To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what discussions there have been with Crown court judges who specialise in hearing fraud cases on the Government's proposals to remove juries for complex fraud cases. (110595)

[holding answer 24 January 2007]: I have been asked to reply.

A Crown court judge with extensive experience in serious fraud trials participated in a seminar on this subject that was chaired by the Attorney-General in January 2005, as did several members of the senior judiciary; and members of the Council of HM Circuit Judges discussed the issue with the Office for Criminal Justice Reform at a special meeting in April 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the adequacy of skills in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement. (118211)

I have been asked to reply.

The assessment of the skills needs of a sector is one of the key roles of sector skills councils (SSC). ConstructionSkills, the SSC for the construction sector, launched the construction skills network in 2005 to draw upon the knowledge and experience of construction companies, construction clients, education and training providers, Government and Regional Agencies across the UK.

The construction skills network has achieved a consensus as to the future skills and training needs of the industry. ConstructionSkills is working with Government and a range of partners to ensure those needs can be met.

The latest Construction Skills Network report, covering the period up to 2010, is available on the ConstructionSkills website. The report provides a regional view of skills needs across all construction occupations. It will be updated later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2007, Official Report, column 2057W, on departmental fixed assets, who the lessees are of the three buildings in Windsor to whom the buildings were sold. (120747)

The lessees to whom the buildings were sold are:

30 Park Street—Mr. J. R. Edwards and Mrs. G. C. E. Edwards;

31 Park Street—Mr. H. F. Ledwidge and Mrs. J. Ledwidge;

32 Park Street—Ms J. M. Reyburn.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many items of furniture have been (a) lost and (b) stolen from her Department in each year since 1997; and what the value was of those items in each year. (120707)

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport has had no items of furniture reported either lost or stolen during the period year 2001 to date. Any records hitherto held for years 1997 to 2000 are now no longer available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the selection of a new Chairman for English Heritage. (119117)

We are about to launch a further competition to appoint a new chair of English Heritage. It will be an open competition, and the process will comply with the Nolan principles and the Office of the Commissioner for Public Appointment’s Code of Practice. After advertising in the national press, a selection panel will shortlist and interview candidates and make recommendations to Ministers. I expect the process to be completed by the summer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what she was first informed of the Casino Advisory Panel decision on the location of the Supercasino in Manchester. (119901)

At 0900 on 30 January 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the chief executive of Manchester city council has met Casino Advisory Panel member James Froomberg in the last eight weeks. (119903)

On 15 January 2007 James Froomberg attended a dinner hosted by British Waterways in his capacity as commercial director of that company. Sir Howard Bernstein, chief executive officer of Manchester city council was one of a number of guests. Mr. Froomberg notified the Casino Advisory Panel in advance of this engagement. The panel concluded that, as it had already made its decisions regarding the recommended casino locations at meetings on 8 and 15 November, and because its report was already in the process of being printed, Mr. Froomberg would not be placed in a position where he could be inappropriately influenced. Mr. Froomberg did not disclose the panel's decisions at the engagement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the benchmark indicators are on which local authorities are assessed as to whether they are compliant with Public Library Service Standards. (120791)

The 10 Public Library Service Standards (PLSSs) that the 149 library authorities in England are assessed against are:

PLSS 2—Aggregate scheduled opening hours per 1,000 population for all libraries—128 hours

PLSS 3—Percentage of static libraries (as defined by CIPFA) providing access to electronic information resources connected to the internet—100 per cent.

PLSS 4—Total number of electronic workstations with access to the internet and the libraries catalogue (available for public use through both static and mobile libraries, and other service outlets (as defined in PLSS1)) available to users per 10,000 population—6

PLSS 5—Requests

i. Percentage of requests for books met within 7 days

ii. Percentage of requests for books met within 15 days

iii. Percentage of requests for books met within 30 days

Targets:

50 per cent. within 7 days; 70 per cent. within 15 days; 85 per cent. within 30 days

PLSS 6—Number of library visits per 1,000 population

Targets:

7,650 in inner London boroughs (or 6,800 enhanced population) 8,600 in outer London boroughs

6,000 in metropolitan districts

6,300 in unitary authorities

6,600 in county councils

PLSS 7—percentage of library users 16 and over who view their library service as:

i. very good

ii. good

iii. adequate

iv. poor

v. very poor

94 per cent. of respondents rate the library service as ‘very good’ or ‘good’.

PLSS 8—percentage of library users under 16 who view their library service as:

i. good

ii. adequate

iii. bad

90 per cent. of respondents rate the library service as ‘good’.

PLSS 9—Annual items added through purchase per 1,000 population—216 additions per 1,000 population.

PLSS 10—Time taken to replenish the lending stock on open access or available on loan—6.7 years.

The PLSSs form part of the library indicator suite within the Comprehensive Performance Assessment’s (CPA’s) Culture Block. For the purposes of CPA, thresholds have been set for each of the standards based on the overall performance of the 149 authorities against them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that the preparations for the 2012 Olympics are efficient and well-managed. (111406)

The Olympic Board, which I co-chair, provides strong and effective governance and oversight of preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It meets regularly to review progress across the programme.

After London won the right to host the games in July 2005, I initiated a thorough and ongoing review of costs on which I reported to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee on 21 November 2006. This work is continuing.

Furthermore, to ensure that costs are kept under rigorous scrutiny and review and that the timescales of the programme are met, the Olympic Delivery Authority, which is responsible for delivering the infrastructure and venues for the Games, has appointed a delivery partner—CLM—to manage the procurement and delivery of the facilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 29 January 2007, Official Report, column 103W, on Olympics 2012, if she will provide the indicative figures for the amounts set aside to cover (a) construction inflation and (b) additional security costs. (118415)

[holding answer 2 February 2007]: I have nothing to add to my answer of 29 January 2007. To release further cost information on each of the individual elements of the £900 million increase that I announced to the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee could prejudice the commercial negotiations that the Olympic Delivery Authority are currently undertaking with private developers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will place in the Library a copy of the PMP report into the legacy of 2012 Olympic and Paralympic venues. (118364)

The Olympic Delivery Authority have employed PMP to identify options for the legacy use of the Olympic stadium. This work is ongoing.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will introduce a statutory limit on the maximum liability of London council tax payers for the cost of the 2012 Olympics. (119567)

The use of London council tax to support expenditure on the Olympic Games is a matter for the Mayor of London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what her estimate is of the proportion of any cost overruns that will be borne by the London council taxpayer in the event of the costs of the Olympics exceeding the revenues; (119568)

The 2003 Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor of London provides for cost overruns to be met in a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate between them. The memorandum makes no presumptions about the use of council tax, which is a matter for the Mayor and he has made his position on this clear.

We are currently exploring a range of options and will report to Parliament when a resolution has been reached.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of the Cultural Olympiad budget will be spent on the opening and closing ceremonies. (119616)

The London Organising Committee for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games is working with key stakeholders including my Department to stage a number of inspiring ceremonies. These include the handover ceremony at the Beijing Games, the opening and closing ceremonies, the welcoming of the athletes to the Olympic Village, the medal ceremonies, the Torch Relay, and the Olympic Youth Camps.

In addition, the Cultural Olympiad will be delivered and funded in partnership with a range of public and private partners.

The London 2012 Organising Committee is currently finalising the budgets for each of these important elements of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games. It is working within the overall framework set out in the candidate file and is confident that it sits within its £2 billion revenue budget.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much the Big Lottery Fund is expected to contribute to (a) the 2012 Olympics and (b) voluntary and community groups in each year to 2012; and if she will make a statement. (111692)

I have already announced that £410 million will come from non-Olympic lottery distributors, of which the Big Lottery Fund is one, from 2009. No decision has yet been made about how that amount will be allocated between individual distributors.

The Government are currently considering how the additional Olympic costs of £900 million should be met This discussion will take account of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor, which provides for a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate and through seeking additional national lottery funding in amounts to be agreed at the time.

No conclusions have yet been reached on the further use of lottery funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the potential effects of using the National Lottery to support the Olympics on other charities supported by the National Lottery; and if she will make a statement. (119357)

It was always understood when we bid that National Lottery funding for London 2012 would involve some loss of income to the non-Olympic good causes, including charities. Non-Olympic distributors may lose an average of 5 per cent. of their income because of sales diversion to Olympic Lottery games over the period 2005-06 to 2012-13. In addition, we have already announced that £410 million will be taken from non-Olympic Lottery proceeds between 2009 and 2012. No decision has been made about how that amount will be shared between the various non-Olympic good causes.

The Government are currently considering how the additional Olympic costs of £900 million should be met. This discussion will take account of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government and the Mayor, which provides for a sharing arrangement to be agreed as appropriate and through seeking additional National Lottery Funding in amounts to be agreed at the time. No conclusions have yet been reached on the further use of Lottery funding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she will answer parliamentary questions (a) 108185, on the recruitment of the chairman of the BBC Trust, tabled on 6 December 2006, and (b) 108992, on the Olympic budget, tabled on 8 December 2006, by the hon. Member for Bath; and what the reasons are for the time taken to reply. (117872)

I apologise for the delay in answering these parliamentary questions. I can confirm that I answered 108185 on 29 January 2007, Official Report, column 105W and question 108992 was answered on 5 February 2007, Official Report, column 712W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on the (a) Delivery Unit, (b) Strategy Unit and (c) Office of Public Service Reform in each year since its creation; whether each unit forms part of 10 Downing street; and what the remit and function of each unit is. (119316)

For details of how much was spent on the (a) Delivery Unit, (b) Strategy Unit and (c) Office of Public Service Reform in each year since its creation to 2004-05, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by the then Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office (Jim Murphy) on 27 February 2006, Official Report, column 43W.

Costs for the Delivery Unit (DU), Strategy Unit (SU) and Office of Public Service Reform (OPSR) in 2005-06 can be found in the following table:

The figures shown are for total resource spend less any income.

The Delivery Unit, the Strategy Unit and the Office of Public Service Reform do not form part of the Prime Minister’s Office.

For details of the remit and function of the Delivery Unit and Strategy Unit, I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2005-06 (Pages 12 and 13).

For details of the remit and function of the Office of Public Service Reform, I refer the hon. Member to the Cabinet Office Annual Report and Resource Accounts 2003-04 (Page 8). The Office of Public Service Reform was disbanded in January 2006.

Copies of these reports are available in the Library and are also available on the Cabinet Office website at:

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/reports/annualreport/index.asp

To ask the Minister without Portfolio if she will place in the Library copies of the letters of appointment of each of her special advisers. (119607)

My special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the “Model Contract for Special Advisers”, a copy of which is in the Library of the House. Individual letters of appointment are confidential between the employer and employee and therefore not for publication.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the Cabinet Office undertakes employee exit surveys. (119967)

The Cabinet Office asks all staff who leave the Department to complete an exit questionnaire. Completion is voluntary.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much has been spent by her Office on external legal advice in each of the last five years. (109099)

The Prime Minister’s Office has not incurred any expenditure on external legal advice in the past five years.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster which implementation plan targets on transformational government (a) have not been met and (b) have a revised timetable for achievement; and if she will make a statement. (112610)

The progress against the Transformational Government Implementation Plan Action List is available online:

http://www.cio.gov.uk/transformational_government/annual_report2006/index.asp

A copy has been placed in the Library for the reference of Members.

Progress has already been made in many areas identified in the action plan (Cm6970). For example, from January 2006 to September 2006, 3.7 million motorists renewed their car tax online; customers can now apply for both state pension and pension credit in one 20-minute telephone call; and the new electronic border-control systems have generated 4,456 alerts to border agencies and have resulted in 315 arrests.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister (1) 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; (114610)

The Cabinet Office, on an annual basis, publishes a report to Parliament on the performance of Departments in replying to correspondence from Members and peers. The report for 2005 was published on 30 March 2006, Official Report, column 75WS. Information relating to 2006 will be published as soon as it is ready.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what elements make up the additional budget for his Department above that previously allocated for the functions he carried out as head of the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister. (112582)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 17 May 2006, Official Report, column 985W, and the answer I gave him on 9 October 2006, Official Report, column 72W.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which public affairs firms were given contracts by his Department in each of the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract. (118427)

Public affairs firms advise clients on political lobbying. My Department would not award contracts for lobbying, and has not done so since it was formed on 5 May 2006. For information relating to the period prior to this time, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (Angela E. Smith), on 8 February 2007, Official Report, column 1155W.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his Department’s policy is on his staff travelling first class by (a) rail and (b) air on official business. (112163)

All travel by departmental staff is undertaken in accordance with the “Civil Service Management Code”, a copy of which is available in the Library of the House.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 14 December 2006, Official Report, column 1304W, on his ministerial website, how many of the visits to his website were from non-government domains. (114308)

Of the 2,771 separate visits recorded in the period concerned, 2,582 were made from non-government domains.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many items of furniture have been (a) lost and (b) stolen from his Department in each year since its formation; and what the value was of those items in each year. (120703)

None.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many Freedom of Information requests his Department has received since its creation; and what the average length of time has been (a) to process and (b) to respond to a request. (112164)

The answer remains the same as the one I gave on 1 November 2006, Official Report, column 434W.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will place in the Library copies of the letters of appointment of each of his special advisers. (119473)

My special advisers are appointed under terms and conditions set out in the “Model Contract for Special Advisers”, a copy of which is in the Library. Individual letters of appointment are confidential between the employer and employee and therefore not for publication.

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how much his Department paid to recruitment agencies for the hire of temporary staff since it was established; and if he will make a statement. (110475)

To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many temporary staff have been employed by his Department since its creation. (112162)

I refer the hon. Members’ to the answer I gave on 11 January 2007, Official Report, column 686W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her Department’s future funding plans are for the VIP/Royal Suites at Heathrow and Gatwick airports; what funding was allocated by her Department to VIP operations at these airports in each of the past five years; and if she will make a statement. (115768)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) funding from April 2008 is under discussion with HM Treasury; all future expenditure plans will depend on the outcome.

FCO funding for the VIP/Royal Suites at Heathrow and Gatwick for financial year (FY) 2007-08 has been budgeted at a net £2.4 million.

FCO funding in each of the past five years was FY 2001-02 £2.55 million; FY 2002-03 £2.49 million; FY 2003-04 £2.98 million; FY 2004-05 £2.57 million; FY 2005-06 £2.7 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent attempts have been made by (a) the British Ambassador to Burma and (b) other UK Government officials to visit Aung San Suu Kyi. (118375)

Aung San Suu Kyi remains under house arrest. The conditions of her detention are very restrictive. Only her doctor is allowed occasional visits. On 24 November 2006, our ambassador in Rangoon formally requested authority from the Burmese Ministry of Foreign Affairs to pay a courtesy call on her. The request was refused. No other Government officials have requested meetings with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the future of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. (112531)

The Peace Implementation Council, on which the UK sits, will review the future of the Office of the High Representative at its meeting on 26-27 February, taking into account the situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina and in the region as a whole.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action against Burma the Government are advocating at the UN Security Council; what measures are under consideration at the UN Security Council; and if she will make a statement. (112538)

Our policy is to support all action in the UN, including in the Security Council, which helps to promote reform and positive change in Burma. We therefore co-sponsored the UN Security Council Resolution on Burma with the United States which was put to the vote on 12 January. Nine members of the Security Council voted for the Resolution. However the Resolution was not adopted, as two permanent members of the Security Council—China and Russia—voted against, as did South Africa.

Disappointing though this result was, it is important to note that all Security Council members agreed that there were serious issues of concern in Burma. This, and the positive votes from a majority of Council partners, reflected the international community’s deep concern over the plight of Burma’s people. We will continue to work within the UN to ensure that Burma remains on the UN Security Council agenda.

On 24 January my right hon. Friend the Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs, Ian McCartney, met representatives from the Chin and Kachin ethnic groups in Burma to discuss the many difficulties faced by their respective communities, including violation of their religious freedoms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of UN envoy Gambari’s visits to Burma. (118376)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer my right hon. Friend the Minister for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Mr. McCartney) gave the hon. Member for Cotswold (Mr. Clifton-Brown) on 4 December 2006, Official Report, columns 69-70W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the position of the Non-Aligned Movement on a United Nations Security Council resolution on Burma. (118379)

Members of the Non-Aligned Movement did not adopt a common position on Burma at the time the UN Security Council Resolution on Burma was put to the vote on 12 January. The Non-Aligned members of the UN Security Council voted as follows: Ghana, Panama and Peru voted in favour of the resolution; Indonesia, Congo and Qatar abstained; and South Africa voted against. China has observer status in the Non-Aligned Movement and voted against the resolution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government has made to the Chinese Government to encourage the cessation of the re-education through labour programme; and what the outcome of these representations was. (121041)

I wrote to the Chinese ambassador in August 2006 to urge China to give fresh impetus to the reform of the Re-education through Labour (RTL) system. We raised RTL with the Chinese Government at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February 2007. The Chinese authorities said China is reducing the scope and number of sentences of the RTL system but progress is slow. We continue to urge China to progress the reform of RTL and all forms of administrative detention in order to ratify the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations the Government has made to the Chinese Government on human rights violations in China; and what the outcome of these representations was. (121042)

Engagement on human rights in China remains a Government priority. We raised a range of human rights issues with the Chinese Government at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February 2007. We held detailed discussions on the main themes of Civil Society and the role of defence lawyers, as well as wider issues of concern. We received information on China’s recent human rights developments and we offered recommendations for reform. We also raised 45 individual cases of concern and received 35 responses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government have taken in discussions with the Chinese Government to ensure freedom for Chinese national and international press during the Beijing 2008 Olympics; what the outcomes of those steps were; and what future actions she plans to take. (121036)

We regularly raise freedom of the media with the Chinese Government. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell) urged the Chinese Government to lift restrictions on foreign correspondents up to and beyond the Beijing Olympics during her visit to China in September 2006. The Chinese Government implemented new regulations on 1 January 2007 which give foreign correspondents freedom to report and travel around China up to 17 October 2008. We urged the Chinese Government to ensure freedom to domestic and international press at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February 2007. We will continue to raise this issue with the Chinese Government.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if the Government will make representations to press for an independent investigation into the shooting of Tibetan refugees in September 2006 by Chinese border guards; and if she will make a statement. (121039)

The EU urged the Chinese Government to investigate the incident at the Nangpa Pass, at the last round of the EU-China Human Rights Dialogue, held in Beijing on 19 October 2006. The Chinese Government confirmed that the incident had taken place and promised to give further information. The EU followed up on 19 December 2006 and was told by the Chinese authorities that the incident was a border management issue and there was nothing new to report. We raised the incident at the most recent round of the UK-China Human Rights Dialogue on 5 February 2007 and urged the Chinese Government to fully investigate reports of ill-treatment of the people detained during the shooting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance she is offering to the new Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. (120470)

The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) remains a priority for the UK. A Department for International Development (DFID)-funded UN Development Programme (UNDP) programme will be providing immediate training and technical support to the new Parliament, Ministers, senior civil servants and provincial assemblies, to help them take on their new roles and responsibilities. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office is financing training on the role of political opposition for senior parliamentarians.

The UK is the biggest bilateral European donor in the DRC (£62 million available this financial year). DFID's programme focuses on providing immediate humanitarian assistance; supporting good governance, democratisation and accountability; reforming the army, police and justice sector; supporting the provision of basic services—health, education and infrastructure—to the population; tackling HIV/AIDS and promoting better management of the DRC's natural resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports she has received on the composition of the new cabinet in the Democratic Republic of Congo. (121060)

President Joseph Kabila and Prime Minister Gizenga named their Government on 5 February. The new Government consists of six senior Ministers of State, 34 Ministers and 20 Vice-Ministers.

All Government members belong to the Alliance pour la Majorite Presidentielle coalition of parties which supported President Kabila's election campaign. The new Government is a mixture of new faces and politicians with experience from the transitional Government.

The new Government faces many challenges, notably reforming the security sector, dealing with corruption and improving regional relations. We are committed to working with the Government to build a stable and prosperous Democratic Republic of Congo and Great Lakes region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which public affairs firms were given contracts by (a) her Department and (b) public bodies sponsored by her Department in each of the last five years; and what the purpose was of each contract. (118495)

In respect of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office:

Budgets for this kind of activity are devolved. The information is not held centrally and could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

In respect of the public bodies:

The BBC World Service has contracted two public affairs companies over the past five years, to provide relevant summaries of parliamentary business:

Weber Shandwick until 2003; and

Cambre Public Affairs since, to maintain an automated on-line service.

The British Council contracted three public affairs companies over the last five years:

Brunswick Arts International to manage the promotion of the British Pavilion at the Venice Biennale (August to September 2004);

Brunswick Arts Consultancy Ltd to support the British Council's arts promotion (February to April 2002, June 2002 to May 2003, August 2003 to July 2004); and Fleishman-Hillard UK to produce an audit of MP perceptions of the British Council (January 2006).

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government support proposals in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe for an EU Foreign Minister; and if she will make a statement. (112542)

The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, including provisions for an EU Foreign Minister, was agreed by all member states on 29 October 2004. However, following the “no” votes in France and the Netherlands, there is at present no consensus among member states on the future of the Constitutional Treaty. The way forward will be discussed at the European Council in June. The Government make no presumption as to the outcome of those discussions. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe made a written ministerial statement on 5 December 2006, Official Report, column 10-11WS regarding the UK’s approach to these discussions. This remains the Government’s position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government support proposals in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe for an EU external action service; and if she will make a statement. (112543)

The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, including provisions for an EU external action service, was agreed by all member states on 29 October 2004. However, following the “no” votes in France and the Netherlands, there is at present no consensus among member states on the future of the Constitutional Treaty. The way forward will be discussed at the European Council in June. The Government make no presumption as to the outcome of those discussions. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe made a written ministerial statement on 5 December 2006, Official Report, column 10-11WS regarding the UK’s approach to these discussions. This remains the Government’s position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the Government support proposals in the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe for a permanent President of the European Council; and if she will make a statement. (112544)

The Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, including provisions for a European Council President, was agreed by all member states on 29 October 2004. However, following the “no” votes in France and the Netherlands, there is at present no consensus among member states on the future of the Constitutional Treaty. On the basis of extensive consultations with member states, the German presidency will present a report on the state of discussion with regard to the Constitutional Treaty, and possible future developments, to the June European Council. The report will be examined by the European Council, but the Government make no presumption as to the outcome of those discussions. My right hon. Friend the Minister for Europe made a written ministerial statement on 5 December 2006, Official Report, column 10-11WS regarding the UK’s approach to these discussions. This remains the Government’s position

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with EU colleagues on (a) the restrictions on agricultural products in the Euro-Mediterranean partnership agreements and (b) a potential review of the restrictions; and if she will make a statement. (117961)

I have been asked to reply.

On behalf of the UK Government, Baroness Royall of Blaisdon attended the 8th Euro-Mediterranean Conference of Ministers of Foreign Affairs at Tampere from 27 to 28 November 2006. At the Conference, Ministers endorsed the results of the Euro-Mediterranean Trade Ministers Conference held in Marrakech on 24 March 2006 and reiterated their commitment to achieving a Euro-Mediterranean free trade area by 2010.

Against this background, and based on the Rabat roadmap, the agenda for negotiations in 2007 will include a focus on the progressive liberalisation of trade in agricultural, processed agricultural and fisheries products, with a possible selected number of exceptions and timetables for gradual and asymmetrical implementation, taking account of the differences and individual characteristics of the agricultural sectors in different countries. Non-tariff aspects of agricultural trade liberalisation will be covered in these negotiations, along with rural development, agricultural productivity and quality, and sustainable development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which officials in her Department have been formally tasked with considering the report of the Iraq Study Group; what form this consideration will take; and when it is expected to be completed. (117661)

The Iraq Study Group’s report was commissioned by, and for, the US Government and Congress, and does not require a formal response from the Government.

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence and I have outlined the Government’s position on the Iraq Study Group’s report to the House on 12 December 2006, Official Report, columns 726-28, and at a joint session with the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committees on 11 January 2007, respectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the prevalence of small arms in Kosovo; what support the Government is giving to arms eradication programmes in Kosovo; and if she will make a statement. (118357)

The UK actively supports arms eradication programmes in Kosovo. In partnership with the Government of Sweden, we are managing an ongoing project through the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s Global Conflict Prevention Pool, worth £71,000, which aims to address the proliferation of light weapons and small arms throughout Kosovo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of (a) the political situation in Kosovo and (b) the political consequences of UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari’s recommendations for the future status of Kosovo. (118358)

The UN Special Envoy presented draft proposals to Belgrade and Pristina on 2 February. We encourage both parties to engage constructively and responsibly with the Special Envoy over these proposals. We believe that completion of the status process is important in order to provide clarity to the people of Kosovo over their future which in turn will help stabilise the political situation in Kosovo.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her International Contact Group for Kosovo counterparts on the recommendations of UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari; what the outcome was of those discussions; and if she will make a statement. (118359)

The UK has worked in close partnership with Contact Group partners (US, France, Germany, Italy, Russia) to assist efforts to achieve a lasting status settlement for Kosovo and the region.

Contact Group Ministers last met in New York in September 2006, where we asked UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari to prepare a comprehensive proposal for a status settlement. Contact Group officials met on Friday 26 January in Vienna, where they discussed UN Special Envoy Ahtisaari’s plans for taking the status process forward.

We will continue working closely with Contact Group partners to achieve the durable solution for Kosovo which will enhance regional stability and the region’s Euro-Atlantic prospects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her (a) European Union, (b) United States and (c) Russian counterparts on the European Union’s future role in Kosovo; what the outcome was of those discussions; and if she will make a statement. (118360)

I have had several discussions on the EU’s future role in Kosovo in bilateral and multilateral fora. Most recently, I discussed Kosovo with EU Foreign Ministers at the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 22 January and at the EU-NATO transatlantic lunch on 26 January. We continue to work closely with the US and Russia in the Contact Group which last met at ministerial level in September 2006.

A safe, secure and prosperous Kosovo in a stable region is vital to Europe. There is broad agreement among member states that the EU should be closely involved in the future of Kosovo and should play a leading role in the implementation of a Kosovo settlement. Planning has now started to ensure the EU is well placed to meet their responsibilities. But we should avoid prejudging the outcome of the status process.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the recent parliamentary elections in Serbia for the process to establish the final status of Kosovo. (118361)

The UN Special Envoy Martti Ahtisaari adjusted the timeline for the Kosovo status process to accommodate the elections in Serbia on 21 January. The official results of the elections show that pro-EU, pro-reform parties have a clear majority. We await the formation of a new government.

Meanwhile, the Kosovo final status process continues. The UN Special Envoy put draft proposals to Belgrade and Pristina on 2 February. We fully support the UN Special Envoy’s efforts to bring this process to completion as soon as possible so that Kosovo can finally have clarity over its future, enabling the Balkan region to move beyond the conflicts of the recent past towards a future with a Euro-Atlantic perspective.

We are encouraging both Belgrade and Pristina to engage positively and constructively with the Special Envoy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter dated 23 December 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Yasir Zulfiqar. (117835)

I replied to my right hon. Friend on 31 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she expects to reply to the letter dated 15 December 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton on Brother E. Egan. (117836)

I have been asked to reply.

This has been passed to me to respond. I wrote to my right hon. Friend on 30 January 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has received on allegations of human rights violations in Israel and Palestine. (120325)

We are concerned at the human rights situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories and regularly receive representations about human rights from non-governmental organisations in the region and in London.

We are particularly concerned by the failure to implement the 15 November 2005 agreement on movement and access; extra-judicial killings of Palestinians by the Israel defence force; the firing of artillery shells near populated areas of the Gaza Strip causing deaths of civilians; continued settlement construction in the West Bank; the impact of the barrier; closures; settler violence; and intimidation and harassment of Palestinian citizens. We also remain concerned about human rights abuses in areas where the Palestinian authority should take responsibility, in particular its failure to prevent terrorist attacks, militant groups from attacking Israeli civilians and the continuing violence between Palestinian groups. We regularly raise these concerns with the Israeli Government and Palestinian President Abbas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what latest assessment she has received on the security situation in the Gaza Strip; and if she will make a statement. (112532)

We welcome the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinians in Gaza. Nevertheless, we remain concerned at the security situation in Gaza. Between 3 and 16 January the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) has reported that 10 Palestinians were killed in Gaza by the Israel Defence Force. One international photographer was also abducted by Palestinian militants but was released unharmed. 12 Qassam rockets were fired by Palestinian militants towards Israel. No injuries were reported.

On 7 February OCHA reported that in 2007 86 Palestinians including 11 children had been killed in intra-Palestinian violence and 486 injured. On 29 January, Hamas and Fatah announced a ceasefire following a weekend of violence that left 29 dead and 100 wounded. 50 Palestinians were also kidnapped (some have since been released). On 1 February the ceasefire collapsed, leaving 13 dead and over 100 injured in overnight violence. Hamas and Fatah have since renewed the ceasefire which is still holding.

We urge the Israeli military to do everything in its power to avoid civilian casualties. We have repeatedly raised our concerns with the Government of Israel. We have also raised our concerns about the firing of Qassam rockets at Israeli towns with President Abbas. We welcome his call for the firing of these rockets to stop.

We welcome Saudi Arabia’s efforts to broker a National Unity government (the Mecca talks). During my visit to the region 5-7 February, I made clear to all parties that we wanted to work with a National Unity government based on the Quartet (US, UN, EU and Russia) principles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the cash equivalent transfer value is of the public sector pensions of 10 highest paid members of staff in her Department and its executive agencies; and if she will make a statement. (113806)

The cash equivalent transfer value of the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme pension entitlements of the 10 highest paid members of staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) amounted in total to £9,849,461 at 31 March 2006.

We publish the pay and pension details of FCO members of the Department’s Board of Management in the Remuneration Report that forms part of the FCO’s Annual Resource Accounts. Our 2006 Remuneration Report included individual pay and pension details for two of the 10 highest paid members of staff included in this calculation. A copy of the 2006 Accounts have been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has received reports of non-uniformed Chinese troops operating in the Sudan. (121038)

China has approximately 450 uniformed troops in the UN Mission in Sudan. We have not received reports of non-uniformed Chinese troops operating in Sudan.

We continue to encourage China to use its growing power positively in Africa. We are engaging the Chinese on Darfur and on implementation of the North/South Peace Agreement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the African Union’s efforts to reinforce peacekeeping in the Darfur region of Sudan; and if she will make a statement. (119470)

The African Union (AU) Mission in Sudan (AMIS) carries out vital work to protect civilians and monitor the ceasefire in Darfur. But to cover such a vast area effectively AMIS needs reinforcement and this needs to come from the UN. A phased approach to increasing UN support to peacekeeping in Darfur was agreed in Addis Ababa on 16 November 2006 and is now being implemented. It will culminate in a hybrid AU and UN force, the details of which are currently being finalised. In the meantime, it is vital that AMIS can continue its work and the UK is committed to supporting this. We have pledged a further £15 million to this end, bringing our total contribution for this financial year to £35 million.

We were deeply saddened to hear of the death of an AMIS civilian police officer in Qassab internally displaced people camp in Darfur last week. We offer condolences to his family.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the Government (a) have taken and (b) plan to take to increase links with the Government of Syria; and if she will make a statement. (117660)

The British embassy in Damascus maintains regular links with the Government of Syria. Our ambassador met President Assad of Syria and Foreign Minister Muallim on 7 January. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister’s foreign policy adviser, Sir Nigel Sheinwald, visited Syria in late October 2006. He reiterated the Government’s hope that Syria would revise its policies to play the constructive role in the region that the international community expects. Sir Nigel made clear that the prospect of enhanced engagement with the UK was dependent on the degree to which Syria responded to our concerns, which are shared by many in the international community.

Syria has in recent weeks taken steps to establish stronger links and co-operation with the Government of Iraq. That is a welcome development. We hope to see practical results. We want Syria to use its influence with Hamas and other groups to work for progress in the Middle East Peace Process. Syria should also support efforts to ensure stability in Lebanon, and respect all UN Security Council resolutions relating to Lebanon.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has held with (a) the UN Secretary-General and (b) others on the final report of the Timor-Leste Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission. (119100)

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions with the UN Secretary-General or with others about the report of East Timor’s Commission for Reception, Truth and Reconciliation. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have discussed the report’s recommendations with the UN Secretariat and other delegations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will ask the UN Secretary-General to convene a meeting of the Security Council to consider the final report of Timor-Leste’s Reception, Truth and Reconciliation Commission; and if she will make a statement. (119101)

It is for the UN Secretary-General to decide how to handle the report within the UN, including when to discuss it in the Security Council.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) what representations she has made to the government of Uganda regarding those people held prisoner accused of being members of the People's Redemption Army; and if she will make a statement; (119053)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Portsmouth South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 February 2006, Official Report, column 828W.

In addition, our high commissioner in Kampala, as part of the Partners for Democracy and Governance Group in Kampala, raised our concerns about the continued custody of the 19 People's Redemption Army detainees to Interior Minister Rugunda on 25 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when she last had discussions with members of the government of Uganda on (a) human rights, (b) judicial independence and (c) the rule of law in that country; and if she will make a statement. (120353)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 15 January 2007, Official Report, columns 834-35W, and to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) today (UIN 119053).

We will continue to raise these issues with the Government of Uganda.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Ugandan authorities on their refusal to release the civilian People Redemption Army suspects granted bail in the High Court; and if she will make a statement. (119791)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 February 2007, Official Report, column 828W, and the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) today (UIN 119053).

We will continue to raise our concerns about this issue with the Government of Uganda.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Ugandan government following the Ugandan Constitutional Court ruling on the immediate release of 19 members of the People’s Redemption Army. (120351)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 6 February 2007, Official Report, column 828W, and the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) today (UIN 119053).

We will continue to raise our concerns about this issue with the Government of Uganda.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2006, Official Report, column 1025W, on choosing health, whether any health champions will be recruited; what partners in establishing networks of champions have been approached; when the first annual awards for champions will be made; and in what form. (110529)

The concept of a health champion described in the “Choosing Health” White Paper is being implemented through other programmes, such as health trainers and communities for health. These programmes are identifying, developing, and in the case of health trainers, recruiting individuals who are championing health in their communities. We are exploring ways to recognise and celebrate those championing health through existing national award schemes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what consultations she has undertaken with charitable organisations on alcohol awareness campaigns. (115933)

Charitable organisations have been involved with the development of the Government’s “know your limits” campaign since its earliest stages. In July and August 2005 charitable organisations were invited to participate in workshops entitled “Delivering Communications to Support the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy” that fed into initial thinking regarding the campaign.

Charitable organisations are also kept up to date with the progress of campaign development and sit on the communication stakeholders group which feeds into on-going alcohol communications activity and helps shape future plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if her Department will undertake research on the influence on vulnerable people of material on websites encouraging anorexia and suicide. (111609)

The Department is concerned about the risks posed by websites encouraging anorexia and is working with a media agency who have offered their expertise pro bono to run advertisements directing youngsters to more appropriate sites.

In January 2006, I met with the Internet Service Providers Association UK and Samaritans to explore ways that internet service providers can help in protecting vulnerable people from accessing internet sites and chat rooms that make information available about suicides.

There are no current plans to undertake research on the influence on vulnerable people of material on websites encouraging suicide or anorexia. We are convinced by the anecdotal evidence of their dangerousness but are quite unable to take any legal action against them because such sites are not in themselves illegal and may also be hosted overseas. We continue to explore other, non-legislative, courses of action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what steps she is taking to improve the care offered to those diagnosed with autism; (112384)

It is for local commissioners to ensure their populations benefit from improvements to the provision of care for people with autistic spectrum disorders, using the increasing resources this Government have made available.

In the three years to March 2006 we invested £300 million in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) provided by the national health services and local authorities. In 2006-07 they will have a further £140 million available to them. This is being used to develop CAMHS to ensure that the challenge of providing and then maintaining a comprehensive CAMHS can be met. One element of a comprehensive CAMHS are services for autistic young people who also have mental health problems.

The Department does not collect data on the number of people diagnosed with autism.

However, hospital episode statistics show that there were 10,355 finished consultant episodes with a diagnosis falling under the wider field of autistic spectrum disorders in 2005-06. This includes patients admitted to NHS hospitals only and is likely to be much smaller than the total number of patients diagnosed. The figure does not represent the number of patients, as a person may have more than one episode of care within the year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what instructions her Department has given to the Programme Steering Group responsible for reviewing the Better Healthcare, Closer to Home proposals; and if she will make a statement. (114641)

The care closer to home demonstration group is overseeing the care closer to home demonstration project. Its terms of reference are:

to provide a strategic overview to sub-groups;

to determine the evaluation arrangements;

to provide a steer to the sub-groups about the closer to home themes;

to determine what should happen to the recommendations;

to sign off and submit interim and final report;

to secure professional support for recommendations; and

to be the public face of the project.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what material her Department has provided to schools and colleges to raise awareness of binge drinking. (111001)

The Government’s national campaign “know your limits” is the first to focus on binge drinking. Campaign leaflets on binge drinking and young people are distributed from health promotion units around the country. One of their major customer groups are schools and colleges.

Alcohol education materials are routinely made available to schools and colleges through the network of health promotion units around the country.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect on demand for NHS (a) accident and emergency and (b) longer term services of trends in teenage binge drinking. (103044)

Table 1 uses the age group 16 to 19 as a proxy measure for teenage binge drinking. It also uses the Information Centre’s measure of binge drinking—boys drinking more than eight units in one day and girls drinking more than six units a day.

Table 1 shows that, between 1998 and 2004, binge drinking by this age group changed very little.

We are unable to determine if demand by this age group for accident and emergency services has increased, as records are not kept in a way that would allow us to make this assessment.

Table 2 shows that admission to hospital following a visit to accident and emergency by this age group in each year from 1998-99 to 2005-06 rose from 4,114 to 7,237. This is almost entirely due to incidents of acute intoxication in this age group.

Well over 90 per cent. of alcohol related admissions to hospital for this age group come via accident and emergency. Few admissions come from other sources such as GPs or planned admissions, indicating a small burden on longer term services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what discussions she has had with Coventry Teaching Primary Care Trust on the provision of blood test clinics. (118048)

The provision of blood test clinics is a matter for the relevant local health community. However, the NHS West Midlands reports that the Coventry Teaching primary care trust has recently introduced changes to its blood test clinics with the aim of providing a more clinically appropriate and efficient service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much financial support her Department gave to the cancer collaborative on (a) breast cancer, (b) lung cancer, (c) prostate cancer and (iv) colorectal cancer in each of the last eight years. (106345)

Information is not available for the financial years prior to 2001-02 and the available information was not recorded in the format requested.

The table shows the annual allocations to the national health service from the Department to support the employment of local staff and continuation of projects run by the cancer services collaborative-improvement partnership (CSC-IP). These amounts do not include those funds used to support the central co-ordinating team of the CSC-IP.

From the financial year 2005-06 onwards, the monies to support the CSC-IP were devolved to the NHS for local management. Information on these funds is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent estimate she has made of the average length of time it takes for a new cancer treatment to go from the laboratory discovery to being available from the NHS. (112427)

The Department has made no estimate of the length of time it takes a medicine to go from discovery to use in the national health service. The length of time will vary considerably from drug to drug. Information supplied by the pharmaceutical industry suggests that medicines typically take 10 to 12 years to come to market. These estimates are not specific to cancer medicines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people died as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning in 2006. (118797)

Data giving the number of deaths in 2006 as a result of carbon monoxide poisoning are not yet available. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has indicated that data on death registrations for 2006 will not be available until April or May 2007 and data on death occurrences for 2006 will not be available until October or November 2007.

The ONS usually provides data for carbon monoxide deaths based upon deaths occurring in each year and the ONS anticipates the 2006 data would not be available until late November 2007.

The latest ONS data available for England and Wales for 2005 indicates 257 deaths due to carbon monoxide poisoning¹.

¹ The cause of death was defined using the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision (ICD-10) code T58.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will set targets for improving the (a) total cholesterol and (b) low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels among patients at high risk of coronary heart disease in England; and if she will make a statement. (111685)

Our policy on cholesterol targets is set out in the national service framework for coronary heart disease, and reflected in key drivers of practice such as the quality and outcomes framework of the general medical service contract.

One of the principal mechanisms for updating policy is through the National Institute of Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE is currently working on guidance on lipid management, due out later this year. That guidance will set out any revisions to current policy on targets for controlling cholesterol.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she collects on the (a) total cholesterol and (b) low density lipoprotein cholesterol levels of (i) patients at high risk of coronary heart disease and (ii) patients suffering from diabetes; and if she will make a statement. (111686)

The new General Medical Services (GMS) contract specification encourages primary care practices to identify patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), stroke and diabetes and to control cholesterol in those patients. The following tables show the percentage of available points achieved against these indicators across England demonstrating that general practitioner practices are making good progress in improving control of cholesterol in patients with cardiovascular disease.

The applicable quality and outcomes framework (QOF) indicators and the overall percentages are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many children under 18 years were diagnosed with alcohol-related cirrhosis of the liver in each of the last 10 years. (111009)

The table shows details of children under 18 years who were diagnosed with alcohol related cirrhosis of the liver in the last 10 years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her most recent estimate is of the number of (a) cocaine and (b) heroin addicts in England. (107202)

We do not have estimates of numbers of heroin and cocaine addicts but recent Home Office research, using 2004-05 data, has provided estimates of numbers of people who are problematic users of opiates or crack cocaine or of both types of drugs.

There are no good estimates for problematic powder cocaine users. Crack cocaine users and opiate users are those included in the new estimates.

The estimated number of opiate users aged 15 to 64 in England (including heroin and methadone users) is 281, 320 (95 per cent. CI¹ 279,753 to 292,941).

The estimated number of crack cocaine users (not including powder cocaine users) is 192,999 (95 per cent. CI 188,138 to 210,763). However, it should be noted that this estimate will include crack cocaine users for whom crack cocaine is not necessarily their main drug of use.

Many of the opiate users and crack cocaine users are the same people and there are an estimated 327,466 (95 per cent. CI 325,945 to 343,424) people who use either opiates or crack cocaine or use both types of drugs.

¹ 95 per cent. confidence intervals show the range of values within which we can be 95 per cent. sure that the ‘true’ PDU estimate lies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether a guarantee has been made to an independent sector provider that GPs will refer to them an agreed proportion of referrals for clinical assessment treatment and support services in the North West of England. (112487)

No contracts have been signed for clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) services in the North West of England. The commercial terms of the CATS service for Cumbria and Lancashire are still under negotiation with the preferred bidder. There are no guarantees in respect of the number of referrals. The commercial terms between the Department and the bidder are commercially sensitive.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to assess the competence of the staff of independent providers in providing (a) clinical assessment treatment and support services and (b) elective surgery. (112493)

Providers must demonstrate that all workforce strategies, policies, processes and practices comply with the provisions outlined in ‘Safer Recruitment—A Guide for NHS Employers, the Code of Practice for International Recruitment of Healthcare Professionals and Standards for Better Health.’

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the effect upon levels of employment in NHS trusts of transferring (a) clinical assessment, treatment and support services and (b) elective surgery to the independent sector. (112500)

NHS North West is working with local primary care trusts to assess and manage the impact on acute trusts of introducing clinical assessment, treatment and support services. This includes any possible impact on national health service staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) what the length of the decision-making process will be on the implementation of clinical assessment, treatment and support services in Cumbria and Lancashire; (117643)

The six primary care trusts covering Cumbria and Lancashire are currently undertaking public consultation on the proposed clinical assessment, treatment and support (CATS) services for the region. This consultation ends on 9 March 2007. The joint primary care trust independent sector commissioning board is due to meet on 21 March 2007 to consider the outcome of the consultation. Further timings will be dependent on the outcome of this meeting.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health (1) whether meat produced from cloned animals and birds will have to be labelled before entering the market in the EU; (110759)

The sale of foods and food ingredients derived from cloned animals falls within the scope of the Novel Foods Regulation (EC) 258/97. The authorisation and labelling of novel foods is decided on a case-by-case basis and no applications have been received to date for products derived from cloned animals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health which scientific advisory committees will examine applications for the import of cloned meat products for food and food ingredients; and which committee will provide advice to Ministers on whether to approve applications. (117916)

The advisory committee on novel foods and processes would consider applications for the marketing of cloned meat products for food and food ingredients, and would provide advice to Ministers on whether to approve applications.