Written Answers of 17 June 2004

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Council Housing
  Ms Buck
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list(a) the number of council housing stock option appraisals signed off by the Government to date and (b) the number of these which have involved (i) retention of the stock, (ii) transfer of the stock to a registered social landlord, (iii) delegation to an arm's length management organisation and (iv) mixed solutions, (c) the number of local authorities that have submitted an options appraisal which has not yet been signed off and (d) the number of authorities that have not yet submitted an appraisal to be signed off in (A) London and (B) England. [178472]

  Keith Hill
  Local authorities were only required to have signed off option appraisals from April 2003. Prior to that date 157 local authorities had already opted for transfer or Arms Length Management Organisation (ALMO) of which 11 are in London.

  The table as follows shows the position regarding the sign-off requirement as of 9 June 2004, as reported by Government Offices for the Regions

  England (including London)

  London

  (a) Total number. of OAs signed off

  27

  2

  (b)(i) Number of these that have involved retention

  13

  Nil

  (b)(ii) Number of these that have involved transfer

  13

  Nil

  (b)(iii) Number of these that have involved ALMO

  10

  2

  (b)(iv) Number of these that have involved mixed solutions

  2

  Nil

  (c) Number of LAs that have submitted an options appraisal without sign off as of 9 June 04

  6

  1

  (d) Number of LAs that have not yet submitted an options appraisal as of 9 June 2004

  164

  19

  Coverage Care
  Mr. Clifton-Brown
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answers of 15 March 2004,Official Report, columns 59–60W and 29 April 2004, Official Report, column 1227W, on Coverage Care (Gloucestershire Ltd.), what estimate he has made of the maximum contingent liability to be borne by (a) council tax payers in Gloucestershire and (b) the general tax payer; if he will list the information which the county council has resolved should remain confidential; under what circumstances a specific consent would need to be sought by the county council; and what discussions he
  1026W
  has held on the county council's invocation of confidentiality provisions in local government legislation in relation to this matter. [173029]

  Yvette Cooper
  The bulk of Government support is paid as block grant, so local authorities have considerable freedom to determine their spending priorities and decide how to apportion their revenue budget between services. The provision of local authority services is for individual authorities, bearing in mind their statutory responsibilities. The Government does not have a power to intervene in local authorities' day to day decisions.

  It is for local authorities to determine the level of council tax. Local authorities should be consulting their local tax payers on issues about levels of council tax and what the money is spent on.

  Part 1 of Schedule 12A to the Local Government Act 1972 describes the types of "exempt information" which a local authority can decide to keep confidential. Gloucestershire county council has resolved to keep confidential the types of information specified in paragraphs 5, 7 and 9. These paragraphs cover information relating to financial assistance provided by the authority, the financial or business affairs of other parties and terms proposed in the course of commercial contract negotiations. No discussions have been held between the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the county council about the council's use of confidentiality provisions in local government legislation. The circumstances under which a specific consent would need to be sought by the county council are set out in sections 24 and 25 of the Local Government Act 1988.

  Economic Regeneration Funding
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what financial support was given by his Department to each of the areas designated as a priority area for economic regeneration as defined by Regional Planning Guidance 9 in 2003–04. [179230]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister funds a large number of programmes either through its agencies, such as English Partnerships, or directly. In 2003–4 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's direct initiatives which assisted economic regeneration in the South-East included the Neighbourhood Renewal Fund, Wardens Schemes, Neighbourhood Management Pilots, New Deal for Communities, the Community Empowerment Fund, Community Chest, Community Learning Chest, Single Regeneration Budget and European Structural Fund Objective Two. The information on how much was given in 2003–4 in each of the priority areas for economic regeneration is not held centrally, and could only be provided at a disproportionate cost.

  Fire Service (Recruitment)
  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many recruits there were to each fire authority in England and Wales in each of the last five years, broken down by(a) gender and (b) ethnicity. [178770]

  Mr. Raynsford
  Information in the form requested is not readily available for the years 1999–2001. Information on the number of successful applicants for
  1027W
  each fire authority in England and Wales from 1999 to 2001 by gender and ethnicity is not held centrally and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

  Information on the number of successful applicants for each authority in England and Wales in each of the last two years by (a) gender and (b) ethnicity is available in the Library of the House.

  Housing Stock Transfer
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what receipts there were from stock transfer of council housing, broken down by local authority and

  Local authority

  Date of transfer

  Number of dwellings

  Price per dwelling (£)

  Gross transfer price (£ million)

  ERCF grant paid for negative valuation X

  Cotswold DC

  28 February 1997

  4,282

  12,818

  53.45

  —

  South Staffs C

  7 March 1997

  5,273

  7,998

  42.67

  —

  Lichfield DC

  19 March 1997

  4,921

  8,416

  40.88

  —

  South Oxfordshire DC

  7 July 1997

  5,018

  13,618

  68.33

  —

  Eden C

  22 September 1997

  1,510

  11,253

  16.99

  —

  LB Lambeth * Moorlands

  5 January 1998

  515

  -24,660

  -12.80

  X

  LB Bexley

  9 February 1998

  4,118

  11,996

  49.40

  —

  LB Bexley

  9 February 1998

  4,097

  8,540

  34.99

  —

  Congleton BC

  2 March 1998

  4,061

  7,939

  32.24

  —

  Oldham BC* Limehurst

  9 March 1998

  642

  -8,941

  -5.74

  X

  Liverpool CC * Windermere

  19 March 1998

  493

  -13,164

  -6.49

  X

  LB Merton* Pollards Hill

  23 March 1998

  1,018

  -13,635

  -13.88

  X

  LB Tower Hamlets* Poplar 1

  23 March 1998

  1,852

  -19,006

  -35.20

  X

  Kerrier DC

  23 March 1998

  3,732

  8,579

  32.02

  —

  LB Hackney * Kingsmead

  30 March 1998

  951

  -11,199

  -10.65

  X

  LB Brent * Fortunegate/Church End

  30 March 1998

  1,481

  -16,874

  -25.00

  X

  Basildon DC* Vange

  30 March 1998

  708

  -9,562

  -6.77

  X

  West Somerset DC

  30 March 1998

  1,869

  13,750

  25.70

  —

  Stoke-on-Trent CC * Bentilee

  31 March 1998

  917

  -11,221

  -10.29

  X

  Tewkesbury BC

  27 April 1998

  3,066

  7,985

  24.48

  —

  Rother DC

  1 May 1998

  3,058

  10,072

  30.80

  —

  LB Lambeth * Lansdowne Green

  20 July 1998

  681

  -12,555

  -8.54

  X

  LB Tower Hamlets* Poplar II

  7 December 1998

  2,431

  -7,805

  -18.97

  X

  Wirral* Leasowe

  25 January 1999

  1,082

  -4,799

  -5.19

  X

  Tameside * West Ashton

  1 February 1999

  901

  -10,655

  -9.57

  X

  West Devon BC

  22 February 1999

  1,446

  9,200

  13.52

  —

  South Somerset DC

  1 March 1999

  8,883

  7,795

  69.25

  —

  East Lindsey DC

  1 March 1999

  5,102

  8,820

  45.00

  —

  Liverpool CC* Pinehurst

  5 March 1999

  646

  -9,505

  -6.14

  X

  Manchester CC Darnhill

  8 March 1999

  1,030

  82

  0.85

  —

  LB Hackney* Morningside

  15 March 1999

  1,084

  -9,339

  -10.12

  X

  South Hams District Council

  22 March 1999

  3,096

  13,243

  41.00

  —

  LB Hammersmith and Fulham* Old Oak

  17 March 1999

  668

  -14,027

  -9.37

  X

  LB Hackney * Upper Clapton

  22 March 1999

  1,000

  -19,975

  -19.98

  X

  Telford and Wrekin C

  25 March 1999

  13,081

  9

  113.37

  —

  LB Enfield

  29 March 1999

  1,194

  n/a

  0.00

  —

  Worthing BC

  29 March 1999

  2,525

  14,095

  35.59

  —

  Bath and North East Somerset C

  29 March 1999

  9,887

  8,040

  79.49

  —

  Manchester CC* East Wythenshawe

  29 March 1999

  6,667

  -3,165

  -20.81

  X

  LB Greenwich* Charlton Triangle

  29 March 1999

  1,280

  -14,077

  -18.02

  X

  LB Hackney* Haggerston

  29 March 1999

  661

  -20,030

  -13.24

  X

  Allerdale BC

  31 March 1999

  3,704

  8,261

  30.60

  —

  Allerdale BC * Salterbeck

  31 March 1999

  727

  -5,451

  -3.96

  X

  Preston BC * Avenham

  14 June 1999

  1,121

  -8,576

  -9.61

  X

  LB Lambeth* Central Stockwell

  5 July 1999

  2,358

  -6,667

  -17.53

  X

  Birmingham CC* Central Areas

  21 June 1999

  2,813

  -17,401

  -50.55

  X

  LB Islington* Barnsbury

  26 September 1999

  647

  -6,646

  -4.29

  X

  LB Islington* Ten Estates

  26 September 1999

  739

  -24,898

  -18.41

  X

  Liverpool CC* Speke Garston

  4 October 1999

  4,382

  -9,990

  -43.78

  X

  West Lindsey DC

  18 October 1999

  3,929

  7,814

  30.70

  —

  LB Lambeth* St. Martins

  25 October 1999

  1,033

  -6,805

  -7.03

  X

  Boston BC

  29 November 1999

  4,871

  8,907

  43.40

  —

  Tynedale DC

  20 December 1999

  3,564

  9,5

  33.86

  —

  Newcastle under Lyme BC

  31 January 2000

  9,887

  5,462

  54,00

  —

  Restormel BC

  7 February 2000

  3,577

  7,018

  25,11

  —

  1028W
  giving the number of homes involved, the unit transfer price, and the total capacity receipt in each case, in each year since 1997. [178905]

  Keith Hill
  To reflect the intended continued use of the properties for social housing and the need for capital investment, the price paid to each local authority per council dwelling and reflected in the following table, accords with a Tenanted Market Value (TMV) rather than an open market value. Where there is a negative value a grant equal to this amount was paid by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as part of the Estates Renewal Challenge Fund (ERCF) programme. The table shows the receipts from stock transfer, broken down by local authority, showing the number of dwellings, price per dwelling and the gross transfer price in each year since 1997.
  1029W

  Local authority

  Date of transfer

  Number of dwellings

  Price per dwellings (£)

  Gross transfer price (£ million)

  ERCF grant paid for negative valuation X

  Manchester CC (Colshaw Farm)

  14 February 2000

  600

  1,500

  0.90

  —

  North Devon DC

  21 February 2000

  3,293

  13,438

  44.25

  —

  LB Hackney* Stamford Hill

  6 March 2000

  1,095

  -12,082

  -13.23

  X

  LB Hackney* Pembury Estate

  6 March 2000

  1,241

  -12,379

  -15.35

  X

  Burnley BC

  8 March 2000

  5,330

  4,205

  22.41

  —

  Manchester CC Sale Estate

  20 March 2000

  1,655

  1,419

  2.35

  —

  Weymouth and Portland C

  20 March 2000

  3,105

  9,983

  30.99

  —

  Huntingdon DC

  20 March 2000

  6,650

  9,534

  63.40

  —

  Elmbridge BC

  27 March 2000

  4,894

  11,626

  56.90

  —

  Test Valley BC

  27 March 2000

  5,495

  14,559

  79.99

  —

  Wyre Forest DC

  27 March 2000

  6,056

  6,762

  40.95

  —

  Manchester CC Whitefield Estate

  27 March 2000

  1,033

  1,942

  1.97

  —

  LB Tower Hamlets* THCH

  27 March 2000

  1,551

  -13,718

  -21.43

  X

  Tameside

  27 March 2000

  8,532

  6,489

  127.50

  —

  MBC

  1—

  7,934

  7,057

  —

  LB Richmond

  17 July 2000

  7,139

  8,335

  59.50

  —

  Coventry CC

  22 September 2000

  20,125

  2,460

  49.50

  —

  Fylde BC

  2 October 2000

  1,905

  6,300

  12.00

  —

  Chester CC

  27 November 2000

  7,096

  6,341

  45.00

  —

  Horsham DC

  11 December 2000

  4,650

  14,462

  67.25

  —

  LB Tower Hamlets* Poplar 1

  12 February 2001

  1,859

  -1,894

  -35.22

  X

  East Northamptonshire DC

  19 February 2001

  3,495

  6,150

  21.49

  —

  Torbay BC

  19 February 2001

  2,947

  6,480

  19.10

  —

  Staffordshire Moorlands DC

  23 February 2001

  3,132

  6,290

  19.67

  —

  Calderdale MBC

  6 March 2001

  12,759

  2,825

  36.00

  —

  Chichester DC

  13 March 2001

  5,321

  14,752

  78.50

  —

  Mendip DC

  19 March 2001

  4,326

  8,091

  35.00

  —

  West Wiltshire DC

  26 March 2001

  3,284

  6,423

  21.00

  —

  West Oxfordshire DC

  26 March 2001

  3,643

  13,972

  50.90

  —

  East Staffordshire BC

  26 March 2001

  5,637

  3,643

  24.50

  —

  Manchester CC Handforth Estate

  26 March 2001

  659

  535

  0.37

  —

  Sunderland CC

  26 March 2001

  36,356

  6,045

  219.80

  —

  Blackburn with Darwen BC

  28 March 2001

  9,886

  4,195

  35.40

  —

  Shrewsbury and Atcham BC

  1 October 2001

  5,500

  11,527

  63.40

  —

  Mid-Bedfordshire DC

  5 November 2001

  3,084

  10,159

  31.33

  —

  Derbyshire Dales

  4 March 2002

  3,287

  7,616

  24.80

  —

  Chelmsford BC

  11 March 2002

  6,902

  11,530

  79.60

  —

  East Hertfordshire

  18 March 2002

  2,687

  11,937

  32.10

  —

  East Hertfordshire

  1—

  3,237

  13,725

  44.40

  —

  Erewash BC

  25 March 2002

  5,847

  6,460

  38.10

  —

  Reigate and Banstead BC

  25 March 2002

  4,846

  13,212

  64.00

  —

  St. Edmundsbury

  24 June 2002

  5,947

  7,489

  45.10

  —

  Vale Royal BC

  1 July 2002

  6,813

  7,462

  51.07

  —

  St. Helens MBC

  1 July 2002

  14,632

  1,974

  28.90

  —

  Redcar and Cleveland BC

  15 July 2002

  11,625

  5,180

  60.20

  —

  Knowsley MBC

  15 July 2002

  17,090

  1,794

  30.66

  —

  LB Waltham Forest

  30 September 2002

  2,242

  832

  1.87

  —

  LB Hackney cc sheltered stock

  14 October 2002

  954

  0

  0.00

  —

  LB Harrow

  14 October 2002

  518

  0

  0.00

  —

  Manchester cc Langley Estate

  18 November 2002

  3,360

  0

  0.00

  —

  County of Herefordshire C

  25 November 2002

  5,696

  6,945

  39.56

  —

  Carlisle CC

  9 December 2002

  7,198

  1,803

  12.98

  —

  Rushcliffe BC

  20 January 2003

  3,445

  12,934

  44.56

  —

  Liverpool CC Eastern Fringe (south)

  23 January 2003

  2,833

  1,800

  5.10

  —

  Liverpool CC Eastern Fringe (central)

  30 January 2003

  3,702

  0

  0.00

  —

  City of Bradford

  24 February 2003

  24,764

  2,831

  70.10

  —

  Amber Valley BC

  24 February 2003

  5,632

  5,077

  28.57

  —

  Crewe and Nantwich BC

  10 March 2003

  5,515

  6,181

  34.10

  —

  Liverpool CC Eastern fringe north

  10 March 2003

  6,183

  0

  0.00

  —

  Oldham MBC Limeside (Hollins/The Avenues)

  17 March 2003

  634

  0

  0.00

  —

  Walsall MBC (majority of stock)

  27 March 2003

  22,971

  1,026

  24.00

  —

  Walsall MBC (tenant managed stock)

  27 March 2003

  1,828

  0

  0.00

  —

  Craven DC

  31 March 2003

  1,541

  5,201

  17.60

  —

  Forest of Dean DC

  31 March 2003

  3,577

  6,849

  24.50

  —

  North Hertfordshire DC

  31 March 2003

  8,570

  3,128

  27.00

  —

  Manchester CC (East Manchester)

  8 September 2003

  2,823

  0

  0.00

  —

  Scarborough BC

  15 December 2003

  4,632

  5,232

  24.25

  —

  Maidstone BC

  2 February 2004

  6,810

  5,685

  35.82

  —

  Teignbridge

  4 February 2004

  3,647

  3,651

  12.90

  —

  Oldham MBC Fitton Hill

  15 March 2004

  1,285

  0

  0.00

  —

  Cherwell

  29 March 2004

  3,656

  7,397

  42.85

  —

  Bromsgrove

  29 March 2004

  3,096

  5,218

  16.50

  —

  Hartlepool

  29 March 2004

  7,509

  427

  3.20

  —

  Liverpool (Kensington)

  29 March 2004

  289

  0

  0.00

  —

  Worcester

  31 March 2004

  4,714

  1,128

  5.31

  —

  1030W 1031W

  Local authority

  Date of transfer

  Number of dwellings

  Price per dwellings (£)

  Gross transfer price (£ million)

  ERCF grant paid for negative valuation X

  South Norfolk

  17 May 2004

  4,214

  7,499

  31.60

  —

  Copeland BC

  7 June 2004

  3,787

  317

  1.20

  —

  1 Two transfers to separate RSLs.

  Lone Parents (Accommodation)
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many lone parents aged 16 and 17 years are resident in local authority accommodation with(a) on-site support, (b) floating support and (c) no specialist support. [177542]

  Keith Hill
  Information obtained from the 2002–03 Housing Investment Programme (HIP) statistical returns shows that on 1 April 2003 the following number of lone teenage parents under 18 were occupying local authority non self-contained accommodation: 201 in accommodation with on site support; 393 in accommodation with floating support. There were 2,869 lone teenage parents in supported accommodation provided by a housing association. The HIP returns for 2002–03 show that 1,242 lettings were made to lone teenage parents under the age of 18 in unsupported accommodation.

  Ordnance Survey
  Mr. Boris Johnson
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will examine whether there is a conflict of interest in the Government's adviser on geographic information being Chief Executive of the Ordnance Survey. [148478]

  Yvette Cooper
  Ordnance Survey is a Government Department. As the National Mapping Agency it has an aim, agreed with Government, to satisfy the national interest and customer need for accurate and readily available geospatial data and maps of the whole of Great Britain in the most effective and efficient way.

  It is entirely appropriate that the Director General and Chief Executive of Ordnance Survey should be adviser to Government on matters of geographic information.

  Proposals for a wider advisory panel as recommended by the Select Committee are currently under consideration.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Edward Davey
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 28 April,Official Report, column 1141W, on the Advisory Group on Home Buying, how much the minimal cost was which he refers to for financial years (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04. [179025]

  Keith Hill
  Meetings of the Home Buying and Selling Advisory Group are hosted by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister which take place in one of our buildings and the costs fall within our general administration and staff budget. The Group met once in each of the years 2002–03 and 2003—04. We estimate that the staff costs were approximately £1,000 per meeting. The catering costs were £41.40 per meeting.
  1032W
  Following a reorganisation of the structure for stakeholder involvement in the home buying and selling reform programme, the Advisory Group has now been replaced by two new groups: the Home Buying and Selling Forum which represents all stakeholder interests and; and the Central Stakeholder Group which comprises representatives of the main industry and consumer groups most affected by the reform proposals.

  Planning Decisions
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what percentage of planning decisions were delayed by more than eight weeks in(a) 2001, (b) 2002 and (c) 2003. [178530]

  Keith Hill
  For district planning authorities in England, the average percentages of planning decisions determined outside of eight weeks from the date of receipt of application in 2001, 2002 and 2003 were:

  2001: 36 per cent.

  2002: 34 per cent.

  2003: 29 per cent.

  Telecommunications Masts
  Mrs. Spelman
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister for what reasons the recommendations of the Stewart Report on the Precautionary Approach on the placement of masts near schools have not been carried forward, with particular reference to recommendation 1.42; and if he will make a statement. [172312]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Government gave careful consideration to recommendation 1.42 on the beam of greatest intensity. We have sought to address the concerns that the Stewart Group identified in the following ways.

  Planning Policy Guidance Note 8 on Telecommunications recognises that when operators are siting mobile phone base stations schools must be given special consideration. It makes clear that, where it is proposed to install, alter or replace a mobile base station near a school or college, operators should discuss the proposed development with the relevant body of the school or college concerned before submitting an application for planning permission or prior approval to the local authority.

  Department for Education and Skills has issued advice to local education authorities and schools about base stations in and around school premises and the use of mobile phones by children. Where parents and/or schools wish to know whether the beam of intensity falls on school grounds or buildings, the school should contact the base station's operator. The operators have agreed to provide schools with information on the level of intensity of radio frequency radiation. If there is major concern from the school or parents, they could ask the network operator to adjust the antenna.
  1033W
  Another recommendation (1.41) of the Stewart Report was the auditing of emissions from base stations particularly near schools and other sensitive sites. In an ongoing audit, OFCOM (formerly the Radiocommunications Agency) has measured exposures around nearly 300 base stations to date (www.ofcom.org.uk). In all cases exposures have been below, and mostly thousands of times below, the guidelines.

TREASURY

  Overseas Aid
  Ann McKechin
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the comprehensive spending review with regard to a timetable to reach the 0.7 per cent. of gross national income target for development aid by 2008. [179138]

  John Healey
  We remain committed to reaching the 0.7 per cent. target as demonstrated by our record on aid spending since 1997. This induces the largest ever increase of UK development assistance to nearly £5 billion by 2005–06.

  We will announce in the 2004 Spending Review what we will do up to 2007–08, but at this stage I cannot preempt the final announcement.

  Mr. Lazarowicz
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the comprehensive spending review with regard to the timetable to reach the overseas development assistance target of 0.7 per cent. of gross national income by 2008. [179140]

  John Healey
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Maryhill, (Ann McKenchin) earlier today.

  International Finance Facility
  Mr. Russell Brown
  To ask the Chancellor of Exchequer, what progress has been made on the international finance facility. [179139]

  John Healey
  I refer the right hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer gave to the hon. Member for Bristol Eest, (Valerie Davey) earlier today.

  Poor Countries (Debt Relief)
  Mr. Reed
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what progress he has made in persuading the G8 to support his plans for further debt relief for the poorest countries. [179141]

  John Healey
  Further cancellation of debt for the world's poorest countries was an important item of discussion at the recent G8 Summit in Sea Island.

  The UK pressed for, and secured, G8 support for the extension of the HIPC initiative by another two years, potentially allowing another 10 countries to benefit from debt relief in excess of $30 billion.

  Finance Ministers will report back by the end of the year on progress, and on further measures to ensure that the poorest countries have a sustainable exit from debt.

  Consumer Price Index
  Mr. Forth
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the current level of the consumer price index. [179142]

  Ruth Kelly
  Thanks to the macro-economic reforms this Government put in place upon coming to power, the UK economy is enjoying the longest period of sustained low inflation for 49 years.

  CPI inflation stood at 1.5 per cent. in May. The 2004 Budget forecast is for it to rise back to its symmetrical 2 per cent. target by the second half of next year.

  Efficiency Review
  Mr. Quentin Davies
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Defence regarding the efficiency review being conducted by Sir Peter Gershon. [179143]

  Mr. Boateng
  Treasury Ministers meet their Ministry of Defence counterparts frequently to discuss a range of issues, including the Efficiency Review. The Ministry of Defence is working closely with Sir Peter Gershon and his team to maximise the benefits of the efficiency review for front-line services.

  House Prices
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to moderate the rise in house prices. [179144]

  Ruth Kelly
  In Budget 2003, the Chancellor noted that a reduction in housing market volatility would enhance macro-economic stability. He asked Kate Barker to review housing supply in the UK, and David Miles to review the UK mortgage market.

  At the time of Budget 2004, both reviews presented their final reports. The Government have welcomed their analysis and recommendations for action.

  As recommended in the Barker Review, the Government are implementing a programme of change to the planning system and to the delivery of development, consulting with stakeholders as necessary.

  The Government endorses David Miles' conclusion that urgent reform is desirable to make the UK mortgage market work better for consumers in a number of areas. The FSA has in train reforms in the mortgage market, which will move to statutory regulation on 31 October. The Chancellor has asked the FSA to consider and report on the further reforms proposed by David Miles.

  Fuel Efficiency (Vehicles)
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to use the tax system to improve the fuel efficiency of vehicles. [179145]

  John Healey
  The Chancellor considers all relevant environmental, economic and social factors in deciding taxation policy. He will announce any changes to taxation policy in the context of his Budget statement.
  1035W
  The Government already has a good record in using taxation to improve fuel efficiency through, for example, duty differentials in favour of cleaner fuels and graduated vehicle excise duty and the reform of company car taxation which provide incentives for more fuel efficient cars.

  Development Aid
  Ms Munn
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on his plans to set a timetable to reach the 0.7 per cent. of gross national income target for overseas aid by 2008. [179146]

  John Healey
  I refer to the answer I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Ann McKechin) earlier today.

  Better Regulation
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 27 May 2004,Official Report, column 1727W, on Regulation, (1) what assessment he made of the recommendation of the Mandelkern Group on Better Regulation Final Report of 13 November 2001 that simplification does not mean deregulation; and what his assessment is of the adoption of this recommendation in the Better Regulation Action Plan published by the European Commission in June 2002; [178859]

  (2) which section of the European Commission's Better Regulation Action Plan provides for the removal of existing legislation which is in force; and if he will make a statement. [178861]

  Ruth Kelly
  The Government is working with its partners, through the joint initiative on regulatory reform, to ensure that the framework of existing European law is subject to thorough review.

  In doing this it is building on the Commission's Better Regulation Action Plan, which was developed in response to the Mandelkern Report as well as the Commission's White Paper on European Governance, and other submissions.

  The simplification workstream of this Action Plan covers a broad range of tools. Its aim is to reduce the costs of regulation while preserving overall policy objectives. This can include removal or revision of existing legislation. The Commission's progress report stated that simplification includes "efforts to simplify the substance of a policy … in such cases it may be necessary to adapt or to entirely rethink the legislative approach,"1

  1 COM (2003) 623 final: First Report on the Implementation of the Framework Action Plan Updating and Simplifying the Community Acquis, p8

  Burmese Imports
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the value of imports of(a) marine products, (b) shrimp and prawns and (c) timber from Burma has been in the past five financial years; and which companies import each type of product. [179228]
  1036W
  John Healey
  I refer my hon. friend to the answer I gave her on 5 March 2003,Official Report, column 1104W. The value of imports requested is shown in the table as follows.

  £ million

  Goods

  Financial year

  Value

  Marine products

  1999–2000

  1.787

  (exc shrimps and prawns)1

  2000–01

  3.362

  2001–02

  4.359

  2002–03

  4.082

  2003–04

  3.372

  Shrimps and prawns2

  1999–2000

  2.433

  2000–2001

  3.324

  2001–2002

  3.462

  2002–2003

  4.025

  2003–2004

  1.547

  Timber3

  1999—2000

  2.022

  2000–2001

  3.434

  2001–2002

  3.624

  2002–2003

  1.637

  2003–2004

  1.541

  1 Live fish; fish and fish fillets, molluscs and other aquatic invertebrates fresh, chilled, frozen, smoked, dried, salted or in brine; fish products not fit for human consumption

  2 Fresh, chilled, frozen, boiled, salted, dried or in brine.

  3 Rough, worked, planed, moulded etc, including plywood, fibreboard etc, but excluding made up artless of wood

  Source:

  Overseas Trade Statistics, HMCE

  Vera Baird
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the total value of imports from Burma was in 2003, broken down by import. [179231]

  John Healey
  The total value of imports from Burma in 2003, broken down by commodity is published in the Overseas Trade Statistics and is available on Customs' website www.uktradeinfo.com). It is shown in the table as follows:

  Imports from Burma to the United Kingdom: General Trade: 2003

  Value (£)

  Articles of apparel and clothing accessories

  51,313,636

  Fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic invertebrates and preparations thereof

  5,881,650

  Power generating machinery and equipment

  1,153,475

  Furniture and parts thereof, bedding, mattresses etc.

  1,055,213

  Cork and wood manufactures (excluding furniture)

  998,606

  Cork and wood

  968,649

  Vegetables and fruit

  439,924

  Parcel post

  195,853

  Miscellaneous manufactured articles not elsewhere specified

  109,966

  Textile yarn, fabrics, made up articles etc.

  78,304

  Footwear

  13,983

  Non-metallic mineral manufactures not elsewhere specified

  13,621

  General industrial machinery and equipment and machine parts not elsewhere specified

  7,806

  Other transport equipment

  7,088

  Manufactures of metal not elsewhere specified

  5,793

  Coffee, tea, cocoa, spices and manufactures thereof

  4,227

  Tobacco and tobacco manufactures

  1,482

  Machinery specialized for particular industries

  704

  Elsewhere specified

  625

  Total

  62,250,605

  Source:

  Overseas Trade Statistics, HMCE

  Compensation Payments
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many compensation payments were made to members of the public by his Department and its agencies in each year since 1997–98, broken down by the(a) amount paid and (b) reason for payment. [172895]

  Ruth Kelly
  Compensation payments made to members of the public by the Chancellor of the Exchequer's Departments and agencies are made in a wide variety of circumstances, including:costs following Tribunal/Court rulings and those arising from Adjudicator and Ombudsman reviews;
  property damage;
  compensation paid by HM Customs and Excise, VAT, tax regimes;
  compensation paid to meet out of pocket expenses, inconvenience or hardship caused by officials failure or delay.

  Losses and special payments are required to be published in Departmental Annual Accounts in accordance with the Resource Accounting Manual.

  Developing Countries (Poverty)
  Mrs. Betty Williams
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on UK investment in tackling poverty in developing countries. [1791361

  Ruth Kelly
  UK investment in tackling poverty has doubled in real terms since 1997 and will rise to nearly £5 billion by 2005–06—the highest ever level of UK development aid.

  By 2005–06, 90 per cent. of the aid budget will be spent in the world's poorest countries, including a record £1 billion bilateral aid programme in Africa. We are also working closely with do eloping countries to ensure that aid is spent effectively and reaches those in greatest need.

  As I announced in the Budget, we will not cut aid in the new spending round, but will continue to increase the resources that we give to the developing world.

  Employment
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of(a) men, (b) women and (c) men and women in total of working age were in employment in each quarter since 1984. [177958]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Willets, dated 17 June 2004:

  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parlimentary Question about employment. (177958)

  The attached table gives the available rates of working age employment by gender for 3 months periods since 1984. These estimates, from the Labour Force Survey (LFS), have been seasonally adjusted Estimates are only available for a single 3 month period of the years 1984 to 1991 inclusive.

  As with any sample survey, estimates from the LFS are subject to sampling variability.
  1038W

  Working age employment rates1,2 by sex—1984 to 2004, for three month periods as shown

  United Kingdom

  Per cent.

  Three month period (ending in month shown)

  All people of working age

  Males aged 16–64

  Females aged 16–59

  1984—May

  68.8

  77.9

  58.7

  1986—May

  69.6

  78.3

  60.1

  1986—May

  69.7

  77.8

  60.9

  1987—May

  70.4

  78.1

  62.1

  1968—May

  72.7

  80.5

  64.2

  1989—May

  74.5

  82.2

  66.1

  1990—May

  74.9

  82.4

  66.8

  1991—May

  73.2

  799

  66.0

  1992

  May

  71.2

  76.5

  65.4

  August

  70.8

  76.2

  65.1

  November

  70.6

  75.6

  65.2

  1993

  February

  70.3

  75.2

  65.0

  May

  70.3

  75.0

  65.2

  August

  70.3

  75.1

  65.1

  November

  70.4

  75.2

  65.1

  1994

  February

  70.4

  75.4

  65.1

  May

  70.7

  75.6

  65.4

  August

  70.8

  75.8

  65.6

  November

  71.0

  76.1

  65.5

  1995

  February

  71.0

  76.1

  65.6

  May

  71.2

  76.4

  65.8

  August

  71.5

  76.5

  66.1

  November

  71.6

  76.5

  66.3

  1996

  February

  71.8

  76.6

  66.7

  May

  71.8

  76.6

  66.7

  August

  71.9

  76 8

  66.7

  November

  72.2

  77.1

  67.0

  1997

  February

  72.5

  77.5

  67.2

  May

  72.7

  77.7

  67.4

  August

  72.8

  77.9

  67.4

  November

  73.1

  78.2

  67.6

  1998

  February

  73.2

  78.5

  67.6

  May

  73.3

  78.4

  67.9

  August

  73.6

  78.7

  68.2

  November

  73.7

  78.7

  68.5

  1999

  February

  73.9

  78.8

  687

  May

  73.8

  78.7

  68.6

  August

  74.0

  79.0

  688

  November

  74.2

  79.1

  68.9

  2000

  February

  74,2

  791

  69.0

  May

  74.4

  79.4

  69.1

  August

  74.7

  79.4

  69.6

  November

  74.4

  79.2

  69.2

  2001

  February

  74.6

  79.5

  69.5

  May

  74.6

  79.5

  69.4

  August

  74.5

  79.3

  69.3

  November

  74.5

  792

  69.4

  2002

  February

  74.4

  79.1

  69.4

  May

  74.4

  79.0

  696

  August

  74.5

  79.0

  69.7

  November

  74.6

  79.3

  697

  2003

  February

  74.6

  79.2

  69.7

  May

  74.7

  79.3

  69.7

  August

  74.6

  79.3

  69.5

  November

  74.6

  79.1

  69.7

  2004

  February

  74.9

  79.5

  70.1

  1 Working age people in employment as a percentage of the working age population in the relevant gender group.

  2 Seasonally adjusted

  Source:

  ONS Labour Force Survey

  Equitable Life
  Richard Ottaway
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent representations he has received about Equitable Life. [17913]

  Ruth Kelly
  I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Bracknell (Mr. Mackay) earlier today in the House.

  EU Unemployment Rates
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest Eurostat figures for state unemployment rates among young people in each EU country are. [177970]

  Ruth Kelly
  [holding answer 10 June 2004]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. David Willetts, dated 17 June 2004:

  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about unemployment amongst young people in the UK and other EU countries. (177970)

  The table overleaf gives the latest Eurostat figures for seasonally adjusted unemployment rates amongst young people, defined as 16–24 year olds for the UK and 15–24 year olds for other countries. UK data are taken from the latest UK Labour Force Survey results published in May 2004. Data for other countries are taken from Eurostat's Unemployment Press Release published on 2 June 2004. In some cases, these figures may appear more up-to-date than the UK figure; however, as the table illustrates, these more recent figures are often based on modelled extrapolation of the data from the most recent Labour Force Surveys in each country, rather than on direst survey measurement.

  Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted) for young people in the UK and other EU countries1

  Country

  Latest Labour Force Survey reference period supplied to Eurostat—Period ending

  Reference period for extrapolated Eurostat estimates

  Unemployment rate (Percentage)

  Austria

  June 2003

  April 2004

  7.3

  Belgium

  December 2003

  April 2004

  22.0

  Cyprus

  June 2003

  April 2004

  9.6

  Czech Republic

  December 2003

  April 2004

  20.0

  Denmark

  December 2003

  March 2004

  10.5

  Estonia

  December 2003

  April 2004

  20.3

  Finland

  December 2003

  April 2004

  20.6

  France

  December 2003

  April 2004

  20.7

  Germany

  June 2003

  April 2004

  11.1

  Greece

  December 2003

  December 2003

  27.1

  Hungary

  December 2003

  April 2004

  12.8

  Ireland

  December 2003

  April 2004

  8.1

  Italy

  December 2003

  January 2004

  27.1

  Spain

  December 2003

  April 2004

  22.5

  Latvia

  December 2003

  April 2004

  17.3

  Lithuania

  December 2003

  April 2004

  23.8

  Luxembourg

  March 2003

  April 2004

  12.1

  Malta

  December 2003

  April 2004

  21.2

  Netherlands

  December 2003

  March 2004

  9.0

  Poland

  December 2003

  April 2004

  39.6

  Portugal

  December 2003

  April 2004

  15.4

  1040W

  Unemployment rates (seasonally adjusted) for young people in the UK and other EU countries1

  Country

  Latest Labour Force Survey reference period supplied to Eurostat—period ending

  Reference period for extrapolated Eurostat estimates

  Unemployment rate (Percentage)

  Slovak Republic

  December 2003

  April 2004

  29.3

  Slovenia

  December 2003

  April 2004

  15.7

  Sweden

  Decemebr 2003

  April 2004

  16.1

  United Kingdom

  March 20042

  Not applicable

  211.8

  1 As published by Eurostat, 2 June 2004.

  2UK estimate published by Office for National Statistics on 12 May 2004 for the period January to March 2004.

  G8 Summit (Scotland)
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he intends to make specific funding available for security arrangements for the G8 summit in Scotland next year. [179204]

  Mr. Boateng
  It is too early to say what the actual costs will be. The Treasury and Scottish Executive will assess and agree what the additional costs are. Extra funds will be made available by the UK Government to help meet the agreed additional policing costs.

  Housing Stock Transfer
  Mr. Austin Mitchell
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what stamp duty is payable on large-scale voluntary stock transfer of council housing. [179112]

  Ruth Kelly
  Section 71 of Finance Act 2003 exempts such transfers from Stamp Duty Land Tax provided the transfer is to a Registered Social Landlord.

  Life Expectancy
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what life expectancy in the UK was in each year since 1997, broken down by(a) region, (b) sex and (c) social class. [178935]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Mike Hancock, dated 17 June 2004:

  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what life expectancy in the UK was in each year since 1997, broken down by (a) region, (b) sex and (c) social class. (178935)

  Figures for life expectancy at birth for the UK and its constituent countries are published annually by the Government Actuary's Department. Figures for life expectancy at birth for English regions are published annually by ONS. Both sets of figures are based on three-year rolling averages and are calculated separately for males and females. The most recent available figures are for 2000–02. Figures covering the years requested are given in the attached tables 1 and 2.

  Figures by social class are derived using the ONS Longitudinal Study. This is a 1 per cent sample of the population and therefore annual comparisons cannot be made reliably. The most recent available figures are for 1997–99 and are provided in the attached table 3.
  1041W

  Table 1: Life expectancy at birth United Kingdom and constituent countries, since the period 1996–98

  Life expectancy in years Three-year rolling averages

  Area

  1996–98

  1997–99

  1998–2000

  1999–01

  2000–02

  Male

  United Kingdom

  74.50

  74.73

  75.00

  75.33

  75.68

  England

  74.76

  74.99

  75.28

  75.62

  75.97

  Wales

  74.24

  74.36

  74.66

  74.92

  75.41

  Scotland

  72.40

  72.64

  72.84

  73.10

  73.31

  Northern Ireland

  74.16

  74.27

  74.48

  74.79

  75.20

  Female

  United Kingdom

  79.56

  79.69

  79.90

  80.13

  80.39

  England

  79.76

  79.89

  80.10

  80.34

  80.60

  Wales

  79.28

  79.36

  79.59

  79.80

  80.08

  Scotland

  78.04

  78.18

  78.35

  78.56

  78.78

  Northern Ireland

  79.49

  79.46

  79.55

  79.75

  80.13

  Source:

  Government Actuary's Department (http://www.gad.gov.uk/Life_Tables/Interim_Life_tables.htm)

  Table 2: Life expectancy at birth Government Office Regions in England, since the period 1996–98

  Life expectancy in years Three-year rolling averages

  Area

  1996–98

  1997–99

  1998–2000

  1999–01

  2000–02

  Male

  North East

  73.2

  73.5

  73.8

  74.2

  74.5

  North West

  73.4

  73.5

  73.8

  74.1

  74.5

  Yorkshire and The Humber

  74.2

  74.4

  74.7

  75.1

  75.4

  East Midlands

  74.9

  75.1

  75.3

  75.7

  76.1

  West Midlands

  74.5

  74.6

  74.8

  75.1

  75.4

  East of England

  76.1

  76.3

  76.5

  76.8

  77.0

  London

  74.4

  74.8

  75.0

  75.4

  75.7

  South East

  76.1

  76.3

  76.6

  76.9

  77.2

  South West

  76.0

  76.4

  76.6

  76.9

  77.1

  Female

  North East

  78.4

  78.5

  78.7

  79.0

  79.3

  North West

  78.5

  78.6

  78.9

  79.1

  79.4

  Yorkshire and The Humber

  79.3

  79.5

  79.7

  80.0

  80.2

  East Midlands

  79.8

  79.9

  80.1

  80.3

  80.5

  West Midlands

  79.6

  79.7

  79.8

  80.0

  80.3

  East of England

  80.7

  80.8

  81.0

  81.2

  81.4

  London

  79.9

  80.0

  80.3

  80.5

  80.7

  South East

  80.7

  80.9

  81.1

  81.3

  81.5

  South West

  81.0

  81.1

  81.3

  81.5

  81.7

  Source:

  Office for National Statistics (http://www.statistics.gov.uk/statbase/Product.asp?vink = 8841)

  Table 3: Life expectancy at birth by social class England and Wales, period 1997–99

  Life expectancy in years Three-year rolling average

  Social class

  Male

  Female

  I

  Professional

  78.5

  82.8

  II

  Managerial and technical/intermediate

  77.5

  81.5

  III N

  Skilled non-manual

  76.2

  81.2

  III M

  Skilled manual

  74.7

  79.2

  IV

  Partly skilled

  72.7

  78.5

  V

  Unskilled

  71.1

  77.1

  Source:

  Donkin A, Goldblatt Pand Lynch K. (2002) Inequalities in life expectancy by social class, 1972–1999. Health Statistics Quarterly 15, 5–15.

  1042W

  Mental Health
  Mr. Goodman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people have left employment in his Department because of(a) anxiety, (b) stress, (c) depression and (d) other mental health reasons in each year since 1997. [175678]

  Ruth Kelly
  The number of staff leaving the Treasury on ill-health retirement since 1997 is as follows:

  Number

  1997

  2

  1998

  2

  1999

  1

  2000

  —

  2001

  1

  2002

  —

  2003

  1

  2004

  None to date

  None of these ill-health retirements was specifically related to anxiety, stress, depression or other mental health reasons.

  National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship
  Brian Cotter
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he plans to launch the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship. [179250]

  John Healey
  The Department for Education and Skills and the Small Business Service are working with the chairman and board to develop the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship. It is expected to be launched by the end of 2004.

  Penalty Notices (Tax Returns)
  Mr. Prisk
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cheques were encashed from penalty notices incorrectly issued by the Inland Revenue for filing late tax returns in each of the past five years; and what their total value was in each of those years. [179205]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Inland Revenue does not hold this information.

  Where a penalty notice has been issued incorrectly we apologise unreservedly and cancel it straight away. There is no question of anyone who sent in their return on time being required to pay a penalty.

  Property Taxation (Indexation)
  Mr. Love
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on the linking of stamp duty and inheritance tax thresholds to house price growth indices; and if he will make a statement on homeowners' tax liabilities. [178740]

  Ruth Kelly
  All tax rates and thresholds are kept under review. Current receipts from Stamp Duty Land Tax and Inheritance Tax are provided in Table C8 of the Red Book.

  Redundancies
  Paul Holmes
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many redundancies were notified, broken down by 1044W
  nation and region, in each year since 2002; what these figures represent as a percentage of the total work force, broken down by nation and region; and if he will make a statement. [178013]

  Ruth Kelly
  [holding answer 10 June 2004]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

  Letter from Len Cook to Mr. Paul Holmes, dated 17 June 2004:

  As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about redundancy. (178013)

  The Labour Force Survey (LFS) provides estimates of redundancies experienced by survey respondents in the three month period before their inclusion in the survey. The attached table gives LFS estimates for the numbers of redundancies in each country and region of the UK in the three month periods ending in February of the years 2002 to 2004.

  The table also shows the rate of redundancies per 1,000 employees in each county and region of the UK for these periods. Redundancies are presented as rates per 1,000 employees rather than as percentages for consistency with published sources.

  The data are not seasonally adjusted. As with any statistical sample survey, estimates for the LFS are subject to sampling variability.

  Redundancy levels by region, three months ending February each year from 2002–04

  2002

  2003

  2004

  United Kingdom

  209

  183

  137

  Great Britain

  204

  179

  134

  England

  173

  149

  116

  North East

  11

  1—

  1—

  North West (Inc. Merseyside)

  25

  20

  22

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  11

  13

  10

  East Midlands

  14

  13

  11

  West Midlands

  20

  21

  10

  Eastern

  17

  16

  16

  London

  24

  21

  15

  South East

  35

  24

  17

  South West

  15

  11

  1—

  Wales

  11

  13

  1—

  Scotland

  21

  18

  13

  Northern Ireland

  1—

  1—

  1—

  1 Sample size too small for reliable estimate.

  Note:

  Data are not seasonally adjusted.

  Source:

  ONS Labour Force Survey.

  Redundancy rates1 by region (redundancies per 1,000 employees in area), three months ending February each year from 2002–04

  2002

  2003

  2004

  United Kingdom

  8.6

  7.5

  5.7

  Great Britain

  8.7

  7.6

  5.7

  England

  8.5

  7.3

  5.7

  North East

  11.8

  2—

  2—

  North West (Inc. Merseyside)

  9.5

  7.3

  8.0

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  5.4

  6.4

  4.9

  East Midlands

  7.6

  7.3

  6.0

  West Midlands

  9.4

  9.5

  4.8

  Eastern

  7.4

  7.0

  6.8

  London

  8.2

  7.3

  5.3

  South East

  10.0

  7.1

  5.1

  South West

  7.5

  5.3

  2—

  Wales

  10.2

  11.7

  2—

  Scotland

  9.8

  8.3

  6.1

  Northern Ireland

  2—

  2—

  2—

  1 The redundancy rate is based on the ratio of the redundancy level for the given quarter to the number of employees in the previous quarter, multiplied by 1,000.
  1045W
  2 Sample size too small for reliable estimate.

  Note:

  Data are not seasonally adjusted.

  Source:

  ONS Labour Force Survey.

  Regulatory Impact Assessments
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of 10 December 2003,Official Report, column 1064, on the Pre-Budget Report, how many regulatory impact assessments produced by his Department referring to the 147 regulations for reform or removal have been placed in the Library, including their reference numbers; and what the estimated benefit to business is in each case. [178831]

  Ruth Kelly
  None of the 147 deregulatory measures announced in the Pre-Budget Report were the responsibility of HM Treasury. The Department did not, therefore, produce any of the Regulatory Impact Assessments (RIAs) linked to the 147 regulations for reform or removal which were announced with the Pre-Budget Report in December 2003. Among the regulations to reform there were several measures with direct benefits for business, including the increase to the statutory audit threshold, which freed 69,000 businesses from the obligation to undergo an independent audit. Final RIAs are laid in the House Library, and all published RIAs are also available from departmental websites.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

  Travel Office
  Dame Marion Roe
  To ask the hon. Member for Roxburgh and Berwickshire, representing the House of Commons Commission what the arrangements are for the future of the Travel Office; and if he will make a statement. [179743]

  Sir Archy Kirkwood
  The Travel Office contract, managed jointly by the two Houses, has been let for a number of years to American Express. This contract will expire at the end of August. Following a full open competition under EU procurement rules, it has been decided to award the new contract to Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT). CWT will offer a wide range of services, including a continuing implant in the Palace of Westminster, access to preferential prices for both air and rail travel, foreign exchange, and an internet self-booking facility for those who wish to book online. It is expected that the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations will apply, and the jobs of existing staff in the Travel Office will thus be protected.

TRANSPORT

  "O" Licence
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the minimum number of hours per month is that a CPC-qualified transport manager has to work to qualify for the "O" Licence. [179009]
  1046W
  Dr. Howells
  There are no minimum limits to how much time transport managers should spend on their duties. The requirement is for the individual to have continuous and effective responsibility for the transport operations of a business. It is for the licensing authority, a traffic commissioner, to decide in each case if an applicant for a goods operator's licence satisfies this requirement.

  Bus Subsidy Review
  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for the(a) completion and (b) publication of the Government's bus subsidy review. [179193]

  Mr. McNulty
  The bus subsidy review is nearing completion and the outcome will be announced later this summer.

  Donaldson Inquiry
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many recommendations from the May 1994 Donaldson Inquiry have been implemented; and which recommendations have yet to be implemented. [178922]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Lord Donaldson made 103 recommendations (some of which are subdivided still further), and the vast majority have been implemented. Additionally, there are a small number of instances where legislative developments in the International Maritime Organization or the European Community have made the recommendation redundant.

  The following recommendations remain outstanding: recommendations 59 (Marine Environmental High Risk Areas) and 64 (ship-to-ship transfer in Lyme Bay), on which a substantial amount of work has been done, but which have not yet been fully implemented; recommendations 58 and 60, which are consequential to recommendation 59; and recommendation 67d, awaiting the development of experience of transponders on merchant ships.

  Irish-registered Vehicles
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the number of Irish-registered vehicles on the roads of the United Kingdom; and how many of these vehicles have up-to-date road tax. [178952]

  Mr. Jamieson
  No figures are available for the number of Republic of Ireland vehicles in use on UK roads. Visiting Irish vehicles are exempt from UK licensing and registration requirements providing they are in this country for less than six months in any 12 and are registered and licensed in Ireland. If at any time a vehicle used here on Irish plates is stopped by the police, the driver is responsible for demonstrating that he/she is entitled to use it in the UK.

  Keepers of Irish registered vehicles who fail to observe these requirements are subject to the same enforcement and prosecution procedures as UK motorists.
  1047W
  DVLA is currently working with the police and local authorities to gather information on all visiting vehicles to clarify the extent of the evasion problem and to introduce effective counter measures.

  London Underground (Crime)
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to his answer of 8 June 2004,Official Report, column 284W, on crime (public transport), how many crimes were committed on each London Underground line in each year since 1998; and how many were (a) assaults, (b) of a sexual nature and (c) robberies, broken down by individual Underground line. [179176]

  Mr. McNulty
  The British Transport Police (BTP) have advised me that this information is not readily available and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

  Mobile Phones (Accidents)
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many(a) deaths and (b) injuries have been caused in each of the last five years by people using mobile phones while driving. [178447]

  Mr. Jamieson
  [holding answer 14 June 2004]: The information requested is not currently available. However, research has shown that using a mobile phone while driving is distracting and drivers are four times more likely to have an accident if they do so.

  ONS Reports (Emissions)
  Lynne Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether Ministers or officials have made representations to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) regarding the omission of figures relating to greenhouse gas emissions from air and freight transport from ONS reports; and if he will make a statement. [177231]

  Mr. McNulty
  Ministers have made no representations to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) regarding the content of their reports. The content of ONS reports is a matter for ONS on which they alone take the final decision after consultation as appropriate. The Department for Transport (DfT) is involved in the quality assurance process for some ONS reports, which involves discussion at official level. The quality assurance process may identify data quality or methodological issues that lead to ONS changing their reports.

  As part of the quality assurance process, DfT officials contacted ONS seeking clarifications on the methodology used to produce the figures on GHG emissions in the Environmental Accounts published on 20 May. Subsequently, the DfT Head of Freight

  Directorate

  Headcount at 16 October 2002

  Headcount at 31 March 2003

  Headcount at 31 March 2004

  Freight

  21

  23

  21

  Operations

  126

  134

  135

  Strategic planning

  36

  40

  84

  Technical

  4

  6

  9

  Finance and commercial

  77

  88

  100

  Deputy Chief Executive

  30

  31

  46

  1048W
  Statistics informed ONS they were unable to reconcile the figures in the Environmental Accounts with DfT data on the road freight industry. In this case, DfT Statisticians were concerned about data quality and methodological issues. ONS agreed that further investigation was required. ONS has publicly made clear that: "The Office for National Statistics (ONS) alone took the decision on the final wording of the news release on the environmental accounts (report, 27 May 2004). There was no improper pressure from the Department for Transport or anywhere else. ONS could not satisfy itself fully on technical concerns over the reconciliation of figures on road freight emissions based on alternative definitions and hence decided that it would not be appropriate to focus upon transport emissions. There was nothing unusual about the process adopted on this occasion and it is completely wrong to suggest that the figures were "withdrawn" or "removed from the … report". The published datasets were not amended in any way and were published on the National Statistics website in their entirety."

  Once the reconciliation work is completed it will be made publicly available.

  Timetables
  Mr. Blizzard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will require train operating companies and bus companies to consult each other in advance of making changes to timetables. [178753]

  Mr. McNulty
  Provision already exists to promote integration between different local transport modes. Local authorities take into account rail and bus modes when drawing up local transport plans. For rail timetables, the Strategic Rail Authority requires franchise operators to consult with stakeholders during their preparation. Train operators are also required to participate in Integrated Transport Schemes designated in the agreements.

  The arrangements for the provision of bus services differ significantly from those of the franchised rail services. The majority of bus services are provided on a commercial basis by private operators. Decisions by bus operating companies on whether to consult with train operators in advance of making timetable changes are a commercial judgment for the company involved.

  Strategic Rail Authority
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many staff were employed by the Strategic Rail Authority in each year since its creation, broken down by department. [178866]

  Mr. McNulty
  At its inception, in February 2001, the SRA employed 337 people. Records of staff numbers by Directorate have been kept in their present form since October 2002 and the figures are as follows:
  1049W

  Directorate

  Headcount at 16 October 2002

  Headcount at 31 March 2003

  Headcount at 31 March 2004

  Communications

  30

  29

  26

  Chairman's office

  18

  29

  28

  Community Rail Development

  0

  0

  5

  Total

  342

  380

  454

  Oxford-East Anglia Rail Link
  John Thurso
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on progress of the proposed East West railway link between Oxford and East Anglia. [178917]

  Mr. McNulty
  An updated Business Case has now been put forward by the East-West Rail Consortium for the Western End of the East West Rail Link. This proposal involves upgrading and re-opening the line between Oxford and Bedford. Officials at the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are considering the updated business case, particularly in light of the potential impact of the scheme on the delivery of the Sustainable Communities Plan. The Strategic Rail Authority is also considering the Western End business case. Any appraisal will need to be considered against other priorities, the outcome of the current rail review and the Government's spending review.

  Ship-to-ship Transfers
  Mr. Sanders
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when his Department first started reviewing draft proposals concerning the regulation of ship-to-ship transfer activities within UK waters; and when his Department expects to complete the review. [178921]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Draft legislation and guidelines to control ship-to-ship transfer operations within UK waters were developed in 1998. Since that time, owners and operators of ships carrying out ship-to-ship transfer operations in UK waters have adhered to guidelines based on the draft legislation.

  With the increased traffic in heavy fuel oil coming out of the Baltic area, we are reconsidering this draft legislation. I anticipate that revised draft legislation will go out to consultation in the autumn.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Attainment Gap
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to decrease the gap in attainment between children from higher and lower socio-economic groups. [177941]

  Mr. Miliband
  All our education policies are based on the conviction that every child should be able to achieve at the highest level of their potential, irrespective of background. Our national key stage strategies have an essential role to play in narrowing the attainment gap by raising expectations of all our children.

  But we also have targeted programmes aimed at narrowing the gap. We are investing heavily in our Sure Start programmes, with additional funding of
  1050W
  £669 million by 2007–08 compared with 2004–05, because we know that the early years of a child's life are crucial in determining the outcomes for children when they grow up.

  The Excellence in Cities programme which now includes Leadership Incentive Grant (LIG) and Behaviour Improvement Plans (BIP) is making a real difference—as are measures to tackle underperformance which provide support and challenge to schools and authorities falling below floor targets. In terms of five good GCSEs, schools in EiC whole authority areas improved at more than twice the average of non-EiC schools. And after the first year of the BIP (2002–03), unauthorised absence across secondary schools in the programme in the initial 34 LEAs dropped from 3.03 per cent. to 2.94 per cent. In primary schools the corresponding figures were a drop in unauthorised absence from 1.29 per cent. to 1.17 per cent. Fixed term exclusions dropped by 11 per cent. in secondary schools.

  The number of schools below the Government's floor targets for attainment at Key Stage 4 has dropped sharply: in 2000, the number of schools below 20 per cent. was 241—that figure had dropped to 114 in 2003.

  Child Care
  Mr. Goodman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what definition the Government use of a child care place; and if he will make a statement. [175695]

  Margaret Hodge
  Child care places are defined to include: places for pre-school children in day nurseries or with child minders which last four hours or longer per days1; places for children receiving nursery education which, combined with the nursery education, last at least four hours per day2; and places for statutory school age children aged up to 14 (16 for those with special educational needs or disabilities) in breakfast or after school clubs or with child minders for any length of time, or in holiday play schemes of four hours or longer per day. In addition, the Government also provide a guarantee of a free nursery education place for every three and four-year-old whose parents want one. A nursery education place consists of a minimum of five two and half hour sessions per week for 33 weeks of the year.

  The number of child care places created between April 1997 and March 2004 is 1,006,000 helping some 1,812,000 children. This shows an increase in the stock of child care places, taking into account turnover, of 541,000 helping some 991,000 children.

  1 Where places are provided for pre-school children as part of the Children's Centre or Neighbourhood Nurseries programme, the provision must have the capacity to deliver a minimum of 10 hours care per day.
  1051W
  2 Prior to April 2004 the definition of a child care place for pre-school children included any place lasting at least three and a half hours per day.

  Children's Homes
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what quality standards have to be met for privately-run children's homes to operate and to accommodate children placed by local authorities. [178493]

  Margaret Hodge
  All children's homes are statutorily required to comply with the Children's Homes Regulations 2001 and are expected to meet the Children's Homes National Minimum Standards. The standards are intended to be qualitative in that they provide a tool for judging the quality of life experienced by children cared for in a home, but they are also designed to be measurable. The Commission for Social Care Inspection is responsible for the registration and inspection of children's homes against these standards and encourages improvement in the quality of the care provided.

  Domestic Violence
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what work his Department has undertaken on the potential for domestic violence work to be done via the new children's centres. [178993]

  Margaret Hodge
  Children's centres have the flexibility to develop family support services according to local need. Many Sure Start local programmes already operate a range of initiatives related to tackling domestic violence, and we will look to build on this good practice as the children's centre network expands.

  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skill (1) what assessment he has made of the availability of materials to educate children and young people about domestic violence; how many schools had access to such material in(a) 2002 and (b) 2003; and how many now have access to such material; [178819]

  (2) what discussions he has had with the Home Secretary with regard to including information about domestic violence in the personal health and social education curriculum. [178822]

  Margaret Hodge
  Within Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) and Citizenship there is already scope to discuss domestic violence, including how families deal with it and where to go for help. Individual schools and teachers decide on the materials they use in the delivery of PSHE. The Department does not assess the availability of materials.

  Last year the DfES supported the production of a resource pack for schools called "Watch Over Me" which deals with a range of personal safety issues including a domestic violence scenario. The resource was sent to all secondary schools and pupil referral units. A teaching pack called "Does Sex Make a Difference?" which includes a module on domestic violence, is available to all schools through the teachernet website.
  1052W
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what work the Minister for Children has undertaken to ensure that information sharing systems provide adequate protection for children whose mothers have experienced domestic violence and moved away from a violent partner. [178820]

  Margaret Hodge
  The information-sharing databases that we propose to establish and operate under clause 8 of the Children Bill will have stringent security arrangements to ensure that only appropriate practitioners are able to access a child's record. Audit trails will enable those managing the databases to identify attempts to gain inappropriate access. Regulations will be made in due course governing the disclosure of information from the databases. Detailed guidance will be produced for practitioners and those managing the databases, to ensure that information on the databases is handled properly and consistently. This guidance will draw on the experience of the Trailblazer pilots currently and way.

  We will als examine with these pilots what is the best way to handle the details of children whose mothers have experienced domestic violence and have moved away from a violent partner. A number of pilots have the facility for certain details, such as address, to be blocked out where that is considered necessary to provide reassurance. Subject to the passage of the Children Bill, the proposed regulations and guidance for wider roll-out of information-sharing databases will include any specific arrangements we conclude are necessary for the records of children in such circumstances.

  Education Bodies (Staffing)
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the full-time equivalent headcount of the(a) Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, (b) Learning and Teaching Support Network and (c) Higher Education Academy was in each year since 1997; and how much funding was allocated to each body in each year. [178206]

  Alan Johnson
  The available staffing and funding figures for the Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (ILTHE) and Learning and Teaching Support Network (LTSN) are given in the table. The bulk of LTSN funding is spread over 24 subject centres for setting up, supporting and developing learning and teaching networks and promoting and sharing good practice through projects and events. The HE Academy is currently being set up and both the LTSN and ILTHE have recently joined the academy. It advises that it currently has 60 stall (including those from the ILTHE and LTSN). HEFCE have allocated a budget of £1.9 million for the academy until the end of the 2003/04 academic year.
  1053W

  Academic year

  HEFCE funding (£ million)

  Staffing

  ILTHE

  LTSN

  ILTHE

  LTSN

  1998/99

  11.19

  —

  —

  —

  1999/2000

  1

  5

  14

  1 (plus 1 secondee)

  2000/01

  2—

  6

  23

  15

  2001/02

  2—

  6

  25

  18

  2002/03

  2—

  6.5

  28

  23

  2003/04

  2—

  6.5

  30

  22

  1 Initial start up costs—no staff in post.

  2 From 2000/01—no HEFCE funding. ILTHE sustained through membership fees.

  Education Costs (London)
  Mr. Rosindell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost of educating a child to age 16 was in each London borough in the most recent period for which figures are available. [169998]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information is available for the 2003—04 financial year and is contained within the following table:

  Funding per pupil to age 16

  LEA name

  £

  Camden

  70,900

  Greenwich

  64,600

  Hackney

  75,500

  Hammersmith and Fulham

  70,000

  Islington

  71,600

  Kensington and Chelsea

  73,500

  Lambeth

  73,600

  Lewisham

  67,900

  Southwark

  69,000

  Tower Hamlets

  75,100

  Wandsworth

  63,800

  Westminster

  68,600

  Barking and Dagenham

  54,300

  Barnet

  51,200

  Bexley

  47,300

  Brent

  60,000

  Bromley

  47,300

  Net current expenditure

  Pre-primary education

  Primary education

  Pre-primary and primary

  Secondary education

  £ Special

  1996–97

  —

  n/a

  1,880

  2,640

  19,520

  1997–98

  n/a

  n/a

  1,890

  2,630

  20,190

  1998–99

  n/a

  n/a

  2,010

  2,690

  19,950

  1999–2000

  4,690

  2,170

  2,180

  2,780

  23,920

  2000–01

  16,780

  2,330

  2,410

  3,010

  26,120

  2001–02

  30,560

  2,570

  2,740

  3,430

  27,410

  2002–03

  2,840

  —

  3,640

  —

  Notes:

  1. The financial data are taken from Sefton LEAs' Section 52 outturn statement submitted to the DfES from 1999–2000 onwards and the ODPM's RO1 statement previously. 2002–03 data is subject to change by the LEA. Expenditure was not distinguished between pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of the Section 52 outturn statement in 1999–2000. Hence, for consistency, the combined unit cost is provided since 1996–97 but due to LEA expenditure on pupils in independent nurseries the unit cost for primary education is a more robust measure.

  2. The outturn 2002–03 tables captured the data in a fundamentally different way to the previous years. Categories were aligned with the Consistent Financial Reporting framework and the spending by LEAs was no longer split by school sector. Consequently the unit costs per pupil in 2002–03 are not strictly, comparable with earlier years as they include an apportionment of LEA expenditure based on pupil numbers. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

  3. Spending in 1997–98 reflects the transfer of monies from local government to central Government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government from 1998–99.

  4. Net current expenditure (NCE) includes expenditure within schools and also that incurred centrally by the LEA.
  1054W

  Funding per pupil to age 16

  LEA name

  £

  Croydon

  51,900

  Ealing

  57,300

  Enfield

  53,500

  Haringey

  64,100

  Harrow

  51,700

  Havering

  47,100

  Hillingdon

  50,000

  Hounslow

  55,500

  Kingston upon Thames

  47,600

  Merton

  51,700

  Newham

  61,500

  Redbridge

  49,300

  Richmond upon Thames

  47,400

  Sutton

  48,000

  Waltham Forest

  57,700

  Notes:

  1. Funding includes education formula spending plus all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to pupils aged 3–15. EMAs and grants not allocated at LEA level are excluded.

  2. The pupil numbers used are those underlying the EFS settlement calculations.

  3. Figures are provisional as some grants in 2003–04 have not yet been finalised/audited.

  4. Figures are rounded to the nearest £100.

  5. Figures are based on eight years of funding for pupils ages three to 10 and five years of funding for pupils ages 11–15.

  6. Calculations are based on an LEA's total funding per pupil in 2003–04 multiplied by the average number of years in school.

  Education Funding
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was spent per pupil in Crosby in each of the last seven years. [177864]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information requested is submitted to the Department according to local education authority areas rather than districts within an area. Crosby is a district of Sefton LEA. The information for Sefton LEA is as follows:
  1055W
  5. The NCE per pupil figures for pre-primary and primary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in the pre-primary sector and maintained primary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained nursery and primary schools sector.

  6. The NCE per pupil figures for secondary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in maintained secondary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained secondary schools sector.

  7. The NCE per pupil figures for special schools relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in maintained special schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained special schools sector.

  8. Pupil data are drawn from the Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.

  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding has been spent in Crosby from the(a) Connexions Programme, (b) the Positive Activities for Young People Programme, (c) Millennium Volunteers Programme, (d) Transforming Youth Work Development Fund, (e) Community Champions Fund and (f) Pathfinder Young Community Champions Fund. [177893]

  Initiative/funding steam

  Local accountable body (i.e. area covered)

  Amount paid (£)

  Initiative start date

  (a) Connexions Service

  Greater Merseyside Connexions Partnership

  43,286,000

  2001

  Greater Merseyside Connexions Partnership

  (b) Positive Activities for Young People

  (but note that figure relates to Crosby area)

  69,000

  2003

  (c) Millennium Volunteers

  Various (figure relates to Sefton area)

  369,000

  2000

  (d) Transforming Youth Work Development Fund

  Sefton Council

  176,000

  2002

  (e) Community Champions Fund

  Various (figure relates to Sefton area)

  19,000

  2001

  (f) Pathfinder Young Community Champions Fund

  (see note 2 below)

  —

  —

  Notes:

  1. The amounts shown relate to the period from the start of each initiative until the end of the 2003–04 financial year (and are rounded to the nearest £000).

  2. PYCCF is delivered in Community Cohesion Pathfinder Areas. In the North West these include Bury, Rochdale and East Lancashire but not Sefton/Crosby.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was spent per pupil in(a) Kent and (b) Liverpool in (i) 1997 and (ii) 2003. [166957]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information requested is contained in the following table:

  Net current expenditure per pupil

  Primary

  Pre-primary and primary

  £ Secondary

  Kent LEA

  1997–98

  n/a

  1,890

  2,900

  2002–03

  2,790

  —

  3,620

  Liverpool LEA

  1997–98

  n/a

  1,880

  2,640

  2002–03

  3.250

  —

  4,150

  Notes:

  1. The financial data are taken from Kent and Liverpool's Section 52 Outturn Statements submitted to the DfES; the 1997–98 financial data is taken from the ODPM's RO1 statement. The 1997–98 figures are Kent LEA prior to local government reorganisation. From 1998–99 onwards parts of Kent LEA became Rochetter and Gillingham LEAs. 1999–2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance. Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.2002–03 data is subject to change by the LEA.

  2. Expenditure was not distinguished between pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of the Section 52 Outturn Statement in 1999–2000.
  1056W
  Margaret Hodge
  Most of this funding is directed through local accountable bodies that cover a wider geographical area than Crosby. In each case, that body has the freedom to use its funding flexibly, within a broad overall framework, to meet local priorities. Each of the respective local bodies may have used some of its funding in the Crosby area but, in most cases, it is not possible to identify expenditure at that level of detail. The table shows how much funding has been paid by the DfES to each of the relevant local bodies for the initiatives concerned.

  3. The outturn 2002–03 captured the data in a fundamentally different way to the previous years. Categories were aligned with the Consistent Financial Reporting framework and the spending by LEAs was no longer split by school sector. Consequently the unit costs per pupil in 2002–03 are not strictly comparable with earlier years as they include an apportionment of LEA expenditure based on pupil numbers.

  4. Net current expenditure (NCE) includes expenditure within schools and also that incurred centrally by the LEAs.

  5. The NCE per pupil figures for pre-primary and primary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in the pre-primary sector and maintained primary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained nursery and primary schools sector.

  6. The NCE per pupil figures for secondary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in the maintained secondary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained secondary schools sector.

  7. Pupil data are drawn from the Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.

  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much public funding was spent per pupil in Stoke-on-Trent North in each of the last seven years. [177643]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information requested is submitted to the Department according to local education authority areas rather than constituency level and as such the figures provided are for Stoke-on-Trent LEA.
  1057W

  Net current expenditure

  £

  Pre-primary education

  Primary education

  Pre-primary and primary

  Secondary education

  Special

  1996–97

  n/a

  n/a

  1,660

  2,290

  9,630

  1997–98

  n/a

  n/a

  1,790

  2,540

  11,240

  1998–99

  n/a

  n/a

  2,040

  2,580

  14,560

  1999–2000

  4,610

  2,180

  2,240

  2,880

  14,130

  2000–01

  5,570

  2,330

  2,400

  3,170

  14,690

  2001–02

  8,070

  2,650

  2,760

  3,440

  15,840

  2002–03

  —

  2,710

  —

  3,430

  —

  Notes:

  1. The financial data are taken from local education authorities l Section 52 Outturn Statement submitted to the DfES from 1999–2000 onwards and the ODPM's RO1 statement previously. 2002–03 data is subject to change by the LEA. Prior to local government reorganisation (LGR) in 1997–98 Stoke-on-Trent LEA was part of Staffordshire LEA. Consequently figures for 1996–97 are for pre-LGR Staffordshire LEA and figures for 1997–98 onwards are for Stoke-on-Trent LEA.

  2. Spending in 1997–98 reflects the transfer of moneys from local government to central government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government from 1998–99. 1999–2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.

  3. Expenditure was not distinguished between pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of the Section 52 outturn statement in 1999–2000.

  4. The outturn 2002–03 tables captured the data in a fundamentally different way to the previous years. Categories were aligned with the Consistent Financial Reporting frame work and the spending by LEAs was no longer split by school sector. Consequently the unit costs per pupil in 2002–03 are not strictly comparable with earlier years as they include an apportionment of LEA expenditure based on pupil numbers.

  5. Net current expenditure (NCE) includes expenditure within schools and also that incurred centrally by the LEA.

  6. The NCE per pupil figures for pre-primary and primary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in the pre-primary sector and maintained primary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained nursery and primary schools sector.

  7. The NCE per pupil figures for second try relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in maintained secondary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained secondary schools sector.

  8. The NCE per pupil figures for special schools relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in maintained special schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained special schools sector.

  9. Pupil data are drawn from the Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.

  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much was spent per pupil in 2003–04 for each school in the London borough of Wandsworth. [179041]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information requested is not yet available. The Department is due to collect the data relating to the 2003–04 financial year in October 2004.

  Helen Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the change in the average amount spent(a) per primary school pupil and (b) per secondary school pupil has been in Warrington, North since 1997. [174658]

  Mr. Miliband
  The information requested is submitted to the Department according to local education authority areas rather than districts within an area. Warrington, North is a district of Warrington local education authority. The information for Warrington LEA is as follows:

  Net current expenditure

  £

  Primary education

  Pre-primary and primary education

  Secondary education

  1997–98

  n/a

  2,080

  2,900

  1998–99

  n/a

  2,130

  2,760

  1999–2000

  2,210

  2,240

  2,870

  2000–01

  2,390

  2,480

  3,070

  2001–02

  2,580

  2,720

  3,240

  2002–03

  2,690

  2,840

  3,500

  Notes:

  1. The financial data are taken from local education authorities' Section 52 Outturn Statements submitted to the DfES from 1999–2000 onwards and the ODPM's RO1 statement previously.
  1058W
  2. Spending in 1997–98 reflects the transfer of moneys from local government to central government for the nursery vouchers scheme. These were returned to local government in 1998–99. Prior to local government reorganisation (LGR) in 1998–99 Warrington LEA was included as part of Cheshire LEA and consequently the 1997–98 figures are for Cheshire LEA (pre-LGR). 1999–2000 figures reflect the return of GM schools to local authority maintenance. Expenditure was not distinguished between pre-primary and primary sectors until the inception of Section 52 in 1999–2000.

  3. The outturn 2002–03 tables captured the data in a fundamentally different way to the previous years. Categories were aligned with the Consistent Financial Reporting framework and the spending by LEAs was no longer split by school sector. Consequently the unit costs per pupil in 2002–03 are not strictly comparable with earlier years as they include an apportionment of LEA expenditure based on pupil numbers. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2002–03 data is subject to change by the LEA.

  4. Real terms figures used are adjusted to 2002–03 prices using the March 2004 GDP deflators.

  5. Net current expenditure (NCE) includes expenditure within schools and also that incurred centrally by the LEA.

  6. The NCE per pupil figures for pre-primary and primary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in the pre-primary sector and maintained primary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained nursery and primary schools sector.

  7. The NCE per pupil figures for secondary relate the net current expenditure (after recharges) in maintained secondary schools to the total number of financial year pupils who are educated in the maintained secondary schools sector.

  8. Pupil data are drawn from the Annual Schools Census adjusted to be on a financial year basis.

  Educational Psychologists
  Mrs. Brooke
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what assessment his Department
  1059W
  has made of future (a) demand and (b) supply of educational psychologists across local education authorities; and if he will make a statement; [176060]

  (2) how many qualified educational psychologists were employed by local education authorities in each of the past five years; and if he will make a statement. [176061]

  Margaret Hodge
  Decisions on the recruitment, retention and deployment of educational psychologists (EPs) are matters for local authorities as employers to determine in light of local circumstances and available resources.

  We are aware that there are shortages of EPs in some areas and that, as with other professions, there is a likelihood of a good many experienced staff retiring in the near future. In view of this, the Department has facilitated discussions involving a range of partners, including representatives of the Local Government Association, on developing a new shorter entry training route for EPs. The scheme under discussion would ensure EPs qualifying in six rather than eight years. Years 1–3 would be the Psychology degree course followed by a further three years of postgraduate training built around work placements. Years 4–6 would be managed by higher education institutions in partnership with local authorities.

  The new route would require significant additional funding, the case for which will need to be considered within the wider context of the 2004 Spending Review. Ministers are currently considering the final allocation of the SR settlement in the light of our overall priorities.

  As regards the number of EPs employed by local authorities, I would refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 4 May 2004, Official Report, column 1420W.

  Excellence in Cities (Leyton)
  Harry Cohen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how Leyton schools have benefited from the Excellence in Cities initiative. [178193]

  Mr. Miliband
  Waltham Forest has been part of the Excellence in Cities programme since it was launched in 1999 and the following Leyton Schools have benefited from EiC funding: Barclay Infant School, Barclay Junior School, Belmont Park School, Church Mead Junior School, Dawlish Primary School, George Mitchell School, Newport Infant School, Newport Junior School, Norlington School for Boys, The Beaumont School and The Lammas School.

  EiC in Waltham Forest has given Leyton schools access to enhanced opportunities for their gifted and talented pupils, learning mentors for those with barriers to learning, and Learning Support Units to tackle disruption. The programme also provides City Learning Centres and EiC Action Zones as well as leading on to Aim Higher and incorporating the Behaviour Improvement programme and Leadership Incentive Grant.

  The following table shows the number of children in Leyton benefiting from EiC, and the annual spend per pupil for the years that Leyton schools have been part of EiC.
  1060W

  Number of children

  Total EiC expenditure (£)1

  Spend per pupil (£)

  1999–2000

  1,196

  58,854

  49.21

  2000–01

  3,865

  2229,446

  59.37

  2001–02

  4,017

  420,027

  104.56

  2002–03

  4,150

  460,277

  110.91

  2003–04

  4,338

  905,957

  208.84

  1 All funding figures supplied by Waltham Forest Excellence in Cities Team.

  2 Estimated.

  Note:

  The increase in the rate of EiC funding and the number of pupils benefiting in 2000–01 was due to the Leyton primary schools becoming part of the EiC Primary Extension Pilot. The increase in funding in 2003–04 was due to the introduction of the Leadership Incentive Grant and the Behaviour Improvement Programme.

  Implementation Review Unit
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many members of staff are employed by the Implementation Review Unit, broken down by(a) civil servants including grade, (b) advisers and (c) salary. [177003]

  Mr. Miliband
  [holding answer 10 June 2004]: Three civil servants employed by DfES work for the secretariat to the Implementation Review Unit as part of their role. A Grade 7 works 0.5 of the full-time equivalent for the Unit's secretariat, and a Higher Executive Officer and Higher Executive Officer (Developmental) both work 0.8 of the full-time equivalent.

  Two advisers work for the Implementation Review Unit; an LEA adviser for 50 days per year, and an education adviser for 20 days per year.

  Salary ranges for London DfES staff are as follows:

  Grade 7: £41,114 to £51,574

  HEO(D): £24,881 to £35,814

  HEO: £24,881 to £29,615

  The salary range for the LEA adviser is £42,777 to £47,058 pro rata. The salary range for the education adviser is £53,586 to £75,147 pro rata.

  Muslim Schools
  Mr. Gordon Prentice
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy to encourage the setting up of single-sex Muslim schools. [178253]

  Mr. Miliband
  The Government's overriding aim is to raise standards. As part of this we welcome faith schools in the maintained sector, to meet clear demand from parents. Decisions about whether or not new schools should open are made at a local level by the School Organisation Committee for the area or by the Schools Adjudicator if the Committee cannot reach a unanimous decision.

  Nursery Day Care (Wandsworth)
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many nursery day care places there are in the London borough of Wandsworth; and what contribution towards the cost of these places is paid by(a) central Government and (b) local authorities. [179050]
  1061W
  Margaret Hodge
  There were 3,520 registered full day care places in Wandsworth at March 2004. The total expenditure and breakdown of local authority subsidy on day care in Wandsworth is not held centrally.

  All three and four-year-olds are entitled to a free part-time early education place, of 2.5 hours per day, 33 weeks of the year, which may be offset against the cost of full day care. From April 2003, funding to support the delivery of that entitlement was consolidated within the under fives sub-block of each LA's Education Formula Spending Share (EFSS)—the main source of education funding. The under fives sub-block for Wandsworth is £18.5 million for 2004–05.

  Wandsworth have been allocated Sure Start General Grant Funding of almost £3 million for 2004–06, which includes a target to create 1,138 child care places, including full day care and wrap around care to early education places. A ring-fenced element within the Grant can be used to support and sustain existing good quality child care.

  The Government are also supporting the creation of full day care in Wandsworth through Neighbourhood Nursery funding. Wandsworth has been developing seven nursery projects to deliver 140 places. 35 of these places are already open across four existing nurseries and revenue grant of £189,000 is available over the next three years to support them. We have made available £343,000 of capital funding to help with the building works.

  Child care fees payable by parents are also subsidised by central Government through the tax credit system. This amounts in total to approximately £700 million per year, although it is not possible to provide a figure for the amount claimed in Wandsworth.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer of 26 May 2004,Official Report, column 1690W, on test and examination costs, if he will make a statement on the initial costs of (a) AS, (b) A-level and (c) A2 examinations for all schools for 2002–03. [179101]

  Mr. Miliband
  Through the examinations modernisation programme, which was referred to in the answer to the previous question, we are continuing to analyse the costs incurred by colleges and school on general examinations, and to look at ways of improving the effectiveness and efficiency of school and college exam office administration.

  PFI Projects
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much capital funding was made available through private finance initiative projects for(a) primary school and (b) secondary school buildings in Stoke-on-Trent North in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. [177628]

  Mr. Miliband
  There is a private finance initiative project in Stoke-on-Trent which provides energy, energy management and repair and maintenance work to all 122 maintained schools in the Local Education Authority. The contract was signed in November 2000 with Transform Schools (Stoke) and was supported by 1062W
  £93 million PFI credits. Of the £93 million PFI credits, £13.4 million were made available for the primary school buildings and £7.7 million for the secondary school buildings in the Stoke-on-Trent North constituency.

  Probationary Teachers
  Dr. Gibson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what monitoring he has carried out of the support for probationary teachers; and what evidence he has collated on the effect probationary teacher support has on teacher retention. [178808]

  Mr. Miliband
  An independent report from the Institute of Education, "Evaluation of the Effectiveness of the Statutory Arrangements for the Induction of Newly Qualified Teachers", in May 2002 found that the quality of provision for newly qualified teachers has improved since the introduction of induction.

  Research by the General Teaching Council for England has shown that teachers who are exposed to any sort of professional development opportunities are more likely to be in teaching in five years time compared with those who have not had such opportunities.

  Qualifications
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people of working age in(a) Merseyside and (b) the UK had no qualifications in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [177914]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  The table shows the proportion and number of working age1 people with no qualifications in (a) Merseyside and (b) the United Kingdom. Data comes from the winter quarter of the Labour Force Survey (LFS) in 2003–04.

  No qualifications

  Percentage

  Number

  Qualification level

  Merseyside

  23.3

  194,000

  United Kingdom

  14.4

  5,223,000

  Reducing the number of people with no qualifications is a major priority for the Government. The Skills Strategy announced a number of measures to address this issue. In particular, we are introducing a new entitlement to free learning for all those studying for those first Level 2 qualifications as a foundation for employability. We have also said that we will introduce a new adult learning grant of up to £30 a week for full-time learners studying for their first Level 2 qualification. We want to improve the quality of information, advice and guidance to help people choose the right course for them. Basic skills needs for those without qualifications are being addressed through the Government's Skills for Life strategy. We have also asked regional development agencies to work with the Learning and Skills Council, the Small Business Service, Jobcentre Plus, Skills for Business and others to ensure that the aims of Skills Strategy are delivered in a more co-ordinated way that connects with the needs of employers and individuals at the regional, local and sectoral level through the creation of strong and effective Regional Skills Partnerships.

  1 Working age population refers to males aged 16–64 and females aged 16–59.

  Schools (Use Outside School Hours)
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of(a) primary and (b) secondary school buildings are used outside of school hours, broken down by region; and if he will make a statement. [179100]

  Mr. Miliband
  We do not currently hold the data requested and it could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Secondary Schools
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Tatton (Mr. Osborne) of 27 May 2004,Official Report, column 1699, if he will list the successful schools that have expanded; and whether these schools were in areas with surplus places. [177876]

  Mr. Miliband
  [holding answer 10 June 2004]: The local School Organisation Committee has approved proposals for the expansion of the following successful and popular schools, and the necessary capital support has been agreed by the DfES.

  Fairfield High School, Bristol

  Maiden Erlegh School, Wokingham

  Bury Church of England High School, Bury

  Parrenthorn High School, Bury

  The percentage of secondary surplus places in Bristol is 11 per cent., in Wokingham it is 3 per cent., and in Bury it is 2 per cent.

  DfES is working with a number of further schools that wish to expand.

  Sector Skills Councils
  Mr. Simmonds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many sector skills councils are(a) operational and (b) planned for the next three years. [177376]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  We are making good progress in setting up sector skills councils (SSCs). To date there are 16 licensed SSCs. Plans are well advanced for the development of proposals for a further eight SSCs and, in addition, the SSDA continues to work with a number of other sectors. We currently anticipate that there will be around 23 SSCs in place by the end of the year covering the majority of the work force. Any further additions to the network will depend on employers coming forward with appropriate proposals.

  Sure Start
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action his Department is taking to support disadvantaged children who do not live in wards targeted by the Sure Start programme. [177942]

  Margaret Hodge
  The broad Sure Start programme benefits children, parents and communities across the country, delivering free early education for all three and four-year-olds, improving the quality and affordability of child care, and creating at least 250,000 new child care places by 2006. Sure Start children's centres are initially being established in the 20 per cent. most disadvantaged 1064W
  wards in England. We recognise however that disadvantage exists outside of these wards, and the Sure Start Unit is considering proposals from local authorities to locate centres in such areas. The Government's long-term aim is to develop a children's centre in every community.

  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to assess the effectiveness of Sure Start programmes. [178360]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Sure Start Unit carries out thorough evaluations of all its major programmes. A comprehensive national evaluation of Sure Start Local Programmes began in 2001 and is examining the effectiveness of Sure Start for children, families and communities by tracking a sample of 8,000 children and their families over time. Local Sure Start programmes also undertake their local educations to inform their programmes delivery. An evaluation of the Neighbourhood Nursery Initiative began in 2003 and is assessing how far it is helping to reduce unemployment by providing high quality child care in disadvantaged areas. Further information, including findings to date, is available on the Sure Start website www.surestart/ensuringquality/research

  Teaching Posts (Greater London)
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on recruitment and retention of primary and secondary school teachers at schools in the Greater London area. [179039]

  Mr. Miliband
  Recruitment and retention of both primary and secondary teachers across the Greater London area has improved considerably over the last couple of years. The provisional figures for 2004 show an increase of a further 600 FTE teachers across London taking the total to 61,500, compared to the figure in 1997 of 56,800. The full-time vacancy rates across all the maintained sectors—nursery, primary, secondary and special schools have dropped each year from 3.5 per cent. in 2001 to a provisional 1.4 per cent. in 2004; leaving a total of 680 vacancies across London as at January this year.

  Training
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skill, what funding has been given for the training of people in Stoke-on-Trent, North constituency since 1997; under what projects; and if he will make a statement. [177631]

  Alan Johnson
  The Department allocates funds for education and training in the post-16 learning and skills sector to the Learning and Skills Council (LSC). The LSC then decides the funding allocations at local level to learning providers. Information about these allocated is not collected by the Department. This is an operational matter and the responsibility of the LSC. Mark Haysom, the LSC's Chief Executive, will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of his reply will be placed in the Library. Some information will only be available from 2001 when the LSC assumed responsibility for funding some programmes from Training and Enterprise
  1065W
  Councils and the Department. Information for these programmes prior to 2001 is not available at parliamentary constituency level.

  Truancy
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what targets his Department has set in relation to reducing truancy in each year up to 2006; and what levels of funding will be made available in each year. [177886]

  Mr. Ivan Lewis
  [holding answer 14 June 2004]: Promoting regular school attendance and reducing levels of absence are key components of the Government's strategy to raise educational standards. The current national Public Service Agreement (PSA) target is to reduce the 2002 level of unauthorised absence by 10 per cent. in this school year; and to sustain the new lower level and improve overall attendance levels thereafter.

  To help achieve the current PSA target, the Department set the 56 LEAs facing some of the greatest challenges individual stretching targets to reduce unauthorised absence in 2003/04. these LEAs received extra resources to assist in improving support to schools and pupils with poor attendance and in devising better strategic approaches to attendance management.

  In all, the National Behaviour and Attendance Strategy is investing around £120 million in 2004–05 and £155 million in 2005–06 on measures to reduce exclusions or provide education for excluded pupils, to support vulnerable and disaffected pupils back into the classroom, to improve behaviour and to tackle truancy and improve school attendance. As many of the measures schools and LEAs implement will improve both pupils' behaviour and their attendance—and action in respect of one will often have an impact on the other—it is not possible to identify separately the level of expenditure allocated to tackling truancy alone.

PRIME MINISTER

  Lockerbie
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Prime Minister what action he has taken as a result of his meeting with Lockerbie relatives on 24 May; and what next steps he proposes to take. [179210]

  The Prime Minister
  We are taking forward issues raised by the representatives of the Lockerbie families at the meeting on 24 May. The families will be informed of the outcome.

DEFENCE

  Airfield Support Services Project
  Jim Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what opportunities have been given, and what further opportunities are planned, to allow bidders for the Airfield Support Services Project to explain their proposals to relevant trade union officials and to respond to any concerns raised. [178930]
  1066W
  Mr. Ingram
  The opportunity for trade union involvement with the Airfield Support Services Project has been continuous throughout the project and remains ongoing. Each bidding consortia formally briefed the trade union side during September 2002 and it is believed that at least one consortium subsequently arranged additional meetings. There is no restriction on the bidding consortia in this regard and they are free to engage with the trade unions if requested or if they see fit to do so.

  Army Medal Office
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff have been employed at the Army Medal Office to assist in the issuing of the Iraq medal since the beginning of the year; and how many are on(a) casual and (b) fixed-term contracts. [178995]

  Mr. Caplin
  The Army Medal Office established a section to deal specifically with the Iraq medal on 4 May 2004. The section comprises eight staff, including four on casual contracts and one on a fixed-term appointment.

  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many applications for the Suez Canal Zone(a) medal and (b) clasp have been (i) received and (ii) processed by the Army Medal Office in Droitwich Spa. [179020]

  Mr. Caplin
  As at 11 June 2004, the Army Medal Office has received over 28,500 applications for the Suez Canal Zone medal or clasp. Information that would distinguish applications for the medal and the clasp is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Of the 6,650 applications that have been processed, 5,315 medals and 418 clasps have been issued.

  BAE Systems
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date he first became aware of a letter from the then director of the Serious Fraud Office written on 8 March 2001 to Sir Kevin Tebbit, the Permanent Secretary of his Department, regarding allegations of fraud involving BAE Systems. [176076]

  Mr. Hoon
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for North Norfolk (Norman Lamb) on 25 May 2004,Official Report, column 1613W.

  Baha Musa
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the investigation into the death of Baha Musa. [177578]

  Mr. Ingram
  The investigation into the death of Baha Musa has been completed and the case is currently under consideration by Army Legal Services. It is therefore not appropriate for me to give any further details at this stage.

  Detainee Interviewing Training
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether any members of the British armed forces have(a) received training and (b) been involved in providing

  1067W
  training at the United States army training school at Fort Benning in Georgia for the interviewing of detainees. [174014]

  Mr. Ingram
  No members of the British armed forces have received training, or been involved in providing training, at Fort Benning for the interviewing of detainees.

  Detainees (Hooding)
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the issue of the hooding of detainees was raised by officials of the International Committee of the Red Cross during meetings with British Army officers in 2003. [174281]

  Mr. Hoon
  [holding answer 25 May 2004]: Details of discussions between the armed forces and the International Committee of the Red Cross are confidential, but the issue was discussed.

  Iraq
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, when he first made representations to his US counterpart regarding the International Committee of the Red Cross report on maltreatment of Iraqi prisoners by US forces in Iraq. [174592]

  Mr. Rammell
  [holding answer 20 May 2004]: I have been asked to reply.

  I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hampstead and Highgate (Glenda Jackson) on 26 May 2004, Official Report, column 163SW.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what date his Department provided the classified examples on targets chosen in the war to which reference is made at paragraph 30 of the Government's response to the Defence Committee report on Lessons of Iraq, HC635. [178745]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Ministry of Defence wrote to the Committee on 14 July 2003.

  Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 8 June 2004,Official Report, columns 4–5WS, on Iraq, what the average time between an allegation by an Iraqi civilian of (a) ill-treatment, (b) injury and (c) death as a result of British military action and the opening of investigations into the allegations has been. [179018]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Royal Military Police have a standard target of initiating an investigation within 24 hours of notification of an incident or allegation and this target has been met in all 75 cases investigated in Iraq which I referred to in my statement on 8 June 2004,Official Report, column 4–5WS.

  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 17 May 2004,Official Report, column 663W, on Iraq, on what date in March 2003 Mr. Zaher died. [179027]

  Mr. Ingram
  Mr. Zaher Sabti Zaher died on 24 March 2003.
  1068W
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what(a) the names of the individuals and (b) the (i) date and (ii) nature of the incident concerned is in each of the 75 cases of civilian deaths that are subject to investigation in Iraq. [179052]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 15 June 2004]: Of the 75 investigations of incidents involving civilians, 37 relate to deaths. The names of the deceased individuals (where known), together with the date and nature of the incident, are shown in the following table:

  Date of incident

  Name

  Nature of incident

  24 March 2003

  Zaher Sabti Zaher

  Operations

  12 April 2003

  Kuwaiti national—further details unknown

  RTA

  12 April 2003

  Manik S. Mahmud

  Detainee

  29 April 2003

  Ather Khalaf Mohammed

  Operations

  3 May 2003

  Ali Salaam

  Operations

  7 May 2003

  Dyab Rehman Nasser

  RTA

  8 May 2003

  Radhi, Nama

  Detainee

  11 May 2003

  Nadhem Abdullah

  Operations

  17 May 2003

  Abdul Al Jubba Mousa Ali

  Detainee

  18 May 2003

  Hamza Abdul Hussein Al Askary

  RTA

  18 May 2003

  Ahmed Jabber Kareem

  Detainee

  24 May 2003

  Said Shabram

  Detainee

  26 May 2003

  Wael Jaber Raheem

  Operations

  15 June 2003

  Jassim Yassim Jabbar Al Shimillwy

  RTA

  2 August 2003

  Hassan Abbad Saied

  Operations

  7 August 2003

  A. J. Khalif

  Detainee

  21 August 2003

  Hanan S. Matrud

  Operations

  24 August 2003

  W. F. Muzban

  Operations

  15 September 2003

  Baha Daoud Salim Musa

  Detainee

  27 December 2003

  N. S. Khoulief

  Operations

  1 January 2004

  G. G. H. D. Roomi

  Operations

  2 February 2004

  S. A. Maltouf

  Operations

  3 February 2004

  S. Kazim

  RTA

  18 February 2004

  M. D. Habash

  RTA

  5 March 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  7 March 2004

  S. A. A. Hamdy

  Operations

  27 March 2004

  A. A. A. Abdullah

  RTA

  4 April 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  6 April 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  6 April 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  7 April 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  12 April 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  3 May 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  8 May 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  8 May 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  10 May 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  14 May 2004

  Unknown

  Operations

  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the families of Iraqi individuals whose deaths are or have been the subject of Special Investigation Branch inquiries have been given copies of official autopsy reports or equivalent documents. [177580]

  Mr. Ingram
  In the majority of cases under investigation by the Special Investigations Branch into deaths of Iraqi civilians, families have refused to allow autopsies to be conducted on their relatives.

  A United Kingdom pathologist has carried out autopsies on two Iraqi civilians whose deaths are being investigated by the Special Investigation Branch. Once these investigations are complete, and subject to the permission of the pathologist who conducted the autopsy, these reports could be made available to the relatives, if requested.

  Prisons
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which independent observer groups are given permission to visit British-run military and civilian prisons in Iraq; to whom their reports have been made on prison conditions; to what level within his Department such reports are sent; and if he will make a statement. [177247]

  Mr. Ingram
  The International Committee of the Red Cross regularly visit the British-run Divisional Temporary Detention Facility in Iraq. Discussions routinely take place between local ICRC representatives and British military staff to resolve any issues relating to the conditions in which internees are held. The ICRC produce confidential working papers which are passed to the UK General Officer Commanding in Iraq, and are staffed through the chain of command to the permanent joint headquarters and to the MOD head office if appropriate. Ministers are routinely kept abreast of the results of the ICRCs continuing scrutiny of British-run detention facilities in Iraq, and any substantive issues raised by the ICRC are promptly brought to their attention.

  Medals
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the findings were of the review referred to in his Department's press statement of 17 May relating to the award of an Arctic medal. [175437]

  Mr. Caplin
  No press statement was issued on 17 May. I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Nottingham, North (Mr. Allen) on 1 March 2004,Official Report, columns 595–96.

  Sensory Deprivation
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what directives are in force in the armed forces on the use of sensory deprivation techniques. [158884]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 4 March 2004]: Members of the armed forces may temporarily obscure the vision of apprehended individuals, for reasons of operational security, for example, while they are being transported through militarily sensitive areas. Vision may not be obscured during interrogation. The directive issued by the Chief of Joint Operations to the Commander of British Forces in Iraq covers methods that may be used when obscuring vision, and circumstances in which these methods may be applied.

  No other forms of sensory deprivation are permitted. Joint Warfare Publication 1–10 (Prisoner of War Handling) states that no forms of physical or mental pressure may be used for the purpose of inducing answers to questions, which would preclude the use of 'white noise' or any other sensory deprivation techniques.

  Special Investigation Branch
  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the freedom of information rules are governing access to completed reports of the Special Investigation Branch in which no further action is recommended. [158885]
  1070W
  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 4 March 2004]: From 1 January 2005 any request for information held by the Ministry of Defence will be considered in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. A number of exemptions might apply to information contained in Royal Military Police Special Investigation Branch reports, and requests will therefore need to be given case-by-case consideration.

  Adam Price
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average length of Special Investigations Branch investigations was in the last five years; and in what proportion of cases action was taken. [158862]

  Mr. Ingram
  The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Children Victims of War
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what requests he has received from the organisation, Children Victims of War for a meeting to discuss the current situation in(a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. [178726]

  Hilary Benn
  I have not received any requests from the organisation Children Victims of War to discuss either Iraq or Afghanistan.

  UNESCO
  Mr. Don Foster
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what meetings the British ambassador to UNESCO has attended since 1 January in his official capacity. [178123]

  Hilary Benn
  Our ambassador to UNESCO has attended a large number of meetings so far this year in his official capacity. These include the UNESCO Executive Board biannual session and related preparatory meetings with other board members, the European Union Group, the Commonwealth Group and the Geneva Group; UNESCO-hosted meetings on a wide range of issues falling within the organisation's Education, Science, Culture and Communications portfolio; meetings with DFID and other government Departments on policy towards UNESCO; and, a series of meetings in the UK and Paris on the re-establishment of the UK National Commission for UNESCO.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Overseas Investment
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will introduce legislation that will enable the Government to ban investment in countries where investment will have a negative impact and is contrary to British Government advice. [179229]

  Mr. MacShane
  Investment usually has a positive, not a negative, impact. It is essential for sustainable economic development. In some exceptional circumstances, the Government have considered it
  1071W
  appropriate not to encourage investment on the grounds that investment is not appropriate so long as the regime in question continues to suppress the basic rights of its people. In certain cases, British companies have disinvested at the request of the British Government. The Government have no plans however to introduce legislation in these cases. Any such legislation would in any event have to be compatible with the prohibitions on restrictions on the free movement of capital in the EC Treaty.

  Guantanamo Bay
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the medical records of United Kingdom citizens who were detained in Guantanamo Bay were made available to the interrogators; and whether Her Majesty's Government has received representations from those former British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay in respect of their treatment while under detention. [179023]

  Mr. Mullin
  The Government are not aware of any requests from the US authorities for the UK medical records of the British nationals detained at Guantanamo Bay, The question of whether medical teams at Guantanamo Bay have made their medical records of the detainees available to the interrogators is a matter for the US authorities.

  We have made it very clear to the US authorities that the British detainees at Guantanamo Bay are entitled to be treated humanely. British officials have visited Guantanamo Bay on seven occasions to check on the welfare of the British detainees, most recently in March. None of the former British detainees held at Guantanamo Bay have made representations to the British Government about their treatment there since their return to the UK.

  Rwanda
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when the United Kingdom Government first received reports of acts of genocide being carried out in Rwanda; what action the Government took in immediate response; and when. [177663]

  Mr. Mullin
  Rwandan President Habyarimana, and his Burundian counterpart President Cyprien Ntaryamira, were killed on 6 April 1994 when their aircraft was shot down over Kigali. Very soon afterwards, the British Government became aware of media and NGO reports of large-scale violence and mass killings in Rwanda. The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (Mark Lennox-Boyd) set out the Government's position and reaction to these events in a debate on Rwanda on 24 May 1994,Official Report, columns 312–15.

  Working Holidaymaker Scheme
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many people applied in 2003 for a visa under the Commonwealth working holidaymaker scheme; and from which countries they came. [178778]
  1072W
  Mr. Mullin
  There are 53 Commonwealth Member countries, including the United Kingdom. Zimbabwe is no longer a Commonwealth Member. However, for immigration purposes Zimbabwean nationals continue to be treated as Commonwealth nationals. Zimbabwean nationals remain, therefore, eligible to apply working holidaymaker visas No applications from Kiribati, Nauru, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu or Vanuatu nationals were received in 2003. The following table shows the number of applications made for working holidaymaker visas during 2003, broken down by nationality.

  Number of applications

  Antigua and Barbuda

  2

  Australia

  32,614

  Bahamas

  2

  Bangladesh

  217

  Barbados

  45

  Belize

  6

  Botswana

  192

  BNO's and BOC's1

  87

  Brunei

  3

  Cameroon

  72

  Canada

  6,612

  Cyprus

  25

  Dominica

  15

  Fiji

  30

  Gambia

  8

  Ghana

  4,684

  Grenada

  7

  Guyana

  81

  India

  10,860

  Jamaica

  894

  Kenya

  173

  Lesotho

  15

  Malawi

  125

  Malaysia

  3,469

  Maldives

  4

  Malta

  96

  Mauritius

  125

  Mozambique

  10

  Namibia

  1,824

  New Zealand

  8,796

  Nigeria

  331

  Pakistan

  128

  Papua New Guinea

  3

  Seychelles

  19

  Sierra Leone

  16

  Singapore

  247

  South Africa

  34,242

  Sri Lanka

  5,184

  St. Kitts and Nevis

  4

  St. Lucia

  33

  St. Vincent

  24

  Swaziland

  228

  Tanzania

  28

  Tonga

  1

  Trinidad and Tobago

  749

  Uganda

  68

  Zambia

  111

  Zimbabwe

  996

  1 British National Overseas (BNO) and British Overseas Citizen (BOC).

  Source:

  These statistics are obtained from UK visas Central Reference System.

  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many applications under the working holidaymaker scheme from(a) India, (b) Pakistan, (c) Sri Lanka, (d) Nigeria, (e) Ghana, (f) Sierra Leone, (g) Jamaica and (h) all new Commonwealth countries have been (i) received, (ii) refused, (iii) granted and (iv) appealed against since 25 August 2003. [178782]
  1073W
  Mr. Mullin
  There are 53 Commonwealth member countries, including the United Kingdom. The following table provides the figures requested between 25 August 2003 and 28 May 2004. These statistics are obtained from UK visas central reference system. The figures in the table may not add up due to some applications received in 2003 overlapping into 2004 and equally the same applies for some received in 2002 but processed in 2003. Some applications are also withdrawn by the applicant before a decision is made.

  Received

  Refused

  Issued

  Appealed

  India

  9,995

  5,276

  1,728

  1,445

  Pakistan

  96

  29

  56

  4

  Sri Lanka

  4,935

  3,873

  1,075

  638

  Nigeria

  220

  97

  114

  42

  Ghana

  3,143

  987

  1,977

  161

  Sierra Leone

  13

  11

  3

  2

  Jamaica

  442

  145

  269

  30

  All CC1

  73,468

  13,287

  53,476

  2,763

  1 All Commonwealth countries, including those broken down within the table.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Child Support Agency
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in what percentage of cases relating to Child Support the Child Support Agency has made an error in(a) January 1997, (b) January 2000 and (c) January 2004; and if he will make a statement. [177452]

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

  Letter from Elaine Fox to Miss Anne McIntosh, dated 17 June 2004:

  In reply to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive. As he is currently on leave I am replying on his behalf.

  You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, in what percentage of cases relating to Child Support the Child Support Agency has made an error in (a) January 1997, (b) January 2000 and (c) January 2004; and if he will make a statement.

  The Agency does not hold statistically valid information for the percentages of cases where the Agency has made errors in the months quoted in the question.

  Financial Assistance Scheme
  Mr. Tynan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to what date he has instructed his Department to work for the publication of draft regulations for the Financial Assistance Scheme. [178593]

  Malcolm Wicks
  I refer my hon. Friend to my Statement during report stage of the Pensions Bill on 19 May 2004,Official Report, columns 984–85.

  New Deal for 50 Plus
  Mr. Willetts
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the New Deal 50 Plus Training Grant will be retained after the changes to the New Deal announced on 19 May. [178863]

  Malcolm Wicks
  Following the publication of a preliminary paper on the 19 May, today we published our full strategy paper "Building on New Deal: Local solutions meeting individual needs".

  The New Deal has already helped over a million people to find jobs and we are continuing to build on this success. The strategy published today will introduce greater flexibility into our employment programmes, providing a service tailored to the needs of individuals, local areas and local employers. Jobcentre Plus District Managers will have increased flexibility to provide whichever type of support is needed to help people move into sustained work.

  Our strategy for employment programmes is developing in parallel with the development of the Government's overall skills strategy. As the strands of these strategies develop we will continue to explore the most appropriate way of ensuring that older workers can access the training they need.

  Objectives' Programmes
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much public funding has been spent from the(a) Objective 1, (b) Objective 2 and (c) Objective 3 programmes in Crosby, since the programmes' inception. [177866]

  Mr. Raynsford
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is the Managing Authority for the European Regional Development Fund in Merseyside. The Department for Work and Pensions hold a similar role for the European Social Fund. Merseyside does not receive Objective 2 or Objective 3 funding and information on levels of European funding at ward level is not held. However Objective 1 public funding is available in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton, which includes Crosby, and the following table shows how much has been spent from the start of the current programme in 2000 to 14 June 2004. Final figures for domestic match funding only become available as projects complete. As the majority of projects are still under way the figures given for domestic public match funding are estimated using data from the Merseyside Objective 1 programme plan. In addition to the funding shown here it should be noted that almost 50 per cent. of the Objective 1 programme delivers pan-Merseyside projects, to which residents and businesses in the Metropolitan Borough of Sefton also have access.

  £

  Fund

  European structural funds grant paid

  Estimated domestic public match funding

  European Regional Development Fund

  6,557,069

  12,854,600

  European Social Fund

  8,428,073

  26,850,000

  Totals

  14,985,142

  39,704,600

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Competitiveness
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact which the UK National Allocation Plan will have on the competitiveness of UK industry. [178483]

  Mr. Timms
  The UK has set out to implement the EU ETS in a way that meets the twin goals of maintaining UK industry's competitiveness, while maintaining commitment to our environmental goals. As the EU ETS is a new instrument, and, before the start of the first Phase, there remain great uncertainties as to what the EU allowance price may be, detailed analysis of the potential impact on the UK of the scheme was necessary to inform our decisions on implementation. An additional and crucial uncertainty has been how other member states will implement the scheme.

  The DTI published an analytical paper on the impact of the EU ETS on UK industry, examining in particular the trading patterns of EU ETS sectors and possible regional dimensions to the impacts. This is available on the DTI website at www.dti.gsi.gov.uk/energy/sepn/euets.shtml. in addition, we commissioned ILEX Energy consultants to examine the possible impact on electricity prices of differing EU allowance prices and the impact on power sector investment. This paper is available on the DTI website, as above. Further work has been commissioned to examine the cross EU impacts on power prices.

  This analysis informed the decision for the UK to allocate allowances equal to estimates of what sectors will require in the 2005–07 period under 'with measures' projections. This is to ensure that EU ETS will not impose a reduction in emissions beyond what is expected given current measures. The exception to this is electricity generation, which due to the very limited international competition that the industry faces, has been allocated a reduction below 'with measures' projections in the 2005–07 period.

  When the Commission's assessment and decisions on all NAPs have been made, a more informed assessment of the impact of EU ETS on UK industry will be possible.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the impact on UK competitiveness of the national allocation plans of other EU member states; and if she will make a statement. [178485]

  Mr. Timms
  The UK has closely followed the publication of other member states National Allocation Plans (NAPs), and, has actively called for robust and consistent review by the Commission. The need for the Commission to ensure there is consistent adherence to the principles of the Directive's rules for allocation in each NAP, as well as an assessment of possible State Aid implications from allocation, is crucial to ensure that there is minimal distortion of competition between the EU member states.

  The Commission has yet to make final decisions on the 14 NAPs submitted to date, so no detailed assessment of the competition implications for the UK
  1076W
  can be made. However, ECOFYS consultancy has been commissioned to analyse key aspects of other member states NAPs that are published, which inform UK comments in the peer review process of NAPs. We will continue to work with the Commission to highlight where clear distortions of competition arise from implementation and breaches of the directive establishing the EU Emissions Trading Scheme.

  Departmental Budgets
  Mr. Letwin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made towards the 5 per cent. reduction in real terms in her Department's administration budget by 2008, announced by the Chancellor in the House on 17 March 2004,Official Report, column 331 [176502]

  Ms Hewitt
  The real terms reduction of 5 per cent. or more will be a central feature of the public spending settlements for 2006–08 to be announced in detail later this year.

  EU Emissions Trading Scheme
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will urge the European Commission to delay the start of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme until it has approved the National Allocation Plan of each member state. [178484]

  Mr. Timms
  The EU Emissions Trading Directive and related regulations on the monitoring and reporting of emissions from installations covered by the scheme comes into force in every member state from 1 January 2005.

  It is crucial that NAPs from member states that have not been submitted to the Commission in sufficient time ahead of January 2005 are not subject to less thorough or differing assessment or approval mechanisms by the Commission. The UK has asked for clarification on this, and the Commission has stated that the three month period for assessment of the plan by the Commission will be retained, regardless of when the date of notification of the NAP is. Late submissions of National Allocation Plans will not lift the requirements to comply with the directive in any member state, rather it will deny industry the certainty and access to use of the market from the outset to help in compliance. There are no plans to call for a delay in the start of the scheme.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of reliance other EU member states are placing on project credits available from the Kyoto project mechanism to meet their national targets for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme. [178486]

  Mr. Timms
  To date, 14 National Allocation Plans for the EU ETS, including the UK's, have been submitted to the European Commission. Of these, seven have indicated an intention to use purchase of JI and CDM to meet Kyoto targets in 2012. The level of these planned purchases as well as the state of advancement of these policies differs in each plan. In some cases, there are clear plans and substantiated programmes and funding for this, in others there is less clarity as to how firm the policy is, whether it has been budgeted for and from what sources.
  1077W
  The Commission has stated in a letter to all 25 member states on 17 March 2004.that the plans will be assessed for any State Aid implications that allocations may imply, in particular the use of public funds to buy Kyoto credits.

  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to enable UK companies fully to utilise the Joint Implementation and the Clean Development Mechanism components of the Linking Directive. [178487]

  Mr. Timms
  The Government are committed to ensuring that UK industry has access to the cost effective reduction potential that the JI and CDM mechanisms offer. The UK Climate Change Programme assumes some of the reductions envisaged to meet the 2010 goals and beyond may be made via use of these mechanisms.

  In the context of the EU ETS, the linking amendment on the use of project credits from JI and CDM allows member states the discretion to consider whether or not such credits can be used for compliance against emissions covered by the EU ETS. The decision must be notified to the European Commission by June 2006. The Government are keen to allow the use of project credits from Phase One of the EU ETS and negotiated in favour of allowing early linking of the CDM from 2005. A final decision on how UK companies will be able to use such credits in the 2005–07 period of the EU ETS has not been made.

  Fur Farms
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the estimated value in sales was of the fur farming industry in the final year of production. [178285]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  I have been asked to reply.

  Figures on fur farming industry sales could be provided only at disproportionate cost. We estimate that profits were roughly £650,000 a year before production tailed off leading up to the ban.

  Northern Cyprus (Trade)
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value of(a) imports from and (b) exports to the Turkish Cypriot regime in Northern Cyprus was in the last three years. [178772]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  I am told that information on UK trade in goods is classified by HM Customs and Excise according to the "Geonomenclature of the European Communities". This geographic classification is an internationally agreed list of countries and territories against which figures for overseas trade are represented. It does not distinguish between Turkish Cyprus and Greek Cyprus and so the information requested is not available.

  Nuclear Waste
  Mr. Page
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of nuclear waste held at approved storage centres in the United Kingdom is from the nuclear weapons programme. [174977]

  Mr. Morley
  I have been asked to reply.

  Of the total combined high level and intermediate level nuclear wastes held at approved storage centres in the United Kingdom and identified in the 2001 United Kingdom Radioactive Waste Inventory, some 24 per cent. is attributable to the nuclear weapons programme. It is predicted that, by the year 2100, this figure will reduce to less than 14 per cent. Approximately 2.6 per cent. of the intermediate level waste is held at AWE Aldermaston and the remainder of the waste is held at British Nuclear Fuels and United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority sites.

  Offshore Renewables
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions have taken place between her Department and the offshore renewables industry in the last 12 months. [178723]

  Mr. Timms
  DTI Ministers and officials have had a large number of meetings on a range of issues with the offshore renewable energy industry over the past 12 months, including with representative organisations such as the British Wind Energy Association. We have also spoken at and attended various industry conferences.

  Post Office Reinvention Programme
  Richard Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what action she intends to take to ensure that most people in Birmingham will be within half a mile of a post office at the completion of the Post Office urban reinvention programme. [177700]

  Mr. Timms
  The commitment to ensure that at least 95 per cent. of the urban population nationally will still live within one mile of a post office at the end of the urban reinvention programme is an operational responsibility of Post Office Ltd. I have therefore asked the Chief Executive to respond direct to the hon. Member.

  Richard Burden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from Post Office Ltd. on the Post Office urban reinvention programme since 18 May; and if she will make a statement. [177703]

  Mr. Timms
  I can confirm that there have been contacts since 18 May between Post Office Ltd. and my officials about the company's urban reinvention programme.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Advisers/Consultants
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department and its agencies and non-departmental public bodies spent on external consultants and advisers in each of the last three years. [172438]

  Fiona Mactaggart
  The available information held by the Home Office on the cost of using external consultants in each of the financial years; 2000–01, 2001–02 and 2002–03 is as follows:

  £

  2000–2001

  27,877,286

  2001–2002

  21,147,058

  2002–2003

  N/a

  The increase in expenditure on external consultancy in 2000–01 was primarily, due to costs incurred on the Home Office modernisation programme, in particular Information Technology (IT) related consultancy.

  The high spend figures for 2001–02 includes the cost of setting up the National Probation Directorate and various consultancies on IT Business Change.

  We do not hold information on the cost to the Home Office of using external consultants for 2002–03 and to obtain this information would incur disproportionate cost.

  The use of external consultants has helped the Department to successfully deliver projects across the office, which has resulted in improved business processes. A further benefit has been the transfer of specialist skills and knowledge to staff.

  Asylum and Immigration
  Mr. Laxton
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of asylum decisions

  Initial decisions on applications received for asylum in the United Kingdom1 excluding dependants: 1999–2003

  Cases considered under normal procedures3

  Initial decisions2

  Granted asylum

  Granted exceptional leave to remain

  Granted humanitarian protection

  Percentage4

  Percentage4

  Percentage4

  Percentage4

  1999

  33,720

  (100)

  7,815

  (36)

  2,465

  (12)

  n/a

  —

  2000

  109,205

  (100)

  10,375

  (11)

  11,495

  (12)

  n/a

  —

  20016

  120,950

  (100)

  11,450

  (9)

  20,190

  (17),

  n/a

  —

  20027

  83,540

  (100)

  8,270

  (10)

  20,135

  (24)

  n/a

  —

  20037

  64,605

  (100)

  3,880

  (6)

  3,970

  (6)

  135

  (0)

  Cases considered under normal procedures3

  Backlog clearance exercise4

  Granted discretionary leave

  Refused

  Granted asylum or exceptional leave to remain under bucklog criterial

  Refused under backlog criteria5

  Percentage4

  Percentage4

  Percentage4

  Percentage4

  1999

  n/a

  —

  11,025

  (52)

  11,140

  (90)

  1,275

  (10)

  2000

  n/a

  —

  75,680

  (78)

  10,325

  ('89)

  1,335

  (11)

  20016

  n/a

  —

  89,310

  (74)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1080W
  on average over the last five years were initially rejected and subsequently accepted on appeal; and what percentage of these appeals were accepted on (a) first, (b) second and (c) subsequent appeal. [161053]

  Mr. Browne
  The information requested is not available on average over the last five years, and could be produced only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case files.

  However, a cohort analysis up to and including appeals at the IAA was carried out for asylum applications made in 2002. It is estimated that around four in ten (42 per cent.) of applications in 2002 resulted in the granting of asylum (101 per cent.) or of exceptional leave to remain (231 per cent.) or in appeals which were allowed by the IAA adjudicators (a further 10 per cent).

  Based on cases where data are available, it is estimated that 77 per cent. of initial refusals of applications made in 2002 resulted in an appeal (i.e. 54 per cent. of applications in 2002 resulted in appeals), and that 10 per cent. of applications made in 2002 resulted in appeals allowed at the IAA.

  Asylum cases are determined according to their individual merits. The rates of refusal at initial decision and at appeal change over time reflecting a variety of factors including the changing mix of applicant nationalities, and changing situations in source countries. Over the last five years the vast majority of appeals have been dismissed, at the Immigration Appellate Authority (IAA) and at the Immigration Appeal Tribunal (IAT).

  Applications for leave to appeal to the IAT may be brought either by appellants or by the Secretary of State. The majority of applications for leave to appeal to the IAT are dismissed.

  The latest available data on initial decisions and appeal outcomes and Judicial Reviews is given in the tables.

  1 Figures may not sum due to rounding.
  1081W

  Cases considered under normal procedures3

  Backlog clearance exercise4

  Granted discretionary leave

  Refused

  Granted asylum or exceptional leave to remain under backlog criterial

  Refused under backlog criteria5

  Percentage4

  Percentage4

  Percentage4

  Percentage4

  20027

  n/a

  —

  55,130

  (66)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  20037

  3,105

  (5)

  53,510

  (83)

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1 Figures rounded to the nearest 5.

  2 Information is of initial decisions, excluding the outcome of appeals or other subsequent decisions.

  3 Cases considered under normal procedures may include some cases decided under the backlog criteria.

  4 Percentages for cases considered under normal procedures and those within the backlog clearance exercise are calculated separately.

  5 Cases decided under measures aimed at reducing the pre 1996 asylum application backlog.

  6 Revised figures.

  7 Provisional figures

  n/a = Not applicable.

  Asylum appeals determined by adjudicators of the Immigration Appellate Authority, excluding dependants: 1999 to 20031

  Number of principal appellants

  Allowed3

  Dismissed3

  Withdrawn3

  Total determined2

  Total

  As percentage of total determined

  Total

  As percentage of total determined

  Total

  As percentage of total determined

  1999

  19,460

  5,280

  27

  11,135

  57

  3,050

  16

  2000

  19,395

  3,340

  17

  15,580

  80

  475

  2

  2001

  43,415

  8,155

  19

  34,440

  79

  825

  2

  2002

  64,405

  13,875

  22

  48,845

  76

  1,685

  3

  2003

  81,725

  16,070

  20

  63,810

  78

  1,845

  2

  1 Figures, other than percentages, rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers might not add up due to rounding.

  2 Based on information supplied by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Determinations do not necessarily relate to appeals received in the same period. Appeals determined by the IAA may relate to initial decisions made in previous years.

  4 Based on data supplied from the Presenting Officers Unit within the Home Office.

  Data for 2002 and 2003 are provisional.

  Further appeals to the Tribunal, decisions, and the outcome of Tribunal hearings, excluding dependants: 1999 to 20021

  Number of principal appellants

  Applications for leave to appeal to the Tribunal2

  Appeals to the Tribunal2

  Applications

  Decisions

  Received

  Determined

  1999

  8,635

  9,575

  2,135

  1,790

  2000

  6,020

  5,490

  1,615

  2,635

  2001

  15,540

  13,540

  3,860

  3,190

  20024

  25,600

  22,825

  6,920

  5,565

  Outcome of Tribunal Hearings3

  Allowed

  Dismissed

  Withdrawn

  Remitted to adjudicators for further consideration

  1999

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  2000

  815

  1,385

  220

  215

  2001

  475

  1,140

  150

  1,430

  20024

  620

  2,015

  225

  2,700

  Outcome of Tribunal Hearings3

  Number of principal appellants

  Appellant

  Secretary of State

  Allowed

  Dismissed

  Withdrawn

  Allowed

  Dismissed

  Withdrawn

  1999

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  2000

  650

  1,225

  185

  170

  165

  35

  2001

  315

  1,020

  125

  160

  120

  25

  20024

  410

  1,880

  210

  215

  130

  15

  1082W
  1 Figures rounded to the nearest 5. Numbers might not add up due to rounding.

  2 Figures based on data supplied by the Department for Constitutional Affairs. Decisions and determinations do not necessarily correspond to applications and appeals received in any given year. Appeals determined by the I AT may relate to cases determined at the IAA made in previous years

  3 Figures supplied by the Presenting Officers Unit. Figures for October-December 1999 are based on data for November-December.

  4 Provisional figures.

  Applications for Judicial Review, and outcomes, excluding dependants, 1999 to 2002

  Applications for leave to move for judicial review1

  Applications

  Decisions2

  Of which granted leave to move

  Percentage of applicants granted leave to move3

  19996,7 Q1, Q2 and Q4

  1,790

  1,125

  395

  (35)

  20006

  1,920

  2,095

  555

  (26)

  20016

  2,210

  2,300

  290

  (13)

  20028

  3,075

  2,980

  260

  (9)

  1083W

  The outcome of judicial review hearings

  Allowed4

  Dismissed5

  Withdrawn

  Total

  As percentage of total determined

  Total

  As percentage of total determined

  Total

  As percentage of total determined

  19996,7 Q1,Q2 and Q4

  135

  (57)

  25

  (11)

  75

  (32)

  20006

  365

  (48)

  300

  (40)

  95

  (12)

  20016

  260

  (68)

  60

  (16)

  60

  (16)

  20028

  25

  (30)

  60

  (67)

  5

  (3)

  1 Figures based on administrative court data. Figures (other than percentages) rounded to the nearest 5

  2 Decisions do not relate to applications in any given period.

  3 The number of which granted leave to move as a percentage of decisions.

  4 Figures exclude judicial reviews brought in cases relating to asylum support (NASS).

  5 Estimated figures.

  6 The decision of the respondent (in this case, the Home Office or the Department for Constitutional Affairs) was quashed. These figures include consent orders where the JR was conceded by the respondent.

  7 The decision of the respondent was upheld.

  8 Provisional figures.

  Figures on asylum initial decision and appeals outcomes are published in the annual Home Office statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom, and in the quarterly asylum statistics web pages. Copies are available from the Library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html.

  Mr. Randall
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many potential immigrants were refused admission to the UK following advice from medical inspectors on a Port Form 104 for each of the last five years at(a) Heathrow and (b) other United Kingdom ports; and how many other immigrants were refused entry in each of those five years. [156846]

  Mr. Browne
  Information on the number of people refused leave to enter the UK following advice given on a port form 104 is not collated centrally.

  Information on the number of passengers refused entry in each of the last five years is detailed as follows. The table contains data on the total number of passengers (including those removed on medical grounds) refused entry and removed for all ports 1998–02. Information on a particular port of entry is not available except at disproportionate cost.

  Below is an extract from information published in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2002" (Cm6053), obtainable from the House Library, The Stationery Office and via the Home Office website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hobpubs1.html

  Passenger refused entry at port and subsequently removed1, 1998 to 2002

  United Kingdom

  Total (units)

  1998

  27,605

  1999

  31,295

  2000

  38,275

  2001

  37,865

  2002

  50,360

  1 Not necessarily in the same year as arrival.

  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passengers were refused entry at port and subsequently removed in each year 1084W
  since 1992, broken down by ports of entry; and to what he attributes the fall between 2002 and 2003 indicated in the rounded figures released on 4 April. [169253]

  Mr. Browne
  Information on the number of people who were refused leave to enter at port and were subsequently removed in each year from 1992 to 2002 is shown in the table.

  Persons refused entry at port and subsequently removed: 1992 to 20021,2,3

  Number of persons

  Total

  1992

  14,950

  1993

  16,740

  1994

  17,220

  1995

  19,150

  1996

  21,200

  1997

  24,535

  1998

  27,605

  1999

  31,295

  2000

  38,275

  2001

  37,865

  20024

  50,360

  1 Figures up to March 2001 may include a small number of dependants of port asylum applicants.

  2 Not necessarily in the same year as arrival.

  3 Figures are rounded to nearest five.

  4 Provisional figures.

  Information on the port of entry of these individuals is not available except by examination of individual case-files at disproportionate cost.

  The information released on 6 April was management information. Although no in-depth analysis has yet been conducted on the apparent fall in the numbers of passengers refused and removed, early indications are that the decrease may have been a result of the overall deterrent effect of our strategies, in particular, the imposition of visa regimes for Zimbabwean and Jamaican nationals; Direct Airside Transit Visas; and the expansion of the Airline Liaison Officer network.

  Official statistics on the number of people removed from the UK in 2003, including those people who were removed after being refused leave to enter will be available later this year in the Home Office statistical bulletin "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom 2003" on the Home Office web-site www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

  CCTV
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many convictions have arisen from the use of CCTV in(a) South Road, Waterloo and (b) Crosby in each of the last five years. [177844]

  Ms Blears
  Information on the number of convictions arising from the use of CCTV surveillance is not recorded. The statistics held centrally on court proceedings do not include information on methods of detection.

  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action his Department is taking to extend CCTV schemes in the London borough of Wandsworth. [177829]

  Ms Blears
  The London borough of Wandsworth has received £13,000 from the Building Safer Communities Fund and £10,000 from the Basic Command Unit Fund to support the work of the Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnership initiative on dealing with night time disorder in town centres.

  The money will provide extra staff hours for the surveillance of CCTV town centre cameras in disorder hotspots on Friday and Saturday evenings. This initiative has been successful in monitoring the build up of disorder and in directing resources to potential problems.

  Correspondence
  Tony Lloyd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letters from the hon. Member for Manchester, Central of(a) 27 January regarding Mrs. FAW, reference A 1065094, (b) 19 January regarding Mrs. KS, reference P0983/4 and S1037919/3, (c) 19 January regarding Miss YN, reference P0951/4 and N1064754 and (d) 2 February regarding Mr. AKN, reference A1087763. [174364]

  Mr. Browne
  [holding answer 24 May 2004]: The information is as follows.

  Table 2: Offenders found guilty of certain drug offences Number of offenders found guilty1 of certain drug offences at magistrates courts in Greater London2 including those found guilty at the Crown court where the committing court was based in Greater London, 1993 to 2002

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  2002

  Possession of:

  Class A drug

  1,111

  1,406

  1,352

  1,413

  1,503

  2,046

  2,505

  2,355

  2,425

  2,367

  Class B drug

  2,680

  4,122

  3,428

  3,391

  4,184

  5,499

  5,218

  4,758

  4,283

  5,844

  Class C drug

  1

  4

  1

  4

  13

  11

  11

  8

  5

  9

  Dealing3:

  Class A drug

  484

  556

  718

  705

  676

  924

  984

  1,021

  1,446

  1,364

  Class B drug

  577

  786

  900

  860

  923

  946

  798

  530

  585

  693

  Class C drug

  6

  7

  6

  11

  10

  11

  4

  4

  4

  6

  Other drug offences4:

  Class A drug

  3

  1

  6

  7

  5

  8

  8

  3

  4

  5

  Class B drug

  10

  14

  17

  16

  30

  17

  14

  6

  8

  14

  Class C drug

  2

  —

  1

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  —

  1

  1 These data are on the principal offence basis.

  2 Covers Metropolitan Police and City of London Police Force Area.

  1086W
  (a) A reply to the letter of 27 January was sent by an Immigration and Nationality Directorate (IND) Senior Director on 4 March. IND wrote to my hon. friend on 21 May to confirm that the necessary action had been taken.

  (b) I wrote to my hon. friend on 16 June.

  (c) I replied to my hon. friend on 20 May.

  (d) IND wrote to my hon. friend on 18 May.

  Crime Statistics (London)
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drug-related offences were recorded in Greater London in each of the last 10 years; and how many successful prosecutions were brought in each year, broken down by type of drug involved. [177074]

  Ms Blears
  Information on drug related offences is not collected centrally for recorded crime. The available information relates to recorded drug offences. Information for the Metropolitan Police District is given in the following table.

  Table 1: Recorded drug offences in the Metropolitan Police District

  Number of offences

  19941

  2,574

  19951

  3,243

  19961

  3,704

  19971

  4,695

  1997–981,2

  4,849

  1998–993

  32,152

  1999–2000

  26,233

  2000–01

  23,626

  2001–02

  26,204

  2002–034

  33,311

  1 Relates only to trafficking in controlled drugs.

  2 Financial year data from 1997–98 onwards.

  3 Coverage was expanded to include offences of drug possession and other drug offences.

  4 The number of offences recorded will be influenced by the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard on 1 April 2002.

  The number of offenders found guilty of certain drug offences is given in Table 2. These figures are not directly comparable with those for recorded crime.
  1087W
  3 Includes offences of: Unlawful importation and exportation, production of or being concerned in the production of a controlled drug, supplying or offering to supply (or being concerned in supplying or offering to supply) a controlled drug, having possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply.

  4 Includes offences: Permitting premises to be used for unlawful purposes, person has a controlled drug in his possession on a ship, person is knowingly concerned in the carrying or concealing of a controlled drug on a ship.

  Dedicated Security Posts Scheme
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much funding has been provided by central Government for the Dedicated Security Posts Scheme in each year since its inception. [177173]

  Ms Blears
  Grant support for policing generally, including security arrangements common to all police authorities, is allocated using the police grant funding formula. In addition, one particular component of the formula supports additional security costs that vary between police authorities. Provision is allocated between police authorities in line with professional assessment of relative security pressures.

  The component for additional security pressures has been included as part of the police funding formula since its inception in 1995–96. It represented 1.8 per cent. of total formula provision in 1998–99, increasing to 2 per cent. from 1999–2000 to 2002–03. Following wider formula changes in 2002, the proportion has been 2.3 per cent. since 2003–04. The provision is an integral part of the overall calculation on which general police grants for each authority are based.

  The available figures included in the funding formula for additional security pressures are set out in the table.

  £ million

  1998–99

  121.4

  1999–2000

  142.5

  2000–01

  146.8

  2001–02

  154.5

  2002–03

  155.3

  2003–04

  196.5

  2004–05

  203.4

  Domestic Violence
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what advice he has given in the last 12 months to Crime and Disorder Partnerships on improving good practice in reducing domestic violence. [178814]

  Ms Blears
  A domestic violence 'mini-site'—has been set up within the Government's Crime Reduction website. This is designed to be an information resource for Crime and Disorder Reduction Partnerships and local domestic violence coordinators. On this site, we are piloting a 'Web Helpdesk' allowing practitioners to seek information or guidance on any aspect of domestic violence work.

  In addition, the Home Office Development and Practice Report 30, "Safety and justice: sharing personal information in the context of domestic violence—an overview", was published at the National Victims
  1088W
  Conference on 28 April 2004. The Information Sharing guide and the 'Virtual Helpdesk' can be found in the domestic violence mini-site http://www.crimereduction.gov.uk/dv01.htm.

  Fixed-penalty Notices
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions a Merseyside local authority officer, community support officer or person accredited by the chief constable has issued a fixed penalty notice for minor graffiti and fly-posting offences since the inception of this power. [178327]

  Ms Blears
  The power to issue fixed penalty notices for minor graffiti and fly posting under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 was commenced on 31 March this year. To date this power has not been used on Merseyside by anyone from the categories mentioned.

  Honours
  Brian White
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much time his Department spent dealing with honours in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by civil service grade. [173041]

  Fiona Mactaggart
  The Home Office Honours Section provides advice and support to the Home Secretary, Permanent Secretary and Home Office stakeholders on all issues relating to the application of the UK honours system. To this end, it co-ordinates nominations for the new year and birthday honours lists, departmental nominations for the yearly round of royal garden parties and for other ad-hoc events.

  The Home Office honours team comprises two full-time staff: one higher executive officer; and one administrative officer.

  During the period April 2003 to March 2004 a total of six hours was spent formally discussing honours nominations. These discussions involved three permanent secretaries; three directors (senior civil service) and the honours secretary (higher executive officer).

  The majority of the work on honours is undertaken by the departmental honours team. Information is not available on time spent on honours related work by departmental staff who are not members of the Department's honours team.

  Leave to Remain
  Mr. Dominic Grieve
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many refugees and people granted exceptional leave to remain have been granted settlement since 1979, broken down by nationality. [177034]
  1089W
  Mr. Browne
  [holding answer 8 June 2004]: The latest available data relating to the number of refugees and people granted exceptional leave to remain, that have been granted settlement are shown in the table.

  To provide data for the entire period requested would incur disproportionate cost.

  Grants of settlement, recognised refugees and people granted exceptional leave to remain, by nationality, 1992 to 2002

  United Kingdom

  Geographical region and nationality

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  20001

  20011

  2002

  All nationalities (excluding EEA)

  1,780

  3,990

  3,290

  1,600

  4,190

  4,830

  6,680

  22,500

  25,355

  17,965

  18,235

  Europe

  Bulgaria

  0

  4—

  4—

  4—

  10

  4—

  4—

  50

  10

  5

  5

  Cyprus

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  4—

  10

  4—

  70

  65

  20

  10

  Czech Republic

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  4—

  15

  30

  25

  Estonia

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  0

  4—

  0

  4—

  4—

  Hungary

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  10

  4—

  4—

  4—

  5

  0

  4—

  Latvia

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  0

  4—

  0

  5

  5

  Lithuania

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  20

  15

  10

  5

  Malta

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  0

  4—

  0

  Poland

  10

  20

  10

  10

  10

  10

  4—

  10

  25

  30

  25

  Romania

  4—

  10

  4—

  4—

  10

  4—

  30

  40

  30

  15

  15

  Russia

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  30

  180

  85

  35

  30

  Slovakia

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  4—

  10

  10

  10

  Switzerland

  n/a

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  0

  Turkey

  4—

  240

  410

  80

  820

  1,080

  510

  1,790

  1,485

  715

  725

  Ukraine

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  20

  15

  15

  10

  Other former USSR

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  4—

  30

  45

  40

  55

  Former Czechoslovakia

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  10

  4—

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Former USSR

  4—

  4—

  10

  20

  4—

  4—

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  Former Yugoslavia

  0

  0

  4—

  0

  4—

  20

  660

  4,970

  1,955

  2,400

  1,260

  Of which:

  Croatia

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  40

  120

  255

  310

  90

  Serbia and Montenegro2

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  450

  4,590

  1,175

  1,390

  710

  Slovenia

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  0

  4—

  0

  0

  0

  Other former Yugoslavia3

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  170

  260

  525

  740

  460

  Other Europe

  n/a

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  20

  70

  45

  85

  35

  Europe

  30

  280

  450

  120

  890

  1,130

  1,280

  7,240

  3,815

  3,460

  2,230

  Americas

  Argentina

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  4—

  5

  4—

  Barbados

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  Brazil

  0

  4—

  4—

  0

  4—

  4—

  4—

  10

  4—

  4—

  4—

  Canada

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  5

  5

  5

  Chile

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  0

  4—

  0

  5

  5

  5

  Colombia

  4—

  20

  20

  20

  10

  10

  70

  170

  190

  210

  170

  Guyana

  0

  0

  4—

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  10

  4—

  0

  0

  Jamaica

  0

  4—

  0

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  5

  5

  10

  Mexico

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  0

  Peru

  0

  4—

  10

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  30

  20

  15

  5

  Trinidad and Tobago

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  4—

  0

  USA

  4—

  4—

  0

  0

  4—

  4—

  4—

  10

  20

  5

  10

  Venezuela

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  4—

  4—

  5

  0

  4—

  Other Americas

  n/a

  0

  4—

  0

  4—

  10

  60

  50

  50

  50

  30

  Americas

  4—

  30

  40

  20

  30

  40

  140

  290

  310

  300

  240

  n/a = not applicable

  1 Revised data

  2 Former Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

  3 Includes Bosnia and Macedonia

  4 1 or 2

  Note:

  Data rounded, as such they may not sum to the totals shown.

  Grants of settlement, recognised refugees and people granted exceptional leave to remain, by nationality, 1992 to 2002

  United Kingdom

  Geographical region and nationality

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  20001

  20011

  2002

  Africa

  Algeria

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  3—

  10

  310

  590

  240

  140

  125

  Angola

  0

  0

  10

  10

  10

  20

  50

  230

  120

  125

  250

  Congo (Dem. Rep.)2

  0

  0

  30

  40

  30

  20

  50

  1,030

  315

  390

  480

  Egypt

  n/a

  3—

  n/a

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  3—

  30

  35

  5

  15

  Ethiopia

  80

  390

  240

  70

  40

  60

  80

  1,520

  1,915

  260

  200

  Ghana

  80

  80

  60

  40

  110

  50

  70

  1,290

  110

  35

  55

  Kenya

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  20

  70

  145

  85

  70

  Libya

  10

  3—

  10

  10

  10

  10

  20

  40

  70

  65

  70

  Mauritius

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  3—

  n/a

  10

  5

  3—

  3—

  1090W
  Historical data on immigration control can be found in the Command Papers "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom", copies of which are available from the Library of the House.
  1091W

  Grants of settlement, recognised refugees and people granted exceptional leave to remain, by nationality, 1992 to 2002

  United Kingdom

  Geographical region and nationality

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  20001

  20011

  2002

  Morocco

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  10

  3—

  5

  Nigeria

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  10

  3—

  50

  190

  105

  65

  100

  Sierra Leone

  n/a

  n/a

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  10

  320

  135

  125

  100

  Somalia

  160

  790

  720

  220

  220

  290

  1,340

  1,420

  7,015

  4,690

  5,485

  South Africa

  20

  40

  20

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  10

  15

  10

  10

  Sudan

  10

  40

  30

  3—

  80

  800

  140

  190

  660

  190

  160

  Tanzania

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  n/a

  20

  30

  35

  20

  15

  Tunisia

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  10

  30

  15

  20

  5

  Uganda

  30

  80

  50

  160

  490

  320

  190

  720

  1,500

  210

  210

  Zambia

  n/a

  n/a

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  3—

  n/a

  10

  3—

  10

  Zimbabwe

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  10

  3—

  20

  45

  135

  1,875

  Other Africa

  0

  0

  50

  10

  50

  30

  170

  500

  595

  755

  945

  Africa

  390

  1,450

  1,280

  590

  1,080

  1,650

  2,550

  8,230

  13,100

  7,330

  10,185

  Asia

  Indian sub-continent

  Bangladesh

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  3—

  10

  80

  25

  15

  15

  India

  3—

  3—

  10

  3—

  10

  50

  170

  300

  205

  50

  50

  Pakistan

  3—

  3—

  10

  10

  80

  40

  120

  390

  340

  270

  285

  Indian sub-continent

  3—

  10

  20

  10

  100

  110

  290

  770

  575

  335

  350

  Middle East

  Iran

  190

  250

  240

  230

  550

  270

  200

  640

  725

  655

  710

  Iraq

  80

  110

  120

  50

  380

  480

  630

  1,080

  1,340

  950

  1,095

  Israel

  n/a

  3—

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  3—

  10

  3—

  3—

  Jordan

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  10

  3—

  30

  45

  5

  5

  Kuwait

  n/a

  n/a

  n/a

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  10

  10

  15

  5

  20

  Lebanon

  20

  60

  60

  60

  230

  230

  190

  340

  395

  45

  110

  Saudi Arabia

  n/a

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  10

  5

  n/a

  Syria

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  3—

  30

  40

  30

  25

  Yemen

  0

  0

  3—

  n/a

  3—

  3—

  3—

  20

  25

  35

  25

  Other Middle East

  0

  0

  3—

  3—

  3—

  20

  30

  40

  60

  20

  35

  Middle East

  300

  420

  440

  360

  1,170

  1,020

  1,070

  2,200

  2,660

  1,750

  2,025

  n/a = not applicable

  1 Revised data

  1 The Democratic Republic of the Congo, formerly known as Zaire

  11 or 2

  Note:

  Data rounded, as such they may not sum to the totals shown.

  Grants of settlement, recognised refugees and people granted exceptional leave to remain, by nationality, 1992 to 2002

  United Kingdom

  Geographical region and nationality

  1992

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  20001

  20011

  2002

  Remainder of Asia

  China

  2—

  10

  30

  40

  70

  150

  260

  310

  110

  45

  55

  Hong Kong

  0

  2—

  2—

  2—

  0

  2—

  2—

  10

  5

  2—

  5

  Indonesia

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2—

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2—

  0

  Japan

  0

  0

  2—

  0

  0

  2—

  0

  0

  5

  5

  5

  Malaysia

  0

  2—

  10

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  10

  10

  5

  2—

  Philippines

  0

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  0

  2—

  10

  5

  2—

  5

  Singapore

  0

  n/a

  2—

  0

  2—

  2—

  0

  2—

  5

  2—

  5

  South Korea

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2—

  0

  0

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  Sri Lanka

  230

  770

  490

  170

  580

  450

  800

  2,840

  3,930

  2,285

  865

  Taiwan

  n/a

  n/a

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2—

  2—

  2—

  Thailand

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2—

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  Other Asia

  n/a

  n/a

  30

  30

  50

  70

  100

  230

  410

  2,295

  2,205

  Remainder of Asia

  230

  800

  570

  250

  710

  680

  1,170

  3,410

  4,490

  4,650

  3,150

  Total Asia

  530

  1,220

  1,030

  630

  1,980

  1,810

  2,530

  6,390

  7,725

  6,735

  5,520

  Oceania

  Australia

  2—

  2—

  2—

  0

  0

  2—

  0

  2—

  10

  2—

  5

  New Zealand

  0

  2—

  2—

  2—

  0

  0

  2—

  2—

  5

  2—

  2—

  Other Oceania

  n/a

  n/a

  0

  0

  0

  0

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  0

  Oceania

  2—

  2—

  2—

  2—

  0

  2—

  2—

  10

  15

  5

  10

  British Overseas

  Citizens

  2—

  20

  20

  2—

  2—

  10

  20

  10

  20

  10

  15

  Stateless

  790

  830

  560

  240

  220

  190

  160

  330

  370

  125

  35

  All nationalities (excluding EEA)

  1,780

  3,990

  3,290

  1,600

  4,190

  4,830

  6,680

  22,500

  25,355

  17,965

  18,235

  n/a = not applicable

  1 Revised data

  2 1 or 2

  Note:

  Data rounded, as such they may not sum to the totals shown.

  1092W

  Neighbourhood Watch
  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on discussions he has held with the National Neighbourhood Watch Association regarding the Neighbourhood Watch logo. [177731]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 9 June 2004]:: Earlier this year the Home Office began receiving complaints from local schemes and one police force that the National Neighbourhood Watch Association (NNWA) had registered the logos as trademarks. This was done without consulting or obtaining agreement from the Police, the Home Office, local authorities or Neighbourhood Watch generally.

  The Neighbourhood Watch logos are Crown copyright. We are taking steps to resolve the situation with NNWA and to restore ownership and control of the Neighbourhood Watch trademarks to the Home Office. Our aim is to protect the rights of local and regional schemes to continue to use the logos. Discussions are still under way to resolve the situation.

  Police (London)
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average number of Metropolitan police officers per 100,000 of population is within the Greater London area. [177832]

  Ms Blears
  At the end of December 2003 (the latest date available) the Metropolitan police had 412 police officers to 100,000 of the population. The average for England and Wales is 259 officers to 100,000 population.

  Security Industry Authority
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) whether, during the security firm authorisation pilot in Hampshire, security personnel employed by firms from outside Hampshire will be able to work without authorisation; [177232]

  (2) what representations he has received about postponing the security firm authorisation pilot in Hampshire; [177233]

  (3) how many applications from security companies in Hampshire wishing to participate in the Security Industries Agency have been (a) received and (b) authorised; and what the average period of time between receipt and authorisation has been; [177234]

  (4) what discussions he has had with the Security Industry Authority about the outcome of the pilot project in Hampshire; [177279]

  (5) what representations he has received about the preparedness of the Security Industry Authority to license security personnel. [177280]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 9 June 2004]: On 4 June it became a requirement for any door supervisor working in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, including any employed by a company outside those areas, to possess a licence issued by the Security Industry Authority (SIA).
  1094W
  It was announced on 11 November 2003 that Hampshire and the Isle of Wight would be the initial pilot area for the SIA's licensing arrangements, which are to be rolled out across the whole of England and Wales by April 2005. At the same time, it was made clear that applications in the pilot area could be made from 1 March 2004 and that the legal requirement to hold a licence would come into force from 4 June. The SIA has since undertaken considerable consultation with stakeholders, local authorities and the police, and has carried out a wide-ranging publicity campaign. A small number of representations were received from pub and club owners requesting an extension of the 4 June deadline. We have kept in close touch with the SIA throughout the pilot scheme and have received regular updates on progress, and we concluded that the 4 June deadline should stand.

  The responsibility to apply for an SIA licence rests with the individual. As at 4 June, 722 applications had been received from within the pilot area and 193 licences had been granted. The great majority of applications are being processed within the SIA's published target time of four to six weeks.

  Some representations have been received about the SIA's state of preparedness, including from a small number of right hon. and hon. Members. The main concerns have related to training requirements and the availability of training providers, the cost and affordability of the SIA. licence, and the possibility that inability to meet the 4 June deadline might lead to the closure of businesses and loss of jobs. We have made it clear that all of the necessary procedures and arrangements are in place and that sufficient training capacity has been available for some time.

  Special Constables
  Mr. Paice
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which police authorities have applied for approval to introduce an allowance for special constables under the Special Constables (Amendment) Regulations 2002; and which ones he has(a) approved and (b) refused. [178786]

  Ms Blears
  [holding answer 14 June 2004]: Allowance schemes for special constables have been approved in Cumbria (Workington), West Midlands (H2 Operational Command Unit), Humberside (force wide) and Thames Valley (Thames Forest area). No applications have been refused.

  Spray Paint Sales
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions a person has received a level 4 fine for selling spray paints to someone under the age of 16 years on Merseyside since the inception of this power. [178329]

  Ms Blears
  No fines for this offence have been handed down by Merseyside courts yet. We are in discussion with relevant stakeholders as to what further measures might be necessary to ensure the effective enforcement of these provisions.

  Stowaways
  Lembit Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many stowaways were detected at border controls in mainland Europe in(a) vehicles and (b) cargo bound for the UK in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement. [160374]

  Mr. Browne
  The Government does not hold figures on the number of clandestines or stowaways detected at border controls in mainland Europe en route to the UK.

  We do work closely with EU member states, Accession States, the "Near Neighbours" and countries in wider Europe on a wide range of migration issues, including measures aimed at strengthening borders within Europe.

  Although we do not hold figures on the number of clandestines or stowaways detected at border controls in mainland Europe en route to the UK locally collated management information indicates that; enhanced juxtaposed controls, deployment of new detection technology and close co-operation with our EU counterparts, port authorities and carriers prevented more than 9,000 people crossing the channel illegally from Calais and Coquelles to the United Kingdom during 2003.

  UK Settlement
  Mr. Grieve
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passengers were given leave to enter the United Kingdom in each year since 1979(a) as visitors, (b) as people returning after a temporary absence abroad, (c) as passengers in transit, (d) as students, (e) as work permit holders and their dependants, (f) as working holidaymakers, (g) as a spouse or fiancée, (h) as au pairs, (i) on the basis of UK ancestry, (j) on the basis of acceptance for settlement on arrival, (k) for other reasons and (l) in total. [177033]

  Mr. Browne
  [holding answer 8 June 2004]: The latest available data relating to the number of passengers admitted to the United Kingdom by the requested categories are given in the table. The data relate to the number of journeys made.

  To provide data for the entire period would incur disproportionate cost.

  Detailed statistics on immigration control are published in the Command Paper "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom" obtainable from the Library of the House, and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/commandpubs1.html. The latest edition is that for 2002 (Cm6053).

  Passengers given leave to enter the United Kingdom by purpose of journey, excluding EEA nationals, 1993 to 2003

  United Kingdom

  Number of journeys

  Passengers admitted by purpose of journey

  Total admitted

  Visitors

  Students

  Au pairs

  1993

  9,840,000

  7,080,000

  238,000

  12,700

  1994

  9,180,000

  6,570,000

  249,000

  9,400

  1995

  9,620,000

  6,800,000

  285,000

  11,700

  1996

  10,300,000

  7,350,000

  298,000

  13,400

  1997

  10,900,000

  7,760,000

  278,000

  15,300

  1998

  11,500,000

  8,040,000

  266,000

  15,900

  1999

  12,000,000

  8,370,000

  272,000

  14,600

  1096W

  Passengers given leave to enter the United Kingdom by purpose of journey, excluding EEA nationals, 1993 to 2003

  United Kingdom

  Number of journeys

  Passengers admitted by purpose of journey

  Total admitted

  Visitors

  Students

  Au pairs

  2000

  13,000,00

  8,930,000

  313,000

  12,900

  2001

  12,800,000

  8,170,000

  339,000

  12,000

  2002

  12,600,000

  7,850,000

  369,000

  12,800

  20031

  12,200,000

  7,580,000

  319,000

  15,300

  Passengers admitted by purpose of journey

  Work permit holders and their dependants

  Working holiday-makers

  Admitted as a spouse or financeé(e)

  Passengers in transit

  1993

  48,000

  21,600

  19,200

  936,000

  1994

  47,500

  31,600

  18,800

  852,000

  1995

  52,100

  36,000

  19,100

  948,000

  1996

  58,200

  33,000

  20,900

  1,000,000

  1997

  63,000

  33,300

  26,400

  1,090,000

  1998

  68,400

  40,800

  32,200

  1,150,000

  1999

  76,200

  45,800

  30,300

  1,170,000

  2000

  92,000

  38,400

  33,000

  1,270,000

  2001

  109,000

  35,800

  29,100

  1,310,000

  2002

  120,000

  41,700

  30,300

  1,300,000

  20031

  119,000

  46,500

  31,400

  1,140,000

  Passengers admitted by purpose of journey

  Passengers returning after a temporary absence aborad

  UK ancestry

  Others given leave to enter2

  Granted settlement on arrival3

  1993

  1,380,000

  4,080

  94,300

  3,620

  1994

  1,300,000

  5,170

  88,200

  2,610

  1995

  1,370,000

  6,620

  90,400

  2,400

  1996

  1,470,000

  7,420

  94,500

  2,120

  1997

  1,560,000

  8,370

  103,000

  2,350

  1998

  1,780,000

  10,200

  104,000

  2,900

  1999

  1,910,000

  11,800

  110,000

  2,530

  2000

  2,200,000

  10,900

  112,000

  2,290

  2001

  2,620,000

  10,700

  149,000

  2,820

  2002

  2,740,000

  10,400

  127,000

  2,470

  20031

  2,800,000

  9,150

  178,000

  2,600

  1 Provisional and subject to change.

  2 Includes refugees, exceptional leave cases and their dependants, excluding such persons given temporary admission.

  3 Excludes asylum-related cases given indefinite leave to enter; these are included in 'Others given leave to enter'.

  Note:

  Data rounded to three significant places, as such they may not sum to the totals shown.

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Animal By-products
  Mr. Whittingdale
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the requirements upon retailers are for the intermediate handling and disposal of category 1 and category 3 animal by-products. [177398]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  We would not expect retailers to produce category 1 animal by-products such are specified risk material. Full requirements for handling and disposal of all animal by-products are set out in Regulation (EC) No 1774/2002.
  1097W
  The Regulation also sets out the standards that intermediate plants and processing or disposal operations must comply with and applies controls to the transport of animal by-products. These are listed in Annex III of the Regulation.

  Among the requirements for a category 3 intermediate plant, it must have its own entrance, exit, should be capable of being washed and disinfected, and should have its own dedicated staff. It also lists the hygiene considerations to prevent cross-contamination with food intended for human consumption.

  A guidance note on the requirements has been provided to the food industry which is available at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/by-prods/Former Foodstuffs/guidance_dispffs.pdf.

  Bovine TB
  Mr. Paterson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) in what circumstances shooting carried out under licence or other authority is a permitted means of killing badgers; [158500]

  (2) pursuant to the Answer of 28 January 2004, Official Report, column 381W, on badgers, what methods other than shooting are available for the culling of badgers. [159154]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  Where killing is carried out under a licence issued by Defra, the techniqueemployed will depend on the particular circumstances of the individual case, but will normally involve cage trapping and humane dispatch by shooting.

  All wild animals are protected by Section 11(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 against the use of self locking snares, bows, crossbows, or any explosive other than ammunition for a firearm for the purpose of killing or taking.

  Schedule 6 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 details a list of species, including badgers, which are protected from further methods of killing or taking. Prohibited methods are detailed in Section 11(2) of the 1981 Act, and are any trap, net or snare, electrical devices, poisons, stupefying bait, automatic or semiautomatic weapon, any illuminating or sighting device for night shooting, any dazzling device, any gas or smoke, decoys, sound recording or, in immediate pursuit, mechanically propelled vehicles.

  It is an offence if any person uses a prohibited method against a Schedule 6 species without obtaining a licence from Defra. On conviction the maximum summary fine and sentence is a £5,000 fine and/or six-month custodial sentence.

  Section 2(1) of the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 makes it an offence to use in the course of killing or taking a badger any badger tongs or any firearms other than a smooth-bore weapon of nom less than 20 bore or a rifle using ammunition having a muzzle energy of not less than 160 foot-pounds and a bullet weighing not less than 38 grains, or cruelly ill-treat any badger.
  1098W
  The latter would make it an offence to mis-use a permitted or authorised method of killing or taking a badger, in a way which would be cruel to the badger concerned.

  It is also an offence, except as permitted by the 1992 Act, to dig for a badger.

  Further details of the provisions of the Protection of badgers act can be found in my previous response to the hon. Member's earlier question answered on 20 January 2004, Official Report, column 1187W.

  On conviction, a person guilty of committing an offence under the 1992 Act is liable to a maximum summary fine of £5,000 fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence.

  Cement and Lime Kilns
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the(a) start and (b) end dates are for the consultation by the Environment Agency on proposals to revise the Substitute Fuels Protocol for use on cement and lime kilns. [178291]

  Alun Michael
  The Environment Agency's consultation on proposals to revise the Substitute Fuels Protocol started on 26 March 2004 and closes on 18 June 2004.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list those who have been sent the document in relation to the consultation to revise the Substitute Fuels Protocol for use on cement and lime kilns. [178292]

  Alun Michael
  The Environment Agency has made its consultation document on proposals to revise the Substitute Fuels Protocol available publicly on its website at www.environment-agency.gov.uk/yourenv/consultations/current_consultations. In addition copies have been sent to the following organisations and individuals.

  Government Departments/Organisations

  Countryside Council for Wales

  Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs

  Department of Health

  Department of Trade and Industry

  English Nature

  Environment and Heritage Service—Northern Ireland

  Food Standards Agency

  Health Protection Agency

  National Assembly for Wales

  National Public Health Service, Wales

  Rural Payments Agency

  Scottish Environmental Protection Agency

  Local Government Organisations

  Flintshire County Council

  High Peak Borough Council

  High Peak District Council

  Kennet District Council

  Langar cum Barnstone Parish Council

  Medway District Council

  Medway County Council

  1099W

  North Lincolnshire Council

  North Wiltshire District Council

  Ribble Valley Borough Council

  Rugby Borough Council

  Sedgefield District Council

  South Cams District Council

  South Kesteven District Council

  Staffs Moorlands District Council

  Staffordshire County Council

  Tonbridge and Mailing Borough Council

  Vale of Glamorgan Council

  West Wiltshire District Council

  Other Organisations

  BIFFA Waste Services Ltd.

  Business Council for Sustainable Development UK

  British Cement Association

  British Lime Association

  Castle Cement—Ribblesdale

  Cembureau

  Cleanaway Ltd.

  Chemical Recovery Association

  Countryside Commission

  Council Protection Rural England—Northern Lincolnshire

  Environmental Services Association

  The Environmental Forum

  Flintshire Green Party and Phoenix Coalition

  Flintshire Local Health Board

  Friends of the Earth

  Friends of the Earth Cymru

  Greenetwork

  Green Audit

  High Peak and Dales Primary Care Trust

  Hyndburn and Ribble Valley Primary Care Trust

  Kent Local Health Protection Unit

  Lafarge—Cauldron Cement Works

  Lafarge—Holborough Cement Works

  LCC Energy

  Melton, Rutland and Harborough Primary Care Trust

  North Derbyshire Health Authority

  North Eastern Sea Fisheries Committee

  Northumbrian Water Ltd.

  Oil Recycling Association

  Onyx (UK) Ltd.

  Peak District National Park Authority

  PDM Group

  Rugby in Plume

  Rugby Primary Care Trust

  Sapphire Energy Recovery

  Shanks Group plc

  Shropshire & Staffs Health Protection Team

  Solvent Resource Management Ltd.

  SITA

  Together Creating Communities/Trefnu Cymunedol Cymru

  The United Kingdom Renderers Association

  United Utilities

  Vale Local Health Board

  Women's Environmental Network

  Wyvern Waste Services

  1100W
  Individuals

  Rt Hon M. Ancram QC

  Norman Baker, MP

  J. Behrenroth

  Mr. G. Brewer

  Chris Davies—MEP

  Mr. D. Darlington

  Mr. S. Eades

  Mrs. Lynda England

  Cllr R. Hampson

  Edward Hatala

  Dr. Vyvyan Howard

  Cllr Jones

  Mr. D. Levy

  Dr. D. H. Lohman

  Mr. A. Mack

  Dr. A. Murrison MP

  Mrs. L. Pallikaropoulos

  Mr. J. Smith MP

  Dr. Andrew Tubb

  Mr. & Mrs. D. M. Waller

  Dr. G. W. Waterhouse

  Cllr G. Williams

  Cllr A. Woolley

  British Waterways Board
  Richard Ottaway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the British Waterways Board acquired a shareholding in Easynet plc; for what reasons; and what the size of the shareholding is. [178870]

  Alun Michael
  Prior to 2000, British Waterways and GEC, each invested £147,000 into a joint venture (Fibreway), which laid fibre optic cables under many of British Waterways' towpaths and sold capacity to telecoms operators. In May 2000, GEC decided to concentrate its future activity on telecoms business, under the Marconi name and wanted to invest £200–300 million in expanding Fibreway. Fibreway was therefore restructured, and British Waterways received an annual payment and a 10 per cent. equity share in the new Fibreway business ipsaris.

  In June 2001 ipsaris effectively split its business into two components. The mast site business was transferred to Ultramast and the fibre optic business was listed by way of a reverse takeover of Easynet. Marconi sold 92 per cent. of its share in ipsaris to Easynet in return for 77.5 million shares in the enlarged group. The deal meant that British Waterways received a 2.6 per cent. share of Easynet and a stake in the Ultramast business.

  The fibre optic business has continued successfully as part of the Easynet portfolio and British Waterways Board now owns approximately 2 million shares in the business (1.8 per cent.). This is valued at around £2.1 million today, compared with the initial outlay of £147,500. Easynet also continues to pay an annual sum to British Waterways for the use of the wayleave.

  EU Emissions Trading Scheme
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why she has set stricter carbon dioxide reduction targets for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme than other member states. [178488]

  Mr. Morley
  The UK has not set stricter carbon reduction targets for the EU Emissions Trading Scheme than other member states. Most of the plans submitted to the Commission from other member states require greater emissions cuts from their industries than in the UK.

  The UK is a leader in tackling climate change and has already reduced emissions of greenhouse gases to below its target under the Kyoto Protocol. However, many other member states have some way to meet their Kyoto obligations. The UK is pressing the Commission to ensure that a robust analysis of plans is carried out, and that member states are encouraged to use the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to help them meet their Kyoto targets.

  GM Crops
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what statistically valid and peer-reviewed studies her Department has(a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the safety of feeding Chardon LL fodder maize to ruminants. [178119]

  Mr. Morley
  No studies on the safety of feeding Chardon LL, a variety of maize containing the GM event known as T25, to ruminants have been commissioned by Defra, nor has the Department evaluated any such studies. T25 maize was assessed and approved for use as any other maize by member states under Part C of directive 90/220 in 1998. Both the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment and the Advisory Committee on Animal Feeding stuffs were satisfied, on the basis of the data submitted, that the T25 maize grain and its products pose no more risk as animal feed than non-GM maize varieties.

  I understand that Buyer CropScience commissioned a study which examined the effect of feeding Chardon LL forage maize to dairy cattle and that the results are being considered for publication in a peer-reviewed journal. The results will be passed to ACRE and ACAF in due course.

  Orchards
  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the rotational period is of(a) traditional English apple orchards and (b) modern commercial apple orchards. [177783]

  Alun Michael
  A grower's decision on when to replace an orchard will depend on many factors. Traditional orchards are typically aged 30 years or more but most commercial orchards are replaced after about 15 years as their productivity declines.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement about the(a) apple growing and (b) cider industry under the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy. [177788]
  1102W
  Alun Michael
  Many of the apples supplied to the cider industry are delivered under contract from orchards which have been planted for the purpose. We understand that a number of existing contracts are due to expire in the next two or three years and are unlikely to be renewed. Some top fruit growers who do not expect to have a market for their produce may choose to grub up their orchards to qualify for the new Single Payment, rather than retain them to the end of their productive life. This is a commercial decision for the growers concerned.

  Radioactive Waste
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she expects to publish her Department's annual report on progress made in implementing the programme set out in the White Paper on managing radioactive waste safely. [178724]

  Mr. Morley
  A copy of the 2003 Managing Radioactive Waste Safety progress report to the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee is available under the Environment heading of the Committee's website (www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/environment food and rural_affairs.cfm). Additionally, CoRWM is required to submit quarterly reports of its work under Managing Radioactive Waste Safely programme to its sponsoring Ministers. The first report for November 2003 to February 2004 is available on CoRWM's website (www.corwm.org.uk). The second report for March 2004 to May 2004 should be available shortly.

  River Stour
  Mr. Damian Green
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she plans to take to maintain the quality of water in the River Stour as the population of Ashford grows; and if she will make a statement. [177996]

  Mr. Morley
  The Government are funding a series of studies intended to facilitate the sustainable development of Ashford, to meet a stated target of providing 31,000 new homes in the town by 2031.

  The Integrated Water Management Study, which is being led by the Environment Agency, is looking into issues related to the water environment in this context. The first phase of the study identified a number of water-related constraints to growth, and potential strategies to overcome them will be identified in the final phase of the study. The final report will be available by the end of 2005.

  The Agency's longer-term strategy for protecting the Great Stour will be guided by the results of the Integrated Water Management Study. Such a strategy may require, for example, more advanced wastewater treatment, new treatment and disposal locations.

  Soil Action Plan
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on support available to help the introduction of the recently announced Soil Action Plan for England. [178201]
  1103W
  Alun Michael
  Within Defra the Soil Action Plan currently has the dedicated support of a team of six staff (up from three a year ago and expected to expand a little further), and a research budget of £1.4 million, plus a further £9.7 million which it is estimated is spent on soil related research. The action plan is also supported by other colleagues in the department, and by a coalition of partners across and beyond Government, among whom English Heritage, English Nature and the Environment Agency have taken responsibility for leading particular workstreams.

  Warm Front Scheme
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what plans she has to expand the Warm Front grant scheme; and if she will make a statement; [178671]

  (2) what plans she has to provide resources for a wider range of energy efficiency measures under the Warm Front scheme; and if she will make a statement; [178672]

  (3) if she will make a statement on the progress made by the Warm Front scheme towards meeting the targets set out in the Government's Fuel Poverty Strategy. [178673]

  Mr. Morley
  [holding answer 14 June 2004]: We intend to publish a Fuel Poverty Implementation Plan later this summer which will include details about the future development of the Warm Front scheme and consider different options for improving its targeting and measures offered. This will also set out the action and resources needed to achieve our fuel poverty targets.

  The PSA target of assisting 600,000 households between 2001–04 has been met, with over 660,000 households assisted in that period. In total, Warm Front delivered measures to over 800,000 households since the start of the scheme in June 2000 and March 2004.

  Whaling
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Icelandic Government regarding its recent decision to re-start the hunting of minke whales. [177963]

  Mr. Bradshaw
  The UK strongly supports the International Whaling Commission (IWC) moratorium on commercial whaling and deeply regrets the decision of Iceland to continue 'scientific' whaling this year. Following last years UK-led demarche of 23 countries criticising Iceland's return to whaling, I will be contacting the Icelandic Government again urging them to reconsider their unnecessary and unjustified decision.

  Mrs. Helen Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information the UK will submit to the International Whaling Commission meeting in Sorrento in connection with(a) the Southern Ocean Sanctuary review and (b) the Conservation Committee. [178677]
  1104W
  Mr. Bradshaw
  The head of the UK's delegation to the International Whaling Commission (IWC) Scientific Committee has been actively involved in the Southern Ocean Sanctuary review process, and will submit scientific evidence to support the continuation of the Southern Ocean Sanctuary at the IWC meeting in Sorrento.

  The UK was instrumental in establishing the Conservation Committee at last years IWC meeting in Berlin and we are keen to see it succeed. At this stage an agenda has yet to be agreed, but the UK will play an active part in the Committee and will provide information as and when required.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Belfast Inner-city Ring Road
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has for the inner-city ring road in Belfast. [162699]

  Mr. Spellar
  The Chief Executive of the Roads Service has written to the hon. Gentleman. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

  Circuit of Ireland Rally
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Government intends to provide financial assistance for the Circuit of Ireland Rally. [178537]

  Angela Smith
  It is too soon to say if funding will be made available for the 2005 Circuit of Ireland Rally. Neither the Northern Ireland Events Company (NIEC) nor the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) have received an application for the 2005 Rally but should such applications be made these would be considered in the normal way. In 2003 the total amount provided from the NIEC and NITB was £76,500 and in 2004 the NIEC provided £38,250.

  Columba Initiative
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what(a) annual and (b) other reports have been published in respect of the Columba initiative. [176889]

  Angela Smith
  The Columba initiative registered as a company limited by guarantee in April 2002. We expect its first Annual Report (including accounts) to be published imminently. This report will cover the period up to 2003. The Annual Report and Accounts will be placed in the Library once we have received them.

  Cultural Venues
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much public money in capital terms has been allocated for cultural venues(a) in Belfast and (b) outside Belfast in each of the last five years. [178549]
  1105W
  Angela Smith
  Capital grants to cultural venues (defined as arts venues, registered museums and public libraries) were as follows in each of the last five years:

  £

  Financial year

  Belfast

  Outside Belfast

  1999–2000

  404,500

  1,460,597

  2000–01

  200,100

  2,262,766

  2001–02

  573,100

  1,329,340

  2002–03

  1,854,000

  2,905,889

  2003–04

  470,002

  3,478,720

  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much money has been allocated for cultural venues in Belfast in the current financial year, broken down by venue. [178551]

  Angela Smith
  A total of £14,003,400 has been allocated for cultural venues (defined as arts venues, registered museums and public libraries) in Belfast in the current financial year, broken down as follows:

  Arts Council of Northern Ireland

  Venue

  Allocation (£)

  Belfast Exposed Photography

  30,000

  Crescent Arts Centre

  120,000

  Culturlann McAdam O Fiaich

  140,000

  Fendersky Gallery

  5,000

  Golden Thread Gallery

  15,000

  Grand Opera House

  458,400

  Lyric Players' Theatre

  535,000

  Old Museum Arts Centre

  205,000

  Ormeau Baths Gallery

  250,000

  Total

  1,758,400

  National Museums and Galleries of Northern Ireland

  Venue

  Allocation (£)

  Ulster Museum

  6,153,500

  Total

  6,153,000

  £6,092,000 has been allocated to the Belfast Education and Library Board for the public library service. It is not possible to give a breakdown of this allocation by venue.

  Demilitarisation
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the demilitarisation measures that have been taken in the past year. [178683]

  Mr. Pearson
  The information requested is as follows:

  Cloghoge Tower, South Armagh (R14)—demolished

  Tievecrum Tower, South Armagh (R23)—demolished
  Ebrington Army Base, Londonderry—closed
  Clooney Army Base, Londonderry—closed

  Troops withdrawn from PSNI Stations—Aughnacloy, County Armagh, Belleek and Belcoo, County Fermanagh

  Emergency Planning
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on emergency planning arrangements in the event of an attack linked to international terrorism. [179117]
  1106W
  Mr. Pearson
  The Government are committed to the fight against terrorism, whatever its origin. Since the terrorist attacks in the USA on 11 September 2001, the Government and their partners have been completely overhauling arrangements to protect the UK, working both to help prevent terrorist attacks wherever possible, and to minimise the impact of an attack. Northern Ireland is fully involved in that programme where appropriate.

  HMS Caroline
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the costs involved in retaining HMS Caroline in Belfast as a visitor attraction at the Museum of Sky and Sea. [178698]

  Angela Smith
  My hon. Friend the Minister for Veterans (Mr. Caplin), confirmed in a written answer to the hon. Lady on 15 June 2004,Official Report, column 810W, that the Ministry of Defence has no plans at this time to decommission HMS Caroline. This being the case, there has been no consideration given to including the ship within any plans for a Museum of Sea and Sky and no assessment has been made of costs which may be involved.

  Ice Hockey
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what funding has been allocated to promote the development of ice hockey in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years. [178527]

  Angela Smith
  The amount awarded by the Sports Council for Northern Ireland to promote the development of ice hockey in each of the past five years is as follows.

  £

  1999–2000

  10

  2000–01

  3,000

  2001–02

  3,000

  2002–03

  1,150

  2003–04

  10

  1 No applications were received in 1999–2000 and 2003–04.

  In addition the Northern Ireland Events Company (NIEC) provided £7,000 towards the hosting the final of the Super league Challenge Cup in 2001.

  Irish Republican Army
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been(a) arrested and (b) charged for being members of the IRA since the signing of the Belfast Agreement; and if he will make a statement. [159641]

  Mr. Pearson
  The police do not record information on arrests centrally and to provide this information would incur a disproportionate cost. During the period 11 April 1998 to 29 February 2004 12 persons were charged with membership of the IRA.

  Lyric Theatre
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the estimated cost of the redevelopment of the Lyric Theatre in Belfast will be met from Government funding. [178701]

  Angela Smith
  No decision has yet been taken on whether the Government will provide financial assistance for the redevelopment of the Lyric Theatre. This will depend on the strength of the business case and the availability of funding to meet the capital costs. My Department is currently working with the Arts Council of Northern Ireland and The Lyric Theatre to develop a robust and up-to-date business case for support from public sector funds.

  Motorsports
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what resources are made available from(a) the Safety at Sports Grounds Fund and (b) other public funding sources for organisers to carry out essential safety improvements and maintenance for each motorcycle racing event in Northern Ireland. [178555]

  Angela Smith
  No funding from the Sports Council Safe Sports Grounds fund has been made available for organisers to carry out essential safety improvements and maintenance for each motorcycle racing event in Northern Ireland. Approximately £175,000 has previously been provided by my Department via the Sports Council for Northern Ireland for essential safety work at motorcycle road racing circuits. Moreover, organisers may be able to avail of public funding for essential safety improvements and maintenance for motorcycle racing events from monies provided by the Sports Council to the 2 & 4 Wheel Motor Sport Steering Group Ltd., the umbrella group of motor sports governing bodies and which also represents organisers of motorcycle racing events in Northern Ireland.

  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what proposals his Department has for taking forward the development of a motorsports facility for Northern Ireland which meets international standards. [178699]

  Angela Smith
  My Department currently has no proposals for taking forward the development of a motorsports facility for Northern Ireland which meets international standards. However, as part of their strategic plan, the governing bodies of motorsport in Northern Ireland, as represented by the two and four Wheel Motorsport Steering Group Ltd., have initiated an 'Expressions of Interest' exercise in relation to the development of such a facility. The outcome of this exercise is expected to be announced by the two and four Wheel Motorsport Steering Group Ltd. on the week commencing 21 June.

  Patrick Kelly
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police officers are involved in the investigation of the murder of Mr. Patrick Kelly, at Trillick, Co. Tyrone, on 10 August 1974. [178385]
  1108W
  Mr. Pearson
  The deployment of resources is a matter for the Chief Constable. Police have confirmed that the investigation into the murder of Mr. Kelly requires substantial resourcing. The actual number of officers deployed at any given time varies according to the most efficient use of resources within the Crime Operations Department.

  Personal Injury Claims
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much(a) local authorities and (b) Government Departments and agencies paid in claims for personal injury or liability, as a proportion of their total budgets, in each of the last five years. [168199]

  Mr. Pearson
  Claims paid for personal injury in respect of employers liability and public liability, by the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration an the Northern Ireland Office, including agencies, has been less than 1 per cent. of total budgets in each of the last five years.

  Information relating to personal injury claims paid by district councils is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Salmon
  David Burnside
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the stocking plan is for salmon in the rivers(a) Bush, (b) Bann and (c) Lagan for the current year; and what the plans were in each of the last five years. [178619]

  Angela Smith
  Salmon fry hatched at Bushmills Salmon Station early in 2004 have already been stocked into suitable habitat in the River Bush catchment. Summerling parr will be stocked into under recruited nursery habitat in the autumn. Fry stocking has been a part of both the Department's scientific research programme and angling development programme on the River Bush in each of the last five years. It has been increased in recent years to bolster declining natural egg deposition.

  Tributaries of the Lower River Bann including the Clady and the Agivey are routinely stocked with indigenous juvenile salmon by local angling clubs. This has occurred in each of the last 5 years.

  Salmon fry hatched at Bushmills Salmon Station have been stocked into suitable habitat on the River Lagan in 2004. The reintroduction of salmon to the River Lagan commenced in 1991 with a programme of fry stocking and this has continued annually since then.

  David Burnside
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made towards the re-establishment of the Lough Erne salmon run; and what plans are in place to deal with the physical barrier of the Ballyshannon generator in order that the Lough Erne salmon run can be re-established. [178620]

  Angela Smith
  A cross-border scientific programme was set up in 1995 to address the problem of low salmon runs in the Erne catchment. The programme elucidated some of the reasons behind the absence of a wild breeding salmon population and began a restoration programme that saw increasing numbers of salmon
  1109W
  ascending the River Erne from 1998. A number of conclusions and recommendations were reported in 2001 and an action plan was developed.

  While many aspects of the action plan have been implemented, discussions continue with the authorities in the Republic of Ireland on the outstanding recommendations.

  David Burnside
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the estimated count was for the salmon run in the rivers(a) Bush, (b) Bann and (c) Lagan in each of the last five years. [178623]

  Angela Smith
  Total counts are available for the River Bush. A counter on the Lower River Bann at Portna provides an indicative count only of adult fish ascending the river, as salmon enter tributaries downstream. The number of salmon ascending the River Lagan is estimated using a trapping/electronic counting facility, and more recently video, deployed at Stranmillis weir.

  Counts for each of the last five years are as follows:

  Bush1

  Bann (Portna)

  Lagan

  2003

  723

  23,012

  100

  2002

  835

  4,502

  500

  2001

  913

  4,572

  450

  2000

  950

  4,407

  800

  1999

  977

  2,371

  50

  1 Wild fish (excludes adults released as smolts from the hatchery).

  2 Count incomplete due to technical problems with electronic counter.

  David Burnside
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what his assessment is of the existing threats to salmon runs in the rivers(a) Bush, (b) Bann and (c) Lagan; and what steps are being taken by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development to counter these threats. [178624]

  Angela Smith
  Policy on salmon and inland fisheries is the responsibility of the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure. Accordingly, the hon. Member's question has been referred to my Department for answer.

  The existing threats to salmon stocks on each of the Rivers Bush, Bann and Lagan are similar, at least at the macro scale.

  Research at Bushmills salmon station has demonstrated a significant decline in marine survival in recent years whereby a substantially lower percentage of emigrating smolts are returning as adults to home waters. International research into the causes of this worrying phenomenon is being commissioned and will look at factors such as climatic change, predation and pressure on prey species. The Department has been successful in buying-out over 87 per cent. of coastal nets that exploited fish returning to the Bush and Bann rivers and has approved a range of byelaws t made by the Fisheries Conservancy Board that seek to further control both commercial and angling exploitation.

  Water quality and habitat degradation are the main causes of poor freshwater production of smolts. Secondary concerns include periodic obstructions to passage and predation by cormorants and seals.
  1110W
  A research project on the River Bush sponsored by Departments has recently reported on factors affecting water quality and flows that impact on aquatic ecology.

  It is planned to take the recommendations forward by way of a catchment management action plan. Proposals aimed at restoring productive freshwater habitat for salmon in the river have been prepared as part of this process.

  Ulster Canal
  David Burnside
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made with regard to the establishment of the Ulster Canal. [178621]

  Angela Smith
  The updated Economic Appraisal on reopening the Ulster Canal in its entirety is currently with both Governments for consideration. As re-opening is not viable in purely monetary terms, it will be difficult to secure Government funding for this significant capital project. I welcome the supporting efforts of organisations such as the Inland Waterways Association of Ireland whose application for INTERREG III(A) funding to re-open a south-western section of the Ulster Canal is proceeding through the assessment system.

HEALTH

  Food Research
  Mrs. Helen Clark
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much the Government spent on research and development relating to food, with particular reference to(a) agriculture, (b) fishing, (c) processing, (d) nutrition, (e) safety and (f) economic and social studies, in each of the most recent 10 years for which figures are available, broken down by (i) Government departments, (ii) research councils, (iii) higher education, (iv) business enterprises and (v) private non-profit organisations. [179026]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The information requested is not held centrally.

  The figures available for Food Standards Agency expenditure on research and development related to food safety and nutrition in the four financial years since it came into being are shown in the table.

  £ million

  Financial year

  Food safety

  Nutrition

  2000–01

  15.7

  6.3

  2001–02

  15.4

  3.8

  2002–03

  15.2

  3.9

  2003–041

  15.7

  4.8

  Note:

  1 Figures for 2003–04 are provisional

  Acupuncture
  Mr. Pickthall
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether general practitioners who are members of the British Medical Acupuncture Society will be subject to dual registration when the new statutory regulator is in place; whether medical acupuncturists
  1111W
  will be recognised in the education and training requirements of the new acupuncture regulator; and if he will make a statement. [178454]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  On 2 March, the Department published proposals for the statutory regulation of herbal medicine and acupuncture practitioners. The consultation period closed on 7 June. We are aware of the interests of medical acupuncturists and will consider their representations very carefully.

  Alzheimer's
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people suffer from Alzheimer's in(a) the North West, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley; and what help and support is given to Alzheimer's (i) patients and (ii) carers in (A) Lancashire Teaching Hospital and (B) Chorley South Ribble Primary Care Trust. [177152]

  Dr. Ladyman
  Information on the numbers of people suffering from Alzheimer's disease on a regional basis is not held centrally.

  Dementia services across Lancashire Teaching Hospitals national health service trust is provided by the Lancashire Care Trust, which provides the following services:
  consultant psychiatrist led outpatient clinics, with a memory assessment service, including the prescribing and monitoring of anti dementia drug therapy;
  nine in patient assessment beds on Hazelwood Ward, Chorley and South Ribble hospital;
  day hospital service at the Chorley and South Ribble hospital, where there are 25 places available for two days per week, including memory support;
  28 continuing care beds at Meadowbank Nursing Home;
  psychology services; and
  community mental health teams which are staffed by five community psychiatric nurses and four support workers. These include dementia services within their workload.

  Within the Chorley and South Ribble Primary Care Trust (PCT), the following help and support is available:
  10 intermediate care rehabilitation beds at Charnley Fold, Bamber Bridge for people with dementia, provided jointly by Chorley and South Ribble PCT, Preston PCT and Lancashire county council social services. This service opened in April 2004. Following completion of refurbishment this service will move to Broadfield, Leyland.
  Chorley and South Ribble PCT funds a service by Crossroads, which was introduced in 2003 and based in the Beechurst Unit at Chorley district hospital, for people with early onset dementia and their carers.

  Anti-depressant Drugs
  Dr. Naysmith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many prescription items of(a) individual benzodiazepine drugs and (b) individual antidepressants were dispensed in the community in England in 2003. [170679]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  Information on the numbers of prescription items of benzodiazepines and anti-depressants that were dispensed in the community in England in 2003 has been placed in the Library.

  Clinical Trials
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to increase the participation of surgeons in clinical trials. [176866]

  Mr. Hutton
  The Medical Research Council (MRC) has reviewed the conduct of trials of surgical interventions and has published guidance to surgeons and triallists on the subject. The guidance can be found on the MRC website at www.mrc.ac.uk/pdf-health_tech_assess.pdf

  In order to encourage more surgeons to enter research training, the MRC runs a joint fellowship scheme with the royal colleges of surgeons of England and Edinburgh and of obstetrics and gynaecology. Details are at www.mrc.ac.uk/doc-crtf2notes.doc

  Depression (Under-18s)
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has commissioned into the causes of depression in those aged under 18. [178940]

  Dr. Ladyman
  [holding answer 15 June 2004]: There is wide ranging research being undertaken on depression among the under 18 age group, including research on the causes of depression. Examples of this work include the study by Professor Jean Golding at Bristol University on conduct disorder and depression in early adolescence and the work of Professor Ian Goodyear, Lifespan Health National Health Service Trust, with his longitudinal family study in childhood depression and his investigation into the aetiology and outcome of a first major depression in childhood and adolescence.

  Foundation Trusts
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what audit and performance evaluation of first wave foundation trusts is and their impact on local health services, including neighbouring trusts, will be conducted before(a) foundation status is reaffirmed and (b) the rolling out of further foundation trusts. [179116]

  Mr. Hutton
  An independent review of national health service foundation trusts (NHSFTs) is to be undertaken by the Healthcare Commission. The terms of reference for the review are currently being developed.

  We expect to make an announcement about the timing of the review and its terms of reference and about the timing of the next wave of NHSFT authorisations, wave 2, shortly.

  Genito-urinary Care
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting times were in genito-urinary medicine clinics for patients referred by general practitioners in the latest period for which figures are available. [179155]

  Mr. Hutton
  In England, at the end of March 2004, the average estimated provider based waiting time following a general practitioner referral for a first outpatient appointment in specialty genito-urinary medicine is 2.02 weeks.

  Hospital Capacity
  Mr. Luff
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the capacity of(a) the Worcestershire Royal Hospital and (b) the Alexandra Hospital, Redditch to respond to an increase in demand for in-patient treatment. [178439]

  Dr. Ladyman
  This is a matter for the local health community. West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority reports that capacity at both hospitals is regularly reviewed.

  Learning Disabilities
  Mrs. Browning
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to publish the guide to good services commissioned by the National Instithte for Mental Health in England to address the mental health needs of people with learning disabilities. [178958]

  Dr. Ladyman
  [holding answer 15 June 2004]: The National Institute for Mental Health in England and the "Valuing People" support team expect to jointly publish their report, "Green Light: How Good Are Your Mental Health Services for People with Learning Disabilities?", before the end of June.

  Mental Health
  David Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether examples of good practice in the provision of clothing to long-stay patients in mental health inpatient units collected from NHS trusts have been placed on the National Institute of Mental Health for England's website; [179007]

  (2) how many and what examples of good practice in the provision of clothing to long-stay patients in mental health in-patient units have been collected from NHS trusts by the National Institute of Mental Health for England to date. [179013]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The National Institute for Mental Health in England does not, at present, have any examples of good practice in the provision of clothing to long-stay psychiatric in-patient units on its web site.

  David Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the level of support available from local authorities to people with mental health problems since the Social Exclusion Unit's inquiry into mental health issues. [179012]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Department has not made a systematic assessment of the level of support available from local authorities to people with mental health problems since the social exclusion unit's mental health project.

  Primary care trust chief executives and local authority directors of social services, in conjunction with other local authority departments, have lead responsibility for drawing up a local action plan to implement the measures in the report.

  The Department has made available to local councils with social services responsibilities £22 million in ring-fenced mental health supported capital expenditure to support the capital costs associated with implementing the social exclusion unit's mental health project.

  Modernisation Board Annual Report
  Mr. Yeo
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will estimate the cost of producing the Modernisation Board annual report for 2004; how many copies have been printed; and how copies are being made available to NHS(a) employees and (b) patients. [178237]

  Mr. Hutton
  The estimated cost of writing, editing, design and publishing the NHS Modernisation Board annual report was £43,000. 6,000 copies of the report have been printed. 3,500 copies will be distributed within the NHS through the strategic health authorities and individual NHS trusts for staff and 2,500 copies have been made available for patients groups and individual patients. Staff and the general public can also download the full report through the Department's website.

  Official Meetings (Mayor of London)
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) on what dates(a) he and (b) his predecessors have held official meetings with the Mayor of London since July 2000; and what the subject of each meeting was; [171436]

  (2) if he will list the official meetings he and his predecessor the right hon. Member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) have had with the Mayor of London since July 2000 to discuss health matters in London, and the dates and subject of each meeting. [172207]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  [pursuant to her reply, 13 May 2004, Official Report, c. 591–92W]: I regret that my previous response was incorrect. The answer should have been that my right hon. Friend the member for Darlington (Mr. Milburn) and my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health (Mr. Hutton) met the Mayor of London on 20 September 2001 to discuss the issue of promoting the health of Londoners. [172207]

  Private Healthcare (NHS Patients)
  Mr. Frank Field
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on buying private healthcare for NHS patients in(a) 1997 and (b) the latest year for which figures are available; and what proportion of the total NHS budget this expenditure represented. [177915]

  Mr. Hutton
  We do not have central figures for the amount spent on buying private healthcare for national health service patients in 1997. In the year 2002–03 the total cost of acute services subcontracted to or directly commissioned by primary care trusts and NHS trusts from non-NHS providers was approximately £110.58 million. The latest figures for total expenditure on acute services in the secondary care environment (hospital and community health service figures (HCHS) was £17.2 billion in 2001–02. Therefore, expenditure on acute healthcare from non-NHS providers represents less than 1 per cent. of total HCHS expenditure. It is not possible to extrapolate the precise amount of money spent in the private sector for 2002£03 from the overall cost of the NHS buying services from non-NHS providers including voluntary and charitable organisations and the independent sector.

  Residential Care Homes (London)
  Tom Cox
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many beds are available in residential care homes in the Greater London area. [177830]

  Dr. Ladyman
  At 31 March 2001 there were 47,400 care home places in Greater London. This comprises of 18,100 nursing care places and 29,300 residential care places.

  Figures for later years have been collected by the National Care Standards Commission but comparable details are not available.

  Rubber Ferrules
  Mr. Flight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 24 May 2004,Official Report, column 1391W on rubber ferrules, who his Department's supplier of rubber ferrules is; and in what country this company is based. [176657]

  Diagnoses of selected sexually transmitted infections1 by strategic health authority—1997 to 2002

  Strategic health authority

  1997

  1998

  1999

  2000

  2001

  2002

  Avon, Gloucestershire and Wiltshire

  5,046

  5,241

  5,624

  6,409

  6,906

  7,093

  Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire

  3,148

  3,365

  3,892

  4,048

  4,342

  4,494

  Birmingham and the Black Country

  5,982

  4,889

  6,026

  6,942

  9,146

  10,250

  Cheshire and Merseyside

  5,749

  5,988

  6,980

  7,406

  7,832

  8,843

  County Durham and Tees Valley

  1,931

  1,988

  2,303

  2,327

  2,316

  2,766

  Coventry, Warwickshire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire

  3,077

  3,343

  3,410

  3,815

  4,029

  4,166

  Cumbria and Lancashire

  3,731

  3,908

  4,549

  4,894

  5,216

  6,021

  Dorset and Somerset

  2,465

  2,623

  2,894

  3,310

  3,439

  3,723

  Essex

  2,776

  2,935

  3,389

  3,450

  4,059

  4,391

  Greater Manchester

  7,197

  7,926

  9,413

  10,572

  11,755

  11,922

  Hampshire and Isle of Wight

  3,686

  3,922

  4,870

  5,258

  4,977

  5,289

  Kent and Medway

  2,665

  2,916

  2,905

  2,941

  2,914

  3,417

  Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland

  3,624

  3,731

  3,687

  5,221

  4,980

  4,941

  Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire

  4,568

  4,859

  5,312

  5,770

  6,067

  6,573

  North and East Yorkshire and Northern

  2,955

  2,953

  2,449

  2,457

  3,494

  4,773

  North Central London

  6,430

  7,198

  7,144

  8,249

  10,025

  9,981

  North East London

  6,006

  6,309

  6,956

  8,007

  9,274

  10,737

  North West London

  9,229

  9,304

  9,951

  12,779

  13,326

  12,632

  Northumberland, Tyne and Wear

  4,040

  3,888

  4,463

  4,588

  4,378

  4,822

  Shropshire and Staffordshire

  2,812

  2,940

  3,351

  3,613

  3,906

  4,068

  South East London

  7,739

  8,733

  9,722

  9,254

  9,863

  10,907

  South West London

  3,824

  4,003

  4,800

  6,041

  6,385

  7,853

  South West Peninsula

  2,862

  3,176

  3,338

  3,626

  3,796

  4,202

  South Yorkshire

  5,018

  4,965

  5,254

  5,562

  5,898

  6,480

  Surrey and Sussex

  5,198

  5,521

  5,656

  6,860

  7,055

  8,559

  Thames Valley

  4,720

  5,478

  5,455

  6,427

  6,698

  6,826

  Trent

  7,260

  7,117

  7,090

  7,482

  8,132

  8,863

  West Yorkshire

  5,393

  6,151

  6,435

  6,823

  7,629

  9,087

  1 Primary and secondary syphilis, uncomplicated gonorrhoea, uncomplicated Chlamydial infection, Anogenital herpes (first attack), Anogenital warts (first attack).

  Source:

  KC60 dataset.

  Waiting Times
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of patients were admitted to hospital within nine months of referral for admission in the last year for which figures are available. [176856]

  Mr. Hutton
  Data are collected on the number of patients who are admitted to hospital from being placed on the inpatient waiting list. For the most recent financial year for 2002–03, 90 per cent. of all admissions with a valid waiting time were admitted within nine months1. During 2002–03 the maximum inpatient
  1116W
  Mr. Hutton
  There are two suppliers of ferrules on the current national health service Purchasing and Supply Agency's national walking aid agreement. They are Sunrise Medical, based in Wollaston, West Midlands; and Stepsafe Ltd, based in Swaffham Bulbeck, Cambridge.

  Sexual Health
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many sexually transmitted diseases were diagnosed in each year since 1997, broken down by(a) disease and (b) strategic health authority; and if he will make a statement. [169937]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) on 3 December 2003,Official Report, columns 80–82W, which provides the data requested broken down by disease.

  The number of sexually transmitted infections diagnosed by strategic health authority between 1997 and 2002 is shown in the table.

  waiting time was 15 months. The current maximum inpatient waiting time in 2004–05 is nine months, reducing to six montls by the end of 2005.

  1 Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Department of Health.

  Note:

  Time waited statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics are not the same as the published waiting list statistics. HES provides counts and time waited for all patients admitted to hospital within a given period whereas the published waiting list statistics count those waiting for treatment on a specific date and how long they have been on the waiting list. Also, HES calculates the time waited as the difference between admission and decision to admit dates. Unlike published waiting list statistics, this is not adjusted for self-deferrals or periods of medical/social suspension.

  Northern Ireland: Racism
  Northern Ireland: Racism
  Ulster-Scots Agency
  Ulster-Scots Agency
  Ulster-Scots Culture
  Ulster-Scots Culture
  Northern Ireland: Funding of Newspaper Publishing Companies
  Northern Ireland: Funding of Newspaper Publishing Companies
  Cross-Border Implementation Bodies
  Cross-Border Implementation Bodies
  Northern Ireland: Electoral Office
  Northern Ireland: Electoral Office
  Official Languages Act: Government Meetings
  Official Languages Act: Government Meetings
  North/South Language Implementation Body
  North/South Language Implementation Body
  House of Lords: Moses Room Grand Committee Sitting, 15 June
  House of Lords: Moses Room Grand Committee Sitting, 15 June
  UK Military Commitments
  UK Military Commitments
  Northern Ireland Judiciary
  Northern Ireland Judiciary
  Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004
  Justice (Northern Ireland) Act 2004
  Taxation: Publication of Information
  Taxation: Publication of Information
  Inland Revenue: Corruption and Fraud Cases Involving Staff
  Inland Revenue: Corruption and Fraud Cases Involving Staff
  Pensions
  Pensions
  Gypsies and Travellers
  Gypsies and Travellers
  Health Impact Assessments
  Health Impact Assessments
  Pre-Cancerous Skin Lesions
  Pre-Cancerous Skin Lesions
  Obesity: Food Labelling
  Obesity: Food Labelling
  Chief Nursing Officer
  Chief Nursing Officer
  Orchards
  Orchards
  Fallen Stock Disposal Scheme
  Fallen Stock Disposal Scheme