Written Answers of 16 July 2003

TREASURY

  Asbestos
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his Answer of 10 June 2003,Official Report, column 745W, on asbestos, if he will list the buildings which have been identified as containing asbestos. [122988]

  John Healey
  All departments are aware of the new Regulation 4 of the Control of Asbestos at Work (CAW) regulations 2002 and will be fully compliant by the required date of 21 May 2004. Information on buildings identified as containing asbestos has been placed in the Library of the House

  British Overseas Territories
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what responsibilities his Department undertakes in connection with British overseas territories. [123992]

  John Healey
  Together with FCO and Inland Revenue, HM Treasury seeks to ensure that the regulation of the financial services sector in the Caribbean overseas territories, Bermuda and Gibraltar is maintained to the highest international standards, and that these territories comply with international standards of fiscal transparency.

  Environmental Taxes
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the revenue received by the Government from taxes paid by different modes of transport that are designed to have an environmental impact(a) as a proportion of total UK environmental tax revenue and (b) in relation to the contribution made to UK GDP by each transport mode. [124766]

  John Healey
  The Chancellor considers a range of relevant economic, social and environmental factors when deciding all taxation policy. Determining a definition of what is an environment tax is therefore difficult as: some taxes have been specifically designed to help achieve environmental goals, such as the aggregates levy, landfill tax and the climate change levy; some have been restructured to reflect environmental impacts, such as fuel duty differentials, company car tax and reforms to capital allowances to provide tax incentives for environmentally-friendly technologies; and some taxes were introduced for non-environmental reasons, but can have some environmental impact—for example, air passenger duty.
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  A number of these environmental taxes, such as landfill tax, climate change levy and aggregates levy, were introduced alongside offsetting tax cuts and recycling of revenue into environmental spending programmes, making them broadly revenue neutral.

  This Government has also demonstrated a commitment to using alternatives to taxation to protect and improve the environment, for example tradeable permit schemes as well as regulation and spending programmes.

  A modern economy could not function properly without an effective transport system. Figures are not readily available disaggregating the contribution of transport to the economy into different transport modes.

  In addition, many of the outputs of transport, such as the benefits from journeys by car, are not fully captured in national measures of UK GDP. The table below sets out revenues from the main taxes with a strong environmental dimension in 2002–03.

  Other environmental taxes

  £

  Climate Change Levy

  0.9 billion

  Landfill Tax

  0.7 billion

  Aggregates Levy

  0.3 billion

  Fuel Duties

  Ultra low sulphur petrol

  12.7 billion

  Ultra low sulphur diesel

  9.2 billion

  Road gases:

  8.0 million

  Biodiesel

  0.9 million

  Vehicle excise duties

  Cars

  4.2 billion

  Lorries

  0.28 billion

  Buses

  29 million

  Company car tax

  3.6 billion

  Euro
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro; [126682]

  (2) what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro; [126676]

  (3) what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro; [126677]

  (4) what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro; [126678]

  (5) what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro; [126679]

  (6) what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro; [126680]

  (7) what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro; [126681]

  (8) what steps he will be taking before December to campaign for British membership of the euro. [126683]

  Mr. Boateng
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the right hon. and learned Member for Folkestone and Hythe (Mr. Howard) on 20 June 2003,
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  Official Report, column 459W, which stated that Ministers will be holding a series of meetings around the country, campaigning for a pro-European consensus.

  Household Debt
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the average(a) household debt per annum and (b) household monthly income in each year since 1997. [125834]

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

  Letter from Len Cook to Dr. Cable dated 16 July 2003
  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on average household debt and household income. (125834)
  The information requested is shown in the table below. The households' financial liabilities and households' gross disposable income series used in the calculations are national accounts series for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sectors. The accounts for the household and NPISH sectors are currently combined separate estimates are not available.

  Average household debt per annum and monthly household income for each year since 1997

  £000

  Average household debt during year1

  Average household income per month2

  1997

  24,500

  1,950

  1998

  26,000

  2,000

  1999

  28,000

  2,100

  2000

  30,500

  2,200

  2001

  33,500

  2,350

  2002

  37,500

  2,400

  Notes:

  1 Rounded to nearest £500.

  2 Rounded to nearest £50.

  Income Tax
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what studies his Department is undertaking on the possible effects of an increase in income tax. [125044]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Government have committed themselves not to increase the basic or top rates of income tax within the lifetime of this Parliament. Policies on income tax rates and allowances are set out in the Budget and Pre-Budget reports, which are available in the Library of the House.

  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 26 June 2003,Official Report, column 933W, on income tax, what factors underlay his conclusion that the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost. [125398]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost because nearly 2,000 pieces of information have been requested (increasing the basic rate limit to seven different levels, and for each limit, introducing 13 additional higher income tax rates for 20 annual gross income levels). The sum of these requests would require a separate analysis that would exceed the rate for reasonable cost.

  Pension Schemes
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with reference to the statistics on the Inland Revenue regarding approved pension schemes, available at: http:// www. inlandrevenue. gov.uk/stats/pension s/p_t091_htm, which of the figures are based on(a) administrative data and (b) information compiled by the Office for National Statistics. [125410]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The figures in the table are compiled from a number of different sources. Inland Revenue estimates of average marginal rates of income tax are used with ONS data on occupational pension contributions (net of estimated transfers, refunds and surrenders compiled from FSA and ABI data); investment income; lump sum payments; and pensions in payment. All other components of the table are Inland Revenue estimates based primarily on administrative data.

  Unemployment (Wandsworth)
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the effect of his policies on unemployment levels within the London borough of Wandsworth during the last 12 months. [126175]

  John Healey
  In Wandsworth, as in the rest of the UK, the Government's policies to deliver a sound and credible platform of economic stability and to improve labour market performance are helping to achieve our long-term goal of employment opportunity for all. As a result, the claimant count in Wandsworth is down by 44 per cent. on its 1997 level.

  Recognising the importance of worklessness as a constraint on the economy, the Government have made a particular commitment to help those excluded from the labour force back into employment. The Government's new deal policies have helped almost 900 long-term unemployed aged 25 and over in Wandsworth over the last 12 months to gain new skills and experience. This, in combination with our other policies, has helped to reduce both youth and long-term claimant count unemployment in Wandsworth by over 20 per cent. in the last year and by over 60 per cent. since 1997.

TRANSPORT

  Vehicle Excise Duty Evasion
  Sue Doughty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will estimate the proportion of drivers who avoid paying car tax. [126057]

  Mr. Jamieson
  A national roadside survey June 2002 showed that some 1.75 million vehicles were evading vehicle excise duty (VED). There are currently over 30 million registered vehicles.

  The survey indicated the loss of revenue from evasion at some 4.5 per cent. of that due. This equates to £193 million in 2002–03. This loss was offset by £110 million in fines, penalties and relicensing revenue through enforcement action, brought against 820,000 offenders.
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  A further range of measures were announced on 22 May to modernise the vehicle registration system. These are designed to improve the accuracy of the vehicle register, help local authorities tackle abandoned vehicles, reduce VED evasion and vehicle crime generally.

  Armed Aircraft Marshals
  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether armed marshals are being deployed on British aircraft; and what information is being given to the captain of the aircraft. [126054]

  Mr. McNulty
  My right hon. Friend announced on 19 December the development of a capability to place covert armed police on UK registered aircraft, where warranted. For reasons of security, no information about this capability—for example the number of officers involved in the programme, the scale of their deployment, or the nature of their interface with aircraft crew—is made public.

  Birmingham Airport
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the implications of postponing the widening of the M42 on Government proposals for a second runway at Birmingham Airport. [126401]

  Mr. McNulty
  The recent announcements on the roads strategy and West Midlands Multi Modal Study could not take account of any future airport expansion as no decisions have yet been made. However, we announced that between Junctions 3–7 of the M42, Active Traffic Management measures would be trialled from 2004, which would provide additional capacity at peak times on this stretch of the network, and the case for widening would be reviewed in the light of these trials.

  If the Air Transport White Paper were to favour a second runway at Birmingham airport then the major surface access enhancements required to accommodate the associated growth will also need to be identified and reflected in the 10 Year Plan for Transport.

  Mr. John Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many air passengers used(a) UK airports and (b) Birmingham International Airport in (i) August and (ii) September in each year from 2000 to 2002. [126454]

  Mr. McNulty
  The information is as follows:

  Thousands

  Birmingham

  UK

  2000

  August

  820.6

  18,866.5

  September

  835.4

  18,013.2

  2001

  August

  867.6

  19,659.5

  september

  827.0

  17,480.9

  2002

  August

  882.5

  20,165.0

  september

  858.3

  18,680.0

  Source:

  Civil Aviation Authority
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  Mr. John Taylor
  : To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimates he has made of the numbers of passengers using(a) UK airports and (b) Birmingham International Airport in (i) August and (ii) September in each year from 2003 to 2030. [126455]

  Mr. McNulty
  The Department's air traffic forecasts provide annual figures rather than month-by-month projections. The key forecasts for 2015 and 2030 under two scenarios are in the following table, as contained in the consultation document. The RASCO figures include the assumption that significant new capacity is provided in the south-east: SEC assumes no new capacity is provided in the south-east above that already approved through the planning system. All figures are in million passengers per annum (mppa).

  mppa

  Birmingham

  RASCO 2015

  16–19

  RASCO 2030

  28–38

  SEC 2015

  18

  SEC 2030

  41

  The national forecast range for 2030 is 400–601 mppa from a base in 2000 of 180 mppa.

  British Overseas Territories
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responsibilities his Department undertakes in connection with British Overseas Territories. [123993]

  Mr. McNulty
  While the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has general responsibility for the overseas territories, this Department takes the lead on international transport issues.

  The Secretary of State is responsible for:
  the general superintendence of all matters relating to merchant shipping under the Merchant Shipping Act 1995, which includes ships registered under the law of an overseas territory;
  ensuring that overseas territories implement the IMO International Ship and Port Facility Security Code;
  ensuring that the overseas territories implement international standards relating to Aviation safety and security;
  issuing permits to foreign airlines wishing to operate scheduled or programmed charter services to or from the overseas territories;
  negotiations on EC legislative proposals on transport matters which will apply in Gibraltar.

  My Department provides advice and assistance to the overseas territories regarding these and related issues on an ongoing basis.

  European Roads Project
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Department's involvement in the Managing Speeds of Traffic on European Roads project. [126263]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The MASTER project was part of the EU Fourth Framework Programme of research. It was a collaborative project part funded by the European Commission with a numberof European and UK partners. It was completed at the end of 1998. The Department provided financial support to the
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  Transport Research Laboratory that enabled its participation in the project and sharing experience with the other partners

  London Underground
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the performance statistics are for each London Underground line for the last year, broken down by London Underground's monthly units, for(a) track, (b) signals and (c) trains; and what the (i) lost customer hours and (ii) excess journey times were for each monthly unit. [125768]

  Mr. McNulty
  This is an operational matter for London Underground, who have provided the information requested. However, it is very detailed and I have arranged for a copy to be placed in the Library of the House.

  Road Speeds
  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 14 July,Official Report, column 27W; if he will place in the Library the assessment his Department has made of the environmental impact of increasing motorway speed limits to 80 miles per hour. [126495]

  Mr. Jamieson
  New Directions in Speed Management—A Review of Policy, published in March 2000 and available in the Libraries of the House, provides information on the environmental impact of increased speeds on all roads. This information was included in the internal review and helped support the Department's conclusion that the current motorway speed limit should be retained.

  National Air Traffic Services Ltd.
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent meetings he has had with airline companies to discuss the performance of the National Air Traffic Services. [126488]

  Mr. McNulty
  There have been no such meetings recently. National Air Traffic Services Ltd. is a private sector body. I would expect airlines to address themselves in the first instance to the company itself or to its regulator, the Civil Aviation Authority.

  Vehicle Emissions
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what pollutants, broken down by volume, are emitted by(a) an average 2003 saloon car with a petrol engine travelling with average fuel consumption, (b) a 10-year-old double-decker service bus, (c) a diesel multiple unit train and (d) bendy-buses. [125762]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The emissions of some of the key pollutants (carbon dioxide, oxides of nitrogen and particulate matter) from the vehicles in question are shown in tabular form below. The data is from the 2001 National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory.
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  Grammes per vehicle km

  CO2

  NOx

  PM10

  2003 urban car (petrol)

  155

  0.14

  0.001

  1993 urban bus

  1003

  10.93

  0.528

  Average DMU train

  1712

  22.06

  0.122

  Bendy bus

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  The car emissions are average figures for Euro III petrol vehicles operating at an urban speed. The bus emissions are average figures for Euro I vehicles also at an urban speed. It should be noted, however, that in practice many 10-year-old buses have been retrofitted with newer engines meeting tighter (ie Euro II or Euro III) emissions limits, or with pollution reducing equipment such as particulate traps. In these cases, emissions of NOx and PM10 would be much lower. Specific data for a bendy-bus is not currently available: much would depend on the age of the bus and the emissions standards it was required to meet at the time of purchase. The train emissions are average figures for diesel multiple unit trains used on regional networks. The majority of commuting by train is in London and the South East, where most of the trains are electric and so have zero local emissions. A full environmental comparison would need to incorporate occupancy figures but comparative data per passenger km is not available in the form requested.

  Highway Maintenance (Ragwort)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what contractual arrangements exist for the clearing of ragwort from highway land along the A36 (T) and the A303 (T) in the Salisbury constituency; and what the cost was in(a) the last financial year and (b) this financial year to date. [125651]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Highways Agency manages the control of injurious weeds on the A36 and the A303 through its Area 2 Maintaining Agent (Atkins) and Term Maintenance Contractor (Raynesway Construction Southern). Under the terms of the arrangements, the Agent has a duty to manage the grassed and landscaped areas within Highways Agency land adjacent to the highway in compliance with the Trunk Road Maintenance Manual. In this Manual, Volume 2 Chapter 1.10 Section(b) 'Nuisance' states that the Highways Agency aims to take a proactive approach to the control of injurious weeds, such as ragwort, as defined in the Weeds Act 1959. Priority is given to the control of ragwort on highway land which is adjacent to or near agricultural or grazing land.

  The costs shown below have been calculated by proportioning the spend on the A36 and A303 routes as a whole to the lengths encompassed by the Salisbury constituency.
  The cost of clearing ragwort in the 2002–03 financial year was £19,500.
  The cost for clearing ragwort this financial year is £1,750 to date.

  Road Haulage Companies
  Mark Tami
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many foreign road haulage companies have been prosecuted for failure to comply with
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  (a) traffic and (b) road worthiness regulations in the UK in each of the last five years; and what the country of origin was in each case. [125541]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The number of prosecuted traffic and roadworthiness offences committed by foreign drivers and operators since 2000 is as follows:

  2000–49

  2001–33

  2002–26

  Nationality

  2000

  2001

  2002

  Handling agent based in UK

  36

  18

  9

  Germany

  6

  6

  10

  Republic of Ireland

  0

  0

  2

  Netherlands

  4

  4

  5

  Belgium

  1

  3

  0

  Poland

  2

  2

  0

  Data prior to 2000 is not currently available.

  Road Safety Strategy
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the(a) timetable and (b) scope are of the Government's review of the Road Safety Strategy; and who will be conducting the review. [126257]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The main objective of the review is to provide a realistic evaluation of progress on delivery of the Road Safety Strategy towards meeting the Government's 2010 casualty reduction targets. The review will therefore focus on implementation of the original strategy launched in March 2000 taking into account latest casualty trends, but will also assess new initiatives, problems or constraints that have emerged.

  The review is being conducted by the Department, in consultation with the Road Safety Advisory Panel and with many of the individual partners, both within and outside Government, who play an active role in delivering the Strategy. The aim is to complete the review in spring 2004.

  School Buses
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many school buses have been brought into service since 1997. [125202]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  I have been asked to reply.

  This information is not collected.

  Statutory home to school transport in England is arranged by local education authorities. They may provide passes for eligible pupils to use on scheduled bus services, or negotiate contracts for dedicated bus services with bus operators.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many new 310W
  entrants to the Civil Service were employed in her Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 or over. [119828]

  Alun Michael
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) on 24 June 2003,Official Report, column 657W.

  Departmental Policies (Pendle)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what policies(a) initiated and (b) managed by her Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if she will make a statement. [124097]

  Alun Michael
  Nationally, £1.6 billion of England Rural Development Programme (ERDP) funding is available to farmers from 2000 to 2006 for environmental protection and improvement, and rural development.

  All ERDP schemes, except one, are available in Pendle since 2001 and are shown as follows:

  Land-based schemes

  Countryside Stewardship Scheme;

  Energy Crops Scheme;

  Farm Woodland Premium Scheme;

  Hill Farm Allowance;

  Organic Farming Scheme; and

  Woodland Grant Scheme.

  Project-Based schemes

  Processing and Marketing Grant;

  Rural Enterprise Scheme; and

  Vocational Training Scheme.

  Drinking Water
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on drinking water quality in England since 1993. [125652]

  Mr. Morley
  Standards of public drinking water supplies have improved year on year since the Drinking Water Inspectorate was set up in 1990. The Chief Inspector's Annual Report published on 9 July 2003 reveals that 99.87 per cent. of more than 2.9 million tests carried out in England and Wales during 2002 met all the national and EU drinking water quality standards. 10 years ago nearly 37,000 tests failed to meet these standards. Last year, that number was_ just 3,741. A copy of the Report is available in the House Library.

  Equine Welfare
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent meetings she has held with the British Horse Society on equine welfare. [125998]

  Alun Michael
  I have frequent and productive discussions with the British Horse Society to discuss horse issues and we also meet in the Rural Affairs Forum for England (of which the Chief Executive of the Society is a member). Officials in the Horse Industry Team and in other parts of my Department have
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  frequent meetings with the Society and value their practical help and expert advice on welfare and other issues.

  EU Committees
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list(a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110301]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The EU Committee on the Conservation, Characterisation, Collection and Utilisation of Genetic Resources in Agriculture does not have a fixed membership, but consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 European member states

  The Committee has met twice since January 2002, on 29 January 2002 and on 24 February 2003. The agenda items it considered at these meetings were:
  Exchange of views on a Commission proposal for a new Council Regulation on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture (29 January 2002);
  Report on the state of projects funded under Council Regulation 1467/94 (29 January 2002 and 24 February 2003);
  Exchange of views on a Commission working document on a revised proposal for a new Council Regulation on the conservation, characterisation, collection and utilisation of genetic resources in agriculture (24 February 2003).

  No decisions were taken at these meetings.

  Decisions of EU Comitology Committees are not routinely deposited for scrutiny under established scrutiny procedures. Together with member states, the Commission has been conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of Comitology Committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/ EC, to
  "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission".

  The Working Group on the Friends of Comitology is meeting later this month to discuss proposals for interim reform. As an obligation to this decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of the Committee. The second report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 10 January 2003 ref 5060/03, COM(03)733. As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every Comitology Committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on conservation of wild birds (ORNIS), the number of times and the dates on which it has met since January 2002, the agenda items 312W
  it has considered since January 2002, the decisions it has made since January 2002 and the means used to communicate these decisions to the House. [110491]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The ORNIS Committee (the Committee for the adaptation to technical and scientific progress of the Directive on conservation of wild birds) does not have a fixed membership, but consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 European member states. UK representation usually consists of one official from my Department, together with a scientific adviser from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Officials from the devolved administrations sometimes also attend meetings.

  Since January 2002 the ORNIS Committee has met twice, on 14 June 2002 and 26 June 2003. The main agenda items considered were:
  Commission's Sustainable Hunting Initiative: The Commission presented its draft guidance document on interpretation of the Birds Directive. Member states were asked for comments and corrections on the draft guidance and on scientific data. The updated guidance document was made at the last meeting, pending further consideration of a key chapter.
  Article 4 (Special Protection Areas): Member states provided updates on completing the Special Protection Area network and were updated by the Commission on progress regarding action plans for Annex I species.
  Update on EU enlargement preparations: Update from the Commission, including agreement that accession countries could attend future meetings as observers and that future Annexes to the Directive should comprise scientific names only (given the difficulty of including common names in the increasing numbers of languages). Timeframes for implementation of the directive as well as monitoring and peer review exercise for Accession countries.
  Other information points, including reporting by member states under Article 9 and 12 of the directive, seminar on management of the cormorant, information systems for NATURA 2000 and collaboration with the African Eurasian Waterbird Agreement (AEWA). The UK also highlighted recent work in relation to the Ruddy Duck and sought supportive action in other member states.

  The ORNIS Committee is a Comitology Committee and its agendas covered normal business and ongoing work programmes. Meetings did not involve regulatory or substantive decisions, and therefore no specific arrangements were made to inform Parliament. Ministers receive regular briefing. Together with member states, the Commission has been conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of Comitology Committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". The Working Group on the Friends of Comitology is meeting later this month to discuss proposals for interim reform.

  As an obligation to this Decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of the Committee. The second report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 10 January 2003 ref 5060/03, COM(03)733.

  As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every Comitology Committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.
  313W
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list(a) the names, titles and grades of the officials who sit on the EU committee on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora, (b) the number of times, and the dates, on which it has met since January 2002, (c) the agenda items it has considered since January 2002, (d) the decisions it has made since January 2002 and (e) the means used to communicate the decisions to the House. [110296]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The committee on the conservation of natural resources and of wild fauna and flora does not have a fixed membership, but consists of delegates drawn from each of the 15 European member states.

  Since January 2002 there have been three committee meetings, on 14 March 2002, 20 November 2002 and 10 March 2003. In this period the agenda items included:
  The future participation of accession countries in the committee and related working Groups—agreed to permit access countries to the committee and groups as observers.
  Green week.*
  Marine issues and Marine Working Group—agreed to establish group with terms of reference to establish site selection and management criteria for sites beyond territorial waters.
  A Swedish proposal on the introduction of fungi species into the Appendix I of the Bern Convention.*
  Establishment of Natura 2000 network.*
  Application of Article 8 and Financing of Natura 2000—establishment of working group with terms of reference to estimate overall cost of managing the Natura 2000 network.
  Article 12 and Article 12 Working Group—establishment of group to consider generic species management measures and relevant definitions.
  Art. 17 and 16—reporting.*
  Estuaries—agreement to a definition of boundaries.
  Proposed Directive on Environmental Liability and its link to Natura 2000.*
  GIS: state of play concerning data submission.*
  Access to information.*
  Access to sensitive data—agreement to withhold data on particularly sensitive plants locations from websites/public domain.
  Life Nature restoration projects and commitments for designation.*
  Projects to co-finance under Life Nature (2002)—support for Commission proposals for co-funding of projects under the Life-Nature Regulation 1655/2000 agreed in 2002.
  Projects to co-finance under Life Nature (2003)—support for Commission proposals for co-funding of projects under the Life-Nature Regulation 1655/2000 agreed in 2003.
  Monitoring.*
  Large Carnivores.*
  Communication issues.*
  Nature Directors' Meetings.*

  Decisions taken against each item have been listed. Those items marked with a * were presented for information only.

  Decisions made by the Comitology committees are not routinely deposited for scrutiny under established scrutiny procedures, unless they are politically significant.
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  Together with Member States, the Commission has been conducting a review to bring existing legislation on the conduct of Comitology committees into line with Council Decision 1999/468/EC, to "simplify the requirements for the exercise of implementing powers conferred on the Commission". The Working Group on the Friends of Comitology is meeting later this month to discuss proposals for interim reform.

  As an obligation to this Decision, the Commission undertook to publish an annual report on the working of the committee. The second report was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 10 January 2003 ref 5060/03, COM(03)733.

  As part of the review process, the UK Government have encouraged the Commission to produce and maintain an electronic database of every Comitology committee, its agendas and recent actions, to be accessible through its website.

  Fallen Stock
  Mr. Hurst
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures will be put in place for removing fallen stock from farms. [124878]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The Government are currently considering whether a national scheme for fallen stock is viable and will be making an announcement about this shortly.

  In the meantime, the Fallen Stock helpline on 0845 8507070 can give advice to farmers on collection services in their area to enable them to dispose of their fallen stock now.

  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment. Food and Rural Affairs how many responses to the questionnaire on the proposed National Fallen Stock Disposal Scheme were(a) in favour and (b) against; in what publications the deadline estimates of 7 and 28 May were notified; how individual farmers with more than one livestock holding were notified that they could cast a vote for each holding; how many eligible farmers and livestock holdings there are; how those not voting were classified; and on what basis the 50 per cent. threshold was set. [R] [124865]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  A total of 105,404 letters were sent to livestock holdings on which we had information that livestock were present from their latest census return. By 30 May we had received 36,249 responses from farmers in England to the questionnaire, of which 32,489 expressed an interest in joining the scheme, 1,833 stated that they were not interested due to cost, and 1,927 stated they would be making other arrangements. No reply was received to 69,155 letters. These numbers exclude responses where farmers said they no longer had livestock or where the letter was returned by the Post Office as gone away.

  The letter made clear that the proposed scheme was on a payment per holding basis. Complete information on the number of eligible farmers (some of whom may have more than one holding) is not available. However, we have made some estimates where we have information about farmers with multiple holdings who

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  only sent one reply. Where such a reply expressed an interest in joining the scheme we have adjusted the figures to show other holdings owned by the same farmer to a 'yes' response. This increases the 'yes' figure from 32,489 to 33,864.

  The deadlines for responses were published in Defra News Releases, News releases issued by the NFU, adverts were placed in the farming press and a number of news items publicising the deadlines also appeared in the farming press.

  The 50 per cent. threshold was set on the basis of estimates about the funds that this level of participation in a scheme would raise and which, when taken with the government contribution, would allow the scheme to operate in a way that was financially viable.

  Agricultural Subsidies
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the Government's policy is on the issue of farm subsidies within the world trade negotiations in Mexico. [124821]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The Government considers it vital that WTO members deliver on the Doha commitment to fundamental reform of agricultural subsidies. The EU's decision last month to reform the Common Agricultural Policy is a major step toward achieving this objective and we urge our trading partners to be prepared to respond in the most positive manner so that a successful outcome can be negotiated at the ministerial meeting in Mexico.

  Hunting with Dogs
  Mr. Swire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the police over the implementation of a possible ban on hunting with dogs. [125139]

  Alun Michael
  During the period of consultation announced in my statement to the House of Commons on 21 March 2001 and subsequently during the preparation of the proposals set out in the Hunting Bill I discussed the issues with the Association of Chief Police Officers, the Superintendents Association and the Police Federation. I also discussed my proposals with a number of individual senior police officers. Immediately after the discussions of the House on 30 June I had a further discussion with Mr. Alistair McWhirter who is rural policy spokesman for the Association of Chief Police Officers and I spoke to him again when it became clear that his views and those of ACPO had been misrepresented in some Press and Media reports.

  During the debate on 9 July, Official Report, column 1281, I spelt out for the House the legislative and policing implications of the amendments to the Bill in terms that had been agreed with Mr. McWhirter and the ACPO as well as the Chief Inspector of Constabulary and Ministerial Colleagues at the Home Office.

  Information Technology
  Dr. Pugh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what major IT 316W
  projects with a value in excess of £10,000 she authorised expenditure on in each of the last three financial years. [125724]

  Alun Michael
  Defra was established as a new Department in June 2001. A table showing the major authorised IT projects with a total project cost exceeding £10,000 undertaken since that date, has been placed in the Library of the House. The word `authorised' has been interpreted to mean having an approved business case. Information provided relates to the core Department only.

  Landfill
  Mr. Peter Ainsworth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she will take to ensure that the provisions of the Landfill Directive to ban the disposal of whole tyres in landfill sites from 16 July 2003 are enforced by the Environment Agency; and if she will make a statement. [125150]

  Mr. Morley
  The Environment Agency is well aware of its regulatory and enforcement responsibilities in this and other environmental areas and will carry these out to the best of its ability.

  Under the Landfill Directive, the ban on landfilling tyres comes into effect on 16 July 2003 in respect of new landfill sites or for hazardous waste landfill sites. For existing non-hazardous waste landfill sites, the ban comes into force as and when each site is permitted under landfill/pollution prevention and control legislation.

  Milk
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions she has had with supermarkets on the price of milk paid to dairy farmers. [124493]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The prices negotiated between retailers and processors or processors and producers are a private commercial matter. We have therefore had no discussion with the supermarkets on this point.

  Power Stations
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the load factor was in each year from 1999, of each power station without flue gas desulphurisation equipment fitted; and on what date a BATNEEC application to allow the loading to exceed forty per cent. was(a) submitted, (b) agreed and (c) rejected in each applicable case. [123815]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 4 July 2003]: Operators of large coal and oil fired power stations are regulated by the Environment Agency ("the Agency") through a system of authorisation under the provisions of the Environmental Protection Act 1990. Conditions are set in authorisations to ensure environmental protection and include emission limits with which operators must comply.

  In 1999 a review of the conditions contained in the authorisations was carried out by the Agency to secure further reductions in sulphur dioxide emissions, and to achieve a 50 per cent. reduction by 2005 of the 1999

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  emission limits. In order to achieve this reduction, the Agency introduced conditions in the authorisations to encourage the building and operation of Flue Gas Desulphurisation ("FGD") equipment. The Agency formed the view that if a power station were to operate above a load factor of 40 per cent. then it would become economically viable to fit FGD equipment. Conditions were included in the authorisations whereby operators that did not have FGD equipment fitted, were required to submit a Best Available Techniques Not Entailing Excessive Cost (`BATNEEC') justification if they wanted to continue operating after September 2001 at a load factor exceeding 40 per cent. The justifications were received in May and June 2000, as listed in the table to this answer.

  The exercise coincided with the introduction of the New Electricity Trading Arrangements (or "NETA"). It was recognised that the NETA could alter the market structure of the sector, and that such change could have significant repercussions for the BATNEEC considerations. Because of this economic uncertainty. the Agency did not, at that time, formally accept or reject the BATNEEC cases.

  As NETA is now established, the BATNEEC cases made in 2000 are being reviewed. This may lead to a modification of the authorisations of those plant that are operated at high load factors without FGD equipment. This exercise will form part of a wider review of the performance of the coal fired power stations and will take into account further commitments by operators to fit FGD equipment and the requirements under the revised EU Directive concerning Large Combustion Plant.

  Operators are not required to report load factors so that information is not available.

  Power stations that submitted 'BATNEEC justification for operating above a 40 per cent, load factor without Flue Gas Desulphurisation abatement

  Operator1

  Site

  Date of justification

  AEP

  Ferrybridge

  June 2000

  Fiddler's Ferry

  Innogy

  Aberthaw

  June 2000

  Didcot

  Tilbury

  London Power

  Cottam

  May 2000

  PowerGen

  Drakelow

  May 2000

  Grain

  High Marnham

  Ironbridge

  Kingsnorth

  International Power

  Rugeley

  May 2000

  1 Current operator, may differ to that in 2000.

  Source:

  Environment Agency

  Private Sewers
  Huw Irranca-Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what steps the Government are taking to address the maintenance problems faced by the owners of existing private sewers; [126029]
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  (2) whether she plans to amend section 104 of the Water Industry Act 1991 to make it compulsory for sewerage undertakers to adopt existing private sewers; [126030]

  (3) what plans she has to assist owners of private sewers with maintenance costs before the implementation of new legislation; [126031]

  (4) what the time-scale is for changes to the legislation on existing private sewers; [126032]

  (5) if she will make it her policy to ensure that the owners of private sewers do not bear sole responsibility for paying for the maintenance of such sewers. [126033]

  Mr. Morley
  The Department has commissioned research into the extent and condition of private sewers in England and Wales. The problems arising from the current arrangements for existing private sewers have been examined, especially with regard to their ownership and maintenance.

  A public consultation paper seeking views on possible options for addressing these problems was published on 1 July this year. The consultation period extends until 26 September 2003. We will need to review responses to the consultation before reaching a view on what action might follow.

  Radioactive Waste
  Rachel Squire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress in establishing a committee on Radioactive Waste Management. [122611]

  Margaret Beckett
  [holding answer 2 July 2003]: I have today, along with the Environment Ministers for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, appointed Katharine Bryan as Chair of the new Committee on Radioactive Waste Management, CoRWM. Her task will be to lead CoRWM in recommending how the UK should manage its most highly radioactive waste and keep it safe for many thousands of years. Together, we shall receive CoRWM's recommendations, and around 2006, we shall decide how these should be implemented to secure the best outcome for the UK as a whole.

  In September 2001, we invited comments on our proposed programme, Managing Radioactive Waste Safely. As we said, a substantial legacy of solid radioactive waste is being stored, awaiting a decision on how best to manage it for many thousands of years while radioactivity falls to safe levels. Even if no new nuclear plants are built, around 500,000 tonnes of waste will arise over the next century as existing plants are shut down and cleaned up. We proposed a rigorous and public review of alternative options, including underground disposal and surface storage. We proposed a new independent body to advise us when enough information had been gathered to decide the best option or combination of options. There was general support for this approach.

  We advertised for CoRWM in March 2003. We received over 400 applications. We have begun by appointing the Chair who will help us identify the best team. We shall now interview and appoint the remaining members so that CoRWM is up and running by October 2003.
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  CoRWM's terms of reference require it, among other things, to aim to make its recommendations no later than the end of 2005; to prepare a work programme that will enable it to do this; to send this to us for agreement at an early stage; to meet us every six months; and to make an annual progress report which we can place before Parliament. Its review of options must be carried out in an open, transparent and inclusive manner; to inspire public confidence in the way in which it works, in order to secure such confidence in its eventual recommendations; and so to ensure the long-term safety of the UK's radioactive wastes.

  I am confident that Katharine will lead the Committee and the review very effectively. I shall make an announcement when the rest of CoRWM is appointed and it is ready to start work. With this important step forward in the process for deciding future policy for the long-term management of the UK's radioactive waste, Government have been giving consideration to the future of United Kingdom Nirex Ltd. (Nirex). As well as undertaking important work on standards for the conditioning and packagng of radioactive waste, the company has extensive knowledge of some of the potential options for radioative waste mangement to be considered by CoRWM.

  It is very important that Nirex stands ready, along with others, to help CoRWM reach its view and inform policy decisions. It is important also that the company can do this from a position where it is, and can be seen to be, independent of industry. The Government will consult Nirex shareholders on the best way of making Nirex independent of industry and under greater Government control, and our aim is to establish and announce the appropriate way forward by autumn of this year.

  Rural Enterprise Scheme
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many Rural Enterprise Scheme grants have been approved by the South West Regional Appraisal Panel of the Rural Development Service in each of the last three years; and what the average amount given was. [126150]

  Alun Michael
  The South West Regional Appraisal Panel of the Rural Development Service has approved 112 Rural Enterprise Scheme grants in the last three full financial years. This can be broken down by year as follows.

  Financial year (April to March)

  Number of schemes approved

  Total grant offered (£)

  2000–01

  5

  178,483

  2001–02

  47

  2,656,604

  2002–03

  60

  3,914,858

  Total

  112

  6,749,945

  The average amount of grant awarded per scheme is £60,267.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how farmers applying for assistance from the Rural Enterprise Scheme in the south-west region may obtain details of the South West Regional Appraisal Panel's deliberations and reasons for refusing an application. [126151]
  320W
  Alun Michael
  All unsuccessful applicants are notified in writing with the Regional Appraisal Panel's decision and reason(s) for refusal.

  A summary of a project technical appraisal can be obtained by all the applicants on request in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Such a summary would not contain any information on third persons e.g. comparisons between an application under assessment and any similar application that may already have received an award.

  In addition, applicants can request a summary of the key points of the Panel's consideration of the project.

  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the criteria are for receiving funding from the Rural Enterprise Scheme; and what budget has been allocated to the south-west region under this scheme in the next financial year. [126153]

  Alun Michael
  The Rural Enterprise Scheme is aimed at producing sustainable outputs which contribute to the Strategy for Sustainable Food and Farming, the wider rural economy and thriving rural communities. It operates on a selective basis by supporting good quality individual projects which will contribute to these aims, in line with regional priorities and objectives that have been agreed in consultation with local stakeholders.

  The scheme is administered by Defra's Rural Development Service on a regional basis. Applications for funding are assessed against the following criteria:

  the need for the project;

  clearly identified objectives, milestones and targets;

  the sustainability of the project (economic impact, environmental impact and social impact);

  the degree to which the project will produce desirable outputs that contribute to the scheme's key policy themes and priorities;

  financial viability;

  need for public funds;

  project management and delivery;

  risk assessment and sensitivity analysis; and

  how well the project fits the region's needs and priorities.

  Explanations of these criteria, and the need for them to be addressed in a suitable business plan, are set out in the scheme literature.

  A Regional Appraisal Panel determines which projects should be supported based upon the individual qualitative assessments and taking account of the scheme's wider objectives, the quality of other competing projects, and the funds available.

  The Rural Enterprise Scheme budget allocated to the south-west region for the 2003–04 financial year is £4.045 million, with £5.965 million currently budgeted for 2004–05.

  Waste Management
  Paddy Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what meetings she has had with representatives of the waste management industry to discuss private finance initiative for waste management contracts. [124728]
  321W
  Mr. Morley
  Neither the Secretary of State nor other Defra ministers have met the waste management industry specifically to discuss private finance initiative for waste management contracts. I hope to meet a number of key stakeholders on waste issues in the coming months on a range of waste issues.

  Water Industry
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how long it took to plan and provide a new reservoir in the UK, on average, over the last 30 years. [125575]

  Mr. Morley
  Four major public water supply reservoirs have been constructed in the past 30 years: Carsington, Roadford, Rutland and Kielder. These took between 19–25 years from initial investigations until completion, with an average overall time of 21 years.

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of total water leakage in England is caused by Thames Water. [125576]

  Mr. Morley
  In 2001–02 Thames Water accounted for around 25 per cent. of all water leakage in England and Wales. Water company leakage data is published annually by the Director General of Water Services in the 'Security of supply, leakage and the efficient use of water' reports, copies of which are available in the Library of the House. Levels of leakage for 2002–03 will be published at the end of this month.

WALES

  Tourism
  Mr. David
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many members of the public visited(a) Cardiff Castle and (b) Caerphilly Castle in 2001–02. [122813]

  Mr. Touhig
  Wales Tourist Board figures for the calendar years 2001 and 2002 are as follows.

  Wales tourist board figures

  2001

  2002

  Cardiff Castle

  169,709

  202,560

  Caerphilly Castle

  78,653

  81,758

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many new entrants to the civil service were employed in his Department in each of the last five years; and how many in each year were aged 50 or over. [119815]

  Mr. Touhig
  The Wales Office is staffed entirely by people on loan or secondment from other Departments. It is thus normally the case that new entrants to the civil service will have served for a period in their home department before coming to the Wales Office.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many(a) special advisers, (b) press officers, (c) civil servants, (d) advisers to civil servants and (e) permanent staff were working for the Wales Office in each year since 1996. [126473]

  Mr. Hain
  The Wales Office was created on 1 July 1999.

  (a) Until 12 June 2003 the Secretary of State for Wales had two special advisers, since then he has had one.

  (b) Since its inception the Wales Office has had a complement of three press officers (there has also been one three-month inward secondment for training purposes).

  (c) and (e) figures are published each year in the Departmental Report, the most recent of which was published in May 2003 as Cm 5928.

  (d) None.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Roger Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what targets his Department has for improving energy efficiency; and how he intends to achieve these targets. [116643]

  Mr. Hain
  I refer the hon. Member to the written answer given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on 9 June 2003,Official Report, column 580W.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement, in relation to his Department, on(a) the amount of energy consumed, (b) spending on (i) energy and (ii) energy efficiency measures, (c) the amount saved through energy efficiency measures and (d) energy policy in each of the last five years. [108864]

  Mr. Touhig
  The small size of the Wales Office means that it is not autonomous on energy consumption and so meaningful figures are not readily available.

  The Government's policy on energy efficiency in its own estate was described in the Energy White paper "Our Energy Future—Creating a Low Carbon Economy".

  Euro
  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he received the Treasury documents relating to the five economic tests and the 18 background studies; what discussions he has held with ministerial colleagues on the tests since receipt of the documents; when he expects to complete his analysis of the documents; and what representations(a) he and (b) departmental officials will make to other Departments before a decision is reached on the economic tests. [115380]

  Mr. Hain
  The Treasury's 18 supporting studies on EMU were sent to Cabinet Ministers on 16 May 2003. My right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Chancellor held meetings with Cabinet Members. There was an initial discussion at Cabinet on 22 May 2003, followed by a special Cabinet meeting on 5 June 2003. The Chancellor made a statement to the House of Commons on 9 June 2003.

  European Constitution
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions he has had with colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office about the legislative competencies covered by the draft European constitution. [124860]

  Mr. Hain
  I have had regular discussions with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs.

  Gwydwr House (Disabled Access)
  Mr. Caton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations his Department has received from disabled people about plans for a new access to Gwydwr House. [122995]

  Mr. Touhig
  None.

  IT Contracts
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many outsourced IT contracts have been signed by his Department in each year since 1997; how much each of these contracts is worth; with whom they are signed; how many have been renegotiated; how many are still in place; and if he will make a statement. [126208]

  Mr. Hain
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my predecessor gave the hon. Member for Teignbridge (Richard Younger-Ross) on 11 February 2002,Official Report, column 43W.

  Mobile Phones
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123136]

  Mr. Hain
  The Wales Office was created in July 1999. Information is not available before April 2000. Since that date expenditure has been:

  2000–01—£7,546

  2001–02—£6,266

  2002–03—£6,472

  April—June 2003—£1,832

  Official Spelling
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make it his policy that official(a) correspondence, (b) reports and (c) documentation from his office uses the English spelling of words where this differs from the US version. [118866]

  Mr. Touhig
  The Wales Office complies with the guidance issued by the Cabinet Office on the handling of ministerial and other correspondence and the use of plain written English.

  Partnership Agreement
  Angela Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he plans to conclude a partnership agreement with the trade unions representing the staff in his Department. [117446]

  Mr. Touhig
  Staff working in the Wales Office are all on secondment or loan from other Government Departments and so it would be more appropriate for any partnership agreement to be with the home departments rather than the Wales Office.

  Steel Industry
  Dr. Francis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what recent discussions he has had with the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales on the future of the steel industry in Wales. [121938]

  Mr. Hain
  I have regular meetings with the First Minister of the National Assembly for Wales and discuss a wide range of issues including the steel industry in Wales.

  Latest developments for the steel industry in Wales are encouraging. For example, Corus recently announced investment into its "Living Solutions plant" at Shotton, which is expected to create up to 200 jobs.

  Corus also recently announced a major three year contract with Associated British Ports (ABP) to ship finished steel coils world-wide from its Swansea and Newport operations. This comes with an investment of £800,000 from ABP for a new 37 ton capacity crane.

  Additionally, Celsa recently announced that they expect to increase production output beyond that of the former Allied Steel and Wire Holdings Group plc plant in Cardiff. This will be a gradual build up from Celsa restarting production operations next month, with full roll-out of its operations at the end of this year. Celsa will employ a direct workforce of 400, with a further 200 subcontracted.

  I welcome these very positive developments for an industry that has had more than its share of difficult times.

  Written Ministerial Statements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Wales Office since 29 October 2002. [126611]

  Mr. Touhig
  Three:

  Wales Departmental Expenditure (28.02.03)

  Public Sector Ombudsman Service (Wales) (11.03.03)

  Public Audit (Wales) Bill (01.04.03)

PRIME MINISTER

  Access to Government Information
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister whether he was consulted over the decision by the Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs and Lord Chancellor and the Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to issue a notice on 23 June under section 11(3) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Administration regarding a complaint under the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information relating to ministerial conflicts of interests. [126448]

  The Prime Minister
  The work of the Ombudsman is important, and the Government are working with the Ombudsman to develop a Memorandum of Understanding on co-operation between the Ombudsman's office and Government Departments.

  Information relating to internal discussion and consultation on the issue of a notice under section 11(3) of the Parliamentary Commissioner Act 1967 is not disclosed under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Defence and Overseas Policy Committee
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make it his policy to provide the number of occasions the Cabinet Defence and Overseas Policy Committee met between 9 September 2002 and 18 March 2003. [126304]

  The Prime Minister
  There was no meeting of the Cabinet Defence and Overseas Policy Committee during this period. However, as I told the Liaison Committee on 8 July, the reason why this was not necessary was that Iraq appeared on the agenda of Cabinet as early as March 2002. From 23 September 2002 until after the conflict, Iraq was discussed at every regular Cabinet meeting.

  Additionally, during the course of the conflict, an ad hoc group of Ministers, which I chaired, met 28 times. The membership of the group was the Deputy Prime Minister, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the Home Secretary, the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Secretary of State for International Development, the Leader of the House of Commons, the Secretary of State for Defence, and the Attorney General.

  Israel
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister whether he raised the continued imprisonment of Mordecai Vanunu during his meeting with his Israeli counterpart during his visit to London in July. [126305]

  The Prime Minister
  The priority for the visit was to discuss road map implementation and bilateral relations.

  The Government have raised concerns about the conditions of Mr. Vanunu's imprisonment with the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Following his latest
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  parole hearing the Israeli authorities decided against his early release. Our embassy in Tel Aviv will continue to monitor his case.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Prime Minister what matters in respect of Israeli possession of nuclear weapons he raised with his Israeli counterpart during his visit this month. [126306]

  The Prime Minister
  The priority for the visit was to discuss road map implementation and bilateral relations.

  The Government consistently urge Israel to accede to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty as a non nuclear weapons state, and to sign a full-scope safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), most recently during official-level talks in Tel Aviv on 5 March. Under the agreement with IAEA, Israel's nuclear facilities would be subject to regular inspection to detect and eliminate any diversion of nuclear materials, for weapons production. The UK has consistently supported UN resolutions calling for the establishment of a middle east zone free of weapons of mass destruction. That zone would include Israel.

  JIC Access (Director of Communications and Strategy)
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Prime Minister to what level of clearance Mr. Alastair Campbell has been vetted for access to Joint Intelligence Committee material. [126089]

  The Prime Minister
  Alastair Campbell has been cleared in the same way as other Downing street officials, whose roles may include seeing intelligence material.

  Lord Levy
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Prime Minister when Lord Levy has met Bill Burns, the Assistant Secretary of State in the United States State Department, while acting as his envoy; and where each of these meetings took place. [126447]

  The Prime Minister
  In his capacity as the Prime Minister's envoy, Lord Levy has met Assistant Secretary of State Bill Burns, including on 19 July 2001, 10 January, 11 March and 2 July 2002. All these meetings took place in London. Both men were also present at a London meeting on Palestinian reform on 14 January 2003.

  Ministerial Meetings
  Joyce Quin
  To ask the Prime Minister what recent meetings he has held jointly with the First Minister of the Scottish Parliament and the First Secretary of the National Assembly for Wales; and if he will make a statement. [126521]

  The Prime Minister
  I have meetings with a wide range of organisations and individuals. As with previous Administrations, it is not my practice to provide details of all such meetings, under Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Mobile Phones
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123148]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) gave him on 15 July 2003,Official Report, columns 164–65W.

  Overseas Visits
  Mr. Plaskitt
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will list(a) Government expenditure on ministerial overseas
  visits for the financial years 1996–97 to 2002–03 and (b) all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 between 1 April 2002 and
  31 March 2003, including the (i) cost, (ii) destination and (iii) purpose of each visit. [126761]

  The Prime Minister
  Expenditure on Ministerial overseas visits for the period requested is estimated as follows:

  Expenditure on ministerial overseas visits

  £ million

  Year

  Expenditure

  1996–97

  7.9

  1997–981

  6.4

  1998–99

  4.9

  1999–2000

  4.6

  2000–01

  4.7

  2001–02

  5.6

  2002–03

  5.7

  Special advisers

  Pay band

  Department

  0

  1

  2

  3

  4

  No 10 1

  —

  5

  6

  11

  2

  Office of the Deputy Prime Minister

  —

  —

  22

  1

  —

  Chief Whips' Offices (Commons and Lords)

  —

  1

  2

  —

  —

  Constitutional Affairs

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  Culture, Media and Sport

  —

  —

  —

  1

  —

  Defence3

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  Education and Skills

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

  —

  1

  1

  —

  —

  Foreign and Commonwealth Office

  —

  —

  —

  2

  —

  Health

  —

  —

  2

  1

  —

  Home Office

  —

  —

  24

  —

  —

  International Development 3

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Lord President of the Council and Leader of the House of Lords

  —

  41

  —

  —

  —

  Lord Privy Seal and Leader of the House of Commons5

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Northern Ireland Office

  —

  —

  1

  —

  —

  Secretary of State for Wales

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  Trade and Industry 6

  —

  1

  1

  1

  —

  HM Treasury 7.8

  —

  1

  1

  1

  1

  Transport 3

  —

  —

  1

  1

  —

  Work and Pensions

  —

  —

  2

  —

  —

  Minister without Portfolio 5

  —

  2

  —

  —

  —

  Total

  —

  16

  26

  19

  4

  1 Plus two special advisers who are paid beyond Pay Band 4 but within the scheme maximum.

  2 Includes one part-time adviser.

  3 Includes one special adviser under their provisional pay band whose job has not yet been evaluated.

  328W

  Expenditure on ministerial overseas visit

  £million

  Year

  Expenditure

  1 2 May 1997 to 31 March 1998

  The figure for 2002–03 reflects payments made so far for travel undertaken in this period; a few bills have yet to be submitted to Departments for payment.

  A list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during the period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 has been placed in the Libraries of the House. The list provides details of the date, destination and purpose of all such visits and the costs of Ministers' travel and accommodation where appropriate.

  Special Advisers
  Geraint Davies
  To ask the Prime Minister what the cost of the paybill for special advisers was in 2002–03; and how many special advisers there are in each pay band, broken down by Department. [126760]

  The Prime Minister
  The pay bands and pay ranges for special advisers for 2003–04 are as follows:

  £

  Pay band

  Pay range

  Scheme maximum

  131,008

  4

  78,606 to 94,326

  3 and Premium

  58,693 to 91,181

  2

  46,116 to 60,278

  1

  35,635 to 47,362

  0

  Up to 35,634

  At 14 July 2003, the number of special advisers in each pay band by Department is as follows:
  329W
  4 Appointed by the Lord President on a part-time basis. Also works part-time to the Home Secretary providing cover for a special adviser who is on maternity leave.

  5 Includes two special advisers under their provisional pay bands whose jobs have not yet been evaluated.

  6Plus one adviser who is part-time and unpaid.

  7 Includes the Chief Economic Adviser to the Treasury.

  8 Plus the five members of the Council of Economic Advisers who are employed on special adviser terms (two in Band 4, two in Band 3 and one in Band 1—one is part-time).

  The cost of special advisers in 2002–03 is £5.4 million1.
  1 This figure includes salary, severance pay and an estimate of pensions costs.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Afghanistan
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the Government's assessment is of the progress made in Afghanistan on civil service reform; what assistance his Department is giving Afghanistan in this respect; and if he will make a statement. [125677]

  Hilary Benn
  An effective public administration is essential to the process of reconstruction in Afghanistan. DFID has been an important source of assistance to the Afghanistan Transitional Administration (ATA) as it has sought to re-establish the basic functions of government. We are supporting capacity building within institutions, including the Ministry of Finance, Central Bank, and Administrative Reform and Civil Service Commission. Other donors such as the World Bank are helping in areas such as procurement and audit. Achievements have included the introduction of a new currency, development of a national development framework, and of a payments and payroll system and implementation of measures to maximise revenue collection. But much remains to be done, and after twenty years of upheaval, there are no short-cuts to rebuilding Afghanistan's public administration. President Karzai recently issued a "Priority Reform and Restructuring" decree (executive legislation) that will allow further urgent reforms to take place in up to twenty Government Departments. These reforms will be supported by DFID and the World Bank.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Jenkins
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many staff of his Department were redeployed out of London and the South East in the last five years. [125360]

  Hilary Benn
  Under a relocation programme approximately 40 Civil Service posts from our London Headquarters were redeployed to our East Kilbride Headquarters over the period 1998–2001. Staff were not required to move with the posts.

  European Constitution
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what discussions she has had with(a) colleagues in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and (b) counterparts in the European Union about the legislative competencies covered by the draft European Constitution. [124781]
  330W
  Hilary Benn
  As part of the normal Whitehall process, I and my officials have had regular correspondence with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office to discuss all aspects of the Convention, including legislative competencies. We have also had regular contact with member and accession states to discuss issues arising in the Convention. In line with exemptions 1 and 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information, it is not the normal practice of Governments to disclose details about internal discussions, or information whose disclosure would harm the conduct of international relations or affairs.

  Iraq
  Richard Younger-Ross
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assistance the Department is giving to the World Food Programme's work in Basra. [125704]

  Hilary Benn
  Since the start of the present crisis, DFID has contributed £33 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) for its work throughout Iraq, including Basra. DFID support has been earmarked for food delivery, logistical support and the provision of a United Nations humanitarian air service. It is not allocated by region within Iraq.

  Iraq's public distribution system for food aid was restarted on 1 June. WFP estimates that by the end of the June distribution cycle, rations has been provided to about 26 million Iraqis, which is 95 per cent. of the target population.

  Richard Younger-Ross
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what assistance the Department has given to the reestablishment of(a) the electrical power system, (b) the legal system, (c) a police force and (d) a banking system in Iraq. [125694]

  Hilary Benn
  DFID has provided over £7 million to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to assist in the restoration of electricity supplies in Iraq. The work undertaken has included needs assessments, repairs to generation and transmission plant, equipment for maintenance crews, equipment for a hospital and for water pumping and purification plants, and lighting for Umm Qasr port.

  The Government have seconded police advisers to the Coalition Provisional Authority to contribute to the development of policing in Iraq, and advisers to the Justice Ministry to assist in prison reform and undertake a general review of the judicial system. 31,000 police officers have reported back to work, and courts and prisons have begun operating again.

  The Government have not provided assistance for the banking sector. The Coalition Provisional Authority has, however, been working to help restore the banking system, and many banks are now open.
  331W
  To date, DFID has committed £155 million towards humanitarian and reconstruction assistance in the current crisis. Further assistance will be considered in view of emerging needs and the outcome of social and economic needs assessments being undertaken by the World bank, the IMF and United Nations agencies.

  Richard Younger-Ross
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development which NGOs have approached the Department wishing to provide assistance for(a) the restructuring of Iraq and (b) humanitarian aid in Iraq. [125697]

  Hilary Benn
  DFID has had regular discussions with NGOs since before the conflict in Iraq started. We have only sought proposals from NGOs for preparedness and short quick impact projects to address immediate humanitarian needs. At least 34 different NGOs have
  submitted proposals, and we have selected 18 projects for funding

  We have not yet considered longer term NGO proposals for restructuring. Our assistance for longer term reconstruction work will be considered in view of the outcome of social and economic needs assessments being carried out by the World bank, the IMF and United Nations agencies, and a donor conference due to be held in October.

  Mobile Phones
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123140]

  Hilary Benn
  The cost of equipment, the call charges and line rental for mobile phones and car phones for Ministers and staff working for Ministers in the top management group in DFID are only available from 1999. The costs are as follows:

  £

  1999–2000

  8,249

  2000–01

  7,569

  2001–02

  7,455

  2002–03

  6,491

  Details of mobile phone costs supplied to other officials are not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Family Planning/Reproductive Health
  Richard Ottaway
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what percentage of Sector Wide Approach (SWAp) funding was spent on family planning and reproductive health in the last year for which figures are available; and what the total funding in this sector was. [125658]

  Hilary Benn
  DFID supports country Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs) as a way to strengthen the social sector, pooling its financial resources with those of other donor agencies within the Government's overall budget. PRSs aim to coordinate Government led action with broad based participation, focused on delivering agreed outcomes. They also provide the basis 332W
  for long-term strategy and sustained investment. We work through sector wide approaches and direct budget support as ways of supporting countries' PRSs.

  The most recent data available from our information systems shows that in the financial year 2002–03, out of a total of £96 million spent by DFID on sector wide approaches, £31 million (32 per cent.) was spent on programmes that had reproductive health services as one of their target objectives. Our data systems do not allow us to identify specific expenditure on reproductive health services in previous years but recent changes will allow us to do so in future.

  The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has an important role to play in tracking overall resources devoted to reproductive health. We are working across the board to strengthen countries' own systems for reporting against their poverty reduction targets and progress towards the millennium development goals, including through the UN Millennium Project. This includes reporting on reproductive health gains as a factor in improving health overall.

  DFID's bilateral spending on reproductive health, including on HIV/AIDS, in 2002–03 was £270 million, up from around £40 million in 1997–98.

  Sustainable Development/Poverty Reduction
  Syd Rapson
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development what impact integrated frameworks have had on(a) sustainable development and (b) poverty reduction in the developing countries in which they have been promoted. [125898]

  Hilary Benn
  The Integrated Framework began, in its present form, in July 2000.

  The pilot ran in three countries and the process has been rolled out to a further eleven least developed countries. An evaluation of the Integrated Framework is currently taking place and a report will be presented to the WTO Ministerial Meeting in Cancun in September. The objectives of the evaluation include an assessment of the impact of the integrated framework in linking trade, development and poverty and the integration of trade into development plans and poverty reduction strategies.

  Written Ministerial Statements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Minister of State, Department for International Development how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Department since 29 October 2002. [126609]

  Hilary Benn
  The Department for International Development has made 17 Written Ministerial Statements since 29 October 2002.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  BBC Parliament
  Jim Dowd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 5 November 2002,Official Report, column 194W, when the BBC will convert its quarter-screen service for the parliamentary channel to the full screen version envisaged in its original bid. [125207]

  Estelle Morris
  The BBC has no plans to offer its BBC Parliament in full-screen. I understand that it did not, as part of its bid to the Independent Television Commission for the former ITV Digital Multiplex B, make a commitment to broadcast BBC Parliament in this way.

  In its application for some of the ex-ITV Digital capacity, the Corporation proposed a change in transmission mode which improved the reliability of reception for many DTT viewers but at the cost of reducing capacity overall. This left insufficient capacity to offer a full-screen BBC Parliament service. However, sufficient capacity was available for the BBC to propose, as part of Freeview, an improved version of BBC Parliament with quarter-screen pictures and accompanying context-specific text.

  Community Fund (Havering)
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the latest awards granted by the Community Fund to projects in the London borough of Havering. [125999]

  Title

  Date

  National Gallery/National Portrait Gallery Review: stage one consultation

  January 2001

  National Heritage Memorial Fund Review: stage one consultation

  April 2001

  BBC Application to Launch BBC3

  April 2001

  Report of the Gambling Review Body

  July 2001

  National Museum of Science and Industry Review: stage one consultation

  August 2001

  Geffrye Museum/Horniman Museum/Museum of London Review: stage one consultation

  August 2001

  Consultation on the draft Digital Television Action Plan

  October 2001

  English Heritage Review: stage one consultation

  October 2001

  Public Lending Right. Quinquennial Performance Review: Consultation Paper

  November 2001

  Quinquennial Review on the Reviewing Committee on the Export of Works of Art

  November 2001

  National Maritime Museum Quinquennial Performance Review

  November 2001

  Consultation on Media Ownership Rules

  November 2001

  Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester: Quinquennial Performance Review

  December 2001

  Spectrum Planning Consultation

  December 2001

  Council of Europe—Convention on the Protection of Audiovisual Heritage

  December 2001

  Review of Progress toward digital switchover

  February 2002

  Regent's Park Sports Facilities Consultations

  March 2002

  UK's Open General Export Licensing (OGEL) Limits

  April 2002

  Changes to Licensing Houses during All New Year's Eve

  April 2002

  The Draft Communications Bill

  May 2002

  Prize Competitions

  May 2002

  National Lottery Licensing and Regulation Consultation

  June 2002

  Review of Lottery Funding: a consultation on Lottery Distribution Policy

  July 2002

  Children's Play review

  December 2002

  Export Controls on Objects of Cultural Interest

  January 2003

  Review of Lottery Funding

  February 2003

  334W
  Estelle Morris
  Since April 2002, the Community Fund has awarded six grants to organisations based in the London borough of Havering, totalling £627,526.

  Consultation Documents
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the consultation documents issued by her Department in each of the last four years; what the cost was of producing each of these; how many documents were issued in each consultation; and how many responses were received in each consultation. [124566]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Government recommend that policy development should be done in close consultation with stakeholders. Form al consultation documents are only one part of this process, which includes:

  Stakeholder meetings

  Listening events/public meetings

  Web forums

  Public surveys

  Focus groups

  Regional events

  Free-phone and freepost surveys and events

  Targeted leaflet campaigns

  Road shows and exhibitions.

  It is standard practice for departments to evaluate the policy development process, including the use of consultation.

  Information on Departmental consultations from 2001 to date is as follows:

  335W
  The remaining information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Departmental Policies (Pendle)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what policies(a) initiated and (b) managed by her Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if she will make a statement. [124099]

  Mr. Caborn
  The principal funding to Pendle from policies initiated and managed by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport since 2001 is listed as follows.

  1. Since 2001, Pendle has received 58 awards from the National Lottery1, with a total value of £3,501,882:
  1 Some of the funding will have been allocated under policies which were agreed prior to 2001.

  2001

  Distributing body

  Number of grants

  Total amount awarded (£)

  Heritage Lottery Fund

  2

  53,690

  Community Fund

  6

  724,192

  Sport England

  6

  100,861

  Arts Council of England

  1

  16,500

  New Opportunities Fund

  1

  4,600

  Total

  16

  899,843

  Body

  Number of grants

  Amount given to Pendle January 2001–03

  Sport England

  1

  30,000 (£10,000 per year for 3 years to August 2004) for a Community Sport Development Office

  Arts Council North West

  1

  £12,000 per year for 3 years—2002–03, 2003–04 and 2004–05 for an Arts Development Officer Post

  English Heritage

  6

  2001–02—£250,941

  3

  2002–03—£118,501 for various Heritage schemes

  3. The Community Fund and the New Opportunities Fund are to deliver £176 million to 77 disadvantaged areas that have not had their fair share of Lottery funds. Pendle has been identified as one of the areas that will benefit under this fair share initiative, with a financial target for 2002–05 of £1,297,447.

  4. Creative Partnerships is DCMS' and Arts Council England's flagship programme in the cultural education field. The aim is to give school children aged 5–18 and their teachers the opportunity to explore their creativity by working on sustained projects with creative professionals. In June 2003, Ministers announced that the Creative Partnerships would be extended to 20 new areas. East Lancashire, including Pendle, will be one of the new areas in Phase 3 of the scheme, which will begin in April 2004, with activity in schools from September 2005.

  Iraq
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support her Department gives to post-war reconstruction of Iraq. [125111]

  Tessa Jowell
  My Department has recently taken a number of measures to assist the Iraqis to protect and conserve their Cultural heritage. Two officials from my Department have been working closely in Iraq with
  336W

  2002

  Distributing body

  Number of grants

  Total amount awarded (£)

  Heritage Lottery Fund

  1

  996,000

  Community Fund

  2

  6000

  Sport England

  2

  7,184

  Arts Council of England

  1

  2,800

  New Opportunities Fund

  1

  599,350

  Awards For All (England) Joint Scheme

  16

  57,762

  Total

  23

  1,669,096

  2003

  Distributing body

  Number of grants

  Total amount awarded (£)

  Community Fund

  1

  221,220

  New Opportunities Fund

  5

  657,613

  Awards For All (England) Joint Scheme

  13

  54,110

  Total

  19

  932,943

  2. Exchequer Funding2
  2 The grants from Sport England, Arts Council North West and English Heritage are to Pendle only. A large number of other grants will have had an impact on Pendle but will have been given to organisations based outside the constituency.

  Ambassador Cordone, Head of Cultural Affairs at the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA). Their priority has been to re-establish the Culture Ministry as soon as possible and a Culture Cabinet of six Iraqis was formed in May. DCMS officials have helped prepare a budget for the Culture Ministry for 2003–04.

  My Department has created a database of offers of support from UK heritage bodies and others, and will follow up on these when we have a better picture of what specifically is needed in Iraq. It is in close touch with UNESCO, which is co-ordinating international help for the cultural sector in Iraq.

  Lottery Distribution
  Mr. Simon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the fair share initiative in terms of its capacity to distribute National Lottery funds equitably. [126111]

  Estelle Morris
  I view the fair share initiative as an important tool in ensuring that those communities at greatest disadvantage do not lose out from Lottery funding. Since its launch in April 2002, 77 areas across the UK have been identified to be targeted under the initiative through three programmes operated by the Community Fund and New Opportunities Fund. Over £31 million has been distributed through the
  337W
  Community Fund's grants programmes targeted at fair share areas; grants of between £200,000 and £2.2 million have been committed under the New Opportunities Fund's fair share: Transforming Your Space programme; and a £50 million fair share Trust has been set up, to be delivered by the Community Foundation Network. Now that the building blocks of the three strands of funding are in place, I expect to see a steady increase in the flow of funding over the remaining two years of the initiative.

  Olympic Bid
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment has been made of the potential impact of hosting the Olympic Games on(a) the development of and (b) investment in grass roots sport in the UK. [124621]

  Tessa Jowell
  My Department has assessed the legacy of the Olympic Games for the development of, and investment in Grassroots sport using historical data, visits by Ministers to previous and future Olympic Cities, the joint DCMS and Strategy Unit report (Game Plan) and the details contained in the Arup report. Details of this analysis can be found in Annex 3, Evidence 51 to the Culture Select Committee report on A London Bid Olympic Bid for 2012, published on 23 January 2003.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the environmental costs and benefits of the London bid for the 2012 Olympic Games. [123953]

  Tessa Jowell
  The Arup report provided an initial evaluation, for a specimen Olympic Games, of the 18 themes of the IOC bid criteria required for the Candidature File. The 18 themes covered within the bid criteria include Environmental Protection and Meteorology. It will be for the Bid Company to ensure that the Candidature File, which must be submitted to the IOC in November 2004, properly addresses the environmental costs and benefits of a London bid.

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what systems will be put in place by the Government to ensure that environmental considerations are fully incorporated into the design of the London bid for the Olympic Games. [123954]

  Tessa Jowell
  The Bid Company for the London 2012 bid will be responsible for the delivery of a high quality and competitive bid. This includes the preparation of the key bidding documents, the Applicant Questionnaire in the first stage of bidding and the Candidature file required in the second phase of the bid process. Both stages of the Bidding procedure should demonstrate how the London bid will reflect the commitment of the Olympic Movement to sustainable development and endeavours to contribute to the protection of the natural environment. In discharging this responsibility we would expect the Bid Company to consult the relevant stakeholder interests.

  As one of the key stakeholders for the bid the Government will be required to sign-off both the Applicant Questionnaire and the Candidature file prior to submission to the IOC.

  Sports Funding
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much(a) World Class Performance, (b) World Class Potential and (c) World Class Start funding has been distributed by (i) UK Sport, (ii) Sport England, (iii) Sport Scotland, (iv) the Sports Council for Wales and (v) the Northern Ireland Sports Council in each year since 1996–97. [125218]

  Mr. Caborn
  The actual distributions by UK Sport on World Class Performance programme are shown in the following table:

  £

  World Class Performance

  1999–2000

  16,489,569

  2000–01

  20,124,502

  2001–02

  22,550,608

  2002–03

  22,175,400

  The figures for Sport England are:

  £

  World Class Performance

  World Class Potential

  World Class start

  1997–98

  12,599,203

  —

  —

  1998–99

  27,366,285

  —

  —

  1999–2000

  18,881,351

  21,487,219

  —

  2000–01

  116,470,071

  —

  —

  2001–02

  12,627,736

  14,665,698

  6,537,498

  2002–03

  14,048,265

  16,064,180

  10,172,274

  1 This figure is a combination of World Class Performance, Potential and Start as separate figures are not available.

  2 This figure is a combination of World Class Potential and Start as separate figures are not available

  Support for Sport in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is a devolved responsibility; questions should therefore be directed to each administration.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Area Cost Adjustment
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the impact of the Area Cost Adjustment on education funding. [125230]

  Mr. Miliband
  The Area Cost Adjustment provides funding top-ups for areas where it costs more to recruit and retain staff. It uses the New Earnings Survey to calculate earnings differentials between different areas in the country. A threshold is set below which all authorities are given the same area cost adjustment factor. The area cost adjustment factors are set out in the following table:

  LEA

  Area Cost Adjustment

  Barking and Dagenham

  1.0912

  Barnet

  1.1447

  Barnsley

  1.0000

  Bath and NE Somerset

  1.0279

  Bedfordshire

  1.0478

  Bexley

  1.0912

  Birmingham

  1.0272

  Blackburn with Darwen

  1.0000

  339W

  LEA

  Area Cost Adjustment

  Blackpool

  1.0000

  Bolton

  1.0200

  Bournemouth

  1.0000

  Bracknell Forest

  1.1384

  Bradford

  1.0099

  Brent

  1.1447

  Brighton and Hove

  1.0113

  Bromley

  1.0912

  Buckinghamshire

  1.0943

  Bury

  1.0200

  Calderdale

  1.0099

  Cambridgeshire

  1.0427

  Camden

  1.2624

  Cheshire

  1.0215

  City of Bristol

  1.0279

  City of Derby

  1.0000

  City of Kingston-upon-Hull

  1.0000

  City of London

  1.4569

  City of Nottingham

  1.0000

  City of Peterborough

  1.0427

  City of Plymouth

  1.0000

  Cornwall

  1.0000

  Coventry

  1.0272

  Croydon

  1.0912

  Cumbria

  1.0000

  Darlington

  1.0000

  Derbyshire

  1.0000

  Devon

  1.0000

  Doncaster

  1.0000

  Dorset

  1.0000

  Dudley

  1.0272

  Durham

  1.0000

  Ealing

  1.1447

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  1.0000

  East Sussex

  1.0113

  Enfield

  1.0912

  Essex

  1.0340

  Gateshead

  1.0000

  Gloucestershire

  1.0220

  Greenwich

  1.2624

  Hackney

  1.2624

  Halton

  1.0215

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  1.2624

  Hampshire

  1.0361

  Haringey

  1.0912

  Harrow

  1.1447

  Hartlepool

  1.0000

  Havering

  1.0912

  Herefordshire

  1.0000

  Hertfordshire

  1.1034

  Hillingdon

  1.1447

  Hounslow

  1.1447

  Isle of Wight

  1.0361

  Isles of Scilly

  1.5000

  Islington

  1.2624

  Kensington and Chelsea

  1.2624

  Kent

  1.0327

  Kingston-upon-Thames

  1.1447

  Kirklees

  1.0099

  Knowsley

  1.0116

  Lambeth

  1.2624

  Lancashire

  1.0000

  Leeds

  1.0099

  Leicester City

  1.0000

  Leicestershire

  1.0000

  Lewisham

  1.2624

  Lincolnshire

  1.0000

  Liverpool

  1.0116

  Luton

  1.0478

  Manchester

  1.0200

  Medway

  1.0252

  340W

  LEA

  Area Cost Adjustment

  Merton

  1.1447

  Middlesbrough

  1.0000

  Milton Keynes

  1.0841

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  1.0000

  Newham

  1.0912

  Norfolk

  1.0000

  North East Lincolnshire

  1.0000

  North Lincolnshire

  1.0000

  North Somerset

  1.0279

  North Tyneside

  1.0000

  North Yorkshire

  1.0000

  Northamptonshire

  1.0285

  Northumberland

  1.0000

  Nottinghamshire

  1.0000

  Oldham

  1.0200

  Oxfordshire

  1.0794

  Poole

  1.0000

  Portsmouth

  1.0361

  Reading

  1.1252

  Redbridge

  1.0912

  Redcar and Cleveland

  1.0000

  Richmond upon Thames

  1.1447

  Rochdale

  1.0200

  Rotherham

  1.0000

  Rutland

  1.0000

  Salford

  1.0200

  Sandwell

  1.0272

  Sefton

  1.0116

  Sheffield

  1.0000

  Shropshire

  1.0000

  Slough

  1.1384

  Solihull

  1.0272

  Somerset

  1.0000

  South Gloucestershire

  1.0279

  South Tyneside

  1.0000

  Southampton

  1.0361

  Southend

  1.0132

  Southwark

  1.2624

  St Helens

  1.0116

  Staffordshire

  1.0000

  Stockport

  1.0200

  Stockton on Tees

  1.0000

  Stoke-on-Trent

  1.0000

  Suffolk

  1.0000

  Sunderland

  1.0000

  Surrey

  1.1384

  Sutton

  1.1447

  Swindon

  1.0304

  Tameside

  1.0200

  Telford and Wrekin

  1.0000

  Thurrock

  1.0760

  Torbay

  1.0000

  Tower Hamlets

  1.2624

  Trafford

  1.0200

  Wakefield

  1.0099

  Walsall

  1.0272

  Waltham Forest

  1.0912

  Wandsworth

  1.2624

  Warrington

  1.0215

  Warwickshire

  1.0292

  West Berkshire

  1.1252

  West Sussex

  1.0477

  Westminster

  1.2624

  Wigan

  1.0200

  Wiltshire

  1.0304

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  1.1384

  Wirral

  1.0116

  Wokingham

  1.1252

  Wolverhampton

  1.0272

  Worcestershire

  1.0000

  York

  1.0000

  Asset Management Plan Survey
  Sir Sydney Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he will publish the results of the 2003 Asset Management Plan Survey. [125348]

  Mr. Miliband
  [holding answer 14 July 2003]: Allowing for late returns from some authorities, and for appraisal and analysis of the data, we plan to publish the results early in 2004.

  Science Teachers
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether the proposed National and Regional Centres for Excellence in Science Teaching will be required to provide in service training opportunities to enable practising teachers to develop their skills in out of classroom teaching in biology and other scientific disciplines. [125269]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Our plans, in partnership with the Wellcome Trust, to establish a national network of science learning centres are progressing well. The national centre and up to nine regional centres will provide a range of continuing professional development opportunities for teachers of primary, secondary and post-16 science teachers, technicians and other support staff in the science classroom. We anticipate that, over time, the centres will help teachers to develop their skills in out of the classroom teaching.

  In addition, the Department's 'Growing Schools' initiative has worked with hundreds of schools to develop best practice in the use of the outdoor classroom for a range of curriculum subjects, including science at each key stage.

  Vulnerable Children
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is issued to(a) local education authorities and (b) schools on supporting children from homeless families in priority need. [124684]

  Mr. Miliband
  There has been no guidance issued from the Department for Education and Skills to local education authorities or schools specifically on supporting children from homeless families in priority need. We have, however, provided guidance to all local education authorities on use of the Vulnerable Children Grant, worth £84 million, which is to be used to help a range of groups of vulnerable children, some of whom may be homeless.

  We shall be setting out our future vision for children's services in the forthcoming Green Paper.

  Citizenship
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skill (1) what the standards for citizenship are in respect of(a) assessment, (b) instruction, (c) pupil attainment and (d) academic content; and what the standards are for the other key stage four statutory subjects; [125016]
  342W
  (2) if he will assess the effectiveness of teaching citizenship within existing personal, social and health education programmes [125014]

  (3) if he will assess the extent to which schools (a) recognise the aims and purposes of citizenship as a statutory subject and (b) relate these to the broader aims of the school, as prescribed in the Ofsted report, National Curriculum: planning and implementation 2002–03; [125015]

  (4) if he will make a statement on the progress of pupils' knowledge, understanding and skills in citizenship since it became a statutory subject. [125017]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  National Curriculum subjects, including citizenship education, have clear requirements for what must be taught and the standards of attainment at the end of each key stage (see www.nc.uk.net). A range of teaching and learning methods are described in the QCA schemes of work for citizenship (see www. Standards dfes. gov uk/schemes). Schools can adopt a range of approaches including discrete lessons; whole school activities; and teaching through existing subjects such as Personal, Social and Health education.

  Assessment and reporting arrangements are similar to other national curriculum subjects. Teachers must conduct pupil assessment at key stage 3 and report pupils progress in key stage 1 and 2 to parents. GCSE (Short Course) in Citizenship Studies has been developed to give pupils the opportunity to obtain a recognised qualification. QCA has developed guidance for schools on assessment (see www.qca.org.uk). It is a year since the introduction of citizenship as a statutory subject in secondary schools and pupils need time to develop the required knowledge, understanding and skills in the subject. The Department is committed to continuing to monitor the introduction of citizenship education, to provide schools and teachers with the additional support they may need. The Department has commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NfER) to conduct an eight year longitudinal study, to consider the impact of the subject on pupils' knowledge, understanding and skills in citizenship. It will also consider the impact on schools understanding of the aims of citizenship education and how they relate to wider school ethos and planning. The NfER longitudinal study and Ofsted section 10 inspections regime will provide effective progress reports on a range of models of delivery, including through Personal, Social and Health Education.

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children aged(a) five, (b) six and (c) seven were in class sizes of over 30 in each year since 1996–97 to 2002–03. [125231]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The available information is shown in the following table.
  343W

  Maintained Primary Schools: Key Stage 1 Classes taught by One Teacher Position in January each year: 1997 to 2003 (provisional) England Key Stage 1 Classes1

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  2002

  20032,3,4

  Number of pupils in classes with 31 or more pupils

  476,822

  485,311

  356,586

  176,962

  35,813

  10,263

  16,399

  Percentage of pupils in classes with 31 or more pupils

  29.0

  29.3

  21.9

  11.0

  23

  0.6

  1.1

  Number of classes with 31 or more pupils

  14,584

  14,826

  10,960

  5,487

  1124

  325

  515

  Percentage of classes with 31 or more pupils

  23.9

  24.2

  17.8

  8.7

  1.8

  0.5

  0.9

  1 Classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January.

  2 Includes reception classes due to an underlying change in the data collection.

  3 Only 88 of the 515 large classes had no e excepted pupils or were engaged in ordinary teaching sessions which meant they did not comply with Class Size regulations,

  4 provisional

  Source:

  Annual Schools' Census

  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class sizes were in(a) primary and (b) middle schools in Leicestershire Local Education Authority since 1991–92. [125250]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Maintained Primary Schools and Middle Schools: Average Size of Classes Taught by one Teacher1 Position in January each year: 1992 to 2003 (Provisional)

  Leicestershire LEA

  Primary

  Middle2

  19923

  25.8

  24.3

  19933

  26.1

  24.5

  19943

  25.8

  24.6

  19953

  26.5

  23.8

  19963

  26.7

  25.4

  19973

  26.7

  25.0

  1998

  26.9

  25.1

  19994

  26.7

  25.7

  20004

  26.7

  26.1

  20014

  26.3

  26.6

  20024

  25.9

  25.7

  20034,5

  26.4

  25.6

  1 Classes as taught during a single selected period in each school on the day of the census in January.

  2 Middle deemed secondary schools only as there are no middle deemed primary schools in Leicestershire LEA.

  3 Before local government reorganisation, Leicestershire LEA also incorporated Leicester City, Rutland and rest of Leicestershire

  4 After local government reorganisation

  5 Provisional

  Source:

  Annual Schools' Census

  Deprivation Indices
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the index of deprivation is in each local education authority. [125162]

  Mr. Miliband
  The Education Formula Spending Share has a top up to reflect significant deprivation or additional educational need. The additional educational needs index uses the following data:

  The proportion of children in families in receipt of Income Support/Jobseekers allowance

  The proportion of children in families in receipt of Working Families Tax Credit and Disabled Persons Tax Credit

  344W

  The proportion of children for who English is not their mother tongue (in the primary and under five calculation)

  The proportion of children in low achieving ethnic groups (in the secondary calculation)

  The indices for each authority are shown in the table. Authorities with a figure of 0.000 are those who are funded at the level of the additional educational needs threshold.

  AEN index

  Primary

  Secondary

  Barking and Dagenham

  0.2055

  0.2119

  Barnet

  0.1715

  0.1360

  Barnsley

  0.1340

  0.1304

  Bath and North East Somerset

  0.0115

  0.0130

  Bedfordshire

  0.0292

  0.0278

  Bexley

  0.0632

  0.0578

  Birmingham

  0.3209

  0.3314

  Blackburn

  0.2847

  0.2175

  Blackpool

  0.1579

  0.1561

  Bolton

  0.1711

  0.1330

  Bournemouth

  0.0894

  0.0801

  Bracknell Forest

  0.0000

  0.0000

  Bradford

  0.2878

  0.2743

  Brent

  0.3458

  0.3335

  Brighton and Hove

  0.1159

  0.1207

  Bromley

  0.0306

  0.0453

  Buckinghamshire

  0.0090

  0.0245

  Bury

  0.0959

  0.0951

  Calderdale

  0.1395

  0.1358

  Cambridgeshire

  0.0021

  0.0018

  Camden

  0.3977

  0.3608

  Cheshire

  0.0201

  0.0175

  City of Bristol

  0.1435

  0.1649

  City of Kingston-upon-Hull

  0.2200

  0.2142

  City of London

  0.1734

  0.2428

  Cornwall

  0.0789

  0.0762

  Coventry

  0.1684

  0.1477

  Croydon

  0.1547

  0.2180

  Cumbria

  0.0500

  0.0473

  Darlington

  0.1135

  0.1095

  Derby

  0.1745

  0.1737

  Derbyshire

  0.0444

  0.0426

  Devon

  0.0423

  0.0379

  Doncaster

  0.1373

  0.1363

  Dorset

  0.0089

  0.0077

  Dudley

  0.0984

  0.0997

  Durham

  0.1097

  0.1057

  Ealing

  0.3075

  0.2650

  East Riding of Yorkshire

  0.0199

  0.0164

  East Sussex

  0.0482

  0.0463

  Enfield

  0.2449

  0.2216

  Essex

  0.0267

  0.0254

  Gateshead

  0.1433

  0.1379

  Gloucestershire

  0.0172

  0.0185

  345W

  AEN index

  Primary

  Secondary

  Greenwich

  0.2746

  0.3083

  Hackney

  0.4882

  0.5169

  Halton

  0.1756

  0.1739

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  0.3367

  0.3507

  Hampshire

  0.0000

  0.0000

  Haringey

  0.4454

  0.4709

  Harrow

  0.1948

  0.1627

  Hartlepool

  0.1807

  0.1763

  Havering

  0.0350

  0.0402

  Herefordshire

  0.0217

  0.0186

  Hertfordshire

  0.0109

  0.0132

  Hillingdon

  0.1322

  0.0975

  Hounslow

  0.2782

  0.2181

  Isle of Wight Council

  0.0948

  0.0924

  Isles of Scilly

  0.0000

  0.0000

  Islington

  0.4157

  0.4851

  Kensington and Chelsea

  0.2573

  0.2506

  Kent

  0.0492

  0.0446

  Kingston upon Thames

  0.0586

  0.0465

  Kirklees

  0.1729

  0.1539

  Knowsley

  0.2586

  0.2571

  Lambeth

  0.4249

  0.4686

  Lancashire

  0.1012

  0.0913

  Leeds

  0.1209

  0.1203

  Leicester

  0.3359

  0.2360

  Leicestershire

  0.0106

  0.0030

  Lewisham

  0.2899

  0.3634

  Lincolnshire

  0.0466

  0.0425

  Liverpool

  0.2740

  0.2767

  Luton

  0.2379

  0.2610

  Manchester

  0.3759

  0.3986

  Merton

  0.1376

  0.1596

  Middlesbrough

  0.2460

  0.2405

  Milton Keynes

  0.0769

  0.0749

  Newbury

  0.0000

  0.0000

  Newcastle upon Tyne

  0.2237

  0.2051

  Newham

  0.5195

  0.4982

  Norfolk

  0.0564

  0.0519

  North East Lincolnshire

  0.1354

  0.1321

  North Lincolnshire

  0.0833

  0.0762

  North Somerset

  0.0088

  0.0084

  North Tyneside

  0.1115

  0.1067

  North Yorkshire

  0.0034

  0.0024

  Northamptonshire

  0.0415

  0.0449

  Northumberland

  0.0600

  0.0573

  Nottingham City

  0.2975

  0.3199

  Nottinghamshire

  0.0610

  0.0670

  Oldham

  0.2256

  0.2100

  Oxfordshire

  0.0064

  0.0114

  Peterborough

  0.1828

  0.1727

  Plymouth

  0.1229

  0.1180

  Poole

  0.0410

  0.0382

  Portsmouth

  0.1122

  0.1061

  Reading

  0.1183

  0.1312

  Redbridge

  0.2213

  0.1805

  Redcar and Cleveland

  0.1458

  0.1405

  Richmond upon Thames

  0.0124

  0.0300

  Rochdale

  0.2122

  0.2121

  Rochester and Gillingham

  0.0711

  0.0650

  Rotherham

  0.1326

  0.1341

  Rutland

  0.0000

  0.0000

  Salford

  0.1801

  0.1731

  Sandwell

  0.2476

  0.2299

  Sefton

  0.0992

  0.0971

  Sheffield

  0.1561

  0.1679

  Shropshire

  0.0092

  0.0062

  Slough

  0.2341

  0.2083

  Solihull

  0.0342

  0.0264

  Somerset

  0.0236

  0.0226

  South Gloucestershire

  0.0000

  0.0000

  South Tyneside

  0.1747

  0.1708

  Southampton

  0.1559

  0.1427

  Southend

  0.1187

  0.1102

  346W

  AEN index

  Primary

  Secondary

  Southwark

  0.3809

  0.4795

  St. Helens

  0.1225

  0.1192

  Staffordshire

  0.0307

  0.0303

  Stockport

  0.0497

  0.0463

  Stockton-on-Tees

  0.1312

  0.1266

  Stoke on Trent

  0.1910

  0.1884

  Suffolk

  0.0263

  0.0297

  Sunderland

  0.1570

  0.1510

  Surrey

  0.0000

  0.0000

  Sutton

  0.0387

  0.0432

  Swindon

  0.0515

  0.0425

  Tameside

  0.1340

  0.1272

  The Wrekin

  0.1177

  0.1130

  Thurrock

  0.0741

  0.0649

  Torbay

  0.1196

  0.1137

  Tower Hamlets

  0.6642

  0.6589

  Trafford

  0.0807

  0.0832

  Wakefield

  0.1050

  0.1014

  Walsall

  0.1904

  0.1711

  Waltham Forest

  0.2948

  0.3452

  Wandsworth

  0.2369

  0.3231

  Warrington

  0.0375

  0.0347

  Warwickshire

  0.0222

  0.0107

  West Sussex

  0.0125

  0.0068

  Westminster

  0.4386

  0.4264

  Wigan

  0.0806

  0.0762

  Wiltshire

  0.0000

  0.0000

  Windsor and Maidenhead

  0.0000

  0.0000

  Wirral

  0.1457

  0.1432

  Wokingham

  0.0000

  0.0000

  Wolverhampton

  0.2093

  0.2079

  Worcestershire

  0.0244

  0.0231

  York

  0.0357

  0.0333

  Education (Leicestershire)
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils there have been in Leicestershire local education authority area in each year since 1996–97. [125252]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information requested is shown in the table for each year since 1998. Prior to this Leicestershire local education authority incorporated Leicester City, Rutland and rest of Leicestershire.

  All schools: Number (headcount) of pupils by type of school— position in January each year 1998 to 20031

  Leicestershire local education authority

  Nursery

  Primary

  Secondary2

  Special3

  Independent

  All schools

  1998

  50

  49,740

  41,797

  415

  5,368

  97,370

  1999

  50

  50,205

  42,598

  431

  5,288

  98,572

  2000

  50

  50,398

  43,667

  432

  5,168

  99,715

  2001

  51

  51,193

  44,736

  457

  5,242

  101,679

  2002

  50

  50,785

  45,431

  483

  5,460

  102,209

  20031

  35

  50,319

  46,383

  504

  5,549

  102,790

  1 Provisional

  1 For 1998 and 1999 includes grant maintained secondary schools.

  3 Maintained special school in Leicestershire LEA.

  Source:

  Annual Schools' Census

  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the(a) percentage and (b) actual cash increase in education funding for Leicestershire county council for each year since 1991–92. [125253]
  347W
  Mr. Miliband
  The following table shows the total education standard spending assessment (ESSA) and revenue grant plus total capital funding allocated to Leicestershire local education authority for the financial

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  Total ESSA and Revenue Grant (£ million)

  207.7

  221.5

  239.0

  263.9

  288.4

  310.8

  Cash change (£million)

  —

  13.8

  17.5

  24.9

  24.5

  22.4

  Percentage change

  —

  7

  8

  10

  9

  8

  Total Capital funding (£ million)

  2.9

  5.5

  8.3

  18.9

  12.8

  20.7

  Cash change (£million)

  —

  2.6

  2.8

  10.6

  -6.1

  7.9

  Percentage change

  —

  90

  51

  128

  -32

  62

  School Exclusions
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of 7 July 2003,Official Report, column 622W, on excluded pupils, if he will publish the responses of local education authorities to his Department's letter of October 2002. [125770]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  [holding answer 14 July 2003]: The responses received were not in a form suitable for publication. However, all Local Education Authorities confirmed that they were able to achieve the target of providing full-time education far all permanently excluded pupils by September 2002.

  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training in each year since 1997 were(a) excluded from school and (b) in care, broken down by (i) gender, (ii) ethnic minority and (iii) local education authority. [124270]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  [holding answer 8 July 2003]: The percentages of young people not in education, employment or training (MEET) who were excluded from school by (i) gender and (ii) ethnicity are set out in the following table.

  Gender/ethnicity

  16-year-olds

  17-year-olds

  18-year-olds

  1998

  2000

  2002

  1999

  2001

  2000

  2002

  Male

  29

  24

  33

  26

  23

  20

  15

  Female

  16

  16

  21

  18

  12

  13

  6

  Not white

  1—

  13

  27

  1—

  1—

  1—

  6

  White

  22

  21

  27

  22

  18

  16

  11

  1 Sample size too small for a robust estimate

  Source:

  YCS cohorts 9 to 11

  Figures are not available for young people in care or broken down by LEA as the sample sizes are too small to provide robust estimates.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the higher education participation rate was in each region of England in(a) 1992, (b) 1997 and (c) 2002. [113063]

  Alan Johnson
  The Department has recently produced participation rates for 18-year-olds entering full-time undergraduate courses through the Universities and 348W
  years 1997–98 to 2002–03 (the years for which data is available on a like-for-like-basis) with the year-on-year cash and percentage changes.

  Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). The data cover the years back to 1994/95. Figures for the years 1994/95, 1997/98 and 2002/03 are given in the table.

  Participation by 18-year-olds in higher education by region

  Percentage

  Academic year

  Region

  1994/95

  1997/98

  2002/03

  Greater London

  17.2

  20.7

  23.9

  South East

  21.1

  23.0

  23.3

  Eastern

  19.0

  21.2

  22.6

  North West

  17.6

  20.2

  21.8

  West Midlands

  16.9

  19.5

  21.7

  East Midlands

  17.1

  19.8

  21.5

  Merseyside

  16.1

  19.6

  21.4

  South West

  19.0

  21.0

  21.1

  North East

  15.7

  17.5

  19.8

  Yorkshire

  15.7

  18.9

  19.7

  England

  18.1

  20.6

  22.1

  Note:

  Participation rates have been calculated using the 17-year-old population from the previous year to reduce the distortion caused to LEA populations by the migration of students to their place of study. Figures exclude a very small number of accepted applicants of unknown English domicile. Population figures relate to persons aged 17 at 31 August in the year prior to entry, counts taken at the following 1 January; accepted applicants are aged 18 at 30 September in the year of entry.

  These figures are calculated on a different basis to the Department's standard measures of participation in higher education, the Age Participation Index (API) and the Initial Entry Rate (IER), neither of which are available at regional level.

  Learning and Skills Council
  Mr. Mahmood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the National Learning and Skills Council(a) has spent, and (b) is planning to spend, on public affairs consultancy and advice on (i) promoting learning and (ii) promoting the Learning and Skills Council. [125787]

  Alan Johnson
  This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. John Harwood, the council's chief executive, will write to my hon. Friend with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how much the national Learning and Skills Council(a) has spent and (b) plans to spend on

  349W
  public affairs consultancy and advice on (i) promoting learning and (ii) promoting the Learning and Skills Council; and if he will make a statement. [125914]

  (2) how many executive directors of the Learning and Skills Council have been dismissed; if he will list the reasons in each case; and if he will make a statement. [125916]

  Alan Johnson
  This is a matter for the Learning and Skills Council. John Harwood, the council's chief executive, will write to the hon. Member with the information requested and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library.

  Local Education Authority Budgets
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which local education authorities did not passport 100 per cent. of their education allocation this financial year; and if he will make a statement. [123043]

  Mr. Miliband
  In the analysis of local education authorities' (LEAs') budget returns published by my Department on 2 May, 19 LEAs were shown as failing to pass on, or passport, the full increase in their Schools Formula Spending Share to their schools budgets. My Department has been in touch with a number of these and as a result of connected figures or decisions by LEAs to increase spending on schools.

  Mobile Phones
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123142]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The information is as follows:

  Calls (£)

  Line rental/other expenditure

  1997–98

  52,352.41

  117,693.37

  Total for 1997–98

  170,045.78

  1998–99

  50,959.11

  117,339.61

  Total for 1998–99

  168,298.72

  1999–2000

  58,478.47

  160,410.62

  Total for 1999–2000

  218,889.09

  2000–01

  91,335.48

  237,861.51

  Total for 2000–01

  329,196.99

  2001–02

  98,504.53

  275,744.34

  Total for 2001–02

  374,248.87

  2002–03

  116,603.88

  237,351.90

  Total for 2002–03

  353,955.78

  The total cost refers to the cost of the equipment (set out above as 'other expenditure'), the call charges and the access charges (set out above as 'line rental').
  350W
  The 'other' expenditure includes the purchase of new handsets, personal hands-free kit, carry cases etc., but it is not possible to provide separate totals for line rental and hardware costs

  Research Funding
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the criteria are for research departments in England to receive recurrent funding in 2003/04. [125481]

  Alan Johnson
  In 2003/04 the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) allocated research funding according to the quality and volume of research departments that were rated 4 and above in the 2001 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE). HEFCE allocated a further £20 million to departments that were rated 5* in both the last 2 RAE's. A further £20 million is also available as capability funding to departments that were rated 3a or 3b in seven specific subject areas, to provide extra support so the research base can improve to match that in the more established fields.

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which units of assessment are receiving capability funding from the Higher Education

  Alan Johnson
  There are seven Units of Assessments (UoAs) in all receiving capability funding in 2003/04.

  They are:

  Nursing

  Other Studies and Professions Allied to Medicine

  Social Work

  Art and Design

  Communication, Cultural and Media Studies

  Dance, Drama and Performing Arts

  Sports-related Subjects

  School Buildings
  Sir Sydney Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the estimated cost is of making school buildings in England and Wales compliant with(a) fire safety and (b) health and safety regulations. [125349]

  Mr. Miliband
  [holding answer 14 July 2003]: The information available to the department from local education authorities' education asset management plans is insufficiently detailed for estimating these costs for English schools. The department does not hold information on Welsh school buildings.

  School Funding (North-East Lincolnshire)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total central government funding for schools in North East Lincolnshire was in each year since 1995. [120062]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information requested is only available from 1997–98 onwards. Due to reorganisation in Local Government in 1997–98 and previous changes in Standard Spending Assessment (SSA) methodology, it is not possible to provide corresponding figures for previous years. The information available is contained in the following table:
  351W

  North East Lincolnshire

  £ million

  Real terms (2002–03 prices)

  SSA/EFS

  Grants

  Total

  1997–98

  73.1

  3.1

  76.3

  1998–99

  77.5

  1.7

  79.2

  1999–2000

  78.8

  4.1

  82.8

  2000–01

  81.6

  8.5

  90.1

  2001–02

  82.4

  11.6

  94.1

  2002–03

  81.7

  13.7

  95.3

  2003–04

  84.2

  12.8

  97.0

  Notes:

  1. Figures reflect education SSA/EFS settlement (all sub-blocks) plus revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to EFS pupils aged 31–9.

  2. Figures exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level for all years and the pensions transfer to EFS and LSC for 2003–04.

  3. 1997–98 figures for LEAs subject to Local Government Reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figure.

  4. 2003–04 figures are forecasts.

  5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million. Real Terms figures are calculated using June 2003 GDP deflators.

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding was made available for schools by the North East Lincolnshire council in each year since 1995. [120063]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information requested is available only from 1999–2000 onwards. Comparable data is not available pre 1999–2000 therefore it is not possible to provide corresponding figures for previous years. The information available is contained in the following table:

  North East Lincolnshire

  Real terms (2002–03 prices)

  Total (£ million)

  1999–2000

  93.7

  2000–01

  93.7

  2001–02

  99.4

  2002–03

  102.0

  2003–04

  104.6

  Notes:

  1. LEA Budget Figures are provided gross:. of all income (whether DfES grant, grants from other sources, or other income)

  2. Figures provided are from the Total Education Revenue Expenditure line of LEAs Section 52 budget statements (Table 1) as submitted by the LEA (Line 4 in 1999–2000, line 5 for 2000–01 to 2002–03 and line 3 for 2003–04. Data held as at 30 June 2003.

  3. Real Terms figures are calculated using June 2003 GDP deflators

  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what(a) government and (b) local government funding (i) was available in 2002–03 and (ii) is available in 2003–04 to schools in North East Lincolnshire; and how much of this funding was passed on to schools in each case. [120065]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information requested is contained in the following table. The increase in funding for each school will depend on a number of factors covering both central and local government responsibility. These are the increase in funding given to the school's authority by central Government; the amount which the local authority decides to increase its Schools Budget by; the increase which the local authority decides to give to the 352W
  Individual Schools Budget, as opposed to the items within the Schools Budget which are held centrally; and the operation of the local authority's formula which gives different increases to different schools.

  North East Lincolnshire

  £ million

  2002–03

  2003–04

  2003–041

  CentralGovernment Funding

  95.3

  99.6

  101.7

  Local Government Funding

  102.0

  107.4

  —

  Amount passed on to schools

  75.7

  77.8

  —

  1 Including pensions transfer

  Notes:

  Central Government figures:

  1. Figures reflect education SSA/EFS settlement (all sub-blocks) plus revenue grants in DfES Departmental Expenditure Limits relevant to EFS pupils aged 3–19.

  2. Figures exclude EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level for all years and the pensions transfer to EPS and LSC for 2003–04, unless otherwise indicated.

  3. 1997–98 figures for LEAs subject to Local Government Reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.

  4. 2003–04 figures are forecasts.

  5. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million. Cash term figures have been used.

  Local government figures:

  1. LEA Budget Figures are provided gross of all income (whether DfES grant, grants from other sources, or other income).

  2. Figures provided are from the Total Education Revenue Expenditure line of LEAs section 52 budget statements (Table 1), as submitted by the LEA (Line 4 in 1999–2000, Line 5 for 2000–01 to 2002–03 and Line 3 for 2003–04).

  3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million. Cash term figures have been used.

  4. Figures are as reported by LEAs, data held as at 30 June 2003.

  Amount passed to schools:

  1. Amount passed to schools taken to be Gross ISB + devolved Standards Funds + SSG + Class Size Grant

  2002–03: Line 1.1.7 Total ISB Including SSG and Standards Fund Devolved Grant Plus 1.3.3 Class Size Grant.

  2003–04: Line 1.0.1 Individual Schools Budget + Line 1.0.2 School Standards Grant + Line 1.0.3

  Standards Fund allocation—revenue (all gross).

  2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 0.1 million. Cash term figures have been used.

  3. Figures are as reported by LEAs, data held as at 30 June 2003.

  School Governance Degree
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make it his policy to fund the persons completing the pilot Masters degree in school governance at Greenwich university. [125847]

  Alan Johnson
  From the information available, it has not been possible to identify the course at Greenwich university to which the hon. Member refers.

  Ofsted Reports (Staff Morale)
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the impact on staff morale and teacher retention of an Ofsted report that places a school in special measures; and if he will make a statement. [125224]

  Mr. Miliband
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State receives a copy of the termly monitoring report from Ofsted on every school which is in special measures. These reports describe the current progress of the school against all the issues causing concern, and
  353W
  would inevitably cover staff morale and staff turnover where these are having a significant impact on progress. While some schools do experience these problems when they are first placed in special measures, there are also many examples of schools with high staff morale, associated with a strong determination to effect the much needed improvements.

  Sex Education
  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he is taking to improve school-based sex education for boys. [125161]

  Mr. Miliband
  Our Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) Guidance, issued to schools in July 2000, makes clear that SRE needs to focus on boys as well as girls. Teachers need to plan a variety of activities and teaching methods which will engage boys.

  To support teachers we have commissioned the development of practical guidance for addressing the sex and relationship education needs of boys and young men. This will be available later in the year. We have also established a Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) website which flags up information and resources that are specific to boys—www. teachernet.gov.uk/pshe.

  From April 2003 we have rolled out a professional development programme for teachers of PSHE which includes a specialist module for SRE. Participating teachers will be required to demonstrate a secure knowledge and understanding of the gender roles and how that is applied to teaching. Up to 750 teachers will participate this year.

  Staff Redeployment
  Mr. Jenkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has for redeployment of members of his Department out of London and the south-east. [125305]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  My Department has over half of its staff outside London and the south-east and we continually review where our business can best be delivered, including consideration of opportunities for relocation where the business case justifies this.

  Like other Departments, we are participating in Sir Michael Lyons work on public sector relocation which is due to report to my right hon. Friends the Chancellor and the Deputy Prime Minister in November.

  Staffing Survey
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his Answer of 7 July 2003,Official Report, column 632W, on the 2003 staffing survey, whether his Department is using the (a) 1996 and (b) 2002 staffing survey data in the formulation of the 2004–05 initial teacher training targets. [125771]

  Mr. Miliband
  [holding answer 14 July 2003]: The Department is planning to use the 2002 Staffing Survey data.

  Student Performance
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what information he collates on the relative performance at undergraduate level of students(a) with GCE A-level qualifications, (b) with GNVQ or equivalent vocational qualifications, (c) with advanced modern apprenticeships, (d) with overseas qualifications and (e) with other qualifications. [112205]

  Alan Johnson
  The Department is not aware of research that looks at the relative performance at undergraduate level of students with different types of entry qualifications. However, research has been conducted into the relationship between A-level attainment and undergraduate performance. Studies in this area include:"Determinants of degree performance in UK universities: a statistical analysis of the 1993 student cohort" by Jeremy Smith and Robin Naylor; available from Oxford Bulletin of Economics and Statistics, 63 (1) 29–60;
  "School Performance and the Likelihood of getting into Bristol" by Jeff Odell in 1999; available from http:// www.bris.ac.uk/wp/w. p_strategy/sn99–35(s.htm);
  "Who does best at university?" Higher Education Funding Council for England 2002; available from http:// www.hefce.ac.uk/Learning/whodoes/. The HEFCE are continuing to refine and develop its analysis and a fuller report will be published later this year; and
  "Fair Enough£ Wicer access to university by identifying potential to succeed," by UUK 2003, available from http:// www. universitiesuk. ac. uk/fairenough/.

  Teacher Qualifications
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether, under the Education (Specified Work and Registration) (England) Regulations 2003, people without a formal teacher qualification can be responsible for the direction and supervision of student teachers in schools. [126085]

  Mr. Miliband
  Paragraph 3 of Schedule 2 of The Education (Specifiec. Work and Registration) (England) Regulations 2003 defines student teachers as those aged over 18 years who are awaiting admission to, or retaking part of, a course of initial teacher training leading to Qualified Teacher Status. Student teachers may undertake specified work in schools for a limited period of time only (for up to 2 years or a longer period if approved by the Secretary of State). They must be supervised and directed by a qualified teacher or a nominated teacher in accordance with arrangements made by the head teacher of the school. The Regulations define a nominated teacher as a person who is either an instructor with special qualifications or experience, an overseas-trained teacher, a teacher who has almost qualified but has riot yet passed the skills tests, a graduate teacher, a registered teacher, or a teacher on the employment-based teacher training scheme. Higher level teaching assistants and other school support staff cannot direct or supervise student teachers.

  Teacher Recruitment and Retention
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what special(a) measures and

  355W
  (b) funding are available for the retention and recruitment of teaching staff; and to which areas of Essex these apply. [125022]

  Mr. Miliband
  Essex as a whole has benefited from the full range of Government measures introduced since 1997 to improve teacher recruitment and retention. These measure include: Training Bursaries, Golden Helios, extra pay flexibilities, an enhanced Graduate Teacher Programme, assistance to purchase homes through the Starter Homes Initiative, the repayment of student loans and funding for Recruitment Managers within local education authorities. These initiatives have helped full-time equivalent teacher numbers rise across Essex from 12,580 in 1997 to 13,650 in 2002.

  In addition, twenty-one Essex schools are benefiting this year from the £125,000 Leadership Incentive Grant (LIG).

  School Standards
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received from governing bodies about the role of governors in the Time for Standards initiative. [125426]

  Mr. Miliband
  [holding answer 14 July 2003]: Earlier this year I met with representatives of the National Governors' Council and the National Association of Governors and Managers to discuss how best to ensure that school governing bodies are fully involved in the implementation of proposals outlined in "Time for Standards" and the National Agreement on raising standards and tackling workload.

  Following these discussions, my Department has set up a regular forum with governors' representatives and the signatories to the National Agreement. The first took place on 27 June. One of the outcomes of that forum will be the development of specific materials for school governors to help them contribute to workforce reform.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Rogue Landlords
  Dan Norris
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps his Department is taking to ensure that tenants and the public are protected from rogue landlords. [125861]

  Keith Hill
  The Government published a draft Housing Bill at the end of March 2003. The Bill contains provisions that would enable local authorities to engage in the selective licensing of private sector landlords. This will help them to tackle the bad effects that irresponsible landlords and anti-social tenants can have on the wider community—particularly in areas of low housing demand where the worst problems are concentrated. Raising standards of management': in these areas will benefit tenants and the public alike.

  Neighbourhood Renewal
  Mr. Mudie
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on progress on neighbourhood renewal. [125867]

  Yvette Cooper
  Last year, the Government invested over £500 million in neighbourhood renewal programmes, including the New Deal Communities programmes, which involve local residents in major projects to regenerate low income areas, and over 240 neighbourhood warden programmes.

  Electoral Pilots
  Mr. Gardiner
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if will make a statement on local electoral pilots. [125868]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I refer my hon. Friend to the oral reply given to my hon. Friend the Member for Morley and Rothwell (Mr. Challen) at column 263.

  Regional Assemblies
  Mrs. Ellman
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what responsibilities for transport regional assemblies will have. [125869]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Elected regional assemblies will be responsible for a regional transport strategy, for advising the Government on funding allocations for local transport and for Rail Passenger Partnership grants. They will also have powers to make proposals to the Highways Agency and the Strategic Rail Authority for schemes of regional importance, and they will have a right to be consulted by these bodies on proposals affecting the region.

  Construction Projects
  Richard Younger-Ross
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on recent construction undertaken(a) at ports, (b) at airports and (c) on railway land under the provisions of the General Development Order. [125870]

  Keith Hill
  The information requested is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. The General Permitted Development Order grants permitted development rights to enable generally small-scale development to take place without the need to make a planning application. The Order includes rights granted to statutory undertakers for a variety of development required for the purposes of their undertaking.

  Regeneration
  Jane Griffiths
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the work of the South East of England Development Agency on regeneration; and if he will make a statement. [125871]

  Yvette Cooper
  A new system of Regional Development Agency (RDA) performance measurement and monitoring was set up in 1 April 2002. The annual report for SEEDA, as with all RDAs, is currently being prepared and will be submitted to the DTI and other Departments in the autumn.

  Homes (Modern Construction)
  Dr. Starkey
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what action his Department is taking to promote building of new homes using modern methods of construction. [125872]

  Phil Hope
  The office of the Deputy Prime Minister is promoting modern construction methods to get homes built more quickly, more safely, and to a higher standard through a number of measures including:the £300 million Challenge Fund, which will produce over 8,000 homes in London and south-east England, of which 2,600 will be built using modern methods of manufacturing;
  the Housing Corporation's target that, from 2004–05, at least 25 per cent. of grant-funded homes will be built using modern methods of construction; and
  Millenium Communities projects, which act as exemplars of using the most efficient construction methodologies. We have asked English Partnerships to give a focus on modern methods at the Millennium Community in Milton Keynes.

  The Approved Documents to the Building Regulations will give guidance on how modern methods of construction can comply with the Regulations.

  London Project
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his plans are to take forward his London project. [125873]

  Keith Hill
  The Strategy Unit's recent report analysed the issues facing London over the long-term. It did not contain policy recommendations.

  The Strategy Unit is now working with a range of departments and organisations to address these issues.

  Affordable Housing
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to revise Circular 6/98, with particular reference to(a) the definition of affordable housing and (b) the site size thresholds which trigger affordable housing planning gains from developers; and when he plans to issue the revised good practice to local authorities on planning obligations. [126337]

  Keith Hill
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister published today for consultation an update of the existing guidance on planning for affordable housing. The update addresses a number of matters including how affordable housing should be defined and the size of site on which local authorities can seek affordable housing. The update will be supported by practice advice. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also intends to issue a consultation document on planning obligations in the near future. Following the consultation, it is our intention to publish a policy document on planning obligations that will replace Circular 1/97.

  Arson
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much Government funding the UK forum of Arson Investigators received in each of the last five years. [125765]
  358W
  Phil Hope
  The UK Forum of Arson Investigators has not received Government funding in any of the last five years.

  Compulsory Purchase Orders
  Mr. Denis Murphy
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many dwellings in the UK have been subject to compulsory purchase orders in each of the last five years. [126453]

  Keith Hill
  This information is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Consultants
  Mr. Liddell-Grainger
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total cost of consultants used by his Department was in financial year 2002–03. [115607]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) came into existence following the Machinery of Government changes on 29 May 2002. The estimated cost, subject to final audit, of consultants used by the Office in the period 1 June 2002 to 31 March 2003 was £8,922,000. Consultants are used to bring in additional expertise and help across a wide range of the Office's responsibilities. A few examples of the areas of work where consultants are employed are:

  (a) evaluation of Local Authority statutory service and policy planning requirements;

  (b) setting up of the NRU website "renewal.net";

  (c) use of arboricultural consultant Inspectors to provide advice to the Secretary of State on tree preservation order appeals;

  (d) providing senior Bain Review team members and conducting the comparisons between firefighter's pay levels and those in the economy generally;

  (e) using expertise within local authorities and suppliers to local authorities to advise on local E-Government.

  (f) seeking innovative ways of delivering services on the Strategic Partnering Taskforce.

  (g) use of independent Advisory Panel members to advise on Beacon Council selection.

  Correspondence
  Gregory Barker
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much correspondence was received by(a) Ministers in his Department and (b) chief executives of agencies from hon. Members in 2002; what the target times for replies were; and how many replies were sent within target times. [120871]

  Yvette Cooper
  I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement given by my hon. Friend the Member for Paisley South (Mr. Alexander) on 15 May 2003,Official Report, column 21WS.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of regional variations in staff turnover in his Department. [112751]

  Yvette Cooper
  With the exception of The Rent Service, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is yet to undertake such assessments.
  359W
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister collects data relating to staff turnover in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its agencies for manpower planning. The Regional Co-ordination Unit, as the corporate centre of the Government Office Network, collects data for the Government Offices. These data will be used to make assessments of regional differences in developing our pay and workforce strategy.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what measures he is planning to improve the energy efficiency standards of new build to achieve the 10 MtC emissions reduction per annum by 2010 as indicated in the Energy White Paper. [124639]

  Phil Hope
  The Energy White Paper announced that the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister would start work immediately on the next major revision of the building regulations with the aim of bringing it into effect in 2005, and that we would raise boiler standards to the level of the most efficient types, A and B condensing ones. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister also indicated our intention of raising standards over the coming decade learning lessons from the standards set in comparable European countries. The revision work will, for instance, examine what improvements can be made to the winter and summer performance standards for building fabric and heating, cooling and lighting systems, while ensuring the Regulations remain technically sound, proportionate, cost-effective and sufficiently flexible for designers.

  Fire
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many fires in homes have occurred in each year since 1997. [125766]

  Phil Hope
  The information requested is tabled as follows.

  Fires in dwellings. United Kingdom, 1997–2001

  Total

  1997

  72,492

  1998

  71,077

  1999

  72,228

  2000

  70,899

  2001

  69,014

  Dwellings include caravans, houseboats and other non-building structures used solely as a permanent dwelling.

  Data for 2001 are provisional; 2001 is the most recent year for which data are available.

  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his oral answer to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mrs. Mahon) of 30 June 2003,Official Report, column 33, whether there will be a reduction in the response to 999 calls in England as a result of modernisation of the Fire Service; and what definition he will use of reduction in the response. [125730]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Under integrated risk management, it will be for fire authorities, not the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, to set local standards for responding to fires and other emergencies in the light of a full assessment of the risks faced by their communities. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister believes that by 360W
  developing local standards based on the risks faced by communities and by placing greater emphasis on preventative action to stop fires and other emergencies from occurring in the first place, public safety will be improved and lives will be saved.

  Angela Watkinson
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes to career prospects in the fire service, in terms of(a) opportunities, (b) training and (c) promotion he estimates will arise from the changes proposed in the Fire and Rescue Service White Paper. [125902]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The changes to the appointment and promotion regulations announced in the White Paper will mean that people with the right potential and skills, both within and outside the fire and rescue service, can apply for jobs at all levels and in all parts of the service. This will provide wider and more varied opportunities for staff in all sections of the service. The White Paper also announced the introduction of the Integrated Personal Development System which will ensure staff are developed and receive training relevant to their personal needs. In many cases this will include development to help them obtain promotion. This coupled with the removal of the requirement to have served for a specific number of years before obtaining promotion will improve promotion prospects of many staff.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many hoax calls were made to the Fire Service in England and Wales in each year since 1997. [126321]

  Phil Hope
  The number of malicious false calls are tabled:

  Year

  Number of calls

  1997

  88,813

  1998

  74,200

  1999

  70,446

  2000

  63,482

  2001

  63,359(provisional)

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many retained firefighters have been recruited in each year since 1997. [125767]

  Phil Hope
  The available information collected on a financial year basis from brigades in England and Wales is set out as follows:

  Number of applicants who were successful in their applications for employment as retained firefighters in brigades in England and Wales

  1998–99

  1,486

  1999–2000

  1,406

  2000–01

  1,352

  2001–02

  1,508

  Source:

  Annual returns to Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

  Fires
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many malicious car fires were started by individuals under the age of 18 in each year since 1997. [125205]
  361W
  Phil Hope
  The information requested is in the following table. 2001 is the most recent year for which data are available.

  Malicious primary car fires started by persons under 18 UK 1997–2001

  Number

  1997

  9,098

  1998

  10,030

  1999

  14,352

  2000

  15,437

  2001

  18,841

  Notes:

  1. Figures for 2001 are provisional.

  2. Primary fires are those which cause damage to property or involve casualties.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what(a) the average waiting time and (b) the longest waiting time for homeless families in priority need before being placed in permanent accommodation was in the last year for which figures are available; and what the range of waiting times was in each local authority. [124680]

  Keith Hill
  Under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996 as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002), local housing authorities have a duty to secure accommodation for applicants who are eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and who fall within a priority need group (the main homelessness duty). The duty applies until a settled housing solution becomes available (for example, an allocation of housing made under Part 6 of the 1996 Act as amended by the 2002 Act) or some other circumstance brings the duty to an end (for example, the applicant voluntarily quits temporary accommodation secured for him or here by the authority). Data supplied by local authorities in England shows that, overall, in 2002/03 almost three-quarters of households owed the main homelessness duty and provided with temporary accommodation received an offer of some form of settled accommodation; for the remainder, the duty was brought to an end as a result of some other circumstance.

  Information on the length of time that households which were owed the main homelessness duty have stayed in temporary accommodation (including any period pending a decision on their application) before the homelessness duty is brought to an end is collected in six-monthly time bands ("under six months", "six months to one year", etc to "two years or more"). It is therefore not possible to provide an average waiting time. However, it is estimated that just over half of the households who were owed a main homelessness duty, placed in temporary accommodation and subsequently received an offer of settled accommodation during 2002/ 03 (either an offer made under Part 6 of the 1996 Act or some other form of offer) had waited less than six months before receiving the offer. By comparison, only 10 per cent. had been in temporary accommodation for more than two years before receiving such an offer.

  Only two-thirds of local authorities were able to provide a comprehensive analysis of time spent in temporary accommodation and, due to concerns about
  362W
  the data quality, comparisons between authorities are not advisable. Available information suggests that, in around a quarter of local authorities, 90 per cent. of the households offered accommodation received the offer within six months.

  Housing (Wandsworth)
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many dwellings have been completed in the London Borough of Wandsworth in each of the last three years that were(a) for private residential use and (b) for local authority use. [125502]

  Keith Hill
  Tom Cox: Details of Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) arid private completions are listed below. From the information available, there have been no local authority dwelling completions for the last three years.

  Private

  RSL

  2000–01

  209

  90

  2001–02

  336

  51

  2002–03

  637

  141

  Sources:

  P2 Return from local authorities to ODPM (data based on building control inspection

  RSL Figures: Housing Investment Programme Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix

  Housing Revenue Account
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 3 July 2003,Official Report, column 461W, on housing revenue account, whether housing revenue account money may be used to fund the administration of anti-social behaviour orders served on people who do not live in local authority housing. [124939]

  Keith Hill
  No.

  National Tenancy Deposit Scheme
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 16 June 2003,Official Report, column 3WS, what assessment he made of the option using the interest generated on tenancy deposits held on a single custodial deposit scheme to cover the costs of independent adjudication where disputes occur. [126046]

  Keith Hill
  The consultation paper "Tenancy Money: probity and protection" provided an assessment in paragraph 35 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment at Annex 1. It noted that if £790 million, the amount estimated to be currently held in deposits, were held in a single custodial deposit scheme for a year, it would raise £31.6 million in interest (calculated at the Bank of England's then current base-rate). This is income that currently accrues to the landlord or, if so specified in the tenancy agreement, the tenant.

  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the number of disputed cases that would ultimately require adjudication under a national tenancy deposit scheme. [126043]
  363W
  Keith Hill
  There is a statistical analysis in paragraphs 8–14 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment at Annex 1 of the consultation paper on Tenancy Money. This noted that according to the Survey of English Housing (SEH) some 20 per cent. of tenants said that their deposits had been unreasonably withheld in the last three years. However for the purposes of calculating the maximum number of disputed cases an SEH figure was used that showed that of the 905,000 tenancies that finished in 2001–02 some 127,000 of these (14 per cent.) involved, in the tenant's view,0 an unjustified retention of all or part of the deposit.

  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place copies of the public responses to Tenancy Money: probity and protection in the Library. [126041]

  Keith Hill
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister will do so when detailed proposals that will take account of Law Commission proposals for tenure reform are published. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister hopes this will be later this year.

  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 16 June 2003,Official Report, column 3WS, which paragraph in Tenancy Money: probity and protection indicated that there is not a robust case for legislating to compel the protection of tenancy monies in third party schemes. [126042]

  Keith Hill
  Chapter 3, paragraph 35, of the consultation paper stated that an independent evaluation of the pilot by York University was inconclusive as to the need for legislation, as the pilot had provided insufficient evidence to assess fully the nature and extent of the problem. A more detailed report published alongside (but summarised in Annex 9 of) the consultation paper concluded that there is no clear evidence that the actual incidence of tenants losing their deposits is so high as to require legislative intervention. In Annex 1 of the consultation paper the balance of costs and benefits, as estimated for the Regulatory Impact Assessment, were shown to be roughly equal.

  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his written ministerial statement of 16 June 2003,Official Report, column 3WS, what estimated percentage of disputed cases going to adjudication he used to calculate that the annual adjudication costs of a national tenancy deposit scheme would be £19 million. [126044]

  Keith Hill
  There is a statistical analysis in paragraphs 8–14 and 29 of the Regulatory Impact Assessment at Annex I of the consultation paper on Tenancy Money. This was based on the figures in the Survey of English Housing that of the 905,000 tenancies that finished each year approximately 127,000 tenants (or 14 per cent. of that total) felt that none or a lesser sum of the deposit should have been withheld. It further assumed, having regard to evidence from the pilot tenancy deposit scheme, that the average cost of adjudications would be £150.
  364W
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will estimate the annual adjudication costs of the custodial option for a national tenancy deposit scheme if only 2.5 per cent. of disputed cases require adjudication. [126045]

  Keith Hill
  There is a tentative statistical analysis in the Regulatory Impact Assessment at Annex 1 of the consultation paper on Tenancy Money. It suggested that the maximum number of tenants who might feel they had a case to go to adjudication was 127,000. Assuming that (i) only a custodial option was in place (ii) only 2.5 per cent of 127,000 (3,175) sought adjudication and (iii) the average cost of adjudication under the pilot of £150 applied—the cost would be £476,250. Although the figure of 2.5 per cent. is closer to the proportion of tenancies in the pilot that resulted in adjudication a mandatory requirement for safeguarding tenancy monies would probably result in a much higher proportion requiring adjudication.

  Housing (North-East Lincolnshire)
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much was allowed to north east Lincolnshire for housing in the SSA for each year from 1995; and how much was spent on it by the local authority. [126419]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The majority of resources for housing are provided through the Housing Revenue Account. Formula Spending Shares (formerly Standard Spending Assessments) cover rent officer functions and certain homelessness and housing renewal functions, though we do not make allocations for specific services.

  North East Lincolnshire's expenditure on these non-HRA housing services from 1996–97 to 2001–02 was £443,000; £785,000, £795,000, £850.000, £743,000 and £836,000 respectively.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Pickles
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister on how many occasions since May 2002 Ministers in his Department have passed(a) hon. Members' letters and (b) hon. Members' questions to agencies for response; and what percentage of the total number of letters and questions received this represents. [121821]

  Yvette Cooper
  Between the period of 29 May 2002 to 27 June 2003, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister received(a) 10,060 letters from hon. Members of which 89 were transferred to executive agencies for response; and (b) 3,692 parliamentary questions of which 11 were transferred to executive agencies. In both cases this represents less than I per cent. of all correspondence and parliamentary questions received.

  Small Retailers (Deprived Areas)
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on programmes under the Small Retailers in Deprived Areas initiative funded by the Government Office for the North West. [124387]

  Yvette Cooper
  Government Office for the North West was allocated £2,355,088 of funding for small retail businesses in deprived areas for the three years,
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  2001–04. It was used on a range of interventions to individual shops or groups of shops, such as better locks and toughened glass or by making improvements to their immediate environment, such as better lighting.

  It is expected that a minimum of 955 shops in the North West will benefit from this year's allocation.

  Social Housing
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 20 March,Official Report, column 937W, on social housing grant, what estimate he has made of the number of social housing schemes which will not proceed as a result of the abolition of Local Authority Social Housing Grant; and how many social housing units will be lost in consequence. [125727]

  Keith Hill
  On 17 June, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister announced a further extension of transitional arrangements for with debt local authorities. The period for submission of bids to the Housing Corporation by those authorities has been extended to 31 July and further resources have been made available of £30 million in 2004–05 and £40 million in 2005–06. The number of affordable houses to be built in 2003–04 from the funding for transitional arrangements will not be known until after that date.

  Sport
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what(a) assessment he has made of and (b) research he has commissioned into the potential impact of sport on regeneration; and if he will make a statement. [125260]

  Yvette Cooper
  The potential impact of sports facilities in contributing to regeneration is recognised in the Urban White Paper "Our Towns and our Cities: the Future" published in November 2000. It covers the role of cultural, leisure and sporting activities in promoting social and economic well-being in towns and cities.

  The impact of such activities on regeneration has been demonstrated by assessments carried out to select Beacon Councils for the "Regenerating through Culture, Sport and Tourism" theme in Round Two of the Beacon Council Scheme. Councils awarded Beacon Status have worked with the Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) to share their best practice with councils all over the country.

  Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) Note 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation, revised in July 2002, recognises that high quality and well managed and maintained open spaces, sport and recreation facilities can support an urban renaissance and improve peoples' sense of well being in the place they live. "Assessing Needs and Opportunities: A Companion Guide to PPG 17" advises on how local assessments of need and audits of provision for such facilities can be carried out.

  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has not carried out research specifically into the impact of sporting activities on regeneration. Within Government, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) takes the lead on sports policy. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is, however, working closely with other Government Departments (including DCMS), the Regional Development Agencies and the Core Cities
  366W
  Group of local authorities to consider ways of increasing the competitiveness and prosperity of major regional cities. This has included looking at the role that large-scale sporting and cultural investments can play in creating successful cities.

  The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), sponsored by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, is working closely with Sport England to improve the design quality of new sports buildings and spaces by adopting best practice. Their joint report "Better Places for Sport," published in May 2003, acknowledges the role of high quality sports facilities in helping to revitalise deprived neighbourhoods.

  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has also been involved along with other stakeholders, such as DCMS, in analysing the consultants report commissioned to assess the costs and benefits of bidding for and hosting the Olympic Games in London in 2012. This examined the potential regeneration benefits offered by the Games for regenerating the Lower Lea Valley and other proposed sites.

  Local Government Finance
  Mrs. Brooke
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much the average Standard Spending Assessment was per head of population in(a) England, (b) the South West, (c) Dorset and (d) Poole in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [126442]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Standard Spending Assessments (SSAs) were replaced by Formula Spending Shares (FSSs) in 2003–04. These are not directly comparable since the total amount of FSS was much larger than the total for SSA would have been as a result of increasing the Resource Equalisation.

  The population data used for 2003–04 (the mid-2001 population estimates) was based on the 2001 Census; the population data for the other years was based on the 1991 Census. These data are therefore also not directly comparable.

  The following table provides SSA per head for the period 1997–98 and FSS per head for 2003–04 as requested.

  England

  South West

  Dorset

  Poole

  1997–98

  829.45

  736.59

  560.95

  653.65

  1998–99

  869.19

  768.63

  585.49

  681.09

  1999–2000

  907.66

  803.66

  615.17

  711.94

  2000–01

  943.33

  836.69

  645.79

  735.73

  2001–02

  980.69

  866.93

  670.32

  764.00

  2002–03

  995.30

  876.47

  665.64

  759.72

  2003–04

  1,177.45

  1,045.84

  778.36

  903.15

  The figures are not comparable year-on-year as the services funded through SSA and FSS have changed over this period.

  The figures for England and the South West also include police services. Police services are provided by Dorset police in the Dorset and Poole area and are not therefore included in the Dorset and Poole figures.

  Telecommunications Masts
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many planning applications have been made to site mobile telecommunications masts on land owned by the Department. [124806]

  Keith Hill
  Since 29 May 2002, when the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was established, there have been no planning applications for prior approval to site mobile telecommunications masts on land owned by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Fair Trade
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what EU policy is on removing(a) tariff and (b) non-tariff barriers to trade between the EU and the developing world. [125745]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The EU is committed to improvements in market access for all members of the WTO, with a particular emphasis on developing country priorities. In agriculture the EU has already proposed average reductions in tariffs of 36 per cent. In non agricultural goods, the EU has proposed that all tariffs should be reduced to a maximum of 15 per cent. The EU is also committed to the reduction and whenever possible elimination of non-tariff barriers ensuring that these do not replace tariffs as an obstacle to trade.

  In addition, to assist the integration of developing countries into the world trading system, the EU's preferential access schemes allow many products from developing countries to enter the EU either duty free or with low tariffs. Under the Everything But Arms initiative, least developed countries have duty and quota-free access to the EU. African, Caribbean and Pacific countries also have preferential access to the EU market under the Cotonou Agreement under which most of their exports enter the EU duty free. Other developing countries enjoy preferential access under the generalised system of preferences.

  Administration/Receivership Services
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what plans she has to review(a) the way that companies are charged for administration and receivership services and (b) the ways in which assets of companies placed into administration or receivership are sold. [125197]

  (2) What procedures are in place to control administration and receivership costs. [125198]

  It is a matter for the judgment of the administrator or receiver, usually with the benefit of professional advice, as to the most appropriate method of disposing of the company's assets, with a view to achieving the best price for them. We have no plans to review this or the basis on which an administrator's or receiver's remuneration is fixed.

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  An administrator is appointed by the court and is required to submit his proposals for achieving the purposes of the administration to the 368W
  company's creditors and members. His remuneration is fixed by reference either to the value of the property with which he has to deal or the time properly given by him and his staff in attending to matters arising in the administration, and it is for the creditors' committee to determine it. If there is no committee or it does not make the required determination, the remuneration can be fixed by resolution of a meeting of the company's creditors. If not fixed in either of these ways, the administrator must apply to the court to fix his remuneration.

  The costs of an administrative receiver, including his remuneration, are primarily a matter for agreement between the receiver and the secured creditor by whom he is appointed, but any liquidator appointed in relation to the company has the power to ask the court to fix the receiver's remuneration if he considers that necessary or appropriate.

  Fuel Poverty
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government will take to ensure that every home has access to affordable heating. [125582]

  Mr. Timms
  The Government published its Strategy for dealing with fuel poverty in November 2001, and its first annual progress report in March 2003. These documents set out how the Government intends to ensure that fuel poverty is ended among the vulnerable by 2010 and among the non-vulnerable in England by November 2016, as far as reasonably practicable. This will be done through:programmes to improve the home energy efficiency of fuel poor households;
  continuing action to maintain the downward pressure on fuel bills, ensuring fair treatment for the less well off, and supporting the development of energy industry initiatives to combat fuel poverty;
  continuing action to tackle poverty, low incomes and social exclusion.

  We are working closely with the independent Fuel Poverty Advisory Group, to develop better identification and targeting mechanisms to improve local delivery of measures to combat fuel poverty. Extension of the gas network can help to meet these targets, and my Department is continuing to consider how this may be achieved.

  BAE Systems
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the management of BAe Systems concerning a possible takeover bid by a foreign company. [125588]

  Jacqui Smith
  My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry has regular meetings with the management of BAe Systems at which a wide range of issues are discussed, including the company's performance, competitiveness, future programmes and future strategy. Such discussions are commercially confidential, under Exemption 13—Third Party's Commercial Confidences of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Biotechnology
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her Answer of 26 June 2003,Official Report, column 922W, on biotechnology, how much her Department spent in (a) sponsorships, (b) grants and (c) other financial assistance to biotechnology companies in 2001–02. [125384]

  Jacqui Smith
  [holding answer 22 July 2003]: For the most recent financial year (2001/02), the Department's expenditure on grants and other financial assistance for the biotechnology industry sector in the UK was approximately £16 million (excluding Research Councils' funding).

  Information on the expenditure by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the Medical Research Council (MRC) was provided in my answer to the hon. Member on 26 June 2003, Official Report, columns 921–22W.

  It is not possible to give precise information, due to the lack of a generally accepted definition of biotechnology and the differences in the ways individual Research Councils analyse their annual expenditure.

  Broadband
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what sums have been paid to(a) NTL and (b) BT to assist in the rollout of broadband services; when such payments were made; and if she will make a statement. [117716]

  Mr. Timms
  [pursuant to the answer, 18 June 2003, Official Report, c. 324W]: In that answer I stated that "Under the Cornwall ActNow project, assisted by EC Objective I funding, BT received £237,225 from DTI between December 2001 and August 2002, as a result of a tender process to upgrade exchanges for broadband in a region where such investment would also not be commercially viable". I should now like to clarify the position.

  The source of the capital funding for ActNow was EU Objective 1 funding. In addition, some revenue funding was provided via EU Objective 1, other public contributors and the South West of England Regional Development Agency from funds provided by Central Government. None of this funding was paid direct to BT. The applicant for both the capital and revenue funding for ActNow was Cornwall Enterprise, a part of Cornwall county council, on behalf of all public partners in the project. BT was one of a number of partners with a role in fulfilling the project. Cornwall Enterprise also took responsibility for monitoring BT's performance.

  Brian White
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she intends to publish the recent report by Analysis on the UK's progress on the take-up of broadband across the G7 countries. [126020]

  Mr. Timms
  The take-up of broadband, which is measured as an index of residential (M.J.A.) broadband penetration across a range of G7 countries, will be published in an extract from the recent report by Analysis on the Department's website in the section headed Broadband progress-national facts and figures by the end of the July.

  Coal Industry
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of when coal will disappear as a plausible energy source owing to emission constraints. [125585]

  Mr. Timms
  Published supporting analysis to the Energy White Paper published in February 2003 suggests that coal could still represent more than 10 per cent. of total UK energy use in 2010, while falling to somewhat below 10 per cent. by 2020. The fall partly reflects the impact of an increase in the age structure of existing coal plants on plant economics, but also incorporates the impact of certain policies such as the Climate Change Programme, Large Combustion Plant Directive and the National Emissions Ceilings Directive.

  The White Paper itself recognizes that the pressures on coal from an environmental direction may increase in future, but comment.; on the potential for coal to remain as a major fuel source if combined with clean coal technology or capture and storage techniques.

  Company Directors
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 7 July 2003,Official Report, column 569W, on company directors, how many adverse reports in each year were referred by her Department for court action; how many directors were reported on more than one occasion; and how many of these directors were disqualified, and for what period. [125931]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  Details of the disqualification actions issued and of the disqualifications obtained are published in the Insolvency Service Agency Annual Report and Accounts. The remaining information cannot be provided except at disproportionate costs.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes c f 19 May concerning the Early Day Motion calling for o ban on trade in cat and dog fur and which was transferred from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for reply. [126155]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The reply will be sent to the hon. Member for Totnes on 17 July 2003.

  Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Horam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many meetings have been held between her Department and the Treasury since the publication of the Energy White Paper in February to discuss fiscal instruments to improve energy efficiency. [123975]

  Mr. Timms
  The Treasury and Defra lead on the question of fiscal instruments and energy efficiency policy respectively. The DTI has not specifically held meetings with the Treasury on the subject of fiscal instruments for energy efficiency. However on a number of occasions discussions between DTI, Defra and the Treasury on the follow up to the Energy White Paper,
  371W
  through the Sustainable Energy Policy Network and otherwise, have addressed the use of fiscal instruments in various aspects of energy policy.

  Energy Imports
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of the UK's energy she estimates will be imported in 2023. [125579]

  Mr. Timms
  As mentioned at Section 6.13 of the Energy White Paper, published in February 2003, we are likely to be importing around three quarters of our primary energy needs by 2020.

  European Union Contracts
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with her counterparts in the EU concerning reform of the system for advertising EU public sector contracts for which small businesses might bid. [125168]

  Jacqui Smith
  My hon. Friend the then Minister for Competition, Consumers and Markets met her counterparts in the EU to discuss the need to reform the present system for awarding EU public sector contracts. These exchanges have taken place as part of the discussions held with the European Commission and other member states on the proposals to update, clarify and simplify the existing public procurement directives.

  European Union Directives
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the additional cost to businesses arising from the need, under the Government's implementation of the Equal Treatment at Work Directive, to compensate employees taking early retirement who might have worked on until they were 70; and if she will make a statement. [125296]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  Early retirement packages are a matter for negotiation between employer and employee. The Government are consulting on proposals to prohibit age discrimination under the EU Employment Directive. The proposals include options relating to retirement age, but would not require changes to the age at which pensions may be payable. They do not, therefore, require additional costs to businesses in relation to early retirement.

  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate her Department has made of the expected quantity of age discrimination claims against employers from employees per year as a result of EU Directives in terms of(a) volume and (b) value; and if she will make a statement. [125297]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The Regulatory Impact Assessment that accompanies the "Equality and Diversity: Age Matters" consultation document has used existing discrimination cases as a pointer to estimate the number and cost of age discrimination claims that might arise.

  We would expect about 8,000 Employment Tribunal applications to be made per year, at an average cost to an employer of between £2,000 and £4,000 per case. To reduce the potential burden on employers, the
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  Government are aiming to have the Regulations outlawing age discrimination in place by the end of 2004 so that employers have ample time to change their internal systems to reduce the likelihood of claims being made against them when the legislation comes into force on 1 October 2006.

  Executive Remuneration
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the publications produced by her Department in each year since 1997 which have made reference to executive remuneration. [126077]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Department has produced consultative documents specifically on the issue of executive remuneration on three occasions since 1997, as follows:

  Date

  99/923

  Directors' Remuneration

  July1999

  01/1400

  Directors' Remuneration

  December 2001

  03/652

  "Rewards for Failure" Directors'

  June 2003

  Remuneration—Contracts,

  Performance and Severance

  Other publications will also have made reference to executive remuneration but a more detailed answer could be obtained only at disproportionate cost as such information is not held centrally.

  Independent Insurance Company
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what reports' she has received from the administrators concerning the conduct of the directors of Independent Insurance Company; and what action she intends to take concerning the company's collapse. [126073]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  On 17 June 2001, the High Court of Justice appointed provisional liquidators of Independent Insurance Company Ltd. The provisional liquidators are responsible for the protection of the company estate until the court determines the winding up petition presented against the company. There is no requirement to submit conduct reports on the company directors, until such time as a winding up order is made by the court, at which time the business affairs and failure of the company would be investigated by the Official Receiver.

  Insolvency Service
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many licensed insolvency practitioners are employed by the Insolvency Service. [125833]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  None.

  Internal Dispute Resolution Procedures
  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many employees are estimated by her Department to lack adequate internal dispute resolution procedures; what proportion of these are small and medium-sized enterprises; how many are
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  expected to lack adequate procedures when the new rules come into force in 2004; and if she will make a statement. [125822]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  We estimate that there are just over 800,000 employers that do not have adequate dispute resolution procedures in place at this time. 97 per cent. of those firms with inadequate procedures have less than 20 employees.

  The statutory dispute resolution procedures (as set out in draft Regulations, under the Employment Act 2002, which were published on 9 July 2003) are planned to come into force in October 2004. The implementation of these procedures will be supported by a broad, wide-reaching information and guidance campaign, in partnership with a range of small firms organisations and other advisory bodies. The campaign aims to ensure that all small firm employers are informed about the new requirements in time to implement them.

  Mr. Bellingham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has had from small and medium-sized enterprises concerning requirements expected to come into force in 2004 to compel staff wishing to pursue a complaint to go through internal dispute resolution procedures before going to a tribunal. [125823]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The framework for these new dispute resolution procedures was established in the 2002 Employment Act. This was preceded by an extensive public consultation, involving many small and medium-sized firms.

  The Government are currently consulting on draft Regulations that will bring these dispute resolution procedures into effect. The draft Regulations were developed with considerable input from an Advisory Group, which included representatives from the Small Business Council, the Small Business Service, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Forum for Private Business. Moreover, in line with Cabinet Office guidelines, two focus groups were held with small businesses to test the proposals.

  The ongoing consultation on these draft Regulations will last for 16 weeks until 29 October 2003. We hope to collect more views from small firms, and other organisations, during this time.

  Mail Order Companies
  Andrew Selous
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what restrictions there are on mail order companies debiting customers' credit cards where they are unable to give a date when the goods will be available. [125622]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  There are no restrictions on mail order companies debiting consumers' credit cards in the circumstances described. However, consumers are protected by the Consumer Protection (Distance Selling) Regulations 2000 which stipulate that unless the parties have agreed otherwise, the supplier must deliver the goods within 30 days; and that if the goods are unavailable the consumer must be informed and reimbursed.

  Nuclear Industry
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government has to support research and development in the nuclear industry. [125581]

  Mr. Timms
  Direct DTI funding of fission research stopped in 1994 with the cessation of the fast reactor programme and there is none included in current DTI spending plans for the next three years. DTI funding is reviewed annually and will be considered next as part of the 2004 Spending Review, which covers the period 2005–08. The UK nuclear industry currently benefits from Government support for EU and OECD coordinated research programmes.

  The Research Councils received funding from spending review 2002 for a research programme "Towards a Sustainable Energy Economy" which includes proposals to establish a National Energy Research Network and UK Energy Research Centre. A Scientific Advisory Committee has been established to advise the Councils on the emphasis and scope of the programme and of the Centre. It is however envisaged that the National Energy Research Network would cover a broad range of energy research. In addition, the Research Councils provide funding in the region of £16 million a year for fusion research.

  Pension Fund Deficits
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on government liability for deficits in the pension funds of(a) Rolls Royce and (b) BAE Systems. [124905]

  Jacqui Smith
  The Government assumed ultimate responsibility for any outstanding liabilities of British Aerospace, which vested in its successor company on 1 January 1981 in preparation for privatisation. The Government would only become responsible for such liabilities, including those for pension fund deficits, in the event of a voluntary winding up of BAE Systems plc or an order to wind up the company by the court under the Insolvency Act.

  The Government has no liability for deficits in the pension funds of Rolls-Royce.

  Post Offices
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many post offices in Leicester she has visited since 2001; and how many of those subsequently closed. [125273]

  Mr. Timms
  In her ministerial capacity, my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, has visited one post office in Leicester since 2001. In her constituency capacity, she visits post offices as part of her normal engagements. Post office closures are an operational matter for Post Office Ltd and we do not keep data showing if post offices visited by Ministers have subsequently closed.

  Public Appointments
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the appointees to the(a) National Consumer Council, (b) Hearing Aid Council, (c) Gas Consumer Council, (d) Post Office Users Council for Scotland, (e) Post Office Users Council for Northern Ireland, (f) Post Office Users Council for Wales, (g) English Advisory Committee on Telecommunications, (h) Scottish Advisory Committee on Telecommunications, (i) Northern Ireland Committee on Telecommunications, (j) Economic and Social Research Council, (k) Medical Research Council, (l) Natural Environmental Research Council, (m) Advisory Committee on Coal Research, (n) Energy Advisory Panel, (o) Measurement Advisory Committee, (p) Overseas Project Board, (q) London & Southeast Industrial Development Board, (r) Northwest Industrial Development Board (s) Southwest Industrial Development Board and (t) Eastern Region Industrial Development Board; and which of the appointees to each body are from ethnic minorities. [122992]

  Ms Hewitt
  The membership of the bodies listed is as follows. An asterisk indicates appointees who have declared that they are from the black or minority ethnic communities:

  National Consumer Council

  Deirdre Mutton—Chair

  Robert Chilton—Vice Chair

  Graeme Millar

  Viv Sugar

  Stephen Costello

  Mark Boleat

  Andrew Dilnot

  Dianne Hayter

  Sir Christopher Kelly

  Stephen Locke

  Julie Mellor

  Julia Unwin

  Hearing Aid Council

  John Raine—Chair

  Anthony Corcoran

  Christine Pearce

  Deepak Prasher*

  Victoria Skeels

  Jonathan Ormerod

  Maurice Hawthorne

  Mark Georgevic

  Margaret Hughes

  Denise Yates

  Huw Thomas

  John Irwin

  Peter Ormerod

  Energywatch

  Ann Robinson—Chair

  Allan Asher—Chief Executive

  Andrew Horsier

  Bob Wilkinson

  John Hanlon

  Les Roberts

  Neil Menzies

  Sharon Darcy

  Tim Cole

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  Postwatch

  National Council Appointees:

  Peter Carr—Chair

  Moi Ali*

  Dr. Diane Bailey

  Ann Foster

  Clara Arokiasamy*

  Council appointees who are also regional chairs

  Dr. Tom Begg QBE JP—Scotland

  John Stringer OBE—Northern Ireland

  Eifion Pritchard QPM—Wales

  Judith Donovan CBE—Northern England

  Kay Dixon—Greater London

  Dr. Charles Winstanley—East of England

  Richard Wand—Midlands

  Dr. David Bland OBE—South East England

  Charles Howeson—South and West

  English advisory committee on telecommunications

  Moira Black CBE—Chair

  Peter Collins

  Siva Lingham-Moodley*

  Robert Little

  Brian Love

  Barbara McClennan

  Brian McNally

  Peter Sayers

  James Woodward-Nutt

  Scottish advisory committee on telecommunications

  Jeremy Mitchell—Chair

  Christopher Griffith

  Mark Hagger

  Kenneth Murray

  Wendy Reynolds

  Alastair Robertson

  Barry Stevens

  Northern Ireland advisory committee on telecommunications

  Courtenay Thompson—Chair

  John Campbell

  Brian St. John Collins

  Moore Kennedy

  Ian McPherson

  Seamus Magee

  Jean McVitty

  Economic and Social Research Council

  Frances Cairncross—Chair

  Professor Ian Diamond—Chief Executive

  Professor Patricia Broadfoot

  Professor Andrew Chesher

  Ms Bronwyn Curtis

  Professor Haydn Ellis

  Mr. Stuart Etherington

  Mr. Paul Johnson

  Ms Eileen MacKay

  Ms Marianne Neville-Rolfe

  Professor Robin Wensley

  Professor Steve Wilks

  Professor Sir Alan Wilson

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  Medical Research Council

  Sir Anthony Cleaver—Chair

  Professor Sir George Radda—Chief Executive

  Dr. E. Mac Armstrong

  Sir William Castell

  Professor Kay Davies

  Professor R M Denton

  Dr. Peter Fellner

  Professor Ray Fitzpatrick

  Derek Flint

  Dr. Ruth Hall

  Professor Ian MacLennan

  Professor Alan North

  Professor Sir John Pattison

  Professor Genevra Richardson

  Professor Nancy Rothwell

  Professor John Savill

  Natural Environment Research Council

  Rob Margetts—Chair

  Professor John Lawton—Chief Executive

  Professor Malcolm Anderson

  Chris Andrews

  Professor John Beddington

  Professor Valerie Brown

  Pamela Castle

  Professor Howard Dalton

  Professor Trevor Davies

  Professor Anne Glover

  Richard Hardman

  Dr. Colin Hicks

  Edwin Tenner

  Mrs Karen Morgan

  Professor Judith Petts

  Professor David Read

  Advisory Committee on Cleaner Coal Technologies

  Peter Cooper

  Mike Evans

  Dr. Mike Parley

  Ken Ferguson

  Dr. Chris Green

  John Griffiths

  Professor John McMullan

  Nick Otter

  Brian Ricketts

  Paul Setchfield

  Professor Jim Williamson

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  Energy Advisory Panel

  Sir John Collins—Chair

  Dr. Christopher Anastasi

  Peter Lehmann CBE

  Professor John Chesshire OBE

  Dr. Catherine Mitchel

  Tony Cooper

  Hugh Mortimer

  Dr. Nigel Evans

  David Green MBE

  Peter Nicholls

  Dr. Dieter Helm

  Mike Parker OBE

  Dr. Paul Jefferiss

  Professor Kenneth Vowles OBE

  Professor Alexander Kemp

  Dr. Anthony White

  Measurement Advisory Committee

  Dr. Cohn Gaskell CBE Chair

  Dr. Penny Allisy-Roberts QBE

  Mr. Mike Buckley

  Dr. Peter Cowley

  Prof Les Ebdon

  Dr. David Ellix

  Prof Ken Grattan

  Mr. David Holmwood

  Dr. Alan Johnson

  Dr. Roger Jones

  Mr. John Latham

  Mr. Steve Lower

  Dr. Julia King

  Dr. John Tyrer

  Mr. Richard Freeman

  Dr. Janet Townsend

  London and South East Industrial Development Board

  John McCready—Chair

  Thomas Cohen

  Peter Croucher

  Praful Davda*

  Bryan Davies

  Gurbinder Gill*

  Jim Hicks

  Wendy Hyde

  Mei Sim Lai*

  Helen Sasson

  Robert Stiles

  Indeer Jeet Sodhi*

  Graeme Wyles

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  North West Industrial Development Board

  Lorraine Clinton—Chair

  John Dixon

  John Alcock

  Raymond Armstrong

  John Cackett

  David McCall

  Duncan Mcllan

  Kirit Pathak QBE*

  George Verghese*

  Eva Wisemark

  Dr. Marcus Wood

  South West Industrial Development Board

  Ian Lowe—Chair

  Dr. Susan Astbury

  Ruth Bagley

  Dr. Richard Brown

  Alan Courts

  John Crownshaw

  Ian Douglas

  Neville Gibson

  Alan Hayman

  Richard Morgan

  Rama Nand-Lal

  Victoria Pickering

  Nigel Randall

  Brian Sherwin

  Terence Slater

  Barbara Speirs

  Eastern Region Industrial Development Board

  Elaine Oddie—Chair

  David Baggott

  Alan Davies

  Robert Downing

  Martin Gould

  Keith Hamilton

  Terence Hill

  Shaz Khan OBE*

  Hugh Lawson

  Laurence Russen

  Mike Smith

  Notes:

  1. The Gas Consumer Council has been replaced by the Gas and Electricity Consumer Council (better known as Energywatch)

  2. Postwatch (also known as the Consumer Council for Postal Services) took the place of the Post Office Users Council for Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales and also the Post Office Users National Council.

  3. We have no trace of the Advisory Committee on Coal Research—we have however attached details of the membership of the Advisory Committee on Cleaner Coal Technologies.

  4. We have no trace of the Overseas Project Board.

  Renewable Energy
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what target she has set for the percentage of renewable energy use by(a) 2010 and (b) 2020. [125584]

  Mr. Timms
  The information requested is as follows:

  (a) The Renewables Obligation which the Government introduced in April 2002, places an obligation on all licensed electricity suppliers to supply a specified proportion of electricity from renewables. We have set a target for electricity generated from renewable sources to reach 10 per cent. by 2010.

  (b) The Energy White Paper—Our energy future—creating a low carbon economy published in February 2003 reinforces the Government's commitment to renewable forms of energy. Our aspiration is that by 2020, 20 per cent. of the UK's electricity needs will be met from renewable sources.

  Richard Roberts Ltd.
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when in October 2002 officials of the Department of Trade and Industry's Insolvency Department met the CEO of Richard Roberts Ltd. to discuss redundancy payments for the unemployed workers in Leicester; what the original amount was that the Department of Trade and Industry agreed to pay for the Richard Roberts Company's insolvency in the Leicester factory in October 2002; and by when the Department of Trade and Industry intends to pay the agreed amount. [125661]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  My officials concerned with redundancy payments have held a number of meetings with the Finance Director of Richard Roberts Ltd. but have not met the Chief Executive Officer. The Redundancy Payments Office agreed to make payments to former employees of the company, initially of £750,000 and subsequently a further £1,250,000, a total of £2,000,000. The office has already made payments in excess of the agreed amount.

  Trading Standards
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many Stop Now Orders have been issued since June 2000; and if she will make a statement. [125827]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  Since June 2001 when the Stop Now Orders (EC Directive) Regulations came into force, seven Stop Now Orders have been sought and obtained from the courts. Four of these were obtained by Trading Standards authorities and three by the Office of Fair Trading.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many complaints have been received alleging unfair contract terms under the Unfair Terms in Consumer Contracts Regulations 1999 in each year since 1997; how many of these complaints have been open for more than two years; and how many successful prosecution there have been in each year since 1997. [125825]
  381W
  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The Office of Fair Trading's (OFT) figures for complaints by calendar years are:

  1997: 1,045

  1998: 1,110

  1999: 1,359

  2000: 1,202

  2000: 1,179

  2002: 1,048

  Figures for the last two financial years are:

  2001–02: 1,076

  2002–03: 1,055

  At the end of the last financial year, 125 cases had been open for over two years.

  OFT has no power to undertake prosecutions as such for the use of unfair terms. Its power is to seek injunctions to prevent the use of unfair terms. But OFT may accept undertakings not to use unfair terms in lieu of seeking injunctions and in nearly all cases it secures such improvements in standard contract terms in this way, through consultation and negotiation. Since 1995, OFT has secured some 900 undertakings from businesses not to use unfair terms. These undertakings govern the use of some 5,000 unfair terms. In only one case, that of 'Director General of Fair Trading v. First National Bank', has the OFT had to take legal action to stop the use of a term it considered unfair. In that case, the House of Lords reversed the decision of the Court of Appeal and decided that the term in question was not unfair.

  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many undertakings she has received from businesses to desist from unfair trading; how many subsequent breaches of these undertakings there have been; and how many have been prosecuted for breach of undertaking; [125826]

  (2) if she will set out the procedures in place for monitoring undertakings given by businesses to desist from unfair trading. [125828]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  Under the Stop Now Orders (EC Directive) Regulations 2001, there have been 26 undertakings (12 by the Office of Fair Trading and 14 by Trading Standards authorities) received against business breaching consumer protection legislation. The DTI do not receive undertakings from business under these Regulations.

  As a result of breaches of the undertaking, seven cases gone to court and Stop Now Orders obtained. A breach of a Stop Now Order in one case resulted in the trader been found guilty of contempt of court.

  Supermarkets
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what assessment her Department has made of the effects of below-cost selling by supermarkets; [125683]
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  (2) what assessment her Department has made of the impact on the UK grocery retail sector of introducing measures to (a) prohibit below-cost selling by supermarkets and (b) to ensure transparency in contracts between supermarkets and supplies; [125684]

  (3) what measures her Department will take (a) to ensure transparency in commercial dealings between supermarkets and their suppliers and (b) to prohibit below-cost selling by supermarkets. [125685]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  [holding answers 14 July 2003]: The Competition Commission (CC) monopoly report `Supermarkets: A Report on the Supply of Groceries from multiple stores in the United Kingdom' was published on 10 October 2000. The CC concluded that the practice of persistent below-cost selling when conducted by supermarkets with market power, operates against the public interest. However, the CC stated that remedies to prevent below cost selling would require monitoring and intervention that would be disproportionate to the adverse effects they were designed to remedy. Therefore the CC made no recommendations for remedial action.

  Following the CC's report, the four supermarkets with a market share of 8 per cent. or over (Sainsbury, Asda Wal-Mart, Tesco and Safeway) gave legally binding undertakings to comply with a Code of Practice governing relations with their suppliers. The Code is intended to provide a framework for dealings between supermarkets and their suppliers. Terms of business must be transparent and available in writing.

  Supermarkets will not be able to change agreed terms without giving the supplier notice or compensation. The Code also includes a provision for an independent mediator, paid for by the supermarkets, to resolve disputes about the Code if the parties cannot do so themselves.

  The Office of Fair Trading is currently reviewing the Supermarket Code o [Practice. They are expected to report later this summer. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will wait for the results of that review before deciding if any action is necessary.

  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) if she wit take steps to replace the supermarket Code of Practice with a statutory requirement for suppliers to offer the same contractual terms to all grocery retailers; [125681]

  (2) what measures her Department will take to revise the Supermarket Code of Practice. [125682]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  [holding answers 14 July 2003]: Under UK competition law it is the responsibility of the Office of Fair Trading to review undertakings which arise from adverse findings in a monopoly investigation. The OFT is currently reviewing the Supermarket Code of Practice. They are expected to report later this summer. My right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry will wait for the results of that review before deciding if any action is necessary.

  Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the companies and organisations that have made representations to her about the effect of the implementation of the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive on the printer ink and toner cartridge recycling industry. [125332]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 11 July 2003]: Following a recent press article about these issues, my Department has received over fifty letters from t he cartridge refilling industry and others, including a number from Cartridge World franchisees. My officials will be meeting the UK Cartridge Recycling Association later this month to discuss their concerns. They are also due to meet representatives of the larger cartridge manufacturers shortly.

  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the effect of the implementation of the Waste Electronic and Electrical Equipment Directive on the printer ink and toner cartridge recycling industry. [125386]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 11 July 2003]: The EU Waste Electrical and Electronic Directive (the WEEE Directive) does not prevent the reuse or refilling of printer cartridges.

  A number of printer ink and toner cartridge refill businesses have raised the concern, following a recent press article, that their operations may be put at risk if the scope of the Directive does not include these goods. My Department is looking at the points they have raised, bearing in mind our support for the reuse of printer cartridges and our desire to see this continue. My officials will shortly be meeting representatives of the cartridge recycling industry to explore their concerns.

  The refill industry has raised with us concerns related to existing technology applied to some of the goods currently sold, which prevents reuse. However, the WEEE Directive does not affect this.

  The European Commission has made clear that printer cartridges do not fall within the scope of the WEEE Directive, but considers that forthcoming EU legislation on eco-design may address the issues here. The Government agree with this assessment. In the meantime, if the spread of new technology specifically to prevent reuse begins to impinge significantly on the independent refill market, I would want to consider what additional action might be warranted.

  World Trade Organisation
  Syd Rapson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps she will take to ensure that at the next World Trade Organisation meeting the issues to which developing countries give priority are resolved before consideration is given to the new issues, objected to by developing countries at Doha. [125903]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We agree that it is necessary to address developing countries' interests as a matter of priority to ensure that the Doha Development Agenda is truly a development round.
  384W
  We hope to see the WTO Ministerial in Cancun secure agreement to a package of measures of interest to developing countries, including progress on agriculture and agreement on TRIPS and Public Health and on a series of measures on special and differential treatment.

  Written Ministerial Statements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Department since 29 October 2002. [126605]

  Ms Hewitt
  Up to 15 July, 72 written ministerial statements have been made by my Department.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

  National Women's Conference (Iraq)
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Minister for Women if she will make a statement on the national women's conference in Iraq on 9 July. [126394]

  Ms Hewitt
  I refer the hon. Member to my written statement of 15 July 2003,Official Report, columns 17–18WS.

  Armed Services
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Minister for Women what recent discussions she has had with the Minister for the armed forces with regard to the recruitment of women into the armed services. [124795]

  Ms Hewitt
  I have not had specific discussions with my right hon. Friend the Minister for the Armed Forces about the recruitment of women into the armed forces. However, I understand that in FY 2002/03, the armed forces gained 3,230 new women recruits, an increase of 540 over the previous year.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  common Agricultural Policy
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the impact on Northern Ireland's agricultural industry of the outcome of the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy. [125845]

  Mr. Pearson
  I believe the agreement that has been reached is a good deal for Northern Ireland farmers. It creates a long term stable policy environment and will introduce a new era for the farming industry, with a much greater emphasis on production in response to the market. The option to fully decouple subsidies will free producers from farming for subsidies and provide a much more market-orientated approach. The days when farmers had to maintain, sometimes at a loss, a certain number of cattle or sheep to qualify for subsidies will shortly be at an end.

  Most importantly, the provision for regional discretion gives Northern Ireland sufficient flexibility in the implementation of the new arrangements to ensure outcomes which reflect fully the needs of its agricultural industry.
  385W
  On modulation, the UK will receive back at least 80 per cent. of the modulation monies raised, compared with 66 per cent. in the original Commission proposal.

  In the dairy sector, the agreement is closer to what the industry wanted. Quotas will be retained until 2014–15, the quota increases originally suggested for 2007 and 2008 havebeen suspended pending an outlook report to be conducted after the reforms are implemented, and the support price cuts, although starting a year earlier, are not as large as originally proposed, while compensation for the price cuts has been increased from 50 per cent. to over 80 per cent.

  The proposal for cereal price cuts reform was rejected and the only change is that monthly increments are halved. This will have minimal impact in Northern Ireland.

  It is not possible at this stage to accurately assess the impact of the deal on the industry. Many technical details remain to be finalised and there is uncertainty

  £

  Financial year

  Programme

  1Greater Belfast area

  Northern Ireland

  1997–98

  Northern Ireland Drugs Campaign—Classroom resources/inservice training;

  5,000

  25,000

  2 European Social Fund (ESF)
  assistance (through the Department for Employment and Learning) for nine Projects, which include drug education.

  69,940

  —

  1998–99

  2 ESF assistance

  196,647

  160,475

  1999–2000

  2 ESF assistance

  466,876

  177,785

  2000–01

  2 ESF assistance; Northern Ireland Drugs Strategy, including;

  312,644

  —

  Education and Library Board Drug Education Projects—employment of field officers to develop resources and provide training;

  70,000

  408,000

  Public information campaigns;

  —

  3 81,000

  Other (non DE) projects and programmes with an educational focus;

  3 287,500

  2001–02

  2 ESF assistance NI Drug Strategy (as above:

  250,008

  —

  Education and Library Board Drug Education Projects;

  63,000

  374,000

  Public Information Campaigns;

  —

  184,500

  Other (non DE) programmes and projects

  —

  3 600,778

  2002–03

  2 ESF assistance;

  171,004

  73,468

  Public Information Campaigns

  —

  3 437,955

  DE—Continuation funding for Inter Board Project;

  42,000

  235,000

  Other (non DE) projects and programmes

  2,4 264,252

  3 993,888

  2003–04

  2 ESF assistance;

  110,515

  215,391

  DE funding for ELB Projects (Not yet allocated)

  76,000

  425,000

  2002–04

  Northern Ireland Drug and Alcohol Strategy—activities agreed by the Education and Prevention Working Group

  5—

  6 350,000

  7 325,000

  8 35,000

  1 It is not possible to identify separately the North Belfast component of expenditure.

  2 It is not possible to identify separately funding for the Drug Education component of expenditure.

  3 (DHSSPS)

  4 (DEL)

  5 Cannot be separately identified.

  6 Public Information Campaigns.

  7 Training for Educators.

  8 Revision of 'Misuse of Drugs' pack.

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  over the extent to which other countries will decouple. One of the expected benefits from a decoupled system is that, while production will fall, prices will rise. We will need to undertake substantialeconomic analysis and modelling before we agree final decisions with the industry.

  Drugs Use (Education)
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been allocated to educate young people in(a) North Belfast and (b) Northern Ireland against the dangers of drug use in each year since 1997. [123803]

  Jane Kennedy
  It is not possible to quantify the amount of money spent on drug education for young people in schools, as drug education programmes are, for the most part, delivered as part of the statutory curriculum and funded through schools' normal LMS budgets. Additional funding has been provided as set out in the table. It is not possible to identify separately funding allocated to North Belfast.

  Energy Industry
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the long term contracts for Ballylumford power station and the Moyle interconnector have been refinanced; and what discussions he has had on the refinancing of the Scotland to Northern Ireland natural gas pipeline. [125190]

  Mr. Pearson
  In 2000, the Ballylumford power station contract, entered into at the time of privatisation in 1992, was refinanced through a customer buyout.

  The Moyle interconnector was refinanced as a result of its sale on 14 April 2003, to a fully debt financed, not for profit company.

  The Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation is currently in discussion with the owners of the Northern Ireland to Scotland gas pipeline about the scope for introducing a similar not for profit structure for that interconnector.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will refinance the Ballylumford power station and the Moyle interconnector within the Northern Ireland energy industry. [125191]

  Mr. Pearson
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave him today to Question references 125190 and 125192.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action the, Government have taken to minimise the cost to Northern Ireland electricity customers of energy industry debt; what the Government's plans are for reducing this cost on electricity customers; and when he estimates customers will benefit. [125192]

  Mr. Pearson
  A working party of economists drawn from the Department of Finance and Personnel, the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment and the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation has been examining options for the refinancing of energy assets and contracts, with a view to energy cost reductions for the consumer. It is expected to report shortly.

  The findings of the working group and the outcomes of the consultation papers "Competition and Customer Empowerment" published by the Regulator on 4 March 2003 and "Towards a New Energy Strategy for Northern Ireland" published by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment on 17 April 2003 will shape future announcements in this area.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what aspects of the Higher Education White Paper will be extended to Northern Ireland; and what the timetable is for the implementation of its proposals. [125538]

  Jane Kennedy
  It is my intention to consider carefully the implications for Northern Ireland of the DfES White Paper on the future of Higher Education in England over the next few months; to take into consideration the outcomes of the, consultation process in England and discussions with local stakeholders 388W
  including the Northern Ireland Higher Education Council; and to bring forward recommendations on the way forward in Northern Ireland in due course.

  Post-primary Education
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the future of post—primary education in Northern Ireland. [125535]

  Jane Kennedy
  I have established a working group to provide advice and recommendations on options for future arrangements for post-primary education. The group has been asked to report by 31 October 2003. Decisions on future post-primary arrangements will not be taken until the group's advice has been considered.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Terrorism Act (Passenger Information)
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps the Government have taken to achieve international co-ordination of the passenger information required at ports of entry under section 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000; [124756]

  (2) what progress has been made by the Government in putting in place the IT and other systems necessary to achieve successful implementation at UK airports of the requirements of section 7 of the Terrorism Act 2000. [124757]

  Mr. Blunkett
  The Government has consulted a number of other countries, including the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico and the EU countries, about the implementation of the Schedule 7 to the Terrorism Act 2000 (Information) Order 2002.

  We are making good progress on implementation and the police are working closely with Her Majesty's Customs and Excise and the Immigration Service to ensure a cohesive approach to the collection of information at all ports.

  Antisocial Behaviour Orders
  Mr. Bailey
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what assessment he has made of the average time taken between an application for an antisocial behaviour order and its subsequent court hearing in(a) England and Wales and (b) the West Midlands; [22781]

  (2) what actions have been taken to reduce the length of time between application for antisocial behaviour orders and their subsequent hearing. [122782]

  Ms Blears
  Information on the length to time taken between an application for an Anti-Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) and its subsequent hearing is not routinely collected. However, since ASBOs became available in April 1999, the Government has identified that in some cases the time between an application for an ASBO being made and the order being granted was too long.

  As such, we have taken a range of measures under the Police Reform Act 2002 to improve the effectiveness of ASBOs, enabling the courts to protect communities

  389W
  more quickly. Interim orders can be made at the same time as an ASBO application, orders on conviction and county court orders can avoid the need for a separate court hearing.

  In addition, the Government is working with agencies to spread good practice, the Judicial Studies Board has produced training to improve the courts' understanding and implementation of ASBOs and the Home Office has issued guidance to enable practitions to implement the Police Reform Act 2002 changes more effectively.

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how long on average it took the Immigration and Nationality Directorate to process applications for(a) asylum, (b) indefinite leave to remain and (c) citizenship in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [125102]

  Beverley Hughes

  (a) Asylum

  The average time between an asylum application and initial decision was six months for initial decisions made in the financial year 2002–03, compared with 20 months for April 1997. This has been calculated using all cases for which data are available, including older cases decided as part of the reduction of the number of outstanding cases, as well as new cases decided as part of normal work in progress.

  Information on the proportion of cases decided, up to and including final appeal, within six months, will be published in the Home Office's Annual Report in order to report on the Public Service Agreement (PSA) target 7 published in July 2002. Due to the nature of the target, performance data will not be available until more than six months following the relevant financial year. For example (subject to data quality) it is planned that performance against financial year 2003–04 will be reported at the end of November 2004, although provisional figures for applications made between April 2003 and September 2003 will be available earlier.

  Provisional data show that 73 per cent. of applications received in the period April to December 2002 had initial decisions reached and served within two months. 42 per cent. of asylum appeals received by the Immigration Appellant Authority in the period April to December 2002 were determined within 17 weeks (including those appeals also dealt with by the second tier of the IAA).

  Information on the proportion of new substantive applications with initial decisions made and served within two months, and information on the proportion of appeals received by the IAA which are dealt with within four months, is published in the quarterly asylum statistics, copies of which are available from the Library, published at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/ immigration 1. html

  (b) Indefinite leave to remain (settlement)

  There are no published data on decision times to determine applications for settlement. Our aim is to decide all straightforward applications within three weeks. Currently straightforward applications are being decided on initial consideration within three—four weeks on average. Most applications that cannot be decided
  390W
  on initial consideration are being decided within six months but because of the high intake there are some that are taking around 12 months to decide.

  (c) Citizenship

  Information on the current waiting times for citizenship applications are available on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate website www.ind.homeoffice. gov.uk/default.asp?Pageld = 16, and is periodically updated. As at July 2003 the average length of time for a citizenship application to be processed in nine months.

  Civil Defence
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to ensure that the emergency services are prepared to deal with a terrorist attack in the UK. [124412]

  Mr. Blunkett
  The UK has the necessary plans in place in the interests of national security and the protection of the public. The Government's preparations include a series of classified contingency plans for responding to a wide range of terrorist threats. These plans are regularly tested, reviewed and updated in the light of changing circumstances; this ensures that all agencies involved are prepared to respond to a terroristincident.

  The response to any terrorist incident relies upon a co-ordinated approach and the Government draws upon the resource; and expertise of Government Departments, the security and intelligence agencies, the police, the military, the emergency services, local authorities and scientific and other specialist advice as necessary.

  I set out further details of the steps we have taken in my written Ministerial Statements on 3 March 2003, Official Report, column 72WS, 20 March 2003, column 51WS, and 3 July 2003, Official Report, column 25WS.

  My hon. Friend may also wish to refer to the generic guidance contained in the publication "Dealing with Disaster" which can be found on the UK Resilience website (www.ukresilience.info) and the Home Office website (www.homeoffice.gov.uk/terrorism).

  Immigration
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will change the immigration rules to allow those with leave to remain of more than one year to submit family re-union applications. [125106]

  Beverley Hughes
  There is provision within the Immigration Rules for the family members of those persons admitted to the UK for the purpose of studies, training or work experience or employment to accompany or join them here. There is no qualifying period for family reunion applications under the non-asylum categories of the Immigration Rules.

  Family members of those recognised as refugees may apply immediately to join the sponsor in the UK. Family members of those granted Humanitarian Protection or Discretionary Leave can apply to join them once the sponsor has been granted indefinite leave to remain. Those granted Humanitarian Protection are eligible to apply for indefinite leave after three years, and

  391W
  most of those with Discretionary Leave after six years. However, applications for family reunion may be considered before the sponsor has been granted indefinite leave to remain in those cases where there are compelling, compassionate circumstances. There is no intention to reduce the time qualification period for family reunion applications.

  Mr. Nadhmi Auchi
  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 19 May,Official Report, column 645W, on Mr. Nadhmi Auchi,(1) how many representations were received; who made the representations; and what the basis was of each representation; [118615]

  (2) when he will reply to the question from the honourable Member for North Norfolk for written answer on Monday 16th June concerning Mr. Nadhmi Auchi. [125292]

  Caroline Flint
  I have replied today to the hon. Member's letter of 27 May about the case of Mr. Nadhmi Auchi, explaining that it is not our policy or practice to disclose either the names of those who take up a particular case or the basis on which they choose to do so.

  What I can say in an attempt to assist, is that any such representations as were to the general effect that an Authority to Proceed against Mr Auchi should not be issued. The full chronology of those who took up his case with us was as follows:

  11 September 2000

  An honourable Member made some factual enquiries.

  15 September 2000

  Mr. Audi's solicitors wrote to the Home Office.

  9 October 2000

  A second honourable Member wrote to Ministers at the Home Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

  25 October 2000,5 June 2001, 9 August, 2001 and on 17 October 2001

  Mr. Auchi's solicitors wrote to the Home Office.

  National Asylum Support Service
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will publish the findings of the independent review into the National Asylum Support Service announced on 7 March. [124969]

  Beverley Hughes
  I refer the hon. Member to my written ministerial statement on 15 July 2003,Official Report, column 30WS.

  Work Permits
  Mr. Grieve
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the occupations were for which in-country work permits were issued in 2002, broken down by(a) number, (b) percentage share of the total number of work permits issued and (c) country of origin of recipients; [123777]
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  (2) what the primary occupations were for those to whom work permits were granted out of country to enter the UK in 2002, broken down by (a) number,(b) percentage share of the total number of work permits issued and (c) country of origin of recipients. [123778]

  Beverley Hughes
  Figures for the primary occupations for which the most in-country and out-of-country work permit applications have been issued in 2002, include figures for the top five nationalities for each occupation.

  The total number of out-of-country work permits issued for 2002 is 89,049. This is 58 per cent, of the total figure for all work permits issued in 2002.

  A copy of the tables will be placed in the Library.

SCOTLAND

  Consultation Documents
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the consultation documents issued by the Scotland Office in each of the last four years; what the cost was of producing each of these; how many documents were issued in each consultation; and how many responses were received in each consultation. [124564]

  Mrs. McGuire
  The Scotland Office has issued two consultation documents since 1999. The following table lists the requested information in respect of each document:

  2001 The Size of the Scottish Parliament—A Consultation

  2002 Sunday Working in Scotland—A Consultation

  Cost (£)

  1,007

  331

  Copies issued

  783

  200

  Responses received

  237

  138

  Departmental Costs
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was to his Department for(a) ministerial cars and drivers, (b) taxis, (c) train travel, (d) the use of helicopters, (e) airline tickets and (f) chartered aeroplanes in each year since 1997. [123080]

  Mrs. McGuire
  The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.

  The cost of ministerial cars and drivers will be addressed in a letter from Mr. Nick Matheson, the Chief Executive of the Government Car and Despatch Agency, to the hon. Member.
  The cost of taxis for the Scotland Office was £9,244 in 1999–2000; £16,519 in 2000–01;£13,543 in 2001–02 and£15,266 (estimated) in 2002–03.
  The cost of rail travel was£37,970 in 1999–2000; £41,998 in 2000–01; £54,882 in 2001–02; and £70,140 (estimated) in 2002–03.
  The cost of air travel was £126,704 in 1999–2000; £227,024 in 2000–01; £222,568 in 2001–02 and £216,269 (estimated) in 2002–03.
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  No expenditure has been incurred on the use of helicopters or chartered planes since 1 July 1999.

  All official travel was undertaken in accordance with the rules contained in the departmental staff handbook and all Ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Mobile Phones
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123135]

  Mrs. McGuire
  The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.

  Since that date the cost of mobile phones supplied to ministers and officials was as follows:

  Year

  £

  1999–2000

  6,464

  2000–01

  17,566

  2001–02

  8,174

  2002–03

  10,135

  Partnership Agreements
  Angela Eagle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether she plans to conclude a partnership agreement with the trade unions representing the staff in her Department. [117454]

  Mrs. McGuire
  Most staff in the Scotland Office are on loan from the Scottish Executive, which has a partnership agreement with the trade unions. The Scotland Office currently operates within the framework of that agreement.

  Private Office Costs
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the running costs have been of Ministers' private offices in his Department in each year since 1997. [123108]

  Mrs. McGuire
  The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999.

  In the period 1 July 1999 to 31 March 2000 the costs of running the ministerial private offices were not recorded separately. The costs of running Ministerial private offices after March 2000 were:

  £

  2000–01

  522,721

  2001–02

  614,146

  2002–03 (est.)

  594,486

  Security
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many documents are held by her Department that are subject to security classification, broken down by category of classification. [107358]
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  Mrs. McGuire
  I refer my hon. Friend to the Answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 7 May 2003,Official Report, column 696W.

  Staff Numbers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff were employed by her Department in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [106977]

  Mrs. McGuire
  I refer the hon. Member to the Answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, on 4 April 2003,Official Report, column 891W.

  Travel Costs
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the cost was of travel by train by staff in her Department in 2002. [106345]

  Mrs. McGuire
  The Scotland Office follows the conditions set out in the Civil Service Management Code which requires departments and agencies to ensure that staff use the most efficient and economical means of travel in the circumstances, taking into account any management benefit or the needs of staff with disabilities.

  The estimated cost of rail travel by staff in the Department in 2002–03 is £70,140.

  Written Ministerial Statements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Scotland Office since 29 October 2002. [126615]

  Mrs. McGuire
  Three.

ADVOCATE-GENERAL

  Document Classification
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Advocate-General how many documents are held by her Department that are subject to security classification, broken down by category of classification. [107363]

  The Advocate-General
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office, 7 May 2003,Official Report, column 696W.

  Information Technology
  Dr. Pugh
  To ask the Advocate-General (1) what new IT projects with a value in excess of £10,000 the Department has authorised in the last three financial years; [124246]

  (2) how much the Department spent on IT (a) licences, (b) hardware, (c) maintenance and (d) software in the financial year 2002–03. [124247]

  The Advocate-General
  The information can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

  Staff Numbers
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Advocate-General how many staff were employed by her Department in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03. [106976]

  The Advocate-General
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for the Cabinet Office on 4 April 2003,Official Report, column 891W.

  Staff Travel
  Mr. John Bercow
  To ask the Advocate-General what the cost was of travel by train by staff in her Department in 2002. [106344]

  The Advocate-General
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Scotland.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH

  Abdullah Rehmani
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to locate the file of Mr. Abdullah Rehmani, the husband of Mrs. Baluch of Leicester, a constituent, and make a determination on the application. [125778]

  Mr. Mullin
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Ambassadors for British Business
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Ambassadors for British Business he has appointed since 2001. [125781]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  None.

  British Nationals (Military Trials)
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received of(a) the evidence, (b) the sources of the evidence and (c) the charges which the US military authorities intend to use in the cases of (i) Moazzam Begg and (ii) Feroz Abassi. [124981]

  Mr. Mullin
  Mr. Begg and Mr. Abbasi have been designated as eligible for Military Commissions, but have not yet been charged. We have not had access to the information on which the designations have been based. We have made clear to the US authorities that we expect the process to comply with minimum fair trial standards under international law, including those relating to the examination of evidence.

  Burma
  Mr. Weir
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the government of Burma on the situation in Karen; and if he will make a statement. [125806]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We regularly press bilaterally with the Burmese regime and in international fora for a rapid improvement in the human rights situation for all the people of Burma. In April this year we co-sponsored the 396W
  United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights resolution on Burma which highlighted the disproportionate suffering of members of ethnic minorities, including the Karen. We will continue to put pressure on the Burmese military to move towards democracy and respect for human rights.

  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the value of imports of gems and precious stones from Burma was in the past two financial years; and which companies imported these gems and precious stones. [125926]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  According to official statistics from HM Customs and Excise, no gems and precious stones have been imported to the UK from Burma in the past two financial years.

  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what further measures have recently been discussed by the EU in response to the recent crackdown in Burma. [125928]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  With EU colleagues we strengthened and updated the EU Common Position on Burma on 16 June 2003. We are in regular contact with EU partners and are in discussion on what further steps we will take if the regime does not provide immediate satisfactory responses.

  British Detainees (Guantanamo Bay)
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much access time to(a) family members, (b) legal representatives, (c) religious representatives and (d) British Red Cross representatives is allowed to each British detainee at Camp Delta. [124632]

  Mr. Mullin
  The British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay are not currently allowed access to family members or legal representatives but they do have access to a Muslim cleric. The International Committee of the Red Cross has access to the detainees on request.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many times Foreign Office officials have visited each British detainee at Camp Delta; and how long each meeting lasted. [124637]

  Mr. Mullin
  British officials have visited Guantanamo Bay on five occasions. During each visit, all the British detainees who were held at that time at Guantanamo Bay were seen individually by British officials. Each meeting lasted up to one and a half hours.

  Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what circumstances British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay would be returned to the UK. [124232]

  Mr. Mullin
  We have been informed that the US authorities have not made any decision on whether or not to return the British detainees to the UK. We continue to press the United States to resolve the position of the detainees.
  397W
  Mrs. Lawrence
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what actions are being taken to determine the future of British citizens detained at Guantanamo Bay. [123938]

  Mr. Mullin
  Ministers and officials continue to have regular discussions with the United States authorities about the British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. Two of the British detainees have been designated as eligible to be tried by Military Commissions. We have strong reservations about the Commissions. We have raised and will continue to raise these concerns energetically with the US, including with the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell.

  We continue to press the United States to resolve the position of all the detainees, including the other seven British nationals in Guantanmo Bay.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to his Answer of 8 July, ref.122612, on the welfare of British citizens in Guantanamo Bay, what the individual health concerns of the detainees are that the Government has raised with the US authorities; what the average delays in mail are; how much exercise the detainees are allowed; and if he will make a statement [125800]

  Mr. Straw
  For reasons of confidentiality it would not be appropriate to give details of the individual health concerns of the British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. (This is reflected in Exemption 12 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information). We do keep in contact with the families concerned.

  Mail can take up to four or five months. The detainees are allowed a minimum of two 15-minute periods of exercise outside every week and are also able to exercise in their cells and communal areas. Some of the detainees are allowed to exercise outside more frequently. Although we do not consider the amount of exercise allowed to be sufficient, we understand that the situation is improving. We continue to raise both these issues with the US authorities.

  Channel Islands
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what recent communication he has had with the governments of(a) Guernsey and (b) Jersey; [125372]

  (2) when he next plans to visit (a) Guernsey and (b) Jersey. [125373]

  Mr. Lammy
  I have been asked to reply.

  My noble and learned Friend the Secretary of State and I have not yet had any communication with the insular authorities in Jersey or Guernsey, but we look forward to doing so and to visiting the islands when this can be arranged. However, regular content is maintained with the interior authorities by officials in my Department and continuity has been ensured.

  Convention on the Future of Europe
  Mr. Michael Jabez Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the reference within the draft constitution prepared by the Convention on the Future of Europe to the European 398W
  Union having exclusive competence over the conservation of marine biological resources under the Common Fisheries Policy covers exclusive competence within the (a) six-mile and (b) 12-mile limits. [125712]

  Mr. MacShane
  The European Community has had exclusive competence over the conservation of marine biological resources under the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP) since 1979. This includes the six and 12-mile limit.

  However, under CFP Regulation EC 2371/2002 the Community permits member states to take their own measures on the conservation of marine resources within the six and 12-mile limit provided they conform with the Common Fisheries Policy. If the proposed measures are likely to have a discriminatory effect on vessels of another member state then the Commission and the relevant member state(s) need to be consulted in advance.

  The draft EU Constitutional Treaty does not alter this situation.

  Darmesh and Rashik Jamiet
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he received the papers relating to Darmesh (date of birth 27 February 1973) and Rashik (8 December 1977) Jamiet from Mumbai under Ref R/02/4938–40. [125517]

  Mr. Mullin
  I will write to my hon. Friend.

  Departmental Staff
  Mr. Jenkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has for redeployment of members of his Department out of London and the south-east. [125391]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has no immediate plans to redeploy any of our officers although, as with all Government Departments, we regularly examine the feasibility of locating staff where it makes most qualitative and financial sense.

  European Constitution
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the inclusion of the EUR ATOM treaty in the draft EU constitution. [125829]

  Mr. MacShane
  The Convention on the Future of Europe has not proposed to include the EURATOM treaty in its draft Constitutional Treaty. It proposes to keep EURATOM as a separate, free-standing treaty, but to bring some of its provisions, such as those concerning its institutions, in line with changes to the EU proposed by the Constitutional Treaty. These proposals will be discussed in the forthcoming Intergovernmental Conference.

  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the implications for the representation of British interests overseas of the appointment of an overall EU Foreign Minister. [126001]
  399W
  Mr. MacShane
  The EU already has a High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy and an External Relations Commissioner, who represent different aspects of EU business overseas. The draft Constitution proposes the creation of a European Foreign Minister who would combine these two roles on behalf of the European Union. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary would continue to represent British interests overseas.

  Independent Monitor
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many persons have applied for the post of Independent Monitor. [125780]

  Mr. Mullin
  There were 82 applications for the post of Independent Monitor.

  Organ Trafficking
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have taken place with European colleagues regarding organ trafficking(a) across Europe and (b) on a global level; and what proposals there are to tackle this practice. [121094]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Department of Health, together with colleagues in the Home Office, is negotiating a draft European Union Framework Decision on the prevention and control of trafficking in human organs and tissues.

  In addition, the Department has been working with the 45 member states of the Council of Europe, which includes the member states of the European Union, to develop a recommendation on steps to be taken to minimise the risk of organ trafficking throughout the area.

  The United Nations has also developed an Additional Protocol to the Convention against Transnational Organised Crime dealing with the trafficking of persons. It makes it a criminal offence to traffic a person for the purpose of removing an organ. The Protocol has yet to come into force.

  Departmental Policies (Pendle)
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what policies(a) initiated and (b) managed by his Department since 2001 have had an impact on Pendle; and if he will make a statement [124094]

  Mr. MacShane
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is the United Kingdom Government Department responsible for foreign affairs. Its aim is to work for the United Kingdom's interests in a safe, just, and prosperous world. Achievement of these aims will benefit all areas of the United Kingdom, including Pendle.

  More specifically, the FCO is responsible for relations with the EU. Under the 2000–06 European Structural Funding Programmes Pendle is currently receiving £2.6 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) for its Objective 2, Priority 2 (People and Communities) Action Plan. This seeks to promote social
  400W
  and economic integration and improved living and working conditions for people in low-income, discriminated and other excluded groups.

  Pendle is also receiving £0.9 million from the European Social Fund for training and employment projects complementary to projects supported under Priority 2, via direct bids to Government Office.

  The wards of Boulsworth, Coates, Craven, Earby, Foulridge and Pendleside are in the Lancashire Leader Plus area which as a whole is receiving £2.2 million from the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund to provide a greater range of local services and employment opportunities within rural communities and to open up new market opportunities for rural goods.

  Pendle is in the East Lancashire Objective 2, Priority 1 Action Plan area, which as a whole is allocated £20 millon ERDF to provide business support activity to improve competitiveness across the East Lancashire area.

  Public Diplomacy Team
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the size is of his public diplomacy team. [125521]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  There are currently 25 employees working in the Public Diplomacy Policy Department.

  In 2002 there were 144 UK based staff and 144.41 locally engaged staff who spend 50–100 per cent, of their time covering this function in our overseas Posts. The figures are not yet available for this year.

  Zimbabwe (Elias Mudzuri)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has made representations to the Government of Zimbabwe about the recent arrest of Elias Mudzuri; what further action his Department intends to take; and if he will make a statement. [126121]

  Mr. Straw
  The British High Commission in Harare have been in close touch with Mr. Mudzuri throughout this episode. He has not asked us to make representations on his behalf. We are well aware of the Government of Zimbabwe's persistent harassment of key opposition figures like Mr. Mudzuri. He briefed FCO officials, during a visit to the UK in June, on the considerable difficulties he faces. We underlined that we would continue to support all Zimbabweans working for a return to democracy and the rule of law. We will continue to monitor developments closely.

DEFENCE

  Service Accommodation (Council Tax)
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedure is in place to assist those service personnel who are paying both contributions in lieu of council tax and full council tax on a private residence, and require representations making to their local authority for a council tax reduction. [126058]
  401W
  Mr. Caplin
  The Ministry of Defence writes to the local authority in support of the representation.

  Deepcut Barracks
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the extent of the supply and use of illicit drugs at Deepcut barracks over the last five years; how many personnel were tested; how many tests proved positive; what disciplinary action resulted; and if he will make a statement. [125559]

  Mr. Caplin
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 July 2003,Official Report, column 1030W. Of the 24 individuals who tested positive (two tested twice on different occasions), one has been retained in Service, 14 have been administratively discharged for drug offences and nine administratively discharged for other reasons.

  Defence Medical Services
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 14 April 2003,Official Report, column 567W, what the cost of the Defence Medical Services was in each year from 1995–96, in 2003–04 prices. [119196]

  Mr. Caplin
  Further to the answer of 14 April 2003,Official Report, column 567W, the cost of the Defence Medical Services (DMS) in each of the years from 1995–96 to 2002–03 at 2003–04 prices is as follows:

  Cost of Defence Medical Services (DMS)

  £

  Cost of DMS at 2003–04 prices

  1995–96

  405.43

  1996–97

  305.58

  1997–98

  316.11

  1998–99

  328.61

  1999–2000

  353.21

  2000–01

  359.67

  2001–02

  368.23

  2002–03

  407.85

  Note:

  These figures were calculated using the GDP deflator published by HM Treasury.

  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the pay differential is between doctors serving in Band three in the NHS and doctors serving in Band three posts in the DMS; and if he will make a statement. [118192]

  Mr. Caplin
  It is difficult to make an accurate comparison between the pay of doctors in the Defence Medical Services (DMS) and doctors in the NHS serving in Band three posts as this would depend on a number of factors, such as their stage of training and their incremental level on the pay structure. Account would also need to be taken of the X-factor paid to DMS doctors, the non-contributory nature of the armed forces pension scheme and the fact that DMS junior doctors' pay includes an element for NHS out of hours payments.

  From their assessment of pay comparability following the introduction of the NHS pay Banding system on 1 December 2000, the armed forces Pay Review Body recommended a supplementary pro rata
  402W
  payment of £5,000 to DMS doctors under training for the period 1 December 2000 to 31 March 2002. The question of supplementary payments for subsequent years will be addressed in the Department's annual papers of evidence to the Review Body.

  International Festival of the Sea
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which Royal Navy warships will be taking part in the International Festival of the Sea this year. [126137]

  Mr. Caplin
  HMS Southampton, HMS Tyne, HMS Example and HMS Archer took part in the Leith International Festival of the Sea between 23 and 26 May 2003.

  Iraq
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how long fresh troops sent to Iraq will have for acclimatisation in Iraq before being committed to operational duties; and what period is recommended in medical advice. [124359]

  Mr. Ingram
  Following an initial acclimatisation period of between three to five days, United Kingdom military personnel deploying to Iraq for operational duties gradually increase their work intensity in accordance with in theatre risk assessments. UK military medical advice does not specify a set acclimatisation period, however, personnel are not considered folly acclimatised until they have spent 10 days undergoing activity of a similar level, in the same environmental conditions, at which they will be expected to continue to work.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many cases of(a) dehydration and (b) heat exhaustion there have been among UK armed forces in Iraq since the start of the recent conflict; and whether, in any of these cases, inadequate time for acclimatisation for fresh troops in theatre has been deemed a cause. [124360]

  Mr. Ingram
  There have been 286 reports of heat related illnesses among British forces deployed on Operation Telic since the start of the conflict. The majority of these cases are assessed as heat stroke due to the ambient environmental conditions. Other personnel are more susceptible to heat stress as a result of the effects of another illness such as diarrhoea.

  Following an initial acclimatisation period of between three to five days, United Kingdom military personnel deploying to Iraq for operational duties gradually increase their work intensity in accordance with in theatre risk assessments. UK military medical advice does not specify a set acclimatisation period, however, personnel are not considered fully acclimatised until they have spent 10 days undergoing activity of a similar level, in the same environmental conditions, at which they will be expected to continue to work. In addition, all troops are made aware of the guidance on the dangers of working in hot conditions, and the measures that are to be taken to prevent heat illness.
  403W
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reservists are deployed in Iraq and Kuwait. [125597]

  Mr. Caplin
  As at 11 July 2003, there were 4,219 reservists mobilised to support Operation Telic. While the majority were based in the Gulf region, this figure also includes reservists directly supporting Operation Telic based elsewhere, such as in the United Kingdom, Cyprus, or Germany. A number were also either undergoing pre-deployment training or post deployment leave prior to demobilisation.

  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British soldiers lost their lives during the recent conflict in Iraq. [122006]

  Mr. Ingram
  As of 10 July 2003 43 United Kingdom service personnel had died since the start of Coalition military operations against Iraq. 34 were killed in action or subsequently died of wounds received and nine died in non-battle accidents or from natural causes.

  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the Iraqi prisoners of war captured by British forces have been(a) designated unlawful combatants and (b) transferred to other facilities outside Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [125799]

  Mr. Ingram
  As of 15 July 2003, the United States is holding one prisoner of war and 71 other persons captured by British forces, who are either suspected of committing criminal offences or are interned where necessary for imperative reasons of security in accordance with the Fourth Geneva Convention. All other British captured prisoners of war have been released under the supervision of British forces, and with the knowledge of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The United Kingdom does not use the designation unlawful combatant.

  War Detainees
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of the detainees held at(a) Guantanamo, (b) Bagram Air base and (c) Diego Garcia were originally captured by British forces; and if he will make a statement. [125798]

  Mr. Ingram
  No detainees are held at Diego Garcia. Of the detainees held at Bagram and at Guantanamo Bay, none were captured by British forces.

  Mobile Phones
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was to his Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials in each year since 1997. [123141]
  404W
  Mr. Caplin
  The information requested is set out in the following table:

  Cost of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials

  £ millions

  (January to December)

  Total Cost1

  1999

  2.637

  2000

  2.656

  2001

  2.368

  2002

  3.395

  1 Cost of equipment, call charges and access charges.

  Information for 1997 and 1998 is not available. All figures quoted are exclusive of VAT. The figures also exclude a number of Ministry of Defence users with local agreements who use other networks. Information on this expenditure is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Porton Down
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 4 June 2003,Official Report, column 451W, on Porton Down, if he will provide information on specific breeds from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory in a similar form to that supplied by the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency in a letter to the hon. Member for Portsmouth South of 22 July 1998 (Ref DERA/SEC/S/1/255/98). [119161]

  Mr. Caplin
  As my hon. Friend, the then Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Defence (Dr. Moonie) indicated to the hon. Member in his response of 4 June 2003,Official Report, column 451W, more detailed information on the specific breeds used is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost. In general terms, the breeds of animals used in scientific procedures from 1997–2002 are as follows:

  Breeds of animals used in scientific procedures 1997–2002

  Species

  Breeds commonly used at DSTL Porton Down.

  Mouse

  Mainly BALB/C, also Porton mouse, hybrids

  Pig

  Large White Cross

  Sheep

  Polled Dorset 2000 and 2001, previously mules and cross breeds

  Rat

  Porton Wistar

  Macaque

  Rhesus

  Marmoset

  Common

  Goat

  No one particular breed

  Guinea pig

  Dunkin Hartley

  Hamster

  Syrian

  Rabbit

  Now all New Zealand White, previously also Dutch belted.

  Service Deployments
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the(a) Army, (b) RAF and (c) Naval Service is (i) preparing for, (ii) recovering from and (iii) deployed on operations. [125621]

  Mr. Caplin
  I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

  Service Personnel (Alcohol Expenditure)
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent investigation he has made of alcohol consumption levels in the armed forces; and what alcohol education measures are being taken. [125506]

  Mr. Caplin
  There has been no recent specific investigation into alcohol consumption levels in the armed forces. The armed forces employ vigorous education programmes—including pamphlets, films and lectures—at all stages of military training and Service to promote sensible drinking, and to ensure that personnel are aware of the dangers of alcohol misuse. The programmes are regularly reviewed and updated as necessary, and are complemented by administrative and disciplinary measures to deter alcohol misuse within the Services.

  Suez Medal
  Mr. Gerald Howarth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many representations have been made to his Department by veterans of the Suez campaign regarding eligibility for a Suez Medal Clasp. [125941]

  Mr. Caplin
  Since 11 June, when my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister announced in the House that the Naval General Service Medal 1915–62 and the General Service Medal 1918–62 would be awarded for service in the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954, the Ministry of Defence received 4,896 representations. These consisted of 4,790 applications for the medal to the four single Service medal offices, eight parliamentary questions, 44 letters from hon. Members and 54 letters from members of the public. In addition, there have been an unknown number of telephone calls to the Ministry of Defence about the new medal.

  Territorial Army
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of the Territorial Army remains available for mobilisation; how many TA soldiers this represents; and what proportion of the Territorial Army will be available for mobilisation at the start of 2004. [124497]

  Mr. Caplin
  Taking into account those personnel who have,(a) already been mobilised for operational deployment; (b) are considered not yet Fit For Role (defined as the minimum level of training required for mobilisation); (c) are serving on full-time reserve Service: or (d) have already been deployed at some point over the last three years1; some 12,000 soldiers, or 30 per cent. of the Territorial Army remain available for compulsory mobilisation.

  This figure does not take into account those members of the TA who would be prepared to volunteer to be mobilised, which could lead to a marked increase of the overall number of personnel available for mobilisation.

  It is not possible to provide an accurate picture of what this figure will be in January 2004, as too many variables exist. We continue to keep the situation under review.
  1Members of the TA may be compulsorily mobilized for 12 months over a three-year period, extendable in certain circumstances.

  Written Ministerial Statements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Department since 29 October 2002. [126621]

  Mr. Caplin
  The Ministry of Defence has made 108 written ministerial statements since 29 October 2002 up to and including 15 July 2003.

HEALTH

  Assisted Suicide/Euthanasia
  Ann Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on his policy on the conclusions of the 1994 House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics on the legalisation of assisted suicide and euthanasia. [126040]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The question of whether of not to legalise euthanasia was considered in great detail by the House of Lords Select Committee on Medical Ethics, reporting in 1994. The Committee concluded that the practice of euthanasia could not be supported, partly because of the difficulties in setting secure limits on voluntary euthanasia and also because of concerns that vulnerable people might feel pressure, whether real or imagined, to request early death. The Government's position has been that it shares the views of the Committee, that any proposal to change the law in this area would need to be considered very carefully and that we have no plans to change the current law.

  Aston Hall Hospital
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what capital resources will be made available to ensure that the reprovisioning of Aston Hall hospital proceeds. [126061]

  Dr. Ladyman
  I refer my hon. Friend to the response I gave him on 1 July 2003,Official Report, column 227W.

  Boarding Schools
  Mr. Gummer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many complaints have been received about boarding provision at(a) Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference and Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools boarding schools and (b) all boarding schools in each of the last five years. [125174]

  Dr. Ladyman
  The information requested is available only centrally since 1 April 2002, when the National Care Standards Commission came into operation.

  Since April 2002, there have been six complaints about schools who are members of the Headmasters and Headmistresses Conference and Incorporated Association of Preparatory Schools boarding schools and nine complaints about other boarding schools.

  Cancer Services
  Laura Moffatt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress is being made to appoint more cancer nurse specialists. [124602]
  407W
  Mr. Hutton
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Norwich, North (Dr. Gibson) on 10 July 2003,Official Report, column 1001–02W.

  Mr. Havard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how much blood transfusions for cancer patients cost the NHS in each of the last five years; and what the main costs were; [123379]

  (2) how many cancer patients have had their chemotherapy postponed in the last year because of bed shortages; [123380]

  (3) what estimate he has made in the last year of the number of bed days that would be saved if alternatives to blood transfusions were used for cancer patients; [123381]

  (4) what information on blood transfusion and its alternatives is provided to cancer patients who are being treated for anaemia-related fatigue. [123383]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Information on the cost to the national health service of blood transfusions for cancer patients and on the numbers of cancer patients who have had their chemotherapy treatment postponed due to bed shortages is not collected centrally.

  The Department does not collect data centrally that would enable it to make an accurate assessment of the potential economic benefits, such as saved bed days, of using alternatives to blood transfusions.

  There is a national patient information leaflet published earlier this year and produced by the National Blood Service for patients who may receive a blood transfusion. The leaflet includes a section on alternatives to blood transfusions—although this is directed principally at surgical rather than cancer patients. When the leaflet is next reviewed, consideration will be given to providing more information en other possible alternatives to blood transfusion. In addition, guidance on information provision for cancer patients will be included in supportive and palliative care guidance currently being produced by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence. We expect the guidance to be published early next year.

  Delayed Discharge
  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are waiting, in hospitals in(a) Chesham and Amersham and (b) Buckinghamshire for placements in care homes. [123906]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The information requested is not collected centrally at that level. However, at the fourth quarter of 2002–03, there were 47 people occupying an acute hospital bed and waiting for placement in a care home in the Thames Valley Health Authority area.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions he has had with local authority social services departments regarding the funding of care homes. [126094]

  Dr. Ladyman
  I have not yet had discussions with particular local authorities regarding the funding of care homes. I am, however, aware that the care home sector has been experiencing financial difficulties. That is why we are giving local councils record levels of funding.
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  Resources for social services have increased by 20 per cent. in real terms between 1996–97 and 2002–03, an average of over 3 per cent. per annum and will continue to increase over the next three years by an average of 6 per cent. per annum in real terms. Local councils will be able to use these substantial extra resources to increase local provision or to rebalance the care home market and increase fee levels if that is what is needed.

  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice he has issued to care home proprietors faced with(a) the need to appoint staff to meet statutory requirements and (b) delays in processing Criminal Records Bureau clearances. [125813]

  Dr. Ladyman
  [holding answer 15 July 2003]: The Department has not issued formal guidance to care home providers about what to do when the processing application of the application for a criminal record disclosure takes longer than normal. Under the Care Standards Act all care homes in England are regulated by the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC). It is for the NCSC to satisfy itself that care homes conform to statutory requirements and the commission provides appropriate guidance to providers on meeting the requirements.

  The performance of the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) has now greatly improved. In the week ending 5 July, the CRB issued 95 per cent. of standard disclosures within two weeks and 94 per cent. of enhanced disclosures within four weeks, against a service standard of 90 per cent. in each case.

  However, for those occasions when, for whatever reason, the issue of a disclosure may take longer than normal the NCSC has published guidance for care provider. This is available on its website at www.carestandards. org.uk.

  Charges Policy
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Government policy is on charges for health services.[125417]

  Mr. Hutton
  Treatment provided by the national health service is free at the point of delivery, except in cases where specific legislation has been passed allowing a charge to be made. The current services for which a charge can be made are:

  prescriptions

  dental services

  the supply of optical appliances by the hospital eye service

  treatment of private patients

  treatment of overseas visitors

  appliances such as wigs and fabric supports

  The NHS can also charge for the provision of accommodation and services for private resident and non-resident patients.

  In addition to the above, NHS hospitals can charge for certain patient services using income generation powers. However, a charge can only be made where the service is considered to be additional treatments over and above the normal service provision. Any item or

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  service that is considered to be an integral part of a patient's treatment by their clinician will remain free of charge.

  Children's Hospices
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of children's hospices(a) within and (b) outside the NHS. [125693]

  Dr. Ladyman
  There are currently 28 children's hospices in England, all of which are run by voluntary organisations.

  Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham of 3 July 2003,Official Report, columns 477–78W, what arrangements are in place to ensure confidential and personal information not required by the Commission for Patient and Public Involvement in Health is destroyed or otherwise kept secure. [124868]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Guidance on the retention and disposal arrangements for Community Health Council (CHC) records, including secure handling of confidential records, was issued to CHCs on 17 June 2003. Based on the principles of this guidance, more detailed guidance has subsequently been issued locally.

  Criminal Records Checks
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of delays in handling checks by the Criminal Records Bureau on the NHS. [125557]

  Mr. Hutton
  The national health service has faced some minor problems when recruiting new staff—as a result of the operating difficulties at the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB). We have agreed a number of arrangements with the CRB to expedite the clearance of disclosure applications for NHS staff. The performance of the CRB has now greatly improved. In the week ending 5 July, the CRB issued 95 per cent., of standard disclosures within two weeks and 94 per cent. of enhanced disclosures within four weeks, against a service standard of 90 per cent. in each case. These arrangements and the CRB's improved performance has enabled the NHS to manage delays at the CRB without any significant adverse effect on patient services.

  Deep Vein Thrombosis
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department gives to reduce the risk of deep vein thrombosis in children. [124701]

  Dr. Ladyman
  Advice has been issued for groups of people at risk of developing deep vein thrombosis during air travel, where freedom of movement may be restricted for periods of time. Risk increases with age and with the presence of various health and life style factors. These are described on the Departments website at: http://www.doh.gov.uk/dvt/. Advice is also available by phoning NHS Direct. Children are not at risk of 410W
  developing deep vein thrombosis unless there is a preexisting medical condition or history which predisposes them to develop this condition. In this event, advice on how to minimise the risk will be provided by the clinical staff responsible for the child's care.

  Dentists
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures are taken to recoup the value of NHS-funded equipment from those dentists who choose to go private. [125769]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  [holding answer 15 July 2003]: General dental service (GDS) dentists are paid fees which cover both their income and expenses. The expense element of the fees covers the cost of the equipment as it is used. The equipment is owned by the dentist. Most dentists who do private work also continue to do GDS work.

  Dentists may also qualify for special capital grants payments through incentive schemes which operate from time to time. Conditions for such schemes have generally included a requirement to maintain or increase national health service commitment and a term allowing recovery of payments, if these requirements are not complied with.

  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS registered dentists are working within the London borough of Wandsworth. [126180]

  Mr. Hutton
  The number of national health service dentists within the Wandsworth Primary Care Trust in the general dental service (GDS), salaried service of the GDS, community and hospital dental services at 30 September 2002 are shown in the table.

  NHS Dental Services: Number of Dentists at 30 September 2002

  Wandsworth PCT

  General dental service (GDS)1

  130

  Salaried service of the GDS

  4

  Community dental service

  26

  Hospital dental service

  18

  1 GDS covers Principals on the Health Authority list, Assistants and Vocational Dental Practitioners.

  Eating Disorders
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the new specialist services set up to treat patients with anorexia as a result of the report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists on eating disorders in 1998. [125089]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The report by the Royal College of Psychiatrists was published in 2001 and has contributed to two new pieces of work into this very serious disorder.

  The National Development Group for Specialised Services, chaired by Professor Appleby, the National Director for Mental Health, has recently reviewed this issue and will report its findings in the autumn.

  In addition, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is preparing guidelines for the treatment of anorexia. These are expected to be issued towards the end of this year.
  411W
  It is anticipated that proposals for service development will emerge from these three important pieces of work.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many deaths there were of patients suffering from anorexia, broken down by age, in each year since 1997; [125090]

  (2) what the average cost was of treating a patient suffering from anorexia in each of the last three years; [125091]

  (3) what the waiting time for patients with anorexia was to see a consultant in each primary care trust in each of the last three years. [125093]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Anorexia is a severe condition, mainly but not exclusively, affecting younger women, which can lead to death in about 15 per cent. of cases. It may affect as many as 1 per cent. of women and is a matter of considerable concern to the Department of Health.

  A new group, the National Development Group for Specialised Services, chaired by the National Director for Mental Health, Professor Appleby, have recently reviewed this issue and will report their findings in the autumn.

  In addition, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is preparing guidelines far the treatment of anorexia and these are expected to be issued towards the end of this year. Unfortunately, Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) data, which relate to diagnostic information for in-patients in national health service hospitals who have finished their hospital episodes under the care of a consultant specialist, are not collected in a form that reliably permits breakdown of the statistics on deaths following admission to hospital by diagnostic category.

  Treatment costs associated with the care of such patients are normally be spread across primary care as well as secondary specialised services and information about overall cost is not captured in a way that permits analysis by diagnostic category.

  Furthermore, summary information about waiting times to see a consultant psychiatrist is collected, but this is not broken down by diagnostic category.

  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health where specialist services treating patients with anorexia are based. [125096]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Anorexia is a severe condition, mainly but not exclusively affecting younger women, which can lead to death in as many as 15 per cent. of cases. It may affect as many as one per cent. of women, and is a matter of considerable concern to the Department of Health.

  The most recent survey indicates that there are approximately 70 units in the national health service and the independent sector specialising in eating disorders, including anorexia.

  There continues to be a bias in provision towards the south-east of the country, with the south-west and north-east of England, as well as Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland having the fewest services in proportion to their populations.
  412W
  A new group, the National Development Group for Specialised Services, chaired by Professor Appleby, the National Director for Mental Health, has recently reviewed this issue and will report its findings in the autumn.

  In addition, the National Institute for Clinical Excellence is preparing guidelines for the treatment of anorexia. These are expected to be issued towards the end of this year.

  Emergency Planning
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what representations he has received on the capacity of primary care trusts to undertake their emergency planning roles. [122102]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Department of Health has not received any representations on the capacity of primary care trusts (PCTs) to undertake their emergency planning roles.

  The review of major incident planning capacity carried out by the Department earlier this year revealed that PCTs have satisfactory emergency planning arrangements in place against eight set criteria: clarity, coherence, contingencies, collaboration, credibility, capability, communications and commitment.

  The outcome of the review is now being used to develop a programme of work to further strengthen emergency planning in the national health service. This includes revised guidance, currently being developed by the Department, the Health Protection Agency and the NHS. The guidance will be issued shortly.

  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made with plans for a poster campaign advising what to do in the event of a chemical or biological attack; and if he will make a statement on other plans to inform the public(a) in preparation for and (b) in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear incident. [122101]

  Mr. Hutton
  Public communications on issues including health in preparation for and in the event of a chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear (CBRN) incident are planned and co-ordinated in a cross-Government context. The Department of Health is working closely with the Home Office CBRN Resilience Team and Government Information and Communication Service (GIGS) in the Cabinet Office. Information about terrorism and sensible measures for emergencies are available on the Home Office terrorism website. Further details on chemical and biological deliberate releases are also available on the Department of Health and Health Protection Agency websites.

  Information and advice to the public will be made available in the event of a discernible threat of a specific incident.

  Endometriosis
  Mr. Cameron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the incidence of endometriosis was in the Thames Valley Health Authority in the last year for which figures are available. [124908]
  413W
  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The incidence of endometriosis for 2001–02, the last year for which figures are available, for the Thames Valley Health Authority is shown in the table.

  Primary Diagnosis (ICD10 N80) Endometriosis: Finished consultant episodes Count of finished admission episodes by selected health authorities (HAs) of treatment. NHS Hospitals, 2001–02

  Health authority of treatment

  Description

  Total episodes

  QA7

  Berkshire HA

  161

  QA8

  Buckinghamshire HA

  211

  QCE

  Oxfordshire HA

  168

  Total

  Thames Valley1

  540

  1Thames Valley Strategic Health Authority was created in April 2002 by the merger of the three HAs quoted above.

  Notes:

  1. Admissions are defined as the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one healthcare provider. Please note that admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year.

  2. Figures have not yet been adjusted for shortfalls in data (i.e. the data is ungrossed).

  3. The primary diagnosis is the first of seven diagnosis fields in the HES data set, and provides the main reason why the patient was in hospital.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health, England.

  Epilepsy
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the(a) number and (b) proportion of misdiagnoses of epilepsy in England over the last three years. [125010]

  Dr. Ladyman
  We have not made an estimate of the number or proportion of people misdiagnosed with epilepsy in England over the last three years. However, recent reports from the Clinical Standards Advisory Group—"Services for Patients with Epilepsy" (2000) and the Chief Medical Officer—"On the State of the Public Health" (2001) showed that around 20 per cent. of people receiving inappropriate and unnecessary treatment. The National Institute for Clinical Excellence is developing a clinical guideline for the diagnosis, management and treatment of epilepsy, which is due in June 2004 and which will help address any shortfalls in current practice.

  Food Safety
  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Food Standards Agency's strategy for ensuring food safety through the testing of food samples at public analyst laboratories; [123609]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the numbers of (a) tests of food samples and (b) public analyst laboratories. [123610]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  It is the responsibility of the Food Standards Agency (FSA) to monitor the food sampling carried out under the Food Safety Act 1990 by local authorities. I am aware that the FSA has raised its concerns about the general decline in food sampling and the wide variation in sampling levels between 414W
  authorities. Given the importance of food sampling and analyses as part of a local authority food law enforcement service, I am pleased to note that the FSA is taking forward a number of initiatives in close liaison with local authorities and the Association of Public Analysts to address these concerns and to ensure that food sampling contributes effectively to consumer protection. Initiatives include:
  Working with Local Authorities Coordinators of Regulatory Services and the Association of Public Analysts to develop better coordination and targeting of UK food sampling activity;
  Auditing local authorities with low levels of sampling activity and requiring remedial action plans;
  A specific audit programme focused on sampling arrangements including visits to Public Analyst and Health Protection Agency laboratories to help identify key actions necessary to address sampling activity;
  Developing a UK Samples Database to help local authorities and the Agency target sampling programmes effectively; and
  New guidance on food sampling for local authority enforcement officers.

  I am aware that the Association of Public Analysts has expressed concerns about the impact that declining sampling levels have had on the viability of certain individual public analyst laboratories. Relevant initiatives being taken forward by the FSA to improve local authority food sampling activity are being carried out in close liaison with the Association of Public Analysts to help ensure appropriate laboratory capacity and analytical capabilities.

  A paper on food sampling was discussed by the FSA Board at an open meeting on 10 July 2003 at Kensington Town Hall.

  Food Supplements
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the implications of the Food Supplements Directive for the availability of food supplements. [123617]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  It is not yet possible to determine the true impact of the Directive on the future continued availability of products currently on the United Kingdom market, which will depend on future developments on maximum limits and lists of permitted nutrients and nutrient sources. The Government recognise that some products will be lost from the UK market from 1 August 2005 because of restrictions on nutrient sources which will apply from that date.

  Article 5 of Directive 2002/46/EC on Food Supplements sets out principles for setting European Union maximum limits for vitamins and minerals in food supplements, al though no specific figures have yet been set. Discussion on maximum limits at EU level will follow publication of advice from the European Food Safety Authority. We do not expect the European Commission to issue its proposal on maximum limits before the end of this year.

  Foundation Hospitals
  Hywel Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health in what way foundation hospitals in England will be accountable to their patients from Wales. [123848]
  415W
  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 7 July 2003]: Subject to meeting minimum legislative requirements, as set out in the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Bill, national health service foundation trusts will have flexibility to ensure local accountability. A NHS foundation trust would be able to define its membership community to include patients in Wales and would have the flexibility to provide a place on the Board of Governors for Welsh commissioners if that was appropriate.

  General Practitioners
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many general practitioners there are per head of population in England. [126069]

  Mr. Hutton
  The number of all general medical practitioners, all practitioners per head of population and all practitioners per 100,000 population in England as at 30 September 2002 is shown in the table.

  All General Medical Practitioners1 in England, as at 30 September 2002

  England

  Numbers (headcount)

  All Practitioners1

  32,292

  All Practitioners per head of population

  0.0007

  All Practitioners per 100,000 population

  65.4

  1 All Practitioners includes CMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (para 52 SFA), PMS Other and GP Retainers.

  Source:

  Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

  Government Actuary's Department (GAD) 2001 based resident population projections for mid year 2002.

  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many vacancies for general practitioners there are in the London borough of Wandsworth. [126179]

  Mr. Hutton
  There are 6.5 general practitioner vacancies in Wandsworth.

  Homeless People
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of homeless people are registered with general practitioners. [125852]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 15 July 2003]: This information is not held or collected centrally—data on the number of homeless people do not include information on how many are registered with a general practitioner and general practice registration data do not identify those who are homeless.

  Infant Infection
  Andrew Mackinlay
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement about measures being taken to reduce the risk of babies being infected by Group B streptococcus; and if he will make a statement. [123057]

  Dr. Ladyman
  The UK National Screening Committee (NSC) makes recommendations to Ministers on all aspects of screening programmes. The 416W
  NSC has advised that there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that routine screening of all pregnant women in the United Kingdom and treating those carrying Group B Streptococcus with intravenous antibiotics during labour would be beneficial. The NSC has however commissioned an assessment of the existing evidence on screening against the criteria used to assess potential screening programmes. At the adjournment debate on this issue on 9 July 2003, Ministers asked the NSC to review the position thoroughly as quickly as possible and to consider recommendations at its meeting in December 2003.

  Infectious Patients
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 24 June 2003,Official Report, column 721W, on infectious patients, if he will publish the results of the risk assessments undertaken in 2000. [124553]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  These risk assessments were not collected centrally. Chief executives in acute national health service trusts were required to:undertake a risk assessment to determine appropriate provision of isolation facilities within the trust: and
  agree the level and type of provision with the regional office.

  IT Procurement
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health for what reasons the Shires Acute and Community Hospital EPR Procurement Programme was terminated. [120372]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Shires Electronic Patient Records (EPR) procurement did not proceed to final award of contract primarily on grounds of affordability. This was a local procurement that decided it did not have sufficient funds to cover the costs and contract for the first three years.

  The National Programme for Information Technology (NpfIT) in the national health service is currently procuring an integrated care records service, which will provide, as part of its first phase, the functionality that the Shires EPR would have delivered. The national procurement approach will provide better value for money for taxpayers.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) if he will make a statement on IT procurement policy for the NHS; [123504]

  (2) if he will make a statement on IT procurement policy in (a) the south-west region and (b) the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire Strategic Health Authority area; [123505]

  (3) what role Integrated Line Records Services will play within future IT procurement policy. [123506]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 4 July 2003]: The approach to procurement for the National Programme for Information Technology (NPfIT) in the national health service was published in January 2003 and can be found at www.doh.gov.uk/ipu/whatnew/procapp.pdf

  NPfIT is currently managing a national procurement for an integrated care records service (ICRS). An Official Journal of the European Community (OJEC)

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  contract notice was issued on 31 January 2003 and we are now evaluating pre-qualified bidders responses before proceeding to shortlist. It is proceeding as rapidly as good practice allows.

  Phase 1 of ICRS to December 2004 will provide clinicians, whether they are in primary, community or secondary care settings, with the capability to email, browse internet/intranet sites, view basic clinical information relating to their patients (demographics), electronically transfer limited clinical correspondence, laboratory reports and some radiology results. New ICRS solutions will also provide integrated support for national service framework data collection.

  Procurement in the South West will be part of national arrangements designed to minimise risk and maximise value for money in the NHS by the award of contracts to local service providers. For the provision of IT services by local service providers, England will be grouped into five geographic clusters based upon the pairing of geographically adjoining Government Office regions and will each incorporate a number of strategic health authorities (SHAs).

  There will be a total of five contracts awarded and a maximum of five local service providers covering: London; North East, Yorkshire and Humberside; South East and South West; East of England and East Midlands; West Midlands and North West. The first two contracts will be awarded by the end of October 2003 to London and North East, Yorkshire and Humberside.

  Each SHA will have a relationship with a dedicated local service provider to provide a range of applications, systems and services and will be responsible for integrating or replacing the computer systems needed to support the clinical applications being delivered by the NPfIT. Each local service provider will also have responsibility for the management of legacy systems as part of their overall remit.

  Knee and Hip Replacements
  Mrs. Calton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 1 July 2003,Official Report, column 232W, on knee and hip joints, what auditing procedures are in place for charges made to NHS and private patients for the parts used in knee and hip joint replacement operations. [124879]

  Mr. Hutton
  All national health service trusts are required to have in place financial management and audit arrangements. These aim to ensure that private patients are correctly charged for the goods and services they receive, including prostheses used in hip and knee replacements. NHS patients are not charged for their treatment or for the prostheses.

  Midwives
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average age of midwives was in each year since 1990. [124255]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested is shown in the table.
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  NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): average age of qualified midwives in England as at 30 September for specified years

  Headcount

  Average age of qualified midwives1

  NHS Hospital and Community Health Services (HCHS): average age of qualified midwives in England as at 30 September for specified years

  Headcount

  Average age of qualified midwives1

  1990

  38

  19912

  —

  19922

  —

  19932

  —

  1994

  38

  1995

  39

  1996

  39

  1997

  39

  1998

  40

  1999

  40

  2000

  41

  2001

  41

  2002

  41

  1 Average ages are rounded to the nearest year.

  2 For 1991 to 1993, the age of midwives is known only within bands.

  Source:

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

  MRI Scanners
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the recommended minimum number of radiographers is to each MRI scanner. [125149]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 11 July 2003]: The Department of Health has not issued a recommendation on the minimum number of radiographers required for each mirror resonance imaging scanner. Staffing levels for all clinical and medical staff groups are determined locally, consistent with trust requirements, professional recommendations and other local healthcare needs.

  Neurology Nurse Specialists
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the need for neurology nurse specialists in the hospital trust areas covering Portsmouth; what the current staffing requirement is for each of the trusts; what the current level of staffing is of each; what plans he has to make changes to staffing levels; and if he will make a statement. [124857]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The information requested is not collected centrally. The non-medical workforce census collects information annually on the number of nurses employed in the national health service as at 30 September each year but cannot distinguish those who are specialist neurological nurses.

  Workforce is recognised as key to the successful delivery of the NHS Plan and the national service frameworks. The long term conditions care group workforce team (LTC CGWT) has been set up to support workforce development in the fields of diabetes, renal and long term conditions. The LTC CGWT addresses workforce planning for neurological nurses. Its aim is to help deliver a multidisciplinary and

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  integrated health and social care workforce to support service improvement. Membership of the LTC CGWT includes representatives of the Neurological Alliance and the North West Clinical Neuroscience Partnership.

  NHS Professionals
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many agency staff of all grades NHS Professionals has employed to carry out its central functions and administration in each month; and at what cost; [124303]

  (2) what the (a) start up and (b) quarterly costs of NHS Professionals have been since its inception; how many staff have been employed; and at what cost; [124304]

  (3) which NHS trusts NHS Professionals has had contracts with in each month since its inception; when those contracts were entered into; when they ended; and what their value was; [124305]

  (4) how many agency staff NHS Professionals has deployed in each month since its inception; what the cost was to NHS Professionals of deploying staff; and what the income received from NHS trusts was; [124306]

  (5) how many and what grades of staff have been retained for agency work by NHS Professionals in each month since its inception. [124307]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested on the staffing of NHS Professionals is not collected centrally, but is available from individual NHS Professionals service providers.

  NHS Professionals was allocated £7 million to support the start up of pilot sites. A further £24 million has been invested in 2002–03 to support roll out and we will continue to invest in NHS Professionals to ensure implementation. We have also earmarked up to £35 million to support the establishment of the NHS Professionals Special Health Authority by the end of this year, and continuing development in 2004–05. Thereafter, the special health authority should operate on a self-financing basis delivering more cost effective temporary staff to the national health service.

  The NHS trusts which are using NHS Professionals are shown in the following list. Information on contracts and staffing is not available centrally.

  NHS trusts which host NHS Professionals include the expenditure for deploying agency staff in their accounts and financial returns. The trusts are St. Mary's NHS Trust Paddington, Barking, Having and Redbridge NHS Trust, West Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, John Radcliffe NHS Trust, East and North Herts NHS Trust and North Bristol NHS Trust. NHS trusts which utilise the services of "NHS Professionals" are recharged for these services and will also include these payments in their own accounts and financial returns.

  There are 50,000 staff registered with NHS Professionals. Information on grades of staff is not available.
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  NHS Trusts using NHS Professionals

  Aintree Hospitals NHS Trust

  Barking Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust

  Bath and NE Somerset PCT, Bath

  Cherwell Vale PCT, Oxfordshire

  Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester

  City Hospital Sunderland NHS Trust

  Dudley Group of Hospitals NHS Trust, Stourbridge

  East and North Herts NHS Trust, Stevenage

  East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust

  Epping Forest PCT

  George Eliot NHS Trust, Nuneaton

  Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust

  Harlow PCT

  Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Trust, Newport

  Lancashire Care NHS Trust, Preston

  Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, Leicester

  Mid Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust, Wakefield

  North Bristol NHS Trust, Bristol

  North Cheshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  North East Oxfordshire PCT

  North Essex Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

  North Mersey Community NHS Trust

  North Middlesex University Hospital

  Nottingham City Hospital NHS Trust

  Nuffield Orthopaedic Centre NHS Trust, Oxford

  Oxford City PCT

  Oxford Learning Disability NHS Trust

  Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust

  Oxfordshire Mental Healthcare NHS Trust

  Penine Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, Oldham

  Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust, Harlow

  Royal Liverpool Children's NHS Trust

  Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Trust

  Royston, Buntingford and Bishops Stortford PCT

  Salford Royal Hospitals NHS Trust

  Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  South East Oxfordshire PCT

  South Leeds PCT

  South Manchester University Hospitals NHS Trust

  South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust, Middlesbrough

  South West Oxfordshire PCT

  South West Yorkshire Mental Health NHS Trust

  St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust

  St. Marys NHS Trust, London

  Stockport NHS Trust

  United Lincolnshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  University College London Hospitals NHS Trust

  University Hospital, Nottingham NHS Trust

  Uttlesford PCT, Essex

  Walsall PCT

  Walton Neurology and Neurosurgery NHS Trust, Liverpool

  West Middlesex University Hospitals NHS Trust

  Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust

  Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  Worcestershire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust

  NHS Services (Gloucestershire)
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the results of the NHS GP survey in Gloucestershire. [121878]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Two areas, acute and primary care, were surveyed as part of the National 2002 Patient Survey Programme. The results have been disseminated on a strategic health authority (SHA) basis. This will allow for the cross-comparison of both the acute and the primary care data for local benchmarking purposes. The approach enables SHAs to maintain an overview of how results are formulated into local follow-up plans.

  Information on the results of the NHS GP Survey in Gloucestershire is available from the Chief Executive of the Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire strategic health authority.

  NHS Staff Absence
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the absence rates in the NHS were in days per employee per year in(a) England and (b) each region in each year since 1997. [125293]

  Mr. Hutton
  Figures for sickness absence in England were not collected by the Department of Health between 1997 and 1999. The table shows the figures published for sickness absence in England and its regions and covers the period from 1999 to 2001. Figures for 2002 will be published in the near future.

  We do not collect or produce information for numbers of days lost per employee, but publish the figures as a percentage lost of the time they should have been available for work. General practitioners and their staff are not included in these figures as we do not collect this information.

  Percentage

  1999

  2000

  2001

  England

  4.9

  4.7

  4.8

  Regions

  Eastern

  4.7

  4.8

  4.8

  London

  4.4

  4.0

  4.2

  North West

  5.5

  5.1

  5.0

  Northern and Yorkshire

  4.9

  4.9

  4.8

  South East

  4.4

  4.1

  4.4

  South West

  5.0

  4.8

  4.8

  Trent

  4.9

  5.0

  5.3

  West Midlands

  5.3

  5.0

  5.0

  Nursing Homes (Wandsworth)
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) private and (b) public residential nursing homes are registered in the London borough of Wandsworth. [126178]

  Dr. Ladyman
  At 31 March 2001, there were 58 registered independent general and mental nursing homes in Merton, Sutton and Wandsworth health authority. There are no registered public sector nursing care homes. Separate figures are not available for Wandsworth.

  Obesity
  Mr. Swire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the cost to the NHS of treating obesity related health problems in the last five years. [125142]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Figures for the cost to the national health service of treating obesity related health problems in the List five years are not available. However, the National Audit Office (NAO) report, "Tackling Obesity in England", published in February 2001, estimated that the direct cost to the NHS of treating obesity in 1998 was £9.4 million. The NAO also estimated that treating the consequences of obesity cost the NHS approximately £469.9 million for 1998.

  Overseas Patients
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health with which countries the UK has reciprocal arrangements for free medical treatment. [126014]

  Mr. Hutton
  The healthcare co-ordination arrangements contained in Regulations (EEC) 1408/71 and 574/72 apply in all the member states of the European Economic Area (EEA) and Switzerland. The United Kingdom also has bilateral healthcare arrangements with more than 30 non-EEA countries and territories.

  A fundamental principle underlying all the arrangements is that emergency treatment is provided under the state healthcare scheme to entitled visitors on the same terms as it is available to insured residents of the host country. Most countries and territories make some charges for so me services.

  Overseas Recruitment
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to recruit trained(a) doctors and (b) nurses from the Indian sub-continent to Britain. [124629]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Department of Health has agreed with the Indian Ministry of Health that the National Health Service can recruit healthcare professionals from particular states in India in compliance with the Department's International Code of Practice. A centrally managed campaign is already under way and doctors and nurses have been successfully recruited.

  Doctors and nurses from India can find out more on: www.doh.gov. uk/international-recruitment.

  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost was of the NHS recruitment seminars held in May and June in(a) Austria, (b) Germany and (c) Italy; and how many applications have been received as a consequence of these seminars. [125951]

  Mr. Hutton
  The cost of the venues for the recruitment seminars that were held in Austria, in May was £7,587 and the cost of the venues for the Italian seminars, held in June, was £6,718. The recruitment seminars in Germany in May were held in Foreign and Commonwealth buildings and therefore only incurred minimal catering costs. The Department of Health has received 181 new applications from doctors, as a result of these seminars.

  Plastic Surgery
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what regulations apply to doctors who carry out plastic surgery procedures; and if he will make a statement. [125739]

  Mr. Hutton
  All doctors who describe themselves as medical practitioners must be registered with the General Medical Council (GMC). To become a consultant in plastic surgery in the national health service, a doctor must have a Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training in the specialty.

  In the private healthcare sector, regulation by the National Care Standards Commission requires surgeons carrying out cosmetic surgery to be registered with the GMC. Those beginning to practise in the private sector after 1 April 2002 are required to be on the specialist register. Plastic surgeons who were already practising in the private sector at the time the new legislation came into force are allowed to continue practising, provided that they meet other stringent standards in qualification and training.

  Primary Care Trusts
  Mr. Wood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many appointees to primary care trust boards have met the disability criteria. [124624]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  There are currently 294 chairs of primary care trusts and 1,624 non-executive board members. Eight of the chairs and 73 of the non-executive board members are disabled.

  Purley Hospital
  Richard Ottaway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 19 June 2003,Official Report, column 174–75W, on Purley Hospital, what his definition of the Croydon South locality is; and what the maximum population is that the new hospital will serve. [124907]

  Mr. Hutton
  The proposed new Purley Hospital is primarily focused on the south of Croydon, geographically defined by the electoral wards of Kenley, Purley, Coulsdon West, Coulsdon East, Sanderstead and Chroam. In practice, some planned services will serve a slightly larger population and some a smaller population dependent on the service.

  Salt
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned on the savings to the NHS which might follow from a reduction in the average adult intake of salt to no more than six grams per day; and if he will make a statement. [122804]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Population average salt intake in the United Kingdom is currently around 9g per day. Previous studies have suggested that a reduction in salt intake from 9g to 6g per day would reduce diastolic pressure in the region of 2mm Hg.

  The recently published Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) report on Salt and Health (2003) states that, "On a population basis it has been estimated that a reduction of 2mm Hg in diastolic blood pressure
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  would result in 15 per cent. reduction in risk of stroke and transient ischaemic heart attacks and a 6 per cent. reduction in risk of coronary heart disease (Cook et al 1995). McPherson et al (2002) have estimated that 6 per cent. of deaths from coronary heart disease could be avoided if the numbers of people with high blood pressure were reduced by 50 per cent.".

  The Department has not calculated the impact of salt reduction on national health service costs. Identifying savings attributable solely to a single intervention such as salt reduction would be extremely difficult. However, the benefits to health are clear, and based on the estimates from the SACN report, there could be substantial cost benefit to the NHS.

  Smoking
  Mrs. Calton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the proportion of children and teenagers who smoke. [121353]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The 1998 White Paper "Smoking Kills" set a target to reduce smoking among 11 to 15-year-olds from 13 per cent. in 1996 to 9 per cent. by 2010 with a fall to 11 per cent. by 2005.

  Among 11 to 15-year-olds, smoking prevalence has remained unchanged since 2000 at ten per cent. and we are on course to meet our target for reducing smoking.

  The information requested is shown in the tables.

  Prevalence of regular cigarette smoking among secondary school pupils aged 11 to 15, by gender England, 1996 to 2002

  Percentages

  1996

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  2002

  Boys

  11

  9

  8

  9

  8

  9

  Girls

  15

  12

  10

  12

  11

  11

  All pupils

  13

  11

  9

  10

  10

  10

  Notes:

  1. Regular smokers are those who smoke at least one cigarette a week, on average.

  Source:

  The Department of Health Statistical Press Notice "Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England in 2002: Provisional Results" http://www.doh.gov.uk/public/spnmar03-smoking.htm

  Prevalence of smoking cigarettes among adults, aged 16–19 and gender, England 1996–2001

  Percentages

  11996

  11998

  21998

  22000

  22001

  Men

  25

  30

  30

  30

  24

  Women

  32

  33

  33

  28

  31

  All Persons

  29

  31

  31

  30

  28

  1 Unweighted

  2Weighted

  Notes:

  1. Up until 2000, data on the prevalence on smoking from the General Household Survey were only available every two years.

  2. Data for 1998 onwards were weighted to compensate for under-representation of people in some groups: earlier figures were based on unweighted data, and are not therefore directly comparable.

  3. Respondents who answered "yes" to the question "Do you smoke cigarettes at all nowadays?"

  425W
  Source:

  Office for National Statistics: General Household Survey 2001, published as 'Living in Britain: Results from the 2001 General Household Survey'. Available from the internet at: http:// www.statistics.gov.uk/lib2001/index.html.

  Strategic Health Authority Debt
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the level of indebtedness of each strategic health authority was in the last year for which figures are available; what assistance the Government is providing to meet(a) capital and (b) revenue expenditure relating to those debts; and what assessment he has made of the effects of historic indebtedness on service delivery in each authority. [124867]

  Mr. Hutton
  Strategic health authorities were established in 2002–03. Information from the individual audited accounts of these bodies will be available locally in September and centrally in autumn 2003.

  Tooth Decay
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer of 2 July 2003,Official Report, column 355W, on tooth decay, to what extent Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust have achieved (a) Target 1 and (b) Target 2. [124869]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The two national targets for tooth decay in children aged five years are:

  a reduction in the average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth to 1.0 teeth by 2003; and

  an increase in the proportion of children with no experience of cavities to 70 per cent. by 2003.

  The survey conducted by the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry in 2001–02 showed that the average number of decayed, missing and filled teeth for five-year-old children in Sutton and Merton Primary Care Trust was 1.32. The percentage of children with no experience of cavities was 62.7 per cent.

  Waiting Lists
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have been removed from NHS waiting lists in each of the past three years. [116879]

  Mr. Hutton
  The table shows the number of patients removed from the elective inpatient waiting list. Patients may be removed from waiting lists for a number of reasons such as the patient already having been admitted as an emergency for the same condition, the patient no longer requires the treatment, or the patient has died.

  Removals from the elective inpatient waiting list: England

  Removals

  2000–01

  613,931

  2001–02

  594,666

  2002–03

  600,759

  Source:

  Department of Health form KHO6

  Xenotransplantation
  Norman Baker
  "To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the review commissioned by UKXIRA from Professor Sheila McLean into xenotransplantation; and if he will make a statement. [125181]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Department of Health commissioned a series of three reviews on different aspects of xenotransplantation on behalf of the United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority (UKXIRA) between 1999 and 2001. The first two—on infection and on physiology—were published 2001 and 2002. A third review, on the legal and ethical aspects of xenotransplantation, was commissioned from Professor Sheila McLean of the University of Glasgow, who was also a member of the UKXIRA from 1997 to 2002.

  The UKXIRA has considered the review and concluded that it made some useful discussion points and that the summary of the research papers should be placed on the UKXIRA website. While there are no plans to publish Professor McLean's whole review as a Department of Health/UKXIRA document, Professor McLean is free to publish it if she wishes.

  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on xenotransplantation. [125281]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The United Kingdom Xenotransplantation Interim Regulatory Authority was established in 1997 to advise the Government on the acceptability of specific applications to undertake xenotransplantation procedures (the transplantation of live cells, tissues and organs from a non-human source into a human). It also acts as a focal point for xenotransplantation issues. Organisations undertaking research into xenotransplantation in the United Kingdom are required to comply with all relevant legislation. No clinical trials involving humans have yet been approved in the UK and currently no relevant organ transplant research is licensed in the UK under the Animals (Science Procedures) Act 1986.

CABINET OFFICE

  Asbestos
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office pursuant to his answer of 17 June 2003,Official Report, column 155W, on asbestos, if he will list the buildings which have been identified as containing asbestos. [122987]

  Mr. Alexander
  Asbestos is present in a number of historic Cabinet Office buildings going back many years to a time when asbestos was commonly used in the building profession. It is managed in accordance with the current regulations and we are on target to meet the requirements of the "Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations 2002" when they come fully into force next year. The buildings identified as containing asbestos are:

  36 and 70 Whitehall

  2 Little Smith Street

  Downing Street

  Admiralty House

  CMPS Residential Training Centre at Sunningdale.

  Written Ministerial Statements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many written ministerial statements have been made by the Office since 29 October 2002. [126612]

  Mr. Alexander
  Since 29 October 2002 I have made 24 written ministerial statements to Parliament.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Benefits Payments
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the oral answer from the Minister for Work, of 7 July 2003,Official Report, column 738, if he will list the (a) objectives referred to by the Minister and (b) time by which each such objective is to be met. [125385]

  Mr. Pond
  [holding answer 11 July 2003]: The Department has a published Public Service Agreement that by 2005, 85 per cent. of customers will have their benefits paid by Direct Payment. The successful introduction of Universal banking services on 1 April 2003 has ensured that customers will continue to be able to access their money at the Post Office if they wish—just as they do now.

  Benefits/Tax Credits
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the total United Kingdom benefit and tax credit expenditure which forms the last line of Table 1: Benefit and Tax Credit expenditure by DWP objective (nominal terms) in the Benefit Expenditure Tables found at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd4/expenditure.htm, if he will list the types of tax credit, benefits payment and other components which comprise the quoted figures; for each type of tax credit, benefit payment and other component, whether, according to the accounting methods employed in the 2003 Budget, they are classified as negative tax revenues, Government spending or a combination of the two; and for each tax credit, benefit payment and other component, what amount of tax was refunded and Government spending was incurred for each year since 2001–02 to the latest year for which figures are projected. [121328]

  Malcolm Wicks
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my right hon. Friend the Paymaster General on 3 July 2003,Official Report, columns 378–79W.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the policy of the Child Support Agency is in respect of making applications for reciprocal enforcement of maintenance orders against absent parents resident overseas; and how many such applications the CSA has made in each of the last five years. [125671]
  428W
  Mr. Pond
  The Department for Constitutional Affairs is responsible for administering reciprocal enforcement of maintenance orders for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Within Scotland, this function is performed by the Scottish Executive.

  The Child Support Agency does not have jurisdiction over cases where the non-resident parent is habitually resident outside the UK, except if he or she is employed by a British-based employer.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his oral answer of 7 July 2003,Official Report, column 733, when he plans to make a further report on the performance of the Child Support Agency. [125365]

  Mr. Andrew Smith
  I stated on 7 July 2003 during oral questions,Official Report, column 733, that I would shortly report to the House on progress in implementation of the new child support scheme. I have today placed that report in the Library.

  Disability Living Allowance
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was claimed in disability living allowance in Scotland in 2002–03, broken down by local authority. [125555]

  Maria Eagle
  The information is in the table.

  Disability living allowance: estimated expenditure in Scotland in the financial year, April 2002 to March 2003, by local authority area

  £ million

  Local authority

  Expenditure

  Aberdeen City

  25

  Aberdeenshire

  25

  Angus

  12

  Argyll and Bute

  10

  The Scottish Borders

  11

  Clackmannanshire

  9

  West Dumbartonshire

  19

  Dumfries and Galloway

  22

  [Dundee City

  24

  East Ayrshire

  21

  East Dumbartonshire

  12

  East Lothian

  13

  East Renfrewshire

  8

  City of Edinburgh

  53

  Falkirk

  23

  Fife

  54

  Glasgow City

  140

  Highland

  24

  Inverclyde

  16

  Midlothian

  14

  Moray

  8

  North Ayrshire

  23

  North Lanarkshire

  70

  Orkney Islands

  2

  Perth and Kinross

  13

  Renfrewshire

  31

  Shetland Isles

  2

  South Ayrshire

  17

  South Lanarkshire

  54

  Stirling

  13

  West Lothian

  27

  Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

  3

  Total Scotland

  800

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  Notes:

  1. Expenditure has been assigned to local authority areas by matching postcodes against the relevant Office of National Statistics postcode directory.

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

  3. Because of relatively small sample sizes at local authority level, the figures are subject to a greater margin of error than would be associated with national level expenditure estimates; all results are rounded to the nearest £1 million, but may not be accurate to this level.

  4. Totals may not sum due to rounding.

  Source:

  Information and Analysis Directorate, GB estimated outturn expenditure for 2002–03 apportioned using local authority data from the DLA Quarterly Statistical Enquiry.

  Entitlement Card
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions his Department has had with the Home Office about(a) the possible introduction of an entitlement card scheme, (b) the use to which such a card would be put on the matters for which he is responsible and (c) the costs and funding of the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [124918]

  Mr. Pond
  Along with other Government Departments, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has consulted with the Home Office in respect of the possible introduction of an entitlement card scheme. A very high-level consideration of impacts upon the Departments business, should the entitlement card scheme be introduced, has been made. Our initial considerations have focused upon the potential application of the National Insurance number (NINO) to the scheme, and to impacts upon our current and future business processes. However, at this stage, it is not possible to respond in any greater detail.

  EU Committees
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many officials in the Department serve on EU committees or working parties. [116093]

  Mr. Pond
  Membership of EU committees and working parties is not fixed, and depending on the subject matter under consideration, the most appropriate policy officials attend these meetings. 141 officials currently serve on 158 EU committees and working parties.

  Of these, 82 officials serve on 116 Health and Safety groups, and 16 officials (serving 14 education committees and working parties) work for the Joint International Unit (Department for Education and Skills and Department for Work and Pensions), which, for administrative purposes, is located in the Department for Work and Pensions.

  Benefit Fraud
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will estimate the savings his Department has made from the investigation of fraud in each of the last six years; [124499]

  (2) if he will estimate the savings arising from the (a) National Benefit Fraud Hotline and (b) report-acheat-online claim forms in each of the last six years. [124502]
  430W
  Mr. Pond
  The investigation of fraud leads to savings in two ways. The detection of fraud already in the system prevents further losses in those cases and secondly our work to tackle fraud acts as a deterrent to prevent potential fraud happening in the first place. It is therefore not possible to provide an estimate of the total savings resulting from our anti-fraud work.

  However, we know from our continuous measurement of the level of fraud and error in income support and jobseeker's allowance that between 1997–98 and 2001–02 we had achieved a reduction of 24 per cent. We are committed to achieving our target of a 33 per cent. reduction for working age customers by 2004, and a 50 per cent. reduction by 2006.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many calls have been made to the national benefit fraud hotline in each of the last six years; and how many have resulted in successful prosecutions. [124500]

  Mr. Pond
  The available information is in the table.

  National benefit fraud hotline

  April-March

  Number of calls received

  Successful Prosecutions

  1997–98

  188,038

  n/a1

  1998–99

  170,032

  n/a1

  1999–2000

  162,067

  335

  2000–01

  2208,201

  492

  2001–02

  2205,999

  703

  2002–03

  2159,290

  706

  1 Full information on the number of successful prosecutions resulting from calls to the national benefit fraud hotline is available only from April 1999.

  2 Figures include calls received by the Call Centre Bureau, which since May 2000 has been contracted to answer calls outside normal working hours when the main hotline is closed.

  Source:

  National benefit fraud hotline and fraud information by sector.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of administering the(a) national benefit fraud hotline and (b) report-acheat-online claim form in each of the last six years. [124503]

  Mr. Pond
  The available information is in the table.

  Cost of administering the national benefit fraud hotline and the 'report-a-cheat-online'claim form1

  £

  Year2

  Staffing3

  Goods and services

  Total

  2000–01

  494,457

  133,347

  627,804

  2001–02

  529,026

  556,974

  1,086,000

  2002–03

  597,807

  361,470

  959,277

  1 The cost of administering the NBFH and report-a-cheat-online cannot be separated.

  2Cost figures are not available prior to 2000–01.

  3Staffing costs are based on the employment of telephone operators and the admin support needed to assist the operation.

  Source:

  National benefit fraud hotline (NBFH)
  431W
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many cases of benefit fraud have been detected in each of the last six years; and how many resulted in successful prosecution. [124505]

  Fraud investigations

  Successful prosecutions

  Cautions and administrative penalties as an alternative to prosecution

  DWP

  Local authorities

  DWP

  Local authorities

  Total

  1997–98

  11,380

  700

  —

  —

  12,080

  1998–99

  9,970

  800

  —

  —

  10,770

  1999–2000

  9,130

  860

  11,030

  390

  21,410

  2000–01

  11,400

  1,100

  15,560

  550

  28,610

  2001–02

  11,180

  1,700

  13,550

  2,600

  29,030

  2002–03

  9,270

  2,500

  14,270

  6,000

  32,040

  Notes:

  1. Administrative penalties, as an alternative to prosecution, were introduced by the Social Security Administration (Fraud) Act (1997) with effect from December 1998. Cautions were made available to local authorities as a sanction from the start of 2001–02.

  2. Figures for financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01 are taken from local authority management information returns. It is possible that there could be some double counting with DWP data if there were cases which involved a joint prosecution.

  3. Management information data for financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01 is not available for all local authorities. The total for Great Britain includes estimates for local authorities that have not responded. These estimates are based on historical and regional data. This type of estimate is standard practice in reporting totals where there have been non-respondents. The figures for financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01 have been rounded to two significant figures.

  4. Information for 2001–02 is from a count of prosecutions and sanctions completed by all local authorities; this data is collected from local authority subsidy returns. Subsidy data may differ from management information data (shown for financial years 1997–98 to 2000–01) at local authority level; however, analysis shows a high level of consistency between the two data sources at national level.

  5. The DWP figures are from the Fraud Information By Sector database, which shows completed cases commenced in the relevant period. Due to the elapsed time between commencement of an investigation and completion of a prosecution there are cases that are inserted into previously completed data for earlier periods. All DWP totals are therefore correct at the time when quoted but subject to adjustment at a later date.

  6. In accordance with National Statistics Guidelines all DWP figures are rounded to the nearest 10. Due to rounding process totals may not agree.

  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 4 July 2003,Official Report, columns 522–23W. on fraud (Scotland), by what means his Department tracks trends in council tax benefit fraud (a) at national and (b) local authority level. [124858]

  Mr. Pond
  The measurement of fraud and error is complex and expensive and as such it is concentrated on benefits with the highest expenditure and risk of loss, such as housing benefit. Information on the cost of fraud and error is not available for council tax benefit. However, the measures that we are taking to fight fraud and error in housing benefit will also serve to improve the accuracy of council tax benefit.

  Homelessness
  Mr. Paul Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what benefits are available to homeless families in priority need. [124685]

  Mr. Pond
  Homeless people, including homeless families in priority need, have access to the same benefits as anyone else, providing they meet the conditions of entitlement.

  Jobseeker's Allowance
  John Barrett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money was claimed in jobseeker's allowance in Scotland in 2002–03, broken down by local authority. [125319]
  432W
  Mr. Pond
  The number of cases of benefit fraud detected is not available. The number of cases resulting in a successful prosecution, caution or administrative penalty is in the table.

  Mr. Pond
  Jobseeker's allowance gross benefit expenditure in Scotland for 2002–03 was £273,597,824.62. This figure is not available broken down by local authority area, but is available by district and local office, and this information has been placed in the Library.

  Pension Credit Hotline
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when information is being provided about the pension credit hotline to people who are likely to be eligible for the pension credit; [125403]

  (2) what the number is of the pension credit hotline; and how many helpline operators there are; [125406]

  (3) how many calls have been received by the pension credit hotline in each week since it first opened. [125407]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Pension Service began in April 2003 to write to pensioner households to explain pension credit and to invite applications. The letters include the number of the freephone application line (0800 99 1234) and a separate textphone number (0800 169 0133). By June 2004, all pensioner households will have been contacted in this way. The two numbers will also be included in an advertising campaign scheduled to begin in September 2003. The application line will have around 1,500 whole-time equivalent staff when pension credit is implemented in October 2003. Information on the number of calls received is not available in the format requested. The number of calls received by the application line between 7 April 2003, when the line went live, and 30 June 2003 was 114,000.

  Pension Payments
  Mr. Alan Reid
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the Government will pay pensions after current pension books expire to pensioners who currently use their pension book to collect their pension at a Post Office and who do not nominate a bank account or a Post Office Card Account into which they wish their pension to be paid. [125380]

  Mr. Pond
  [holding answer 11 July 2003]: Customers will be supplied with information that clearly sets out their account options. This will enable them to choose the account which best meets their needs and circumstances. An alternative method of payment will be available for those who are genuinely unable to open or operate any type of bank account.

  Pensioner Income
  Mr. Jenkins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what forecasts his Department has made of average pensioner income levels over the next five years. [119234]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Department for Work and Pensions does not make forecasts of future pensioner incomes. However to project future expenditure on Pension Credit it was assumed that pensioner income brought to account would increase in line with earnings.

  The Pensioner Income Series 2000–01 shows that the average net income before housing costs of pensioner couples in 2000–01 was 301 and the average income of single pensioners was £160 per week (amounts shown in 2000–01 price terms).

  The average net income of pensioners grew by around 23 per cent. in real terms between 1994–05 and 2001–02.

  Pensions
  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when and how people whose retirement pensions are paid monthly into their bank accounts have been informed of the availability of weekly payment. [125286]

  Mr. Pond
  The Department has no plans to contact customers who currently receive four-weekly payments into a bank or building society account. Customers will only be contacted if they are directly affected by the change to Direct Payment. Therefore for those pensioners currently paid four weekly directly into their account, payment frequency will remain the same. Any pensioners from this group, who wish to change to weekly payments, will need to contact the Pension Service to request this.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 23 June 2003,Official Report, column 630W on pensions, what plans he has to update the figures quoted by the right hon. Member of Makerfield (Mr. McCartney) on 26 November 2002, Official Report, column 210W. [126391]

  Malcolm Wicks
  Departmental analysts are currently working on processing and investigating NIRS2 data covering the financial years up to 2000–01. It is intended that this data will be published in the Autumn.
  434W
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioner households there are in each region of Great Britain. [125949]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The information is not available in the format requested. However, the information in the table shows the number of households in receipt of a winter fuel payment containing a person of state pension age (60 for women, 65 for men) in each government office region of Great Britain.

  Government office region

  Households in receipt of a winter fuel payment containing a person of state pension age

  North East

  300,000

  North West

  900,000

  Yorkshire and the Number

  700,000

  East Midlands

  500,000

  West Midlands

  700,000

  East of England

  700,000

  London

  800,000

  South East

  1,100,000

  South West

  700,000

  Wales

  400,000

  Scotland

  600,000

  Total

  7,400,000

  Note:

  1. Figures include people in residential care

  2. Numbers of pensioner households are rounded to the nearest 100,000

  Source:

  Information taken from the winter fuel payment 2002/03 administrative database

  Policy Simulation Model
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the use of the policy simulation model by his Department; and if he will place its specifications in the Library. [125950]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Department for Work and Pension's Policy Simulation Model is a static microsimulation model used by analysts within the department to estimate the budgetary and distributional impacts of a range of hypothetical and actual policy changes. The model is similar in purpose and functionality to those maintained by HM Treasury (IGOTM), the Institute for Fiscal Studies (TAXBEN) and the Cambridge Microsimulation Unit (POLIMOD). An overview of the model has been placed in the Library.

  Public Service Agreements
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps the Department has taken to publicise its Public Service Agreement targets; and at what cost to public funds. [114450]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Department for Work and Pensions reports progress against Public Service Agreement targets in routine publications, such as the annual Departmental Report and Autumn Performance Report. These are also available to the public on the Department's website (www.dwp.gov.uk.) and to staff via the intranet. These incur no significant additional cost to public funds.

  SchlumbergerSema
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the levels of performance against the key performance targets in respect of SchlumbergerSema in(a) March, (b) April and (c) May 2003; whether a financial penalty has been imposed for failure to meet targets in these months; and if he will make a statement. [122466]

  Maria Eagle
  A table showing the levels of achievement against 15 key performance targets in each of the three contract packages for March, April and May 2003, has been placed in the Library.

  Service credits for failure to meet contractual service level targets have been applied as appropriate in each of those three months.

  Social Fund
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his plans are to reform the Social Fund. [121123]

  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the Government's plans to reform the Social Fund. [126262]

  Mr. Pond
  As my right hon. Friend, the Chancellor of the Exchequer confirmed in his recent budget report, we are considering the case for further reform of the Social Fund.

  Stakeholder Pensions
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his Answer of 8 July 2003,Official Report, column 764–65W, on stakeholder schemes, how many companies the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority has fined for non-compliance with the workplace access requirements for stakeholder pensions schemes; and what the average value was of those fines. [126390]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra) regulates compliance with the Stakeholder Pensions workplace access requirements by responding to whistleblowers' reports and by using surveys targeted by region and business sector. When cases of non-compliance come to light, Opra focuses on working with the employer to rectify the situation rather than taking a merely punitive approach. Since the requirements came into force on 8 October 2001, Opra has received 440 reports concerning the stakeholder access requirements. To date, 427 of these cases have been closed, either because, as a result of Opra and the employer working together, full compliance was achieved, or because the employer proved to be exempt from the requirements. The remaining 13 cases are still under investigation by Opra.

  Sustainable Development
  Mr. Roger Williams
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what remit relating to sustainable development is required by his Department's(a) executive agencies, (b) advisory non-departmental
  436W
  bodies, (c) executive non-departmental bodies, (d) tribunals, (e) public corporations and (f) other bodies. [116672]

  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on what responsibilities relating to sustainable development are(a) required of and (b) undertaken by his Department's (i) executive agencies, (ii) advisory non-departmental bodies, (iii) executive non-departmental bodies, (iv) tribunals, (v) public corporations and (vi) other bodies. [119127]

  Malcolm Wicks
  All DWP Executive Agencies and other associated bodies are required to follow the Department's Sustainable Development Policy Statement (which is on the dwp website dwp.gov.uk/sus-dev/documents/ policy.pdf). A Sustainable Development Steering Group, comprised of senior officials from across the Department and its Executive Agencies, has the responsibility for ensuring that the policy statement is observed and that a positive contribution is made towards the Departments Sustainable Development Improvement Programme. This includes all the targets from the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

  Telecommunications Masts
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many planning applications have been made to site mobile telecommunications masts on land owned by the Department. [124810]

  Maria Eagle
  Since August 2001, when the current planning regulations on mobile telecommunications masts came into force, there have been three planning applications to site masts on the DWP estate.

  There are currently 10 Mobile Telecommunications Masts on the DWP Estate. These were in place before August 2001.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

  Legislative Programme
  Mr. Allen
  To ask the Leader of the House if he will publish the list of Departments who have bid for Bills in the new session. [124978]

  Mr. Hain
  No. Government do not release papers, information or correspondence relating to the proceedings of Cabinet Committees or pre-empt the content of the Queen's Speech.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

  Unmarried Couples (Legal Rights)
  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to extend property, benefit and pension rights to the bereaved partner in an unmarried co-habiting relationship following the death of their partner. [125973]

  Mr. Lammy
  On 30 June, my right Hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions and the Deputy Minister for Women and Equality, published
  437W
  `Civil Partnership—a framework for the legal recognition of same sex couples'. It sets out Government proposals for the establishment of civil partnership registration for same sex couples, while also making clear that it is not proposed to extend these arrangements to unmarried opposite sex couples.

  The Civil Partnership consultation paper proposes to give same-sex civil partners the same rights as married couples in respect of the intestacy rules and of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependants) Act 1975. The paper also sets out proposals relating to property and benefits rights. There are no proposals in relation to opposite-sex cohabiting couples, as they have the option of marriage available to them should they wish it.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what recent representations he has received on extending legal rights to unmarried couples. [125952]

  Mr. Lammy
  The Law Commission published a discussion paper on the property rights of home sharers in July 2002, entitled 'Home Sharers'. In addition, the Law Society has published draft proposals for the introduction of increased legal rights of cohabiting couples, entitled "Cohabitation—the case for clear law" also in July 2002.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what plans he has to extend legal rights to unmarried couples; [125970]

  (2) what action he is taking to give property and pension rights to couples who choose not to marry. [125972]

  Mr. Lammy
  On 30 June, my right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for Industry and the Regions and the Deputy Minister for Women and Equality, published 'Civil Partnership—a framework for the legal recognition of same sex couples'. It sets out Government proposals for the establishment of civil partnership registration for same sex couples, while also making clear that it is not proposed to extend this arrangement to unmarried opposite sex couples.

  However, in recognition of the extent of misunderstanding about the status of 'common law marriage', I am exploring, together with other relevant colleagues, how best to undertake an information campaign so that unmarried couples can be more fully and accurately informed about their position.

  Civil Injuries Compensation
  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to extend eligibility for civil injuries compensation to the bereaved partner in an unmarried co-habiting relationship following the death of their partner. [125969]

  Mr. Lammy
  Under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976, an opposite sex cohabitant of a person who has died as a result of another person's negligence is entitled to claim for financial loss as a dependant if he or she had lived with the deceased partner for at least two years prior to the death. The Government's consultation paper "Civil Partnership: A framework for the legal recognition of same sex couples" proposes that same sex couples who 438W
  register a partnership should be eligible to claim for financial loss and bereavement damages in the same way that spouses can.

  The Law Commission in its report "Claims for Wrongful Death" has recommended that other same sex and opposite sex cohabitants who can show dependency should also be entitled to claim. The Commission has also recommended that same sex and opposite sex cohabitants who have lived together for at least two years prior to the death should be entitled to an award of bereavement damages. The Government is currently considering these proposals.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what action he is taking to extend eligibility for civil injuries compensation to the children of parents in an unmarried co-habiting relationship following the death of one of their parents. [125971]

  Mr. Lammy
  Under the Fatal Accidents Act 1976, any child of a deceased person where that person has died as a result of another person's negligence is entitled as a dependant to claim damages for any financial loss suffered. The Law Commission in its report "Claims for Wrongful Death" has recommended that children of the deceased should also be entitled to an award of bereavement damages. The Government is currently considering this proposal.

  Entitlement Card
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Home Office about the(a) possible introduction of an entitlement card scheme,(b) the use to which such a card would be put on the matters for which he is responsible and (c) the costs and funding of the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [126220]

  Mr. Lammy
  Work on the possible introduction of entitlement cards has involved significant liaison between the Home Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs and other relevant departments.

  Joint Guarantors
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will amend the Data Protection Act 1998 to make provision for individuals to be able to make informed decisions about the financial soundness of potential joint guarantors. [124495]

  Mr. Lammy
  We have no plans to do so. The Data Protection Act 1998 regulates the processing of information relating to individuals through a general framework of good handling rules known as the data protection principles. The Act confers no rights of access to third party personal data. Disclosures of such data may be made consistently with the Act, provided that they comply with the data protection principles or meet the terms of a "non-disclosure" exemption.

  Legal Aid
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to conduct an investigation into abuse of the legal aid system. [125211]
  439W
  Mr. Lammy
  The Secretary of State and I are most concerned about possible abuses of the legal aid system. However we are confident that the Legal Services Commission (LSC) has strong controls and measures in place to prevent and investigate fraud and abuse of the legal aid system.

  The LSC has established procedures for handling cases where allegations of fraudulent behaviour by suppliers, and clients seeking funding are made and for taking appropriate action where fraud or abuse is uncovered.

  The reforms underpinned by the Access to Justice Act 1999 have significantly strengthened the control of fraud and abuse by suppliers. All suppliers who wish to provide publicly funded legal services are required to work to a contract and to comply with the LSC's quality standards. The LSC reorganised its Investigations Section in 2002–03 to reflect the fact that fraud control is increasingly achieved via contract management audits, which are the responsibility of the regional offices. Firm action has and is being taken on a n umber of firms where abuses have been uncovered, including the termination of contracts. The LSC is also working jointly with The Law Society and the Office of the Immigration Services Commissioner to actively investigate recent evidence of abuse by way of giving out inducements to asylum seekers at ports of entry. LSC action includes carrying out special audits of firms and the investigation is still continuing.

  The LSC is also committed to actively investigating where doubts arise about whether a funded client is financially eligible for funding. These investigations are conducted by the LSC's Special Investigations Unit, which also assists regional offices with the means assessment of applicants for funding whose financial positions are complex.

  Private Offices
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what have been the running costs of Ministers' private offices in his Department and its predecessor in each year since 1997. [123115]

  Mr. Lammy
  Gross administration costs (formerly known as running costs) for the Ministers' private offices from 1997 to date are set out in the following table:

  Administration costs for Ministers' private offices

  £

  Cost

  1997–981

  0

  1998–99

  1,055

  1999–2000

  1,257

  2000–01

  1,585

  2001–02

  1,620

  2002–032

  2,001

  1 Data not readily available without incurring disproportionate cost.

  2 The increase in running costs between 2001–02 and 2002–03 is a result of the Machinery of Government changes and the consequent expansion of the Ministers' private offices to accommodate the additional areas of responsibility.

  Queen's Counsel
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what process was in place to decide who was offered silk prior to the review of the system announced earlier this year; and if he will make a statement. [125200]

  Mr. Leslie
  The selection process for Queen's Counsel prior to the announcement of the review was as follows:

  Application

  Applications were made annually through an advertisement and through the departmental website. The advertisement has for many years usually appeared in early September, and the list of successful applicants was published the following Maundy Thursday.

  Consultation

  Much of the Queen's Counsel exercise was conducted by means of written consultation. Written views were automatically sought from the judiciary, specialist legal associations and other senior practitioners. Applicants were invited to nominate up to six names from the list of automatic consultees who were best placed to provide comments against the criteria. They were also requested to nominate a further six consultees of their own choosing.

  Meetings were held with the Heads of Supreme Court Divisions; the judges in charge of the Commercial Court, the Administrative Court and the Technology and Construction Court; the Presiding Judges; Family Division Liaison Judges; Circuit Leaders and the Chairman and Vice-Chairman of the Bar Council. Meetings were occasionally also held to clarify a consultee's views or, where a consultee has consulted others, the degree of consensus.

  Sift

  Following the consultation period, departmental officials conducted a sift of all applicants, to establish how far the evidence demonstrated that they met the criteria for appointment to the required standard. All marks and comments were given individual consideration. No single comment or mark could, in itself, cause an application to fail.

  The sift was a three-stage process. First, departmental officials working independently of each other prepared a written assessment of the evidence. The second stage consisted of two panels, each comprising a senior official and a lay member. The panels reviewed the applications and classified them according to the strength of the evidence that the applicant met the criteria for appointment. The third stage was moderation by Legal and Judicial Services Group's most senior officials to ensure a consistent standard of decision making and recording.

  The results were presented to the Lord Chancellor in the form of a long list. This list was divided into categories relating to circuit or practice type. It summarised the evidence on every applicant who appeared to meet the criteria to the required standard, dividing them into four groups according to the strength of the evidence. The long list also included the name of any other applicant whose fees were in the upper quartile for their particular practice type or circuit. The Lord Chancellor was provided with the detailed comments received for each applicant who appeared in

  441W
  the long list. He was provided with the names of, and the full comments received on, all ethnic minority, female, and solicitor applicants and those who had a specialist practice on provincial circuits. He also received a separate note of those not included in the long list and a brief summary of the reasons. This material enabled the Lord Chancellor and those he consulted to check the validity of the decision to exclude any of the applicants in the above categories from the Long List.

  Appointment

  The Lord Chancellor personally considered the long list and additional detailed material. He did not confine his consideration to the long list alone and based his final recommendations on all the material available to him. Following his initial consideration, he held separate meetings to discuss the applications with the Law Officers and the heads of Supreme Court divisions and their senior judicial colleagues, who also received copies of the same material. The Lord Chancellor then decided which applicants to recommend to the Queen for appointment.

  There was no limit to the numbers of new Queen's Counsel who could be appointed in a particular year, nor was there a quota of appointments to be filled. The Lord Chancellor made his recommendations for appointment on the basis of the calibre of each individual applicant, as reflected in the views given in that year's round. All applicants who fulfilled the published criteria to the necessary high standard were recommended for appointment.

  Feedback

  Unsuccessful applicants were encouraged to discuss the outcome of their application with a senior member of Legal and Judicial Services Group. Feedback was
  442W
  given in confidence and usually by telephone. The aim of the feedback discussion was to help applicants to understand why they were not appointed by reference to the degree of support received and the tenor of the views obtained. They were given a full account of the comments received, edited only to the extent necessary to preserve the confidentiality of the source.

  Complaints

  The Department explored any issues of concern to the applicant during the feedback process. If there remained unresolved problems, applicants were encouraged to write to the Director General, Legal and Judicial Services Group or the Lord Chancellor.

  If the applicant remained dissatisfied with the way his or her application had been considered, he or she could lodge a complaint with the Commissioner for Judicial Appointments, who would investigate complaints of discrimination, unfairness or maladministration in the way the procedures had been applied.

  Solicitors
  Mr. Watts
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to prevent solicitors canvassing for business in public areas. [125212]

  Mr. Lammy
  Professional rules prohibit solicitors or their agents making unsolicited visits or telephone calls to members of the public. In addition, The Law Society has issued guidance in respect of immigration advice which prohibits solicitors or those acting on their behalf approaching people arriving at ports of entry. The breach of the rule and guidance is a disciplinary matter for the Law Society.

  The Attorney-General: Review of Constitutional Powers
  The Attorney-General: Review of Constitutional Powers
  The Lord Chancellor: Ecclesiastical Patronage
  The Lord Chancellor: Ecclesiastical Patronage
  The Lord Chancellor: Duties
  The Lord Chancellor: Duties
  The Lord Chancellor: Transfer of Functions
  The Lord Chancellor: Transfer of Functions
  Judicial Appointments: Diversity
  Judicial Appointments: Diversity
  Special Advisers
  Special Advisers
  Ministerial Overseas Visits
  Ministerial Overseas Visits
  Crown Prosecution Service: Deaths in Custody
  Crown Prosecution Service: Deaths in Custody
  Serious Fraud Office: Annual Report
  Serious Fraud Office: Annual Report
  National Asylum Support Service
  National Asylum Support Service
  Iraq: Suspected Vehicles
  Iraq: Suspected Vehicles
  Armed Forces: Suicide
  Armed Forces: Suicide
  Iraq: Interpreters
  Iraq: Interpreters
  Iraq: People Captured by British Forces
  Iraq: People Captured by British Forces
  RAF Fylingdales: Early Warning Radar System
  RAF Fylingdales: Early Warning Radar System
  Sponsored Reserves
  Sponsored Reserves
  Armed Forces: Initial Training
  Armed Forces: Initial Training
  Iraq: Multinational Division
  Iraq: Multinational Division
  Gulf War Veterans: Mortality Figures
  Gulf War Veterans: Mortality Figures
  Local Authority Funding
  Local Authority Funding
  Consanguinity
  Consanguinity
  Food Supplements
  Food Supplements
  Health Professions Council
  Health Professions Council
  Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
  Profound and Multiple Learning Disabilities
  Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990: Section 3A
  Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990: Section 3A
  Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, Manchester
  Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, Manchester
  NHS Direct: Digital Television Service
  NHS Direct: Digital Television Service
  Alcohol Advertising
  Alcohol Advertising
  Euthanasia
  Euthanasia
  Medical Devices: Fire Safety
  Medical Devices: Fire Safety
  Medical Devices Agency: Annual Report
  Medical Devices Agency: Annual Report
  CJD Surveillance Unit: Annual Report
  CJD Surveillance Unit: Annual Report
  Clinical Trials Directive
  Clinical Trials Directive
  NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency: Annual Report
  NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency: Annual Report
  NHS Estates Executive Agency: Annual Report
  NHS Estates Executive Agency: Annual Report
  Forward Look 2003
  Forward Look 2003
  High Court Writ Enforcement
  High Court Writ Enforcement
  Pensions and Benefits: Collection at Post Offices
  Pensions and Benefits: Collection at Post Offices
  Licensing Act 2003: Section 4
  Licensing Act 2003: Section 4
  National Lottery
  National Lottery
  Agricultural Commodities: EU Exports to Moldova
  Agricultural Commodities: EU Exports to Moldova