Written Answers of 20 April 2004

HEALTH

  Substance Abuse
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have died as a result of abuse of(a) butane gas refills and (b) other volatile substances in each year since 1997. [165759]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Statistics, collected by St. George's Hospital Medical School on behalf of the Department, on volatile substance abuse deaths from cigarette (butane) lighter refills, and total volatile substance abuse deaths are shown in the tables.

  Deaths associated with cigarette lighter refills

  Year

  Number

  1997

  47

  1998

  43

  1999

  43

  2000

  34

  2001

  42

  Deaths by volatile substance abuse

  Year

  Number

  1997

  78

  1998

  80

  1999

  75

  2000

  65

  2001

  63

  Source:

  St. George's Hospital Medical School: 16th Annual Report on Trends in Death Associated with Abuse of Volatile Substance 1971–2001—Key findings for 2001.

  Mobile Phone Masts
  Mr. Bailey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects the mobile telecommunications and health research programme to report on the public health implications of mobile phone masts. [165908]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The mobile telecommunications and health research programme reports progress at open seminars each year. The majority of projects are due to be completed in time for the annual seminar in November 2005. The remaining projects may take up to three years longer depending on their complexity. Most of the studies are concerned with mobile phones rather than base stations (masts) although there is one volunteer study looking specifically at base station exposures. Further details of these projects can be found on the website www.mthr.org.uk.

  The public health implications of mobile phone base stations were reviewed recently by the National Radiological Protection Board's advisory group on non-ionising radiation, (Documents of the NRPB,
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  Vol. 14, No 2, 2003). The report, entitled Health Effects from Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields, concluded that
  "Exposure levels from living near to mobile phone base stations are extremely low, and the overall evidence indicates that they are unlikely to pose a risk to health."
  The report is available at www.nrpb.org.uk.

  Breast Cancer
  Mr Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many and what percentage of women in Birkenhead with suspected breast cancer saw a specialist within two weeks in each of the last five years. [166570]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information requested is shown in the table:

  Waiting times for patients referred urgently by their GP with suspected breast cancer to 1st outpatient appointment: Wirral Hospitals NHS Trust

  Year

  Quarter

  Percentage of patients seen in two weeks ℅

  Total patients seen

  Patients seen in two weeks

  1999/00

  1

  42.0

  81

  34

  1999/00

  2

  64.0

  100

  64

  1999/00

  3

  67.3

  110

  74

  1999/00

  4

  93.7

  111

  104

  2000/01

  1

  88.3

  111

  98

  2000/01

  2

  91.0

  100

  91

  2000/01

  3

  91.4

  128

  117

  2000/01

  4

  100.0

  153

  153

  2001/02

  1

  100.0

  126

  126

  2001/02

  2

  100.0

  148

  148

  2001/02

  3

  100.0

  167

  167

  2001/02

  4

  100.0

  173

  173

  2002/03

  1

  100.0

  165

  165

  2002/03

  2

  100.0

  160

  160

  2002/03

  3

  100.0

  137

  137

  2002/03

  4

  99.2

  118

  117

  2003/04

  1

  100.0

  146

  146

  2003/04

  2

  100.0

  197

  197

  2003/04

  3

  100.0

  190

  190

  Source:

  DH form QMCW

  Smoking
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what programmes he has in place to encourage smoking cessation among the over-60s. [166010]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Our comprehensive tobacco control programme is aimed at all age groups, to reduce the numbers starting to smoke and to encourage those who smoke to stop. National Health Service stop smoking services are in place across the country to support smokers who want to quit. The services welcome people of all ages, and are widely available and accessible.

  Standard 8 of the national service framework for older people provides a continuing commitment to the health and well being of older people. An increase in access to local NHS stop smoking services is one important component in extending healthy life expectancy in older people.
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  Between April and September 2003 over 23,300 smokers aged 60 or over set a date to quit smoking with the help of NHS stop smoking services and nearly 14,800 reported that they had successfully quit four weeks later. This means that an encouraging 63 per cent. in this age group were successful in quitting.

  Edward Jenner Institute
  Mr. Rendel
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the future of the Edward Jenner Institute at Compton; and what funding he as allocated to the institute for future years. [162227]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 18 March 2004]: The Edward Jenner Institute for Vaccine Research (EJIVR) was established in 1995 to develop programmes in basic research relevant to human and animal vaccines. GlaxoSmithKline, the Medical Research Council, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Department of Health contributed a total of £6 million per annum to establish and fund the EJIVR for an initial 10 year research programme.

  The four sponsors remain committed to supporting basic and applied vaccine research through to the end of the current term in October 2005. However, they have agreed that the existing joint funding model for the EJIVR is not the best way forward beyond 2005.

  The sponsors are working actively with the board of the EJIVR to progress vaccine research beyond October 2005. The sponsors have recently completed a scientific review of the EJIVR's research programmes. The outcomes from this are assisting the board in its development of future plans to build on the best programmes, scientifically and strategically. Until the board's plans have progressed further, it is not possible to be more specific about the future.

  Tuberculosis
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what his policy is on the containment of tuberculosis, with particular reference to containment of strains which may not respond to treatment by established procedures. [162914]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 23 March 2004]: The interdepartmental working group on tuberculosis document was published in September 1998. It is entitled:

  The prevention and control of Tuberculosis in the United Kingdom:

  UK Guidance on the Prevention and Control of Transmission of:

  1. HIV,-related Tuberculosis.

  2. Drug-resistant, including Multiple Drug-resistant Tuberculosis.

  It gives advice on the contaiment of tuberculosis and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. It is available in the Library.

  Working Time Directive
  Dr. Murrison
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the costs of implementing the European Working Time Directive in(a) money terms, (b) extra doctors required and
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  (c) other extra NHS staff required for (i) August 2004 and (ii) 2009; and what methodology he used to calculate those figures. [164568]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 30 March 2004]: The Working Time Directive (WTD) is an integral part of modernising and improving services. The National Health Service has been aware of the implications of implementing the WTD for doctors in training since 2000, and planning for it forms part of overall NHS planning.

  In the United Kingdom's response to the European Commission's questionnaire on working time, which was completed in February, we stated that in the UK the NHS would need to recruit several thousand extra middle grade doctors by August 2004 to achieve compliance with the re-interpreted Working Time Directive, while simultaneously maintaining current levels of service provision and retaining similar working practices as now. The cost of recruiting the extra middle grade doctors would run to hundreds of millions of pounds per annum.

  However, this is not a realistic scenario. Even if this number of additional doctors were available, implementing the directive in this way would be very inefficient. As stated in our recent response to the EC's communication on working time, solutions need to include alternative ways of working that are already being piloted in the NHS, such as substituting non-medical practitioners where possible, instituting new forms of multidisciplinary team working, or redesigning services in some areas. There is no 'one size fits all' solution and ways of becoming WTD compliant will vary between trusts. Actual costs or numbers of additional staff required are not held centrally and could not in any case be disaggregated from the overall cost of NHS growth and modernisation.

  NHS Foundation Trusts
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to lay before Parliament the code for determining the limit on the total amount of borrowing of any NHS Foundation Trust required by section 12 of the Health and Social Care (Community Health and Standards) Act 2003. [166073]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Independent Regulator of National Health Service foundation trusts is responsible for making the Prudential Borrowing Code.

  The draft prudential borrowing code has not yet been issued for consultation. I am informed by the Independent Regulator that a draft code is expected to be issued for consultation shortly and will be subject to a 12-week consultation period. Following the consultation, the Regulator will consider the responses, amend the code as required, make the final code and lay a copy before Parliament.

  Primary Care Trusts
  Mr. Lansley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list each primary care trust indicating its variation from(a) average per-capita resources in England and (b) their Resource Allocation Working Party as fair share funding formula. [166660]
  413W
  Mr. Hutton
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Hospital Discharges
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many elderly people have been subject to eviction as a result of rent arrears after a stay in hospital in each year since 1997. [166517]

  Dr. Ladyman
  The Department does not collect this information.

  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he has taken to improve communication between health and social services to support vulnerable people who risk losing their homes as a result of rent arrears built up during a stay in hospital; and if he will make a statement. [166518]

  Dr. Ladyman
  The Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003 introduced a system of notifications between National Health Service bodies and social services departments which has improved communication and co-ordination between health and social care partners at the point of discharge.

  In addition, since March 2003 working age patients have continued to receive their full entitlement to any incapacity benefits, Income Support, bereavement benefits, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit for 52 weeks. Also pensioners continue to receive their full State Retirement Pension, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit entitlement for 52 weeks.

  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are in place to prevent elderly people returning home from hospital being subject to eviction orders as a result of rent arrears. [166520]

  Dr. Ladyman
  From May 2003 pensioners have continued to receive their full State Retirement Pension, Pension Credit, Housing Benefit and Council Tax Benefit entitlement for 52 weeks in order to ensure that they can continue to maintain their living expenditure. The Department has taken action to ensure that hospital discharges are planned effectively and completed in a timely manner.

  Hospital-acquired Infections
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Nosocomial Infection National Surveillance Scheme, including its current remit and responsibilities. [165246]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The nosocomial infection national surveillance scheme was a voluntary reporting system for two types of data: hospital-acquired blood stream infection and surgical site infection. The first stopped in 2002, while the second continues as the surgical site infection surveillance service. Its remit is to help trusts use surveillance data to monitor and improve the quality of patient care.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will publish the systematic review of how infection control guidelines are implemented in the NHS carried out by Thames Valley University. [165249]
  414W
  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Thames Valley University will update existing guidelines1 on preventing hospital-acquired infections later this year, but has not undertaken a systematic review of their implementation.
  1 The epic project: developing national evidence-based guidelines for preventing healthcare association infections phase 1: guidelines for preventing hospital-acquired infections 2001 http://www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/07/73/68/04077368.PDF
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department has issued to neonatal intensive care units on the use of (a) broad spectrum antibiotics to prevent infections and (b) more targeted antibiotic approaches. [165242]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  We have not issued specific guidance but the medicines management framework provides standards for the best use of all medicines in hospitals. This includes a recommendation that a lead pharmacist for anti-microbial prescribing is responsible for ensuring that appropriate policies are in place.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether the National Care Standards Commission records incidences of MRSA in care homes. [165243]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The National Care Standards Commission did not have records of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections.

  Health Services (Hull and East Yorkshire)
  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many cases of MRSA have been identified in hospitals within Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust in each of the past five years; [165038]

  (2) what percentage of patients in hospitals within Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust are infected with MRSA; [165039]

  (3) what percentage of NHS staff within Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust are infected with MRSA. [165043]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The data are not collected centrally. Available data from the national mandatory surveillance system for methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bloodstream infections are shown in the table.

  Number of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus bacteraemia laboratory reports, Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  Year

  Number of reports

  MRSA rate (per 1,000 bed-days)

  April 2001—March 2002

  106

  0.26

  April 2002—March 2003

  75

  0.18

  415W
  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds there are in the Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust. [165042]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The average daily number of available beds in wards open overnight at Hull and East Yorkshire National Health Service Trust in 2002–03 was 1,391. In addition, the average daily number of day case beds in 2002–03 was 107. Information for each NHS trust is published annually on the Department's website at http://www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/. Information for 2003–04 will be available in the summer.

  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many nurses work in hospitals in the East Riding of Yorkshire. [165044]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  National Health Service hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff in Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust as at 30 September 2003

  headcount

  All qualified nurses

  Community

  Hospital

  Hull and East

  Yorkshire

  Hospitals

  NHS Trust

  2,399

  0

  2,399

  Source:

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census.

  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of tuberculosis there were in the East Riding of Yorkshire in each of the past five years. [165047]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information requested is shown in the table.

  Year

  Health Authority

  TB cases

  1998

  East Riding

  17

  1999

  East Riding

  30

  2000

  East Riding

  37

  2001

  East Riding

  37

  2002

  East Riding

  18

  Source:

  Department of Health.

  Bacterial Resistance
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has undertaken into anti-adhesive therapy to combat bacterial resistance in hospitals. [165025]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Department has not commissioned research specifically on anti-adhesive therapy to combat bacterial resistance in hospitals. However, a broad strategic programme of research worth over £2.5 million has recently been commissioned, aimed at improving our scientific understanding of anti-microbial resistance.
  416W
  Mr Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action his Department is taking to encourage pharmaceutical companies to research new antibiotics to combat the threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria. [165239]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Our policy concentrates on supporting appropriate prescribing rather than influencing industry's research programmes.

  Fertilisation and Embryology
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment his Department has made of new processes to produce stem cell-like cells from the blood. [165027]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Government consider that it is too soon to say what kind of stem cells will yield breakthroughs in scientific knowledge enabling new treatments to be developed. The Government are therefore promoting research across a full range of stem cell sources.

  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the use of online human egg matching services [165032]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The use of donor eggs in treatment in the United Kingdom is subject to the provisions of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 and is regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA). Standards of practice for the donation of eggs and their subsequent use in treatment, including remuneration for donors, are set out in the HFEA's code of practice. Payments that may be made to donors are limited to £15.00 per donation plus reasonable expenses. These provisions apply irrespective of the potential donor's country of origin or the route by which they are linked to a potential recipient.

  Thalassaemia
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department is taking to fund research into combating beta thalassaemia major. [165250]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Details of research projects relating to beta thalassaemia major funded by, or of interest to, the National Health Service are available on the National Research Register (NRR) at www.updatesoftware.com/national. The NRR currently contains details of around 20 on-going or completed projects with a specific focus on beta thalassaemia, in addition to a larger number of projects covering a wider range of haemoglobinopathies. Many of these projects are funded through allocations made annually to NHS providers for research to meet the priorities and needs of the NHS and to meet the costs to the NHS of hosting research supported by external funders. The total amount allocated to NHS providers in 2003–04 for research and development was £442 million.
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  The NHS health technology assessment programme has published reviews of Screening for sickle cell disease and thalassaemia (2000) and Antenatal and neonatal haemoglobinopathy screening in the UK (1999). These are available on the programme's website at www.hta.nhsweb.nhs.uk.

  The Medical Research Council (MRC) has a long history of research into the causes and treatment of thalassaemia. Since 1980, the MRC molecular haematology unit in Oxford has undertaken both basic research into the process by which multipotential haemopoietic stem cells differentiate into the highly specialised cells found in blood, and also more applied research into how these processes are perturbed in inherited and acquired human genetic disesases (e.g. thalassaemia). The unit has an annual budget of over £2 million. The MRC also supports two grants in this area.

  Animal Experiments
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to his answer 25 February 2004,Official Report, column 467W, what reasons underlay the decision to authorise the payment towards the cost of research into the public's attitude to research involving animals. [165816]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Government supported the 2002 MORI poll because it provided data on public attitudes to inform development of Government policy relating to the use of animals in medical research. The survey also provided data to assess any changes in public attitudes since the 1999 MORI poll carried out for the Medical Research Council.

  Sustainable Development
  Mrs. Calton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what progress has been made on his Department's Sustainable Development Strategy. [165441]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Department of Health's strategy on sustainable development and the environment is in line with the Government's overall sustainable development strategy, in which health ("expected healthy years of life") is one of the 15 key headline indicators. The Department is currently implementing a change programme which will result in shifting responsibility to the front line and focusing on providing strategic leadership to the National Health Service and social care. A review of the sustainable development strategy is currently under way as part of this process.

  The Department's strategy should be viewed in the context of overall health strategies. On-going actions to raise awareness, integrate sustainable development into policy making and enhance operational activities for both the central Department and through advice to the NHS ensures that the Department continues to
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  contribute to the Government's overall strategy on sustainable development. Progress is reported on the Department's website at: http://www.dh.gov.uk/About Us/AimsAndObjectives/SustainableDevelopment/fs/en

  The NHS Estates Agency (NHSE) and the NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA)—both Executive Agencies of the Department—have their own sustainable development/environmental strategies in place. The NHSE has issued a New Environmental Strategy for the NHS and Sustainable Development in the NHS as guidance for the NHS. NHS PASA has a sustainable development policy which it published in February 2003. This policy describes the framework within which NHS PASA will conduct its activities in order to contribute towards global pursuits of sustainable development. There are links to these Agencies' websites at the above address.

  Mrs. Calton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list the meetings at which his Department has been present on the delivery of sustainable development across Government as co-ordinated by the Ministerial Sub-committee of Green Ministers. [165442]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Department's Green Minister is a member of the ENV(G) Cabinet sub-Committee. Additionally, officials regularly attend working groups and other fora which report directly to ENV(G), related to the development of the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate. In particular, my officials have been closely involved in the development of procurement targets for the Framework and the Department is represented on the sustainable procurement group.

  As part of the public sector food procurement initiative, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) is working with government departments to develop food action plans. The Department's NHS Purchasing and Supply Agency and its NHS Estates Agency have been working with DEFRA to develop a food procurement action plan which sets a framework and objectives for those Agencies and the wider National Health Service.

  Mrs. Calton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to promote the delivery of sustainable development within Government. [165448]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Department is contributing to the Government's forthcoming consultation on the review of the United Kingdom strategy for sustainable development. One of the aims of the review is to step up action in the delivery of sustainable development.

  The Department also has an important consultation—Choosing Health?—in train to identify action to improve people's health in preparation for a White Paper to be published this summer. Both consultations will have many aims and goals in common and will be an important means of promoting the sustainable development agenda.

  The Department is also leading on cross-Government work on Tackling Health Inequalities: A programme for action, which was published in July 2003 and sets out plans to tackle health inequalities over the next three

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  years; and on developing a Food and Health Action Plan. Taking this work forward will make a significant contribution to the delivery of sustainable development.

  Recycled Paper
  Mrs. Calton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list his Department's main suppliers of(a) copier paper, (b) stationery, (c) envelopes and (d) paper for reports; and if he will state (i) the name of each paper used and (ii) the recycled, and post-consumer recycled, content of each paper. [165445]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Department's contracted supplier of copier paper, bulk stationery and envelopes is Guilbert UK. The vast majority of white paper purchased is Niceday 3500, which is 80gsm, 100 per cent. recycled, using 80 per cent. post consumer waste.

  Bulk paper copying is carried out on Xeros "x3" brand paper. This is 100 per cent. post consumer waste recycled.

  NHS Dentistry
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, how many dentists have been recruited to the NHS in each year since 1997 in the Cumbria and Lancashire Health Authority. [165542]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Information on the number of dentists joining the general dental service (GDS) or personal dental service (PDS) in the Cumbria and Lancashire Strategic Health Authority area in each year since 1997 is shown in the table.

  Number of entrants to the GDS and PDS

  Year

  Cumbria and Lancashire SHA

  1998 from 1997

  58

  1999 from 1998

  72

  2000 from 1999

  67

  2001 from 2000

  79

  2002 from 2001

  60

  2003 from 2002

  75

  Notes:

  1. Dentists include principals, their assistants and trainees. Entrants will include some dentists who left dentistry temporarily in previous years.

  2. These figures do not cover other National Health Service dental services, for example, community dental service and hospital dental service.

  Source:

  Dental Practice Board statistics.

  Contraception
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what evidence he has collated on the percentage of girls who take the contraceptive pill who suffer from (a) weight gain, (b) acne or other skin conditions and (c) mood swings. [165491]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Clinical trials for combined oral contraceptives have suggested that mood disturbances occur in around one per cent. of users, while acne, other skin conditions (such as eczema and itching) and weight changes occur in between 0.1 per cent. and 1 per cent. of users.

  Statins
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the number of people being prescribed statins in each year to 2010. [165794]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Winning the War on Heart Disease, the 2004 progress report on the national service framework (NSF) for coronary heart disease, reports that statin prescribing continues to rise by around 30 per cent. a year. Nationally, about 1.8 million people are currently receiving statins.

  The Government has made no estimate of numbers of people likely to be prescribed statins in 2010. However, in his 2002 Report Securing Our Future Health: Taking a Long-Term View, Derek Wanless suggested that statins should be prescribed for patients with lower levels of coronary heart disease risk than in the NSF, a 15 per cent. risk over 10 years, as opposed to 30 per cent. in the NSF, and that this would lead to an estimated prescribing cost of £2.1 billion by 2010. The National Institute of Clinical Excellence has been commissioned to produce a technological appraisal of statins and effective prescribing.

  Hypertension
  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps his Department are taking to encourage self monitoring of hypertension. [165802]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  It is essential that individuals across the population be made aware of the risks associated with high blood pressure and the importance of knowing their blood pressure. For the last two years, the Department has contributed to the funding of The Blood Pressure Association's national blood pressure testing week, which is the annual event highlighting their ongoing Know Your Numbers campaign.

  Genetically Modified Food
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what restrictions are in place to prevent the impact of genetically modified meat and fish and what discussions he has had with retailers on their policy towards these products. [165451]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Before any genetically modified food (including GM animals and fish) can be marketed in or imported into the European Union, approval is required under the relevant European Commission legislation. This would include a rigorous Safety assessment of the GM food, which is carried out on a case by case basis.

  The Food Standards Agency has had no discussions with retailers on their policy towards such products.

  Public Health
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, pursuant to the answer of 7 January 2004,Official Report, column 396W, which posts are filled by (a) acting staff, (b) temporary staff and (c) staff who fill other posts as directors of public health. [159105]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information requested has been placed in the Library and the previous information has been updated.

  Food Advertising
  Mr. Paul Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will publish the evidence received by his Department on the impact of the advertising of food to children. [159774]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  In September 2003, the Food Standards Agency (FSA) published the results of a review that it had commissioned on the effects of food promotion on children's food related behaviour. The review is available on the FSA's website.

  In August 2003, the food advertising unit of the Advertising Association provided the FSA with the report, Advertising and Food Choice in Children: a Review of the Literature, by Dr Brian Young of Exeter University. This report is available on the food advertising unit's website.

  In December 2003, the FSA received from Dr Jason Halford of Liverpool University a pre-publication copy of his paper, The effect of Television Food Advertisments/Commercials on Food Consumption in Children. Dr Halford's paper has since been published in the Journal Appetite.

  Inpatient Waiting Lists by Commissioner for Crosby residents—Waiting list in months

  Year

  Quarter

  Name

  TWL

  0–2 Not seen

  3–5 Not seen

  6–8 Not seen

  9–11 Not seen

  12–14 Not seen

  15–17 Not seen

  1996–97

  4

  Sefton HA

  9,239

  4,046

  2,247

  1,531

  1,166

  246

  3

  1997–98

  4

  Sefton HA

  8,915

  4,204

  1,952

  1,328

  984

  367

  80

  1998–99

  4

  Sefton HA

  7,967

  4,031

  1,634

  1,142

  745

  325

  90

  1999–2000

  4

  Sefton HA

  7,531

  3,603

  1,773

  1,158

  644

  237

  116

  2001–01

  4

  Sefton HA

  7,436

  3,987

  1,638

  971

  455

  278

  107

  2001–02

  4

  Sefton HA

  7,155

  3,837

  1,753

  1,002

  464

  99

  0

  Waiting List in months

  Year

  Month

  Name

  TWL

  0–2 Not seen

  3–5 Not seen

  6–8 Not seen

  9–11 Not seen

  12–14 Not seen

  15–17 Not seen

  2002–03

  March 2003

  South Sefton PCT

  3,917

  2,581

  841

  369

  126

  0

  0

  2003–04

  December 2003

  South Sefton PCT

  3,689

  2,744

  689

  230

  26

  0

  0

  Source:

  Department of Health QF01

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many residents in Crosby awaiting heart surgery have had the option of choosing an alternative hospital for quicker treatment in the last 12 months. [160432]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  Health Services (Crosby)
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what changes there have been to NHS waiting list time in the last seven years for residents of Crosby. [160392]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Information most closely associated with place of residency is not collected on a constituency level, but at a health services commissioner level. Data is shown in the tables for Sefton Health Authority for the period 1997 to 2002 and South Sefton Primary Care Trust for 2003.

  GP Referral to Consultant Waiting List in weeks

  Year

  Name

  Not seen 13 to 25

  Not seen 26 plus

  1997–98

  Sefton HA

  1,936

  243

  1998–99

  Sefton HA

  2,153

  911

  1999–2000

  Sefton HA

  2,241

  883

  2000–01

  Sefton HA

  1,358

  779

  2001–02

  Sefton HA

  1,141

  0

  GP Referral to Consultant Waiting List in weeks

  Month/year

  Name

  13–17 Not seen

  17–21 Not seen

  21–26 Not seen

  26 plus

  March 2003

  South Sefton PCT

  218

  85

  0

  0

  September 2003

  South Sefton PCT

  441

  102

  0

  0

  Source:

  Department of Health QM08R

  Day Cases
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the inpatient pre-booking performance against target was in Crosby for(a) elective inpatients, (b) day cases and (c) outpatients in each year since 1997. [164311]
  423W
  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Department began publishing national day case figures from March 2003. Data is not collected on inpatient pre-booking performance for elective inpatients or outpatients and is not published on a constituency or National Health Service trust basis.

  Egg Consumption
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the(a) median, (b) highest and (c) lowest consumption of eggs per person in the UK was amongst (i) infants, (ii) children, (iii) young adults and (iv) adults, according to the findings of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey. [162173]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Information on the consumption of eggs is published in:

  the National Diet and Nutrition Survey: adults aged 19 to 64 years (volume 1-types and quantities of food consumed) 2002).

  the National Diet and Nutrition Survey: young people aged 4 to 18 years (volume 1-report of the diet and nutrition survey) (2000).

  the National Diet and Nutrition Survey: children aged 1½ to 4½ years (volume 1-report of the diet and nutrition survey) (1995).

  Copies of the reports are available in the Library.

  Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures his Department has taken to inform and reassure people who have received blood transfusions since 1980, and will now not be allowed to donate blood, on the risk of vCJD infection. [163473]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The National Blood Service (NBS) has produced two leaflets for donors giving them more information about the new donor exclusion criteria. The first leaflet is entitled Variant CJD and blood donation and is a general information leaflet for donors. The second leaflet, entitled Keeping things safe, is for those donors who have received blood since 1 January 1980 in the United Kingdom and can therefore no longer give blood. Copies of these leaflets can be obtained from the NBS website at www.blood.co.uk or from the NBS helpline. Donors will also receive an information leaflet entitled A change to the rules for blood donors with their invitation letter to give blood.

  The NBS has run some press advertising in national newspapers in early April. These adverts addressed why this change is happening, what the risks are and how people can help.

  In addition, any patient who has concerns can contact NHS Direct.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research is being (a) undertaken and (b) funded by his Department on (i) diagnosis and (ii) treatment of vCJD, and the risks of infection through blood transfusion. [163475]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The diagnosis of pre-clinical infection is a major part of the Department's programme of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) related research. There are 13 contracts that are currently being 424W
  funded through the policy research programme. In addition, the Department is currently funding seven projects to asses the risk of transmission through blood, and five projects to develop new therapeutic compounds and the CJD clinical trial. Over £30 million has been committed to date on CJD research.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health, whether recipients of blood transfusions after 5 April will be prevented from donating blood. [163476]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The new donor exclusion criteria will apply to anyone who has received a blood transfusion since January 1980. This is because there is still a risk that the person from whom the recipient received the blood may have been exposed to variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease by dietary exposure.

  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people have received(a) transfusions of whole blood components and (b) transfusions of other blood products since 1980. [163480]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Information on the number of patients who have received blood transfusions or other blood products is not collected centrally. However, the National Blood Service estimates that in recent years, 800,000 patients in England and North Wales received a blood transfusion per annum.

  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to extend the ban on blood donations from those who have received a blood transfusion since 1980(a) to organ donation recipients and (b) to prevent recipients of blood transfusions from donating organs; and if he will make a statement. [164280]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Individuals who have had an organ transplant ate excluded from giving blood because of their treatment. All potential organ donors are assessed at the time of their death to identify any risk of disease transmission to the donor.

  Accident and Emergency Services
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many consultants there were on average in an accident and emergency department in(a) England and (b) each strategic health authority in each year since 1997; [163503]

  (2) how many consultants there were in each accident and emergency department in England in each year since 1997. [163508]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The information requested has been placed in the Library.

  Community Hospitals
  Mr. Boris Johnson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS staff are working in the community hospitals of(a) Townlands, (b) Wallingford, (c) Abingdon, (d) Wantage, (e) Watlington and (f) Didcot; and what proportion of these staff receive financial assistance with regard to (i) housing and (ii) transportation. [164101]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Information on number of National Health Service Staff is not held at hospital level but at primary care trust level. Information is shown in
  425W
  the table for South East Oxfordshire and South West Oxfordshire Primary Care Trusts, which commission services from the community hospitals listed.

  NHS hospital and community health services: All NHS staff by main staff group in each specified organisation as at 30 September each specified year

  headcount

  2002

  2003

  South East Oxfordshire PCT total

  515

  567

  Non medical staff total

  249

  266

  of which: Professionally qualified clinical staff total

  120

  138

  Qualified nursing

  115

  132

  Allied health professionals

  2

  3

  Qualified scientific, therapeutic & technical (St&t)

  3

  3

  Support to clinical staff total

  93

  88

  Support to doctors & nurses

  93

  88

  NHS infrastructure support total

  36

  40

  Central functions

  25

  25

  Managers & senior managers

  11

  15

  Medical and dental staff total

  —

  —

  General Practitioners(1)

  65

  66

  Practice Staff

  201

  235

  of which: Practice Nurses

  37

  39

  South West Oxfordshire PCT total

  1,119

  1,103

  Non medical staff total

  607

  589

  of which: Professionally qualified clinical staff total

  305

  280

  Qualified nursing

  305

  280

  Allied health professionals

  8

  —

  Qualified St&t

  13

  5

  Support to clinical staff total

  255

  252

  Support to doctors & nurses

  251

  252

  Support to St&t

  4

  —

  NHS infrastructure support total

  47

  57

  Central functions

  19

  20

  Hotel, property & estates

  2

  3

  Managers & senior managers

  26

  34

  Medical and dental staff total

  —

  1

  General Practitioners1

  129

  138

  Practice Staff

  129

  138

  of which: Practice Nurses

  67

  69

  Notes:

  "—" denotes zero

  (1) All practitioners include GMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs, PMS Salaried GPs, Restricted Principals, Assistants, GP Registrars, Salaried Doctors (Para 52 SFA), PMS Other, GP Retainers, Flexible Career Scheme GPs and GP Returners.

  Sources:

  Department of Health medical and dental workforce census.

  Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics.

  Department of Health non-medical workforce census.

  Expert Patients' Programme
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the expert patient programme; and what plans his Department has to extend the programme. [164869]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The expert patients programme provides training in self-management for patients with chronic conditions and helps build informed partnerships between patients and health and social care professionals. The programme is currently being piloted within primary care trusts in England. The report, entitled:The Expert Patient: A New Approach to
  426W
  Chronic Disease Management for the 21st Century, which was published in September 2001, commits us to making the programme integral to mainstream National Health Service healthcare provision between 2004 and 2007.

  Skin Diseases
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has conducted into quality indicators for the treatment and management of inflammatory skin diseases. [164904]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  In 2001, the National Health Service health technology assessment programme published systematic reviews of treatments for atopic eczema and severe psoriasis. These are available on the programme's website at www.hta.nhsweb.nhs.uk. Further assessments in eczema, psoriasis and acne are in progress.

  Last year, the Nuffield Trust published Measuring general practice: a demonstration project to develop and test a set of primary care clinical quality indicators. The project looked at 19 disease areas, including acne, and was conducted in partnership with the National Primary Care Research and Development center (NPCRDC), based at the University of Manchester. NPCRDC is funded largely by the Department.

  Care Homes
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many outbreaks of infectious disease there were in care homes in each year since 1997. [165241]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  Information about all outbreaks of infectious diseases in care homes is not collected centrally.

  The Health Protection Agency has provided the information shown in the tables on infectious intestinal diseases and on influenza from their voluntary reporting system.

  General outbreaks of Infectious Intestinal Disease linked to care homes. England & Wales, 1997–2003

  Year

  Number of outbreaks

  1997

  152

  1998

  178

  1999

  167

  2000

  219

  2001

  159

  2002

  331

  2003

  187

  Total

  1,393

  provisional data.

  Source:

  HPA GSURV outbreak database 30/3/04

  Influenza outbreaks reported

  Year

  Number of outbreaks

  1997

  No data available

  1998

  10

  1999

  7

  2000

  1

  2001

  1

  427W

  Influenza outbreaks reported

  Year

  Number of outbreaks

  2002

  1

  2003

  3

  Total

  23

  Source:

  HPA data.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Farm Incomes
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on farm income levels for farmers in the Ribble Valley and Fulwood in the past five years. [165510]

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on farm income levels for farmers in Birkenhead in the past five years. [166612]

  Alun Michael
  Owing to the small number of farms in the constituencies of Ribble Valley and Fulwood and Birkenhead, there is no robust data available on farm incomes for farmers in that area over the last five years. Net farm income for farms in the North EU "Super Region" and for England over the last five years are shown in the table below.

  Net Farm Income

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  North EU

  Super Region

  8,272

  8,659

  12,456

  16,457

  18,512

  England

  10,359

  7,981

  9,886

  13.558

  16,435

  Source:

  Farm Business Survey

  Net farm income is the return to the principal farmer and spouse for their manual and managerial labour and to the tenant-type capital of the business.

  Advisory Committee on Pesticides
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will publish the membership for the Advisory Committee on Pesticides; and which organisations are allowed to attend. [166457]

  Alun Michael
  The membership of the Advisory Committee on Pesticides is already published and can be viewed on the Pesticide Safety Directorate's website at http://www.pesticides:gov.uk/acp.asp?id = 203.

  Those who attend the meetings of the committee in addition to its members are departmental assessors and advisors and are listed in the ACP's annual report published at http://www.pesticides.gov.uk/uploadedfiles/Web_Assets/ACP/ACP_annrep_2002.pdf.

  The Committee's annual report for 2003 is in preparation and is expected to be published within the next month.
  428W
  On occasion the Committee invites individuals, such as applicants for approvals, to make a presentation related to a specific item of the committee's business. These individuals are not present when decisions are taken.

  Home Energy Efficiency
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many homes in Birkenhead have benefited from Warm Front. [166613]

  Alun Michael
  Between the launch of Warm Front in June 2000 and the end of March 2003, approximately 3,780 households in Birkenhead received assistance from the scheme.

  Horses and Ponies
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment she has made of regulations which affect horses and ponies as(a) food producing, (b) agricultural and (c) pet or companion animals. [166443]

  Alun Michael
  We have been working on revisions to the Horse Passports (England) Regulations 2003, and to European legislation on animal welfare during transport and on veterinary medicines; reviewing national legislation on animal welfare (including regulation of tethering, livery yards and riding establishments); and working with the horse industry to develop a 10-year health and welfare strategy. The Ragwort Control Act, which is part of our work on animal welfare, came into force in February and was accompanied by a regulatory impact assessment. The Act provides for a Code of Practice on the Control of Ragwort, which should be in place towards the end of June. We recently issued the draft Code, and a draft environmental appraisal, for public consultation. Last month we published the first-ever research on the horse industry as a whole, Jointly funded by the Department and the British Horse Industry Confederation.

  Greyhounds
  Phil Sawford
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many greyhounds have bee collected by local authority dog wardens in each year since 2000. [165485]

  Alun Michael
  Under section 149(8) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, local authority dog wardens are required to keep a register containing the prescribed particulars of, or relating, to dogs seized and the register shall be available, at all reasonable times, for inspection by the public free of charge. However, we do not collect that data centrally as there is no requirement for it to be supplied to Government.

  Rights of Way
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what obligations Plymouth City Council has to consult the public over variations to public rights of way; and whether her Department monitors the exercise of such powers. [165911]
  429W
  Alun Michael
  When making changes to a right of way, a local highway authority must, in most cases, (a) serve a notice of the relevant order on every owner, occupier and lessee of any land affected by the order, (b) publish the notice in at least one, local newspaper and (c) notify all statutory consultees. The notice must also be displayed at the ends of the right of way affected by the order. Defra does not monitor the exercise of these duties, but councils are well aware that an order can be challenged if a local highway authority has failed to give correct notice and that it is in their interests to follow the correct procedures.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Possession Orders
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many possession orders have been issued in each year since 1997 to (a) elderly and (b) vulnerable people. [166519]

  Mr. Hill
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister does not currently collect data on numbers of possession orders issued. Data collected by the Department for Constitutional Affairs and held by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on the number of possession orders issued each year since 1997 does not give a breakdown of specified groups of tenants.

  Communications Masts
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what discussions he and his officials had with (a) Airwave and (b) 02 prior to the setting of the UK's safety limit on Tetra radiation. [161611]

  Yvette Cooper
  None. The Government set up the Independent Expert Group on Mobile Phones (chaired by Sir William Stewart) to consider the health effects of mobile phones, base stations and transmitters. They conducted a rigorous and comprehensive assessment of existing research and gathered a wide range of views and published their report in May 2000. In respect of base stations, the report concludes that"the balance of evidence indicates that there is no general risk to the health of people living near to base stations on the basis that exposures are expected to be small fractions of the guidelines". However, gaps in scientific knowledge led Stewart to recommend a precautionary approach comprising a series of specific measures. The Government accepted the recommended precautionary approach and is taking forward a range of precautionary actions. These include ensuring all base stations meet the international guidelines on public exposure set by the International Commission on Non-Ionising Radiation Protection (ICNIRP).

  Following a request to the NRPB by the Home Office, the issue of possible health effects caused by signals from TETRA base stations was comprehensively addressed in a report by NRPB's independent Advisory Group on Non-ionising Radiation (AGNIR), chaired by Sir Richard Doll. The report on Possible Health Effects from Terrestrial Trunked Radio (TETRA) was published in 2002 in the Documents of NRPB (Volume 12 No 2, 2001) and is also available on the NRPB web site: www.nrpb.org. The report noted that the signals
  430W
  from TETRA base stations, like their mobile phone counterparts, are not pulsed. NRPB advise that there is no reason to believe that signals from TETRA base stations should be treated differently from other base stations.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Serious Organised Crime Agency
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police officers currently seconded to the National Criminal Intelligence Service will be transferred to the Serious Organised Crime Agency. [166602]

  Caroline Flint
  Staffing levels in the Serious Organised Crime Agency will be determined by the operational outcomes it is funded to deliver; no decisions have yet been taken on the requirements for particular groups of staff, but the overall objective is to enhance the effectiveness of our response to serious organised crime.

  Mrs. Gillan
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what role the Serious Organised Crime Agency will have in(a) drugs enforcement and (b) drugs policy; [166103]

  (2) what former HM Customs and Excise function he expects the Serious Organised Crime Agency to undertake; [166104]

  (3) how many personnel involved in (a) drug enforcement and (b) drugs policy he expects to be transferred from HM Customs and Excise to the Serious Organised Crime Agency; [166105]

  (4) how many personnel he expects to work on (a) drugs enforcement and (b) drugs policy in the Serious Organised Crime Agency. [166106]

  Caroline Flint
  [holding answer 19 April 2004]: Proposals for the Serious Organised Crime Agency were set out in the white paper "One Step Ahead: A 21st century strategy to defeat organised crime" (CM6167), published on 29 March. A project team is now working on the detailed arrangements, but it is not intended that the new agency will have responsibility for drugs policy.

  Race Hate Websites
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what action he will take to(a) close down race hate websites and (b) protect named journalists who are being targeted by these sites. [160802]

  Fiona MacTaggart
  Websites of this kind are objectionable and I can understand why journalists and other persons identified on them might feel concern.

  Whilst we are keeping the legislative position under review, existing laws already provide a level of protection.

  It is an offence to assault people or damage their property, and a person who behaves in that way or takes active steps to commit those offences is liable to prosecution, regardless of how or where, or on what website he came to identify his victim.
  431W
  It is also an offence to incite another person to commit a criminal offence. While it might not be possible to take action against a foreign-based internet service provider for disseminating the incitement, that would not in itself prevent prosecution of a person in this country who had been responsible for the content of the website. There is, of course, a question about what constitutes incitement. Publishing information such as names and addresses of those belonging to an identified organisation or espousing a particular view may not necessarily be enough in itself to constitute incitement but it is for the police and prosecutors to decide in all the circumstances of a particular case and on the available evidence whether an offence has been committed.

  The Protection from Harassment Act 1997 makes provision that a person may be guilty of an offence if he engages in a course of conduct which he knows or ought to know causes harassment. The Act is concerned with the effect of the behaviour rather than the type of conduct—any actions that foreseeably cause distress may amount to harassment. The Act also provides, as a civil remedy, the opportunity to apply to the High Court for an injunction. Victims of harassment by animal rights extremists have successfully used the Act to secure orders which, among other things, have required the removal of their personal details from websites. In these cases however acts of harassment beyond identifying persons on a website were proved.

  The internet service provider industry itself is sometimes able and willing to refuse to carry objectionable material on websites. In the UK, most service providers have acceptable use policies, under which they reserve the right to remove a customer's material, or refuse to carry it, not only if it is illegal but also in certain other circumstances, which can include where material causes concern or needless anxiety to others or publishes details of individuals without their consent. The UK's Internet Watch Foundation encourages service providers to refuse to handle sites which violate their acceptable use policies. The great majority of UK service providers operate responsibly. The government has also discussed with other governments how we can co-operate to tackle this problem, given that it raises issues of cross-national jurisdication.

  It is important that those with concerns should make them known to the police and to the Internet Watch Foundation.

  Probation Hostels
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average percentage change in costs was for each probation hostel following the decision to award the contract for hostel facilities to the private sector between the last and current financial years. [160808]

  Paul Goggins
  Prior to the award of the approved premises (previously known as hostels) facilities management contract no consistent data on the cost of running each premises was held. Therefore, it is not possible to accurately compare current costs to historic costs.
  432W
  Reflecting the enhanced specification, and the intention to improve the quality of the approved premises estate, including staff security and health and safety, funding for premises was increased by 10 per cent. for financial year 2003–04.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  "Choosing Health?"
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department will make a formal response to the recommendations of the Treasury's recent report on Securing Good Health for the Whole Nation: and if she will make a statement. [165008]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Department of Health launched "Choosing Health? A consultation on action to improve people's health" on 3 March. The formal consultation period runs until 28 May 2004. The consultation will feed into a White Paper, to be published this summer. The White Paper will set out what the Government will do to achieve change in the public sector and in partnership with other organisations to improve health, and will include the Government's response to Derek Wanless' report on Securing Good Health for the Whole Population.

  Digital Television
  Mr. David Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of accessibility to digital television in(a) Scotland, (b) England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland. [165677]

  Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 19 Apri1 2004]: Nearly three-quarters of the UK population are currently believed to have a full range of digital terrestrial television (DTT) services potentially available. Current estimates, provided by the BBC, of the coverage of DTT services in the nations are:

  England: 73 per cent.

  Scotland: 82 per cent.

  Wales: 57 per cent.

  Northern Ireland: 58 per cent.

  Digital satellite signals are potentially available to almost all UK viewers, and may offer an alternative in areas where DTT signals are not available. Cable TV services are also available to more than half the UK population (primarily in urban areas).

  Full details, including maps of the extension of DTT coverage which may be possible after digital switchover by re-using analogue TV frequencies and increasing transmission powers, are available in Ofcom's report 'Driving Digital Switchover'.

  Green Minister
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what work her Department's Green Minister has undertaken in the last three months
  433W
  in that capacity; and what meetings her Department's Green Minister has attended in the last 12 months in that capacity. [165955]

  Estelle Morris
  In February, as the Green Minister for DCMS I endorsed the publication of my Department's strategy for sustainable development, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. In the spirit of strengthening links for sustainable development between departments, as recommended by my colleague the Minister for Environment, I recently issued an invitation to ministers across Government to attend an informal discussion on how our various departments relate to the subject. This will take place in the Royal Parks' newly opened restaurant in St James's Park, during London Sustainability Weeks in June. The restaurant has a modern ecological design constructed from sustainably produced materials (larch, oak) and has a green turf roof. The food it serves is procured as far as possible from named small specialist English producers, and will be organic, British and seasonal. It will present information on the ingredients used in an educational, fun and original way.

  Helen Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria she used for making the selection of 20 sports eligible for main Lottery funding; if she will list the 20 sports selected for Lottery funding; and whether crown green bowling was considered as a sport which might be eligible for main Lottery funding. [166798]

  Richard Caborn
  The 20 sports eligible for priority lottery funding were selected by Sport England. The selection criteria were participation rates, retention, and levels of success. Sport England also considered the governance of each sport. Any sports can apply for lottery funding.

  DCMS Gender, Ethnicity and Disability Breakdown by Grade

  Ethnicity

  Disability

  Total staff in Grade

  Female

  Non-White

  Not Declared

  Disability Declared

  Not Declared

  AA/AO

  104

  67

  21

  13

  6

  11

  EO

  119

  64

  18

  8

  *

  14

  HEO/SEO

  152

  69

  12

  22

  *

  24

  Grade 7

  90

  35

  *

  8

  *

  14

  SCS

  25

  6

  *

  *

  0

  *

  * Fewer Than 5

  DCMS Age Breakdown by Grade

  25

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50–54

  55 +

  AA/AO

  29

  19

  11

  16

  8

  5

  4

  12

  EO

  7

  32

  23

  20

  14

  10

  6

  7

  HEO/SEO

  2

  27

  22

  40

  31

  10

  15

  5

  Grade 7

  0

  7

  7

  15

  23

  14

  12

  12

  SCS

  0

  0

  0

  5

  4

  5

  8

  3

  Royal Parks Agency Gender, Ethnicity and Disability Breakdown by Grade

  Ethnicity

  Disability

  Total staff in Grade

  Female

  Non-White

  Not Declared

  Disability Declared

  Not Declared

  AA/AO

  145

  51

  6

  33

  0

  0

  EO

  53

  17

  *

  12

  *

  0

  HEO/SEO

  30

  8

  *

  *

  *

  0

  434W
  The Priority sports are:

  England only: badminton, cricket, football, golf, hockey, netball, rugby union, rugby league, squash and tennis.

  UK-wide (same treatment by Sport England, but also qualify for UK Sport One Stop Planning support: athletics. canoeing, cycling, equestrianism, gymnastics, judo, rowing, triathlon, sailing and swimming).

  Crown green bowling was considered for priority funding. However, in comparison to the 20 sports chosen, there is less overall participation in numbers and diversity.

  There is no reason why crown green bowling should not successfully apply for individual project lottery funding. Applications should be made to the new Regional Sports Boards that have been established to ensure that funding meets local and regional needs.

  Civil Servants
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list for each civil service grade within her(a) Department and (b) Department's executive agencies, the total number of staff employed, broken down by (i) gender, (ii) ethnic group, (iii) registered disabled and (iv) age group. [166397]

  Richard Caborn
  The Department and Royal Parks Agency collect data on ethnicity and disability on the basis of voluntary self-declaration. The tables provide data by grade broken down by (i) gender, (ii) ethnic group, (iii) disability and (iv) age group. The Department and Agency Codes of Practice on equal opportunities monitoring do not allow disclosure of data where numbers in any group are fewer than five; where this is the case data have been aggregated to maintain confidentiality.
  435W

  Royal Parks Agency Gener, Ethnicity and Disability Breakdown by Grade

  Ethnicity

  Disability

  Total Staff in Grade

  Female

  Non-White

  Not Declared

  Disability Declared

  Not Declared

  Grade 7

  10

  *

  0

  0

  0

  0

  SCS

  2

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  * Fewer Than 5

  Royal Parks Agency Breakdown by Grade

  Age Breakdown

  5

  25–29

  30–34

  35–39

  40–44

  45–49

  50–54

  55 +

  AA/AO

  8

  13

  22

  29

  30

  20

  11

  12

  EO

  1

  0

  9

  14

  5

  11

  6

  7

  HEO/SEO

  0

  1

  2

  7

  4

  7

  4

  5

  Grade 7

  0

  0

  0

  1

  1

  5

  0

  3

  SCS

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2

  0

DEFENCE

  Electronic Payments
  Mr. White
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress his Department has made ot manage the changeover from the Bank Automated Clearing System to the new BACSTEL-IP system for electronic payments.

  Ivor Caplin
  Action to manage the changeover to the new BACSTEL-IP system is being co-ordinated in the Ministry of Defence by the Defence Communications Services Agency, supported by the Departmental Corporate Banking and Fund Manager and by Lloyds TSB, the sponsoring bank for BACS within the Department. Initial work to gather information has been conducted, and a plan prepared to enable migration well ahead of the discontinuation of the existing BACS system.

  Dr. Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what alternative methods of payment he is proposing for people who currently receive a war pension by order book, girocheque or payable order but will be unable to transfer to direct payment. [165214]

  (2) who will be eligible to receive their war pension by methods other than direct payment. [165215]

  Ivor Caplin
  The Veterans Agency (VA) has always accepted that for a very limited number of customers, those most vulnerable and genuinely unable to manage Direct Payment, this method of payment may not be practical or suitable for their needs.

  For those customers the VA will provide an alternative method of payment that will take the form of a weekly cheque. This will be sent to the pensioner's home by first class post and they will be able to cash it at any post office.

  Departmental Personnel (Vale of York)
  Miss Anne McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) service and (b) departmental civilian personnel are based in the Vale of York. [165095]

  Ivor Caplin
  Location data for Service personnel are not available by Parliamentary Constituency. However they are available by Local Authority Area. The Parliamentary Constituency of the Vale of York 436W
  contains part of the Unitary Authority of York, and parts of the local authorities of Hambleton and Harrogate. The total number of Service personnel in these areas as at 1 July 2002 (the most recently available data) is given in the following table:

  UA/LA

  All Services

  Naval Service

  Army

  RAF

  York

  680

  —

  680

  —

  Hambleton

  2,130

  10

  700

  1,420

  Harrogate

  2,610

  60

  2,530

  10

  Note:

  1. — denotes zero,

  2. All figures have been rounded to the nearest 10. Due to rounding methods used totals may not always equal the sum of the parts.

  3. Figures are for UK Regular Forces, both Trained and Untrained, and exclude Gurkhas, Full-Time Reserve Service personnel, the Home Service battalions of the Royal Irish Regiment and mobilised Reservists.

  The number of civilian personnel working for the Ministry of Defence as at 1 January 2004 in Yorkshire and The Humber was 3,140 (rounded to the nearest 10).

  This includes permanent, full-time equivalent staff, non-industrial and industrial, including Trading Funds and excludes those on career breaks, long-term sick leave, secondment etc. Reliable data is not available below Government Office Region level.

  Civilian Personnel
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the sal iry bill was for civilians employed within the (a) Ministry of Defence and (b) armed forces in the latest year for Nhich figures are available. [165554]

  Ivor Caplin
  Civilian salary costs, including National Insurance contributions, superannuation liability and redundancy and severance payments, for the last Financial Year 2002–03 were £2,584,057,000. This information was published in the Department's Annual Reports and Accounts at Note 2.2 to the acccounts. A copy is available in the Library of the House.

  Army Resettlement Payments
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many (a) soldiers and (b) ex-soldiers were (i) investigated and (ii) prosecuted in regard to fraudulent claims for payment associated with resettlement in each year since 2000. [166436]
  437W
  Ivor Caplin
  Information for all soldiers is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. The investigation of ex-soldiers is a matter for the appropriate civil police authority.

  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how many soldiers received payments as part of their resettlement on leaving the Army in 2003; and what the average amount was. [166437]

  Ivor Caplin
  The Information requested is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Cap Badges
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the regiments which have the name of a county included in the cap badge. [166028]

  Ivor Caplin
  The following 11 regular Army regiments include the name of a county in their official titles: The Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders; The Cheshire Regiment; The Devon and Dorset Regiment; The Prince of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires); The Green Howards (Alexandra, Princess of Wales's Own Yorkshire Regiment); The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire; The Queen's Lancashire Regiment; The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment; The Staffordshire Regiment; The Worcestershire and Sherwood Foresters Regiment; and The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding).

  Of these 11 regiments, five feature the name of a county in their actual gap badges. They are: The Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders; The Cheshire Regiment; The Prince of Wales's Own Regiment of Yorkshire: The Queen's Lancashire Regiment; and The Duke of Wellington's Regiment (West Riding).

  Wind Turbines, Guestwick
  Mr. Keith Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he intends to object, for operational flying reasons, to the erection of six wind turbines at Guestwick in Norfolk. [166043]

  Ivor Caplin
  (holding answer 19 April 2004): An objection to the current proposals will be lodged on the basis of potential interference with the operation of both air traffic and air defence radar. The developer has been notified.

  The main reasons are that the proposed development is situated within 22km and in line of sight of the Air Traffic Radar at RAF Coltishall and within 16km and line of sight of the radar at RAF Honington. The blades of wind turbines can produce false returns or mask the detection of flying aircraft. It is the view of our specialist technical advisers, who have considered the proposal,
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  that such a development could place the safety of flight in danger and therefore pose an unacceptable risk to personnel, aircraft and people on the ground.

  In addition the site lies within 27km and line of sight of the Air Defence Radar at RAF Trimingham.

  However, officials from Defence Estates are discussing with the developer whether any mitigating measures might be possible which would allow a development to proceed.

  Computer Services
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to update computer (a) hardware and (b) software standard packages used in his Department. [166369]

  Ivor Caplin
  The Defence Information Infrastructure Integrated Project Team (DII IPT) will deliver 139,000 desktop devices across Defence. This will include the provision of standard personal productivity software, e.g. office automation. The DII (Future) Programme will be delivered incrementally commencing during 2005 and is expected to achieve a Full Operating Capability by 2009.

CABINET OFFICE

  Disclosure of Information
  Mr. Heath
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office in what circumstances is disclosure of Government policy to a third party considered a disciplinary offence. [166194]

  Mr. Alexander
  The rules on the disclosure of information by civil servants are set out in the Civil Service Code and Civil Service Management Code.

  Regulatory Reform
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps he is taking to improve the regulatory reform process. [166195]

  Mr. Alexander
  As I confirmed to the Regulatory Reform Committee on 1 July 2003, we will honour the commitment given during the passage of the Regulatory Reform Bill in another place to review the workings of the order-making process in April 2004.

  Regulatory Impact Assessments
  Mr. Norman
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to improve the monitoring of regulatory impact assessments. [166196]

  Mr. Alexander
  My right hon. Friend the Chancellor announced in the Budget on 17 March new processes for approving regulatory proposals likely to impose large additional costs on businesses.

  These new arrangements mean that departments will need to agree regulatory impact assessments on major proposals with the Cabinet Office Regulatory Impact

TREASURY

  Tax Credits
  Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have received overpayments of tax credits in the last 12 months. [165419]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Jarrow (Mr Hepburn) on 22 March,Official Report, columns 663–64W.

  Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what problems there have been with the tax credit computer system. [165420]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave the hon. Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr Burden) on 8 December 2003,Official Report, columns 334–35W.

  Mr. Ruane
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many claimants of child tax credit there are; and what the total funding was for 2003–04 for each(a) constituency and (b) region in the United Kingdom. [166672]

  Dawn Primarolo
  There were 4.6 million families with an award of Child Tax Credit on 5 January this year. Because Child Tax Credit is a national system of financial support there is no separately identifiable funding for each constituency and region of the UK. However, data on the number of families receiving Child Tax Credit in each constituency and region is available on the Inland Revenue's website, at: http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits.

  Illegal Imports
  Mr. Breed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many successful prosecutions have been brought against illegal(a) meat and (b) produce importers in the past five years, broken down by port of entry. [165718]

  Mr. Healey
  HM Customs and Excise have been responsible for anti-smuggling controls on illegal imports of meat since April 2003.

  Customs have brought two successful prosecutions against people smuggling illegal meat in the past fortnight: one involving an American national arriving at Gatwick airport and another a Gambian national arriving at Heathrow.

  In the past five years, two other successful prosecutions have been brought by Customs in regard of imports of meat, skins and dead animals (both in 2001). Records detailing the ports of entry and details of relevant prosecutions brought by local authorities are not recorded centrally.

  There have been no prosecutions with regard to illegal imports of produce in the past five years.

  National Minimum Wage
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what provisions are being made to ensure that(a) post-GCSE students taking summer jobs and (b) sixth formers with Saturday jobs are covered by the new minimum wage for 16 and 17 year olds. [166814]
  440W
  Dawn Primarolo
  The new minimum wage rate will cover all 16 and 17 year olds who have ceased to be of compulsory school age, with an exemption for apprentices and those engaged in specified pre-apprenticeship training programmes. The Government will bring in regulations to implement the new minimum wage rate before Parliament ahead of the Summer recess and the new rate will come into effect on 1 October. The DTI is considering how best to raise awareness of the new minimum wage among 16 and 17 year olds and their employers.

WALES

  Inward Investment
  Bill Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales which business sectors in Wales attracted the highest(a) number of investors and (b) amount of investment in each year since 1999. [161203]

  Mr. Touhig
  Since 1999, the following business sectors have attracted the highest number of investors in Wales:

  Year

  Business Sector

  Number of investors

  1999–2000

  Call centers

  11

  2000–01

  Other manufacturing

  11

  2001–01

  Ebusiness

  10

  2001–02

  Automotive

  9

  2002–03

  Other manufacturing

  11

  Since 1999, the following business sectors have attracted the highest amounts of investment in Wales:

  Year

  Business Sector

  Amount invested

  1999–2000

  Other manufacturing

  £334.8m

  2000–01

  Automotive

  £299.9m

  2001–01

  Semconductors

  £69.4m

  2001–02

  Other manufacturing

  £209.5m

  Source:

  Welsh Development Agency

  NB— "Other manufacturing" are those projects which fall outside the above categories. For exmaple, it excludes aerospace, automotive, construction products, electrical engineering, general engineering, etc.

  Employment
  Bill Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs have been lost in(a) manufacturing and (b) agriculture in Wales in each year since 1997. [163166]

  Mr. Touhig
  Between 1997 and 2003, on average 19,000 jobs were lost each year in manufacturing and 14,000 manufacturing jobs created. The decline in the manufacturing sector is more than balanced by a rise in overall employment in Wales which has risen by over 100,000 since 1997. Details for individual years for the manufacturing sector are as follows:

  Year

  Gains (thousands)

  Losses (thousands)

  1997

  11.2

  10.5

  1998

  17.2

  19.0

  1999

  10.0

  15.0

  2000

  13.1

  17.6

  2001

  24.9

  30.1

  441W

  Year

  Gains (thousands)

  Losses (thousands)

  2002

  12.8

  22.9

  2003

  9.0

  20.0

  1997–2003 averages

  14

  19

  Source:

  Welsh Register of Manufacturing Employment

  Information for the agriculture sector is not available in the form requested. However, employment trends in agriculture are set out in the table below.

  Persons Employed in Agriculture in Wales (thousands)

  Year

  1997

  63.3

  1998

  61.9

  1999

  59.5

  2000

  55.7

  2001

  56.3

  2002

  56.2

  2003

  55.6

  Source:

  Digest of Wales Historical Statistics

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Murder Defendants (Bail)
  Mr. Nigel Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State, Northern Ireland Office how many times defendants charged with murder in Northern Ireland have been released on bail in each year since 2000. [166440]

  Mr. Christopher Leslie
  I have been asked to reply.

  In 2001, 13 defendants on murder charges were released on bail.

  In 2002, 17 defendants on murder charges were released on bail.

  In 2003, 14 defendants on murder charges were released on bail.

SCOTLAND

  Focus Groups and Opinion Polls
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what his estimate is of total expenditure by his Department on(a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year from 1995–96 and 2003–04; and if he will make a statement. [162758]

  Mrs. McGuire
  The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since then there has been no expenditure on focus groups or opinion polls.

  Press Officer
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many press officers were employed in his Department in each year from 1990–91 to 2003–04; what the total cost was in each year; and if he will make a statement. [162846]
  442W
  Mrs. McGuire
  The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Details of the number of press officers and their total pay cost to the office (including superannuation and employers national insurance contributions) are given in the table below:

  Year

  Number of Press Officers

  Cost £

  1999–2000

  4

  1,244,078

  2000–01

  4

  139,705

  2001–02

  4

  134,702

  2002–03

  4

  299,166

  2003–04

  2.6

  3111,202

  1 Part year cost from 1 July 1999

  2 Part year cost because of vacancies

  3 Estimated

  Computers
  Steve Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many cases of computer misuse there were in his Department in each of the last seven years, broken down by category of misuse; and how many of those cases resulted in disciplinary action. [163228]

  Mrs. McGuire
  The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999. Since then there have been no cases of computer misuse in the office.

  Civil Servants
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the requirements are on officials in his Office to declare current interests; and what register of interests is kept for his officials. [164713]

  Mrs. McGuire
  The Civil Service Management Code sets out the requirement for civil servants declaring any conflict of interest. Further information and guidance to staff on the declaration of interests is available from the Staff Handbook.

  Accountancy Services
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the(a) nature and (b) value was of all contracts, consultancies or other services placed with the accountancy firms (i) Deloitte & Touche, (ii) Ernst & Young, (iii) KPMG and (iv) PricewaterhouseCoopers since 2000–01 by the Department. [166083]

  Mrs. McGuire
  The Scotland Office has had no contracts, consultancy or other service work carried out by these accountancy firms.

  Staff Transferrals
  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff from his Office have transferred to other Government departments since 1 June 2003; and to which departments they have transferred. [165965]

  Mrs. McGuire
  Since 1 June 2003, three staff have transferred from the Scotland Office to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, the Wales Office and the Department for Constitutional Affairs respectively. In
  443W
  addition. 28 staff have returned to their parent departments (primarily the Scottish Executive) after their period of loan.

  Mr. Peter Duncan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many staff from other Government departments have transferred to his Office since 1 June 2003; and from which departments they have transferred. [165966]

  Mrs. McGuire
  Since 1 June 2003, nine members of staff have joined the Scotland Office on loan from the Scottish Executive.

  Higher Education
  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he will take in response to the findings and recommendations of the Scottish Executive's Phase 3 Higher Education Review. [165959]

  Mrs. McGuire
  Higher Education in Scotland is a devolved matter. It is therefore for Scottish Ministers to consider the findings of the 3rd Phase Scottish Higher Education Review to inform the 2004 Spending Review.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Pensions and Benefits (Direct Payments)
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many pensioners in the Portsmouth South constituency drew their(a) benefits including war pensions and (b) retirement pensions at (i) post offices and (ii) banks and building societies, in each of the last three years for which figures are available. [165353]

  Chris Pond
  The information is not available in the format requested. However, information available on pensioners (women over 60 and men over 65) as at 31 December 2002 and 31 December 2003 in the Portsmouth South constituency receiving benefit payments collectable at a post office and by direct payment into bank and building society accounts, is in the tables.

  Other Benefit accounts as at December each year in Portsmouth South Constituency

  Payments into Bank/ Building Society Accounts

  Payments through Post Office

  December 2002

  3,995

  9,330

  December 2003

  5,725

  8,045

  Reitrement Pension accounts as at December each year in Portsmouth South Constituency

  Payments into Bank/ Building Society Accounts

  Payments through Post Office

  December 2002

  5,790

  6,640

  December 2003

  6,135

  5,410

  Included in payment through the post office are customers paid into Post Office card accounts and customers paid by girocheque. Girocheques are encashable either at a post office or they can be paid into
  444W
  a bank or building society account. These figures do not include war pensions and child benefit customers as these accounts are the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and Inland Revenue respectively.

  Some customers who are paid direct into an account can also collect their payments in cash at post offices through the wider range of banking services now available at the post office. There is no data available on the number of benefit claims collected in this way.

  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the take up of direct payment has been. [166230]

  Chris Pond
  Key figures on the progress of conversion to Direct Payment are available in the Library, updated every four weeks.

  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) to how many benefit claimants the Department has sent personal invitation letters to open a Post Office Card Account; and how many of these are in receipt of state pensions; [166011]

  (2) how many benefit claimants have completed the Post Office Card Account application forms at post offices; and how many of these are in receipt of state pensions; [166012]

  (3) how many benefits claimants are being paid by the Department directly into Post Office card accounts; and how many of these are pensioners. [166082]

  Chris Pond
  Key figures on the progress of conversion to Direct Payment are available in the Library, updated every four weeks.

  Post Office Limited have advised that as at 31 March 2004 over 2.1 million Post Office card accounts had been opened. The Post Office does not break these figures down into individual benefit groups therefore specific data for pensioners is not available.

  The number of Department for Work and Pensions benefit accounts being paid into a Post Office card account as at 20 March 2004 is 679,355 of which 172,345 are Retirement Pension accounts.

  As many customers have already provided their account details it is expected that the figures for Direct Payment into Post Office card accounts will quickly rise, as customers existing methods of payment expire, and they move over to payment being made direct into their nominated account.

  Mr. Edward Davey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many staff are employed by his Department to call members of the public who have yet to sign up for electronic payment of their benefits into bank or Post Office accounts. [165709]

  Chris Pond
  The conversion process normally consists of one or more mailings sent directly to the customer, followed by a phone call if there is no response to the letter(s). If the customers' telephone number is not available then a further letter asking them to contact the Department may be issued.

  Approximately 150 of the staff employed by the Customer Conversion center are involved in making outbound calls. This is just part of the range of tasks undertaken by the Customer Conversion center aimed

  445W
  at assisting over 14 million customers to convert to Direct Payment before order books are phased out in 2005.

  New Deal for Lone Parents
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) how many women in Birkenhead have benefited from the (a) New Deal for Lone Parents and (b) New Deal for Partners since 1997; and if he will make a statement; [166508]

  (2) how many lone parents in Birkenhead have gained work through the New Deal programme. [166511]

  Jane Kennedy
  The New Deal is working. Over one million people have been helped into work since its inception. On New Deal for Lone Parents alone there have been almost 460,000 entrants to the programme and over 240,000 of the lone parents participating have found work.

  Statistics for New Deal for Partners are not available at constituency level. The information requested on the number of women benefiting from New Deal for Lone Parents is in the table.

  Number of Women Participating in New Deal for Lone Parents in Birkenhead

  Number of New Deal Participants1

  Number of New Deal Starts 2

  1,310

  1,630

  Source:

  New Deal evaluation Database, Information and Analysis Directorate, DWP.

  Notes:

  1 All figures relate to individuals who have started each programme.

  2 An individual may have had more than one start over the period.

  Seven Hundred and Forty lone parents have gained work through the New Deal for Lone Parents in Birkenhead. Information on the family circumstances of the participants of other New Deals is not available.

  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many lone parents in Wirral South have gained work through the New Deal programme. [166632]

  Jane Kennedy
  210 lone parents have gained work in Wirral South through New Deal for Lone Parents.

  Information on how many lone parents have gained work through other New Deal progammes is not available.

  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will break down by geographical area the information given in the latest Office of National Statistics' Statistics on the New Deal immediate destinations of people leaving the New Deal for Young People (Table 4) and the enhanced New Deal 25 plus (Table 5); [166351]

  (2) in the latest Office of National Statistics' statistics on the New Deal, if he will break down by benefit to which individuals moved, the information given in the
  446W
  column on transfers to other benefits in Table 5 of the Immediate Destination on leaving the enhanced New Deal 25 plus; [166379]

  (3) if he will break down by benefit to which individuals moved, the information given in the column on other benefits in Table 4 of the Immediate Destination on leaving the New Deal for Young People in the latest Office of National Statistics's Statistics on the New deal. [166380]

  Jane Kennedy
  [holding answer 19 April 2004]: Latest information on the immediate destinations of people leaving New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25 plus, broken down by Jobcenter Plus region, has been placed in the Library.

  A further breakdown of immediate destinations on leaving New Deal for Young People and New Deal 25plus is not available. Work is currently underway examining our data sources and systems, exploring the possibility of linking these to provide information such as that requested.

  Pensioner Incomes
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate for (a) 1979, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 2002–03 the number of individual pensioners living in households with income below 60 per cent. of median income after housing costs; and of these how many were (i) men and (ii) women. [166250]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The requested information is provided in the table.

  Number of pensioners (millions) living below 60 per cent of contemporary median income (After Housing Costs)

  Year

  Male

  Female

  All Pensioners

  1979

  0.9

  1.6

  2.5

  1996–97

  0.8

  1.9

  2.7

  2002–03

  0.8

  1.3

  2.2

  Notes:

  All figures are estimates and are taken from the Households Below Average Income (HBAI) series. Family Expenditure Survey (FES) data is used for 1979, while Family Resource Survey data is used for 1996–97 and 2002–03. FES figures relate to single calendar years whereas FRS figures are for single financial years.

  Comparisons between results for 1979 and those for the later years should be regarded as approximate, due to the change in data source and grossing regime.

  Estimates are for Great Britain and are quoted to the nearest 0.1 million. Totals for male and female pensioners may not add up to 'All pensioners' due to rounding.

  The estimates are sample counts, which have been adjusted for non-response using milti-purpose grossing factors that, in the case of the Family Resources Survey, control for tenure, Council Tax band and a number of other variables. Estimates are subject to both sampling error and to variability in non-response.

  The income measure used is weekly net (disposable) equivalised household income (that is to say income that is adjusted to reflect the composition of the household). Figures are quoted on an After Housing Costs basis, and include the self-employed.

  Caution should be taken when making comparisons between gender using HBAI data. HBAI attempts to measure living standards as determined by household income; consequently both partners in a couple will appear at the same

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  position in the income distribution. Any differences in figures can only be driven by gender differences for single adults, which will themselves be diluted by the figures for couples.

  Chemical Leak (Rhodia)
  Mr. Holmes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he expects the Health and Safety Executive to report on the chemical leak of 3 November 2003 at the Rhodia Group Chesterfield site; and if he will make a statement. [165641]

  Jane Kennedy
  HSE will be completing its investigation into the chemical release at Rhodia in the next few weeks, and then determining what further action it will take. I have asked the Health and Safety Executive to keep you informed of developments on this matter, and as to what means of public reporting will be used.

  Pensioner Benefits
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the assumptions on uprating of benefit, referred to in Note 5 to the Answer of 3 November 2003,Official Report, columns 470–2W, on pensioners' benefits, were. [166647]

  Maria Eagle
  The current policy on uprating of Disability Living Allowance (DLA), Attendance Allowance (AA) and Carers' Allowance (CA), to which I referred in note 5 to the written answer I gave to the hon Member on 3 November 2003,Official Report, columns 470–2W, is that these benefits are uprated in April each year in line with the movement of the Retail Prices Index (RPI) over the 12 months to the previous September. This policy is applied when estimating expenditure on these benefits for future years, using the latest HM Treasury medium term assumptions for the annual movement of the RPI up to 2006–07, and an assumption of an annual movement of the RPI equal to 2.58 per cent for the long term (beyond 2006–07).

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Iraq
  Sir John Stanley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on what date he was first informed that the former deputy legal adviser in his Department, Ms Elizabeth Wilmhurst, did not agree that the use of force against Iraq was lawful. [165684]

  Mr. Straw
  [holding answer 19 Apri12004]: We do not comment on individual cases or any legal advice individual officials may have given. Information concerning Government legal advice is exempt from disclosure under exemptions 2 and 4(d) of Part 2 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  Immigration
  Mr. Lidington
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether his Department has now submitted all relevant papers to the Immigration Appellate Authority in the case of Mr. M. A., husband of Mrs. S. A., if Aylesbury (refs.448W
  A1146799; ISB/566943; TH/25294/2002); what the expected timescale of the appeal is; and if he will make a statement. [166640]

  Mr. Mullin
  [holding answer 19 April 2004]: I have written to the hon. Member.

  St. Helena
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has received about the development of an airport on St. Helena; and if he will make a statement. [162912]

  Mr. Rammell
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has received representations from one of the parties who expressed an interest in the development of air access for St. Helena.

  Evaluation of the four expressions of interest and outline proposals, received in response to the international invitation issued in April 2003, concerning the possible development of air access to St. Helena, is now complete. I also refer the hon. Member to the written statement made by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department for International Development (Gareth Thomas) on 19 April, Official Report, column 1WS.

  Guinea
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the formation of the new government in Guinea in March. [166588]

  Mr. Mullin
  On 23 February, President Conte announced the appointment of the former Foreign Minister Francois Fall as Prime Minister. On 2 March he announced a further round of ministerial changes, with five new additions to the Cabinet.

  The British Government, and the EU more broadly, are concerned at issues of governance and human rights in Guinea. EU article 96 negotiations have started. Under Article 96 of the Cotonou Agreement the EC is able to take appropriate measures, such as the suspension of aid, against Africa, Caribbean and Pacific states who fail to meet their obligations regarding human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

  Hum in Rights (Africa)
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the importance of human rights in relation to economic growth and development in African countries. [166589]

  Mr. Mullin
  There is an increasingly clear link between respect for human rights, the rule of law and democratic norms en the one hand, and stability, prosperity and progress on the other. We believe that a stable environment where human rights and the rule of law are respected creates the best conditions for economic growth and the reduction of poverty in Africa. We also consider that protection and promotion of human rights such as access to education, healthcare, and justice can have a direct impact on future economic development and can help African countries meet the
  449W
  Millennium Development Goals. In this respect, since 1998 the Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funded over 60 human rights projects worth more than £6 million in sub-Saharan Africa alone. We also support initiatives such as the Africa Peer Review Mechanism of the New Partnership for Africa's Development, which aims to ensure that the policies and practices of participating states conform to agreed standards of political, economic and corporate governance.

  Illegal Drugs Tade
  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the UK spent on reducing the illegal drugs trade in(a) South Africa, (b) Eastern Europe and (c) Central Asia in each of the last five years; and what assessment he has made of the effect of this expenditure on the trade in drugs. [166874]

  Mr. Rammell
  There are no figures available for total UK spending on UK efforts which contribute towards reducing illegal drug trade in the areas mentioned. Spending by a range of Government Departments on matters such as the alleviation of poverty, law enforcement co-operation and other areas may all directly or indirectly contribute to the reduction in the illegal drugs trade and cannot be calculated precisely. Information is however available in respect of specific funds within the responsibility of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

  The UK Drugs and Crime Fund (DCF) is administered by the FCO. Its remit is to support project work aimed at reducing the threat to the UK caused by drugs and serious crime overseas. Colombia, Jamaica, Iran, Pakistan, Afghanistan and turkey are currently the highest priority countries for drugs funding from the DCF.

  Since financial year 1999–2000, £36,779,926 has been spent world-wide on drug related projects, of which £17,416,886 was spent in Latin America and the Caribbean, £5,593,246 in Eastern Europe and Turkey and £10,072,530 in Central Asia. DCF projects have contributed directly to significant seizures of drugs and helped improve the skills and equipment of law enforcement partners overseas.

  The elimination of the threat to the UK from the cultivation of opium in Afghanistan is a top priority for the Government. Some 95 per cent. of the heroin reaching the UK originates in Afghanistan. The Afghan Government has set the objective of eliminating opium cultivation there by 2013 and the UK has committed £70 million over three years to support implementation of this strategy, part of which comes from the DCF but the remainder from other source; of FCO and other Government Department funding

  Indonesia
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Indonesian Government about religious freedom; and if he will make a statement. [166462]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I met with the Indonesian Ambassador on 6 October and 10 November 2003 and 4 March 2004 and on each occasion we discussed a wide 450W
  range of issues, including religion. We support the Indonesian Government's efforts to bring peace to the provinces of Central Sulawesi and Maluku.

  The British Government is committed to working with Indonesia to encourage religious tolerance. Together with the Department for International Development, we have committed over £4 million to help establish the United Nations Development Programme Conflict Prevention and Recovery Unit in Jakarta. The Unit will build up capacity in conflict reduction and recovery in the provinces affected by religious conflict. This includes funding projects like the Maluku Reconciliation Conference, which was held in London and Brussels in January 2004 and which brought together Muslim and Christian Leaders from Maluku to discuss how to establish peace in the province.

  Burma
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans the Government has in the near future to call for a European Union demarche to the Burmese regime regarding the Burmese military's atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan peoples. [166644]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We regularly discuss human rights issues on Burma with our EU partners. The UK has been instrumental in pressing for and supporting numerous demarches to the Burmese regime, including on human rights abuses against the ethnic groups.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the British Government classifies systematic atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan peoples by the Burmese military as (a) war crimes and (b) crimes against humanity under international law. [166645]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The British Government is one of the strongest critics of the Burmese regime's abuses of human rights. We are aware of a consistent pattern of serious violations over many years, particularly against the ethnic groups. These have been highlighted in successive UK co-sponsored resolutions on Burma in both the United Nations General Assembly and the United National Commission on Human Rights. But we do not consider that the atrocities constitute "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity", which have specific definitions under international law. Nor does the United Nations Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Sergio Pinheiro, who has regular access to Burma use these terms to describe the situation there.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will take steps to strengthen the European Union common position on Burma, in response to the continuing systematic atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan peoples by the Burmese military. [166646]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Given the State Peace and Development Council's (SPDC) announcement that the National Convention, the first step of the SPDC's 7-point roadmap to national reconciliation, will reconvene on 17 May to draft a new constitution for Burma we believe that it would send a wrong signal to
  451W
  strengthen sanctions under the EU's Common Position on Burma at a time when the regime may be moving forward with the political process. We are therefore prepared to support a rollover of existing measures in the EU Common Position on Burma which already contains tough measures against the regime. However, we remain ready to respond proportionately to developments on the ground in Burma.

  We have been pressing strongly for the release of Aung San Sui Kui and Oo Tin Oo. I raised this on 18 April with the Chinese, Thai, Malaysian and Vietnamese neighbours of Burma at the ASEM Foreign Ministers meeting.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government has made to the Burmese regime regarding recent Burmese military offensives in Northern Karen State and Karenni State. [166657]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I regularly raise our concerns on Burma with the Burmese authorities, most recently when I met the Burmese Ambassador at the end of February.

  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will raise the issue of the Burmese military's systematic atrocities against the Karen, Karenni and Shan peoples at the UN Security Council. [166658]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We have raised our concerns over human rights violations in Burma with our Security Council Partners. However, currently there is no consensus to bring Burma before the Security Council.

  Atrocities against ethnic groups in Burma have been highlighted in successive EU co-sponsored UN Resolutions on Burma.

  East Timor
  Mr. Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress made in identifying those responsible for the deaths of Malcolm Rennie and Brian Peters in East Timor. [166081]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is continuing its enquiries into what information is needed to enable indictments to be issued. I raised this issue with the Indonesian Ambassador when I met him in March. I also raised the issue with the Indonesian Foreign Minister at the ASEM summit on 18 April.

  Computer Services
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans he has to update computer(a) hardware and (b) software standard packages used in his Department. [166362]

  Mr. Rammell
  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has an extensive and well-developed strategy for updating its information and communications technology. This is set out in our "e-diplomacy" strategy as announced to the House on 24 March (Official Report, Columns 52–53 WS).
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  Sudan
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with the (a) Arab League, (b) Government of Chad an (c) Sudanese Government on the situation in Darfur; and if he will make a statement. [166535]

  Mr. Mullin
  We welcome the humanitarian ceasefire agreement between the Government of Sudan and the Sudan Liberation Movement/Army and the Sudan Justice and Equality Movement which was signed in N'djamena, Chad, on 8 April 2004. This is an important step forward in resolving the crisis in Darfur and we are very grateful to the Government of Chad for its role in mediating the ceasefire talks.

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development spoke to the Sudanese Foreign Minister about Darfur on 24 March, and since then our Ambassador in Khartoum has had a number of discussions with him. We have not been in contact with the Arab League on this issue, though we have discussed the matter with the Government of Chad.

  Nepal
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what restrictions there are on the leaders of the Maoist terrorist movement of Nepal visiting the United Kingdom. [166198]

  Mr. O'Brien
  Any entry clearance application made by a Nepalese national would be considered in accordance with the UK Immigration Rules. Any security or other concerns regarding particular individuals would be considered at the time of the application. I will write to the hon. Gentleman.

TRANSPORT

  Prestwick Air Traffic Control center
  Mr. Leigh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of progress by National Air Traffic Services in securing investment to expand air traffic control capacity, with particular reference to restarting work on the new control center in Prestwick. [166178]

  Mr. Darling
  The New Prestwick Air Traffic Control center is an integral part of NATS operations. It will handle operations over the eastern half of the North Atlantic, the northern half of the UK and much of the North Sea. Work on the new center at Prestwick is due to start later this year.

  London Rail Services
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the changes in rail services in Greater London recently proposed by the Strategic Rail Authority. [166179]

  Mr McNulty
  The Strategic Rail Authority is developing a number of schemes which will improve rail services in the Greater London area including the East London Line extensions, Integrated Kent Franchise,
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  Thameslink 2000, southern power supply upgrade and replacement of slam door trains with modern rolling stock.

  Biofuels
  Paddy Tipping
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will publish the consultation document on introducing the EU Biofuels Directive. [166181]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The consultation document will be published very shortly.

  Colin Burgon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to improve rail commuter services in the Elmet constituency. [166182]

  Mr. McNulty
  The Strategic Rail Authority is actively working with the train operating companies to secure improvements to the operational performance of services.

  A303
  Mr. Heath
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the safety improvements to the A303 between Sparkford and Ilchester to be completed. [166183]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I am expecting a submission shortly which will allow me to add the Sparkford to Ilchester Scheme into the Targeted Programme of Improvements. Its completion will be subject to the usual statutory procedures and availability of funds hence I cannot be definite on its timing.

  Regional Airports
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his policy is on improving road and rail transport links to smaller regional airports in the South East of England. [166184]

  Mr. McNulty
  Our policy on improving road and rail links to airports in the South East of England (small and large) is set out in the Future of Air Transport White Paper. This recognises that airports are part of our national infrastructure and requires the SRA, Highways Agency to take full account of a prospective airport developer. It also looks to airport operators to work with regional and local partners to ensure that regional and local transport strategies do the same.

  Crossrail
  Linda Perham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the options for financing Crossrail. [166185]

  Dr. Howells
  Adrian Montague's detailed advice on the current Crossrail proposals raises complex issues and requires careful consideration against pressures on transport spending, especially on rail. My right hon. Friend will make a statement in due course.

  Transport Infrastructure (London)
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the additional funding 454W
  required for transport infrastructure in London to meet the projected increase in population over the next 10 years. [166186]

  Mr. McNulty
  The Government is providing TfL with over £2.2 billion this year to improve transport across London—this is more than double the amount of funding given to London transport four years ago. Any additional funding required for transport improvements in London and other regions, in order to accommodate projected population growth, is being considered by the Department in the context of this year's Spending Review.

  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of extra funding needed for transport infrastructure in London. [166187]

  Mr. McNulty
  The Government is providing TfL with over £2.2 billion this year to improve transport across London—this is more than double the amount of funding given to London transport four years ago. Any additional funding required for transport improvements in London and other regions is being considered by the Department in the context of this year's Spending Review.

  Road Noise
  Tony Baldry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he next expects to meet the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency to discuss the issue of noisy roads. [166188]

  Mr. Jamieson
  I am in regular contact with the Chief Executive of the Highways Agency on issues concerning noisy roads. I have recently agreed the Highways Agency's Business Plan for 2004–05, which includes a commitment to resurface 50 lane kms of concrete road surface with lower noise surfacing. In addition, all maintenance work carried out on flexible road surfaces now uses quieter road surfaces.

  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the use of ripple print pads on road services to reduce (a) accidents and (b) noise. [166835]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Department has been monitoring the effects of installing rumblewave surfacing (marketed as Rippleprint by Prismo Limited) at seven pilot sites. An initial report has been published by TRL Limited (TRL Report 545 Development of a novel traffic calming surface "Rippleprint"), and I have placed copies of this report in the Libraries of the House. A final report will be published later this year.

  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sound-absorbing concrete in reducing traffic noise. [166849]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The Highways Agency is keeping in touch with developments in Europe on work on noise absorbing concrete. In general, porous concrete has been shown to have similar noise absorbing properties to porous asphalt, with the same disadvantages of high cost and loss of benefit over time as the pores become clogged. Initial trials in European countries of a new
  455W
  surfacing using a resonant cavity formed in concrete below porous asphalt, have given lower noise reduction benefits than expected.

  Mr. Watson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on roadside noise barriers in each of the last 10 years. [166850]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Figures for the last 10 years are not available. Spend on noise barriers that are provided in conjunction with highway improvement scheme is not separately identified in the scheme cost. Spend on the installation of noise barriers provided retrospectively on older trunk roads that commenced in 2000, has been met by the £5 million per year ring-fenced allocation.

  Stockport Station
  Andrew Bennett
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects the new platform 1 at Stockport Station to be in use; who paid for it; and whether its introduction to use is dependent on a new signalling. [162420]

  Mr. McNulty
  These are operational matters for Network Rail. Network Rail will respond directly to my hon Friend.

  Unaudited 2003–04 £000s (subject to change)

  2002–03 £000s

  2001–02 £000s

  2000–01 £000s

  1999–2000 £000s

  Scotland (including Shetland & Stornoway Helicopters)

  £12,266

  £11,718

  £10,246

  £10,715

  £9,063

  All of UK (including Scotland and Helicopters)

  £34,849

  £32,891

  £31,121

  £32,173

  £28,105

  Mr. Carmichael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of coastguard stations around the Scottish coast. [166775]

  Mr. Jamieson
  There are no plans to make changes to Coastguard operations around the Scottish coast, but my Department will continue to keep effectiveness and efficiency under review to make the best use of technology and resources.

  Mr. Carmichael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the level of planned future expediture on coastguard services in(a) Scotland and (b) the UK. [166776]

  Mr. Jamieson
  The level of planned future expenditure for Scotland and the UK on Coastguard services will be broadly in line with previous years.

  East Coast Main Line
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) when he expects the East Coast Mailine Franchise to be awarded; [166432]

  (2) for what reason the announcement on the new East Coast Mainline Franchise has been delayed; [166433]

  Rail Tracks (Speed Limits)
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many miles of railway track are subject to speed limits imposed primarily or solely to prolong the life of the track; if he will list the locations thereof; and if he will make a statement. [163176]

  Dr. Howells
  [holding answer 25 March 2004]: This is an operational matter for Network Rail. Network Rail will respond directly to the right hon. Member.

  Coastguard Services
  Mr. Carmichael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of savings that could be made by reducing the number of coastguard stations around the Scottish coast. [166773]

  Mr. Jamieson
  There are no plans to reduce the number of Coastguard Co-ordination centers in Scotland and no assessment of savings has been made.

  Mr. Carmichael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on coastguard services in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK in each of the last five years. [166774]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Coastguard expenditure in Scotland and the UK in the last five years is shown below:

  (3) what assessment he has made of the effect the delay in the announcement of the East Coast Mainline Franchise upon (a) the purchase of new rolling stock and (b) planned upgrades to the track; [166434]

  (4) what assessment he has made of the implications of the delay in the Announcement of the East Coast Mailine Franchise on rail services to Harrogate and Knaresborough. [166435]

  Mr. Darling
  The existing East Coast Main Line Franchise expires in April 2005. The SRA invited expressions of interest from operators in January 2004. The process is continuing.

  Road Schemes
  John Thurso
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the projects in the Highways Agency's Targeted Programme of Improvements with their(a) estimated cost, (b) start date of construction and (c) planned completion date. [166100]

  Mr Jamieson
  The following projects, with their estimated cost, are included in the Targeted Programme of Improvements (TPI):
  457W

  Scheme

  Scheme Cost (£m)

  A1 Stannington Junction (under constriction)

  8.3

  A 10 Wadesmill, High Cross and Colliers End (under construction)

  39.0

  A 120 Stansted—Braintree Improvement (under construction)

  86.9

  A2 Bean—Cobham Phase 1 Bean-Tollgate (under construction)

  19.7

  A21 Lamberhurst Bypass (under construction)

  18.9

  A34 Chieveley/M4 J13 Improvement (under construction)

  76.0

  A63 Selby Bypass (under construction)

  68.4

  A14 Rookery Crossroads Grade Separated Junction

  7.7

  A249 Iwade—Queenborough Improvement

  80.8

  A421 Great Barford Bypass

  39.0

  A47 Thorney Bypass

  25.4

  A5 Weeford—Fazeley Improvement

  38.0

  A63 Melton Grade Separated Junction

  22.5

  M4 Junction 18 Eastbound Diverge

  9.8

  M5 Junctions 17–18 Northbound Climbing Lane

  6.2

  A30 Bodmin Indian Queens

  68.9

  A66 Long Newton Junction

  8.0

  A2/A282 Dartford Improvement

  79.7

  A30/A382 Merrymeet Junction

  8.7

  A428 Caxton Common to Hardwick Improvement

  43.9

  A11 Attleborough Bypass

  29.3

  A3 Hindhead Improvement

  167.5

  A595 Parton-Lillyhall Improvement

  24.9

  M40/A404 Handy Cross Junction Improvement

  11.8

  A1 (M) Bramham-Wetherby (including Wetherby Bypass)

  61.6

  Al Peterborough-Blyth Grade Separated Junctions

  63.2

  All Fiveways-Thetford Improvement

  60.2

  A2 Bean-Cobham Phase 2 Tollgate-Cobham

  101.0

  A38 Dobwalls Bypass

  35.7

  A419 Blunsdon

  40.2

  A419 Commonhead Junction

  16.3

  A5117/A550 Deeside Park Junctions Improvement

  43.1

  M6 Carlisle to Guardsmill extension

  69.1

  M5 Junctions 19–20 Southbound Climbing Lane

  8.1

  M5 Junctions 19–20 Northbound Climbing Lane

  7.9

  A14 Haughley New St-Stowmarket Improvement

  29.0

  A21 Tonbridge to Pembury

  64.9

  A30 Temple to Higher Carblake Improvement

  40.7

  A45/A46 Tollbar End Improvement

  57.0

  A505 Dunstable Northern Bypass (A5 to MI Link)

  48.1

  A57/A628 Mottram in Longdendale, Hollingworth and Tintwistle Bypass

  90.0

  A66 Temple Sowerby and Improvement at Winderwath

  23.3

  A69 Haydon Bridge Bypass

  24.2

  M1 J19 Improvement

  123.4

  Ml Junction 10 to 13 Widening

  381.8

  MI Junction 6a to 10 Widening

  241.2

  M40 Junction 15 (Longbridge)

  57.2

  M62 Junction 6 Improvement

  38.0

  A30 Carland Cross to Chiverton Cross

  124.6

  A421 Bedford to M 1 Junction 13

  171.0

  A46 Newark-Widmerpool Improvement

  186.0

  A1 Adderstone to Belford Dualling

  14.2

  Al Morpeth to Felton Dualling

  84.0

  Al/A19/A1068 Seaton Burn Junction Improvement

  29.5

  A19/A184 Testos Junction Improvement

  20.5

  A483 Pant-Llanymynech Bypass

  40.5

  A590 High and Low Newton Bypass

  22.1

  A64 Rillington Bypass

  11.8

  A66 Carkin Moor to Scotch Corner Improvement

  11.0

  A66 Greta Bridge to Stephen Bank Improvement

  9.2

  A14 Ellington-Fen Ditton Improvement

  490.0

  A1(M) Dishforth to Leeming

  355.0

  A1(M) Leeming to Barton

  (cost included above)

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  Scheme

  Scheme Cost (£m)

  A1(M) Ferrybridge-Hook Moor (under construction)

  160.5

  A1(M) Wetherby—Walshford (under construction)

  33.5

  A303 Stonehenge

  223.1

  A47 Blofield to North Burlingham Dualling

  15.4

  A500 City Road and Stoke Junction Improvement (under construction)

  59.6

  A64 Colton Lane Grade Separated Junction (under construction)

  11.0

  M20 Junction 10A

  46.0

  M25 J12–15 Widening (under cosntruction)

  104.5

  M60 J5–8 Widening (under construction)

  116.5

  A27 Southerham to Beddingham

  18.9

  M25 Widening Junction lb-3

  65.9

  M25 Widening Junction 5–7

  214.4

  M25 Widening Junction16–23

  496.0

  M25 Widening Junction 23–27

  419.1

  M25 Widening Junction 27–30

  402.3

  M 1 Widening Junction 21–30

  1,914.6

  These costs include the latest Treasury guidance on risk and optimism bias and allow for inflation at 2.5% per annum.

  Of these, the following schemes are expected to start works in 2004–05, with anticipated completion dates as shown:

  Scheme

  Date of Completion

  A14 Rookery Crossroads Grade Separated Junction

  2005–06

  A249 Iwade-Queensborough Improvement

  2006–07

  A421 Great Barford Bypass

  2006–07

  A47 Thorney Bypass

  2005–06

  A5 Weeford-Fazeley Improvement

  2005–06

  A63 Melton Grade Separated Junction

  2006–07

  M4 Junction 18 Eastbound Diverge

  2005–06

  M5 Junctions 17–18 Northbound Climbing Lane

  2005–06

  Firm decisions have yet to be made on start of works for the remainder of the programme.

  John Thurso
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which major local road schemes in England have been given(a) provisional and (b) full Government approval in each of the last four years; what their current status is; and what the (i) expected start date and (ii) completion date is in each case. [166101]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Local major road schemes in England, excluding London that have been given(a) provisional and (b) full Government acceptance in each of the last four years are set out in the following table, together with the current status.

  Three schemes in the table, which have been provisionally accepted, have been re-designated as Work in Progress following changes from the original scheme proposals. A number of schemes that were provisionally accepted in earlier settlements have been

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  fully accepted since 2000. Expected start and completion dates shown in the table reflect the Department's current information of the proposed delivery timetables of the relevant local authorities. Delivery of schemes is subject

  Scheme

  Current Status (A) Fully Accepted (PA) — Provisionally Accepted

  Expected Start of Works

  Expected Scheme Completion Date

  2000 LTP Settlement

  Wyre Piddle Bypass

  Open (December 2002)

  A689 Sedgefield to Wynard Improvement

  Open (April 2003)

  Biddulph Inner Bypass

  Open (October 2003)

  Semington to Melksham

  Open (March 2004)

  Burntwood Bypass Phase 3

  A

  May 2004

  April 2005

  Nar Ouse Regeneration Project

  A

  January 2004

  July 2005

  South Lowestoft Relief Road

  PA

  May 2004

  December 2005

  W. Thurrock Regeneration Ring Road

  A

  April 2002

  April 2004

  A1073 Spalding to Eye Improvement

  PA

  Scheme reverted to 'Work in Progress' in 2003

  A13/Al27–A1159 Corridors

  A

  July 2002 (Public Transport), 2006 Autumn 2004 (Road)

  Earl Shilton Bypass

  PA 2000

  Scheme reverted to 'Work in Progress' in 2002

  A607 Rearsby Bypass

  A

  March 2004

  December 2004

  A158/C541 Coastal Access Improvement

  PA

  April 2004

  June 2007

  Connecting Derby Integrated Transport A—Phase 1 Phases 1, 2 & 3

  Phase 2 and 3 of schme also Accepted in 2000 but were reverted to 'Work in Progress' in 2003

  Sunderland Southern Radial Route

  PA

  June 2004

  March 2006

  Darlington Eastern Transport Corridor

  PA

  July 2004

  December 2005

  A688 Wheatley Hill to Bowburn Link

  PA

  October 2004

  December 2005

  A167 Chilton Bypass

  A

  May 2004

  July 2005

  Scotswood Road Improvement

  A

  April 2004

  August 2006

  Carlisle Northern Development Route (PFI)

  PA

  October 2005

  October 2007

  Bridgefoot Environment Enhancement

  PA

  October 2004

  March 2006

  The Glossop Spur

  PA

  April 2006

  April 2008

  Hall Lane Area Improvement Scheme

  PA

  November 2005

  February 2007

  East Kent Access Phase 1

  PA

  August 2003

  October 2005

  Stoke Hammon/Linslade Western Bypass

  PA

  October 2006

  December 2008

  Brunel Link & Harnham Relief Road

  PA

  November 2003

  April 2005

  Barnstaple Western Bypass

  PA

  October 2004

  December 2006

  NW Taunton Package

  PA

  July 2004

  November 2005

  A39 Camelford Bypass

  PA

  January 2005

  August 2006

  Weymouth Relief Road

  PA

  See LTP 2003 Settlement section

  Rugeley Bypass

  A

  April 2005

  December 2006

  Hanley Bentilee Link

  PA

  March 2006

  August 2007

  Barford Bypass

  PA

  February 2005

  September 2006

  Cradley Heath Town center

  PA

  October 2004

  April 2005

  Rugby Western Relief Road

  PA

  N/A

  Northfield Regeneration (Birmingham)

  PA

  December 2005

  December 2006

  Owen Street Relief Road

  PA

  January 2005

  December 2006

  East Leeds Link Road

  A

  October 2004

  September 2006

  Leeds Inner Ring Road Stage 7

  A

  October 2005

  September 2008

  Sheffield Inner Relief Road—Stages 2 & 3

  PA

  June 2004

  September 2008

  Glasshoughton Coalfields Link Road

  PA

  March 2005

  May 2007

  A63I West Bawtry Road Improvement

  PA

  February 2005

  April 2006

  Hemsworth—A1 Link Road

  PA

  March 2005

  February 2007

  South Bradford Integrated Transport

  A

  February 2003

  July 2004

  460W
  to completion of all necessary statutory procedures. Departmental funding of schemes is subject to conditions set out in the relevant decision letters issued to local authorities.
  461W

  Scheme

  Current Status (P)(PA)—Provisionally Accepted

  Expected Start of Works

  Completion Date

  2001 LTP Settlement

  Al198 Papworth Everard Bypass

  PA

  Late 2004

  April 2006

  East Corridor South

  PA

  Early 2005

  Mid 2006

  Markham Employment Growth Zone

  PA

  Spring 2005

  Spring 2007

  A612 Gedling ITP Scheme

  PA

  March 2005

  March 2007

  A6096 Ilkeston Awsworth Link

  PA

  September 2004

  March 2006

  A34 Alderley Edge Bypass

  PA

  2005

  2007

  A228 Main Road to Ropers Lane (Phase 1)

  A

  January 2003

  October 2004

  Bletchley Link

  PA

  April 2005

  March 2008

  Junction 11 M4 Improvement Proposals

  PA

  August 2004

  July 2006

  Poole Bridge Regeneration Initiative

  PA

  November 2004

  May 2006

  Selly Oak Relief Road

  PA

  2005–06

  2007–08

  A628 Cudworth and West Green Bypass

  PA

  November 2004

  October 2006

  Oakham Bypass

  PA

  September 2004

  April 2007

  A57(T) M1 Junction 31-Todwick Crossroads

  PA

  August 2005

  August 2006

  A1 South East Northumberland Link Road (Pegswood Bypass)

  PA

  April 2005

  July 2007

  The Kiln Lane Link, Epsom

  PA

  July 2006

  November 2007

  A244 Walton Bridge

  PA

  April 2006

  September 2008

  2002 LTP Settlement

  Mansfield Ashfield Regeneration Route

  A

  June 2003

  December 2005

  North Middlesbrough Accessibility IMPS

  PA

  June 2005

  June 2006

  Sunderland Central Route

  PA

  June 2005

  June 2006

  Cadishead Way

  PA

  December 2003

  June 2005

  Ashton Northern Bypass Stage 2

  PA

  October 2004

  March 2006

  Wigan Inner Relief Road

  PA

  October 2004

  April 2006

  A58 Blackbrook Diversion

  PA

  December 2005

  September 2004

  A165 Reighton Bypass

  PA

  April 2005

  March 2006

  A43 Corby Link Road

  PA

  April 2006

  July 2007

  A24 Horsham—Capel

  PA

  January 2006

  January 2008

  A24 Ashington/Southwater

  PA

  March 2006

  September 2007

  A228 Leybourne & West Malting Corridor Improvement

  PA

  Spring 2005

  Spring 2007

  Mereoak Roundabout

  PA

  July 2005

  July 2007

  A391 St Austell to A30 Link

  PA

  2007

  2009

  2003 LTP Settlement

  A142 Fordham Bypass

  A

  April 2004

  August 2005

  A509 Isham Bypass

  PA

  June 2003

  December 2005

  A1056 North Tyneside Northern Gateway Stage 2

  PA

  December 2005

  Late 2006/Early 2007

  A354 Weymouth Relief Road

  PA

  2007

  2010

  Brierley Hill Access Network

  PA

  2004–05

  2007

  Tunstall Northern Bypass

  PA

  January 2005

  January 2006

  Darlaston Strategic Area Access Scheme

  PA

  June 2006

  May 2008

  Notes:

  1 Dates can change as the Local Authority takes the scheme through the required statutory procedures.

  2 A = Fully Accepted schemes.

  3 PA = Provisionally Accepted. Schemes subject to completion of statutory procedures and any other processes outlined in the settlement decision letter, from the Government Office to the Local Authority, of the relevant LTP Settlement year.

  Finningley Airport
  Mr. Bill O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans are being considered for freight to be handled at and transported from Finningley Airport; and if he will make a statement. [165712]
  462W
  Mr. McNulty
  The planning permission granted in April 2003 limits the number of air cargo movements per annum to 2,738 from the opening of the airport, rising to a maximum of 4,140 movements per annum after 1 January 2012. I understand that, within these limits, the airport operator hopes to handle around 50,000 tonnes of freight a year by 2014. A small component of this could be in the bellyhold of passenger aircaft.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

  Prisoners (Voting Rights)
  Mr. Maude
  To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans he has to allow serving prisoners to vote in(a) local and (b) general elections; and if he will make a statement. [166795]

  Mr. Leslie
  At present, convicted and detained prisoners are not able to vote in UK elections. On 30 March 2004, the European Court of Human Rights gave its judgment in the case of Hirst v. The United Kingdom, concerning the disfranchisement of convicted prisoners. The Court found that there had been a breach of the applicant's human rights. We are currently carefully considering the implications of the judgment and what action we might take.

  Freedom of Information (Terrorism)
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, what assessment has been made of the current exemptions to the release of information contained in freedom of information legislation in light of recent terrorist incidents and threats. [166035]

  Mr. Lammy
  The Freedom of Information Act 2000 balances the right to know with the proper conduct of effective government. Part II of the Act outlines classes of information that are exempt from disclosure for the purpose of safeguarding national security, defence and international relations. Information supplied by, or relating to, bodies dealing with security matters is also exempt.

  The Government is satisfied that the provisions in Part II of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 provides a robust framework that gives people greater access to information, while ensuring that information necessary to protect national security is properly safeguarded.

  Legal Services Commission
  Mr. Roger Williams
  To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs, (1) how many new solicitors firms have undertaken contracts with the Legal Services Commission since 2000. [165842]

  (2) how many solicitors firms in England and Wales have withdrawn from a Legal Services Commission contract in each year since 2000. [165843]

  Mr. Lammy
  Between January 2000 and 31 March 2004, the Legal Services Commission (LSC) has awarded 755 new civil contracts to solicitors' firms. Since contracting for criminal legal aid began in April 2001, the LSC has awarded 412 new criminal contracts to solicitors' firms.

  The LSC does not collect data centrally on the number of solicitors' firms that have withdrawn from legal aid work. The number of contracts that have been terminated by the LSC in each year (which includes cases where solicitors have withdrawn voluntarily) is set out below.
  464W
  Civil Contracts

  April 2000 to March 2001: 700

  April 2001 to March 2002: 539

  April 2002 to March 2003: 408

  April 2003 to March 2004: 633

  Criminal contracts

  April 2001 to March 2002: 146

  April 2002 to March 2003: 151

  April 2003 to March 2004: 317

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Sellafield
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will itemise the contents of the B30 ponds at Sellafield; what the origin was of the contents; what the radioactivity level of the contents is; and what plans she has to respond to criticisms by the EU Commission in respect of the ponds that comprise B30. [165818]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 19 April 2004]: The B30 facility at Sellafield was commissioned in 1959–60 for interim storage of spent Magnox fuel in water-filled concrete ponds and the subsequent removal of cladding from the fuel prior to it being reprocessed. The facility stopped receiving spent fuel during 1992. The B30 pond contains many tonnes of Magnox fuel and sludge from corrosion of the Magnox fuel cladding and the fuel. For security reasons it would not be appropriate to reveal itemised information on the quantities of nuclear material held in specific locations (Exemption 1, code of practice on access to Government information).

  The condition of the material in B30 and the need to minimise radiation exposure means that the activities that can be performed at present to verify current quantities of material (including in the course Euratom safeguards inspections) are limited. Appropriate measurement and verification of the material will however take place as material is removed during the decommissioning of B30.

  Officials will examine details of the Commission Directive and the basis for it, and work is in hand to enable us to respond to the Commission accordingly.

  Iraq
  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the financial value of the 10 largest contracts by US dollars for the reconstruction of Iraq already awarded by the Coalition Provisional Authority was; what the nationality of the contractor was; and to what industrial sector each related. [166604]

  Ms Hewitt
  The largest Coalition Provisional Authority contracts so far have been awarded on its behalf by the Program Management Office. They are given in the table:

  Value

  Sector

  Nationality

  $900 million (ceiling)

  Security, Justice and Safety

  US

  $600 million (ceiling)

  Water Resources

  US

  $600 million (ceiling)

  Public Works and

  US/UK Joint Venture

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  Value

  Sector

  Nationality

  Water (North)

  $500 million (ceiling)

  Buildings, Health And Education

  US

  $500 million (ceiling)

  Public Works and Water (South)

  US/UK Joint Venture

  $500 million (ceiling)

  Electrical Generation

  US/UK Joint Venture

  $500 million (ceiling)

  Electrical Power Distribution (North)

  US

  $500 million (ceiling)

  Electrical Power Distribution (South)

  US

  $325 million (ceiling)

  Transportation

  US/Egypt/Netherlands/UAE Joint venture

  $75 million (ceiling)

  Communications

  US

  UK companies are already playing a significant role in many of these, through parent companies or as subcontractors or sub-consultants.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many contracts have been awarded to British companies for the reconstruction of Iraq; what their total value is; and which companies have been awarded contracts. [166605]

  Ms Hewitt
  Because of the large number of different organisations involved in awarding reconstruction contracts in Iraq, it has not been possible to maintain an overall picture of the total volume of contracts awarded or the cumulative total. In addition, there is no central organisation that collects, collates and publishes such information. However, a number of British companies have been awarded contracts and sub-contracts for the reconstruction process in Iraq, including the recent awards announced by the Program Management Office (PMO). UK companies (mainly in Joint Venture with US partners) have won PMO contracts in the Electricity, Water and Oil sectors.

  Mr. Chidgey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will require British companies working in Iraq to recruit individuals of Iraqi nationality to work in the management of their operations. [166607]

  Ms Hewitt
  It is vital the UK companies play their part in developing Iraq, through the creation of joint business ventures, transfer of skills and technology and working with Iraqi partners in providing jobs and prosperity for the Iraqi people. In this way, we will maximise the use of local manufacturers and construction skills in order to help build local skills and provide sustainable employment for future generations. I have no plans to require British companies to recruit Iraqi nationals to work in the management of their operations.

  Business Activity (Crosby)
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many small businesses are registered in Crosby; and what the percentage change has been since 1997. [164412]

  Nigel Griffiths
  Barclays Bank's latest survey of business creation, published on 31 March 2004, includes non-VAT registered firms, and shows that there were 115,000 business start-ups in England and Wales, including 500 in Sefton local authority (in which Crosby is a constituency) in the fourth quarter of 2003. The 466W
  latest yearly Barclays figures show 465,000 business start-ups in England and Wales in 2003, the highest figure since the survey began in 1988. Data for local authorities are not available for before 2003.

  There were 5,380 businesses registered for VAT in Sefton local authority at the end of 2002. This represents a 7 per cent increase since the start of 1997 when there were 5,040 VAT-registered businesses. VAT registration data for the end of 2003 will be available in Autumn 2004.

  It is important to note that VAT registration data do not capture all business activity. Businesses are unlikely to be registered if they fall below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register will not necessarily have closed. Only 1.8 million out of 3.8 million enterprises were registered for VAT at the start of 2002.

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total Entrepreneurial Activity index for(a) Crosby and (b) England is; and if she will make a statement. [164413],

  Nigel Griffiths
  The Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) index is not produced by government, but is a measure used by the London Business School to compare international rates of entrepreneurial activity as part of its annual Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM).

  The latest TEA index, for 2003, is 6.5 per cent for England and 4.7 per cent for the North West. The UK was the only other G8 country apart from the United States to have seen a major recovery in levels of entrepreneurial activity in 2003 following the overall drop in 2002.

  The UK GEM report does not provide a breakdown for areas smaller than the area covered by Government Office region. There is, therefore no TEA figure for Crosby.

  Employment Rights (Birkenhead)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many residents of Birkenhead qualify for paid leave entitlement. [166503]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  All workers resident in Birkenhead qualify for paid leave entitlements of at least 4 weeks as set out in the Working Time Regulations.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many residents of Birkenhead have benefited from a reduction of the working week to 48 hours. [166504]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The Working Time Regulations provide workers with the right not to work more than 48 hours if they want to. Numbers for Birkenhead are not available, but it has been estimated that around 50,000 workers resident in Merseyside stood to benefit from the introduction of the weekly working time limits in 1998.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many and what percentage of women in Birkenhead have taken 26 weeks' maternity leave since 1997. [166495]
  467W
  Mr. Sutcliffe
  Take-up of maternity leave is not recorded centrally. It is possible to make an estimate of the numbers of women taking maternity leave based on employer returns to Inland Revenue for payment of Statutory Maternity Pay (since 2003 this has covered the first 26 weeks of leave). However, figures for the take-up of SMP are not available on a regional basis.

  In addition, there will be some women who will qualify for maternity leave but not SMP (because they do not meet the earnings criteria) and similarly some who qualify for SMP but not leave (because they are employed earners for the purposes of SMP but not employees in order to qualify for leave).

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the benefits of the EU Social Chapter for the residents of Birkenhead. [1665011

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The residents of Birkenhead have benefited from the EU Social Chapter by having their employment rights extended to include:

  the right to parental leave which gives parents the right to 13 weeks unpaid leave at the birth or adoption of a child;

  the entitlement of part-time workers to the same pro-rata terms and conditions of employment as full-time workers, thereby removing any discrimination and improving the quality of part-time jobs;

  the provision that once a prima facie case has been made in an employment tribunal claim, the burden of proof is placed on the defendant (usually the employer), who will need to demonstrate that sex discrimination has not occurred;

  rights under the Fixed Term Work Directive that provide equal treatment and prevent abuse of fixed term contracts;

  rights under the European Works Council Directive which requires companies with at least 1,000 employees in total and at least 150 workers in each of the two Member States, to establish structures for consulting workers on issues that affect them; and

  in addition, the Information and Consultation of Employees Directive, to be implemented in the UK by March 2005, establishes a right to new minimum standards for workforce communication and involvement in large firms.

  Estate Agents Act
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will seek to amend the Estate Agents Act 1979 to include reference to buying and selling houses on the internet. [166113]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The Office of Fair Trading report on estate agents recommended that the definition of estate agency work in the Estate Agents Act 1979 be reconsidered to ensure that consumers buying and selling by non-traditional means, including the internet, are afforded the same protection in law as those who employ the services of traditional estate agents.

  The Department will consider carefully this and the report's other recommendations, and aims to publish a response by 18 June 2004.

  Broadband
  David Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what estimate she has made of broadband accessibility rates for(a) Scotland, (b)
  468W
  England, (c) Wales and (d) Northern Ireland, broken down by percentage of (i) households and (ii) population. [165586]

  Mr. Timms
  [holding answer 19 April 2004]: The Department of Trade and Industry has commissioned on-going research from Analysys Consulting Ltd to provide a comprehensive picture of developments in the UK broadband market.

  According to the latest quarterly survey to the end of December 2003, the following estimates are given of population (households) that are covered by a mass-market broadband solution:

  (a) Scotland

  72 per cent.

  (b) England

  87 per cent.

  (c) Wales

  72 per cent.

  (d) Northern Ireland

  67 per cent.

  This research is published quarterly on the Department's website:

  http://www.dti.gov.uk/industry_files/pdf/

  uk_broadband_coverage_jan2004.pdf

  Fire Safety
  Mr. Hayes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what measures are in place to assess the impact of furniture fire-safety regulations that came into effect in 1997; and what the findings have been. [166293]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The DTI commissioned the University of Surrey to research the effectiveness of the Regulations. The resulting report—"Effectiveness of the Furniture & Furnishings (Fire) (Safety) Regulations 1988"—was published in June 2000 and copies were placed in the Libraries of both Houses. The report's findings were "extremely good news". At a conservative estimate, the Regulations had saved at least 710 lives in the first ten years since their introduction, and at least 5,770 fewer people were injured in the same period. The benefits of the Regulations were most likely to be realised by the financially challenged, young children between 1 and 4 years of age, and the elderly. Recent figures from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister indicate that this downward trend has continued.

  National Minimum Wage
  Huw Irranca Davies
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, if she will make a statement on the impact of the introduction of the national minimum wage for 16- to 17-year-olds on combating the exploitation of young people by employers. [164551]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The Government announced on 15 March 2004 that we will he introducing a new minimum wage rate for 16- to 17-year-old workers at £3.00 per hour with effect from 1 October 2004. Apprentices aged 16 and 17 will be excluded from the new rate. The great majority of young workers are already being paid in excess of the new rate, but this should help prevent the exploitation of young workers by a minority of employers. The Government run a national publicity campaign each autumn to publicise increases in the minimum wage and will be considering how best to publicise the new rate as part of that campaign.

  Focus Groups and Opinion Polls
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what her estimate is of total expenditure by her Department on(a) focus groups and (b) opinion polls in each year from 1995–96 to 2003–04; and if she will make a statement. [162752]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Department does not centrally collect the information sought at the required level of detail and to provide it would entail disproportionate cost because of the need to ask all Directors in the DTI, plus agencies and associated non-departmental public bodies, to attempt to provide details of each survey and piece of research commissioned since 1995.

  Working Time Directive
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of(a) implementation of the Working Time Directive in other EU member states and (b) costs to business in other EU member states of complying with the Working Time Directive. [164582]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  Other EU member states have all implemented the Working Time Directive. From discussions with them, I know they have used the flexibilities available in the Directive in different ways, depending on their national circumstances and traditions, but I have made no formal assessment of this. I do not have figures for the cost to businesses for other EU member states.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the implications for the competitiveness of UK industry of complying with the Working Time Directive. [164583]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The Government have put in place a comprehensive set of measures aimed at raising competitiveness and closing the UK's productivity gap with major competitors. The U K economy has grown faster than the G7 average in five of the last six years. Since the Working Time Directive applies to all European Union members it is unlikely to put the UK at a competitive disadvantage with these competitors.

  British American tobacco
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what(a) resource budget, (b) administration costs and (c) staff numbers are dedicated to the Companies Act investigation into British American Tobacco. [165422]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  [holding answer 19 April 2004]: As the inquiries have been concluded, no resources are currently dedicated to the Companies Act investigation into British American Tobacco Plc. The investigation was carried out internally by members of Companies Investigation Branch and there are no separate cost breakdowns.

  Companies Investigation Branch does not disclose operational matters such as the numbers of staff dedicated to any particular inquiry.

  Civil Servants
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, whether the number of jobs in her Department that are to be(a) cut and (b) relocated are the same as the numbers given her Department's recent Business Plan 2004–07. [165119]

  Ms Hewitt
  The DTI business plan states that we will reduce the number of people in the Department's headquarters by 7 per cent by April 2005 and by 10 per cent by April 2006.

  We have also established an Efficiency Project which has developed proposals to improve further the way we work. These proposals would deliver a further 4 per cent reduction in posts by April 2008 (to 14 per cent) and 18 per cent of posts relocated outside London and the South East by April 2010. They are dependent on sufficient funding being available to meet the costs of change.

  Trade (Far East)
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what steps her Department is taking to promote trade with Far Eastern countries. [165543]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  Working with business, UK Trade and Investment has developed a global strategy for each industry sector, targeting markets, including many in the Far East, where there are felt to be significant opportunities for UK industry. A comprehensive package of trade development measures, including subsidised trade missions, trade fairs, help to find agents/distributors etc, are available to eligible UK companies.

  Invoices (Late Payment)
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what plans she has to re-examine legislation relating to the late payment of invoices; and if she will make a statement. [163591]

  Nigel Griffiths
  There are no current plans to re-examine the late payment legislation.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Secondments
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what secondments(a) PricewaterhouseCoopers, (b) Deloitte & Touche, (c) Ernst & Young and (d) KPMG have made to his Department since 2001; for what (i) periods and (ii) tasks the secondments were made; whether secondments of staff from his Department have been to those firms; and what (a) periods and (b) tasks. [156918]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  Since 2001, PricewaterhouseCoopers have made two inward secondments to the Department, one from October 2000–September 2001 in the Connexions Service and the other from July 20022013;March 2003 in the Sure Start Unit. Deloitte & Touche have made one secondment to the Department from November 2001–March 2004 in the Sure Start Unit. Ernst and Young have made one
  471W
  secondment to the Department from October 2000-March 2001 in School Leadership Division. There were no secondments from KPMG to the Department.

  There were no secondments from my Department to any of the companies listed during the period.

  School Transport
  Mr. McNamara
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures in the draft School Transport Bill will ensure that pupils attending denominational schools of their particular faith are not put at a disadvantage for home-school transport arrangements. [165482]

  Alan Johnson
  The draft School Transport Bill contains powers that will allow Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to operate school travel schemes. The only group of pupils specifically protected in the draft Bill is those entitled to free school meals, who are protected from charges provided they attend their nearest suitable school. However, in the draft prospectus that was published alongside the draft Bill we remind LEAs that local schemes must comply with the European Convention on Human Rights, which requires LEAs to take account of the religious and philosophical beliefs of parents, particularly in respect of pupils from low income families who will probably depend on public transport to get to school.

  It is important that parents can choose a school in accordance with their religious convictions and in approving schemes, we will not expect LEAs to disturb well established arrangements for denominational transport, particularly where they are associated with local agreements or understandings about the sitting of denominational schools.

  Entrants to Postgraduate Research Courses1 in UK HE institutions

  Subject of course:

  Science2

  Engineering

  Technology

  Mathematical Sciences

  Other subjects

  All subjects

  1994–985

  9,575

  2,555

  535

  500

  8,243

  21,408

  1995–96

  8,852

  2,397

  476

  550

  8,954

  21,229

  1996–97

  8,662

  2,380

  469

  508

  8,934

  20,953

  1997–98

  9,181

  2,153

  507

  501

  8,726

  21,068

  1998–99

  11,070

  2,676

  745

  513

  10,256

  25,260

  1999–2000

  10,843

  2,604

  734

  554

  10,428

  25,163

  2000–01

  11,007

  2,936

  591

  529

  10,916

  25,979

  2001–02

  11,341

  2,724

  519

  638

  10,532

  25,754

  2002–033

  11,781

  2,827

  542

  671

  10,449

  26,271

  Source:

  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

  1 Covers UK and overseas students taking Doctorates, Masters and other postgraduate courses mainly by research.

  2 Covers Medicine and Dentistry, subjects allied to Medicine, Biological Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture and related subjects, Physical Sciences, Computer Sciences, Architecture, Building and Planning.

  3 Provisional.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportions of state-supported PhD students beginning their courses in each of the last 10 years have studied scientific subjects. [152633]

  Alan Johnson
  The latest available information, for UK and EU students entering PhD courses in the UK, is shown in the table. Figures for earlier years are not available centrally.
  472W

  Postgraduate Study
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many graduates have chosen to continue in higher education for a masters' year in each of the past ten years. [152630]

  Alan Johnson
  The latest available information, showing newly qualified graduates who went on to postgraduate study, is shown in the table. Comparable figures for earlier years are not held centrally. Figures for 2002–03 will be available in August 2004.

  Full-time UK Domiciled First Degree Graduates who went on to Study a Higher Degree1

  Number

  1994–95

  15,550

  1995–96

  15,585

  1996–97

  15,095

  1997–98

  15,525

  1998–99

  16,285

  1999–2000

  15,670

  2000–01

  16,005

  2001–02

  16,400

  Source:

  Higher Education Statistics Agenct's First Destinations Record.

  1 Covers taught and research higher degrees.

  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many research graduates have been recruited by universities in(a) science, (b) engineering, (c) technology and (d) mathematics in each of the past 10 years. [152631]

  Alan Johnson
  The latest available information is shown in the table. Figures for earlier years are not available centrally.

  Entrants to PhD courses in UK HEIs
  UK and EU domiciled students

  Total Entrants

  of which, % on science courses1

  1994–95

  10,167

  66

  1995–96

  10,078

  63

  1996–97

  9,466

  65

  1997–98

  9,586

  65

  1998–99

  11,478

  64

  1999–2000

  11,707

  63

  473W

  Entrants to PhD courses in UK HEIs
  UK and EU domiciled students

  Total Entrants

  of which, % on science courses1

  2000–01

  11,945

  643

  1995–96

  11,864

  64

  1996–97

  12,056

  66

  Source:

  Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record.

  1 Covers Medicine and Dentistry, subjects allied to Medicine, Biological Sciences, Veterinary Sciences, Agriculture and related subjects, Physical Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, Computer Sciences, Engineering and Technology, Architecture, Building and Planning.

  2 Provisional.

  School Closures
  David Hamilton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, what criteria are applied when making decisions on closing(a) rural schools and (b) urban schools. [165587]

  Stephen Twigg
  [holding answer 19 April 2004]: Under arrangements for local decision making School Organisation Committees and schools adjudicators must consider guidance issued by the Secretary of State when taking decisions on statutory proposals to close any school—rural or urban.

  The guidance emphasises that all proposals must be considered on their individual merit and in the light of local circumstances. It also provides a list of factors that must be considered. For school closures this includes: the impact on standards of provision in the area, the supply and demand for places, the cost effectiveness of proposals, the views of interested parties, the journey to alternative provision, the effect on the local community etc. The guidance also includes a presumption to approve proposals to close a failing school if there is to be a fresh start school established in its place.

  For proposals to close rural schools there is a presumption against the closure except where the case is strong and in the best interests of provision in the area. The guidance recommends that the transport implications of rural school closures should be considered and the overall effect on the community of closure of village schools. It also advises that the new provisions for federated and extended schools should be considered to increase the viability of rural schools before closure proposals are brought forward. There are no specific factors that apply to the consideration of urban school closures. More information can be found on the Department's School Organisation Website www.dfes.gov.uk/schoolorg.

  Education Grants
  Jim Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what grants were awarded to local authorities in Dorset by his Department in financial year 2003–04 that fall outside the revenue support grant. [156209]

  Mr. Miliband
  I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Minister for Local and Regional Government the Member for Greenwich and Woolwich (Mr. Raynsford) on 1 March 2004,Official Report, column 750W.

  Computers Within Reach
  Mr. Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) teachers and (b) families in Birkenhead have benefited from the Computers within Reach programme. [166323]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  The Computers Within Reach scheme closed on 31 October 2001 having delivered over 24,000 recycled computers to people in 22 pilot areas, at a cost of £7.1 million over two years. Those eligible were in receipt of certain working age benefits or a State Pension with minimum income guarantee.

  At the same time as funding was made available for the Computers within Reach scheme, funding was also provided for the Computers for Teachers programme. For teachers who met certain criteria, this programme subsidised the cost of a computer. It was subsequently replaced by the current Laptops for Teachers scheme which dispensed with subsidies, and through which sufficient funding will be provided to enable two-thirds of teachers to receive a laptop by March 2006.

  Of the 24,000 computers delivered through the Computers within Reach scheme, approximately 3,000 were for people in the Liverpool area, including those in and around Birkenhead.

  Computer Services
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to update computer(a) hardware and (b) software standard packages used in his Department. [166373]

  Stephen Twigg
  We have no plans this year to make major replacements or upgrades to the Department's hardware base which is perfectly adequate for the current level of IT in use. Over the near to medium term, we expect the percentage of laptops in use by Departmental staff to increase as remote working facilities improve and the Department encourages increased flexibility of working patterns and closer working relationships across the education sector.

  The Department used predominantly Microsoft technology for its PC and back-office systems supplemented by "best of breed" technology for specific business critical activities. We have no plans to proactively update either our PC or server software this year although we do plan to introduce an improved email system (based on Microsoft's Exchange 2003), an integrated Human Resource and Payroll system, a Department-level accounting system and an Electronic Document and Records Management System (EDRMS) which will help us make better informed policy and allow us to respond positively to the Freedom of Information Act.

  Education (Birkenhead)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will make a statement on the effects on schools of changes since 1997 in the level of investment in school sports in Birkenhead. [166296]

  Stephen Twigg
  The Government is investing more than £1 billion in England to transform PE, school sport and club links. The funding will help to deliver an ambitious Public Service Agreement target, shared with
  475W
  the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. to increase the percentage of 5–16 year olds who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006.

  The Department is providing £1,376,176 to support the delivery of three School Sport Partnerships in the Wirrall LEA area. The partnerships include 14 secondary and 70 primary schools and provide enhanced sport opportunities for all young people. Furthermore, the New Opportunities Fund has allocated £4,448,000 to specifically enhance PE and school sport facilities in the Wirral LEA area.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on higher education in Birkenhead in each of the last seven years. [166320]

  Alan Johnson
  The only publicly funded institution providing higher education in Birkenhead is Wirral Metropolitan College. The College has three main campuses (two of which are in Birkenhead) and also operates through neighbourhood learning centers and in-company learning centers. In 2004–05 HEFCE will be providing nearly £1.5 million to Wirral Metropolitan College but we have no information on the proportion of this or previous funding spent through the two campuses in Birkenhead.

  Birkenhead Number of pupils achieving Level 4 +

  Mathematics Birkenhead Percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 +

  England Percentage of pupil achieving Level 4 +

  Birkenhead Number of pupils achieving Level 4 +

  English Birkenhead Percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 +

  England Percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 +

  2003

  689

  65

  73

  722

  68

  75

  2002

  770

  67

  73

  812

  70

  75

  2001

  747

  65

  71

  811

  70

  75

  2000

  720

  64

  72

  764

  68

  75

  1999

  735

  61

  69

  787

  66

  71

  1998

  538

  49

  59

  635

  58

  65

  1997

  552

  51

  62

  592

  55

  63

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 15 and 16 year-olds in Birkenhead achieved at least five GCSEs at grades A*—C or GNVQ equivalent in each of the last seven years. [166319]

  Mr Miliband
  The statistical information requested is detailed in the following table:

  Percentage of 15 year old pupils1 achieving five or more GCSE/GNVQ grades A*—C

  Academic Year

  Birkenhead Parliamentary Constituency

  England

  1997

  28.9

  45.1

  1998

  31.0

  46.3

  1999

  30.2

  47.9

  2000

  35.4

  49.2

  2001

  40.7

  50.0

  476W
  Eligible students attending designated courses at Wirral Metropolitan College are eligible for student support. The available figures for funding for these students are shown below. They relate only to spending on tuition fees, student loans (cash cost) and the Dependants Grant for full-time undergraduate students.

  Academic year

  Tuition fees £

  Student loans (cash cost) £

  Dependants Grants £

  1999–2000

  177,100

  652,300

  63,000

  2000–01

  172,100

  599,200

  70,200

  2001–02

  179,200

  664,500

  115,100

  2002–03

  175,600

  581,300

  145,000

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many schools in Birkenhead deemed to be failing since 1997 have since reached satisfactory standards. [166328]

  Mr. Miliband
  One school in Birkenhead has been found to be failing since 1997 and has since recovered. A further Ofsted inspection in 2002 showed the school to be improving and providing a sound education for its pupils.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of 11 year old pupils in Birkenhead have reached level four in(a) mathematics and (b) English in each of the last seven years. [166330]

  Mr Miliband
  The information requested is as follows:

  Academic Year

  Birkenhead Parliamentary Constituency

  England

  2002

  44.0

  51.6

  2003

  45.9

  52.9

  1 Pupils are aged 15 at the start of the academic year, ie 31 August.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils in Birkenhead reached the(a) mathematics and (b) English standard in each of the last seven years. [166329]

  Mr Miliband
  The results from the 2003 National Curriculum tests showed that 75 per cent. of 11 year olds in England reached Level 4 in English and 73 per cent. in mathematics. The results represent a significant improvement in standards—of 12 percentage points in English and 11 percentage points in mathematics—since 1997, reflecting the impact of the National Literacy and
  477W
  Numeracy Strategies on primary schools. We remain absolutely committed, through our new Primary Strategy, to supporting schools to achieve the ambitious targets we have set for standards of literacy and numeracy.

  The table shows the number and percentage of pupils in Birkenhead who have achieved level 4 or above in the Key Stage 2 English and mathematics tests since 1997. The results for Birkenhead are below the national average but show improvements since 1997 in English and mathematics in excess of the improvements in the national figures:

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  2002

  2003

  English—No of pupils1

  592

  635

  787

  764

  811

  812

  722

  Mathematics—No of pupils1

  552

  538

  735

  720

  747

  770

  689

  English—%of pupils

  55

  58

  66

  68

  70

  70

  68

  Mathematics—% Pupils

  51

  49

  61

  64

  65

  67

  65

  1The number of eligible pupils for the Key Stage 2 tests varies slightly from year to year.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding each school in Birkenhead has received from New Deal for Schools. [166326]

  Mr. Miliband
  The table shows the schools in the Birkenhead constituency that benefited from investment through the New Deal for Schools (NDS) programme, which commenced in 1997–98. From 2000–01, capital allocations to local authorities and schools have largely been made by formulae linked to asset management plans. In addition, all schools have, since 2000–01, received Devolved Formula capital to use on their most urgent capital needs.

  NDS Allocations to Schools in the Birkenhead Constituency

  Year

  School

  Project Details

  Type

  Grant Awarded

  1997–98

  Bedford Drive Primary school

  Continuation of roofing and structural repairs

  LEA widegrant

  £375,000.00

  1998–99

  Devonshire Park Primary School

  Rebuild boundary wall to playground, stack and gutter repairs (North building)

  £49,500.00

  Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

  Structural repairs to infant building-design/construction fault

  £19,800.00

  Bidston Avenue Primary School

  Gutter repairs/renewal

  £8,800.00

  Park High School

  Fire precaution works, replacement of aluminium windows

  £82,500.00

  1999–2000

  The Priory Parish C of E Primary

  Part of roofing package

  £2,475.00

  478W

  NDS Allocations to Schools in the Birkenhead Constituency

  Year

  School

  Project Details

  Type

  Grant Awarded

  school

  Mersey Park Primary School

  Repair element roofing

  Project including 17 schools

  £950,300.00

  Woodchurch Road Primary School

  Heating boiler plant repairs

  Project including 13 schools

  £340,900.00

  Hillside Infant School

  Repair element structure

  Project including 15 schools

  £1,289,200.00

  Townfield Primary School

  Repair element structure

  Project including 15 schools

  £1,289,200.00

  St Oswald's Bidston C of E Primary School

  Repair element rooting

  Project including 17 schools

  £950,300.00

  Oxton St Savior's C of E Primary School

  Heating boiler plantreparis

  Project including 13 schools

  £340,900.00

  Our Lady and St Edward's Catholic Primary School

  Heating boiler plant repairs

  Project including 13 schools

  £340,900.00

  Holy Cross Catholic Primary School

  Heating boiler plant repairs

  Project including 13 schools

  £340,900.00

  St Joseph's Catholic Primary School

  Repair element structure

  Project including 15 schools

  £1,289,200.00

  Prenton High School for Girls

  Repair element roofing

  Project including 17 schools

  £950,300.00

  Rock Ferry High School

  Repair element roofing

  Project including 17 schools

  £950,300.00

  Ridgeway High School

  Repair element roofing

  Project including

  £950,300.00

  Plessington Catholic High School Technology College

  Heating boiler plant repairs

  Project including 13 schools

  £340,900.00

  2000–01

  Rock Ferry High School

  Temporary mobile accomodation to be replaced by permanent new build

  Project including 9 schools

  £1,955,856.00

  Ridgeway High School

  Temporary mobile accomodation to be replaced by permanent new build

  Project including 9 schools

  £1,955,856.00

  479W
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent on repairing schools in Birkenhead in each year since 1997. [166304]

  Mr. Miliband
  The majority of capital support is allocated to schools and local education authorities by formula, and they decide how to invest it in line with

  All figures in £000s

  Wirral LEA Capital Allocations

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–2000

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  2003–04

  Assistance With AMPS

  42

  Basic L C Vap

  61

  348

  453

  Basic Need

  1,468

  632

  1,793

  1,068

  344

  110

  251

  City Learning centers

  10

  2,200

  Class Size Initiative

  211

  899

  651

  66

  91

  Condition

  2,076

  3,108

  4,009

  Devolved Formula

  2,336

  1,922

  2,906

  4,590

  Early Excellence center

  195

  66

  Energy

  104

  Modernisation

  1,567

  2,911

  NDS 1

  375

  NDS 2

  1,902

  NDS 3

  2,712

  NDS 4

  3,956

  Nursery Provision

  70

  Outside Toilets

  36

  9

  Private Finance Initiative

  58,500

  School Labs

  224

  224

  School Security

  83

  103

  109

  108

  76

  65

  Schools Access Initiative

  30

  70

  150

  210

  349

  493

  726

  Seed Challenge

  217

  247

  424

  421

  Specialist Schools

  100

  200

  200

  Staff Workspace

  84

  176

  Supplementary Credit Approvals

  55

  684

  Supplementary NDS for VA Schools

  146

  Targeted Capital Funding

  600

  1,316

  Targeted Capital Funding—VA

  3,921

  Voluntary Aided School Grant

  399

  682

  937

  341

  352

  763

  Total

  2,410

  4,619

  6,717

  67,937

  8,717

  10,159

  18,774

  Additionally, we have allocated to date approximately £13.4 million in 2004–05 and £5.3 million in 2005–06 for further capital investment in schools in Wirral LEA.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching assistants there were in schools in Birkenhead (a) in each of the last seven years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [166299]

  Mr. Miliband
  In the Birkenhead constituency there were 210 full-time equivalent teaching assistants in service in maintained schools in January 2003. This is the latest information available. The table gives the corresponding numbers since 1997.

  Year

  1997

  90

  1998

  90

  1999

  110

  2000

  110

  2001

  170

  2002

  150

  Source:

  Annual School's Census.

  480W
  their asset management plans. The Department does not, therefore, have complete information about capital investment at constituency level. The table sets out the capital support made by the Government to Wirral Local Education Authority since 1997–98, in total and by programme, including devolved formula capital grants to each school.

  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there were in Birkenhead on the latest date for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to reduce them. [166298]

  Mr. Miliband
  Teacher vacancy information is collected at local authority level. In January 2003, there were 18 vacancies for full-time teachers in maintained schools in the Wirral local education authority (LEA) area, which includes Birkenhead.

  Like other areas, since 1997 Wirral has benefited from the initiatives that the Government has put in place to recruit and retain teachers and to increase the number of staff supporting them in schools. Since 1997, the number of full-time equivalent regular teachers in maintained schools in Wirral LEA has risen by 150, from 2,930 to 3,080 in 2003. Over the same period, the number of full-time equivalent school support staff in the LEA has grown by 690, from 680 to 1,370.

  Sex Education
  Dr. Stoate
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made since 16 July 2003 on establishing a set of guidelines on sex education for boys. [166546]

  Stephen Twigg
  We have commissioned the development of practical guidance to support schools in Sex and Relationship Education (SRE) for boys and young men. The guidance will be available in early June.

  Additionally since July 2003, we have supported the production of a resource for teaching and learning about HIV and AIDS which addresses both boys and girls. Our programme of professional development which includes a specialist module of SRE will be available to up to 3,000 teachers in 2004–05. These participants are required to demonstrate that their SRE programme meet the needs of both boys and girls.

  Student Loans
  Dr. Cable
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much interest accrued to the Student Loan Company on student loans in financial years(a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; and how much of this interest was derived from capital sums which had been paid by debtors to the Inland Revenue but not transferred to the Student Loan Company. [166116]

  Alan Johnson
  In financial year 2002–03, the sum of £146.8 million in interest was added onto the student loans balance. Of this, £106.9 million related to income contingent loans and £39.9 million related to mortgage style loans. Any adjustments arising from the repayments received in respect of 2002–03 will be included in the 2003–04 data.

  Data are not available to answer the second part of the question.

  Data for financial year 2003–04 are not yet available.

  Teachers (North Somerset)
  Brian Cotter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) teaching assistants, (b) teachers and (c) teaching vacancies there were in schools in the North Somerset Education Authority in each year since 1997. [165679]

  Mr. Miliband
  [holding answer 19 April 2004]: The table shows the number of full-time equivalent teaching assistants, regular teachers and full-time permanent teacher vacancies in maintained schools in North Somerset Local Education Authority area, in January of each year since 1997.
  482W

  Teachers assistants

  Teachers

  Vacancies

  1997

  190

  1,450

  9

  1998

  220

  1,380

  12

  1999

  220

  1,360

  10

  2000

  260

  1,360

  14

  2001

  290

  1,420

  7

  2002

  310

  1,480

  5

  2003

  380

  1,490

  7

  Sources:

  Annual School Census (teaching assistants) and the Annual Survey of Teachers in Service and Teacher Vacancies.

  Teaching Assistants (Wirral)
  Mr. Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teaching assistants there were in schools in Wirral South in (a) each of the last seven years and (b) on the latest date for which figures are available. [166625]

  Mr. Miliband
  In the Wirral South constituency there were 130 full-time equivalent teaching assistants in service in maintained schools in January 2003. This is the latest information available. The table gives the corresponding numbers since 1997.

  Year

  1997

  50

  1998

  50

  1999

  50

  2000

  60

  2001

  80

  2002

  100

  Source:

  Annual School's Census.

  Excellence in Cities
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children in Birkenhead have benefited from the Excellence in Cities programme; and what the per pupil spending was in each year since the programme's inception. [166327]

  Mr Miliband
  Park High School, Prenton High School Ridgeway High School, Rock Ferry High School and Woodchurch High School in Birkenhead have been included in Excellence in Cities since September 2000. The table below shows the number of children in Birkenhead benefiting, and the annual spend per pupil for the years in question.

  No of Children

  Total EiC expenditure1 £

  Spend per Pupil £

  2000–01

  4,870

  675,311

  138.67

  2001–02

  5,056

  675,311

  133.57

  2002–03

  5,141

  726,028

  141.22

  2003–04

  5,284

  1,437,340

  272.00

  1 Funding figures were supplied by the Excellence in Cities coordinator for Wirral.

  483W
  The large increase in the rate of EiC funding in 2003–04 is due to the extra funding provided through the Leadership Incentive Grant and Behaviour Improvement Programme which came on stream in 2003.

  Supply Teachers
  Mr. Andrew Hunter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, if he will take measures to ensure that only local education authority-approved teachers can be employed by schools as supply teachers. [166412]

  Mr. Miliband
  My right hon. Friend has no present plans to take such measures. However, the Government has already taken action to improve the quality and reliability of supply teachers. A package of self-study materials was launched in June 2002 specifically for supply teachers. In addition, my Department's Quality mark scheme requires that teachers being offered to schools by agencies and Local Education Authorities have been interviewed and their references checked. I plan to write to schools soon recommending that they use Quality Mark holders for fulfilling their supply needs wherever possible.

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  2002

  2003

  English—no.of pupils1

  665

  708

  757

  772

  797

  819

  767

  Mathematics—no. of pupils1

  633

  633

  727

  723

  742

  774

  733

  English—%of pupils

  76

  76

  81

  83

  86

  84

  84

  Mathematics—%of pupils

  72

  68

  78

  78

  80

  79

  80

  1 The number of eligible pupils for the Key Stage 2 tests varies slightly from year to year.

  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teacher vacancies there were in Wirral South on the latest date for which figures are available; and what steps he is taking to reduce them. [166626]

  Mr. Miliband
  Teacher vacancy information is collected at local authority level. There were 18 vacancies for full-time teachers in maintained schools in the Wirral local education authority (LEA) area, which includes Wirral South.

  Like other areas, since 1997 Wirral has benefited from the initiatives that the Government has put in place to recruit and retain teachers and to increase the number of staff supporting them in schools. Since 1997, the number of full-time equivalent regular teachers in maintained schools in Wirral LEA has risen by 150, from 2,930 to 3,080 in 2003. Over the same period, the number of full-time equivalent school support staff in the LEA has grown by 690, from 680 to 1,370.

  Temporary Classrooms
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many temporary or demountable classrooms in the Colchester

  Schools (Wirral, South)
  Mr. Ben Chapman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of pupils in Wirral South reached the(a) mathematics and (b) English standard in each of the last seven years. [166623]

  Mr. Miliband
  The results from the 2003 National Curriculum tests showed that 75 per cent. of 11-yearolds in England reached Level 4 in English and 73 per cent. in mathematics. These results represent a significant improvement in standards—of 12 percentage points in English and 11 percentage points in mathematics—since 1997, reflecting the impact of the National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies on primary schools. We remain absolutely committed, through our new Primary Strategy, to supporting schools to achieve the ambitious targets we have set for standards in literacy and numeracy.

  The table shows the number and percentage of pupils in Wirral South who have achieved level 4 or above in the Key Stage 2 English and mathematics tests since 1997. The results for Wirral South are well above the national average and have improved significantly since 1997:

  Parliamentary constituency have been replaced with permanent accommodation since May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [165328]

  Alan Johnson
  The Department does not hold data on the replacement of temporary classrooms since 1997. This Government has increased its support for capital investment in schools from under £700 million in 1996–97 to £3.8 billion this year and this will increase further to over £5 billion by 2005–06. The bulk of schools capital is now allocated by formula to Authorities and schools so that they can address their local priorities, including the replacement of decayed temporary accommodation, on which we have set a high priority. Prioritisation of need is through asset management planning, which should be an open, rigorous and consultative process, based on a survey of the needs of all schools, Modern, high-quality mobile or demountable classrooms provide a good environment for teaching and learning where there is short-term need. They might, for instance, be needed to cope with a short-term increase in pupil numbers, or where extensive remodelling or rebuilding of permanent accommodation means providing temporary accommodation on the school site, rather than transporting children elsewhere.

  Pupil Referral Units
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average length of attendance at pupil referral units was in each of the last three years. [165475]

  Alan Johnson
  The data requested is not collected centrally.

  School Refurbishment
  Mr Simmonds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding his Department(a) has spent in 2003–04 and (b) is planning to spend in (i) 2004–05 and (ii) 2005–06 on rebuilding and refurbishing property in (A) secondary schools and (B) further education colleges. [165351]

  Alan Johnson
  The majority of the Department's school capital investment is allocated to schools and Local Education Authorities (LEAs) by formula, and they decide how best to invest it in line with their asset management plans. We do not stipulate how LEAs should split this investment between primary and secondary schools and we do not, therefore, have detailed information about all capital investment spent on secondary schools. This information should be held locally. The total capital investment available for all schools amounted to £3.8 billion in 2003–04, and we have indicated that this will rise to £4.5 billion and £5.1 billion in 2004–05 and 2005–06 respectively.

  Maintained Primary and Secondary Schools 1: Number (headcount) of Pupils Position as at January each year: Devon Plymouth and Torbay Local Education Authorities

  Devon Maintained secondary

  Plymouth Maintained secondary

  Torbay Maintained secondary

  Maintained Primary

  Total secondary

  of which grammar schools

  Maintained Primary

  Total secondary

  of which grammar schools

  Maintained Primary

  Total secondary

  of which grammar schools

  19972

  84,938

  62,047

  5,619

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  19982

  88,639

  62,991

  5,693

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1999

  56,454

  37,592

  727

  21,887

  18,254

  2,481

  10,254

  8,467

  2,607

  2000

  56,374

  38,816

  731

  21,510

  18,645

  2,597

  10,288

  8,552

  2,654

  2001

  56,503

  39,832

  732

  21,285

  18,829

  2,645

  10,328

  8,708

  2,697

  2002

  56,159

  40,872

  745

  20,968

  18,982

  2,679

  10,399

  8,863

  2,738

  2003

  55,679

  41,696

  741

  20,431

  19,008

  2,709

  10,325

  9,024

  2,722

  Source:

  Annual Schools' Census

  1 Includes middle schools as deemed.

  2 Before Local Government Reorganisation.

  Public Bodies
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the(a) resource budget, (b) administration costs and (c) staff numbers were for 2003 of the (i) School Teachers' Review Body and (ii) Music and Dance Scheme Advisory Group. [165122]
  486W
  All of the Department's post-16 learning and skills sector capital investment is allocated to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). In 2003–04 the LSC's total capital funding allocation was £327.5 million, and we have indicated that this will rise to £379.5 million and £408.5 million in 2004–05 and 2005–06 respectively. This comprises capital funding for the further education and Adult and Community Learning sectors. It includes funding to develop the Information and Learning Technology infrastructure; to develop centers of Vocational Excellence; and to support the Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities programme. The Department does not provide a specific budget to the LSC for rebuilding and refurbishing property in further education colleges. It is for the LSC to determine for itself the right level of capital investment in further education colleges. Mr. Haysom, the Council's Chief Executive, will write to the hon. Member on this matter. A copy of his reply will be placed in the House library.

  Devon Schools
  Mr. Swire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many places there were in Devon Local Education Authority(a) primary, (b) secondary and (c) grammar schools in each of the last seven years. [165016]

  Alan Johnson
  The available information shown in the table relates to the number of pupils in maintained primary and secondary schools and grammar schools rather than total number of school places.

  Alan Johnson
  The School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) does not have a specific budget. Its costs are borne within the overall total budget for the Office of Manpower Economics. The estimated resource budget for the work of the STRB in 2003–04, including members' costs and consultancy and survey work was about £840,00 and this includes Secretariat
  487W
  administration costs, including pay, of £384,000. The STRB is supported by a Secretariat of 7.8 people within the Office of Manpower Economics.

  The Music and Dance Scheme Advisory Group (MDSAG) does not have a resource budget. The
  488W
  Group's members are unpaid and only receive expenses for attendance at meetings. These amounted to some £6,000 in 2003–04. The MDSAG is serviced by two officials from the Department of Education and Skills as part of their duties in administering the Music and Dance Scheme.

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