Written Answers of 2 March 2004

ENVIRONMENT, FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

  Agriculture and Fisheries Council
  Mr. Hood
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the outcome was of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council on 24 February; what the Government's stance was on the issues discussed, including its voting record; and if she will make a statement. [157673]

  Margaret Beckett
  I represented the United Kingdom at a meeting of the Agriculture and Fisheries Council in Brussels on 24 February.

  The Irish Presidency briefly presented its work programme for the first half of the year. Their general priorities were enlargement, simplification and enhancement of food safety.

  The Council agreed by a qualified majority a regulation providing for tariff quotas for the importation of certain fishery products. Italy voted against because of its view that the quota for tuna loin imports was insufficient and Spain abstained because it felt that the quotas in general were too large. I supported the proposal.

  The Council noted progress on technical level discussions preparatory to political discussion at the April Council on the proposals for a regulation on the protection of animals during transport. There was a discussion, and I supported the need for an early agreement and for a longer-term objective of moving trade in live animals for slaughter to a meat basis.

  The Council noted a presentation from the Commission on its proposals for the financial perspective.

  The Council noted a report from the Greek Minister about severe weather conditions in Greece affecting agriculture and the sympathetic: response from the Commission. Greece and the Commission would pursue the assessment of this situation bilaterally.

  The Council took note of a report from the Commission on its public hearing on 22 January on organic food and farming. This is preparatory to the tabling of an action plan by the Commission to the Council later in the Irish Presidency.

  Under any other business, the Council noted a written report on BSE and reports from Commissioner Byrne on the current situation in regard to Avian Influenza in Asia and a recent outbreak in the US. Commissioner Byrne notified the Council that acting under comitology procedures the Commission was to introduce a ban on the importation of live poultry and certain products from the US. The Council also noted a report from
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  Spain and Portugal about the high level of feed grain prices and indications from Finland and Sweden that there remained supplies of oats which could be used.

  The Council also noted information from Italy and Portugal with support from other wine producing countries about recent changes which had been made to the use of traditional terms for wine imported from third countries. The Council noted that the Commission had explained that these changes were necessary to take account of recent discussions at WTO level.

  The Council noted information from France about the low level of milk prices. A wide range of views were expressed in subsequent discussion. I made the point that this was to be expected as a result of the changes agreed last June which was reflected in the compensation payments to be introduced shortly. The Commission undertook to produce an analysis of the situation with assistance from the member states.

  Finally the Commission amplified the terms of a letter which it had recently sent to all member states about the single farm payment to explain that it was simply making the point that member states which chose to operate on regional or hybrid models would need to justify this decision to the Commission as will be clarified in the Commission implementing regulations. This was noted by the Council.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Streeter
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the prospects of obtaining approval under Article 30 of the Treaty of Rome to ban the live transport of horses to the Continent. [153628]

  Akin Michael
  We have considered very carefully the idea that the Government could seek a ban on the grounds of public morality (Article 30 of the Treaty of Rome), but we do not believe that this would be defensible(a) when horses have always been slaughtered in this country in order for the meat to be exported for human consumption and (b) when horses are exported for a variety of purposes. That is why we have concentrated our attention on issues of horse welfare during transport in order to make sure that we have future arrangements based on horse welfare which are stronger and more robust that the current 'minimum values' rules.

  Energy White Paper
  Alan Simpson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the Energy Efficiency Implementation Plan announced in the Energy White Paper of February 2003 is to be published; whether publication of the plan is expected to be within the timescale originally indicated in the White Paper; and when she expects to publish the second annual progress report on the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy. [154580]

  Mr. Morley
  As announced in a written statement by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on 3 February 2004,Official Report, columns 30–31WS, the Energy White Paper first annual report will be published shortly after the Easter recess. This will allow the Government to report on a full year from the launch of the White Paper in February 2003, as

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  we are legally required to do by the Sustainable Energy Act 2003, as well as to capture some key energy statistics for the relevant period. Given the importance of energy efficiency to delivery of the Energy White Paper objectives, the Government intend to publish the Energy Efficiency Implementation Plan at the same time as the Annual Report. The Government also envisage simultaneous publication of the fuel poverty strategy implementation plan and the CHP strategy as well as the second annual progress report on the UK Fuel Poverty Strategy.

  Flood Defences
  Mrs. May
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what guidance has been issued to the Environment Agency on matching local authority funding for flood defences. [154915]

  Margaret Beckett
  No such guidance has been issued. From April 2004 the Environment Agency's flood defence service in England will be funded primarily through Defra grant in aid which will replace, in large part, the levies that local authorities have previously paid to the Agency. We have, however, left in place a power for the Agency to levy local authorities to fund works not covered by Defra grant. These levies need to be agreed by the relevant flood defence committee on which the local authorities have a majority.

  Levies are also subject to a cap of three times the level of Formula Spending Share allocated to each local authority to support the levy payment.

  Horses
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much horse meat was exported in 2003. [157263]

  Alun Michael
  In 2003, 1,566 tonnes of horse meat was exported from the UK.

  Mr. Gray
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what(a) grants and (b) other public funding she has made available to defray the start-up costs of the National Equine Database; [156652]

  (2) what the (a) start-up budget and the (b) running costs of the National Equine Database are; and from which budget it will be funded. [156654]

  Alun Michael
  Defra is making provision for funding the start up costs of the National Equine Database for the first two years, and thereafter Defra will be responsible for the on-going maintenance costs of the data that Defra will use.

  We have invited tenders to supply the database, and until the procurement process is complete the estimated costs for the database have to be treated as Commercialin-Confidence.

  Pig Industry
  Mr. Nicholas Brown
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the business recovery scheme to which the unspent funds from the pig industry restructuring scheme was re-allocated. [155497]
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  Alun Michael
  The widely welcomed Business Recovery Fund (BRF) was set up in May 2001 to help small non-farming rural businesses recover from the effects of the foot and mouth outbreak. Pig farmers were eligible to apply for the BRF, but only if they wished to be helped to diversify from farming. The Fund provided a total of some £74 million for allocation to qualifying businesses. £54 million was new money provided by the Government, and the remainder was provided by Regional Development Agencies, who administered the Fund.

  Rural Payments Agency
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many(a) full and (b) part-time staff have been employed in the Rural Payments Agency in each of the last five years. [156046]

  Alun Michael
  The figures for the number of full and part-time staff employed by the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) are set out in the following table.

  The RPA was inaugurated with effect from 16 October 2001.

  From

  Full-time

  Part-time1

  16 October 2001

  2,946.00

  196.50

  31 March 2002

  3,003.00

  241.69

  31 March 2003

  3,020.00

  258.46

  31 March 20042

  3.336.00

  291.70

  1 Full-time equivalent.

  2 Forecast figure as at 31 March 2004.

TRANSPORT

  Liquified Petroleum Gas
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage continued use of liquified petroleum gas following removal of road fuel tax support for liquid petroleum gas. [157450]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Liquified petroleum gas (LPG), has and will continue to receive considerable support from Government, not only in the form of a duty incentive (worth £75 million in terms of duty forgone in 2002–03 alone), but also through grants for vehicle conversions (the Powershift scheme), and reduced rates of vehicle excise duty for gas-powered vehicles.

  As the pre-Budget report made clear, the relative environmental benefits of LPG vehicles have become less significant in recent years as a result of progressively tighter emission standards for new conventional petrol and diesel vehicles As a result the Chancellor announced in the pre-Budget report that he will begin to gradually increase the rate for LPG over the next three years, setting duty differentials on a path towards a level commensurate with the fuel's environmental benefits. Consistent with the Government's commitment to give three-year certainty on duty differentials for alternative fuels, future differentials for the next three years will be announced at Budget 2004.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Horam
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State will reply to the letter of the hon. Member for Orpington of 2 October 2003, regarding the public safety zone surrounding Biggin Hill airport. [157148]

  Mr. McNulty
  I regret that the hon. Member's letter had not been answered. I have written to him today explaining that in the light of revised forecasts of numbers and types of aircraft movements we have decided to reduce the size of the public safety zones at Biggin Hill airport. The effect will be that the areas of highest risk will no longer include any residential properties and that the airport company will no longer be expected to purchase any properties in Oaklands Lane or Victoria Gardens.

  Motor Insurance
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress his Department is making on establishing a link between existing DVLA and motor insurance databases. [157530]

  Mr. Jamieson
  DVLA established a link with the Motor Insurance Database on 17 February 2004 which allows the agency to confirm that a vehicle is insured prior to relicensing without having to view the insurance documents.

  The Motor Insurers Anti Fraud and Theft Register is also linked to DVLA and automatically updates the vehicle record when a vehicle is seriously damaged. This allows an identity check to be carried out when such a vehicle is returned to the road.

  Overseas Hauliers (UK Roads)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many overseas hauliers paid to use UK roads in each of the last three years; and how much the Government received in each year. [157718]

  Mr. Jamieson
  There is currently no charging regime in the UK for overseas hauliers. The Government announced in 2002 their intention to introduce a scheme to charge all lorries using UK roads on the basis of distance travelled. The Government remain committed to introducing such a charge and my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced in the pre-Budget report his intention to publish a farther progress report during this year.

  Statutory Off Road Notifications
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the(a) procedures and (b) priorities followed by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency when issuing a reminder notice in the case of Statutory Off Road Notifications. [157805]

  Mr. Jamieson
  Reminder notices are issued on or around the 15th day of the month of expiry of both the Statutory Off Road Notification and the vehicle licence.

CABINET OFFICE

  Government Cars
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will list Whips to whom Government cars have been allocated, indicating in each case the(a) make and (b) engine size. [157852]

  Mr. Alexander
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 12 February 2004,Official Report, column 1569W.

  Government Services
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Government plans to spend in the next 12 months on delivering services via interactive television. [158135]

  Mr. Alexander
  Information on expenditure on delivering services via interactive television is not held centrally and could be produced only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what Government services projected to be delivered electronically in 2005 will be delivered through interactive television. [158136]

  Mr. Alexander
  Government Departments continue to work towards getting all Government services online by 2005, and seek to use Digital TV (DTV) wherever appropriate. Flagship services available now on DTV or planned by 2005 include Teacher TV, NHS Direct, Jobcentre Plus and the Pensions Service. In addition, UK online Interactive is a world-first national one-stopservice for Government on DTV, bringing together access to all nationally available DTV services and progressively rolling out access to local government services on DTV.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Government expects to save by providing all services through electronic means by 2005. [158137]

  Mr. Alexander
  The 2005 target aims to widen and facilitate access to Government services.

  The Efficiency Review led by Sir Peter Gershon is encouraging Departments to review take-up of e-services to deliver savings.

  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office whether the Government expects to have all its services available online by 2005; and if he will make a statement. [158133]

  Mr. Alexander
  Departments continue to work towards the target of 100 per cent. availability by 2005.

  The latest figures on progress towards the target of making Government services available electronically by 2005 show that 66 per cent. of Government services are e-enabled.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by(a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what

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  percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date. [157518]

  Mr. Alexander
  The detailed information is not held in the form requested. However, during the period 1 January 2003 to 31 January 2004 the Cabinet Office answered 84 Named Day Questions of which 80 per cent. were answered on time and 341 Ordinary Written Questions of which 43 per cent. were answered on time.

  Websites
  Mr. Heald
  To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office how much the Government has spent on its websites in each of the past four years. [158134]

  Mr. Alexander
  Individual Government Departments are responsible for the management and expenditure of their websites and as such expenditure figures are not held centrally by the Cabinet Office.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

  Fraud Trials
  Mr. Hawkins
  To ask the Solicitor-General (1) what steps she is taking following the most recent developments in the London City Bond and Operation Puma cases, in relation to(a) prosecution for perjury and (b) disclosure of documents by HM Customs and Excise to the Butterfield Inquiry into this matter; and if she will make a statement; [154656]

  (2) what steps she is taking following the most recent developments in the London City Bond and Operation Puma cases; and if she will make a statement. [154655]

  The Solicitor-General[holding answer 12 February 2004]
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Economic Secretary to the Treasury on 12 February 2004,Official Report, column 1552W. regarding the investigation jointly known as the London City Bond cases, and the review by Mr. Justice Butterfield that followed them. I also refer you to the Attorney General's statement made on 4 December 2003, Official Report [Lords], column WA32, which announced the Government's intention to establish an Independent Prosecutions Office dealing with Customs and Excise prosecutions. The process will start soon to recruit a new Head to that office who will be directly accountable to the Attorney-General. As well as the developments outlined in that answer, I would draw the hon. Member's attention to some of the steps taken by Customs and Excise Prosecutions Office to improve the disclosure process in the large and complex cases prosecuted by them.
  The Head of Prosecutions commissioned two reports on disclosure from CEPO's Quality Assurance team in order to assess and improve disclosure in CEPO cases. Recommendations from those reports are being taken forward.

  A conference on disclosure was hosted by CEPO in December of last year attended by members of the Bar, the judiciary and defence practitioners which explored the difficulties involved in disclosure in large and complex cases, and encouraged the exchange of ideas and best practice which CEPO will take forward.
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  There is a current Metropolitan police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the LCB cases. No file has been received by the CPS in relation to any prosecutions arising from that investigation.

  Iraq
  Mr. Mitchell
  To ask the Solicitor-General what information the Attorney-General had received on weapons of mass destruction when he prepared his opinion on the legality of war against Iraq; whether this included information on weapons capable of being launched in 45 minutes; and whether it was indicated to him whether there we re battlefield weapons or weapons deliverable to targets outside Iraq. [155417]

  The Solicitor-General
  The Attorney-General received a briefing from the Chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee on the content of the Government dossier published in September 2002 on 19 September 2002. As I explained to the hon. and learned Member for Medway (Mr. Marshall-Andrews) in my reply to him dated 14 October 2003, the Attorney-General did not rely upon any facts or assertions contained in the September dossier as material to his conclusion set out in his statement of 17 March that Iraq had failed to comply with Resolution 1441 and that a legal base for the use of force existed in the combined effect of UN Security Council Resolutions 678,687 and 1441.

  Katharine Gun
  Mr. Ancram
  To ask the Solicitor-General whether(a) she and (b) the Attorney General had discussions with the Director of Public Prosecutions about the case of Katharine Gun before the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to offer any evidence against her. [157846]

  The Solicitor-General
  I have not discussed the case of Katharine Gun with the Director of Public Prosecutions.

  For certain offences, including those under the Official Secrets Act, the Attorney General's consent is required by statute before a prosecution can go ahead. The Director of Public Prosecutions discussed the case with the Attorney General before the CPS took the decision to offer no evidence against Katharine Gun on evidential grounds.

  Mr. Cash
  To ask the Solicitor-General for what reasons the Attorney General did not issue a nolle prosequi in the case of Katharine Gun. [158132]

  The Solicitor-General
  Under the Code for Crown Prosecutors, it is for the prosecution to keep under review the prospects of a conviction as the case progresses. Counsel In this case did so and the CPS decided not to proceed with the case, on the advice of counsel and after consultation with the Attorney General, because the evidence was such that there was no longer a realistic prospect of conviction.

  A nolle prosequi would not normally be entered where the reason not to proceed with the case is, as here, an evidential deficiency.

  Parmalat
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Solicitor-General what discussions she has had since the Parmalat affair on
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  greater co-operation between regulatory authorities (a) internationally and (b) at EU level; and if she will make a statement. [156884]

  The Solicitor-General
  I have not discussed, since the Italian police investigation into Parmalat, the issue of greater co-operation between regulatory authorities internationally or at EU level.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

  Aerospace Industry
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the future of aerospace manufacturing and its supply chain in Lancashire. [157713]

  Jacqui Smith
  We recognise the contribution that the North West of England has made to the UK aerospace industry in the past and the important role it continues to play as part of a highly innovative and competitive defence industry.

  The Government's Defence Industrial Policy was launched in October 2002 and alms to enhance the industry's competitiveness and sustainability, while continuing to provide high quality equipment at best value for money. As part of that policy the MOD takes a range of factors into account when making major procurement decisions, and a key one is an evaluation of its impact on industrial activity regionally—both at prime contractor level and within the supply chain—and my Department actively contributes to that process.

  Bankruptcy
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to reduce the 8 per cent. interest rate charged on debts determined by the Judgment Act 1838 which is levied on bankruptcy debts under Rule 6.113 of the Insolvency Act 1986; and if she will make a statement. [157831]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  I have no plans to amend Rule 6.113 of the Insolvency Rules 1986 so that a rate of interest other than that specified in section 17 of the Judgments Act 1838 will apply to debts mentioned in sub rules (2) and (3) and outstanding at the date of the bankruptcy order. It is for the Lord Chancellor, with the concurrence of the Treasury, to make any order amending the rate of interest which applied under section 17 of that Act.

  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to allow discretion on the charge of an interest rate of 8 per cent. on bankruptcy debts; and if she will make a statement. [157832]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  I have no such plans. I consider the interest rate at which judgment debts carry interest to be the appropriate rate to be applied to bankruptcy debts in those cases where the Insolvency Act 1986 provides for section 17 of the Judgments Act 1838 to be applied.

  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans she has to vary the percentage of debt recovered fee she charges for performance of her general duties under insolvency legislation; and if she will make a statement. [157833]
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  Mr. Sutcliffe
  A new Insolvency Fees Order will come into effect on 1 April 2004 that will include a new rate of 17 per cent. "For the performance by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry of her general duties under the insolvency legislation in relation to the administration of the affairs of each company which is being wound up by the court" and "For the performance by the Secretary of State of her general duties under the insolvency legislation in relation to the administration of the estate of each bankrupt". However, the fee will not be applied to the first £2,000 of receipts in a case and the maximum of this fee in any one case will be limited to £100,000. The new rate will only apply to cases where the insolvency Order is made on or after 1 April 2004.

  For cases where the insolvency Order has been made before 1 April 2004 the current scales will continue to be applied except in relation to the affairs of companies which are being wound-up voluntarily where the fees will be revoked from 1 April 2004.

  This is only one of a number of changes being made on 1 April 2004 in relation to fees in insolvency cases. The new Fees Order, which will shortly be signed and be made available on The Insolvency Service's website (insolvency.gov.uk), seeks to simplify the fee structure applicable in relation to insolvency proceedings by reducing the number of fees payable. Hence it is not possible to make a direct comparison between any specific fee that will be prescribed in the new Fees Order with a specific fee charged under the Insolvency Fees Order 1986 or earlier legislation.

  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which body is responsible for(a) responding to complaints about and (b) reviewing trustees' remuneration under bankruptcy legislation. [157834]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  Concerns regarding the remuneration of a trustee in bankruptcy should be addressed to the court dealing with the bankruptcy in question by making an application under either section 303 of the Insolvency Act 1986 or Rule 6.142 of the Insolvency Rules 1986.

  Broadband
  Michael Fabricant
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment she has made of the likelihood of achieving 100 per cent. broadband coverage by non-wireless connection by the end of 2005; and if she will make a statement. [156464]

  Mr. Timms
  The Government's call in November 2003 for Government, public bodies and broadband providers to bring broadband to every community in the UK by the end of next year was supported by BT and other industry stakeholders.

  By January 2004, broadband either by cable or ADSL was available to 85 per cent. of households and that is almost certain to rise to 90 per cent. this year. Decisions on the type of networks to be deployed are predominately for the market. It is likely that wireless will make a contribution to 100 per cent. availability.

  The Government are making a significant contribution to ensure 100 per cent. broadband coverage is achieved. Between 2003 and 2006 public services will be

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  spending £1 billion on broadband connectivity. The Regional Aggregation Bodies (trading as Adits) are using their buying power to bring broadband to new and previously untenable areas and the Regional Development Agencies will be spending or committing a further £235 million to broadband development by 2006. This will provide opportunities for further investment by industry using a range of appropriate technical solutions, including alternatives to ADSL and cable—for example, powerline and satellite in addition to wireless.

  Call Centres
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of(a) call centres and (b) call centre jobs in Leeds. [156240]

  Ms Hewitt
  Existing information does not enable us to provide reliable figures. However, my Department has commissioned research on the key factors contributing to the relative competitiveness of UK call centre operations to help identify any appropriate actions which need to be taken by industry or Government in response to the increasingly global market for call centre services. This will include an examination of the main product areas in the UK call and contact centre industry that are vulnerable to growing competition from lower-wage economies; and which types of call and contract centre activity and which regions have been most affected or are most likely to be affected in the near future.

  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate she has made of the number of call centre jobs relocated abroad in the last five years. [156241]

  Ms Hewitt
  Existing information does not enable us to provide reliable figures. Official statistics do not generally separate call centre activities from the main activity of a firm or enterprise (e.g. banking). The term "Call Centre" can be used to describe a broad variety of functions and activities across a wide range of commercial, industrial and public sectors. Difficulties and differences in definition are reflected in commercial market research on call centres where estimates on the number of call centres and call centre employees vary substantially. In light of this my Department has commissioned research on the key factors contributing to the relative competitiveness of UK call centre operations to help identify any appropriate actions which need to be taken by industry or Government in response to the increasingly global market for call centre services.

  Cold Calling
  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the Office of Fair Trading will report on its investigation into the complaint from the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux regarding cold calling. [157476]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The Office of Fair Trading expect to report in April. They expect to make public their position on legislative options for tackling bogus traders in advance of the full report.

  E-commerce
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of UK retail was represented by on-line shopping in each quarter since January 1999; and what targets her Department has set for on-line shopping as a proportion of all UK retail. [157214]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  Official statistics separately identifying online orders within the retail sector are not available. In 2002, the value of online orders received from households by the UK wholesale, retail, catering, travel and telecommunications sectors was £5.2 billion (excluding the financial sector). This represents an increase of 63 per cent. from the 2001 estimate of £3.2 billion. Figures for the period prior to this are not available (Source: Office for National Statistics experimental statistics1). These figures represent 0.3 per cent. of total sales by UK businesses (excluding the financial sector) in 2002 and 0.2 per cent. in 2001. Total UK retail sales were £230 billion in 2002 and £219 billion in 2001.

  The Department does not set targets for on-line shopping.

  12002 e-commerce surrey of business.

  E-mail
  Mr. Simmonds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimates her Department has made of(a) the number of spam e-mails sent to UK companies and (b) the cost to business associated with tackling spam e-mails in 2002–03. [157804]

  Mr. Timms
  The Government do not have an estimate of the number of spam e-mails sent to UK companies or the cost to businesses here in tackling spam e-mails in 2002–03, although business recipients of spam point to the impact of time spent in deleting spam messages and paying for anti-spam and anti-virus protection. The UK is actively involved in a current exercise by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development which aims to develop better techniques for measuring spam and estimating its impact.

  Employment Information Booklets
  Mrs. Lait
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what savings she estimates will be made by the ending of the supply of printed employment information booklets(a) URN 03/595, (b) URN 03/597, (c) URN 00/632, (d) PL 517, (e) PL 699, (f) PL 700, (g) PL 704, (h) PL 707, (i) PL 711, (j) PL 712, (k) PL 714, (l) P1716, (m) PL 718, (n) PL 724, (o) PL 808, (p) PL 810, (q) PL 833 and (r) PL 958; and how much additional grant funding will be made available to citizens' advice bureaux to cover the extra costs to their offices of receiving the booklets electronically. [156781]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The Department estimates savings in the region of £140,000 per annum. Booklets(a), (b), (1) and (m) (replaced by PI 718x) remain available in hard copy.

  Acas produces leaflets on individual employment rights. These can Ix obtained free of charge from the Acas distribution centre on 08702 429090. Therefore I do not consider it necessary or appropriate to provide additional grant funding to Citizen's Advice Bureaux.

  Financial Services Industry
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when her Department intends to introduce legislation on the consumer credit market in the UK. [157215]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  On 8 December 2003 we published a White Paper setting out our proposals on the consumer credit market. This was the culmination of the first major review of the regulation of this market in 30 years. The regulatory proposals in the White Paper will be implemented by a combination of Statutory Instruments, which will be brought forward during the course of this year with the first coming into force in October 2004, and a Bill, which will be introduced when parliamentary time is available.

  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps her Department is taking to promote the reporting by financial services companies of suspected cases of money laundering. [157216]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  HM Treasury and the Home Office are jointly responsible for the UK's money laundering reporting regime. Financial service s companies, along with other businesses in the "regulated sector", are required to have in place formal systems for deterring, detecting and reporting money laundering and to train their staff accordingly. The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Money Laundering Regulations 2003 substantially strengthened these requirements, for example by making it a criminal offence to fail to make a disclosure where there are reasonable grounds to know or suspect money laundering.

  This Department works closely with the Treasury and Home Office in supporting this regime.

  Flexible Working
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when her Department expects to conclude its review of the legislation on flexible working. [157220]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  Following on from the detail I provided in my answer to my hon. Friend on 3 February 2004,Official Report, columns 777–78W, we continue to gather data which will form the evidence base for the review scheduled to commence in 2006. However at such an early stage it is inappropriate to speculate on the nature of the review itself, and therefore the length of time it may take.

  Football (Scotland)
  Pete Wishart
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what responsibilities her Department has in relation to the Scottish football industry; and if she will make a statement. [156854]

  Ms Hewitt [holding answer 27 February 2004]
  My Department has no responsibilities in relation to the Scottish football industry.

  Gas Storage
  Mrs. Humble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on her policy 792W
  on the development of gas storage facilities in underground caverns formed within deep rock salt deposits. [157500]

  Mr. Timms
  As Great Britain becomes increasingly dependent on imported gas it will be important that the market continues to provide sufficient flexibility to meet demand. Gas storage projects help do this. The Government therefore welcomes proposals for new projects. They must, of course, obtain necessary planning and other regulatory consents.

  Higher Education Innovation Fund
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money was spent on the first round of the Higher Education Innovation Fund. [157248]

  Ms Hewitt
  Around £78 million has been awarded to 89 applicants under the first round of the Higher Education Innovation Fund. A further £1 million has already been allocated to organisations to train more knowledge-transfer professionals.

  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the budget is for the second round of the Higher Education Innovation Fund; and how many organisations will be eligible for this funding. [157249]

  Ms Hewitt
  £187 million will be available to higher education institutions through the second round of the Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF 2).

  132 higher education institutions in England are eligible for HEIF 2 funding.

  Local Government Finance
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what grants were awarded to local authorities in(a) Lancashire and (b) Chorley in each of the last three financial years that fall outside the revenue support grant. [157085]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  The Department of Trade and Industry provided the following grants:

  (a) Lancashire county council

  Start-up grant of £5,000 in 2001–02 to develop a Consumer Support Network. Lancashire county council are part of the trading standards North of England regional group who received funding of £42,000 in 2001–02 and 2002–03 for regional coordination projects, £96,900 in 2002–03 to support an e-commerce enforcement project and £74,753 and £100,000 in 2003–04 for trading standards enforcement coordination projects and a consumer education project respectively.

  (c) Chorley borough council

  No grants were awarded to Chorley borough council from the Department of Trade and Industry.

  Manufacturing Skills Base
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government schemes and initiatives have been enacted to retain the skills base in the United Kingdom following manufacturing job losses. [156984]
  793W
  Mr. Timms
  The Government's Manufacturing Strategy, which we developed in partnership with industry, trade unions and other stakeholders, aims to create a high-value manufacturing sector in the UK with a highly skilled and well paid workforce, moving away from competing on the basis of low skill and low wages. We are continuing to develop a range of initiatives under the Skills Strategy such as employer training pilots, modern apprenticeships, the growing network of Sector Skills Councils and other measures to better deploy and retain skills to improve business performance.

  Where there are significant redundancies in the manufacturing sector, the Rapid Response Service works to move people quickly into new jobs, preventing them from becoming detached from the labour market. Although a trend to declining manufacturing employment has been a feature of advanced economies over the last 30 years, new jobs are still being created all the time. Around 250,000 manufacturing vacancies were reported to Jobcentre plus in the last year. Overall the UK labour market is performing well, with total employment rising by nearly 1.7 million since spring 1997, and unemployment falling in every region in Britain over the past year.

  Near Earth Objects
  Lembit Öpik
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will maintain the level of service provided by the(a) National Near Earth Object Information Centre and (b) the Spaceguard Centre. [155368]

  Ms Hewitt
  The British National Space Centre (BNSC) has contributed funding to the setting up and maintenance of the Near Earth Object (NEO) Information Centre based at the National Space Science Centre in Leicester. It provides information to the public and monitors NEO activity. This follows the recommendations of the Near Earth Object Task Force Report. The BNSC contract expires on 31 December 2004. The Government has not contributed funding to the Space Guard Centre in the UK.

  Online Banking
  Mr. Simmonds:
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions her Department has had with the banking sector to combat internet hackers and fraudsters from obtaining customers' online banking details through deception and other means. [157807]

  Lead Institution

  Partner Institutions

  Award (£)

  Public Sector Research Establishment Round 1

  Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC)

  Defence Science and Technology Laboratory

  4,000,000

  Natural Environment Research Council

  Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council

  UK Atomic Energy Authority

  CCLRC

  475,000

  Central Manchester and Manchester Children's University Hospitals NHS Trust

  510,000

  Central Science Laboratory

  Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Veterinary Laboratories Agency

  231,860

  794W
  Mr. Timms
  The Department has no direct responsibility for the banking sector. As part of our normal discourse with business we do speak with the banking sector, including discussion of recent attempts to gain customers' passwords and other details. The results of these discussions are reflected in our promotion of information security best practice to business.

  Post Office
  David Taylor
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what procedures govern the categorisation of rural and urban post offices. [157810]

  Mr. Timms
  The decision to classify a post office branch as urban or rural is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. The company classifies as rural any post office within a community of less than 10,000 inhabitants. Above that the post office is classified as urban. I understand that the company has a geographical mapping model that enables it to adopt a consistent approach to classification across the country.

  Public Sector Research Exploitation Fund
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money has been spent on the Public Sector Research Exploitation Fund in each year since its inception; and how many organisations have received assistance through this fund. [157250]

  Ms Hewitt
  An award totalling over £10 million was made through the Public Sector Research Exploitation (PSRE) fund in October 2001. A second round of the PSRE fund worth almost £15 million was announced in the Science Budget for 2003–06. Money spent so far in Round 1 is as follows:

  Financial year

  £

  2001£02

  287,500

  2002£03

  7,521,860

  2003£04

  300,000

  Total

  8,109,360

  A further £2,000 000 of funding has been approved but not yet drawn down.

  19 applications received funding through PSRE round 1 and 16 in PSRE round 2. The organisations that have received assistance through the fund in rounds 1 and 2 are listed as follows, with their funding allocation. In collaborative applications to the fund, institutions nominate a lead establishment, shown as follows.
  795W

  Lead Institution

  Partner Institutions

  Award (£)

  Institute of Food Research

  Plant Bioscience Ltd.

  160,000

  Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  Barnsley District General Hospital NHS Trust

  220,000

  Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust

  Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust

  Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust

  York Health Services NHS Trust

  National Museums and Galleries on Merseyside

  Lynton Lasers Ltd.

  287,500

  Product Innovation and Development Centre

  Natural Environment Research Council

  600,000

  Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Hospitals Trust

  BioSci North Ltd.

  270,000

  MKW Engineering Ltd.

  Newcastle General Hospital

  NHS Executive, Northern and Yorkshire Region

  RTC North Ltd.

  University of Newcastle upon Tyne

  Particle Physics and Astronomy Research

  CERN

  200,000

  Plant Bioscience Ltd.

  530,000

  Public Health Laboratory Service

  National Institute of Biological Standards and Controls

  300,000

  South Glasgow University Hospitals Trust

  BioIndustry Association (Scotland)

  425,000

  Connect

  Grampian University Hospital NHS Trust

  Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust

  LINC Scotland

  Lothian University Hospitals NHS Trust

  Scottish Enterprise

  Scottish Executive, Chief Scientists

  Scottish National Blood Transfusion

  Tayside University Hospital NHS Trust

  University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust

  Birmingham Heartlands and Solihull NHS Trust

  300,000

  Birmingham Specialist Community Health NHS Trust

  Burton Hospital NHS Trust

  City Hospital NHS Trust

  Good Hope Hospital NHS Trust

  Mid Staffordshire General Hospital NHS Trust

  North Staffordshire Hospital NHS Trust

  Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic

  South Birmingham Mental Health NHS Trust

  South Warwickshire General Hospital NHS Trust

  The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

  The Royal Wolverhampton Hospitals NHS Trust

  University Hospital NHS Trust

  Nottingham City Hospital Trust

  300,000

  South Derbyshire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  Four London NHS Trusts comprising:

  Barts and the London NHS Trust

  City and Hackney Primary Care Trust

  East London and City Mental Health Trust

  Homerton Hospital NHS Trust

  Newham Healthcare Trust

  Newham Primary Care Trust

  Tower Hamlets Primary Care Trust

  Guy's and St. Thomas's NHS Trust

  Epson and St. Helier NHS Trust

  King's College Hospital Trust

  Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust

  South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust

  St. George's Hospital NHS Trust

  The Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability

  Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust

  Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust

  Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust

  North West London Hospitals Trust

  St. Mary's NHS Trust

  796W 797W

  Lead Institution

  Partner Institutions

  Award (£)

  The Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust

  Camden and Islington Community Health Services NHS Trust

  1,300,000

  Camden and Islington Mental Health NHS Trust

  Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust

  Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Trust

  North Middlesex Hospital NHS Trust

  Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust

  The University College London Hospitals NHS Trust

  The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust

  Total

  110,109,360

  Public Sector Research Establishment Round 2

  Barts and the London NHS Trust

  The Royal Free Hampstead

  2,300,000

  The Royal Brompton and Harefield

  Guy's and St. Thomas

  The London Development Agency

  Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council(BBSRC)

  Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils (CCLRC)

  2,000,000

  Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

  Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL)

  Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council(PPARC)

  UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA)

  Central Manchester and Manchester Children'sHospitals NHS Trust

  University TrusTECH

  750,000

  Health Protection Agency

  BIONOW

  Medical Devices Faraday

  CLIK Knowledge Transfer

  750,000

  Defence Science and Tech Lab (DSTL)

  Central Science Laboratory

  1,000,000

  Health Protection Agency

  Veterinary Laboratories Agency

  Forensic Science Service, The Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  500,000

  Sheffield Teaching Hospitals Trust

  Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust

  250,000

  Hull and East Yorkshire Hospitals NHS Trust

  York Hospitals NHS Trust

  Barnsley District General Hospital NHS Trust

  Yorkshire Forward

  Medilink (Yorkshire and Humber)

  Moredun Research Institute

  Roslin Institute

  1,500,000

  Rowett Research Institute

  Scottish Agricultural College

  Institute for Animal Health

  Natural Environment Research Council

  600,000

  National Museums Liverpool

  Lynton Lasers

  750,000

  The Hothouse

  Castle Fine Arts Foundry

  Shape Design

  Newcastle Upon Tyne NHS Hospitals Trust

  RTC North Ltd.

  490,000

  University of Newcastle upon Tyne Regional Medical Physics Dept

  City Hospitals Sunderland NHS Trust

  Centre of Excellence for Life Sciences

  North Tyneside Primary Care Trust

  County Durham and Darlington Acute Hospitals NHS Trust

  South Tees Hospitals NHS Trust

  University of Durham

  Oxford Radcliffe Hospitals NHS Trust, The

  South East England Development Agency

  540,000

  Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust

  Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust

  Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust

  798W 799W

  Lead Institution

  Partner institutions

  Award (£)

  Papworth Hospital NHS Trust

  The Ipswich Hospital NHS Trust

  500,000

  Addenbrookes NHS Trust

  East of England Development Agency

  Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council (PPARC)

  175,000

  Plant Biosiences Ltd

  BBSRC

  1,800,000

  Roslin Institute(Genecom)

  Institute of Animal Health

  800,000

  Moredun Research Institute

  Total

  14,705,000

  1 The Advisory Board recommended that the additional £109,360 (over and above the £10 million allocated for the PSRE Fund) be taken from the surplus from University Challenge.

  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many organisations have been helped by the Public Sector Research Exploitation Fund in each year since its inception. [157251]

  Ms Hewitt
  The Public Sector Research Exploitation Fund has been awarded through two competitive funding rounds. PSRE Round 1 awards were made in October 2001 with over £10 million going to 19 lead institutions. The allocation of Round 2 funds was announced in January 2004. Almost £15 million went to 16 lead organisations. For a list of organisations that have received assistance from the fund, please refer to PQ No. 157250 answered today.

  Security Breaches
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff are employed in her Department to tackle problems arising from information security breaches. [157257]

  Ms Hewitt
  Fourteen staff employed in my Department may potentially be involved in investigating, and tackling problems arising from, information security breaches. Others from across the Department and from our key service suppliers may assist these staff when dealing with individual cases.

  Springfields Site (USA)
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason she has accepted responsibility on behalf of the taxpayer for the costs of clearing up the Springfields site in the United States; what steps she is taking to identify those individuals responsible for generating this environmental and financial liability; and if she will make a statement. [157865]

  Mr. Timms
  Springfields, the BNFL fuel manufacturing facility is located near Preston in Lancashire. The NDA on formation will become responsible for its clean-up.

  Sugar Regime
  Mr. Wiggin
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she expects to respond to the letter to her from the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Alliance concerning reform of the sugar regime; and for what reason she has not yet responded. [157095]
  800W
  Ms Hewitt
  My office has no record of having received this letter. If the hon. Member writes to me again I will ensure that a response is sent as soon as possible.

  UK Online for Business
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (1) what products her Department intends to introduce to rationalise the activities of UK online for business; how these will encourage the effective use of the Internet and other information and communication technologies by small and medium-sized companies; and what the projected costs are for each new product; [157241]

  (2) what the budget is for the forthcoming year to promote effective use of information and communication technology by businesses. [157246]

  Mr. Timms
  Under its programme of reform of business support products my Department is launching two new products under the theme of "Achieving best practice in your business". These bring together the best of a number of existing schemes such as "UK online for business" and "Fit for the Future", as well as offering direct support for implementation of best practice business projects. The promotion of effective use of information and communication technology will underpin these products, which will have a programme budget, in the first year, of £20 million.

  Weights and Measures Act
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made in amending the Weights and Measures Act 1985 to facilitate electronic communications. [157198]

  Mr. Timms
  The Government are in the process of identifying provisions in consumer legislation, including the Weights and Measures Act 1985, which may need to be amended. The Government aims to start public consultations on any proposed changes by March 2005.

  Written Ministerial Statement
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the Written Ministerial Statement made by the Minister for Energy, E-Commerce and Postal Services on 5 February 2004,
  801W
  Official Report, column 48WS, on Post Office Urban Reinvention Network, (1) what his definition of dense network is; [156483]

  (2) what percentage of post offices in urban deprived areas are situated in dense networks. [156484]

  Mr. Timms [holding answer 26 February 2004]
  Post Office Ltd. defines a dense network of surrounding offices, in the context of offices in the 10 per cent. most deprived areas, as being several accessible branches in the 0.5 to one mile range travelling distance. Each proposal will however be considered on an individual basis with regard to reasonable transport links between the branches and travel across the area generally needed for retail needs. In addition, the role of Postwatch in the consultation process ensures that each proposal is analysed on a case-by-case basis.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

  Burma
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) how much money his Department has provided to the Burma Border Consortium in(a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04; [157474]

  (2) what steps his Department has taken to meet the food needs of refugees in camps on the Thai-Burmese border in 2003–04; [157618]

  (3) what support his Department has made available in (a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 for Burmese refugees outside the country. [157638]

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  The Department provided £600,000 to the Burmese Border Consortium in 2002–03 and 450,000 in 2003–04 to help meet the food needs of refugees in Thailand. £220,000 is being provided in 2003–04 for a border areas health programme of the World Health Organisation (WHO), which covers refugees in Thailand.

  The Department is also providing support to refugees from Burma through the European Commission (EC). The EC has so far allocated 2 million euros (£2.8 million) for the Burmese Border Consortium, over the period 2002–04, 20 per cent. of which is attributable to the UK.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much money has been provided by his Department in(a) 2002–03 and (b) 2003–04 to assist internally displaced people in Burma and to provide education for Burmese refugees in refugee camps on the Burma-Thailand border. [157620]

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  The Department did not support programmes specifically focused on internally displaced people in Burma in 2002–03 or 2003–04. However, internally displaced people may be among the beneficiaries of other DFID programmes during this period, such as a UNICEF-led immunisation programme in Burma for which DFID provided £567,000 in 2002–03, work by the International Committee of the Red Cross 802W
  for which DFID provided £1.5 million in 2002–03, and some small grants to civil society organisations in both years.

  Our support in these years to Burmese refugees in camps on the Thai- Burma border focused on meeting basic food needs. Some support for education activities has been provided in the past through the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as detailed in my reply to another question from the hon. Member for Buckingham.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what the projected level is of expenditure by his Department in 2004–05 on wildlife projects in Burma; and how the money will be allocated; [157621]

  (2) what funding has been provided by his Department in 2003–04 for wildlife projects in Burma; and how the money was allocated. [157622]

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  The Department has not funded wildlife projects in Burma during 2003–04 and currently has no plans to do so in 2004–05.

  Deforestation
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the world's rainforests has been destroyed in each of the last 10 years to provide land purely to provide food for animals; and how much grain for humans this land could provide per year. [156966]

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  A recent Food and Agriculture Organisation study sampled 10 per cent. of the world's tropical forests in 1980, 1990 and 2000. The key changes noted were a loss of 'closed forest' (i.e. rain forest) amounting to 70–80 million hectares per decade, and a gain in "other land cover", primarily cultivation and pastures, of an almost identical area.

  It is not possible to state the proportion of forest destroyed to provide food for animals, since deforested land often has a sequence of changing uses. For example, in South America land cleared for cattle ranching is often later used for soy bean cultivation. In Africa, land cleared for small-scale landholdings is often used for both cultivation and raising livestock.

  It is not possible to say how much grain for humans deforested land could provide per year owing to huge variations in land fertility.

  Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
  Chris McCafferty
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the forthcoming Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific population and development meetings in(a) Santiago in March and (b) Puerto Rico in June. [157780]

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  This year the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean will be holding a 10-year regional review of progress against the commitments made in the International Conference on Population and Development in 1994 (ICPD). The process will consist of two parts: Firstly there will be a
  803W
  technical open-ended meeting of an ad-hoc working group in Santiago, Chile in March. The outcome of this will be a report of key lessons and challenges in relation to further implementation of ICPD. Secondly there will be a high-level regular meeting of ECLAC in Puerto Rico in June, which will consider the outcome of Santiago.

  The UK Government will be represented at both these meetings as members of ECLAC. We are keen to emphasise the importance of the ICPD commitments and to support countries that do not wish to weaken the consensus of ICPD. DFID is particularly concerned with maintaining wording on reproductive health, rights and sexual health and avoiding unproductive arguments about issues that have already been agreed. The emphasis of the two ECLAC meetings should be on monitoring of progress of the ICPD) commitments in the region and discussion around enhancing progress for the next 10 years.

  Ethiopia
  Mr. Robathan
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on progress on human rights in Ethiopia; what indicators he is using to monitor human rights in Ethiopia; and when he expects the Ethiopian Government to set up the Human Rights Commission promised in 2000. [156828]

  Hilary Benn
  When I visited Ethiopia in February I spoke to Prime Minister Meles and members of his Government about how respect for human rights can be improved. The Prime Minister accepted there are problems, but told me of his commitment to improving this situation. He gave an undertaking to build the capacity of the judiciary and security sectors to help protect constitutional rights for all.

  The Government of Ethiopia have agreed to link progress with human rights to our UK budget support agreement. The 'Establishment of a Human Rights Commission and Ombudsman' will be one indicator of progress. The target for June 2004 is for the commissioners of both bodies to be appointed. By June 2005, both bodies will be expected to produce a report outlining cases and complaints handled.

  We will be monitoring progress carefully.

  Famine
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the amount of grain required to provide an adequate level of sustenance for those people living in famine. [156965]

  Hilary Benn
  DFID follows the international guidelines as set by the World Food Programme and the World Health Organisation for the provision of food in emergency situations.

  The guidelines recommend a minimum of 2,100 Kcals per person per day. This is equivalent to approximately 600 g of grain. However, wherever possible, we seek to ensure a diet with an appropriate balance of nutrients. Rations are therefore not usually provided as grain
  804W
  alone, but typically consist of 400 g of grain, 50 g of corn soy blend, 25 g of oil, 60 g of pulses and 15 g of sugar per person per day.

  Different degrees of under-nourishment require different feeding regimes. For example, severely malnourished children are usually taken into a therapeutic feeding regime that will provide 200 Kcal per kilogramme of body weight per day. The rations are usually made up of a mixture of fortified flour, oil, sugar, vitamins and mineral complex and other local foods as appropriate.

  HIV/AIDS
  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of trends in HIV/AIDS rates in countries identified by UNAIDS as the worst affected countries. [156398]

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  DFID provides support to UNAIDS, and looks to them to provide information on the global status of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Last December, UNAIDS launched the Global Epidemic Update (available at www.unaids.org) which provided a synthesis of trends in the epidemic in all regions. They will be producing detailed country information to launch at the World AIDS Conference in July 2004 in Bangkok.

  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what representations his Department has made to UNAIDS about changes to future exercises estimating HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in sub-Saharan Africa, to include population-based surveys as opposed to surveys which indicate trends in HIV prevalence; [156438]

  (2) what representations his Department has (a)received from non-governmental organisations and (b) made to UNAIDS on over-estimates of HIV/AIDS rates in sub-Saharan Africa by UNAIDS; [156784]

  (3) what research his Department (a) has commissioned and (b) plans to commission into differences between data based on population-based surveys and on ante-natal clinic-based surveys in giving reliable estimates of the level of HIV/AIDS infection in sub-Saharan Africa; [156397]

  (4) what representations his Department (a) has made and (b) plans to make to UNAIDS to include population-based HIV survey data in UNAIDS' next report on the global HIV/AIDS epidemic. [156400]

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  We have not received any representations from non-governmental organisations on over-estimates of HIV/AIDS rates in sub-Saharan Africa. This Department does not plan to commission research into the differences between data based on population-based surveys and on ante-natal clinic-based surveys in giving reliable estimates of the level of HIV/AIDS infection in sub-Saharan Africa. UNAIDS has the mandate to provide information on the status of the epidemic.

  UNAIDS included information about methodological issues relating to differences between data taken from these two different sources in the Global Epidemic update, which was released last World AIDS day. They concluded

  805W
  that population based surveys are likely to underestimate true HIV prevalence in most cases, because some respondents are absent from the household at the time of a survey and some refuse to participate. UNAIDS also recognise that most antenatal clinic-based surveillance systems have limited geographical coverage, which can lead to wide variations in the quality of the national estimate of HIV prevalence.

  UNAIDS is now doing some analysis linking behavioural data to the surveys, to see whether and how that has affected the result of the population-based surveys. They will convene a meeting in May to analyse different results across a number of countries in sub-Saharan Africa from the two sources of data. They aim to report findings at the World AIDS Conference in Bangkok in 2004.

  We have not made any specific representations to UNAIDS about changes to future exercises estimating HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in SA, to include population based surveys as opposed to surveys which indicate trends in HIV prevalence. DFID is in dialogue with them on issues around data sources for HIV estimates. UNAIDS contend that conducting ante-natal clinic-based surveys and population surveys at three to five year intervals can serve as valuable components of surveillance systems and can help improve estimates of the levels and trends in HIV prevalence. This Department supports UNAIDS in their efforts to analyse the different results from different sources, rather than relying on one source alone. All HIV estimates need to be assessed critically. Using different sources for data and interrogating the results will always provide more robust analysis than relying on one source.

  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support the Department is providing for research into developing vaccines to prevent HIV/AIDS. [157486]

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  DFID have agreed to provide a contribution of £14 million over the period January 2000 to December 2004 in support of the work of the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative (IAVI).

  IAVI is a global non-profit making organisation that is working to speed the development and distribution of preventive AIDS vaccines through: mobilising support through advocacy and education; accelerating scientific progress; encouraging industrial participation in AIDS vaccine development; and assuring global access. IAVI's stated mission is to ensure the development of safe, effective, accessible, preventive AIDS vaccines for use throughout the world.

  Kuwait
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the UK's contribution to the Humanitarian Operations Centre in Kuwait is; and if he will make a statement. [156358]

  Hilary Benn
  The Humanitarian Operations Centre in Kuwait was established prior to the conflict by the Coalition military and the Kuwaiti Government to support the coordination and facilitation of humanitarian operations from Kuwait into southern Iraq. The UK military contributed human resources. DFID has not contributed financially to the centre but 806W
  is involved closely with it, including through the sharing of information. We have benefited from its information and coordination functions.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to his Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by(a) Ordinary Written and (b) Named Day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date. [157749]

  Hilary Benn
  Since 1 January 2003, DFID has been asked 2,358 Written Parliamentary Questions. We are unable to break this down into Ordinary Written and Named Day Questions without incurring disproportionate cost.

  DFID try to respond to Parliamentary Questions within the Parliamentary deadlines whenever possible.

  Swaziland
  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department intends to offer Swaziland in respect of the recent declaration of a state of national emergency. [156782]

  Hilary Benn
  DFID is supporting the work of the Vulnerability Assessment Committee in Swaziland, and has provided funding to the Food and Agriculture Organisation to run a series of "seed fairs" providing tools and seeds to families to enable them to grow food. We have also provided emergency funding to UNICEF to improve water and sanitation in schools. We have no immediate plans to provide further assistance following the emergency declaration.

  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department will offer to Swaziland in relation to its HIV/AIDS policy. [156783]

  Hilary Benn
  DFID supports Swaziland's efforts to combat HIV/AIDS through two regional programmes—the International Partnership against AIDS in Africa (implemented by UNAIDS and ActionAid), and a programme implemented by the Southern African Development Community.

  UK Presidencies (G8/EU)
  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions he has had with ministerial colleagues in the last 12 months on the priorities the Government intend to pursue when the UK assumes the presidencies of the(a) G8 and (b) EU. [156187]

  Mr. Gareth Thomas
  I refer the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington to the response given by the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs my hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) on 26 February 2004,Official Report, column 483W, regarding the same matter.

DEFENCE

  Aircraft Carriers
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has held with representatives of the French government about future carrier requirements and co-operation thereon. [154661]

  Mr. Ingram
  Defence Ministers routinely meet with their French opposite numbers and the UK's Future Aircraft Carrier programme has frequently been discussed in that context. There is s high level steering group which helps to facilitate UK French co-operation and, in addition, there have been regular meetings on the subject both between project officials from the UK's Defence Procurement Agency and their equivalents in the DGA and on a navy-to-navy basis. These meetings have identified several areas for potential co-operation.

  Armed Forces Compensation
  Mr. Dismore
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims under the Armed Forces compensation scheme were successful in each of the last five years; what estimate he has ma de of the number of likely successful cases per year under the proposed new scheme; and if he will make a statement. [153877]

  Mr. Caplin
  The Ministry of Defence provides benefits for death, injury or illness due to service through the War Pensions Scheme and the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. The number of awards for new claims under the War Pensions Scheme in the last five years is set out as follows (the figures are taken from Table 2.5 of the recently published March edition of the War Pensions Quarterly Statistics). This includes awards where a pension was paid and those where only a gratuity was paid:

  Number

  1998–99

  6,810

  1999–2000

  7,445

  2000–01

  6,385

  2001–02

  6,955

  2002–03

  5,440

  Current Information Technology systems do not enable us to identify the numbers who have also received attributable pensions from the Armed Forces Pension Scheme. However, the overall figure will be lower as the benefits can only be paid to those who are medically invalided.

  The new Armed Forces Compensation Scheme will provide benefits for currently serving personnel for injury, ill-health or death which is caused after 5 April 2005. The number of claims is expected to build up gradually over an extended period but to remain lower than the current level of claims against the War Pensions Scheme. This is because the latter covers periods of conscription, of worldwide conflict and of much larger than at present armed forces.

  AWE Aldermaston
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the planned laser simulation facility at AWE Aldermaston. [156642]
  808W
  Mr. Ingram
  The Ministry of Defence are considering a new laser facility (Project ORION) at AWE Aldermaston to replace the existing laser facility which is more than twenty years old. The project is currently in the Assessment Phase.

  Beef
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage by weight of current beef supply contracts for his Department and its agencies are sourced from(a) British and (b) Scottish herds. [157870]

  Mr. Ingram
  46 per cent. of the beef and beef products purchased for consumption by the armed forces in the United Kingdom is British. Of that total, in the past 12 months, 70 per cent. came from Scottish herds.

  Belgian Ammunition
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the rate of failure of large general purpose machine gun ammunition supplied by Belgium. [155135]

  Mr. Ingram
  There was a problem reported on the Browning 0/" Heavy Machine Gun (HMG) when firing standard Ball (M33) and Tracer (M17) rounds on training overseas prior to Operation Telic. The ammunition was manufactured to NATO standards by the Belgian contractor FN Herstal. A thorough and immediate investigation by the contractor could not replicate the reported problem. However, it was identified that a minor increase in the loaded propellant charge, still within NATO specifications, would increase the performance of the ammunition in the weapon. This change was immediately implemented by EN Herstal, at no cost to the MOD, and the new ammunition was available within four weeks.

  Defence Export Services Organisation
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost of the Defence Export Services Organisation was in 2002–03; what his estimate is of the projected cost in each year to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [156710]

  Mr. Ingram
  Operating costs for Defence Export Services Organisation (DESO) for the last and current financial years are as follows:

  Financial year

  Net operating costs (£ million)

  2002–03

  11.944

  2003–041

  15.583

  1 Figures for 2003–04 are forecasts for the year.

  The DESO budgets for financial years 2004–05 and 2005–06 have not yet been finalised, and I am withholding projections of the costs in these years under exemption 2c of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.

  The costs of DESO are more than offset by benefits to the Defence budget arising from defence exports. Savings to the defence budget come from spreading the fixed overhead costs of equipment over the longer production runs generated by exports, from the sale of

  809W
  surplus military equipment to overseas governments, and from Commercial Exploitation Levy on exports of equipment developed using public money.

  Eurofighter Typhoon
  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many Eurofighter Typhoons have been delivered to No. 17 Squadron, Royal Air Force; [156951]

  (2) how many Eurofighter Typhoons he plans to be delivered to No. 17 Squadron, Royal Air Force; when the squadron will receive the final aircraft of its intended complement; and if he will make a statement. [156952]

  Mr. Ingram
  It is planned that four aircraft will be delivered to No. 17 Squadron, Royal Air Force. The final aircraft of its intended complement is expected to be received by April this year. To date, two have been delivered.

  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he plans to re-form No. 29 Squadron, Royal Air Force to conduct the first Eurofighter Typhoon pilot training course at RAF Coningsby; when the first Typhoon pilot training course will start; and if he will make a statement. [156953]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Eurofighter Typhoon Operational Conversion Unit is currently being re-formed as 29 Squadron at the BAE System facility at Warton, Preston, Lancashire. Re-formation of 29 Squadron will be complete when it moves to RAF Coningsby next year. Present plans are for initial instructor pilots to commence training this summer.

  Norman Lamb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Eurofighter Typhoons delivered to No. 17 Squadron, Royal Air Force have refuelling probes fitted and ready for use; and if he will make a statement. [156954]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Typhoons delivered to date do not have refuelling probes fitted. Early aircraft delivered without probes will be retro-fitted.

  Iraq
  Mr. Swayne
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment has been made of the requirement for Personal Role Radios in Iraq. [154015]

  Mr. Ingram
  Personal Role Radio (PRR) is a short-range communications system designed to provide connectivity at the tactical level within small military teams, such as infantry sections. It is therefore ideal for use in Iraq and has been used extensively by UK forces since the commencement of operations. Approximately 3,500 Personal Role Radios are currently in use with British forces in Iraq.

  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds were contained in the standard issue of ammunition to(a) infantry and (b) Royal Military Police in Iraq during (i) major hostilities and (ii) since the end of major war-fighting operations; whether this requirement has been met in every circumstance; and if he will make a statement. [154676]
  810W
  Mr. Ingram [holding answer 12 February 2004]
  The standard issue of 5.56mm ammunition provided to Army combat soldiers and other Army arms/services in Iraq has not changed from 150 rounds and 120 rounds respectively. Royal Military Police Personnel are normally issued with 120 rounds of ammunition in line with other Army arms/services. Commanders in theatre make an assessment based on local conditions as to whether adjustments to the planning allocations should be made. Over 23 million rounds of 5.56mm ammunition were delivered to Operation Telic, which was well in excess of the projected requirement of all units deployed.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the average daily cost has been of the occupation of Iraq. [154940]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Ministry of Defence identifies the costs of Operations in terms of the net additional costs it has incurred. The costs that the Department would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as wages and salaries, are not included. Savings on activities that have not occurred because of the operation—training exercises for example—are taken into account in arriving at the net figures.

  Costs are not incurred on a regular daily basis and force levels have fluctuated considerably during 2003–04. As a result, to attempt to provide daily average costs would be misleading.

  However, you may wish to know that outturn information for 2002–03 on the cost of operations in Iraq has been published as part of the MOD's Annual Report and Accounts. Operating Costs for 2002–03 for operations in Iraq total £629.531 million. Expenditure on Capital equipment amounts to £217.680 million. The grand total is, therefore, £847.211 million.

  For 2003–04, funding voted at Winter Supplementary Estimates amounted to £1.2 billion and covered the cost of peacekeeping and associated Urgent Operational Requirements (UORs). The MOD has sought a further £300 million at Spring Supplementary Estimates to cover primarily the cost of the recuperation of the Department's operational capability. Thus, the total sought in 2003–04 will be £1.5 billion.

  It is too early to say what costs might be incurred after 2003–04.

  Joint Strike Fighter Aircraft
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which parts of the joint strike fighter aircraft are to be built in the UK. [156133]

  Mr. Ingram
  Production contracts have not yet been negotiated for any part of the Joint Strike Fighter and are unlikely to be awarded before 2006 on current plans.

  Development work is currently under contract in the UK on a number of significant assemblies and aircraft systems, including the complete aft fuselage and tail assembly (BAES); engine components (Rolls Royce); ejection seat (Marlin Baker) and electrical power, actuation and display systems (Smiths Aerospace). All work on JSF is won in a best value basis, and subject to

  811W
  continuing to meet best value criteria, there is every reason to anticipate that these development contracts will lead to follow-on production contracts.

  Naval Vessels
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the disposal of Type 22 frigates to Romania has been concluded; and if he will make a statement. [152226]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Government-to-Government Acquisition Agreement was signed on 19 December 2002, comprising the sale of two regenerated and updated warships (ex-HMS London and ex-HMS Coventry), an initial support package, and a training package for ships' complements. The agreement includes a significant offset programme to be carried out by British Industry, led by the United Kingdom Prime Project Contractor, BAE Systems, over a five-year period.

  The regeneration of the ships is proceeding satisfactorily, in accordance with the agreed schedule, and on track to achieve commissioning of the first ship, due in September 2004.

  Mr. Kevan Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the projected number of orders for naval vessels to be placed over the next 10 years. [153789]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Ministry of Defence is already undertaking a large programme of new ship procurement, including orders for six Type 45 destroyers, three Astute Class submarines and four Landing Ships Dock (Auxiliary).

  Future plans include the purchase of two new aircraft carriers, further orders of Type 45 destroyers and Astute Class submarines, the Joint Casualty Treatment Ship, and the replacement of existing RFA vessels through the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability project. The Department is also considering options for leasing new Offshore Patrol Vessels to replace the current Castle Class capability. Tenders are currently being assessed for the Nato Submarine Rescue System, which will enter service in 2006.

  Looking further ahead, we expect to replace the capability provided by the Type 22 and 23 Frigates with the Future Surface Combatant. It is too early to say how the capability will be met or when orders will be placed because the project is still at the concept stage.

  Operation Telic
  Mr. Soames
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what equipment was purchased under the Urgent Operational Requirement process for Operation Telic 1 and 2. [147273]

  Mr. Ingram
  It is assumed that the period covered by Operation Telic 1 and 2 is from the time of deployment until the end of the first roulement of troops (November 2003). Information regarding specific Urgent Operational Requirements remains operationally sensitive and I am therefore withholding details of equipment purchased in accordance with Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However equipment procured using the UOR process falls into five broad areas:812W
  enhancements to communications equipment and infrastructure;
  upgrades to maritime, air (both fixed and rotary wing) and land platforms. These included improvements to environmental/desert operating capabilities, force protection, secure communications, combat ID and enhancements to associated weapons systems;
  improved dismounted close combat capabilities;
  improved logistics and deployable infrastructure (includes procurement of additional Temporary Deployable Accommodation); and
  NBC protection measures; and enhancements to deployed medical capabilities.

  Mr. Keetch
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list all requests for urgent operational requirements for Operation Telic stating(a) whether the request was approved, (b) the equipment requested,(c) the date the request was submitted, (d) the date the urgent operational requirement was approved and (e) the cost; and if he will make a statement. [151347]

  Mr. Ingram [ holding answer 27 January 2004]
  Urgent Operational Requirements (UOR) are requested via an Urgent Statement of User Requirement generated by frontline commands or operational planners. The content of these remains operationally sensitive and I am withholding the information requested under Exemption 1 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However, approved UORs covering the deployment and fighting phases of Operation Telic fall into five broad capability areas with total approved values as follows:

  Capability area

  £ million

  1. Enhancements to communications equipment and infrastructure

  56

  2. Upgrades to maritime, air (both fixed and rotary wing) and land platforms. These included improvements to environmental/desert operating capabilities, force protection, secure communications, combat identification and enhancements to associated weapons systems

  270

  3. Improved dismounted close combat capabilities

  36

  4. Improved logistics and deploy able infrastructure

  58

  5. NBC protection measures; and enhancements to deployed medical capabilities

  90

  During the deployment and fighting phases of Operation Telic over 190 Urgent Operational Requirements were approved at a total approved cost of around £510 million. Since the end of major combat operations, a range of other UORs have been approved.

  Overseas Bribery
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) how many allegations of overseas bribery his Department has received since(a) November 1997 and (b) February 2002; [151399]

  (2) how many allegations of overseas bribery his Department has forwarded to the law enforcement agencies since (a) November 1997 and (b) February 2002; and if he will name the agencies to which allegations were forwarded, and give the dates concerned. [151398]

  Mr. Ingram
  Since 1997 the Ministry of Defence has received 11 allegations of bribery occurring overseas of which six were received after February 2002. One case was passed to the Metropolitan police in October 1999 and another to the Brunei authorities in May 2002.
  813W
  Another four were investigated by the Department's Defence Fraud Analysis Unit, in some cases in conjunction with the Ministry of Defence Police authorities, at various dates between March 2000 and November 2002. Three were passed to the Royal Military Police in the period April 1999 to April 2003. One other case arising in July 2002 is being handled by the MOD Police on behalf of another government agency. An allegation passed to the Department by the Serious Fraud Office in March 2001 was the subject of an internal Departmental review.

  Research and Development
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence to whom his Department distributes expenditure on research and development; how many staff are employed as a result; and how many research establishments(a) the Department and (b) its agencies have in each region and nation of the United Kingdom. [154360]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Ministry of Defence places contracts with a wide range of organisations including:The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSL), and the Meteorological Office, the two major MOD agencies which conduct research.
  The Medical Supplies Agency receives funding for development of Medical Countermeasures.
  Industry. Approximately 600 companies received payments against R&D contracts in the eight months to end November 2003.
  Academia.

  The Meteorological Office is primarily located at its new site in Exeter with a residue still at the old Bracknell sites. Figures for 2001–02, the latest date for which there are published figures showed 330 employees, to the nearest 10, were employed in research.

  Dstl currently has research facilities in a number of areas in the UK. These are shown in the following table together with the number of staff employed in each region.

  Region

  Number of employees

  Dorset

  Winfrith

  103

  Hampshire

  Alverstoke

  110

  Farnborough

  737

  Porton Down

  875

  Portsdown

  383

  Kent

  Fort Halstead

  639

  Worcestershire

  Malvern

  226

  In addition to these there are a further 170 staff working in small numbers on a further 25 sites.

  Information about staff employed in industry and academia, as a result of MOD funding of research and development but not directly employed by the Department, is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Royal Fleet Auxiliary
  Dr. Julian Lewis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the suitability of current Royal Fleet Auxiliary oilers for future expeditionary warfare. [146507]

  Mr. Ingram
  The Royal Fleet Auxiliary operates four classes of oilers (Wave, Leaf, Rover, and Fort Victoria). The two Wave class oilers (Wave Ruler and Wave Knight) entered service in 2003 and will remain operational until after 2025.

  The Leaf and Rover classes are due to reach their expected out of service dates by 2011. They are single-hulled and so will be non-compliant with revised Marpol (International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships) regulations on the introduction of double-hulled vessels. The newer Fort Victoria ships are also single-hulled but we are currently considering ways of maintaining compliance with international legislation beyond 2010. While Marpol does not apply to vessels owned or operated by a state and used only on Government non-commercial service, as is the case with the RFA oilers, it remains MOD policy to comply with Shipping Acts and associated regulations where practicable. Consequently, MOD has a programme to phase out all non-compliant RFA vessels with a target date of 2010 based on the earliest practicable point for compliance.

  As explained in my answer of 11 February 2004, Official Report, columns 1459–60W, the Department's programme, known as the Military Afloat Reach and Sustainability (MARS) programme, seeks progressively to replace most of the current RFA fleet, including Leaf, Rover, and Fort Victoria class oiler vessels. As part of this, these ships will be replaced by more flexible and capable vessels fully compliant with Marpol. This will significantly enhance the RFA's ability to provide the Royal Navy with its afloat support requirements.

  Royal Navy
  Mr. Martyn Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on progress on modernising the Royal Navy's chart and navigation system. [155020]

  Mr.Ingaram
  In January 2004 the Ministry of Defence announced that a contract had been awarded to Lockheed martin UK Ltd. to fit Royal Navy ships with a new electronic charting system. The system, known as WECDIS(Warship Electronic Chart Display and Information System), will provide enhanced RN navigating capability is more accurate, efficient and responsive.

  The programme is proceeding as planned and the first ship installation is scheduled to commence in June 2004.

  Salisbury Plain (Unauthorised Use)
  Mr. Key
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many drivers of private civilian(a) motorcycles and (b) four-by-foul vehicles have been (i) intercepted, (ii) cautioned and (iii) prosecuted for unauthorised use of Salisbury Plain Training Estate in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. [157298]
  815W
  Mr. Caplin
  In 2003, 41 motorcycles and 52 four-by-four vehicles were intercepted by the Ministry of Defence Police. As a result, 27 drivers were warned off military lands under the byelaws and a further 33 drivers were prosecuted.

  Typhoon
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much money his Department has spent on developing the Typhoon's operational role to allow it to operate off the new aircraft carriers. [154909]

  Mr. Ingram
  No money has been spent on developing the Typhoon's operational role to operate off the new aircraft carriers. As part of the Concept Phase for the Joint Combat Aircraft project, a feasibility contract was let with BAE Systems to identify broad order costs and design issues for a number of different solutions. This contract was valued at around £2 million. The study considered the potential for adapting Typhoon for carrier operations but showed that a significant amount of re-design and investment would he required to operate Typhoon from the future carriers. Joint Strike Fighter has been selected to meet this requirement.

TREASURY

  British Overseas Territories
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer with which British overseas dependent territories he has arrangements for the exchange of tax information; on what dates such arrangements were made; which team in his Department or in agencies for which his Department is responsible has the task of negotiating such arrangements; and with which British overseas dependent territories there are negotiations on tax information arrangements. [157055]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The UK has Double Taxation Arrangements with Guernsey (1952), Isle of Man (1955) and Jersey (1952) (all Crown Dependencies), and the Falkland Islands (1997) and Montserrat (1947) (both Overseas Territories) all of which include provisions for the exchange of information for tax purposes. The Inland Revenue's International team is responsible for negotiating arrangements that provide for exchange of information between tax authorities. They have had discussions about new or improved exchange of information arrangements with all of the UK's overseas dependent territories that are operating as offshore financial centres.

  Child Benefit
  Mr. Goodman
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many families are eligible to receive child benefit. [158058]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The number of families in receipt of Child Benefit are shown in "Child Benefit Quarterly Statistics", which can be found on the Inland Revenue website at: www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/child_benefit/menu.htm.

  Precise figures on the take up rate of child benefit are not available, but it is thought to be around 98 per cent.

  Company Tax Credits
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the cost to public expenditure of each company tax credit for each year from 2003–04 to 2006–07; and if he will make a statement. [156765]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The forecast costs for research and development tax credits, vaccines research relief and contaminated land tax credits are set out in the following table. The costs are on a receipts basis, showing when the costs are incurred by the Inland Revenue.

  £ million

  2003–04

  2004–05

  2005–06

  2006–07

  Research and Development Tax Credits

  660

  670

  700

  760

  Vaccines Research Relief

  10

  20

  20

  20

  Contaminated Land Tax Credits

  70

  80

  80

  90

  Note:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest £10 million.

  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each tax credit available to companies; what assessment he has made of the economic benefit in each case; and if he will make a statement. [156766]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Companies may be able to claim tax credits under the research and development tax credit schemes, vaccines research relief scheme or remediation of contaminated land scheme.

  The Government plan to evaluate all of the impacts of these policies. However, because the policies are intended to produce benefits over the medium to longer term, it would be inappropriate to do so at present.

  Credit Cards
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the case for introducing interest-rate limits on credit cards. [157342]

  Mr. Sutcliffe
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government are not yet persuaded of the benefits of introducing interest rate ceilings on any products. We are concerned that their introduction might cause detriment to consumers and competition, for example by encouraging imposition of additional fees and charges, that some lenders might exit the market denying some consumers access to credit, or that rates might gravitate towards the ceiling.

  We have, however, commissioned research on how interest rate caps operate in other countries. We expect to publish this research in the spring of this year, and will then make a decision on the case for introducing a ceiling.

  Demography (North-West)
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of the population of(a) the North West and (b) Lancashire is over (i) 50, (ii) 55, (iii) 60, (iv) 65, (v) 75, (vi) 85 and (vii) 100 years. [157092]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
  817W
  Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Hoyle, dated 2 March 2004:
  The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what percentage of the population of (a) the North West and (b) Lancashire is over (i) 50, (ii) 55, (iii) 60, (iv) 65, (v) 75, (vi) 85 and (vii) 100 years. I am replying in his absence.(157092)
  The information requested, except for those aged 100 and over, is given in the following table. This gives percentages based on the 2002 mid year population estimates, the latest year for which figures are available.

  Percentage of the population in older age groups in the North West and Lancashire

  Age group

  North West

  Lancashire

  50 and over

  33.9

  35.2

  55 and over

  27.3

  28.4

  60 and over

  21.1

  21.9

  65 and over

  16.0

  16.7

  75 and over

  7.4

  7.9

  85 and over

  1.0

  2.0

  Source:

  2002 mid year population estimates, Office for National Statistics

  We are not able to provide estimates for those aged 100 and over from mid year population estimates. Estimates of populations at very old ages using the standard methodology for population estimates (the cohort component method) are unreliable, especially for sub-national areas where numbers in these very old age groups may be very small.

  However this information is available from the 2001 Census. It recorded that under 0.02 per cent. of the population of both the North West and Lancashire were over 100 years of age.

  Departmental Buildings/Costs
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list London buildings occupied by(a) Her Majesty's Treasury, (b) Customs and Excise, (c) the Inland Revenue and (d) other Treasury agencies and non-departmental public bodies; what the estimated value of each publicly owned building is; and if he will make a statement. [156761]

  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested relating to buildings in London postal districts is given as follows:

  (a) Her Majesty's Treasury

  1 Horse Guards Road, SW1

  (b) Customs and Excise

  3 Griffin House, W6

  London City Airport, E16

  Berkeley House, N3

  Jubilee House, E15

  Portline House, E16

  Thomas Paine House, ECI

  Custom House, EC3

  GSS Garage, SE1

  Water Tower, SE18

  Parcelforce LDC, E16

  Dorset House, SE1

  Unit 2 Thames Road Industrial Estate, E16

  Towergate Car Park Pope Street, SE1

  Towergate 163 Tower Bridge Road, SE1

  818W

  Stratford Lift, E15

  Mount Pleasant Postal Depot, EC1

  Waterloo Terminal, SE1

  Willesden EPU, NW10

  Olympia Passenger Terminal

  Enterprise House, SE1

  New King's Beam House, SE1

  Swan Lane Car Park

  Stratford Car Park, E15

  (c) Inland Revenue

  Capitol House, N21

  Jubilee House, E15

  Euston Tower, NW1

  Clifton House, NW1

  New Century House, WC1

  Lyndhurst House, NW7

  Conquest House, WC1

  Colindale Station House, NW9

  Gateway House, N3

  Collingwood Business Centre, N19

  Surrey House, SE1

  Heron House, SE23

  Woolwich Crown Building, SE18

  Meridian House, SE10

  Lancaster House, SE1

  Radnor House, SW16

  Government Building, W3

  19–29 Woburn Place, WC1

  Charles House, W14

  Solar House, SW20

  11 Belgrave Road, SW1

  Melbourne House, WC2

  Somerset House, WC2

  Bush House, SW Wing

  Duchy House, WC2

  22 Kingsway, WC2

  Bush House, NW Wing WC2

  Angel Court, SE1

  Haymarket House, SW1

  City Gate House, EC2

  Ibex House, EC3

  Empire House, E15

  6–10 Church Hill, El7

  Britannia House, SE1

  International House, W5

  31 High Street, W5

  Waterford House, SW6

  Candy House, W5

  Tavis House, WC1

  Dansom House, E17

  31 Scarborough Street. El

  Steel House, SW12

  Tresco House, NW1

  Victory House, WC2

  53 Parliament Street, SW1

  Clifton House, NW1

  10 Great George Street, SW1

  819W

  (d) Other Treasury Agencies/Bodies

  Eastcheap Court, EC3

  Finlaison House, EC4

  1 Horse Guards Road, SW1

  Charles House, W14

  Trevelyan House, SW1

  New Court. WC2

  Cityside, E1

  Chase House, E14

  1 Francis Grove, SW19

  Lincoln House, SE1

  Wingate House, W1

  1 Drummond Gate, SW1

  1 Myddleton Street, EC1

  The only London building publicly owned and wholly occupied by my Departments is the Treasury building at 1 Horse Guards Road, which has an estimated value of £71.6 million. Other buildings are privately owned, or where forming part of the Government estate, are occupied by my departments on a shared, minor occupancy basis.

  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his latest estimate is of Her Majesty's Treasury core departmental annual running costs for each year from 1996–97 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [156755]

  Ruth Kelly
  Details of the Department's gross administrative expenditure for 1998–99 to 2005–06 are contained in Table 5.1 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2003 (Cm 5901). The figures are on a resource basis. Figures for 1996–97 to 2001–02 were published in Table 5.5 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2000–01 (Cm 4601) but these are on a cash basis.

  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his estimate is of the cost of running(a) the Inland Revenue and (b) Customs and Excise in each year from 1996–97 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [156759]

  Ruth Kelly
  Details of the Departments' gross administrative expenditure for 1998–99 to 2005–06 are contained in Table 5.1 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2003 (Cm 5901). The figures are on a resource basis. Figures for 1996–97 to 2001–02 were published in Table 5.5 of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2000–01 (Cm 4601) but these are on a cash basis.

  Copies of Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses are in the Library of the House and are on HM Treasury's public website (www.hm-treasury.x.gsi.gov.uk).

  Economic Activity (Northampton)
  Mr. Tony Clarke
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the economic activity rate in the Northampton South constituency was in(a) 2002–03 and (b) 1996–97. [157008]
  820W
  Ruth Kelly
  The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.

  Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Tony Clarke, dated 2 March 2004:
  The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the economic activity rate in the Northampton South constituency. I am replying in his absence. (157008)
  The table below shows the working age economic activity rates for the Northampton South constituency, covering the twelve-month periods ending February 1997 and February 2002. Information for 2002/03 is not yet available.

  Working age economic activity rates1 in the Northampton South constituency

  12 month period ending February each year

  Rates

  1997

  85.5

  2002

  84.4

  1 Economically active as a percentage of men aged 16–64 and women aged 16–59.

  As with any statistical sample survey, estimates from the Labour Force Survey are subject to sampling variability.

  Employment Statistics
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) by what rate employment grew on average annually in(a) the United Kingdom, (b) the Republic of Ireland, (c) Denmark, (d) Sweden, (e) Finland, (f) Germany, (h) the Netherlands, (i) Belgium, (k) Luxembourg, (l) France, (m) Spain, (n) Portugal, (o) Italy, (p) Austria, (q) Greece, (r) the area now forming the euro-12, (s) the EU 15 and (t) the United States since (i) 1992 and (ii) 1997; [157180]

  (2) by what rate employment grew in each year since 1992 in (a) the United Kingdom, (b) the Republic of Ireland, (c) Denmark, (d) Sweden, (e) Finland, (f) Germany, (h) the Netherlands, (i) Belgium, (k) Luxembourg, (l) France, (m) Spain, (n) Portugal, (o) Italy, (p) Austria, (q) Greece, (r) the area now forming the euro-12, (s) the EU 15 and (t) the United States. [157181]

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

  Letter from Colin Mowl to Mr. Richard Spring, dated 2 March 2004:
  The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your two recent Parliamentary Questions about average and annual employment growth rates for Europe and the USA. I am replying in his absence. (157180, 157181)
  The attached table provides growth rates for the number of people of working age in employment in the requested countries. The data (where available) are provided for all years since 1993, together with average annual growth rates a) from 1992 and b) from 1997.
  Demographic trends affect the size and the age profile of the working-age population, and are a significant driver of change in the number of people in employment. The data in the table do not take account of these effects.
  821W

  Annual and average employment growth rates for the UK and other countries, 1993–2003

  Percentage

  Annual employment growth rates

  1993

  1994

  1995

  1996

  1997

  1998

  1999

  United

  Kingdom

  -1.3

  0.7

  1.1

  1.0

  1.7

  1.0

  1.2

  Ireland

  1.3

  4.3

  4.4

  3.9

  6.3

  8.1

  6.3

  Denmark

  -1.5

  1.4

  1.3

  1.0

  1.3

  1.6

  1.2

  Sweden

  —

  -0.9

  1.5

  -0.8

  -1.3

  1.5

  2.1

  Finland

  -6.0

  -1.4

  2.0

  1.3

  3.3

  2.0

  2.5

  Germany

  -1.4

  -0.2

  0.2

  -0.3

  -0.2

  1.1

  1.2

  Netherlands

  0.0

  0.7

  1.5

  2.3

  3.2

  2.6

  2.6

  Belgium

  -0.7

  -0.4

  0.0

  0.3

  0.9

  1.8

  1.3

  Luxembourg

  1.6

  2.5

  2.5

  2.6

  3.1

  4.5

  5.0

  France

  -1.3

  0.1

  0.9

  0.4

  0.4

  1.5

  2.0

  Spain

  -2.8

  -0.5

  1.9

  1.3

  2.9

  3.9

  3.5

  Portugal

  -1.2

  0.6

  -0.1

  1.4

  2.5

  2.6

  1.2

  Italy

  -2.5

  -1.5

  -0.1

  0.6

  0.4

  1.0

  1.1

  Austria

  -0.6

  -0.1

  0.0

  -0.6

  0.5

  1.0

  1.4

  Greece

  0.8

  -0.1

  -0.4

  -0.4

  -0.5

  4.1

  0.0

  EU–12

  -1.6

  -0.3

  0.6

  0.5

  0.9

  1.8

  1.8

  EU–15

  -1.6

  -0.1

  0.7

  0.6

  1.0

  1.7

  1.7

  USA

  1.5

  2.3

  1.5

  1.5

  2.3

  1.5

  1.5

  Annual employment growth rates

  Average annual employment growth rates

  2000

  2001

  2002

  2003

  From 1992 to date1

  From 1997 to date1

  United Kingdom

  1.4

  0.9

  0.6

  1.0

  0.8

  1.0

  Ireland

  4.7

  2.9

  1.4

  —

  4.3

  4.6

  Denmark

  0.5

  0.4

  -0.6

  —

  0.7

  0.6

  Sweden

  2.4

  1.9

  0.2

  —

  0.7

  1.6

  Finland

  2.3

  1.5

  0.4

  —

  0.8

  1.7

  Germany

  1.8

  0.4

  -0.6

  —

  0.2

  0.8

  Netherlands

  2.2

  1.8

  0.9

  —

  1.8

  2.0

  Belgium

  1.9

  1.4

  -0.2

  —

  0.6

  1.2

  Luxembourg

  5.6

  5.6

  3.1

  —

  3.6

  4.8

  France

  2.6

  1.8

  0.6

  —

  0.9

  1.7

  Spain

  3.5

  2.3

  1.5

  —

  1.7

  2.9

  Portugal

  2.0

  1.4

  0.2

  —

  1.0

  1.5

  Italy

  1.9

  1.9

  1.4

  —

  0.4

  1.5

  Austria

  0.8

  0.7

  0.4

  —

  0.3

  0.7

  Greece

  -0.1

  -0.4

  -0.2

  —

  0.3

  0.7

  EU–12

  2.2

  1.4

  0.4

  —

  0.8

  1.5

  EU–15

  1.9

  1.2

  0.3

  —

  0.8

  1.4

  USA

  2.5

  0.0

  -0.3

  0.9

  1.4

  1.0

  1 UK and US growth rates are average rates until 2003. EU rates are until 2002. All rates are average growth since 1992, except Sweden which is since 1993.

  Source: UK—UK Labour Force Survey, Spring Quarters, Employed aged 16 and over

  EU—Eurostat New Cronos database, table: "/theme3/employ/indic_y", covering those employed aged 15 and over

  US—US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey. Employed aged 16 and over

  Inland Revenue
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many Inland Revenue local tax offices there are; what their running costs were in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [156760]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The Inland Revenue has approximately 350 local Tax Offices. However many are located in multi-occupied buildings with other Revenue Offices. For example, a building might house a Tax Office but it could also house a Contact Centre, Tax Enquiry Point, Working Families Tax Credit Office etc.822W
  It would therefore require a disproportionate amount of effort to manually extract and disaggregate the running costs attributable to local Tax Offices.

  Population Growth
  Mr. Lilley
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the growth of the population up to 2031; what that estimate would be if there were no net immigration in future; and what estimate he has made of the proportion of expected population growth which is due to net immigration and dependants. [156194]

  Ruth Kelly
  The Government Actuary's latest (2002–based) principal population projection was published in December 2003. The Government Actuary also published a range of variant projections based on alternative assumptions in January 2004. The variant projections included a 'Natural Change' projection which assumes zero net migration in future. Relevant results from the principal projection and the natural change variant projection are summarised in the following table.

  Projected population change, United Kingdom 2002–31

  Million

  Principal projection

  Natural change variant projection

  Population at mid-2002

  59.2

  59.2

  Population change (2002–31)

  Natural change1

  2.6

  0.9

  Net migration

  3.8

  —

  Other changes2

  -0.8

  —

  Total change

  5.6

  0.9

  Population at mid-2031

  64.8

  60.1

  1Births less deaths.

  2The principal projection includes a downward adjustment for unattributable population change. Not migration and other changes are both assumed to be zero in the natural change variant projection.

  Private Finance Initiative
  Mr. Tyrie
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contribution was made to each of the figures in Table B5 of the pre-Budget report 2003 by Private Finance Initiative or associated schemes that have been accounted for on the balance sheet of the public sector client; and whether the data underlying Table B5 are updated when a particular Private Finance Initiative scheme subsequently moves on-or off-balance sheet to the public sector client. [156158]

  Mr. Boateng
  The assumptions used for the spending projections underlying Table B5 are set out in paragraph B27 on page 208 of the pre-Budget report. Current and capital expenditure under PFI contracts is fully recorded in the expenditure rows of Table B5, and hence in the fiscal aggregates consistent with independently set accounting and reporting standards. Accordingly, these tables will fully reflect the balance sheet treatment of assets once this treatment has been determined.

  PFI contracts where the assets concerned are on departmental balance sheets are reported in departmental accounts, together with disclosure of information relating to any contracts assessed as off balance sheet.

  Research and Development Tax Credits
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to publish claims from large companies for research and development tax credits. [157203]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The research and development tax credit for large companies was introduced in April 2002. Claims are made as part of a company's corporation tax self assessment. Consequently, the first claims under this scheme have only just started to be received by the Inland Revenue.

  Spirit Duty
  Angus Robertson
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list each bonded warehouse licensed by Customs and Excise which stocks spirits, including(a) geographic location and (b) gross volume turnover of spirits for each financial year since 1994. [155841]

  John Healey
  Customs and Excise approve warehouses to stock excise goods in duty-suspension. Quantities of spirits released for consumption in the UK, and UK production volumes, are published in Customs' Annual Report. Details of individual warehouses are not available; Exemptions 6 (Effective management of the economy and collection of tax) and 13 (Third party's commercial confidences) of the Open Government Code apply.

  The numbers of excise warehouses approved to stock alcoholic drinks which may include spirits, in each country of the United Kingdom are shown in the following table.
  824W

  country

  Approved warehouses

  England

  467

  Scotland

  213

  Northern Ireland

  32

  Wales

  21

  The more detailed data requested could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Taxation
  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds would be of reducing corporation tax to(a) 25 per cent. and (b) 20 per cent. [157572]

  Dawn Primarolo
  Reductions in the main rate of corporation tax of this magnitude would be likely to have indirect as well as direct effects on tax revenues. The "Tax Ready Reckoner and Tax Reliefs published with the pre–Budget report in December showed the direct effects of a one percentage point change in the main rate of corporation tax in April 2004 as £650 million in 2004–05 and £1,300 million in 2005–06.

  Mr. Redwood
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds would be of raising the threshold for inheritance tax to £1 million. [157575]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The PBR projection of inheritance tax yield is £2.8 billion for 2004–5. The full year cost of raising the inheritance tax threshold to £1 million in 2004–5 would be £2.5 billion.

  Thalidomide Trust
  Mr. Stephen O'Brien
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to announce the conclusion of his Department's discussions with the trustees of the Thalidomide Trust about the tax treatment of payments to the beneficiaries. [157221]

  Dawn Primarolo
  The tax affairs of the Thalidomide Trust are a matter for the Trust and the Inland Revenue. I can confirm that discussions between the Trust and officials of the Inland Revenue are currently taking place on a number of issues to ensure the Trust pays the correct amount of tax and the beneficiaries claim all the tax repayments and Tax Credits to which they are entitled. If the Trust wish to make an announcement about the outcome of those discussions then that is a matter for the trustees.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on recent discussions with the trustees of the Thalidomide Trust. [157687]

  Dawn Primarolo
  I can confirm that discussions between the Thalidomide Trust and officials of the Inland Revenue are currently taking place on a number of issues to ensure the Trust pays the correct amount of tax and the beneficiaries claim all the tax repayments and Tax Credits to which they are entitled. However the tax affairs of the Thalidomide Trust are confidential and a matter for the Trust and the Inland Revenue. If the Trust wish to make a statement about those discussions then that is a matter for the trustees.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

  Afghanistan
  Paul Flynn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the results of efforts to reduce poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. [157425]

  14. Mr. Rammell
  The UK Government has regular discussions with the Afghan Government, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and international partners about progress on measures to reduce opium poppy cultivation in Afghanistan. There are no immediate solutions and no single approach to address the variety of factors which influence farmers to grow poppy. The UK is supporting the Afghan Government in implementation of their national drug control strategy with £70 million committed over three years and a dedicated counter narcotics team in place in Kabul. We also co-hosted last month a counter narcotics conference in Kabul to increase Afghan and international awareness and engagement in tackling this problem.

  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the current security situation in Afghanistan. [157023]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The security situation in Afghanistan remains fragile. The two lethal bomb attacks on Canadian and UK IS AF personnel in January in Kabul followed the killing of four German ISAF personnel in a similar attack in June 2003. Other attacks, such as the murder of a UN employee in November 2003 and the attack near Kandahar on 22 February in which an Australian pilot was killed and a British aid worker wounded, have targeted the international community and NGO operations outside the capital. Security in the south continues to cause concern, especially near the border with Pakistan, where extremist groups are operating. There have been fewer problems in the north, but long-standing tensions persist and these can flare up into violence.

  Iraq
  Richard Ottaway
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of the Iraq survey group. [157426]

  Mr. MacShane
  The Iraq Survey Group is continuing to undertake investigations at sites throughout Iraq in its search for evidence of Iraq's weapons of mass destruction programmes. The Group is also engaged on translation of the huge volume of documents that it has collected, and is interviewing scientists and others who were previously employed on Iraq's weapons programmes.

  They will produce a further progress report in due course.

  Mr. Kilfoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps have been taken to establish who was responsible for forging documents relating to attempts by Iraq to obtain uranium from Niger. [157428]
  826W
  Mr. MacShane
  We have repeatedly made clear that our assessment that Iraq sought to procure uranium from Africa was not based upon the documents submitted to the International Atomic Energy Agency which subsequently were identified as forgeries. Since these documents did not have any bearing on our assessment, the Government has taken no steps to identify the forgers.

  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office what recent discussions he has had with the UN about its future involvement in Iraq. [157433]

  Mr. Rammell
  We are in regular discussion with representatives of the United Nations, at ministerial and official level, concerning its involvement in the reconstruction of Iraq. We warmly welcome the Secretary-General's recent report on the future political process in Iraq and its proposals on UN involvement.

  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the senior members of the former Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein detained by the Coalition Provisional Authority; how many are being held in Iraq; how many are being held outside Iraq; and at what locations. [145181]

  Mr. Ingram
  [holding answer 5 January 2004]I have been asked to reply.

  The status of the 55 "most wanted" members of the former Iraqi regime may be found on the website of the US Central Military Command. The relevant website address is: www.centcom.mil/operations/Iraqi–freedom/55mostwanted.htm.

  All those in Coalition custody are currently held in Iraq at undisclosed locations.

  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs by whom, and under what authority, the leaders of Saddam Hussein's regime will be brought to trial. [157020]

  Mr. Rammell
  It is for the Iraqis to decide how to try senior members of the former regime. In December 2003, the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) established a Special Tribunal to fulfil such a task. The IGC are in the process of agreeing the rules and procedures of the Tribunal.

  Gibraltar
  Mr. Hammond
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he will be taking to celebrate the three hundredth anniversary of British possession of Gibraltar. [157427]

  Mr. MacShane
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Poole (Mr. Syms) earlier today.

  As my right hon. Friend, the Defence Secretary, said in this House on 27 November last year, we intend to play a full part in celebrating the warm relationship that we have enjoyed with the people of Gibraltar for the past 300 years. Units of HM Armed Forces will take part in a total of more than 20 events throughout the year. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary is grateful to my noble Friend Baroness Symons for representing him at the Service of Thanksgiving and

  827W
  Celebration now taking place at St. Clement Danes. As he told the Chief Minister of Gibraltar earlier this month, he sends his very best wishes for the Service, and for this Tercentenary year.

  Zimbabwe
  Kate Hoey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Government's policy on sanctions against Zimbabwe. [157429]

  Mr. Mullin
  Our policy, and that of our EU partners, is to use targeted measures against Zimbabwe's leadership as a means of pressing it to return to democratic governance which respects human rights and the rule of law. We do not support economic or trade sanctions, as these would have a negative impact on all Zimbabweans. The EU measures are targeted on the ZANU(PF) leadership and on those who are responsible for human rights abuses and do not impact on ordinary Zimbabweans. On 19 February the EU agreed, by consensus, to continue with the targeted measures for another year and to extend from 79 to 95 the number of people on the travel ban and assets freeze.

  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with Commonwealth governments about tightening sanctions against members of the Mugabe regime in Zimbabwe. [157016]

  Mr. Mullin
  There are no Commonwealth sanctions on Zimbabwe. The Commonwealth suspended Zimbabwe from its Councils in 2002. Commonwealth Heads of Government decided to continue the suspension when they met in Nigeria in December 2003. Following that decision Mugabe decided to withdraw Zimbabwe from the Commonwealth. The EU does have targeted measures against Zimbabwe consisting of a travel ban, assets freeze and arms embargo. On 19 February the EU decided to continue these measures for another year and to extend by 16 the number of people on the travel ban and assets freeze. The measures are now targeted on 95 people.

  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action is being taken by Her Majesty's Government to assist in the restoration of freedom and democracy in Zimbabwe. [157420]

  Mr. Straw
  The Government are providing practical and political support to civil society, human rights organisations and all those in Zimbabwe who want to see an early return to a democratically accountable government which respects human rights and the rule of law.

  We are providing humanitarian assistance to millions of Zimbabwean people on the basis of need.

  We are encouraging the South African government, and others in the region, to push for a return to democracy and freedom.

  We have been a consistent advocate of a robust international approach. In December, we argued successfully to maintain Zimbabwe's suspension from the Commonwealth. Mugabe has since withdrawn from
  828W
  the Commonwealth, demonstrating that he is now incapable of meeting the Harare principles which he helped to establish.

  This week, the EU extended sanctions against the Mugabe regime, rightly standing with the people of Zimbabwe, and against those responsible—Mugabe and his government—for bringing a once prosperous and successful state to the edge of total collapse. The number of those caught by the sanctions now rises from 79 to 95. Those we have added to the list include several individuals who bear particular responsibility for the abuses of human rights in Zimbabwe.

  Zimbabwe's opposition party welcomed this move, saying it was "a clear indication that the international community will not fold its arms while the regime in Zimbabwe continues to trample upon people's basic human rights".

  Abdul Quader Khan
  Mr. Dalyell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the progress of action taken to break up the network of Abdul Quader Khan since 18 December 1979. [157430]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  The intelligence community in the UK and in the US have been working on this network for several years—they identified it, monitored it, penetrated it, and finally took action against it with the result we have seen in recent weeks. We, the US Government and other Governments are now engaged in winding it up.

  Northern Uganda
  19. Valerie Davey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office what action he has taken following the recent massacre and ensuing violence in Northern Uganda. [157431]

  Mr. Mullin
  This Government deplores the brutal massacre of around 200 innocent civilians in a camp for internally displaced persons in northern Uganda which took place on 21 February. We are also extremely concerned about the ensuing inter-ethnic violence in Lira and Gulu. We are urging the Government of Uganda and local religious and community leaders to restore calm.

  A UN Humanitarian Assessment Team is now in the Barlonyo area. Relief supplies have begun to be distributed to the survivors. Serious burns victims have been moved to Lira Hospital. The British High Commission and DFID remains in close contact with the United Nations and other agencies on the ground. UN assistance includes contributions from the UK.

  Saddam Hussein
  Jim Sheridan
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Office where Saddam Hussein is being held; and what legal procedures are to be taken against him. [157432]

  21. Mr. Rammell
  Saddam Hussein is being held as a prisoner of war by the US in Iraq. It is coalition policy not to disclose the precise location of detainees for
  829W
  security reasons. It is for the Iraqis to decide what legal procedures should be taken against him. In December, the Iraqi Governing Council established a Special Tribunal to try senior members of the former regime. Iraqis are currently discussing the rules and procedures for this tribunal.

  India/Pakistan
  Colin Burgon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the current state of the relationship between India and Pakistan. [157434]

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We warmly welcome the 18 February announcement that India and Pakistan have agreed an agenda and a timetable for substantive talks to commence after the Indian General Election. This consolidates the breakthrough announced by President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee in January, and shows the willingness of both countries to address each other's concerns through peaceful engagement. We appreciate that there will be no quick or easy solutions, but wish both governments well and hope that the talks will be sustained and, in due course, lead to the resolution of all their outstanding differences, including over Kashmir.

  Antarctica
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many visitors there were to Antarctica in each year since 1995; and what projections are available for future years. [157730]

  Mr. Rammell
  The International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators (IAATO) has published the following figures on tourist visitors to Antarctica:

  Antarctic austral season

  Number of visitors (estimated actual figures)

  1995–96

  9,367

  1996–97

  7,413

  1997–98

  9,604

  1998–99

  10,013

  1999–2000

  13,826

  2000 –01

  12,248

  2001–02

  11,588

  2002–03

  13,571

  These figures include ship and land-based passenger numbers. Commercial yacht activity is included from 1997–98, and 2002–03 figures include airborne passengers making landings.

  IAATO estimates that visitor numbers will increase to 20,818 for 2003–04 and 21,216 for 2004–05. However, the biggest growth in the tourist industry over the next decade is expected to be large ships and over-flights, which do not land passengers in Antarctica.

  China
  Mr. Wilkinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the EU-People's Republic of China Dialogue. [157410]
  830W
  Mr. Straw
  I welcome the recent round of the EU/China Human Rights Dialogue which took place in Dublin on 26/27 February. The bi-annual dialogue allows the EU to raise its human rights concerns regularly with China. In addition to the usual agenda on a wide range of human rights issues, the Presidency focused on China's ratification of the ICCPR. The Presidency also handed over a list of individual cases.

  Colombia
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what visits have been made to the areas of conflict in Colombia by UK diplomatic representatives in the past year. [157710]

  Mr. Rammell
  Members of the diplomatic staff at our Embassy in Bogota travel around Colombia as widely and as frequently as they can within the constraints of local security conditions. In the past year, Embassy staff have carried out many visits outside of Bogotá, including to a range of other cities in Colombia and where possible into areas where the effects of the conflict are greatest. In the latter category, areas visited include: Cúcuta, Choco, San Vicente del Caguán, Arauca and Saravena, northern Cundinamarca (Pacho), Barrancabermeja, Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Amazonas, La Guajira, Monteria (Córdoba) and Antioquia; all places which have seen serious conflict in recent months.

  Diego Garcia
  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many of the current population of Diego Garcia are(a) US military personnel, (b) UK military personnel, (c) civilian workers and (d) detainees; and if he will make a statement. [157690]

  Mr. Rammell
  The current population on the island of Diego Garcia consists of:

  (a) approx 1,400 US military personnel

  (b) approx 40 UK military personnel

  (c) approx 1,800 civilian workers (mainly of Mauritian and Filipino nationality).

  There are no detainees in Diego Garcia or elsewhere in the British Indian Ocean Territory.

  Jeremy Corbyn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with(a) the Chagos Refugee Association and (b) other groups on the possibility of return to Diego Garcia and the Chagos Islands of the original inhabitants and their descendants; and if he will make a statement. [157708]

  Mr. Rammell
  We have held many discussions with representatives of the Chagos Refugees Group, and with other persons claiming to represent the views of the Chagossian community. In that context, a team of independent experts was commissioned in April 2000 to carry out a study of the feasibility of a return to the Chagos Islands. Their report on the second phase of their study was delivered in June 2002.

  In the meantime, various members of the Chagossian community, including the leaders of the Chagos Refugee Group, initiated legal proceedings against the Government in the High Court, raising, among other

  831W
  things, issues relating to such a return. Though the High Court has given summary judgement in favour of the Government in these proceedings, the claimants have applied for leave to appeal and their application is still pending. No final decision has been taken on the future of the feasibility study.

  EU Constitution (Solidarity Clause)
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the Government's policy to support a solidarity clause in the constitutional treaty between EU member states in the event of attack. [157111]

  Mr. MacShane
  The Government support the proposal to establish a solidarity clause, on the basis of the language for the draft Constitutional Treaty for the EU, presented by the Italian presidency to the Inter Governmental Conference in December.

  Free Movement of Workers
  Mr. Spring
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what transitional arrangements for the free movement of workers from relevant states among the countries acceding to the European Union have been put in place by(a) Ireland, (b) Denmark, (c) Sweden, (d) Finland, (e) Germany, (f) Austria, (g) the Netherlands, (h) Belgium, (i) Luxembourg, (j) France, (k) Spain, (l) Portugal, (m) Italy and (n) Greece; what transitional arrangements EU partners have indicated they will put in place; and if he will make a statement. [154171]

  Mr. MacShane
  After Accession on 1 May, nationals from the ten new EU member states will be able to travel freely throughout the EU. However, except for nationals of Malta and Cyprus, they will not automatically be allowed to work in the existing member states. Those existing member states may, however, open their labour markets to nationals from the new member states if they so choose.

  (a) Ireland will open their labour markets to nationals from the new member states.

  (b) Denmark will open its labour market from 1 May, but has decided to impose a new administrative set-up with work and residence permits for new EU citizens. Citizens from the new member states will be able to stay in Denmark for a six month job-seeking period during which they will not be entitled to social benefit. This rule also applies to other EU citizens. A Work and Residence Permit will be granted for one year (as opposed to five year residence certificate for present EU member states' citizens) only if the person concerned has found a job and will be employed on the same pay and working conditions as those applying on the Danish labour market.

  (c) Sweden will open its labour market from 1 May, but the Swedish Government has signalled its intention to introduce transitional arrangements for workers from the new member states. It has yet to bring forward formal proposals.

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  (d) Finland will impose a two-year transition period and existing controls on workers from eight of the ten new member states will apply. No restrictions will apply to citizens of Malta and Cyprus.

  (e) Germany will apply a transition period for two years, which may be extended to seven. Existing controls on workers from the relevant eight new member states will apply.

  (f) Austria will apply a transition period of at least two years. After that, it has indicated that it will follow Germany's lead.

  (g) The Netherlands is not imposing a transition period. The Dutch Cabinet agreed on 23 January to introduce a system of work permits for workers from new member states from 1 May. But this proposal was rejected by the Dutch Parliament on 9 February that asked for tougher measures. On 13 February the Dutch Government came forward with new proposals which will only allow workers from new member states to work in sectors where there is a shortage of available suitably qualified Dutch or EU nationals. The Centres for Work and Income (Job Centre Plus equivalent) will decide which sectors have such a shortfall. These regulations will be effective from 1 May 2004 to 1 May 2006. An evaluation of the system will take place before 1 May 2005 to see if these restrictions can be relaxed earlier.

  (h) Belgium will impose a transition period of at least two years.

  (i) Luxembourg will impose a transition period of at least two years.

  (j) France will impose a transition period of at least two years.

  (k) Spain will apply a transition period for two years. Depending on developments in the labour market, they may allow new member states citizens full rights to work before the end of the transition period. Spain has a bilateral agreement with Poland to allow a limited number of Poles to work in Spain.

  (l) Portugal has yet to decide whether it will open up its labour market to workers from the eight new member states.

  (m) Italy has yet to decide whether it will open up its labour market to workers from the eight new member states.

  (n) Greece is imposing a two year transition period.

  My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary made clear UK Government policy in this House on 23 February 2004, Official Report, columns 23–25. The UK has decided to allow free movement of workers to those who genuinely want to come and work here. Genuine workers from the eight new member states will be allowed access to the UK labour market via a workers registration system. This will benefit the UK economy, expanding the range of skills and supply of workers available across the UK.

  Maltese and Cypriot nationals will be free to work anywhere in the EU.

  Fund Expenditure
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his latest estimate is of expenditure on the(a) Drugs Assistance Fund, (b) Human Rights Fund and (c) Environment Fund

  £ million

  1996–97

  1997–98

  1998–99

  1999–20001

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  2003–042

  2004–053

  2005–063

  (a) Drugs Assistance Fund4

  0.9

  4.4

  5.9

  6.0

  6.0

  7.3

  10.0

  9.4

  9.4

  9.4

  (b) Human Rights Fund5

  —

  —

  5.0

  5.1

  6.0

  6.6

  7.4

  11.1

  10.5

  14.5

  (c) Environment Fund6

  —

  —

  0.6

  0.9

  2.5

  2.9

  3.0

  4.8

  4.2

  6.3

  1 Outturn

  2 Budget

  3 Plan

  4 FCO programme activity in support of drugs objectives includes the former Drugs Assistance and Drugs Programme Fund, now (since 2001–02) the Drugs and Crime Fund.

  5 The Human Rights Project Fund was started in 1998–99 but was subsumed into the new Global Opportunities Fund (GOF) in 2003–04. Figures from that year onwards include Human Rights Programme activity under several strands of the GOF e.g. Engaging with the Islamic World, Re-Uniting Europe and Strengthening Relationships with Emerging Markets, but not human rights activity across all FCO programme budgets.

  6 The Environment Project Fund (EPF) was started in 1998–99 but was subsumed into the new GOF in 2003–04. The figures from that year onwards include estimated expenditure on the environment across all FCO programmes, not just the former EPF.

  Note:

  The figures for 2004–05 and 2005–06 indicate current spending plans. All future resource allocations may be subject to review in the light of changing foreign policy priorities. 2005–06 spending plans will be covered by the 2004 Spending Review.

  Haiti
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the current situation in Haiti. [157648]

  Mr. Rammell
  The UK welcomes the constitutional succession and political process now underway in Haiti in order to promote a peaceful and lasting solution to the current crisis.

  The UK welcomes the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 1529 which authorises the deployment of a multi-national Interim Force to Haiti and declares the Security Council's readiness, within three months, to establish and deploy a UN stabilisation force that will support the continuation of a peaceful and constitutional political process.

  Hong Kong
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether China has informed him of plans to change the legal system in Hong Kong. [157820]

  Mr. Rammell
  We are not aware of any plans to change the legal system in Hong Kong. The Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984 provided for the maintenance of the existing legal system in Hong Kong after the handover in 1997. The Joint Declaration also provides that the legal system in Hong Kong should be autonomous from the legal system of mainland China and should be vested with independent judicial power. This should remain unchanged until at least 2047.

  India and Pakistan
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his assessment is of the state of the relationship between India and Pakistan. [157018]
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  for each year from 1996–97 to 2005–06; and if he will make a statement. [156606]

  Mr. Rammell
  Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) expenditure on these programmes is shown in the following table:

  Mr. Mike O'Brien
  We warmly welcome the recent announcement by India and Pakistan that they have agreed an agenda and a timetable for substantive talks, due to begin after the Indian General Election. Following the breakthrough in relations announced by President Musharraf and Prime Minister Vajpayee at the start of January, this agreement demonstrates the commitment of both countries to address each other's concerns. We support both governments in their efforts, recognising that the talks will be the start of a long and difficult process and hope that they will, in due course, lead to the resolution of all their outstanding differences, including over Kashmir.

  Interception of Communications
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he is empowered to authorise the interception of communications where that communication begins and terminates outside UK territory. [157921]

  Mr. Straw
  I refer the hon. Member to Sections 5, 7 and 8 of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000.

  Iran
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Iranian Government about pluralist democratic procedures in their recent national election. [157021]

  Mr. Rammell
  In his contacts with Iranian leaders, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made clear our support for Iran's efforts to reform. The flawed parliamentary elections held on 20 February were a setback for Iran's democratic development. On 23 February, EU Foreign Ministers expressed their deep regret and disappointment that large numbers of candidates, including many sitting deputies, had been prevented from standing, thus making a genuine democratic choice by the Iranian people impossible. For
  835W
  elections in any country to be regarded as free and fair, electors must have a chance to vote for candidates with a range of views.

  Mr. John Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to prevent the flow of Shia Muslims from Iran into Southern Iraq. [157579]

  Mr. Rammell
  We are monitoring the border situation closely, and have been in contact with all Iraq's neighbours, including Iran, to urge them to take steps to ensure better border security. Within Iraq, Coalition forces have been conducting operations aimed at monitoring and reducing illegal cross-border traffic. In the long-term, we are working hard to train all Iraqi security forces, including those with responsibility for border security.

  Israel
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the stance of the Government at the International Court of Justice with regard to the reference of the Israeli security fence. [156390]

  Mr. Rammell
  The Government believe that the building of a wall on Palestinian territory is unlawful but that the International Court of Justice (ICJ) should exercise its discretion not to give an opinion on this matter on the grounds:that an opinion is not needed by the UN and could hinder the peace process;
  that it involves essentially a bilateral dispute, one of the parties to which has not consented to the ICJ's jurisdiction;
  and that it would involve the determination of issues of fact, on which the necessary evidence is not before the Court.

  A copy of the UK's written statement to the ICJ to this effect has been placed in the Library of the House.

  Katharine Gun
  Mr. Ancram
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he had with the Attorney-General concerning the case of Katharine Gun before the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to offer any evidence against her. [157847]

  Mr. Straw
  Because I have statutory responsibility for GCHQ, I spoke with the Attorney General by telephone on 14 February and at a meeting on 24 February about the Gun case. The purpose on both occasions was to learn about the position of the prosecuting authorities relating to the continuation of the prosecution. I took no part in the decisions relating to discontinuation of the prosecution.

  I was earlier consulted by the Attorney General, in accordance with the Shawcross procedure, about public interest issues relating to the case, before he took the decision to initiate the prosecution.

  Kuwait
  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is the policy of the Government to continue(a) the approval of new claims in Kuwait and (b) the payment and settlement of claims in Kuwait under the UN Compensation Commission. [157042]
  836W
  Mr. Rammell
  The UK Government support the UN Compensation Commission's (UNCC) approval of Kuwait's submission of certain new claims relating to the 605 detainees held in Iraq following the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, and who are now believed to be dead.

  The Government support the completion of the UNCC's claims processing work for all claimant states, including Kuwait, and for the payment of approved awards, to the extent that it has funds available to do so.

  Libya
  Mr. Best
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on developing British relations with Libya. [157015]

  Mr. Rammell
  Libya's announcement, on 19 December 2003, that it would dismantle its Weapons of Mass Destruction programmes opened the way to Libya's reintegration into the international community.

  The visit of the Libyan Foreign Minister, Abdul Rahman Shalgam, to the UK from 9 to 10 February was tangible proof of the improving relations between Libya and the UK. Discussions covered a broad range of bilateral and regional issues.

  The UK and Libya will now seek to build on these contacts to develop further our political, cultural and commercial ties, helping Libya in its aim of restructuring its economy and co-operating in tackling terrorism.

  The Government will continue to seek progress on the difficulties that remain between the United Kingdom and Libya. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had an assurance from Foreign Minister Shalgam that Libya stands by the commitments it has given on the Lockerbie bombing and on the investigation into the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher.

  Non-military Overseas Sites
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the overseas sites which are owned by the Government for non-military purposes; and if he will make a statement on the Government's disposals policy for them. [157164]

  Mr. Rammell
  The National Asset Register lists overseas properties (over a book value of £3,000) owned by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. All such assets are held for diplomatic use. The latest edition of the register, published in July 2001 (Cm5221), can be found at: www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/mediastore/otherfiles/218.pdf

  The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has an on-going programme of estate modernisation. Under an agreement with the Treasury, land or buildings that are surplus, not operationally effective or not providing value for money, are sold and the proceeds are then reinvested.

  North Korea
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to promote cultural and sporting exchanges between the United Kingdom and North Korea. [157539]
  837W
  Mr. Rammell
  We are not specifically promoting any cultural or sporting events between the UK and the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the(a) size and (b) value of heroin exports from North Korea in each of the last five years. [157543]

  Mr. Rammell
  There is no evidence that heroin has been trafficked through North Korea to the UK in significant quantities during the period in question.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with(a) the UNHCR in Geneva and (b) his counterparts in the European Union about possible visits by international inspection teams to assess prison conditions in North Korea. [157537]

  Mr. Rammell
  UNHCR's responsibility is for the welfare of refugees and, as such, it has no mandate to inspect prisons in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

  In the EU, the issue has been discussed by member states regularly. The resolution on DPRK at the UN Commission on Human Rights in 2003, tabled by the EU, included a specific request for the North Korean authorities to allow inspection visits by international independent monitors.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the size of the prison population in North Korea. [157538]

  Mr. Rammell
  The US Committee for Human Rights in North Korea, in a report dated October 2003, estimated the prison population of North Korea to be around two hundred thousand.

  We have no access to any more accurate and reliable figures.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the nature and extent of the United Kingdom's diplomatic ties with North Korea are. [157542]

  Mr. Rammell
  The UK and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) established full diplomatic relations on 12 December 2000. The British Embassy in Pyongyang was established in July 2001, and the DPRK Embassy in London was established in November 2002.

  Through both Embassies we ensure that we take regular opportunities to emphasise to the DPRK authorities our strong concerns on human rights and on the nuclear issue. We make clear that the scope of our co-operation with the DPRK will remain severely limited until progress is made on meeting these concerns.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his estimate is of per capita income in(a) North Korea and (b) South Korea in 2004. [157544]

  Mr. Rammell
  South Korea's average income per capita in 2002 (latest year for which actual figures are available) was US$9,979. This year, the figure is expected to reach around US$12,000, owing to economic growth and appreciation of the Korean won against the US dollar.
  838W
  The North Korean government does not publish economic statistics. Reliable figures for per capita incomes are therefore unavailable. However, the Bank of Korea (South Korea's central bank) estimate average per capita incomes in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea in 2002 was US$760. The figure is unlikely to have changed significantly since then.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the effect of trade sanctions by the United States on the economy of North Korea. [157556]

  Mr. Rammell
  The US lifted trade sanctions on North Korea in 2000, although US exports of arms and certain products with possible military use remain banned. Despite the lifting of sanctions, trade flows are small—IMF figures for 2002 show the US exporting only US$25 million worth of goods to North Korea in 2002 and importing less than US$1 million.

  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the incidence of(a) infanticide and (b) torture in prisons in North Korea. [157568]

  Mr. Rammell
  We are appalled by the reports of infanticide, torture and other inhumane treatment carried out in North Korean prisons. We have expressed our concerns regularly to the North Korean government at both ministerial and official levels, and have called for access by international monitors to verify the conditions in North Korean prisons. I recently called in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea Ambassador to register my strong concerns.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many parliamentary questions have been tabled to his Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by(a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date. [157744]

  Mr. Straw
  As of 27 February 2004, 3,668 written parliamentary questions (PQs) had been tabled to my Department since 1 January 2003, of which 3031 were for ordinary written answer and 637 for answer on named day.

  Since 1 January 2003, 94 per cent. of ordinary written PQs have been answered within 10 working days and 74 per cent. of named day PQs answered on time.

  Russia
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the Russian Foreign Minister about EU enlargement. [157397]

  Mr. Rammell
  My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary maintains regular dialogue with his Russian counterpart on a range of issues, including EU enlargement and EU/Russia relations.

  Scholarships
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate he has made of the cost of Foreign Office scholarships for each year from 1996–97 to 2005–06 (planned); what value for money assessment has been made of the scheme; and if he will make a statement. [156605]

  Mr. Mullin
  Annual costs of Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) scholarships during the period are:

  Number of scholars

  Cost (£ million)

  1996–97

  2,198

  34

  1997–98

  2,259

  36

  1998–99

  2,196

  39

  1999–2000

  2,300

  40

  2000–01

  2,470

  45

  2001–02

  2,510

  46

  2002–03

  2,568

  48

  20034–04

  12,487

  249

  2004–05

  n/k

  249

  2005–06

  n/k

  249

  1estimated

  2planned

  n/k = not known

  FCO scholarships include Chevening Scholarships, Marshall Scholarships, Atlantic Fellowships and the FCO contribution to the UK input into the Commonwealth Scholarship and Fellowship Plan.

  An external review of FCO scholarships in 2003 examined value for money issues and recommended some reprioritisation within the Chevening scholarships scheme in particular. I will place a copy in the Library of the House.

  Surveillance
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requests have been made to the US authorities to undertake(a) interception of communications and (b) surveillance of (i) hon. Members and (ii) other UK citizens where such activity would require express authorisation from a senior Minister in the UK were it to be carried out by UK authorities. [157864]

  Mr. Straw
  It is the well established and long standing practice of successive Governments not to comment on operations of the Intelligence Services.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

  Council Tax
  Mr. Truswell
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list by type of authority(a) the Band D council tax level set by each local authority for 2004–05, excluding precepts, (b) the percentage change of (a) from 2003–04, (c) the precept set by the authority's relevant Fire and Civil Defence Authority for 2004–05, (d) the percentage annual change represented by (c), (e) the precept set by the relevant police authority for 2004–05, (f) the percentage annual change represented by (e), (g) the sum total of (a), (c) and (e) and (h) the percentage change of (g) compared to 2003–04. [156991]
  840W
  Mr. Raynsford
  Precepting authorities have until 1 March to set their council taxes for 2004–05, and billing authorities have until 11 March. The requested information will be published after all local authorities have set their council taxes and notified their figures to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

  Mr. Steinberg
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total grant received from his Department is in Durham to compensate for loss in revenue from council tax consequent on student exemption from council tax. [156779]

  Mr. Raynsford
  There is no separate grant in respect of council tax revenue foregone through student exemptions.

  The main central Government support for spending by the City of Durham is through redistributed business rates and Revenue Support Grant, together known as Formula Grant. The amount of Formula Grant for Durham City depends on Durham's Formula Spending Share, Durham's share of the assumed national council tax, Durham's council tax base, and the operation of the floor and ceiling damping mechanism. Where there are student exemptions this will reduce the council tax base and so result in additional Revenue Support Grant.

  Departmental Advertising
  Malcolm Bruce
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much(a) his Department and (b) each agency and non-departmental public body sponsored by his Department spent on (i) advertising and (ii) information campaigns in each year since 2001–02. [149916]

  Yvette Cooper
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister was created on 29 May 2002.

  In the financial year 2002–03 the office spent £3,346,943 on advertising and £3,718,767 on information campaigns.

  In the financial year 2003–04 the Office spent £3,411,000 on advertising and £6,882,000 on information campaigns.

  In both years the majority of the spend was on Fire Safety campaign (93 per cent.).

  Figures for each agency and non-departmental bodies are not held centrally and could be supplied only at disproportional cost.

  Fire Sprinklers
  Sandra Gidley
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of sprinkler systems in tackling fires in residential properties. [157368]

  Phil Hope
  The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister commissioned, in April 2001, an extensive research project with the Building Research Establishment (BRE) to consider fully the effectiveness of residential sprinklers. BRE published their research last month and a summary document of the work can be found on the Building Regulations section of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's website—www.odpm.gov.uk

  The findings of the research indicate that residential sprinklers would appear to be generally effective in controlling fires. However, the work did show that in the case of some slow burning and shielded fires people

  841W
  could still eventually be overcome by smoke inhalation. The research also found that it would not be cost effective to require the universal installation of sprinklers in all residential premises. However, the research concluded that in some types of premises, typically those where the occupants are considered to be the most vulnerable to fire, further consideration is warranted. These premises include residential care homes, high-rise houses and flats and higher risk houses in multiple occupation.

  As part of our current review of the fire safety aspects of the building regulations we will be considering the findings of the BRE research to see if there is a case for introducing amendments that enable us to target the provision of sprinklers in those new and altered premises where the people are considered to be most vulnerable.

  Green Belt
  Mr. Brady
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what(a) area in hectares and (b) percentage of green belt land within Metropolitan authorities has been removed from green belt designation since 1997. [157920]

  Yvette Cooper
  Statistics on the extent of green belt in England were last published in 2000, based on area of green belt contained in local development plan maps existing in 1997. Officials in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister are currently investigating the extent of designated green belt changes for authorities that have adopted new development plans since 1997. These updated statistics on green belt will be published shortly. I will write to the hon. Member when the information is available.

  Regional Planning Guidance
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he will publish the new Regional Planning Guidance for East of England (RPG14). [157170]

  Keith Hill
  The East of England Regional Assembly plan to submit Draft RPG 14 in Autumn 2004; this will be followed by a period of consultation and a formal Examination in Public. The Government expects to publish the final version as a Regional Spatial Strategy for the East of England (RSS14) in summer 2006. Regional Planning Guidance documents will become Regional Spatial Strategies on commencement of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act currently before Parliament.

  Thames Gateway
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 2 February 2004,Official Report, column 744W, on the Thames Gateway, by when the Gateway delivery office will be operational. [157269]

  Keith Hill
  A new Thames Gateway directorate has been established in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, responsible for securing delivery of the Government's agenda for the Gateway. The Thames Gateway Delivery Unit will be established as part of the new directorate with premises in the Thames Gateway in April 2004.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION

  Voter Registration
  Mark Tami
  To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what steps the Electoral Commission is taking to increase levels of voter registration. [156539]

  Mr. Viggers
  The Commission undertakes national public awareness campaigns, including campaigns targeted at specific groups such as students and home-movers. It also provides support to local authority elections staff in the form of advice and best practice guidance on both the local promotion of electoral registration and the application of new legislation in this area.

  The Commission is also undertaking research that will provide a better understanding of the extent and nature of under-registration, together with an assessment of the operation and impact of 'rolling registration' on levels of registration.

CULTURE, MEDIA AND SPORT

  Alcohol Licences
  James Purnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what plans she has to tackle anti-social behaviour near premises with licences to sell alcohol; [157760]

  (2) what discussions she has had with local councils on increasing the responsibility of landlords with alcohol licences for excessive consumption of alcohol and associated public disorder problems; [157761]

  (3) what plans she has to attach conditions to licences for (a) public houses and (b) other drinking establishments. [157762]

  Mr. Caborn
  The responsibility for attaching conditions to liquor licences under current law rests with the licensing justices. Under the Licensing Act 2003, which received Royal Assent on 10 July 2003, this responsibility will be transferred to licensing authorities which, in the main, are local authorities. There are two mandatory conditions in the 2003 Act, which will be attached in all cases where a premises licence authorises the supply of alcohol. The first is that no supply of alcohol may be made at a time when there is no designated premises supervisor in respect of the premises or at a time when the premises supervisor does not hold a personal licence or it is suspended. The second is that every supply of alcohol under the premises licence must be made or authorised by a person who holds a personal licence.

  The 2003 Act provides further mechanisms to promote the prevention of nuisance and crime and disorder. The Act introduces the review of licences. Interested parties and responsible authorities will be able to request that a review of a premises licence occurs on a ground which is relevant to one or more of the licensing objectives (the prevention of crime and disorder, the prevention of public nuisance, the protection of children from harm and public safety). The review may lead to modifications of the conditions

  843W
  on the licence, the exclusion of certain licensable activities from the licence, the removal of the premises supervisor, or the suspension or revocation of the licence.

  In addition, the 2003 Act provides powers for a magistrates court in a particular area to make an order requiring premises at or near a place of disorder, or expected disorder, to be closed for a period not exceeding 24 hours.

  In addition a particular premises may be closed if a senior police officer reasonably believes there is, or is likely imminently to be, disorder on, or in the vicinity, of the premises and the closure is necessary for public safety, or alternatively if a public nuisance is being caused by noise coming from the premises and closure is necessary to prevent the nuisance. These closure orders can be for up to 24 hours and may be extended in certain situations. These powers will also be applicable to temporary events held under temporary event notices.

  In addition to these provisions, the 2003 Act contains offences such as the sale of alcohol to a person who is drunk or obtaining alcohol for a person who is drunk. Before the licensing Bill was introduced, during its passage through Parliament and since Royal Assent, we have engaged in extensive and detailed consultation with the Local Government Association, the Association of London Government and the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services about the provisions of the new legislation and its implementation.

  Crystal Palace
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the progress of negotiations regarding the future of Crystal Palace sports facilities; and what role the Government have played in the negotiations. [157758]

  Mr. Caborn
  As the hon. Member for Bromsgrove may be aware, it was announced on 25 February that Sport England, the Greater London Authority and the London borough of Bromley have between them secured the future of the National Sports Centre. Details of the re-development, and its timing, are yet to be finalised.

  Sport England's lease will continue for a further two years. After that, the London Development Agency will take responsibility for the site. This will ensure that the Crystal Palace Grand Prix—the last major athletics event before the Athens Olympics—will take place this summer.

  It has been agreed that Sport England, the Greater London Authority/London Development Agency and the London borough of Bromley will each pay one third of the maintenance costs for the first year of the agreement. After that, the London Development Agency will be solely responsible. This wi11 be the starting point for the modernisation of the whole of Crystal Palace Park.

  The Government have remained close to all partners throughout discussions.

  Departmental Budget
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the updated figures for her Department's budget for the next five years will be published. [157788]

  Mr. Caborn
  I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave her on 5 January 2004,Official Report, column 129W.

  The Department for Culture, Media and Sport's Annual Report 2004 is expected to be published in April 2004. All data will be subject to revision following the outcome of the Spending Review 2004, due in the autumn, at which time budgets for 2006–07 will be agreed.

  Departmental Christmas Card
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the total cost was of producing her Department's Christmas card last year. [157790]

  Mr. Caborn
  The cost of the production of the DCMS Christmas card for 2003 was £1,587.50.

  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Christmas cards were sent by her Department last Christmas. [157791]

  Mr. Caborn
  There were 3,798 Christmas cards sent out from DCMS in 2003.

  Digital Television
  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the purchases necessary to receive digital television in different areas of the United Kingdom. [157514]

  Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 1 March 2004]There are four ways consumers can receive digital television today:

  (a) Terrestrially

  Consumers need to buy either a digital adapter (set top box) or an integrated digital television. While many people will be able to use their existing aerials, some may need to have new aerials or cabling installed to receive all services. Digital terrestrial television is now receivable in around 75 per cent. of the UK.

  (b) Through Satellite

  Consumers need to get either a digital satellite adaptor and connect it to their existing analogue TV set or a digital TV set designed to receive digital satellite signals. They will also need a dish installed outside their home. Digital satellite signals reach the vast majority of UK homes, but in a few cases reception may not be possible, because the line of sight to the satellite is obstructed, or because planning or property regulations do not permit householders to put up a dish.

  (c) Through Cable

  Consumers need a set top box provided and installed by the operator of the cable network which serves their home, if they live in a cabled area.
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  (d) Through Broadband DSL

  A fourth digital platform is emerging through use of digital subscriber line technologies based on telephony network cabling. Today, this service is only available in Kingston upon Hull, and London.

  More information is available on www. digitaltelevision.gov.uk.

  Mr. Jim Cunningham
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what efforts her Department is making to ensure that all households that desire it have access to digital television prior to the analogue signal being switched off. [157515]

  Estelle Morris
  [holding answer 1 March 2004]The Department for Culture, Media and Sport is working with stakeholders, within the Digital Television Action Plan, to ensure that everyone who can currently get the main public service broadcasting channels in analogue form (BBC 1 and 2, ITV, Channel 4/S4C and Channel 5) will be able to receive them on digital systems. However, this might not be possible before switchover for a small minority of consumers. Though Digital satellite signals reach the vast majority of UK homes, in a few cases reception or installation of the necessary dish may not be possible, either for topographic or legal reasons. We are reviewing these legal constraints to ensure they are minimal and proportionate. Any further extension of the digital cable networks is a commercial matter for the operators. As for terrestrial reception, it is not possible to extend it before switchover, as signals currently have to be transmitted at low power to prevent interferences with UK and foreign analogue signals. Only switchover will allow digital terrestrial television to reach the same level of coverage as analogue.

  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the number of(a) analogue and (b) digital television sets bought in the last five years in the United Kingdom. [157772]

  Estelle Morris
  The department holds figures for television sales in the UK up to December 2003 for the last four years only. These figures are:

  Number (Thousand)

  (a) Analogue TV sets

  18,775.8

  (b) Digital television sets

  395.9

  These figures do not include sales of set top boxes, which allow viewers to receive digital television through analogue sets. They also do not include TV/VCR and TV/DVD combination sets.

  Mobile Phones
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many departmental mobile phones are used by her Department; and what the total cost of calls was in the last five years. [157775]

  Mr. Caborn
  The Department for Culture, Media and Sport currently has 70 departmental mobile phones. The cost to the Department of mobile phones supplied to Ministers and officials was £25,500 in 2000–01, £21,000 846W
  in 2001–02, £29,000 in 2002–03 and £35,000 as of the end of February this year. It is not possible to provide figures prior to 2000 save at disproportionate cost.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many Parliamentary Questions have been tabled to her Department since 1 January 2003, broken down by(a) ordinary written and (b) named day; what percentage in respect of (a) were answered within 10 working days; and what percentage in respect of (b) were answered by the specified date. [157519]

  Mr. Caborn
  Ministerial colleagues and officials at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport attach great importance to answering parliamentary questions accurately and to time. We aim to ensure that all Members receive a substantive response to an ordinary written question within a working week of it being tabled and that named day questions are answered on the specified date.

  1,532 House of Commons written Parliamentary Questions were tabled to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for answer between 1 January 2003 and 26 February 2004. This figure excludes those questions either withdrawn by the Member or transferred to another Department.

  1,356 ordinary written questions were answered during this period. Of these 1,131 (83.4 per cent.) were answered within 10 working days.

  176 named day questions were answered during this period. Of these 105 (59.6 per cent.) were answered on the specified date or named day.

  Performance Targets
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how she will measure her Department's performance in reaching its Public Sector Agreement target to increase by eight per cent. the number of adult C2DE visitors to national museums and galleries. [157802]

  Estelle Morris
  Progress against the target is measured by using the results of periodic surveys carried out by each museum and gallery. These record the number of C2DEs visiting the museum. Progress is reported to the Department half-yearly and annually. The results are aggregated to measure progress against the PSA target.

  School Sport
  Miss Kirkbride
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how she will measure her Department's performance against the Public Sector Agreement target to increase the percentage of school children who spend a minimum of two hours per week on high quality physical education and school sport to 75 per cent. by 2006. [157778]

  Mr. Caborn
  As I indicated in my written answer of 5 January 2004,Official Report, columns 137–38W, to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove, data are now being collected for the first time—for publication in April–on the number of pupils who choose to take up the

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  entitlement to two hours of high-quality PE and school sport each week within and beyond the curriculum. This exercise will be repeated in future years so that performance against the PSA target can be assessed.

  Sports Funding
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money has been given to

  Football

  Cricket

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  Total

  2000–01

  2001–02

  2002–03

  Total

  Awards in Chorley (Number)

  1

  4

  2

  9

  2

  1

  1

  7

  Total Sum for Chorley (£)

  4,789

  15,272

  6,700

  35,165

  5,935

  4,198

  4,954

  25,879

  Awards in Lancashire (Number)

  44

  39

  60

  143

  30

  34

  40

  107

  Total Sum for Lancashire (£)

  852,448

  869,748

  275,737

  1,997,933

  137,702

  317,323

  164,937

  619,962

  Awards in North West region (Number)

  103

  74

  131

  308

  68

  68

  79

  218

  Total Sum for North West region (£)

  1,360,352

  4,776,147

  1,506,483

  7,642,982

  1,479,590

  1,367,864

  822,892

  3,670,346

  Note:

  Lancashire figures do not include schemes in Greater Manchester.

  Sunbeds
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many public leisure facilities are equipped with sunbeds; what her Department's policy is on the provision of sunbeds in public leisure facilities; and what plans she has to phase out the use of sunbeds in public leisure facilities. [156950]

  Mr. Caborn
  There are 2,945 Public Sports Centres in England, 935 of which contain one or more sunbed.

  As I am sure the hon. Member will appreciate, any decision to provide sunbeds in public leisure facilities will be for the individual local authorities to make. However, the Government acknowledge the risks to young people of exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in all of its forms and the Health and Safety Executive has published guidance for operators and customers on using sunbeds. This guidance was developed after consultation with leading experts and is accepted as good advice.

  The hon. Member may be interested to know that the potential dangers involved in the use of sunbeds will be the subject of a meeting of experts and industry on 29 March 2004. The campaign will review the latest scientific evidence and develop practical recommendations for better self-regulation.

  Tourism
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many people she estimates work in tourism in(a) the north-west, (b) Lancashire and (c) Chorley; and how many people are employed in hotels in each case. [157685]

  Mr. Caborn
  Research carried out by the North West Development Agency's Regional Intelligence Unit estimates that the number of people working in tourism in(a) the north-west is 193,871, (b) Lancashire is 47,828 and (c) Chorley is 3,839. It has not been possible to estimate the number of people employed in hotels but the North West Tourist Board estimates that 90 per cent. of tourism employees in each case work in the accommodation sector.
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  (a) football and (b) cricket in (i) the north-west, (ii) Lancashire and (iii) Chorley in each of the last three years; and for what purposes. [157686]

  Mr. Caborn
  Details of Lottery support from Sport England for football and Cricket from the following programmes: Community Capital, Active Community Development Fund, Safer Sports Grounds, Football Youth Development and Awards For All are as follows.

WORK AND PENSIONS

  Ballast Plc
  Sir Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect of the liquidation of Ballast plc, Salford Quays, on the value of the final salary occupational pensions of its former employees. [156683]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Government are aware of the situation of the former employees of Ballast plc, but has not made an assessment of the effect the liquidation has had on their occupational pensions. However, we have great sympathy for the uncertainties they, and other people in similar circumstances, are facing in regard to their pensions.

  Sir Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make representations to the authorities in the Netherlands about the protection of the assets of the occupational pension schemes of former employees of the Dutch construction group Ballast Nedam NV and its liquidated UK subsidiary Ballast plc. [156684]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Government recognise the concerns that have been expressed about the financial responsibilities of parent companies and sympathises with the position of all members of pension schemes that may not receive the pension that they expected as a result of employer insolvency. However, the legal obligation to fund a salary-related occupational scheme is with the sponsoring employer of the scheme. The holding company is not responsible for the debts of an insolvent subsidiary because the two companies have separate legal identities. Any political intervention would, therefore, be inappropriate in this case.

  Council Tax Benefit
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which local authorities do not actively promote the take-up of council tax benefit for elderly people. [153793]

  Mr. Pond
  The information requested is not available.
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  Local authorities have a statutory duty to promote awareness of council tax benefit. But we want to do more to support authorities in their role, to encourage all those who may be entitled to claim. This is why I made a written statement on 15 December 2003, Official Report, column 125WS, in which I announced that we will be launching a take-up campaign to raise the awareness of council tax benefit among those who are likely to be entitled and also their family, friends and carers. Working with local authorities, we will provide promotional material, and will develop guidance and advice to help ensure that procedures are in place to handle inquiries about entitlement and provide support for those, particularly pensioners, making claims.

  Child Support Agency
  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the administration cost of the Child Support Agency was in each of the last six years; and what the projected expenditure is for 2003–04. [152843]

  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.

  Letter from Doug Smith to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 2 March 2004:

  In replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

  You asked what the administration cost of the Child Support Agency was in each of the last six years; and what the projected expenditure is for 2003–04.

  The net operating costs of the Agency as included in the Annual Statement of Accounts are.

  £ million

  1997–98

  225.9

  1998–99

  231.2

  1999–00

  260.3

  2000–01

  250

  2001–02

  290.4

  2002–03

  294.3

  The projected expenditure for 2003–04 for which the Agency is directly accountable is £320 million. The actual costs will be available when the Agency Accounts are published in July 2004.

  I hope this is helpful.

  Nick Harvey
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) when Child Support Agency cases initiated before March 2003 will be transferred to the new system; and if he will make a statement; [153619]

  (2) whether all Child Support Agency cases will be transferred to the new system at the same time; and if he will make a statement. [153620]

  Mr. Pond
  I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave the hon. Member for Dartford (Dr. Stoate) on 27 January 2004,Official Report, column 341W.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the timetable is for migration from the old to the new Child Support Agency scheme; and what factors affect the timetable. [155145]
  850W
  Mr. Pond
  I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Castle Point (Bob Spink) on 18 December 2003,Official Report, column 1092W.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people were on each of the Child Support Agency schemes in each month since the inception of the new scheme. [155412]

  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 Doug Smith to Mr. David Drew, dated 2 March 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.

  You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were on each of the Child Support Agency schemes in each month since the inception of the new scheme. Because of issues associated with producing management information from the new computer system I cannot answer your question precisely in the format that it is asked. I can however indicate in the table below, the number of cases where;
  either an assessment (old scheme) or a calculation (new scheme) has been completed as at each month end since March 2003, and
  for old scheme cases the record is held on the "old" computer system and for new scheme cases it is held on our "new" computer system.

  Old scheme

  New scheme

  March

  993,940

  10

  April

  978,420

  731

  May

  960,680

  2,541

  June

  943,880

  6,671

  July

  917,520

  13,593

  August

  899,200

  20,792

  September

  882,800

  30,528

  October

  861,340

  42,335

  November

  839,620

  52,310

  December

  824,460

  60,200

  In addition there are around 120,000 "old scheme" cases operating on the new computer system. I cannot at this stage indicate the number of these cases at monthly rests. But the growth in this number toward the current total will mirror the decline in old scheme case numbers set out in the table above.

  I hope that this is helpful.

  Mr. Webb
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions (1) if he will make a statement on the performance of the Child Support Agency's new reforms IT system; [155885]

  (2) when he estimates the Department's Child Support Agency new reforms IT system recovery programme will be completed; and if he will make a statement. [155886]

  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 Doug Smith to Mr. Steve Webb, dated 2 March 2004:

  In replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
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  You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make a statement on the performance of the Child Support Agency's new reforms IT system and also asked when does he estimate the Department's Child Support Agency new reforms IT system recovery programme will be completed.

  The Secretary of State issued a Written Statement on the performance of the Agency on 12 February 2004. We are continuing to work with EDS on the detail of their proposed recovery plan and that has not yet been finalised.

  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the new computer programme for the Child Support Agency. [157254]

  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 Doug Smith to Mr. Lindsay Hoyle, dated 2 March 2004:

  In replying to your recent Parliamentary question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.

  You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to make a statement on the new computer programme for the Child Support Agency.

  The Secretary of State issued a Written Statement on the performance of the Agency on 12 February 2004.

  Mr. Goodman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions by what date he will decide whether to cease to use the new computer system provided by EDS to assess Child Support Agency cases; and if he will make a statement. [158130]

  Mr. Pond
  I refer the hon. Member to the Written Answer I gave the hon. Member for Tamworth (Mr. Jenkins) on 12 February 2004.Official Report, column 1591W.

  Cockle Bed Workers
  Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive has powers to prevent working after dark on cockle beds if this activity presents a risk of serious personal injury. [156860]

  Mr. Pond
  [holding answer 27 February 2004]The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no existing powers to impose a general ban on cockle picking after dark.

  However, HSE inspectors do have the power to issue a prohibition notice on a person carrying on or in control of a work activity until the risks are remedied, if there is sufficient evidence of a breach of health and safety law.

  Geraldine Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether the Health and Safety Executive has powers to prohibit work on cockle beds if those activities present a risk of serious personal injury. [156852]

  Mr. Pond
  The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has no existing powers to impose a general ban on cockle picking.
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  However, HSE inspectors do have the power to issue a prohibition notice on a person in control of a work activity to stop that activity until the risks are remedied, if there is sufficient evidence of a breach of health and safety law.

  Final Salary Pension Schemes
  Sir Nicholas Winterton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what steps his Department is taking to protect the final salary pension schemes of employees; what assistance is provided to those people who are denied access to their pensions following company bankruptcy; and if he will make a statement. [156686]

  Malcolm Wicks
  We are taking significant steps to protect members of defined benefit schemes. We are introducing the Pension Protection Fund, which will protect scheme members by paying compensation if their employer becomes insolvent and the pension scheme is under funded. We are also introducing a new Pensions Regulator that has the flexibility and powers to take a targeted and proportionate approach to protecting the funds held in pension schemes.

  Additionally, on 23 February, we laid Regulations that strengthen members' protection when a defined benefit occupational pension scheme starts to wind up while its sponsoring employer is solvent. On 24 February, we announced changes to the priority order which applies on wind up. This will help ensure that assets of the pension scheme are shared as fairly as possible between non-pensioner and pensioner scheme members.

  In the event of employer insolvency assistance is available to pension scheme members under the Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Pensions Scheme Act 1993. Under these Acts, the Redundancy Payments Directorate makes insolvency payments from the National Insurance Fund (NIF) to qualifying former employees. Claims for unpaid employees' contributions are limited to the actual amount deducted from wages during the 12 months prior to the date of insolvency. Unpaid employers' contributions for the 12 month period prior to the insolvency date are also payable, but are subject to monetary limits depending on the type of pension scheme.

  Pension Credit
  Mr. Carmichael
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much money has been allocated to promote Pension Credit; what proportion of these funds will be spent on regional and local media sources; and how much money has been spent advertising the new payment in(a) England, (b) Wales, (c) Scotland and (d) Northern Ireland. [156620]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The marketing campaign for Pension Credit has been designed to be flexible, and the level of expenditure may change according to need. However, in England, Scotland and Wales, it is currently estimated that media costs, including direct mailing, television and press advertising, will be in the region of £12–£17 million, excluding VAT, to October 2004.
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  In Northern Ireland the Department for Social Development is responsible for the promotion and take-up of Pension Credit.

  A direct mail pack to pensioner households remains at the heart of our marketing campaign for Pension Credit. From September 2003 to March 2004 this is being supported by commissioning largely national press and television advertising to introduce Pension Credit in England, Scotland and Wales.

  The proportion of advertising spend in regional and local media is approximately 25 per cent., although this is likely to increase with the identification of key areas for targeting during 2004.

  Actual spend from September 2003 to date is given as follows. Figures exclude VAT.

  England: £7,725,000

  Scotland: £759,000

  Wales: £623,000

  Triplex Components
  Mr. Djanogly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the situation of the employees at Triplex Components, Peterborough following the closure of its final salary pension scheme; and if he will make a statement. [156933]

  Malcolm Wicks
  The Government are aware of the situation of the employees at Triplex Peterborough and Ministers have recently met representatives of the Triplex Pension scheme.

  The Government have not made an assessment of the pension fund prospects in question. However we have great sympathy for the uncertainties they, and other workers in similar circumstances, are facing with regard to their pensions.

  Mr. Djanogly
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many final salary pension schemes have been wound up in (i) England and (ii) Cambridgeshire in each of the last five years. [156934]

  Malcolm Wicks
  We are unable to provide these figures. The only source of information on winding up schemes is the Pensions Schemes Registry, which is administered by the Occupational Pension Schemes Regulatory Authority (OPRA). The information on this database is limited and does not allow us to identify the location of schemes winding up.

  Winter Fuel Payments
  Dr. Evan Harris
  To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what targets the Pensions Agency has set for the issuing of Winter Fuel Payments to those eligible to receive them as(a) existing claimants and (b) new claimants. [156771]

  Malcolm Wicks
  There are no targets set for issuing Winter Fuel Payments. The majority of those who are entitled are paid automatically. We aim to ensure their payments are sent to them before Christmas. People who have not previously received a payment and who do not receive a Social Security benefit other than Child Benefit, Housing Benefit or Council Tax Benefit must 854W
  claim. Provided they have claimed by the Friday of the qualifying week we aim to send them their payments before Christmas as well.

NORTHERN IRELAND

  Population Profile
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what percentage of the population of Northern Ireland is over(a) 50, (b) 55, (c) 60, (d) 65, (e) 75, (f) 85 and (g) 100 years. [156377]

  Mr. Pearson
  The percentage of the Northern Ireland estimate of population (mid-2002) aged 50 years and over, 55 years and over, 60 years and over, 65 years and over, 75 years and over and 85 years and over is given in table 1 as follows. Mid-year estimates for those aged 100 and over are not routinely published. However this information is available from the 2001 Census and is given in table 2 as follows.

  Table 1: Percentage of the Northern Ireland mid-year estimate of population (2002) by various age-groups

  Age-group

  Percentage of Northern Ireland population (2002 mid-year estimate)

  (a) 50 years and over

  29.06

  (b) 55 years and over

  23.30

  (c) 60 years and over

  17.83

  (d) 65 years and over

  13.40

  (e) 75 years and over

  6.05

  (f) 85 years and over

  1.39

  Table 2: Percentage of the Northern Ireland 2001 Census by age-group

  Age-group

  Percentage of Northern Ireland Population (2001 Census)

  (g) 100 years and over

  0.01

  Prison Suicides
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost of maintaining suicide watch observations in prisons in Northern Ireland in the last 12 months. [156324]

  Jane Kennedy
  Prisoners who are considered to be at risk of suicide or self-harm are managed within the normal prison regime and no additional staffing resources are required to keep prisoners at risk under observation.

  Any costs associated with managing prisoners at risk are largely notional. Hence there has been no requirement to quantify costs in monetary terms.

  Asbestos
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what regulations apply to building contractors when asbestos is discovered in(a) schools and (b) school premises during building work; and how they are enforced. [156554]
  855W
  Mr. Pearson
  The legislation that applies in such circumstances is as follows:

  1. The Health and Safety at Work (Northern Ireland) Order 1978

  2. The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1995

  3. The Control of Asbestos at Work Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2003; and

  4. The Asbestos (Licensing) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 1984

  The Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) is the enforcing authority for the above legislation in relation to a wide range of work premises, including schools. HSENI adopts a risk-based approach to carrying out inspections of asbestos removal operations and insist on a very high standard of compliance with statutory provisions in relation to all such work.

  Assets Recovery Agency
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures are in place to monitor the operation of the Assets Recovery Agency in Northern Ireland. [156604]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 requires the Director of the Agency to prepare an annual plan setting out how she intends to exercise her functions during the financial year. The plan includes a statement of the objectives and any performance targets and sets out in particular how the Director intends to exercise her functions in Northern Ireland. It is referred to the Secretary of State for approval.

  The Director must, as soon as possible after the end of each financial year, prepare a report on how she has exercised her functions during the financial year.

  I receive regular progress reports from the Agency's Director and the Assistant Director.

  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget of the Assets Recovery Agency has been in each year since its creation. [156630]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Assets Recovery Agency became operational on 24 February 2003. Budget and resource allocation is a matter for the Home Office. The Agency's initial budget for the United Kingdom for 2003–04 is £13 million.

  Car Thefts
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many car thefts there were in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [156379]

  Jane Kennedy
  The information is set out in the following table.

  Number of thefts/unauthorised taking of motor vehicles

  1998–99

  7,983

  1999–2000

  8,038

  2000–01

  8,563

  2001–02

  9,005

  2002–03

  8,317

  Ceasefire Breaches
  David Burnside
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how he defines a breach of a ceasefire; and whether any breaches of ceasefires have been made by the(a) Provisional IRA, (b) UDA and (c) UVF since 1 January. [156669]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Secretary of State, in making a judgment on the status of a paramilitary ceasefire, takes account of all relevant considerations, and in particular those set out in Section 3(9) of the Northern Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998. The Government do not comment on specific intelligence matters. I call upon all paramilitary groupings to stop all forms of violent activity.

  Civil Service Numbers
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civil servants in Northern Ireland have resigned from the Civil Service as a result of the ongoing pay dispute; what recent steps he has taken to resolve the dispute; and if he will make a statement. [156977]

  Mr. Pearson
  As far as I am aware no civil servants in Northern Ireland have resigned from the Civil Service as a result of the current pay dispute. Extensive negotiations over several months did not result in an agreed pay deal for the 11 Departments of the Northern Ireland Administration this year. Management Side presented an offer worth 3.67 per cent. on 5 November. As this could not be agreed, and Trade Union Side declined to negotiate within the 3.67 per cent. envelope, we took the decision to proceed to pay the award and communicated this to staff and Trade Union Side on 27 November. I have made clear to Trade Union Side that the 3.67 per cent. deal is the maximum that can be paid. We are however open to exploring other reasonable means of resolving the dispute. The latest meeting of the Central Whitley Council between Trade Union and Management Sides took place on Thursday, 19 February, and we have agreed to hold further negotiations as a matter of urgency.

  Members of the NI Civil Service working in the Northern Ireland Office are subject to separate pay negotiations involving three Unions: NIPSA, PCS and the PDA. A formal offer of 3 per cent. was made to the Unions but was rejected. NIO intend to proceed to pay the award at the end of March.

  Community Care (Delayed Discharges Etc) Act
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003 in addressing delayed discharges from hospitals; and what plans he has to introduce similar provisions in Northern Ireland. [157653]

  Angela Smith
  I refer the hon. Lady to my answer on 3 November 2003,Official Report, column 394W. The Community Care (Delayed Discharges etc.) Act 2003, which became fully operational on 5 January 2004, places duties upon the NHS and councils relating to communication between authorities and introduces financial incentives to promptly assess and transfer patients. It is therefore premature to make an assessment

  857W
  of the effectiveness of these new arrangements. I am not planning to introduce similar provisions in Northern Ireland for the reasons I have previously set out.

  Drug Use
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the work of Life Education Centres in prevention of drug use through education in Northern Ireland; and if he will make further funding available to enable the expansion of this work throughout Northern Ireland. [147381]

  Jane Kennedy
  An evaluation report based on a 3-school sample was received in April 2002.

  Funding has been pledged which will allow the work of the first Life Education Centre to continue and funding has been secured to operate a second Centre until March 2004. Consideration is currently being given to continue this funding to March 2006. There are, however, no plans to extend the present provision of Life Education Centres in Northern Ireland.

  Health Services
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many MRI scans were performed in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. [156322]

  Angela Smith
  This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Homelessness
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many homeless people there are

  District

  31 March 2000

  31 March 2001

  31 March 2002

  31 March 2003

  31 January 2004

  Belfast 1

  3,184

  2,978

  2,837

  2,492

  2,348

  Belfast 2

  5,125

  5,049

  4,663

  4,341

  4,033

  Belfast 3

  4,673

  4,280

  4,037

  3,671

  3,488

  Belfast 4

  4,537

  4,386

  4,226

  4,124

  3,924

  Belfast 5

  4,622

  5,040

  4,689

  4,614

  4,321

  Belfast 6

  4,446

  4,212

  3,970

  3,933

  3,626

  Belfast 7

  5,283

  5,078

  4,885

  4,579

  4,360

  Bangor

  3,656

  3,551

  3,420

  3,266

  3,092

  Newtownards

  5,223

  5,052

  4,848

  4,646

  4,447

  Castlereagh

  5,213

  4,994

  4,790

  4,564

  4,389

  Lisburn (Antrim St.)

  6,148

  5,817

  5,419

  5,172

  4,933

  Lisburn (Dairyfarm)

  3,060

  2,912

  2,698

  2,410

  2,221

  Downpatrick

  3,633

  3,349

  3,101

  2,909

  2,722

  Banbridge

  2,486

  2,386

  2,240

  2,097

  2,007

  Newry

  4,766

  4,442

  4,138

  3,847

  3,581

  Armagh

  2,832

  2,671

  2,489

  2,335

  2,206

  Lurgan

  3,978

  3,723

  3,559

  3,345

  3,137

  Portadown

  2,147

  2,064

  1,987

  1,891

  1,824

  Dungannon

  2,553

  2,446

  2,285

  2,137

  2,029

  Fermanagh

  2,958

  2,794

  2,644

  2,481

  2,354

  Ballymena

  4,269

  4,010

  3,790

  3,579

  3,391

  Antrim

  3,689

  3,509

  3,258

  3,071

  2925

  Newtownabbey 1

  3,283

  3,042

  2,870

  2,746

  2,586

  Newtownabbey 2

  3,017

  2,830

  2,716

  2,597

  2,516

  Carrickfergus

  2,933

  2,799

  2,670

  2,444

  2,260

  Larne

  2,233

  2,135

  2,088

  1,890

  1,806

  Ballycastle

  1,144

  1,082

  1,043

  1,002

  958

  Ballymoney

  1,968

  1,879

  1,784

  1,707

  1,644

  Coleraine

  4,159

  4,000

  3,828

  3,665

  3,549

  Waterloo (L'Derry)

  3,319

  3,210

  3,048

  2,819

  2,673

  Waterside (L'Derry)

  3,344

  3,209

  3,089

  2,886

  2,753

  Collon (L'Derry)

  3,454

  3,321

  3,184

  2,978

  2,783

  858W
  in Northern Ireland; and what the figures were for each of the past 10 years. [151207]

  Mr. Spellar
  At 3l December 2003, 5,133 households accepted by the Housing Executive as being statutorily homeless were on its waiting list to be permanently re-housed.

  Over the last 10 financial years the numbers who presented to the Housing Executive as being homeless and those accepted by it as statutorily homeless are as follows:

  Number presented

  Number accepted

  2002–03

  16,426

  8,580

  2001–02

  14,164

  7,374

  2000–01

  12,694

  6,457

  1999–2000

  10,997

  5,192

  1998–99

  11,552

  4,997

  1997–98

  12,672

  4,956

  1996–97

  11,092

  4,708

  1995–96

  10,768

  4,319

  1994–95

  10,068

  4,014

  1993–94

  9,731

  3,971

  Housing Executive Properties
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Housing Executive properties there were in each Northern Ireland housing district in each year since 2000; what steps he is taking to increase the number; and if he will make a statement. [157666]

  Mr. Spellar
  The following table sets out the number of Housing Executive properties in each of its district office areas at the end of each financial year since 2000.
  859W

  District

  31 March 2000

  31 March 2001

  31 March 2002

  31 March 2003

  31 January 2004

  Limavady

  2,050

  1,930

  1,841

  1,725

  1,653

  Magherafelt

  1,928

  1,802

  1,705

  1,583

  1,501

  Strabane

  3,141

  2,976

  2,855

  2,670

  2,515

  Omagh

  2,597

  2,450

  2,332

  2,217

  2,135

  Cookstown

  1,571

  1,467

  1,405

  1,309

  1,230

  Northern Ireland total

  128,622

  122,875

  116,431

  109,742

  103,920

  Independent research commissioned by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive and carried out by the University of Ulster/University of Cambridge estimates a need for between 1,400 and l,500 new homes per annum. The responsibility for providing all new social housing in Northern Ireland now lies with Registered Housing Associations.

  Industrial Tribunals
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) how many industrial tribunal applications were lodged against the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and what the outcome was in each case; [147220]

  (2) how many contested applications in industrial tribunals resulted in awards against the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and how many of these were appealed to the Court of Appeal; [147221]

  (3) what criteria the Police Service of Northern Ireland uses when determining whether or not to appeal an award made by the industrial tribunal; [147222]

  (4) what costs were incurred by the Royal Ulster Constabulary and Police Service of Northern Ireland in defending the industrial tribunal application by Chief Inspector Shamoon at (a) the industrial tribunal, (b) the Court of Appeal and (c) the House of Lords. [147223]

  Jane Kennedy
  Records for the number of industrial tribunal applications are not available earlier than 2000–01. The following table sets out the number of applications and the current status of each case from 2000–04.

  Industrial tribunal applications and current status

  Lodged

  Ongoing

  Withdrawn

  Dismissed

  Settled

  2000–01

  72

  33

  29

  6

  4

  2001–02

  57

  30

  19

  2

  6

  2002–03

  55

  48

  6

  1

  0

  2003–04

  50

  49

  0

  1

  0

  Settlement in each of these cases was in favour of the applicant and none of the settlement awards were appealed.

  The chief constable takes advice from counsel when determining whether or not to appeal an award made by an industrial tribunal. I am advised that an appeal would not be lodged unless counsel advised that it was justified.
  860W
  The PSNI incurred costs of £28,442.05 in respect of the industrial tribunal application by Chief Inspector Shamoon. Costs in respect of the Court of Appeal and the House of Lords were awarded against Chief Inspector Shamoon.

  Joyriding
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people were convicted of joyriding offences in Northern Ireland in each of the past five years; how many of these incidents resulted in(a) fatal and (b) non-fatal injuries; and what steps he is taking to reduce these figures. [144345]

  Jane Kennedy
  "Joyriding" is currently not a specific offence in law so the information is not available in the format requested. The table sets out the number of convictions for taking a motor vehicle without the owner's consent from 1997 to 2001 which is the most up to date information available.

  Taking a motor vehicle without the owners consent

  1997

  453

  1998

  401

  1999

  294

  2000

  328

  2001

  350

  The following tables set out details of collisions involving stolen vehicles and hit and run collisions but the identification of those specifically relating to "joyriding" could be obtained only at disproportionate expenses.

  Road traffic collisions involving stolen vehicles1; 1998–2002

  Fatal collisions

  Serious collisions

  Slight collisions

  Total

  1998

  6

  29

  165

  200

  1999

  3

  25

  196

  224

  2000

  4

  45

  228

  277

  2001

  6

  50

  231

  287

  2002

  5

  29

  192

  226

  Road traffic collisions involving hit and run vehicles2 1998–2002

  Fatal collisions

  Serious collisions

  Slight collisions

  Total

  1998

  6

  44

  483

  533

  1999

  9

  54

  550

  613

  2000

  4

  98

  734

  836

  2001

  4

  83

  738

  825

  2002

  6

  103

  659

  768

  1Stolen vehicles only include those vehicles which are known by the police to be stolen

  2Hit and run vehicles may include vehicles which are stolen

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  The PSNI are involved in a number of initiatives to reduce the number of vehicles taken without the permission of the owner. In West Belfast an Auto Crime Team has been established to specifically address this issue. While such initiatives can help reduce the incidence of vehicle crime it has been recognised that a long-term strategy is required and the PSNI are working in partnership with a number of agencies and groups, to tackle this problem as part of a multi-agency project. Each District Command Unit uses a range of resources and methods to target vehicle related crime in their area as effectively as possible.

  In addition to these measures the Government will publish draft legislation for Northern Ireland for consultation by the end of January, aimed at tackling so-called "joy-riding" offences. The proposed legislation will introduce two new offences: "aggravated vehicle taking", attracting a maximum prison sentence of five years and "causing death or grievous bodily injury by aggravated vehicle taking", which will attract a maximum prison sentence of 14 years. These tough new measures are part of the Government's overall strategy to specifically target and punish so-called "joy-riders".

  Learning Disabilities Strategy
  Mr. McGrady
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made on the Strategy for People with Learning Disabilities; and when recommendations will be published. [156165]

  Jane Kennedy
  A great deal of work is being taken forward by the Department of Education in a range of areas to improve the levels of provision for children with learning difficulties, and in particular autism and dyslexia. While this represents a broad strategic approach, the Department is not engaged in a formal exercise to draw up a Strategy for People with Learning Disabilities.

  In 2002, two Northern Ireland Education Task Groups published reports, with recommendations, on the future development of educational provision for children with autism and dyslexia. Following DE-led conferences on these areas in autumn 2002, Education and Library Boards (ELBs) have prioritised the reports' recommendations and consequently the Department has made £270,000 available in 2003–04 and up to £540,000 in 2004–05 to the ELBs to develop training needs and support measures in the field of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD). An Inter Board ASD Group has been established, which will promote consistency of approach in relation to children with ASD across the five ELBs. A further £500,000 was allocated in 2003–04 to provide support and training for parents and staff in pre-school settings working with children with ASD.

  DE led the collaborative North/South production of complementary parent and teacher videos/CD-ROMs and guidance material on autism. These were distributed widely across Northern Ireland in 2003. A dyslexia video/DVD ROM is also nearing completion by a joint North/South group and it is hoped to distribute this in the near future. The Education and Training Inspectorate is working to produce a "Dyslexia Friendly Schools" guide during 2004.
  862W
  A Steering Group, comprising health and education authorities from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, are taking forward the development of the Centre of Excellence for children and young people with ASD at Middletown, Co. Armagh.

  Local Management of Schools
  Rev. Martin Smyth
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the effect of the formula for funding local management of schools on primary schools' ability to fund full teaching costs. [157319]

  Jane Kennedy
  The cost of teaching staff is met from each school's budget. The number of teachers appointed and the management structure within a school is a matter for the Board of Governors of the school to determine, taking account of the school's policies, priorities and overall financial position.

  In determining the amount to be made available for allocation to schools, account is taken of the likely change to the overall teacher salary bill arising from, among other things, pay settlements. Additional resources are made available for small schools with above average teacher salary costs.

  Medical Negligence
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many medical negligence cases are pending within each health trust. [157393]

  Angela Smith
  At 31 January 2004, the number of cases pending in each Trust was as follows:

  Trust

  Number of Cases

  Altnagelvin Hospitals HSS Trust

  216

  Armagh and Dungannon HSS Trust

  37

  Belfast City Hospital Trust HSS Trust

  273

  Causeway HSS Trust

  90

  Craigavon and Banbridge Community HSS Trust

  15

  Craigavon Area Hospital Group HSS Trust

  167

  Down Lisburn HSS Trust

  145

  Foyle HSS Trust

  14

  Green Park HSS Trust

  53

  Homefirst Community HSS Trust

  19

  Mater Hospital HSS Trust

  103

  Newry and Mourne HSS Trust

  118

  Northern Ireland Ambulance Service HSS Trust

  1

  North and West Belfast HSS Trust

  9

  Royal Group of Hospitals and Dental Hospital HSS Trust

  482

  South and East Belfast HSS Trust

  9

  Sperrin Lakeland HSS Trust

  112

  United Hospitals HSS Hospital Trust

  220

  Ulster Community and Hospitals HSS Trust

  291

  Mental Health
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the early indications of the effectiveness of(a) Assertive Outreach and (b) Crisis Response Teams in the practice of mental health locally. [151211]

  Angela Smith
  Assertive Outreach and Crisis Response Teams were established in the Northern and Southern Health and Social Services Boards in 2003. It is too early to assess the impact of these services in the Southern Board but initial indications from the
  863W
  Northern Board show a degree of success. The Eastern Board plan to have Crises Response and Home Treatment Services operational by April 2004 and the Western Board have commissioned Foyle Trust to develop a Crises Response Out of Hours Pilot Service.

  Mobile Phone Masts
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many mobile telephone masts there are in each Northern Ireland constituency; and what the equivalent figures were for each year since 2000. [156939]

  Angela Smith
  Unfortunately, Planning Service is unable to provide the information of the number of mobile telephone masts in the format requested.

  This is because Planning Services computer system does not distinguish between constituencies, its records are categorised by Divisional Planning Office and Council Area. Additionally, although Planning Service has a record of applications for telecommunication equipment, which have been approved, once an application has been approved, we cannot advise if the mast has been erected or activated.

  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications there have been to construct mobile telephone masts in Northern Ireland in each year since 2000; how many of these applications have been(a) granted and (b) refused; and what the reason for refusal was in each case. [156944]

  Number of persons waiting for assessment by community occupational therapists, and number waiting for six months or more

  Priority

  Non-priority

  Total

  Quarter ending

  Total

  6 plus months

  Total

  6 plus months

  Total

  6 plus months

  September 1998

  1,627

  88

  7,055

  2,042

  8,682

  2,130

  March 1999

  1,487

  117

  8,358

  2,126

  9,845

  2,243

  September 1999

  1,965

  292

  9,217

  2,921

  11,182

  3,213

  March 2000

  1,193

  298

  9,658

  3,222

  10,851

  3,520

  September 2000

  1,819

  240

  11,182

  5,515

  13,001

  5,755

  March 2001

  1,307

  83

  8,081

  4,065

  9,388

  4,148

  September 2001

  1,356

  67

  8,123

  4,010

  9,479

  4,077

  March 2002

  1,549

  138

  6,806

  2,937

  8,355

  3,075

  September 2002

  2,052

  307

  7,775

  3,124

  9,827

  3,431

  March 2003

  1,881

  247

  6,604

  2,719

  8,485

  2,966

  September 2003

  1,880

  243

  6,390

  2,370

  8,270

  2,613

  Police Ombudsmans Office
  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many civilians officers from the Police Ombudsman's Office have arrested since the Office was set up. [156690]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Police Ombudsman has advised that one civilian has been arrested by her investigating officers since the setting up of the office.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he has received complaints from police officers regarding(a) actions by officers from the Ombudsman's Office and (b) investigations carried out by the Police Ombudsman. [156691]
  864W
  Angela Smith
  Details of applications including full planning applications and, prior to 21 June 2002, prior approval applications for telecommunications equipment approved and refused for each year since 2000 are set out in the table.

  Approved

  Refuse

  2000

  396

  52

  2001

  450

  94

  2002

  307

  37

  2003

  141

  11

  Total

  1,294

  201

  As over 200 applications have been refused, it would be extremely time consuming and resource intensive to extract and identify the reasons for refusal in each case. It would therefore be at a disproportionate cost to Planning Service.

  Occupational Therapy
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many patients are awaiting occupational therapy assessment and how many have waited for more than six months; and what the figures were at each six-month interval over the past five years. [151214]

  Angela Smith
  The figures for persons awaiting assessment by a community occupational therapist in respect of priority cases, non-priority cases and total cases are shown in the following table, for the position at quarters ending September 1998 to September 2003 (the latest date for which such information is available).

  Jane Kennedy
  A number of officers have written to the Northern Ireland Office regarding the Ombudsman's Office. However, the Police Ombudsman's Office is operationally independent and the handling of investigations by the Ombudsmans staff is a matter for the Police Ombudsmans Office.

  Mr. Peter Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what powers he has to require explanations from the Police Ombudsman on(a) the actions of her officers and (b) investigations carried out by her office. [156692]

  Jane Kennedy
  The Secretary of State has no statutory powers to require explanations from the Police Ombudsman on the actions of her officers or the investigations carried out by her office.

  Police Service of Northern Ireland
  Mr. Beggs
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many serving members of the full-time Police Service of Northern Ireland Reserve have passed entrance examinations for full-time posts in the PSNI and have not been appointed because of restrictions arising from 50:50 appointment legislation. [152460]

  Jane Kennedy
  From competitions 1 to 4, 1,706 non-Catholic and 604 Catholic applicants have qualified for appointment to the Police Service of Northern Ireland. Of these, 530 of each community background have been appointed. Of the qualified Catholic candidates, all were offered appointment, but some withdrew in the time intervening between qualification for appointment and the time of appointment.

  Appointments from competition 5 have started, although the pool is not yet finalised, and the pool for competition 6 is not expected to be ready until April this year.

  The information on the number of candidates who have passed the entrance examinations (i.e. have been successful in becoming qualified candidates and reaching the merit pool) more than once is taking some time to collate. As soon as the figures are available, they will be forwarded.

  Prison Officers
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many prison officers in Northern Ireland have taken sick leave in each of the past 18 months on account of work-related stress; and how many of these officers have since returned to work. [156940]

  Jane Kennedy
  The information is as follows.

  Prison Officer Grades absent suffering from work-related stress between 1 February 2003 and 27 February 2004

  Number of staff absent during month

  Number of staff who have since returned to work

  February 2003

  1

  1

  March 2003

  1

  1

  April 2003

  1

  1

  May 2003

  1

  1

  June 2003

  2

  1

  July 2003

  8

  6

  August 2003

  16

  13

  September 2003

  18

  13

  October 2003

  18

  12

  November 2003

  19

  11

  December 2003

  19

  10

  January 2004

  23

  12

  February 2004

  17

  4

  At the end of February 2004, 13 officers remained absent due to work related stress.

  Figures were not obtainable prior to February 2003 for work related stress as the computer system at that time did not differentiate between stress and work related stress.

  Prisons
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost of maintaining prisons in the Province in 2003–04. [156319]
  866W
  Jane Kennedy
  The estimated cost of maintaining prisons in Northern Ireland in 2003–04 is £109,581,000.

  Rates
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research has been conducted into the impact the removal of rates relief on manufacturing premises will have on manufacturing industries; and if he will make a statement. [156460]

  Mr. Pearson
  Our assessment on the likely impact of the phasing out of industrial derating on the manufacturing industry in Northern Ireland (NI) came from a variety of different sources; for example, studies by DTZ Pieda, Invest NI as well as evidence presented during the public consultation exercise in 2002 by the DETI and DFP Assembly Committees, the CBI and local economists. The policy paper published in April last year included the Regulatory Impact Assessment, New TSN and Equality Impact Assessments. All this evidence was summarised, analysed and considered objectively and the various options were discussed openly with representatives of the business community before a final decision was made.

  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research has been conducted into the impact levying rates on vacant buildings will have on investment in deprived areas; what proposals there are for exemptions; and if he will make a statement. [156461]

  Mr. Pearson
  The decision to rate vacant non–domestic property was informed by an analysis of the potential impact on deprived areas. It concluded that the impact is likely to be positive because such property tends to be concentrated in deprived areas and the effect of the measure will be to encourage owners to bring them back into use and occupation. This New TSN analysis was published with the policy paper in April 2003.

  In line with the outcomes of the consultation exercise in 2002, the exemptions to the vacant rate will largely mirror those in the rest of the UK. They will cover the situation where the occupation or use of the property is restricted or prohibited in some way, or where the person would be liable only as a proxy for someone else. Property with a net annual value of less than £2,000, property vacant for less than three months, and other properties such as listed buildings will also be exempt. It is also intended to exempt industrial property, that is factories, mines and quarries, from the vacant rate. However, standalone warehouses will not be exempt because, unlike industrial property, they can be readily converted and put on the market for sale or letting to a range of buyers or tenants.

  Residential Disabled Parking
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what criteria are used in the allocation of residential disabled car parking spaces in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement. [157562]

  Mr. Spellar
  I have asked the Chief Executive of Roads Service to write to the hon. Gentleman in response to this question. A copy of the letter will be placed in the Library.

  Smuggling
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on smuggling by paramilitary organisations. [146308]

  Jane Kennedy
  There is no doubt that paramilitary organisations continue to engage in organised criminality including smuggling.

  While cross-border co-operation between law enforcement agencies is already very good, the Government are fully committed to working with the Government in the Irish Republic to further improve that collaboration by developing strategies and structures to enable law enforcement agencies to maximise their effectiveness against the organised criminals who use the border to smuggle.

  I pay tribute to the activity of law enforcement agencies against the smugglers which has resulted in unprecedented successes against illegal drug importation and a second year of growth in the levels of legitimate deliveries of road fuel oils into Northern Ireland, after five years of decline.

  Translink
  Lady Hermon
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average age of rolling stock in service with Translink is; and what progress has been made with the introduction of new rolling stock to the railway network in Northern Ireland. [157671]

  Mr. Spellar
  The following table gives a breakdown by type for the different locomotives and carriages used on the Northern Ireland Railways network. This information was supplied by Translink.

  Age (years)

  Two GM locomotives

  8

  14 De Dietrich carriages

  7

  Three GM locomotives

  22

  11 ex-Gatwick carriages

  31

  80 class:

  20 power cars

  26

  19 driving trailers

  28

  17 intermediate trailers

  29

  450 class:

  Nine power cars

  17

  Nine driving trailers

  17

  Nine intermediate trailers

  17

  Translink also advise that the first of the 23 new trains is scheduled to be delivered in April 2004 with the
  868W
  remainder being delivered progressively through the rest of 2004 and the first part of 2005. Translink expect that all the trains will be in service by the Autumn of 2005.

  Social Deprivation
  Mr. Dodds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what wards are in the top(a) 15 per cent., (b) 20 per cent. and (c) 25 per cent. of wards in Northern Ireland ranked by social deprivation according to the Noble Index. [156623]

  Mr. Pearson
  The Northern Ireland Multiple Deprivation Measures (commonly referred to as the Noble measures of deprivation) were published by the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency in July 2001. I have placed details of those wards in the top 15 per cent., 20 per cent. and 25 per cent. as ranked by multiple deprivation measure score, in the Library.

  Unemployment
  Mr. Trimble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the likely trends in unemployment in Northern Ireland in 2004–05; and if he will make a statement. [157275]

  Mr. Pearson
  The Government does not produce forecasts for unemployment. The Northern Ireland economy has benefited from the stability generated by the UKs strong macroeconomic framework while the performance of the labour market in particular has proved resilient in the face of global economic uncertainty.

  Current Labour Market Statistics show that employment is at record levels and claimant unemployment is at its lowest rates since the mid 1970s. According to the Labour Force Survey, however, figures for the period October to December 2003 show a rise in the rate to 6.3 per cent. (48,000 people) from 5.6 per cent. a year earlier. This is still 1.7 percentage points lower than the EU15 average.

  Unused Medications
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will estimate the cost of unused medications in the last 12 months. [157343]

  Angela Smith
  The cost of unused medicines in Northern Ireland is estimated at approximately £2 million per year. Further information is contained in "Making it Better—A Strategy for Pharmacy in the Community", which can be viewed on the Departments website at www.dhsspsni.gov.uk/publications/2004/ makingitbetter.html.

PRIME MINISTER

  Electoral Registration
  Mark Tami
  To ask the Prime Minister what guidance he provides to local authorities on voter registration. [156550]

  Mr. Leslie
  I have been asked to reply.

  My Department provides regular guidance and information to local electoral registration officers (EROs) on policy issues and legislative changes relating to voter registration arrangements. Separately, the independent Electoral Commission is responsible for offering advice and guidance to EROs on the detailed requirements of these and other voter registration matters.

  Parliamentary Questions
  Norman Baker
  To ask the Prime Minister if he will assess his answering practices in relation to parliamentary questions against the(a) Open Government Code of Conduct and (b) Freedom of Information Act 2000. [157922]

  The Prime Minister
  Section 1 of the Ministerial Code provides guidance to ministers on answering Parliamentary Questions which takes account of the requirements of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. The Freedom of Information legislation takes effect in January 2005.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

  Adoption Orders
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many adoption orders have been set aside in each of the last 10 years. [156526]

  Mr. Lammy
  This information is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  An adoption order can only be set aside in wholly exceptional circumstances. Section 52 of the Adoption Act 1976 provides for the revocation of an adoption order where a person adopted by his father or mother alone subsequently becomes legitimate on the marriage of his parents. Section 53 provides for the annulment of overseas and Hague Convention adoptions on grounds of public policy. There is no other statutory basis for revoking a validly made adoption order.

  Child Custody
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many applications for orders relating to child custody were heard at each(a) Crown Court centre and (b) magistrates' court area in England in the last year for which information is available; what proportion were granted; how many were ex-parte applications; and what proportion of ex-parte applications were granted. [157609]
  870W
  Mr. Leslie
  Applications for child custody are made in the county courts and family proceedings courts and not the Crown Court. Figures showing the number of applications for a residence order and the number of orders made in the county courts and family proceedings courts in England for the year 2002 are provided in the table. No information is held centrally concerning those applications that were made ex-parte and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Applications and orders made in the family proceedings courts in England, 2002

  Family proceedings court

  Applications made

  Orders made

  Percentage orders granted

  Aldridge and Brownhills

  11

  8

  74.8

  Ashby De La Zouch

  24

  68

  283.3

  Barnsley

  39

  24

  62.0

  Berwick upon Tweed

  3

  3

  100.0

  Bexley

  37

  28

  75.7

  Blackpool

  54

  44

  815

  Bolton

  29

  26

  89.7

  Bristol

  43

  43

  100.0

  Burnley

  40

  32

  80.0

  Burnley and Pendle

  40

  24

  60.0

  Bury

  37

  45

  121.6

  Canterbury and St. Augustine

  8

  8

  100.0

  Carlisle

  40

  32

  80.0

  Central Buckinghamshire

  8

  10

  125.0

  Chichester

  8

  4

  50.0

  Chorley

  12

  5

  41.7

  Cirencester/Fairford and Tetbury

  32

  44

  137.5

  City of Salford

  35

  62

  177.1

  Claro

  21

  19

  87.8

  Coquetdale

  2

  1

  50.0

  Crawley

  24

  12

  50.0

  Derby and South Derbyshire

  72

  76

  105.6

  Doncaster

  53

  44

  83.0

  East Retford

  272

  288

  105.9

  Exeter and Wonford (East Devon)

  36

  28

  77.8

  Folkestone and Hythe

  32

  41

  129.7

  Furness and District

  47

  53

  112.8

  Gateshead

  19

  16

  84.2

  Gloucester

  51

  57

  113.0

  Godstone

  16

  4

  25.0

  Great Yarmouth

  12

  12

  100.0

  Grimsby and Cleethorpes

  15

  15

  100.0

  Hastings

  22

  16

  72.7

  High Peak

  12

  4

  33.3

  Inner London Family Proceedings Co.

  448

  263

  58.6

  Kingston-on-Hull

  44

  36

  81.8

  Langbaugh East

  5

  2

  40.0

  Leicester

  57

  85

  149.7

  Leigh

  12

  36

  300.0

  Lincoln District

  12

  10

  83.3

  Liverpool

  85

  44

  51.8

  Loughborough

  20

  0

  0.0

  Manchester

  133

  96

  72.2

  Mansfield

  328

  160

  48.8

  Market Bosworth

  32

  4

  12.5

  Melton and Belvoir

  8

  36

  450.0

  Mid Sussex

  12

  0

  0.0

  Milton Keynes

  16

  4

  25.0

  Newcastle-upon-Tyne

  60

  47

  77.8

  North and East Hertfordshire 1888/9/75/

  12

  12

  100.0

  North and East Surrey

  20

  12

  60.0

  North Avon

  12

  13

  108.3

  North Bedfordshire

  23

  23

  100.0

  North East Suffolk

  11

  12

  112.1

  North Oxfordshire

  8

  20

  250.0

  North Somerset

  30

  23

  76.7

  North Tyneside

  27

  21

  77.8

  North West Surrey

  2

  6

  300.0

  Norwich

  3

  3

  100.0

  Nottinghamshire

  198

  196

  99.0

  Oldham

  42

  25

  59.5

  Ormskirk

  21

  16

  76.2

  Oxford

  23

  18

  78.3

  Plymouth

  38

  32

  84.2

  Rochdale Middleton and Heywood

  60

  74

  123.3

  Rotherham

  18

  21

  116.7

  Scunthorpe

  33

  16

  48.0

  Sedgemoor

  24

  16

  66.7

  Sheffield

  48

  53

  110.4

  Slough

  8

  4

  50.0

  871W

  Applications and orders made in the family proceedings courts in England, 2002

  Family proceedings court

  Applications made

  Orders made

  Percentage orders granted

  South East Cornwall

  72

  36

  50.0

  South East Hampshire

  31

  9

  29.0

  South East Northumberland

  52

  22

  42.3

  South East Surrey

  2

  6

  300.0

  South Ribble

  4

  1

  32.5

  South Somerset

  5

  0

  0.0

  South West Surrey

  1

  0

  0.0

  Spilsby and Skegness

  40

  28

  70.0

  Stafford

  124

  124

  100.0

  Staincliffe

  4

  3

  75.0

  Stockport

  40

  34

  85.0

  Stoke-on-Trent

  65

  43

  66.2

  Sutton

  14

  11

  78.6

  Tameside

  35

  50

  142.9

  Teesside

  98

  119

  121.4

  Thanet

  25

  15

  58.1

  Trafford

  19

  7

  36.8

  Walsall

  18

  14

  77.8

  Warwick

  100

  36

  36.0

  West Somerset

  30

  24

  80.0

  Whitehaven

  9

  11

  122.2

  Wigan

  41

  11

  25.9

  Willesden

  12

  10

  83.3

  Wimbledon

  9

  8

  88.9

  Wirrall (Birkenhead)

  10

  6

  60.0

  Worthing and District

  8

  0

  0.0

  Wycombe and Beaconsfield

  3

  5

  166.7

  York

  22

  13

  59.1

  Note:

  The orders made do not necessarily relate to the applications made due to the period between application and order. The figures contain imputed data.

  Court Proceedings (Adjournment)
  John Cryer
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make an assessment of the impact on victims of crime of repeated adjournments of court proceedings at crown and magistrates' courts. [157332]

  Mr. Leslie
  In the Crown court close management of ineffective trials by courts and other Criminal Justice System agencies has resulted in a reduction to 17.8 per cent. in January 2004 from the baseline of 23 per cent. set last year. Progress in the magistrates court has been slower, but is still 1.5 per cent. better than the baseline, at 29.4 per cent. in January.

  Interviews with victims of crime have found that the inconvenience and emotional upheaval each adjournment causes reduces the likelihood that the victim will attend the next time.

  The Government are addressing the problem of ineffective trials through the Effective Trial Management Programme, which will ensure cases are ready on the trial date. In addition, on 4 February the Government announced a £27 million award for the "No Witness, No Justice" Project. This project will ensure victims and witnesses needs are taken into account so that they are more likely to attend on the date of trial.

  The impact of each is being assessed.
  872W
  John Cryer
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps he is taking to reduce the number of unnecessary adjournments of court proceedings. [157333]

  Mr. Leslie
  Adjournments and ineffective hearings in criminal cases are often caused by poor case preparation. The Department for Constitutional Affairs is working with the Home Office and Crown Prosecution Service to reduce the number of ineffective trials and improve case preparation and progression, including through the Effective Trial Management Programme. All criminal courts have been directed to address the rate of ineffective trials.

  Criminal Defence Services
  Mr. Garnier
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the average cost per case of(a) defence counsel and (b) solicitors for the defence funded by the Criminal Defence Services in (i) 2001–02 and (ii) 2002–03. [149442]

  Mr. Lammy
  It is not possible to provide information in the form requested for the following reasons:(a) work under the General Criminal Contract, carried out for hearings in the magistrates courts, is paid for by a different mechanism from hearings in the Crown court. Therefore there is no continuity of data which would readily enable us to identify total payments in cases heard in the magistrates court, and which are subsequently transferred to the Crown court and;
  (b) standard fees in the magistrates courts paid to solicitors may include money subsequently paid by a solicitor to unassigned counsel for publicly funded work. Therefore is not possible to obtain average case costs split between solicitor and counsel.

  Emergency Protection Orders
  Mr. Andrew Turner
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many applications were heard for emergency protection orders in each county in England in the last year for which information is available; what proportion were granted; how many were ex-parte applications; and what proportion of ex-parte applications were granted. [157610]

  Mr. Leslie
  Figures showing the number of applications for an emergency protection order and the number of orders made, by each county in England for the year 2002, are provided in the following table. No information is held centrally concerning those applications that were made ex-parte and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

  Emergency Protection Orders—applications and orders made, by county, 2002

  County

  Total applications

  Total orders

  Percentage orders granted

  Avon

  40

  38

  95.0

  Bedfordshire

  50

  28

  56.0

  Berkshire

  15

  10

  66.7

  Buckinghamshire

  34

  33

  97.1

  Cambridgeshire

  5

  0

  0.0

  Cheshire

  0

  0

  —

  873W

  Emergency Protection Orders—applications and orders made, by county, 2002

  County

  Total applications

  Total orders

  Percentage orders granted

  Cleveland and Darlington

  65

  30

  46.2

  Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

  37

  20

  54.1

  Cumbria

  19

  15

  78.9

  Derbyshire

  18

  14

  77.8

  Devon

  30

  26

  86.7

  Dorset

  0

  0

  —

  Durham

  16

  4

  25.0

  E Riding and N Lincolnshire

  4

  0

  0.0

  Essex

  6

  1

  16.7

  Gloucestershire

  29

  24

  81.9

  Greater London

  80

  73

  91.3

  Greater Manchester

  202

  163

  80.9

  Hampshire

  36

  24

  66.1

  Herefordshire and Worcestershire

  0

  0

  —

  Hertfordshire

  1

  0

  0.0

  Humberside

  57

  50

  87.7

  Kent

  26

  28

  707.8

  Lancashire

  74

  47

  63.5

  Leicestershire and Rutland

  32

  20

  62.5

  Lincolnshire

  22

  17

  77.3

  London

  364

  274

  75.2

  Merseyside

  28

  21

  75.0

  N. Somerset and S. Gloucestershire

  2

  0

  0.0

  Norfolk

  29

  28

  96.6

  North Yorkshire

  28

  17

  60.7

  Northamptonshire

  0

  0

  —

  Northumberland

  6

  6

  700.0

  Nottinghamshire

  134

  119

  88.8

  Oxfordshire

  35

  32

  91.4

  Shropshire

  1

  1

  100.0

  Somerset

  24

  12

  50.0

  South Yorkshire

  60

  60

  100.0

  Staffordshire

  144

  125

  86.8

  Suffolk

  9

  3

  33.3

  Surrey

  41

  33

  80.5

  Sussex

  90

  84

  93.3

  Tyne and Wear

  45

  19

  419

  Warwickshire

  44

  44

  700.0

  West Midlands

  72

  49

  68.7

  West Yorkshire

  71

  7

  9.9

  Wiltshire

  1

  3

  300.0

  National

  2,127

  1,603

  75.3

  Note:

  The orders made do not necessarily relate to the applications made due to the period between application and order. The figures contain imputed data.

  Family History Research
  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps his Department can take to enable individuals researching their family history to obtain more official documents, including censuses, online. [156817]

  Mr. Leslie
  In recent years the National Archives has developed many online services aimed at family historians, including the digitisation of wills from 1384 to 1858. This and other services are available on its website at: www.nationalarchives.gov.uk. It also operates a website which acts as a gateway for online family sources throughout the United Kingdom at www.familyrecords.gov.uk. The National Archives is determined to maintain this momentum through the development of its digitisation programmes and licensing agreements with commercial organisations.

  Mr. Dhanda
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will publish online the 1911 census. [157097]
  874W
  Mr. Leslie
  I refer the hon. Member to the answers I have given to the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland on 10 December 2003,Official Report, column 457W and on 18 December 2003, Official Report, column 1112W.

  Judicial Review
  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs (1) what the average cost to public funds of a judicial review case was in each of the last three years; [156799]

  (2) what the (a) average and (b) total cost was to public funds of judicial review cases relating to decisions under section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Bill 2002 in 2003. [156801]

  Mr. Leslie
  The Administrative Court Office does not identify unit costs for judicial review claims.

  It is not responsible for funding for "legal aid" for judicial review—that is the responsibility of the Legal Services Commission—and details of costs incurred by public authorities responding to claims are not kept by the Administrative Court Office.

  The information requested therefore could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average length to final determination was of a judicial review case in each of the last three years. [156800]

  Mr. Leslie
  The average waiting times for civil judicial review (issued after October 2000 when the new judicial review procedure was introduced) for the last three calendar years are as follows:

  2001–20.9 weeks

  2002–31.3 weeks

  2003–31.1 weeks

  The average waiting times include the periods in which cases were stood out of the list pending determination of test cases and any subsequent appeals in those matters.

  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average length of judicial review cases relating to decisions under section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 was in 2003. [156809]

  Mr. Leslie
  In 2003 the average waiting time for such cases was 19.9 weeks including the time cases were 'stood out' pending decisions in lead cases and any subsequent appeals in those lead cases.

  Video Equipment in Courts
  Vera Baird
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will make a statement on the quality of video equipment used in courts. [156312]

  Mr. Leslie
  All 78 Crown court have at least one set of VHS video playback equipment and some sites have this facility in each courtroom. There are currently 388 sets installed in a total of 521 courtrooms. 269 of these
  875W
  courtrooms also have facilities to link to remote witness rooms so that witnesses can give evidence without attending the courtroom.

  154 magistrates courts are equipped with videoconferencing facilities and video playback equipment. A total of 179 courtrooms have this facility and there are 133 rooms in which vulnerable and intimidated witnesses can give remote evidence.

  10 county courts and nine Immigration Appellate Authority sites have been provided with modern "stand alone" video conferencing equipment.

  This equipment has been installed in courts over the past 10 years and comprises a range of different makes and models. The vast majority of magistrates court equipment has been installed within the past three years and 20 per cent. of the Crown court installations have taken place in the past 12 months. This equipment includes VHS video and DVD players together with fixed plasma display screens.

  All of the video equipment in place meets current business requirements and is being used on a regular basis during hearings and trials. A comprehensive maintenance contract ensures that any reported failure of equipment is attended to as a matter of urgency. Equipment is typically serviced twice per annum.

  Voter Participation/Registration
  Mark Tami
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment has been made of participation rates in general elections in(a) the United Kingdom and (b) other EU countries in the last five years. [156446]

  Mr. Leslie
  While the Government are aware of participation rates in general elections in the UK and other EU countries, they have not conducted any specific research. The independent Electoral Commission reported on the outcome of the 2001 general election and has conducted research on voting intentions for the European parliamentary and Londons Mayoral and Assembly elections in June 2004.

  Mark Tami
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research his Department has conducted on the implications of the introduction of compulsory participation in United Kingdom elections. [156447]

  Mr. Leslie
  None. However, the Government are aware that the independent Electoral Commission has indicated that it intends to conduct future research on the international use of compulsory voting.

  Mark Tami
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research his Department has conducted on the use of(a) legal and (b) fixed penalties to encourage higher levels of voter registration. [156448]

  Mr. Leslie
  None. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), appointed for the purpose by local authorities, are responsible for compiling the electoral register. It is already an offence punishable upon conviction by a fine not exceeding £1,000 for a person to fail to comply with 876W
  a request for information from, or to provide false information to, an ERO who is seeking to carry out his duty to prepare an electoral register.

  Mark Tami
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what research his Department has carried out to ascertain why individuals do not register to vote. [156540]

  Mr. Leslie
  Research on why individuals fail to register to vote has not been carried out by this Department. However, the Government are aware that the independent Electoral Commission has published several research reports on voter engagement that have included coverage of levels of registration.

  Mark Tami
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage people to complete electoral registration forms. [156541]

  Mr. Leslie
  The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations 2001 introduced in February 2001 a number of changes to voter registration procedures aimed both at making it easier for persons to register to vote, and at achieving more accurate and up to date electoral registers. These changes included the introduction of 'rolling registration' and enabling persons without a conventional address to register to vote. The Government ran major public information campaigns at that time to publicise these changes.

  The independent Electoral Commission is now responsible for raising public awareness of registration issues.

  Mark Tami
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of people who failed to register to vote in the UK in each of the last five years. [156542]

  Mr. Leslie
  The information requested has not been collected by the Government.

  Mark Tami
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many registered postal voters there were in each constituency in the UK at the 2001 general election. [156548]

  Mr. Leslie
  The independent Electoral Commission published in January 2002 'Postal votes, proxy votes and spoilt ballot papers at the 2001 general election', which provides this information. I understand that the Commission placed copies of that document in the Library of the House at the time of publication.

  Mark Tami
  To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment he has made of the impact of the introduction of a rolling register on levels of voter registration in the UK. [156537]

  Mr. Leslie
  The Government consider that 'rolling registration' has resulted in more accurate and up to date electoral registers. I understand that the independent Electoral Commission has commenced further research to assess the operation and impact of rolling registration on levels of voter registration. The Government will consider carefully any findings made by the Electoral Commission on this issue.

HEALTH

  Genetically Modified Crops
  Mr. Simon Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what ruminant feeding trials have been conducted with T25 genetically modified fodder maize; whether such trials have been(a) published and (b) peer reviewed; and if he will make a statement on the implications of such trials for the commercialisation of T25 maize. [157752]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 1 March 2004]Ruminant feeding studies are not routinely required as part of the regulatory approval process for the marketing of new genetically modified organisms. Information on the specific GM event is used, with compositional analysis, to demonstrate whether a GM plant is substantially equivalent to its conventional counterpart. We are not aware of any published or peer reviewed reports of ruminant feeding trials conducted with T25 genetically modified fodder maize.

  Alefacept
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on research into Alefacept use for treating psoriasis; and what plans he has to introduce this in Northern Ireland. [157337]

  Dr. Ladyman
  We have no plans to undertake research into the use of Alefacept for treating psoriasis. Alefacept does not have a United Kingdom Marketing Authorisation. As an unlicensed medicine, doctors may prescribe it on a named-patient basis, but it will only be available on the national health service if the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency grants it a licence.

  Decisions on health policy in Northern Ireland are the responsibility of Ministers in the Northern Ireland Office whilst the institutions are suspended.

  Allergies
  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research his Department has carried out into the causes of the change in the number of people suffering from allergies. [157277]

  Dr. Ladyman
  A range of research projects on the epidemiology of allergies have recently been completed or are ongoing. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) was formed in 1991. Phase one measured the prevalence of childhood asthma, hay fever and atopic eczema for international comparisons. Phase two began in 1998 and involves more intensive studies in a smaller number of countries. The Department funded the United Kingdom contribution to phase two.

  King's College London has led a £2.1 million European Commission-funded prospective study of the incidence and prognosis of allergy, allergic disease and low lung function in adults living in Europe. King's College is also participating in the Global Allergy and Asthma European Network, launched on 12 February 2004. In addition, the University of Manchester is leading a £1.2 million EC-funded investigation of the
  878W
  prevalence, pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of sun allergy across Europe. Sun-provoked skin reactions are one of the commonest forms of allergy.

  This European and international research activity will contribute to evidence on the possible causes of the increase in allergy rates in the United Kingdom and other European countries.

  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans his Department has for extending specialised allergy services in(a) England and Wales, (b) the North West and (c) Blackpool. [157278]

  Dr. Ladyman
  It is the responsibility of primary care trusts, in partnership with other local stakeholders, to determine how best to use their funds to provide health services for their populations, including those with allergies.

  Mr. Gordon Marsden
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many(a) adults and (b) children have been recorded as suffering from allergies in (i) England and Wales, (ii) the North West and (iii) Blackpool in each of the last five years for which figures are available. [157279]

  Dr. Ladyman
  The information requested is not held centrally. Last year, in its report, "Allergy—the unmet need: a blueprint for better patient care", the Royal College of Physicians estimated that around one in six of the population is affected by allergy.

  Avian Influenza
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps he is taking to protect the population from avian influenza; and whether a vaccine will be made available. [154446]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  As soon as avian influenza disease was reported by the Thai and United States authorities, the United Kingdom banned imports of fresh meat of poultry, poultry meat products, raw material for animal feed production, eggs for human consumption, live captive birds such as falcons and finches, unprocessed feathers and untreated game trophies, untreated poultry manure, ratites farmed and wild feathered game from those countries.

  Various organisations worldwide are looking at producing a vaccine against avian influenza H5N1 including the National Institute for Biological Standards and Control in the UK. This work is estimated to take about six months.

  Cancer
  Mr. Baron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate he has made of the proportion of cancer cases which were preventable in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by type of cancer. [150232]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 26 January 2004]: There is no safe way to estimate the numbers of cancer cases that were preventable. Smoking, poor diet and lack of exercise all play their part in causing cancers but less controlable factors such as genetic make-up and environment make identifying preventable factors difficult.

  Care Homes (Deaths)
  Mr. Greg Knight
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many care assistants employed in care homes in England and Wales have Confirmed the death of a resident in the past 12 months for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement; [153481]

  (2) whether it is his policy to encourage doctors to train care assistants to confirm deaths that occur in care homes; and if he will make a statement. [153444]

  Dr. Ladyman
  [holding answer 11 February 2004]: Under the Care Homes Regulations and the Care Homes (Wales) Regulations care home providers are required without delay to notify the National Care Standards Commission (NCSC) and the Care Standards Inspectorate for Wales (CSIW) respectively that a resident has died, including the circumstances of the death. In practice, a member of staff working in the home will notify the regulator. The NCSC and the CSIW do not collect information about which member of staff in a care home has notified them of the death of a resident.

  The doctor who attended the resident during his or her last illness is responsible for certifying the cause of death. If a doctor feels unable to complete the death certificate the death is referred to the coroner for investigation.

  Care home providers are responsible for ensuring that the staff working in care homes have qualifications suitable to the work they are to perform and the skills and experience necessary for such work. Providers are also expected to arrange appropriate training for their staff. We would expect this to include all aspects of dealing with the death of a resident.

  Chiropody Services
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures he is taking to improve access to chiropody services. [157141]

  Dr. Ladyman
  It is for primary care trusts in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services. Their responsibilities include access to chiropody services locally.

  Causes of Death
  Mr. Burstow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many deaths in people over 60 since 1997 were due to(a) cancer, (b) coronary heart disease and (c) falls; and if he will make a statement. [156647]

  Ruth Kelly
  I have been asked to reply.

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

  Letter from John Pullinger to Mr. Paul Burstow, dated 2 March 2004:

  The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many deaths in people aged over 60 since 1997 were due to (a) cancer, (b) coronary heart disease and (c) falls. (156647)
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  The latest year for which data are available is 2002. Figures for cancer, ischaemic (otherwise known as coronary) heart disease and falls in persons aged over 60 are shown in the attached table for each year from 1997 to 2002.

  Number of deaths from (a) cancer, (b) ischaemic heart disease, and (c) falls1 in persons aged over 602, England and Wales, 1997 to 20023

  Calendar year

  (a) Cancer4

  (b) Ischaemic heart disease

  (c) Falls5

  1997

  112,147

  111,658

  2,198

  1998

  112,678

  110,425

  2,112

  1999

  110,956

  104,969

  2,161

  2000

  109,564

  98,862

  2,460

  20014

  112,711

  96,532

  2,058

  20024

  113,552

  93,578

  1,967

  1The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) for the years 1997 to 2000, and the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) for 2001 and 2002. The codes used are listed below:

  Cancer—ICD-9 140–208; ICD-10 C00-C97;

  Ischaemic heart disease—ICD-9 410—414; ICD-10 120—125;

  Falls—ICD-9 E880-E888 excluding E887; ICD-10 W00-W19.

  2Persons aged 61 years and over.

  3Figures are based on deaths occurring in each calendar year.

  4The introduction of ICD-10 for coding cause of death in 2001 means that data for cancer are not completely comparable with data for years before this date. The data should therefore be interpreted with caution. The effect of the change in classification in 2001 on deaths from cancer is described in a report published in May 2002.*

  5The data for falls for 1997 to 2000 exclude fractures of unspecified cause (1CD-9 E887), so data for these years are comparable to those for 2001 onwards. The effect of the change in classification in 2001 on deaths from falls is described in an article published in August 2003.*

  * Office for National Statistics. Results of the ICD-10 bridge coding study, England and Wales, 1999. "Health Statistics Quarterly" 14 (2002), 75ߝ83.

  ** Griffiths C and Rooney C. The effect of the introduction of ICD-l0 on mortality from injury and poisoning in England and Wales. "Health Statistics Quarterly" 19 (2003), 10ߝ21.

  Correspondence
  Mr. Steen
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he will reply to the letter from the hon. Member for Totnes dated 16 December 2003 concerning the interpretation of what constitutes a severe abnormality in relation to abortion laws. [155101]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  [holding answer 23 February 2004]: A reply was sent to the hon. Member on 6 February 2004.

  Cycling
  Mr. Nigel Jones
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the benefits of cycling to the health of the nation. [156103]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  The Department recommends that adults participate in at least 30 minutes of moderate intensity physical activity, at least five days a week and that young people participate in physical activity of at least moderate intensity for one hour per day. Leisurely cycling (around 10 miles per hour) represents one way of meeting these recommendations.
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  Regular cycling improves fitness significantly, reducing the risk of obesity, strokes, coronary heart disease, certain types of cancer, diabetes and osteoporosis. There are also benefits for mental health, with evidence of reduced depression and stress, improved self-esteem and confidence in performing physical tasks.

  Foundation Trusts
  Mr. Dobson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to his Answer of 11 February, ref 153001, if he will place in the Library the guidance he issued to first wave NHS foundation trusts. [155601]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 23 February 2004]: Copies of the guidance and the model rules for elections to the board of governors of national health service foundation trusts have been placed in the Library.

  GM Seed
  Andrew George
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what advice his Department has(a) given to and (b) received from the UK delegates attending European Commission regulatory standing and management committees on GM seed. [153891]

  Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2003: Vacancies in England and each Specified NHS Trust for qualified health visiting staff, 3 month vacancy rates, numbers and staff in post

  March 2003

  September 2002

  3 month vacancy rate (Percentage)

  3 month vacancy (Number)

  Staff in post (Whole-time equivalent)

  Staff in post (Headcount)

  England of which:

  2.3

  229

  9,912

  12,774

  5LD

  Lambeth PCT

  0.0

  0

  78

  89

  5M7

  Sutton and Merton PCT

  0.0

  0

  79

  105

  3 month vacancy notes:

  1. Three month vacancy information is as at 31 March 2003.

  2. Three month vacancies are vacancies which Trusts are actively trying to fill, which had lasted for three months or more (whole time equivalents).

  3. Three month Vacancy Rates are three month vacancies expressed as a percentage of three month vacancies plus staff in post.

  4. Three month Vacancy Rates for non-medical staff are calculated using staff in post from the Vacancy Survey, March 2003.

  5. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place.

  Staff in post notes:

  1. Staff in post data is from the Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2002.

  General notes:

  1. Vacancy and staff in post numbers are rounded to the nearest whole number.

  2. Calculating the vacancy rates using the above data may not equal the actual vacancy rates.

  3. Due to rounding, totals may not equal the sum of component parts.

  Sources:

  Department of Health Vacancies Survey, March 2003.

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census, September 2002.

  Mercury Healthcare
  Mr. Wilshire
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer, 10 February, to Question reference 153276, whether Mercury Healthcare(a) are still involved in the negotiations and (b) are still the selected contractor. [155185]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 23 February 2004]: On Tuesday 17 February, the Department announced that preferred bidder status for the independent sector treatment centre 'spine chain'—of which the treatment centre at Ashford is an integral part—had been switched from Mercury Healthcare to the reserve bidder, Capio UK.
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  Miss Melanie Johnson
  I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by my hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment on 23 February 2004,Official Report, column 140W.

  Health Services (Worcestershire)
  Sir Michael Spicer
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the future of Malvern Community Hospital. [157972]

  Dr. Ladyman
  West Midlands South Strategic Health Authority (SHA) reports that South Worcestershire Primary Care Trust continues to be committed to the development of a new hospital in Malvern. The project team is currently working on a business case, which will be submitted to the SHA.

  Health Visitors
  Mr. Baron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the Vacancy rates are for health visitors in(a) Lambeth and (b) Sutton primary care trusts. [155447]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 24 February 2004]: The information requested is shown in the table

  Ministerial Travel
  Bob Russell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he last used a train in connection with his ministerial duties. [155160]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  As of Wednesday 25 February 2004:

  My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health last travelled by train during the course of his official duties on Monday 23 February 2004, from London Euston to Birmingham New Street.

  My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health (Mr. Hutton) last travelled by train during the course of his official duties on Tuesday 10 February 2004, from London Waterloo to Southampton.
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  My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health (Miss Johnson) last travelled by train during the course of her official duties on Wednesday 25 February 2004, from London St. Pancras to Sheffield.

  My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health (Dr. Ladyman) last travelled by train during the course of his official duties on Thursday 12 February 2004 from London Kings Cross to Grantham.

  My noble Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Health (Lord Warner) last travelled by train during the course of his official duties on Wednesday 25 February 2004 from Birmingham New Street to London Euston.

  I last travelled by train during the course of my official duties on Tuesday 6 January 2004 from Ashford to London Charing Cross.

  All travel by Ministers on official business is undertaken in accordance with the rules set out in 'Travel by Ministers'.

  Neurologically Impaired Children
  Sue Doughty
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the recommendation in the Chief Medical Officers

  NHS hospital and community health services: Qualified nursing, midwifery and health visiting staff including Practice Nurses employed by Unrestricted Principals and equivalents (UPEs)1in England, the London2 area and each specified Strategic Health Authority area per one thousand of the population as at 30 September3 each specified year.

  headcount per 1,000 population

  1996

  1997

  19984

  19994

  2000

  2001

  2002

  England

  6.6

  6.6

  6.6

  6.7

  6.9

  7.1

  7.4

  of which:

  London2

  7.6

  7.6

  7.7

  7.9

  7.7

  7.9

  8.2

  Q04 North West London SNA

  8.1

  8.2

  8.4

  9.1

  8.0

  8.6

  8.9

  Q05 North Central London SHA

  10.3

  10.0

  10.0

  9.6

  9.8

  10.1

  10.0

  Q06 North East London SHA

  6.4

  6.4

  6.3

  6.2

  6.0

  6.3

  6.5

  Q07 South East London SHA

  7.3

  7.5

  7.9

  7.5

  7.9

  8.0

  8.9

  Q08 South West London SHA

  6.4

  6.4

  6.1

  7.4

  7.4

  6.9

  7.1

  1 UPEs include QMS Unrestricted Principals, PMS Contracted GPs and PMS Salaried GPs.

  2 Figures for London are based on each specified Strategic Health Authority area.

  3 Practice nurse figures are as at 1 October for 1997ߝ99

  4Headcount Practice Nurse figures are estimated for these years.

  Note.

  The Royal Marsden NHS Trust has been included with South West London Strategic Health Authority. 1996ߝ2001 data is estimated based on 2002 organisational structure. Figures are rounded to one decimal place

  Source:

  Department of Health Non-Medical Workforce Census

  Department of Health General and Personal Medical Services Statistics

  Office for National Statistics (ONS)

  Nursing Care Contributions Fees
  Mr. Burns
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the first annual review of registered nursing care contributions fees; and for what reason the review has not yet been published. [156318]

  Dr. Ladyman
  The revised monetary values attached to national health service-funded nursing care from April 2004, depending on level of need, are as follows:

  Low band—£40 per week (remains the same).

  Medium band—£77.50 per week (increased from £75 per week).

  High band—£125 per week (increased from £120 per week).

  On a case-by-case basis, primary care trusts will be able to agree an amount between £40 per week and the medium band, depending on the individual's needs.
  884W
  consultation paper "Making Amends" that support and compensation should be available to neurologically impaired babies, but that children with genetic or chromosomal abnormality would be excluded; and whether the recommendation would result in a difference in the support available to neurologically impaired children and their carers dependent on the cause of their neurological impairment. [156403]

  Ms Rosie Winterton
  The Department is currently analysing the many responses that were received to the consultation on "Making Amends". These responses and discussions with key stakeholders are informing the development of detailed policy, which we are aiming to publish later this year.

  Nurses (London Boroughs)
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the proportion of nurses per head of population was in each borough of London in each year since 1992. [155092]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 23 February 2004]: Data on the proportion of nurses per head of population is not held at borough area level. Data at strategic health authority area level from 1996 is shown in the table. This is the nearest alternative.

  Out-of-hours Service
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the operation of out-of-hours work for general practitioners from 1 April in North Yorkshire. [155970]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  In common with primary care trusts (PCTs) nationally, PCTs in North Yorkshire are currently working with their local general practitioners and other organisations to develop new arrangements for out of hours services in line with the new general medical services contract and which meet the needs of their local population for a high quality, sustainable out-of-hours service.

  Pension Schemes
  Mr. Laurence Robertson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what rights exist for NHS employees to transfer their pensions from schemes run by previous employers to the NHS pension scheme; what restrictions exist, with particular regard to length of remaining service with the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [155502]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 23 February 2004]: Members of the national health service pension scheme may transfer pension benefits from a previous pension scheme into the NHS scheme. Members wishing to do so must make an application within 12 months of joining the NHS pension scheme and before age 60.

  School Nurses
  Mrs. Shephard
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health what part in community nursing teams is played by school nurses. [153899]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 9 February 2004]: School nurses deliver health services to the school aged population with a focus on health promotion and preventing ill health. They are generally employed by primary care trusts and work closely with visitors, child health services, social care and education.

  Alongside their community nursing colleagues, school nurses will identify the health needs of the population and deliver public health and health care interventions that address local and national priorities.

  SunSmart Scheme
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how he intends to increase the profile of(a) the issue of skin cancer and (b) methods of effective sun protection through the SunSmart scheme; [155280]

  (2) how much funding will be provided for the SunSmart campaign for summer 2004; [155281]

  (3) what account the SunSmart campaign will take of tanning shops. [155282]

  Miss Melanie Johnson
  A new sun awareness initiative, the SunSmart campaign, was launched in March 2003, funded by United Kingdom Health Departments and run by Cancer Research UK.

  The campaign is based on the successful SunSmart campaign in Australia. The campaign has received interim funding of £50,000 this year from the UK Health Departments. Decisions on further funding for SunSmart will be made in due course.

  The campaign's aim is to increase the profile of the issue of skin cancer and methods of effective sun protection. The key objectives are to increase knowledge of the causes of skin cancer, to increase awareness of actions that can be taken to prevent skin cancer and to influence positively attitudes to sun protection.

  Wide dissemination of SunSmart messages will be achieved through the media and by supper ting education and health professionals locally. The campaign is working with the Department for
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  Education and Skills and teachers to develop guidelines to encourage schools to adopt their own SunSmart policies and curricular activities.

  Tanning shops and the potential dangers involved in the use of sunbeds will be the subject of a meeting of experts and industry hosted by SunSmart on 29 March. The campaign will review the latest scientific evidence and to develop practical recommendations for better self-regulation.

  SunSmart achieved mass media coverage for skin cancer issues in 2003, reaching 76 per cent. of UK adults, and will use similar techniques this spring/summer to keep skin cancer high profile with the public.

  In addition to the SunSmart campaign, we continue to fund the Meteorological Office to provide the Ultra-Violet index in the media (television, radio, Meteorological Office website).

  The Department also provides core funding to the National Radiological Protection Board, which has expertise on ultra-violet radiation issues relevant to the public health aspects of the prevention of skin cancer.

  Tuberculosis
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many new cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in London in each year since 1995. [155093]

  Mr. Hutton
  [holding answer 23 February 2004]: The information requested is shown in the table.

  Data on tuberculosis notifications are available from the Health Protection Agency at http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/tb/epidemiology/table5.htm.

  Tuberculosis notifications in London

  1995

  2,042

  1996

  2,190

  1997

  2,411

  1998

  2,444

  1999

  2,493

  2000

  2,834

  2001

  2,886

  2002

  2,850

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

  Skilled Workers
  Mr. Simmonds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate his Department has made of the supply of skilled workers in key areas, with particular reference to(a) the construction industry, (b) plumbing, (c) the NHS and (d) the education system. [157586]

  Mr. Miliband
  The Skills Strategy (published in July 2003) set out our plans for identifying skill needs across the economy.
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  In relation to the particular areas highlighted:

  The construction industry and plumbing

  Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) are being established to identify and define the skills that employers need to raise productivity in all major sectors of the economy. Construction is one of four sectors pioneering new Sector Skills Agreements to deliver on this agenda.

  Construction was highlighted as a priority curriculum area in "Success for All: Our Vision for the Future" the Government's strategy for reforming further education and training published in November 2002.

  The 2003 National Employers Skills Survey shows the construction sector as having a relatively high number of skill shortage vacancies per employee in comparison to other sectors.

  Forecast future requirements in the construction sector are of an annual net requirement between 2003 and 2007 of 54,000 construction workers and 6,000 plumbers. This is to replace both an ageing workforce and to meet an expansion of the sector.

  Supply is expected to meet this increased future demand. In 2001/02 there were 49,000 vocational awards for construction and 11,000 for plumbing while the number of first-year construction trainees increased for the fifth year running in 2002/03.

  The NHS

  The NHS Plan acknowledged that shortages in human resources were the biggest constraint facing the NHS and set ambitious targets for increasing the NHS workforce. By March 2004 there will be 7,500 more consultants, 2,000 more GPs, 20,000 more nurses and 6,500 more therapists and other health professionals employed in the NHS than in 1999.

  Furthermore, "Delivering the NHS Plan" included expected increases in the NHS work force. Between 2001 and 2008, we expect there to be increases of 35,000 nurses and midwives, 15,000 consultants and GPs and 30,000 therapists and scientists.

  The education system

  The Secretary of State for Education and Skills is responsible for ensuring an adequate supply of school teachers. Since 1997 there has been an increase of nearly 25,000 regular teachers in maintained schools in England. Recent improvements in recruitment to initial teacher training and innovative ways of remodelling the work force—with support staff helping teachers to use their professional skills to greatest effect—mean that supply is expected to continue to be sufficient. Alongside rising teacher numbers, there is also evidence of improving teacher quality.

  The DfES liaises regularly with the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) to ensure that the supply of teaching and learning is not adversely affected by labour shortage.

  In addition, the DfES has responsibility—following the publication of the Green Paper, "Every Child Matters"—for children's services more broadly, including social care, and is currently developing its evidence base on the wider children's work force.

  Adult Learning
  Mr. Simmonds
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much funding has been made available for adult learning in further education colleges for each year since 1997. [154234]

  Alan Johnson
  The information requested is set out in the following table:

  Adult participation funding (including additional learning support)

  £ million

  1997–98

  1,296

  1998–99

  1,321

  1999–2000

  1,346

  2000–01

  1,485

  2001–02

  1,608

  2002–03

  1,733

  These figures represent allocations made to further education colleges funded by the Further Education Funding Council (FEFC) until 2000–01, and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) from 2001–02.

  Business Skills Education
  Ms Walley
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what his Department's policy is on teaching business and entrepreneurial skills to primary school children; and if he will make a statement; [155587]

  (2) what funding his Department is giving to (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in (i) Staffordshire and (ii) Stoke-on-Trent to improve the business skills of school pupils; and if he will make a statement; [155588]

  (3) what his Department's funding for business and entrepreneurial skills has been for each of the last 10 years in (a) primary schools and (b) secondary schools; and if he will make a statement; [155589]

  (4) what his Department's budget is in 2003–04 for the funding of business skills education in primary education; and if he will make a statement; [155590]

  (5) what his Department's future programmes are for improving business and entrepreneurial skills in (a) primary school children and (b) secondary school children; and if he will make a statement. [155592]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  Business and enterprise are covered within the Citizenship curriculum, which is compulsory in secondary schools. For example, 14 to 16-year-old pupils are taught about how the economy functions, including the role of business and financial services.

  The non-statutory framework for Personal, Social and Health Education, provides for personal finance education to be taught in both primary and secondary schools, allowing teachers to cover the wide range of topics as set out in the Department's "Financial Capability through Personal Financial Education" guidance for schools. This helps to provide children with the skills they need to move into adulthood, confident in

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  their ability to deal effectively with a range of financial decisions. We do not disaggregate the funding schools spend on different elements of curriculum subjects.

  From 2005/06 a new £60 million Enterprise Education entitlement will provide all Key Stage 4 pupils with the equivalent of five days enterprise activity which will develop enterprise capability—including personal financial capability as well as business understanding. 151 Pathfinder projects began in nearly 400 secondary schools in September 2003. They will help DfES to develop additional guidance including case studies and lesson plans. Fair Oak High School, Walton High School in Staffordshire and Blurton High School in Stoke-on-Trent, are Enterprise Pathfinder schools, receiving some £34,000 between them in the financial year 2003–04.

  Child Removals
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills further to the Appeal Court judgment in the Rv. Cannings case, what specific action he has initiated to review the cases of children removed from their parents in the family courts which have involved expert witness testimony from (a) Professor Sir Roy Meadow and (b) others on the expert witness list for (i) their expertise in Munchausen's syndrome by proxy and (ii) causing child death by shaking. [152136]

  Margaret Hodge
  I made a statement to the House on 23 February 2004, following the Appeal Court's judgment in the appeal against the conviction of Angela Cannings. In this statement I announced the action that I have asked local authorities with social services responsibilities to take.

  First, for them to consider those cases which are affected by the Attorney-General's Review. In those cases, councils should stand ready to act in the light of the outcome of that review.

  Secondly, within the next four weeks, for councils to identify and make their best efforts to review current cases. These are cases where they have commenced care proceedings in relation to a child and where the court has not yet made a final care order. In these cases councils should consider with their lawyers the implications, for those proceedings, of the Court of Appeal's judgment in the Cannings case.

  Thirdly, within the next 12 weeks social services should, together with their lawyers, identify those cases where a final care order was made in the past, which involved harm to the child or a sibling, and where the making of the care order depended, exclusively or almost exclusively, on a serious disagreement between medical experts about the cause of the harm. In such cases, councils should again consider, with their lawyers, whether there are now doubts about the reliability of the expert medical evidence. If that is so and, in the light of the child's current circumstances and current best interests, they should then consider whether to apply to the court for the care order to be discharged, or whether to support any application that may be made by the parents or the child. Councils, when reviewing cases, will also need to take into account any fresh case law judgments from the appeal court that may be relevant.
  890W
  Where applications to the court are made, whether by the local authority, the parents or the child it will be for the court to decide, in all cases, if the care order should be discharged.

  My statement set out a route forward for the period ahead within the limits of my ability to act. With this review and with the current and forthcoming judgments in both care proceedings and appeal cases in the courts we will ensure that we are acting in the best way possible to protect the interests of children both today and in the future.

  Children Act
  Mr. Chope
  To Ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skill when he will publish his final response to the Children Act Sub-Committee Report, "Making Contact Work"; and what the reasons are for the delay in publishing the response. [156674]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 26 February 2004]: The Children Act Sub-Committee published its report "Making Contact Work" in February 2002. The then Lord Chancellor's Department published its interim response in August 2002. Following the Machinery of Government changes last year, I now have lead responsibility for child contact issues.

  I have, together with my hon. Friends in the Department for Constitutional Affairs, been working carefully to consider how the family justice system and related children's services can better meet the needs of all children and their parents following relationship breakdown. We want to ensure that better outcomes are achieved for children by, where possible, helping parents agree contact arrangements without the intervention of the courts. We have also consulted widely with stakeholders and drawn on their expertise. I expect to publish the Government's response in March.

  Children's Fund
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) by what amount the Children's Fund was over-committed in financial year 2003–04; [155634]

  (2) how much he estimates the Children's Fund will be over-committed in (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06; [155635]

  (3) how much money has been saved by reductions to the (a) 2004–05 and (b) 2005–06 allocations to the Children's Fund. [155636]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Children's Fund was over-committed by £14.6 million in 2003–04 on an allocation of £150 million. It had a projected over-commitment of the same amount for 2004–05 and 2005–06.

  We have not made cuts to the Children's Fund in 2004–05 and 2005–06, indeed I expect to have spent more than the £450 million set aside for the Children's Fund by the end of 2005–06. Following discussions with the Children's Fund advisory forum of key stakeholders in the programme, we have agreed revised allocations to partnerships for 2004–05, together with a package of flexibilities that will ensure that the programme lives within its financial limits while honouring its commitments. We will be having a comprehensive dialogue about 2005–06 with partnerships and key

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  partners in the programme over the next few weeks, with final decisions to be taken in autumn 2004 informed by that dialogue and the outcome of the Spending Review.

  Class Sizes
  Mr. Laws
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average class size in English primary schools is; what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing a maximum average class size of 25; and if he will make a statement. [156699]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The average class size in English primary schools at January 2003 was 26.3. This relates to one teacher classes only.

  The Department has not made any estimate of the cost of introducing a maximum average class size of 25.

  Connexions
  Charles Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on the progress of the Connexions service towards meeting its target of reducing by one tenth the number of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training by one tenth by November 2004. [154781]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Connexions Service is making good progress towards the target of reducing the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training. In November 2003, Connexions Partnerships estimated that the proportion of 16 to 18year-olds not in education, employment or training had fallen by 8 per cent. in established phase 1 and 2 Partnership areas, and 3 per cent. overall taking the new phase 3 areas into account, during the past year.

  Charles Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training there were in each month since the Connexions service was established. [154782]

  Margaret Hodge
  The number of 16 to 18-year-olds known not to be in education, employment or training in each month since the Connexions Service was established is shown in the following table. The year-on-year increases in numbers recorded as being not in education employment or training change because of the phased roll out of Connexions Partnerships in 2002–03. The national data increases as each Partnership becomes operational. In November 2003, Connexions Partnerships estimated that the proportion of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training had fallen by 3 per cent. overall during the previous year.

  Number of 16 to 18-year-olds known by the Connexions Service not to be in education employment or training

  2001

  2002

  2003

  January

  —

  45,215

  133,089

  February

  —

  44,808

  130,399

  March

  —

  45,628

  126,684

  April

  24,747

  61,502

  103,543

  May

  23,331

  60,329

  97,479

  June

  24,794

  62,577

  87,808

  July

  28,737

  64,865

  88,017

  August

  30,469

  65,284

  87,091

  September

  45,692

  118,081

  117,487

  892W

  Number of 16 to 18-year-olds known by the Connexions Service not to be in education, employment or training

  2001

  2002

  2003

  October

  44,989

  130,083

  114,687

  November

  44,095

  131,906

  109,198

  December

  44,164

  126,423

  101,771

  Notes:

  1. Connexions Partnerships were rolled out over two years, with the first 15 Partnerships going live in 2001; 13 becoming operational between April and June 2002 and 16 between September and November 2002. The three remaining Partnerships became operational in 2003.

  2. Data for April 2001 to March 2002 is for 16 to 19-year-olds. Data for 16–18 year olds was not available.

  3. The number of 16 to 18-year-olds not in education, employment or training increases in September each year as summer school leavers enter the labour market for the first time.

  Charles Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his Departments policy to assess the impact of the Connexions service upon previously existing services for young people. [154783]

  Margaret Hodge
  The impact of Connexions on previously existing services has been tested through a survey of 'stakeholders'—individuals and representatives of partner organisations on the Connexions Partnership Boards and Local Management Committees (e.g. local authorities, the police, health and social services, voluntary and community organisations and employers).

  The survey of local partners in January 2003 found that a large majority (83 per cent.) believed that the objectives of Connexions were consistent with those of their own organisation and over 60 per cent. agreed that Connexions helped their organisation meet its own targets and objectives. Nearly eight out of 10 local partners thought that joint working between agencies providing services to young people in their areas was effective compared with 40 per cent. prior to the establishment of Connexions Partnerships.

  Charles Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many Connexions clients there are, broken down by(a) social class and (b) ethnic origin. [154793]

  Margaret Hodge
  Information on the social class of Connexions clients is not collected by Connexions Partnerships.

  Information on the ethnic origin of Connexions clients of compulsory education age (i.e. those in school years 8–11) is not collected by Connexions Partnerships. Information on the ethnic origin of those Connexions clients who have completed school year 11 in 2003 or earlier is collected by Partnerships and is shown in the following table.

  Number

  Connexions clients who are of post compulsory education age (December 2003)

  2,300,364

  White total

  1,699,787

  White British

  1,545,354

  White Irish

  5,464

  Other white background

  59,824

  White not known

  89,145

  White and black Caribbean

  7,129

  893W

  Number

  Mixed race total

  24,009

  White and Black African

  2,683

  White and Asian

  5,317

  Other mixed background

  8,880

  Black or black British total

  74,018

  Black Caribbean

  28,869

  Black African

  27,335

  Other black background

  17,814

  Asian or Asian British total

  132,021

  Indian

  51,182

  Pakistani

  49,063

  Bangladeshi

  19,467

  Other Asian background

  12,309

  Chinese

  8,643

  Other

  44,876

  No ethnic information

  317,010

  Charles Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost of marketing the Connexions service has been in each year since its establishment. [154808]

  Margaret Hodge
  Since the establishment of the Connexions service in April 2001, the breakdown of spend on marketing and advertising for each year of its existence is as follows:

  1Marketing and advertising

  2001–02

  889,073

  2002–03

  23,266,489

  2003–04 (total committed to beginning February)

  33,241,000

  1i.e. radio, cinema, TV advertising, campaign extension, Connexions publications, conferences)

  2Includes £226,850 for Connexions Direct

  3Includes £60,317 for Connexions Direct

  This breakdown is for central budgets only. Data is collected centrally on the broad areas of Partnerships' expenditure but not at a level detailed enough to enable identification of how much has been spent on marketing and advertising.

  Charles Hendry
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many staff are employed by the Connexions service, broken down by(a) job title and (b) area partnership. [154809]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 12 February 2004]: The following table shows the total number of staff employed by each Connexions Partnership in December 2003. Information on the number of staff employed by each Connexions Partnership by job title is not available.

  Figures are expressed as "full-time equivalent" posts.

  Total

  England

  14,071.1

  South East

  2,163.2

  Berkshire

  157.6

  South Central

  862.1

  Kent

  268.7

  Milton Keynes Ox and Bucks

  261.2

  Surrey

  140.6

  Sussex

  473.0

  894W

  Total

  London

  1,691.3

  Central London

  390.5

  North London

  250.6

  South London

  229.0

  East London

  455.8

  West London

  365.4

  East of England

  1,060.2

  Bedfordshire and Luton

  123.7

  Cambs and Peterborough

  163.6

  Essex Southend and Thurrock

  293.5

  Hertfordshire

  198.8

  Norfolk

  134.0

  Suffolk

  146.6

  South West

  1,146.1

  Bournemouth Dorset and Poole

  128.8

  Cornwall and Devon

  362.3

  Gloucestershire

  102.6

  Somerset

  138.3

  West of England

  302.1

  Wiltshire and Swindon

  112.0

  West Midlands

  1,901.3

  Birmingham and Solihull

  457.4

  Black Country

  372.9

  Coventry and Warwick

  285.2

  Hereford and Worcester

  296.3

  Shropshire Telford and Wrekin

  160.2

  Staffordshire

  329.3

  East Midlands

  1,096.4

  Derbyshire

  284.9

  Leicestershire

  222.5

  Lincolnshire and Rutland

  188.1

  Northamptonshire

  135.9

  Nottinghamshire

  265.0

  Yorks and Humber

  2,043.7

  Humber

  329.4

  York and North Yorkshire

  132.2

  South Yorkshire

  417.3

  West Yorkshire

  1,164.8

  North West

  2,092.7

  Cheshire and Warrington

  249.6

  Cumbria

  201.6

  Greater Manchester

  816.8

  Greater Merseyside

  401.3

  Lancashire

  423.4

  North East

  876.2

  County Durham

  168.5

  Northumberland

  89.4

  Tees Valley

  245.0

  Tyne and Wear

  373.3

  Source:

  NEXUS Data at December 2003.

  Consultants
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the consultants being used in the current financial year to assist in the implementation of his schools strategy. [157289]

  Mr. Miliband
  This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will list the consultants used by his Department in 2002–03 where the expenditure exceeded £1,000,000. [157290]
  895W
  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  [holding answer 27 February 2004]: This information could be supplied only at disproportionate cost.

  Criminal Records Bureau
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what procedures are in place for carrying out Criminal Records Bureau checks on(a) overseas teachers and (b) other overseas workers coming to work in schools in the UK; and if he will make a statement. [153725]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 9 February 2004]: My Department's guidance to employers in the education service about pre-appointment checks on teachers and other workers in schools advises that, if a person who they intend to appoint to work in a school has never lived in the UK, no purpose will be served by asking them to apply for a disclosure when they come to this country.

  The Criminal Records Bureau is not able to obtain details of a person's criminal record from overseas. A limited number of overseas convictions are recorded on the Police national computer, but the data is not comprehensive.

  The Bureaus Overseas Information Service provides advice to employers on the availability of criminal record information from overseas The service currently covers 17 countries (Denmark, France, Germany, Irish Republic, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Poland, Canada, Jamaica, South Africa. Malaysia, Philippines, Australia, New Zealand, Italy (excluding Vatican City) and Finland). The CRB is in discussions with the 10 accession countries to the European Union and aims to provide information through the Overseas Information Service about the criminal record information available from these countries within the next few months.

  Where criminal record information is not available, we recommend that employers take extra care in taking up references and carrying out other checks on a persons background.

  Drugs Education
  John Mann
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) what letters of concern his Department has received from the Home Office on the issue of personal advisers on drugs education;[156026]

  (2) what assessment he has made of the provision of drugs education in schools in 2004 following the abolition of the standards fund; [156027]

  (3) what meetings on drugs education Ministers in his Department have held with ministerial colleagues from the Department of Health and the Home Department since September 2003; [156028]

  (4) how many personal advisers working on drugs education in secondary and primary schools are to be made redundant owing to the removal of the standards fund; and what plans there are to replace their specialist input;s [156029]

  (5) how many personal advisers work in the classroom on drugs education; and what the figures were in 2002 [156030]
  896W
  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  [holding answer 25 February 2004]: In line with Exemption 2 of the Code of Practice, confidential communications between Departments is not made public. It is not normal practice of Governments to release details of specific meetings or their content as some of these discussions may have taken place on a confidential basis.

  The Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted) will continue to be responsible for evaluating and reporting on the school's polices and practice in drug education within personal, social and health education (PSHE) and citizenship provision as part of the school inspection process. In addition, Ofsted surveys the quantity and quality of drug education in schools on behalf of the Department. The next data collection exercise will take place during the Summer Term 2004 and report in the Autumn.

  The Department does not collect data on the number of School Drug Adviser redundancies or how many school Drug Advisers work in the classroom on drug education. Their principal role is to support schools in planning and implementing effective policy and practice on drug issues rather than direct classroom delivery.

  From April 2004, our main focus will be on supporting teachers' professional development. The PSHE certification programme, which sets standards for the teaching of PSHE and certificates those who meet the standards, will be rolled-out to 3,000 teachers.

  Young people will continue to receive advice and support on drug issues from schools, the Connexions Service and a range of local agencies.

  Early Years Education
  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with local authorities on meeting the statutory requirement to provide free early education for each three and four-year-old by April and the role of private day nursery providers in this; and if he will make a statement. [155823]

  Margaret Hodge
  Funding has been made available for expanding three year old provision since 1999, building to universal provision by April 2004. During this period local authorities have been encouraged, through published guidance, to grow provision taking into account local demand and social need and using a mixture of maintained, independent, voluntary and private providers to support parental choice.

  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether it is his policy to phase out private providers for the nursery education grant scheme; and if he will make a statement. [R] [155826]

  Margaret Hodge
  This Government greatly values the contribution made by the thousands of private, voluntary and independent sector providers and is determined that they should continue to play a full part in the provision of early years education and child care.

  Bob Spink
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what action he will take to ensure the continuity of provision of private sector nursery education for 3 and 4-year-olds, under the nursery education grant scheme in relatively isolated
  897W
  communities which currently have a single private provider, where that provider withdraws as a result of the withdrawal of the ring-fencing of funds to local authorities. [R] [155828]

  Margaret Hodge
  From 1 April 2004 local authorities will be under a statutory duty to provide sufficient nursery education for all three and 4-year-olds in their area. Local authorities have been encouraged through published guidance, to grow provision using a mixture of Maintained, Independent, Voluntary and Private providers to support parental choice and take into account the needs of children and families.

  Education Funding
  Mrs. Humble
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how much money was spent on school buildings in the Blackpool, North and Fleetwood constituency in each year since 1997, broken down by school. [157503]

  Mr. Miliband
  The majority of capital support is allocated to schools and local education authorities (LEAs) by formula, and they decide how to invest it in line with the priorities of their asset management plans. The Department does not, therefore, have complete information about capital investment in individual schools. This information should be held locally. However, the following table shows the total capital support made available by this Government for school buildings in Blackpool LEA since 1998–99 when Blackpool became a unitary authority.

  £ million

  1998–99

  2.6

  1999–2000

  4.0

  2000–01

  6.9

  2001–02

  8.3

  2002–03

  6.6

  2003–04

  17.0

  We have to date also allocated indicative funding for future years worth approximately £14.4 million in 2004–05, and £5.8 million in 2005–06.

  Mrs. Fitzsimons
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what capital funding has been received by Rochdale Council Education Department since 1996; which schools benefited from additional capital investment in each year; how much funding each school received; and how the funding has been spent. [157504]

  Mr. Miliband
  The majority of capital support is allocated to schools and local education authorities (LEAs) by formula, and they decide how to invest it in line with the priorities of their asset management plans. The Department does not, therefore, have complete information about capital investment in individual schools. This information should be held locally. However, the following table shows the total capital support made available by this Government for school buildings in Rochdale LEA since 1996–97.
  898W

  £ million

  1996–97

  1.0

  1997–98

  2.9

  1998–99

  4.7

  1999–2000

  2.8

  2000–01

  6.1

  2001–02

  7.1

  2002–03

  7.9

  2003–04

  12.0

  We have to date also allocated indicative funding for future years worth approximately £69 million in 2004–05 including £56 million of PFI credits, and £4.4 million in 2005–06.

  Educational Achievement
  Mrs. Iris Robinson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of pupils achieved three grade As or above at A-level in each of the last five years. [155425]

  Mr. Miliband
  The percentage of 16 to 18-year-old A-level candidates achieving at least three A grades at A-level over the last five years in all schools and colleges in England:

  Percentage of 16 to 18-year-old A-level candidates achieving at least three A grades at A-level

  1999

  7.0

  2000

  7.4

  2001

  7.4

  2002

  7.9

  2003

  8.3

  EU Accession Countries
  Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when the children of citizens of EU accession countries working in the United Kingdom will(a) be permitted to attend without charge state (i) schools, (ii) colleges and (iii) universities, (b) qualify for free school meals, (c) qualify for assistance with travel costs to and from school and (d) qualify for assistance in providing school uniforms. [156978]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  Children of citizens of EU accession countries working in the UK will have access to schools when their parents enter the UK.

  Generally, students from the accession countries in colleges and universities will be entitled to receive education at the home student fee rate from the beginning of the 2004/05 academic year, in the same way as current EU students. Young people aged 16–19 in further education with home fee status are exempt from tuition fees.

  Registered pupils in schools maintained by a local education authority, whose parents are in receipt of the following support payments, are entitled to receive free school meals:
  Income Support (IS);
  Income Based Job Seekers Allowance (IBJSA);
  support under part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999;

  899W
  Child Tax Credit provided they do not receive Working Tax Credit and have an annual income (as assessed by The Inland Revenue) which does not exceed £13.230.

  Children who receive IS or IBJSA in their own right are also eligible to receive free school meals.

  (c) Free transport is always necessary for a pupil of compulsory school age (5–16) who attends the nearest suitable school if it is beyond statutory walking distance. These are two miles for pupils aged up to eight and three miles for those aged eight and over. This is measured by the shortest route along which a child, accompanied as necessary, may walk with reasonable safety.

  (d)The payment of grants for uniform or clothing is at the discretion of each local education authority, and they determine the eligibility criteria and the amount of any such support.

  Family Courts
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Educaiton and Skills what the(a) average and (b) longest waiting time is for care proceedings in family courts. [156527]

  Mr. Leslie
  The average time taken for a care case to pass through a Care Centre, which deals with the more complex cases, was 52.5 weeks in December. The average time taken for a care case to pass through a Family Proceedings Court (FPC), which deals with about half of all cases of this type, is lower. Centrally held data does not record the longest waiting time. More complete and accurate figures for both FPCs and Care Centres will be available by the end of March.

  Home Assessment Visits
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average waiting time is in Gloucestershire for a home assessment visit by Ofsted when a person in receipt of child tax credit or working tax credit needs their home to be assessed as this is the place where their children are being looked after rather than the home of the child minder. [156391]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Home Childcarer Scheme allows registered childminders to gain an additional approval to care for children in the children's home. This approval process does not involve an assessment of the children's home, where the carer is already registered by Ofsted as a child minder.

  Information Sharing
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has for new information referral and tracking systems; and how these will work sub-regionally to allow for effective information sharing on children and families who move across different local authorities. [155073]

  Margaret Hodge
  The Queen's Speech said that a Bill will be introduced to improve services designed to protect children. This will implement proposals contained in the Children's Green Paper "Every Child Matters", and, subject to consideration of responses to the Green Paper consultation, will include proposals for information sharing systems to enable practitioners to 900W
  share early information about children and young people where this will enable better services to be provided to them and their families.

  Information sharing systems must have the capacity to link together to ensure that children moving between local authority areas do not slip through the net. The Government have provided £1 million each to ten trailblazers, involving 15 local authorities, to test new ways of information sharing. The trailblazers are examining the important issue of linking databases and their experiences will inform subsequent developments.

  Minister for Children
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills for which funding schemes the Minister for Children is responsible [155933]

  Margaret Hodge
  Table A which sets out funding schemes where I have responsibility is as follows. It has been drawn from last year's Departmental Report and includes Sure Start, which is a cross-government programme where I work closely with Baroness Catherine Ashton who is the Minister for Sure Start in both the Department for Education and Skills and the Department for Work and Pensions. Table B is an extract from the Local Authority Social Services Letter, LASSL (2003) 7, and sets out the schemes that have transferred from the Department of Health to become my responsibility. In addition to these schemes the Home Office has transferred Family Grants, including Parentline, The Department for Constitutional Affairs has transferred Marriage and Relationship Support (MARS) grants, and Treasury have transferred the Parenting Fund.

  Table A: Extract from Table 3.2 in the Departmental Report 2003

  Early Years and Child Care

  Sure Start

  Support for Young People

  Connexions Service Neighbourhood

  Support Fund Millennium Volunteers

  Youth Services Children's Fund

  Table B: Extract from the Local Authority Social Services Letter. LASSL (2003)7 Local Authority provided Children's Services

  Unhypothecated Revenue

  Formula Spending Safeguarding Children

  Ring fenced Revenue Grants

  Quality Protects

  Adoption Support and Special

  Guardianship

  Choice Protects

  Children's Trusts

  Teenage Pregnancy Local

  Implementation

  Regional Development Workers

  Secure Accommodation (Bed Bank)

  Capital

  SCE(R) Single Capital pot

  Secure Accommodation Grant

  Children's Services

  Munchausens Syndrome
  Tim Loughton
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills when he was first informed of children being wrongfully removed from their parents owing to misdiagnosis of Munchausen's syndrome by proxy; and when he was first informed that Munchausen's syndrome by proxy was responsible for serious miscarriages of justice. [152113]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 30 January 2004]: We are not aware of any such situations. Local authorities have a duty to make inquiries where a child is thought to be at risk of significant harm, following Government guidance "Working Together to Safeguard Children".

  Where a local authority should seek a Care Order in respect of a child, it will be for the courts to decide if this is appropriate.

  However, I would refer you to the statement that I made to the House on 23 February 2004, in which I set out the action that I asked local authorities with social services responsibilities to take following the Appeal Court's judgment in the appeal against the conviction of Angela Cannings.

  North Korea
  Mr. Bercow
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to promote academic links between the United Kingdom and North Korea. [157540]

  Alan Johnson
  The Department for Education and Skills has no plans to promote academic links with North Korea.

  Postgraduate Education
  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people(a) applied for places on Post Graduate Certificate in Education courses, (b) were offered a place on a course and (c)successfully completed the course; in each year since 1990. [157493]

  Mr. Miliband
  Data on the number of people offered places on Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) courses is not collected. The following table shows the numbers of PGCE applicants in each year since 1991/92 and the number of candidates who accepted the offer of a place in each year since 1996/97. These are the earliest years for which this information is available. The number of entrants to PGCE courses is also shown.

  Applications1

  Acceptances1

  Entrants2

  England and Wales

  1990/91

  —

  —

  11,960

  1991/92

  24,870

  —

  15,050

  1992/93

  31,130

  —

  16,500

  1993/94

  33,650

  —

  17,690

  1994/95

  31,640

  —

  19,090

  1995/96

  33,250

  —

  19,330

  1996/97

  33,240

  18,000

  19,720

  1997/98

  33,300

  20,430

  19,480

  1998/99

  31,640

  19,020

  18,790

  1999/2000

  33,060

  19,770

  18,880

  902W

  Applications1

  Acceptances1

  Entrants2

  2000/01

  34,860

  20,990

  21,190

  England

  2001/02

  37,960

  20,040

  21,260

  2002/03

  42,570

  22,710

  23,320

  2003/04

  46,710

  25,350

  25,780

  Source:

  1Graduate Teacher Training Registry

  2DFE Recruitment Survey 1990/91 to 1993/94; HESES 1994/95;

  TTA Survey of ITT Providers 1995/96 to 2003/04

  Note:

  Excludes Fast Track—Data for these years not available

  The number of candidates who successfully completed PGCE courses in each calendar year from 1990 to 2002, the most recent available, is shown in the following table.

  Year of completion

  Completers

  England and Wales1

  1990

  9,600

  1991

  10,380

  1992

  13.460

  1993

  15,110

  1994

  16,130

  1995

  17.330

  1996

  16,900

  1997

  17,780

  1998

  17,150

  1999

  16,500

  2000

  16.160

  England2

  2000

  14,850

  2001

  16,150

  2002

  16,940

  Source:

  1DfES Database of Teacher Records

  2TTA Performance Profiles

  Mr. Sheerman
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to widen participation in postgraduate education. [157495]

  Alan Johnson
  The government are already investing significant sums in widening access to higher education, which will also increase the supply of potential postgraduate students. The additional funding available for science and research (up £1.25 million by 2005/06 compared to 2003/04) will also increase the volume of research and opportunities for postgraduate study. Financial support for postgraduate study is available through the Career Development Loan Scheme which is administered by my Department.

  Pre-School Play Groups
  Mr. Cameron
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many women are employed in the management and operation of pre-school play groups; and if he will make a statement. [156276]

  Margaret Hodge
  [holding answer 26 February 2004]: According to the latest available data in the 2001 Childcare Workforce Survey, there were 79,800 paid employees in playgroups and preschools. Of these 14,000 were managers, 18,340 supervisors with 47,460 other workers.

  99 per cent. of paid employees were female. We do not know the gender split for managers and supervisors.

  Random Drug Testing
  Mr. Amess
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what representations he has received supporting the drugs testing of school children; and if he will make a statement. [157356]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The Department has received a number of representations supporting the drug testing of pupils.

  "Drugs: Guidance for Schools" highlights drug testing as one of a range of options available to headteachers to tackle drugs. The guidance spells out the issues schools should consider before employing drug testing, including gaining appropriate consent. The guidance will be sent to all schools on 9 March.

  Retention Measures
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what measures are in place to encourage retention of workers in the(a) engineering and (b) manufacturing fields. [156981]

  Jacqui Smith
  I have been asked to reply.

  The Government's Manufacturing Strategy, which we developed in partnership with industry, trade unions and other stakeholders, aims to create a high value manufacturing sector in the UK with a highly skilled and well paid workforce, moving away from competing on the basis of low skill and low wages. We are continuing to develop a range of initiatives under the Skills Strategy such as employer training pilots, modern apprenticeships, the growing network of Sector Skills Councils and other measures to better deploy and retain skills to improve business performance.

  Where there are significant redundancies in the manufacturing sector, the Rapid Response Service works to move people quickly into new jobs, preventing them from becoming detached from the labour market. Although a trend to declining manufacturing employment has been a feature of advanced economies over the last 30 years, new jobs are still being created all the time. Around 250,000 manufacturing vacancies were reported to Jobcentre plus in the last year. Overall the UK labour market is performing well, with total employment rising by nearly 1.7 million since Spring 1997, and unemployment falling in every region in Britain over the past year.

  School Meals
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many(a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils in England are (i) eligible for and (ii) taking up free school meals, broken down by region. [156068]

  Mr. Miliband
  [holding answer 26 February 2004]: The data requested have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

  School Sports Facilities
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what submissions have been made 904W
  by his Department to the Activity coordination Team regarding making school sports facilities accessible to the community during school holidays. [155350]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The Department for Education and Skills is a full and active member of the Activity coordination Team. The Department is responsible for developing the education strand within the team's action plan. This will seek to maximise the benefits from opening up school sports facilities for community use, including during school holidays. The Activity
  coordination Team will publish its action plan later this year.

  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage schools to extend access to their sports facilities through the extended schools programme. [155351]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  The Department for Education and Skills published extended schools guidance in October 2002. The guidance covers a range of practical issues, including information and advice on providing community access to sports facilities. A copy has been placed in the House of Commons Library.

  The Department has made funding available to support local coordination and management of extended services in schools, and to create up to 240 full service extended schools, with at least one in each LEA area, by 2006. These schools will provide a prescribed core range of extended services and facilities, including sports and arts facilities.

  In addition, the national PE, School Sport and Club Links strategy aims to increase the percentage of five to 16-year-olds who spend a minimum of two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum to 75 per cent. by 2006. The strategy promotes the extended use of school sports facilities, for example the Sport Partnerships programme is delivering increased out of school hours sports opportunities. Schools benefiting from the £686 million investment in the New Opportunities for PE and Sport and the Space for Sport and the Arts capital programmes are required to demonstrate how the new school sports facilities can be shared with other schools and opened up for community use.

  James Purnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many schools have specialist sports status; and how they are being monitored to ensure they open their sports facilities to the wider community out-of-hours; [157764]

  (2) which specialist schools open their sports facilities to the wider community out-of-hours. [157769]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  There are 228 Specialist Sports Colleges across the country. We also have three Sports Academies with another one opening in September. A further 30 Sports Colleges have been approved already for this year, and we are expecting more applications for Sports College status in the March application round.

  All Specialist Schools have a community plan which spells out their commitment to their wider communities. Sports Colleges generally include the provision of out-of-hours and weekend coaching and club sports events, and these are monitored through the regular submission of progress reports to this Department. In addition, the Youth

  905W
  Sport Trust commissions in-depth annual reports on Sports Colleges which survey their community activities as well as their curricular and whole-school performance.

  James Purnell
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which universities allow use of their sports facilities by the wider community. [157768]

  Mr. Caborn
  I have been asked to reply.

  All universities allow the use of their sports facilities by the wider community, although the degree to which they do so varies enormously. Sport England have commissioned a piece of research into sports provision in higher education institutions which will cover community usage of university sports facilities. The 'Audit of Sports Provision in the Higher Education Sector' will be launched on 23 March 2004.

  Special Educational Needs
  Mr. Hoban
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment the Government has made of the cost of education of children with special education needs(a) with and (b) without statements. [157071]

  Mr. Stephen Twigg
  [holding answer 27 February 2004]: Figures for the costs of education of children with special education needs (SEN) with and without statements are not collected separately. However, it is possible to provide information about the overall expenditure on the education of children with SEN and to show the split of that expenditure between mainstream and special schools.

  The total estimated cost of providing special needs education in 2003–04 is £3,464,836,204. Of this, it is estimated that £1,717,253,601 will be spent on pupils in mainstream schools, in addition to their normal place funding. An estimated £1,511,349,567 will be spent on pupils in special schools. This includes pupils in maintained special schools and fees for pupils in independent and non-maintained special schools. In addition, an estimated £236,233,036 will be spent in this financial year on centrally funded SEN activities. These include the costs of educational psychology services, assessment and statementing, parent partnership services and the provision of information.

  Specialist Schools (Sponsorship)
  Mr. Willis
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will estimate the average amount of support that a specialist school receives through corporate and charitable sponsors. [156140]

  Mr. Charles Clarke
  On average a school applying for specialist status will receive £33,500 (67 per cent.) of the required £50,000 sponsorship from corporate and charitable sources (based on figures from the October 2003 application round). This includes an element of corporate and charitable sponsorship raised through the new Partnership Fund, which was introduced in 2002 to support schools in raising sponsorship. Schools raise the rest of the required amount through a combination of fund-raising, charitable donations from parents and other activities.

  Student Finance
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate the Student Loan 906W
  Company has made of the number of graduates who were in receipt of income contingent loans who are currently overseas: and what proportion of these have continued to make loan repayments. [155456]

  Alan Johnson
  [holding answer 27 February 2004]: Repayments from borrowers who live overseas are made directly to the Student Loans Company (SLC). 4,700 people who should be repaying their income-contingent loan are currently living overseas. 56 per cent. of these have made no repayments because their income is below the repayment threshold of £10,000 per year; 32 per cent. have made repayments. The remainder are people who have not yet provided sufficient evidence in order for the SLC to assess their liability to repay their income-contingent loan.

  Sure Start
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people have been affected by the new rules requiring accreditation by Sure Start because their childminder looks after children in the children's home. [156392]

  Margaret Hodge
  I should clarify the situation regarding the Home Childcarers Scheme to which this question refers. The scheme was launched in April 2003 to extend eligibility to tax credits to families using childcare in their own homes. It does not impose a new accreditation requirement on home based carers—seeking approval is entirely voluntary. Prior to the introduction of this scheme if a family needed to use childcare in their own home it was not possible to have this approved, or to access the childcare element of the Working Families Tax Credit.

  Currently there are 124 Home Childcarers who have been approved, by Ofsted, to care for children in the children's home. Home Childcarers can be employed by more than one family so the number of families using a Home Childcarer is unknown.

  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many parents have lost their entitlement to the childcare element of Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit because they did not possess accreditation by Sure Start of the childminder operating in the parents' home. [156393]

  Margaret Hodge
  No parents have lost their entitlement to tax credits under this scheme. The purpose of the Home Childcarer Scheme is to extend the availability of tax credits rather than to restrict it.

  Prior to the Home Childcarers Scheme parents using childcare in the child's home were not eligible to claim the childcare element of the Working Families Tax Credit (now replaced by the Working Tax Credit). The introduction of this scheme has enabled some parents to claim tax credits when before they were unable to do so.

  This Government are committed to extending the Home Childcarers Scheme to carers other than registered childminders and to enable more parents to benefit from the help available through tax credits. We are committed to holding a consultation on the options for an extension in spring 2004.
  907W
  Mr. Drew
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has held with Her Majesty's Treasury on debt problems faced by parents who have lost Child Tax Credit or Working Tax Credit because of the new Sure Start accreditation arrangements; and if he will make a statement. [156394]

  Margaret Hodge
  As the purpose of the Home Childcarer Scheme is to extend the, availability of tax credits rather than to restrict it no parents have faced debt problems as a result of its introduction.

  Taiwanese Students
  Mr. Hoyle
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills (1) how many Taiwanese nationals study at universities in the UK; [151274]

  (2) what he estimates the total amount in fees paid by Taiwanese nationals at UK universities was in the last academic year for which figures are available. [153124]

  Alan Johnson
  In 2002/03 there were 4,248 Taiwanese nationals enrolled on higher education courses at UK higher education institutions.

  Estimates of the total amount of fees paid by overseas nationals are not held centrally.

  University Attendance
  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people attended university from(a) the Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside local education authority and (c) the United Kingdom in each year since 1996. [148448]

  Alan Johnson
  Figures at constituency level are not held centrally. The available information at local education authority level covers accepted applicants to full time first degree and HND courses through the Universities and College Admissions Service (UCAS).

  Accepted applicants of all ages to full-time undergraduate courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) from South Tyneside LEA and England

  Year of entry

  South Tyneside LEA domiciles

  English domiciles1

  1996–97

  497

  220,891

  1997–98

  644

  251,904

  1998–99

  618

  245,914

  1999–2000

  596

  249,883

  2000–01

  623

  254,472

  2001–02

  655

  269,447

  2002–03

  665

  274,345

  1Accepted applicants with unknown English domicile are excluded from the figures.

  Source:

  Universities and College Admissions Service (UCAS)

  Mr. Hepburn
  To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school leavers attended university from(a) Jarrow constituency, (b) South Tyneside local education authority and (c) the United Kingdom in each year since 1996; and what percentage these were of the total number of school leavers in each of these years. [148449]
  908W
  Alan Johnson
  Figures at constituency level are not held centrally. The available information at local education authority level covers accepted applicants to full time first degree and HMD courses through the Universities and College Admissions Service (UCAS).

  Number of 18 year olds accepted for entry to full-time undergraduate courses via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) from South Tyneside LEA and England

  South Tyneside LEA domiciles

  English domiciles1

  Year of entry

  Number of 18 year olds accepted to HE courses

  Percentage of 18 year olds in LEA

  Number of 18 year olds accepted to HE courses

  Percentage of 18 year olds in England

  1996

  239

  13.7

  109,646

  19.9

  1997

  318

  15.7

  123,065

  20.5

  1998

  299

  14.8

  124,077

  20.0

  1999

  307

  15.2

  122,607

  20.0

  2000

  330

  16.7

  123,596

  20.6

  2001

  336

  17.2

  131,200

  21.5

  2002

  353

  17.4

  134,727

  22.0

  1Accepted applicants with unknown English domicile are excluded from the figures.

HOME DEPARTMENT

  Asylum Seekers
  Simon Hughes
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seeking households containing children or pregnant women were placed in bed and breakfast accommodation by the National Asylum Support Service under legislation other than the Housing Act 1996 and are as a consequence not included in the provisions of the Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 in each of the last five years. [152333]

  Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 2 February 2004]: The general practice of the National Asylum Support Service is that households containing children or pregnant women are not placed in bed and breakfast accommodation in dispersal areas.

  However, NASS grant funds six voluntary sector agencies to provide emergency accommodation, which is temporary accommodation provided pending dispersal, who provide a mixture of accommodation which may include bed and breakfast accommodation.

  I am unable to provide the requested information and could only do so at disproportionate cost.

  Glenda Jackson
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answers of 25 February 2004,Official Report, column 277, to the hon. Member for Ross, Skye and Inverness West, (1) with which countries the Government is in negotiations, other than Tanzania, on how to process claims for asylum nearer to the country of origin; [158114]

  (2) whether such claims would be for recognition of refugee status in (a) Tanzania and (b) the UK; [158115]

  (3) whether the processing of such claims for non-Tanzanian nationals would be carried out in Tanzania. [158286]
  909W
  Beverley Hughes
  Apart from Tanzania, we have not yet started any negotiations with other countries. These partnerships are not about processing asylum claims nearer to the country of origin. Rather the Tanzanians are helping us to establish whether certain failed asylum seekers in the United Kingdom who claimed as Somali are in fact Tanzanian. We are also seeking to help them better manage their own refugee caseload.

  Animal Welfare
  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer of 20 January 2004,Official Report, column 1205W, on animal welfare, ref 147328, with reference to recommendation 14, when the Inspectorate will be reviewed; and by whom. [155934]

  Caroline Flint
  In its report, published in July 2002, the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures recommended that the Home Office Animals (Scientific Procedures) Inspectorate should be subject to periodic review, by a body other than the Inspectorate itself. The Committee went on to describe the Inspectorate as a "trustworthy, professional body" and also acknowledged the valuable role that it has played in creating a culture of care in establishments licensed under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986.

  In the Government's response, published in January 2003, we welcomed the Select Committee's endorsement of the integrity of the Inspectorate and of the important contribution that it has made to the welfare of animals in designated establishments. However, we recognise that public awareness of the valuable job done by the Inspectorate is poor and agree that this needs to be remedied. We have, therefore, concluded that there would be value in the Inspectorate publishing an annual report on its work. The Inspectorate's first annual report will be published in the autumn of 2004.

  As to the periodic review of the Inspectorate, under Section 18 of the 1986 Act, Inspectors are responsible directly to the Secretary of State who is, in turn accountable to Parliament for their work. Inspectors are all medical or veterinary practitioners, as well as being civil servants, and are bound by medical or veterinary codes of professional conduct. In addition, in common with other Home Office staff, the Chief Inspector and members of the Inspectorate are subject to the civil service code and annual performance reviews as part of routine personnel management arrangements. In the light of these comprehensive arrangements, we do not believe that any further form of performance review is necessary. Members of the Inspectorate are highly professional and dedicated and have the complete confidence of Government Ministers.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his Answer of 20 January 2004,Official Report, column 1205W, on animal welfare, ref 147328, with reference to recommendation 11, which Government department is taking the lead on the systematic and visible search for 3Rs methods in toxicology; where that Department's progress can be viewed; and if he will make a statement. [155971]

  Caroline Flint
  In its report, published in July 2002, the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures recommended that the 910W
  Government and the scientific community should engage in a systematic and visible search for methods involving the 3Rs—the replacement of animal use, reduction of the number of animals used and the refinement of the procedures involved to minimise suffering—in toxicology and that the Government should nominate one department to take the lead on this.

  In the Government's response to the Select committee's report, published in January 2003, we agreed that a systematic and visible effort is required. As a first step, the Home Office is currently leading a review of the scope for improving the application of the 3Rs and promoting research into alternatives through the Inter-Departmental Group on the 3Rs. Membership of the Inter-Departmental Group is drawn from the Home Office, the Department of Health, the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Trade and Industry, the Office of Science and Technology, the Health and Safety Executive and other agencies.

  The work of the group includes exploration of the case for a United Kingdom centre for research into the 3Rs, which was also recommended by the House of Lords Select Committee, a review of the implementation of the Inter-Departmental Data-Sharing Concordat, announced in August 2000, and the review and revision of the Guidelines on Regulatory Toxicology and Safety Evaluation Studies. published in February 2001, and the statement of principles concerning animal welfare endorsed by the Home Office and other regulatory authorities in 1990—Annex 1 to the Regulatory Toxicology Guidelines.

  I am currently considering the Inter-Departmental Group's further advice on the proposed United Kingdom centre for research into the 3Rs. I expect to receive the findings of the Inter-Departmental Group on the other two issues shortly and will then consider what further steps are required.

  Minutes of the meetings of the Inter-Departmental Group are published on the Home Office website at http:// www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs2/interdept3rs.html.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2004,Official Report, column 1205W, on animal welfare, with reference to recommendation 12, what steps the Government have taken to urge EU member states to make replacements a priority. [155972]

  Caroline Flint
  In its report, published in July 2002, the House of Lords Select Committee on Animals in Scientific Procedures recommended that the United Kingdom Government should use their influence to urge the European Union to make the development and validation of replacements for animal experiments a priority, particularly in toxicology.

  In our response, published in January 2003, the Government noted the Select Committee's view and agreed that replacement should be the ultimate goal. We also explained that we do not believe that it should be made a priority at the expense of reduction or refinement, as these are where progress can be made more quickly. We are instead fully committed to the furtherance of all of the

  911W
  3Rs—the replacement of animal use, reduction of the number of animals used and the refinement of the procedures involved to minimise suffering.

  United Kingdom Government Departments and agencies are involved in a number of specific initiatives in the European Union to develop, validate and incorporate more advanced test methods into regulatory practice. The Government also continue to support the work of the European Centre for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ECVAM) and the head of the Home Office Animals Scientific Procedures Division is now the United Kingdom representative on the ECVAM Scientific Advisory Committee and is contributing to discussions about the future direction of ECVAM's work. The Government also warmly welcome the liaison between ECVAM and its United States counterpart, the Interagency Co-ordinating Committee for the Validation of Alternative Methods (ICCVAM), as a means of achieving greater progress, more quickly and ensuring commitment from more than one economic region. Quick gains cannot necessarily be expected, but we shall continue our efforts to persuade other member states of the importance of progress on the 3Rs.

  Mr. Hancock
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 20 January 2004,Official Report, column 1205W, on animal welfare, what factors underlay the decision not to invite expert scientific opinion opposed to primate experimentation to take part in the forum, with particular reference to (a) Animal Aid and (b) Europeans For Medical Advancement. [156017]

  Caroline Flint
  The aim of the stakeholder forum, which was held on 9 January 2004, was to hold informed debate on the recommendations contained in the Animal Procedures Committee's (APC) report entitled "The use of primates under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986—analysis of current trends with particular reference to regulatory toxicology". This in turn was to assist preparation of a ministerial response to the issues which the APC has raised.

  The Home Office and the APC agreed that, in order to hold a focused debate, attendance at the forum should be limited to organisations with practical experience in the use of primates in scientific procedures, or with other particular expertise relevant to the report's recommendations.

  Consequently, invitees included holders of related project licences issued under the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986, from both the commercial and academic sectors, as well as individuals from funding and regulatory organisations and other Government Departments. Groups with expertise in alternatives to animal experiments were also invited to send representatives.

  It was decided that representatives from animal protection organisations such as Animal Aid and Europeans For Medical Advancement should not be invited to comment through this forum. Places at the forum were limited and the Home Office and the APC primarily wanted to test the technical basis and the practicalities of the recommendations with those experts in the use of primates best placed to contribute to such an exercise.
  912W
  A report on the forum will be placed on the Home Office and APC websites in the near future, and I would be pleased to receive informed comments from any other source before I further consider all the issues raised.

  Asylum and Immigration
  Mr. Pope
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers there are in(a) the constituency of Hyndburn and (b) the County of Lancashire. [156725]

  Beverley Hughes
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Statistics on the location of asylum seekers in the United Kingdom are linked to the available information on the support that the asylum seeker receives. Asylum seekers currently in the United Kingdom are either in receipt of support from the National Asylum Support Service (NASS) or from local authorities, or are supporting themselves. Statistics regarding the location of asylum seekers not in receipt of NASS support are unavailable.

  The table gives data on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in the constituency of Hyndburn, as at the end of December 2003 (including dependants):

  December 2003

  In NASS accommodation

  5

  In receipt of subsistence only support from NASS

  5

  Note:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest five.

  The table gives data on the number of asylum seekers supported by NASS in the County of Lancashire, as at the end of December 2003 (including dependants):

  December 2003

  In NASS accommodation

  6,345

  In receipt of subsistence only support from NASS

  745

  Note:

  Figures are rounded to the nearest five.

  Mr. Malins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department with which countries from which more than 1,000 asylum seekers have come to the UK within the last five years the UK(a) has and (b) does not have a readmission agreement; how many nationals from each of those countries remain in the UK; what their status is; and whether readmission agreements allow for the return of undocumented asylum
  seekers. [156768]

  Beverley Hughes
  There are 47 countries from which more than 1,000 applications have been made in the United Kingdom between 1999 and 2003. The countries and their numbers are contained in the list below. Of these countries, the United Kingdom has negotiated formal bilateral readmission agreements with Albania and Romania, which are currently being ratified. In addition, negotiations have commenced with Poland and will start shortly with Serbia and Montenegro. The European Commission has been mandated to negotiate Community readmission agreements on behalf of member states with Sri Lanka (negotiations have
  913W
  been concluded and the agreement is being ratified), China, Turkey. Pakistan, Algeria, Albania, Russia and Ukraine. Bilateral and Community readmission agreements set out the process and evidence required for the re-documentation of returning nationals.

  In addition, where it is our experience that a lack of documentation presents a barrier to removal to particular countries, the United Kingdom is working with the authorities of those countries to facilitate the process of identification and re-documentation of persons. These countries include Sri Lanka, India, Turkey, Somaliland, the Democratic Republic of Congo and China. Since October 2003 the United Kingdom has had a tripartite Memorandum of Understanding in operation governing returns to Afghanistan and very recently agreed with the Coalition Provisional Authority to effect returns to Iraq.

  Applications1.2received for asylum in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, for nationalities from which the UK has received more than 1,000 asylum applications within the last five years

  Nationality

  1999–2003

  Iraq

  34,575

  Somalia

  30,575

  Afghanistan

  27,945

  SAM3

  23,835

  Sri Lanka

  20,870

  China

  16,135

  Iran

  15,850

  Turkey

  15,760

  Zimbabwe

  14,315

  Pakistan

  12,950

  India

  9,480

  Democratic Republic of Congo

  7,375

  Romania

  7,300

  Sierra Leone

  5,935

  Algeria

  5,755

  Albania

  5,605

  Czech Republic

  5,260

  Nigeria

  4,710

  Angola

  4,640

  Poland

  4,570

  Eritrea

  3,830

  Burundi

  3,360

  Bangladesh

  3,280

  Jamaica

  3,250

  Uganda

  3,065

  Rwanda

  3,030

  Ethiopia

  2,820

  Russia

  2,715

  Sudan

  2,670

  Vietnam

  2,655

  Ukraine

  2,650

  Other Yugoslavia

  2,630

  Colombia

  2,515

  Congo

  2,430

  Nepal

  2,235

  Cameroon

  2,090

  Moldova

  2,035

  Croatia

  1,970

  Lithuania

  1,870

  Kenya

  1,820

  Ecuador

  1,770

  Nationality not known

  1,620

  Ivory Coast

  1,620

  Belarussia

  1,500

  Liberia

  1,425

  Macedonia

  1,280

  Ghana

  1,270

  Latvia

  1,205

  914W
  1Figures are provisional and rounded to the nearest 5.

  2May exclude some cases lodged at Local Enforcement Offices between January 1999 and March 2000.

  3Serbia and Montenegro (SAM) replaced Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) from 5 February 2003, SAM comprises the Republic of Serbia, the Republic of Montenegro, and the Province of Kosovo (administered by the UN on an interim basis since 1999).

  Information on how many nationals from each of these countries are currently in the United Kingdom is not available. This could be obtained only at disproportionate cost by examination of individual case records. In addition some applicants may leave the United Kingdom without informing the Immigration Service.

  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers were refused support under section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 in 2003; and how many who were refused support appealed in the High Court. [156805]

  Beverley Hughes
  The information is not available in the form requested.

  Data on numbers of asylum seekers refused under Section 55 are as follows. Data is not available on the number of asylum seekers who were refused support under Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 that subsequently appealed in the High Court.

  Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 came into force on 8 January 2003, restricting the availability of National Asylum Support Service support to those asylum seekers who make an asylum application as soon as reasonably practicable.

  Figures in respect of asylum seekers refused under Section 55 of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002 in 2003 are.

  2003

  Number of cases refused under Section 55 of the NIA Act 2002

  Quarter 1

  2,850

  Quarter 2

  1,830

  Quarter 3

  2,810

  Quarter 4

  1,925

  Total

  9,415

  Mr. Coleman
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of asylum applications were made in-country in each of the last three years. [156806]

  Beverley Hughes
  The table shows the proportion of asylum applications made in country for each of the last three years.

  Asylum applications1 received in the United Kingdom, excluding dependants, 2001–03

  2001

  20022

  20033

  Total

  71,025

  84,130

  49,370

  Port

  24,865

  26,560

  13,810

  Port percentage

  35

  32

  28

  In country

  46,160

  57,570

  35,560

  In country percentage

  65

  68

  72

  1Figures (other than percentages) are rounded to the nearest five

  2Revised data

  3Provisional data

  915W
  Information on the number of asylum applications is published in quarterly web pages and in the annual statistical bulletin Asylum Statistics United Kingdom. Copies of these publications and others relating to general immigration to the United Kingdom are available from the Library and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate web site at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration 1.html.

  Mr. Cousins
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of accommodation contracted for by the National Asylum Support Service was in each year of the dispersal scheme; and if he will estimate the cost in the current year. [157046]

  Beverley Hughes
  The information requested is as follows:

  £ million

  2000–01

  115

  2001–02

  247

  2002–03

  319

  2003–041

  Not available

  1Payments for 2003–04 are expected to be broadly in line with 2002–03 but are expected to fall thereafter, as the recent fall in new applications for NASS support feeds through.

  Criminal Assets
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the cash seizures that have been effected by the Assets Recovery Agency since its inception; what the value seized in each case was; and whether the order was enforced. [155962]

  Caroline Flint
  The Assets Recovery Agency has no power to seize and forfeit cash under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. This power is reserved to the police and Her Majesty's Customs and Excise. As at the end of January 2004 a total of 1,219 cash seizures with a total value of £55.68 million had been made in England and Wales since the powers came into force in December 2002. Cash seized can only be forfeited when a forfeiture order has been made by a magistrates' court. A total of 64 cash forfeitures have been made under the Act with a total value of £2.98 million. Details of individual cash seizures and forfeitures are not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

  At present the minimum amount of cash which can be seized is £10,000. The threshold is to be reduced to £5,000 under The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Recovery of Cash in Summary Proceedings: Minimum Amount) Order 2004 which was laid before Parliament on 24 February.

  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many(a) confiscation and (b) restraint orders have been made under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002; and what the recoverable amount was in each case. [155963]

  Caroline Flint
  The confiscation and restraint powers in the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 are triggered by offences committed after the provisions were brought into force on 24 March 2003. It will therefore be some time before confiscation cases are dealt with by the Crown Court in numbers.
  916W
  As at the end of January 2004 the information available is as follows:

  (a) 58 confiscation orders had been made under the Act with a total value of £1,089,849.

  (b) 59 restraint orders had been made of which 40 orders have a total value of £6,276,737. Information on the value of the other 19 orders is not currently available.

  In addition, the Assets Recovery Agency has 20 civil recovery cases subject to freezing orders with a total value of £12.7 million.

  Criminal Injuries Compensation
  Mr. Oaten
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of those who apply for compensation from the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority was refused on the grounds that they have a criminal conviction, in the last year for which figures are available. [155959]

  Paul Goggins
  The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority advise that in the 2002–03 financial year 79,248 applications were resolved. Of these 42,283 resulted in a monetary award, and 36,965 cases were rejected, of which 2,946 were rejected because of the applicant's criminal convictions. As a proportion, that is 3.7 per cent. of the resolved applications.

  Democratic Republic of the Congo
  Mr. Chaytor
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications there were from the Democratic Republic of the Congo in each of the last six years; and what number and percentage of applications were accepted. [144741]

  Beverley Hughes
  The table, which has been placed in the Library, gives asylum applications and initial decisions from 1997 to September 2003 for nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Decisions do not necessarily relate to applications made in the same period.

  Information on the number of asylum applications and initial decisions is published quarterly on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/ immigrationl.html The next quarterly publication, covering the fourth quarter of 2003 and provisional full year data, will be published on 24 February 2004.

  Departmental Security
  Llew Smith
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the staff complement of the Security Services is; what the range of payment for serving security officers is; and what proportion of security officers speak Arabic. [156638]

  Mr. Blunkett
  There are currently over 2,000 staff in the Security Service. Starting salaries range from –14,500 for administrative staff to a maximum of £26,000 for some technical specialists. The top salary is of course that of the Director General (Permanent Secretary pay range £120,000-£124,999 at 31 January 2003). For operational reasons it would be inappropriate for me to comment on the number of Arab speakers available to the service.

  Detention and Removal Centres
  Mr. Gerrard
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what access people detained in detention and removal centres have to independent monitoring boards. [157445]

  Beverley Hughes
  People detained at immigration removal centres are able to submit a request or complaint to the Independent Monitoring Board at any time and members of the board should make themselves available to detainees whenever they are carrying out one of their regular visits. In addition, a member of the Independent Monitoring Board is obliged to visit any detainee who is subject to removal from association (Rule 40), temporary confinement (Rule 42) or special control or restraint (Rule 43) within 24 hours of the person being subjected to these rules.

  Drugs Testing and Treatment
  Miss McIntosh
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drugs testing and treatment orders have been issued in(a) North Yorkshire and (b) the Vale of York. [156870]

  Caroline Flint
  The information requested, for the years 2000 to 2002, is contained in the table.

  Persons sentenced to drug treatment and testing orders in North Yorkshire and the Petty Sessional Area of York, 2000–02

  In North Yorkshire

  of which, in York PSA

  20001

  —

  —

  2001

  61

  33

  2002

  73

  27

  1From October.

  Statistics for 2003 will be published in the autumn of this year.

  EU Accession States
  Annabelle Ewing
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to remove from the UK citizens of EU accession states working within the UK when they cease employment, from 1 May onwards. [156790]

  Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 27 February 2004]: An accession state national that ceases employment in the United Kingdom will continue to have a right of residence in the United Kingdom provided that they are self-sufficient. If they are unable to support themselves and are an unreasonable burden on the state they will be liable for removal.

  David Davis
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what evidence his Department has collated on the number of nationals from(a) Poland and (b) other EU accession states who have already arranged transportation to the UK following 1 May; and if he will make a statement. [157075]

  Beverley Hughes
  No reliable information on the numbers of nationals from Poland or other EU accession states booking transport to travel to the United Kingdom for a visit or any other purpose after 1 May is available.

  Firearms Certificates
  Mr. Todd
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to publicise(a) the need, under the Anti-Social Behaviour Act 2003 for existing owners of air weapons and imitation firearms to apply for a firearm certificate before 30 April and (b) the implications of not doing so. [157996]

  Caroline Flint
  Section 37 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 gives the police the power to arrest someone carrying an air weapon (whether loaded or not) or an imitation firearm in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. There is no requirement for them to obtain a firearms certificate.

  Section 39 brings into force a specific ban on the sale, purchase, transfer, acquisition and manufacture of air guns using a self-contained gas-cartridge system. Existing owners will be able to retain possession provided they obtain a firearms certificate for the gun, and have until 30 April 2004 to do so.

  We have publicised these measures through "A Guide to the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003", which was included in the "TOGETHER Campaign Pack" issued on 20 February 2004. Guidance to the police was also issued in Home Office Circular 01/2004, which was sent out on 14 January 2004. Both of these documents and other relevant information are available on the Home Office website at www.homeoffice.gov.uk.

  In addition, the Home Office has produced a number of posters and leaflets which explain what people must do if they want to keep any guns they already have which use the self-contained gas cartridge system. These have been sent to all police forces for display and further distribution as they see fit. After discussion with the relevant trade organisations they have also been sent to dealers together with a special sticker to put on tins of air gun pellets as a reminder to their customers.

  We are continuing to work with the police and other interested parties with a view to securing further local publicity.

  Gun Crime
  Ms Abbott
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much Government funding, broken down by local authority area, is given to community groups working to combat gun crime. [149787]

  Caroline Flint
  In the current financial year, the Government are providing £1.5 million from recovered criminal assets specifically to support community action to help tackle gun crime and gun culture. £300,000 of this has been allocated to Disarm Trust, an independent organisation that raises money and provides support for community groups working to reduce gun crime, supports victims of gun crime and provides help for witnesses. The remainder is being distributed by eight of the Government Offices for the Regions to support community action. The funding is not broken down by local authority areas. The allocations to the eight Government Offices are set out as follows.
  919W

  Government Office

  £

  London

  400,000

  West Midlands

  200,000

  South West

  75,000

  Yorkshire and Humberside

  75,000

  South East

  100,000

  North West

  200,000

  East Midlands

  75,000

  East of England

  75,000

  In addition, we are providing funding for community-based programmes to tackle gun crime through the Street Crime Initiative in a number of areas. This money is in addition to other funding provided through the Government Offices, for example, to support regeneration and to tackle deprivation and social exclusion, which help to address the factors that can give rise to criminality, including gun crime.

  Health Tourism
  Mrs. Curtis-Thomas
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what measures are(a) in place and (b) being researched or considered by his Department to combat health tourism. [156091]

  Beverley Hughes
  Immigration rules (HC 395 as amended) provide for anyone to be refused entry clearance or leave to enter to the United Kingdom who seeks entry for a purpose not covered by the Rules. The Rules provide for entry for the purpose of private medical treatment but not for NHS treatment. They further provide for an Immigration Office to take account of a Medical Inspector's assessment of the likely course of treatment in deciding whether a person seeking entry for private medical treatment has sufficient means at his disposal.

  Immigrants who seek NHS treatment after entry to the United Kingdom may be liable to charges for such treatment in accordance with the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations 1989 (S.I. 1989 No.306) as amended. My right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Health has recently announced proposals to amend these Regulations to remove certain loopholes that have been exploited by health tourists. In particular anyone who has no legal basis to remain in the United Kingdom will be liable to be charged for NHS treatment, except for emergencies or conditions for which they were already receiving treatment before the final determination of their status.

  The Government have been undertaking a comprehensive interdepartmental review of the issues surrounding immigration and healthcare. The review is ongoing and final decisions remain to be taken.

  As announced by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary, Official Report., 23 February 2004, columns 23–25), from 1 May the Government will be requiring workers from the European Union (EU) accession countries (except Malta and Cyprus) to register with the Home Office. In accordance with EU Regulations, any resident of an EU member state will be entitled to receive free of charge treatment for which the need arises during a visit to the United Kingdom—the cost is met by their home country. But to be fully exempt from charges for routine hospital treatment for a pre-existing condition, patients from elsewhere in the EU
  920W
  will need to prove—just as for any other overseas visitor—that they meet one of the exemption criteria in the National Health Service (Charges to Overseas Visitors) Regulations, for example the exemption for those employed in the United Kingdom. This will apply to registered workers from the accession states. The Government will continue to take every step to ensure that our benefit and healthcare system is not open to abuse.

  Local Authority Asylum Costs
  Mr. Gale
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) when the audit of Kent county council's claim relating to asylum seeker costs will be completed; and if he will make a statement on its delay; [155027]

  (2) when his Department will publish the grant rules for asylum costs for the current year; [155028]

  (3) what asylum costs were paid by (a) his Department and (b) Kent county council; and if he will make a statement. [155029]

  Beverley Hughes
  [holding answer 23 February 2004]: The audit of Kent county council's claims relating to asylum support costs is the responsibility of the District Auditor. Audit work on the claim for 2002–03 was delayed initially by work required to finalise the lists of asylum seekers eligible for support during the year. The due date for the completion of the 2002–03 audit has been set at 31 March 2004. At present the council are also investigating the exact amount of the outstanding balance for 2002–03 and this may also delay the completion of the audit.

  The instructions for 2003–04 relating to Adults and Families were published in June 2003. The instructions for Unaccompanied Asylum Seeker Children (UASC) were published in January 2004.

  The Home Office reimburses local councils for asylum support costs via a series of interim payments during the year. Kent county council submitted four interim claims in 2002–03 and three for the year to date in 2003–04. These have all been paid. The outstanding balance for 2002–03 is subject to investigation as mentioned above. If it is agreed that a significant amount has not been covered by the interim claims in 2002–03 then the Home Office is prepared to make a further payment against the final audited claim.

  Malawi (Work Permits)
  Tom Brake
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many work permits have been issued to health workers from Malawi since January 2003. [156186]

  Beverley Hughes
  The number of work permits issued to Malawi health workers in the calendar year 2003 was 142.

  Mr. T. Umbalan
  Chris Grayling
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on what grounds he is considering a further application from Mr.T Umabalan of Epsom, Surrey, to remain in the UK; and if he will make a
  921W
  further statement on the contents of his letter to the hon. Member for Epsom and Ewell on 10 June 2002 in relation to this case. [156181]

  Beverley Hughes
  Mr Umabalan has applied for settlement based on his long residence in the United Kingdom and for leave to remain on Human Rights grounds.

  Removals
  Keith Vaz
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were removed from the UK in each year since 1997. [156095]

  Beverley Hughes
  The number of people removed from the United Kingdom in each year from 1997 to 2002 (the latest available year) is shown in the table.

  Persons removed from the United Kingdom 1997 to 2002 1

  Total persons removed2

  1997

  31,145

  1998

  34,920

  1999

  37,780

  2000

  46,645

  2001

  49,135

  20023

  65,460

  1Under sections 3(5), 3(6) of the Immigration Act 1971, or under section 10 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999.

  2Including persons departing "voluntarily" after enforcement action

  had been initiated against them.

  3Provisonal figures.

  Information on the total number of people removed each year from the United Kingdom is published annually in the Home Office Statistical Bulletin "Control of Immigration: Statistics United Kingdom" and in the Command Publication of the same name. These are available from the Home Office website: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigrationl.html and from the Library. Information on the total number of people removed from the United Kingdom in 2003 is due to be published in the aforementioned statistical bulletin on the Home Office website towards the end of August 2004.

  Speed Cameras
  Mr. Evans
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money was raised in fines from speed cameras in each year since their inception in the Lancashire police force area. [156498]

  Caroline Flint
  Information on the revenue raised from speed offences detected by camera is not available.
  922W
  Available information on the number of fixed penalties and court fines ordered to be paid for offence of 'speeding detected by camera' in the calendar years 1997 to 2001 is shown in the table for the Lancashire police force area.

  Information for 2002 will be available in the spring. Not all fines and fixed penalties will have been paid.

  Fixed penalty and court proceedings data for speeding offences detected by camerds1.2 in the Lancashire police force area, 1997–2001

  Fixed penalties

  Court Proceedings3

  Offence and year

  Number of tickets

  Estimated revenue (£)

  Number of fines

  Total amount of fine (£)

  Average fine4

  1997

  5,600

  224,800

  480

  37,100

  78

  1998

  14,700

  588,900

  880

  96,000

  109

  1999

  22,300

  892,600

  1,200

  120,200

  101

  2000

  18,400

  796,100

  930

  79,800

  86

  2001

  21,400

  1,283,500

  1,400

  90,800

  65

  1Automatic cameras until 1998, all camera types from 1999.

  2Offences under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 and The Motor Vehicles (Speed Limits on Motorways) Regulations 1973.

  3Includes cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court.

  1Estimate based on £40 fixed penalty charge to October 2000. From November 2000 the penalty was raised to 60.

  Note:

  Reliable data only available from 1997 onwards for speeding offences detected by camera.

  Yarl's Wood
  Alistair Burt
  To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) if he will publish in full the two reports of the Prisons Ombudsman, concerning the Yarl's Wood Detention Centre in North East Bedfordshire when he receives them; and if he will make a statement; [157105]

  (2) when he expects to receive the reports from the Prisons Ombudsman, on (a) the circumstances surrounding the fire at Yarl's Wood on 14 February 2002 and (b) the allegations of racism among security staff at Yarl's Wood. [157106]

  Beverley Hughes
  I can confirm that both reports will be published in full, once I have the opportunity to consider carefully their contents.

  With regard to Stephen Shaw's inquiry into the events at Yarl's Wood on 14/15 February 2002 there is an expectation that it will be submitted to me this summer.

  I can confirm that a draft of Stephen Shaw's separate report into allegations of racism at Yarl's Wood has now been received. Stephen Shaw has yet to finalise the report in a form suitable for publication. When he has done so and I have considered its contents, I will make arrangements for its publication as soon as possible.

  Civil Service Pension Schemes
  Civil Service Pension Schemes
  Small Arms and Light Weapons
  Small Arms and Light Weapons
  Apache Helicopter
  Apache Helicopter
  Project SLAM
  Project SLAM
  Service Personnel: Medical Consultations
  Service Personnel: Medical Consultations
  Local Authority Finance
  Local Authority Finance
  Angela Cannings
  Angela Cannings
  Parents
  Parents
  Schools: Physical Activity
  Schools: Physical Activity
  European Year of Education through Sport
  European Year of Education through Sport
  Health Professions Council
  Health Professions Council
  NHS: Transplant and Critical Care Specialists
  NHS: Transplant and Critical Care Specialists
  Sport: Equality in Participation
  Sport: Equality in Participation
  Gangmasters
  Gangmasters
  Airports: Cleaning Equipment
  Airports: Cleaning Equipment
  Government Procurement
  Government Procurement
  Wild Birds: Imports
  Wild Birds: Imports
  Railways
  Railways
  Government IT Projects: Gateway Reviews
  Government IT Projects: Gateway Reviews
  West Coast Main Line
  West Coast Main Line