fire service with regard to the funding of specialist non-fire services undertaken by the fire service. [87802]

  Mr. Raynsford
  On 5 December, as part of the provisional local government finance settlement for England for 2003–04, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced proposals resulting from the review of the local government grant distribution system. This includes a new fire distribution formula which takes account of the widening role of the fire service as a fire and rescue service. The Bain report, published on 16 December 2002, recommended that the Government look again at the formula.

  We will consider this and Bain's other recommendations in a White Paper to be published next year.

  Helplines and Hotlines
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many calls(a) Supporting People helpline and (b) High Hedges hotline have received so far. [87467]

  Mr. McNulty
  Up to 13 December the Supporting People helpline has received 2,987 calls. We do not have a dedicated high hedges hotline. However, we estimate that since June we have taken about 100 telephone calls on high hedges and our Trees and Problem Hedges website has attracted almost 5,000 visitors.

  Homeless People
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many homeless people are living rough, broken down by health authority. [87203]

  Mrs. Roche
  The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  On 12 September 2002, it was announced that an estimated 596 people are sleeping rough on any one night in England based on data collated from local authorities in the summer of 2002. Because health authority areas and local authority areas are not coterminous, it is not possible to give the number of people sleeping rough broken down by local health authority area.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what support he gives to homeless people discharged from hospital. [87206]
  867W
  Mrs. Roche
  Under the homelessness legislation, local housing authorities must ensure that suitable accommodation is available for people who are unintentionally homeless and who have a priority need for accommodation. This would include people who are vulnerable and unintentionally homeless on leaving hospital.

  In addition, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is working with the Department of Health on its revision of the Hospital Discharge Workbook, due to be published shortly. This emphasises that all acute hospitals should have formal admission and discharge policies, which will ensure that homeless people are identified on admission, and their pending discharge notified to relevant primary health care services and to homeless service providers, so that people are not in a position of being made homeless at this point.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what progress has been made on improving the access of homeless people to health care under the national homelessness strategy. [87447]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Homelessness Directorate's report, "More than a roof", set out a new approach to tackling homelessness, focused on the problems that homeless people face in the places where they live. It identified addressing health needs as critical in helping homeless people as well as preventing homelessness.

  In the Cross-Cutting Review on health inequalities, which the Government published on 20 November, inequalities faced by vulnerable groups—including homeless people—were identified as a top-line priority. As part of Government's response to this through measures to improve access to health services for vulnerable groups and others, the Government have put in place more than 1,300 Personal Medical Service Pilots and 42 NHS Walk-in Centres. Local authorities are expected to work with a range of organisations to deliver their homelessness strategies, including Primary Care Trusts on appropriate health services.

  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many copies of Drug Services for Homeless People: A good practice handbook have been distributed; and what range of organisations has received it. [87465]

  Mrs. Roche
  All Drug Action Teams (DATs) and key local authorities and homelessness agencies were e-mailed a letter from the Under-Secretary of State, Home Office, my hon. Friend the Member for Coventry North-East (Mr. Ainsworth) and myself about Drug Services for Homeless People: a good practice handbook on 4 December. They were directed to www.homelessness.odpm.gov.uk/homelessness/pubs/drug-services/index.htm where the document can be downloaded, and were given the opportunity to be e-mailed the document directly. In addition, over 700 hard copies of the handbook are being posted this week to all DATs, Drugs Prevention Advisory Service (DPAS) co-ordinators, local authority Housing Directors and other key contacts. Further free copies are available from my Department's free distribution centre.

  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much funding his Department is setting aside for(a) the research into the impact of temporary
  868W
  accommodation on health and education of homeless families and (b) the project to evaluate different models of family support to establish good practice announced in his press release of 3 December; when he expects this work to be completed; and which Government and non-Government groups will be involved. [87466]

  Mrs. Roche
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will be commissioning a major survey of homeless households in temporary accommodation early in the new year. The research will examine the factors that led to homelessness among a representative sample of households placed in temporary accommodation under the homelessness legislation, and the impact of homelessness and life in temporary accommodation on those households.

  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's procurement guidance strongly advises against releasing the project budget in advance of commissioning the work as this can distort competition. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will ensure that sufficient funding is available to cover the estimated cost of the research which we anticipate will take up to two years to be completed.

  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will consult other Government Departments, including the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills, on the research. In taking forward the work, the appointed contractors will be expected to consult local authorities and other interest groups.

  In line with the commitment to tackle homelessness more effectively we are also commissioning a project to evaluate different models of family support. The project will examine models led by different agencies, the voluntary sector, Primary Care Trust and a local authority (Hull City Primary Care Trust, Blackpool City Primary Care Trust, Leicester City Council and the Field Lane Foundation in London). All the models chosen demonstrate multi-agency working and have a health focus. The research will examine the effectiveness of the models in preventing repeat homelessness and will identify good practice to influence future delivery of services.

  The evaluation will commence in February 2003 with a review of each service by June 2003, and a final paper by December 2003. Again, it is not appropriate to release the project budget at this stage but we will ensure that there is sufficient funding available to cover the estimated cost of the evaluation. In taking forward the work, the appointed researchers will be expected to consult other relevant interest groups and agencies, drawing on other examples of good practice in the field of family homelessness.

  Local Strategic Partnerships
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if it is his policy that local community and strategic partnerships should be subject to legislation on admission to meetings. [87905]

  Mr. Leslie
  Local strategic partnerships are not statutory bodies. However, each LSP must work for, and be seen to work for the people it serves. We consider that there should be transparency and openness in the way LSPs operate and that information should be easily
  869W
  accessible. The accreditation of LSPs in receipt of the neighbourhood renewal fund specifically addresses these issues in respect of decision making and other processes of an LSP.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list, for the last year for which information is available, the SSA and net spending of each local authority, and the percentage by which the latter varies from the former. [87917]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The information for 2002–03 budgets has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Flook
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total central government grant to(a) Taunton Deane Borough Council and (b) Somerset County Council was, broken down by type of grant, in each year since 1990. [87720]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The total central government grant for Taunton Deane and Somerset County Council since 1990–91, as reported by the local authority, is set out in the tables.

  (a) Taunton Deane

  £ million

  Revenue grants

  Year1

  General grants 2—

  Specific grants inside AEF

  Capital grants

  Total central Government grant

  1990–91

  -

  0.14

  0.23

  -

  1991–92

  -

  0.21

  0.96

  -

  1992–93

  -

  0.19

  0.98

  -

  1993–94

  5.71

  0.20

  0.65

  6.56

  1994–95

  7.05

  0.22

  0.86

  8.13

  1995–96

  6.98

  0.23

  0.75

  7.96

  1996–97

  6.77

  0.17

  0.65

  7.59

  1997–98

  6.66

  0.18

  0.55

  7.39

  1998–99

  6.23

  0.18

  0.49

  6.90

  1999–00

  6.24

  0.20

  0.55

  6.99

  2000–01

  6.51

  0.17

  0.24

  6.92

  2001–02

  6.75

  0.24

  0.16

  7.15

  2002–03

  6.91

  0.24

  0.16

  7.31

  11990–91 to 2000–01 are outturn figures. 2001–02 and 2002–03 are budgeted/provisional figures.2– General grants include revenue support grant, SSA reduction grant, central support protection grant, GLA general grant, redistributed business rates and neighbourhood renewal fund. Between 1990–91 and 1992–93, under the community charge system, these grants were paid into Taunton Deane's collection fund, and supported expenditure by both Taunton Deane and Somerset county council.

  Sources: Revenue grant information from RO forms (1990–91 to 2000–01) and RA forms (2001–02 and 2002–03). Capital grant information from COR forms (1990–91 to 2000–01), CPR4form (2001–02) and CER form (2002–03).

  (b) Somerset

  Revenue grants

  Year1

  General grants2

  Specific grants inside AEF

  Capital grants

  Total central Government grant

  1990–91

  -

  22.71

  3.73

  -

  1991–92

  -

  27.07

  1.75

  -

  1992–93

  -

  30.47

  6.61

  -

  1993–94

  194.33

  37.96

  4.50

  236.79

  1994–95

  199.33

  39.59

  8.05

  246.97

  1995–96

  186.05

  14.98

  4.73

  205.76

  1996–97

  197.38

  13.97

  4.14

  215.49

  1997–98

  197.86

  11.71

  2.51

  212.08

  870W

  (b) Somerset

  Revenue grants

  Year1

  General grants2

  Specific grants inside AEF

  Capital grants

  Total central Government grant

  1998–99

  205.88

  15.35

  3.58

  224.81

  1999–00

  216.26

  20.89

  6.94

  244.09

  2000–01

  227.87

  40.66

  6.86

  275.39

  2001–02

  237.25

  42.86

  8.08

  288.19

  2002–03

  244.01

  45.98

  7.30

  297.29

  1 1990–91 to 2000–01 are outturn figures. 2001–02 and 2002–03 are budgeted/provisional figures.

  2 General grants include revenue support grant, SSA reduction grant, central support protection grant, GLA general grant, redistributed business rates and neighbourhood renewal fund. Between 1990–91 and 1992–93, under the community charge system, these grants were paid into the collection funds of the district councils in Somerset, and supported expenditure by both the districts and Somerset county council.

  3 Between 1990–91 and 1994–95 this includes police grant. From 1995–96 police grant was paid directly to Avon and Somerset Police. The rise in specific grants in 2000–01 can be attributed mainly to extra grants related to Education Standards Fund, Teachers Pay Reform and Magistrates Court.

  Sources: Revenue grant information from RO forms (1990–91 to 2000–01) and RA forms (2001–02 and 2002–03). Capital grant information from COR forms (1990–91 to 2000–01), CPR4form (2001–02) and CER form (2002–03).

  Local Sport
  Mr. Greenway
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to ensure that sport is provided for within local authority community plans; and if he will make a statement. [87650]

  Mr. Leslie
  The content of each local authority's community strategy will vary from one area to another, depending on local priorities as established in consultation with the local community and other partner organisations. The recent announcement concerning freedoms and flexibilities for local authorities recommended that local cultural strategies should be subsumed within community strategies. Where this happens, the profile of sport will be raised in forming part of the strategic vision for the area. In addition, the role of all cultural and leisure services within community strategies will be included in the forthcoming evaluation which the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will commission early in 2003.

  New Deal for Communities
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much money has been distributed through the New Deal for Communities to fund programmes aimed at increasing benefit take-up. [86739]

  Mrs. Roche
  New Deal for Communities is a key programme in the Government's national strategy to renew the most deprived neighbourhoods in the country. It tests out the new approaches in the strategy, in 39 neighbourhoods across England.

  The Government have provided the following funding to enable Benefits Agency—and latterly, Jobcentre Plus staff—to work with New Deal for Communities partnerships on issues relating to benefits and helping people to find jobs.

  871W

  1999–2000—£1.3 million

  2000–01—£1.6 million

  2001–02—£1.7 million

  This funding initially aimed to provide information and advice on all Social Security benefits including housing benefit, which can be paid to people on low incomes, and other in-work benefits. Following the creation of the Department for Work and Pensions—bringing together the Benefits Agency and the Employment Service—there has been an equal emphasis on moving people to a more work ready state, job brokering, advising about the various New Deal programmes and in-work benefit advice.

  The NRU pays for additional DWP/Jobcentre Plus staff to work in each NDC area. This equates to an extra £50,000 per year for each neighbourhood. Typically, it enables DWP to provide 1–2 dedicated members of staff to work in support of the partnership.

  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not hold information centrally about the amount of funding allocated by individual partnerships to programmes to increase benefits take-up.

  Rough Sleepers
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list(a) the number of staff in and (b) the cost of the (i) Rough Sleepers Unit and (ii) Homelessness Directorate in each year since each was established. [87434]

  Mrs. Roche
  The information is in the table.

  year

  Number of staff

  Administration budget cost (£ million)

  1999–2000

  19

  0.73

  2000–01

  36

  1.34

  2001–021

  30

  1.3

  1 Homelessness Directorate which incorporated the Rough Sleepers Unit was announced by Lord Falconer on 3 December 2001 and came into being on 1 April 2002.

  872W
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 10 December 2002,Official Report, column 267W, if he will require the Rough Sleepers Unit to record rough sleepers who are also asylum seekers separately from other rough sleepers for the purposes of the street count. [87932]

  Mrs. Roche
  Information from counts undertaken by local authorities does not identify rough sleepers who are asylum seekers. As rough sleepers are not woken, it is not possible to obtain information on their personal status. However outreach teams are encouraged to get as much information about people sleeping rough in their areas as possible so that individual solutions can be found to their rough sleeping where it is possible.

  Rural Services
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is taking to ensure the delivery of services to sparsely populated rural areas; and what resources he is making available. [87707]

  Mr. Leslie
  Service provision in rural areas is a matter for the delivery bodies in the first instance. For local authorities, the recent provisional local government finance settlement gave every authority a grant increase of at least 3.0 per cent., with education authorities receiving at least 3.5 per cent., Rural shire districts did particularly well, their grant increasing by an average of 7.6 per cent.

  Standards Board
  Andrew Selous
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost was of distributing the Standards Board leaflets to hon. Members' offices(a) in their constituency and (b) in the House in December. [87834]

  Mr. Leslie
  Information about how to make a complaint about breaches of the Local Authorities Codes of Conduct was distributed by the Standards Board for England to hon. Members(a) in their constituencies at a total cost of £5,019 and (b) in the House at a total cost of £622.

HEALTH

  "Valuing People"
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding is being provided to each local authority to meet the requirements of "Valuing People". [85501]

  Jacqui Smith
  Our policies for improving services for people with learning disabilities, their families and carers are set out in the White Paper "Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century" (Cm 5086), published in March 2001.

  Some £3 billion a year is already spent on health and social care provision for people with learning disabilities. The proposals in "Valuing People" will help to ensure that this money is spent effectively and efficiently. People with learning disabilities will also benefit from the general growth in total health and social services spending and from specific initiatives.

  The White Paper announced the creation of two new funds, the implementation support fund and the learning disability development fund. The support fund, £2.3 million a year for three years from April 2001, is being used to support a range of initiatives connected with the White Paper's programme of action. These include developing and expanding advocacy services across the country.

  The development fund has both revenue (£22.6 million) and capital (£20 million) elements. £2 million of the revenue element is being used to fund the "Valuing People" support team and its related activities, with the remainder being distributed to health authorities. It was distributed to the then health authorities (HAs) in March 2002 to support priorities for service change as outlined in joint investment plans they drew up with their partner local authorities. The distribution was based on the NHS general allocation formula except that five authorities received additional money to help them meet the needs of their old long stay population. Where a health authority related to more than one local authority, the allocation was to be divided according to the size of their respective resident populations unless all the parties agreed to an alternative distribution.

  The distribution by HA has been placed in the Library.

  Learning Disability Partnership Boards were invited to bid for funding from the capital element of the Development Fund. A list of the successful boards has been placed in the Library, but the money will not all be spent in this first financial year.

  Child Care
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list(a) the number of children in residential care
  874W
  and (b) the total number of staff in residential care establishments for children on 1 June in each of the years since 1997 [80474]

  Jacqui Smith
  Information about the numbers of looked after children placed in residential placements is shown in the table. This includes children looked after in local authority children's homes and in residential accommodation provided by voluntary and private sector organisations.

  Children looked after in residential placements at 31 March 1997 to 2001

  Number of looked after children in residential placements

  Total looked after children

  1997

  6,600

  51,200

  1998

  6,700

  53,300

  1999

  6,600

  55,500

  2000

  7.000

  58,100

  2001

  6,800

  58,900

  Notes:

  1. Data exclude children being looked after under any agreed series of short-term placements.

  2. Residential placements include children's homes and hostels and secure units.

  3. It excludes residential schools.

  Source:

  Department of Health Form—CLA 100.

  Information about the numbers of staff employed in residential care establishments for children is not available as at 1 June. The table shows the whole time equivalent (wte) number of staff employed by local authorities in England in residential care establishments for children as at 30 September, for each year from 1997 to 2001 (the latest year for which data are available). Similar information is not available about the numbers of staff employed by the independent sector.

  Number employed (wte)

  1997

  13,300

  1998

  12,900

  1999

  12,400

  2000

  12,100

  2001

  11,900

  Source:

  Form SSDS001.

  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many GPs retired(a) early and (b) due to ill-health in each year since 1977; and how many left the profession in each year. [84495]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 2 December 2002]: Data in the format requested is not readily available. The number of principal and assistant general medical and ophthalmic practitioners in England and Wales who have received a retirement pension before age 60 and on the grounds of ill-health in each of the financial years 1985 to 2002 is shown in the table.
  875W

  General Medical and Ophthalmic Practitioner Retirements

  Year

  Before 60

  III-health only

  Total

  1985

  25

  100

  125

  1986

  29

  112

  141

  1987

  59

  92

  151

  1988

  30

  109

  139

  1989

  31

  118

  149

  1990

  43

  136

  179

  1991

  57

  163

  220

  1992

  53

  143

  196

  1993

  70

  161

  231

  1994

  54

  168

  222

  1995

  82

  180

  262

  1996

  156

  206

  362

  Leavers

  October

  October

  October

  October

  September

  September

  Total

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999 September 2000

  2000–01

  2001 March 2002

  1,058

  1,040

  1,030

  1,090

  1,313

  687

  6,218

  Acute Trusts
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which acute trusts are running a deficit in this financial year. [87423]

  Mr. Hutton
  The audited information in respect of the 2002–03 financial performance of National Health Service trusts, including acute trusts, will he published in their individual annual accounts. The audited information will be available centrally in autumn 2003.

  Brain Injuries
  Martin Linton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what funding his Department has made available for rehabilitation services for brain-injury patients in London in each of the last three years; what funding he will make available for the next financial year; and if he will make a statement. [86281]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Department does not earmark funds for particular services, such as brain injury rehabilitation. Primary care trusts are responsible for ensuring that services for patients needing brain injury rehabilitation are in place. The configuration of this service provision, however, is a matter for local decision makers as they are best placed to understand the health needs of their local populations.

  We would expect that the substantial extra funds this Government have provided to the national health service will help provide improved services for all patients including those needing rehabilitation after a brain injury.

  Care Beds
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what changes to the number of(a) private care beds and (b) council care beds he expects to occur in Chorley council area over the next five years; [87048]

  (2) how many care beds there are in the Chorley council area; and how many he estimates there will be in each year from 2003 to 2008. [87047]
  876W

  General Medical and Ophthalmic Practitioner Retirements

  Year

  Before 60

  III-health only

  Total

  1997

  112

  181

  293

  1998

  150

  172

  322

  1999

  112

  143

  255

  2000

  84

  141

  225

  2001

  183

  147

  330

  2002

  184

  172

  356

  Total

  1514

  2644

  4158

  The number of unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs) who left English Health Authorities from October 1996 to March 2002 is shown in the table.

  Jacqui Smith
  Information is not available for Chorley council area.

  At 31 March 2001 there were 11,600 residential care beds in Lancashire local authority and 1,700 nursing care beds in south Lancashire health authority. Data for 2002 are not yet available.

  Forecasts of the number of care home places are not made centrally.

  On 23 July 2002, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced additional funding to provide more help for older people. The funding is intended to support 6,000 more care home places in England by March 2006.

  Care Housing Pl4ces (Elderly)
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost of the 50 per cent. increase in the number of extra care housing places for older people, announced on 23 July 2002. [81686]

  Jacqui Smith
  We propose to increase extra care housing places for older people by 50 per cent. between 1997 and 2006. A further announcement will be made in due course.

  Consultant Surgeons (Suspensions)
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many consultant surgeons were suspended from clinical duties in the past two years. [87891]

  Mr. Hutton
  National health service trusts report suspensions lasting longer than six months or longer to the Department. The number of consultants reported has decreased since 30 September 2000.

  Year

  Total consultants suspended in period

  October 2000 to September 2001

  23

  October 2001 to September 2002

  18

  Delayed Discharges
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many patients experienced delayed discharge from hospitals in(a) England and (b) Wales in the last quarter; [82835]

  (2) if he will make a statement on the duration of delayed discharges, as a percentage of delayed discharges, waiting (a) less than eight days, (b) eight to 14 days, (c) 15 to 28 days and (d) more than 28 days in the last quarter; [82486]

  (3) what proportion of patients awaiting discharge from hospital were delayed from being discharged due to awaiting (a) a care home placement, (b) assessment, (c) public funding, (d) a domiciliary package and (e) other reasons in the last quarter. [82487]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answers 25 November 2002]: Delayed Discharge figures for Quarter 1, 2002–03 are available in the Library.

  Mr. Jon Owen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of Welsh resident patients who have had their discharge from hospital in England delayed, in each hospital with more than 20 patients in this category. [87157]

  Jacqui Smith
  The information requested is not available centrally. However, in preparing for the introduction of the Community Care (Delayed Discharges, etc) Bill, it was established that the percentage of Welsh resident patients admitted to hospitals in English health authorities near to the border in 2000–01 was very small, an average of 7.5 per cent. of all admissions. No health and social care communities are reporting as many as 20 delays.

  Epilepsy
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if an initial health needs assessment of epilepsy has been produced by(a) eastern, (b) London, (c) northwest Greater Manchester, (d) north-west Lancashire, (e) north-west Mersey and Cheshire, (f) northern region, (g) Yorkshire, (h) central south-east, (i) Kent, Surrey and Sussex, (j) south-east five counties, (k) south-west, (l) Trent NOR COM and (m) west midlands NHS regions; which of these NHS regions has agreed a common service strategy for the commissioning of epilepsy services, involving providers and patients/carers representatives in the process; and

  All practitioners1, NHS plan GPs2, unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)3 in Hampshire and Isle of Wight strategic health authority and England as at 31 March 2002

  Number4

  Of which aged:

  Total

  Under 30

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–59

  England

  All Practitioners

  32,011

  1,305

  3,557

  5,497

  6,272

  5,376

  Percentage

  4.1

  11.1

  17.2

  19.6

  16.8

  Of which:

  NHS Plan GPs

  28,950

  341

  2,648

  4,859

  5,894

  5,259

  Percentage

  1.2

  9.1

  16.8

  20.4

  18.2

  UPEs

  27,956

  285

  2,441

  4,698

  5,774

  5,140

  Percentage

  1.0

  8.7

  16.8

  20.7

  18.4

  878W
  which of them has agreed common standards, implementation and investment plans for the provision of epilepsy services; [86238]

  (2) whether the necessary purchasing arrangements, including setting up service agreements, financial risk-sharing models and establishing primary care trust-led consortia, have been put in place by (a) eastern, (b) London, (c) north-west Greater Manchester, (d) north-west Lancashire, (e) north-west Mersey and Cheshire, (f) northern region, (g) Yorkshire, (h) central south-east, (i) Kent, Surrey and Sussex, (j) south-east five counties, (k) south-west, (l) Trent NORCOM and (m) west midlands NHS regions. [86239]

  Mr. Hutton
  The majority of epilepsy services are provided in a primary or secondary care setting and are not specialised services. The organisations listed in the question are regional specialised commissioning groups whose function is to commission specialised services, generally located in tertiary hospitals; non-specialised services such as epilepsy services are not within their remit. Surgery is appropriate for less than 5 per cent. of epilepsy patients. It is provided in neurosciences centres and is subject to the same access targets as other forms of elective surgery.

  We expect to publish an action plan for epilepsy services following the recommendation in the chief medical officer's 2001 annual report that we should improve the standard of services for people with epilepsy. The action plan will also address the findings of the national clinical audit of epilepsy-related death, which was published in May 2002.

  In addition to the epilepsy action plan, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence will publish an appraisal of anti-epilepsy drugs next year, followed by a guideline on the diagnosis, management and treatment of epilepsy in 2004. We are also developing the national service framework (NSF) for long-term conditions, which will focus on improving services for neurological conditions, including epilepsy. We expect to publish the NSF in 2004.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the age distribution of general practitioners in(a) Hampshire and (b) England. [87236]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 16 December 2002]: The age distribution of general practitioners in England and in Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority as at March 2002 is shown in the table.
  879W

  All practitioners1, NHS plan GPs2, unrestricted principals and equivalents (UPEs)3 in Hampshire and Isle of Wight strategic health authority and England as at 31 March 2002

  Number4

  Of which aged:

  Total

  Under 30

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–59

  Hampshire and Isle of Wight StHA

  All Practitioners

  1,184

  40

  153

  206

  251

  209

  Percentage

  3.4

  12.9

  17.4

  21.2

  17.7

  Of which:

  NHS Plan GPs

  1,035

  6

  95

  172

  236

  203

  Percentage

  0.6

  9.2

  16.6

  22.8

  19.6

  UPEs

  1,024

  6

  93

  172

  231

  201

  Percentage

  0.6

  9.1

  16.8

  22.6

  19.6

  Number4

  Of which aged:

  50–54

  55–59

  60–64

  65–69

  70 and over

  Unknown

  England

  All Practitioners

  4,633

  3,379

  1,419

  506

  66

  1

  Percentage

  14.5

  10.6

  4.4

  1.6

  0.2

  0.0

  Of which:

  NHS Plan GPs

  4,594

  3,365

  1,419

  506

  65

  0

  Percentage

  15.9

  11.6

  4.9

  1.7

  0.2

  —

  UPEs

  4,525

  3,281

  1,358

  454

  0

  0

  Percentage

  16.2

  11.7

  4.9

  1.6

  0.0

  Hampshire and Isle of Wight StHA

  All Practitioners

  164

  128

  29

  4

  0

  0

  Percentage

  13.9

  10.8

  2.4

  0.3

  0.0

  —

  Of which:

  NHS Plan GPs

  163

  127

  29

  4

  0

  0

  Percentage

  15.7

  12.3

  2.8

  0.4

  0.0

  —

  UPEs

  163

  125

  29

  4

  0

  0

  Percentage

  15.9

  12.2

  2.8

  0.4

  0.0

  —

  1 All Practitioners include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA),

  PMS Other and GP Retainers.

  2 NHS Plan GPs include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA) and PMS Others.

  3 UPEs include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs.

  4 Headcount

  Note:

  Data has been converted to match April 2002 StHA boundaries.

  Source:

  Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

  Health Funding
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was granted from each source of support within his Department to(a) Westminster City Council and (b) the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, outside the revenue support grant settlements, in each year since 1997 [85832]

  Westminster City Council

  £000

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  2003–04

  Grant

  AIDS Support

  800

  770

  810

  798

  547

  547

  1—

  Drugs and Alcohol Specific Grant

  27

  33

  34

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Guardians Ad Litem and Reporting Officer Services

  29

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mental Health (Adults)

  539

  539

  804

  904

  1,006

  1,013

  1,014

  Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

  —

  —

  26

  26

  82

  146

  376

  Training Support Programme

  215

  198

  196

  319

  355

  212

  —

  Community Care Special Transitional Grant

  2,305

  2,171

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Adult Asylum-Seekers' Accommodation

  3,847

  5,306

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  880W
  Jacqui Smith
  The tables show the funding made available by the Department to Westminster City Council and the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea outside the revenue support grant settlements in each year since 1997.
  881W

  Westminster City Council

  £000

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  2003–04

  Persons from Abroad Children's Grant

  2,835

  3,753

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children's Grant

  41

  879

  2,769

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Partnership2

  —

  —

  1,755

  1,500

  —

  —

  —

  Prevention2

  —

  —

  146

  222

  —

  —

  —

  Promoting Independence

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,979

  1,150

  —

  Carers'

  —

  —

  137

  384

  554

  696

  615

  Children's Services

  —

  —

  755

  1,234

  3,216

  5,286

  1—

  Deferred Payments

  —

  —

  —

  —

  32

  64

  87

  Young People's Substance Misuse Planning

  —

  —

  —

  —

  51

  53

  1—

  Building Care Capacity

  —

  —

  —

  —

  422

  884

  —

  Preserved Rights

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2,907

  1—

  Residential Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  606

  1—

  Teenage Pregnancy Local Implementation

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  38

  1—

  Performance Fund

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  302

  686

  Improving Information Management

  —

  —

  —

  —

  17

  187

  164

  Secure Accommodation

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1—

  Care Direct

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Access and Systems Capacity

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  842

  National Training Strategy

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1—

  Human Resource Development Strategy

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1—

  Supplementary Credit Approvals

  Mental Health

  180

  120

  218

  50

  —

  186

  1—

  HIV/AIDS

  250

  250

  —

  414

  300

  —

  1—

  1 TBA—to be announced.

  2 The partnership and prevention grants combined in 2001–02 and became the promoting independence grant.

  Note:

  PFI credit approvals of £4.3 million were also issued to Westminster in 1999–2000.

  Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

  £000

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  2003–04

  Grant

  AIDS Support

  890

  760

  780

  816

  592

  563

  1—

  Drugs and Alcohol Specific Grant

  —

  33

  644

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Guardians Ad Litem and Reporting Officer Services

  21

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Mental Health

  515

  515

  693

  760

  830

  835

  836

  Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services

  —

  —

  20

  20

  61

  107

  332

  Training Support Programme

  163

  161

  162

  204

  195

  180

  1—

  Community Care Special Transitional Grant

  1,509

  1,414

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Adult Asylum-Seekers' Accommodation

  2,326

  4,604

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Persons from Abroad Children's Grant

  1,277

  1,550

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Unaccompanied Asylum-Seeking Children's Grant

  152

  647

  1,496

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Partnership2—

  —

  —

  1,162

  1,002

  —

  —

  —

  Prevention2

  —

  —

  103

  157

  —

  —

  —

  Promoting Independence

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,324

  793

  —

  Carers'

  —

  —

  95

  270

  393

  496

  480

  Children's Services

  —

  —

  560

  916

  2,390

  3,871

  1—

  Deferred Payments

  —

  —

  —

  —

  26

  53

  71

  Young People's Substance Misuse Planning

  —

  —

  —

  —

  37

  38

  1—

  Building Care Capacity

  —

  —

  —

  —

  265

  563

  —

  Preserved Rights

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1,701

  1—

  Residential Allowance

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  388

  —

  Teenage Pregnancy Local Implementation

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  37

  1—

  Performance Fund

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  201

  541

  Improving Information Management

  —

  —

  —

  —

  17

  167

  139

  Secure Accommodation

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1—

  Care Direct

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  Access and Systems Capacity

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  600

  National Training Strategy

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1—

  Human Resources Development Strategy

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1—

  Supplementary Credit Approvals

  Mental Health

  115

  62

  300

  —

  350

  89

  1—

  HIV/AIDS

  200

  20

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1—

  1 TBA to be announced.

  2 The partnership and prevention grants combined in 2001–02 and became the promoting independence grant.

  882W

  Homeless People
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of homeless people are addicted to(a) alcohol and (b) drugs. [87204]

  Mrs. Roche
  I have been asked to reply.

  In 1998, the Social Exclusion Unit's report into rough sleeping stated that 20 per cent. of rough sleepers were misusing drugs. In July 2002, research by the charity Crisis found that 83 per cent. of single homeless people were drug users. Figures for people misusing alcohol were at around 30 to 50 per cent. in the SEU report, and recent anecdotal evidence suggests that this figure is still around the same.

  On 4 December 2002, the Home Office's Drug Strategy Directorate and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's Homelessness Directorate published new guidance entitled "Drug Services for Homeless People: a Good Practice Handbook", which is aimed at addressing these figures through mainstream and specialised drug services.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps the Homelessness Directorate is taking to improve the health care of homeless ple. [87435]

  Mrs. Roche
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Homelessness Directorate's report, "More than a Roof", set out a new approach to tackling homelessness, focused on the problems that homeless people face in the places where they live. It identified addressing health needs as critical in helping homeless people, as well as preventing homelessness.

  In the Cross-Cutting Review on health inequalities, which the Government published on 20 November 2002, inequalities faced by vulnerable groups, including homeless people, were identified as a top-line priority. As part of Government's response to this through measures to improve access to health services for vulnerable groups and others, the Government have put in place more than 1,300 Personal Medical Service Pilots and 42 NHS Walk-in Centres. Local authorities are expected to work with a range of organisations to deliver their homelessness strategies, including primary care trusts on appropriate health services.

  In addition, all local housing authorities are now required, under the Homelessness Act 2002, to conduct a review of homelessness in their district and to adopt a strategy, by July 2003, which must include plans for ensuring that accommodation and support are available for homeless people. As made clear in the statutory Homelessness Code of Guidance for local authorities, published jointly by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Health, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister expects local housing authorities to work with a range of organisations to deliver the aims of the homelessness strategy and ensure that all the support needs of homeless people are taken into account. This includes working with primary care trusts (PCTs), to deliver appropriate health services to this client group.
  884W
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training general practitioners receive in relation to the health needs of homeless people. [87436]

  Mr. Hutton
  Government do not specify the content of the general practitioner training curriculum. This is the job of the joint committee on postgraduate training for general practice (JCPTGP), which is the competent authority for general practice training in the United Kingdom. The JCPTGP is an independent professional body, and it is required by section 9(3) of the Vocational Training Regulations 1997 to determine and publish the curriculum to be followed by a GP registrar, a trainee GP.

  The Regulations do specify seven competencies which must be tested, and which the curriculum must therefore teach:
  factual medical knowledge sufficient to enable the doctor to perform the duties of a GP;
  the ability to apply factual medical knowledge to the management of problems presented by patients in general practice;
  effective communication, both orally and in writing;
  the ability to consult satisfactorily with general practice patients;
  the ability to review and critically analyse the practitioner's own working practices and to manage any necessary changes appropriately;
  clinical skills; and
  the ability to synthesise all the above competencies and apply them appropriately in a general practice setting.

  GPs are expected therefore to learn in training the skills needed to deal with all their patients.

  Invoice Payments
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of external suppliers his Department paid in(a) accordance with agreed contractual conditions and (b) where no such conditions exist, within 30 days of receipt of an undisputed invoice in each of the last five years. [86878]

  Mr. Lammy
  [holding answer 12 December 2002]: The Department's payment performance in each of the last five completed financial years is shown in the table.

  Financial year

  Percentage paid

  1997–98

  95.3

  1998–99

  94.4

  1999–2000

  95.3

  2000–01

  95.8

  2001–02

  94.7

  Mental Health Acts
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to expedite hearings of people detained under the Mental Health Acts. [82694]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Secretary of State for Health is required to provide all detained patients with a speedy review of their detention. This responsibility is supported by a secretariat who manage the process and organise the hearings from four regional offices working within a national listing policy. Patients detained under
  885W
  section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983 are listed within seven days of their application being filed and all other patients as soon as is practically possible, having regard to the interests of justice.

  All four Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) offices work within these national procedures and the throughput of cases is managed by a team, headed by a case manager.

  In April 2002, an independent review of the MHRT administration was undertaken. The Department is considering the results of the review and what action might be taken further to improve the service.

  A project to support a better IT system is in progress and additional staff resources have been provided to the offices since the review began.

  Officials from the Department of Health and the Lord Chancellor's Department have been working closely with the Royal College of Psychiatrists to speed up recruitment of members and to elicit a better response to recruitment campaigns.

  Prisons
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether prisoners in(a) Garth and (b) Wymott prisons are included in the funding calculation for Chorley South Ribble PCT. [87046]

  Jacqui Smith
  Prisoners classified by the Office for National Statistics as normally resident in Her Majesty's Prison Garth and HMP Wymott are included in the population figures on which funding calculations for Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust are based. From April 2003 the methodology for taking account of prisoners in PCT allocations will change. PCTs with prisons in their boundaries will receive allocations that take into account the secondary physical health care needs of whole of the local prison population.

  Prisons (Mental Health)
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of prisoners suffer from psychiatric morbidity. [87444]

  Jacqui Smith
  A survey of mental ill health in the prison population of England and Wales, undertaken in 1997 by the Office for National Statistics, estimated that around 90 per cent. of prisoners had at least one of the five disorders; personality disorder, psychosis, neurosis, alcohol misuse and drug dependence, considered in the survey.

  Public Health Laboratories
  Dr. Richard Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health which bodies will undertake the work of the Public Health Laboratories until the Managed Pathology Networks are in operation. [87724]

  Mr. Hutton
  As outlined in the recently published document, Future arrangements for microbiology laboratory services, all Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS) laboratories, except for those designated as 886W
  Health Protection Agency (HPA) laboratories, will transfer into the management of National Health Service trusts on 1 April 2003.

  The Department of Health document, Pathology—the essential service, draft guidance on modernising pathology services, supported the development of managed pathology networks as an effective means of delivering improved pathology services.

  The consultation period for this document ended on 30 September 2002. The results of the consultation are currently being considered. It is expected that new guidance will be released to the NHS in the new year.

  Sheltered Accommodation
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the definition of very sheltered accommodation is; and how many very sheltered accommodation places there were in each year since 1996. [86292]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 9 December 2002 ]: The definition of very sheltered housing used by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister for housing investment programme purposes is:
  Very sheltered housing covers schemes for frail older people that have more provision of a greater level of care than ordinary sheltered housing: for example; the provision of meals, extra wardens, care assistants and additional communal facilities such as special bathrooms and sluice rooms.

  The number of very sheltered housing places between 1996 and 2000 is:

  Number of places

  1996

  17,577

  1997

  18,041

  1998

  19,062

  1999

  19,577

  2000

  20,269

  For 2001 and subsequently, figures will be available from "Supporting People" supply mapping.

  Specialised Services (Commissioning)
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many responses he received as part of its review of commissioning arrangements for specialised services from(a) regional specialised commissioning groups, (b) local service providers, (c) commissioners, (d) patients' representatives and (e) carers' representatives. [86236]

  Mr. Hutton
  A total of 53 responses were directly submitted to the review of commissioning arrangements for specialised services of which many were composite responses:Regional specialised commissioning groups: 11 responses
  Local service providers: 14 responses
  Commissioners: 3 responses
  Patients' representatives, including voluntary sector organisations and carer's representatives: 14 responses
  Plus a further four responses from medical professional bodies, three responses from joint Department/national health service bodies and other four responses.

  Trust Mergers
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the acute hospitals in England and Wales that are subject to(a) merger and (b) restructuring proposals. [85792]

  Mr. Hutton
  The following acute hospitals in England are subject to merger proposals: Princess Royal Hospital NHS Trust and Royal Shrewsbury Hospital NHS Trust.

  Information on individual trust based restructuring proposals is not held centrally.

  Issues related to acute hospitals in Wales are a matter for the National Assembly for Wales.

  Vaccinations
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what stocks of vaccines are held by the NHS for illnesses known to have the potential to be used in biological warfare. [86034]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Department holds stocks of anthrax and smallpox vaccines centrally on behalf of the national health service. Such stocks can be rapidly deployed across the United Kingdom for use in the NHS in the event of a bioterrorist incident. A small stock of Anthrax vaccine for protection against occupational exposure is held by the Public Health Laboratory Service (PHLS). A stock of botulinum antitoxin is also held by the PHLS for use in the NHS.

  Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
  Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
  Northern Ireland: Primary and Post-primary School Funding
  Northern Ireland: Primary and Post-primary School Funding
  Northern Ireland Assembly Suspension: Implementation Bodies
  Northern Ireland Assembly Suspension: Implementation Bodies
  Northern Ireland Assembly Suspension: NSMC
  Northern Ireland Assembly Suspension: NSMC
  Northern Ireland: Criminal Justice Review
  Northern Ireland: Criminal Justice Review
  Members of the House of Lords: Congestion Charge Payments
  Members of the House of Lords: Congestion Charge Payments
  Shareholder Executive
  Shareholder Executive
  Biodiesel: Vegetable Oils
  Biodiesel: Vegetable Oils
  Strategic Rail Authority
  Strategic Rail Authority
  Rail Freight Grants and Rail Network Enhancements
  Rail Freight Grants and Rail Network Enhancements
  Road Bridges Crossing Railway Lines
  Road Bridges Crossing Railway Lines
  London: Roadworks
  London: Roadworks
  EC Draft Directive on Road Tunnel Safety: Consultation
  EC Draft Directive on Road Tunnel Safety: Consultation
  Army Training and Welfare Policy
  Army Training and Welfare Policy
  Royal Air Force: Battle Honour "Kosovo"
  Royal Air Force: Battle Honour "Kosovo"
  Single Living Accommodation Modernisation Programme
  Single Living Accommodation Modernisation Programme
  Review Board of Government Contracts: Report
  Review Board of Government Contracts: Report
  Benefit Claimants: Bank and Post Office Accounts
  Benefit Claimants: Bank and Post Office Accounts
  DWP Correspondence
  DWP Correspondence
  EU Employment and Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
  EU Employment and Social Policy, Health and Consumer Affairs Council
  Hydrogen Oils Duties Act 1979: Form EX 103
  Hydrogen Oils Duties Act 1979: Form EX 103
  Biodiesel Duty Rebate: Modified Waste Vegetable Fat
  Biodiesel Duty Rebate: Modified Waste Vegetable Fat
  Human Eggs
  Human Eggs
  General Dental Service
  General Dental Service
  Acrophobia
  Acrophobia
  Public Health Laboratory Service
  Public Health Laboratory Service
  Stem Cell Research
  Stem Cell Research
  GP Prescribing
  GP Prescribing
  Plasma Supplies
  Plasma Supplies
  Afghanistan
  Afghanistan
  China: North Korean Refugees
  China: North Korean Refugees
  Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance Refusals: Annual Report
  Independent Monitor for Entry Clearance Refusals: Annual Report
  Ian Stillman
  Ian Stillman
  Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art: Annual Report
  Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art: Annual Report
  Hate Crimes: Protection of Homosexual People
  Hate Crimes: Protection of Homosexual People
  Sentencing
  Sentencing
  Prison Service: Retired Governors
  Prison Service: Retired Governors
  Speeding fines: Lancashire and Merseyside
  Speeding fines: Lancashire and Merseyside
  prison Inmates: Dental Treatment
  prison Inmates: Dental Treatment
  Youth Offending Teams
  Youth Offending Teams
  Proceeds of Crime Act 2002: Appointed Person under Section 29
  Proceeds of Crime Act 2002: Appointed Person under Section 29
  Independent Schools: Charitable Status
  Independent Schools: Charitable Status
  Racial Incidents
  Racial Incidents
  Prison Service: CRE Report
  Prison Service: CRE Report
  Biodiesel Processing Plants
  Biodiesel Processing Plants
  Waste Incinerators
  Waste Incinerators
  Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy
  Sustainable Farming and Food Strategy