To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what changes he has made to No. 10 Downing street since 27 June 2007 to make it more environmentally friendly. (154088)

No. 10 Downing street forms an integral part of the Cabinet Office estate.

The Cabinet Office is committed to contribution to the goals, priorities and principles of the UK Government sustainable development strategy, “Securing the Future”. We are equally committed to achieving the targets for sustainable operations on the Government estate launched by the Prime Minister in June 2006. To this end the Cabinet Office has implemented a system of environmental management and improvement, which enables us to measure and monitor our impact on the environment, commit to improvements within the set time frames and report publicly on progress.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent on refurbishments and improvements to No. 10 Downing street in (a) June and (b) July 2007. (153348)

Costs incurred on refurbishments and improvements to No. 10 Downing street in the 2007-08 financial year, will be available only when the Department's resource accounts are fully audited and laid before Parliament. This is expected to be before the 2008 summer recess.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the Government-approved auction houses. (153875)

The Government do not hold a list of approved auction houses. Individual departments decide upon which auction houses to use, according to their individual need.

Information regarding Government auctions can be found at the Direct Gov website at http://www.direct. gov.uk/en/HI1/Help/YourQuestions/DG_10014697. A copy of which is also available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the Government’s policy is on paying foregone interest when money owed or promised to charities is delayed. (154537)

Public sector organisations should: use good commercial practice in managing the flows of expenditure and commitments they deal with; settle their bills on time within contractual terms in line with The Better Payments Practice Code; and be bound by The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1988. In relation to grants, once an agreement has been made and payment schedules agreed to, public sector organisations should honour these in the same way as they would any commercial or contractual arrangements. Government departments are required to note as exceptional any interest payments in relation to late payments in their resource accounts. This is set out in the “Managing Public Money” guidance issued by HM Treasury on sound financial management of public funds.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the design and procurement option under consideration for the refurbishment for the heritage Cabinet Office estate. (151282)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer that the then Minister for the Cabinet Office and Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, my right hon. Friend the Member for North-West Durham (Hilary Armstrong) gave to the hon. Member for North-East Hertfordshire (Mr. Heald) on 8 March 2007, Official Report, column 2184W.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 16 July 2007, Official Report, column 35W, on departments: freedom of information, and the Ministry of Justice aggregated statistics, what information has been requested of his Department under the Act in the last six months. (153617)

Information relating to Freedom of Information and Environmental Information requests is published on a quarterly basis by the Ministry of Justice. Information for January to March 2007 was published on 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 10WS, copies of the document are in the Libraries of the House. Information for April to June 2007 is due to be published in the autumn. It is not the Government's normal practice to disclose details of the content of such requests.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many receptions have been held by his Department since May 2005; broken down by (a) date, (b) venue, (c) purpose, (d) host, (e) who paid, (f) estimated attendance and (g) cost to his Department. (151278)

The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much was spent by his Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months. (153291)

This information is available only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what arrangements there are for collaboration between the Emergency Planning College and the Fire Service College for training in multi-agency response. (155485)

The types of training delivered by the Fire Service College and the Emergency Planning College reflect their differing but complementary missions. The Fire Service College focuses on specialist training at the operational (bronze), tactical (silver) and strategic (gold) levels, and over 90 per cent. of its students are from the fire and rescue service. As officers progress through the levels, they receive increasing exposure to multi-agency operations. In contrast, the Emergency Planning College’s courses bring together all the many services and organisations involved in multi-agency working at the strategic (gold) level in large-scale emergencies, including non-blue light scenarios such as influenza. As a result, fire and rescue service students comprise less than 10 per cent. of the Emergency Planning College’s intake.

In order to maximise the UK’s resilience to emergencies the Emergency Planning College and Fire Service College collaborate to ensure that their training programmes are consistent with their responsibilities, meet their respective customers’ requirements and achieve synergy. The overall co-ordination is effected through periodic meetings at senior and middle management levels of the major providers of multi-agency training, including the Fire Service and Emergency Planning Colleges and the National Policing Improvement Agency.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the total estimated annual cost is of (a) expenses, (b) salary, (c) office space, (d) administrative support and (e) special advisers for the Minister for the Olympics. (154700)

I have been asked to reply.

The cost of Cabinet Office Ministers’ offices will be accounted for in the Department's annual report and accounts for 2007-08 when accounts have been finalised. A list of special advisers by Department and pay band will be published in due course. Details of ministerial salaries are available in the House Library and at:

http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/other/parliamentary/pay/ministerial/index.asp

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what record has been kept of charities and social enterprises launched as part of Government initiatives since 1997. (154605)

No central record is kept of the number of the number of charities or social enterprises launched as part of Government initiatives.

Where an independent charity or social enterprise is launched as part of a Government initiative, the relevant Government department would maintain formal records. The Office of the Third Sector keeps both electronic and paper records of the initiatives it has launched.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how much grant funding was given to third sector organisations by (a) the Active Community Directors’ and (b) the Social Enterprise Unit in each year of their operation. (154474)

The Office of the Third Sector (OTS) was created from the Active Communities Directorate (ACD) of the Home Office and the Social Enterprise Unit of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) as a machinery of government change in May 2006.

Audited information on expenditure by the ACD in the Home Office and the Social Enterprise Unit in the DTI is not available separately. Recorded grant funding by the ACD, based on internal outturn data of grants paid to the sector in each financial year was as follows:

The Social Enterprise made a small number of grants during its lifetime totalling less than £1 million between its creation in October 2001 and the transfer of funding to the Office of the Third Sector in May 2006.

Details of the transfer of grants in 2006-07 from the Home Office and the Department of Trade and Industry to the Cabinet Office are published in the Central Government Supply Estimates (2006-07), Winter Supplementary Estimates and New Estimates HC 2 and in the Central Government Supply Estimates (2006-07), Spring Supplementary Estimates HC 293.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the purpose is of the review of the Office of the Third Sector; and how long it is planned to take. (154540)

The purpose of the review was to examine the structure and skills set in the Office of the Third Sector.

The review process ran from January to April 2007. This was implemented and the new structure came into effect on 4 June 2007.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether the results of the review of the Office of the Third Sector will be made publicly available. (154603)

The review considered the structure and skills set of the Office of the Third Sector. The result of this review is the new structure that came into effect on 4 June 2007. An overview of this structure is publicly available on the Office of the Third sector website: http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/third_sector/, a copy of which I have placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Minister for the Olympics what plans she has to promote and contribute towards the European Union's Memorial Day for the victims of terrorism, in 2008; and if she will make a statement. (154099)

Plans are still being developed at the EU for the 2008 European Union's Memorial Day for the victims of terrorism, it is therefore too early to give details of any contribution. However, as in previous years, we will make information available to the 2008 Memorial Day through appropriate mechanisms such as the 7 July Assistance Centre Newsletter.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will place in the Library a copy of the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit report on variable charging for domestic rubbish collection. (153811)

The Strategy Unit has not published a specific report on variable charging for domestic rubbish collection. Its report “Waste Not, Want Not”, published in November 2002, looked at how we manage waste overall in England and considered a range of financial incentives to encourage householders to reduce and recycle more waste, including variable charging. The Government are currently consulting on proposals to allow authorities to introduce local variable waste charging following publication of the Waste Strategy 2007.

The Strategy Unit's “Waste Not, Want Not”, report is available at

http://www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/strategy/work_areas/waste/index.asp.

The Waste Strategy for England 2007 is available at

http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/waste/strategy/index.htm.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received about the polluting of Brofiscan Quarry in South Wales. (154585)

I have received two approaches on the subject, both of which I referred to the Welsh Assembly Government, which now has oversight of environmental regulation in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales who will be liable for the cost of the damage caused by the polluting of Brofiscan Quarry in South Wales. (154583)

I understand that the Environment Agency is currently investigating the matter of responsibility for remediation costs, and is in contact with several companies and individuals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what assessment he has made of the cost of the damage caused by the polluting of Brofiscan Quarry in South Wales. (154584)

None. However, a preliminary appraisal has been undertaken by the Environment Agency. I understand that the full remediation options cannot be finalised until all current inspection work is completed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales to which periodicals his Department subscribes. (153247)

The information is as follows:

Dod's Companions, including National Assembly for Wales companion,

Vacher's Quarterly,

Economist,

The Spectator,

Tribune,

New Statesman,

Prospect,

Whitehall and Westminster World,

Private Eye,

Golwg,

Y Cymro, and

Welsh Farmer

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much was spent by his Department on taxis in the last 12 months. (153200)

In 2006-07, the Scotland Office spent £9,421 on taxis. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the “Civil Service Management Code” and the “Ministerial Code”.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what discussions have taken place since the Scottish Parliamentary elections in May between the Secretary of State and returning officers on the process of auto-adjudication used during the counting process. (155096)

[holding answer 10 September 2007]: None. The decision on the content of the user agreement in relation to how the system dealt with ballot papers, including auto-adjudication, was the responsibility of returning officers and the e-counting provider. The Scotland Office did not take any decisions on the inclusion of auto-adjudication. These matters will come within the scope of the independent review of the recent Scottish elections led by Mr. Ron Gould.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many press officers are employed by Historic Scotland. (154160)

This is a devolved matter for the Scottish Executive and Historic Scotland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of the construction costs of the Scottish Parliament building was provided from central Government funding. (156330)

The construction costs of the Scottish Parliament is a devolved matter.

The devolved administration and legislature in Scotland are funded through the Scottish block grant. This is paid for through general UK taxation and voted on by the UK Parliament. The costs of the Scottish Parliament building are met from within the block grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether the Government’s review of the experience of new voting systems will take account of information to be reported by the current Electoral Commission’s review chaired by Ron Gould of the recent Scottish elections. (156189)

Yes.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent representations his Department has received from African, Pacific and Caribbean countries on implementation of the reform of the Common Agricultural Sugar Policy. (154563)

DFID Ministers and officials have had a productive and ongoing dialogue with the African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries on the issue of European Union (EU) sugar reforms. This has included meetings and correspondence and has covered the depth and pace of the reforms, the amount and allocation of transitional assistance and the implications for sugar of the EU's duty and quota free market access offer under the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPA's).

Most recent communication between DFID and the ACP countries has been about the European Commission's proposal to terminate the sugar protocol (SP). A number of ACP countries have been concerned about the impacts of the ending of the protocol. However, it is a logical consequence of the EU internal sugar market reforms and the offer of duty and quota free market access as part of the EPAs.

We consider that the Commission's market access offer, on 4 April 2007 will provide, over time, real opportunities for ACP sugar exporters to expand exports to the EU.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the effect on sugar producers in developing countries of the implementation of the reform of the Common Agricultural Policy sugar regime. (154542)

In 2003 the European Commission undertook an impact assessment of the proposed reform of the European Union (EU) internal sugar market (this was formally adopted by the Agricultural Council in February 2006). In May 2006 DEFRA undertook a comprehensive regulatory impact assessment of the reform. This assessment looked at the potential impact of the reform on all stakeholders including African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries that supply sugar to the EU market under a preferential trade agreement. In addition DFID has commissioned a number of independent studies looking at the impacts of the reform on the sugar industry in developing countries, with particular emphasis on the least developed countries (LDC's).

The assessments and studies all suggest that the reform will present challenges for the ACP countries who will see the value of their preference decline. They also show that the reform will provide impetus for some of the ACP countries to move their economies away from large scale dependency on sugar and thereby provide long term economic benefit in the form of efficiency gains. However the assessment also suggests the ACP countries will need financial assistance to help them diversify their economies and adapt to the reforms.

In response to these assessments DFID successfully lobbied the Commission to provide transitional assistance for the ACP countries. As a result of the lobbying the EU has earmarked around €1.244 billion between 2007 and 2013. Allocation of these funds is based on a national Sugar Action Plan submitted independently by the ACP countries. DFID has provided technical and financial support to a number of ACP countries to draw up their individual plans.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department provided to the public-private infrastructure advisory facility in each year since its inception. (154398)

DFID has supported the public private infrastructure advisory facility (PPIAF) over three phases since its inception in 1999. Our total commitment to PPIAF from 1999 to 2008 is £53.3 million, broken down annually as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department has taken to establish the first global roster for education in emergencies since the announcement of its establishment on 5 April. (154366)

At a UK-chaired donor/agencies meeting on 22 May 2007 in Geneva, UNICEF and the Save the Children Alliance (SCA), the lead agencies for education in emergencies, confirmed that establishing a global roster of education experts was the priority in a programme of measures they are leading to build the capacity of UN and non-governmental organisations (NGOs). DFID has discussed follow up on this with UNICEF and the SCA, and is monitoring progress closely.

DFID has also provided UNICEF with £4 million per year over four years to support their role in responding to emergencies. This includes building education response capacity through the Education Cluster Support Unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what proportion of the £20 million funding announced on 5 April for activities in emergency and post-crisis countries over the next four to five years will be used to fund the first global roster for education in emergencies. (154367)

The programme of work to be covered by the £20 million announced on 5 April is currently being discussed by DFID and UNICEF. It has not yet been finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment his Department has made of the humanitarian situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and if he will make a statement. (154056)

We assessed the humanitarian situation in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea at the end of August, in response to the flooding there. As a result of the assessment, DFID has contributed up to £700,000 in response to the Flash Appeal issued by the United Nations on 27 August. £650,000 has gone to programmes under way and being implemented by Save the Children UK and the World Food Programme. We have also offered support to the UN if required to assist with coordinating the relief effort, which is estimated to last a further three months.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent discussions his Department has had with AIDCO and ECHO on support for the work of non-governmental organisations in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. (154064)

The most recent discussion DFID officials have had with the Commission was on 13 September in Brussels.

The Directorate General for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) will close its programmes in North Korea in May 2008. This is primarily because the North Korean Government requested its donors to end humanitarian aid for the first time in August 2004 and then enforced it in August 2005.

AidCo will now assume the lead on the EU assistance programme, and they plan to allocate a total of €35 million between 2007 and 2010, including €8 million in 2007, largely concentrating on food security. Non-governmental organisations in Pyongyang (and possibly others not currently based in the country) will be bidding for a share of the €8 million. AidCo will take over responsibility from ECHO for the NGOs operating in North Korea.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department channelled through the (a) World Bank, (b) International Monetary Fund, (c) United Nations and (d) World Trade Organisation in each of the last 10 years. (154399)

Data on DFID’s multilateral assistance to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF) and United Nations over the last 10 years are set out in the following table. The World Trade Organisation does not act as a donor but as a forum for trade negotiations and therefore no funding is channelled through it. These figures do not include the element of the DFID bilateral programme channelled through the listed multilateral organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding his Department has provided for water projects in the last 10 years, broken down by (a) project and programme and (b) country. (154516)

A detailed breakdown of DFID support for the water sector over the last five years can be found in the two reports titled “Financial Support to the Water Sector 2002 to 2004” and “Financial Support to the Water Sector 2004 to 2006”, prepared for DFID by WS Atkins Plc. Both are available on DFID’s website,

www.dfid.gov.uk.

Earlier data are not available on a comparable basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking to provide assistance to Palestinians at the Rafah border crossing. (154592)

The 6,374 Palestinians who were stranded in Egypt due to the closure of the Rafah crossing returned to Gaza between 29 July and 12 August.

No DFID assistance was required.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assistance he made available to those countries in south-east Asia affected by the floods there. (156375)

DFID responded to the floods in south Asia and Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea. We did not receive requests for assistance from south-east Asian states.

In Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea, DFID contributed £650,000:

£500,000 through WFP to provide food, clean water and safeguard people against water borne diseases;

£149,422 to Save the Children for essential healthcare support;

We have also offered support to the UN if required to assist with coordinating the relief effort.

In south Asia DFID contributed over £5 million to help the worst affected countries:

In Bangladesh we contributed £2.1 million through the Chars Livelihood Programme, United Nations Development Programme and the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (ICDDR,B) to provide food, water, emergency shelter and medicines to help more than one million people in the worst-affected districts;

In Pakistan, we contributed £2.2 million through the Pakistani Rural Support Programme Network, the United Nations, the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and international non-governmental organisations (INGOs) providing multi-sectoral immediate relief as well as livelihoods assistance;

In India, DFID gave Save the Children £750,000 to provide general relief items, health care and livelihood support, children's education and protection to 13,341 families (including 31,660 children).

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much of the US$ 100 million promised to the Eastern Sudan Reconstruction and Development Fund has been delivered; and what (a) reports he has received on and (b) assessment he has made of the work of the Fund's governing board. (153928)

The Government of National Unity has allocated the required US$ 100 million to the Eastern Sudan Reconstruction and Development Fund but this funding has yet to be disbursed. The structure of the Fund's governing board, which is detailed in Article 23 of the Eastern Sudan Peace Agreement, has been agreed. However the executive director has not yet been appointed and as such the board is not operational. No reports have been received.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will estimate the number of civilians affected by the situation in Darfur and unable to access humanitarian aid due to the level of insecurity in the region; and if he will make a statement. (154696)

DFID does not make its own estimates but relies on those provided by the UN. The UN uses the number of people in need of emergency aid as its criterion for defining those who are affected by conflict. This figure currently stands at 4.2 million, including 2.2 million internally displaced persons (IDPs). There are some 500,000 people across Darfur who are cut off from all humanitarian assistance and protection services. For many of the others, access to aid is only sporadic and frequently interrupted by insecurity and attacks on humanitarian staff.

DFID condemns the continuing violence targeting civilians and humanitarian workers in Darfur and has called on all sides to cease the violence immediately; revise the ceasefire, engage constructively in the renewed political process and support the rapid deployment of the AU/UN peacekeeping force for Darfur.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many press officers are employed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees. (154724)

DFID is not responsible for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and therefore does not hold information regarding the number of press officers employed by them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2007, Official Report, column 1592W, on clergy: sexual offences, whether the information submitted to the Police Service of Northern Ireland by solicitors acting on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church was in the form of full details or summaries of allegations. (152817)

Solicitors acting on behalf of the Roman Catholic Church provided PSNI with details regarding the victims and their allegations. This information permitted PSNI to make contact with those victims and establish the full facts of each case. For legal reasons no further comment can be made at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the name is of each special adviser in his Department. (153068)

There are currently no special advisers employed in my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people have been appointed to his Department outside Civil Service grades in the last 30 days. (153067)

From 1 July 2007 to date the Northern Ireland Office has not appointed any staff to its Department outside of civil service grades.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by his Department on taxis in the last 12 months. (153066)

The Northern Ireland Office, excluding its Agencies and Executive NDPBs, spent £28,031 directly on taxis in 2006-07 (this is the last 12 months for which audited expenditure figures are available). However, where members of staff meet the cost of taxi fares out of their own pocket and reclaim the amount from the Department, such sums are grouped with other incidental expenses e.g. car parking. It would not be possible to extract the taxi element from these figures except at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by his Department on (a) first class and (b) business class flights in the last 12 months. (153064)

£781,170 was spent on business class travel, and a further £60,908 was spent on foreign flights in 2006-07 (this is the last 12 months for which audited figures are available). It is not possible to disaggregate the amount spent on flights to foreign destination by class except at disproportionate cost.

In January of this year the Department introduced arrangements for the greater use of economy class flights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was spent by his Department on industrial tribunals in the last 12 months. (153060)

The Northern Ireland Office, excluding its agencies and executive NDPBs, spent £85,000 on industrial tribunals in 2006-07 (this is the last 12 months for which audited expenditure figures are available).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many overseas visits were made by (a) officials and (b) Ministers within his responsibility, and at what cost, in each year since 1997. (151659)

The information is not held in the format requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

However, since April 2004 my Department has recorded the total cost of overseas travel by air and train by Ministers and officials. This information is set out in the following table. The majority of the journeys in question were made between the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Information on the cost of car travel between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is not held centrally.

In addition, since 1999 the Government have published on an annual basis, a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of £500, as well as the total cost of all ministerial travel overseas. Copies of the lists are available in the Libraries of the House. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answers of 25 June 2007, Official Report, columns 20-2W, on sexual offences and 10 July 2007, Official Report, columns 1398-9W, on Northern Ireland: convictions, what assessment he has made of the reasons for the conviction rate for rape being lower than for all offences; what meetings he has had with (a) the Police Service of Northern Ireland, (b) the Public Prosecution Service and (c) women's support or rape crisis groups to discuss ways of increasing the conviction rate; and what plans he has to increase the conviction rate for rape. (152818)

We remain committed to reviewing the effectiveness of case handling and improving support services to victims and survivors of sexual violence to help them cope with the traumatic impact of the offence and assist them in giving their best evidence in court.

PSNI, with assistance from the Public Prosecution Service, has recently reviewed the management of a range of rape cases in order to find ways of improving the investigation of such cases. Preliminary findings are being analysed.

A regional strategy for sexual violence, which was the subject of extensive consultation and workshops involving statutory and voluntary sector agencies, victims' groups and the general public, is due to be published by the end of the year by the NIO and DHSSPS. It will specifically examine factors which contribute to the attrition rate in relation to sexual offences and identify ways to address under reporting of offences, further improve inter-agency case management and develop services which meet the needs of victims of sexual violence.

One of the strategy's key measures already announced ahead of formal publication is the development, by a multi-agency steering group involving victims' group Nexus, of Northern Ireland's first sexual assault referral centre. The SARC will build on the valuable services currently available in police child abuse and rape inquiry suites to deliver a more coordinated response to the needs of victims by providing immediate medical aftercare and individual counselling and other support services while also facilitating the preservation of forensic evidence to assist in the successful prosecution of offenders.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Criminal Records Check applications were received in each of the last three calendar years, broken down by category; how many have been received in 2007; what the trend is in average processing times during this period; how many staff are involved in undertaking this work; and what the budget is for the work in 2007-08. (155355)

The PSNI has advised that they are currently unable to provide accurate figures for vetting requests received prior to February 2007, due to technical difficulties. The PSNI is working to rectify this, and I have asked the Chief Constable to keep me updated on progress.

A total of 80,119 applications were received between February and August 2007. The fall annual total is expected to be approximately 150,000. The following table gives a breakdown by category.

Presently the PSNI vetting section has 10 staff. In 2007-08 the work is expected to cost £184,000 excluding overheads.

The Police Service of Northern Ireland aims to turnaround 90 per cent. of vetting applications within 15 working days. This target has been met in previous years, but due to the technical difficulty noted above, is not being met at present. Additional resources have been dedicated to improving this performance, and progress towards the target is being monitored.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many mobile phone masts are on the Valuation Office Agency's ratings list in England. (155694)

The number of non-domestic hereditaments shown in the Rating Lists of England, under the description of Communication Station as at 26 September 2007 is 27,428. This figure includes all mast sites including mobile, telecommunications and broadcast sites. A break down to show the numbers of mobile phone sites could be delivered only at a disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance her Department has provided to local authorities in relation to public liability and allotments. (155687)

In June 2001 the Department (then DETR), the LGA, Shell Better Britain Campaign and the GLA jointly published a ‘Growing in the Community: A Good Practice Guide for the Management of Allotments' for local authorities—a free copy was circulated to all local authorities. The aim of the guide was to raise standards in the provision, management and care of allotments and the guide has a section on public liability insurance. The guide recommends that local authorities obtain further advice on public liability from representative bodies such as the National Society of Allotments and Leisure Gardeners who provide free legal advice to members.

The guide is currently being updated by the LGA in consultation with the Department and will be published later this year.

More general advice on health and safety on allotments is available in ‘Allotments: A Plot Holders Guide' which was published by the Department in June 2007, and in the Health and Safety facts sheet published by the Allotment Regeneration Initiative.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what (a) approvals and (b) rejections of the sale or disposal of allotments under the Allotments Act 1925 have been made by her and her predecessor since May 2007. (152520)

We have been advised by the Government Offices that between 1 May 2007 and 20 September 2007 there have been 10 approvals of the sale or disposal of allotments:

“Former” allotment land at Hollin Lane/Rochdale Road, Middleton, Rochdale.

Turnsdale Allotment, County Durham—sale of one allotment plot which is continuing as an allotment.

Days Field, Breckland—5.09 acres (replacement sites have been made available).

Shoulder of Mutton, Breckland—3.47 acres (replacement sites have been made available).

South Acton Estate, Ealing, London.

Finnigan Road Allotment, Plymouth—sale of an 0.1 acre overgrown vacant plot for addition to garden of adjoining house.

Whitton Church Land field, Ipswich (land not used for allotment purposes since before 1985)—to provide more football pitches in the locality.

Bucklands Way Allotments, Sutton, London—temporary one year licence for occupation of land/hut which forms part of the allotment site.

Church Fields Allotments Land, Surrey Heath—land given over to additional burial ground.

Carshalton Athletic FC, War Memorial Sports Ground, Sutton, London.

There have been no rejections of the sale of allotments.

There are currently a total of 34 application cases which are pending decision.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many press officers are employed by the Audit Commission. (154150)

This is an operational matter for the Audit Commission. The Chief Executive of the Audit Commission has written to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tenants in London are classed as living in overcrowded accommodation. (154383)

Based on data derived from the Survey of English Housing it is estimated that over the period 2003-04 to 2005-06 an average of 62,000 households living in council housing in London were in overcrowded conditions, as defined by the Bedroom Standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average waiting time was for council housing in each London borough in each of the last 10 years. (154814)

Information on average waiting time on a housing list for households is not held centrally. While information is collected centrally on the number of households on local authority housing waiting lists, which is given in the annual Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix (HSSA), there is no indication of average time spent on a waiting list.

The accuracy of the list also depends on the extent to which housing authorities keep the register up-to-date, e.g. some people might already have found housing, yet remain on the list. It is also important to bear in mind that not everyone on the waiting list will necessarily be in urgent housing need. It will also include those who consider social housing as their preferred choice, or one of a number of housing options.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the council tax collection rates of (a) Gravesham, (b) other councils in Kent and (c) other councils in the South East Government Office in the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement. (154569)

The collection and enforcement of council tax is a matter for individual billing authorities. Communities and Local Government has made no assessment of the collection rates in the last 10 years for Gravesham, other councils in Kent or other councils in the South East. Across England, in-year collection of council tax rose for the seventh successive year in 2006-07, to 96.9 per cent. of the total collectable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 12 July 2007, Official Report, column 1629W, on departmental travel, what the (a) cost and (b) purpose was of the visits to (i) the US and (ii) Kenya; and how many staff went on each visit. (153724)

The visit to the US cost £7,021 and was for two staff to share best practice with policy and law enforcement practitioners and community organisations working on integration/cohesion and preventing violent extremism and to deliver two lectures on these subjects.

The Kenya visit cost £2,898 and was for one member of staff to attend the UN Habitat Governing Council as part of the UK delegation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2007, Official Report, column 957W, on Departments: Legislation, which (a) sections and (b) schedules of the specified acts have (i) been repealed and (ii) not been brought into force. (154205)

Pursuant to the answer given on 24 July, Official Report, column 957W, provisions in acts sponsored by Communities and Local Government not yet in force or repealed are set out in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the ministerial responsibilities of each of her ministerial team are. (156516)

The ministerial responsibilities of each member of the CLG ministerial team are outlined as follows.

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Right hon. Hazel Blears MP

Overall responsibility for the Department and its policies, including departmental strategic objectives (DSOs); public service agreement (PSA) targets; comprehensive spending review settlement

Empowering communities and citizens

Olympics legacy

Minister for Housing

Yvette Cooper MP

Lead responsibility for: housing policy and programmes (Homebuy and shared ownership, low and zero-carbon housing, eco-towns, homelessness, HMR pathfinders, social housing, HIPs), including housing elements of the comprehensive spending review and PSAs; and planning reform (town and country planning); and representing the Department in Cabinet on these areas of policy

Physical and housing-related regeneration and sponsor minister for new Homes Agency implementation

Housing and Regeneration Bill

Urban policy and design

Sustainable development and climate change: including the code for sustainable homes and building regulations

Minister for the Thames Gateway, new growth points and growth areas

Olympics legacy issues

Minister for Local Government

John Healey MP

Lead responsibility for local government policy and finance, including local government pensions and Supporting People

Cities and regions (including lead minister for the Greater London Authority Bill)

Government offices

Neighbourhood renewal and tackling disadvantage (including neighbourhood renewal fund; new deal for communities; LEGI)

Planning for major infrastructure, and the Planning Bill

Resilience and recovery from flooding

Overview of fire and rescue service

Community engagement and empowerment; Quirk review

Overview of liveability

Joint Chair of the London Resilience Forum

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Parmjit Dhanda MP

Cohesion (including joint chair of Migration Impacts Forum)

Preventing violent extremism

Fire and rescue service

Support on local government policy and finance (including local government pensions)

Sponsor Minister for Valuation Tribunal Service

Planning casework for East Midlands; East; London; South East; Olympics cases; (includes all cases in the growth areas)

Support on planning for major infrastructure, and the Planning Bill

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Iain Wright MP

Support on all aspects of housing policy and programmes and town and country planning, and physical and housing-related regeneration, including decent homes, housing market renewal, and homelessness

Support for Housing and Regeneration Bill

Support on urban policy and urban design; code for sustainable homes; building regulations

Climate change and sustainable development

Ordnance Survey (shareholder Minister)

Phone masts

Sponsor for Audit Commission

Gypsies and Travellers

Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State

Baroness Andrews of Southover

Departmental business in the House of Lords

Responsibility for departmental contribution to the Respect agenda

Support on Supporting People (including individual budgets)

Support on neighbourhood renewal and tackling disadvantage (including neighbourhood renewal fund; new deal for communities; LEGI)

Liveability

Planning casework for Yorkshire and Humber; North East; South West; West Midlands; North West

Planning inspectorate sponsor

Ordnance Survey (client Minister)

Disabled facilities grant

National strategy for an ageing society

Third sector strategy

Supporting on community engagement and empowerment; Quirk review

Digital inclusion

Champion Minister for culture and regeneration

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many private finance initiatives projects her Department expects to sign in each of the next three years. (154452)

The number of local authority private finance initiative projects sponsored by Communities and Local Government which are expected to be signed in each of the next three years are as follows:

The above estimate is based on the current project timetables submitted by the relevant Communities and Local Government sponsored local authorities taking forward PFI projects.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by her Department on redundancy payments in the last 12 months. (153217)

The cost of redundancies (including voluntary redundancies) of staff leaving the central part of the Department for Communities and Local Government during the 12 months to 30 June 2007 was £21.6 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was spent by her Department on (a) staff training and (b) communication training in the last 12 months. (153219)

The Department has spent £2,042,054 on staff training in the last 12 months. Details of communication training are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of new homes were built on brownfield sites in each London borough in each of the last five years. (154812)

Statistics for the period 2001 to 2005 (the most recent and statistically robust available) for the percentage of new dwellings (not including conversions) built on previously-developed (“brownfield”) land are shown in the following table. The figure for the whole of London is 94 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the role played by the Gloucestershire tri-service centre during recent floods and water shortages. (154929)

[holding answer 10 September 2007]: A review of the wider lessons learned is to be carried out by the Cabinet Office, with support from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs and the Department of Communities and Local Government. This will examine the emergency response to the floods in June and July and consider how to reduce the risk and impact of floods in the future. The role performed by the Gloucestershire tri-service centre will be taken into account as part of this wider exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will review the decision to break up the Gloucestershire tri-service centre. (154930)

[holding answer 10 September 2007]: The Gloucestershire tri-service centre will not be broken up. The centre will continue to house staff from all three emergency services and support tri-service working after the control room of the fire and rescue service is moved to the South West Regional Control Centre. The Government are committed to creating a new national network of nine resilient regional control centres which will enhance the ability of the Fire and Rescue Service to respond to major incidents and natural disasters in a co-ordinated, efficient and effective manner. We believe that the public will be better protected by this approach. The new Regional Control Centres will however build on the valuable lessons learnt on joint working from the tri-service pilots, including the recent experience of dealing with flooding in Gloucestershire.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many press officers are employed by English Partnerships. (154459)

English Partnerships does not employ press officers. It does however have six corporate communications officer posts in its headquarters which deal with press and media inquiries as part of their remit. One of these posts is currently vacant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the UK Government have received a reasoned opinion from the European Commission on the implementation of the race equality directive (2000/43/CE); and if she will make a statement. (154013)

The UK received a reasoned opinion from the European Commission concerning the implementation of Council Directive 2000/43/EC (“the Race directive”) on 29 June 2007. The Commission argued that the UK had not fully transposed the Race directive in relation to the definition of indirect discrimination, and because there was a lack of transparency over the remedies available to victims of instructions to discriminate. The Government replied to the Commission on 24 August confirming that it would amend domestic law to clarify the situation and meet the Commission's concerns. We intend to lay regulations before Parliament shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the mean age of a first-time buyer was in each year since 1997. (155857)

The mean age of a first-time buyer is not collected. The average age of a first-time buyer in the UK is available on the Council of Mortgage Lenders website at http://www.cml. org.uk/cml/filegrab/2ML2.xls?ref=4624

These figures are also presented in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what requests she received in July 2007 for assistance with flooding recovery and humanitarian aid by Bassetlaw District Council (a) in writing, (b) by e-mail and (c) by telephone. (153854)

Communities and Local Government have been in regular contact with all the local authorities who have been affected by the floods and this includes Bassetlaw district council

Contact with Bassetlaw district council has included collecting information to inform understanding of the impact of the flooding in the district and specific information to contribute to the decision making process for the provision of the Flood Recovery Grant. On the basis of the relative number of households affected (based on the available information at the time) Bassetlaw district council was allocated £250,000 in Flood Recovery Grant (£200,000 on 13 July and £50,000 on 20 July).

In addition, on 27 June 2007 Bassetlaw district council notified Communities and Local Government of their intention to claim under the Bellwin scheme for the June floods. The Bellwin scheme provides emergency financial assistance from Government to local authorities to help meet the uninsurable costs of immediate action to safeguard life or property or prevent severe inconvenience to inhabitants in the case of an emergency or disaster such as the floods.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what European Union assistance is available to help rebuild communities damaged by floodwater; and if she will make a statement; (153309)

On 20 August 2007, UK submitted an application to the European Commission for support from the European Union Solidarity Fund (EUSF) to help recovery from the recent flooding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reason the Green Belt Boundary Layer was removed from her Department's Maps On Tap database March 2007 data update. (153907)

The green belt boundary data held by the Maps on Tap database was removed as the license to use this commercial product has been cancelled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) of 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 164W, on home information packs, what payments her Department and its predecessor have made to (a) Rightmove and (b) Countrywide for advice, research or consultancy on home information packs. (152541)

The Department has not made any such payments to Rightmove or Countrywide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Surrey Heath (Michael Gove) of 25 June 2007, Official Report, column 164W, on home information packs, what payments her Department and its predecessor made to (a) Rightmove and (b) Countryside for pilot schemes relating to home information packs. (152675)

The Department has not made any such payments to Rightmove or Countrywide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings Ministers from her Department have had with the Association of Home Information Pack Providers in the last 12 months. (152833)

I have met with the Association of Home Information Pack Providers (AHIPP) on a number of occasions, most recently on 6 September 2007. I have also had similar meetings with other representative bodies and we are continuing to work closely with all key stakeholders on HIPs and EPCs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received from (a) Flint Bishop solicitors and (b) Labour Legal Services in the last 12 months on home information packs. (153525)

The Department for Communities and Local Government has no record of representations received from Flint Bishop solicitors or Labour Legal Services in the last 12 months on home information packs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether (a) home information packs and (b) energy performance certificates may include the unique property reference number or a BS7666-compliant address of the domestic dwelling. (153795)

Energy performance certificates include a unique property reference number, which is generated by the Register Operator. Neither this nor a BS7666-compliant address is included in a HIP.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what reasons the Valuation Office Agency has not been granted access to the home condition report database. (152516)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 22 May 2006, Official Report, column 1400W to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) regarding access to home condition reports.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in (a) South Cambridgeshire and (b) East Cambridgeshire were accepted as homeless in each year since 1997. (153763)