To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what plans he has to reduce his Department"s underspend in 2003–04 from that of 2002–03. [112778]

The Cabinet Office always strives to operate sound financial management of its resource and capital budgets. A capital underspend is expected in 2002–03 due to unavoidable one-off delays on two major capital programmes. Planned spending for 2003–04 is set out in the Cabinet Office departmental report 2003 (Cm 5926).

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the running costs in 2002 were of (a) his Ministers" private offices, separately identifying expenditure on staff, and (b) his Department. [105996]

Detailed financial management information is maintained in terms of financial rather than calendar years, figures for departmental running costs for 2002–03 will be published shortly in departmental appropriation and resource accounts.The running costs of Ministers" Private Offices, the Cabinet Office parliamentary branch and the ministerial Correspondence and Support Team for 2001–02 are shown in the following table:

£
	Number of private offices	Total paybill	Total other running costs	Total net running costs
2001–02	6	1,376,306	797,130	2,173,436

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what the target is for efficiency savings in 2003–04 expressed (a) in money terms and (b) as a percentage of the Department"s expenditure limit. [114110]

The published Cabinet Office SR2000 and SR2002 Public Service Agreement (PSA) Target is to achieve a 2.5 per cent. saving per year on administrative resources.This target cannot be translated into an absolute monetary value, nor an overall percentage of the departmental expenditure limit. We will meet it by managing within the published administration costs limit.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment has been made of Government Department websites for (a) access by disabled users, (b) content and reliability and (c) value for money. [115543]

The National Audit Office has conducted an assessment of the accessibility and usability of government websites. The report is primarily focused on encouraging use of the internet by older people and is available online at http:// www.nao.gov.uk/.The Cabinet Office has published guidelines for government web managers covering accessibility, content, reliability and value for money. These are available online at http://www.e-envoy.gov.uk/ webguidelines.htm.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office if he will make a statement on the (a) cost, (b) scope and (c) partnerships created for the latest initiative to increase internet use in the UK. [115541]

In total the Cabinet Office has committed £1 million to the "Get Started" campaign which aims to drive up levels of internet access among key groups such as the elderly, disabled and unemployed. We expect the value of strong partnership activity to at least match our direct investment. As well as being used to publicise the campaign, our investment is supporting a number of voluntary sector organisations to deliver internet access projects for their users."Get Started" is a national campaign which was launched on 12 May and will run until 30 June. During the campaign, throughout England, people will be encouraged to visit UK online centres offering free internet starter sessions. The Scottish Executive and Welsh Assembly are supporting the campaign by running complementary activity in Scotland and Wales.Key partners delivering the campaign include: Arriva, BT, BBC, Dixons Store Group, Granada Television, Age Concern, the Citizens Advice Bureau, the Council for Ethnic Minority Voluntary Organisations, the National Council for One Parent Families, the National Library for the Blind, the Prince"s Trust and the Royal National Institute for the Deaf.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what steps the Office has taken to publicise its Public Service Agreement targets; and at what cost to public funds. [114458]

Information on Public Service Agreement (PSA) targets is published on the Cabinet Office website and included in routine publications such as the Departmental Report, which involves no significant extra cost. No central record is maintained of other publicity costs associated with promoting PSA targets, which could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what assessment he has made of regional variations in staff turnover in his Department. [112762]

The majority of staff in the Cabinet Office, the Central Office of Information and the Government Car and Despatch Agency are located in the South East of England. Turnover is monitored in each organisation as part of the process of planning and reviewing resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations she will make to President Chirac on finding a solution to the problems in the coffee industry at the G8 summit in Evian on 1 June. [113507]

Coffee growers have been hit by low prices and deteriorating quality, the result of global over-supply and structural imbalances in the industry. The Government will support efforts to find solutions at the G8 summit and in follow-up work after the summit, notably for poor countries in Africa.There are a number of possibilities. The UK is already contributing to a sustainable coffee market by helping growers to diversify through its development programme; trying to expand the trade opportunities of commodity-dependent countries, cut tariffs and reduce the negative impact of the CAP. We are promoting foreign investment and good regulatory frameworks, increasing the aid budget to 0.40 per cent. of national income by 2005–06 and advocating more debt relief to highly indebted poor countries. A government-industry working group is currently looking at what more can be done to improve the livelihoods of poorer commodity producers in developing countries. The UK is also actively participating in the work of the International Coffee Organisation to improve the sustainability of the world coffee market.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if she will provide financial support for the monitoring of the International Coffee Organisation quality scheme; [113504](2) what representations she has made to the US Administration on

The Government shares the concern for the way that coffee growers have been hit by low prices and deteriorating quality, largely as a result of global over supply and structural imbalances in the industry. The Government"s policy on the reduction of supply of and increasing the quality of coffee on the world market is via our membership of the International Coffee Organisation (ICO) and our support for the ICO"s coffee quality scheme.The ICO Coffee Quality Improvement programme was approved by ICO Council Resolution 407 on 1 February 2002. The programme commenced on 1 October 2002 and requires that exports of coffee, accompanied by Certificates of Origin, shall comply with minimum standards specified in the Resolution. Exporting members are also required to develop and implement national measures to ensure that no exports of green coffee shall fail to meet the exportable standards. Discussions are currently on going about how the exports of processed coffee should be dealt with.Exporting members are currently in the process of implementing these measures within their countries. Members will then report to the ICO Council on the measures they have taken to implement the Resolution and inform the Council of any difficulties in this connection. The programme will be reviewed in September 2003.The European Union is responsible for paying the membership subscriptions of all EU member states at the ICO. The ICO Secretariat administers the Quality Coffee Scheme and part of the subscriptions of member countries is used to monitor the Scheme, primarily by gathering information from exporting members.In order to strengthen the Quality Initiative the ICO has invited the US, the world"s largest coffee consumer, to rejoin the Organisation. The US were Members under the 1983 Agreement, but left in 1993 mainly because at the time it did not wish to support mechanisms which could have a price-regulatory effect. The UK supports ICO"s invitation for the USA to accede to the International Coffee Agreement 2001.The Executive Director has met with the US Administration on behalf of the ICO to encourage them to join and inform the Administration of the ICO"s activities, including the one on the Coffee Quality Initiative.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on further measures the Government will take to prevent attacks on children by dangerous dogs. [115891]

Under the Dogs Act 1871 a magistrates court may make an order for the control or destruction of a dog that is dangerous and not kept under proper control. This Act applies everywhere, including in and around a private house. The Dangerous Dogs Acts 1991 and 1997 increased the range of penalties available to the court to deal with offenders whose dog is dangerously out of control in a public place. The Dangerous Dogs Acts have also placed restrictions over the ownership of types of dogs that have the characteristics of a type bred for fighting. I have no plans to introduce additional measures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial cost her Department has estimated of the impact of the Animal By-Products Regulation on small (a) abattoirs, (b) slaughterhouses and (c) butchers. [114947]

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: A partial Regulatory Impact Assessment on the Animal By-Products Regulation is in the Library of the House, as part of the consultation on the enforcing Regulations dated 27 January 2003.It has been estimated that the price that slaughterhouses pay for the disposal of blood could rise from the current £16/tonne to £60–80/tonne. In addition, some slaughterhouses currently dispose of their blood direct to sewer and do not have collection tanks. As many as one third of slaughterhouses may need to install suitable facilities. The cost of complying with the Regulation will, therefore, vary depending on individual circumstances.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to her answer, of 14 May, Official Report, column 264W, on the Animal By-products Regulation, (a) what steps her Department has taken to minimize the impact of the Animal By-Products Regulation on small (a) abattoirs, (b) slaughterhouses and (c) butchers; and how the schemes are being deployed within the England Rural Development Programme. [114948]

On 1 November 2002 we wrote to all slaughterhouse operators to obtain information on existing blood disposal routes.Analysis of the responses indicated that a number of red meat slaughterhouses were concerned about the arrangements they would need to put in place to change to methods of disposal permitted under the new regulations. As a result the Department has worked closely with the Meat and Livestock Commission (MLC) and other industry experts to develop guidance on simple, low cost ways in which slaughterhouses could comply with the new requirements. This guidance was issued on 21 February 2003 to

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on progress in developing a vaccine to counteract tuberculosis in cattle; and if she will publish the report of the Vaccine Scoping Standing Sub-Committee when it is available. [114719]

Defra is funding research at the Veterinary Laboratories Agency (VLA), Weybridge to produce candidate vaccines and to evaluate these in host species. The candidates include a range of live attenuated vaccines and sub-unit vaccines. Defra is also funding experimental vaccination of cattle with BCG and other vaccine candidates, development of a test to differentiate vaccinated animals from infected animals, and development and testing of vaccines against TB in badgers, in collaboration with University College, Dublin.The sequencing of the genome of Mycobacterium bovis (announced by Defra in March 2002) represents significant progress in vaccine research, as all genes, proteins, enzymes and antigens present in M. bovis are likely to be identified rapidly in a highly cost-effective manner. This will underpin all future Defra bovine TB research in the development of vaccines and improved diagnostic tests. Defra is funding research at the VLA in this area.The report of the Vaccine Scoping Standing Sub-Committee will be published in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs why she has not met a CSR target for tuberculosis in cattle. [114887]

CSR targets were set in 1998 for the Comprehensive Spending Review Period (CSR). The targets which followed the CSR period are known simply as PSA (Public Service Agreement) targets. Defra"s PSA is supported by Service Delivery Agreements (SDAs).SDA 24 commits Defra "to scale up the Tuberculosis (TB) in cattle surveillance programme to recover ground lost as a result of the FMD epidemic, and strengthen TB control in line with EU obligations and agreed GB procedures, by end 2003; and to consider and implement a revised TB control strategy, attracting consensus, in the light of the results of the Krebs trial on TB and badgers by end-2006".You can find the above in our SDA which can be viewed at http://defraweb/corporate/busplan/sda/sda0306.pdf.Defra is preparing a comprehensive and sustainable Animal Health and Welfare Strategy. The intention is to revise the relevant PSA and as necessary SDA targets in light of this strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many confirmed cases of tuberculosis in cattle there have been in the last five years; and what has been the geographical spread of the disease. [114888]

The number of new confirmed bovine TB herd incidents in England, by county from 1998 to 2002 is given in the table.

	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
England	630	741	885	300	1,447
Avon	23	22	32	12	55
Bedfordshire	—	—	—	—	—
Berkshire	—	—	—	—	—
Buckinghamshire	—	1	2	—	1
Cambridgeshire	—	1	2	—	1
Cheshire	2	2	3	—	13
Cornwall	—	131	125	57	47	254
Cumbria	—	1	1	—	6
Derbyshire	7	19	10	7	38
Devon	100	134	182	68	262
Dorset	8	20	10	8	35
Durham	—	—	—	—	1
East Sussex	1	5	2	1	8
Essex	—	—	—	—	—
Gloucestershire	130	133	171	32	206
Greater London—East	—	—	—	—	—
Greater London—South East	—	—	—	—	—
Greater Manchester	—	—	—	—	—
Hampshire	—	—	—	—	—
Hereford and Worcs	111	128	145	52	218
Hertfordshire	1	—	—	—	—
Humberside	—	—	—	—	1
Isle of Wight	—	1	—	—	—
Isles of Scilly	—	—	—	—	—
Kent	—	—	—	—	—
Lancashire	3	—	—	—	—
Leicestershire	—	—	—	—	3
Lincolnshire	1	—	—	—	—
Merseyside	—	—	—	—	—
Norfolk	—	—	—	—	—
North Yorkshire (48)	—	1	—	—	5
North Yorkshire (50)	—	—	—	—	—
Northamptonshire	—	—	1	—	2
Northumberland	2	1	2	1	10
Nottinghamshire	1	—	1	—	1
Oxfordshire	3	1	2	8	—
Shropshire	3	2	18	8	41
Somerset	36	42	62	14	78
South Yorkshire	—	—	1	—	—
Staffordshire	34	36	27	36	115
Suffolk	—	—	—	—	—
Surrey	—	—	—	—	—
Tyne and Wear	—	—	—	—	—
Warwickshire	1	—	1	1	2

	1998	1999	2000	2001	2002
West Midlands	—	1	—	—	—
West Sussex	—	—	—	—	1
West Yorkshire	1	—	—	—	—
Wiltshire	31	66	54	13	91

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment she has made of the amount councils have spent in each of the last 10 years on removing chewing gum from pavements. [116003]

We have made no specific assessment of the costs incurred by local authorities in cleaning gum in each of the last 10 years but local authorities have told us that costs are high.We are currently in discussions with gum manufacturers and interested parties about measures to effectively tackle the irresponsible disposal of chewing gum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the chewing gum industry to assess the feasibility of changing ingredients in gum so they are less likely to stick to pavements. [116004]

I and my officials are in discussions with gum manufacturers and other interested parties about what to do about the irresponsible disposal of chewing gum. These discussions include reference to biodegradable chewing gum as well as practical measures to promote responsible behaviour by users.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what public consultation will take place before a decision is taken on whether or not to establish a conservation board for the Cotswold area of outstanding natural beauty; what estimate he has made of the possible cost of such a board; what benefits he expects will result; and how local democratic accountability will be maintained if such a board is established. [114850]

Before making an Order to establish a Conservation Board, the Secretary of State must statutorily consult the Countryside Agency and every local authority with land in the AONB for their formal consent.I am currently considering establishing Conservation Boards in the Cotswolds and Chilterns Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and in addition to formal requirements Defra has held a 12-week informal consultation on the draft Order, ending on 30 May. Consultees include all constituent local authorities and parishes, the Countryside Agency and organisations with a direct interest in the board. The informal consultation documents are available from the Department"s website and are in the House Library.Where a Conservation Board is created, there will be some one-off costs, to be met by the Countryside Agency. As to on-going costs there will be swings and roundabouts. One issue is that boards will not be able to recover Value Added Tax payments. I am exploring ways in which the impact of this might be reduced.The Government have taken the view that a Conservation Board will be of most benefit to larger AONBs where it would be a focus for conservation and promotion activity, would provide more efficient management and would have an increased potential to attract funding.At least 60 per cent. of a board"s membership must be drawn from constituent local authorities and parishes. The Secretary of State, will appoint the remaining members, through open competition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the total cost has been of the introduction of a new corporate identity for her Department; and what further costs are anticipated. [114281]

It must be remembered that these changes are consequent on a major restructuring of Government Departments. The re-branding exercise is necessary to establish a new identity, which will assist in explaining the role and purpose of the new Department among staff, stakeholders, other partners and the public.The findings of extensive research with staff, stakeholders and the public has helped Defra develop a better understanding of what our customers expect from us. This will enable us to streamline our communications and improve clarity. The final design proved popular with all groups.The cost of developing the new Defra corporate identity is estimated to be £329,000. This includes costs for scoping the project, producing briefing material, undertaking staff surveys and public research and developing the logo. It also includes the commissioning of brand design consultancy.Replacing or introducing internal signs in Defra premises is forecast to cost a further £200,000. Further ongoing costs will include work with third parties on joint branding guidelines development.Guidelines for staff and external users such as suppliers and printers have been developed as well as a website redesign.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether it is her policy that deer found dead in parts of the country where cows have been infected with TB should be tested for that disease. [115259]

TB in deer is a notifiable disease. Article 5 of the Tuberculosis (Deer) Order 1989 requires all deer carcases which are suspected of being affected with tuberculosis to be reported to the appropriate Divisional Veterinary Manager (DVM). This applies to all deer species, whether farmed, parkland or wild.If lesions suggestive of TB are reported in a deer carcase anywhere in GB, tissue samples are sent to the Veterinary Laboratories Agency for bacteriological culture. If the causative organism of TB is isolated from wild deer in an area of the country that does not undergo annual TB testing of cattle, the DVM may instigate TB test checks of cattle herds in surrounding areas. This has been the standard Defra policy for many years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what help and advice is available in the south west region for farmers who wish to diversify their activities; and what financial assistance is in place to support these activities. [116441]

Defra provides grants for farm diversification projects under the Rural Enterprise Scheme, which forms part of the England Rural Development Programme. Similar arrangements apply in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly and other Objctive I areas through the separate Objective I programme. The Department also offers assistance in the form of free planning consultancy advice to farmers who intend to pursue an eligible diversification project through the Rural Enterprise Scheme or Objective I programme.The Department is also considering how to improve the provision of help and informationto farmers considering diversification of their business base. The Farm Business Advice Service, which remains available until March 2004, provides up to three days of freeadvice based around a business healthcheck and results in a business action plan. The service can help farmers decide whether or not to diversify and will direct them to other sources of support to help them see the action plan through. In addition, the delivery plan for the Strategy for Sustainable Farming and Food in the South West includes projects designed to help farms develop additional activities and to boost the skills needed to support this.The support provided to farmers in the South West mirrors that provided elsewhere in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans there are to protect dolphins around the coast of the UK; and if she will make a statement. [114122]

I refer my hon. Friend to my earlier answer to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George) on 20 May 2003, Official Report, column 689W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when she received the Treasury documents relating to the five economic tests and the 18 background studies; what discussions she has held with ministerial colleagues on the tests since receipt of the documents; when she expects to complete her analysis of the documents; and what representations (a) she and (b) departmental officials will make to other Departments before a decision is reached on the economic tests. [115390]

The Treasury"s 18 supporting studies on EMU were sent to Cabinet Ministers on 16 May. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor are holding meetings with Cabinet Members. There was an initial discussion at Cabinet on 22 May followed by a special Cabinet meeting on 5 June. The Chancellor will make a statement to the House of Commons on 9 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether game birds shot but not collected for eating purposes are subject to the regulations governing fallen stock. [114400]

Once game birds are released from rearing pens they are considered to be wild. The carcases, or parts of carcases, of wild birds will be exempt from the scope of the Animal By-Products Regulation unless they are thought to be diseased or are used to produce game trophies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many people in (a) Haltemprice and Howden and (b) the East Riding of Yorkshire are awaiting IACS payments; and what the average waiting time for payment was in the last year for which figures are available. [116761]

There are no payments outstanding in East Yorkshire under the 2002 Arable Area Payments Scheme (AAPS). Data is not held at constituency level so there is no specific information available for Haltemprice and Howden. For 2002 main AAPS payments, the regulatory payment window ran from 16 November 2002 to 31 January 2003. 85.88 per cent. of claims by number were paid by 8 December 2002, and 98.25 per cent. by 31 January 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what proposals she has for the protection and promotion of small-scale local livestock markets in England and Wales. [113374]

We are working with the Red Meat Industry Forum to improve the competitiveness of all the players in the red meat supply chain under the Forum"s Ten Point Action Plan which includes the marketing of animals through the auction system. In recognition of the importance of auction markets in the marketing of livestock and their role in the rural economy we continue to liaise closely with industry representatives with a view to retaining a system in which operators of auction market enterprises can continue to make commercial judgments and decisions for the benefit of their businesses and the livestock industry.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice she gives to local authorities which wish to encourage local food chains by including local sourcing as part of their best value contracting. [116440]

Defra has published guidance for public sector bodies on food procurement that covers issues such as removing obstacles to tendering by local and UK producers. This can be found on the internet at http://www.defra.gov.uk/farm/sustain/procurement/ index. htm.The Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) is producing its own guidance on sustainable procurement for local authorities that I understand will reflect Defra"s guidance on food procurement. IDeA is also actively working with Defra, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and other key Departments to take forward the Government"s initiative on food procurement across the public sector in England.Local authorities are responsible for sourcing a significant amount of food and this has brought with it increased interest, for example, in sourcing fresh produce and promoting healthy eating through their procurement policies. This is reflected in a number of initiatives that local authorities are already taking in this area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate she has made of when the container of Lindane lost on 13 March 1989 in the sinking of MV Perintis will corrode; and what impact it will have on fish. [115894]

Annual monitoring for evidence of Lindane in the area of the English Channel where MV Perintis sunk was undertaken between 1989 and 1993. This found that Lindane concentrations in seawater were low. The conclusion was that the English Channel had not been contaminated as a result of the sinking and that the container of Lindane on MV Perintis had sunk intact.The Lindane (a pure, crystalline material not formulated in a carrying solvent) was packed in plastic sacks within the container. Advice from Defra"s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science is that dissolution of the Lindane in seawater at the ambient seabed temperature, leaching from the sacks, and diffusion from within the container into the surrounding water, are all likely to be slow processes and the impact on marine life is therefore expected to be negligible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what appraisal she has made of the scope for amending regulations on packaging to enable the packaging industry to minimise the packaging of goods. [113189]

The Producer Responsibility Obligations (Packaging Waste) Regulations 1997 (as amended) and the Packaging (Essential Requirements) Regulations 1998 both include incentives for businesses to minimise packaging. However, I have asked the Advisory Committee on Packaging to consider what further measures might be needed to minimise packaging, and I expect to receive its recommendations later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs who the chairman of the Parrett catchment project is. [115611]

I understand that the new chair of the Parrett Catchment Project Management Group is Mr. Nigel Farrow, who I am informed took up this post on 7 May 2003 following the resignation of the previous incumbent, Mr. Humphrey Temperley.Mr. Temperley resigned in order to avoid potential conflicts of interest following his appointment to the Chairmanship of the Regional Flood Defence Committee. Mr. Temperley continues to chair the Project"s stakeholder group.As explained in previous responses to Parliamentary Questions, the Parrett Catchment Project is an independent stakeholder forum and Defra has no role in the appointment of its officers or committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Department has taken to publicise its Public Service Agreement targets; and at what cost to public funds. [114442]

Ministers and officials take every opportunity to explain and publicise Defra"s Public Service Agreement targets and the way that Defra and its partners inside and outside Government can contribute to achieving these purposes which will contribute to sustainability and quality of life.General information on PSA targets is published on the Defra website (http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate—/busplan/busplan.htm) and progress towards meeting SR2002 targets can be viewed on the HM Treasury web-based reporting site (http://www.hm-treasurv.gov.uk/ performance/). Information is also included in routine publications such as departmental reports which involves no significant extra cost. Other publicity includes the Autumn Performance Report which specifically sets out progress on our PSA targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make a statement on the development of the rural economy in Sefton. [116612]

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs uses the agreed Office for National Statistics (ONS) definition of rural available at: http://www.neighbourhood.statistics.gov.uk/metadata. asp?dsno=52. Using the ONS definition, Sefton is a predominantly urban district, with only 2 of its 23 wards defined as rural. Defra does not monitor economic performance at individual ward level but these wards benefit from the rural component of the Merseyside Objective 1 Programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures she intends to take to increase sewerage disposal in the South East. [116219]

Under section 94 of the Water Industry Act 1991, sewerage undertakers have a duty to provide, improve and extend their public sewer network. It is a matter for each sewerage company to decide on its programme of work.Companies are now in the process of drawing up draft business plans for 2005–10, and it is open for them to include costed proposals to extend their sewerage network. Ofwat will examine their plans, and decide the allowance for sewerage works when they set companies" price limits in 2004. Companies" draft business plans will be published in the autumn and there will be an opportunity for all interested parties to comment to Ofwat.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures her Department will put in place under the CAP decoupling proposals to protect the future of (a) local authority owned and (b) other small farms following the proposal to pay a single subsidy payment to the tenant and to allow the tenant to retain the entitlement payments; and whether it is her policy that the subsidy remain with the farm rather than with the tenant. [114587]

The Government are not convinced of the need for such measures. In order to claim the proposed single payment, those holding entitlements would need to farm, or at least keep in good agricultural condition, an equivalent number of hectares to that which established the entitlement. This means there are likely to be many farmers, including tenants, with an entitlement who would need to find land to attach it to in order to generate payments. Consequently, our initial assessment is that, while we might expect a greater equalisation of agricultural land values, a marked change in average values seems unlikely. It follows that, while individual circumstances would vary, landowners, including local authorities and small farmers, would continue to experience a benefit from CAP subsidies. The Government supports the Commission proposal that entitlements should be allocated to active farmers, whether they be owner/occupiers or tenants.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tree planting programmes are in existence; and what plans she has to increase forestland in the UK. [115153]

Forestry is a devolved matter and the forestry strategies for each country in the UK set out the priorities for woodland planting and management. An average of 17,600 hectares of new woodland has been planted annually in the UK over the past 10 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made at the WTO on new agreements on agriculture. [116036]

There has been substantial progress at the WTO towards a new Agreement on Agriculture. Although it is disappointing that the deadline of 31 March 2003 for conclusion of modalities could not be met, all parties remain fully committed to the negotiations with a view to reaching agreement at the fifth meeting of the WTO Ministerial Conference, due to be held in Cancun, Mexico this September.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library copies of the correspondence sent from her Department relating to the judgment in the case of the BBC v. ProLife Alliance on 10 April 2003. [109710]

There has been no correspondence sent from this Department relating to the recent judgment. However, at the time of the proceedings in February my Department was alerted to a possible ambiguity in the drafting of provisions in the Communications Bill which were relevant to the ProLife case and a letter was put into court making clear the Government"s policy intentions. I am arranging for that letter to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses. An amendment to the Communications Bill to ensure that the drafting more clearly reflected the Government"s intentions was tabled in the other place on 9 May 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been allocated to assisting the tourist industry since September 2001; what assessment has been undertaken on the extent of recovery in the industry; and what further plans she has to attract foreign visitors to the UK. [115171]

Since 2001 DCMS has allocated the following funding for tourism.

	£ million
2001–02
BTA grant in aid	35.5
BTA tourism recovery	14.2
ETC grant in aid	11.0
ETC tourism recovery	3.8
ETC capital modernisation fund	0.6
London	1.9
Tourism total	67
2002–03
BTA grant in aid	35.5
BTA Million Visitor Campaign	19.0
ETC grant in aid	11.6
ETC Million Visitor Campaign	1.0
ETC Invest to Save	2.4
ETC capital modernisation fund	0.3
London	1.9
Tourism total	71.7
2003–04
Overseas promotion	35.5
Domestic promotion	1 14.1
VisitBritain Reform	2.0
London	1.9
EnglandNet: ISB	1.2
Tourism total	54.7
1 £14.1 million is the total resource available in relation to England with the exception of London. It is not all allocated to VisitBritain. At least £3.6 million will be deployed through the regional development agencies, and other partners will be allocated some of it to reflect transfer of functions.

The industry experienced a good recovery in 2002 and in the first quarter of 2003 total inbound visitors were back to the same level as two years ago (just prior to the impact of foot and mouth disease).In addition, to its on-going campaigns in our key markets around the world, VisitBritain is running two partner campaigns this year: a short break campaign in the autumn in the European markets and an American campaign in the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions have taken place with English Heritage regarding provision of maintenance work on historic buildings. [115169]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State, has regular discussions with the chairman and chief executive of English Heritage on its activities at a strategic level. There have been no recent discussions regarding maintenance work on historic buildings, day-to-day decisions which are the responsibility of English Heritage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she received the Treasury documents relating to the five economic tests and the 18 background studies; what discussions she has held with ministerial colleagues on the tests since receipt of the documents; when she expects to complete her analysis of the documents; and what representations (a) she and (b) departmental officials will make to other Departments before a decision is reached on the economic tests. [115394]

The Treasury"s 18 supporting studies on EMU were sent to Cabinet Ministers on 16 May. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor are holding meetings with Cabinet Members. There was an initial discussion at Cabinet on 22 May that will be followed by a special Cabinet meeting on 5 June. The Chancellor will make a statement to the House of Commons on 9 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when football clubs will be paid the money due by the end of April to fund centres of excellence and academies for youth players; what the reasons are for the time taken to make the payments; what arrangements have been made to ensure that future payments are paid on time; and if she will make a statement. [115764]

The Government are committed to making up the £6 million shortfall in funding for the Football League"s Youth Development Programme. This covers seasons 2002–03 to 2005–06, and the commitment followed the reduction in payments to the Programme from Sport England.The Government are working towards including the £6 million in a wider funding package for sport and the arts. The many demands from these sectors for Lottery and Exchequer funding have ensured that completing this package has not been a straightforward matter. However, I expect that the package will be finalised before the beginning of the 2003–04 season. The arrangements for payment over the period of the commitment to the Youth Programme will then be matters for the League and the relevant funding body.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her oral answer of 19 May 2003, what action the Coalition is taking to protect the ziggurat-stepped pyramid at Ur; and if she will make a statement. [115106]

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: We are in the process of securing reports about the status of significant cultural and historic sites in Iraq. Coalition troops are in place to protect key sites, including the ziggurat-stepped pyramid at Ur. An official from my Department visited and inspected the ziggurat-stepped pyramid at Ur with an archaeologist on 21 May and found it to be in good order. Contrary to reports in the press, there was no evidence of graffiti.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what actions she has taken to protect sports fields and play facilities in the Crosby constituency. [116285]

We have put in place a number of strong legislative measures and checks to the planning system to ensure that playing fields can be protected throughout England, including the Crosby constituency. New planning guidance on open spaces, sport and recreation has also been published which provides robust guidelines for local planning authorities about the need to protect playing fields and open spaces and strongly emphasises the need for local authorities to undertake rigorous needs assessments for local playing fields and sports facilities, when considering development on these sites or the creation of new facilities.This Department recognises the crucial importance of play and in partnership with Sure Start is conducting a review of children"s play, which will report in the summer. The review will identify how funding for children"s play can be spent most effectively. Although no action has been taken specifically to protect play facilities in the Crosby constituency, the review has identified the need to improve existing play opportunities and develop new ones.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if she will make a statement on the future of the New Opportunities fund; [114094](2) if she will make a statement on the future of the Community fund. [114095]

I announced my intention to proceed with plans to merge the Community fund and New Opportunities fund in February, to create a new community Lottery distributor. The new body would set the pace for modernising delivery of Lottery funding, allowing better coordination and more efficient distribution of funding, and identify and implement programmes to transform communities. We are consulting with the voluntary sector and other interested parties, and these discussions will feed into proposals on the future of Lottery distribution which we intend to publish in the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what safeguards she intends to put in place to ensure that the bid for the Olympics does not restrict the resources available to non-Olympic sports; and what plans she has to support such sports and promote participation in them. [114900]

The Sports Councils: UK Sport and Sport England, are responsible for the distribution of exchequer and lottery funding according to their own policies and priorities. Funding is prioritised to both Olympic and non-Olympic sports to ensure the most effective use of both exchequer and lottery funds, it is not expected that the Olympic bid will affect these.The Sports Councils will be working to ensure funding from all sources supports grassroots development, club system, talent development and high level performance in all these sports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the financial implications of a British Olympic bid for the London Borough of Havering. [115332]

We have made no assessment of the financial implications for the London Borough of Havering of a British Olympic Bid. However, the Mayor has said that if a bid were successful, London"s contribution towards the games from council tax will be produced from up to £20 a year for a band D property. This would start in the financial year 2006–07, after it is known whether we will host the games. As for the financial implications of the bidding process, as my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State said in her statement to the House, business, the London development agency and Government will bear the cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received from the London Borough of Havering regarding the British Olympic bid. [115333]

I have no record of any representations from the London Borough of Havering.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with Transport for London regarding the public transport infrastructure in East London in relation to the British Olympic bid. [115334]

Officials from this department have held a number of discussions with Transport for London to review the transport elements of Arup"s cost benefit analysis of an Olympic bid centred on the lower Lea Valley and consider the possible cost of a robust transport solution for a London Olympics.These discussions also included other transport groups, for example the Strategic Rail Authority and Highways Agency as well as the Metropolitan Police and Department for Transport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had with the Mayor of London regarding the financial implications of a British Olympic bid for the London boroughs. [115335]

The agreement reached between Government and the Mayor of London on the public funding package for a London 2012 Olympics followed extensive and detailed discussions with the Mayor for London and his advisers at official and ministerial level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the lottery contribution to the cost of hosting the Olympic Games will come from existing lottery distributors. [114825]

The total amount of Lottery funding required for the Olympics will depend on the eventual costs. With good management, which the Government is determined to see in place, I expect the maximum level of Lottery funding to be £1.5 billion.Of this contribution it is estimated that £750 million will be raised through hypothecated Olympic Games. £340 million would be sought from planned expenditure by the established Lottery sport distributors.The remaining contribution, if any is needed, would be derived by changing the shares of Lottery income passing to distributors after 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made on the impact of existing sports lottery funded projects of hosting the Olympic Games in 2012; and if she will make a statement. [114826]

Preliminary assessments of the impact of Olympic Lottery Games have been provided by Camelot, and reviewed by the National Lottery Commission. There is no expectation that hosting the Olympic Games in 2012 would impact on existing sports lottery funded projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether her Department has identified all the land needed for an Olympic Games bid. [116137]

It will be for the Bid Company to identify its overall land requirements and the precise location of each of the sporting venues. The Bid Company will be supported in this work by the London Development Agency which is commissioning a master planning exercise for the Lower Lea Valley which encompasses the proposed Olympic zone. The master planning exercise will help to co-ordinate Olympic plans with those currently being developed locally so that the Olympics will complement and reinforce existing regeneration plans in the area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her Department"s estimate is of the cost of acquiring sites needed for a London Olympic Games bid. [116138]

An independent cost benefit analysis carried out by Arup for Government, the British Olympic Association and Greater London Authority estimated that costs of acquiring land for a specimen Olympic Games based primarily in the Lower Lea Valley at close to £400 million. The costs of land assembly should be recovered through the subsequent sale or rent of the land.The LDA has already begun assembling land in the area as part of its wider strategy for regeneration and economic development in the Thames Gateway—an area that has been identified as a priority for development by the Government and the Greater London Authority with or without a successful Olympic bid. During the bid period the LDA will only acquire land which could be used for regeneration purposes should the bid not be successful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list playing field sites, by local authority, indicating which are managed by the local authority on behalf of the National Playing Field Association; and if she will make statement. [113653]

The central collation of information listing playing field sites by local authority would incur disproportionate costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has held with (a) the Civil Service Sports Council and (b) Civil Service Sports Council Properties Ltd. on the disposal of playing fields. [115660]

Neither my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State nor I have had discussions with either organisation.

:To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the budget was and how much was spent on pesticides by the Royal Parks Agency in each year since 1997. [115077]

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: Responsibility for the subject of this question has been delegated to the Royal Parks Agency and I have asked its Chief Executive, William Weston to reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many staff in the Department have been on long-term sick leave in each of the last two years. [115865]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 1 May 2003, Official Report, column 444W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what actions she has taken to encourage adults in Crosby constituency to participate in sport and regular exercise. [116283]

It is the Government"s policy to encourage greater participation in sport and physical activity in all areas of the country and among all groups. Lottery funding both through the Lottery Sports Fund and the New Opportunities Fund has been made available for the provision of new sports facilities in Crosby. Sport England has awarded three community lottery awards in the Crosby constituency totalling £519,229 towards total project costs of £703,181, and 35 awards for all grants totalling £130,481. In addition Sefton LEA"s allocation under the New Opportunities Fund PE and sport programme is £3,331,000 towards facilities that will be available to the wider community. Sport England also provided advice in the project to secure the recently opened replacement for Crosby Baths, and will be providing advice on design and planning issues for a second public pool in the Crosby constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what actions she has taken to encourage school children in the Sefton LEA area to participate in sport. [116284]

The Government are committed to increasing and improving opportunities for all young people to participate in sporting activities both within and beyond the curriculum. For this reason, the joint DCMS/DfES national strategy for PE, school sport and club links is investing a total of £459 million over three years (from April 2003). Since April 2001 Sefton has been involved in the School Sport Co-ordinator programme with Chesterfield High School being designated as a Specialist Sports College and acting as a hub site for a partnership of local schools. Stanley High School is in the process of being similarly designated and all schools in Sefton will eventually be involved in the programme. In addition, the New Opportunities PE and Sport programme aims to bring about a step change in the provision of sports facilities for young people. Sefton LEA has been allocated £3,331,000 for this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on funding for Sport England. [115313]

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: Sport England"s planned Exchequer Funding allocation is set out in the following table.

	£ million
2003–04	61.575
2004–05	74.075
2005–06	80.375

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will list the projects removed from the sports funding agency programme for 2003–04. [115308]

Sport England is reviewing projects as part of its Lottery reprioritisation programme. No decisions have yet been reached.

To ask the President of the Council how many officials in the Department serve on EU committees or working parties. [116086]

None.

To ask the President of the Council when he received the Treasury documents relating to the five economic tests and the 18 background studies; what discussions he has held with ministerial colleagues on the tests since receipt of the documents; when he expects to complete his analysis of the documents; and what representations (a) he and (b) departmental officials will make to other Departments before a decision is reached on the economic tests. [115383]

The Treasury"s eighteen supporting studies on EMU were sent to Cabinet Ministers on 16 May. The Prime Minister and the Chancellor are holding meetings with Cabinet Members. There was an initial discussion at Cabinet on 22 May and this will be followed by a special Cabinet meeting on 5 June. The Chancellor will make a statement to the House of Commons on 9 June.

To ask the President of the Council how many written questions were tabled in the last Parliamentary session; and at what cost to public funds. [116595]

The total number of questions tabled in the House of Commons last session was 72,905¹ at an estimated cost of some £9.842 million.

¹ House of Commons Sessional Returns 2001-02

To ask the President of the Council if he will list the (a) ad hoc and (b) standing committees of the Privy Council, indicating in each case their membership. [114121]

The only current ad hoc Committee is one established to consider a petition of the Royal Town Planning Institute for the grant of a Supplemental Charter. Its members are the President of the Council, the Deputy Prime Minister, the Home Secretary and the Attorney General.The standing committees of the Privy Council and their members are:

To ask the Solicitor-General what steps her department is taking to address the issue of age discrimination. [109452]

[holding answer 28 Apri12003]: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is currently in the process of reviewing its policy on age. The CPS Board considered and approved a paper in February 2003 that the retirement age to be extended from 60 to 65. All those in grades ranging from administrative assistants to grade six lawyers are now able to continue working up until the age of 65 should they wish. For those in higher grades, if the Cabinet Office approves the changes, the retirement age for Senior Civil Service grades will also follow suit and increase from 60 to 65 within the CPS.The CPS also plans to draw up a new generic equality scheme, which will encompass all aspects of race, sex, disability and age discrimination. It is hoped that this will be finalised in 2004 and take on board good practice measures in advance of the passage of legislation on age in 2006.The CPS ran an awareness campaign in 2001 and 2002 called "Dignity at Work". The document that accompanied the campaign established standards of behaviour for all staff and included reference to age discrimination with regards to how people are treated at work.In November 2002 the Serious Fraud Office"s (SFO) Management Board agreed changes to the SFO"s retirement policy for staff below the Senior Civil Service (SCS) which, in most cases, previously required individuals to retire at age 60. With effect from 1 January 2003, SFO employees below the SCS now have the option to continue working for any period up until the day prior to their 65

To ask the Solicitor-General what arrangements are made in her department to allow staff to access counselling services. [111950]

In respect of my own department, the Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, the majority of staff are on secondment from other departments and continue to have a right of access to the counselling services of the parent department. All staff are also able to avail themselves of the service provided by the Treasury Solicitor"s Department. In relation to the other departments for which the Law Officers are responsible, the answer is as follows:

To ask the Solicitor-General, what assessment she has made of the effect of the proposals in the draft text prepared by the Convention on the Future of Europe on the operation of the Crown Prosecution Service. [115018]

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: The draft Constitutional Treaty aims to modernise and simplify the existing Treaties into a single, readable text. In most cases, there will be no change to the substance: the current Treaties already provide for police and judicial co-operation at EU level. Europol and Eurojust have already been established and are already making a significant contribution to the fight against transitional serious crime and terrorism. The draft proposals recommend the creation of a European Public prosecutor. The UK opposes this. Prosecution should remain the responsibility of the Member State.The UK will not sign up to anything which is not in its interest. The new Treaty can only be agreed by Heads of Government at an IGC by unanimity.

To ask the Solicitor-General, if she will make a statement on the administrative efficiency of the Crown Prosecution Service in London. [115020]

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: The Croydon CPS Criminal Justice Unit dealt with 12,860 last year and achieved a conviction rate of 97.0 per cent. of those cases that went to trial.I am also aware that continuing efforts are made to improve performance and procedures if any deficiencies are found.

To ask the Solicitor-General what creche facilities are provided by the Attorney-General"s Office; and at what cost. [104288]

[holding answer 25 March 2003]: None of the Departments for which the Attorney-General holds ministerial responsibility provide creche facilities. However, the Treasury Solicitor"s Department has a contract through the Cabinet Office, with Childcare Enterprises Ltd. This company provides a

To ask the Solicitor-General when she next expects to meet representatives of small firms to discuss ways of preventing fraud. [115019]

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: On 5 March 2003 I met with the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and representatives of the SFO and CPS.Although no further meeting is formally scheduled, the SFO and CPS would readily assist the FSB with any queries they may have. The SFO already has good links with the FSB and following the meeting better links were developed with the CPS. I continue to work with the CPS, SFO, small business organisations and colleagues in the DTI to combat fraud on business.

To ask the Solicitor-General, what contribution Local Criminal Justice Boards are making to the Criminal Justice System. [115017]

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: Local Criminal Justice Boards are taking forward at a local level the task of improving the effectiveness of the Criminal Justice System through closer co-operation between the different agencies.The Boards consist of the Chief Officers of Police, Probation Service, Crown Prosecution Service and Courts together with senior representatives from the Prison Service and Youth Offending teams. They were established on 1 April and have made rapid progress by establishing co-ordinated plans for bringing more cases to justice. They will also evolve plans to increase public confidence.

To ask the Solicitor-General what the estimated level of saving is to the Department from the use of market testing in 2002–03. [107773]

[holding answer 9 April 2003]: The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers, Crown Prosecution Service, Serious Fraud Office, Treasury Solicitor"s Department and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate have not conducted any formal market testing activity within the period 2002–03.Goods and services provided externally are normally acquired through competitive procurement. All contracts are regularly reviewed to ensure value for money in all departments.

To ask the Solicitor-General how many sick days were lost in the last year by her department through staff mental health problems. [112068]

In respect of those departments for which the Attorney-General holds ministerial responsibility, the information is as follows:

To ask the Solicitor General what the cost will be to public funds in 2003–04 of the rise in national insurance contributions on the salary bill of her Department. [107892]

[holding reply answer 10 April 2003]: On the basis of current salary levels the cost to public funds, for the financial year 2003–04, due to the rise in national insurance contributions is forecast to be:

£
Cost to public funds in 2003–04 of rise in NI contributions on the salary bill of the Solicitor- General"s Department
Crown Prosecution Service	2,700,000
Serious Fraud Office	54,000
Treasury Solicitor"s Department (including Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate)	197,508

To ask the Solicitor General what assessment she has made of the impact of the Part-time Workers Directive on staff in the Department. [109282]

[holding answer 28 April 2003]: The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers and HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate currently have no part-time staff.The Crown Prosecution Service complies with the Part-Time Workers Directive by ensuring that part-time workers are not treated less favourably than full-time workers, and that staff at all levels are able to apply to work part-time. In addition to part-time work, other complementary schemes such as job-sharing, part-year working and compressed hours are available to staff at all levels.The Serious Fraud Office has a very small number of employees who work less than full-time hours—part-time staff make up less than 3 per cent. of the total number of employees. The Part-time Workers Directive has therefore had a minimal impact on this Department.Part-time staff enjoy the same terms and conditions of employment as their full-time equivalents. Salary, together with entitlement to annual leave and public and privilege holidays, are calculated on a pro-rata basis. Access to training, development and promotion opportunities are afforded to part-time staff in the same way as for full- time members of staff.As at 1 April 2003 there were 44 part-time employees in the Treasury Solicitor"s Department representing 6.8 per cent. of total staff in post.Jobs in the Treasury Solicitor"s Department are advertised on the basis that they will be open to part-time workers, unless otherwise stated due to the nature of the work. The impact on business terms should therefore be minimal but in terms of staff satisfaction should be beneficial.

To ask the Solicitor-General how many people are employed in her Department"s press office; and how many were employed on 2 May 1997. [108406]

[holding answer 14 April 2003]: The Legal Secretariat to the Law Officers has one press officer who also acts as Private Secretary. This is the same number as in May 1997. The Press Officer also provides services to the Treasury Solicitor"s Department which does not have its own Press Officer and did not have one in 1997.There are 10 people employed in the Crown Prosecution Service Press Office. This is the same number as in May 1997.The Press and Information Office at the Serious Fraud Office currently has three members of staff. On 2 May 1997, it employed four members of staff.HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate has no dedicated Press Officer. Casework Inspectors and the Chief Inspector handle press enquiries as part of their routine duties. HM Crown Prosecution Service Inspectorate did not exist in May 1997.

To ask the Solicitor-General (a) how many and (b) what grades of officials are responsible for the monitoring of progress towards the public service agreement targets of the Department. [109461]

[holding reply answer 28 April 2003]: In relation to the departments for which the Attorney General holds ministerial responsibility, the answer is as follows.

To ask the Solicitor-General, if she will make a statement about the resources for detection and investigation available to the Serious Fraud Office. (115021)

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: The SFO is responsible for investigating and prosecuting serious complex fraud.In this financial year the budget of the SFO has risen to £23.41 million. In 2004–05 it rises to £30.39 million and in 2005–06 it rises to £35.34 million.The SFO employs both permanent civil servants and contract staff. It also investigates in conjunction with the police and is working with the Corporation of London and the Government to explore ways of making more police resources available for investigating fraud.

To ask the Solicitor-General what policy her Department has adopted on smoking in the workplace. [100934]

[holding answer 7 March 2003]: All of the Departments for which the Attorney General holds ministerial responsibility have adopted policies forbidding smoking except in designated areas.

To ask the Solicitor-General if she will list the sunset clauses included in legislation from her Department since 1997. [106944]

[holding answer 7 April 2003]: The Departments for which the Attorney-General holds ministerial responsibility have not been responsible for any legislation containing sunset clauses since 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects the first accommodation centre for asylum seekers to be operational; and if he will make a statement. [115214]

Firm opening dates have yet to be finalised, and will depend upon such issues as planning consent, the nature of each site, and the design proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his policy is on the return of failed asylum seekers to Zimbabwe; and if he will make a statement. [112213]

[holding answer 20 May 2003]: On 15 January 2002, my right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary announced a temporary suspension on removals of unsuccessful asylum seekers to Zimbabwe, pending the outcome of the presidential elections in March 2002. The Government have been keeping under review whether this suspension should remain and have concluded that it should be kept in place.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that asylum seekers from minority groups, with particular reference to (a) the Roma, (b) people from Serbia and Montenegro and (c) people from Kosovo will not be placed in Oakington Immigration Reception Centre pending the outcome of a case filed by the European Roma Rights Centre on 9 May concerning the expulsion of a Kosovo Romani family from Denmark. [114972]

The case filed by the European Roma Rights Centre (ERRC) with the European Court of Human Rights concerns the removal of a Kosovo Roma family to Kosovo. The UK does not currently enforce the removal of Roma or people from any other Kosovan ethnic minority groups to Kosovo or to other parts of Serbia and Montenegro.The ERRC case therefore has no bearing on our policy in relation to asylum seekers from Kosovo or other parts of Serbia and Montenegro and there are no plans to alter our arrangements for dealing with these cases.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps have been taken to review contracts with private landlords providing accommodation and services for asylum seekers following the report on the Landmark company in Liverpool. [115572]

Current contracts with accommodation providers are subject to contract compliance monitoring. The National Asylum Support Service (NASS) also regularly reviews its contractors" performance against key performance indicators. Officials hold regular meetings with all contracted accommodation providers.In addition senior officials within NASS meet the senior management of contracting companies at least once a year although steps are in hand to hold these bi-annually. As it develops its strategy for procuring accommodation when current contracts expire, NASS will take account of its experience with the present contracts.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the total expenditure on advertising by the Department was in (a) 2001–02 and (b) 2002–03; and what the level of planned expenditure is for (i) 2003–04 and (ii) 2004–05. [114440]

The total advertising spend for the Home Department was:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his answer of 15 May, Official Report, column 430W, on Ali Serir, on what basis Mr. Ali Serir"s application was refused. [115704]

Mr Serir"s application was refused as Mr Serir failed to meet the requirements set out under Rule 284 of the Immigration Rules, namely that an applicant must have limited leave to remain in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what regulations under subsection (1) (ba) or (bb) of the British Nationality Act 1981 have been published since the passing of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002; and if he will place copies in the Library. [115216]

The subsections of the British Nationality Act referred to in the question relate to the standard of English and knowledge about life in the UK to be attained by those applying for naturalisation.My right hon. Friend, the Home Secretary appointed the "Life in the UK" Advisory Group chaired by Professor Sir Bernard Crick, to look at the content, conduct and implementation of programmes of study for potential citizens. It is expected to publish its final report shortly.Once the recommendations in the report have been considered the regulations will be drafted and published.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have become (a) registered and (b) naturalised as British citizens since the passing of the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. [115217]

The latest available figures for registration and naturalisation as a British Citizen are for 2001, published in the Home Office statistical Bulletin "Persons Granted British Citizenship, United Kingdom, 2001". A copy has been placed in the Library.Figures for 2002 will be published in the next Bulletin, due in August 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have been deprived of citizenship under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002. [115218]

The provisions of the Act came into force on 1 April 2003. There are now two possible grounds for deprivation: that the individual obtained the citizenship by deception or (provided he or she would not be left stateless) that the person has done something seriously prejucicial to the vital interests of the United Kingdom or of a British overseas territory. Notice of a decision to make a deprivation order has been made in one case.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Office of the Children"s Rights Commissioner for London. [115523]

I have been asked to reply.The Government welcomes the contribution of the Office of the Children"s Rights Commissioner for London to the debate about the value of a children"s commissioner for England. We have received a copy of the final report entitled "A Legacy and a Challenge for London: Office of the Children"s Rights Commissioner for London—a Three-year Demonstration Project" (2003), and are considering with interest the report"s assessment of the work of the Office over the past three years.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the proposed new offence of corporate manslaughter will apply to (a) Crown properties and (b) Government departments. [115283]

[holding answer 22 May 2003]: As we announced during the Report stage of the Criminal Justice Bill, we intend to legislate to ensure that companies where a death has occurred due to gross negligence by the organisation as a whole are liable for manslaughter under the criminal law. The legislation will be targeted at companies, not individual directors. We will announce further details of the proposals, including the position of Crown bodies in respect of the legislation, before the end of the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the terms of reference of the review looking into corrections policy; and what progress is being made in producing a report. [115434]

A Review of Correctional Services was announced in July 2002 in the White Paper "Justice for All".The first phase of the review has concentrated on the short term demands on the correctional services and was carried out by the Home Office. The second phase of the review is being led independently by Patrick Carter and will consider a strategy for correctional services over the Spending Review 2004 period to meet the Government"s objectives of protecting the public, reducing crime and sustaining public confidence, in ways which are cost effective and financially sustainable. Patrick Carter is due to report his findings to Ministers in the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government"s policy is towards corrective procedures; and what steps he is taking to encourage greater co-ordination between police, probation, criminal services and the legal system. [115430]

The White Paper "Justice for All" set out a wide-ranging programme of reform for the criminal justice system (CJS) including the correctional services in England and Wales. This Government is determined to create a criminal justice system that meets the needs of society and wins the trust of citizens by convicting the guilty, acquitting the innocent and reducing offending and re-offending.The Prison and Probation Services already work closely together in managing the supervision of licensed offenders and are increasingly engaged in joint work in meeting the target on reducing re-offending.The need for greater co-ordination between the various parts of the criminal justice system underpins the changes we have made to structures at both the national and local levels. Most critically the formation of a National Criminal Justice Board and 42 Local Criminal Justice Boards (one for each CJS area) will help to give a formal framework for the pursuit of shared aims and objectives.

Table 4A: Registration Services Elapsed Time Service Levels
Service Element	Service Measure	Service Level
(A2) New registration	Percentage of instances performed within five days elapsed time	95.0
(A3) Registration changes (including additional or replacement counter-signatory)	Percentage of instances performed within three days elapsed time	98.0

Table 4B: Certificate Services Elapsed Time Service Levels
Service Element	Service Measure	Service Level
(B1) Invalid application for CCC or HLC	Percentage of instances performed within two days elapsed time	98.0
(B3) Telephone Application for HLC: up to issue of application form for signature and counter-signature	Percentage of instances performed within one day elapsed time	99.0
(B4) Valid application for CRC: up to dispatch of certificate	Percentage of instances performed within three days elapsed time	98.0
(B5) Valid application for ECRC: up to dispatch of certificate	Percentage of instances performed within four days elapsed time	98.0

Definitions:Elapsed time—The aggregate of the elapsed times of the Activities (or Business Processes) (for which responsibility is assigned, in Schedule 2 or otherwise, to the Contractor) performed in the provision of a Service Element, such elapsed times

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what service levels were achieved by the Criminal Records Bureau in 2002–03; and what service levels were specified in the contract with Capita. [112033]

The service levels achieved by the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) against their published service standards between August 2002 and March 2003 are as follows (there are no figures available prior to August 2002):

Standard Disclosures—19.4 per cent issued within one week (against a target of 95 per cent)

Enhanced Disclosures—52.4 per cent issued within three weeks (against a target of 90 per cent.)

Turnaround times have improved as the joint service improvement plan has taken effect. Some 90 per cent of Standard Disclosures and 70 per cent of Enhanced Disclosures are now being issued within three weeks.The following relevant service standards are set out in the contract between the Capita and the CRB:Criminal Conviction Certificate (CCC)—BasicDisclosure (not yet available)Criminal Record Certificates (CRC)—Standard DisclosureEnhanced Criminal Record Certificate (ECRC)—Enhanced DisclosureHigher Level Certificate (HLC)—Standard and Enhanced Disclosures.The details of Capita"s performance against the above service standards are commercial in confidence and accordingly would normally come within exemption 13 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information. However, I have concluded that in this instance it would be in the public interest not to continue to use the exemption.

Percentages
New Registrations (A2)	Registration Changes (A3)	Invalid Application (B1)	Telephone Application (B3)	Valid Application for Standards (B4)	Valid Application for Enhanced (B5)
39.0	8.7	6.5	99.3	8.0	18.0

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much it cost to appoint an independent negotiator in respect of Capita"s Criminal Record Bureau contract; and who will bear the cost. [112035]