To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what representations he has received from (a) local authorities and (b) associated bodies on the financial impact of section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005; and what responses he has made. (118890)

DEFRA officials have held a number of discussions with the Local Government Association, local authorities and other interested organisations, about the financial impact of section 68 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act. When commenced, section 68 will transfer responsibility for stray dogs from the police solely to local authorities.

In October last year, the Local Government Association contacted their members to calculate a representative cost estimate for local authorities to take on the duty set out in section 68. At the same time, the Association of Police Officers calculated the police’s current spend on fulfilling their stray dog duties.

A stakeholder group comprising of the Dogs Trust, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, National Dog Warden Association, Dog Theft Action and representatives from dogs homes and kennels was convened in June 2006 to assist in developing a voluntary code of practice for stray dogs. This guidance will be made available to local authorities in time for the commencement of section 68.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many buildings have been constructed on floodplains since May 1997. (107949)

I have been asked to reply.

Information on the numbers of buildings constructed on floodplains is not available centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Flood risk is a major factor in the location of new development. The Government published a new Planning Policy Statement (PPS25) in December 2006 to strengthen and clarify earlier policy on this issue. Flood risk must be taken into account at all stages of the planning process. Development that would not be safe in the higher flood risk areas should be directed to areas of lower risk wherever this is practicable. Where new development is necessary in higher risk areas because no viable alternative is available, steps must be taken at site level to make it safe if it is to be permitted. In those areas close to rivers where water must be allowed to flow in times of flood—the ‘functional floodplain’—only a very restricted range of development associated with essential infrastructure should be permitted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what financial cost was incurred by local authorities that rejected waste management planning applications which were subsequently accepted at appeal in (a) 2001-02, (b) 2002-03, (c) 2003-04, (d) 2004-05 and (e) 2005-06. (119077)

I have been asked to reply.

Information on the costs incurred by local authorities on applications which are subsequently determined on appeal is not held by the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many (a) local health care clinics and (b) hospitals there were in Afghanistan in each year between 1995 and 2006. (112305)

The health care system in Afghanistan has suffered years of neglect. According to the Central Statistics Office’s (CSO) Statistical Yearbook 2003, the percentage of expenditure on health between 1997 and 2000 was only 0.5 per cent. of GDP and the number of doctors per 1,000 people a mere 0.1 per cent. against an average of 2.2 per cent. for all developing countries. The World Health Organisation (WHO) reported that in 2001 the total expenditure on health was 5.2 per cent. of GDP.

Although DFID is not directly engaged in the health sector, DFID officials in Kabul have contacted the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) for this data. The ministry have confirmed that the data requested is not available back to 1995.

There are, though, signs that progress is being made. The World Bank, European Commission and The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) are investing heavily in this sector. In the November 2006 report of the Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board, it was recorded that the Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) has been expanded to 82 per cent. of the Afghan population. 856 standard health facilities are now functional; 82 facilities provide comprehensive emergency obstetric care, and 309 provide basic emergency obstetric care. 71 per cent. of all BPHS health facilities are now staffed with at least one female staff member. One district hospital, 22 basic Health Centres and 17 Comprehensive Health Centres have also been established.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of his Department’s expenditure on tackling AIDS in developing countries; and if he will make a statement. (118957)

An interim evaluation of “Taking Action: The UK’s strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world”, is currently under way. It is taking a detailed look at how the Government are implementing “Taking Action”. The evaluation is due to be completed in spring 2007. We look forward to receiving the report and responding to it.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much British aid reached the people displaced by the military offensive in Karen state in 2006. (118626)

In 2006, DFID provided approximately US$ 350,000 for support to internally displaced people through community-based groups in Eastern Burma. Approximately US$20,000 of that funding reached some of the 20,000 people displaced by the military offensive in Northern Karen state and Eastern Bago Division. The remainder of the funds were used to provide assistance to other communities affected by displacement in Eastern Burma, including support for displaced communities in relocation sites in Government-controlled areas, in cease-fire areas and in contested areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the 3D Fund for Burma will fund cross-border projects in order to reach people in areas to which the military regime refuses to allow access. (118629)

The 3D Fund recognises the difficulties that it is likely to face in accessing civilians trapped in areas of conflict between the Burmese military and ethnic armed groups. In addition to pressing the Burmese authorities to increase access to these areas for humanitarian work, the 3D Fund will explore a range of other options for accessing these areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions representatives of the 3D Fund have had with the Karen National Union on the viability of funding projects in Karen state in areas not under control of the regime in Burma. (118659)

3D Fund representatives have had no direct discussions with the Karen National Union. The 3D Fund has, however, initiated discussions with a range of community-based organisations, local non-governmental organisations and ceasefire groups about how they can contribute to the 3D Fund’s efforts to deliver services in areas which are not under the control of the military, including in Karen state.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much the Global Fund spent in Burma during the period it operated there; and how much of that amount was spent on consultants. (118660)

In the period during which the Global Fund operated in Burma, it disbursed approximately US$11.09 million in support of work on HIV and AIDS, TB and malaria. US$194,357 was spent on consultants in order to ensure effective fund management. Technical support and advice were provided through the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS).

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department gives (a) directly, (b) through the EU and (c) through the UN to assist with the cost of democratic elections in developing countries. (117915)

DFID contributed £17.1 million as direct bilateral assistance in support of democratic elections in 2005-06, some of which will be provided through multilateral organisations based in developing countries.

DFID also supports the UN and the EC in assisting developing countries to carry out democratic elections through core and non core contributions. However, DFID does not hold details of what proportion of our contributions to the UN or the EC were used to assist with the cost of democratic elections.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has allocated for the reconstruction and development of Iraq in each of the next three years; and through which channels the money will be distributed. (118728)

The UK will spend at least another £100 million over the next three years on humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Iraq on top of our 2003 Madrid pledge of £544 million, which is now fully disbursed. This further allocation of £100 million brings the total UK commitment to £644 million.

Some of this funding will be channelled through DFID’s bilateral programme of assistance to Iraq. This will help the Iraqi Government to make better use of their substantial oil resources; and assist the Iraqi Government, at provincial and national level, to plan and deliver investment in basic services (electricity, hospitals, etc.), improve oil production levels, generate jobs and manage its own resources more effectively. In addition, funding will be channelled through the UK’s contribution to EC funding for Iraq, and through the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP).

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what reconstruction and development objectives his Department set for (a) education, (b) water and sanitation, (c) health care and (d) microfinance in Iraq prior to the invasion of Iraq; to what extent they have been met; and if he will make a statement. (118729)

Prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003, DFID objectives were to ensure that there was sufficient preparation to avert a major humanitarian crisis during and immediately after the conflict and facilitate the rapid restoration of essential services such as health care, power, and water and sanitation. Much of our initial support was channelled through United Nations agencies, the International Red Cross and non-governmental organisations. These organisations moved back into Iraq quickly and set up effective humanitarian operations after the major conflict ended. They had experience of working in Iraq, well-established local networks and a capacity to deliver assistance on the ground. While several agencies withdrew expatriate personnel from Iraq for security reasons during the remainder of 2003, many of their programmes continued under the management of well-qualified local staff.

There have been successes:

In education, over 5,000 schools have been rehabilitated; more than 100,000 primary and 40,000 secondary schools teachers have been trained; and over 70 million new textbooks distributed.

In water and sanitation, around £660 million has been spent on over 300 projects to repair essential infrastructure; but decades of neglect and an ageing infrastructure means that the overall access to drinkable water and sewage systems remains similar to pre 2003 levels.

In health care, over 5 million children have received life-saving vaccinations. More than 1,000 health care facilities have been rehabilitated or equipped, and more than 6,000 health workers trained. Through extensive disease control programmes, the prevalence of leishmaniasis, measles, malaria and polio has declined.

In microfinance, two institutions are operating across Iraq, which have made US$78 million worth of loans to over 40,000 clients.

Continued violence, including sabotage of key infrastructure facilities, and low (but growing) levels of technical capacity in Iraq’s national and local governments have made progress difficult. However, Iraq is not a poor country. The Iraqi Government plans to spend over £20 billion (US$40 billion) in 2007. The real challenge is to help the Government of Iraq spend this money effectively so that Iraqis see real improvements. DFID is providing expert advice to help the Government do this at national and provincial level.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the levels of (a) exports, (b) imports and (c) gross domestic product of Iraq in each year from 1995 to 2006; and if he will make a statement. (118730)

Economic data for Iraq are patchy. There are little data on exports and imports, due to the lack of effective border control for several years, and international trade data have never been properly compiled. However, the World Bank provides the following data:

Iraq’s economy is powered by oil (oil accounts for approximately two-thirds of GDP and more than 95 per cent. of exports). Therefore, Iraq’s ability to export oil has a strong impact on the strength of its economy. As a result, GDP, exports and imports have continued to grow since 2003.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which fixed assets her Department sold for more than £10,000 in (a) 2004-05 and (b) 2005-06; and what the (i) sale value, (ii) purchaser and (iii) date of sale was of each asset. (110796)

The information requested is as follows.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what steps her Department is taking to collate information from the Crown Prosecution Service on the level of electoral fraud and the number of investigations into alleged fraud. (119499)

My Department has previously obtained information from the CPS on the number of prosecutions for election offences. My officials, together with those in the Electoral Commission, are currently exploring with the CPS whether we can differentiate between allegations of electoral fraud and other election offences, as well as include cases of electoral malpractice where the charges may have been brought under offences not specific to elections.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 31 January 2007, Official Report, column 337W, on parliamentary boundaries, how much in compensation was paid to the Boundary Commission by the failed claimants. (119695)

£5,000 has been agreed in respect of Boundary Commission costs incurred in preparing the acknowledgement of service and summary grounds of opposition. Payment is due by 21 February 2007.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether British citizens imprisoned in jails overseas are eligible to vote in UK general elections if they have been resident in the UK in the last 15 years. (117622)

The Representation of the People Act 1985 (as amended) provides a facility for British citizens overseas to retain their voting rights if they have been resident in the UK in the previous 15 years, so long as they are not otherwise subject to a legal incapacity to vote. The Representation of the People Act 1983 makes convicted prisoners detained in a penal institution (or unlawfully at large from one) legally incapable of voting in a UK general election. However, ‘penal institution’ is defined in the 1983 Act by reference to Prisons Acts, which do not extend to foreign jails.

Accordingly, British citizens imprisoned in jails overseas are eligible to vote in UK general elections if they are otherwise eligible to vote as an overseas elector under the relevant provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1985.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what her plans are for the Public Defender Service; and if she will make a statement. (119917)

I am currently considering the future shape of the PDS and an announcement will be made shortly.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if the Government will support repealing the residual discriminations in UK law and constitution in respect of (a) dissenters, (b) non-conformists and (c) Roman Catholics when a legislative opportunity arises. (119001)

Restrictions in the UK law and constitution on religious grounds are almost entirely limited to issues relating to accession to the Throne. The Government currently have no plans to bring forward legislation on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what his assessment is of the impact on arms training of the current operational tempo; (111203)

[holding answers 25 January 2007]: All arms training continues to be maintained at a level sufficient to ensure that our troops are fully equipped to deal with the exigencies of life in theatre. The Army plans its training activities and exercises many years in advance. Changes in circumstances, including those arising from operational commitments, will always mean that a few exercises have to be postponed or cancelled. All units deploying on operations receive the training necessary to complete the tasks required of them, including combined arms training at Battlegroup and Brigade level.

The number of Battlegroup and above formation exercises cancelled in each of the last four years and where each was due to take place are shown in the following tables.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which schools were visited by the Defence Schools Presentation Team in 2006; and if he will make a statement on the future of the Defence Schools Presentation Team. (111735)

For the last three years the Department has funded the Defence Schools Presentation Teams (DSPT) which tour secondary schools giving a half day interactive presentation on defence issues to 14 to 16-year-olds. There are five such teams covering different areas of the country, and during 2006 they booked over 490 visits including Comprehensive, Grammar, Independent, single sex, and Faith Schools (Church of England, Catholic, and Muslim). These presentations are extremely well received and do allow us to get our messages over about the importance of defence. Almost all schools ask for a repeat visit the following year which has lead to a yearly increase in presentations. Civilian and military staff are seen as excellent role models and there are consequently significant benefits for future recruiting. The actual investment in the Defence Schools Presentation Teams has been about £1.9 million per year. I have placed in the Library of the House a chart detailing the tasking of the five teams during 2006. Those serials which have been crossed out indicate a cancellation by the school prior to the event.

The Department will be introducing a new schools e-learning product. Through creating an educational website called “Defence Dynamics”, our main focus will be to provide Secondary School teachers of 14 to 16-year-olds with pre-packaged electronic lesson plans for GCSE exams with Defence themes. It has been planned as a ten year programme. Defence Dynamics will start with the delivery in September 2007 of 40+ lesson plans with audio-visuals in Science, Maths and English based on scenarios that reflect the professional work of the MOD and the armed forces worldwide. The material will be developed to support the requirements of the school curriculum and across a range of subject areas in the longer term. MOD will be working closely with DfES and the devolved Government education Departments in the UK. Initially the Defence Dynamics programme will run for two years with the aim to develop this for the long-term. An e-learning approach has been used successfully in Australian schools since 2002.

The intention is to disband the touring Defence Schools Presentation Teams in July 2007 (the end of this academic year) and launch the new schools e-learning product in September 2007. The Department will, through this be maintaining its engagement with schools and switching to an approach that will enable us to reach many more children than are visited by the touring Defence Presentation Schools Teams, and at a significantly lower cost (£200,000 pa).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 1 November 2006, what plans (a) his Department and (b) QinetiQ have for publishing the conclusions of research into safe procedures for escape from disabled submarines involving experiments on live goats. (113933)

The MOD does not publish the conclusions of research into safe procedures for escape from disabled submarines in open literature. Some information is communicated via Information Exchange Agreements and other arrangements to other submarine operating nations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Hercules aircraft accepted from the contractor after being fitted with foam protection to their fuel tanks (a) were ready for active service and (b) required repairs due to fuel leaks. (117932)

I am withholding the number of Explosion Suppression Foam (ESF) equipped Hercules C-130 aircraft that are available for operations, as this information could prejudice the security of our armed forces.

Fuel leaks were reported on two Hercules C-130 aircraft fitted with ESF. Both aircraft were returned to the contractor for repair and subsequently returned to the Front Line Command.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the status is of the British military presence in Kosovo; and what plans the Government have for changes to the number of British forces in Kosovo. (118354)

There are around 175 UK personnel in Kosovo working within the NATO-led KFOR and the UN Mission in Kosovo. No changes to this commitment are currently planned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the status is of KFOR; what discussions he has had with his European Union and NATO counterparts on the future of the KFOR deployment; what the outcome was of those discussions; and if he will make a statement. (118355)

KFOR is the NATO force in Kosovo and currently comprises some 16,000 troops. The Defence Secretary regularly meets with his NATO and EU colleagues to discuss, inter alia, progress on and the future of, the KFOR mission.

Decisions on the future of KFOR deployment will be made by NATO.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether an RAF air transport flight rescheduled (a) 24 hours or fewer, (b) 12 hours or fewer and (c) six hours or fewer before its departure is considered to have departed on time if it subsequently departs at its rescheduled time. (118830)

[holding answer 5 February 2007]: No. Any rescheduled RAF or transport flight which departs within 24 hours or less of the originally scheduled departure time is recorded as “delayed”.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence in which countries British military attachés are posted; and what plans he has to change the number of such posts. (114590)

The 80 countries listed are those where the UK currently has a resident accredited Defence Attache/Adviser. This global Defence Diplomacy network is subject to regular review as part of the normal planning process and to meet changing foreign and defence policy priorities. A recent FCO decision to withdraw its contribution to the cost of maintaining the Attache/Adviser network has necessitated such a review and this is underway. Decisions on any subsequent adjustments will not be made before the summer.

Albania

Algeria

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Barbados

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Brazil

Brunei

Bulgaria

Canada

Chile

China

Colombia

Congo (DRC)

Croatia

Cyprus

Czech Republic

Denmark

Egypt

Ethiopia

Finland

France

Georgia

Germany

Ghana

Greece

Guatemala

India

Indonesia

Iraq

Ireland

Israel

Italy

Jamaica

Japan

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kenya

Korea

Kuwait

Lebanon

Lithuania

Macedonia

Malaysia

Morocco

Nepal

New Zealand

Netherlands

Nigeria

Norway

Oman

Pakistan

Philippines

Poland

Portugal

Qatar

Romania

Russia

Saudi Arabia

Serbia

Sierra Leone

Singapore

Slovakia

South Africa

Spain

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Sweden

Syria

Thailand

Turkey

Uganda

Ukraine

United Arab Emirates

United States of America

Yemen

Zimbabwe

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on research on non-lethal weapons in each of the last five years. (107724)

Many technologies and the associated research can contribute to concepts termed non-lethal weapons. Therefore it is not possible to provide the exact research spend for the past five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what research his Department is funding on the development of non-lethal weapons. (107725)

The term “non-lethal weapons” encompasses concepts supported by a broad range of technologies and therefore a large number of research programmes. Details of the MOD’s interest in this area are stated in chapters B2 and B7 of the Defence Technology Strategy, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the total cost of the operational allowance for 2006-07 will be funded from the Treasury Reserve. (101362)

[holding answer 20 November 2006]: The total cost of operational allowance for 2006-07 will be met from new money from the Treasury Reserve, as announced on 10 October 2006, Official Report, column 175.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the 20 largest procurement projects initiated by his Department since May 1997 have been; what the (a) original budget, (b) cost to date and (c) consultancy fees have been; and what the final cost was of each project which has been completed. (106580)

The 20 largest equipment procurement projects that have passed their main investment decision point (Main Gate) since May 1997 are as follows:

The costs shown are those demonstration and manufacture costs approved (the ‘not to exceed’ cost) at Main Gate and those incurred to 31 March 2006. None of the projects have been completed and therefore final costs have not been provided.

Expenditure on consultancy fees related to these projects since 1997 is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, I can advise that summaries of MOD expenditure on external assistance, of which consultancy is a part, are available in the Library of the House for the years 1995-96 to 2005-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which public affairs firms were given contracts by (a) his Department and (b) public bodies sponsored by his Department in each of the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract. (118430)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many people were recruited to (a) the Royal Navy and (b) the Royal Air Force in each of the last 12 months; and how many of these recruits have become operationally available. (114633)

The following table shows recruits to the naval service for the period 1 October 2005 until 30 September 2006. Those listed as having joined the trained strength (completed phase 2 training) can be said to be operationally available.

The following table shows recruits to the Royal Air Force for the period 1 November 2005 until 31 October 2006. Those listed as having joined the trained strength (completed phase 2 training) can be said to be operationally available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment have served in Afghanistan since British troops were deployed. (117635)

Three members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment have served in Afghanistan since British troops were deployed. One officer and one warrant officer are in Afghanistan at present; one officer served there during 2004-05.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has for the role of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment within the UK armed forces. (117636)

The Royal Gibraltar Regiment will continue to perform its primary role of supporting the defence and security of the territory of Gibraltar.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many honours members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment have received since deployment in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan. (117637)

34 members of the Royal Gibraltar Regiment have received the general service medal for service in Iraq. One officer has received the general service medal for service in Afghanistan, and was also awarded the military cross for gallantry in action; the same officer was also awarded the bronze star medal with ‘valour’ device by the United States Army. Another officer was awarded the bronze star medal by the United States Army for service in Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what support his Department offers to the families of those who are fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. (118939)

The Ministry of Defence places a very high priority on the welfare of its service personnel and their families. To that end, there are significant single service welfare resources in place for all personnel and their families which can be accessed through unit welfare and community support staff. This support is significantly increased during operational periods for the families of those deployed on operations. In particular extra travel allowances are available for dependants and close family members and a welfare grant is also made available to the parent unit to help fund group welfare activities and facilities.

To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission (1) how many (a) employees and (b) commissioners the Electoral Commission has; (118615)

The Electoral Commission informs me that, as at 31 January 2007, the Commission employed 140 people. On the same date, there was one full-time Electoral Commissioner, the chairman, and four part-time Electoral Commissioners.

The remuneration of Electoral Commissioners is determined in accordance with the provisions of Resolutions of the House of 26 March 2001 and 13 July 2004. The current annual salary of the chairman of the Commission is £151,960. The average remuneration of the part-time Commissioners for the ten months of the 2006-07 financial year to date is £23,860.

The Commission informs me that the highest annual salary payable in 2006-07 to Commission staff in post at 31 January 2007 is £110,000 and the average is £33,350.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on queues at airports in London of security measures introduced since August 2006. (112490)

The management of queues at London airports is a matter for the airport operator. While the Department is sympathetic to passengers who might have had to queue for longer than usual, it is important that security screening is carried out properly and to the required standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he is taking to reduce the amount of chemical trails from aircraft in UK airspace; and if he will make a statement. (111303)

I assume the hon. Member is referring to contrails. ‘Contrails’, which are ice crystal clouds that form at high altitudes from the exhaust products of aircraft but only when atmospheric conditions of temperature and humidity favour this. There are many uncertainties in this area and the Department is sponsoring research to reduce these and UK scientists are actively engaged in international research in this topic. The Department sponsored a major international scientific meeting last year which presented significant new research on the subject:

http://www.pa.op.dir.de/tac/

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of food served in buildings occupied by his Department was of British origin in (a) 2005 and (b) 2006. (111118)

Within the Department, contract catering services are only used at the Department's HQ in London, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) sites in Swansea, the Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) in London and at the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) HQ in Bristol.

In the Department's headquarters in London it is the policy of our catering provider to source the majority of its products from within the UK, unless occasionally for reasons of supply and competitive pricing it is necessary to obtain products from outside the UK. Typically this means that 100 per cent. of meat and poultry is of British origin, along with the majority of dairy products, fruits and salad items and vegetables.

For the DVLA Swansea sites 85 per cent. of the items served were of British origin, broken down as follows:

100 per cent. for soft drinks;

70 per cent. for bakery products;

90 per cent. for dairy products;

100 per cent. for confectionery;

30 per cent. for fruit and salad items;

85 per cent. for vegetables;

100 per cent. for meat and poultry; and

100 per cent. for eggs.

For both London HQ and DVLA the 2005 and 2006 breakdown is broadly the same.

For the GCDA and VOSA the requested information is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations has he received on the location of bus stops in the London Borough of Bexley. (118287)

None. Bus stops in London are the responsibility of the Mayor and Transport for London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what revenue funding arrangements each public transport authority in the South East outside London concluded with (a) Stagecoach, (b) Arriva, (c) Transdev and (d) Firstbus prior to the passing of the statutory provision for concessionary fares; and if he will make a statement. (117999)

The information requested is not held by the Department. Reimbursement paid to bus operators for providing concessionary travel is a matter for individual local authorities. The hon. Member might wish to contact local authorities for the information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much in financial support was made available for bus transport in North Lincolnshire in each year since 1996. (118229)

The following table sets out integrated transport block funding provided by DfT to North Lincolnshire council from 1997-98 to 2006-07. The integrated transport block allocations have been available for the council to use on road and public transport improvements, according to its local policies and priorities.

Since 1998, the Department has also separately provided specific grant funding to local authorities for bus services through the Rural Bus Subsidy Grant (RBSG), the Rural and Urban Bus Challenge and the Kickstart schemes. The following table shows the amounts provided under these grants to North Lincolnshire council.

The majority of support for local bus services is provided by local authorities using the Government’s Revenue Support Grant (RSG), which is an unhypothecated block grant, and authorities’ own resources. It is for each authority to decide how much of their RSG allocation to devote to bus support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many bus stops have been vandalised in each of the last 10 years. (118330)

This information is not collected by central government. Individual local authorities may hold data about damage to bus stops in their own areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the average number of passengers on a bus in the public transport system in England in the last 12 months. (110499)

The average number of passengers on a bus in the public transport system in England was nine in 2005-06—the last period for which the data are available. The average includes both peak and off-peak bus journeys and is mileage-based, so long rural bus routes with few passengers have a relatively large influence on the estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether school transport proposals are eligible for funding awards under the Challenge Schemes. (111497)

I assume the question has in mind the Department’s Rural (RBC) and Urban Bus Challenge (UBC) competitions.

RBC and UBC competitions were held between 1998 and 2003 and provided funding for innovative ideas for improving local transport and addressing social exclusion in rural and urban areas. The criteria for these competitions allowed for a wide range of schemes to compete for funding, including bids aimed at improving transport to schools. The projects supported brought enhancements to rural and urban bus services improving the links of the communities served to essential services and facilities. In a number of cases, improved links to educational facilities were specifically identified as among the benefits secured.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the amount of subsidy support for concessionary fares schemes, under the national scheme, that local transport authorities will have to bear from their own budgets; and if he will make a statement. (110937)

From April 2008, persons 60 and over, and disabled people, will be guaranteed free off-peak local bus travel anywhere in England. The Government have earmarked up to an extra £250 million per year which for this, and is confident that this should be sufficient to cover the total additional cost to local authorities.

Local authorities have, and will retain, the discretion to offer (and fund from their own resources) enhancements to the statutory minimum, such as peak bus travel and/or concessions on other modes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will estimate the cost of introducing free public transport on buses for (a) young people under 18 and (b) young people under 21; (112635)

Analysis for the Department for Transport estimated the ‘marginal’ costs (in 2002-03 prices) of extending existing concessions offered by local authorities in their areas to free ‘bus’ travel, at all time and for all purposes, for five to 16-year-olds at around £365 million per year, and around a further £160 million per year for 17 and 18-year-olds. A total extra cost of approximately £525 million per annum. These estimates are for England only, are restricted to concessionary bus travel within the local authority in which the concessionaire is resident, and excludes any Barnett consequentials. The Department has no cost information on concessionary travel for people aged 18 to 21 years and on other forms of public transport for children and young people.

At the present time, the Department does not have an estimate of the cost of free public transport for children and young people across England. This is extremely difficult to estimate due to the uncertainties about: take-up, the extra concessionary travel generated, the switch from dedicated school transport, travel behaviour and the amount of additional capacity required. The existence of all these inter-related variables creates significant uncertainty in any estimate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what arrangements have been made to consult and inform (a) neighbouring local authorities, (b) private motorists and (c) commercial users on plans to increase charges for using the M25 Dartford Crossing; (119059)

I refer the hon. Member to my written statement to the House on 19 October 2006, Official Report, columns 59-60WS, and the consultation document on “Proposed changes to charges at the Dartford-Thurrock River Crossing” that we published, which is in the Libraries of the House and on the Department’s website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department has spent on services from Waverley Management Consultants in the past three years; and who within the Department has used the reports prepared by the firm. (118302)

Waverley Management Consultants were awarded a contract in February 2006 by the Department for £15,000 to develop a scenario planning toolkit. The toolkit was published on the internet in January 2007 at the following address

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/scienceresearch/futures/secsceniss/.

The toolkit provides policymakers and other stakeholders with resources they need to explore scenarios and use them to support their own decision making.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the expenditure by his Department on buying, operating and supporting (a) all commercial software products and (b) software products produced by Microsoft was in each of the last three years. (112600)

The following table sets out the information on expenditure on software products that is available for the central Department and each Executive Agency.

The central Department and its Executive Agencies use separate accounting systems that record expenditure in different ways. To obtain the information in the format requested would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency failed to send out reminder notices for car tax renewal to residents of the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency in the last 12 months. (117608)

There were no widespread instances in the last 12 months where the DVLA failed to issue the vehicle licence application reminder (V11) notices in the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency or any other.

There have been no processing or dispatch difficulties that could account for any significant problems. However, changes to the rate of vehicle excise duty (VED) announced in the March 2005 Budget did cause discrepancies to some vehicle records. This resulted in V11 forms not being forwarded for those vehicles whose licenses needed renewing in April 2006. This problem only affected licences due in this particular month.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the cost is for First Great Western to hire an (a) Mark III first class carriage, (b) Mark III standard class carriage and (c) Mark III buffet bar carriage. (118374)

Details of lease costs are a commercial matter between First Great Western and the rolling stock company.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it his policy to set a ceiling on the level of charges imposed by private clamping companies; and if he will make a statement. (118305)

When considering the charges levied for vehicle clamping services on local authority owned land, including the highways for which they are responsible, local authorities are directed by Circular 1/95 (Guidance on Decriminalised Parking Enforcement Outside London) to set charges according to the cost of providing the service. Local authorities are obliged to keep a record of the charges levied for clamping and removal services, and to avoid setting charge levels that will result in a surplus income being generated.

With regard to the clamping of vehicles on privately owned land, the Private Security Industry Act 2001 provides for the Security Industry Authority (SIA) to licence individuals who carry out licensable vehicle immobilising activities as defined by the Act and to ensure that they comply with the licensing requirements. It does not provide for the regulation of fees or other commercial matters. We have discussed this matter with the Home Office and I understand that there are no plans to regulate this area further.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to introduce park and ride schemes. (112637)

Park and ride schemes are playing an important part in helping to reduce congestion in many localities. During the first Local Transport Plan (LTP) period (2001-06), local transport authorities in England (outside of London) spent a total of £72.5 million of LTP funding on improving 92 existing park and ride facilities and delivering 76 new park and ride schemes. In recognition of this, the Department gave credit in its assessment of delivery of the first Local Transport Plans to those authorities that delivered substantial increases in park and ride facilities.

In the full guidance on the second Local Transport Plans (2006-11), published in December 2004, the Department indicated that tackling congestion remained a key priority and that a range of policy tools should be considered by local authorities. It then assessed how convincingly local authorities considered the range of available tools (including park and ride) before determining the final distribution of funding support for the Local Transport Plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to encourage people to use public transport. (117514)

The Government are encouraging people to use public transport through sustained investment to improve services and by providing better information on journeys, for instance through Transport Direct. This is helping make public transport a realistic and attractive option for more journeys. We have also set out new proposals to create the right framework for the delivery of better bus services to meet the needs of passengers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date he expects to publish his response to the Transport Select Committee’s report on rail franchising. (118893)

The Transport Select Committee published the Government’s response to their report on passenger rail franchising (14^th report of Session 2005-06) on 29 January 2007 (first special report of Session 2006-07), copies of which are available from the Vote Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the change in numbers of passengers on Virgin Trains heading south from (a) Manchester, (b) Birmingham and (c) Liverpool through Milton Keynes in each of the next 10 years. (118968)

Virgin West Coast Trains is planning on an increase in the number of passenger journeys, principally from the long distance destinations of Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool as well the north west and Scotland, from a total of 20 million a year in 2006-07 to more than 30 million a year by 2011-12. The Department expect further and similar growth, year by year, on the route in the period beyond 2012.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many rail platforms have been lengthened since 1997. (118324)

This is an operational matter for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his question.

John Armitt

Chief Executive

Network Rail

40 Melton Street

London NW1 2EE

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) unmanned and (b) manned overground train stations there were in each of the last 10 years. (118333)

This information is not held by the Department. Responsibility for stations rests with Network Rail (who operate 17 principal stations) and with the train operating companies. Although the Association of Train Operating Companies maintains current records, they have advised that they do not hold historical information on station staffing. I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 18 December 2006, Official Report, column 1448W on Railway Stations: "According to the records of the Association of Train Operating Companies (ATOC) 1187 stations are unmanned Monday to Saturday and 1649 on Sundays."

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what funding is available from his Department to (a) renovate and (b) re-open railway stations and station halts. (119228)

Station operators are required to maintain station facilities to an acceptable condition and Network Rail to maintain the station structures to a safe, operational condition. Where renovation is required it is funded by the operator or Network Rail.

Where proposals are put forward for station re-opening schemes, the Department would expect them to include funding proposals either through third party schemes or Local Transport Plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the role of the railways in creating sustainable communities; and if he would make a statement. (112145)

The Secretary of State for Transport and the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government meet as a matter of course. It is not the normal practice of the Government to release details of meetings.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many CCTV cameras cover train stations in England and Wales; and how many people monitor these cameras. (118323)

This information is not held centrally. CCTV is provided under a variety of schemes including those of Network Rail, train operating companies and local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which railway stations will have a reduced service as a result of franchise specifications drawn up by his Department in the past three years. (108966)

Following on from the ‘Future of Rail’ White Paper (July 2004) and commencement of the Railways Act (Summer 2005), the Department has been responsible for drawing up franchise specifications for the South Western, East Midlands, West Midlands, and New Cross Country franchises.

Further detail is provided in the stakeholder briefing documents available on our website copies of which have been placed in the Library of the House. These documents summarise the service pattern changes proposed in the Invitations to Tender we issue to bidders. It should be noted, however, that the Department for Transport's approach to specification gives operators the flexibility to run more services, where this is operationally practicable, since we specify minimum, not maximum, service levels.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether he plans to review the procedure for the allocation of franchises to train operating companies. (119410)

As part of its commitment to continuous improvement, the Department for Transport (DfT) undertakes a ‘Lessons Learned’ exercise at the conclusion of every franchise replacement process to understand whether any areas for improvement have been identified. These are then incorporated into the procedures for subsequent franchise replacements. Therefore, the procedures being used for the replacement of the New Cross Country, East Midlands and West Midlands franchises incorporate improvements to the process identified from the recently completed franchises.

Details of the franchise replacement process are available on the DfT website at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the scope for increasing commuter use of local rail services in Greater Manchester. (119490)

The North West Regional Planning Assessment (RPA) for the railway made a strategic assessment of commuting in Greater Manchester and sets out options for development of the railway in the North West. The RPA has informed Network Rail’s North West Route Utilisation Strategy (RUS), which makes a more detailed assessment of the scope for increasing commuter use of local rail services in Greater Manchester.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the number of rail passengers travelling between (a) 7 am and 9 am and (b) 5 pm and 7 pm (i) from (A) Bletchley, (B) Wolverton and (C) Milton Keynes Central to (1) London Euston, (2) Birmingham and (3) other northern destinations and (ii) to (x) Bletchley, (y) Wolverton and (z) Milton Keynes Central from (X) London Euston, (Y) Birmingham and (Z) other northern destinations. (119120)

The Department for Transport does not hold this information. The Office of Rail Regulation (ORR) does however publish regional passenger flows in the National Rail Trends Yearbook editions, which are available in the House Libraries or from, their website:

www.rail-reg.gov.uk

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 23 January 2007, Official Report, column 1516W, on advertising, how much of the expenditure was spent solely on (a) sponsoring supplements and (b) advertorials; and what the topic of each advertorial and supplement was. (119838)

There was no expenditure on sponsoring supplements or advertorials with The Guardian newspaper, including online, in the financial year 2005-06.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many businesses in (a) rural and (b) urban areas have a rateable value of less than £25,000; and if she will make a statement. (118702)

In the 2005 non domestic rating lists, which is available on www.voa.gov.uk, there are (a) 367,202 rating assessments in a local authority which is classified as being a mainly rural area and (b) 670,300 rating assessments in a local authority which is classified as being an urban area, as defined by DEFRA guidelines, with a rateable value of less than £25,000. There are a further 336,100 rating assessments classified as being in a “mixed” area.

It is not possible to provide the number of businesses without disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which local authorities she expects not to receive sufficient additional funding to cover costs they have incurred in relation to the concessionary bus travel scheme. (111975)

The Government policy is not to ring fence grant unless there are exceptional circumstances. The Government have provided an overall increase in Government grant of £3.1 billion or 4.9 per cent. in 2007-08 for all local services including local authorities' responsibilities for concessionary travel schemes. This includes an additional £367 million for the recent improvement in the statutory minimum concessionary travel scheme. It is for local authorities to develop and implement affordable schemes with local bus providers which deliver effective concessionary travel to meet their statutory responsibilities, and also achieve the aims of those additional concessions which local people wish to see run in their areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government why responsibility for reaching the Decent Homes target by 2010 has been transferred from her Department to Communities England. (112353)

Communities England is the proposed new national housing and regeneration agency, which will combine English Partnerships, the Housing Corporation and a range of key delivery functions from the Department, including in the area of Decent Homes.

The Government will consult on its plans for Communities England later in 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes in West Lancashire have been included in the Government's decent homes scheme. (112214)

In 2001 West Lancashire district council owned 8,068 homes. All these homes were part of the decent homes programme as they all had to be made decent.

At March 2002 the council reported that 3,132 were non-decent, at March 2006 the council reported that 980 were still below the decent homes standard.

In 2006 there were 567 homes owned by Registered Social Landlords in West Lancashire, of which 137 where non-decent. We do not hold data on how many were non-decent in the past.

The decent homes programme also covers non decent homes in the private sector occupied by vulnerable households but we do not have any figures at local authority level.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much programme expenditure sponsored by her Department was spent via each of the Government Offices for the Regions in the most recent year for which figures are available. (116751)

2004-05 is the latest year for which an analysis of expenditure outturn by region has been published by the Treasury. Total programme expenditure for Communities and Local Government managed by Government Offices for 2004-05 was as follows:

Estimated administration and programme spend by Communities and Local Government for 2006-07 through Government Offices was provided to the hon. Member for Shrewsbury and Atcham (Daniel Kawczynski) on 6 February 2007, Official Report, column 784W and to the hon. Member for Ruislip-Northwood on 25 January 2007, Official Report, column 1924W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will introduce proposals to place local authorities under an obligation to assist former members of the armed forces and their families who are homeless. (112104)

Under the homelessness legislation (Part 7 of the Housing Act 1996), local housing authorities in England must provide assistance to housing applicants who are homeless or likely to become homeless within 28 days and who are eligible for assistance. This includes applicants who are former members of the armed forces and their families.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many Homebuy loans were issued to support key workers in (a) Dorset and (b) Hampshire in the last period for which data are available. (111319)

[holding answer 25 January 2007]: The Key Worker Living (KWL) programme does not currently operate in Dorset.

In Hampshire 840 key workers have been helped through the Open Market HomeBuy equity loan product of the KWL programme, since April 2004.

In addition other first time buyers in Dorset and Hampshire have been helped into shared ownership schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her estimate is of the level of home ownership in (a) each local authority area and (b) each region in each year since 1979. (105728)

Reliable estimates of home ownership at local authority level are only available from census data—and the most recent figures, from the 2001 census, can be found at the following link:

http://www.nomisweb.co.uk/query/asv2htm.aspx?output=dn87000_{3D4CE8BF-B1FD-4795-95A5-5AB108566D72}

Annual estimates of home ownership at regional level are available from household surveys. These figures include a margin of error and can therefore fluctuate between years. Estimates are only available for some of the early years: 1981, 1984 and 1988. Annual figures are available from 1991. Estimates are shown in two tables because the data for the years 1981, 1984, 1988 and 1991 are only available by standard statistical region and data for subsequent years, 1992-2006, are only available by Government office region.