To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the position of the Christian community in Iraq since the commencement of allied military action earlier this year. [128077]

Staff in the British Office, Baghdad and UK secondees in the Coalition Provisional Authority have been meeting representatives of many Iraqi political and religious groups, including the Christian community, to hear their views. These meetings are continuing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he asked his officials to ascertain the reliability and robustness of the information contained in the UNMOVIC working document on Iraq's proscribed Weapons Programmes, of 6 March. [128597]

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with the governments of (a) Jordan, (b) Lebanon and (c) Syria on the situation of the Palestinian community in their countries; and if he will make a statement. [127814]

We have raised this issue on a number of occasions with Arab governments. We do have concerns about the living conditions experienced by some Palestinian refugees. But ultimately this issue is a matter for negotiation between the parties concerned within the context of a comprehensive peace agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with the Government of Syria regarding their involvement in Lebanon; and if he will make a statement. [127812]

We have a dialogue with Syria on a wide range of issues, Lebanon included. The relationship between the two countries is close. While Syria has a degree of influence in Lebanon, its presence has the support of the Lebanese Government and is arguably legitimate under agreements made at the end of the civil war. But we welcome the decrease in Syrian troop numbers and urge Syria to reduce numbers yet further.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to ensure that immigrants are free from easily transmissible viruses, with particular reference to HIV. [128680]

The Cabinet Office is currently co-ordinating work between relevant Government Departments, including the Department of Health, to review immigration and infectious diseases and access to National Health Service services. The review aims to establish the facts about health and public expenditure impacts and propose solutions should action be required. The review is ongoing and no decisions have been taken yet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what assessment he has made of the average levels of fumicosin and aflatoxin in UK maize grain produced organically; [128695](2) what estimate he has made of the average levels of fumicosin and aflatoxin in UK maize grain used in the human and animal food industry. [128696]

United Kingdom maize grain is either used as "corn on the cob" or for animal feed, usually as maize silage. There is no data available regarding the average level of fumonisins or aflatoxins in these products, whether conventionally or organically produced.The Food Standards Agency is currently carrying out a survey of retail maize products, including "corn on the cob", for a range of mycotoxins, including fumonisins and aflatoxins. It is anticipated that the results of this survey will be available in December 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what progress has been made in encouraging health professionals to provide dietary and lifestyle advice on lowering blood cholesterol; [128540](2) what resources have been devoted to increasing public awareness of the health impact of raised blood cholesterol; and what plans he has for future programmes. [128541]

A number of lifestyle factors are known to be associated with raised blood cholesterol level, an important risk factor for heart disease, including diet (particularly a high intake of saturated fat), overweight and obesity and low levels of physical activity.Improving diet, increasing physical activity levels and preventing and managing of obesity are at the heart of many of the Government's priority areas, as set out in the NHS Plan, Cross-Cutting Review on health inequalities, national service frameworks and the Priorities and Planning Framework.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the annual cost to his Department is of the chauffeur service. [127686]

The contract cost of the core services for 2002–03 from the Government Car Service was £424,100. This includes the cost of Ministerial cars and cars for the Permanent Secretary and the Chief Medical Officer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if he will make a statement on the potential for future use of combination drugs to prevent coronary diseases and heart attacks. [127633]

Dr. Roger Boyle, National Director for Heart Disease, has invited the lead researchers to attend a meeting in October to discuss the "polypill" proposals. Although there are some clear attractions, there are significant clinical, practical and financial implications that need to be explored further.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the trend has been in anti-semitic attacks on (a) property and (b) persons over the last year in (i) England, (ii) the West Midlands and (iii) Coventry. [126941]

[holding answer 8 September 2003]: The Government publish general statistics on racist incidents and racially-aggravated crime, but do not hold figures on specifically anti-Semitic incidents. However, figures are made available by the Community Security Trust (CST), a body that advises and represents the Jewish community on matters of anti-semitism and security.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent discussions she has had with the Arts Council on the funding of sexually explicit material. [129504]

I have had no discussions with the Arts Council on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what investment is planned by her Department to help the British tourist industry recover from the effects of the war in Iraq; and what steps the Government proposes to take to boost tourism in the UK in the aftermath of the war. [128573]

This year the Government are providing over £50 million to VisitBritain to encourage people in Britain and abroad to take their holidays here. In addition to on-going promotional work in its 27 overseas offices, VisitBritain is running two major overseas campaigns this year: a £2 million campaign launched in the summer with the industry to encourage US visitors to holiday in Britain, and a £4 million "City Breaks" campaign with the industry in Europe to be launched in the autumn. VisitBritain is also promoting domestic tourism in England and ran its first domestic campaign, 'Enjoy England', in April 2003. A further domestic campaign is planned for the autumn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures the Government is taking to encourage British subjects to spend their holidays in the UK. [128578]

This year the Government are providing VisitBritain with £10.4 million to lead and co-ordinate the domestic marketing of England as a tourist destination. VisitBritain's first domestic campaign, "Enjoy England", was launched in April 2003 and a three-year domestic marketing strategy for England will be published in the autumn. We are providing £3.6 million to England's Regional Development Agencies to fund the English Regional Tourist Boards. We are also providing £3.6 million over two years from the Invest to Save budget to support the EnglandNet project, which will create an on-line tourism network for England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much was spent by her Department, and the agencies for which she is responsible, to promote tourism in (a) the UK as a whole and (b) each of the UK regions in each year since 1997. [128579]

The British Tourist Authority (BTA) was allocated baseline grant-in-aid by the Department as follows:

	Grant to BTA (£ million)
1997–98	35
1998–99	35
1999–2000	36
2000–01	37
2001–02	35.5
2002–03	35.5

In addition, £14.2 million was awarded in 2001–02 and a further £19 million in 2002–03 from the Reserve in

£000
	1997–98	1998–99	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02	2002–03
Cumbria	243	242	222	376	625	449
East of England	493	393	397	597	840	806
Heart of England	467	496	460	652	900	793
London	454	393	355	408	172	26
Northumbria	251	219	254	371	551	447
North West	293	293	292	413	594	575
South East England	321	287	282	363	534	544
Southern	459	479	438	571	734	766
South West Tourism	439	488	476	535	814	663
Yorkshire	506	513	469	563	730	655

In both 2001–02 and 2002–03, this Department provided £1.9 million to the Greater London Authority for tourism. Tourism is a devolved matter and is the responsibility of the respective Administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to introduce an individual national tourism body for England. [128571]

The Government have no plans to introduce an individual national tourism body for England. In April 2003 VisitBritain was created, combining the strengths and resources of the English Tourism Council and the British Tourist Authority. VisitBritain has responsibility for the promotion of Britain overseas and England to the domestic market. The England Marketing Advisory Board provides advice on the domestic promotion of England. order to help tourism recover from the impact of the foot and mouth outbreak and the terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001. BTA did not allocate funds for individual regions of Britain, but promoted Britain as a whole in a way which maximised the impact of its campaigns in individual markets overseas.The English Tourist Board (ETB), from 1999 the English Tourism Council (ETC), was allocated baseline grant in aid by the Department as follows:

	Grant to ETB/ETC (£ million)
1997–98	9.9
1998–99	9.7
1999–2000	11.8
2000–01	11
2001–02	9.6
2002–03	11.6

In addition, £3.8 million was awarded in 2001–02 from the Reserve, over half of which was then passed to the 10 Regional Tourist Boards in England, and a further £1 million from the Reserve in 2002–03. In 2002–03, the English Tourism Council was also awarded £3.6 million over two years from the Invest to Save Budget to support the development of the EnglandNet project to establish an online tourism network for England.Grant in aid from the ETB/ETC was allocated to the English Regional Tourist Boards as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many A-levels were taken in (a) French and (b) German in 2003; what percentage change these figures represent from 2002; and what estimate he has made of the number of French and German A-levels which will be taken in 2004. [128548]

These are provisional figures published recently by the Joint Council for General Qualifications. They cover GCE A-level entries for candidates of all ages in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

GCE A-level
Entries
Year	2002	2003	%change
French	15,614	15,531	-0.5
German	7,013	6,950	-0.9

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pupils were excluded from (a) primary schools, (b) city technology colleges,

Number of permanent exclusions by school type and summary of school exclusion appeals
England 1995/96–2001/02 (Provisional)
	1995/96	1996/97	1997/98	1998/99	1999/00	2000/01	2001/01p
EXCLUSIONS
PRIMARY SCHOOLS1
Number of permanent exclusions	1,608	1,573	1,539	1,366	1,226	1,436	1,450
Percentage of school population2	0.04	0.04	0.03	0.03	0.03	0.03	0.03
SECONDARY SCHOOLS1
Number of permanent exclusions	10,344	10,463	10,187	8,636	6,713	7,305	7,740
Percentage of school population2	0.34	0.34	0.33	0.28	0.21	0.23	0.24
SPECIAL SCHOOLS3
Number of permanent exclusions	524	632	572	436	384	394	340
Percentage of school population2	0.54	0.64	0.58	0.45	0.40	0.41	0.36
CITY TECHNOLOGY COLLEGES4
Number of permanent exclusions	-	-	-	-	-	20	32
Percentage of school population2	-	-	-	-	-	0.12	0.20
EXCLUSION APPEALS
PRIMARY, SECONDARY AND SPECIAL SCHOOLS5
Number of appeals lodged by parents	1,339	1,455	1,287	1,216	948	1,095	1,125
Number of appeals overturned by an appeals panel	185	225	204	220	317	314	259
Percentage of appeals overturned by an appeals panel6	17.0	19.9	20.2	22.8	36.7	31.9	24.4
1 Includes middle schools as deemed.
2 Number of permanent exclusions expressed as a percentage of the number (headcount) of full and part-time pupils of all ages (excluding dually registered pupils in special schools) in January each year.
3 Includes both maintained and non-maintained special schools.
4 Information on exclusions from City Technology Colleges was collected for the first time in 2002 (relating to academic year 2000/01). There was no checking exercise to confirm the quality of exclusions data from City Technology Colleges so these figures should be used with caution.
5 Information on exclusion appeals is collected at LEA-level for primary, secondary and special schools. This information is not available by school type.
6 Number of appeals decided in parents' favour expressed as a percentage of all appeals heard by an appeals panel.
p provisional —not available

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the percentage change was between 2002 and 2003 in the number of pupils attaining A^* and A grades in all GCSE subjects; and if he will make a statement. [128554]

It is not possible at this stage to calculate numbers of 15 year-old pupils achieving GCSEs, how many GCSEs they achieved or at what grade. This information can be made available on a provisional basis in late October.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the equivalent GCSE grades represented by a GNVQ intermediate full award are at (a) distinction, (b) merit and (c) pass; and if he will make a statement. [128552]

The contribution to the average GCSE/GNVQ point score is shown in the table below:

Grade	Points	Points per GCSE equivalent
Distinction	30	7.5
Merit	24	6
Pass	20	5

The available information, shown in the table, relates to permanent exclusions from 1995/96 onward.Points awarded for GCSEs range from 8 for a grade A

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of 11 year-olds in (a) the Taunton constituency and (b) Somerset have achieved Key Stage 2 in each year since 1997 in (i) Mathematics and (ii) English. [127774]

The percentage of pupils achieving Level 4 or above at Key Stage 2 in (a) the Taunton constituency and (b) Somerset Local Education Authority (LEA) from 1997 to 2003 is as follows:

	English			Mathematics
	Taunton Constituency	Somerset LEA	England	Taunton Constituency	Somerset LEA	England
2003*	74	74	75	72	72	73
2002	75	74	75	74	72	73
2001	75	74	75	71	69	71
2000	75	75	75	69	70	72

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations she has received from Allerdale district council on the proposed Solway Firth wind farm. [127861]

The Scottish Executive were responsible for dealing with the application for consent for the Solway Firth wind farm. There was no DTI involvement in the consents process and any representations made in respect of the application were dealt with by the executive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions (a) she and (b) senior members of her Department have had with (i) UK based non-governmental organisations, (ii) EU based non-governmental organisations, (iii) non-governmental organisations based in the Caucasus region and (iv) US based non-governmental organisations on the issue of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project; when these discussions took place; what the result of these discussions was; and if she will make a statement. [128066]

The following discussions have been held with NGOs on the issue of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project:

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what targets have been set for electricity generation from biomass; and if she will assess the impact of such targets on industries dependent on the supply of wood residue. [127204]

The 10 per cent. target for electricity generation from renewables, as set in the Renewables Obligation, will be met by the total generation from all eligible renewable energy sources. The obligation does not specify targets for individual technologies as the obligation is a market-led mechanism with the selection and uptake of the technologies to be used to meet the 10 per cent. target a matter for industry, within the framework set by the obligation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions she has had with the Ministry of Defence over the projected expansion of offshore wind power; and what assessments have been made of the potential interference with its radar system. [128127]

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Defence wrote to me recently to reaffirm the MOD's full commitment achievement for our target that 10 per cent. of the UK's electricity supplies are to be generated from renewable resources.At official level officials in my Department maintain an on-going dialogue with their MOD counterparts on renewable energy issues including offshore wind power. The MOD attends the Wind Energy and Aviation Interests Working Group which is chaired by the Department and which provides a forum where a range of issues can be addressed.Companies who intend to submit bids in response to the Crown Estate's July 2003 invitation to tender for offshore wind farm site options have been advised to consult the MOD and the Civil Aviation Authority who will advise whether they would object to development in any particular location on grounds on potential radar interference or for other reasons. The Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Defence has reassured me that where MOD objects to a development his Department will do whatever is practicable to negotiate with the developer to reach a mutually acceptable agreement that would result in objection being withdrawn.More generally, the Wind Energy and Aviation Interests Working Group has commissioned research into the effects of rotating turbine blades on radar. Work is progressing on a computer model that will describe the effects of particular wind farms on individual radar systems. A second study is investigating measures to mitigate the potential effects on radar of wind turbines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will undertake further consultation with the wood panel industry on the effects of the renewable obligation subsidy on the supply of wood residues. [127173]

I will be meeting with a number of MPs and representatives of the Wood Panel Industries Federation on 21 October 2003 to discuss this issue.On 29 August I launched a statutory consultation paper on the Technical Review of the Renewables Obligation. This consultation outlines a number of changes we propose to make with effect from April 2004 and seeks the views of all statutory consultees and others. One of the key proposals is a set of modifications to the rules on the co-firing of biomass with fossil fuels with a view to enhancing the prospects for the development of a market in energy crops.My officials continue to facilitate work between representatives of the UK wood industry and co-firing power stations to explore the opportunities offered by co-firing under the Obligation for UK forestry, and, in particular, the potential for using by-products from existing wood industries. It is hoped that this initiative, if successful, will have the dual benefit of reducing imports and making more biomass available to a larger market in the UK, thereby helping to stabilise prices. We understand from the forestry industry that it can meet demand from power generators from existing surplus forestry material. My officials are obtaining further information on the availability of forestry material used by power generators and wood panel manufacturers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans she has to increase the amount of affordable homes in rural areas; and if she will make a statement. [128338]

The Rural White Paper published in November 2000 set out plans for delivering more affordable housing in rural settlements. Funding for the Housing Corporation doubled between 2000 and 2003 to benefit both rural and urban areas, and the Government doubled the target for the programme for small rural settlements (below 3,000 people) from 800 to 1,600 homes a year. The 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan White Paper has further increased this target to a total of 3,500 homes over 2 years (2004–05 to 2005–06).The Housing Corporation has approved a total of 3,923 homes in small rural settlements (of 3,000 people or fewer) over the years 2000–01 to 2002–03, exceeding their target in each of the years. A further 7,082 homes were approved through other funding sources, Approved Development Programme and local authority funding, in rural settlements of all sizes including market towns.Through the Countryside Agency and the Housing Corporation we are funding Rural Housing Enablers jointly with local partners, to work with rural communities, housing associations, local authorities and landowners to help increase the supply of affordable housing in rural settlements. Currently there are 37 enablers in post and we aim to have 47 by 2004–05 to give full national coverage.As my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Housing and Planning announced on 17 July 2003,

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps her department is taking to improve broadband technology in rural areas. [128337]

Defra Ministers and officials are working closely with colleagues at the DTI on the promotion of broadband access in rural areas which we both regard as crucial to the future of the rural economy. Defra officials work closely with the DTI policy team, and cooperation has been strengthened by the inclusion of a Defra official in the recently formed Rural Broadband Team in DTI. The team will focus on the problems and issues of broadband for rural areas including supporting local campaign groups.The Government are making £1 billion available over 2003–06 to provide for public sector broadband connectivity. The DTI Broadband Aggregation project will aggregate the public sector demand for this purpose. Defra Ministers and officials are closely involved to ensure that this investment will help extend broadband availability into rural areas for the benefit of rural businesses and communities. Defra will continue to work closely with DTI on rural broadband issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Government will allow immediate commercial growing of those GM crops currently being assessed under the farm scale trials programme if the crops are found to be associated with environmental benefits and without any determinable drawbacks. [128697]

None of the crops being assessed in the farm scale evaluations yet have all the required authorisations to permit commercial growing in the UK.To be authorised for commercial cultivation in the European Union (EU), a GM crop would need to be granted a consent on safety grounds under Part C of EU Directive 2001/18. Decisions under this Directive are taken collectively by the European Commission and EU member states on a case-by-case basis. No GM crop would be granted a Part C consent unless it passed a detailed assessment indicating that it posed no unacceptable risk to human health or the environment, and complied with the other requirements of the Directive. To date, only one of the four crops in the farm scale evaluations, a herbicide tolerant GM maize, has a Part C consent.The UK will ensure that the results of the farm scale evaluations are taken into account in collective EU decisions on whether or not to grant Part C consent to each of the crops that do not yet have such authorisation—sugar beet, fodder beet and oil seed rape. In the case of the GM maize that already has a Part C consent, the results will inform us on whether the assessment underpinning that consent remains valid.GM crops are also subject to other EU legislation. Before any new variety of a crop, including GM varieties, can be grown commercially in the UK, that variety must be entered on either the UK national seed list or the European common catalogue of seeds. To date, none of the GM crops in the farm scale evaluations has such listing.In addition, if a crop was intended for use with a certain weed killer—as is the case with all four crops in the farm scale evaluations—it would need a consent under EU pesticides legislation before it could be used in conjunction with that weed killer. To date, none of the four crops concerned have such consent.Furthermore, if a GM crop was intended for food use, it must also have a consent under EC novel foods legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will make it her policy to introduce financial aid to those disadvantaged by the Hunting Bill. [128685]

No. It is not normal practice, nor a requirement of human rights legislation, to pay compensation to people affected by legislative change except where the legislation specifically deprives them of property. The Hunting Bill deprives no one of their property, but limits their use.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Department will publish the White Paper on the Future of Aviation. [129128]

The Government intend to publish their conclusions on "the Future Development of Air Transport in the United Kingdom" consultation in a White Paper later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will publish a full assessment of international (a) research and (b) investigations into the causes of cabin air quality incidents affecting BAe 146 aircraft, with particular reference to problems with organophosphate jet engine lubricants; and if he will make a statement. [128543]

[holding answer 8 September 2003]: The Department for Transport Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is to publish a report following the investigation of a series of cabin air quality incidents involving BAe 146 aircraft. The report also considers similar incidents involving Boeing 757, Boeing 737 and Fokker F100 aircraft.The AAIB report will include details of investigations and research conducted into incidents in Australia, Canada, and Sweden, together with the results of an extensive programme of testing and research conducted in the UK in response to earlier AAIB safety recommendations.The AAIB report is expected to be published in December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to establish the cause and nature of the emergency in the BAe 146 aircraft, when fumes in the cabin necessitated evacuation of passengers, on Friday 1 August; and if he will make a statement. [128599]

[holding answer 8 September 2003]: The Department for Transport Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) is conducting an investigation into the incident involving a BAe 146 aircraft on 1 August. The AAIB report will be published as soon as the investigation is completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the purpose is of establishing the European Aviation Safety Agency; what powers it has in the United Kingdom; what its estimated annual cost is; and where it is located. [128822]

The European Aviation Safety Agency has been established under Regulation (EC) 1592/2002. The principle objective of that Regulation is to establish and maintain a high uniform level of civil aviation safety in Europe.The Agency has a pivotal role in achieving that objective through the drafting of common safety rules; through monitoring, where applicable, the implementation of those rules by member states' national aviation authorities; and through carrying out itself a number of certification tasks, initially mainly in the field of aircraft and product designs.The Regulation gives the Agency all the necessary powers to carry out these duties in the United Kingdom, in particular powers to carry out relevant investigations for issuing certificates to UK applicants and for conducting standardisation audits of the Civil Aviation Authority.The Agency is due to assume its certification responsibilities on 28 September 2003, initially outsourcing much of the work to national aviation authorities. The Agency's own staff will be built up over time and its annual costs will depend on decisions yet to be made by the Executive Director about the Agency's structure and working methods. A preliminary draft budget for 2004 of 17.24 M€ has been agreed by the EASA Management Board, of which the majority of the costs will be met out of Community funds.A decision about the permanent location of the Agency has not yet been made. It has established a temporary headquarters in Brussels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps have been taken to increase the number of additional park and ride spaces serving the Merseyrail network for 2003–04.[128589]

The following schemes are in progress at locations serving the Merseyrail network.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps are being taken to improve standards of station seating, shelter and passenger facilities for the rail services in Merseyside. [128591]

Through the Strategic Rail Authority's Modern Facilities at Stations (MFAS) programme, 21 stations in Merseyside will receive improvements. This will involve the installation of real time passenger information at 20 stations and improved waiting facilities (waiting rooms with heating, integral seating and automatic doors) at 16 stations.Merseytravel Passenger Transport Authority and Executive is seeking, via its own programme, to deliver improvements at a further 25 stations through the local transport plan. Where shelters, seats and customer information systems are included as part of the improvement the aim is to deliver to MFAS standards were possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what percentage of fare irregularities were detected in Merseyside over the past two years. [128592]

The percentage of fare irregularities on Merseyside over the last two years was approximately 11 per cent. This figure is for all fare irregularities including passengers travelling with no ticket, those who travelled beyond the validity of the ticket and those travelling in the peak with an off-peak ticket, irrespective of intent. The figure is for the 24 months up to June 2003, being the most recent period for which data are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met the Health and Safety Executive to discuss the risks associated with wake from ferries; and if he will make a statement. [127856]

My officials have regular contact with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) colleagues on a range of safety matters.Conventional ferries, with relatively slow speed monohulls, do not generate undue wake and routine navigational safeguards are adequate to manage potential risk. However, we have been aware for some time of the hazards associated with the wake from fast ferries, in particular catamarans. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) requires a route risk assessment of passage plans for wake generation, as a pre-requisite to issuing a Permit to Operate for High Speed Craft. This requires the operator to identify circumstances where a hazardous wash may be created and take steps either to reduce the wake from the vessel or re-route the vessel as appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the (a) foreign and (b) UK visits he has made since 1 April; what the cost was to public funds of each trip; who he met; and what gifts were received. [126891]

The Government publish the overall costs of all ministerial overseas travel and a list of all visits overseas by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500 on an annual basis. The list for period 1 April 2002 to 31 March 2003 was published by the Prime Minister on 16 July, Official Report, column 482W. The next list for period 1 April 2003 to 31 March 2004 will be published at the end of the financial year.Since the 1 April the Secretary of State for Transport has undertaken the following UK visits:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effects of speed cameras upon the number of (a) fatal and (b) other serious accidents. [129238]

On 11 February 2003 the Department published an independently produced evaluation report of the 2-year trial of the safety camera cost recovery system. This showed a 35 per cent. reduction in those killed or seriously injured at camera sites, equating to around 280 people and a 4 per cent. reduction in those killed or seriously injured across the pilot areas, equating to around 530 people.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many aggregates companies there are in each region of the UK; and how many there were in 2001. [127198]

The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps the Government will take in applying the Inland Revenue's salary sacrifice scheme for the purchase of child can vouchers to ensure that low income employees have the same advantages as higher paid employees; and if he will make a statement. [128293]

It is open to any employer and its employees to enter into a salary sacrifice arrangement linked to the provision of child care vouchers in order to take advantage of the exemption from national insurance contributions that applies to them.The Government also provide help to parents in low to medium income families with the cost of child care through the child care element of working tax credit.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what discussions he has had with the Chairman of the Statistics Commission on the UK census. [127406]

Treasury Ministers have not discussed the Census with the Chairman of the Statistics Commission. The Statistics Commission, which is independent of both Ministers and the producers of National Statistics, was established to advise on the quality, quality assurance and priority setting for National Statistics, and on the procedures designed to deliver statistical integrity. The Commission has announced that, using the Census results for Westminster city council as an example, it is considering evidence on whether Census 2001 was properly conducted and whether there are lessons to be learned for the future. The Commission has yet to publish its report, but expects to do so, probably in stages, between the summer and autumn of this year.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of cigarettes imported from EU countries in (a) 2002 and (b) 2003. [R] [127945]

The following table shows the number (in thousands) of cigarettes imported from EU countries in 2002 and up to May of this year (the latest month for which figures are available). The figures show cigarettes imported by way of trade and do not include personal imports.

Period	Thousand
January to December 2002	8,552,145
January to May 2003	2,154,815

These figures are also available on the Customs website www.uktradeinfo.com.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce on the spot fines for people caught bringing illegal meats and bushmeat into the UK. [128364]

Customs have no current plans to introduce on the spot fines for people caught bringing illegal meats and bushmeat into the UK.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when HM Customs plan to trial passenger luggage x-ray equipment to detect illegal meat and bushmeat at UK ports of entry. [128365]

Customs have already conducted some informal trials using existing equipment to look for illegal meat. They are currently in discussion with suppliers with a view to conducting further evaluation as soon as possible.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many illegal meat seizures have been made by HM Customs in each month since they assumed control of enforcement at UK ports of entry; and what percentage of these seizures are classified as bushmeat. [128367]

Customs do not normally publish seizure information on a monthly basis. Exemptions 4(b) and 7(b) of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information apply. However, annual seizure figures will be reported in the Government's "Annual Review of Controls on Imports of Animal Products" which is published by Defra.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many dogs are used at air and sea ports of entry into the United Kingdom to detect illegal imports of food products. [128679]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wealden (Mr. Hendry) on 6 May 2003, Official Report, column 618W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether the Government's UK on-line agenda has met HM Treasury's stated expectations in the transformation of the delivery of its services. [127083]

The Government recognise that there is considerable potential for electronic government to transform the delivery of public services. That is why the Treasury allocated significant resources in the 2002 Spending Review to further develop electronic services.As part of the Spending Review the Cabinet Office reached a public service agreement with the Treasury to ensure Departments meet the Prime Minister's targets for electronic service delivery by Government: 100 per cent, capability by 2005, with key services achieving high levels of use. A growing number of services are now available on-line with more services being added through the UK online portal.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many persons in the Chorley constituency are in receipt of (a) child tax credit and (b) working tax credit; and how many claims are outstanding. [127757]

Statistics on awards of these tax credits are being published today and are accessible on the Inland Revenue website (http://www.inlandrevenue. gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/main-tables-july03.pdf and http://www.inlandrevenue.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/geographical-analysis-july03.pdf).For progress in processing claims, I refer my hon. Friend to my remarks during debate on 7 July 2003,

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how applications for tax credits received after the 5 July deadline will be treated; and if he will make a statement. [128671]

Tax credits claims received by the Inland Revenue before midnight on Monday 7 July, the first full working day after the deadline, were treated as meeting the deadline for tax credits to be backdated to 6 April 2003, if appropriate. This was because the deadline fell at the weekend and to ensure that claims made through different channels were treated alike. Claims received after 7 July may be backdated for up to three months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had about the restoration of the devolved Assembly. [128492]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has received regarding the progress of the peace process. [128493]

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the resumption of power sharing in Northern Ireland. [128499]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan), Official Report, column 314.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to meet representatives of small business organisations to discuss regulatory burdens on business in Northern Ireland. [128496]

I have met representatives of small businesses on several occasions recently and I shall be happy to them again in the future to discuss regulatory and other issues of mutual interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress he is making with increasing inward manufacturing investment into the Province; and if he will make a statement. [128497]

In common with other regions, Northern Ireland has seen a decline in inward manufacturing investment as a result of the depressed global economic situation. Despite this, I am very pleased that in recent months major investment projects have been announced by Seagate and NACCO among others. Furthermore, Northern Ireland continues to be a particularly attractive investment location for service-based industry, as exemplified by the Abbey National's recent decision to open a new customer outreach centre at its Mays Meadow site in Belfast.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the number of housing voids in Belfast. [128500]

At 31 July 2003, there were a total of 6,593 empty properties of all tenures of which 2,181 are Northern Ireland Housing Executive properties and 4,412 are in the private sector. Over half the empty homes in the public sector are undergoing redevelopment or are awaiting demolition. The Northern Ireland House Condition Survey 2001 published in April 2003 shows that the level of vacancies is linked to inner-city decline factors and the emergence of new apartment developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend the provisions of the Dangerous Wild Animals Act 1976 to Northern Ireland. [128494]

We are actively preparing proposals for legislation to regulate dangerous wild animals kept by private individuals in Northern Ireland. Legislation will aim to establish an appropriate regulatory regime in the interests of public safety.We will be consulting on proposed legislation in the near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the prospects are for agriculture in Northern Ireland following the mid-term review of the Common Agricultural Policy. [128495]

The recent agreement on the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy makes for a more stable policy environment and will help put the agricultural industry on a more sustainable footing. It will enable farmers to concentrate on producing for the market and encourage good farming and countryside management practices which society values.

To ask the Prime Minister what the basis was for his statement on 18 June 2003, Official Report, column 355, that extremists from Chechnya were among the foreign fighters engaging Coalition forces at the conclusion of the war in Iraq. [127913]

According to US military sources, US forces engaged a number of irregular fighters from the middle east, North Africa and Chechnya near Baghdad in April 2003. These sources were quoted in several media reports at the time.

To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Reigate (Mr. Blunt) of 9 July 2003, Official Report, column 1156, whether the unsubstantiated reports of Chechens fighting Coalition forces in Iraq have been substantiated. [127914]

I have nothing further to add at the current time.

To ask the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Constitutional Affairs what the current backlog is in the High Court. [120827]

An exercise is currently underway to provide accurate management information on workload in the High Court Divisions. This work will be completed by the end of October 2003, and I will then write to my hon. Friend with full details. Currently we can estimate the number of outstanding cases in the three main divisions. The estimates are:

• Chancery—7,400
• Family
• Divorce—4,000
• Care—3,500
• Queens Bench—8,000

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Department for Constitutional Affairs if he will publish a response to the Norton report. [128010]

No. It is not the Government's practice to publish responses to privately commissioned reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representation the Royal Navy has in the Joint Terrorist Analysis Centre. [128658]

	Title	Additional cost
1	The Military Maritime Graves and the Protection of Military Remains Act 1986	No information available
2	Armed Forces Pension Scheme Review	£13,800 (cost of both together)
3	Joint Compensation Review
4	Ministry of Defence Police Quinquennial Review	No additional cost

The Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre is a Government organisation which can draw on the expertise of a wide number of Departments and agencies, including the Royal Navy. Its staff includes personnel from the Naval Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the court martial into the conduct of Colonel Tim Collins last met; when any written statement announcing the verdict was issued; what contacts there were between his Department and (a) the BBC and (b) journalists concerning the matter prior to the issue of the statement; and what the policy of his Department's press office was if asked to confirm or deny the substance of the matter (i) prior to Monday 1 September and (ii) on Monday 1 September. [128816]

Colonel Tim Collins was not the subject of a court martial. He was the subject of an internal investigation into his conduct during Operation TELIC, following allegations made against him. This investigation has now been completed and Colonel Collins has been informed that no formal disciplinary or administrative action would be taken against him.In response to a specific media inquiry on 20 May naming Colonel Collins and claiming that he was subject to an investigation, the press office confirmed that an investigation was being conducted. Other than confirming this, the press office offered no further comment while the investigation continued. On 29 August, however, once the investigation had finished and Colonel Collins had been informed of the outcome, the press office were advised that, in response to inquiries, they could confirm that the investigations had concluded and that no formal action would be taken. Our records indicate that the first inquiries from the press were not received until 1 September.The Ministry of Defence did not issue a written statement announcing either the commencement or conclusion of the investigation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the consultation documents issued by his Department in each of the last four years; what the cost was of producing each of these; how many documents were issued in each consultation; and how many responses were received in each consultation. [124567]

The Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Written Consultation applies to all formal national public consultation documents issued by Departments from 1 January 2001 and the information requested before that date is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.Since 1 January 2001, the Ministry of Defence has issued seven formal national public consultation documents. They are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what inquiries he has made since the death of Dr. David Kelly concerning Dr. Kelly's record of claims for subsistence allowances or expenses; and for what purposes these inquiries were made. [128817]

The Ministry of Defence has examined a number of Dr. Kelly's claims in order to provide the Hutton Inquiry with the details of some of his more Information on the number of consultation documents issued and the number of responses received is reproduced in the following table:recent overseas visits, and to determine whether money was owed to him at the time of his death as a result of expenses incurred but unclaimed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which RAF units are deployed to the Gulf region; what the (a) dates and (b) duration of the last three operational tours were in each case; and if he will make a statement. [128410]

I will write to the hon. Member and place a copy of the letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when front line units received grenade launchers for SA80A2 during Operation Telic. [125594]

Underslung Grenade Launchers for SA80A2 ordered via the Urgent Operational Requirement process were first issued in theatre in early April. In addition, 3 Commando Brigade were already in possession of some Underslung Grenade Launchers, which had been procured earlier for operations in Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the total daily expenditure on (a) regular and (b) reserve forces stationed in Iraq is; and what the total expenditure on the maintenance of British forces in Iraq would be between 1 September and 31 March 2004 if spending were to continue at the current rate. [128818]

The Ministry of Defence identifies the costs of Operations in terms of the net additional costs it has incurred. The costs, which the MOD would have incurred had the operation not been undertaken—expenditure on wages and salaries or on conducting training exercises, for example—are deducted from the total costs of the operation.Accounting records and costs are not maintained on a daily basis and to provide such an average would be misleading. The net additional costs of Reserve and Regular force personnel are not kept separately. Maintenance costs for the force includes stock consumption and impairment of fixed assets. These costs continue to be the subject of study and audit by the National Audit Office as does their proper allocation to financial years 2002–03 and 2003–04. I will write to the hon. Member when robust estimates are available and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House. This is unlikely to be before publication of the Departmental Resource Accounts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the agreement of 5 February to upgrade RAF Fylingdales for missile defence purposes will require amendment to the agreement relating to the establishment and operation of a ballistic missile early warning station at Fylingdales Moor, of 15 February 1960. [128368]

As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence said in his Written Ministerial Statement of 5 February 2003, Official Report, column 12WS, the radar at RAF Fylingdales will continue after the upgrade to fulfil its ballistic missile early warning radar role and will continue to be operated and staffed by the RAF. The 1960 exchange of letters, which embodies these principles, will therefore remain the cornerstone of our relationship with the United States in respect of RAF Fylingdales, though we are examining the need for additional detailed operational agreements relating specifically to the use of the radar for missile defence purposes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1)what the forecast in-service date on 31 March 2002

	Forecast ISD as at:
	31 March 2002	31 March 2001	31 March 2000	31 March 1999	31 March 1998	31 March 1997
ASRAAM	Already in service	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
ERO/MCS	July 2005	N/R	December 2003	October 2003	February 2003	February 2003
Hercules C-130J	June 2000	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
LPD(R)	March 2003	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Merlin Mk3	Already in service	N/R	N/R	N/R	March 2000	March 2000
Merlin Mk1	Already in service	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Seawolf	August 2006	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Swiftsure and Trafalgar Update	May 2002	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Tornado GR 1	Already in service	N/R	Already in service	Already in service	N/R	N/R
Challenger 2	Already in service	Already in service	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
FJCA	2012	2012	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
A400M	N/R	2009	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
ALSL	N/R	October 2004	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
BVRAAM	N/R	2012	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Eurofighter Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids	N/R	2004	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Short Term Strategic Lift	N/R	December 2001	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Sonar 2087	N/R	Dec 2006	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
		April 2004-
SIFF	N/R	September 2005	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Trojan and Titan	N/R	2005	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R
Type 45	N/R	November 2007	N/R	N/R	N/R	N/R

The information requested is set out in the following table. Boxes labelled N/R indicate that forecast in-service dates were not requested for these years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1)what the estimated cost was of the demonstration and manufacture phase on 31 March 2002 for the (a) Advanced Short Range Air-to-Air Missile, (b)Extended Range Ordnance/Modular Charge System, (c) Hercules C-130J, (d) Landing Platform Dock (Replacement), (e) Merlin HC Mk3 Helicopter, (f) Merlin HM Mk1 Helicopter, (g) Seawolf Mid-Life Update, (h) Swiftsure and Trafalgar Class Submarine Update, (i) Tornado GR1 Mid-Life Update and (j) Challenger II; [127620](2) what the date is of the initial gate approval or equivalent for the

I will write to the hon. Member and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the rates of separated service were for the RAF, broken down by unit, for each of the last two years; and if he will make a statement. [128411]

Information on Separated Service is not collated by individual unit and could be provided in that format only at disproportionate cost. However, the

	Personnel on Separated Service spending
Incidences of Separated Service for operations and training1	Average Trained Strength	Less than 28 days	28–89 days	90–139 days	140–279 days	280+ days	Total personnel spending time on Separated Service	Percentage of average trained strength who were on Separated Service	Total days spent on Separated Service
FY 200 1–02	49,266	13,455	11,322	6,514	2,432	87	33,810	69	1,999,168
FY 2002–03	48,690	12,668	13,798	6,830	2,858	48	36,202	74	2,207,041
FY 2003–042	48,516	13,427	8,744	912	0	0	23,083	48	695,963
1 August 2002-
31 July 20033	48,606	12,638	12,812	7,026	2,951	61	35,488	73	2,204,507
1 An incidence of Separated Service is recorded when an individual is absent from their parent unit on duty for three nights or more and a permanent order has not been issued. The table shows Separated Service for operational and training commitments excluding resettlement and expedition training.
2 Information up to 31 July 2003 only.
3 Latest 12-month period available ending 31 July 2003. Information from April 2000 excludes weekends where personnel are able to return home while on detached duty.

The rates of Separated Service have shown an increase over the last two years due to the increased operational tempo as a result of the RAF providing following table shows the rates of Separated Service recorded by the RAF for the last two years.support to the civil authorities during the fire-fighters strike, Exercise Saif Sareea and deployments to Afghanistan and the Gulf.