To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (1) on how many occasions (a) Ministers and (b) officials in his Department have (i) spoken with and (ii) received representations regarding genetic modification from Mr. Stan Greenberg of Greenberg Research; [72244](2) on how many occasions

[holding answer 23 February 1999]: I and my officials are in regular contact with representatives of all those with an interest in biotechnology—including environmental groups, consumer groups and biotechnology companies.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when the MMC report into the Milk Marque will be published. [76030]

I have been asked to reply.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry intends to publish the report as soon as is practicable.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, pursuant to his letter to the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples) of 30 November 1998 concerning Ministerial flights, if he will list the flights on which his departmental (a) Accounting Officer and (b) Head of Information were passengers. [67363]

[holding answer 25 January 1999]: My departmental Accounting Officer and Head of Information were passengers on the following flights:

Date	Destination	Accounting officer	Head of information
June 1997	Luxembourg	Yes	Yes
July 1997	Strasbourg and Bonn	No	Outward to Strasbourg only
October 1997	Luxembourg	Yes	No
April 1998	Luxembourg	Yes	Yes
June 1998	Luxembourg	Yes	Yes

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has (a) to reform the selection process for jurors and (b) to avoid the repeated call of particular persons for jury service; and what representations he has received on this. [76745]

Jury service is based on the principle of random selection and therefore it is possible for a person to be called more than once after a period of time. There are no plans to reform the legislation that governs the selection process. Occasionally representations are made by an individual to the Court Service about repeated calls for jury service, and these are referred to the local Crown Court for consideration.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the total number of occasions when (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity since 2 May 1997. [76826]

Since 2 May 1997 there have been no occasions when either the Lord Chancellor or I have travelled abroad with a special adviser.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many civil servants in his Department have been invited to waive the Working Time Directive requirement to work less than 48 hours a week on 17 consecutive weeks; how many civil servants in his Department have refused to waive the requirement; and what is the total cost of compliance with the Directive. [76804]

Five civil servants in the Lord Chancellor's Department Headquarters have signed waivers; we expect a few more to do so but none have refused. To date, there has been no cost incurred in complying with the Directive.

To ask the President of the Council what proposals she has to organise nationwide test days for the millennium compliance of date-reliant computer systems, involved in (a) public utilities, (b) energy services and (c) local government (i) separately and (ii) together; and if she will make a statement. [76059]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister gave on 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 231–32. The same concerns apply to the idea of national test days.

To ask the President of the Council what simulations of millennium computer compliance failure in the areas of (a) health, (b) roads, (c) travel, (d) energy and (e) emergency services the Government have conducted. [75936]

Year 2000 preparations in each of these sectors are being independently assessed. These assessments will examine the quality of the testing and business continuity planning that has been carried out. The results of these assessments will be made available at the next meeting of the National Infrastructure Forum in April, and at subsequent meetings through the year.

To ask the President of the Council if she will list those people she has appointed to public bodies since 1 November 1998, indicating the positions to which they have been appointed and if they receive remuneration. [76466]

The information requested is given below. None of the individuals listed is remunerated.

	Appointed
Engineering Council: Senate	Dr. R. Hawley
General Medical Council	Mrs. R. Evans
General Optical Council	Ms M. Black
	Ms G. Huka
	Dr. E. Page
	Ms D. Rookledge
	Ms M. Wang
	Mrs. R. Varley
Independent Schools Tribunal: Educational Panel	Mr. K. D. Anderson
	Mr. D. Battye
	Mr. J. T. Billington
	Mr. R. de Courcy Chapman
	Mr. R. L. James
	Mr. S. Jenkin
	Professor Margaret Maden
	Mr. J. M. Moore
	Ms J. M. Lawley

To ask the President of the Council what simulations of millennium computer compliance failure in the areas of (a) health, (b) roads, (c) travel, (d) energy and (e) emergency services the Government have conducted. [75936]

Year 2000 preparations in each of these sectors are being independently assessed. These assessments will examine the quality of the testing and business continuity planning that has been carried out. The results of these assessments will be made available at the next meeting of the National Infrastructure Forum in April, and at subsequent meetings through the year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list those benefits of membership of economic and monetary union which cannot be obtained by a member state remaining outside the single currency; and what assessment he has made of the potential financial gain arising to the UK from those benefits. [73598]

The Treasury's assessment of the five economic tests published in October 1997 set out some of the benefits of monetary union. These include reduced transaction costs, the elimination of exchange rate uncertainty on trade and investment in the euro area and increased price transparency. The Treasury's assessment of the five economic tests concluded that membership of a successful single currency could enhance competition and improve prospects for trade and investment.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has made for the reform of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative. [74264]

At the Annual Meeting of the IMF/World Bank in the autumn, the UK secured agreement to a comprehensive review of the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative, to take place in 1999.Last month the Chancellor and Secretary of State for International Development wrote to the IMF and the World Bank, pressing for the HIPC initiative to provide faster, deeper and wider debt relief. They asked in particular that the review include an assessment of whether HIPC debt relief ought to be linked more closely to poverty reduction, and whether the current debt sustainability ratios are too strict.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many firms have registered to become providers of (i) maxi ISAs, (ii) mini ISAs and (iii) the life insurance element of the proposed ISA. [R] [74044]

[holding answer 2 March 1999]: Up to 26 February, a total of 356 firms have received approval. 107 had registered to offer only the cash or life insurance components. These firms can offer only mini ISAs. The remaining 249 firms had registered to offer at least the stocks and shares component. These firms can offer both maxi and mini ISAs. 66 firms have registered to offer the insurance component of the ISA.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which other EU States charge vehicle excise duty; and at what level. [74507]

All EU States levy a form of vehicle excise duty. The level charged can vary according to one or more factors, including engine capacity, weight, fuel type and the district in which the vehicle is registered.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which other EU states charge different rates of vehicle excise duty on cars of different engine capacities. [74508]

As of 1997, engine capacity was a factor in determining the level of vehicle excise duty payable for passengers cars in the following EU countries:

• Belgium
• Germany
• Spain
• Greece
• Ireland
• Luxembourg, and
• Portugal.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the work his Department has carried out to examine the scope for using the tax system to deliver environmental objectives; and if he will make a statement. [75339]

The Government's commitment to exploring the scope for using economic instruments to secure environmental objectives was set out in the Statement of Intent on Environmental Taxation, published in July 1997.The progress made in using the tax system to deliver environmental objectives was set out in the 1999 Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report and Financial Statement and Budget Report, and in previous Pre-Budget Reports and Financial Statement and Budget Reports.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what action he is taking to encourage ethical and social investment schemes; and if he will make a statement. [75343]

The Government's strategy is to increase the public's awareness of financial services while at the same time encouraging the financial service providers to offer products that are clearly understood. This will help consumers to choose products that are consistent with their social and ethical beliefs.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the revenue received by his Department from taxation on motor fuels in 1998. [75720]

The revenue received from excise duty on all motor fuels in 1998 was £20.8 billion. The estimate amount of VAT received from the sale of motor fuels was £2.1 billion.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what was the tax revenue raised by his Department during 1998 from gambling on machines in the United Kingdom. [76052]

The receipts from excise duty on amusement machine licences in 1998 were £142 1 million. This figure was published by HM Customs and Excise in their "Receipts for Betting, Gaming and Lottery Duties Bulletin: January 1999", published on 16 February 1999.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many responses he has received to his consultation paper, "Restriction of VAT Grouping to Fully Taxable Corporate Bodies", from registered social landlords; and what estimate he has made of additional costs for (a) registered social landlords and (b) Government-funded housing programmes and housing benefit expenditure if the proposals are implemented in their present form. [76126]

The Chancellor made clear in his Budget statement on 9 March that the proposal to restrict the VAT grouping facility to fully taxable companies would not be implemented.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the relief of the debt of developing countries. [73839]

[holding answer 10 March 1999]: Last month the Chancellor and Secretary of State for International Development wrote to the IMF/World Bank pressing for the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative to provide faster, deeper and wider debt relief. The Chancellor also announced a target which would involve committing $50 billion of debt relief to the world's poorest countries by the end of 2000.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the salary of the President of the European Central Bank. [76285]

In accordance with Article 11.3 of Protocol No. 3 to the EC Treaty (Statute of the ESCB and ECB), the terms and conditions of employment of the members of the Executive Board, in particular their salaries, pensions and other social security benefits are the subject of contracts with the ECB and are fixed by the Governing Council on a proposal from a Committee comprising three members appointed by the Governing Council and three members appointed by the Council of Ministers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the number of (a) new jobs created and (b) jobs lost in Lancashire during the last year for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. [76356]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the projects in the United Kingdom which have received loans from the (i) European Investment Bank and (ii) European Investment Fund, stating (a) the name of the project, (b) the sum loaned in pounds sterling, (c) the terms of re-payment and (d) significant other loans from (1) private and (2) public resources made for such projects. [76772]

The European Investment Bank signed the following loans for projects in the UK in 1998:

Project	Amount (£)
Individual loans
Development of Elgin and Franklin gas and condensate fields in North Sea Texaco North Sea UK Co.	59.9
Power transmission and distribution grids Scottish Power plc	150
London Underground electricity systems Seeboard Powerlink	123
Channel Tunnel Rail Link Railtrack Group plc	200
Railway rolling stock Porterbrook Leasing Company Ltd.	110
Road construction and upgrading Birmingham City Council	81.5
Construction of A5/A55 trunk road UK Highways A55 Ltd.	56
Passenger facilities at Edinburgh, Heathrow and Gatwick airports	85
BAA plc
Freight handling centre at Heathrow airport British Airways plc	20
Extension of mobile telephone network Mercury Personal Communications—One 2 One	200
Water supply and wastewater infrastructure Thames Water Utilities Ltd.	125
Water supply and wastewater infrastructure Northumbrian Water Ltd.	75
Construction and refurbishment of social housing and vocational training premises in urban regeneration areas	44
The Housing Finance Corporation Ltd.
Establishment of five industrial gas production facilities	88.3
Air Products and Chemicals Inc.
Production and distribution of industrial gases in Margam, Wales	19
BOC Ltd.
Development of new vehicle and improvements to paint shops and engineering centre	50
Rover Group Ltd.
Aircraft design and production	30
Short Brothers Ltd.
Schools construction	37
Falkirk Council
Global loans for financing small and medium-sized enterprises
Barclays Bank	300
Midland Bank	100
Tokyo-Mitsubishi Bank	50
Lloyds Bank	50
ABN AMRO Causeway Mezzanine Partnership LP	15.7
Midland Bank Enterprise Funds	7.1
Total	2,076.5

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make it his policy to propose common standards for export credit agreements at the Cologne G8 meeting in June. [77080]

Considerable work continues to be undertaken within the OECD to ensure that export credit agencies operate on the basis of a level playing field. The imminent introduction on 1 April this year of the OECD premia regime is the latest example of this work. The G8 recognises that the OECD is often the appropriate forum for export credit issues and for this reason has in the past encourage the OECD to seek a common standard on several export credit matters, including the environment and productive expenditure for highly indebted poor countries. We will continue within the G8 to support the work of the OECD Export Credits Group towards developing common standards for export credit agencies.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 25 February 1999, Official Report, column 420, on the Export Guarantees Committee, if he will place in the Library a list of the items discussed at the four meetings of the Committee since 1 January 1998. [77154]

I have placed in the Library a note listing the items discussed by the Export Guarantees Committee in the meetings held since 1 January 1998.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer at what rate the children's tax credit will be reduced for families where one or more earners is a higher rate taxpayer. [76662]

[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The children's tax credit will gradually be withdrawn where the person claiming it is liable to tax at the higher rate. These people will lose £1 of tax credit for every £15 of income above the point at which they start to pay higher rate tax until their entitlement to the credit is exhausted.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what are the average weekly earnings (i) including and (ii) excluding overtime for (x) part-time and (y) full-time workers in (a) Scotland, (b) each of the Scottish local authorities and (c) Great Britain, broken down for (1) men and (2) women in (A) manual employment, (B) non-manual employment and (C) for all workers at (X) cash and (Y) constant terms for each year since 1991–92; and if he will estimate the same information for 1998–99, 1999–2000,2000–01 and 2001–02. [76116]

[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Director of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the financial promotion regime under the Financial Services and Markets Bill. [77538]

The Financial Services and Markets Bill provides for a prohibition on unauthorised persons making financial promotions without the approval of an authorised person. The Bill also provides for exemptions from that prohibition to be set out in secondary legislation.The Treasury has today issued a consultation document on the financial promotion regime under the Bill. Copies have been placed in the Vote Office and the Libraries of the House. The deadline for comments is 30 April. Following consideration of responses, the Treasury will publish further consultation draft secondary legislation setting out proposed exemptions from the prohibition on unauthorised persons making financial promotions.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Finance Bill will be published; and if he will make Explanatory Notes on the Bill's clauses available to hon. Members. [77737]

The Finance Bill will be published on Wednesday, 31 March. Explanatory Notes on the Bill's clauses will be placed in the Vote Office and the Libraries of both Houses that day. Members of the public will be able to obtain copies of the Explanatory Notes from the Treasury; these will also be available on the Treasury's Internet site (http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk).

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement about the presentation of Government policy in respect of EMU. [75362]

The Government's policy on membership of the single currency was set out by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in a statement to the House of Commons on 27 October 1997. This policy was restated by the Prime Minister in a statement to the House of Commons on 23 February 1999, Official Report, columns 179–84.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if the achievements of the British Armed Forces over the past two centuries will be recognised in the Millennium Dome; [72672](2) what recognition will be given in the Millennium Dome to the achievements of Sir Winston Churchill; [72671](3) what recognition will be given in the Millennium Dome to the part played by the British Empire in shaping the United Kingdom's history over the past two centuries. [72666]

[holding answer 24 February 1999]: The Millennium Experience does not plan to incorporate exhibitions of an historical nature. The main focus on the Millennium Experience project is the future. However, the Dome's National Identity zone and the Our Town Story initiative will provide vehicles through which issues of history can be addressed and reflected. The content and the narrative of the National Identity zone will be influenced by the outcome of qualitative and quantitative market research testing the opinions of the general public, and the historical content of Our Town Story will depend on what each of the groups taking part consider best reflects their community's history.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on Her Majesty's Government's policy on European Commission proposal COM (1998) 733; what assessment his Department has made of its impact on the (a) number of asylum applicants, (b) number of rejected asylum applicants, (c) repatriation of asylum applicants and (d) costs of repatriating asylum applicants. [75557]

Her Majesty's Government's current view on Commission proposal COM (1998) 733 is contained within the Home Office Explanatory Memorandum dated 8 February 1999, a copy of which was deposited in the Library. The proposal remains under consideration.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact on probation service budgets of the Government's changes to ACT; and if he will make a statement. [75913]

The Comprehensive Spending Review settlement for Local Government includes £130 million in each of the next three years to cover the impact on changes in Advanced Corporation Tax on local authority pension funds. This should be sufficient to ensure that any impact on probation service budgets will be minimal.

Contract	Type of work	Date let	Contract sum (£)
Borehamwood Police Station	Alteration and refurbishment	9 August 1990	454,000
Canadian Avenue, Catford	Conversion of premises to a probation hostel	6 March 1991	469,000
Archway	Fitting out sector base	8 January 1998	282,000
Lambeth	Alterations for territorial support group	12 November 1998	330,000

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps the Metropolitan Police are taking to reduce car crime at leisure facilities. [76633]

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that his objective is to reduce all vehicle crime within the Metropolitan Police District by 10,000 offences in 1999–2000. This is the equivalent of a four per cent. reduction over 1998–1999. The Metropolitan Police tackle vehicle crime through an intelligence-led approach. They use the result of crime audits, conducted with Crime and Disorder Act partners, and analysis of reported crimes, to identify 'hot spots' on which to focus policing activity.The Commission informs me that information about vehicle crime is not collated according to the types of car park where offences are committed. The Metropolitan Police are, however, contributing to the Association of Chief Police Officers secured car parks scheme by

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police were involved in policing the recent demonstration by Kurds in Holland Park; and what was the additional cost of this demonstration to the Metropolitan Police. [76604]

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that 481 uniformed officers were involved in policing the march and demonstration in Holland Park on 20 February. He is unable to calculate the additional policing cost to the Metropolitan Police as overtime claims for all the officers involved have not yet been submitted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what contracts the Metropolitan Police have entered into with Higgins Developments Ltd., for the building or refurbishment of police stations; and for what value. [76632]

The Commissioner of Police of the Metropolis tells me that neither the Metropolitan Police Service nor the Receiver for the Metropolitan Police District has entered into a contract with Higgins Development Ltd. After competition, undertaken by external consultants, the Receiver has entered into a contract with Higgins Homes Ltd., a subsidiary company of Higgins Group plc, for the purchase of the site at 28–30 High Street Wanstead, subject to planning permission and a time constraint.Since 1985, another subsidiary company of Higgins Group plc, D. Higgins & Sons Ltd. has been invited by the Receiver to tender, in competition, 36 times, and won four contracts as a result. Those were:working with local authorities to increase the number of secured car parks in the Metropolitan Police District from 41 to 450 by the year 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications there were for (i) extension or variation of leave to remain and (ii) duplicate endorsements for the last full year for which figures are available. [76616]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells (Mr. Norman) on 1 March 1999, Official Report, column 563.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the total number of occasions when (a) departmental and (b) non-departmental special advisers have travelled abroad in an official capacity since 2 May 1997. [76835]

Between 2 May 1997 and 28 February 1999, my Special Advisers have made visits overseas on three occasions in an official capacity. All travel complied with the requirements of the Ministerial Codes and the Civil Service Management Code.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list for (a) small and medium-sized enterprises and (b) larger companies (i) all licences and permits issued by his Department and its agencies to companies permitting them to carry out their business, (ii) the cost of each such licence or permit in (A) 1997–98 and (B) 1999–2000 and (iii) the current number of companies which are in receipt of each such licence or permit. [76851]

[holding answer 16 March 1999]: The information requested is not collected centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what is the Government's response to the findings announced by the European Commission on Human Rights regarding the applications by T and V about their trial and subsequent sentence of detention at Her Majesty's Pleasure for murder. [77571]

In summary, the findings of the European Commission on Human Rights were as follows:

• On Article 3 (`Production of torture') the Commission found no violation in relation to the trial.
• On Article 6(1) (Right to a fair trial') the Commission found violation by 14 votes to 5 in relation to the trial.
• On Article 14 (Prohibition of discrimination') the Commission found no separate issue because of the violation on Article 6 above.
• On Article 3 the Commission found no violation in relation to the sentence.
• On Article 5(1) ('Right to liberty and security') the Commission found no violation in relation to the sentence.
• On Article 6(1) the Commission found violation by 18 votes to 1 in relation to the tariff.
• On Article 5(4) the Commission found violation by 18 votes to 1 in relation to the tariff and review of detention.

The Government welcome the fact that the Commission found that neither the trial nor the sentencing process were in violation of Article 3 of the European Convention which deals with inhuman and degrading treatment.The areas where the Commission did find against the United Kingdom Government do raise a range of serious and quite complex issues. The Government have decided to refer the Commission's finding themselves to the European Court of Human Rights. The European Commission has also referred these matters to the European Court.The European Court of Human Rights will now rehear all the issues covered by the Commission. This will give the Government an opportunity to state their position on all these issues. The Government will continue to contest these applications very strongly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to pay compensation to Mr. R. L. Wickerson of 35 Hillside Road, Paignton, Devon TQ3 3JF (ref DVC/FAC51086E187421) for the surrender of his firearms on 26 February 1998. [76793]

The Option A and B elements of the claim were paid on 18 November 1998, and an offer of payment following examination of the remaining Option C elements of the claim was issued on 8 March 1999. This final payment will be made as soon as the necessary disclaimer has been returned.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the emission levels from rail-borne flasks carrying nuclear fuel in the United Kingdom; and if he will list the international safety levels set for the transport by rail of nuclear fuels. [76014]

The National Radiological Protection Board, working under contract to the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions carried out surveys into the radiological impact of the transport of radioactive materials by all modes. In the last survey covering rail transport (Radiation Exposure from the Normal Transport of Radioactive Materials within the United Kingdom, 1991 Review, by R. Gelder, National Radiological Protection Board Report NRPB-R255, ISBN 0 85951 351 3) the scenario of a householder living 100 metres from a marshalling yard where fuel flasks may be held for several hours, was assessed to give rise to a maximum dose of 6 microSievert. The maximum dose to persons living closer (50 metres) to a railway line with passing traffic (where exposure times would be very much shorter) was assessed to be very much lower. For comparison, the average annual dose in the UK owing to natural background radiation is about 2000 microSievert.The international safety levels for the transport of radioactive materials by rail are in the Regulations concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Rail (RID) (ISBN 0–11–552032–5). They require that the radiation level from trains carrying radioactive material during normal operations is limited to a maximum of 2 milliSievert/h at any point on the wagon outer surfaces, or the vertical planes projected from the outer edges of open wagons and to 0.1 milliSievert/h at a distance of 2 metres from those surfaces. The maximum levels for non-fixed contamination on the surface of fuel flasks or rail wagons is 4 Bequerels/cm

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many units of accommodation available at affordable rents were developed by regional housing associations in (i) the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, (ii) the London Borough of Wandsworth and (iii) the City of Westminster in (a) 1997 and (b) 1998. [76282]

The numbers of units of affordable accommodation completed by registered social landlords in the financial year of 1997–98 and in the first 11 months of 1998–99 are as follows:

	1997–98	1998–99
Hammersmith and Fulham	291	163
Wandsworth	74	60
Westminster	176	158

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to control the levels of road traffic resulting from summer tourism in the North West of England. [76358]

The road traffic problem caused by summer tourism in the North West is highly localised in nature and is primarily a matter for the local highway authorities concerned. Officials from my Department have been working with key partners in Cumbria to enhance and accelerate the existing Lake District Transport Package which has received TPP funding since 1998. The resultant Transport Strategy will act as a pilot for other National Parks.The strategy, among other things, aims to reduce traffic and offer alternative modes of transport to the car while maintaining a sustainable tourist industry. We anticipate this strategy will be developed further and subsumed into Cumbria County Council's Local Transport Plan to be submitted later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will name the Ministers in his Department who are regular users of electronic Red Boxes. [76179]

I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply given by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office on 16 March 1999, Official Report, columns 651–52.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the (a) revenue support grant and (b) standard spending assessment for each (i) metropolitan and (ii) unitary authority as a sum per head of their population ranked and numbered in descending order. [76165]

The information requested has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he has put into place to speed up the planning process for major infrastructure projects. [76396]

Some proposals for improving the processing of major infrastructure projects through the planning system were included in the "Modernising Planning" Policy Statement which I published last year. I intend to publish shortly a consultation paper with detailed proposals to streamline the procedures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to ensure that all students are granted the same concessions in terms of travel discounts; and what representations he has received relating to this. [76747]

This is a matter for local authorities, under the statutory powers available to them. Bus operators and London Transport may also offer reduced fares for students if they think it appropriate. I receive correspondence on this topic from time to time, but have no plans to change the present arrangements.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what resources he plans to make available to British Waterways to repair the existing canal system. [76644]

My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister announced on 18 February an increase in grant to British Waterways, by £8 million to nearly £59 million a year. Over the next three years this will enable British Waterways to increase the amount of investment and reduce the backlog of urgent maintenance from £90 million to £40 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if it is his policy to provide funding for further rural bypass schemes; and if he will make a statement. [76774]

Nineteen trunk road bypasses were among the 37 schemes included in the Targeted Programme of Improvements announced last July following the Roads Review. Further cases will be considered in the studies proposed in the Review.Local Authorities may propose bypasses as part of their Local Transport Plans where they are satisfied that they represent the most appropriate solution to the problem and deserve priority within their Plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he or one of his Ministers will visit Wyre Piddle to examine the case for the construction of a bypass. [76775]

We will examine the case for the construction of Wyre Piddle Bypass in the context of Worcestershire County Council's Draft Local Transport Plan, to be submitted in July this year. Any visit in advance of that consideration would be premature.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the planned fare increases for London Underground for the years 2000–05. [76972]

London Underground fares are currently the responsibility of London Transport. Subject to the passage of the Greater London Authority Bill, when London Underground transfers to the Greater London Authority, the Mayor will be under a duty to arrange for the setting of the general level and structure of fares to be charged on services provided or secured by Transport for London, including London Underground fares. We are currently working on the detail of arrangements for setting Underground fares in the transition period after the establishment of the GLA and before London Underground is transferred to it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he intends to issue planning guidance on land use planning and electromagnetic fields. [77083]

My Department issued in December 1998 for consultation the draft of a circular prepared jointly with the Department of Health on land use planning and electromagnetic fields (EMFs). The circular provides advice to local planning authorities in drawing up development plan policies or deciding planning applications for development giving rise to EMFs or for development proposed in the vicinity of existing sources of EMFs. A copy of the consultation package has been placed in the Library. Responses were invited by 19 February 1999. We are currently considering the responses received.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the compatibility between his proposals to extend the right of access on foot to open countryside without compensation and the Government's obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. [76969]

The Government's view is that their plans for creating a new statutory right on foot to open countryside are compatible with their obligations under the European Convention on human rights. In deciding that there will be no general right to compensation, the Government have taken into account the limited nature of the new right of access; its application only to land which is undeveloped and not used for intensive agricultural purposes; the continued ability of landowners to develop and use their land after the introduction of the right; and the extensive provision made for closure of land for land management and other reasons. A cost benefit study for the Government, undertaken by independent consultants, supports the view that landowners will not suffer significant losses or costs as a result of a new right of access such as would warrant the provision of compensation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received regarding the amount of housing benefit subsidy clawed back through negative entitlement under the housing revenue account subsidy formula. [76978]

A number of right hon. and hon. Members, local authorities, and tenants groups have made representations about the present Housing Revenue Account Subsidy system. In December 1998 we issued a consultation paper "A New Financial Framework for Local Authority Housing: Resource Accounting in the Housing Revenue Account" seeking views on proposals for fundamental changes in the system. These changes would include ending the practice of offsetting assumed surpluses on an Authority's Housing Revenue Account against rent rebate subsidy. Consultations are not yet complete and there will be an announcement about our plans in due course. A copy of the consultation paper is in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many civil servants in her Department have been invited to waive the Working Time Directive requirement to work less than 48 hours a week on 17 consecutive weeks; how many civil servants in her Department have refused to waive the requirement; and what is the total cost of compliance with the Directive. [76805]

No civil servants in my Department have been asked to waive their rights. Employers of the Department are highly dedicated to the work and inclined to work long hours. We have decided to tackle instances of work overload through measures such as job re-structuring and work re-prioritisation rather than by the continuing acceptance of a long hours culture. Managers at all levels have been asked to ensure that staff are not put under pressure to work hours in excess of those permitted by the Directive or to waive their rights. The costs of compliance with the Directive cannot be collected as they are not clearly evident.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proposals she has to ease the debt burden for Nigeria. [76965]

The full extent of Nigeria's debt is unclear. My Department is providing technical assistance to the Government to update its external debt recording and management system. We have also offered to assist the Government to develop a debt management strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many times Ministers in her Department have met their counterparts in the US Government since 1 June 1998; and if she will list the dates and locations of each meeting, the ministers involved on each occasion, and the name of the US counterpart at each meeting. [77120]

I have no counterpart in the US Government. I have met Brian Atwood—head of USAID on a large number of occasions.

Number of patients seen for first outpatient appointment, by time band, following written referral by a GP quarter ended 31 December 1998
	Number seen who had waited:
Health Authority	0 to less than 4 weeks	4 to less than 26 weeks	26 weeks and over
Bradford	6,765	9,350	792
Calderdale and Kirklees	8,998	11,709	1,227
Durham	8,936	14,465	1,071
East Riding	8,506	11,170	569
Gateshead and South Tyneside	6,226	8,822	366
Leeds	8,265	15,751	1,417
Newcastle and North Tyneside	8,834	11,009	787
North Cumbria	4,745	7,861	436
North Yorkshire	9,719	15,552	1,134
Northumberland	4,818	7,635	478
Sunderland	3,068	7,916	260
Tees	8,484	13,881	1,547
Wakefield	5,152	6,732	283
Northern and Yorkshire Region total	92,516	141,853	10,367
Barnsley	3,292	5,352	620
Doncaster	3,984	5,591	752
Leicestershire	11,244	19,599	1,824
Lincolnshire	10,241	13,588	1,467
North Derbyshire	5,385	7,558	216
North Nottinghamshire	6,028	7,399	751
Nottingham	6,547	8,928	1,962
Rotherham	3,458	6,035	346
Sheffield	8,292	10,630	1,385
South Derbyshire	8,108	12,048	922
South Humber	5,186	5,553	327
Trent Region total	71,765	102,281	10,572
Bedfordshire	6,743	12,527	1,354
Berkshire	14,647	21,710	1,022
Buckinghamshire	7,652	14,605	1,296
Cambridge and Huntingdon	5,433	10,622	1,364
East Norfolk	9,349	15,569	1,007
North West Anglia	5,628	9,139	1,181
Northamptonshire	6,171	13,681	1,689
Oxfordshire	11,728	13,162	862
Suffolk	7,659	15,798	1,362
Anglia and Oxford Region total	75,010	126,813	11,137
Barking and Havering	4,407	8,590	716
Barnet	3,717	6,156	422
Brent and Harrow	4,937	9,986	555
Camden and Islington	6,941	9,277	703
East and North Hertfordshire	5,523	11,104	442
Ealing, Hammersmith and Hounslow	10,166	15,822	639
East London and City	7,930	13,865	1,918
Enfield and Haringey	5,938	11,180	1,119
Hillingdon	2,154	4,546	293

To ask the Secretary of State for Health for each of the last 10 years, how many patients have waited (a) three to 25 weeks and (b) more than 26 weeks to see a consultant in each (i) health authority and (ii) English region. [74732]

The information requested is not available.Information on outpatient waiting times by health authority is only available from 1998–99. Available information for the quarter ending December 1998 is provided in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance his Department is providing to health authorities on the provision of paediatric occupational therapy services; and if he will make a statement. [74875]

Guidance on the provision of paediatric occupational therapy services is contained in "Child Health in the Community—A Guide to Good Practice", published in 1996. We expect that Primary Care Groups will work with their local Health Authorities to ensure that Health Improvement Programmes will include adequate occupational therapy services for children.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much income the Medicines Control Agency derives from licensing fees. [75727]

The Medicines Control Agency receives almost all its income from licensing and associated fees. The balance of its income derives from charges for associated services for which statutory fees are not levied.In 1997–98, the Medicines Control Agency received in excess of 97 per cent. (£27.4 million out of £28.1 million) of its income from licensing-related fees. Further information can be obtained from the agency's annual report and accounts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if (a) his Department, (b) the NHS Executive and (c) East Sussex, Brighton and Hove Health Authority informed customers of the closure of Health Services Accreditation; and if he will make a statement on the (i) nature and (ii) number of responses received. [76355]

The Director of Health Service Accreditation (HSA) wrote on 3 March 1999 advising customers of its closure. As of 16 March, HSA had received a total of 14 letters from contributors to the service standards reports or from providers of patient services eligible for accreditation. They all expressed regret that the work of the HSA had come to an end and all hoped that ways might be found of maintaining access to the materials.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will name the Ministers in his Department who are regular users of electronic red boxes. [76170]

The Department has made a laptop computer available to each Minister to enable them to e-mail non-sensitive documents securely to and from their Private Office and access other departmental information sources. I currently use this facility as does the Minister of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham).

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are the weekly charges to clients who are in receipt of a home help service in the (a) City of Westminster, (b) London Borough of Wandsworth and (c) London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. [76267]

Information on charges made to individuals for home help provision is not available centrally. However, the total amounts reported by local authorities as having been received from clients in the form of fees and charges, in 1996–97, for different services are collected centrally, and are available on the Department of Health Web page [http:\\www.open.gov.uk/doh/public/pss_stat.htm] for all local authorities in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when the extended period of public consultation on the provision of Viagra by the NHS will come to a conclusion. [76746]

The public consultation on our policy proposals about the treatment of impotence on the National Health Service will end on 25 March 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he intends to issue free pen needles for use by insulin-dependent diabetics. [76881]

I announced on 25 February that we hope to allow insulin pen needles and reusable insulin injection pens to be prescribed by general practitioners on the National Health Service. This would be contingent upon the addition of pre-filled, disposable pens to Schedule 10 to the National Health Service (General Medical Services) Regulations 1992 on which we are consulting interested parties. Copies of this announcement and the consultation letter have been placed in the Library.The consultation period ends on 9 April 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many former nurses (i) in total and (ii) who had been out of the profession for more than five years have (a) applied and (b) been accepted on back to nursing courses since his January announcement. [76387]

[holding answer 12 March 1999]: The information requested is not available centrally.In the first few weeks of the national nursing publicity campaign, which began on 1 February, over 44,500 people have contacted the response line, of which about 4,400 have expressed an interest in returning to nursing in the National Health Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) how many former nurses have (i) applied, (ii) been accepted upon and (iii) completed back to nursing courses in each of the last five years; [76385]

[holding answer 12 March 1999]: The information requested is not available centrally.It is planned to include information about return to practice courses in the statistical bulletin which is due to be published by the English National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting during week commencing 19 April 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has for the development of community dental services. [75436]

[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The Community Dental Service plays a valuable part in the provision of NHS dentistry, which we plan to continue. The type and level of CDS services commissioned and funded is for individual health authorities to determine in the light of local needs and priorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will list each management consultancy contract advertised by NHS organisations in the supplement to the Official Journal of the European Community in each of the last five years. [76489]

[holding answer 15 March 1999]: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. Information on contract notices placed in the supplement is available on the internet website http://www.ted.eur-op.eu.int.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what research he has commissioned into the possible link between heavy use of mobile phones and memory loss. [76951]

The Department has funded two research projects on possible effects of radio frequency fields similar to those emitted by mobile phones. One is a behavioural study of rodents and the other is a human study involving psychological tests under simulated mobile phone use. Memory loss is a component of both these studies. Neither study has yet been published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the work of the Women's Unit. [75375]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply my right hon. Friend the Minister for Public Health gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Stretford and Urmston (Ms Hughes) on 2 March 1999, Official Report, column 669.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to end the present regulation limiting the sale of 75mg. aspirin to 32 tablets at one time. [77437]

Following statutory public consultation, the Medicines Commission has advised that low dose aspirin (75mg) may safely be sold or supplied in packs of up to 100 tablets or capsules under the supervision of a pharmacist. The Prescription Only Medicines Order will be amended to implement this. The Statutory Instrument is due to be laid in Parliament by 1 April and, with Parliamentary agreement, would be effective from 22 April 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is his estimate of expenditure by his Department and agencies on roads for each of the years from 1994–95 to 1998–99; what are the planned figures for each of the years from 1999–2000 to 2001–02; and if he will make a statement. [74899]

My Department's expenditure on trunk roads was as follows:

	£million
Outturn
1994–95	202.1
1995–96	192.3
1996–97	162.0
1997–98	112.9
Plans
1998–99	100.6

Trunk road provision for future years is:

	£million
Plans
1999–2000	101.6
2000–2001	104.6
2001–2002	104.6

This Government have stuck by the spending plans of the previous Government up to and including those for the current financial year (1998–99). However, we were able, exceptionally, to inject an extra £10 million into the trunk road programme in 1998–99, and this will be reflected in final outturn figures.The Department also supports local authority expenditure on major road construction schemes through Transport Grant arrangements. Transport Grant allocations for road schemes in the period in question were as follows:

	£ million
Outturn
1994–95	65.6
1995–96	83.0
1996–97	79.4
1997–98	48.5
Plans
1998–99	38.0
1999–2000	25.3

From 1998–99 the Department has used Transport Grant to support integrated transport packages and Safe Route to School initiatives. Allocations of £12 million have been made for these purposes for 1999–2000, which are additional to the provision above. Future Transport allocations for local roads will depend on bids received this Summer and subsequently.There are other elements of Welsh Office programme expenditure which relate to roads but these are not easily identifiable.Following the transfer of functions the allocation of expenditure for roads will be a matter for the National Assembly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate his Department has made of the annual amount received in Wales from European structural funds between 1992 and 1999; and what percentage these amounts were of the total receipts received under European structural funds within the United Kingdom. [75856]

The information is not available in the format requested since Structural Fund programmes run over a period of years. For the period covered by the present regulations (1994–99), Wales has been allocated £640 million from the Structural Funds, which represents 7 per cent. of the total United Kingdom allocation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will name the Ministers in his Department who are regular users of electronic Red Boxes. [76169]

I refer the right hon. Member to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, on 16 March 1999, Official Report, columns 651–52. Preparations are being made to ensure that Assembly Secretaries and Members are at the cutting edge of new technologies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when the results of the January 1999 schools' census will be published. [76212]

Schools Census results will be available later this year and will be published in "Statistics of Education and Training in Wales: Schools in 2000". Provisional results about class sizes will be published in a Statistical Release in the summer. The precise date of publication will be announced in the Office for National Statistics' monthly "National Statistics Update" in due course.Following the transfer of functions, this issue will be a matter for the National Assembly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what finance has been provided in the Comprehensive Spending Review for increases in nurses' pay in Scotland in 2000–01 and 2001–02. [69716]

[holding answer 15 February 1999]: While no specific funds have been provided for nurses' pay in the Comprehensive Spending Review, the outcome provided sufficient funds to meet the reasonable cost of future nurses' pay awards.From 1 July 1999, this will be a matter for the Scottish Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will increase the resources available to council trading standards departments to enable them (a) to enforce rules relating to the sale of unsafe secondhand tyres and (b) to publicise the dangers of low-quality secondhand tyres. [75614]

I have been asked to reply.We took into account pressures on local authorities, and their ability to make efficiency savings, when setting the level of provision in the Comprehensive Spending Review and in reaching conclusions on the Local Government Finance Settlement 1999–2000. We also took into account the views of the local government associations and others who we consulted during consultation on our proposals. The level of resources devoted to the enforcement of the Motor Vehicles Tyres (Safety) Regulations 1994, which seek to control the quality of part worn tyres, is a matter for each local authority responsible for trading standards.