Written Answers of 17 March 2003

CABINET OFFICE

  Advertising Expenditure (Scotland)
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Department spent on advertising in Scotland in each year since 1999 on(a) television, (b) newspapers, (c) radio, (d) magazines, (e) billboards and (f) sporting events. [102325]

  Mr. Alexander
  Due to the format in which advertising information is held, to provide the information as requested would result in disproportionate costs.

  Public and Advisory Bodies
  Tony Wright
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the criteria are for classifying public and advisory bodies as(a) executive non-departmental public bodies, (b) advisory non-departmental public bodies, (c) task forces, (d) ad hoc advisory groups and (e) reviews; and what particular qualities or characteristics distinguish these bodies from each other. [102521]

  Mr. Alexander
  Generally, executive non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) operate under statutory provisions and are legally incorporated; their functions cover a national remit (including the devolved assemblies); appointments to the Board of the NDPB are made by Ministers, or by the Queen on ministerial advice; such appointments must be made in accordance with the Code of Practice of the Commissioner for Public Administration (OCPA); the chief executive is accountable to the Board; the NDPB has its own budget; staff are employed directly by the body itself (and are not civil servants); and Ministers are answerable to Parliament for the NDPB and have the powers to wind it up subject to, where appropriate, the approval of Parliament or, where a Royal Charter has previously been granted, of the Queen.

  Advisory NDPBs are usually set up administratively by Ministers, or by the Queen on ministerial advice, without the need for legislation; those appointed to the Board are independent of Government and drawn from outside the public sector; the NDPB should be a standing body existing for more than one year and meeting at least annually; the Board has a defined membership and clear terms of reference; as with executive NDPBs, appointments are subject to the OCPA Code of Practice and the remit tends to have a national focus; the Board is usually supported by staff from within the sponsoring department but is not part of a department or agency; generally the NDPB does not prepare its own accounts and instead is accounted for through the books of the sponsoring department; and Ministers are answerable to Parliament for the body and may wind it up.
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  There is little to distinguish between task forces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews. These bodies can be defined in various ways. However, the Government's response to the Sixth 'Report of the Committee on Standards in Public Life' gave 3 criteria as a definition:
  Membership drawn from the wider public sector and/or voluntary organisations and/or the private sector
  A lifetime normally of less than 2 years;
  A remit focused on a single issue.

  Some of these bodies may go on to become classified as NDPBs where the need for the body's advice continues beyond its original life span e.g. the Better Regulation Task Force, Skills Task Force and the New Deal Task Force.

  Finally, as their name indicates executive NDPBs will be largely concerned with an operational or executive function while an advisory NDPB would be more likely to provide specific advice in a specialised field. Both executive and advisory NDPBs tend to be more formal and likely to run for longer than task forces, ad hoc advisory groups and reviews. The choice of the most appropriate body to be set up in a given situation will depend upon all of the criteria described here, and ministerial judgment about what would be most suitable for the intended purpose.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Agriculture/Horticulture
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she is taking to raise public understanding of agriculture and horticulture in the UK; and how much her Department has spent, broken down by category, on such measures since 1997. [102439]

  Alun Michael
  The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs is responsible for policies on sustainable farming and food, including plant health, plant variety rights and all aspects of horticulture. The activities and actions of the Department and its Ministers are aimed at developing and promoting these policies as cost-effectively and efficiently as possible. Defra aims to promote sustainable, diverse, modern and adaptable farming through domestic and international actions and to promote a sustainable and safe food supply chain which meets consumers' requirements.

  Defra produces a number of agricultural publications, including "Agriculture in the United Kingdom", which is published annually in association with the devolved administrations. In response to a recommendation of the EFRA Select Committee in its recent report "The Future of UK Agriculture in a Changing World", Defra will publish an annual assessment of the state of the agriculture industry and its future prospects in an international context.

  Defra was formed in June 2001. The Department does not maintain records of its publicity expenditure in the categories set out in the hon. Gentleman's question. To undertake attempts to identify the closest equivalents to them would incur disproportionate cost.

  Capita
  Mr. Paul Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the reply of 20 February,Official Report, column 83W, on Capita, if she will list for each of the contracts awarded by her Department to Capita since 8th June 2001 (a) start and finish date of contract, (b) value of contract, (c) evaluation mechanism for successful delivery of contract, (d) penalty charges for failure to deliver, (e) penalty charges incurred, (f) service level agreements and (g) contract numbers; and if she will make a statement. [100458]

  Alun Michael
  Between June 2001 and December 2002 the Department made payments of £1,551,203 to the Capita Group in connection with the services identified in the Official Report, column 83W of 20 February. From information held centrally the Department is not aware that any contractual or legal remedies for specific non-performance have needed to be invoked and considers that the Capita Group has delivered the contracted services to the standards required.

  The terms of contracts between the Department and its suppliers are commercially confidential.

  Further information can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Chewing Gum
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans her Department has to tackle discarded chewing gum. [102598]

  Alun Michael
  Defra's consultation document "Living Places— Powers, Rights, Responsibilities", includes two options relating to chewing gum: R8—to include discarded chewing gum as litter to which existing litter

  Scheme

  Total Number of agreements approved

  Number of agreements approved between 2000–021,2

  Scheme budget 2000–06 (£ million)

  Countryside Stewardship Scheme

  13,858

  6,290

  481

  Environmentally Sensitive Areas

  12,300

  1,677

  330

  Organic Farming Scheme

  N/a

  1,085

  141

  Woodland Grant Scheme

  32,748

  7,058

  139

  Farm Woodland Premium Scheme/Farm Woodland Scheme

  10,059

  2,389

  77

  Energy Crops Scheme

  N/a

  31

  32

  Hill Farm Allowance2

  N/a

  9,953

  254

  Note:

  Figures for number of approved agreements are provisional as some agreements for 2002 remain to be processed. Agreements entered into before 2000 are excluded.

  For Hill Farm Allowance, figure relates to number of payments made on claims received in 2002 rather than agreements approved over the years 2000 to 2002.

  It is not possible directly to compare the value of approved agreements in a givenyear with the budget for that year, because (a) the majority of agreements under the land-based schemes are for commitments lasting ten years or more and with payments made annually; (b) first payments under individual agreements may not always be made in the same year as the agreement is approved; and (c) much of the current budget for land-
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  duties and powers apply, and F3—restricting the availability of chewing gum in areas degraded by persistent littering. The consultation closed on 14 February 2003. We are now in the process of assessing all the comments and considering, with other Government Departments and stakeholders as necessary, how best to take matters forward, including, where appropriate, proposals for legislation.

  English Rural Development Programme
  Mr. Jack
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish her proposed expenditure for each of the next three years under the English rural development programme, broken down by scheme. [103146]

  Alun Michael
  The proposed expenditure on schemes under the England rural development programme is:

  £million

  Scheme

  2003–04

  2004–05

  2005–06

  Countryside Stewardship Scheme

  81

  96

  111

  Environmentally Sensitive Area Scheme

  48

  48

  48

  Organic Farming Scheme

  22

  23

  23

  Farm Woodland Premium Scheme

  11

  12

  13

  Woodland Grant Scheme

  21

  22

  22

  Hill Farming Allowance

  35

  27

  27

  Rural Enterprise Scheme

  24

  36

  36

  Processing and Marketing Grant

  8

  8

  8

  Vocational Training Scheme

  4

  4

  4

  Energy Crops Scheme

  5

  5

  5

  The table does not include possible new schemes that would require modification of the ERDP and are subject to Commission approval. For example, we recently launched a pilot entry level agri-environment scheme and we have said that if this pilot is successful we intend to introduce the full scheme in England in 2005. Additional funding would have to be made available in 2005–06 to operate the scheme.

  based schemes is expended on commitments entered into before the ERDP began in 2000.

  In financial year 2000–01, 83 per cent. of the total budget available for the ERDP land-based schemes was spent, and in financial year 2001–02, 89 per cent. of the total budget available for the ERDP land-based schemes was spent.

  GM Crops
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs against what criteria the outcome of the public debate on genetically modified crops will be judged. [103053]

  Mr. Meacher
  The Government will judge the outcome of the public debate on the opportunities that it has presented people to gain a fuller understanding of the wider issues surrounding genetic modification and to reach their own judgement. The Government set up an independent public debate steering board that announced its own indicators against which it would assess the success of the debate. These include the extent to which people felt they were able to participate, their awareness of the debate, whether it was credible and innovative, and whether it improved the present understanding of public views.

  GMOs
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to prepare draft legislation on(a) health, (b) environmental and (c) economic liability arising from the release of GMOs. [103052]

  Mr. Meacher
  The European Commission has issued proposals, which are being considered by the Council and the European Parliament, for an EU environmental liability regime covering the release of GMOs. This focuses on potential damage to biodiversity. The Government will consider whether domestic rules on GMO liability might be needed after it is has received a report due this summer from the Agriculture and Environment Biotechnology Commission.

  Greenhouse Gas
  Mr. Sayeed
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her Department is taking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the form of methane from disused coal mines; and what estimate she has made of the cost of tackling such pollution. [102069]

  Mr. Meacher
  As yet there is no reliable measure of the amount of methane escaping from disused coal mines. Current estimates vary from 0.3 per cent. to 2 per cent. of UK greenhouse gas emissions. My Department, in consultation with the industry, have commissioned an independent study to provide an accurate estimate of methane emissions from this source which will report in two years time.

  Defra supported the coal mine methane industry in its application for exemption from the climate change levy. This application was successful, and secured for the industry an 80 per cent. discount on the levy subject to state aid approval from the European Commission. This will improve the viability of the industry.

  Since the launch of the UK emissions trading scheme in April 2002 Defra has worked with the industry to overcome obstacles to their entry into the scheme. Defra is also engaging with the European Commission on their proposal for extending the EU emissions trading scheme
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  to include a project mechanism in due course, which may allow credits to be claimed for coal mine methane projects.

  The Government consider that extending the renewables obligation to include coal mine methane would not be consistent with the objectives of the obligation, since coal mine methane is, self-evidently, not a renewable. However, we are very supportive of this industry and are keen to help it expand so that it can continue to reduce emissions throughout the UK.

  Until there is an accurate estimate of what is actually being emitted from disused mines in the UK, it is not possible to make an accurate estimate of the cost of tackling the issue.

  Nappies
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will estimate the total(a) energy, (b) resource use, (c) volume of waste and (d) water use; from (i) a real nappy and (ii) a disposable nappy; and if she will make an assessment of their overall relative environmental impacts. [99246]

  Mr. Meacher
  The environmental impact of disposable nappies is adverse; however we don't at present have quantifiable data on this.

  The Environment Agency is currently carrying out a life cycle analysis which compares the environmental impact of re-usable a nd disposable nappies and clarifies information already contained in the existing life cycle analysis. We expect the work to be completed in early summer.

  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of(a) how many disposable nappies would be used if all those who used real nappies were to switch to the use of disposable nappies and (b) the overall environmental impact of such a change. [99248]

  Mr. Meacher
  Assuming that 10 per cent. of parents use re-usable nappies (current estimates give a figure of 5 per cent. to 15 per cent.), a switch to disposable nappies is estimated to lead to a 0.2 per cent. to 0.3 per cent. increase in the proportion of the municipal waste stream constituted by nappies. This would increase the current level from 2 per cent. to 3 per cent. to approximately 2.2 per cent. to 3.3 per cent., and worsen the overall environmental impact, although the effects cannot at present be quantified.

  The Environment Agency is currently carrying out a life cycle analysis which compares the environmental impact of re-usable and disposal nappies and clarifies information already contained in existing life cycle analysis. We expect the work will be completed in the early summer.

  Ruddy Ducks
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the estimated cost is of her Department's plans to reduce the numbers of the ruddy duck. [102339]
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  Margaret Beckett
  The Department has completed the ruddy duck control trial and will spend an additional £100,000 this financial year on research work into refining control methods for the ruddy duck. Further research will be undertaken in 2003–04. Final decisions have not yet been taken on the allocation of the research budget, but the expected expenditure is around £¼ million. We also propose to participate in a white-headed duck workshop to be held later this year in Morocco. The workshop will consider various control methods used on ruddy ducks throughout Europe and North Africa. Expenditure in future years has not been decided.

  Secondments
  Mr. Blunt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the reply of 11 March,Official Report, column 150W, on secondments, if she will list the NGOs who have seconded staff to her Department. [103438]

  Alun Michael
  [pursuant to his answer, 11 March 2003, Official Report, column 150W], the NGOs concerned are:

  Chemical Industrial Association

  Envirowise

  Forum for the Future

  Groundwork

  Global to Local

  Imperial College

  Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (2)

  Tidy Britain Group (Environmental Campaigns)

  TXU Warm Front

  Warwick University

  World Wildlife Fund (2)

  Tyres
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of(a) retread and (b) new tyres, using a life-cycle analysis approach. [99235]

  Mr. Meacher
  In 2001, BLIC (the liaison office of the European rubber industry) produced a life cycle analysis of car tyres. The report did not specify the environmental load of retreaded tyres, but did highlight the importance of rolling resistance as a factor in determining its benefits.

  Retreaded tyres, nevertheless, would seem to offer a number of advantages as an end-of-life recovery option because of the reduced requirement for raw materials in their manufacture, as compared with new tyres, and by

  1 January to 31 December 2001

  HCI

  S02

  NOx

  CO

  PM

  Cd and TI

  Hg

  Other Metals1

  HF

  Dioxins

  VOCs2

  NH 32

  Total

  Dudley (MES)

  10

  1

  1

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  13

  Wolverhampton (MES)

  4

  0

  1

  2

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  9

  Billingham (SITA)

  1

  1

  2

  20

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  25

  Coventry (C and S WDC)

  29

  2

  3

  57

  3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  94

  Tyseley (Onyx)

  0

  0

  1

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  3

  Nottingham (WRE)

  2

  0

  4

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  6

  Sheffield (Onyx)

  14

  1

  0

  21

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  36

  Stoke (MES)

  12

  1

  1

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  15

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  providing the tyre with another life, thereby reducing the numbers of new tyres needed, and subsequently requiring disposal.

  The Department of Trade and Industry has recently commissioned a further study to examine the environmental credentials of tyre retreading.

  Waste Management
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what the Government's policy is on building new(a) incinerators and (b) waste to energy plants; [100475]

  (2) what guidance she has issued to local authorities about building new (a) incinerators and (b) waste to energy plants; [100476]

  (3) what percentage of UK waste the Government expect to dispose of through (a) incinerators and (b) waste to energy plants in the next five years. [100474]

  Mr. Meacher
  Waste Strategy 2000 (Cm4693-2) sets out our policies for sustainable waste management and the steps to achieving them. Minimising waste production and maximising re-use and recycling of waste are central to that policy.

  Our policy on municipal waste incinerators or other energy from waste facilities is that they should only be considered where it can be shown that they are appropriately sized so that they would not "crowd out" recycling. They should also include, wherever possible, combined heat and power systems which produce electricity and provide effective heating for homes and businesses.

  The Government have no plans for the number of incinerators or other energy from waste facilities that local authorities should provide, nor are there any targets for the production of energy from waste. The Regulatory Impact Assessment of Waste Strategy 2000 (published in Annex C of Part 2 of the strategy) assessed a variety of waste management scenarios and provided broad ranges for numbers of required facilities. Variables included different projections for waste growth, different mixes of waste management facilities, and differing levels of participation in recycling schemes. A similar exercise was carried out by the Strategy Unit and published in their report "Waste not, Want not" in November last year.

  Sue Doughty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list the self-reported breaches of emissions regulations by waste incinerator operators for(a) 2001 and (b) 2002. [102204]

  Mr. Meacher
  The numbers of breaches of emission limits recorded by the Environment Agency for municipal waste incinerators in(a) 2001 and (b) 2002 are shown in the table.
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  1 January to 31 December 2001

  HC1

  S02

  NOx

  CO

  PM

  Cd and TI

  Hg

  Other Metals1

  HF

  Dioxins

  VOCs2

  NH 32

  Total

  Edmonton (LW)

  2

  0

  6

  29

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  39

  Lewisham (Onyx SELCHP)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  1

  Bolton (GMW)

  5

  0

  0

  3

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  9

  TOTAL

  79

  6

  19

  135

  11

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  -

  -

  250

  1 January to 31 December 2001

  HC1

  SO2

  NOx

  CO

  PM

  Cd and TI

  Hg

  Other Metals3

  HF

  Dioxins

  VOCs

  NH3

  Total

  Dudley (MES)

  9

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  10

  Wolverhampton (MES)4

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Billingham (SITA)

  2

  11

  3

  11

  2

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  30

  Coventry (C and S WDC)4

  2

  1

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4

  0

  9

  Tyseley (Onyx)

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  Nottingham (WRE)4

  1

  0

  4

  1

  3

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  9

  Sheffield (Onyx)4

  1

  0

  0

  15

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  16

  Stoke (MES)3

  1

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  Edmonton (LW)

  2

  0

  0

  8

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  10

  Lewisham (Onyx SELCHP)

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  1

  0

  0

  1

  Bolton (GMW)

  1

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  3

  Huddersfield(SITA)4.5

  3

  2

  0

  8

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  13

  TOTAL

  23

  16

  8

  47

  5

  0

  0

  1

  0

  1

  4

  0

  105

  Notes

  1 Antimony, arsenic, lead, chromium, cobalt, copper, manganese, nickel, vanadium and their compounds taken together in total

  2 VOC and ammonia breaches recording commenced in 2002

  3 1 January to 30 September 2002

  4 January to 30 June 2002

  5 Commenced operation in 2002

  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs where(a) incinerators and (b) waste to energy plant, feature in the Government's waste hierarchy. [100692]

  Mr. Meacher
  The waste hierarchy, in Waste Strategy 2000 (Cm 4693–1) sets out the order in which options for waste management should be considered based on environmental impact. Following the hierarchy the best option is reduction (waste minimisation) followed in order by re-use, recycling, composting, energy recovery, and disposal.

  Wood (Fuel)
  Mr. Lindsay Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the environmental impact of(a) burning wood as a fuel and (b) increasing the use of wood as fuel. [101292]

  Alun Michael
  Burning of wood from sustainably managed forests for energy production does not contribute to the UK's carbon dioxide emissions as the gas released through combustion will be absorbed by new tree growth. Wood combustion does contribute to the UK's emissions of methane and nitrousoxide. These gases have a global warming potential, but even when this is taken into account, the overall impact, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions per unit of energy input, is unlikely to exceed 15 per cent. of the impact of fossil fuel combustion for wood burnt domestically in open grates, or 5 per cent. of the impact of fossil fuel combustion for wood burnt in combustion plant.

  Emissions associated with the management, harvesting and transportation of wood are small relative to total energy content of the wood. Nevertheless minimising transportation distances and improving the
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  efficiency of transportation should be included as factors in the evaluation of proposals for new wood fuel developments.

  The combustion of wood, as opposed to coal or oil, produces low emissions of sulphur dioxide as wood has a lower sulphur content. Wood also tends to be burnt at lower temperatures than coal or oil which, in general, results in lower emissions of oxides of nitrogen compared to those from other fuels. Burning wood can also produce small amounts of benzene, particles, lead and polycylic aromatic hydrocarbons. Estimates of emissions of the main air pollutants from domestic and industrial wood combustion, compared with the UK totals, are set out in the Appendix.

  Depending on the soil in which the biomass is grown, wood can contain heavy metals which on burning are retained in the ash. Inefficient burning can leave some carbon in the ash therefore polyaromatic hydrocarbons must also be considered. If concentration thresholds for either are exceeded, ash should be disposed of in a controlled manner. However a recent compilation of data on UK wood suggests that heavy metal concentration in ash will not constitute a hazard to human health or the environment. Since ash contains a range of important nutrients there is the possibility of returning it as a fertiliser to forests.

  An overall assessment of the emissions impact from an increase in the use of wood as fuel depends on the fuel it replaces, the efficiency of the combustion systems and the abatement technology used.

  Greater use of wood fuel can assist in limiting CO2 emissions, and other emissions can be minimised by maximising the efficiency of the combustion process, and by installing appropriate abatement control. Increases in the use of wood will be largely based on efficient and environmentally friendly systems

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  developed to meet stringent emission standards. Grant schemes introduced recently to encourage greater use of biomass specify highly efficient combustion and abatement systems.

  Additional markets for wood will encourage more active management of forests which in turn will

  Pollutant

  Unit

  Domestic

  Industrial

  National total

  Domestic as percentage of national total

  Industrial as percentage of national total

  Benzo[a]pyrene

  Kg

  1,170

  0.0518

  10,800

  10.8

  0

  Dioxins

  Grams

  0.216

  9.3

  360

  0.06

  2.58

  Cadmium

  Tonne

  0.072

  0.074

  5.2

  1.38

  1.42

  Mercury

  Tonne

  0.027

  0.074

  8.5

  0.32

  0.871

  Lead

  Tonne

  0.82

  0.037

  496

  0.17

  0.007

  Benzene

  Kilotonne

  1.44

  0.182

  16.4

  8.75

  1.11

  Carbon monoxide

  Kilotonne

  89.3

  5.23

  4,170

  2.14

  0.125

  Nitrogen oxides

  Kilotonnes

  0.650

  2.38

  1,510

  0.04

  0.157

  Particles (PMio)

  Kilotonnes

  7.11

  0.326

  172

  4.13

  0.189

  Sulphur dioxide

  Kilotonnes

  0.0333

  0.0274

  1,170

  0

  0.002

  Volatile organic compounds

  Kilotonne

  4.87

  0.594

  1,680

  0.29

  0.035

  Methane

  Kilotonnes

  3.25

  0.357

  2,430

  0.13

  0.015

  Nitrous oxide

  Kilotonne

  0.0349

  0.0511

  141

  0.02

  0.036

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Afghan Refugees
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the number of Afghan refugees in(a) Pakistan and (b) Iran; and what financial support she is giving to each group. [102741]

  Clare Short
  The numbers of refugees still in exile fluctuate constantly. At the beginning of this year, UNHCR estimated that two million refugees remained in Iran and 1.5 million in Pakistan.

  DFID is supporting refugee programmes through various UN agencies and NGOs. Overall we have contributed over £5.8 million for refugee programmes administered by UNHCR and a further £1 million to a variety of other agencies also involved in refugee assistance.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will make a statement on levels of(a) malnutrition and (b) violence against women among Afghan refugees in refugee camps in (i) Pakistan and (ii) Iran. [102743]

  Clare Short
  Neither DFID nor its implementing partners that assist refugees (UNI-ICR, WFP, ICRC) have specific information on malnutrition or levels of violence in refugee camps.

  WFP estimates that over 50 per cent. of children under five in Afghanistan are chronically malnourished while acute malnutrition affects less than 10 per cent. of the population. I have just approved a further £700,000 for WFP's operations in Afghanistan that include food assistance to vulnerable people still in camps.

  We have contributed £5.8 million this financial year to UNHCR's programmes for refugees in Pakistan and Iran. These include a component for monitoring of camps, protection officers and funding for legal aid for vulnerable people including women.
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  encourage their regeneration whilst improving structural diversity and biodiversity.

  Appendix estimates of emissions of main air pollutants from domestic and industrial wood combustion compared with UK total (National Atmospheric Emission Inventory 2000):

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of the number of internally displaced people in Afghanistan; and what support she is providing for them. [102742]

  Clare Short
  According to UNHCR reports there are still around 700,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) in Afghanistan. The continuing drought in the South is I understand, causing further displacement.

  During 2002, international agencies helped over 250,000 IDPs to return home. And a further 200,000 are estimated to have returned home on their own. In the current financial year we have contributed £5.8 million to UNHCR's programmes for IDPs and returnees, including £1.8 million this month. The continuing challenge in Afghanistan is to help meet the basic needs of the most vulnerable people, whilst building Government capacity for sustainable reconstruction. We remain fully committed to these ends.

  Democratic Republic of Congo
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions her Department has had with leaders in the Democratic Republic of Congo regarding allowing the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo unlimited access to(a) areas and (b) evidence for its investigations. [103114]

  Clare Short
  The Government have made repeated calls for all parties in the DRC to allow free access to MONUC to fulfil its mandate. We have interceded with different authorities on a number of specific occasions to support the work of MONUC in humanitarian and peace-keeping operations. This has included pressing the Forces Armees Congolaises (FAC) to allow inspectors access to military airports; the Rassemblement Congolaise pour la Democratie-Goma (RCD-G) to allow humanitarian access to the conflict afflicted Haut Plateau; and the Mouvement pour la Liberation du Congo (MLC) to assist investigation into alleged human rights abuses committed by its forces. We continue to
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  press all parties to facilitate MONUC's access to all areas of the DRC and to co-operate fully with its investigations.

  Drugs Re-selling
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of re-selling low-priced drugs from the developing world back to the developed world; and what steps are being taken to address this issue. [103085]

  Clare Short
  The high cost of drugs is a key barrier to poor people's ability to access essential medicines. The pharmaceutical industry, in partnership with the international community and donor governments, provide some medicines at preferential prices to the developing world. The Government have been working with partners to make a major advance towards the widespread and sustainable access to medicines to the world's poor, including through pharmaceutical companies providing medicines for HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria at close to the cost of manufacture. However there is a risk that such medicines can be diverted and sold by 'middle men' back to developed country markets where they can be sold at a higher price. The extent of this problem can vary. Last year one company reported that roughly 25 per cent. of its preferentially priced AIDS medicines were diverted back to the EU.

  Our High Level Working Group on increasing Access to Essential Medicines examined ways of minimising the problem. In the long-term, strengthening developing country health systems will better equip countries to minimise product leakage. DFID has committed over 1.5 billion since 1997 to health systems strengthening in poorer countries. Other strategies to minimise diversion include, developing distinctive packaging and labelling of preferentially priced medicines, and implementing customs regulations in wealthier markets which prohibit re- importation. The European Union is currently discussing a regulation which would include such measures.

  Global Health Fund (Malawi)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment her Department has made of Malawi's proposal to the Global Health Fund, with particular reference to the issue of an upper limit on proposals; and if she will make a statement. [103106]

  Clare Short
  US$196 million was awarded to the Malawi Global Fund Coordinating Committee in August 2002 for HIV/AIDS. This is currently the largest GFATM award in Africa. A further USD 40 million was approved in February 2003 for scaling up prevention and treatment of Malaria.

  A review of Global Fund proposals in five countries, including Malawi, was undertaken in August 2002. It highlights the challenge in Malawi to absorb the additional finance given the prevailing health service infrastructure. There are major shortages of
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  appropriately trained staff. The public sector is experiencing high attrition both from dissatisfaction with terms and conditions of service and as a direct result of AIDS. The GFATM proposal also requires extensive laboratory facilities which are currently lacking and qualified technicians and are in short supply.

  Accordingly the Global Fund is phased so that initial stages concentrate on building capacity for service delivery. The Global Fund proposal is complemented by several other initiatives in the health sector, including work supported by my Department in strengthening essential medical laboratory services, medical supplies management, and improved mechanisms for coordinating donor support. The DFID mainstreaming strategy will help strengthen the institutional framework for a multi-sectoral HIV response by supporting posts in government and key institutions including WHO, UNAIDS and the World bank.

  Intellectual Property Rights
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her policy is on the recommendations of the report of the Commission on Intellectual Property rights; and if she will make a statement. [103096]

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment she has made of the report of the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights in respect of patents. [103634]

  Clare Short
  The Government will publish its response to the report of the Commission on Intellectual Property Rights very shortly and will be available at www.dfid.gov.uk. A written statement will also be made to the House.

  International Organisation for Migration
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial resources her Department has allocated to the International Organisation for Migration in each year since 1997. [101734]

  Clare Short
  DFID's funding for IOM's operational budget since 1997 is as follows (figures in US dollars):

  US $

  1997

  300,000

  1998

  1,203,482

  1999

  2,977,297

  2000

  3,120,757

  2001

  5,504,559

  2002

  8,147,087

  The above figures exclude reimbursable services and projects jointly funded with the Home Office that can not be separately disaggregated from other UK Government funding.
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  In addition DFID has contributed 50 per cent. of the UK's membership fees to IOM since the UK rejoined IOM in June 2001. These amounted to £517,242 (DFID share £258,621) in 2001 and £952,470 (DFID share £476,235) in 2002.

  Iraq
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of people in Iraq she estimates had access to clean water in(a) 1980, (b) 1990, (c) 1996, (d) 1998 and (e) 2000. [101733]

  Clare Short
  It is difficult to find clear statistics on access to clean water in Iraq. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme for Water Supply and Sanitation Coverage, the official UN reference system for monitoring water coverage statistics, provides figures for most of the years in question. (Given the difficulties in routinely measuring safe water, their surveys measure the presence of water facilities of different technology types. Improved water supplies are defined as those inherently safer than other types of supplies. They include: household connection; public standpipe; bore hole; protected dug well; protected spring; or rainwater collection. Not improved water supplies include: unprotected well; unprotected spring; vendor-provided water; bottled water; tanker truck-provided water.) In their estimates for 1980–2000, the following figures for access to improved water supplies in Iraq are provided:

  Percentage

  Year

  Urban

  Rural

  1985

  100

  54

  1988

  100

  72

  1990

  93

  41

  1996

  96

  48

  2000 (estimate)

  96

  48

  DFID cannot confirm the reliability of these figures. It should be noted that, while water is supplied to most urban households (and therefore classified as `improved'), a high proportion of this water is not treated. There are also understood to be significant regional disparities in supply coverage within Iraq.

  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of UN personnel in Iraq are Iraqi nationals. [102739]

  Clare Short
  Until recently, Iraqi nationals comprised around 80 per cent. of UN personnel in Iraq. However, over recent weeks the numbers of UN international staff have been reducing, resulting in an increase to the proportion of national staff.

  South America (Development Aid)
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the three largest development projects on the South American continent supported by her Department. [102234]

  Clare Short
  DFID has country programmes in Bolivia, Brazil and Peru in South America, reflecting the severity and depth of poverty in these countries. They form part of our regional strategy in Latin America that aims to reduce poverty by working with governments,514W
  civil society and the international community in the areas of pro-poor growth, social inclusion and pro-poor governance.

  Details (DFID figures available by financial year, EC figures by calendar year):

  £ million

  Country

  UK bilateral assistance 2001–02 Includes DFID programmes, CDC investments and debt relief

  DFID share of EC Country assistance 2001

  Bolivia

  31.5

  3.5

  Brazil

  7.0

  9.2

  Peru

  8.9

  2.8

  Further details are available in DFID's Country Strategy Paper for Bolivia which is available in the Libraries of the House. DFID's Country Strategy Paper for Brazil and Country Assistance Plan for Peru are currently being finalised. I will place copies in the House Libraries when they become available.

  West Africa
  Dr. Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what financial resources her Department has allocated to the UN agencies and NGOs that are providing assistance to third country nationals, refugees and returnees in West Africa. [102265]

  Clare Short
  I have recently approved £5 million for several humanitarian interventions in response to the United Nations Consolidated Appeals for West Africa. This comprises contributions to UN organisations, the International Committee for the Red Cross programmes in Cote D'Ivoire, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone; to Medicins Sans Frontiere (B) for a health project in Liberia and to Merlin for a health intervention in Cote D'Ivoire. This is in addition to substantial contributions from DFID last year.

  World Water Assessment Programme
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what her Department's response is to the World Water Assessment Programme's recent report. [102811]

  Clare Short
  Nearly two thirds of the world's population will be living in countries of significant water stress by the year 2025, with the increasing possibility of conflicts over water becoming more common. One in five people in the world lack access to safe drinking water and nearly half lack access to sanitation. Misuse of resources and poor management have resulted in depleted supplies, falling water tables, shrinking inland lakes and stream flows reduced to ecologically unsustainable levels. In addition water pollution, from mainly human activities, is decreasing the amount of water suitable for many uses. At the Johannesburg World Summit on Sustainable Development strong commitments were made for better management of water resources and improved access to drinking water and sanitation and these must now be implemented.

  In this context, initiatives that support the assessment of water resources and build capacity for the sustainable management of available resources are increasingly important. The UNESCO led World Water Assessment

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  Programme (WWAP), has been supported by DFID, from its outset in mid-2000. It is an effective long-term Programme providing assessment, monitoring and reporting of the people-centred status of the world's water. The UN World Water Development Report (WWDR)—Water for People Water for Life' which has just been released, is the first major output from the programme and will be presented at the 3rd world water forum in Kyoto, Japan, this week. The report represents the combined efforts of 23 UN agencies and convention secretariats and is now the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on the state of the world's freshwater resources. The availability of rigorous and authoritative water information at appropriate scales in the public domain will influence actions by others and allow critical issues to be identified.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Iraq
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the legal basis for military intervention against Iraq. [102902]

  The Solicitor-General
  [pursuant to the Prime Minister's answer, 14 March 2003, c. 482W]The Attorney-General has given a written answer to a question from Baroness Ramsey in the House of Lords today in the following terms:

  Authority to use force against Iraq exists from the combined effect of resolutions 678, 687 and 1441. All of these resolutions were adopted under Chapter VII of the UN Charter which allows the use of force for the express purpose of restoring international peace and security:
  1. In resolution 678 the Security Council authorised force against Iraq, to eject it from Kuwait and to restore peace and security in the area.
  2. In resolution 687, which set out the ceasefire conditions after Operation Desert Storm, the Security Council imposed continuing obligations on Iraq to eliminate its weapons of mass destruction in order to restore international peace and security in the area. Resolution 687 suspended but did not terminate the authority to use force under resolution 678.
  3. A material breach of resolution 687 revives the authority to use force under resolution 678.
  4. In resolution 1441 the Security Council determined that Iraq has been and remains in material breach of resolution 687, because it has not fully complied with its obligations to disarm under that resolution.
  5. The Security Council in resolution 1441 gave Iraq "a final opportunity to comply with its disarmament obligations" and warned Iraq of the "serious consequences" if it did not.
  6. The Security Council also decided in resolution 1441 that, if Iraq failed at any time to comply with and co-operate fully in the implementation of resolution 1441, that would constitute a further material breach.
  7. It is plain that Iraq has failed so to comply and therefore Iraq was at the time of resolution 1441 and continues to be in material breach.
  8. Thus, the authority to use force under resolution 678 has revived and so continues today.
  9. Resolution 1441 would in terms have provided that a further decision of the Security Council to sanction force was required if that had been intended. Thus, all that resolution 1441 requires is reporting to and discussion by the Security Council of Iraq's failures, but not an express further decision to authorise force.

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  I have lodged a copy of this answer, together with resolutions 678, 687 and 1441 in the Library of both Houses.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Arts Council of England
  Mr. Edward Davey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the administrative cost of the Arts Council of England to each Government Office of the Region was in(a) 1999–2000, (b) 2000–01, (c) 2001–02 and (d) 2002–03. [103014]

  Dr. Howells
  There is no cost to the regional Government offices for the running of the Arts Council of England. The full administrative cost is met out of the annual grant-in-aid allocation made to it by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

  English Heritage
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the security implications of English Heritage's placing of photographs of private buildings on the internet under its Images of England project. [102146]

  Dr. Howells
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has a legal duty to compile and publish lists of buildings of special architectural or historic importance. These lists are in the public domain, and can be accessed through local authorities, records offices, libraries, English Heritage and DCMS. Many other groups will also hold information on listed buildings, including amenity societies and local interest groups.

  English Heritage undertook a security review in 2000 which looked into the implications of placing photographs of private buildings on the internet. The review consulted with the police, insurers and technical experts and concluded that no evidence could be found to support a link between the kind of information English Heritage is publishing on the internet and any physical threats to property security.

  Television Licensing
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of eligible people were in receipt of a free television licence in the last year for which figures are available. [103048]

  Dr. Howells
  In 2001–02, an estimated 95 per cent. of the eligible population were in receipt of a free television licence.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she intends to publish the draft guidance on licensing authorities' statement of policy that will be required under the new licensing bill. [102650]

  Dr. Howells
  [holding answer 14 March 2003]The Department published a rough draft of the guidance to local authorities and the police that will accompany the Licensing Bill on 13 February. Section 4 of this rough draft provides guidance to local authorities on the development and preparation of local statements of
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  licensing policy, the general principles that should underpin them, and core content to which licensing authorities would be free to add. The draft guidance was placed in the Libraries of both Ho uses and is available on the Department's website: www.culture.gov.uk.

  Regional Museums
  Mr. Colman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress her Department has made in implementing the recommendations on making regional museums sustainable in the report "Renaissance in the Regions". [102857]

  Dr. Howells
  We will be providing £70 million for regional museums from this year until 2005–06. Resource: The Council for Museums, Archives and Libraries will put their recommendations to Ministers on funding allocations for all nine regional hubs ready for announcement in April. All regional hubs will then be asked to submit a detailed business plan by January 2004, setting out their programme of work for 2004–06.

PRIVY COUNCIL

  Pensions
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the President of the Council if he will make a statement about the Lord Chancellor's pension arrangements. [102849]

  Mr. Robin Cook
  The Lord Chancellor's pension arrangements are set out in the Lord Chancellor's Pension Act 1832 and the Parliamentary and other Pensions Act 1972 as amended by the Ministerial and other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991. The Judicial Pensions Act 1981 additionally makes provision for lump sum benefits and for pensions for dependants.

  The Lord Chancellor's pension is based on his salary at the time of leaving office. At present, this salary is linked to that of the Lord Chief Justice, but the Senior Salaries Review Body has been asked to review the remuneration of the office of Lord Chancellor.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Award Schemes
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list the award schemes in(a) 2001 and (b) 2002 promoted by the Department; what their scope was; when the relevant participating organisations are scheduled to be sent results; and whether other parties will be given notification of the results at the same time. [102061]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Department of Trade and Industry promotes the following awards:

  BAFTA Interactive Awards

  DTI has, in the past two years, sponsored categories at the annual BAFTA Interactive Awards. These awards recognise and reward creative talent in interactive media. In 2001. DTI sponsored the category for the BAFTA Award for Online Game and in 2002, sponsored the BAFTA Award for Console Game.
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  The Department has also sponsored awards at smaller trade association events over the past two years. For example, the International Visual Communications Association (IVCA) Awards and the British Interactive Media Association Awards, as well as the Best use of Broadband Award at the annual BizNet Awards run by the IVCA.

  The British Computer Society Awards

  The DTI has, for the last 10 years, sponsored the British Computer Society (BCS) awards. The BCS Annual IT awards recognise both IT excellence and benefit to business and society. The awards are open to any project developed in the field of IT in the UK, and participating organisations who make the final are notified some two to three weeks in advance of the awards ceremony. The overall winners are then announced at the annual awards ceremony. The 38,000 members of the BCS are notified of the entrants, finalists and winners and there is coverage in the press and IT journals.

  The Castle Award

  The DTI run the Castle Award scheme for employers who have made significant progress in bridging the pay gap between the sexes. The award, in the form of a trophy, was given for the first time in December last year. The next presentation will take place this year in December.

  e-Commerce Awards

  The DTI, though UK online for business, is a sponsor of the annual e-Commerce Awards run by Interforum over recent years. The Awards celebrate innovative business uses of Information and Communications Technology.

  Nominations and applications begin in the spring each year. National coverage is achieved through regional awards that lead to a national award event in the autumn when category winners are publicly announced—all competitors attend that event to hear the results. Web and local media coverage has been enhanced by sponsorship from the Daily Express (2001 and 2002) and the Sunday Times Enterprise Network (2003).

  Employer of the Year 2001

  The DTI co-sponsored an award for Employer of the Year 2001 (together with the charity Parents at Work and Lloyds TSB). This award "recognised employers who help their employees juggle their work and home life". The awards covered the UK as well as separate categories for regions and nations; there were separate awards for small, medium and large employers. Winners were announced on 28 November 2001.

  ITBeat Competition

  ITBeat is a competition designed for girls 11–16 years of age to engage them in information technology. The intention behind the competition is to help overcome the often negative perceptions of IT which deter many girls from pursuing the subject in education or as a potential career path. More details can be found at www.itbeat.com.

  ITBeat is managed by e-Skills UK, the former national training organisation for IT and telecoms. The DTI has provided a £40,000 contribution to the costs of running ITBeat. The rest of the costs were to be met by

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  industry sponsorship. The Secretary of State for Trade and Industry helped to launch ITBeat in November 2002 through a contribution to the launch press notice.

  In total 852 girls registered for the competition, with 300 finalists being invited to attend the event. The finalists come from around the country including Yorkshire, Lancashire, Suffolk, Wales and Scotland. The event took place on 7 March at the Science Museum.

  Metrology for world class manufacturing

  In 2001 the DTI sponsored Measurement awards within "Metrology for world class manufacturing", with the themes:

  Frontier Science and Measurement

  Innovative Metrology

  Measurement for Manufacturing Excellence

  Champions of Metrology

  Materials Measurement

  These awards were made to the winning participants at the September 2001 award ceremony and also made public in that year. There were no awards made within 2002.

  The Queen's Award for Enterprise

  The DTI supports the Queen's Awards for Enterprise. The Queens Awards is an interdepartmental scheme and the responsible minister is the Prime Minister, advised by an Advisory Committee chaired by the Head of the Home Civil Service. The Queen's Awards were instituted by Royal Warrant in 1965, as "The Queen's Awards to Industry". All organisations—large, medium or small—which operate regularly as a `business unit' of the UK economy, and which can meet the criteria, are eligible to apply; they do not need to be sponsored or nominated and usually apply on their own behalf.

  The Queen's Award has three separate categories: International Trade, which recognises and rewards not only export earnings but any return on overseas investment; Innovation, which covers marketing, sales and support associated with technological innovation; and Sustainable Development, which spans environmental, social, and economic sustainability. The common theme across all three categories is that successful applicants must be able to demonstrate commercial success.

  Successful applicants are notified in March to allow the media to prepare publicity, under embargo, ahead of the public announcement on 21 April; The Queen's personal birthday. In early April, all unsuccessful applicants receive feedback on the assessment of their applications. The names of all the winners are published in a supplement to the London Gazette, they appear on The Queen's Awards website (www.queensawards.org.uk), and are listed in special supplements in The Times, Financial Times, and other broadsheet newspapers.

  Following the announcement, in April, winners are usually invited to a celebratory reception, attended by a member of the Royal family, to mark their success. Later in the year, winners are invited to send three representatives to a reception given by HM The Queen at Buckingham Palace. There is also a formal presentation ceremony, usually during the summer, at the winners' premises by the Lord-Lieutenant of the County as The Queen's representative. All of these events help to
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  generate national and regional coverage. The Awards consist of a Grant of Appointment and a presentational crystal bowl engraved with the Award Emblem.

  The Rosalind Franklin Award

  The DTI is promoting the Rosalind Franklin Award competition, which was announced last year by the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to recognise the contribution of Rosalind Franklin to 20th century science. The Secretary of State officially launched the competition on 13 September 2002. It is being run by the Royal Society and encompasses all areas of science, engineering and technology. The Award consists of a medal and a cash award of £30,000 to be spent by the recipient on equipment, study tours or other research related activities. The winner of the first Award will be announced in the early part of 2003.

  The competition is open to both men and women who achieve excellence in their field. Therefore, the Award will help further the aims of the Department in:
  Increasing the participation of women in SET
  Improving the overall international ranking of the UK's science and engineering base

  STEP Solutions: Best Electronic Engineer (BEE) Awards 2002

  The DTI, in conjunction with STEP (Shell Technology Enterprise Programme) promoted the competition for the Best Electronic Engineer, 2002. The BEE final was in three key stages:
  agencies who had arranged electronic engineering projects nominated one candidate for consideration;
  Ten candidates were selected to present their achievements at an event in Newcastle on 10 October;
  Five students were selected to run an exhibition at the UK final at Church House, one of which was awarded the BEE prize.

  The cost of the Newcastle Final and the UK Final exhibition was £6,000. New Electronics sponsored the BEE prize of £1,000 and gave extensive coverage to the events in its Campus Edition. DTI tied in the events to the Department's overall promotion strategies, including the launch of the Accesstoknowledge website (www.accesstoknowledge.co.uk).

  Sunday Times 50 Best Companies to Work for 2001 and the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work for 2002

  DTI supports the research for this annual list and allocated £370,000 over three years in 1999. The DTI renewed its funding for the research for the 2003 list and is exploring options for 2004.

  All organisations employing over 250 employees are eligible and, depending on size, approximately 10 per cent. of the work force will be surveyed. Results are announced at the Gala Winner Event hosted in February or March and a press release is produced post event, with a colour supplement circulated in the Sunday Times following the event.

  Young Electronics Designer Awards (YEDA)

  YEDA is aimed at young people between the ages of 12–25, at school, college or university. Students are invited to design and develop a commercially viable electronics-based device or system for use in an everyday context. Entries are judged on originality, satisfying a genuine need and market and manufacturing potential.
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  The proposed targets for this year's competition as a result of DTI support is expected to be:

  3,500 schools registering

  500 projects entered

  750 students participating (23 per cent. girls)

  350 projects qualifying for regional awards finals

  The DTI has supported YEDA financially for three years, support for YEDA 2001 amounted to £30,000, for YEDA 2002 amounted to £36,500, for 2003 contributing £25,000.

  Cotton Importation
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to establish a certification process for the import of cotton from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [99715]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 3 March 2003]No steps are being taken to establish a certification process for the import of cotton from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Trade measures such as the introduction of a certification regime on imported products fall within the competence of the European Community and not at UK level.

  Export Credit Guarantees
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which UK companies have received Export Credit Guarantees Department support relating to aviation development in Africa since 1997; and what the(a) location and (b) project type was in each case. [102795]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 14 March 2003]ECGD has provided support for one project relating to aviation development in Africa since 1997. Support was provided to Skanska Africa who were part of a consortium upgrading Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana.

  ECGD has also supported a number of other aerospace related projects in Africa, including civil airliners and flight simulators.

  Import Controls (Congo)
  Mr. Menzies Campbell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps are being taken to implement effective regulatory import controls on natural resources from the Democratic Republic of the Congo(a) directly and (b) via other states, to the UK; and if she will make a statement. [99716]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 3 March 2003]No steps are being taken to implement regulatory import controls on natural resources from the Democratic Republic of the Congo received into the UK directly or via other states. Trade measures such as regulatory import controls fall within the competence of the European Community and not at the UK level.

  Iraq (Falluja Chemical Plant)
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what(a) financial and (b) other assistance was
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  given by the UK Government between 1980 and 1990 for the construction of the Falluja 2 chemical plant in Iraq; and if she will make a statement. [102434]

  Ms Hewitt
  [holding answer 12 March 2003]In 1985 the Export Credits Guarantee Department (ECGD) provided export credit insurance in support of a £15 million contract by UHDE Ltd., a UK subsidiary of a West German company, for the design supply and supervision of the erection and commissioning of a Chlorine-Alkali-Electrolysis plant at Falluja, Iraq.

  This contract was fully investigated in the 1996 report on the inquiry into the export of defence equipment and dual-use goods to Iraq and related prosecutions by the then Sir Richard Scott (now Lord Scott of Foscote) which concluded that "a unilateral ban by the UK on the export of such plant or chemicals to Iraq would have achieved nothing useful".

  Official Visits
  Dr. Ian Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 3 March, ref. 99985, if she will list the official visits to(a) companies, (b) universities and (c) organisations by (i) the Minister for Science and (ii) the Chief Scientific Adviser in the last six months. [101709]

  Ms Hewitt
  My noble Friend the Minister for Science, regularly meets representatives from various companies and institutions at his office in the Department of Trade and Industry and at other neutral venues, for example conference centres. We have defined the term 'visit' to mean an occasion when the event was hosted, wholly or in part, by the organisation at whose venue the event was held. This could mean that the Minister met at least one representative from the host organisation as part of the visit even if the actual event was for a different purpose.

  For example:
  10 September: University of Leicester (British Association Science Festival)—Leicester

  In the last six months, the Minister for Science has visited the following:

  Companies

  11 September: TAG McLaren Group—Woking, Surrey

  13 September: Micro Chemicals Systems Ltd.—Hull

  13 September: Reckitt Beckinser Healthcare Ltd.—Shine Knowledge and Innovation Park—Hull

  13 September: Europarc Innovation Centre—Hull

  19 September: Airbus UK—Filton, Bristol

  26 September: Peakdale Molecular Ltd.—Peakdale Science Park, High Peak

  16 October: Kent Innovation Centre—Broadstairs, Kent

  22 October: Panda Electronics Group—Nanjing, China

  28 October: SK Telecom—Seoul, South Korea

  8 November: Inmarsat Ltd.—London EC1

  22 November: COM DEV Europe Ltd.—Triangle Business Park, Aylesbury, Bucks

  23 January: Manchester Incubator Ltd.—Manchester Innovation Ltd.—Manchester

  23 January: Renovo Ltd.—Manchester

  23 January: Kaiku Ltd.—Manchester Science Park

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  Universities:

  6 September: City University (International Spinal Research Trust's Conference)—London EC I

  10 September: University of Leicester (British Association Science Festival)—Leicester

  18 September: Imperial College (AURIL Conference)—South Kensington, London

  7 October: University of Surrey—Advanced Technology Institute and Centre for Vision—Guildford, Surrey

  10 October: Queen Mary College, University of London—Medical Engineering Laboratories—London, El

  23 October: Nanjing South East University—China

  23 October: Nanjing University—China

  20 November: University of Cambridge—Cambridge

  8 January: University of Surrey (Higher Education Working with Business and the

  Community Conference)—Guildford, Surrey

  13 January: Institute of Education, University of London—London, WC1

  16 January: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine—London, WC1

  7 February: Cranfield University—Cranfield Innovation Centre—Cranfield, Bedfordshire

  12 February: University of Birmingham—School of Engineering—Birmingham

  17 February: London Metropolitan University—London El and N7

  26 February: University of Cambridge—Centre of Molecular Materials for Photonics and Electronics—Cambridge Science Park

  Organisations

  6 September: Engineering and Techonlogy Board—London, WC2

  9 September: Institute of Electrical Engineers—London, WC2

  20 September: The British Library—London, NW I

  Place

  Date

  Nature of visit

  Stockholm

  5–7 September 2002

  Speech—The Royal Institute of Technology: 175 year Jubilee

  Rayne Institute, 5 University Street, London WC 1E 6JJ

  9 September 2002

  Speech—Biomedical Society

  University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester

  12 September 2002

  Speech—BA Science Festival and tour

  Royal Society

  24 September 2002

  Lunch meeting with Lord May

  Washington DC, Boston, USA

  3–8 October 2002

  Speech; "Science in the UK Government—A View from the Centre", meet with key science figures in washington

  University of Sussex

  9 October 2002

  Speech—"The Marie Jahoda lecture" at SPRU

  Imperial College London

  28 October 2002

  Speech—Graduate School at Imperial College—"Science in the UK today"

  Unilever House, London

  27 November 2002

  Chairman's annual reception, Unilever

  South Africa

  3–8 December 2002

  Speech— "Public Communication of Science and Technology Conference", S&T promotion

  Royal Society, London

  9 January 2003

  Breakfast meeting with Lord May

  Cambridge

  6 February 2003

  Tour of the British Antarctic Survey

  London

  10 February 2003

  IEE board of Trustees' dinner

  Linacre College, Oxford

  13 February 2003

  Speech—"Linacre lecture"

  Federation House, London

  18 February 2003

  Speech—and dinner at the Food Association

  Belfast and Dublin

  19–20 February 2003

  Speech—"Science at a Nation's Core: A View From The Centre of Government"

  Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Washington DC, USA

  23–27 February 2003

  Speech, meeting government officials, promoting UK S&T and visiting major research facilities

  Brussels, Belgium

  4–5 March 2003

  Speech: "Fusion and the Energy Choices" for Europe Conference at the European Parliament, meeting the European Research Commissioner

  524W

  24 September: Darwin Centre—Natural History Museum, London, SW7

  25 September: The Carbon Trust—London, WC2

  4 October—The Ministry for Young People, Education and Research, with Mme Haignere, Minister for Space, Technology and Research—Paris, France

  14 October: Universities UK—London, WC1

  22 October: Jiangsu Software Park—Nanjing, China

  29 October: Korea Games Development Institute—Seoul, South Korea

  29 October: Seoul Metropolitan City Government—Seoul, South Korea

  31 October: The Royal Society (The Ninth Zuckerman Lecture)—London, SW1

  5 November: The British Bankers Association—London, EC1

  7 November: The Royal Society (Content Management Network Meeting)—London, SW1

  13 November—The Royal Aeronautical Society—London NW1

  20 November: Medical Research Council: Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit—Cambridge

  29 November: Culham Science Centre—Abingdon, Oxfordshire

  13 December: Daresbury Laboratory—Daresbury, Cheshire

  17 January: Nature Magazine—Exterior of founding Editor's house, London, SW5

  27 January: The Royal Society/The Daily Telegraph/Novartis `Scientists meet the media' reception at The Royal Society—London, SW1

  11 February: Institute of Electrical Engineers—London, WC2

  14 February: Institute of Electrical Engineers—London, WC2

  21 February: The Royal Society (The Engineer of the 21" Century Inquiry launch)—London, SW1

  26 February: The Royal Society (Athena Awards)—London, SW1

  The visits undertaken by Professor Sir David King during the period 5 September 2002 to 5 March 2003 were:
  525W
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to her answer of 3 March, if she will list the official visits to(a) companies, (b) universities and (c) organisations by (i) the Minister for Science and (ii) the Chief Scientific Adviser in each of the last three months. [102996]

  Ms Hewitt
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him today to question No. 101709.

  Overseas Trips
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will list each of the overseas trips made by herself and other members of her ministerial team in 2002; and what the(a) purpose and (b) cost of each trip was. [101840]

  Ms Hewitt
  Since 1999 this Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. The Government have also published on an annual basis the cost of all Ministers' visits overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Information for 1997–98 was included in the 1999 list. The overall cost of Minister's visits for the years 1995–96 and 1996–97 was most recently provided with the 2001 list. The information for 2002–03 will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year.

  Detailed information requested in respect of UK travel is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  All travel is undertaken fully in accordance with the rules set out in the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Libraries of the House.

  Perchloroethylene
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to phase out the use of perchloroethylene by businesses and industries, with particular reference to dry cleaners. [99209]

  Alun Michael
  1 have been asked to reply.

  A risk assessment of perchloroethylene (tetrachloroethylene), conducted under the Existing Substances Regulation (European Community Council Regulation No. 793/93) is being led by the United Kingdom. The Health and Safety Executive acts jointly with my Department to form the United Kingdom Competent Authority for these activities. The risk assessment will critically evaluate the risks to the environment, workers, consumers and the general public from exposure to perchloroethylene. The risk assessment includes exposure as a result of dry cleaning operations.

  At present, the human health sections of the draft report are being updated to take account of new information. Once the risk assessment is finalised, the United Kingdom Competent Authority will consider whether further measures beyond those currently in place are required to control exposure to perchloroethylene. Proposals for marketing and use
  526W
  restrictions are one of a number of further measures that can be considered under the Existing Substances Regulation.

  The Solvents Emissions Directive (1999/13/EC) places limits on emissions of solvents used in a number of processes, including dry cleaning. It also sets timetables for the replacement by less harmful substances of those solvents used in these processes that have been assigned to a risk phrase of R45, R46, R49, R60, or R61. The Directive has already been partly transposed. I expect to begin consultations soon on how the remaining parts of this Directive will be transposed, including the provisions applying to the dry cleaning sector.

  Post Offices
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many(a) Crown Post Offices and (b) sub post offices have closed in London in the past 12 months. [103030]

  Mr. Timms
  I understand from Post Office Ltd. that there were 2 Crown Post Offices closures and net closures of 34 sub post offices in London in the 12 months to December 2002.

  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) how many post office robberies have been committed since 1997 where the post master's hatch has been open; and what advice has been given to the Post Office by(a) the police and (b) the Department on the security of the hatches in sub post offices; [103099]

  (2) how many sub post masters have been disciplined for contributory negligence in relation to robberies since 1997; [103097]

  (3) what concerns have been expressed by unions about the design of safety doors and hatches in sub post offices; and what advice has been given to the Post Office since 1980 on possible design faults in sub post office hatches and doors. [103098]

  Mr. Timms
  These are matters that fall within the day-to-day responsibility of Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to reply direct to the hon. Member.

  Scotland
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many special advisers in the Department(a) have left and (b) will be leaving to work in Scotland for the Labour Party in the forthcoming Scottish parliamentary elections. [103613]

  Ms Hewitt
  None.

DEFENCE

  Aberporth Airfield
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many incidents have occurred in each year since 1990 of private pilots intruding into the range area at Aberporth Airfield while the range was active and being used on behalf of the MOD. [102825]
  527W
  Dr. Moonie
  The following table sets out the number of incidents that have occurred since 1990 of private pilots intruding into the Aberporth Range danger area while the range was active and being used for Ministry of Defence trials.

  Year

  Number of incidents

  1990

  3

  1991

  1

  1992

  5

  1993

  3

  1994

  5

  1995

  8

  1996

  5

  1997

  1

  1998

  5

  1999

  2

  2000

  5

  2001

  5

  2002

  3

  Appropriate safety measures were put into action and worked satisfactorily in each case.

  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what safety measures are in place at Aberporth Airfield to ensure that private pilots do not intrude on the range area while it is being used on behalf of the MOD; and if he will make a statement. [102826]

  Dr. Moonie
  All trials at Aberporth Range are carried out under radar surveillance from fully qualified air traffic controllers. In the event of an infringement which could potentially compromise safety, the trial would be stopped until the incident was resolved. Any such infringements are reported to the regulatory authority for review. In addition, there are arrangements, agreed between the Aberporth Range and the nearby West Wales Airport, which set out the procedures to be used by both parties concerning operations at and around the range.

  Animal Experiments
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors underlay his recent conclusion that the information which could be derived from an analysis of the actual effect of wounds to humans required to be supplemented with animal experiments inflicting wounds on animals. [100404]

  Dr. Moonie
  It is unclear as to the recent conclusion that the hon. Member refers.

  However, I will address the necessity to supplement the analysis of the effects of human wounds with vital information gained from scientific research involving the use of animals, which is undertaken at Dstl Porton Down.

  The analysis of the actual effects of wounds to humans is one important facet of developing improved procedures for the medical management of the injured. Studies involving animals enable rational, objective and evidence-based medical management strategies to be developed, which can proceed into clinical trials if appropriate.
  528W
  Research involving the use of animals is undertaken only if absolutely necessary. Additionally, we are continuing to invest in the development of alternatives to the use of animals for the development of medical management strategies for injury and disease caused by conventional, chemical and biological weapons.

  Anti-personnel Mines
  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether it is the intention of the US to bring anti-personnel mines ashore onto Diego Garcia in order for them to be used in any attack on Iraq. [102350]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I have been asked to reply.

  The US authorities have been informed that HMG would be unable to allow the US to bring anti-personnel land mines ashore onto Diego Garcia because that would place the United Kingdom in breach of its obligations under the Ottawa Convention.

  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has received from the US Government concerning(a) the basing at Diego Garcia of US Navy vessels carrying anti-personnel mines and (b) the possible use in a conflict with Iraq of anti-personnel mines by US military using stocks held in vessels at or near Diego Garcia. [102353]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I have been asked to reply.

  HMG has received no representations from the US Government concerning either the basing at Diego Garcia of US vessels carrying anti-personnel mines or the use of any such mines in a conflict with Iraq.

  Defence Diversification Industry
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his Answer of 13 February,Official Report, column 867W, on the Defence Diversification Industry, where the 18 offices of the Defence Diversification Agency are located. [102406]

  Dr. Moonie
  The 18 offices of the Defence Diversification Agency are located as follows:

  Area

  Aberporth

  Ministry of Defence

  Barrow

  Furness Business Park

  Bromley

  Aquila, QinetiQ

  Cardiff

  Welsh Development Agency

  Doncaster

  Beta Technology Ltd.

  Enfield

  Innova Science Park

  Farnborough

  Cody Technology Park, QinetiQ

  Glasgow

  West of Scotland Science Park

  Lisburn, NI

  Invest Northern Ireland

  Loughborough

  University Business Innovation Centre

  Malvern

  Malvern Hills Science Park

  Manchester

  Quay West

  Melbourn

  Cambridge Technology Centre

  Nelson

  The Innovation Centre

  Porton Down

  DSTL

  Plymouth

  Tamar Science Park

  Rosyth

  Europarc Business Innovation Centre

  Sunderland

  Regional Technology Centre North

  Defence Medical Services
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Defence Medical Services are available for operational duty within the United Kingdom. [82157]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 21 November 2003]As of July 2002, there were 6,489 regular personnel in the Defence Medical Services (DMS) excluding student nurses and other new entry trainees. Of these, at any one time some will be unavailable for operational duty within the United Kingdom as a result of medical downgrading. As of November 2002, the latest date for which figures are available, 131 were unavailable for such duty as a result of medical downgrading. In practice, the number of DMS personnel available for operational duty in the United Kingdom will depend on other commitments including deployment on overseas operations, training and exercises, and retained tasks.

  Diego Garcia
  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how far British territory extends around Diego Garcia. [102349]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I have been asked to reply.

  Diego Garcia has a territorial sea of three nautical miles.

  Field Hospital Volunteers
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 16 January,Official Report, column 7050, on field hospital volunteers, if he will give the most recent available figures. [102563]

  Dr. Moonie
  As of Tuesday 11 March 2003, 167 members of 202 (Volunteer) Field Hospital have been called up. Of those, 83 individuals do not work for the National Health Service (NHS), instead working either in private health care, or in areas unrelated to health. The remaining 84 individuals are currently employed by the NHS, in the following facilities:Berkshire Healthcare Trust; Birmingham Children's Hospital; Birmingham Heartlands; Teaching; Birmingham Women's Hospital; N Birmingham Mental Health; Christie Hospital Trust; City Hospitals Trust; Dorset Healthcare Trust; Frimley Park Hospital Trust; George Eliot Hospital Trust; Good Hope Hospital Trust; Kingston Hospital Trust; Lothian University Hospitals; Medical Staff Agency; National Blood Service; Newcastle Upon Tyne Hospitals; Oxford Radcliffe Trust; Palliative Care; Primary Care Trust; Princess Royal Hospital; Royal Berkshire Trust; Royal Shrewsbury Trust; Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust; Sandwell and West Midlands; Staffordshire Trust; N Staffs Hospitals Trust; University Hospital Trust; W Midland Ambulance Trust; Walsall Hospitals Trust; New Cross Hospital; West Heath Hospital; Alexandra Hospital; Beccles War Memorial Hospital; Wycombe General Hospital; Walsgrave Hospital.

  The 84 individuals called up work in a variety of roles within the NHS, including:
  Nurses; Biomedical Scientist; Midwifes; Medical Officers; Medical Technicians; Doctor; Surgeons; Acting Chef Executive; Consultants; Surgeons; Physicians; Physiotherapists; Senior House Officers; Driver; Radiographer; Pharmacist.

  Gulf Forces (Equipment)
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many sets of sand goggles have been sent to troops serving in the Gulf; and if he will make a statement. [103018]

  Mr. Ingram
  25,000 pairs of desert goggles have been ordered to meet the requirements of troops deployed to Kuwait with 21,380 pairs having so far been issued. Sufficient stocks of the full desert ensemble have been ordered to meet requirements.

  Iraq
  Dr. Fox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many(a) British field hospitals and (b) other British medical facilities will be established in the Gulf in the event of conflict in Iraq. [102374]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 11 March 2003]There has been no decision to take military action against Iraq. However, in the event of conflict, there are currently two British Field Hospitals in the Gulf and this will shortly increase to three. These will be supported by a range of medical facilities in the region, including a primary casualty receiving facility, the RFA Argus and The Princess Mary's Hospital in Cyprus.

  Land Sales (Ashford)
  Matthew Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 24 February 2003,Official Report, columns 138–39W, on Land Sales (Ashford), when each sale took place; what area of land was sold; who the land was sold to; and how much the land was sold for in each case. [102658]

  Dr. Moonie
  Oil Pipeline Agency Wye was sold to Folkestone Development Company Limited on 21 November 2001. The price paid was £605,000 plus clawback on receipt of a planning consent. The land measured 7.3acres/2.954 hectares.

  The A20/A28 link road land, which was part of Ashford barracks, was sold on 28 July 1998 to Kent County Council. The price paid was a nominal sum plus the right to construct a roundabout to open up Ashford barracks for improved development. The area measured 5.48 acres/2.219 hectares.

  The land in Ashford barracks that was needed for the channel tunnel rail link was transferred to Union Rail. Payment of £1.4 million compensation has been received. The "sale" was deemed to be completed in 1998 when the site was handed over to Union Rail and the site measured 30 acres/12 hectares.

  The remainder of Ashford barracks was sold to a house builder consortium of Westbury Homes/Wimpy in April 2002. The price was £17 million plus potential clawback. The site area was 95.13 acres/38.5 hectares.

  Low Flying
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many complaints regarding low flying have been received from residents of Dumfries and Galloway in each of the last six months. [103049]
  531W
  Dr. Moonie
  During the period 1 September 2002–28 February 2003, a total of 40 complaints were received from residents of Dumfries and Galloway by the Ministry of Defence. Of these, 22 were from members of the public who complained on more than one occasion during this period. Broken down on a monthly basis, the figures are as follows:

  Month

  Complainsts

  September 2002

  11

  October 2002

  16

  November 2002

  2

  December 2002

  6

  January 2003

  3

  February 2003

  2

  MOD Ranges (Security)
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on minimum standards of security for part-time MOD ranges. [103050]

  Dr. Moonie
  In general, security at Ministry of Defence (MOD) ranges is provided in accordance with their use and purpose, taking account of the prevailing threat assessment. When ranges are temporarily in use by military personnel, the standards for security of personnel and their equipment, is the same as those which apply at permanent MOD establishments and sites. Some ranges, for example the one at West Freugh, are MOD owned but managed by QinetiQ, a commercial company. Security at these sites is the responsibility of the contractor, and is normally implemented by a civilian guard force, supported by the local constabulary. As a commercial company, QinetiQ complies with Government-wide security regulations issued by the Cabinet Office, rather than with MOD security procedures. MOD reserves the right, however, to take such additional measures as we consider necessary to protect our Service personnel and materiel when making use of these ranges.

  I am withholding details of security measures implemented within the MOD, under Exemption 1 of Part II of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  NBC Suits
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the respirators on NBC suits issued to UK servicemen in the Gulf have been checked for effectiveness; and if he will make a statement. [103017]

  Mr. Ingram
  All NBC respirators issued to service personnel are periodically tested during training in a Hazardous Environment Chamber to ensure they function correctly and are the correct size for the individual concerned. A new Respirator Test System is being delivered into service. It allows respirators—including those issued to deployed personnel—to be tested to an even higher standard.

  Operational Welfare Package
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been made for(a) mail and
  532W
  (b) parcel deliveries for troops in Kuwait; and what arrangements have been made for (a) telephone and (b) email availability for these troops. [102697]

  Dr. Moonie
  [holding answer 13 March 2003]All elements of the Operational Welfare Package (OWP) listed by the hon. Member are provided to all United Kingdom military personnel already deployed to the Gulf in support of Operations RESIN ATE and ORACLE. We are building up the OWP as quickly as possible for UK military personnel deploying overseas in preparation for possible operations against Iraq.

  QinetiQ
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the proposed sale by QinetiQ of Longcross Tanklands to Crest and Mowlem Ltd. [101653]

  Dr. Moonie
  We understand that Longcross Tanklands is an informal local term used to describe a former test track, which forms part of what the Ministry of Defence and QinetiQ know as the Chertsey South site. The freehold of the Chertsey site was transferred to QinetiQ when the company was vested as a Plc in July 2001 and is scheduled for disposal. Negotiations are currently underway with potential purchasers.

  Under the terms of the deal signed with The Carlyle Group to acquire a stake in QinetiQ, the Chertsey site forms security against an outstanding loan note from QinetiQ to MOD. QinetiQ will receive no proceeds from the sale of the site until the loan note is repaid in full.

  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the financial contracts entered into by his Department since 1 January 2002 where QinetiQ have acted as advisors to the Government. [102483]

  Dr. Moonie
  The Department places a large number of contracts each year with QinetiQ—in excess of 1,000 in calendar year 2002. These contracts typically cover a number of tasks, which may include the provision of impartial specialist technical and scientific advice, conducting independent research and the supply of testing and evaluation services. There is no centrally held list identifying all the specific instances in which QinetiQ has acted as advisers and such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Recruitment and Retention
  Mr. Paul Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what methods are used by the Ministry of Defence to forecast(a) social trends and (b) risks in relation to (i) recruitment and (ii) retention; and if he will make a statement. [100173]

  Dr. Moonie
  The armed forces employ a number of methods to identify and assess factors—including social trends and risks—that impact on recruitment and retention. The Department has its own analytical capability situated in the Defence Analytical and Services Agency, where much of this groundwork is undertaken. Social trends are identified primarily through commissioned research. This provides access to a wide range of research information across Government Departments, for example labour trends, demography, and census statistics. Targeted research
  533W
  contracts are also placed, as necessary, to improve our understanding of the employment market in which we compete. Recruiting risks are identified from this research and from very close scrutiny of the emerging performance of the recruiting machine.

  As far as retention is concerned, a key part of the pay and workforce strategy for the armed forces is the identification of high level risks and the levers that can be used to ameliorate those risks. Within that strategy, underpinning policies are reviewed in the light of evidence obtained both from routine surveys (for example Continuous Attitude Surveys) and from discrete research on specific topics.

  Security Vetting
  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what security vetting is carried out on consultants employed by MoD. [102549]

  Dr. Moonie
  Consultants employed by the Ministry of Defence to work with protectively marked information or materials, or who will require access to Defence facilities, are security cleared in accordance with the Government's vetting policy. The level of security clearance will depend on the nature of the work involved, as judged by the sponsor.

  Wage Bill
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what financial savings were made to the overall wage bill between 1 April 2001 and 1 April 2002 due to the introduction of Pay 2000 for soldiers, sailors and airmen; and if he will make a statement; [102612]

  (2) what the projected savings are in the period 1 April 2001 to 1 April 2010 in the wage bill due to the introduction of Pay 2000 for soldiers, sailors and airmen; and if he will make a statement. [102610]

  Dr. Moonie
  There are no actual or projected savings for the period 1 April 2001 to 1 April 2010 in the wage bill of the armed forces as a result of the introduction of Pay 2000 for Service personnel. Pay 2000 was introduced in April 2001 to provide a more responsive pay system for the needs of Service personnel—up to and including one-star level—serving in the 21st century. It was not intended to be a cost saving measure.

TRANSPORT

  Congestion Charging
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact of the London congestion charge on economic activity in London; and if he will make a statement. [101907]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Mayor and Transport for London (TfL) will monitor the scheme's effects, including its impact on business and the economy, and the Department will consider fully the results of this work.

  Airports
  Mr. John Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what implications the inclusion in his re-issued airport consultation document of possible 534W
  expansion of Gatwick airport has for prospective levels of demand for civil aviation services out of Birmingham airport. [102899]

  Mr. Jamieson
  It is the number of runways in the south east of England, rather than their location, which significantly affects the levels of demand at Birmingham International Airport.

  Therefore, the inclusion of Gatwick options in the ongoing consultation does not alter the forecast levels of demand for Birmingham.

  Mr. John Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what guidance he plans to issue to residents of the Midlands region on the account they should take of his re-issued airports consultation document for the south east in returning their revised questionnaires in respect of airports in the midlands. [102898]

  Mr. Jamieson
  We are writing to all consultees previously contacted directly, and those who have submitted responses, to inform them of minor revisions to the midlands consultation paper. The sole revision to the midlands questionnaire is the addition of 'Gatwick airport' to question 4(b).

  All responses received so far will continue to be regarded as responses to the consultation. Respondents have the option to add to, replace or amend their responses, if they wish to.

  Automated Traffic Management
  Mr. David Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress he has made in establishing the proposed automated traffic management system for the west midlands motorways(a) M5, (b) M6, (c) M40, (d) M42 and (e) M54. [102855]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The west midlands area multi modal-study, which is currently being considered by the Secretary of State, recommends the use of active traffic management (ATM) on the west midlands motorway box (M42 junctions 1–7, M5 junctions 1–4A and M6 junctions 4–10A) as part of the overall strategy. I refer to the announcement made by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Transport, on 27 July 2001 that junctions 3A to 7 of the M42 have been chosen as a trial site for active traffic management (ATM). The outcome of the trial will be assessed very thoroughly before any decision is taken about application to other motorway links on the west midlands motorway box.

  Bus Services
  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus services were operated from(a) Tadcaster and (b) Selby on the most recent date for which figures are available. [103139]

  Mr. Jamieson
  On Thursday 13 March 2003 104 bus services were scheduled to operate from Tadcaster and 176 from Selby.

  Car Number Plate Reader Project
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's automatic number plate reader project. [102787]
  535W
  Mr. Jamieson
  DVLA currently has 11 automatic number plate reader vans in operation across the UK, with a further four becoming available by mid 2003. They form part of the Agency's deterrent to combat vehicle excise duty (VED) evasion and were first introduced on a phased basis in October 2001.

  The vans are continually involved in joint police/DVLA VED enforcement campaigns. They attract useful media coverage and receive positive support from the motoring public.

  Over the last year the automatic number plate readers have provided DVLA with 30,000 VED offence reports.

  Departmental Spending
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his latest estimate is of the spending funded by his Department and its predecessors on(a) railways, (b) trunk roads (maintenance), (c) trunk roads (new build), (d) local roads, (e) London Transport, (f) aviation and (g) buses, in each year from 1990–91 (planned) to 2005–06 (planned); and if he will make a statement. [101638]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Information on these programmes between 1990–91 and 2003–04 is set out in the relevant expenditure tables of the annual departmental reports for the Department of Transport, the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, and the Department of Transport, Local Government and the Regions, although not on a comparable basis across the entire period. Updated information for the Department for Transport, with plans to 2005–06, will be published in the 2003 departmental report shortly.

  Hydraulic Tail Lifts
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it a requirement(a) that vehicles with hydraulic tail lifts should clearly display the weight of such lifts and (b) that notices should be displayed on vehicles warning that the weight of such lifts has to be included in the calculation for the legal permitted weight load capacity; and if he will make a statement. [103091]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986 require that the maximum weight that a vehicle can operate at is to be displayed on a plate fixed to it. This weight will include that of any equipment fitted to the vehicle and load carried on it. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 require all lifting equipment and lifting accessories to be marked with a safe working load. Tail lifts do not normally carry any load while the vehicle is travelling on a road.

  London Underground
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the main problems are which the shadow running of the London Underground PPP has highlighted; and if he will make a statement. [101320]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Government understand that London Underground Ltd. has made some limited changes to the contracts, including in respect of performance management and the way access is granted to the infrastructure, as a result of shadow running.
  536W
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 10 March, ref 101751, what indirect role the Government have played in assisting London Underground PPP consortia to obtain(a) grants and (b) loans from (i) the European Investment bank and (ii) other financial institutions; and if he will make a statement. [102816]

  Mr. Jamieson
  As I said in my earlier reply, the method by which the consortia finance their obligations under the PPP, and how they raise the necessary funding, is a matter for them.

  The minutes that my right hon. Friend the then Secretary of State for Transport, Local Government and the Regions presented to Parliament on 20 March last year and that my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Transport made to Parliament on 4 December drew Parliament's attention to certain letters to be issued and steps to be taken in order to enable the PPP contracts to proceed. Factual explanations of the matters set out in the letters have been given to some financial institutions, including the EIB, in response to requests.

  M60 (Compensation)
  Andrew Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether all the compensation to householders resulting from the construction of the M60 has been paid; what steps are in place to reduce the fees for agents involved in these pay outs; and whether claimants will be paid interest on late pay outs. [102642]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I have asked the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency, Tim Matthews, to write to my hon. Friend.

  Letter from Tim Matthews to Andrew Bennett, dated 17 March 2003:
  I have been asked by the Transport Minister, David Jamieson, to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking if all the compensation to householders resulting from the construction of the M60 had been paid; if there are any steps in place to reduce fees for agents and if claimants are being paid interest for late pay outs.
  I believe that you are referring primarily to compensation under Part I of the Land Compensation Act 1973 (as amended). Such claims, for the depreciation in the value of property arising from the use of a new or altered highway, can be made for a period of 6 years from the first claim date which falls 12 months after the road is opened to traffic. In the case of the M60 Manchester Outer Ring Road construction was undertaken in four contracts, resulting in a variety of claim periods.
  The main body of construction work (Contracts l&3) led to the road being opened on 30 October 2000 and a first claim date of 30 October 2001. We have received over 14,000 claims to date and continue to receive them at the rate of approximately 300 per month Around 1,000 claims have been settled so far. On Contract 4, for which the claim period closed last month, we have 22 cases awaiting settlement. Another 322 cases remain unsettled on Contract 2, for which the claim period remains open until December 2004. In all cases interest, calculated from the date the claim is received (or the first claim date, if later) until the date that compensation is paid, is added to the compensation.
  In addition to Part 1 compensation, we have also compensated people for the acquisition of land and property in connection with the construction of the road. Around 200 such cases have yet to be finalised. In these types of cases interest, calculated from the date of entry on to the land until the date that compensation is paid, is added to the compensation.

  537W
  Following the abolition of the non statutory Ryde's Scale, which fixed surveyors fees in proportion to the level of compensation paid, claimants' surveyors must now demonstrate that the fees proposed have been properly incurred, are reasonable and proportionate to both the compensation at stake and the complexity of the claim, and commensurate with the time, effort and expertise required to deal with the case.

  Railways
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to announce his decision on the Central Railway Project. [103060]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him on 11 March,Official Report, column 120W.

  Mrs. Dunwoody
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the credit rating is of Network Rail. [101196]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Network Rail expects to secure ratings later this year.

  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when safety liaison meetings between ASLEF, management and other partners took place in each of the last five years; and what the normal frequency of such meetings should be. [102395]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advise that meetings between managers, safety representatives and trade union representatives are important in ensuring the discharge of the legal duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 requiring employers to provide such information, instruction, training and supervision as is necessary to ensure the health and safety of their employees. HSE however do not hold details of the dates of such meetings.

  Senior management of the HSE Railway Inspectorate (HMRI) hold regular meetings with the general secretaries of all the principal rail unions to discuss issues of strategic safety importance. 'These meetings are held 2–3 times a year. These high level meetings are complemented by a wide range of local liaison initiatives with ASLEF officials and Trade Union members, including regular local meetings between HMRI inspectors and trade union officials. Details of local liaison meetings are not held centrally.

  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with LUL about the restoration of services on the(a) Waterloo and City line and (b) Central line. [102396]

  Mr. Jamieson
  My right hon. Friend and ministerial colleagues meet London Underground representatives on both a regular and ad hoc basis, to discuss a variety of relevant matters.

  Mr. Grogan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the(a) Trans-Pennine rail franchise and (b) Northern franchise. [103137]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Strategic Rail Authority is replacing the existing First North Western and Arriva Trains Northern franchises by reconfigured TransPennine Express and Northern franchises. Connex Transport UK Limited and a consortium of FirstGroup and Keolis SDA have been short-listed as bidders for the TransPennine 538W
  Express franchise. Expressions of interest have been invited for the Northern franchise and the firms pre-qualified to receive invitations to tender will be announced later this year.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps the Strategic Rail Authority plans to take regarding Virgin Trains' recent announcement on changes to the timetable in services in Gloucester; and whether this is in breach of the passenger service requirements. [103345]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The increased timetable which Virgin Cross Country introduced in October 2002 has proved to be unworkable in various respects. The Strategic Rail Authority has agreed timetable changes, including changes affecting Gloucester, and is granting the necessary derogations from the passenger service requirements. The aim is to improve the performance and reliability of services overall. At Gloucester the withdrawal of Virgin Cross Country services (save for one morning and one evening peak service to Birmingham) will be offset by a new, more reliable pattern of services operated variously by Central Trains, Wessex Trains and Wales and Borders.

  Road Building
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his estimate is of the total cost to the Government of all central Government funded new road building in each year from 2001–02 to 2010–11; and if he will make a statement. [101532]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The 10-Year Plan for Transport provided for investment of £15 billion over 10 years for roads in England. This investment is for new roads and the improvement of existing roads through widening and junction improvements. It is funded directly and indirectly by central government through the Highways Agency, local authorities and makes use of private finance.

  A year by year breakdown is as follows:

  Investment in new roads

  £ million

  Public

  Private

  2001–02

  714

  73

  2002–03

  1,005

  73

  2003–04

  1,001

  62

  2004–05

  1,332

  150

  2005–06

  1,084

  325

  2006–07

  1,217

  425

  2007–08

  1,366

  400

  2008–09

  1,693

  300

  2009–10

  1,778

  200

  2010–11

  1,825

  200

  Total

  13,015

  2,208

  Actual expenditure will depend upon the schemes that come forward as well as the planning process.

  Roads in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are the responsibility of the devolved Administrations.

  Road Safety (Traffic Counters)
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received concerning the road safety implications of the use of Nu-Metrics Hi-Star traffic counters installed in road surfaces. [102838]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The British Motorcyclists Federation has written to my Department expressing concern for the safety of powered two wheel vehicles passing over this device, asking in particular whether it needed "type approval". My officials have met the importers of the device. Having examined a sample, they consider that it does not require type approval. It is for the relevant highway authority to consider whether and how such counters should be used on their roads.

  Vehicle Emmissions
  Dr. Andrew Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002; [103552]

  (2) how many fixed penalty notices have been issued under the Road Traffic (Vehicle Emissions) (Fixed Penalty) (England) Regulations 2002. [103553]

  Mr. Jamieson
  It is too early to determine the effectiveness of these regulations. However we will review them in July 2004, after which I will report our conclusions to the House.

  We do not keep records of fixed penalties that have been issued. However I understand that none has been issued under these regulations for idling engine offences and only five for illegal emissions offences. The intention of the regulations was that the fixed penalties should provide a deterrent.

TREASURY

  Al-Qaeda
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what funds belonging to al-Qaeda network have been frozen since September 2001. [102690]

  Ruth Kelly
  As I indicated in my written answer of 18 February 2003,Official Report, column 184W, to the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Prisk), more than £10 million has been frozen by UK financial institutions since 11 September 2001 under Orders applying United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1267 and 1390. Funds used by the Taliban have since been made available to the legitimate Government of Afghanistan. However the al-Qaeda and Taliban (United Nations Measures) Order provides for the continued freezing of accounts belonging to al-Qaeda. UK financial institutions indicate that amounts totalling £337,900 remain frozen under that Order.

  Charities (VAT)
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce VAT recovery relief for charities. [103554]
  540W
  John Healey
  Charities benefit from special VAT zero rates and exemptions worth around £200 million a year. However, long-standing formal agreements with our European partners mean there is no scope to extend the range of these reliefs or introduce any new ones.

  The Government recognise the valuable contribution that voluntary groups and charities make in delivering services, and realise that the question of irrecoverable VAT provides difficulties for some charities. The Review of Charity Taxation looked carefully at the problem of irrecoverable VAT and concluded, for reasons of principle and affordability that no changes should be made. In response to representations during the recent Cross-Cutting Review of the Role of the Voluntary and Community Sector in Service Delivery, the Government considered the issue afresh to determine once and for all whether the obstacles presented by irrecoverable VAT could be overcome. Having considered all the options available, including a targeted compensation fund, the Government concluded that no fundamental change should be made to the way the VAT system operates and the available resources would be better deployed through the new investment fund, futurebuilders'. This is a one-off £125 million investment, over the three years of the 2002 Spending Review. specifically to assist voluntary and community sector service-providing organisations in their public service work. The Treasury is leading on the design of luturebuilders' in close co-operation with the voluntary and community sector, and the Government intend to conduct wide consultation between April and June this year.

  Earnings
  Mr. Adrian Sanders
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the percentage of the workforce earning below(a) £75, (b) £100, (c) £120, (d) £150, (e) £175, (f) £200, (g) £225, (h) £250, (i) £275, (j) £300, (k) £325, (l) £350, (m) £375 and (n) £400 per week within each parliamentary constituency. [100398]

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

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr Adrian Sanders, dated 17 March 2003:
  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the percentage of the workforce earning below various levels within each parliamentary constituency.
  I am placing the requested information in the House of Commons Library. The tables provided show the proportion of people earning below the different thresholds you listed. Some of the data requested have been suppressed in the answer. This is because the New Earnings Survey (NES) has not been designed to provide estimates at this very detailed level.
  The NES can provide earnings data for small geographical areas. The release of NES data is restricted to figures that are derived from a sufficiently large sample of employees, and have an acceptable level of accuracy. I have provided the available data only for the constituencies where the samples are large enough. These are based on the 2002 NES, the latest survey for which data are available.

  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of full-time workers in(a) Scotland, (b) each of the unitary local authority

  541W
  areas in Scotland and (c) Great Britain have hourly earnings gross pay (i) including and (ii) excluding overtime below (a) £7.97, (B) £7.32, (C) £5.38 and (D) £4.10 for the categories (1) male manual, (2) male non-manual, (3) all male workers, (4) female manual, (5) female non-manual, (6) all female workers, (7) all manual, (8) non-manual and (9) all workers. [99977]

  Ruth Kelly
  [holding answer 3 March 2003]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Annabelle Ewing dated 17 March 2003:
  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the distribution of average hourly earnings for workers in Great Britain, Scotland and the unitary authorities in Scotland. (99977)
  I am placing the requested information in the House of Commons Library. The tables provided show the proportion of people earning below the different thresholds you listed, both including overtime (Table 1) and excluding overtime (Table 2). Some of the data requested have been suppressed in the answer. This is because the New Earnings Survey (NES) has not been designed to provide estimates at this very detailed level.
  The NES can provide earnings data for small geographical areas. The release of NES data is restricted to figures that are derived from a sufficiently large sample of employees, and have an acceptable level of accuracy and I have provided the available data for Scotland, the unitary authorities in Scotland and Great Britain only for those areas where the samples arc large enough. These are based on the 2002 NES, the latest survey for which data are available.

  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list for(a) Scotland and (b) each of the unitary local authority areas in Scotland (i) weekly median earnings and (ii) the per cent. distribution of earnings for those earning (A) under the point below which 10 per cent. of earners fall and (B) the point above which 10 per cent. of earners exceed, broken down by the categories (1) all manual, (2) all non-manual, (3) all workers, (4) male manual, (5) male non-manual, (6) all male workers, (7) female manual, (8) female non-manual and (9) all female workers [99978]

  Ruth Kelly
  [holding answer 3 March 2003]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Annabelle Ewing dated 17 March 2003:
  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question on the distribution of weekly earnings for workers in Scotland and the unitary authorities in Scotland. (99978)
  I am placing the requested information in the House of Commons Library. The tables provided show median weekly earnings including and excluding overt [me and the earnings at which 10 per cent. of people earn more and 10 per cent. earn less. Some of the data requested have been suppressed in the answer. This is because the New Earnings Survey (NES) has not been designed to provide estimates at this very detailed level.
  The NES can provide earnings data for small geographical areas. The release of NES data is restricted to figures that are derived from a sufficiently large sample of employees, and have an acceptable level of accuracy and I have provided the available data for Scotland and the unitary authorities in Scotland only for those areas where the samples are large enough. These are based on the 2002 NES, the latest survey for which data are available.

  Euro
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2003,Official Report, column 54W, on the euro, when his Department plans to conduct the next survey of small and medium-sized companies; and if he will make a statement. [102891]

  Ruth Kelly
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave him on 13 January 2003,Official Report, columns 414–15W, 20 January 2003, Official Report, column 54W and 3 February 2003, Official Report, column 29W.

  Mr. Prisk
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made or plans to make an assessment of the optimum exchange rate for the United Kingdom to join the euro. [102925]

  Ruth Kelly
  The Government have consistently made clear that they will complete a comprehensive and rigorous assessment of the five economic tests within two years of the start of this Parliament.

  As set out in the paper of 6 September 2002 for the Treasury Committee on the Treasury's approach to the preliminary and technical work, a number of supporting studies will be published alongside the assessment of the five economic tests. A supporting study will be published "Analysing different approaches to the sustainable real exchange rate".

  Mr. Prisk
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the level of European economic reform described in the report Meeting the Challenge: Economic Reform in Europe will be taken into consideration when making an assessment of the second test for euro entry. [102929]

  Ruth Kelly
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 11 March 2003,Official Report, column 126W.

  House Price Inflation
  Mr. Prisk
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of house price inflation in each year since 1997. [102924]

  Ruth Kelly
  HM Treasury do not estimate house price inflation. National house price indices are available from the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister, the Nationwide and the Halifax. ODPM: http://www.housing.odpm.gov.uk/statistics/live/index.htmtthm Nationwide: http://www.nationwide.co.uk/hpi/ Halifax: http://www.hbosplc.com/view/housepriceindex/historical dataspreadsheet. asp

  Mr. Prisk
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions officials from his Department have had with representatives of(a) building societies, (b) the estate agent industry and (c) consumer groups on (i) the state of the housing market and (ii) future estimates of house price inflation; and if he will make a statement. [102928]

  Ruth Kelly
  The Chancellor regularly meets representatives of a wide range of organisations to discuss important economic issues.

  Iraq
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provision he has made for the cost of war with Iraq. [103450]

  Mr. Boateng
  I refer the hon. Lady to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Blaenau Gwent (Llew Smith) on 12 March 2003,Official Report, column 283W.

  Personal Income
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what(a) the average gross income and (b) the average annual net disposable income has been for each quintile of the income in distribution in each year since 1996. [102986]

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

  Table A: Average annual gross household income:

  United Kingdom

  £per year

  Quintile group of all households1

  Bottom

  2nd

  3rd

  4th

  Top

  All Households

  1996–97

  7,080

  11,250

  18,070

  26,180

  45,870

  21,690

  1996–97

  7,080

  11,250

  18,070

  26,180

  45,870

  21,690

  1997–98

  7,300

  11,780

  19,120

  28,000

  48,720

  22,980

  1998–99

  7,740

  12,430

  20,010

  28,720

  52,340

  24,250

  1999–2000

  7,720

  12,810

  21,010

  30,040

  55,540

  25,420

  2000–01

  8,420

  14,290

  22,080

  32,000

  56,850

  26,730

  1 Quintile groups of all households randed by equivalised disposable income before deducting housing costs.

  Source:

  Office for National Statistics, 'The effects of taxes and benefits and on household income,' published annually on the ONS website and in Economic Trends

  Table B
  Average annual net disposale household income 1996–97 to 2000–01:

  United Kingdom

  £per year

  Quintile group of all households1

  Bottom

  2nd

  3rd

  4th

  Top

  All Households

  1996–97

  6,360

  9,810

  14,890

  20,770

  35,150

  17,400

  1997–98

  6,550

  10,280

  15,760

  22,140

  37,280

  18,400

  1998–99

  6,830

  10,730

  16,330

  22,590

  39,680

  19,230

  1999–2000

  6,830

  11,000

  17,210

  23,640

  42,450

  20,230

  2000–01

  7,440

  12,200

  17,960

  25,060

  43,550

  21,140

  1 Quintile groups of all households ranked by equivalised disposable income before deducting housing costs.

  Source

  Office for National Statistics, 'The effects of taxes and benefits and on household income,' published annually on the ONS website and in Economic Trends

  Public Sector Pensions
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the public sector pension schemes which are funded; when was the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; what the value was of the assets at the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; and what deficit is disclosed by the last actuarial valuation of each scheme. [103346]

  Mr. Boateng
  Of the major public service schemes, only the Local Government Pension Scheme is funded. That scheme is the responsibility of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.
  544W
  Letter to David Willetts from Len Cook, dated 17 March 2003:
  As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking for the average annual gross and net household income for each quintile of the income distribution since 1996. (102986)
  Estimates for 1996–97 to 2000–01 are shown in the following tables. They are based on the analysis "The effects of taxes and benefits on household income 2000–01", published on the National Statistics (ONS) website on April 19th 2002 and in Economic Trends for May 2002. The analysis and those for earlier years can be obtained from the House of Commons library. They include measures of income inequality for the United Kingdom as a whole based on data from the Family Expenditure Survey.
  Estimates are given for all households in the United Kingdom and split by quintile groups ranked by disposable household income. Gross income includes income from employment, investment and cash benefits. Net disposable income is obtained by deducting income tax and national insurance contributions and local taxes. Local taxes include council tax, domestic rates, water and sewerage charges and are net of discounts, benefits and rebates.

  In addition some of the small public service schemes are funded. In the wider public sector, corporations such as the BBC and the Post Office have their own funded schemes. Responsibility for the se schemes rests with the relevant sponsoring department.

  Detailed information on the valuations of funded public sector pension schemes is not held centrally.

  Recycling
  Tony Cunningham
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to encourage recycling
  545W
  initiatives through exemptions for recycling plants from landfill tax. [103140]

  John Healey
  Landfill tax is a tax on waste, and is applied to all waste disposed of by way of landfill at a licensed landfill site, unless that waste is specifically exempted. Recycling plants are therefore not liable to tax. Indeed, landfill tax is designed to encourage recycling—by making the disposal of waste to landfill more expensive, it encourages waste producers to recover more value from waste, for example through recycling or composting. Landfill tax also contains provisions for tax-free areas on landfill sites to encourage site operators to recycle material sent to their sites for disposal.

  Stamp Duty
  Mr. Flook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when stamp duty on share transactions was reduced from(a) 2 per cent.and (b) 1 per cent. [103626]

  Ruth Kelly
  The rate of stamp duty on share transactions was reduced from 2 per cent. to 1 per cent. in 1984. At that time the scope of stamp duty was widened to include bearer instruments.

  In 1986 the rate was further reduced to 0.5 per cent. which is when Stamp Duty Reserve Tax was enacted. The Finance Act 1986 also introduced a 1.5 per cent. charge for shares entering a clearance service or depository bank.

  Mr. Flook
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the financial secretary to the Treasury will reply to the letter of the honourable Member for Taunton which referred to her comments on reduction of stamp duty on share transactions,Official Report, 23 January, column 425. [103627]

  Ruth Kelly
  I have already done so.

LORD CHANCELLOR'S DEPARTMENT

  Abducted Children
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will consult parents who have had their children abducted on ways to improve the services provided by her Department in such cases. [102238]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Parents are consulted through our work with reunite—International Child Abduction Centre which works closely with the parents involved. We consult reunite regularly. My Department also receives information from parents through meetings and correspondence from them and hon. Members, which all inform our consideration of service provision. Consultation takes place before Special Commissions of the Hague Conference, as they occur.

  Domestic Violence
  Stephen Hesford
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if she will make a statement on the Lord Chancellor's Department's policy on reducing domestic violence. [102182]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Government are committed to tackling domestic violence. My Department's main responsibility as a member of the Inter-Ministerial 546W
  Group on Domestic Violence is to develop coordination between the criminal, civil and family courts to make sure that victims of domestic violence and their families have a swift and effective route to protection, and perpetrators of violence are brought to justice. We intend to do this through improving training and raising awareness amongst the professional judiciary and magistrates.

  My Department recently launched a guide on civil remedies and criminal sanctions against abusers aimed to assist those who advise victims of their options.

  Where necessary we will improve court processes through legislation, as we did with the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (ACA 2002) and the Children Act 1989. As a consequence of the ACS 2002, the application form used to apply for contact or residence will be amended so that the applicant can indicate, and give details about, whether abuse has taken place. The respondent will then also have a chance to comment. This will mean that judges will be aware early in the proceedings; that domestic abuse is alleged and findings of fact can be made before contact or residence are considered.

  We have also published guidelines for the courts and other professionals which provide a structured and consistent approach for all court users in how to deal with contact cases where domestic violence is an issue. Their effectiveness is being monitored and evaluated.

  A safety stakeholder group was set up to advise on how to improve our handling of domestic violence in proceedings involving children, and promote safe contact. Representatives from the judiciary, academics, practitioners and parents' and children's organisations are involved.

  We have carried out a mapping exercise of the provision of child contact services, including centres where supervised contact is available, to help us to develop a national network of child contact centres that work to agreed standards. We are supporting child contact centres on their strategy for expanding and improving their services by putting in extra Government funding [over £1.7 million over the past two years] and an additional £2.5 million from Children's Fund announced in February 2003.

  We will be working closely wi;th colleagues in the Home Office and other Departments to take various issues forward through the forthcoming domestic violence consultation paper and proposed subsequent draft bill later in the year.

  With the help of our key stakeholder advisory groups we will continue to identify further action in every area of our responsibilities, and in those areas of responsibility that we share with other Government Departments, to make sure that tackling domestic violence and protecting its victims (adults and children) are given the priority they deserve.

  Special Advisers
  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how much was spent by the Department on(a) special advisers and (b) external

  547W
  contracts in each year since 1997; if she will name the advisers and contractors; and if she will place copies of the relevant contracts in the Library. [100843]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  For information on special advisers, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State for the Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander), on 31 January 2003,Official Report, column 1056W.

  For information on external consultancy expenditure I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Haltemprice and Howden (David Davis) on 28 October 2002, Official Report, column 600W and the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 24 February 2003, Official Report, column 16W.

  The Department places very many contracts for a wide range of goods and services including products such as all office furniture, transcription tapes, office supplies and stationary. Services range from the provision of IT, office cleaning, court reporting, postage through to utilities.

  Purchasing of such items is generally devolved, so the information requested cannot be readily provided.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Afghanistan
  Mr. Mullin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with representatives of the US Government regarding(a) compensation and (b) other assistance for the Afghan woman, Orfa, whose house in Bibi Mahru was accidentally bombed by a US F-16; on what date he raised the matter with the US; and what response he has received. [102904]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We have discussed the case referred to a number of times with the US since it was first reported in the Guardian in October 2002. The US have indicated that they do not pay claims for compensation arising from combat activities. The US have assisted Afghanistan as a whole with development funding on a substantial scale. We are still discussing this matter with the US authorities and I will seek to keep my hon. Friend informed if there are any developments.

  Antarctica
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the number of tourists visiting Antarctica in each of the past five years by(a) cruise ship and (b) air, and their environmental impact; and if he will make a statement. [103448]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The International Association of Antarctic Tour Operators (IAATO) presents annually a report on tourism in Antarctica at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting (ATCM). These reports detail tourist visits by cruise ship and air. Scientific monitoring of sites visited by tourists show that there has been no significant impact on the Antarctic environment from tourism.
  548W
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total UK expenditure on the Antarctic Environmental Protocol Secretariat is for 200–03 and how much is projected for 2003–04. [103449]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  There is no Antarctic Environmental Protocol Secretariat as such. However it was agreed in principle at the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting in 2001 that an Antarctic Treaty Secretariat should be set up. Given that this has yet to be established there has been no UK expenditure to date.

  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have been held with the Governments of(a) Chile, (b) Argentina, (c) South Africa, (d) Australia and (e) New Zealand concerning the funding of the Antarctic Environmental Protocol Secretariat; and if he will make a statement. [103451]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We are in regular discussions with the Argentineans regarding the proposed Antarctic Treaty Secretariat to be located in Buenos Aires.Negotiations on setting up the Secretariat, including its funding, continue with the Governments of Chile, South Africa. Australia and New Zealand, as with all other Antarctic Treaty Parties, at annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings (ATCM). The next of these will be held in Madrid (June 2003). Separately, an informal intersessional meeting is scheduled for 1 to 4 April in Buenos Aires to discuss matters relating to the Treaty Secretariat.

  Arms Sales
  Joyce Quin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the EU code of conduct on arms sales, with reference to sales to Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [101954]

  Mr. Rammell
  The sale of military listed items and dual use items to Iraq is restricted by sanctions. Those which are not automatically prohibited require approval from the UN Iraq Sanctions Committee, of which we are a member. As a member of the Sanctions Committee our evaluation of any application for permission to export such goods, including applications from EU partners, would involve consideration against the criteria of the Code. We consider the Code to be an effective tool to apply when making such decisions.

  Burma
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the human rights situation in Burma. [103045]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The human rights situation in Burma is poor and a matter of grave concern. The UK Co-sponsored a resolution at the United Nations General Assembly in November 2002 that condemned the Burmese regime's record and I issued a public statement on 20 November giving my strong support for the resolution. On 18 February, the European Union issued a statement expressing concern over the deteriorating situation in Burma, including further politically inspired detentions and arrests. With EU
  549W
  partners, we are preparing a resolution for the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in April that will again press for action to address the human rights abuse in Burma.

  China (North Korean Refugees)
  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he will make to the Chinese authorities concerning(a) the repatriation of North Korean refugees in China, (b) the refusal by the Chinese Government to allow the UNHCR access to the North Koreans who have fled into China and (c) China's obligations under the 1951 UN Convention on the Treatment of Refugees. [102594]

  Mr. Rammell
  We regularly raise the issue of North Korean refugees with the Chinese, including at the biannual UK/China Human Rights Dialogue. At the last round of the Dialogue, on 21 November 2002, we urged China to allow the UNHCR access to the border areas and to observe its obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention. We will continue to encourage greater co-operation between China and UNHCR on this issue.

  Entry Clearance Officers
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when entry clearance officers in(a) New Delhi, (b) Mumbai, (c) Dhaka, (d) Tehran and (e) Nairobi ceased using the pre-assessment procedure for visa applications. [103145]

  Mr. Rammell
  Use of the pre-assessment procedure was ceased in:(a) New Delhi in August 2002; (b) Mumbai in February 2003; (c) Dhaka in January 2003 (but during January to March 2003 Dhaka has been operating a pre-assessment procedure for settlement applications to help accustom applicants to its withdrawal); (d) Tehran in July 2002; and (e) Nairobi in October 2002.

  Family Visitor Visas
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what initiatives to increase family visitor visa applicants' awareness of their appeal rights have been undertaken since 1 January 2002. [103144]

  Mr. Rammell
  All unsuccessful applicants receive at the time of refusal written notices informing them about their right to appeal, and the procedure they need to follow should they choose to exercise this right. So all applicants are aware of their appeal rights.

  India (Nuclear Tests)
  Mr. Purchase
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the Indian Government on their intentions towards signing the nuclear test ban treaty.[103036]
  550W
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We regularly raise the issue of Indian accession to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, and other international Treaties relating to non-proliferation, with the Indian Government.

  Iraq
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Turkish Government regarding the administration of Northern Iraq following military conflict with Iraq. [102765]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs last met Turkish Foreign Minister Yakis at Copenhagen on 13 December. They did not discuss Iraq.

  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what(a) discussions he has held with and (b) representations he has received from multinational oil companies in relation to the exploitation of Iraqi oil following a conflict in the middle east; [102767]

  (2) what discussions he has held with the US Government concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following any conflict which leads to regime change in Iraq; [102766]

  (3) what recent discussions he has had with the US Administration regarding the exploitation of Iraqi oil reserves following military conflict in the middle east; [102764]

  (4) what agreements the UK Government has made with multinational oil companies regarding oil exploitation following a conflict in Iraq; [102769]

  (5) what discussions he has had with other Ministers concerning the exploitation of Iraqi oil following a conflict in the middle east. [102758]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  It is our position that Iraqi oil is owned by the Iraqi people. Its revenues should be used for the good of the people. We make this clear in all our contacts on the subject.

  However, the current situation is not about oil, it is about weapons of mass destruction and the Iraqi regime deliberately flouting the will of the United Nations.

  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to protect the Kurds of Northern Iraq from any advance by the Turkish army, following a military attack on Baghdad by US and UK forces. [102768]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I understand that both the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan in northern Iraq remain in close touch with the Government of Turkey about developments in the area. I am not aware of any decision by Turkey to advance against the northern Iraqi Kurds.

  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent studies his Department has undertaken of Iraqi oil reserves. [102770]
  551W
  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We have not undertaken any new studies of Iraqi oil reserves.

  Mr. Soley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make the UNMOVIC Working Document of 6 March on Iraq's unresolved disarmament issues available(a) to hon. Members and (b) through major retail outlets in the UK. [103288]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The document has already been placed in the library of the House. It is also available on the UNMOVIC web site, www.un.org/uniTiovic. Together with the most recent presentations by Dr. Blix and Dr. El Baradei to the UN Security Council and the twelfth UNMOVIC quarterly report it will also be published as a Command Paper (Cm 5785). It will be publicly available through The Stationery Office.

  Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the United States Administration in respect of its interrogation of the sons of Khalid Sheikh Mohammad about their father's alleged terrorist activities. [102728]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  None.

  UN Security Council
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits are being undertaken by Ministers to non-permanent member countries on the UN Security Council; what visits have been undertaken in the last month; what issues of(a) aid and (b) trade are and have been on the agenda; what offers are and have been made to those countries by the UK Government which are favourable to them, with the financial value of each such offer; whether the communication of a favourable arrangement has been made to any of these countries on behalf of another nation; and if he will make a statement. [100994]

  Mr. Rammell
  My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister visited Spain on 27–28 February. My noble Friend Baroness Amos visited Guinea, Angola and Cameroon on 25–28 February and again on 10–12 March. My hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mr. Mike O'Brien) visited Syria on 4–5 March. My hon. Friend the Minister for Europe (Mr. MacShane) visited Bulgaria on 6 March.

  No aid or trade issues have been discussed during the visits. They have not been used to communicate any offers from third countries.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what independent legal advice is available to the Secretariat of the United Nations Security Council. [102073]

  Mr. Rammell
  The Secretariat of the United Nations is advised by the Office of Legal Affairs, which forms part of the Secretariat.

  West Africa
  Mr. Simmonds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions the Baroness Amos had with the Government of Guinea regarding the present dispute between Liberia and Sierra Leone during, her recent visit to Africa; what assessment he has made of the impact of this dispute on the region; what steps his Department is taking to address this situation; and if he will make a statement. [101774]

  Mr. Rammell
  During my noble Friend Baroness Amos's visit to Guinea on 25 February, she had discussions with President Conté about regional issues, including Liberia. The Government of Liberia continues to ignore the demands of the UN Security Council by sponsoring armed groups in the region and encouraging regional instability. Together with our international partners, our objective remains to contain these activities, including by maintaining effective UN sanctions against Liberia.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

  Officers of the House (Travel)
  Mr. Maples
  To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission which officers of the House of Commons are allowed to travel by air(a) first class and (b) business class at public expense when on official duties. [102895]

  Sir Archy Kirkwood
  The rules for air travel by officials on the business of the House are set out in the Staff Handbook which is available on the parliamentary intranet. Business class or first class travel is not normally allowed for flights within the UK. For flights outside the UK, officials are required to seek best value for money, including making use of discounted fares where possible. When travelling with Members, however, officials are normally allowed to book seats of the same class as the Members they are accompanying.

PRIME MINISTER

  Government Legal Advice
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Prime Minister what the Government's policy is on the publication of advice provided to the Government by(a) government law officers and (b) members of the private bar. [103471]

  The Prime Minister
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. Cash) on 14 March 2003,Official Report, column 482W, and the further answer my right hon. Friend, the Solicitor-General has given the hon. Member for Stone (Mr. Cash) today.

  UNIKOM
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Prime Minister what UK military forces have been committed to UNIKOM;
  553W
  and whether these forces are mandated to resist all violations of the demilitarised zone on the Iraq-Kuwait border. [103832]

  The Prime Minister
  The UK currently contributes 11 military observers to UNIKOM, one of whom also acts as Commander of the British Contingent.

  UNIKOM is mandated to take physical action to prevent small-scale violations of the demilitarised zone.

HEALTH

  Asylum Seekers
  Mr. Wray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 3 March 2003,Official Report. column 823W, on asylum seekers, what measures are in place to ensure that unaccompanied child asylum seekers receive care and support from council social services under the Children Act 1989. [103400]

  Jacqui Smith
  When an unaccompanied child arrives at an English port or airport the im migration service will refer him/her immediately to the relevant local authority social services department, which will be responsible for providing him/her with support under the Children Act 1989. Unaccompanied children can also claim asylum in-country. In such cases, they will either already have presented to a social services department as a child in need, or will be referred on by the immigration service.

  NHS Estates (PFI)
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the public sector team of the fraud squad is investigating the NHS estates PFI scheme; and if he will make a statement. [97530]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 12 February 2003]NHS Estates is not directly involved in any private finance initiative transactions. NHS Estates is, however, in the process of a one-off sale of Retained Estate and its trading arm, Inventures. No suggestion of fraud has come to light concerning the proposed joint venture to derive the best value from the Retained Estate and Inventures.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answers of 27 February, refs. 95076 and 98813, for what reasons the delay in replying to the letters of(a) 21 November and (b) 8 October 2002 occurred. [100941]

  Mr. Lammy
  [holding answer 5 March 2003]I apologise for the delays you have been experiencing in receiving replies to your correspondence.

  Unfortunately, during the course of the year there have been several issues, which have contributed to the overall delays in providing response and has led to outstanding correspondence. The introduction of a new information technology system to track correspondence throughout the Department took longer to bed in than expected.
  554W
  The Customer Service Centre was established on 1 December to improve the Department's performance in handling telephone, written and e-mail inquiries from members of the public and their representatives. One of the first tasks of the Customer Services Centre has been to clear outstanding cases and to put systems in place to prevent this kind of backlog from building up again.

  Emergency Medical Personnel
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what plans his Department has to increase the number of emergency medical personnel(a) on motorbikes, (b) in ambulances and (c) in cars; [101314]

  (2) how many ambulances serve Greater London; and how many paramedics there are (a) in cars, (b) on motorbikes and (c) in ambulances. [101315]

  Mr. Lammy
  Decisions of this nature are for each individual ambulance trust to determine locally. This information is not held centrally.

  Foundation Hospitals
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the role is of the proposed regulator for foundation hospitals; and if he will make a statement. [102180]

  Mr. Hutton
  Our policy on the main functions of the Independent Regulator is set out in paragraph 3.28 of "A Guide to NHS Foundation Trusts". The Health &Social Care (Community Health &Standards) Bill makes provision for the Independent Regulator to authorise applications for national health service foundation trust status; set and revise the terms under which each NHS foundation trust operates and provides additional powers to intervene in the running of an NHS foundation trust in specified circumstances.

  Hospital Amalgamations
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the hospital amalgamations that have taken place in the last five years; and what the total number of acute beds available in those hospitals was(a) before and (b) after the amalgamation. [91588]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested is not available.

  Hospital Hygiene
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for East Worthing and Shoreham (Tim Loughton) of 26 February, 2003,Official Report. column 629W, on hospital hygiene, whether the handwashing provision in existing hospital buildings will be measured against the recommendations from NHS Estates for new buildings. [101950]

  Mr. Lammy
  National health service trust chief executives are responsible for ensuring adequate infection control measures. Infection control teams assist them in this; they will be actively involved in developing policies and monitoring practice. They will use their professional judgment to assess existing facilities and may use NHS Estates' guidelines to help them do so.

  Learning Disability Boards
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action he is taking to ensure that local learning disability boards communicate their proceedings to local interested parties; and what plans he has to issue guidance to them on this matter. [103088]

  Jacqui Smith
  Learning disability partnership boards were set up as a key part of the arrangements for implementing the White Paper, "Valuing People: A New Strategy for Learning Disability for the 21st Century" (Cm 5086), published in March 2001. The role and functions of these boards were described in guidance issued in August 2001 (HSC 2001/016; LAC(2001)23).

  The role of partnership boards is broadly to create strong local partnerships between providers of services, learning disabled people and family carers. Their aim is to develop local strategies to improve the opportunities for learning disabled people to be included as fully as possible in society and have greater independence and choice in their lives.

  We hope that partnership boards will try to raise the profile of learning disability issues in their local areas, and to encourage their members, such as local authorities and primary care trusts, to do the same. This would support strongly the aim of greater inclusion of learning disabled people. We would therefore encourage boards to let local people know about their activities.

  It would not be appropriate to issue specific guidance on this matter, which is clearly a matter for local decision. However, the valuing people support team, which has been set up to promote good practice and share practical experience across the country, has given practical advice to boards in its newsletters of July 2002 and February 2003 on making meetings available to the public. We support these messages. The support team website is at http://www.doh.qov.uk/vpst.

  Mental Health
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what training is available to NHS staff responding to the mental health needs of(a) current and (b) former servicemen and women. [101074]

  Jacqui Smith
  The mental health needs of current servicemen and women are met under the auspices of the Ministry of Defence, who are also responsible for ensuring that military and medical personnel receive appropriate training. The national health service provides services, by trained staff, to former service personnel alongside the general public according to their needs. Recent additional investment in mental health services and a comprehensive programme of modernisation will ensure that all those who have mental health needs are able to access appropriate treatment more quickly. Further information about this is available on the Department of Health web site at www.doh.gov.uk/mentalhealth. Additional guidance for general practitioners first issued following the events in the USA on 11 September 2001 was re-issued last year; this specifically draws attention to the needs of service personnel.

  Northwich Park Hospital
  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients have been treated in(a) the accident and emergency unit at Northwick Park Hospital and (b) in total at Northwick Park Hospital, broken down by clinical speciality, in each of the last five years. [100597]

  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested is collected by National Health Service trust and not by individual hospital.

  Northwick Park Hospital was part of Northwick Park and St. Marks NHS Trust until 1999, when the Trust merged with Central Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust to form North West London Hospitals NHS Trust. Figures for Northwick Park and St. Marks NHS Trust for 1997–98 and 1998–99 are shown in Table 1.

  Table 2 shows figures for North West London Hospitals NHS Trust from 1999–2000 to 2001–02. For consistency, figures for 1997–98 and 1998–99 are shown for Northwick Park and St. Marks NHS Trust and Central Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust combined.

  Table 1: Northwick Park and St. Marks NHS Trust only.

  Main Specialty

  1997–98

  1998–99

  Not known

  456

  410

  General Surgery

  7,050

  8,096

  Urology

  2,717

  2,865

  Trauma and Orthopaedics

  3,615

  4,125

  ENT

  2,656

  2,676

  Ophthalmology

  24

  30

  Oral Surgery

  333

  339

  Orthodontics

  —

  —

  Plastic Surgery

  —

  —

  Accident and Emergency

  581

  1,109

  Anaesthetics

  307

  41

  Pain Management

  —

  421

  General Medicine

  5,982

  5,818

  Gastroenterology

  4,243

  4,666

  Endocrinology

  239

  99

  Rehabilitation

  57

  69

  Cardiology

  1,797

  1,510

  Dermatology

  27

  22

  Thoracic Medicine

  227

  131

  Infectious Diseases

  1,070

  1,169

  Genito-urinary Medicine

  —

  —

  Nephrology

  —

  —

  Medical Oncology

  —

  —

  Neurology

  1—

  1—

  Clinical Neuro-Physiology

  —

  —

  Rheumatology

  404

  238

  Paediatrics

  6,795

  6,324

  Geriatric Medicine

  39

  20

  Obstet for Patients using a hospital bed or del facilities

  6,071

  5,691

  Gynaecology

  3,948

  4,917

  Midwife Episodes

  —

  —

  Mental Illness

  —

  1—

  Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

  1—

  1—

  Radiotherapy

  —

  —

  Radiology

  7

  9

  Blood Transfusion

  —

  —

  Haematology

  776

  961

  557W

  Table 2: Central Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust and Northwick Park &St. Marks NHS Trust 1997–98 and 1998–99 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 1999–00 to 2001–02 Finished Consultant Episodes—Count of In Year Admissions

  Main speciality

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  Not known

  457

  413

  1—

  6

  7

  General Surgery

  8,724

  9,548

  9,204

  7,500

  8,233

  Urology

  5,354

  5,596

  4,905

  2,880

  2,861

  Trauma and Orthopaedics

  4,825

  5,374

  5,013

  4,088

  3,844

  ENT

  3,281

  3,244

  3,201

  2,526

  2,956

  Ophthalmology

  1,203

  1,625

  2,196

  411

  120

  Oral Surgery

  1,484

  1,604

  1,426

  594

  389

  Orthodontics

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  Plastic Surgery

  0

  0

  34

  21

  1—

  Accident and Emergency

  581

  1,109

  916

  2,082

  0

  Anaesthetics

  337

  70

  40

  13

  59

  Pain Management

  0

  421

  391

  315

  183

  General Medicine

  6,006

  5,828

  6,268

  6,775

  7,204

  Gastroenterology

  6,186

  6,906

  6,761

  5,619

  6,766

  Endocrinology

  320

  185

  177

  68

  45

  Rehabilition

  57

  69

  47

  54

  60

  Cardiology

  2,011

  1,669

  1,419

  1,207

  1,135

  Dermatology

  29

  22

  19

  11

  18

  Thoracic Medicine

  489

  387

  265

  129

  452

  Infectious Diseases

  1,070

  1,169

  1.094

  1,074

  1,364

  Genito-urginary Medicine

  14

  13

  10

  1—

  0

  Nephrology

  0

  0

  0

  1—

  0

  Medical Oncology

  7

  1—

  1—

  1—

  6

  Neurology

  67

  82

  89

  17

  7

  Clinical Neuro-physiology

  1—

  1—

  1—

  0

  0

  Rheumatology

  573

  477

  471

  470

  486

  Paediatrics

  9,012

  8,476

  8,361

  5,755

  2,109

  Geriatric Medicine

  205

  108

  93

  17

  12

  Obstet for patients using a hospital bed or Del facilities

  9,645

  8,941

  8.436

  3,559

  161

  Gynaecology

  5,469

  6,627

  5,602

  4,255

  4,074

  Mid Wife Episodes

  0

  0

  432

  1689

  287

  Mental Illness

  0

  1—

  0

  0

  0

  Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1—

  0

  Radiotherapy

  1—

  0

  0

  0

  1—

  Radiology

  7

  12

  1—

  0

  1—

  Blood Transfusion

  1—

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Haematology

  1,533

  1,569

  1,679

  1,188

  1,127

  1 Due to reasons of confidentiality, figures below 5 have been suppressed.

  Note:

  1. (RAU) Central Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust and (RFZ) Northwick Park and St. Marks Trust merged to form (RV8) North West London Hospitals NHS Trust with effect from the 1999–2000 data year.

  2. A FCE is defined as a period of patient care under one consultant in one health care provider. The figures do not represent the number of patients, as one person may have several episodes within the year.

  3. Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) arc compiled from data sent by over 300 NHS Trusts in England. The Department of Health and I beg to move, liaise closely with these organisations in order to ensure that data quality is enhanced wherever possible. Inevitably, some shortcomings remain, but our goal is to minimise inaccuracies and bring about improvement over time.

  Source:

  Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health

  Oldchurch Hospital
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether Oldchurch Hospital in the London Borough of Havering has been inspected by the Commission for Health Improvement. [101985]

  Mr. Hutton
  Oldchurch Hospital has not been inspected by the Commission for Health Improvement.

  Patient Advice and Liaison Services
  Dr. Richard Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the money held by NHS trusts for patient advice and liaison services is ring-fenced; and how many paid employees are working for the patient advice and liaison service in each trust. [102150]
  558W
  Mr. Lammy
  It is for local purchasers of treatment and care to decide upon the relative priorities of their allocations and assign funding accordingly. £10 million was included in the overall allocation for 2002–03, with the expectation that this would be used to support patient advice and liaison services (PALS) in national health service trusts and primary care trusts.

  The Department does not hold details of the number of staff working within PALS. A recent mapping exercise completed in January 2003 showed that 94 per cent. of all trusts have established a PAL service.

  Prison Healthcare
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes are planned to the structure of prison healthcare; and if he will make a statement. [103069]
  559W
  Jacqui Smith
  On 25 September 2002, my right hon. Friends the Home Secretary and the Secretary of State for Health announced that funding responsibility for prison health services in England was to be transferred from the Home Office to the Department of Health with effect from April 2003. The Prison Service funding currently used to provide health care for prisoners will be transferred to the Department of Health from April 2003.

  This is the first step in a process aimed at devolving funding and commissioning responsibility for prison health services to primary care trusts (PCTs) by 1 April 2006. PCTs will then become responsible for securing all health services for prisoners in their areas. During the transitional period of the next three years, the majority of funding for prison health services will be passed back to the prison service for allocation through prison establishments to ensure continuity of services.

  Psychiatric Readmissions
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many emergency psychiatric readmissions there were in each of the last five years for(a) under 16s and (b) over 65s; and what the rate of readmission was in each case. [102840]

  Jacqui Smith
  This information is not collected.

  Schizophrenia
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the National Service Framework for Adult Mental Health and its subsequent implementation guidelines for schizophrenia; who is responsible for the implementation; and if he will make a statement. [102686]

  Jacqui Smith
  The national service framework (NSF) for mental health, published in 1999, is a 10-year programme of reform and investment in mental health services and is being implemented in accordance with its targets and milestones.
  560W
  The implementation of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guideline on schizophrenia will build on the NSF and should form part of the service development plans for each local health community in England.

  The priorities and planning framework for the national health service in England 2003–06 sets key targets for improvements in mental health services including compliance with relevant NICE technology appraisals and clinical guidelines.

  Voting Qualifications (Mental Health)
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health under what circumstances a person would be(a) eligible and (b) ineligible to vote under the provisions in the draft Mental Health Bill. [103147]

  Jacqui Smith
  There are no proposals in respect of voting rights in the Mental Health Bill. In fact there is no such provision in the Mental Health Act 1983.

  My noble Friend the Lord Chancellor, is responsible for the policy on eligibility to vote under the Representation of the People Act 1983 (as amended by the Representation of the People Act 2000).

  I understand that he is considering the implications of the proposals in the Mental Health Bill on his policy for enfranchisement.

  Waiting Lists (Mid-Essex)
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people are waiting for in-patient treatment in the mid-Essex Hospital Trust area. [102538]

  Mr. Lammy
  [holding answer 13 March 2003]There were 9,352 patients waiting for inpatient treatment at mid Essex Hospital Services National Health Services Trust at the end of January 2003.

  Source

  DHSC monthly fast track figures.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Advertising (Scotland)
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much the Department spent on advertising in Scotland in each year since 1999 on(a) television, (b) newspapers, (c) radio, (d) magazines, (e) billboards and (f) sporting events. [102328]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The Department has not targeted any of its advertising specifically in Scotland. However, for some media it is impossible to remove coverage in Scotland. These include atellite TV, online, women's magazines, TV listings magazines, youth magazines and some national press titles who do not have Scottish editions.

  Due to the format in which advertising information is collected and held, it will not be possible to provide the information requested without incurring disproportionate cost. Information at the level of detail requested is not available, and where it is possible to disaggregate figures for advertising in Scotland, the information could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

  Asylum Seeker/Refugee Children
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) asylum seeker and (b) refugee children there were in schools, broken down by education authority, in each academic year since 1997–98. [102296]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  It is not possible to say how many asylum seeker and refugee children there were in schools in each local education authority (LEA), for the period specified, because there is no requirement on LEAs to provide the Department with this information.

  The most recent information available indicates that there are about 82,000 children from asylum seeking and refugee backgrounds in the UK. Nearly 63,000 of them are resident in Greater London where it is estimated that they comprise 6.04 per cent. of the total school population. Over 14,500 are resident in LEAs in the Home Office designated dispersal areas in the north east, north west, Yorkshire and the Humber, east and west Midlands and south west regions of England.

  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been allocated for the education of(a) asylum seeker and (b) refugee children since 1997–98 in each education authority. [102297]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  It is not possible to say how much funding has been allocated to Local Education Authorities (LEAs) for the education of children from asylum seeking and refugee backgrounds for the period specified as no specific factors are used to take account of these pupils in the formula for calculating education formula spending shares. It is for LEAs to consider whether to include provision by including relevant factors in their funding formulae.
  562W
  Additional funding has been made available to LEAs supporting the children of asylum seekers dispersed to the Home Office designated cluster areas through the asylum seeker grant. The attached table shows how much funding has been allocated to these LEAs from 2000 to 2003.

  From April 2003 this grant will be subsumed into the vulnerable children grant (worth £84 million) which will provide support for a range of vulnerable children including those from asylum seeking backgrounds. Funding to support all children, including those from asylum seeking and refugee backgrounds, with English as additional language requirements is available to all LEAs through the ethnic minority achievement grant (worth £155 million).

  Asylum Seeker Grant Allocations 2000–03

  LEA Name

  Amount of funding(£)

  Barnsley

  6,6000

  Birmingham

  40,1000

  Blackburn

  5,9000

  Bolton

  23,2000

  Bradford

  20,8000

  Brighton

  14,500

  Bristol

  75,500

  Burnley

  7,000

  Bury

  96,500

  Calderdale

  35,000

  Cheshire

  8,000

  Coventry

  182,000

  Croydon (LB)

  8,500

  Darlington

  2,500

  Derby

  146,500

  Doncaster

  101,000

  Dudley

  131,000

  Exeter (Devon)

  1,000

  Gateshead

  145,500

  Greenwich (LB)

  2,500

  Hampshire

  2,000

  Hartlepool

  9,000

  Hasting/St Leonards

  5,000

  Hertfordshire

  500

  Ipswich

  500

  Kingston Upon Hull

  98,500

  Kirklees

  122,500

  Knowsley

  4,000

  Lancashire (Preston)

  13,500

  Leeds

  345,000

  Leicester City

  110,500

  Leicestershire

  2,500

  Lincolnshire

  4,500

  Liverpool

  66,3000

  Manchester

  91,5000

  Middlesbrough

  94,000

  Nelson

  2,500

  Newcastle

  507,500

  Newham (LB)

  3,500

  North Somerset

  4,000

  North Tyneside

  90,500

  Nottingham City

  284,000

  Oldham

  42,000

  Peterborough

  23,500

  Plymouth

  37,000

  Portsmouth

  26,000

  Redcar

  101,000

  Richmond (LB)

  1,000

  Rochdale

  107,000

  Rotherham

  91,500

  Salford

  261,500

  563W

  Asylum Seeker Grant Allocations 2000–03

  LEA Name

  Amount of funding(£)

  Sandwell

  97,000

  Sefton

  56,000

  Sheffield

  388,000

  Solihull

  2,500

  South Gloucestershire

  17,000

  South Tyneside

  52,000

  Stockport

  42,500

  Stockton-on-Tees

  65,000

  Stoke-on-Trent

  61,500

  Sunderland

  86,500

  Tameside

  56,500

  Trafford

  32,500

  Wakefield

  79500

  Walsall

  68,500

  Wigan

  103,000

  Wolverhampton

  183,500

  Total

  7,287,00009

  Bologna Process
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on his Department's policy on the involvement of British higher education in the Bologna process. [101721]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Government welcome British higher education's involvement in the deliberations and process arising from the Bologna Declaration. We have been working closely with our UK higher education partners and the devolved administrations since we signed the Declaration in 1999 to assess the impact on UK higher education and its relationship with the rest of Europe, and to influence the debate on the way forward. Representatives of the UK higher educations sector are engaged in discussions on the Bologna process, and an official from my Department represents UK interests at the twice-yearly meetings of the inter-Governmental Bologna follow-up group. This will inform the ministerial conference in Berlin in September this year.

  Circular Documents
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the circular documents that were sent by his Department to(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools between I September 2001 and 31 August 2002; how many were on teacher workload; and how many pages each document contained. [102558]

  Mr. Miliband
  The following pages show the documents that were sent in the period 1 September 2001 and 31 August 2002 to(a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools. In total 76 documents were sent to all primary schools and 85 documents were sent to all secondary schools. On teacher workload one document was sent to all primary schools and one document was sent to all secondary schools in the period 1 September 2001 and 31 August 2002. Both of the documents on teacher workload contained three pages each.

  Ministers are committed to reducing the bureaucratic burden on schools and the Department has aimed to reduce the number of mailings to schools by 50 per cent. in the current 2002–03 academic year.
  564W
  Details of each document and how many pages each contained have been placed in the Library.

  Closed Circuit Cameras
  Mr. Gibb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many closed circuit cameras have been installed in school classrooms; and if he will make a statement. [101882]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The use of closed circuit television cameras in classrooms is a matter for individual schools and no central record is kept of their number.

  Earned Autonomy
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he expects to publish his Department's consultation paper on the proposed criteria for earned autonomy. [102140]

  Mr. Miliband
  We are pursuing our plans to publish a consultation paper on Earned Autonomy. This will include proposals on the criteria for Earned Autonomy and on the kinds of flexibility that might be made available. I will write to the hon. Member when we have a firm date for its release and place a copy of the letter in the Library.

  Free School Meals
  Stephen Hesford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on his(a) current and (b) future policy on free school meals. [102858]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  Section 512 of the Education Act 1996 (amended by the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 and the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999), sets out our current policy on free school meals. Children whose parents receive Income Support, Income Based Jobseekers Allowance and support provided under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 are currently eligible to receive free school meals.

  From 6 April 2003, section 201 of the Education Act 2002 and its associated regulations will extend free school meals to children whose parents receive the Child Tax Credit, provided they are not entitled to receive the Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by The Inland Revenue) that does not exceed £13,230. This change will protect an estimated 87,000 children in England who would otherwise lose their entitlement because of planned changes to the tax credit and welfare system from April 2003. We estimate that an additional 75,000 children will become entitled to free school meals as a result of this change.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what ratio of students on bachelor or higher degree courses to students on foundation degree courses he plans for the additional numbers of students entering higher education by 2010. [101735]
  565W
  Margaret Hodge
  As set out in the Government's White Paper, 'The future of higher education' (Cm 5735), the emphasis in expanding student number will be on two year-work focussed foundation degrees.

  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he plans to differentiate fee caps by type of higher education institutions. [100303]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Higher Education White Paper sets out the Government's intention to introduce variable fees in 2006–07. A university will be able to set its fee at any level between £0 and £3,000 per year. Universities will have to have Access Agreements approved by the independent Access Regulator before they are allowed to introduce a contribution higher than the current standard fee. We have no plans to apply these proposals differentially to higher education institutions.

  Brian White
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if the funding mechanisms to deliver the proposals set out in the Future of Higher Education White Paper will encompass institutions whose students are not tied to a specific geographical location. [100022]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Graduate Contribution Scheme described in the White Paper 'The future of higher education' (Cm 5735) will apply to full-time undergraduate students only. The Open University is the main higher education institution providing distance learning for students who are geographically remote from its campus. The majority of such students are part-time and will not, therefore, be affected by the Graduate Contribution Scheme. For part-time students, the Open University will continue to set its own fee levels as now. However from 2004–05 students will benefit from a new package of support for part-time students. For those on courses which are equivalent to 50 per cent. or more of a full-time course, there will be means-tested tuition fee support, applied for through LEAs. This replaces the current discretionary fee waiver scheme and doubles the number of part-time students eligible for help with their fees. Students who get fee support will also be able to apply for a £250 grant from their LEA instead of a loan. And students entitled to fee support who have children will get help with their child care from the Access to Learning Fund. Al so from 2004–05, we are extending discretionary fee waivers and hardship support for the first time to certain students on courses which are equivalent to at least 10 per cent. of a full-time course.

  GCSE

  (a)French

  (b)German

  (c)Spanish

  (d)Italian

  (e)Latin

  (f)Greek

  2002

  282,278

  115,907

  41,251

  2,531

  3,274

  93

  2001

  290,992

  121,441

  38,877

  2,397

  3,503

  77

  2000

  283,640

  118,606

  36,176

  2,114

  3,380

  94

  1999

  281,218

  120,495

  33,823

  1,989

  3,303

  97

  1998

  276,180

  117,587

  33,250

  2,115

  3,359

  95

  1997

  273,255

  116,944

  29,013

  1,819

  3,830

  117

  1996

  280,610

  115,208

  28,731

  1,915

  4,115

  116

  1995

  280,266

  109,469

  26,526

  1,928

  4,119

  205

  Individual Learners (EU Assistance)
  Mr. Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which member states of the European Union assist individual learners by(a) tax relief, (b) government grants and (c) otherwise. [102389]

  Margaret Hodge
  This information is not collected centrally.

  Language Teaching
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children from refugee and asylum-seeking families in schools in England do not have English as a first language; if he will list the schemes to teach them English; and how much the Department has spent and will spend on such teaching in each year from 2001–02 to 2005–06. [102289]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  Approximately 632,000 (9.3 per cent.) of pupils in maintained schools in England are recorded as having a mother tongue other than English although it is not possible to determine how many of these have an asylum seeking or refugee background as Local Education Authorities (LEAs) are not required to provide such information.

  Support for bilingual learners is through mainstream provision rather than separate schemes to teach English. There is no separate funding for teaching English as an additional language, but the Ethnic Minority Achievement Grant worth £154 million in 2001–02 and £155 million in 2002–03 and 2003–04 provides support for minority ethnic pupils at risk of underachievement and for those whose first language is not English. This includes British born children as well as those from asylum seeking and refugee families. From April 2003 the Vulnerable Children Grant worth £84 million for the next three years will provide support to help schools and LEAs meet the needs of a range of vulnerable pupils including those from asylum seeking backgrounds.

  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many maintained secondary schools taught(a) French, (b) German, (c) Spanish, (d) Italian, (e) Latin and (f) Greek at (i) GCSE and (ii) A-level in each year since 1995. [102560]

  Mr. Miliband
  We do not collect data on how many maintained secondary schools taught French, German, Spanish, Italian, Latin and Greek at GCSE and A-level since 1995. We do hold information on the number of pupils in all maintained schools taking GCSE and A-level examinations in these subjects since 1995. They are as follows:
  567W

  A level

  (a) French

  (b) German

  (c) Spanish

  (d) Italian

  (e) Latin

  (f) Greek

  20021

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  2001

  7,613

  4,081

  1,777

  219

  252

  10

  2000

  7,334

  4,008

  1,673

  213

  241

  15

  1999

  8,416

  4,480

  1,792

  185

  269

  11

  1998

  9,136

  4,714

  1,697

  181

  308

  15

  1997

  9.842

  4,555

  1,677

  181

  312

  26

  1996

  10.409

  4,758

  1,525

  156

  327

  20

  1995

  10,407

  4,606

  1,276

  154

  377

  29

  1 2002 A level figures are not currently available.

  Learning and Skills
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how long it takes for a new qualification to be approved under Section 9 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000; what measures he has taken to reduce this period; and if he will make a statement. [102423]

  >Margaret Hodge
  Since August 2002 the approval of external qualifications under Section 96 of the Learning and Skills Act 2000 are agreed monthly. Until then approvals were published on an annual basis. It currently takes, on average, fourteen working days from receipt of advice from the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority to approve new qualifications.

  An examination of the approval process is currently under way to identify any scope for a further streamlining of the process while maintaining the necessary quality and rigour.

  Mr. Jenkin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the Learning and Skills Council will provide Essex county council with the information to enable Essex county council to provide schools with their budgets for 2003–04; and if she will make a statement. [103326]

  Margaret Hodge
  Provisional allocations were announced in December 2002. There has been a short delay in setting final allocation but the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) sent final details of school sixth form allocations for the financial year 2003–04 to local LSCs on Thursday 6 March. They have now been passed to local education authorities for incorporation in the calculation of schools' budget shares for 2003–04.

  Lost Working Days
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many working days were lost owing to industrial action by staff in(a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in 2002. [101534]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  No working days were lost in my Department or its non-departmental public bodies owing to industrial action in 2002. My Department recognises the importance of, and maintains its commitment to, working in partnership with our trade unions as a means of eliminating industrial action.

  Open University
  Brian White
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what role he plans for the 568W
  Open University to deliver the aims of the Future of Higher Education White Paper; and if he will make a statement. [100021]

  Margaret Hodge
  We expect all higher education institutions to have a role in delivering the aims of the White Paper (Cm 5735). The Open University is particularly well placed to deliver the flexible teaching and learning which is vital to an inclusive higher education sector. Such flexible learning helps attract people with different demands and commitments. In addition, the Open University's modular approach to assessment and accreditation supports the aim of increasing credit based study.

  From 2004–05, students at the Open University will also benefit from a new package of support for new and existing part-time students. For those on courses which are equivalent to 50 per cent. or more of a full-time course, there will be means-tested tuition fee support, applied for through LEAs. This replaces the current discretionary fee waiver scheme and doubles the number of part-time students eligible for help with their fees. Students who get fee support will also be able to apply for a £250 grant from their LEA instead of a loan. And students entitled to fee support who have children will get help with their child care from the Access to Learning Fund. Also from 2004–05, we are extending discretionary fee waivers and hardship support for the first time to certain students on courses which are equivalent to at least 10 per cent. of a full-time course.

  School Buildings
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what figures he collates on an annual basis of the number of schools that have received substantial repairs to buildings. [101838]

  Mr. Miliband
  Because of the bureaucratic burden it would impose both locally and centrally, we do not collect information annually on the number of schools that have received substantial repairs to buildings. As part of asset management planning, we will be asking local authorities in the spring for data from condition and suitability surveys of all their schools, which will show the needs of school buildings. We previously asked for this information in 2000 and will be making the results available at the end of this month. We plan to publish a similar analysis of the 2003 data in the autumn.

  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how the Department will verify it has satisfied its investment strategy targets of
  569W
  (a) replacing or refurbishing 650 schools by 2004 and (b) addressing the most urgent repairs in 7,000 schools by 2004. [101880]

  Mr. Miliband
  Because of the bureaucratic burden it would impose both locally and centrally, we do not collect detailed information on the number of schools that are benefiting from the £9 billion of funding that we have made available from 2001–02 until 2003–04. However, we are content that our targets will be met: private finance initiative investment on its own will support the renewal of 426 schools in that period. Local education authorities have received over 3 billion of formulaic funding for their investment priorities. All maintained schools in England receive their own direct capital funding: for example, over the period 2001–02 to 2003–04 a typical secondary school of 1,000 pupils will have received more than £146.000 for its priority building needs.

  Scottish University Places
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with(a) the Scotland Office and (b) the Scottish Executive on measures to ensure that Scottish students will have proportionate access to Scottish university places if there is an influx of English and Welsh students subsequent to the reforms outlined in his statement of 22 January 2003 to the House. [100733]

  Margaret Hodge
  We are in regular contact and meet regularly with both the Scotland Office and the Scottish Executive. As the White Paper 'The future of higher education' (Cm 5735) states, there will be discussions with the devolved administrations about the impact on the other UK countries of the proposals for student and institutional funding for higher education institutions in England. I expect those discussions to take place over the coming months.

  Sex Education
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding is being provided by the Government to schools to carry out sex education programmes in 2002–03. [101966]

  Mr. Miliband
  Funding for personal, social and health education (PSHE), which includes sex and relationship education, falls within a larger funding stream for school improvement which is distributed through the Standards Fund. The total fund for 2002–03 is £190 million. It is for individual schools to decide how to allocate these resources to best support their PSHE programmes.

  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what experts in the area of child and teenage health his Department has consulted on the policies of sexual education taught in schools. [101967]

  Mr. Miliband
  The responsibility for determining a school policy on sex and relationship education rests with governing bodies and head teachers. In July 2000 we provided sex and relationship education guidance to maintained schools which sets out the requirement for 570W
  schools to develop their policies in consultation with parents and to make them available for inspection. That guidance was developed in consultation with a wide range of bodies such as the Sex Education Forum, the National Health Education Group and the Teenage Pregnancy Unit.

  The Department has not consulted on the policies of sexual education taught in independent schools. Independent schools are free to determine their own education programmes. However, they do have to meet minimum standards in relation to the quality of education provided. We would encourage them to have regard to the sex and relationship education guidance for maintained schools, but there is no requirement for them to do so.

  Mr. Andrew Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills who is responsible for setting policy on sexual education curriculum and standards in schools(a) in England and (b) in each region. [101968]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The responsibility for determining a school policy on sex and relationship education rests with governing bodies and head teachers. This applies to maintained schools throughout England.

  In July 2000 we provided sex and relationship education guidance to maintained schools which sets out the requirement for schools to develop their policies in consultation with parents and to make them available for inspection. Students are monitored through inspection undertaken by OFSTED.

  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what studies he has commissioned into the effect on(a) rates of teenage pregnancy, (b) abortion rates and (c) the rate of sexually transmitted diseases, with particular reference to HIV, of abstinence-only forms of sexual education. [101970]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The Department for Education and Skills has not commissioned any studies into the effect of abstinence only education on the rates on teenage pregnancy, abortion or the rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs).

  The Department of Health has commissioned the Health Development Agency to review the evidence of effectiveness of interventions to reduce transmission of STIs and HIV. This concluded that there is no strong evidence for the effectiveness of abstinence only education approaches. The findings will be published later this year.

  Standards Fund
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many officials in his Department are employed to work on the Standards Fund; [102291]

  (2) how many publications have been sent out to schools relating to the Standards Fund in each year since its introduction. [102293]
  571W
  Mr. Charles Clarke
  A circular giving details of the Standards Fund is sent to local education authorities each year. It is for them to determine how that information is passed on to schools. Any additional information is posted on the Department's website or issued to LEAs by e-mail.

  Five officials in the Department are employed specifically to manage the Standards Fund programme.

  Student Fees
  Mr. Dawson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list franchising arrangements between higher education institutions and associated colleges, indicating the proportion of student fees paid to each party. [102318]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 11 March 2003]The data requested is not collected by my Department. However, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) does collate information on higher education institutions which franchise students to other teaching institutions. I have asked the Chief Executive of HEFCE to send the hon. Member the information he

  Annex D: 2002 financial forecasts—Balance sheet

  £000

  As at 31 July:

  20011

  20022

  20032

  20042

  20052

  20062

  1. Fixed assets

  1a. Tangible assets

  10,813,161

  11,437,226

  12,978,769

  13,774,182

  13,886,588

  13,819,834

  1b. Investments

  357,316

  319,013

  308,851

  308,789

  287,007

  288,555

  1c. Total fixed assets

  11,170,477

  11,756,239

  13,287,620

  14,082,971

  14,173,595

  14,108,389

  2. Endowment asset investments

  2,326,776

  2,219,010

  2,332,832

  2,393,162

  2,457,136

  2,524,118

  3. Current assets

  3a. Stocks and stores in hand

  60,674

  58,470

  60,163

  61,722

  63,262

  64,806

  3b. Debtors

  1,481,799

  1,434,763

  1,489,842

  1,553,143

  1,593,362

  1,613,411

  3c. Investments

  996,075

  995,141

  784,449

  723,384

  735,457

  812,479

  3d. Cash in hand and at bank

  475,253

  467,931

  398,781

  426,070

  456,561

  503,365

  3e. Total current assets

  3,013,801

  2,956,304

  2,733,235

  2,764,318

  2,848,643

  2,994,061

  4. Creditors: amounts falling due within one year

  4a. Creditors

  2,108,734

  2,157,595

  2,177,686

  2,217,462

  2,258,483

  2,309,017

  4b. Current portion of long-term liabilities

  83,237

  98,601

  107,606

  125,298

  121,168

  116,694

  4c. Bank overdrafts

  55.864

  36,883

  75,638

  43,824

  44,034

  43,417

  4d. Total amounts falling due within one year

  2,247,835

  2,293,079

  2,360,930

  2,386,584

  2,423,685

  2,469,128

  5. Net current assets/liabilities

  765,966

  663,225

  372,305

  377,734

  424,958

  524,933

  6. Total assets less current liabilities

  14,263,219

  14,638,475

  15,992,757

  16,853,867

  17,055,689

  17,157,440

  7. Creditors: amounts falling due after more than one year

  7a. Reimbursable by the funding council

  153,570

  141,170

  131,658

  122,437

  113,467

  105,441

  7b. External borrowing

  1,958,021

  2,106,918

  2,504,175

  2,750,179

  2,706,109

  2,694,432

  7c. Other long-term creditors

  167,741

  119,299

  107,134

  102,624

  92,823

  84,291

  7d. Total amounts due after more than one year

  2,279,332

  2,367,386

  2,742,967

  2,975,239

  2,912,400

  2,884,164

  8. Provisions for liabilities and charges

  291,480

  276,280

  253,488

  235,804

  228,405

  224,071

  9. Total net assets

  11,692,407

  11,994,808

  12,996,302

  13,642,824

  13,914,884

  14,049,204

  10. Deferred capital grants

  2,614,673

  3,076,189

  3,970,304

  4,391,061

  4,466,531

  4,419,872

  11. Endowments

  11a. Specific endowments

  1,801,097

  1,722,126

  1,832,221

  1,885,683

  1,942,047

  2,001,148

  572W
  has requested. The proportion of student fees paid to each party is a matter for the individual institutions concerned.

  University Debt
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total debt of universities in England was in the last year for which figures are available. [102398]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Higher Education Funding Council for England published "Outcomes of 2002 financial forecasts and annual operating statements" in January 2003. This report is based on information provided by higher education institutions in July 2002. The forecasts were based on assumptions reflecting the prevailing general economic climate and the funding announcements made at the time and so do not take account of the Spending Review settlement for 2003–04 to 2005–06.

  The table is at Annex D of that report and shows the balance sheet for universities in England based on actual figures as at 31 July 2001 and forecasts to July 2006. Debt is some £4.5 billion as at end July 2001, significantly below the total funds for the sector of £11.69 billion overall. (Debt is quantified by adding 4d and 7d from the following table.)
  573W

  Annex D: 2002 financial forecasts—Balance sheet

  £000

  As at 31 July:

  20011

  20022

  20032

  20042

  20052

  20062

  11b. General endowments

  525,679

  496,884

  500,611

  507,479

  515,089

  522,970

  11c. Total endowments

  2,326,776

  2,219,010

  2,332,832

  2,393,162

  2,457,136

  2,524,118

  12. Reserves

  12a. Revaluation reserve

  3,020,263

  2,846,282

  2,773,944

  2,662,111

  2,599,120

  2,556,747

  12b. Minority interest

  42,418

  4,974

  4,732

  5,377

  6,221

  7,855

  12c. Income and expenditure account

  3,688,277

  3,848,353

  3,914,489

  4,191,113

  4,385,877

  4,540,613

  12d. Total reserves

  6,750,958

  6,699,610

  6,693,165

  6,858,601

  6,991,218

  7,105,215

  13. Total funds

  11,692,407

  11,994,809

  12,996,301

  13,642,824

  13,914,886

  14,049,205

  1Actual

  2 Forecast

  As a result of the latest Spending Review announcements, Government spending on higher education will rise by more than 6 per cent. a year above inflation over the next three years.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Burglary
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the detection rate for burglaries in homes was in(a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the UK in each year since 1997; [100769]

  Recorded crime statistics for South Tyneside Basic Command Unit (BCU) and England and Wales

  11997

  21998–99

  31999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  South Tyneside detection rate (per cent.)

  —

  —

  18

  14

  11

  South Tyneside offences per 1,000 household

  —

  —

  21.1

  20.8

  17.4

  England and Wales detection rate (per cent.)

  26

  22

  15

  14

  14

  England and Wales offences per 1,000 household

  25.8

  23.5

  22.0

  20.0

  21.4

  1. Recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997, and thereafter on a financial year, basis (12 months to March).

  2. The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998. This will also have affected the detection rate.

  3. The counting rules for detections changed on 1 April 1999.

  There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which would have the tendency to increase the number of offences counted. Numbers of offences before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

  There was also a change in counting rules for detections on 1 April 1999. The new instructions provide more precise and rigorous criteria for recording a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. Numbers of detections before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

  Information relating to Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland (Helen Liddell) and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (Paul Murphy).
  574W
  (2) how many burglaries per 1,000 households there have been in (a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) south Tyneside, (c) Tyne and Wear and (d) the UK in each year since 1997. [100768]

  Mr. Denham
  Crime statistics for South Tyneside are recorded at Basic Command Unit level (BCU). At BCU level, data has been collected from police forces since 1 April 1999, therefore figures are available only for the last three financial years. Detection rates and numbers of offences per 1,000 households for domestic burglary are given in the table.

  Also included are figures at total police force area level for England and Wales.

  Statistics for the remaining requested areas are not collected centrally.

  Child Prisoners
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children in prison are being held on the basic regime under the Incentives and Earned Privileges scheme. [101065]

  Hilary Benn
  The figures for the number of children being held on each level under the Rewards and Sanctions Scheme (formerly known as the Incentives and Earned Privileges Scheme), including those on basic, on 4 March 2003 are set out in the following table:

  Establishment

  Basic

  Standard

  Enhanced

  Ashfield

  26

  101

  60

  Brinsford

  5

  123

  57

  Castington

  7

  114

  52

  Feltham

  8

  217

  66

  Hindley

  6

  144

  15

  Huntercombe

  5

  178

  136

  575W

  Establishment

  Basic

  Standard

  Enhanced

  Lancaster

  Farms

  1

  114

  74

  Olney

  10

  132

  56

  Parc

  1

  14

  4

  Stoke Heath

  9

  112

  28

  Thorn Cross

  1

  19

  9

  Warren Hill

  8

  122

  61

  Werrington

  10

  44

  66

  Wetherby

  17

  236

  63

  Brockhill

  0

  6

  6

  Bullwood Hall

  2

  16

  12

  Eastwood

  park

  2

  7

  4

  New Hall

  4

  44

  14

  Holloway

  0

  9

  0

  Community Safety Partnership
  Mrs. Humble
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the effectiveness of the Community Safety Partnership is(a) monitored and (b) inspected. [101495]

  Mr. Denham
  Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships (CDRPs) are required to conduct an audit of crime and disorder in their area and every three years, publish a strategy to tackle problems in their area. The CDRP is required to implement the strategy and keep it under review to monitor its effectiveness and make any necessary changes. Recorded crime figures at CDRP level are published in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin.

  Measures in the Police Reform Act 2002 maintain the requirement for CDRPs to monitor their own progress and introduce new reporting mechanisms for CDRPs to advise progress on the implementation of their strategy to the Secretary of State. The new reporting process will be introduced during 2003–04 and will look for CDRPs to monitor progress on reducing crime and disorder and the misuse of drugs and on the effectiveness of local partnership working arrangements.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Peter Pike
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters from

  Total recorded crime by police force are region: trends since 1997—England

  April 1998 to March 1999

  April 1999 to March 2000

  Police force are

  April 1996 to March 1997

  Old rules1

  New rule1

  Old boundaries

  New boundaries

  April 2001 to March 2002

  Percentage change 1996–97 to 2001–02 (excludes effects of rule and boundary changes)3

  Cleveland

  74,694

  63,726

  67,030

  65,185

  —

  72,003

  -8.4

  Durham3

  50,592

  44,178

  50,413

  48,796

  —

  50,175

  -13.1

  Northumbria

  161,100

  132,588

  151,298

  142,279

  —

  139,130

  -24.3

  North East Region

  286,386

  240,492

  268,741

  256,260

  —

  261,308

  -18.3

  Cheshire

  65,114

  59,414

  65,119

  64,528

  —

  70,990

  -0.5

  Cumbria3

  38,495

  35,171

  40,202

  37,729

  —

  37,324

  -15.2

  Greater Manchester3

  320,668

  336,172

  362,450

  377,086

  —

  380,801

  10.1

  Lancashire3

  122,430

  105,161

  118,085

  108,866

  —

  137,760

  0.2

  Merseyside

  139,247

  130,606

  140,874

  148,172

  —

  150,934

  0.5

  North West Region

  685,954

  666,524

  726,730

  736,381

  —

  777,809

  4.0

  Humberside

  122,721

  119,290

  130,691

  121,442

  —

  117,483

  -12.6

  North Yorkshire3

  53,639

  48,372

  55,309

  53,554

  —

  59,149

  -3.6

  South Yorkshire

  146,660

  124,427

  133,059

  131,700

  —

  134,764

  -14.1

  West Yorkshire

  259,235

  246,438

  273,809

  260,237

  —

  298,847

  3.8

  576W
  the hon. Member for Burnley to the Home Office regarding Mrs. S B Shah Ref S 851373/x of 4 February and 7 November 2002. [102390]

  Beverley Hughes
  I wrote to my hon. Friend on 13 March.

  Mr. Kaufman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he intends to reply to the letter to him dated 23 December 2002 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. Lutfi. [98961]

  Mr. Blunkett
  I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 10 March 2003,Official Report. column 68W.

  Crime
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the change in the volume of crime was between 1997 and the latest date for which information is available, in each police authority in England. [99811]

  Mr. Denham
  The percentage changes for total recorded crime between the 12 months to March 1997 and the 12 months to March 2002, by police force area in England, are given in the table.

  There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998 which increased the total number of crimes recorded in England and Wales as a whole by 14 per cent., although this varied for individual police forces and offence types. Comparisons between the old counting rules and the new rules for the year ending March 1999, as well as the effects of the boundary change involving the Metropolitan Police on 1 April 2000, are included in the table. The percentage change in the number of recorded crimes given in the table is calculated so that the effects of these changes are excluded.

  As a result of several forces adopting the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in advance of its official introduction across England and Wales on 1 April 2002, numbers of offences recorded for 2001–02 may have been inflated for those forces, and in total. Unlike the changes described above, this effect has not been factored out of the calculation of the percentage change in recorded crime given in the table.
  577W

  Total recorded crime by police force are region: trends since 1997–England

  April 1996 To March 1999

  April 1999 to March 2000

  Police force are

  April 1996 to March 1997

  Old rules1

  New rule1

  Old boundaries

  New boundaries

  April 2001 to March 2002

  Percentage change 1996–97 to 2001–02 (excludes effects of rule and boundary changes)3

  Yorkshire and the Humber Region

  582,255

  538,527

  592,868

  566,933

  —

  610,223

  -4.8

  Derbyshire

  77,320

  74,047

  84,459

  85,650

  —

  89,841

  1.9

  Leicestershire

  89,881

  81,714

  93,397

  94,577

  —

  88,535

  -13.8

  Lincolnshire

  47,698

  39,718

  46,670

  46,170

  —

  49,797

  -11.2

  Northamptonshire

  55,003

  55,842

  65,466

  61,240

  —

  60,485

  -6.2

  Nottinghamshire

  140,088

  123,680

  135,255

  136,875

  —

  159,240

  3.9

  East Midlands Region

  409,990

  375,001

  425,247

  424,512

  —

  447,898

  3.7

  Staffordshire3

  92,686

  84,495

  91,919

  98,852

  —

  117,274

  16.3

  Warwickshire3

  38,229

  35,659

  38,485

  38,593

  —

  42,211

  2.3

  West Mercia3

  82,080

  69,451

  81,782

  84,797

  —

  102,149

  5.7

  West Midlands3

  305,818

  276,512

  314,628

  364,887

  —

  372,257

  7.0

  West Midlands Region

  518,813

  466,117

  526,814

  587,129

  —

  633,891

  8.1

  Bedfordshire

  50,969

  43,947

  49,076

  53,607

  —

  52,239

  -8.2

  Cambridgeshire

  67,396

  59,678

  67,256

  68,722

  —

  69,559

  -8.4

  Essex2

  99,041

  87,147

  95,797

  102,777

  108,305

  113,150

  -1.4

  Hertfordshire2

  52,454

  46,255

  49,309

  52,741

  65,015

  67.437

  -2.2

  Norfolk

  55,988

  51,167

  57,129

  59,387

  —

  58,954

  -5.7

  Suffolk3

  37,496

  34,280

  39,908

  43,355

  —

  50,492

  15.7

  East of England Region

  363,344

  322,474

  358,475

  380,589

  398,391

  411,831

  -2.6

  London, City of

  4,754

  6,035

  7,144

  7,775

  —

  10,098

  79.4

  Metropolitan Police2

  844,306

  767,880

  934,254

  1,052,047

  1,016,742

  1,057,360

  6.5

  London Region

  849,060

  773,915

  941,398

  1,059,822

  1,024,517

  1,067,458

  6.9

  Hampshire

  133,529

  115,008

  128,253

  135,174

  —

  135,961

  -8.7

  Kent3

  141,781

  110,244

  129,340

  124,918

  —

  120,155

  -27.8

  Surrey2

  41,517

  36,376

  42,467

  46,288

  63,791

  61,970

  -7.2

  Sussex

  118,339

  111,468

  130,402

  136,566

  —

  135,110

  -2.4

  Thames Valley

  168,386

  161,646

  176,477

  191,875

  —

  196,980

  7.2

  South East Region

  603,552

  534,742

  606,939

  634,821

  652,324

  650,176

  -7.6

  Avon and Somerset3

  151,072

  131,955

  150,089

  147,104

  —

  178,991

  4.2

  Devon and Cornwall

  101,326

  88,484

  110,644

  110,361

  —

  101,425

  -20.0

  Dorset

  48,173

  43,903

  52,755

  52,332

  —

  54,951

  -5.1

  Gloucestershire

  52,967

  44,000

  48,206

  50,993

  —

  50,467

  -13.0

  Wiltshire

  35,099

  32,984

  38,189

  38,461

  —

  38,889

  -4.3

  South West Region

  388,637

  341,326

  399,883

  399,251

  —

  424,723

  -6.7

  England

  4,687,991

  4,259,118

  4,847,095

  5,045,698

  5,045,698

  5,285,317

  -0.9

  1 'Old rules' denotes the number of crimes that would have been recorded using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998. 'New rules' denotes crimes recorded using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.

  2 Forces affected by boundary changes on 1 April 2000.

  3 These forces adopted the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) early, as it was officially introduced across England and Wales on 1 April 2002. This may have increased the number of offences recorded for 2001–02.

  Mr. David Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on crime trends within Gloucestershire. [101177]

  Mr. Denham
  Recorded crime statistics for Gloucestershire Constabulary are given in the table. Figures for the main offence groups for the 12 months to Malch 2002 are shown.

  Recorded crime trends in Gloucestershire for the 12 months to March 2002

  Offence Group

  Number of offences recorded

  Percentage change between 2000–01 to 2001–02

  Number offences per 1,000 population

  Total offences

  50,467

  1

  89

  Violence against the person

  4,695

  6

  8

  Sexual offences

  267

  23

  0.5

  Robbery

  498

  37

  1

  Total violent crime

  5,460

  4

  10

  578W

  Recorded crime trends in Gloucestershire for the 12 months to March 2002

  Offence Gropu

  Number of offences recorded

  Percentage change between 2000–01 to 2001–02

  Number offences per 1,000 population

  Burglary

  8,468

  8

  15

  Theft and handling stolen goods

  21,868

  2

  39

  Fraud and forgery

  3,528

  14

  6

  Criminal damage

  9,264

  2

  16

  Drug offences

  1,223

  5

  2

  Other offences

  656

  1

  1

  Mr. Tony Clarke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the levels of(a) reported crimes and (b) successful prosecutions brought in Northampton were in 2001–02. [100805]
  579W
  Mr. Denham
  Recorded crime statistics for Northampton are recorded at Basic Command Unit level (BCD). At BCU level, figures for six key offence groups are collected and published. These offence groups are; violence against the person, sexual offences, robbery, domestic burglary, theft of a motor vehicle, and theft from a vehicle. Figures for the 12 months to March 2002 are given in table 1.

  Table 1: Recorded crime statistics for Northampton Basic Command Unit ( BCU)

  Offence group

  Number of offences recorded 2001–02

  Violence against the person

  2,307

  Sexual offences

  155

  Robbery

  465

  Domestic burglary

  1,742

  Theft of a motor vehicle

  1,486

  Theft from a vehicle

  3,155

  Table 2 includes figures on the number of defendants proceeded against and found guilty by Northampton magistrates' court and those found guilty at the Crown Court if committed by Northampton magistrates' court, for 2001.

  Court proceedings data is collected and published on a calendar year basis.

  Table 2: Number of defendants proceeded against at Northampton magistrates' court for various recordable offences and the number found guilty including those found guilty at the Crown Court where Northampton magistrates' court was the committing court, 20011

  Recordable offence(s)

  Proceeded against

  Found guilty

  Violence against the person

  798

  449

  Sexual offences

  47

  37

  Robbery

  48

  37

  Domestic burglary

  79

  60

  Theft of a motor vehicle

  48

  8

  Theft from a motor vehicle

  54

  35

  All recordable offences

  2,677

  1,699

  1 These data are on the principal offence basis.

  Domestic Violence
  Margaret Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to raise awareness of domestic violence in the criminal justice system, with particular reference to(a) prevention and (b) support for victims. [97758]

  Mr. Denham
  The Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence has among its priority areas for action, improving the interface between the criminal and civil law; and ensuring a consistent and appropriate response from the police and Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Among the steps which are being taken in this are the following:The Solicitor-General has announced the publication of the revised CPS Policy on prosecuting cases of domestic violence, which sets out how the CPS deals with such cases.
  580W
  We will be supporting the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) in wide ranging work on the police response to domestic violence.
  Policing domestic violence—a modular training programme is a national training product developed by Centrex and issued in November 2002. The programme is intended to provide a structured but flexible approach to the delivery of domestic violence training within the police service.
  The National Policing Plan requires that police authorities should have effective strategies and procedures in place to respond quickly and effectively to domestic violence incidents. The number of domestic violence incidents as measured by Best Value Performance Indicator 153 is a key performance indicator in the plan. The Prison and National Probation Services agreed a joint strategy for combating domestic violence which was taken to the Correctional Services accreditation panel in September 2002. This committed those Services to working together in this area and sharing resources and knowledge whenever appropriate. The National Probation Service has been running a domestic violence research pathfinder to evaluate the most effective way of working to combat domestic violence since 2000.
  A consultation paper will be published shortly with further proposals for tackling domestic violence.

  Margaret Moran
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list new initiatives to tackle domestic violence since 1997; and what their cost was. [97760]

  Mr. Denham
  The readily available information on new initiatives to tackle domestic violence, and their costs, are as follows.

  My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary recently announced a £14 million three-year funding package including help for the 376 Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships across the country to develop practical strategies for dealing with domestic violence at a local level. The Home Office is to fund the appointment of a new co-ordinator's post, based within the Local Government Association, to work with local authorities and police forces to help them deal effectively with domestic violence in their communities.

  The Violence against Women (VAW) Initiative part of the Home Office's Crime Reduction Programme (CR13), invested £10.7 million to identify the most effective and cost effective approaches to reducing domestic violence and rape and sexual assault by known perpetrators.

  The Ministerial Group on Domestic Violence held its inaugural meeting :in December 2001 and brings together eight Ministers to progress five priority areas for action:
  Increasing safe accommodation choices for women and children;
  Developing early and effective healthcare interventions;
  Improving the interface between the criminal and civil law;
  Ensuring a consistent and appropriate response from the police and Crown Prosecution Service;
  Promoting Education and Awareness Raising.

  The Department of Health are funding a £48,000 programme to pilot routine antenatal screening for domestic violence.
  581W
  Consultation on the Department of Health's recently published National Women's Mental Health Strategy>:`Women's Mental Health: Into the Mainstream' has just finished (December 2002). One of the themes of the strategy is the need to address violence and abuse as a core mental health issue.

  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has announced that a new national 24-hour free helpline to help women and children fleeing domestic violence will be set up, in a groundbreaking arrangement with Comic Relief.

  The Government will spend a further £7 million to develop new refuges in partnership with local authorities around the country, to ensure better availability of safe accommodation for women and children forced to leave their homes.

  Women and Equality Unit has commissioned, for the first time, a review of the economic and social costs of domestic violence.

  The Adoption and Children Act makes clear that when a court is considering whether a child has suffered or is likely to suffer harm under the Children Act 1989, this harm includes harm a child may suffer as a result of witnessing the ill-treatment of another person.

  The Lord Chancellor's Department have also set up a Domestic Violence Advisory Group to engage with the full range of stakeholders involved in dealing with domestic violence.

  The Lord Chancellor's Department has also made significant contribution to the planning and funding of the second Inter-Governmental Conference 'Raising the Standards' held in Cardiff on 21 February 2003, and to the series of six nation-wide events on 'The Particular Challenges of Dealing with Domestic Violence in the Asian Community'.

  The Solicitor General has announced the publication of the revised Crown Prosecution Service Policy on prosecuting cases of domestic violence.

  `Policing domestic violence—a modular training programme' is a national training product developed by Centrex and issued in November 2002.

  Total recorded crime by police force are region: trends since 1997

  April 1998 to March 1999

  April 1999 to March 2000

  Police force are

  April 1996 to March 1997

  Old rules1

  New rules2

  Old boundaries

  New boundaries

  April 2001 to March 2002

  Percentage change 1996–97 to 2001–02 (excludes effects of rule and boundary changes)3

  England

  Cleveland

  74,694

  63,726

  67,030

  65,185

  72,003

  -8.4

  Durham3

  50,592

  44,178

  50,413

  48,796

  50,175

  -13.1

  Northumbria

  161,100

  132,588

  151,298

  142,279

  139,130

  -24,3

  Total north east region

  286,386

  240,492

  268,741

  256,260

  261,308

  -18.3

  Cheshire

  65,114

  59,414

  65,119

  64,528

  70,990

  -0.5

  Cumbria3

  38,495

  35,171

  40,202

  37,729

  37,324

  -15.2

  Greater Manchester3

  320,668

  336,172

  362,450

  377,086

  380,801

  10.1

  Lancashire3

  122,430

  105,161

  118,085

  108,866

  137,760

  0.2

  Merseyside

  139,247

  130,606

  140,874

  148,172

  150,934

  0.5

  Total north west region

  685,954

  666,524

  726,730

  736,381

  777,809

  4.0

  Humberside

  122,721

  119,290

  130,691

  121,442

  117,463

  -12.6

  582W
  The National Policing Plan states that police authorities should have effective strategies and procedures in place to respond quickly and effectively to domestic violence incidents.

  The Prison and National Probation Services agreed a joint strategy for combating domestic violence which was taken to the Correctional Services accreditation panel in September 2002.

  The National Probation Service has been running a domestic violence research pathfinder to evaluate the most effective way of working to combat domestic violence since 2000.

  A consultation paper setting out proposals to prevent domestic violence will be published by Spring 2003. The consultation will aim to generate a comprehensive response from the public, voluntary sectors and others, to ensure the widest possible agreement on what needs to be done to prevent and deal with domestic violence. This consultation will also consolidate the initial consultation on domestic violence in the 'white paper Justice for All'.

  Additionally the following information and guidance has also been produced since 1997.
  Living Without Fear: an integrated approach to tackling violence against women—Home Office and Women and Equality Unit jointly published the policy document in June 1999. This was a practical document setting out what actions were already completed, in hand or planned and giving examples of individual initiatives by statutory and non-statutory agencies.
  Break the Chain—An information leaflet for domestic violence survivors and those who might be able to help them. Published January 1999.
  Loves me loves me not—An updated version of Break the Chain leaflet, published in July 2002.
  Multi-Agency Guidance for Addressing Domestic Violence-Guidance to agencies on dealing with domestic violence published in 2000.
  Home Office Circular 19/2000—Circular to police, in conjunction with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO).
  Home Office Circular-Protection from Harassment Act 1997—Issued to Chief Officers of Police and copied to Chief Crown Prosecutors, Probation Boards Association, Magistrates Association issued May 2002.
  Domestic Violence: a resource manual for health care professionals-Guidance aimed to equip healthcare practitioners with the skills, knowledge and confidence to identify domestic violence and respond appropriately to help break the cycle of repeat victimisation.

  583W

  Total recorded crime by police force are region: trends since 1997–England

  April 1998 to March 1999

  April 1999 to March 2000

  Police force are

  April 1996 to March 1997

  Old rules1

  New rules2

  Old boundaries

  New boundaries

  April 2001 to March 2002

  Percentage change 1996–97 to 2001–02 (excludes effects of rule and boundary changes)3

  North Yorkshire3

  53,639

  48,372

  55,309

  53,554

  59,149

  -3.61

  South Yorkshire

  146,660

  124,427

  133,059

  131,700

  134,764

  -14.

  West Yorkshire

  259,235

  246,438

  273,809

  260,237

  298,847

  3.8

  Total Yorkshire and the Humber region

  582,255

  538,527

  592,868

  566,933

  610,223

  -4.8

  Derbyshire

  77,320

  74,047

  84,459

  85,650

  89,841

  1.9

  Leicestershire

  89,881

  81,714

  93,397

  94,577

  88,535

  -.13.8

  Lincolnshire

  47,698

  39,718

  46,670

  46,170

  49,797

  -.11.2

  Northamptonshire

  55,003

  55,842

  65,466

  61,240

  60,485

  -6.2

  Nottinghamshire

  140,088

  123,680

  135,255

  136,875

  159,240

  3.9

  Total east midlands region

  409,990

  375,001

  425,247

  424,512

  447,898

  -.3.7

  Staffordshire3

  92,686

  84,495

  91,919

  98,852

  117,274

  16.3

  Warwickshire3

  38,229

  35,659

  38,485

  38,593

  42,211

  2.3

  West Mercia3

  82,080

  69,451

  81,782

  84,797

  102,149

  5.7

  West Midlands3

  305,818

  276,512

  314,628

  364,887

  372,257

  7.0

  Total west midlands region

  518,813

  466,117

  526,814

  587,129

  633,891

  8.1

  Bedfordshire

  50,969

  43,947

  49,076

  53,607

  52,239

  -.8.2

  Cambridgeshire

  67,396

  59,678

  67,256

  68,722

  69,559

  -8.4

  Essex4

  99,041

  87,147

  95,797

  102,777

  108,305

  113,150

  -.1.4

  Hertfordshire4

  52,454

  46,255

  49,309

  52,741

  65,015

  67,437

  -2.2

  Norfolk

  55,988

  51,167

  57,129

  59,387

  58,954

  -.5.7

  Suffolk3

  37,496

  34,280

  39,908

  43,355

  50,492

  15.7

  Total east of England region

  363,344

  322,474

  358,475

  380,589

  398,391

  411,831

  -2.6

  London, City of

  4,754

  6,035

  7,144

  7,775

  10,098

  79.4

  Metropolitan Police2

  844,306

  767,880

  934,254

  1,052,047

  1,016,742

  1,057,360

  6.5

  Total London region

  849,060

  773,915

  941,398

  1,059,822

  1,024,517

  1,067,458

  6.9

  Hampshire

  133,529

  115,008

  128,253

  135,174

  135,961

  -.8.7

  Kent3

  141,781

  110,244

  129,340

  124,918

  120,155

  -27.8

  Surrey4

  41,517

  36,376

  42,467

  46,288

  63,791

  61,970

  -7.2

  Sussex

  118,339

  111,468

  130,402

  136,566

  135,110

  -2.4

  Thames Valley

  168,386

  161,646

  176,477

  191,875

  196,980

  7.2

  Total south east region

  603,552

  534,742

  606,939

  634,821

  652,324

  650,176

  -7.6

  Avon and Somerset3

  151,072

  131,955

  150,089

  147,104

  178,991

  4.2

  Devon and Cornwall

  101,326

  88,484

  110,644

  110,361

  101,425

  -20.0

  Dorset

  48,173

  43,903

  52,755

  52,322

  54,951

  -5.1

  Gloucestershire

  52,967

  44,000

  48,206

  50,993

  50,467

  -13.0

  Wiltshire

  35,099

  32,984

  38,189

  38,461

  38,889

  -4.3

  Total south west region

  388,637

  341,326

  399,883

  399,251

  424,723

  -6.7

  Total England

  4,687,991

  4,259,118

  4,847,095

  5,045,698

  5,045,698

  5,285,317

  -0.9

  1 'Old rules' denotes the number of crimes that would have been recorded using the coverage and rules in use until 31 March 1998.

  2 'New rules' denotes crimes recorded using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998.

  3 These forces adopted the principles of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) early, as it was officially introduced across England and Wales on 1 April 2002. This may have increased the number of offences recorded for 2001–02.

  4 Forces affected by boundary changes on 1 April 2000.

  Drug Treatment
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what drug treatment facilities are available for juveniles in(a) local authority secure units, (b) secure training centres and (c) young offender institutions; and who provides them. [102449]

  Hilary Benn
  The Youth Justice Board for England and Wales (YJB) is responsible for commissioning and purchasing juvenile secure accommodation from the prison Service, private sector secure training centres (STCs) and local authority secure units LASUs), and for setting and monitoring standards.
  584W
  The YJB requires custodial establishments to provide access to substance misuse assessments, care plan development, withdrawal services and education/ awareness programmes.

  Prison Service Drugs Strategy Directorate is responsible for drugs services in young offender institutions (YOIs). The Prison Service model for delivering druges services is CARATs (Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare services). CARATs services can be provided by both prison service staff and external agencies. All young peole should be screened by health staff as part of their general induction assessment. CARATs staff support this process and may provide specialist intervention as appropriate.
  585W
  STCs and LASUs generally provide in-house substance misuse services managed by each unit's health provision and education services. Some LASUs also commission additional specialist services from the community. Young people are screened on arrival to the units, and prevention education takes place as pat of personal social health education.

  Recognising that there is inconsistent provision across the secure estate, the YJ13 has commissioned Galahad consultants to identify the substance misuse needs of young people in custody, the level of current service provision and gaps. Their final report will be available in June 2003 and will inform future work in this area. The YJB has also commissioned Drugscope to develop effective practice guidance for youth justice staff on working with young people with substance misuse needs; this will be available in June 2003.

  The national drug strategy relaunched by the Home Office in December 2002 identifies as a priority vulnerable young people and those within the youth justice system. The YJB has been allocated £300 million over three years from 2003 to improve substance misuse services across the juvenile secure estate.

  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what form of drug treatment is available for prisoners(a) on remand and (b) serving sentences of less than two years. [102465]

  Hilary Benn
  The Prison Service has in place a range of drug interventions to address the needs of low, moderate and severe drug-misusing prisoners who are either on remand or serving sentences of less than two years. Detoxification is available in all local and remand prisons; Counselling, Assessment, Referral, Advice and Throughcare (CARAT) services are available in all prisons—as is access to the voluntary drug testing programme.

  The Service recognises that many prisoners who serve two years or less are likely—due to their sentence length—to be excluded from participation in drug rehabilitation programmes. The Service has, as part of the recent Spending Review 2002 settlement, received significant funding to boost treatment provision. Part of this funding will be channelled into developing a low-intensity programme specifically targeted at those prisoners who will only be in custody for a short period.

  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Huntingdon (Mr. Djanogly) of 5 March 2003,Official Report. column 772W, what forms of (a) drug detoxification and (b) other types of rehabilitation programme are available for prisoners serving sentences of less than two years; and if he will make a statement. [102468]

  Hilary Benn
  Drug detoxification is available in all local and remand prisons. Detoxification can be made available to reduce the effects of withdrawal symptoms from specific drugs or to provide maintenance prescribing. The Counselling, Assessment, Referral,586W
  Advice and Throughcare (CARAT) service is available in all prisons as is access to the voluntary drug programme.

  Prisoners who serve two years or less are likely, due to sentence length, to be unable to participate in a drug rehabilitation programme. The Prison Service received funding from the recent Spending Review 2002 to boost treatment provision. Part of this funding will be used to develop a programme specifically targeted at those prisoners who will be in custody for a short period.

  Drug Use (Wales)
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the level of(a) class A drug and (b) illegal drug use in Wales. [102537]

  Mr. Bob Ainsworth
  The 2001-02 British Crime Survey estimates that two per cent. of adults aged 16 to 59-years-olds in Wales have taken a Class A drug in the last year. The equivalent estimate for England is three per cent. The difference between the two estimates is statistically significant.

  The 2001–02 British Crime Survey estimates that eight per cent. of adults aged 16 to 59-years-olds in Wales have taken an illicit drug in the last year. The equivalent estimate for England is 12 per cent. Again, the difference between the two estimates is statistically significant.

  Inmate Information Service
  Mrs. Brooke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department[pursuant to his answer of 3 February 2003, Official Report. column 78W], on the Inmate Information System, which prisons are (a) linked and (b) not linked on the Inmate Information System; how many prisoners' records are (i) linked and (ii) not linked on the Inmate Information System; and if he will make a statement. [101929]

  Hilary Benn
  All prisons are linked to the Inmate Information system (IIS). All historical information is retained on IIS and is accessible from all prisons. There is currently no automatic method of linking prisoners' records, but this will be a component of a replacement system that is now being considered.

  Currently, manual linking of previous custody information is required as there is no reliable unique identifier (a new prison number is allocated at the beginning of each period of custody) and the National Insurance number is not always available. Inevitably, this means that details of previous custody may not always be available. This limitation in the current IIS system will be addressed in the replacement system now being considered.

  Landmine Act 1998
  Dr. Jenny Tonge
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been under the Landmine Act 1998; and how many have been successful. [102245]
  587W
  Hilary Benn
  Persons proceeded against and those found guilty of summary offences under the Landmines Act 1998 cannot be separately identified on the Home Office Court proceedings database. There have been no cases of persons proceeded against for indictable or triable either way offences under the Act reported to the Home Office.

  Manslaughter
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the regulatory impact assessment on the issue of corporate manslaughter which commenced in September 2002 was completed by the end of 2002; when he expects to put proposals before the House for an offence of corporate manslaughter; and if he will make a statement. [103287]

  Hilary Benn
  Contributions to the Regulatory Impact Assessment (RIA) were requested by the end of the year. We have since been analysing the responses and actively encouraging those organisations which had not replied, in order to produce an RIA. The Government remains committed to legislating on corporate manslaughter and will do so as soon as parliamentary time allows.

  Mr. Andrew Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 12 March 2003,Official Report. column 975W, on manslaughter, when he expects to publish the digest of responses to the consultation paper; arid if he will make a statement. [103453]

  Hilary Benn
  We will be preparing a summary of responses to the consultation, and will make this available as soon as possible. Following completion of the consultation, we are at present conducting a regulatory impact assessment on the proposals.

  Metropolitan Police
  Mr. Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what the crime detection rate has been within the Metropolitan Police force area during each of the last five years; [100600]

  (2) how many robberies were committed in each of the last five years within the Metropolitan Police force area. [100604]

  Mr. Denham
  Overall detection rates and numbers of robbery offences recorded for the Metropolitan Police are given in the table.

  Robery offences recorded

  19971

  27,386

  1998–992

  26,330

  1999–20003

  36,317

  2000–014

  40,992

  2001–024

  53,547

  Detection rate percentage for total recorded crime

  19971

  26

  1998–992

  22

  1999–20003

  16

  2000–014

  15

  2001–024

  14

  588W
  1 Recorded on a calendar year basis up to 1997, and thereafter on a financial year basis (12 months to March).

  2 The number of crimes recorded in that financial year using the expanded offence coverage and revised counting rules which came into effect on 1 April 1998. This will also have affected the detection rate.

  3 The counting rules for detections changed on 1 April 1999.

  4 Figures recorded on the new boundary basis, whereby the Metropolitan Police ceded parts of its boundary to three surrounding police forces, Essex. Hertfordshire and Surrey, on I April 2000.

  There was a change in counting rules for recorded crime on 1 April 1998, which would have the tendency to increase the number of offences counted. Numbers of offences before and after this date are therefore no directly comparable.

  There was also a change in counting rules for detections on 1 April 1999. The new instructions provide more precise and rigorous criteria for recording a detection, with the underlying emphasis on the successful result of a police investigation. Numbers of detections before and after this date are therefore not directly comparable.

  PFI Prisons
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which PFI funded prisons have payments to the contractors related to reoffending rates. [101763]

  Hilary Benn
  A performance bonus can be paid to Premier Prison Services Ltd if the contractor reduces recidivism in respect of the proportion of prisoners at the therapeutic community at Dovegate prison who have undertaken at least 15 months therapy in the community. They must also not have committed an offence within 12 months of release from custody; There has been insufficient tame for a bonus to become payable because the therapeutic community only opened in November 2001.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the average cost per year of a prisoner held in(a) PFI funded and ( b) non PFI funded prisons in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [101764]

  Hilary Benn
  The average cost per prisoner held in Private Finance Initiative (PFI) funded and non PFI funded prisons in each of the last three years is shown, in the table.

  These figures are establishment costs only and exclude any share of Headquarters overheads. Establishment cost per prisoner figures cannot therefore be compared with the overall Prison Service cost per prisoner figure, which includes all expenditure.

  The figures for 1999–2000 and 2000–01 are expressed in cash terms, with those for 2001–02 expressed in resource terms.

  Cash

  Resource

  1999–2000(£)

  2000–01(£)

  2001–02

  Acklington

  16,217

  16,050

  16,459

  Albany

  20,234

  20,368

  21,853

  Altcourse*

  41,801

  43,596

  37,029

  Ashfield*

  —

  46,323

  33,314

  589W

  Cash

  1999–2000(£)

  2000–01(£)

  Resource 2001–02

  Ashwell

  15,816

  17,264

  20,204

  Askham Grange

  21,644

  21,916

  22,431

  Aylesbury

  28,314

  28,213

  31,466

  Bedford

  20,037

  21,819

  20,414

  Belmarsh

  35,542

  35,091

  36,608

  Birmingham

  14,554

  15,806

  19,839

  Blakenhurst*

  17,372

  17,965

  11,540

  Blantyre House

  20,010

  20,946

  21,315

  Blundeston

  24,110

  22,675

  24,074

  Brinsford

  19,701

  23,036

  26,767

  Bristol

  29,171

  34,808

  29,872

  Brixton

  22,965

  24,756

  25,756

  Brockhill

  31,737

  33,960

  36,729

  Buckley Hall*

  19,866

  17,088

  20,469

  Bullingdon

  15,321

  16,601

  17,073

  Bullwood Hall

  34,580

  31,458

  33,693

  Camp Hill

  19,180

  19,120

  19,231

  Canterbury

  28,314

  35,966

  21,955

  Cardiff

  18,058

  22,080

  20,800

  Castington

  29,415

  43,724

  37,740

  Channings Wood

  18,336

  18,794

  19,108

  Chelmsford

  22,956

  24,800

  24,770

  Coldingley

  24,490

  20,505

  21,754

  Cookham Wood

  22,173

  22,106

  24,264

  Dartmoor

  21,475

  22,080

  24,369

  Deerbolt

  20,097

  21,203

  23,968

  Doncaster*

  19,889

  18,836

  17,028

  Dorchester

  21,293

  23,415

  23,785

  Dover

  22,618

  21,698

  33,600

  Downview

  19,312

  18,935

  35,572

  Drake Hall

  22,359

  27,651

  24,784

  Durham

  22,552

  26,320

  32,303

  East Sutton Park

  21,639

  22,828

  23,705

  Eastwood Park

  22,734

  22,023

  23,403

  Elmley

  15,874

  16,267

  16,523

  Erlestoke

  19,761

  19,832

  19,398

  Everthorpe

  17,455

  17,032

  18,446

  Exeter

  20,691

  22,112

  21,467

  Featherstone

  18,751

  18,989

  21,337

  Feltham

  24,020

  32,724

  37,471

  Ford

  16,039

  16,114

  15,260

  Forest Bank

  13,608

  32,392

  23,243

  Foston Hall

  25,842

  29,790

  27,422

  Frankland

  43,418

  42,706

  38,480

  Full Sutton

  39,342

  39,234

  39,827

  Garth

  18,926

  19,560

  21,016

  Gartree

  24,245

  26,782

  31,522

  Glen Parva

  18,369

  20,638

  21,642

  Gloucester

  22,335

  24,383

  25,869

  Grendon

  22,594

  25,228

  25,345

  Guys Marsh

  15,364

  15,548

  15,928

  Haslar

  16,943

  18,717

  19,526

  Hatfield

  27,282

  28,898

  24,428

  Haverigg

  23,464

  21,551

  17,955

  Hewell Grange

  14,795

  15,417

  18,022

  High Down

  24,095

  25,091

  24,374

  Highpoint

  18,900

  19,953

  20,056

  Hindley

  24,989

  27,428

  30,032

  Hollesley Bay

  34,815

  36,242

  37,678

  Holloway

  38,521

  40,581

  41,622

  Holme House

  16,211

  18,192

  17,891

  Hull

  25,991

  24,556

  24,056

  Huntercombe

  29,595

  26,551

  30,628

  Kingston

  24,637

  26,689

  26,102

  Kirkham

  21,456

  18,868

  22,226

  Kirklevington

  14,738

  15,566

  16,355

  Lancaster

  27,057

  34,000

  25,268

  Lancaster Farms

  21,722

  23,123

  23,478

  Latchmere House

  14,701

  14,487

  17,842

  Leeds

  17,159

  18,845

  18,876

  Leicester

  22,677

  23,404

  23,989

  Lewes

  21,960

  21,832

  21,672

  Leyhill

  20,948

  22,335

  22,592

  Lincoln

  23,43

  24,207

  22,666

  Lindholme

  23,613

  27,146

  24,941

  Littlehey

  14,921

  15,784

  16,653

  Liverpool

  17,476

  20,302

  18,957

  590W

  Cash

  1999–2000(£)

  2000–01(£)

  Resource 2001–02

  Long Lartin

  45,329

  42,627

  47,431

  Low Newton

  42,757

  30,948

  27,454

  Lowdham Grange*

  30,490

  29,630

  25,667

  Maidstone

  19,678

  21,097

  27,607

  Manchester

  23,285

  24,873

  22,245

  Moorland

  17,780

  17,923

  19,625

  Morton Hall

  14,360

  33,514

  27,265

  Mount

  15,339

  14,656

  15,896

  New Hall

  21,610

  23,299

  28,731

  North Sea Camp

  17,127

  17,723

  19,369

  Northallerton

  18,492

  23,355

  26,164

  Norwich

  19,204

  20,694

  19,509

  Nottingham

  21,247

  20,963

  20,786

  Onley

  20,186

  22,062

  24,617

  Parc*

  37,814

  38,950

  32,237

  Parkhurst

  25,864

  26,334

  28,450

  Pentonville

  18,595

  18,829

  19,136

  Portland

  17,786

  20,348

  23,949

  Preston

  18,605

  22,153

  23,816

  Ranby

  15,964

  17,047

  17,623

  Reading

  26,417

  29,633

  28,700

  Risley

  19,775

  19,180

  20,462

  Rochester

  23,099

  25,438

  35,686

  Rye Hill*

  —

  —

  24,635

  Send

  28,609

  20,055

  21,315

  Shepton Mallet

  21,707

  29,807

  29,470

  Shrewsbury

  19,545

  19,734

  19,762

  Stafford

  16,926

  17,081

  17,201

  Standford Hill

  19,711

  19,676

  21,106

  Stocken

  15,438

  15,498

  16,493

  Stoke Heath

  18,533

  23,847

  25,959

  Styal

  23,300

  23,951

  25,375

  Sudbury

  14,394

  14,206

  15,213

  Swaleside

  18,748

  17,319

  17,933

  Swansea

  21,780

  24,817

  28,920

  Swinfen Hall

  23,757

  22,240

  23,883

  Thorn Cross

  28,140

  29,618

  33,671

  Usk

  19,755

  19,932

  21,016

  Verne

  15,382

  15,733

  16,823

  Wakefield

  33,730

  34,095

  35,688

  Wandsworth

  17,535

  18,572

  18,735

  Wayland

  15,294

  15,051

  15,821

  Wealstun

  16,901

  16,778

  17,990

  Weare

  19,015

  18,728

  19,478

  Wellingborough

  19,238

  17,185

  18,163

  Werrington

  46,197

  47,466

  41,778

  Wetherby

  23,280

  30,133

  26,438

  Whatton

  16,751

  17,502

  18,048

  Whitemoor

  53,149

  52,402

  56,837

  Winchester

  18,701

  19,760

  20,498

  Wolds*

  23,326

  24,786

  21,665

  Woodhill

  27,762

  31,657

  32,807

  Wormwood Scrubs

  28,712

  26,779

  22,778

  Wymott

  17,427

  19,622

  18,897

  * PFI prisons

  Notes:

  1. Buckley Hall and Blakenhurst reverted to public sector management in 2000–01 and 2001–02 respectively.

  2. Ashfield and Rye Hill opened in 1999–2000 and 2000–01 respectively. Part year performance is not reported.

  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department has made of the proportion of savings realised from PFI funded prisons which are due to(a) capital costs and (b) running costs in the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [101762]

  Hilary Benn
  Savings in private finance initiative (PFI) prison projects are expressed as the percentage difference between the Net Present Value of each project compared with its Public Sector Comparator; the Net Present Value of a project is its discounted value over the
  591W
  duration of the contract. Savings made in respect of the seven PFI funded prisons are shown in the following table.

  Percentage

  Altcourse

  17

  Ashfield

  14

  Dovegate

  17

  Forest Bank

  16

  Lowdham Grange

  14

  Pare

  1

  Rye Hill

  16

  It is not possible to separate capital and running costs because a single unitary charge is paid to the contractor in respect of the total cost of each prison.

  Police
  Chris Ruane
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of police funding was spent on police pensions in each of the last 20 years; and what amounts these figures represent. [101246]

  Mr. Denham
  The information is set out in the following table.

  Year

  Net expenditure (£million)

  Net Pension expenditure (£ million)

  Net Pension expenditure proportion of police net expenditure in England and Wales (Percentage)

  1983–84

  2,505.0

  135.5

  5.4

  1984–85

  2,460.3

  176.5

  7.2

  1985–86

  2,768.7

  180.6

  6.5

  1986–87

  3,097.1

  223.5

  7.2

  1987–88

  3,367.8

  237.0

  7.0

  1988–89

  3,710.8

  253.7

  .6.8

  1989–90

  4,145.1

  292.1

  7.0

  1990–91

  4,606.7

  333.2

  7.2

  1991–92

  5,209.8

  399.9

  7.7

  1992–93

  5,621.8

  456.5

  8.1

  1993–94

  5,904.1

  536.8

  9.1

  1994–95

  6,173.3

  611.5

  9.9

  1995–96

  6,309.1

  678.2

  10.7

  1996–97

  6,619.8

  749.0

  11.3

  1997–98

  6,870.1

  874.9

  12.7

  1998–99

  7,070.7

  900.6

  12.7

  1999–2000

  7,450.3

  948.0

  12.7

  2000–01

  7,771.0

  998.4

  12.8

  2001–02

  8,169.3

  1,117.1

  13.7

  2002–03

  8,423.6

  1,189.9

  14.1

  Source:

  The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy Police statistics 1983–84 to 2000–01 (Actuals) and 2001–02 to 2002–03 (Estimates).

  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers there were in the London borough of Havering in each month since September 2002. [101956]

  Mr. Denham
  Information on the number of officers in each Basic Command Unit (BCU) is provided annually (31 March) by each police force to Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary. Information on London borough strength is not centrally collected on a more frequent basis. The deployment of resources 592W
  between the London borough divisions and the other specialist units of the Metropolitan Police Service is an operational matter for the Commissioner.

  I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 2 December 2002, Official Report. column 589W, to the hon. Member for Southwark, North and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes), setting out police strength for each Basic Command Unit for each force in England and Wales, including Lou don boroughs at 31 March 2002.

  Mr. Kidney
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Answer of 24 February 2003,Official Report. column 2, on police pensions, what he estimates the cost to public funds would be of establishing a pay-as-you-go police pension scheme applying to new recruits only. [101926]

  Mr. Denham
  I understand that my hon. Friend means what we estimate the cost would be of establishing a funded pension scheme applying to new recruits only. As stated in the National Policing Plan we are considering options for modernising police pensions to make them more flexible and affordable for future entrants. As part of this reform, we will also seek to meet the needs of police authorities and chief officers for a scheme which brings greater certainty about the financial impact on individual police forces. Unlike in a pay-as-you go scheme, the employer pays contributions into a pension fund at the same time as the employee. The eventual pension is then paid out of the fund. In a pay-as-you go scheme the employer's costs are deferred until the pension comes into payment. The rate of employer's contributions in a funded police pension scheme for new entrants would depend mainly on the value of the pensions and other benefits provided, and the share borne by the officers. The immediate effect of introducing a funded scheme for new entrants, while keeping the existing scheme on a pay-as-you go basis, would be to increase costs. This is because the cost of paying employer contributions in respect of contributing members of a new funded scheme would be added to the continuing cost of paying the pension benefits of retired members of the current pay-as-you go scheme.

  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on progress made with the Home Office's National Recruitment Standards Project, with special reference to recruitment and retention of people with diabetes in the police service; and when the recommendations for the proposed new medical standards will be available for consultation. [102410]

  Mr. Denham
  The National Recruitment Standards project has made progress on a number of key areas:Eligibility criteria and recruitment practices covering issues such as criminal convictions and qualifications were reviewed, agreed and put in place in October 2001.
  A national fitness test for police recruitment was put in place in April 2002. This is being reviewed at the end of its first year.
  The nationality bar on police recruitment was lifted on 1 February 2003. This removed an unnecessary barrier to recruitment and widened the recruitment pool.

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  New standards for eyesight have been agreed by the Police Advisory Board for England and Wales. The new standards which take account of our intention to extend the employment provisions of the Disability and Discrimination Act 1995 (DDA) to the police service will be put in place on 1 April 2003.
  Research has been undertaken to develop new job-related medical standards. A draft report by QinetiQ will be subject to consultation with the police service between April and June. The views of UK Diabetes and other interested groups will inform the consultation. We aim to put new standards to the Police Advisory Board in late summer.
  A national application procedure has been developed with the police service. This includes a national application form and recruitment material designed to attract hard to reach groups. A police recruitment website has been developed to support the new procedures. The website will provide applicants with all the information they need about joining the police service and will enable them to apply on line.
  A national procedure for assessing and selecting new recruits has been piloted in five forces and trialled by three forces. These procedures will be introduced in all forces over the next year.

  Prison Service
  Mr. Syms
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the Prison Service staff referred to on page 195 of the 2001–02 Home Office annual report are based in prisons. [101910]

  Hilary Benn
  Of the 42,057 permanent Prison Service staff included in the total quoted in the 2001–02 Home Office Annual Report, 39,983 were based in prisons.

  Prisoners
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners in UK prisons have been diagnosed with a mental illness; and what support is given to them. [102231]

  Hilary Benn
  A survey of mental ill health in the prison population of England and Wales, undertaken in 1997 by the Office for National Statistics, showed that some 10 per cent. of remanded men, 7 per cent. of sentenced men and 14 per cent. of all women prisoners had suffered from a functional psychosis in the past year. Some 59 per cent. of remanded men, 76 per cent. remanded women, 40 per cent. of sentenced men and 63 per cent. of sentenced women had a neurotic disorder in the week prior to being interviewed for the survey. These rates are considered to be still representative of the prison population. Applying them to the current population would indicate that, on any one day, there would be over 5,500 prisoners in England and Wales who would have suffered from symptoms of a functional psychosis in the previous 12 months and over 32,000 who would have suffered symptoms of a neurotic disorder in the previous week. Some prisoners will fall into both categories. All Prison Service establishments and their NHS partners are working to implement the improvements to mental health services set out in `Changing the Outlook, a Strategy for Developing and Modernising Mental Health Services in Prisons' published in December 2001. Prisoners who need inpatient treatment for mental disorder may be transferred to psychiatric hospitals. The care and treatment of mentally disordered prisoners who do not need to be admitted to hospital is generally undertaken by prison healthcare staff under the supervision of NHS specialists and increasingly, in establishments with the 594W
  greatest mental health need, by NHS-funded multidisciplinary in-reach teams. The commitments made in the NHS Plan (2000), for an additional 300 staff to be employed by 2004 to provide such in-reach services to prisoners, are being implemented. Mental illness in the prison population of Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive. While the institutions in Northern Ireland are dissolved, responsibility for this subject rests with Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office.

  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of prisoners aged(a) 18–20 and (b) juvenile prisoners are drug dependent on entering prison. [102448]

  Hilary Benn
  Neither the Prison Service nor the Youth Justice Board keep records of the percentage of drug-dependent prisoners who, on entering prison, are(a) aged 18–20 or (b) juveniles. Based on research conducted by the Office for National Statistics, however, it is estimated that 54 per cent. of those being received into custody report drug-dependency in the year prior to justice.

  A review into substance misuse by young people is already under way. The findings from this review, expected to be available in the summer, will help inform the drug—and other substance misuse—needs of young people in custody.

  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were held in prisons in England and Wales on 30 June 2002, broken down by ethnic group. [102456]

  Hilary Benn
  The number of prisoners held in prisons in England and Wales on 30 June 2002 broken down by ethnic group is given in the table.

  Ethnic group

  Number of prisoners held in prisons

  White

  54,988

  Black

  11,022

  South Asian

  2,198

  Chinese and other

  2,947

  Unrecorded

  63

  Total

  71,218

  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prisoners were(a) considered and (b) approved for parole in each of the last five years. [102457]

  Hilary Benn
  The information is as follows:

  Year

  Cases considered

  Parole awarded

  1997–98

  5,242

  2,006

  1998–99

  6,078

  2,383

  1999–2000

  6,219

  2,561

  2000–01

  5,576

  2,584

  2001–02

  5,514

  2,791

  The information requested is published by the Parole Board in its Annual Reports and Accounts for 2001–02.

  Reconvictions
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of 18 to 20–yearolds who were reconvicted within two years of leaving prison in each of the last three years were drug-addicts; and if he will make a statement. [102447]

  Hilary Benn
  The information is not available.

  Visas (Subcontinent)
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has undertaken since August 2002 of changes in the rate of refusals of family visit visa applications from(a) New Delhi, (b) Islamabad, (c) South Asia, (d) Amman, (e) Tehran and (f) the Middle East; and if he will make a statement. [101403]

  Mr. Rammell
  The Foreign Office, the Home Office and the Lord Chancellor's Department have been working closely together since the Government introduced the right of appeal in family visit cases. An interdepartmental review was established in January 2001. The final report of the inter-departmental review group has been delayed due to pressures of commencing Part 5 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. The research work commissioned by the Immigration Research and Statistics Service at the Home Office is now being finalised and I understand that it should be published very shortly.

  Youth Inclusion Programme
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether he plans to expand the number of areas in which the Youth Inclusion Programme operates; [102459]

  (2) what the total funding is for the Youth Inclusion Programme for (a) 2003–04, (b) 2004–05 and (c) 2005–06; [102458]

  (3) how many (a) robberies, (b) burglaries, (c) drugs offences, (d) offences of violence against the person and (e) thefts of motor vehicles were recorded in each of the Youth Inclusion Programme areas in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001 and (iv) 2002; [102460]

  (4) how many 13 to 16-year-olds participated in the Youth Inclusion Programme in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001 and (iv) 2002; and what percentage of those young people are considered to remain at risk of offending; [102462]

  (5) how many 13 to 16-year-olds were arrested in each of the Youth Inclusion Programme areas in (i) 1999, (ii) 2000, (iii) 2001 and (iv) 2002. [102461]

  Hilary Benn
  The Youth Inclusion Programme (YIP) is managed by the Youth Justice Board. Since 1999, 70 YIP schemes have run in the most deprived neighbourhoods in England and Wales, each targeting the 50 young people, aged 13 to 16 in the local area, at greatest risk of social exclusion.

  We know that a total of 22,688 young people have been actively engaged in YIP schemes since the programme began, but a detailed breakdown of the number of 13 to 16-year-olds that have participated in
  596W
  each of the last four years in each of the 70 schemes is not available centrally. Nor do we hold data on arrests of all 13 to 16-year-olds, or overall levels of recorded crimes, broken down by the neighbourhoods in which each YIP scheme operates.

  We measure the success of the YIP schemes principally through arrest rates among the scheme's participants, which show that overall arrest rates have been reduced by 64 per cent. among those in the target group who have been actively engaged in the programme. In addition, independent evaluation of the YIP programme showed that between January and March 2002 around 70 per cent. of YIP areas showed reductions in overall crime, with reductions up to 40 per cent. We consider these to be more reliable measures of success than attempting to assess the extent to which the programme has reduced the risk that individual participants will subsequently offend.

  We announced on 21 October last year that the existing YIP programme will continue for a further three years from April 2003, with Home Office funding of £7 million per year. This is the minimum provision and does not prevent additional schemes being funded, for example by Children's Fund partnerships in meeting the requirement we are placing on them from April this year, to spend at least 25 per cent. of their allocations on specific youth crime reduction measures.

  We are looking more fundamentally at relevant services, programmes and interventions for young people at risk of crime and other negative outcomes in the Green Paper on children at risk that we will be publishing later in the spring.

  Youth Justice
  Mrs. Brooke
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what arrangements have been put in place by the Youth Justice Board to undertake the work that was being dome by The Children's Society's national remand and review initiative. [101729]

  Hilary Benn
  The Children Society's national remand review initiative, funded by the Youth Justice Board, identifies alternatives for young people in custody who could nonetheless be managed in the community if appropriate support packages were provided.

  The Board plans to provide for their work through youth offending teams from April 2003. This will be supported by effective practice guidance, training and an independent study of the scheme's operation to inform future good practice development.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Pension Credit
  Mr. Djanogly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the cost projections for the pension credit. [102965]

  Mr. McCartney
  This Government will be spending an additional £1 billion in 2003–04 as a result of the introduction of pension credit, rising to an additional £2 billion in 2004–05. Total spending on pension credit in 2004–05 is projected to be around £6 billion.
  597W
  From October 2003 pension credit will provide a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over. It will ensure pensioners with modest savings no longer lose a pound of pensions or other savings they have built up.

  It has been designed so that customers will find it easy to apply for, it will be simpler, fairer, less intrusive and bureaucratic. The weekly means test will be abolished so for those people over 65 they will need only to report major life events, with the majority of people not having to notify changes in their financial circumstances for a period of five years.

  This Government is committed to tackling pensioner poverty.

  From April 2003, no single pensioner will have to get by on an income of less than £102.10 a week under the minimum income guarantee (£155.80 for couples).

  Nearly two million people are benefiting from minimum income guarantee and the take up campaign has put an average £20 a week extra in the pockets of 149,000 people who would not have received it otherwise. In the hon. Member's constituency around 1,500 people receive this entitlement.

  From April 2003, basic State Pension will be £77.45 for singles (£123.80 for couples). An increase of £100 a year for single people and £160 a year for couples. In future years the basic State Pension will increase by 2.5 per cent. or the level of the September RPI, whichever is higher.

  Last winter (2001–02) over eight million households benefited from the £200 Winter Fuel Payment, worth around £4 a week. It will continue at this rate for the rest of this Parliament. Some 18,305 people in the Huntingdon constituency received a Winter Fuel Payment for last winter.

  All in all, we will be spending around £7.5 billion extra on pensioners in 2003–04 as a result of the measures introduced since 1997. This includes around £3.5 billion that is being spent on the poorest third of pensioners.

  Andy Burnham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the pension credit on the poorest pensioners.[102966]

  Mr. McCartney
  Our priority has always been to focus help on those who need it most, that is why we introduced the Minimum Income Guarantee. As a result, nearly two million people are benefiting from Minimum Income Guarantee and the take up campaign has put an average £20 a week extra in the pockets of 149,000 people who would not have received it otherwise. In the hon. Member's constituency around 3,400 people are in receipt of the Minimum Income Guarantee.

  WE are now going a step further and introducing Pension Credit which will reward not penalise saving. The poorest third of pensioners will be at least £1,500 a year better off than in 1997 due to this Government's tax and benefit changes.
  598W
  Around half of all pensioner households will be eligible for Pension Credit and, on average, stand to gain around £400 a year. Pension Credit will be simple to apply for, and signals the end of the intrusive weekly means test that pensioners find so demeaning.

  Pension credit will provide a guaranteed minimum income for those aged 60 and over. No single pensioner will have to get by on an income of less than £102.10 a week (£155.80 for couples).

  It will also ensure pensioners, aged 65 and over with modest savings, no longer lose a pound of pensions or other savings they have built up. Pensioners will receive 60p for every pound of income they have between the level of the savings credit threshold and the guarantee level potentially giving them a maximum reward of £14.79 (£19.20 for couples). Above this level the savings credit will reduce progressively, with those on incomes over £139 for single pensioners (£203 for couples) ceasing to be entitled. (These limits will be higher for those with special needs or extra payments).

  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the projected cost is per annum of the pension credit. [102591]

  Mr. McCartney
  I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil, Mr. David Laws, on 24 February 2003,Official Report. column 189W.

  Small Business Employment Incentives
  Mr. Llwyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what financial incentives he has put in place for small and medium-sized enterprises to increase their workforce; and if he will make a statement. [102967]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  Jobcentre Plus provides high quality services to employers, helping them to fill job vacancies quickly and effectively with well-prepared and motivated employees. This activity works in tandem with our welfare to work programmes, which are providing thousands of people with the skills, experience and confidence they need to succeed in the modern labour market.

  Post Office Card Accounts
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he is taking to help(a) benefit recipients and (b) pensioners open a post office card account. [102959]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The card account is just one of three account options available to customers. We are running an information campaign to highlight all the options available, including access at a post office. We are writing to benefit and pensions recipients with detailed information about all the options available to them, including the post office card account. Customers can also call the Direct Payment Information line if they have any questions about changing to direct payment.

  Disability Discrimination Act
  Miss Anne Begg
  What measures will be put in place to ensure that businesses fulfil their obligations under Part III of the Disability Discrimination Act 1995. [102961]
  599W
  Maria Eagle
  We are currently working to remind businesses of their current and future duties under the DDA including commissioning national advertising, organising regional events, developing a regional award scheme for best practice and mailshots to business organisations. We are also working with the Disability Rights Commission on further publicity leading up to introduction of the new Part 3 duties in October 2004.

  Advertising (Scotland)
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much the Department spent on advertising in Scotland in each year since 1999 on(a) television, (b) newspapers, (c) radio, (d) magazines, (e) billboards and (f) sporting events. [102336]

  Mr. McCartney
  The Department for Work and Pensions advertises extensively in Scotland. However most of the campaigns are national so disaggregating the costs for advertising and media for any one region or country is only possible at disproportionate cost.

  Age Discrimination
  Mr. MacDougall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to end age discrimination against older people in the workplace; and if he will make a statement. [102944]

  Mr. McCartney
  We have made a pledge to tackle age discrimination and we are committed to introducing age legislation covering employment, vocational training and guidance by 2006.

  Our current Pensions Green Paper 'Simplicity, security and choice: Working and saving for retirement' reinforces our commitment to extend employment opportunities for people with a range of proposals including providing extra back to work help for over 50s, piloting local agents in the business community to help employers to realise the benefits of recruiting and retaining older workers, and a number of changes to tax and pension rules which will give individuals more choice and opportunity to stay in work longer. We have also made it clear that in the forthcoming age legislation compulsory retirement ages are likely to be unlawful, unless employers can show they are objectively justified. Employers will therefore need to adopt more flexible approaches to retirement.

  We are already encouraging employers to adopt nonageist employment practices through our Age Positive Campaign. The campaign raises employers' awareness of the business benefits of an age diverse workforce and encourages a flexible approach to retirement to open up choice and opportunity for individuals to stay in work longer.

  In 1999, we published the Code of Practice on Age Diversity in Employment which sets out the standards for non-ageist approaches to recruitment, training, promotion, redundancy and retirement. The code was developed with leading organisations including the CBI, TUC, the Employers Forum on Age and Age Concern. Evaluation shows that from 1999 to 2001 the number of companies using age in recruitment had already fallen from 27 per cent. to 13 per cent. and the number of companies having a policy against employing older workers had dropped from 14 per cent to 7 per cent.
  600W
  Since then we have continued to promote the business case for recruiting, training and retaining older workers through the Age Positive campaign, workshops for smaller businesses, and publications including 'Good Practice in the Recruitment and Retention of Older Workers' (December 2001), 'Flexible Retirement: A Snapshot of Large Employers' Initiatives' (June 2002) and during Age Positive week, in December 2002 we published 'Age Diversity at Work: a practical guide for business'. The campaign has been attracting considerable media coverage and about 30,000 visits a month to the Age Positive website www.agepositive.gov.uk.

  From spring 1997 to spring 2002, our policies have helped increase the employment rate for people aged 50 to state pension age from over 64 per cent. to over 68 per cent. with nearly 900,000 more people aged 50 and over in work. This increase has been faster than the increase in the overall employment rate. Under New Deal 50 plus 92,000 people aged over 50 have moved off benefits and gone back to work from April 2000 to December 2002, claiming the programme's cash employment credit. We will build on this support to further increase the employment rate of older workers who have a wealth of skills and experience that can benefit individual businesses and the economy as a whole.

  Benefits (Hospital Stays)
  Mr. (Boswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate for the next three years the number of people in receipt of retirement benefit and likely to benefit from recent changes in the hospital downrating provisions who will be affected by withdrawal of(a) attendance allowance and (b) other benefits because of hospital stays of below 13 weeks. [101725]

  Mr. McCartney
  The total number of people affected by suspensions over a given year are not available. The forecast number of cases affected by hospital suspensions at a particular point in time are given in the following table.

  Year

  AA

  DLA

  2002–03

  14,000

  2,000

  2003–04

  14,000

  2,000

  2004–05

  14,000

  2,000

  2005–06

  15,000

  2,000

  Notes:

  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 1,000.

  2. Based on 5 per cent. extracts taken from the November 2002, 5 per cent. extracts from the DLA and AA computer systems, and 1999 Hospital Episodes Statistics.

  3. Caseloads projected in line with forecasts for the pre-budget report.

  Child Support
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to backdate eligibility for the child maintenance disregard for parents with care to the original planned implementation date of the new child support computer system; and if he will make a statement. [97102]

  Malcolm Wicks
  None.

  Laptop Computers
  Dr. Vincent Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many laptop computers were used by(a) Ministers and special advisers and (b) officials in his Department in each year since 1995; how many were (i) lost and (ii) stolen; what their cost was; and if he will make a statement. [98701]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Table is a summary of the information available relating to laptops. Information is not available in the form requested. Such information that is recorded centrally relates specifically to theft.

  Year

  Ministers and Advisors

  Officials

  Total

  Number stolen

  Percentage of total

  Total value (£)

  1995

  0

  424

  424

  27

  6.3

  34

  1996

  2

  334

  336

  21

  6.3

  33

  1997

  0

  296

  296

  25

  8.4

  38

  1998

  0

  487

  487

  15

  3.1

  24

  1999

  2

  1713

  1715

  23

  1.3

  36

  2000

  0

  694

  694

  5

  0.7

  9

  2001

  0

  671

  671

  20

  2.9

  30

  2002

  2

  2639

  2641

  57

  2.2

  81

  Total

  6

  7258

  7264

  193

  2.7

  285

  Minimum Income Guarantee
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated take-up rate for the minimum income guarantee is in(a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [102588]

  Mr. McCartney
  The information requested is not available.

  The latest available estimate of take-up of Minimum Income Guarantee relates to financial year 1999-2000 and is presented in the report "Income Related Benefits: Estimates of Take Up in 1999–2000". A copy of the publication is available in the Library. The next edition of the report containing statistics for 2000–01 will be released on 27 March 2003.

  National Insurance Numbers
  Mr. John MacDougall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how the combination of letters and numbers in national insurance numbers are arrived at. [103072]

  Malcolm Wicks
  [holding answer 14 March 2003]: The current system of National Insurance number prefixes was introduced through the departmental central index (DCI) in 1988.

  A National Insurance number (NINO) consists of a two letter prefix followed by six numbers between 0 and 9, and a one letter suffix. There is no particular reason for the format of a particular NINO, nor does it carry any particular meaning. Only the first two prefixes, provide an indication of when the number was created. The number itself bears no relation to the individual it is allocated to and contains no geographical or personal significance. Allocations are made on a last digit numerical sequence (e.g. AB000001A would be followed by AB000002A).
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  Certain letters, such as D, F and I are not used as there is the potential for confusion with other letters if badly formed. Likewise, the letter 0 is not used as the second letter as it might be confused with the number 0 (zero).

  Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what discussions officials from his Department have had with(a) the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority and (b) representatives of the Pensions industry concerning revisions of rules regarding members leaving occupational pension schemes. [102586]

  Mr. McCartney
  We were aware of the temporary measure outlined by the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority in update 1 pending changes to the regulations relating to the calculation of transfer values. The proposed amendments to those regulations were prompted by representations from the pensions industry, Faculty and Institute of Actuaries and the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority.

  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when revised rules introduced by the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority, regarding members leaving occupational pension schemes, will come into force; and how long they will remain in force. [102587]

  Mr. McCartney
  The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (Opra) are not introducing any changes to the rules regarding members leaving pension schemes. However, they have indicated that they do not intend to sanction trustees who, acting on the advice of scheme actuary, delay quoting transfer value to protect the interests of remaining members. Opra have stressed that this is a temporary measure until amendments to the Transfer Value regulations come into force. Views are currently being sought on the amendments. The consultation period ends on 28 March and we will seek to bring these changes into force as soon as possible once responses have been considered and any necessary redrafting in the light of them completed.

  Overseas Trips
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will list the overseas trips made by himself and other members of his Ministerial team in 2002; and what the(a) purpose and (b) cost was in each case. [101490]

  Mr. McCartney
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Cabinet Office (Mr. Alexander) to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 22 January 2003,Official Report. column 334W.

  Pension Forecasts
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many reassessments have been requested in each of the last five years for which figures are available to pension entitlement on the basis of(a) pensions forecasts provided on request and (b) pension forecasts sent out automatically prior to retirement; and what proportion of those receiving forecasts this represents. [99956]
  603W
  Mr. McCartney
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what additional information is made available to individuals requesting a pension forecast more than six months before reaching pensionable age compared with those who receive the standard notification, About your Retirement Pension prior to retirement. [99960]

  Mr. McCartney
  There are two different notices available for issue to individuals regarding their retirement pension. One notice is issued automatically four months before retirement to advise people of their likely pension entitlement. The second notice is issued on request to people of working age to help inform their pension planning.

  A letter entitled "About your Retirement Pension" is issued approximately four months prior to the customer attaining pension age. This contains provisional rates of the customer's individual pension components based on the National Insurance contribution information available at that time. The annual process required to collect National Insurance contributions and post them to the National Insurance Recording System means that in a number of cases details covering the final income tax year are not available when the provisional rates are issued. Where an Occupational Pension is involved, details are required from the employer or pension provider before the Additional Pension component can be calculated. There are occasions when this information is not available when the provisional rates are issued.

  The second notification—the Retirement Pension Forecast for people of working age—gives a full breakdown of qualifying years for basic pension. It explains how to achieve the maximum state pension by paying voluntary contributions/arrears in the last six years if necessary, including a break down of Additional Pension and Contracted Out Deductions amounts and information on how it has been worked out. Where appropriate, it informs the customer of occasions where Home Responsibilities Protection has been applied. Further, in divorced and widowed cases, the forecast shows where a spouse's contributions have been used to calculate an individual's likely state pension. All the information used is exact information on state pension at "today's" rates based on current national insurance record(s) at the time the forecast is provided.

  In addition, the forecast of expected state pension at retirement age is provided. This is a projection based on the same, current record(s), which assumes that contributions will continue at the same level. Further information is supplied in the BR19L leaflet that is sent out with the forecast, it provides the customer all the extra information they need to decide on the best way to achieve the best Pension available to them.

  The purpose of providing the calculation at "today's" rates and at retirement age is to provide information to individuals to help inform their pension planning and enable them to make informed choices with regard to their retirement income levels.

  Pension Schemes
  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the Occupational Pension Schemes (Transfer Values) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 to be laid before Parliament; and what steps he has taken to ensure that the interim regime adopted under Update 1—Calculation and payment of cash equivalent transfer values, issued by the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority, is as brief as possible. [102444]

  Mr. McCartney
  Amendments to pensions regulations must be issued in draft for consultation. The draft Occupational Pension Schemes (Transfer Values) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 were issued for consultation on 28 January and responses required by 28 March. We will endeavour to bring these changes into effect as soon as possible after responses have been considered and any necessary redrafting in the light of them completed.

  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he has taken since the publication of "Update 1—Calculation and payment of cash equivalent transfer values" by the Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority to(a) ensure that pension scheme members' rights under the (i) Pension Schemes Act 1993 and (ii) Pensions Act 1995 are protected, (b) monitor the numbers and circumstances of scheme members whose position may be adversely affected by the OPRA guidance and (c) ensure that the consultation being carried out in respect of the draft Occupational Pension Schemes (Transfer Values) (Amendment) Regulations 2003 is not prejudiced by OPRA's interim guidance pending the proposed introduction of the regulations; and if he will make a statement. [102472]

  Mr. McCartney
  The aim of both update 1 and the amendments to the regulations is to maintain fairness between those who transfer out of schemes and those who remain. Reports in the press imply that the measures would lock individuals into their pension schemes. That is not true.

  The Occupational Pensions Regulatory Authority (OPRA) will not be preventing members from transferring out of pension schemes, nor are they endorsing such an approach. OPRA have made it clear that it is up to trustees to decide whether to delay quotes of transfer values. In doing so trustees will want to take into account the funding position of the scheme and the effect of transfers on members who remain in the scheme. The measures are short term and will only apply until the amended regulations come into force.

  There is no central record of members who apply for a transfer value and it is therefore not possible to monitor those who may be affected by OPRA's guidance. It is important that the calculation of transfer values is fair to all, to those who leave and those who stay. If a scheme is underfunded and an unreduced transfer value is taken, it affects all members who remain in the scheme. On the whole, it is likely that more members will benefit from OPRA's measures than be adversely affected.

  The timing and process of the consultation on the regulations is not affected by OPRA's interim guidance; how respondents reply to the consultation is of course a matter for them.

  Pensions
  Sir Archy Kirkwood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps he is taking to prevent delays when the Pension Service start supplying local authorities with the assessed income figure for claimants. [100747]

  Mr. McCartney
  From 6 October 2003, the existing electronic interface between The Pension Service and almost all local authorities will be enhanced to include the Pension Credit assessed income figure. For those local authorities without electronic interface, information will be passed from The Pension Service to the local authority by paper. This information will normally be supplied to the local authorities within 24 hours of the award or change of award decision for Pension Credit being made.

  Basic State Pension and average amount of additional State Pension for Great Britain: Males

  Men aged 65 receiving both basic State Pension and additional State Pension (Thousand)

  Men aged 65 in receipt of a State Pension (Thousand)

  Percentage of men aged 65 receiving both basic and additional State Pension

  Average weekly amount of additional State pension paid to men aged 65 (£)

  30 September 1995

  206.5

  220.2

  94

  16.25

  30 September 1996

  231.3

  252.7

  92

  17.81

  30 September 1997

  219.6

  247.6

  89

  19.58

  30 March 1998

  208.2

  242.1

  86

  20.20

  30 September 1999

  203.1

  240.9

  84

  24.01

  30 September 2000

  207.2

  243.7

  85

  24.35

  30 September 2001

  207.1

  246.9

  84

  24.69

  30 September 2002

  206.2

  253.9

  81

  26.62

  Basic State Pension and average amount of additional State Pension for Great Britain: Females

  Women aged 60 receiving both basic State Pension and additional State Pension (Thousand)

  Women aged 60 in receipt of a State Pension (Thousand)

  Percentage of men aged 60 receiving both basic and additional State Pension

  Average weekly amount of additional State pension paid to men aged 60 (£)

  30 September 1995

  113.6

  199.8

  57

  9.85

  30 September 1996

  133.8

  222.1

  60

  10.69

  30 September 1997

  138.0

  226.9

  61

  11.38

  30 March 1998

  144.0

  230.0

  63

  11.33

  30 September 1999

  142.2

  230.0

  62

  13.54

  30 September 2000

  151.0

  230.7

  65

  13.00

  30 September 2001

  147.5

  220.5

  67

  13.35

  30 September 2002

  171.6

  248.9

  69

  13.87

  Notes

  1. Figures are in thousands, are rounded to the nearest hundred and are in cash terms.

  2. Average amounts exclude people paid zero additional State Pension.

  3. State Pension refers to those people who are in receipt of any component of the State pension.

  Sources

  1. 5 per cent. sample from the Pension Strategy Computer System as at the date of extraction.

  2. The source data used to extract the figures are subject to change if further relevant earnings are posted to the NI account.

  Pensioners (North Yorkshire)
  Hugh Bayley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent steps he has taken to improve the financial position of pensioners in North Yorkshire. [102637]

  Mr. McCartney
  Over 14,000 people in North Yorkshire benefit from the Minimum Income Guarantee and receive an average £43.08 a week. 116,200 pensioners have benefited from the above inflation increases in the State Pension. Additionally
  606W
  Officials are in regular contact with the Local Authority Associations on the arrangements for Pension Credit and have conducted a series of national seminars for local authorities. In addition, a Pension Credit Handbook for all local authorities and their software suppliers is being produced.

  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) what the average contribution of SERPS per recipient as an addition to the basic state pension has been in each year since 1990; [99153]

  (2) what proportion of those retiring in each year since 1990 have retired with both the basic state pension and SERPS. [99154]

  Mr. McCartney
  The information is not available prior to 1995. However, such information in respect of those in receipt of a State Pension is set out in the following tables:

  128,240 received a Winter Fuel Payment of up to £200. Those pensioners in North Yorkshire eligible for Pension Credit stand to gain around £400 a year on average.

  The creation of The Pension Service provides an ideal opportunity to further encourage pensioners to take up their entitlements. Not only are our customers being encouraged to claim when they ring their pension centre but we also have a network of local service teams throughout the country actively encouraging take up.
  607W
  There is a local service team of 10 staff covering the area of York and Selby, meeting customers in the community and actively encouraging take-up. They are developing advice and drop-in surgeries in partnership with other local organisations. For example, appointment surgeries at York District Hospital; a drop-in surgery held at the Guildhall, York, for an event in partnership with the Primary Care Trust and Staywarm as part of the 'Keep Warm Campaign', and a drop-in surgery used for a Winter Fuel event in partnership with the Energy Efficiency Unit.

  Source

  Pension Strategy Computer System as at 30 September 2002.

  Income Support Quarterly Statistical Enquiry, November 2002

  Matching Intelligence Data Analysis Service Winter Fuel Payment 2001–02 exercise.

  Smoking
  Chris McCafferty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will introduce a levy on employers who permit smoking in the workplace. [99330]

  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  There are no current plans to do so. However, all employers have a duty under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 to protect the health, safety and welfare of their employees, and this duty includes any risks arising from passive smoking.

  More specifically, the Workplace (Health Safety and Welfare) Regulations 1992 require employers to protect non-smokers from discomfort caused by tobacco smoke in rest rooms and rest areas. This means that employers must either provide separate rest rooms/areas for smokers and non smokers or prohibit smoking in rest rooms/areas.

  The Health and Safety Executive has published free guidance which gives advice to employers on introducing effective smoking policies in the workplace.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Award Schemes
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the award schemes in(a) 2001 and (b) 2002 promoted by the Department; what their scope was; when the relevant participating organisations are scheduled to be sent results; and whether other parties will be given notification of the results at the same time. [102050]

  Mr. Leslie
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002. Since then, the Office has promoted the following awards:The Beacon Council Scheme to identify excellence in local government and enable best practice to be shared with others. Ministers award beacon status annually on the basis of a rigorous assessment and recommendations from an independent Advisory Panel. Participating authorities are informed approximately one week before the results are made public. The Beacon authorities are generally announced in April each year and all local authorities in England, and a range of other interested parties, are notified of the results at this time.
  608W
  The Green Flag Award Scheme recognises parks and green spaces that are managed and maintained to a high standard. The Green Pennant is awarded for good standards in green spaces that are managed by community and voluntary groups. Both awards are made annually. Participants are notified in confidence in the summer to allow for preparation of the announcements at the awards ceremonies in November.
  The Award for Urban Renaissance for urban regeneration initiatives in England with a record of success was launched in 2002. The finalists were advised prior to the Urban Summit and the overall winner was announced at the Summit on 31 October 2002. A press notice was issued, the outcome was reported by live webcast on the Urban Summit website and brochures were distributed. The award has been renamed the Deputy Prime Minister's Award for Sustainable Communities with the intention that it will be an annual award. The scope of the award has been extended to align with "Sustainable Communities: Building for the Future" and the broader aim of the Office.
  The award for Outstanding Achievement in Social Housing at the Chartered Institute of Housing's National Housing Awards. The award celebrates excellence in the provision and delivery of social housing in the United Kingdom. The criteria is that the winning award should be innovative, inspirational, provide real benefits to customers and can be easily duplicated. All award winners are announced at the awards ceremony in the autumn.
  The award for Social Housing Provider of the Year. Building Magazine's Building Homes Quality Awards are designed to recognise and reward house building organisations from both the public and private sectors, focussing attention on the very best examples of construction and customer care best practice. All award winners are announced at the awards ceremony in the autumn.
  The Association for Geographic Information Annual Central Government Award for best use of geographic information. The awards are presented at the annual Association for Geographic Information (AGI) Annual General Meeting and Awards dinner which was held last year on 14 November 2002. The request for nominations is made in advance to members of the AGI and the Intra Governmental Group on Geographic Information (IGGI). The unsuccessful nominees are informed after the awards dinner and details are posted on the AGI website.

  Council Elections
  Mr. Stephen Byers
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister in which years no elections have been held in(a) London councils, (b) shire counties, (c) shire districts, (d) metropolitan councils and (e) new unitary authorities in the last decade. [103362]

  Mr. Leslie
  Whole council elections are held every four years in all county councils in England, borough councils in London and about two-thirds of non-metropolitan district councils, including some unitary authorities. In the last decade these elections were held in 1994, 1998 and 2002 for London boroughs; in 1993, 1997 and 2001 for shire counties; and in 1995, 1999 and on 1 May 2003 for district councils.

  The remaining third of non-metropolitan district councils, including some unitary authorities and all the metropolitan district councils have elections of one third of their councillors in each of the three years when county council elections are not held.

  By-elections can take place at any time in all categories of councils; no information is held centrally about the holding of by-elections.

  Council Tax
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the cost to(a) central and (b) local government of administering council tax in the latest year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [102871]

  Mr. Leslie
  The cost to local authorities of collecting the council tax in England is estimated to be £319 million for the year 2002–03. The main cost to central Government is incurred by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) which administers the council tax valuation list and is a party to appeals. The VOA budget for council tax work in 2002–03 is about £14 million. Central Government also supports the costs of the independent Valuation Tribunals which hear appeals. The part of the Valuation Tribunals budget for 2002–03 relating to council tax work is approximately £0.7 million. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is responsible for the policy and legislation rather than the administration of council tax.

  Percentage increase in authority's own Band D council tax for:

  Percentage increase in council tax for standard spendinga

  Inner London boroughs and City

  Outer London boroughs

  Shire counties

  Shire districts

  Metropolitan districts

  Shire unitary authoritiesb

  England

  England

  1994–95c

  12.2

  5.1

  6.3

  7.4

  0.9

  —

  2.1

  1995–96c,d

  38.4

  31.8

  2.3

  5.5

  —

  5.0

  1996–97d

  11.7

  5.1

  4.1

  6.7

  6.5

  6.1

  1997–98

  0.4

  6.7

  6.5

  8.3

  7.0

  2.1

  6.5

  4.2

  1998–99

  0.3

  6.0

  11.9

  7.0

  7.6

  7.8

  8.6

  7.0

  1999–2000

  2.8

  7.9

  8.3

  5.1

  5.1

  5.6

  6.8

  4.8

  2000–01

  1.7

  6.2

  6.7

  5.4

  4.5

  5.7

  6.1

  4.6

  2001–02

  6.6

  6.2

  6.3

  6.3

  5.3

  6.1

  6.4

  5.1

  2002–03

  3.0

  5.4

  9.3

  9.3

  4.6

  8.2

  8.3

  5.2

  2003–04

  e

  e

  e

  e

  e

  e

  e

  3.7

  1 This is the increase in council tax assumed in the calculation of revenue support grant, calculated on a like-for-like basis. It does not represent an estimate of the level at which local authorities need to set their council tax. The Government does not estimate the level of council tax increases. Figures are not readily available by class of authority, or for England before 1997–98. Under the new formula grant system, the figure for 2003–04 is for the increase in assumed national council tax over the equivalent figure for 2002–03.

  b Shire unitary authorities did not exist in 1994–95 and 1995–96, other than the Isle of Wight in 1995–96, which may not be representative of the current class as a whole.

  c A major cause of the large changes in London between 1994–95 and 1995–96 was the large reduction between the two years in the amounts of council tax transitional reduction scheme grant paid to some London boroughs.

  d Like-for-like comparisons for shire counties in 1995–96 and for unitary authorities in 1996–97 are not available due to local government reorganisation. This is also true to a more limited extent for shire counties, districts and unitaries between 1995–96 and 1998–99, for which figures are generally given.

  enot yet available.

  Government Initiatives
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many local branches of(a) Children's Fund, (b) Coalfields Programme, (c) Crime and Disorder, (d) Early Years Development and Childcare, (e) education action zones, (f) employment zones, (g) Excellence in Cities, (h) health act partnerships, (i) health action zones, (j) healthy living cities, (k) Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, (1) New Deal for Communities, (m) Social Inclusion, (n) sports action zones, (o) Sure Start, (p) Single Regeneration Budget and (q) local strategic
  610W
  Matthew Taylor
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the total level of council tax raised in(a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03 in (i) England, (ii) Wales, (iii) Scotland and (iv) Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [102875]

  Mr. Leslie
  The total level of council tax collected by local authorities in England in respect of 2001–02 during 2001–02 was £12.8 billion. This figure represents 96.1 per cent. of the £13.4 billion collectable.

  The figures for level of council tax collected in England in 2002–03 are not yet available.

  Figures for Wales and Scotland are the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly Government and the Scottish Parliament respectively.

  Council tax does not exist in Northern Ireland.

  Mr. Byers
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what has been(a) the average Council tax increase and (b) the level of local government settlement in each of the last 10 years in (i) inner London councils, (ii) outer London councils, (iii) shire counties, (iv) shire districts, (v) metropolitan councils and (vi) new unitary authorities. [103363]

  Mr. Leslie
  The information available is tabled below:

  partnerships schemes have been in existence in each year since their creation; and what the total level of funding allocated to each was, in each year since their creation. [98404]

  Mrs. Roche
  Some of the information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  A table with details of the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund Allocation by region and local authority has been placed in the Library of the House.
  611W
  Children's Fund

  This is a matter for the Department for. Education and Skills.

  Coalfields Programme

  The Coalfields Programme is a national programme managed by English Partnerships. It commenced work in 1996–97 and has a total budget of some £385 million over 10+ years. The Coalfields Regeneration Trust is a UK wide, grant making body launched in 1999 as part of the Government's response to the 1998 Coalfields Task Force report. It has four offices in England with a total budget in excess of £90 million. Spend to date has been as follows:

  £ million

  1999–2000

  1.6

  2000–01

  15

  2001–02

  23.3

  2002–03

  15 (est.)

  Crime and Disorder

  This is a matter for the Home Office.

  Early Years Development and Childcare

  This is a matter for the Department for Education and Skills.

  Education action zones

  This is a matter for the Department for Education and Skills.

  Employment zones

  This is a matter for the Department for Education and Skills.

  Excellence in Cities

  This is a matter for the Department for Education and Skills.

  Health act partnerships

  This is a matter for the Department of Health.

  Health action zones

  This is a matter for the Department of Health.

  Healthy living cities

  This is a matter for the Department of Health.

  New Deal for Communities

  NDC is a 10-year programme with a total funding allocation of £2 billion. There are17 NDCs in round 1 which received allocations for programme delivery from 2000–01 and 22 NDCs in round 2 which received allocations for programme delivery from 2001–02. There are no branches of NDC. The allocations for all NDCs were as follows:

  NDC allocated funding (£ million)

  Partnership

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  Newham

  6.8

  5.6

  7.5

  Shoreditch

  2.8

  8.2

  6.8

  Aylesbury

  2.3

  1.5

  4.1

  Ocean

  2.1

  5.6

  6.4

  South Kilburn

  —

  0.9

  2.1

  612W

  NDC allocated funding (£ million)

  Partnership

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  North Fulham

  —

  0.8

  3.2

  EC1 Islington

  —

  0.9

  1.5

  Clapham Park

  —

  2.0

  2.4

  New Cross

  —

  0.2

  6.5

  Seven Sisters

  —

  2.7

  5.0

  Brighton

  2.0

  3.7

  8.6

  Southampton

  —

  1.0

  3.1

  Plymouth

  —

  1.5

  5.0

  Bristol

  3.1

  4.6

  4.6

  Luton

  —

  5.9

  5.5

  Norwich

  3.9

  3.6

  8.3

  Leicester

  3.9

  9.0

  7.3

  Nottingham

  2.6

  5.5

  6.5

  Derby

  —

  1.0

  1.7

  Sandwell

  3.9

  6.2

  6.0

  Walsall

  —

  1.9

  4.7

  Coventry

  —

  1.3

  3.5

  Wolverhampton

  —

  3.0

  1.8

  Kings Norton

  3.3

  3.4

  3.1

  Aston

  —

  1.9

  2.7

  Doncaster

  —

  0.8

  2.9

  Sheffield

  —

  2.5

  4.7

  Bradford

  2.7

  5.0

  8.0

  Hull

  3.5

  6.2

  9.2

  Knowsley

  —

  0.1

  3.0

  Kensington

  1.0

  4.1

  5.6

  Manchester

  4.5

  6.4

  7.7

  Oldham

  —

  0.6

  3.0

  Salford

  —

  1.3

  4.0

  Rochdale

  —

  1.5

  4.5

  Hartlepool

  —

  2.1

  6.0

  Newcastle

  2.1

  4.0

  6.5

  Middlesbrough

  2.5

  7.9

  8.8

  Sunderland

  —

  1.6

  5.4

  Total

  53.0

  126.0

  197.2

  Social Inclusion

  While there is a Social Exclusion Unit within the Office for the Deputy Prime Minister, the Unit has no local branches.

  Sports action zones

  This is a matter for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

  Sure Start

  This is a matter for the Department for Education and Skills.

  Single Regeneration Budget (SRB)

  1,027 regeneration schemes were successful under the six rounds of the Single Regeneration Budget. Over £5.7 billion of SRB funding was allocated over their lifetime of up to seven years. The names of the schemes with lifetime funding, by each round have been tabled in the House of Commons Library.

  Local strategic partnerships (LSPs)

  The 2002 survey of all English principle local authority areas found that as of summer 2002 there were:

  294 LSPs in operation

  35 partnerships functioning as LSPs (though not formally an LSP)

  39 LSPs in the process of being formed

  1 local authority area with no plans to form an LSP

  613W
  All LSPs operate on a voluntary basis and are not formally accountable public bodies. Hence, for the most part they cannot receive direct government funding. For instance, the neighbourhood renewal fund is allocated to the local authority but they must collaborate with the LSP to agree how it is spent.

  Homelessness
  Ms Oona King
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 19 December 2002,Official Report. column 954W, on homelessness, what proportion of lettings were made available to homeless households in priority need by (a) local authorities and (b) registered social landlords in each Government Office Region in (i) 2000–01 and (ii) 2001–02. [102310]

  Mr. McNulty
  A further version of the table previously placed in the Library of the House (December 2002), updating data reported for 2000–01 and presenting equivalent data for 2001–02, has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Housing
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many households are in rented accommodation in each local authority; and what proportion are in accommodation provided by registered social landlords. [102688]

  Mr. McNulty
  A table with estimates of the number of households in rented accommodation in each local authority, and the percentage which are in accommodation provided by registered social landlords as at April 2001, has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Iraq
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the discussions which he has had with fire service(a) employers and (b) unions on contingency plans in the event of a conflict in Iraq and the suspension of (i) action under the current dispute and (ii) proposed changes in working practices. [103470]

  Mr. Raynsford
  My right. hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister has been available to talk to all sides since this dispute began and has met both the employers and the Fire Brigade union on a number of occasions. He has undertaken to keep the House informed of developments.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which regional bodies to which he makes appointments; and which regional bodies require funding through grants from local authorities. [102173]

  Mr. Raynsford
  My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister makes appointments to the five regional Rent Assessment Panels.

  It is a matter for local authorities who they choose to support through grants.

  Public Sector Pension Schemes
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the local authority public sector pension schemes which are funded; when was the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; what the value was of the assets at the last actuarial valuation of each scheme; and what deficit is disclosed by the last actuarial valuation of each scheme. [103347]

  Mr. Leslie
  The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is the only funded local authority pension scheme in England and Wales. It is a centrally regulated scheme but is managed and administered locally, in the main, by 86 separate local pension fund authorities who are responsible also for their individual pension funds. The most recent triennial valuation exercise was concluded in 2001. Then, total assets were valued at £85.3 billion with liabilities amounting to £91.5 billion. All the LGPS funds met the specific requirements of the Scheme's regulations concerning solvency, in particular, the need to maintain as constant a rate of employers' contributions as possible.

  Regional Governance
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will publish the results from the soundings exercise on the level of interest in each English region in holding a referendum about establishing an elected regional assembly. [103266]

  Mr. Raynsford
  The Government propose to explain to Parliament their choice of region or regions to undergo a local government review, with a view to holding a referendum, and to publish a summary of the views received during the soundings. We will announce our decision when the Regional Assemblies (Reparations) Bill has received Royal Assent.

  Some respondents may request that their response remain confidential. In this instance, such a response would still be included in any numerical analysis of responses, but would not be attributed to the respondent in the summary analysis.

  Right to Buy
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many properties have been sold under the Right to Buy; how many have been sold under Right to Buy in the last three years; how many households are supported in temporary accommodation; and how many new units of social housing have been completed, in the last three years, in each local authority in London. [96896]

  Mr. McNulty
  Information reported by London boroughs has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Matthew Green
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the discounts to be paid under the Right to Buy scheme in the financial year 2002–03; and what financial provision he has made. [102634]

  Mr. McNulty
  The Right to Buy scheme allows tenants to purchase their homes at less than market value, but this does not involve any additional capital expenditure by the authority. The discount represents a reduction in the authority's capital receipt, 75 per cent. of which under current regulations has to be set aside for
  615W
  debt redemption or paying off credit arrangements. The accumulated balance of usable receipts may then, at the authority's discretion, be used to support their housing capital programme.

  In the period April to September 2002, it is estimated that the value of discounts allowed through right to buy sales in England was some £657 million. The market value of the estimated 27,800 sales in the period was about £1,584 million.

  South West Regional Development Agency
  Mr. Adrian Flook
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister to which bodies the South West Regional Development Agency is accountable. [103059]

  Alan Johnson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The south west of England Regional Development Agency is accountable to my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry and to Parliament. Under the terms of the Regional Development Agencies Act, 1998, the Agency must also take account of the views of the South West Regional Assembly, which has been formally designated as the regional chamber for the Agency. For the purposes of regional accountability, the Agency is also required to hold a public meeting following publication of its annual report.

  Telecommunications Operators (Regulation)
  Mr. Hunter
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of telecommunication operators' implementation of their Ten Best Practice Commitments; and if he will make a statement. [102093]
  616W
  Mr. McNulty
  The Mobile Operators Association have commissioned Deloitte and Touche to carry out an independent review of the implementation of the Operators Ten Commitments. The results of the review will be publicly available in due course.

  Use Classes Orders
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the written ministerial statement on the use classes orders, 4 March,Official Report. column 79WS, what further consultation will take place when the Government announce their intentions for A 1 uses arising from the use classes consultation in 2002. [103002]

  Mr. McNulty
  Following the publication of the consultation document on the "Use Classes Order" in January 2002 there was a three-month period during which representations could be made. The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister received over 2,600 replies from a wide range of interested parties. Since then the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister has been considering the responses received. A decision about whether there is a need for any further consultation will be made once conclusions have been reached on the review.

  Wind Turbines
  Mr. Burnett
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what proposals he has to create a buffer zone between onshore wind turbines and domestic properties. [102401]

  Mr. McNulty
  The annex on Wind Energy in Policy Planning Guidance Note 22 contains guidelines about various factors which should be taken into consideration in relation to wind turbine location, including suggestions about turbine separation distances from residential dwellings, specifically in relation to noise. As indicated in the recent Energy White Paper, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is currently reviewing PPG22.

  The Lord Chancellor: Remuneration
  The Lord Chancellor: Remuneration
  Northern Ireland: Sexual Offences Bill
  Northern Ireland: Sexual Offences Bill
  House of Lords: Peers' Expenses
  House of Lords: Peers' Expenses
  Iraq: Legality of Armed Force
  Iraq: Legality of Armed Force
  Human Rights Conventions
  Human Rights Conventions
  Information Provided to Daily Mail on Cases Decided by Lord Justice Collins
  Information Provided to Daily Mail on Cases Decided by Lord Justice Collins
  Electronic Security and Computer Viruses
  Electronic Security and Computer Viruses
  Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act: Independent Visits to Persons Held without Trial
  Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act: Independent Visits to Persons Held without Trial
  Identity Checking Online
  Identity Checking Online
  Asylum Appeals: Home Office Representation
  Asylum Appeals: Home Office Representation
  E-conveyancing Consultation
  E-conveyancing Consultation
  Adoption: European Court of Human Rights Judgment
  Adoption: European Court of Human Rights Judgment
  Museums and Galleries: Performance Indicator Data
  Museums and Galleries: Performance Indicator Data
  Consolidated Fund (No. 2) Bill
  Consolidated Fund (No. 2) Bill
  School Nurses
  School Nurses
  NHS in Wales: VAT
  NHS in Wales: VAT
  Haemophilia
  Haemophilia
  Deafblind People: Social Care
  Deafblind People: Social Care
  Department of Health: QWAs
  Department of Health: QWAs
  Human Cloning
  Human Cloning
  Food Supplements: Nutrients
  Food Supplements: Nutrients
  NHS Quarterly Review
  NHS Quarterly Review
  North Staffordshire NHS Trust: Report of Review of Research Framework
  North Staffordshire NHS Trust: Report of Review of Research Framework
  Halon Fire Extinguishers
  Halon Fire Extinguishers