Written Answers of 15 March 2002

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Hospital Stays (Benefit Claims)
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and pensions (1) how many people in Scotland have been claiming benefits whilst staying in long stay hospitals in(a) each of the past five years and (b) the current financial year; and what the forecast is for the next three years; [41834]

  (2) what the total expenditure was on benefits for people in Scotland who stay in long stay hospitals in (a) each year of the past five years and (b) the current financial year; and what the forecast is for the next three years. [41835]

  Maria Eagle
  [holding answer 11 March 2002]The information is not available in the format requested.

  Disability Living Allowance
  Paul Goggins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what proposals he has to clarify the conditions of entitlement for the lower rate mobility component of disability living allowance. [44433]

  Maria Eagle
  Regulations have today been laid before Parliament together with copies of the Social Security Advisory Committee's report on them and the Secretary of State's response to that report.

  The regulations make clear that for a severely disabled person to qualify for the lower rate mobility component of Disability Living Allowance on the grounds that fear or anxiety prevents them from walking out of doors on unfamiliar routes without guidance or supervision from another person most of the time, the fear or anxiety must be a symptom of a mental disability. This clarification is needed to remove uncertainty and the possibility of misinterpretation of the qualifying conditions in these circumstances. The regulations do not otherwise alter the conditions for entitlement to the lower rate mobility component, and severely disabled people whose physical or mental disabilities alone mean that they cannot walk out of doors on unfamiliar routes without guidance or supervision from another person most of the time will continue to qualify.

  Minimum Income Guarantee
  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much additional money, in total per year, would be paid to pensioners in North Norfolk if those not presently claiming the minimum income guarantee were to claim it. [43694]
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  Malcolm Wicks
  The information requested is unavailable.

  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many entitled non-recipients of the minimum income guarantee there are in(a) the North Norfolk constituency and (b) England. [43695]

  Maria Eagle
  Estimates of the number of pensioners who may be entitled to but have not claimed the Minimum Income Guarantee are not available below national level. National estimates are contained in the publication "Take Up of Income Related Benefits: Statistics for 1999–2000". A copy is held in the Library.

PRIME MINISTER

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will set out for each Civil Service grade within his(a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies the (i) total number of staff employed, number aged (A) 16 to 25, (B) 26 to 35, (C) 36 to 45, (D) 46 to 60 and (E) over the age of 60 years, number of registered disabled and (iv) number of ethnic minorities. [39153]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 13 March 2002,Official Report, column 1072W.

  Relocation Expenses
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Prime Minister what his policy is on the payment of relocation expenses to staff in his office. [41017]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 14 March 2002,Official Report, columns 1207–08W.

  Gender Pay Gap
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the extent of the gender pay gap amongst staff in his Office. [40942]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 12 March 2002,Official Report, column 956W.

  Zimbabwe
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral statement of 6 March 2002,Official Report, column 303, on the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, what plans he has to consult on the Zimbabwe's attendance at the Commonwealth Games, following the outcome of the Zimbabwean election; and if he will report the outcome if his consultations to Parliament. [43829]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 March 2002,Official Report, column 682W.

DEFENCE

  Private Simon Jeans
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions since 1997 he has made representations to his Croatian counterpart regarding the killing of Private Simon Jeans in Split, Croatia, in September 1996. [43302]

  Mr. Ingram
  The case was raised at Ministerial level with the Croatian Defence Minister, during his visit to the UK in March 2000. This was in addition to regular dialogue between the British Embassy and Defence Staff in Zagreb and Split, and the Croatian authorities, throughout the course of the trial of those accused of killing Private Jeans.

  Colerne Airfield
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what long-term plans he has for Colerne Airfield; [43522]

  (2) what plans he has for the re-basing of 21 Signals Regiment from Azinghur Barracks at Colerne; [43515]

  (3) how many civilian staff are employed at Azinghur Barracks, Colerne; [43516]

  (4) if he will make a statement about the future of Colerne Airfield and Azinghur Barracks. [43523]

  Mr. Ingram
  An internal study into the future location of 21 Signal Regiment (AS), currently based at Azimghur Barracks, has been completed recently. The study concluded that in principle there were sound operational and financial reasons to support a move of the unit to Gamecock Barracks, Bramcote where it would be co-located with 30 Signal Regiment.

  Colerne Airfield is not part of this work and there are no plans for its closure. The two other units at Colerne—1001 Support Unit RAF and Bristol University Air Squadron—are also not part of this internal study, but as the hon. Member is aware, we are undertaking a separate review of University Air Squadron Flying.

  Further work is required before any decision to move 21 Signal Regiment could be finalised, and it would be premature therefore to make a statement about the future of Azimghur Barracks at this stage. The Ministry of Defence will, of course, be consulting with the Trade Unions and the 81 civilian staff who support 21 Signal Regiment in due course. I will write to the hon. Member once a final decision in made and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights by Bristol University OTC there have been in each of the last five years from Colerne Airfield. [43520]

  Mr. Ingram
  The information is not held in the format requested. However, it is possible to provide the number of hours which Bristol University Air Squadron flew in each of the last four years from Colerne Airfield. The Tutor aircraft used by the University Air Squadron are also used by the No. 3 Air Cadet Air Experience Flight and the hours flown by them are also shown.
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  Financial Year

  University Air Squadron

  Air Experience Flight

  1998–99

  1,580

  2,825

  1999–2000

  1,668

  2,428

  2000–01

  1,551

  2,218

  2001–02*

  1,362

  1,832

  * to date

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of where Bristol University OTC will train if Colerne Airfield closes. [43521]

  Mr. Ingram
  There are no plans for Colerne Airfield to close, so no assessment of alternative locations for Bristol University Air Squadron to train has been undertaken. A review of University Air Squadron flying is being undertaken, but this is not specific to the Bristol University Air Squadron and the outcome of the review will not be known until the end of April at the earliest.

  Harrier Aircraft
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of the Harrier GR7 upgrade; and if he will make a statement. [43634]

  Mr. Ingram
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 13 March 2002,Official Report, columns 1166–67W.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Harrier GR7 will be upgraded to GR9 standard; and what the estimated completion date is of the upgrade programme. [43633]

  Mr. Ingram
  We currently plan to upgrade 68 Harrier GR7 aircraft to the GR9 standard with the work being completed during 2008.

  HMS Talent
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the operational status of HMS Talent is; and if she will be operational for the rest of the year. [43692]

  Mr. Ingram
  HMS Talent is currently at sea conducting operations and has been operational since September 2001. The submarine is scheduled to remain fully operational until the end of May this year before entering a Lay-up period prior to refit.

  NATO Central Europe Division
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has(a) made to and (b) received from his (i) Belgian, (ii) German and (iii) Dutch counterparts regarding the future of NATO's Multinational Central Europe division MND (C). [43637]

  Mr. Hoon
  In 2001, NATO's Military Committee agreed that the role of selected formations, including the Multinational Division (Central), must be addressed in the NATO Force Structure Review. We are discussing the future of this formation with our counterparts in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the UK contribution is to NATO's Multinational Central Europe division MND (C). [43636]
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  Mr. Hoon
  The United Kingdom has 27 peace establishment posts on the staff of the Headquarters Multinational Division (Central) in Germany. In addition, the United Kingdom assigns a number of forces to the Multinational Division (Central), which may be called on for specific operations. These include an Air Defence Regiment, Combat Service Support and elements of the Support Helicopter Force.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Correspondence
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to letters from the hon. Member for Nottingham, North, relating to case work involving(a) Ms R. Ensor, (b) Mr. Byers, (c) Mrs. Carney, (d) Mr. M. Dawber and (e) Ms Sue Jayes; and if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on responding to letters from hon. Members. [37636]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  My hon. Friend has received a reply dated 26 February 2002.

  Insolvency Service
  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what her role is in authorising Insolvency Practitioners; and what representations she has received about changing this procedure. [42078]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Under the provisions of Section 392 of the Insolvency Act 1986, the Secretary of State may directly authorise individuals to act as insolvency practitioners and 133 are so authorised. Section 391 of the Insolvency Act 1986 provides that the Secretary of State may also recognise bodies as able to authorise their members to act as insolvency practitioners.

  The regulation of insolvency practice was the subject of a review during 1997 and 1998. The report of the review committee was published in February 1999.

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what training is provided to the staff responsible for the operation of the Insolvency Service hotline; and what the total training cost for the team has been since the hotline's introduction. [42073]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The hotline team currently comprises four Official Receiver trained staff with substantial experience of insolvency related matters. They do not require specific additional training.

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what meetings she has had since 2001 with representatives of the Insolvency Service and if she will publish the minutes of the meetings. [42082]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I regularly meet officials from The Insolvency Service. Under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information minutes of those meetings are not published.
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  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to publicise to directors their insolvency liabilities; and how much this advertising has cost the Insolvency Service each year since 1997. [42066]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Insolvency Service produced a number of guidance leaflets regarding various insolvency related matters, which are available on its website, including a guide for directors which describes the various procedures in detail and informs directors what duties and responsibilities they have if their company is subject to insolvency procedures. The Insolvency Service has also ensured that the information provided by Companies House to the officers of newly formed companies contains details of their responsibilities whilst managing limited companies.

  In addition, when my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry successfully applies to have an unfit director disqualified from acting as a director, or accepts an undertaking not to act in that capacity, press releases are issued in local newspapers and trade journals relevant to the insolvent company. Details of the director's misconduct complained of in the application to disqualify are provided. Public reporting thus also assists greatly in the drive to increase the business community's awareness of the dangers of running a company whilst insolvent.

  Publicity costs have been £155,000 in 1999–00; £112,000 in 2000–01 and £66,000 in 2001–02 (11 months). Costs for the period prior to 1999 cannot be obtained without incurring disproportionate costs.

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what initiatives are in place to(a) monitor and (b) improve customer service standards in the Insolvency Service. [42081]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  To monitor customer service standards The Insolvency Service has an audit process through which performance against its published service standards (set in accordance with Charter standards) is measured and monitored both locally and centrally within the Agency.

  To further enhance customer service standards The Insolvency Service has: a National Consultative User Group and a Central Accounting Unit User Group; user comment cards and a website pop-up questionnaire; a complaints process; a staff New Ideas Scheme and an e-business strategy.

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to make proposals regarding the bankruptcy period for personal insolvency cases. [42056]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The White Paper "Opportunity for All in a World of Change: Insolvency—A Second Chance" published the Government's proposals for reforms to the law of personal insolvency in July 2001.

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans her Department has to remove the bankruptcy fee payable to the Insolvency Service. [42057]
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  Miss Melanie Johnson
  There are no plans to remove the fee payable in relation to the Official Receiver's administration of a debtor's estate in bankruptcy.

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received about the priority given to creditors of companies in administration under the Insolvency Act 2000. [42058]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I have received no representations.

  Mr. Waterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many insolvency petitions for(a) small and (b) medium enterprises were allocated to each Official Receiver's office in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [42060]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Statistics are not maintained distinguishing between small and medium sized enterprises.

  Oil and Gas Exploration Licences
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her Department's policy on the development of Fallow Field oil and gas exploration licences. [42718]

  Mr. Wilson
  The UK cannot afford to have petroleum discoveries or areas of the Continental Shelf lying fallow. We believe that petroleum licences should be in the hands of those companies that are committed to undertaking appropriate work to find, test and develop effectively the UK's petroleum resources in the shortest possible time span.

  The DTI has worked with the oil and gas industry in PILOT to establish a robust mechanism that will encourage companies holding fallow blocks or discoveries to decide within a reasonable time scale (15 months for fallow blocks and just over two years for fallow discoveries), whether to be active and move towards development or relinquish the licences on which they sit so that others have an opportunity to act.

  Officials in my Department have identified some 120 fallow discoveries and 160 fallow blocks on the UKCS where the current owners do not appear to be doing all that they can to generate activity. These fallow assets could encompass 250 undrilled structures and contain reserves equivalent to around 1.5 billion barrels of oil.

  The mechanism was launched on 5 March and we immediately wrote to each licensee that has been identified as holding fallow blocks and discoveries to initiate the first stage of the process.

  The performance of companies holding fallow assets will be reviewed every year to ensure that they remain focused on bringing forward activity.

  Motor Vehicle Insurance
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will direct the Office of Fair Trading to inquire into the use by insurance companies' approved repairer schemes of language which prevents customers choosing to use alternative local garages. [42655]
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  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 enable the Office of Fair Trading to act against businesses using standard terms in consumer contracts that cause consumer detriment including ambiguous or unintelligible terms. Any evidence to suggest such unfair contract terms should be passed directly to the Director General of Fair Trading.

  Exchange Direct plc
  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to investigate Exchange Direct plc. [42668]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  A winding up order was made against Exchange Direct plc on 23 January 2002 and the Official Receiver is now responsible for investigating the reasons for the company's failure and the conduct of its directors. The affairs of the company are also the subject of an investigation by police, and the Official Receiver will provide assistance as required.

  Personal Debt
  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will announce the result of the consultation on fee charging debt advice. [42624]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 12 March 2002]The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) consulted on draft guidelines for debt management companies last year. The OFT announced the outcome of its consultation and published the final guidance on 4 December 2001. Breaches of the guidance by companies could lead to the loss of their consumer credit licence.

  Copies of the Guidelines are available from the OFT or from their website at: www.oft.gov.uk.

  Mr. Rooney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will announce the outcome of the consultation on excessive interest charged on personal debt. [42622]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 12 March 2002]I published the results of our consultation on "Tackling loan sharks—and more!" on 15 February 2002. The consultation showed overwhelming support for proposals to clamp down on loan sharks and the other priorities identified.

  Copies of both the Consultation Paper and the Summary of Responses are available from the Libraries of the House or from the DTI website at: www2.dti.gov.uk/CACP/ca/policy/consumercredit/review.htm.

  Further details on specific proposals will be published over the course of next year.

  Mirror Group Newspapers
  Linda Gilroy
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what actions she has taken following the publication of the Companies Act Inspectors' report into Mirror Group Newspapers plc on 30 March 2001. [44031]
  1259W
  Ms Hewitt
  Independent inspectors were appointed under Companies Act powers to investigate and report on the affairs and membership of Mirror Group Newspapers plc. They were asked to look, in particular, at the flotation of Mirror Group Newspapers on 30 April 1991.

  Following receipt of the report, the DTI's Companies Investigation Branch sought legal advice on whether disqualification proceedings should be instigated under the Company Directors Disqualification Act against any of those involved.

  After careful consideration of advice from leading Counsel, officials have recommended, and I have agreed, not to institute disqualification proceedings.

  Important lessons have been learnt from the Mirror Group Newspapers affair and, as the inspectors themselves noted, a number of important changes were made prior to their final report. The report made a number of further recommendations which have all been passed for consideration to the different Departmental bodies and regulators that hold responsibility in these areas.

  As the inspectors suggested, the Company Law Review considered a number of issues and the Government will be announcing their response to these and the rest of the Review's recommendations in due course. I have recently announced the setting up of a group jointly with the Treasury and including other regulators to oversee and co-ordinate the response in the UK to auditing and accounting issues raised by the collapse of Enron. This work is also relevant to the concerns expressed by the inspectors on the independence of auditors. I have also announced an independent review of the role and effectiveness of non-executive directors in the UK. The review will report jointly to me and the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

  Where particular recommendations are the prime responsibility of other Departments and regulatory authorities I am liaising with these other bodies and will further inform the House in due course.

  Arms Exports (Angola)
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Department's policy is on granting export licences for arms to Angola; and if she will make a statement. [42523]

  Mr. MacShane
  I have been asked to reply.

  We consider export licence applications to Angola against the following:

  (a) Whether the export is permitted under UN Sanctions. UN Security Council Resolution 864 (1993) imposed an arms embargo in relation to UNITA. The supply of arms and related material to Angola is prohibited except through named entry points provided by the Angolan Government. The UK interprets the scope of all such arms embargoes to cover goods and technology on Military List.

  (b) UK national policy. It is UK policy not to grant export licences for new military or dual-use equipment for those countries intervening in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Angola, Burundi,
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  Namibia, Rwanda, Uganda and Zimbabwe) where there is a clear risk that it would be used in the Democratic Republic of Congo (Ministerial statement HC 184 and 185, Date in force 9 February 2000).

  (c) If the application passes these stages, we then judge it against the consolidated EU and national arms export licensing criteria. This includes assessing the proposed export against internal repression, internal conflict, external aggression concerns and risk of diversion (criteria 2, 3, 4 and 7).

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Justice and Home Affairs Council
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcome was of the Justice and Home Affairs Council held in Brussels on 28 February; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if he will make a statement. [40653]

  Angela Eagle
  I represented the United Kingdom (UK) at the Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Council in Brussels on 28 February 2002.

  International Co-operation of the European Union against organised crime (an open debate):

  The Council held an open debate on the international co-operation of the European Union against organised crime. The debate focused on the need for enhanced external action, using the range of tools available including funding programmes and agreements based on Article 38 of the Treaty on European Union.

  A points:

  The A points were approved as in document PTS A 8 (6495/02) (a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House). These included adoption of the Council Decision setting up Eurojust and adoption of implementing rules under the Eurodac Regulation (2725/2000/EC).

  Draft Framework Decision on the execution in the European Union of orders freezing property or evidence:

  A general approach was approved on a Presidency compromise text, subject to six Parliamentary scrutiny reserves (Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Ireland, Italy and the UK), consideration of the opinion which the European Parliament delivered in September 2001 and re-consultation of the European Parliament on the revised text. Two amendments were agreed at the Council itself: (a) to include the language on fundamental rights which is used in Article 1(3) of the European Arrest Warrant text; and (b) the drafting of a further ground for refusal in Article 6 relating to the ne bis in idem principle. I will provide the European Scrutiny Committee with the consolidated English text resulting from the Council when it is issued. I will also write to the Chairman of the Committee about the term "general approach".
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  Relations with the United States of America (USA):

  The Council endorsed a two-stage approach to drawing up an agreement with the USA on judicial co-operation in criminal matters, in accordance with the conclusions of the special JHA Council on 20 September 2001. The first stage will consist of continuing informal exploratory talks with the United States, and, in parallel, work within the Council on the scope and principles of an agreement or agreement. After this, a formal negotiating mandate would be adopted, if possible at the JHA Council on 25 April 2002. There was general agreement in the Council that particular attention would need to be given to human rights safeguards in relation to issues such as the death penalty and special courts and to data protection. There was also general agreement on the need for clarity about the areas in which an European Union (EU)/United States (US) agreement could add value to existing bilateral arrangements.

  Green Paper on criminal law protection of the financial interests of the Community and the establishment of a European Prosecutor: presentation by the Commission:

  Commissioner Schreyer presented the Commission's Green Paper to the Council. In a brief debate which followed, all but one of the speakers questioned the need for a European Public Prosecutor. A number of delegations pointed out that the decision to establish Eurojust had just been adopted and Eurojust should be given the chance to perform the role it had been given in relation to fraud against the Community budget.

  Proposal for a comprehensive plan to combat illegal immigration and trafficking in human beings in the European Union:

  The Council approved the comprehensive action plan, which is based on the Commission's Communication on illegal immigration.

  Report on the introduction of the euro-Police co-operation (information point):

  The Council took note of a presentation by the Director of Europol on law enforcement work to protect the euro before and during the changeover period. The Director reported that recorded incidents of counterfeiting were low in number and sophistication.

  European Police College (CEPOL)—Provisional management solution:

  The Council endorsed a provisional management solution, whereby Denmark will temporarily host the secretariat of CEPOL pending a decision on the location of the permanent secretariat. This will facilitate implementation of this year's annual work programme.

  Amendments of the Europol Convention:

  There was broad agreement on the principle of amending the Europol Convention to allow Europol staff to participate in joint investigative teams in a support capacity and to authorise Europol to ask Member States to initiate investigations, in accordance with the conclusions of the Tampere European Council. The Article 36 Committee was asked to work on finalising the necessary amendments. Debate focused on the possibility of introducing a simplified procedure for
  1262W
  amending the Europol Convention. All delegations agreed on the need for a simplified procedure for amending the Europol Convention, but there was no consensus on the actual mechanism. The Presidency presented three options:

  (i) a protocol providing for future amendments to the Convention to be made by a simple decision of the Council;

  (ii) a variation of (i) limited to certain less sensitive articles; and

  (iii) replacement of the Europol Convention with a Council Decision.

  The first option raised constitutional difficulties for a number of Member States, and options (ii) and (iii) attracted most support. I indicated that the UK could accept any of the three options in principle, but we considered that option (iii) was the simplest and that option (ii) might prove difficult in practice. This was referred to the working group for further consideration.

  Setting up an Air Marshal system in the European Union:

  The Austrian Minister presented a paper describing national experience of air marshals and proposing that the EU should consider such a system. This received a cautious response. Together with a number of other Ministers, I noted that the Transport Council was considering this and other aviation security issues. It was agreed that the issue should be referred back to Coreper to consider whether it should be taken any further in the JHA area.

  Any Other Business:

  Austria reported that in accordance with Article 2(2) of the Schengen Convention, it intended to re-impose border controls during a visit by the Iranian President on 11–13 March 2002.

  Meeting with the candidate countries in the margins of the Council:

  Justice and Interior Ministers met with their counterparts from the candidate countries in the margins of the Council. A Joint Declaration on drugs was approved. The Candidate Countries also provided updates on their progress in improving border controls at their external borders.

  Departmental Website
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total cost of his Department's website was in real terms in each of the last four years; and how many hits it received in each of those years. [36136]

  Angela Eagle
  The available information for the main Home Office website is shown in the table. Because members of the website team have not been employed exclusively on this work throughout the period, their costs have been excluded from this table.

  Information is not held centrally on websites that are managed independently of the main site.
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  Year

  Cost

  Number of page impressions

  1998–99

  Not separately identified

  Not available

  1999–2000

  £40,614

  9,066,894

  2000–01

  £58,170

  16,495,939

  2001–02

  £133,339

  7,969,832 (to 30/9/01)

  The Home Office website moved to a new server on 1 October 2001; reliable data are not yet available on the number of page impressions since that date.

  The Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) established a separate site in late 2000. It measures unique visitors to the site, not the number of hits or page impressions. There were 836,711 unique visitors to the IND site during the year 2001, the first full year of operation.

  With almost half of the homes in the United Kingdom now online* and public access on the rise, our website is an invaluable tool for disseminating important information to the public and in opening up new areas of knowledge about Home Office activity in general. It is a cost-effective vehicle that allows us to speak to many people at once and offers the option for anyone to give us their feedback.

  * Oftel January 2002

  Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been detained under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001 since the 19 December 2001; and if he will make a statement. [41155]

  Mr. Blunkett
  Nine foreign nationals have so far been detained using powers in Part IV of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act. Of those detained two have left the United Kingdom voluntarily; the other seven remain in detention.

  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many foreign citizens have been detained under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [40576]

  Mr. Blunkett
  Nine foreign nationals have so far been detained using powers in Part IV of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act. Of those detained two have left the United Kingdom voluntarily.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been held under suspicion of being a terrorist under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001. [41368]

  Mr. Blunkett
  [holding answer 11 March 2002]Nine foreign nationals have so far been detained using powers in part IV of the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act. Of those detained two have left the United Kingdom voluntarily; the other seven remain in detention.

  Protec
  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what Government security services are provided by Protec. [20158]
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  Mr. Blunkett
  [holding answer 3 December 2001]Please accept my apologies for the delay in replying.

  SDA Protec Ltd in the United Kingdom has carried out work across a number of Departments under arrangements approved by Government. It would not be appropriate for me to comment on individual commercial contracts.

  Departments are required to ensure that any security contractor is reputable and reliable. Where a contractor needs access to sensitive official information then specific security standards must be met, and an appropriate security clearance is required for any employees requiring access to this information. Such companies are periodically inspected by the security authorities to ensure that these obligations are being fulfilled. If the hon. Member has any specific concerns I would be prepared to discuss these in confidence.

  Police Legislation
  Mr. Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many Acts of Parliament have affected the police service since 1990; and if he will list them. [31982]

  Mr. Denham
  A list of all those statutes which make an explicit reference either to the police or to police authorities has, due to its length, been placed in the Library. Additional statutes relating to the criminal justice system have also been included. Other statutes may also affect the police service as they do a wide variety of other bodies and organisations, although their provisions do not deal specifically with policing or criminal justice issues. However, an investigation of all Acts of Parliament since 1990 to assess their possible effect on the police in this way is not possible without disproportionate cost.

  British Crime Survey
  Mrs. Helen Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will include road traffic injuries and fatalities in the British Crime Survey. [40546]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  This would not be appropriate. The British Crime Survey asks respondents about their experiences of, and views about, crime. This is a different matter to road traffic injuries and fatalities, which may or may not be the result of a criminal act, such as dangerous driving.

  Crime Statistics
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of drink related and disorderly crime there were reported in 1997 and each subsequent year in(a) Preston, (b) Blackburn, (c) Lancashire, (d) the North West of England, (e) Wales and (f) the UK. [40650]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested is not available.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of violent crime were reported in 1997 and each subsequent
  1265W
  year in (a) Preston, (b) Blackburn, (c) Lancashire,(d) the North West of England, (e) Wales and (f) the UK. [40666]

  Mr. Denham
  Details are given in the table. Details for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership areas have been collected centrally since 1 April 1999.

  There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which expanded the offences covered, and placed a greater emphasis on counting crimes in terms of numbers of victims. Numbers of recorded crimes after this date are therefore not directly comparable with previous years. Over England and Wales as a whole, the change in counting rules caused an increase in total recorded violent crime of 83 per cent.

  It should be noted that recorded violent crime is subject to changes in reporting and recording. The 2001 British Crime Survey found that, over England and Wales as a whole, reporting to the police of violent offences in total rose from 37 per cent. in 1997 to 45 per cent. in the 2000 calendar year.

  The British Crime Survey has also shown that, in England and Wales as a whole, the number of violent crimes recorded in the survey decreased by 23 per cent. between the 1997 and 2000 calendar years, whereas violent crime recorded by the police increased by an estimated 14 per cent. Violent crime recorded by the police may therefore not necessarily be a reflection of real changes in the level of violent crime.

  Table 3: Police Officer Strength as at 30 September 2001 by police force area, rank and gender, and officers per 100,000 population

  England and Wales

  Full time equivalents1

  Male Ranks

  Police force

  Chief Constables

  Assistant Chief Constables

  Superintendents

  Chief Inspectors

  Inspectors

  Sergeants

  Constables

  Total Male Ranks

  Avon and Somerset

  1

  3

  23

  29

  135

  411

  1,971

  2,573

  Bedfordshire

  1

  2

  12

  9

  52

  124

  654

  854

  Cambridgeshire

  1

  2

  16

  10

  62

  182

  862

  1,135

  Cheshire

  1

  3

  13

  24

  95

  289

  1,241

  1,666

  Cleveland

  1

  1

  25

  1

  67

  180

  904

  1,179

  Cumbria

  1

  1

  9

  13

  44

  152

  664

  883

  Derbyshire

  1

  3

  17

  22

  87

  249

  1,179

  1,558

  Devon and Cornwall

  1

  1

  30

  33

  130

  385

  1,865

  2,447

  Dorset

  0

  2

  14

  20

  54

  186

  846

  1,122

  Durham

  1

  2

  18

  19

  74

  199

  981

  1,294

  Essex

  1

  3

  23

  40

  122

  402

  1,861

  2,452

  Gloucestershire

  1

  2

  11

  14

  55

  154

  701

  937

  Greater Manchester

  1

  6

  72

  72

  315

  819

  4,446

  5,731

  Hampshire

  1

  3

  34

  35

  157

  479

  2,121

  2,830

  Hertfordshire

  1

  3

  19

  26

  89

  225

  1,118

  1,480

  Humberside

  1

  2

  23

  21

  101

  252

  1,243

  1,643

  Kent

  1

  4

  29

  33

  139

  432

  2,069

  2,707

  Lancashire

  0

  2

  28

  37

  150

  467

  2,019

  2,702

  Leicestershire

  1

  1

  15

  18

  87

  239

  1,365

  1,726

  Lincolnshire

  1

  2

  9

  15

  61

  169

  751

  1,008

  London, City of3

  1

  2

  9

  12

  48

  100

  433

  605

  Merseyside

  1

  3

  39

  54

  154

  528

  2,645

  3,424

  Metropolitan Police2,3

  6

  23

  205

  355

  1,174

  3,669

  15,927

  21,359

  Norfolk

  1

  3

  14

  15

  76

  191

  902

  1,202

  Northamptonshire

  1

  2

  13

  7

  55

  148

  741

  967

  Northumbria

  1

  4

  35

  52

  169

  498

  2,486

  3,245

  North Yorkshire

  1

  3

  12

  13

  62

  206

  869

  1,166

  Nottinghamshire

  1

  3

  21

  24

  116

  323

  1,411

  1,899

  South Yorkshire

  1

  4

  35

  46

  168

  430

  1,919

  2,603

  Staffordshire

  1

  3

  18

  23

  92

  313

  1,265

  1,715

  Suffolk

  1

  I

  12

  14

  50

  151

  717

  946

  Surrey

  1

  2

  15

  20

  74

  248

  1,280

  1,640

  1266W
  Information relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and for Northern Ireland.

  Recorded violent crime1: number of offences from 1997 to 12 months ending March 2001

  Area

  1997

  1998–992

  1999–20002

  2000–012

  Preston2

  —

  —

  1,705

  1,695

  Blackburn with Darwen=

  —

  —

  1,423

  1,996

  Lancashire

  5,550

  12,183

  11,615

  13,870

  North West of England

  46,224

  87,033

  93,029

  95,940

  Wales

  20,071

  34,770

  40,580

  40,822

  England and Wales

  347,064

  605,797

  703,105

  733,374

  1 Violent crime is comprised of violence against the person, sexual offences, and robbery.

  2 Year ending March.

  3 These figures are at Crime & Disorder Reduction Partnership (CDRP) level.

  —No data available.

  Police Numbers
  Joan Ruddock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give a breakdown of police officers by gender and rank for each police force in England and Wales. [40511]

  Mr. Denham
  The information requested was published in Home Office Statistical Bulletin No. 23/01, "Police Service Strength, England and Wales, 30 September 2001" and can be found in Table 3. A copy of the Bulletin is in the Library.
  1267W

  Table 3: Police Officer Strength as at 30 September 2001 by police force area, rank and gender, and officers per 100,000 population

  England and Wales

  Full time equivalents1

  Male Ranks

  Police force

  Chief Constables

  Assistant Chief Constables

  Superintendents

  Chief Inspectors

  Inspectors

  Sergeants

  Constables

  Total Male Ranks

  Sussex

  0

  4

  29

  38

  145

  411

  1,707

  2,334

  Thames Valley

  1

  2

  46

  34

  179

  473

  2,320

  3,054

  Warwickshire

  1

  3

  13

  11

  42

  109

  602

  781

  West Mercia

  1

  2

  13

  29

  84

  279

  1,242

  1,649

  West Midlands

  1

  3

  58

  40

  257

  922

  4,484

  5,765

  West Yorkshire

  1

  5

  49

  59

  225

  590

  3,052

  3,981

  Wiltshire

  0

  2

  14

  15

  54

  160

  682

  927

  Dyfed-Powys

  1

  2

  12

  19

  49

  166

  681

  930

  Gwent

  1

  2

  10

  15

  55

  196

  818

  1,097

  North Wales

  1

  2

  13

  28

  67

  218

  914

  1,243

  South Wales

  1

  4

  26

  35

  151

  401

  2,095

  2,713

  Total of all 43 forces

  44

  134

  1,151

  1,449

  5,621

  16,722

  78,047

  103,169

  NCS

  1

  2

  18

  28

  80

  182

  767

  1,078

  NCIS

  1

  3

  5

  24

  26

  59

  128

  246

  Other Secondments4

  0

  7

  71

  49

  83

  133

  301

  644

  Total

  2

  12

  94

  101

  189

  374

  1,196

  1,968

  Total police officer strength

  46

  146

  1,245

  1,550

  5,810

  17,096

  79,243

  105,137

  Female Ranks

  Police force

  Chief Constables

  Assistant Chief Constables

  Superintendents

  Chief Inspectors

  Inspectors

  Sergeants

  Constables

  Total Male Ranks

  Avon and Somerset

  0

  0

  1

  6

  9

  34

  418

  468

  Bedfordshire

  0

  0

  3

  2

  5

  12

  174

  196

  Cambridgeshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4

  17

  194

  215

  Cheshire

  0

  0

  3

  1

  8

  37

  306

  355

  Cleveland

  0

  1

  0

  1

  5

  16

  233

  256

  Cumbria

  0

  1

  0

  1

  2

  11

  177

  191

  Derbyshire

  0

  0

  3

  2

  1

  22

  266

  293

  Devon and Cornwall

  0

  0

  1

  1

  11

  43

  469

  525

  Dorset

  1

  0

  0

  2

  5

  19

  212

  239

  Durham

  0

  0

  0

  1

  7

  18

  281

  306

  Essex

  0

  0

  y

  3

  8

  45

  427

  486

  Gloucestershire

  0

  0

  0

  2

  1

  18

  210

  231

  Greater Manchester

  0

  0

  4

  14

  31

  116

  1,141

  1,306

  Hampshire

  0

  0

  1

  4

  12

  78

  523

  618

  Hertfordshire

  0

  0

  1

  2

  11

  33

  316

  363

  Humberside

  0

  0

  0

  1

  8

  16

  323

  348

  Kent

  0

  0

  1

  7

  9

  56

  587

  666

  Lancashire

  1

  1

  3

  4

  15

  50

  511

  585

  Leicestershire

  0

  1

  2

  2

  3

  22

  306

  336

  Lincolnshire

  0

  0

  2

  0

  3

  18

  154

  176

  London, City of3

  0

  0

  0

  1

  3

  7

  83

  94

  Merseyside

  0

  0

  3

  3

  21

  64

  580

  671

  Metropolitan Police2–3

  0

  4

  13

  22

  71

  411

  3,495

  4,016

  Norfolk

  0

  0

  1

  3

  3

  23

  205

  234

  Northamptonshire

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  18

  193

  213

  Northumbria

  0

  0

  4

  2

  12

  41

  590

  648

  North Yorkshire

  0

  0

  1

  0

  3

  17

  204

  224

  Nottinghamshire

  0

  0

  0

  4

  4

  26

  340

  374

  South Yorkshire

  0

  0

  4

  1

  14

  68

  534

  620

  Staffordshire

  0

  0

  1

  2

  5

  29

  367

  404

  Suffolk

  o

  1

  1

  1

  5

  12

  180

  199

  Surrey

  0

  0

  t

  2

  8

  45

  321

  378

  Sussex

  1

  0

  2

  3

  14

  54

  429

  503

  Thames Valley

  0

  2

  3

  4

  17

  62

  566

  654

  Warwickshire

  0

  0

  1

  1

  3

  5

  140

  149

  West Mercia

  0

  1

  3

  1

  10

  25

  305

  345

  West Midlands

  0

  1

  3

  5

  27

  129

  1,502

  1,667

  1268W 1269W

  Female Ranks

  Police force

  Chief Constables

  Assistant Chief Constables

  Superintendents

  Chief Inspectors

  Inspectors

  Sergeants

  Constables

  Total Male Ranks

  West Yorkshire

  0

  0

  4

  3

  17

  68

  786

  878

  Wiltshire

  1

  0

  1

  1

  3

  17

  203

  225

  Dyfed-Powys

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  17

  150

  168

  Gwent

  0

  0

  1

  0

  4

  10

  191

  207

  North Wales

  0

  0

  1

  1

  0

  23

  223

  248

  South Wales

  0

  0

  2

  2

  11

  38

  475

  528

  Total of all 43 forces

  4

  13

  78

  117

  413

  1,885

  19,289

  21,800

  NCS

  0

  0

  1

  3

  7

  17

  101

  129

  NCIS

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  3

  21

  25

  Other Secondments4

  0

  0

  2

  7

  14

  27

  90

  139

  Total

  0

  0

  3

  10

  22

  47

  212

  294

  Total police officer strength

  4

  13

  81

  127

  435

  1,932

  19,502

  22,094

  Police Force

  Total Police Ranks

  Total officers per 100,000 population

  Total Constables

  Constables per 100,000 population

  Avon and Somerset

  3,040

  201.1

  2,389

  158.0

  Bedfordshire

  1,050

  185.6

  828

  146.4

  Cambridgeshire

  1,350

  184.8

  1,056

  144.7

  Cheshire

  2,021

  205.3

  1,547

  157.1

  Cleveland

  1,434

  257.6

  1,136

  204.1

  Cumbria

  1,075

  218.8

  840

  171.1

  Derbyshire

  1,851

  189.3

  1,445

  147.8

  Devon and Cornwall

  2,972

  187.3

  2,334

  147.1

  Dorset

  1,360

  194.8

  1,057

  151.4

  Durham

  1,600

  263.8

  1,262

  208.0

  Essex

  2,937

  180.3

  2,287

  140.4

  Gloucestershire

  1,169

  206.9

  911

  161.3

  Greater Manchester

  7,036

  272.1

  5,586

  216.0

  Hampshire

  3,449

  193.1

  2,644

  148.0

  Hertfordshire

  1,843

  175.4

  1,434

  136.5

  Humberside

  1,991

  226.0

  1,566

  177.8

  Kent

  3,367

  210.7

  2,656

  166.2

  Lancashire

  3,288

  230.0

  2,529

  176.9

  Leicestershire

  2,062

  219.6

  1,671

  178.0

  Lincolnshire

  1,184

  186.7

  905

  142.6

  London, City of3

  699

  —

  517

  —

  Merseyside

  4,095

  291.8

  3,225

  229.8

  Metropolitan Police2,3

  25,374

  353.5

  19,422

  270.4

  Norfolk

  1,436

  178.6

  1,107

  137.6

  Northamptonshire

  1,180

  188.5

  935

  149.3

  Northumbria

  3,893

  275.3

  3,075

  217.5

  North Yorkshire

  1,390

  184.3

  1,072

  142.2

  Nottinghamshire

  2,273

  220.4

  1,751

  169.8

  South Yorkshire

  3,223

  247.6

  2,453

  188.4

  Staffordshire

  2,119

  199.9

  1,632

  154.0

  Suffolk

  1,146

  168.5

  897

  132.0

  Surrey

  2,018

  186.7

  1,601

  148.1

  Sussex

  2,837

  186.3

  2,136

  140.3

  Thames Valley

  3,708

  174.3

  2,886

  135.6

  Warwickshire

  930

  182.3

  741

  145.4

  West Mercia

  1,994

  173.9

  1,546

  134.8

  West Midlands

  7,432

  283.8

  5,986

  228.6

  West Yorkshire

  4,859

  229.0

  3,838

  180.9

  Wiltshire

  1,152

  187.8

  885

  144.2

  Dyfed-Powys

  1,098

  227.5

  832

  172.3

  Gwent

  1,303

  233.9

  1,009

  181.0

  North Wales

  1,491

  225.8

  1,137

  172.2

  South Wales

  3,241

  260.2

  2,571

  206.3

  Total of all 43 forces

  124,969

  236.0

  97,337

  183.9

  NCS

  1,207

  868

  NCIS

  271

  149

  Other Secondments4

  783

  391

  Total

  2,261

  1,408

  Total police officer strength

  127,231

  240.3

  100,153

  182.4

  1 This and other tables contain full-time equivalent figures that have been rounded to the nearest whole number. Because of rounding, there may be an apparent discrepancy between totals and the sums of the constituent items.

  2 The Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner and Assistant Commissioners are counted as Chief Constables.

  3 Officers per 100,000 population for City of London and Metropolitan Police are combined.

  4 Secondments to Central Services and Inter-Force Units.

  External Consultants
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations have won new contracts with(a) his Department and (b) executive agencies in each year of the past five years; [38741]

  (2) which non-accounting and non-information technology external organisations which previously held contracts with his Department (a) won new contracts at the culmination of the existing contracts and (b) won new contracts after a period of inactivity with his Department in each of the past five years; [38742]

  (3) if he will list the 30 largest contracts awarded by his Department from (a) May 1997 to April 1998, (b) May 1998 to April 1999, (c) May 1999 to April 2000, (d) May 2000 to April 2001 and (e) May 2001 to the latest date, indicating in each case the values of the contracts and the companies with which the contracts were placed. [38743]

  Angela Eagle
  [holding answer 28 February 2002]The Home Department is unable to provide the level of detailed information sought on contracts and contract costs. Records are not held centrally and to collate and maintain a central register of contracts awarded across the Home Office and its Agencies would incur disproportionate costs.

TRANSPORT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND THE REGIONS

  Car Auctions
  Mr. Ivan Henderson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the statutory regulations that are in place to ensure that a minor cannot purchase a vehicle at a car auction; and what plans he has to review these regulations. [36402]

  Mr. Jamieson
  There are no statutory regulations preventing a minor from purchasing a motor vehicle at auction although many auctioneers prevent minors from attending.

  Motor vehicles may be driven on private property by minors. Any vehicle driven on the road must be done so by the holder of an appropriate driving licence. The minimum age to drive a motor car is 17 years. Sixteen year olds are permitted to drive mopeds.

  In addition, legislation requires a vehicle to be properly licensed and registered. The annual licensing process incorporates a documentary check of a person's insurance cover and, where appropriate, the roadworthiness certificate also.

  Technical Support Contracts (Rail Safety)
  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will list the(a) title, (b) date of award, (c) length of contract, (d) cost, and (e) terms of reference of technical support framework agreements and research or other contracts awarded since (i) 1 May 1997 and (ii) 1 January 2001 by the Health and Safety Executive
  1272W
  relating to support of the work of the HMRI on (A) railway safety cases and (B) rail accident investigation. [38972]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Information provided by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) on their technical support and research contracts relating to railway safety cases and rail accident investigation has been placed in the Libraries of the House.

  Information about technical support contracts before January 2001 can only be provided at disproportionate costs.

  Rail Delays
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason(a) his Department and (b) the Strategic Rail Authority do not (i) hold centrally, (ii) collate, (iii) make publicly available and (iv) place in the Library the total weekly rail delays, in minutes, caused by (A) Railtrack and (B) train operating companies as held by Railtrack. [40273]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Information on train delays, week by week, is collected and managed by Railtrack and currently shared, as a commercial and operational matter, with the train operating companies. The SRA publishes the Public Performance Measure (PPM) which directly reports on the punctuality and reliability of trains.

  Rail Services (South-West)
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) if he will investigate the rail franchise situation in the South West and Wessex in order to seek to clarify the operating strategy; [41144]

  (2) if he will list the bidders for rail franchises in the South West and Wessex areas. [41472]

  Mr. Jamieson
  As part of its revised franchising programme, the Strategic Rail Authority (SRA) announced that it would be looking at the longer term benefits of combining franchises, in particular where two or more operators share access to a London terminal. Accordingly, it is considering combining the Great Western and Thames franchises in 2006. The SRA launched a consultation on its proposals, and the future of the Wessex franchise, on 12 March.

  The SRA has signed Heads of Terms with Stagecoach for a new South West Trains franchise of up to 20 years.

  Train Operating Companies
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) which train operating companies have failed to fulfil their contractual commitments related to action plans; and what steps the Strategic Rail Authority has taken as a consequence; [40953]

  (2) which train operating companies have failed to fulfil their contractual commitments related to action plans; and what steps the Strategic Rail Authority has taken as a consequence. [40958]
  1273W
  Mr. Jamieson
  Failure to meet contractual commitments is a potential breach of the train operator's franchise agreement. All breaches of franchise agreements, and the remedial action taken, are listed in the Strategic Rail Authority's Annual Reports, copies of which are in the Libraries of the House.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many new train sets have been ordered by train operating companies in England and Wales in(a) the last year and (b) the last three months. [41299]

  Mr. Spellar
  Between 1 March 2001 and 28 February 2002, orders were placed for 1,267 new vehicles for entry into revenue passenger services across the National Rail network. 143 of these have been ordered since 1 December 2001.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many train operating companies have less than two years of their franchise left. [41303]

  Mr. Spellar
  Five.

  Rolling Stock
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many new rolling stock vehicles(a) were ordered and (b) entered service on Britain's railways between 25 February 1999 and 31 December 2001; and if he will state the proportion of rolling stock that were new or refurbished as of (i) 25 February 1999, (ii) 31 December 2001 and (iii) the latest available date. [40961]

  Mr. Jamieson
  1,352 new vehicles were ordered between 25 February 1999 and 31 December 2001. 1,045 new vehicles entered service between 1 January 1999 and 31 December 2001. Information on rolling stock refurbishments is not held centrally.

  Rail Summit (Targets)
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if the SRA reviews the delivery by train operating companies and other industry bodies of the commitments agreed to at the 1999 National Rail Summit. [41244]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Many of the issues arising from the National Rail Summits are now being taken forward through the Strategic Rail Authority's Strategic Plan.

  Train Drivers
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 2002,Official Report, column 814W, on driver training, how many of those new drivers that have been recruited, but are not being trained, are (a) working in the industry and (b) due to begin training; and how many drivers have subsequently left the industry over the same period. [41332]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The information is not available in the form requested. As of 5 January 2002, 10,542 drivers were working in the industry.

  London Underground
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what independent assessment he has carried out into the assumptions made by London Underground for the PPP business case. [41684]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to my hon. Friend, the Member for Croydon Central (Geraint Davies), on 7 February 2002,Official Report, columns 1103–04W.

  Great Western Mainline
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason the Great Western Mainline was excluded from the SRA Strategic Plan. [41758]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Great Western Main Line is not excluded from the Plan. Proposed incremental improvements are set out on page 67. The SRA's approach to major infrastructure improvements, including relative priorities, is set out in section 5 of the Plan.

  Main Line Trains
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what assessment he has made of the ability of main line trains to operate on the sub-surface lines in London. [41746]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Studies were undertaken by both Railtrack and London Underground Limited in 1999 when they were discussing Railtrack's proposals for the sub-surface infrastructure company under the PPP. It was concluded that: such a proposal would provide no additional net capacity; it would give rise to substantial costs in restructuring infrastructure and rewriting contracts; and, the interworking of mainline and existing tube rolling stock would give rise to technical and operational difficulties. Railtrack's proposals were subsequently abandoned.

  Railway Electrification
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how many miles of railway have been electrified in each of the past 15 years. [41764]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The number of electrified route kilometres open for traffic at the end of each year is as follows:

  Year

  Electrified route kilometres

  1986–87

  4,154

  1987–88

  4,207

  1988–89

  4,376

  1989–90

  4,546

  1990–91

  4,912

  1991–92

  4,886

  1992–93

  4,910

  1993–94

  4,968

  1994–95

  4,970

  1995–96

  5,163

  1996–97

  5,176

  1997–98

  5,166

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  Year

  Electrified route kilometres

  1998–99

  5,166

  1999–2000

  5,167

  2000–01

  5,167

  Greater Manchester Upgrade
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions why the upgrade in Greater Manchester has been excluded from the SRA Strategic Plan. [41760]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Page 98 of the Plan states:
  "The SRA, in partnership with Railtrack, GMPTE, Manchester International Airport and the Highways Agency, has completed the Greater Manchester Strategic Rail Study, which sets out a strategy for the development of the rail network in Greater Manchester over the next 20 years. The first key building block, the creation of a TransPennine Express franchise, is currently underway. The partners in the study are now considering how best to take forward longer term options."

  Railway Overcrowding
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions how the Government's target for reducing overcrowding on the railways has changed since the publication of the 10-year plan. [41661]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The overcrowding target has not changed since the publication of the 10-year plan.

  Crossrail
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for what reason Crossrail was(a) included in the 10-year plan and (b) excluded from the SRA Strategic Plan. [41761]

  Mr. Jamieson
  A Crossrail link was included in the Government's 10-year plan given its potential for delivering increased peak capacity into London.

  Crossrail is also identified in the SRA's Strategic Plan as one of the major rail projects which are currently under development. Options for taking Crossrail forward are being developed by the SRA/Transport for London joint venture Cross London Rail Links Ltd.

  Public-Private Partnership
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions in how many PPP agreements an accounting allowance for social cost benefit similar to that used by London Underground has been made. [41683]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The relevant guidance from the Office of Government Commerce and Her Majesty's Treasury explain that, where appropriate, the factors captured by this allowance should be allowed for when evaluating the value for money of PPP-type schemes.

  National Air Traffic Services
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what 1276W
  the estimated level of capital investment by NATS is for (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and what the figures were in (i) 1996–97 and (ii) 1999–2000. [41296]

  Mr. Spellar
  The level of capital investment by NATS for 2001–02 is £72.8 million and is estimated at £90.7 million for 2002–03. The figures for 1996–97 and 1999–00 are £56.5 million and £52.0 million respectively.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what proportion of the anticipated investment by NATS over the next 10 years will come from the public sector. [41294]

  Mr. Spellar
  NATS' investment over the next decade will be in excess of £1 billion, all of which will be financed by the private sector. I also refer the right hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State on 25 February 2002,Official Report, column 807W.

  Rail Freight
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what plans he has to increase the gauge of railways to take the larger piggyback containers. [41342]

  Mr. Jamieson
  There are no current plans. The Strategic Rail Authority's preliminary studies suggest that the cost of enhancement of rail freight routes to permit the passage of lorry semi-trailers on flat railway wagons would not represent value for money.

  Channel Tunnel Restrictions
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what recent discussions he has had with the French Government regarding the SNCF Channel Tunnel restrictions. [42734]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Ministers across Government are in frequent contact with the French authorities to press for urgent action to tackle the disruption to Channel Tunnel rail freight.

  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what impact the SNCF Channel Tunnel restrictions are having on congestion on United Kingdom roads. [42735]

  Mr. Jamieson
  In the light of continued disruption to cross channel rail freight operations, more goods may have to be transported by road, so it is likely that road freight movements will marginally increase. There is no evidence to date that this is having any significant impact on congestion on UK roads.

  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what impact the SNCF Channel Tunnel restrictions are having on the United Kingdom economy. [42736]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Government recognise that the disruption caused by would-be illegal immigrants is causing severe hardship to many businesses in this country who depend on reliable freight services through the Channel Tunnel.
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  We are pressing the French Government at the highest levels to ensure that sufficient policing resources are applied to address the problem so that normal freight services can resume as soon as possible.

  Motor Vehicles
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions, pursuant to the answer of 6 March 2002, ref. 40023, on motor vehicles, if data are available for the Drylaw, Inch and Mayfield wards. [42768]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Motor vehicle data for Drylaw, Inch and Mayfield wards are available under the pre-1996 definition of Scottish wards only. The number of motor vehicles registered to keepers with addresses in the wards is shown in the table. The totals include vehicles registered to companies and other entities as well as to individuals. The volume data are for December 2000.

  Electoral Ward

  Number of Motor Vehicles

  Drylaw

  2,732

  Inch

  2,467

  Mayfield

  3,067

  Road Accidents (Fire Service)
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (1) what is the average response time for the fire services to reach an accident on(a) a motorway and (b) an A-road, in each of the last three years; [42782]

  (2) what the average length of time was which it took the fire services to complete all their official duties at an accident site on (a) an A-road and (b) a motorway in each of the last three years. [42784]

  Mr. Byers
  The information requested is not available centrally.

  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions what duties the fire services have to carry out before an accident site can be cleared from (a) an A-road and(b) a motorway. [42783]

  Mr. Byers
  Under section 1(1) of the Fire Services Act 1947, it is the duty of the fire authority to make provision for fire-fighting purposes and, in particular, to secure for its area the services of a fire brigade and equipment to meet efficiently all normal requirements. Fire-fighting purposes is defined in the Act as "the purposes of the extinction of fires and the protection of life and property in case of fire". Under section 3(1)(e) of the Act the authority also has the power to use its brigade and equipment for purposes other than fire-fighting (which are commonly known as "special services"). Brigades attend road traffic accidents primarily for firefighting and rescue purposes. Operational procedures for dealing with road accidents are matters for fire authorities to determine locally in consultation with the relevant police authority.

  Press Office
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when Ian Jones was first informed of his suspension on full pay. [41995]

  Mr. Byers
  [holding answer 11 March 2002]Monday 4 March 2002.

  Central Railway
  Mr. Hopkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions if he will make a statement on the proposal to build a freight railway by Central Railway Ltd. [43086]

  Mr. Spellar
  [holding answer 14 March 2002]I have written to the Chairman of Central Railway informing him of my response to his request for support for a hybrid Bill as a means of authorising the company's proposed freight railway.

  The Government have made clear that we are committed to rail freight growth as a key element of sustainable distribution. To that end we will wish to support, in principle, projects that offer value for money in both the economic and environmental benefits they can bring to the country.

  In considering Central Railway's request for early Government support for a Bill to promote its own project, I have taken into account a number of factors and listened to representations from many interested parties. In our view there is not enough evidence at the moment to enable the Government to support a hybrid Bill for Central Railway's project.

  With the help of consultants and with the co-operation of Central Railway, the SRA will therefore carry out a further detailed assessment in order to test key remaining areas of the proposals. This is an essential piece of work if the Government are to be able to take an informed decision about Central Railway's hybrid Bill. The SRA anticipates that work to be completed by September.

  Cleaner Vehicles Task Force
  Shona McIsaac
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions when he will publish an updated Government response to the recommendations from the Cleaner Vehicles Task Force. [43879]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I have today published an updated response detailing the actions that Government has taken in the last 12 months to advance the recommendations of the Cleaner Vehicles Task Force and to accelerate the take up of cleaner fuels and cleaner, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Copies have been placed in the Libraries in the House.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Accommodation Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was of hotel
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  accommodation for departmental staff working away from home in each of the last four years. [41054]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The information is set out for the last three financial years, prior to that, the service was undertaken by a different provider and records are not available except at disproportionate cost.

  Financial year

  Spend £

  1998–99

  823,567

  1999–2000

  1,020,420

  2000–01

  1,223,926

  Unauthorised Absences
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many unauthorised absences there were in(a) state primary schools and (b) state secondary schools, broken down by each local education authority in England for each year since 1997. [42225]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The number of half days missed due to unauthorised absences in(a) maintained primary schools and (b) maintained secondary schools by each local education authority in England since 1997 are shown in the table, copies of which have been placed in the Library.

  Accountancy Contracts
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the contracts agreed by her Department with the five largest accountancy firms since May 1997; and what was the total value of contracts with each. [42099]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Public Appointments
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many appointments to public bodies have been made through her Department(a) from April 2000 to March 2001 and (b) since 31 March 2001; and how many of these were (i) men and (ii) women. [42160]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  [holding answer 12 March 2002]The numbers of men and women appointed or re-appointed to non-departmental public bodies sponsored by the former Department for Education and Employment and this Department during the periods in question are as follows:

  Men

  Women

  April 2000 to March 2001

  86

  37

  April 2001 to March 2002

  16

  2

  Regulatory Impact Unit
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many members her Department employs in its Regulatory Impact Unit; and if she will make a statement. [42936]
  1280W
  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The Department employs one full-time member of staff in its Regulatory Impact Unit, with line management support when necessary.

  It is the job of the Departmental Regulatory Impact Unit to establish and promote the principles of good regulation in the Department. The Unit works closely with the officials responsible for developing policies in the Department and the Regulatory Impact Unit within the Cabinet Office. It focuses on those regulations that impact on business, charities and the voluntary sector.

  In addition there are 11 members of staff who working in the Small Business Service on better regulation for small business across Government.

  Specialist Teachers
  Ms Atherton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many shortage-subject specialist teachers in primary schools were(a) PGCE primary trained and (b) PGCE secondary trained. [43418]

  Mr. Timms
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Standards Fund
  Mrs. Brooke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, pursuant to the answer of 27 February 2002,Official Report, columns 1293–96W, on the Standards Fund, what factors account for the difference between the allocations for the Standards Fund per pupil for Poole, Bournemouth and Dorset. [43567]

  Mr. Timms
  The Standards Fund is not allocated on a simple per pupil basis, but in relation to the specific priorities it is designed to support in each local education authority. Significant variances in the per pupil figures for Standards Fund are due to: grants where one authority is acting as a co-ordinator for others in its area; or grants allocated to particular types of school; and grants that are allocated to respond to needs, which may not be reflected equally in all authorities. The per pupil figure for each of these types of grants for Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth are shown in the following table:

  Main differences in Standards Fund per pupil

  Grant

  Dorset £ per pupil

  Poole £ per pupil

  Bournemouth £ per pupil

  Regional coordination

  LEA Music Services

  6

  0

  0

  Child Protection Co-ordinators

  0

  0

  2

  Allocated by specific types of school

  Specialist Schools

  18

  8

  17

  Small Schools Fund

  17

  2

  2

  Specific needs based initiatives

  Induction of Newly

  Qualified Teachers

  7

  11

  6

  Reducing Infant Class Sizes

  42

  21

  94

  Fresh Start

  0

  0

  110

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  Main differences in Standards Fund per pupil

  Grant

  Dorset £ per pupil

  Poole £ per pupil

  Bournemouth £ per pupil

  Information Management Strategy

  5

  3

  0

  Classrooms of the Future

  6

  3

  28

  School Laboratories

  4

  4

  0

  Total

  104

  54

  260

  For other Standards Fund grants the total per pupil distribution is: £244, £251 and £247 for Dorset, Poole and Bournemouth respectively. The smaller differences are due to variances in the level of free school meal eligibility and the balance between primary and secondary pupils.

  School Admissions (Racial Equality)
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance she will make available to schools on the implementation of Commission for Racial Equality guidance that admissions should reflect the ethnic make-up of the community. [43832]

  Mr. Timms
  The Commission for Racial Equality will be issuing guidance to schools on how to comply with the general and specific duties as set out in the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000.

  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of(a) which schools or categories of school are exempt from the Commission for Racial Equality guidance that school admissions should reflect the ethnic make-up of the community and (b) how the CRE guidance should be interpreted by admissions forums. [43831]

  Mr. Timms
  The guidance issued by the Commission for Racial Equality will apply to all maintained schools. It is the responsibility of individual admission authorities to ensure that their policies comply with all legislation, including the Race Relations Acts. Admission forums are advisory bodies and do not decide school admissions policies.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Accountancy Contracts
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will publish the(a) number and (b) value of contracts awarded by her Department to (i) Arthur Andersen, (ii) Deloitte Touche, (iii) Ernst and Young, (iv) KPMG and (v) PricewaterhouseCoopers accountants in each year since 1997. [34997]

  Dr. Howells
  The following contracts are those awarded over the stated time period:

  Date

  £

  Deloitte Touche

  March 1999

  227,000

  KPMG

  March 1999

  23,000

  PricewaterhouseCoopers

  November 1999

  67,000

  PricewaterhouseCoopers

  March 2000

  56,000

  PricewaterhouseCoopers

  May 2001

  22,000

  PricewaterhouseCoopers

  July 2001

  96,000

  1282W
  Deloitte Touche is one of five companies who have framework agreements with DCMS for consultancy support to Quinquennial Reviews of DCMS funded bodies. These are not contracts as such, as any review work would be competed between the five companies and lead to an individual contract. Use of the framework agreements resolves some contractual issues and simplifies the tendering process. To date Deloitte Touche have not won any of the competitively tendered contracts under their agreement. The work awarded to the companies has, in the majority of cases, been research or consultancy work rather than accountancy.

  Press Office
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in his Department's press office have received(a) termination and (b) redundancy payments in each of the last four years. [41090]

  Dr. Howells
  None of my Department's press office staff have received termination or redundancy payments in the last four years.

  Design Champions
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will list the composition of the Ministerial Design Champions Group; and if she will make a statement; [41957]

  (2) if she will publish the terms of reference of the Ministerial Design Champions Group and its status in Government; and if she will make a statement. [41956]

  Dr. Howells
  The Ministerial Design Champions Group is an inter-departmental working group of Ministers chaired by my noble Friend Lord Falconer of Thoroton on behalf of the Prime Minister. It comprises: Lord Falconer—Chair (DTLR; Baroness Blackstone (DCMS); Angela Eagle (Home Office); Elliot Morley (DEFRA); Brian Wilson (DTI); Malcolm Wicks (DWP); Andrew Smith (HM Treasury); Dr. Lewis Moonie (MOD); Baroness Ashton (DIES); Michael Wills (LCD); Lord Hunt (DOH); Denis MacShane (FCO); Chris Leslie (Cabinet Office), Mike Watson MSP (Scotland); Sue Essex AM (Wales); Dr. Sean Farren (NI); Sir Stuart Lipton (CABE).

  Each Ministerial Design Champion is expected to:

  (i) maintain a clear understanding of the extent and content of his/her Department's capital programme, including buildings and infrastructure; and the design implications of that programme in relation to the Government's wider objectives such as promotion of health, prevention of crime, urban regeneration and improvement of the environment;

  (ii) personally sponsor at least two projects within his/her Departmental remit in order to ensure his/her understanding of the issues and to drive home the message by example to other project sponsors and programme managers;

  (iii) oversee a departmental action plan to improve design quality across his/her department and sponsored bodies, ensuring that procedures encourage the

  1283W
  achievement of high design quality and that sufficient resources are allocated to the production of the plan and the delivery of its conclusions;

  (iv) encourage a commitment to Better Public Buildings by all Ministers, officials and others who have influence over building works under his/her Department's authority; and

  (v) ensure that high quality design is part of an efficient and effective procurement process, under HM Treasury's Achieving Excellence initiative and DETR's Rethinking Construction initiative.

  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) when the Ministerial Design Champions Group will next meet; and if she will make a statement; [41959]

  (2) when the Ministerial Design Champions Group last met; and if she will make a statement. [41954]

  Dr. Howells
  The Ministerial Design Champions Group last met on 17 January 2002; it will next meet on 22 May 2002.

  Public Appointments
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many appointments to public bodies have been made through her Department(a) from April 2000 to March 2001 and (b) since 31 March 2001; and how many of these were (i) men and (ii) women. [42162]

  Tessa Jowell
  [holding answer 12 March 2002]The number of men and women appointed, or re-appointed, by Ministers in this Department to bodies sponsored by this Department during the periods in question is as follows:

  Period

  Men Appointed

  Women appointed

  1.4.00–31.3.01

  101

  52

  1.4.01–28.2.02

  102

  53

  This includes appointments to bodies sponsored by my Department where my role is to advise on appointments made by the Prime Minister or, through him, by Her Majesty The Queen. It does not include appointments made to former Home Office public bodies before the Machinery of Government changes in June 2001.

  National Gallery/National Portrait Gallery
  Miss Begg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made on the joint review of the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery. [44336]

  Dr. Howells
  My right hon. and noble Friend the Minister for the Arts has today published the second stage report of the joint review of the National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery.
  1284W
  The report underlines the value of both galleries and the contribution they make to this country's cultural life. Both galleries have achieved a great deal in the last few years and have risen to the challenges set by government and themselves.

  The report also finds the need for a closer, more strategic relationship between the galleries and the Department.

  A copy of the report has been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Solicitors
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many complaints his Department has received about the conduct and quality of solicitors' performance in each of the last 10 years. [42176]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Complaints made to the Lord Chancellor's Department about solicitors can come up in many different contexts and no information is kept centrally about the number that relate to quality, conduct or any other matters. Concerns raised in correspondence are monitored. The Lord Chancellor's Department is not responsible for handling formal complaints against solicitors. This is the responsibility of the Law Society and its complaints-handling wing, the Office for the Supervision of Solicitors.

  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what action he is taking to measure the performance of and quality of service offered by solicitors. [42175]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The legal profession is self-regulating. The conduct of solicitors is a matter for their professional body, the Law Society. The Office for the Supervision of Solicitors (OSS) is a separate organisation, set up by the Law Society, to handle complaints against its solicitors.

  The Lord Chancellor's Department Ministers, among others, are sent the OSS monthly digest of performance.

  The OSS is subject to independent scrutiny by the Legal Services Ombudsman, Ms Ann Abraham. The Ombudsman, who is a lay person, may consider complaints about the decisions reached by the OSS and also has the power to investigate the original complaint. The Ombudsman is required to make an annual report to the Lord Chancellor on the discharge of her functions during the year to which the report relates. In her report the Ombudsman will also bring to the attention of the Lord Chancellor any wider concerns she has about the nature and level of complaints against members of the legal profession. A copy of this report is laid before each House of Parliament.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Correspondence
  Mrs. Roe
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) when she will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Broxbourne of 4 September, 5 October, 2 November and 29 November relating to correspondence from the East Anglian Region of the National Farmers Union. [20954]

  (2) when the hon. Member for Broxbourne will receive a reply to her letters of 4 September, 5 October, 2 November, 29 November 2001 and 2 January 2002 relating to correspondence from the East Anglian region of the National Farmers Union. [26354]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answers 6 December 2001 and 14 January 2002]A reply was sent on 10 January to the hon. Member.

  Environment Council
  Mr. Connarty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Environment Council on 4 March; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement. [40946]

  Margaret Beckett
  I represented the UK at Environment Council on 4 March, accompanied by my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment, and the Minister for the Environment in the Welsh Assembly Government, Sue Essex. This was the first Environment Council of the Spanish Presidency. A Council decision on ratification of the Kyoto Protocol was agreed; the UK voted in favour. Four sets of Council Conclusions were adopted. Council also held a public debate exploring key aspects of a recently adopted Commission proposal for a directive establishing a regime for environmental liability.

  The agreement of the Council decision on ratification of the Kyoto Protocol will enable the Community and member states to ratify the Protocol in time for it to enter into force before the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) in August, subject to sufficient ratifications by other signatories. A legal base requiring a qualified majority (Article 175(1) of the Treaty) was agreed for the decision; at the UK's request a recital was added making clear that the legal base chosen for this decision should not be taken as a precedent for future decisions on burden-sharing. A declaration was also agreed noting Council's intention to agree future burden-sharing decisions by consensus. Council also adopted Conclusions reacting to the US climate change plan. These included a call upon Parties to the UN framework Convention on Climate Change—including the US—to live up to their responsibilities under the Convention, and a confirmation of the EU's willingness to continue dialogue through the EU-US High Level Group.

  In preparation for WSSD, Council Conclusions were adopted setting out the EU's priorities including poverty eradication, access to safe drinking water and sanitation, and ways of giving special attention to Africa. Council reaffirmed the Gothenburg
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  commitment to reach the UN target for official development assistance of 0.7 per cent of GDP and called for integration of sustainable development in bilateral and multilateral co-operation agreements. Council welcomed the Commission communication "Towards a Global Partnership for Sustainable Development" and its proposals for the components of a Global Deal at the Summit. The Conclusions identified EU actions in the run up to Johannesburg and beyond including the early ratification of several international environmental agreements. The Conclusions also stressed the need for integration and coherence of internal and external policies to ensure that the EU's economic, social and environmental objectives were mutually supportive and that the EU effectively contributed to sustainable development at all levels. The global dimension should be regularly addressed as part of the overall Sustainable Development package at Spring meetings of the European Council.

  Council also agreed Conclusions on the EU Sustainable Development Strategy, to be submitted to the Barcelona European Council. The Conclusions took note of the Commission's synthesis report for 2002 and stressed the need to reflect environmental issues more extensively and to treat the three dimensions of sustainable development in a more balanced way. Council called on the Commission to put in place a system of Sustainability Impact Assessment as soon as possible and emphasised the importance of the EU becoming a highly eco-efficient economy.

  Council Conclusions were adopted setting out the EU negotiating position for the Sixth Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity, taking place in the Hague between 7–19 April. The Conclusions stressed the need for early ratification by the Community and member states of the Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety and the International Treaty on Plan Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture. Council also supported the preparation of an action plan for capacity-building for access to genetic resources and benefit-sharing. The Conclusions also called for increased co-ordination between international organisations and conventions, including the World Intellectual Property Organisation Inter-Governmental Committee, and the United Nations Commission on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

  In the public debate on the proposed environmental liability regime, principal concerns expressed by other member states were the generous extent of the defences available to polluters, the potential burden on member states if polluters failed to act, and the scope of the directive. Several member states thought that there was a need to consider whether there was a gap in the proposed regime concerning damage caused by genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Beyond this, member states were evenly divided on whether the scope should be extended and on the need for a common framework for insurance. I underlined the complex nature of the proposal and the need to take on board the views of stakeholders. I argued that we would need careful examination of the associated costs and benefits of any proposed change to its scope, the defences or insurance arrangements.
  1287W
  The Spanish Presidency gave progress reports on a proposed directive establishing a Community greenhouse gas trading scheme; amendments to Directive 94/62/EC, concerning recycling and recovery targets for packaging and packaging waste; and amendments to Directive 96/82/EC, on the control of major-accident hazards involving dangerous substances (SEVESO II). The Commission presented proposals allowing Community implementation and ratification of the Cartegena Protocol on Biosafety. The Commission also updated Council on progress on chemicals legislation, a proposed directive on recycling of batteries and accumulators, and a proposed White Paper on integrated product policy.

  Under Any Other Business, Spain reported on the outcome of a recent seminar considering the incorporation of gender perspectives into EU environmental policy-making. Austria reported on an international conference held in November 2001 on the role of the precautionary principle in chemicals policy. Germany invited Ministers to consider the environmental implications of the proposed airport noise directive currently under discussion in Transport Council. My right hon. Friend, the Minister for the Environment, noted that two recent studies had suggested a connection between transport and asthma in children. Contributory causes appeared to be ozone, particulates and nitrogen oxides. The Commission welcomed the dissemination of the research, and noted that it would shortly publish a Communication on children's health and the environment.

  Technetium-99
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the Environment Agency's proposal in respect of technetium-99 discharges; what process she has established to consider representations on the proposal; and when she expects to take a decision in respect of the proposal. [40495]

  Mr. Meacher
  [holding answer 11 March 2002]In 1998, in the light of international concern about discharges of technetium-99 from BNFL's Sellafield site, Ministers requested that the Agency carry out a review of discharges of this radionuclide on a "fast track". In February 2000, the Agency published its "Scope and Methodology Document", describing its plans for the re-examination of radioactive discharge authorisations at Sellafield, including technetium-99, and sought public comment. In November 2000 the Agency published its "Explanatory Document" setting out its analysis of the situation concerning technetium-99 discharges, abatement technologies and a range of future approaches that might be taken. Public consultation on this document finished on 5 March 2001. The Agency took into account the responses that it had received and, in September 2001, published its proposed decisions on the future regulation of technetium-99 discharges. My right hon. Friends the Secretary of State and the Secretary of State for Health will give a decision on this shortly.

  Rural Work Force
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proportion 1288W
  of those employed in agriculture are classified as having another form of paid employment; and if she will make a statement. [42905]

  Mr. Boateng
  I have been asked to reply.

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

  Letter from Len Cook to Malcolm Bruce, dated 15 March 2002

  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the proportion of those employed in agriculture who have another form of paid employment. (42905)

  Of the 402,000 people shown by the Labour Force Survey to be employed in agriculture, 8 per cent had a job in another industrial sector also. The attached table shows details of the make up of this groups of people.

  Proportion of people employed in agriculture1 who have another job in a different industry; United Kingdom; autumn (September to November) 2001; not seasonally adjusted

  Thousands

  Per cent.

  All persons whose main job is in agriculture of which:

  383

  100.0

  those with a second job, in a different industry

  13

  3.3

  All persons with a second job in agriculuture of which:

  24

  100.0

  those whose main job is in a different industry Total employed in agriculture, either as their main or second

  420

  100.0

  job of which:

  those with another job, in a different industry

  32

  8.0

  1 People employed in Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) 1992 Division A: Agriculture, hunting and forestry.

  Source ONS Labour Force Survey

TREASURY

  Accountancy and Consultancy Costs
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total cost to his Department has been of services provided by(a) Arthur Andersen and (b) Accenture and Andersen Consulting for (i) accountancy services, (ii) consultancy work and (iii) other work in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [32103]

  Ruth Kelly
  The cost to the Treasury for consultancy services provided by Arthur Andersen was £80,000 in 2000 and £64,625 in 2001, and for Andersen Consulting £30,252 in 2000. Aside from inward secondees, no other services have been received from these firms in the last four years.

  Afghan Heroin
  Mr. Jim Murphy
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what actions HM Customs and Excise are taking to increase the proportion of Afghan heroin seized; and how many tonnes of Afghan heroin have been seized by Customs and Excise in each of the past 10 years. [40389]

  Mr. Boateng
  Customs work closely with other agencies in the UK and overseas to disrupt the supply of heroin to the UK market, the vast majority of which
  1289W
  originates in Afghanistan. Statistics relating to the annual amounts of heroin seized by Customs are published on a routine basis in their annual departmental reports, but these are not disaggregated by their country of origin.

  Running Costs (Government)
  Mr. Swire
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will provide a breakdown of the total running costs of central Government and their agencies for each year sine May 1997 to the latest date for which information is available. [40832]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  [holding answer 7 March 2002]Table 5.1 of PESA 2001–02 (Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses, Cm 5101) and similar tables in previous PESAs give outturn data department by department for administration costs (running costs before 2000–01) since 1986–87, the first year for which there is published data.

  Terrorism (Costs)
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the total direct and indirect cost to the UK of actions taken by the UK arising from the attacks on the USA on 11 September 2001. [41874]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  Funds have been approved by Parliament in the normal way in Supplementary Estimates. The Chancellor of the Exchequer gave details of additional public spending arising from attacks on the USA on 11 September 2001 in his Pre-Budget Report Statement to Parliament on 27 November 2001.

  Gladwyn's Wood
  Mr. Grieve
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what discussions his Department has had with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions concerning the future of Gladwyn's Wood, Denham, Buckinghamshire, with reference to its contiguity with Broadspring Wood, owned by the Highways Agency; [43783]

  (2) if Gladwyns Wood, Denham, Buckinghamshire, is now in the ownership of HM Customs and Excise; and what plans his Department has for the wood. [43781]

  Mr. Boateng
  None. Gladwyn Wood is not in the ownership of HM Customs and Excise.

  Approved Mileage Allowance Payments
  Mrs. Lawrence
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the entitlement of service company workers and others to tax relief and exemption under the Approved Mileage Allowance Payments scheme. [44415]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Draft legislation is being published today which will ensure that from 6 April 2002, people who work through intermediaries, such as service companies, and who fall within the "intermediaries legislation", will be entitled to the same relief and exemption under the new Approved Mileage Allowance Payments scheme as employees. Copies of the draft legislation are available in the Libraries of the House.

HEALTH

  Physiotherapy
  Mr. Gareth R. Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to improve physiotherapy services(a) in London and (b) in general. [39029]

  Mr. Hutton
  The NHS Plan sets out targets to provide 6,500 more therapists and other health professionals and 4,450 more therapists and other key health professional training places by 2004. Further plans to increase the number of physiotherapists working in the NHS by 59 per cent., from 15,600 in 2000 to 24,800 in 2009, were announced in the follow-up document to the NHS Plan,Investment and reform for NHS staff—taking forward the NHS Plan, (published 15 February 2001).

  Between 1999 and 2001 the number of qualified physiotherapists in England increased by 1,140 (from 15,070 in 1999 to 16,210 in 2001). Of these the number working in the London regional office area increased by 90.

  Between 1999–2000 and 2000–01 the number of physiotherapy training commissions increased by 127 (9 per cent.) and further increases are planned.

  In September 2001, as signalled in Meeting the Challenge: A Strategy for the Allied Health Professions (AHPs), 10 Workforce Development Confederations (WDC's) began working with 13 Higher Education Institutions in a first wave of modernising pre-registration education and training for the allied health professions, starting with Physiotherapy, Occupational Therapy, Radiography, Podiatry and Speech & Language Therapy education. These first wave courses will be established from the 2002–03 academic year and will feature wider entry gates to professional training, more part-time courses, the possibility of stepping on and off programmes, and more opportunities for shared learning. Several HEIs in England offer accelerated pre-registration courses in physiotherapy for existing graduates.

  Individual health authorities are also responsible for assessing the broad health care needs of their population, and securing a range of hospital and community health services such as physiotherapy services to meet those needs. Decisions about the health care provision and the use of resources are best taken at local level because it is there that people's needs are best known and services can be tailored accordingly.

  Orthodontists (Mid Essex Hospital Trust)
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) part-time and (b) full-time orthodontists there are in the Mid Essex Hospital Trust area. [38355]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 5 March 2002]There are fewer than five full or part-time orthodontists in the Mid Essex NHS Trust area. Exact figures cannot be provided as for data protection purposes national figures are collated on the basis that individuals will not be identified, and figures are sufficiently small to risk disclosure of information about an individual.

  Pharmacists
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans he has to increase the numbers of people training as pharmacists; and if he will make a statement; [41221]

  (2) what discussions he has had with companies about the training of pharmacists; and if he will make a statement. [41222]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 7 March 2002]There has been a significant increase in pharmacy student intakes over recent years, with 27 per cent. more new students starting their training in 2000 than in 1993. This points to a significant medium-term growth in the pharmacy work force, despite the change to a 4-year undergraduate course in 1997. Full figures are not yet available from the Pharmaceutical Society for 2001 as returns are still awaited from two schools of pharmacy. Work force modelling undertaken by the Department suggests that there will be a 12 per cent. increase in the pharmacy work force across the National Health Service and private sector between 1998 and 2003.

  The Department has regular contact with a range of organisations with an interest in pharmacy, to discuss training issues.

  NHS Staff (Assaults)
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what figures he uses to monitor the NHS zero tolerance campaign on assaults on NHS staff. [40802]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 8 March 2002]The National Health Service's zero tolerance zone campaign to tackle violence against NHS staff is monitored using data collected from all NHS trusts and health authorities to a common definition issued in Health Service Circular 1999/229: "Working Together, Securing a Quality Workforce for the NHS: Managing Violence, Accidents and Sickness Absence in the NHS", a copy of which is in the Library.

  Figures on reported violent incidents in 2000–01 are currently being analysed by the Department and will form the baseline for measuring progress against the Government's national improvement targets.

  Radiographers
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list vacancy rates and full role calculations for radiographer posts by hospital trust. [42287]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 11 March 2002]The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Health Costs (Road Accidents)
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he proposes to take to recover health service charges from uninsured drivers. [43314]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 13 March 2002]It is already possible for National Health Service costs to be recovered from the Motor Insurers' Bureau in cases where the driver is uninsured for accidents that occur on or after 5 April 1999.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health 1292W
  (1) what his reasons are for the extent of the proposed increase in threshold for the upper limit that can be charged to insurance companies for the costs of health care for people injured in road accidents; [43312]

  (2) for what reasons he withdrew the regulations to increase the threshold for the upper limit that can be charged to insurance companies for the costs of health care for people injured in road accidents; [43311]

  (3) how many hospital charges exceeded £30,000 in the last 12 months for which figures are available. [43313]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 14 March 2002]Regulations were introduced on 28 January 2002 that increased the tariff and ceiling of charges for the recovery of National Health Services costs following road traffic accidents. The tariff was increased from a flat rate of £354 to £402 for treatment without admission and from a daily rate of £435 to £494 for treatment with admission. The ceiling of charges in any one case was increased from £10,000 to £30,000. The regulations were revoked on 7 February 2002 following representations from and on behalf of the insurance industry that they were not given adequate warning of the intended increases.

  The increase in the ceiling of charges in any one case was proposed in the light of operational experience. Although the new scheme was intended to recover the full cost of treatment in the relevant cases a threshold had always existed but had failed to keep pace with the rising cost of medical treatment. Our data for the year from 1 February 2001 to 31 January 2002 show that 1,237 patients received treatment following a road traffic accident which cost in excess of £10,000 with 248 of these costing in excess of £30,000.

  We will shortly be consulting on revised proposals for increasing the tariff and ceiling of charges.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations he has had with the Automobile Association on increases in the threshold for the upper limit that can be charged to insurance companies for the costs of health care for people injured in road accidents. [43564]

  Ms Blears
  The Department of Health will shortly be consulting on proposals for increasing the tariff and ceiling of charges for the recovery of National Health Service costs following a road traffic accident. The Automobile Association will be included in the consultation.

  Free Prescriptions
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the medical complaints which provide entitlements to free prescriptions; and if he will make a statement. [43641]
  1293W
  Ms Blears
  The medical conditions conferring exemption from prescription charges are:

  (1) permanent fistula (including caecostomy, colostomy, laryngostomy, or ileostomy) requiring continuous surgical dressing or an appliance;

  (2) the following disorders:

  —forms of hypoadrenalism (including Addison's disease) for which specific substitution therapy is essential;

  —diabetes insipidus and other forms of hypopituitarism;

  —diabetes mellitus—except where treatment is by diet alone;

  —hypoparathyroidism;

  —myasthenia gravis; and

  —myxoedema;

  (3) epilepsy requiring continuous anti-convulsive therapy;

  (4) a continuing physical disability which prevents the patient from leaving his residence without the help of another person.

  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will exempt sufferers of cystic fibrosis from paying prescription charges; and if he will make a statement. [43642]

  Ms Blears
  Our policy is to give priority to helping people who may have difficulty in paying charges, rather than extending the exemption arrangements to people with other medical conditions, including cystic fibrosis.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Indonesia
  Ann Clwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of(a) the sufficiency of the territorial and temporal jurisdiction of the human rights court established in Indonesia to investigate alleged abuses in East Timor, (b) the likely impact of the Indonesian constitutional prohibition on retroactive prosecutions, (c) the experience, expertise and independence of the judges and lawyers appointed to the court, (d) the arrangements for the protection of victims and witnesses and (e) the level of co-operation on legal matters between the Indonesian and East Timorese authorities; and what plans he has to monitor the trials. [36928]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  (a) The question of the territorial and temporal jurisdiction of Indonesia's ad hoc human rights tribunals is a matter for the President of Indonesia to determine. The UK considers that their mandate should encompass all crimes against humanity perpetrated in East Timor before, during and after the Referendum of 1999. We will continue to raise our concerns about the jurisdictional limitations of the Tribunal with the Indonesian authorities, working closely with our partners in the EU.

  (b) The question of retroactive prosecutions will be for the Tribunal to determine.

  (c) The judges and prosecutors appointed to the Tribunal are professional lawyers. We welcome their appointment.
  1294W
  (d) There is currently no provision for victim/witness protection under Indonesian law. However, it is expected that this will be included in forthcoming legislation.

  (e) The Indonesian Government and representatives from the UN Transitional Administration to East Timor (UNTAET) and the East Timorese leadership meet regularly to discuss a range of bilateral issues. They met most recently on 25 February.

  Relocation expenses
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the payment of relocation expenses to staff in his Department. [41020]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  If staff are permanently transferred within the UK in the interests of the FCO, they are helped with additional travel costs or the costs of moving home only if their home is no longer within normal commuting distance.

  Litigation
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many cases(a) his Department and (b) its agencies have defended in (i) industrial tribunals and (ii) the courts in each year since 1997; how many were concluded in their favour; and what the total cost to his Department of litigation was in each year. [41113]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  Cases defended by the FCO in Industrial Employment Tribunals:

  1998: four cases defended, three decided in FCO's favour;

  1999: three cases defended; all decided in FCO's favour;

  2000: two cases defended; one case fully, one case partially in FCO's favour; total cost £16,811;

  2001: five cases defended; two in FCO's favour*; total cost £100,461;

  2002: one case defended; one in FCO's favour; total cost £1,373.

  * Two cases from 2001 are still awaiting a decision. The information available on cases brought in courts other than Industrial/Employment Tribunals, on all cases prior to 1998, and cost information prior to 2000, can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Zimbabwe
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 5 March 2002,Official Report, column 208W, on Zimbabwe what estimate his Department has made of the number of British citizens owed public sector pensions in relation to service in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe who are resident in the United Kingdom and whose pension payments have been suspended. [41867]

  Mr. MacShane
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold a record of British Citizens resident in the UK who are former public sector employees of the Rhodesian authorities and entitled to pension payments in respect of their service. Nor does it hold a record of those pensioners whose pension payments have been delayed or suspended by the Zimbabwean authorities.

  Deena Gilbey
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government have taken to assist Deena Gilbey in her attempt to stay in the USA with her children. [41947]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The Government have worked tirelessly on behalf of Mrs. Gilbey and the other British family members of victims of the 11 September atrocities. The British Embassy in Washington has worked with the White House, the State Department and Congress to ensure the fair and sympathetic treatment of British family members whose immigration or residency status in the US may have been affected by the terrorist attacks. The British Ambassador in Washington raised these cases with the Chair of the US Senate Judiciary Committee on 9 October 2001. Following this, the US Congress passed, and President Bush signed, anti-terrorism legislation (the Patriots Bill) that allows all British family members affected by 11 September to continue living and working in the US.

  The US Immigration and Naturalisation Service have assured Mrs. Gilbey that does not face deportation.

  The British Consulate General in New York remains in close touch with Mrs. Gilbey, and continues to monitor the situation closely, to ensure that she and others in a similar position do not have to suffer any further.

  Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh to be put on trial; and if he will make a statement. [42681]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We are in contact with the Pakistani authorities about Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh. We understand that they have not completed their investigations or made a decision about trial proceedings. We will continue to monitor this case closely.

  Angola
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations he has made to the Angolan Government concerning restrictions on freedom of expression; and if he will make a statement; [42524]

  (2) if representations are being made to the Angolan Government against their continued military offensive against UNITA; and if he will make a statement on what is being done by the international community to achieve new momentum in the peace process; [42519]

  (3) what the British Government have done to show their condemnation of human rights abuses by (a) the UNITA rebel movement and (b) the ruling MPLA Government in Angola; and if he will make a statement. [42520]

  Mr. MacShane
  Following the death of Jonas Savimbi, the UK joined the EU partners in issuing a declaration urging both parties to put an end to the conflict in Angola. The Prime Minister has written to 1296W
  President dos Santos to encourage him to take steps to begin a process of national reconciliation and to address Angola's very serious humanitarian situation.

  Her Majesty's Government believe that freedom of expression is essential to a functioning democracy. It is important for the improvement of human rights in Angola. The UK makes regular representations to the Government of Angola, bilaterally and through the EU, urging them to address human rights and humanitarian issues in Angola. We condemn human rights abuses by UNITA. UK support for sanctions against UNITA is a strong signal that their behaviour has been unacceptable.

  The next opportunity for HMG to discuss Angola's human rights record will be the visit of Foreign Minister Miranda to the UK at the end of March, when he will meet the Foreign Secretary, Baroness Amos and the International Development Secretary. The International Development Secretary is also visiting Angola from 2–4 April.

  Burma
  Mr. MacDougall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the authorities in Burma regarding the situation of Aung San Suu Kyi. [42404]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  Ministerial contact with the Burmese authorities is limited by the EU Common Position. However an FCO official visited Rangoon from 27 February-1 March where he met both Aung San Suu Kyi and members of the Burmese Government. The Burmese Government are aware of our view that all restrictions on ASSK should be removed. An EU Troika mission is visiting Rangoon from 13–15 March to gauge the latest developments and explain EU policy.

  Non-governmental Organisations
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 6 March 2002, ref 39187, on non-governmental organisations, what information he collates on the funding of non-governmental organisations by his Department, with particular reference to those operating on a regional level; and if he will make a statement. [42540]

  Mr. Straw
  The FCO does not keep information centrally about the funding of NGOs and nor do FCO Commands keep that information broken down on a regional basis. It would be difficult to arrive at a precise answer because the FCO could be said to "fund" NGOs in a great variety of ways—some are contracted to provide specific services in relation to projects funded by Command Programme Budgets and specific Programme funds (e.g. Human Rights Project Fund), others may well receive financial support to attend conferences etc as guests of HMG. In some cases posts overseas may use local budgets to pay, for example, for accommodation of NGO visitors on official business.

  UK Citizens (France)
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom citizens are held(a) on remand and (b) in custody following convictions within France. [42716]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  There are currently 65 British citizens held on remand in France and 105 British citizens who have been convicted and are serving prison sentences in France.

  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many United Kingdom lorry drivers are held(a) on remand and (b) in prison following conviction in France. [42717]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  There are currently 26 British lorry drivers held on remand in prison in France and 19 British lorry drivers who have been convicted and are serving prison sentences in France.

  EU Enlargement
  Mr. David Stewart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Governments of(a) Poland, (b) Hungary, (c) the Czech Republic and (d) Slovenia on EU enlargement. [42721]

  Peter Hain
  Both my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary and I have regular discussions with candidate countries about their accession to the EU. As part of this dialogue I visited Hungary in September 2001 and the Czech Republic and Slovenia in January and will visit Warsaw later this month.

  Public Appointments
  Fiona Mactaggart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many appointments to public bodies have been made through his Department(a) from April 2000 to March 2001 and (b) since 31 March 2001; and how many of these were (i) men and (ii) women. [42163]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  [holding answer 12 March 2002]The number of men and women appointed, or re-appointed, by Ministers in this Department to bodies sponsored by this Department during the periods in question is as follows:

  Period

  Men appointed

  Women appointed

  1.4.00–31.3.01

  21

  6

  1.4.01–28.2.02

  22

  91

  United Nations
  Ian Lucas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many full-time equivalent staff are employed at the United Kingdom Mission to the United Nations. [43553]

  Mr. MacShane
  There are 48 UK-based staff and 18.75 LE staff.

  Freedom of Information Act
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to 1298W
  his answer of 21 November 2001, Official Report, column 332W, on the Freedom of Information Act 2000, on what dates the steering group of senior officials has met since August 2000. [43478]

  Mr. MacShane
  The FCO's steering group of senior officials met on 13 September and 6 December 2001. It will next meet on 20 March.

  In addition officials at working group level continue to meet regularly to review progress.

  India and Pakistan (Nuclear Programmes)
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the Government's policy is regarding(a) exports to nuclear and nuclear-related end users in India and Pakistan and (b) contacts with India and Pakistan relating to their nuclear programmes. [44337]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  As the then Foreign Office Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Manchester, Central (Mr. Lloyd) made clear on 10 July 1998,Official Report, column 687, many countries including the UK have in place strict controls on the export of nuclear-related goods to India and Pakistan. The UK also exercises caution over contacts between personnel from the British nuclear industry and their Indian and Pakistani counterparts. Current tensions between India and Pakistan demonstrate the need for both countries to exercise restraint.

  The events of 11 September highlighted the fact that some terrorist groups will use any means to achieve their ends. We know that Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda network have shown an interest in developing chemical, biological and nuclear weapons. To ensure that such ambitions are not realised, we are encouraging all countries, including India and Pakistan, to take all steps necessary to ensure the better physical protection of their nuclear assets. We will be encouraging both countries to consider measures which contribute to the safety and security of their nuclear programmes.

  Bearing these factors in mind, and consistent with our obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, we have revised our policy as follows:—

  we will continue to deny all export licence applications (ELAs) for items listed on the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) Dual-Use List to nuclear and nuclear related end users in India and Pakistan. We will consider all applications for other items assessed as licensable, including those licensable under the WMD end use control, with particular vigilance in making licensing decisions on a case by case basis. Licences may be issued if there are no end use concerns. Consistent with our obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty, licences may also be issued in exceptional cases where the Government is satisfied that the proposed exports will contribute to the physical protection or security of civil or military nuclear facilities or assets in India and Pakistan;

  we will continue to discourage contacts by UK nuclear scientists or those working in the UK nuclear industry with their counterparts from, or personnel who we know are likely to work in, nuclear or nuclear related organisations in India or

  1299W
  Pakistan. We will also discourage visits by such counterparts and personnel to UK nuclear facilities. However, this will not apply where such contacts would contribute to the safety and security of India and Pakistan's nuclear programmes, or further the UK's non-proliferation objectives, consistent with our obligations under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

  Since carrying out their nuclear tests in 1998, neither India nor Pakistan have demonstrated sufficient commitment to meet their obligations to reduce nuclear
  1300W
  tensions set down in UNSCR 1172. We are now encouraging both countries to engage in a bilateral dialogue on nuclear confidence building measures.

  US Anti-personnel Mines
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether US anti-personnel mines have been(a) transited, (b) stockpiled and (c) maintained on British Indian Ocean Territory during the conduct of operations in Afghanistan. [43524]

  Mr. MacShane
  No.

  Court Sittings: Travel Arrangements
  Court Sittings: Travel Arrangements
  British Nationals Sentenced to Death Overseas
  British Nationals Sentenced to Death Overseas
  Human Rights: UN Meetings
  Human Rights: UN Meetings
  Jerusalem
  Jerusalem
  British Citizens Tried Overseas
  British Citizens Tried Overseas
  Hong Kong
  Hong Kong
  Zimbabwe
  Zimbabwe
  International Security Assistance Force
  International Security Assistance Force
  Army: Medically Downgraded Personnel
  Army: Medically Downgraded Personnel
  Eurofighter
  Eurofighter
  Armed Forces Pay
  Armed Forces Pay
  Defence Housing Executive: Funding
  Defence Housing Executive: Funding
  Armed Forces: Family Welfare
  Armed Forces: Family Welfare
  Army: Manning Shortfall
  Army: Manning Shortfall
  Service Accommodation
  Service Accommodation
  Ministry of Defence Budget
  Ministry of Defence Budget
  Depleted Uranium
  Depleted Uranium
  Ecosystems: River Pollution Control
  Ecosystems: River Pollution Control
  Foot and Mouth Disease: Farm Animal Exports
  Foot and Mouth Disease: Farm Animal Exports
  National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery Review
  National Gallery and National Portrait Gallery Review