To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (1) if he will appoint an independent inquiry into the way banks have accounted for subprime loans; (178525)

I have been asked to reply.

The supervision of banks in the UK is a matter for the Financial Services Authority (FSA), acting on an independent basis. The Treasury has not held discussions with the auditors of Northern Rock on its accounting practices. The accounting treatment of assets and liabilities in banks is governed by standards proposed by the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and adopted by the EU. The IASB is re-examining through its consultative process the accounting standards for consolidation of exposures on a bank's balance sheet, with a paper planned for the second half of 2008. The Government, with the FSA and the Financial Reporting Council, will be involved in the development and adoption of any new or amended EU standard.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which UK enterprises that have received state aid are registered on the European Commission's state aid scoreboard. (181762)

The scoreboard is the Commission's benchmarking instrument for state aid, providing a transparent and publicly accessible source of information on the overall state aid situation in each of the EU member states and on the Commission's current state aid control activities. Thus all the state aid received by enterprises across the EU is reflected in the scoreboard, but it does not provide details of state aid received by individual enterprises.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will take steps to (a) reduce the cost and (b) improve the availability of domestic carbon monoxide detectors with audible alarms and combined smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. (182674)

The Government acknowledge the safety benefits of these items but do not consider that there is a need to intervene on pricing or availability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what role is performed by each of the Certification Officer’s employees. (183604)

[holding answer 31 January 2008]: The roles of the Certification Officer’s nine employees are as follows:

one Assistant Certification Officer (who oversees the work of the office and carries out functions delegated to him by the Certification Officer such as approval of Political Fund Rules and registration of mergers),

two Operations Managers (who oversee complaints about breach of rule and statute and deal mainly with mergers political funds, Annual Returns, Certificates of Independence and financial irregularity issues),

two Complaints Case Managers (dealing with breach of statute and breach of rule complaints),

one Administration Manager (who deals with Annual Returns, listing and change of names),

two Executive Officers (administration) and

one Administrative Officer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the proportion of UK businesses which did not export to other European Union member states in the latest period for which figures are available. (181720)

Figures for the proportion of UK businesses which do not export to the European Union are not collected.

HM Revenue and Customs publish some data on the number of companies exporting goods to the European Union as part of their quarterly regional trade statistics. The Single Market removal of customs declarations in 1993 and the subsequent successful reduction of administrative and statistical burdens on businesses mean that those numbers exclude the vast majority of exporters to the EU as they do not have to complete the Intrastat survey form. Nor do the numbers include companies who export services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2008, Official Report, column 1631W, what plans he or his officials have to meet representatives of (a) Virgin Media, (b) ITV plc, (c) Rapture Television and (d) other interested parties in relation to the Competition Commission's report on BSkyB's acquisition of ITV plc shares. (182426)

None. We were content that, prior to taking the decisions announced on 29 January, we had no need to receive oral representations from those parties additional to the written representations we had received from them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many representations his Department has received from British businesses and service providers on non-payment for goods and services provided to Chinese companies. (179391)

This information is not readily available as the Department does not maintain a central record of the representations it has received on this issue. Furthermore, the Department considers that the cost of retrieving and collating this information, for an unspecified number of years, would incur disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the proposed budgets are for the (a) Communities and Homes Agency and (b) Office for Tenants and Social Landlords in the first full year of operation. (171636)

The Homes and Communities Agency will have a proposed programme budget of at least £4 billion in its first year of operation (2009-10). We will outline the exact budget once it is decided which delivery programmes will transfer from the Department.

For 2009-10 we estimate that the budget for the Office for Tenants and Social Landlords will be £25 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what adjustments in cash terms have been made to the collection funds of each billing authority in England as a result of successful council tax appeals by the householder in (a) 2006-07 and (b) so far in 2007-08. (183212)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many council tax appeals relating to England have been considered in (a) 2005-06, (b) 2006-07 and (c) 2007-08 to date by the Valuation Tribunal Service; and what proportion and how many resulted in a lower council tax banding for the householder. (183222)

The Valuation Tribunal Service (VTS) has held information centrally on the number of successful appeals since the beginning of 2006-07.

It is wrong to assume that all banding appeals are about reducing a property’s banding. An appeal can be made on other grounds, such as how a previously single dwelling should be split up into a number of separate units (e.g. flats), and from what date the change should appear in the valuation list. The VTS does not currently keep information on whether allowing an appeal, in full or in part, results in a change of banding.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what provision was made in the most recent local government grant settlement for local authorities in Gloucestershire to introduce flood resilience measures. (178797)

Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant i.e. authorities have the freedom to spend the grant on any service provided that they meet their statutory duties. For this reason, and due to the method of calculating formula grant, particularly floor damping, it is not possible to say how much grant has been provided for any particular service. It is for local authorities to set their budgets, taking into account the needs of their local community.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) how many (a) home information packs and (b) home condition reports were commissioned in the six area trials in England and Wales prior to 1 August; (171581)

I refer the hon. Member to the home information packs update written ministerial statement made on 22 November 2007, Official Report, columns 140-42WS.

IPSOS-MORI is still in the process of finalising its conclusions and a copy of the research report will be placed in the Library of the House once the project has been finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether any assessment has been made of the level of compliance by (a) home owners and (b) estate agents with the requirement for a home information pack. (182602)

Local authority weights and measures authorities and the Office of Fair Trading have been given the responsibility for enforcing the Home Information Pack duties through s.l66 and s.175 of the Housing Act 2004.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what her Department’s estimate is of the additional cost to the housing market renewal programme caused by speculative buying; and if she will make a statement; (166229)

The Department does not make such estimates, chiefly because it is difficult to define exactly what is speculation.

Pathfinders work closely with local residents and, where acquisition of property is necessary, encourage them to sell directly to the pathfinder rather than to third parties. As with other compulsory purchases, compensation arrangements also differentiate between owner occupiers and others, with those who can demonstrate residence for at least a year receiving a 10 per cent. home loss payment on top of the market value for the property, and landlords or investors receiving a 7.5 per cent. basic loss payment on top of market value.

While it is difficult, therefore, to be precise about the extent of speculative activity, the Government and pathfinders will continue to keep this under review, although it would clearly be inappropriate to curtail residents’ legitimate rights to sell.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what information she holds on the percentage of gross national product spent on (a) housing and (b) affordable social housing in each OECD country (i) in the last year for which figures are available and (ii) in 1997. (165536)

[holding answer 19 November 2007]: Communities and Local Government do not hold data on the percentage of gross national product spent on (a) housing and (b) affordable social housing in each of the OECD countries. There are data available on the percentage of gross domestic product spent on housing by OECD countries where data are available on the OECD website. Details can be found at:

http://stats.oecd.org/wbos/default.aspx?datasetcode=SOCX_AGG

There are a number of drop down menus on this page that allow you to select housing expenditure in both public or private sectors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many residential dwellings were built within flood risk areas in England in each year since 1997. (171566)

It is the responsibility of local authorities to plan properly for their housing provision, on the basis of specific sites that reflect clear and informed strategies for the location of housing development, and for the infrastructure needed to service it. Of course flood risk is a major factor in deciding the location of new development and the Government’s aim is to avoid inappropriate development in such areas. We have strengthened the system significantly—new planning rules introduced last year (PPS25) make clear that councils should not give the go ahead to new housing in areas where the Environment Agency advise against it. The new rules are already beginning to have an impact and it is vital that councils continue to work with the Environment Agency to ensure that new homes are safe from flooding and property sustainable for the future. Flood risk must be taken into account at all stages of the planning process. Development that would not be safe in the higher flood risk areas should be directed to areas of lower risk wherever this is practicable.

The following table gives the information requested and relates to the period before the planning system was strengthened:

The definition of high flood risk areas used by Communities and Local Government is the high risk zone mapped by the Environment Agency as being at a probability of flooding, excluding the presence of flood defences, of at least one in 100 each year for river flooding and at least one in 200 for coastal flooding. High flood risk areas account for about 10 per cent. of land in England, including parts of major cities such as London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) to what extent a homebuyer has liability for the (a) Homebuy Agent's and (b) Yorkshire Building Society's equity loss if their home purchased under 32.5 per cent. Open Market Homebuy scheme is subsequently sold at less than the purchase price; (180392)

The information requested can be found in the booklet ‘Exclusive Open Market HomeBuy Mortgage—for those eligible to buy a home under the Government's Open Market HomeBuy Scheme’, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to consult hon. Members on bids for housing growth points in their constituencies submitted by local authorities. (179824)

[holding answer 17 January 2008]: I look to those local authorities who have submitted expressions of interest to be growth points to consult with hon. Members as necessary. However, I am aware that an informal briefing session about potential growth points in the north-west was held in the House in December by Government office north-west, which hon. Members in relevant constituencies were invited to attend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what events and conferences (a) she and (b) other Ministers from her Department have addressed relating to (i) the construction and housebuilding industry and (ii) the renewable energy industry since July 2006. (165300)

Since July 2006 Communities and Local Government Ministers have attended the following events and conferences relating to the construction, housebuilding and renewable energy industry:

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many police officers lived in key worker housing in (a) England, (b) London and (c) each London borough in each year since 2001. (166924)

Information on members of the police service who occupied key worker housing in (b) London and (c) each London borough in each year since 2001 is not held centrally and can be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

In England 3,213 members of the police service have been provided with housing assistance through the Starter Home Initiative (April 2001-March 2004) and the Key Worker Living programme (March 2004-October 2007), for which a breakdown is shown as follows

In London 1,661 members of the police service have been provided with housing assistance through the Starter Home Initiative (April 2001-March 2004) and the Key Worker Living programme (March 2004-October 2007). A detailed breakdown by year is not held centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many separate items of data local authorities are required to collect for the compilation of the national indicator set. (183245)

Following the consultation that ended on the 21 December, the Government are currently finalising the technical definitions for the national indicators. As part of this process, we are working closely with other Government Departments and key stakeholders to identify the data collections that will be required for the national indicator set, most of which are likely to be obtained from existing data returns. We anticipate that the majority of definitions will be agreed in time for implementation from April 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been given to local authorities on the use of local authority resources and facilities to engage in political campaigning by employees of the local authority. (178626)

Guidance with regard to the content, style, distribution and cost of local authority publicity is contained in the “Code of Recommended Practice on Local Authority Publicity”, issued by my Department under Section 4 of the Local Government Act 1986, as amended by section 27 of the Local Government Act 1988.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government (1) what assessment she has made of the effect on costs for local authorities of the Audit Commission's new fees structure; and what funding her Department will be giving to local authorities under the new burdens principle in relation to Audit Commission fees; (183244)

The Audit Commission is responsible for setting the fees for audit in the local government and housing sector. Its consultation paper—‘Proposed work programme and scales of fees 2008-09 and indicative fee proposals for 2009-10 and 2010-11’ set out details of potential average audit fees.

The Commission expect to take the final decision on audit fees for 2008-09 in March. Over the next three years, as the rolling programme of corporate assessments is replaced with comprehensive area assessment, with its focus on outcomes, there will be a significant overall reduction in the total costs of regulation. The Government are committed to ensuring that the net new burdens that it places on local government are fully funded.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the costs incurred by each shire county on publicity in each year since 2005-06. (183094)

The Department does not collect information on the costs incurred on publicity by local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance (a) her Department and (b) the Standards Board for England have issued on the applicability of (i) the code of conduct for councillors and (ii) codes of conduct for local authority employees to the Mayor of London's senior policy advisers. (182249)

Neither Communities and Local Government nor the Standards Board have issued guidance on the applicability of either the code of conduct for local councillors or codes of conduct for local government employees to advisers of the Mayor of London.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether her Department undertook the review into agricultural de-rating in England. (182581)

The Government accepted a Lyons inquiry recommendation to review all reliefs and exemptions within business rates and the pre Budget report 2007 announced that this review had concluded, although a specific review into agricultural de-rating of business rates in England was not conducted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many civil servants in her Department worked on the Government’s review of business rate reliefs and exemptions following the Lyons Inquiry. (182591)

The review of Business rates reliefs was undertaken as part of the ongoing maintenance of the business rates system by Communities and Local Government, so no team was specifically set up for this task.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar of 11 December 2007, Official Report, column 554W, on planning, what the timetable is for the publication of the counter-terrorism supplement; and what its status will be in planning law. (182623)

The Government intend to publish during the summer of 2008 the counter-terrorism supplement which will accompany planning policy guidance Safer Places. In drafting this supplement the Home Office will be consulting with key stakeholders both within Government, with industry and with professional bodies involved in planning and design.

Government statements of planning policy must be taken into account, where relevant, in decisions on planning applications and in the preparation of planning policies. ‘Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development’ (PPS1) makes clear that the creation of safe and accessible environments where crime and disorder or fear of crime does not undermine quality of life or community cohesion is a key planning objectives which planning authorities should take into account. PPS1 also says that planning authorities should have regard to good practice set out in ‘Safer Places—the Planning System and Crime Prevention’. The counter terrorism supplement which will accompany Safer Places will, therefore, equally be capable of being a material consideration in the determination of planning applications and in the preparation of planning policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the new burdens doctrine contained in the central-local concordat over-rides the polluter pays principle. (182561)

When developing policies, Government consider the polluter pays principle. In introducing new policies Government are committed to ensuring the net new burdens it places on local government are fully funded—so no additional pressure is placed on council tax.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what definition she uses of predictors of beaconicity; and if she will make a statement. (182953)

‘Predictors of Beaconicity;’ was the title of a report by the Warwick Business School which looked at the factors associated with high and low levels of engagement with the Beacon Scheme. The Beacon Scheme identifies authorities and their partners that are delivering the best services to their local citizens and can share good practice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the gross expenditure of each regional assembly in England outside London was in the last year for which figures are available. (183256)

Details of regional assembly gross expenditure for the year 2006-07 are set out in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what contribution to the revised West Midlands Regional Spatial Strategy house building requirements would be made in (a) Warwickshire and (b) Worcestershire as the result of the construction of an eco-town at Long Marston. (178883)

I am unable to comment on individual proposals at this stage. The number of homes in individual proposals is indicative at this stage, but ranges between 5-20,000 in most proposals, which is in line with the eco-town criteria. We intend to publish a shortlist soon, once an individual assessment of proposals has taken place. There will be considerable opportunity for consultation before decisions on individual proposals are made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the likely effect on housing need if the right to buy policy is extended to registered social landlord tenants; and if she will make a statement. (181099)

The Government want to widen access to home ownership and help more people, including social tenants, build up assets.

Most registered social landlord (RSL) tenants have right to acquire or preserved right to buy. However, approximately 30 per cent. of RSL tenants do not have any right to purchase.

Social HomeBuy was introduced as a voluntary pilot scheme in April 2006 to provide new opportunities for social tenants who do not have right to buy or right to acquire or cannot afford outright purchase, to buy a share of their rented home. 77 RSLs and nine local authorities are currently offering the pilot scheme to their tenants.

The Government announced in December 2007 that Social HomeBuy will continue as a voluntary scheme to increase opportunities for social housing tenants to access home ownership, when the pilot period ends in March.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent discussions her Department has had with officials from the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on (a) marine spatial planning and (b) planning for major infrastructure developments in the marine environment. (178590)

Officials from my Department are members of the Working Group preparing the Marine Bill. They have had detailed discussions with Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs about a range of issues, including those of concern in the question. The Planning Bill gives effect to the results of those discussions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hertford and Stortford (Mr. Prisk) of 15 January 2008, Official Report, column 1169W, on the UK Location Strategy, if she will place in the Library a copy of the UK Location Strategy submitted to Ministers by the Geographic Information Panel. (178656)

A copy of the UK Location Strategy will be placed in the Library once it has been published.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many representations she has received from residents of Worcestershire opposing the proposal to build an eco-town at Long Marston. (178882)

I am unable to comment on individual proposals at this stage. We intend to publish proposals shortly once an individual assessment has taken place. There will be considerable opportunity for consultation before decisions on individual proposals are made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 12 December 2007, Official Report, column 685W, on wardens, what warden schemes are funded by local area agreements according to records held by the Government Offices for the Regions. (183159)

Government offices for the regions do not collect information about which warden schemes are funded by local area agreements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for consultation between the proposed infrastructure planning commission and the proposed marine management organisation on the licensing of offshore wind farms producing over 100MW of power. (178587)

The White Paper ‘Planning for a Sustainable Future’ sets out the process for decisions on development consents for renewable energy developments offshore. Those generating over 100 megawatts would be taken by the Infrastructure Planning Commission (IPC), while those up to and including 100MW would be determined by the proposed Marine Management Organisation (MMO).

The MMO will be able to advise the IPC on the marine aspects of these major projects, including on conditions on developments, and will also monitor and enforce compliance. The Planning Bill would give the Secretary of State a power to specify relevant statutory consultees for the pre-application and examination phases, and we will consider whether we will need to exercise this power in relation to the proposed MMO when it is created.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his policy is on encouraging members of the armed forces to improve their driving skills through (a) the Advanced Drivers Test and (b) refresher driving courses; and if he will make a statement. (182794)

The MOD recognises and promotes the benefits of improving driving skills to all members of the armed forces. The Department’s guidance (JSP 800, Pt 5) encourages transport managers, road safety committees and road safety advisers to participate in national safe driving awards, and to develop driving skills. Any driver who has had familiarisation training on a particular vehicle but has not driven that vehicle for a period of 12 months or more, should receive refresher training.

For many years, MOD has worked with organisations such as the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, to provide service personnel with the opportunity to take an advanced driving test. The Army provides many of its personnel with a pre-paid test voucher in order to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what licence is required for military personnel in theatre to drive the (a) Snatch land rover, (b) WMIK, (c) E-WMIK, (d) M-WMIK, (e) variants of Pinzgauer Vectors, (f) Mastiff and (g) Future Ridgeback vehicles. (183610)

MOD policy is to comply with Department for Transport Driver Licensing regulations at all times, whether on operations or not. All the vehicles listed weigh over 3.5 tonnes; therefore all drivers of these vehicles are required to hold a category C licence.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are used to return non-UK citizens serving in the armed forces to their country of origin on discharge (a) if they have completed basic training, (b) on completing their engagement and (c) before they have completed their engagement. (180044)

Non-UK citizens wishing to join the UK armed forces travel to the UK at their own expense and we do not normally return them to their countries of origin at public expense when they are discharged. It is therefore very much a personal decision, in line with Home Office policy, as to whether non-UK citizens return to their country of origin on discharge. An individual will normally be granted 28 days upon discharge to allow time for an application for further leave to remain to be lodged, or depart from the UK. Once an application is lodged they are able to remain in the UK legally while the application is processed.

The only exception to the rules is for Gurkhas, who are enlisted in Nepal and brought to the UK at public expense, and are now discharged in the UK and then returned to Nepal (if they wish) at public expense.

These policies have been agreed with the Home Office in order to ensure that they are not abused. They balance recognition of service in the British Armed forces towards naturalisation with preventing its use as an improper method of entry into the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 21 January 2008, Official Report, column 1580W, on armed forces: housing, how many of the extra 30,000 single living accommodation bed-spaces planned by 2013 he expects to be (a) new and (b) improved bed-spaces. (183622)

[holding answer 31 January 2008]: The Ministry of Defence has a target to upgrade 30,000 single living accommodation (SLA) bed-spaces to the top condition grade (grade 1) by 2013 and for budgeting purposes, it is assumed that these bed-spaces will be new build. However, existing SLA may be upgraded to grade 1 standard where it is more economic to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) net paybill cost and (b) net percentage increase to the paybill was of implementing the Armed Forces Pay Review Body recommendations in each financial year from 1996-97 to 2007-08. (180299)

Figures showing the net pay bill costs and the net percentage increases arising from the implementation of the recommendations of the Armed Forces' Pay Review Body (AFPRB) for the years 1999-2000 to 2007-08 are set out in the following table.

The figures represent cost estimates which were produced annually to inform the deliberations of the AFPRB. They cover pay, specialist pay, those allowances that fall within the remit of the AFPRB, charges, employers' national insurance contributions and superannuation charges adjusted for past experience. The figures are net, taking into account the effects of increased receipts from food and accommodation charges. The figures do not take account of other changes to the armed forces' pay bill arising from such factors as incremental progression and promotion.

Corresponding net pay bill figures for the implementation of the armed forces' pay award, for the years 1996-97 to 1998-99, have not been retained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what assessment he has made of the effect on recruitment and retention of psychologists for the armed forces of not having practitioners in uniform; (182405)

The Defence Medical Services employ uniformed military psychiatrists and mental health nurses. We currently assess that there is no requirement to employ uniformed clinical psychologists. In operational theatres, we deploy highly skilled and experienced uniformed mental health nurses to provide the necessary in-theatre care and treatment for our personnel.

We employ civilian clinical psychologists as integral components of the mental health multi-disciplinary teams in our military Departments of Community Mental Health. They have a vital role in providing tertiary care for referred patients, supervision for other team members, and in the development of the service.

It is not considered that there is a detrimental effect on recruiting and retention of not having practitioners in uniform but we always keep those matters under review.

The MOD maintains an awareness of the practices and policies of allied nations, many of whom do employ uniformed clinical psychologists but most of whom, unlike the UK, do not have an experienced cadre of mental health nurses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the planned closure dates are for the UK defence sections in posts in (a) Albania, (b) Croatia, (c) Guatemala, (d) Iceland, (e) Macedonia, (f) Slovakia and (g) Thailand. (183380)

The Defence sections in Albania, Croatia, Guatemala, Macedonia and Thailand will have closed officially by 1 April 2008. Some support staff will remain beyond this date in order to close accounts and dispose of equipment and vehicles. The Defence sections in Ireland and Slovakia closed on 26 and 31 October 2007 respectively. There is no Defence section in Iceland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many events organised by the Defence Manufacturers' Association have been attended by (a) him and (b) officials from his Department or Defence Equipment and Support in the last 12 months; and what the purpose was of such meetings. (174784)

Records show that Defence Ministers have attended the following events organised by the Defence Manufacturers Association (DMA) over the past 12 months:

Information about officials attending DMA organised events is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what audits his Department and its agencies carried out in relation to personal data and IT equipment in each of the last 10 years. (176484)

Between 2001 and 2007, 45 audits have been carried out in accordance with HM Treasury Government Internal Audit Standards. Information relating to years before 2001-02 is not held centrally and could be only provided at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the projected in-service date was for the A400m aircraft in each year since 1997; (183128)

The projected in-service date for A400M aircraft, as one of the MOD’s highest value projects, is published annually in the Major Projects Report. At project approval in May 2000, the approved in-service date was December 2009. The projected in-service date was revised in March 2003 to March 2011 due to delay in contract activation. We are currently reassessing the projected in-service date in light of industry’s recent announcement that the programme is running six months late with additional risk of a further six months’ delay.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to change the number of Ministry of Defence Guarding Agency officers. (182319)

The Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS) is the uniformed, unarmed element forming part of the larger Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency. The complement for MGS Officers in 2008 is 4146. Security at MOD establishments is kept under constant review and future numbers will reflect the security requirements of the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what NATO's total common founding budget was in each of the last 10 years. (177541)

NATO's total common-funded budget for 1998 to 2007 was as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the review of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. (181514)

The 2007 comprehensive spending review confirmed the continuation of the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund over the three financial years from 1 April 2008. DEFRA issued a consultation on the future priorities for, and delivery of, the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund on 30 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how much was paid by the Single Farm Payments Scheme to those individuals on the scheme who received £150,000 or more in each year for which figures are available; (182934)

[holding answer 28 January 2008]: The Single Payment Scheme (SPS) 2005 and 2006 payments to individuals who received £150,000 or more are reflected in the table.

SPS 2007 payments are still being made and RPA cannot provide equivalent figures at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department’s agencies spent on (a) Christmas cards and (b) postage of Christmas cards in each year since 1997. (182445)

DEFRA came into being in June 2001. The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. In 2006 and 2007, core-DEFRA did not produce physical Christmas cards opting instead for a selection of e-greetings cards chosen following an internal design competition and made available for all staff to use. Accordingly, no postage costs were incurred.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many farms closed in Norfolk in each of the last five years. (182101)

Information on the number of holdings is collected in the annual June Survey of Agriculture and Horticulture. Information is not collated on the number of holdings closing. The following figures show the number of registered holdings at June each year. These figures show net change only and therefore include gains as well as losses.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on the future development of a common EU food security policy, with particular reference to issues of security of supply. (181711)

I am not aware of any plans for a future common EU food security policy. Food security has many components, including the stability and resilience of supply; the ability of the food system to withstand disruptions; food safety; nutrition and quality; and affordability. The EU has a role to play in relation to several aspects such as food safety, trade policy and agricultural policy.

What matters to security of supply is effective risk management, security of energy supplies, access to food from a variety of sources, a strong food chain and infrastructure and the capacity and contingency planning to deal with specific risks. Improved trading relationships, based on more open international markets will help facilitate these.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has for the responsibilities of the proposed marine management organisation in relation to integrated marine spatial planning on offshore wind farms. (178589)

We will delegate responsibility for preparing marine plans to the proposed marine management organisation. These marine plans will reflect our objectives on offshore wind energy generation as set out in the proposed marine policy statement and relevant national policy statements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions have taken place under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in each year since its introduction. (178598)

The number of defendants proceeded against for offences under the Protection of Badgers Act 1992 in England and Wales from 1992 to 2006 is shown in the attached table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent discussions officials in his Department have had with officials in the Welsh Assembly Government on the devolution of powers consequent on the passage of the proposed Marine Bill; what the date was of the last meeting on the subject; and what matters were discussed; (181118)

In coming to a view on legislation, the Government works closely with the devolved Administrations. My officials are in contact and meet regularly with counterparts in the devolved Administrations to discuss marine issues including the Marine Bill. Discussions cover the full range of policy areas set out in the Marine Bill White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 1497W, on waste disposal: fees and charges, what action is proposed in relation to householders who do not pay the charges for waste collection. (178691)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on 21 January 2008, Official Report, column 1497W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs over what period revenue neutrality in relation to charges for the collection of household rubbish will be calculated. (183277)

As stated in the Climate Change Bill, local authorities will have to meet the requirement for revenue neutrality from year to year, and taking one year with another. We plan to work with stakeholders to provide further advice on this in guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a waste collection authority will be able to participate in a household waste charging pilot scheme where the waste disposal authority does not wish to. (183278)

Pilot waste incentive schemes would need to be designated by the Secretary of State. We would expect a waste collection authority coming forward as a pilot to be able to demonstrate a good working relationship with its disposal authority. This relationship will underpin a successful pilot.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the likely maximum amount to be charged per year under proposals for a household waste charging scheme; what powers he plans to take to cap the charge; and at what level. (183279)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 14 January 2007, Official Report, column 871W, to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles).

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) whether he plans to consult local authorities on the implications for incineration waste disposal costs of reclassification of bottom ash as hazardous waste; (182127)

[holding answer 29 January 2008]: Revisions to the approved supply list (ASL) (version 8) introduced an ecotoxic classification for zinc oxide, one of the substances which is likely to be present in incinerator bottom ash (IBA). Zinc substances now need to be considered, in addition to lead and other ecotoxic heavy metals, when classifying and disposing of this kind of waste.

Since there is the potential for potentially ecotoxic metal substances in incinerator bottom ash (IBA) to exist in non-ecotoxic form, I understand that the waste industry is currently developing a protocol for ecotoxicity testing of IBA.

DEFRA and the Environment Agency both consider that the classification of IBA will remain non-hazardous pending the results of direct testing, which is being carried out as part of this work.

DEFRA has not discussed the classification of IBA with other member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the (a) Business Resource Efficiency and Waste and (b) Envirowise programmes in helping industry improve resource efficiency. (178612)

The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme was set up to return £284 million raised from landfill tax back to businesses between 2005 and 2008 to improve their resource efficiency and to minimise the levels of waste that are unnecessarily sent to landfill.

Evaluation results for 2005-06, which are conservative, indicate that BREW saved businesses nearly £88 million and increased their sales by over £14 million. There were also reductions in water use, waste sent to landfill and the amounts of raw materials used by businesses. Many of the benefits will be seen beyond 2005-06. Work is currently under way to assess the impact of programme spending in 2006-07.

The Envirowise Programme is a key component of the overarching BREW programme. Envirowise aims to stimulate business to reduce their costs through reducing the amount of waste they produce.

Impact Evaluation results for the calendar year 2006 indicate that £85 million was saved by business from direct use of Envirowise. This figure is conservative and accounts only for savings that would not have been made without Envirowise. The savings figure is much greater when including companies who consider themselves to have been assisted by Envirowise. There have also been large reductions in water use and use of raw materials from business using the programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has provided to the (a) Business Resource Efficiency and Waste programme and (b) Envirowise programme in each of the last three years; how much funding is proposed to be allocated for each programme over the next three years; and if he will make a statement. (178611)

The Business Resource Efficiency and Waste (BREW) Programme was set up to return £284 million raised from landfill tax back to businesses between 2005 and 2008 through resource efficiency and waste projects. Funds are awarded to a number of regional and national BREW delivery bodies, including Envirowise.

Funding allocated to BREW for each of the last three years is as follows:

These figures are subject to change, since actual spending could vary slightly from the forecast for 2007-08.

Funding allocations to Envirowise for each of the last three years is as follows:

Subsequent funding of the BREW programme will be subject to future spending decisions, which will be carefully balanced with other departmental priorities in tackling waste and climate change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to call upon the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to examine the compliance of the Japanese whaling industry with the provisions of the Convention. (178742)

Following the recent announcement that Japan intended to take 50 Humpback whales in the southern ocean as part of its JARPA II whaling programme, the UK Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Management Authority wrote to the CITES Secretariat asking for clarification on the legal position. We have drawn the contents of the reply to the attention of the EU CITES Management Committee, which will consider it at its next meeting in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will ask the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species to investigate the legality of Japanese whaling under the convention. (183330)

[holding answer 31 January 2008]: Following the recent announcement that Japan intended to take 50 Humpback whales in the southern ocean as part of its JARPA II whaling programme, the UK Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) Management Authority wrote to the CITES Secretariat asking for clarification on the legal position. We have drawn the contents of the reply to the attention of the EU CITES Management Committee, which will consider it at its next meeting in April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) if he will seek to place the recent report by a panel of independent legal experts on the legality of the Japanese whaling industry on the agenda of the annual meeting of the International Whaling Congress in Santiago in June 2008 for consideration by the parties; (183470)

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether he has had discussions with the Australian government on potential legal action against Japanese whaling activities in the Southern Ocean; and if he will make a statement. (178894)

DEFRA is aware of the recent report commissioned by International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) which questioned the legality of Japan's whaling under CITES (the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora).

Following the recent announcement that Japan intended to take 50 humpback whales in the Southern Ocean as part of its JARPA II whaling programme, the UK CITES Management Authority wrote to the CITES Secretariat asking for clarification on the legal position. We have drawn the contents of their reply to the attention of the EU CITES Management Committee, which will consider it at its next meeting in April. Japan subsequently announced it will not target humpbacks, but will still target minke and endangered fin whales.

DEFRA has also received representations from Greenpeace UK and IFAW about the legality of Japanese whaling under CITES. A number of hon. Members have also made representations in support of IFAW’s position.

We will continue our efforts, along with other countries, to urge Japan to reconsider their position on whaling. In the build up to the annual International Whaling Commission (IWC) meeting in Chile (IWC60) and in discussion with other like-minded anti-whaling countries, we will consider all reports and options, including all legal avenues available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent representations he has received on the legality of Japanese whaling under the convention on international trade in endangered species; and if he will make a statement. (183483)

[holding answer 31 January 2008]: DEFRA has received representations from Greenpeace UK and the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) about the legality of Japanese whaling under the convention on international trade in endangered species (CITES). A number of MPs have also made representations in support of IFAW's position.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had at meetings of the Council of Ministers on (a) the European Union response to the murder of Alexander Litvinenko and (b) the refusal of the Russian authorities to extradite Andrei Lugovoi; and if he will make a statement. (182189)

[holding answer 31 January 2008]: We have been working at all levels with our partners in the EU to maintain EU pressure on Russia to ensure Andrei Lugovoi faces charges in connection with the assassination of Alexander Litvinenko in the UK. Our EU partners support our view that this is an issue which needs to be pursued within the framework of the EU’s relations with Russia. We continue to demand that Lugovoi should stand trial in the UK. We have made clear to partners that Lugovoi remains charged with murder in the UK and is liable to prosecution here.

My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary in his statement of 16 July 2007, Official Report, columns 21-22, undertook to keep the House informed of any significant development in this case.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information the Government collates on the activities of individual arms dealers, with particular reference to those who are reported to have (a) broken UN sanctions and (b) supplied countries where UK armed forces are operating. (183628)

The Export Control Organisation at the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform is the licensing authority for strategic exports in the UK. It sets out the regulatory framework under which licence applications are considered, and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise, and Regulatory Reform takes the formal decision to issue or refuse export licences or refuse export licence applications in accordance with the appropriate legislation and announced policy. Information about arms brokers who have had their proposed export licence application either refused or revoked is shared with HM Revenue and Customs and the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office to ensure that the decision is enforced. Where the Government receives information that an exporter has attempted to circumvent export control rules, the relevant Government departments and agencies will take action. For example, the arms broker John Knight was recently jailed for four years for breaching export controls relating to a brokered transaction between Kuwait and Iraq. This case illustrates that the legislation introduced under the Trade in Goods (Control) Order 2004 is making an impact.

The UK has one of the most rigorous and transparent export licensing regimes in the world. All licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against “The Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria”. The criteria cover in detail how we assess each case. Specifically criterion 5b states: “the risk of the goods concerned being used against UK forces”. If there appears to any risk of this being the case, a licence will not be issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 851W, on Cyprus, if he will place in the Library the full itinerary of the visit to Cyprus by the Government's Special Representative to Cyprus, the hon. Member for Enfield, North, in October 2007. (180430)

My right hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Joan Ryan) visited Cyprus from 1 to 4 October 2007, in her capacity as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Special Representative to Cyprus. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to him on 14 January 2007, Official Report, columns 850-851W for details of her programme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 14 January 2008, Official Report, column 851W, on Cyprus, if he will list the (a) date, (b) venue and (c) people attending each meeting in the UK attended by the hon. Member for Enfield, North in her official capacity as the Government's Special Representative to Cyprus. (180431)

In her capacity as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Special Representative to Cyprus, my hon. Friend the Member for Enfield, North (Joan Ryan) holds regular meetings in the UK with representatives of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, other interested parties, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials and Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to reduce the number of hard copies of e-mails printed by officials in his Department. (179469)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) actively encourages staff to minimise the environmental impact of printing e-mails through advice to delete any unnecessary text, to use duplex printing wherever possible and to print several pages per side of paper. A prepared message, prompting e-mail recipients to consider the necessity of printing, is available for inclusion as a part of staff e-mail signature blocks.

In the slightly longer term, the reduced distribution of printers attached to the FCO's new desktop IT system will provide a practical means of discouraging casual printing of documents, including e-mails.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information his Department holds on the cost of EU pavilions at international events. (181768)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office does not hold information on the cost of EU pavilions at international events.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the conduct of the recent presidential elections in Georgia. (183460)

The Government accept the assessment of the International Election Observation Mission (IEOM), led by the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE)/Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR). On 6 January, the IEOM reported in their preliminary findings that the election process

“was in essence consistent with most OSCE and Council of Europe commitments and standards for democratic elections, [but] significant challenges were revealed which need to be addressed urgently.”

The final assessment of the election, which has not yet been issued, depends, in part, on the conduct of the concluding stages of the election process, including the tabulation and announcement of final results and the handling of possible post-election day complaints or appeals. The indications from the OSCE/ODIHR post-election interim report of 18 January are that there were a number of problems in these areas. The OSCE/ODIHR will issue a comprehensive final report in the coming weeks.

We, and our EU partners, have urged Georgia to take all necessary steps to address the identified shortcomings in order to ensure successful parliamentary elections later this year. As I said in a public statement on the elections on 7 January, Georgia needs to do more to reinforce the independence of state institutions in a political campaign environment and to strengthen the freedom and pluralism of the media, as well as the independence of the judiciary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment he has made of Iraq's contribution to total world oil pollution; and if he will make a statement. (183619)

We have not made any recent assessment of Iraq's contribution to total world oil pollution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what training the civilian police in UNAMID have received in dealing with gender issues such as rape; and if he will make a statement. (183365)

The 1,400 civilian police currently in Darfur as part of the African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur (UNAMID) were transferred from the African Union Mission in Sudan (AMIS). They received training from EU police advisers working with AMIS, which included training on community policing and gender-based violence.

The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations is currently preparing pre-deployment training for extra officers to bring UN AMID's police component up to 6,500 officers. Their training will be discussed at a meeting in Accra in February, at which the UK will press for gender issues to be covered.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will set out how the £400 million committed during the next three years by his Department, the Department for International Development and the British Council to tackle radicalisation and promote understanding overseas as announced by the Prime Minister in his statement of 14 November 2007, Official Report, column 668W, on national security, is to be spent. (183578)

[holding answer 31 January 2008]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Pontypridd (Dr. Howells) gave to him on 27 November 2007, Official Report, columns 347-48W: that the Government will report back on action overseas with other countries to counter extremism when we launch the full national security strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the human rights situation in Turkmenistan since the death of Saparmurat Niazov in December 2006; and if he will make a statement. (178744)

Since the death of President Niyazov in December 2006 and the election of President Berdimuhamedov in February 2007, there has been some positive progress on human rights. There has been a greater willingness by Turkmenistan to engage on human rights issues with international organisations, including the EU, UN and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. Louise Arbour, the UN Human Rights Commissioner, visited Turkmenistan in April 2007 and there is an outstanding invitation to the UN Rapporteur on Religious Freedom to visit. The EU Special Representative for Central Asia, Pierre Morel, and Javier Solana, High Representative for EU Common Foreign and Security Policy, discussed human rights with president Berdimuhamedov on several occasions in 2007, including during Berdimuhamedov’s visit to Brussels in November 2007. The first EU-Turkmenistan ad hoc dialogue on human rights took place in Brussels in September 2007. The Minister for Energy, my hon. Friend the Member for Croydon, North (Malcolm Wicks) raised human rights concerns during his visit to Turkmenistan in September 2007.

In August 2007, President Berdimuhamedov pardoned and released from prison a number of individuals who had been detained following the coup attempt on President Niyazov in 2002. These included Nasrullah Ibn Ibadullah, the former Chief Mufti. The UK has regularly lobbied for Ibadullah’s release, bilaterally and jointly with EU partners, most recently the week before he was pardoned. Internal freedom of movement has improved. Checkpoints and roadblocks have been removed and it is easier for Turkmen citizens to travel to border areas. In contrast to previous practice, the new president has asked the international community to provide scholarships for young citizens of Turkmenistan to study abroad and has publicly encouraged young people to take up these opportunities.

However, there remains a long way to go. The education system will need time to recover from years of neglect under President Niyazov. There is still no press freedom and no freedom of expression. President Berdimuhamedov has recently made statements criticising the quality of the media, but it is too early to say if this means any relaxation of controls on the media. There is only one political party, and religion and civil society are tightly controlled. Non-governmental organisations registration remains a lengthy and complex process and the Government has not yet addressed this issue.

The UK will continue to urge Turkmenistan to address human rights issues and will support genuine efforts to do so, both bilaterally and with international partners. We will continue to work through the EU-Turkmenistan ad hoc Dialogue on Human Rights and through the EU’s Central Asia Strategy, which has as one of its main themes the support for good governance, rule of law and human rights.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s 2008 Annual Human Rights Report win contain further analysis of the human rights situation in Turkmenistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what files are held by his Department on the Unborn Children (Protection) Bill of Session 1986-87; and if he will make a statement. (182667)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 23 January 2008, Official Report, column 2066W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the extent to which alcohol is being sold at a price lower than the cost of duty payable on it. (182816)

The Department has commissioned an independent review, currently under way, to be carried out by a research team from the University of Sheffield, of the evidence on how and in what circumstance price and promotion—including discounting, price-based promotions and advertising—drive consumption of alcohol and harms from alcohol. The review will report in summer 2008. Following this the Government will consider the need for action, including regulatory change, and consult publicly on any proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what targets have been set for blood donation; and what performance has been against those targets in the last period for which figures are available. (181833)

As of 20 January 2008, actual collections for this financial year stood at 1,531,900 units against a planned target of 1,548,300 units for this period. However, the National Blood Service continues to meet hospital demand for blood, currently fulfilling 99.97 per cent. of demand.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment Lord Darzi made of the role of carers in his research for his report on the NHS. (181832)