To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission pursuant to the answer of 10 January 2007, Official Report, column 584W, to the hon. Member for Romford (Andrew Rosindell) on the St. George flag, for what health and safety reasons access to the flagpole on Portcullis House is denied; and for how long it has been non-operational. (110519)

A recent health and safety report identified the following risks.

Access to the flag pole is by ladder but there is no safe means of passing the flag up the ladder; the flag raiser needs to climb over a ventilation duct; lighting is poor and there is no emergency lighting. In addition there are heavy hatch doors with no means of preventing closure and no harness anchorage points.

The flagpole has been used only once since Portcullis House was opened when it was found to be dangerous and it has been non operational since September 2000. Means of rectifying the health and safety risks are being looked into and when the costs are known a decision will be taken on whether to fly flags from this location. If it is decided to do so, the aim will be to complete the necessary modifications by summer 2007.

To ask the Solicitor-General how much purchasing advocacy services from (a) self-employed barristers and (b) in-house services cost in 2005-06. (115666)

In 2005-06 the Law Officers’ Departments spent the following amounts on preparation and presentation in the Crown court and higher courts.

The Treasury Solicitor’s Department (TSol), spent some £14 million on civil advocacy services, most of which is recovered from other Departments, which instructed TSol. It is not possible separately to identify the cost of the small amount of advocacy done by in-house TSol barristers.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission how much the Electoral Commission paid recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. (117485)

The Electoral Commission came into existence on 30 November 2000. It informs me that the total amount paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each financial year from 2002-03 is as shown in the table. These amounts include the remuneration paid to the temporary staff and the agency fees.

The equivalent figures for 2000-01 and 2001-02 are not readily available. In 2000-01, the commission’s total expenditure on recruitment, agency staff, and training was £84,270. In 2001-02, payments to recruitment agencies were not recorded separatelyfrom payments to other organisations in respect of secondees, and total expenditure under this combined heading was £190,000.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what proportion of food served in buildings occupied by his Department was of British origin in (a) 2005 and (b) 2006. (111116)

My office does not have in house catering.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department has paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement. (117506)

The Wales Office spent £99,199 on agency staff in 2004-05 and £91,914 in 2005-06.

Information for previous years was not kept in this format and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost of providing a quieter road surface on the A50 between Blythe Bridge and Uttoxeter. (110590)

The most recent estimate (at 2005 prices) for replacement of the concrete surface on this length of A50 was in excess of £9.9 million. There is no scheme programmed for resurfacing the A50 between Blythe Bridge and Uttoxeter in the foreseeable future, so no current estimate is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the average age is of buses in service in the public transport system in England. (110500)

The average age of the fleet in England at 31 March 2006 was 8.2 years. This information was published on page 6 in DfT’s “Public Transport Statistics Bulletin GB: 2006 Edition Supplement”, a copy of which is in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what level of Government funding was provided to Bedfordshire county council to support the provision of rural bus services in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement; (116133)

The Department has supported the provision of bus services in rural areas by the introduction in 1998 of the rural bus subsidy grant (RBSG), a grant paid to local transport authorities according to numbers living in rural areas. A total of £393 million has been allocated to authorities over the period 1998-99 to 2006-07.

In addition, a total of £110 million has been awarded to authorities successful in Rural Bus Challenge (RBC) competitions held from 1998 to 2003. This scheme has encouraged the development of innovative solutions to meeting rural transport needs. Many of the 300 projects initially supported by RBC funding are now continuing with mainstream funding from local authorities and other sources.

A further step of particular relevance to rural areas has been the introduction of amended rules for the route registration of local bus services which has enabled the introduction of flexibly routed, demand responsive bus services. These services are also now eligible for bus service operators grant (BSOG) from the Department.

The following table shows the Department’s spending on grants to Bedfordshire county council under the RBSG and RBC schemes.

It should be noted that the majority of support for local bus services is provided by local authorities using the Government’s revenue support grant (RSG) and authorities’ own resources. It is for each authority to decide how much of their RSG allocation to devote to bus support. I understand Bedfordshire county council is currently considering to what extent it can fund substitute services following an announcement of planned service changes by Stagecoach.

Many of the projects supported under the RBC have been community-based services. In addition, in 2002 we extended eligibility to receive BSOG to a wide range of community transport services. A total of over £4 million annually is now paid to such services of which approximately £0.15 million is to community transport operators in Bedfordshire. Our bus policy document “Putting Passengers First”, published in December, proposes a number of further measures to assist community transport provision.

From April this year, older and disabled people have been guaranteed free off-peak local bus travel within their local authority area. From April 2008, this will be extended further allowing free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England.

We have received no recent representations on proposed changes to rural bus services in Bedfordshire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how many bus routes were cancelled in Essex in each of the last five years; (115884)

The information is not available without incurring disproportionate costs. Essex county council have advised that they hold back copies of their quarterly (previously monthly) publication “Passenger Transport News” which contain details for all bus service changes in the county of Essex.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what responsibility his Department has for the renewal and maintenance of lifebelts along the River Thames. (117149)

The Department has no responsibility for the renewal and maintenance of lifebelts, which are provided at the discretion of a mix of private and public land owners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of (a) the number of lorries with overseas licence plates which used UK roads in each of the last two years and (b) the miles travelled on UK roads by those lorries. (110491)

In 2004, 1.4 million foreign registered heavy goods vehicles (HGVs) travelled to mainland Europe from Great Britain, while in 2005 the figure was 1.5 million vehicles. It is not possible to provide a UK estimate since information on foreign vehicles leaving Northern Ireland via the Irish Land Boundary is not available.

The Department for Transport estimated that in 2003, the last year for which figures are available, foreign registered HGVs travelled 0.9 billion kilometres in Great Britain.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the A595 Parton-Lillyhall bypass will cost; when the scheme will be completed; and what assessment he has made of the effects of the bypass on Copeland. (117207)

The cost for the A595 Parton to Lillyhall scheme is £35.2 million. The scheme is due to be completed in winter 2008.

An environmental statement and an economic impact report have been published for the scheme, which includes the Copeland hinterland, copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when the Safety Camera Partnerships accounts for 2005-06 will be published on his Department’s website. (117126)

It is expected that these will be published on the Department’s website today, 24 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many requests for access to data from the UK vehicle register have been made by private companies since 1 November 2006; and how many of these requests have been turned down. (117073)

Between 1 November 2006 and 31 December 2006 we received 184,483 requests for data from private companies and from private individuals. We cannot distinguish between these groups without manual examination of the papers and therefore without incurring disproportionate costs.

Nor can we say how many requests from private companies were rejected in that period.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which organisations have been given approved conditional access to data from the UK vehicle register. (117074)

No organisation has yet been given approved conditional access since the new measures were introduced on 1 November 2006. Any organisation wanting access to data electronically will need to become a member of an Accredited Trade Association (ATA) and to comply with that association’s code of practice that will have clear and enforceable rules governing the business, procedures of their members. The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) is currently discussing ATA status with several companies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many letters to his Department sent from hon. Members during Session 2005-06 remain unanswered, broken down by those which are (a) one, (b) two, (c) three, (d) four and (e) over six months old. (114617)

No letters sent to the Scotland Office from hon. Members during the 2005-06 Session remain unanswered.

The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to Members’ Peers’ correspondence. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006, Official Report, columns 75-78WS. Information relating to 2006 is currently being collated and will be published as soon as it is ready.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what recent devolution matters the Advocate-General has considered. (117228)

Since 12 December 2006, 74 devolution issues have been intimated to the Advocate-General. Of these 74 devolution issues, 54 related to civil proceedings and 20 related to criminal proceedings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what criteria he uses to determine which responses to freedom of information requests are made available on his Department’s website. (114281)

All information that is released under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 is published on the Scotland Office’s website, unless it is available elsewhere in the public domain. I acknowledge there was an unintentional delay in our doing so for my recent reply to the hon. Member about travelling costs of Scotland Office staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the percentage of homes in Morecambe and Lunesdale which have digital television. (110468)

Presently, the vast majority of households in the constituency should be able to receive digital TV services via either digital satellite or digital terrestrial (Freeview).

Ofcom estimate that from switchover (which will take place during 2009 in the Granada region), coverage of digital terrestrial television will be increased to substantially match that currently achieved by analogue services (this is taken to equate to 98.5 per cent. of UK households).

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations she has received from the Historic Churches Preservation Trust on funding to protect historic churches; when she last met the trust; and if she will make a statement. (110892)

The chair of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust attended an ecclesiastical heritage event hosted by the Department in December 2005.

In March 2006 I received a copy of the trust's 2005 review of the year.

The chief executive of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust was a signatory to a letter jointly signed by representatives of nine organisations, in support of English Heritage's Inspired campaign on funding for historic churches, received in June 2006.

As Minister for Culture, I attended a meeting hosted by the chair of the Historic Churches Preservation Trust in July 2006, at which representatives of many church heritage bodies were present.

The Government recognise the important role played by the Historic Churches Preservation Trust in raising and making available funding for the repair and conservation of historic church buildings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been distributed to the heritage sector from the National Lottery in each year since 1997; and through which bodies it has been distributed. (115486)

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is the sole, UK-wide Lottery distributing body for the heritage good cause. Total Lottery expenditure by the HLF in each of the last nine financial years is given in the following table. This includes money drawn down from the National Lottery Distribution Fund to meet the bodies’ administrative expenses. Details of individual grants, supplied by each Lottery distributor, can be found on the Department’s Lottery Grants Database, searchable at

www.lottery.culture.gov.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been distributed to the arts from the National Lottery in each year since 1997; and through which bodies it has been distributed. (115488)

Lottery funds are distributed to the arts good cause by six bodies. These are Arts Council England, the Scottish Arts Council, the Arts Council of Wales, the Arts Council of Northern Ireland, the UK Film Council and Scottish Screen. However, other Lottery distributors may sometimes make awards which are arts-related, for example the Heritage Lottery Fund for the acquisition or retention of a work of arts in a UK museum or gallery.

Total Lottery expenditure by the six arts Lottery distributors in each of the last nine financial years is given in the following table. This includes money drawn down from the National Lottery Distribution Fund to meet the bodies’ administrative expenses. Details of individual grants, supplied by each Lottery distributor, can be found on the Department’s Lottery grants database, searchable at

www.lottery.culture.gov.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what representations she has received on granting pigeon racing official recognition as a sport; and if she will make a statement. (110604)

Decisions on whether particular activities and pastimes should be recognised as sports are made by unanimous agreement between the home country sports councils. As such it would be inappropriate for Government to intervene. Any decisions to fund recognised sports are made by the individual home country sports councils.

I can confirm that Sport England has not received any representations to recognise pigeon racing as a sport. In the first instance, I would recommend a submission to the relevant Sports Council, outlining the case for recognising pigeon racing. Sport England will be able to provide information on the criteria for recognition of an activity as a sport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much money was paid by her Department to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement. (117499)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has paid recruitment agencies the amounts in the following table in each year since 1997:

These sums are inclusive of the full salary costs of the temporary staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that TV Licensing behaves in a proportionate manner when dealing with households which do not have a TV licence. (110991)

The BBC's Royal Charter contains a specific duty for the BBC Trust to ensure that the arrangements for the collection of the licence fee are efficient, appropriate and proportionate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Government provide TV Licensing with data to aid in the detection and prosecution of licence evaders. (117285)

The Government provide no personal data to TV Licensing to aid in the detection and prosecution of licence evaders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will discuss with the BBC free television licences for citizens aged over 70. (117396)

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no plans to do so. For the reasons set out in the BBC Charter Review White Paper published in March 2006, the Government have no plans to extend the availability of free TV licences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many pensioners in Livingston constituency have received a free television licence in the last 12 months. (117502)

TV Licensing, who administer free television licences for people aged 75 or over as agents for the BBC, are not able to provide geographical breakdowns of the number of free licences issued. However, the number of households with at least one person aged 75 or over claiming the winter fuel payment in the Livingston constituency in 2005-06 was 3,480, according to Department for Work and Pensions records.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) whether TV Licensing keeps up-to-date records of the legal occupiers of a property as well as whether a valid licence is held for that property; (116954)

The BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day-to-day administration under contract to the Corporation. I have asked the BBC’s Head of Revenue Management to consider the questions raised by the hon. Member and to write to him direct. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make ex-gratia payments to the families of those Afghan civilians shot in Kandahar in early December 2003. (113352)

[holding answer 8 January 2007]: We have no plans to make ex-gratia payments in connection with the incident on 3 December 2006 in Kandahar, when an International Security Assistance Force convoy came under attack from a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. We have conducted a full investigation into the incident which concluded that the British forces involved acted properly and within their rules of engagement.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan also produced a report on the incident, which includes a number of recommendations relating to future incidents of this kind. We have measures in place to address some of these recommendations. Members of the UK Task Force have also met with members of the Government of Afghanistan to review how current practices can be improved.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why the information on boarding school allowances paid to members of the armed forces, broken down by rank, which could not be made available to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South due to disproportionate cost, as referred to in the answer of 6 November 2006, Official Report, columns 801-2W, on boarding school allowance, could be supplied in response to a request under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 of 1 September 2005, reference 090717-002; and if he will make a statement. (109480)

The answer of 6 November 2006, Official Report, columns 801-2W, asked for information covering the last five years. The only year that the information had been held separated into officers and other ranks was 2005-06 and the same information for the previous years could be provided only at a disproportionate cost due to work being undertaken to transit from the three legacy systems to JPA—joint personnel administration system.

Information for 2005-06

Number of service children currently being educated utilising the MOD’s Boarding School Allowance Scheme:

As at the spring term 2005, Service Education Allowances were being paid for 7,914 children.

The breakdown of service claimants is as follows:

The number of children in receipt of Education Allowances from commissioned officer’s families:

The number of children in receipt of Education Allowances from all ratings, non-commissioned officer’s (NCO) and other ranks families:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what risks he expects to be transferred to the private sector as part of the Defence Training Review. (116125)

As with other PFI projects, the Defence Training Review (DTR) Contractor will take responsibility for the standard risks associated with a PFI project such as performance and cost risks including: design; construction and whole-life maintenance; non-discriminatory change in the law; town and country planning; commissioning and certification; and loss or damage to assets. In addition and by virtue of the training-specific nature of the DTR programme, risks relating to training will also be transferred. For example the contractor will be paid on the basis of student throughput and against pre-agreed target pass rates for courses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many troops were engaged in (a) European Security and Defence Policy and (b) NATO missions in each year between 2003 and 2006; and how many are expected to be so engaged in 2007. (117241)

The table shows the number of troops engaged in European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP) and NATO missions in each year between 2003 and 2006.

The figures for 2007 are given as at 14 January 2007, but are subject to future Periodic Mission Review. As military operations remain fluid and we are unable to predict if there will be additional NATO or ESDP missions, it is not possible to state how many troops are expected to be engaged on such missions in 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of staff in the Ministry of Defence work on EU defence co-operation. (117243)

Within the MOD, eight people work exclusively on European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP), although these dedicated staff draw on the support of other personnel across the MOD who devote varying proportions of their time to particular aspects of ESDP as required. Officers in their management chain also devote a portion of their time to this issue.

Additionally the UK Military Representation to the EU in Brussels comprises nine MOD staff. Two MOD staff are also seconded to the UK diplomatic representation to the EU to work on ESDP.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many information technology projects within the responsibility of his Department, its agencies and their predecessors have been cancelled since 1997; what the total cost was of each project at cancellation; and if he will make a statement. (105480)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many claims for compensation by British civilians interned by the Japanese have been paid under the 20 year attachment to the UK rule; how many remain to be paid; why he introduced the rule; and if he will make a statement. (117027)

It is a requirement of the Government’s ex-gratia payment scheme for former far east prisoners of war and civilian internees that claimants be able to demonstrate a close link with the UK. This was initially based on normal residence in the UK before the war. In 2001, eligibility was extended to include the birth link criterion, which it was accepted in 2006 was unlawful. The 20-year residence criterion was introduced earlier in 2006 to extend eligibility to former internees who could demonstrate that they had established a close link to the UK after the war, on the basis of residence.

As at December, the Veterans Agency had written to 916 claimants whom they identified as being potential beneficiaries under the 20-year residency criterion. 513 responses had been received and 129 awards made. In 301 cases, the claimant had advised that they were not eligible. 11 cases had been rejected for reasons other than residency (for example the claimant was not British at the time of internment). Nine cases were on hold pending a final decision and 45 others were being processed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made with his proposal to establish a hardship fund for British civilian prisoners of the Japanese who could not be paid compensation under the 20 year rule; how many claimants fall into this category; and what investigations are being made into their cases. (117028)

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave on 8 January 2007, Official Report, columns 89-90W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many front-line personnel have been issued with flame retardant camouflage clothing. (107188)

None. The standard issue tri-service uniform, Combat Soldier 95 (CS95), and its desert equivalent have not been designed with flame retardant properties as operational analysis has shown that the soldier on the battlefield faces a minimal risk from burn injuries.

Specialist fire retardant clothing is issued to personnel in specific roles where there is a known fire risk (e.g. armoured vehicle crews).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) required and (b) actual strength of the (i) Territorial Army, (ii) Royal Naval Reserve, (iii) Royal Marines Reserve and (iv) Royal Auxiliary Air Force.[113050]

The available requirement and strength data are given as follows.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will reply to question 98165, tabled by the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes, on the time taken to reply to question 94388 tabled by the hon. Member for North-East Milton Keynes, on separation allowances, for named day answer on 16 October 2006. (112803)

[holding answer 8 January 2007]: I regret that due to an administrative oversight I was unable to answer these questions before the House prorogued on 8 November 2006.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which of the executive agencies of her Department have regional offices outside London. (116727)

Both Her Majesty’s Courts Service and the Tribunals Service have regional offices outside London. The Public Guardianship Office does not have a regional office outside London.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which executive agencies are the responsibility of her Department; what the function is of each agency; and what the budget was of each agency in the most recent year for which figures are available. (116775)

The Department for Constitutional Affairs is responsible for three executive agencies: Her Majesty’s Courts Service (HMCS), the Tribunals Service and the Public Guardianship Office (PGO). Details of the functions and budgets of HMCS and the PGO can be found in their annual reports, copies of which are in the Library and which are also on-line at:

http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/annual_reports.htm

and

http://www.guardianship.gov.uk/downloads/Annual_ Report_2005-06.Final.pdf

respectively. The Tribunals Service was created as an executive agency in April 2006 and has not yet, therefore, produced an annual report. Its function is to provide support to the judiciary and tribunal users to ensure the impartial and efficient operation of the tribunals it administers. In the 2006-07 Winter Supplementary the Tribunals Service had a resource Departmental Expenditure Limit (DEL) of £270,987,000 and a Capital DEL of £3,903,000.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the potential impact on the poorest people requiring legal assistance of the recommendations on changes of legal aid fees made by the Carter Review of legal aid procurement. (110870)

The Government’s proposals, set out in “Legal Aid Reform: the Way Ahead”, will ensure that legal aid continues to be available for those people who require legal assistance. The reforms will ensure that legal aid spending can be placed on a sustainable footing and spending rebalanced between civil, family and criminal legal aid. This will be of particular benefit to the vulnerable and those facing social exclusion.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what representations her Department has received since November 2006 on the level of fees set for civil legal aid solicitors arising from the Carter Review of legal aid procurement; what meetings have been held with the Law Society on the Carter Review recommendations; what the outcome was of such meetings; and if she will make a statement. (110871)

As at 19 January 2007, the Department had received 80 representations since November 2006 on civil and family legal aid solicitors’ fees. There have been extensive discussions with the Law Society and other key stakeholders. These are being taken into account in further work by the Department and the Legal Services Commission.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which non-departmental public bodies are sponsored by her Department; what the function is of each body; and what the budget was of each body in the most recent year for which figures are available. (116766)

Details of the remit, Government funding and gross expenditure of public bodies sponsored by the Department for Constitutional Affairs can be found in the Cabinet Office publication “Public Bodies 2006”, copies of which are in the Library and which is also available online at:

http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/agencies/publications/pdf/public-bodies/publicbodies2006.pdf

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what advice her Department has given to post offices on employment of local and national election candidates working in its establishments and their contact with postal ballots. (117458)

My Department does not issue guidance to post offices on the employment of individuals who choose to stand as candidates at local or national elections. The Electoral Commission produces a code of conduct which sets out guidance on how candidates and their agents should behave during an election campaign. This includes guidance on the handling of postal vote applications and ballot papers.

6. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to assist displaced persons in Iraq. (110694)

I can tell the House that we have just agreed a £4 million contribution to the International Committee of the Red Cross to continue to provide protection and emergency assistance, including water and medical supplies. This brings our total humanitarian contribution to over £120 million since 2003.

8. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the reconstruction and development of Afghanistan. (110696)

Between 2001 and March 2006 DFID spent over £390 million on reconstruction and development. DFID’s programme focuses on building effective state institutions; improving economic management and supporting rural livelihoods. The best way to do this is by helping the Afghans help themselves—which is why over 70 per cent. of our aid goes directly to the Government of Afghanistan.

9. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on combating corruption in developing countries. (110697)

I frequently discuss the fight against corruption with my international counterparts.

For example, last year I had extensive discussions with the President of the World Bank on combating corruption. I also talked to the Chief Ministers of the Overseas Territories at their Consultative Council meeting in November. I also discuss the issue with Ministers in our partner countries.

12. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on his role as ministerial champion for addressing international corruption. (110700)

Ministers approved the UK anti-corruption action plan in July 2006. The plan aims to improve the UK’s capacity to investigate foreign bribery, stop money laundering and recover stolen assets, promote responsible business conduct in developing countries and support international efforts to fight corruption. I shall report on progress to the Prime Minister in February.

10. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to promote the use of bed nets to prevent malaria in developing countries. (110698)

DFID provides considerable support for the purchase and distribution of insecticide treated nets (ITNs) through, for example, direct support for country-level ITN programmes and through our support to multilateral organisations such as the World Health Organisation, the Roll Back Malaria partnership, UNICEF and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, which all help finance the purchase and distribution of ITNs in developing countries.

11. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the potential role for the formation of a community of South American nations in the economic development of the poorest countries of that continent. (110699)

The formation of a community of South American nations is still at an early stage. We support moves towards regional integration on the basis that it provides important opportunities for economic development, including for poorer nations. The exact path to regional integration, including how the Community of South American Nations will evolve, is a matter for South Americans themselves to determine.

13. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how he plans to promote the importance of international development during the German presidency of the G8. (110701)

I welcome Germany’s plan to focus on Africa and development during its G8 and EU presidencies. We fully support the priority given to governance, economic growth, peace and security and HIV/AIDS, and will be working closely with our German colleagues to make progress on these issues. We will also continue to push for progress in other crucial areas such as education, trade and aid volumes.

14. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to increase access to clean drinking water in Africa. (110702)

Sub-Sahara Africa is the region where the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets on water and sanitation are most off-track. In March 2005 I committed to double DFID’s support to water and sanitation in Africa to £95 million a year by 2007-08 and more than double funding again to £200 million a year by 2010-11.

We are making good progress towards achieving this target. We have significantly increased our water and sanitation programmes, focusing on countries where current access levels are particularly low. DFID is providing £6 million to the African Development Bank’s Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Initiative, with a target of achieving 80 per cent. rural access to water supply and sanitation by 2015. In Ethiopia we are developing a new £100 million programme to provide water and sanitation to 4 million people. Programmes in DRC, Sudan, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, Uganda and Rwanda are expanding.

15. To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what aid his Department provided to Burma in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement. (110703)

The most recent period for which figures are available is financial year 2005-06, in which DFID spent £6,437,793 on reducing poverty in Burma. The largest disbursements were to (i) the Fund for HIV/AIDS in Myanmar for provision of HIV/AIDS treatment, (ii) the BBC World Service Trust project to raise awareness of HIV/AIDS, (iii) the Thai-Burma Border Consortium for assistance to Burmese refugees in Thailand, (iv) the UN’s Human Development Initiative which provides small-scale improvements in rural technologies and infrastructure, and (v) to the International Committee of the Red Cross for humanitarian and protection work in prisons and in eastern Burma.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when his Department began to measure its carbon emissions; what the volume of those emissions was in the last period for which figures are available; when his Department started to offset those emissions; what the cost is expected to be of offsetting his Department’s emissions; and if he will make a statement. (116394)

DFID began to measure carbon emissions from our UK buildings in 1999, vehicles in 2003 and air travel in 2004. The latest figures we have for carbon emissions are as follows:

DFID is committed to the new sustainable operations targets which include a commitment for a carbon neutral central Government office estate by 2012. All Government air travel has been captured under the Government Carbon Offsetting Scheme since April 2006.

DFID proposes to achieve carbon neutrality through a package of measures including renewable energy on site (we are currently working with the Carbon Trust to agree the best technology for our UK estate); implementing further energy saving measures into both buildings, and further upgrading of our award winning video-conferencing facilities to make further savings on air/rail travel. DFID will only offset unavoidable carbon emissions that result after all economically viable carbon savings have been made, so it is not currently possible to estimate what the cost of offsetting will be.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what recent discussions he has had with the Government of Congo Brazzaville on (a) good governance and (b) corruption; (116416)

Corruption remains a serious problem in the Republic of Congo. Transparency International’s survey last year rated the country 142 of 163 states. A particular area of concern, despite the Congo-Brazzaville Government having made a statement of support for the Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), is the management of natural resource revenues, which lacks transparency and attracts widespread NGO criticism. Campaigners against corruption in the country have faced harassment from state officials. The British embassy has raised concerns on several occasions with the Congo-Brazzaville Government, and requested more information about the brief detention last year of two members of the Publish What You Pay Coalition who have been effective advocates of EITI locally.

The UK also discusses governance issues with the Congolese Government on a regular basis in conjunction with European partners and through the World Bank and IMF. The UK has made clear that the windfall received in increased oil revenues should be spent on poverty reduction. Economic issues and social development form part of the European Union’s regular article 8 dialogue. EU missions frequently raise the need for increased transparency in the oil sector, particularly in the management of revenues.

When the country qualified for assistance under the heavily indebted poor country (HIPC) initiative in February 2006, the UK, with the international community, insisted that interim debt relief be accompanied by—and conditional upon—a strict programme of governance reform. Congo’s debt relief savings are maintained in a special account. Expenditures from this account are limited to agreed poverty-reducing categories and monitored by a committee comprising representatives in observer status from international donors and Congolese civil society. Under the HIPC agreement, interim debt relief could be withdrawn if Congo fails to maintain satisfactory performance.

Furthermore, Congo agreed to implement a number of tough governance and anti-corruption reforms before it receives irrevocable debt stock cancellation under HIPC. These include the establishment of a national anti-corruption committee; the completion of a corruption diagnostic study by international experts; sustained, satisfactory performance under World Bank and IMF supervised programs; and successive annual audit opinions to confirm that the state oil company’s accounts are in line with international best practice. There will be an annual review of progress, the first due to begin later this year, by the World Bank’s Executive Board. Delivered in the right way, we hope that debt relief will help Republic of Congo, one of the world’s most indebted and poorest countries, spend more on health, education and infrastructure.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that aid is available to those affected by the conflict in Darfur; and what representations he plans to make to the Sudanese authorities on safeguarding aid workers in Darfur. (110826)

As the UN statement of 17 January made clear, humanitarian agencies are struggling in exceptionally and increasingly difficult circumstances to deliver vital aid to those in need in Darfur. DFID funding is providing training for humanitarian agencies to prevent, mitigate and mange security risks to their staff. Through our contributions to the Common Humanitarian Fund, the UN also receives funding to help co-ordinate and respond to security incidents. Our overall level of funding remains high (we are the second largest bilateral donor to Darfur) and we have taken steps to ensure that our funding is as flexible as possible so our partners can better manage restrictions and relocations of their activities on the ground.

At political level, we are working with all sides to the conflict to ensure the ability of humanitarian agencies to operate freely, securely and without constraint. We are calling on all sides to cease the violence immediately; renew the ceasefire and political process and accept the AU/UN peacekeeping force for Darfur.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many humanitarian workers and teams have withdrawn from Darfur; and what impact such withdrawal is having on his Department’s operations in the area. (110834)

During the last six months, well over 400 humanitarian workers have been temporarily relocated or evacuated in 31 operations across Darfur. Only one agency has withdrawn completely from Darfur in the last two years, and that was done at the insistence of the Government of Sudan. Humanitarian agencies have found it increasingly difficult to maintain access to areas in need given the pervasive insecurity and attacks on their compounds and staff. Basic relief operations in large areas are being maintained by locally-hired staff. The strong efforts made by agencies have limited the impact of withdrawals to date, but without the specialist support and protection-by-presence of international staff, there are concerns that the quality of the work done may decline and the humanitarian conditions begin to deteriorate.

DFID is providing funding to assist humanitarian agencies to prevent, mitigate and manage security risks to their staff. Through our contributions to the Common Humanitarian Fund, the UN also receives funding to help co-ordinate and respond to security incidents. In addition to this support, our partners receive flexible funding that enables them to manage restrictions and relocations of their activities on the ground.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid his Department plans to give to Egypt in 2006-07. (117398)

DFID closed its main bilateral programme in Egypt in 2005 in line with its commitment to prioritise aid to the poorest countries in the world and has no plans to provide aid to Egypt in 2006-07. The UK will continue to support poverty reduction efforts in Egypt through our contributions to international institutions such as the European Commission (EC) by contributing €100.44 million as part of EC funding to Egypt over the next four years.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support the Government are providing to the World Food Programme in Somalia. (110814)

During 2006 the UK contributed £6.5 million to the World Food Programme’s (WFP) Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation in Somalia, approximately 8.0 per cent. of total donor contributions since January 2003.

The UK is also the largest single contributor to the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), having contributed $82 million of the total of $343 million or 24 per cent. of total donor funding. The CERF has contributed $9.15 million for WFP humanitarian operations in Somalia since the beginning of 2006.

The UK is also a major supporter of other aspects of humanitarian relief operations in Somalia. For example our support to the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UN OCHA) assists in negotiating humanitarian access for other members of the international relief community including WFP.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what dates Ministers in his Department made official visits to the London boroughs of (a) Tower Hamlets, (b) Newham and (c) Waltham Forest in each year since 1997. (115738)

This information is not held centrally and can be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the level of trade is between the EU and Mercosur; and what the main sectors for growth are between the EU and Mercosur. (110832)

The level of trade between the top 20 EU markets and Mercosur full members totalled US$ 71,545 million in 2005. The following table shows the level of trade by imports and exports over the last three years.

UK Trade and Investment’s teams in Mercosur’s foil member markets have identified the following as the main growth sectors in 2006-07.

Argentina

Mining, agriculture, financial and legal services, oil and gas, creative and media.

Brazil

Aerospace, agriculture, biotech/pharma, construction, creative/media, education/training, engineering, environment, financial and legal services, healthcare/medical, ICT, oil and gas, power, transport.

Paraguay

Paraguay does not have any dedicated UKTI resource to deal with commercial enquiries. However, the dominant sector is agriculture.

Uruguay

Uruguay's key growth sectors are agriculture, food and beverages, tobacco and chemical industries.

Venezuela

Oil and gas, agriculture, construction, consumer goods, education and training, environment, financial services, ICT, power, security, tourism

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many (a) workers were assisted by the National Minimum Wage helpline in recouping money underpaid by their employer and (b) employers (i) were investigated, (ii) had enforcement orders issued to them and (iii) (A) were and (B) are subject to criminal proceedings for non-payment of the National Minimum Wage in Falkirk constituency in the last period for which figures are available; and which employers had enforcement orders issued to them. (116369)

I have been asked to reply.

National minimum wage statistical data are not held by reference to constituency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much in import tax was levied on New Zealand butter in (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and (c) 2006; and how much of the total was (i) retained by the UK authority and (ii) remitted to the European Union. (116495)

I have been asked to reply.

The amount of Customs Duty levied on imports of butter from New Zealand during the years specified was as follows:

Customs duties form part of the system of the European Communities’ Own Resources member states are allowed to retain, by way of collection costs, 25 per cent. of the amounts collected, the remaining 75 per cent. being transferred to the European Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the value of import tax per kilo was on New Zealand butter in 2006; and for what reasons the tax was levied. (116496)

I have been asked to reply.

The EU has a system of import tariffs. There is a fixed tariff on butter. However, as a result of an agreement between New Zealand and the EU (negotiated initially at the time of the UK’s accession to the EEC), a current access quota allows New Zealand to import on an annual basis a set quantity of butter into the EU at a reduced tariff.

During 2006 some 42,397,648.81 kg of New Zealand butter with a value of £4,055,281.39 was declared in the UK. The Customs duty paid totalled £25,292,635.52 or an average of 0.88 euros paid per kilo, based on the net weight.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people are employed by the Learning and Skills Council in Lancashire. (117515)

I have been asked to reply.

Thirty-five people are employed at Lancashire Learning and Skills Council. As part of its recent restructuring exercise, the LSC has established four new local partnership teams in Lancashire. These teams will be roughly coterminous with existing local authority boundaries, and will strengthen the LSC’s ability to work in partnership with local authorities and children’s trusts, including on 14-19; and to support wider economic development through stronger links between jobs, training and skills.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the written answer of 16 January 2007, Official Report, column 1034W, on post office funding, (1) when he expects to publish a detailed breakdown of his funding plan for the post office network; (110888)

[holding answer 23 January 2007]: The Government intend to provide up to £1.7 billion, subject to state aid clearance, between now and 2011 in support of the post office network.

A detailed breakdown of our funding is not yet available and will be dependent, following the conclusion of Government's national consultation, on how Post Office Limited intends to implement the necessary restructuring of the network to meet the framework set by Government's proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to make a decision on the proposal from Royal Mail's management for a share ownership scheme for the Royal Mail. (117365)

[holding answer 22 January 2007]: There is no timetable for an announcement on a decision. We hope to be able to announce a decision soon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the patient to nurse ratio is in general wards at Antrim Area hospital. (110821)

Information on the ratio of nurses to patients is not available. United Hospitals HSS Trust has provided the following information on the ratio of nurses per bed in general medical and surgical wards.

(a) There are 1.13 nurses per bed in general Medical wards at Antrim Area hospital. The number of beds in each ward range from 24-27.

(b) There are 1.04 nurses per bed in general Surgical wards at Antrim Area hospital. There are 27 beds in each ward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what discussions there have been between the police in Londonderry and the Northern Ireland Office since August 2005 on resources for the installation of CCTV cameras at the Irish Street/Top of the Hill interface. (117348)

Londonderry district command unit submitted an application for funding under the Town Centre CCTV Challenge Competition; as the application did not meet the eligibility criteria, the application was unsuccessful and applicants were advised accordingly.

There have been no discussions between the police in Londonderry and the Northern Ireland Office since August 2005 on resources for the installation of CCTV cameras at the Irish Street/Top of the Hill interface.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average (a) sentence and (b) time served by convicted child sex offenders in Northern Ireland was in each of the last 10 years. (107963)

Northern Ireland court proceedings and sentencing data sources do not include victim information in relation to the commission of an offence. It is therefore possible only to provide information for those offences which, by their definition, identify a child as the victim. Average sentence lengths (in months) for those convicted of and given immediate custody for sexual offences against children are given in the table. Data cover the calendar years 1995 to 2004, the latter being the most up-to-date available at present.

It is not possible from the available data to determine the time served in custody by each individual sentenced.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to improve the Department’s performance in replying to correspondence from the general public. (115676)

The six national standards for central Government were introduced to the Northern Ireland Office and its Executive Agencies from April 1997.

However, even though no longer formally monitored by the Cabinet Office, the Department continues to use the national standards as a way of ensuring it maintains a good customer service to the general public.

One of the standards is to answer letters quickly and clearly, within a departmental target of 15 working days. Performance for the period 1 January 2005 to 31 December 2005 was as follows:

It should be noted that some parts of the Department impose a local target of replying to correspondence within 10 working days. In particular the Compensation Agency which has responded to a vast amount of correspondence during 2005.

The performance in relation to this target is monitored on a regular basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many hoax calls were made to 999 in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years. (110669)

The numbers of hoax calls received by Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service for the last 10 calendar years are set out in the table as follows:

The numbers of hoax calls received by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), for each of the last eight financial years, are set out in the following table. NIAS cannot provide information prior to the 1999-2000 financial year. (Note: These figures include calls generated by Automated Fire Alarms).

The numbers of hoax calls received by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSN1) for the last five financial years are set out in the table as follows. Information prior to the 2002-03 financial year is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the patient to nurse ratio cover is in general wards at Mid-Ulster Hospital. (110820)

Information on the ratio of nurses to patients is not available. United Hospitals HSS Trust has provided the following information on the ratio of nurses per bed in general medical and surgical wards.

There are 1.15 nurses per bed for general medical and surgical wards at the Mid-Ulster Hospital. There is a total of three general wards, two of which deal with medical/cardiology patients and one which deals with medical and surgical patients. The number of beds in each of the three wards ranges from 18-25.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the opinions on international affairs which he expressed in his interview published in the current issue of the New Statesman represent the policies of Her Majesty’s Government. (110908)

The views I expressed in the New Statesman about the need to work through multinational institutions and the pride I expressed on the Government’s record since 1997 of trebling aid to Africa, leading the fight for trade justice, and lifting billions in debt off the poorest countries are shared across Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cases of MRSA were recorded in each hospital in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. (110673)

The number of patient episodes of MRSA bacteraemia reported by year and where possible by hospital over the last five years are detailed in the following table.