To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with reference to the Government’s response to paragraph 121 of the report of the Intelligence and Security Committee on the handling of detainees by UK intelligence personnel in Afghanistan, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance given to UK intelligence personnel prior to their deployment in respect of (a) the treatment of detainees and (b) reporting procedures in the event of concerns. (260331)

Guidance given to UK intelligence personnel prior to their deployment in respect of (a) the treatment of detainees and (b) reporting procedures in the event of concerns is operational, and for that reason has never been published. The guidance is based on clear principles:

Torture is both abhorrent and illegal, and that the UK should never participate, never encourage and never condone the use of torture.

The UK has obligations under both international and domestic law, including under the Convention Against Torture, and that we should act consistent with those obligations.

The UK makes it clear to our partners that we stand by the above principles.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009, Official Report, column 1242W, on Guantanamo Bay: detainees, if he will place in the Library a copy of the written transfer agreement for the return of Binyam Mohamed concluded on 20 February 2009. (261819)

The written transfer arrangement for Mr. Mohamed’s release and return from Guantanamo Bay, agreed on 20 February 2009, was a private document between the Government and the US Government. It is our long-standing policy not to comment on the detail of operational matters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 23 February 2009, Official Report, column 362W, on Afghanistan: peacekeeping operations, what the objectives of the internal stock-take of Government policy in Afghanistan completed in December 2008 were. (260243)

The stock-take measured progress in Afghanistan from November 2007 to November 2008. It was intended to inform the Government, as part of the review announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in the debate on Her Majesty the Queen’s speech in December 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent progress has been made on implementation of the EU enlargement strategy in respect of (a) Albania, (b) Macedonia, (c) Turkey, (d) Bosnia-Herzegovina, (e) Kosovo, (f) Croatia, (g) Serbia and (h) Montenegro; and which countries included in the enlargement strategy he expects to receive pre-accession funding. (262189)

[holding answer 10 March 2009]: Full details can be found in the 2008 Progress Reports at

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/how-does-it-work/progress_reports/index_en.htm

All countries included in the enlargement strategy receive funding through the European Commission's Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA). This is due to amount to €7.58 billion overall for the period 2007-11 to support political and economic reform and preparation for EU membership. A breakdown of IPA funding by country is available at the European Commission's Multi-Annual Indicative Financial Frameworks website

http://ec.europa.eu/enlargement/dont-miss/index_en.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 27 February 2009, Official Report, columns 34-36WS, on the General Affairs and External Relations Council, for what reasons the Council was unable to reach a conclusion on the proposed closure of the Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina; and what proposals the UK made on the matter. (261737)

At the General Affairs and External Relations Council on 23-24 February 2009, there was discussion of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s progress towards meeting the conditions for closure of the Office of the High Representative (OHR). There was no consensus that the conditionality set by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board in February 2008 had been met. The UK reiterated the importance of adhering to this conditionality, making clear our view that it has not yet been met. Any eventual decision on closure of the OHR will need to be taken by the Peace Implementation Council Steering Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the recent violence in north east Colombia. (262705)

The situation in North East Colombia, particularly in those rural areas bordering Venezuela, is complicated and difficult due to the activities of illegal armed groups.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office Travel Advice for Colombia currently advises against all but essential travel to all rural areas bordering Venezuela, which includes North East Colombia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Government of Colombia on the use of landmines; and if he will make a statement. (262700)

The UK has provided training to Colombian officers on humanitarian landmine removal. Officials from our Embassy in Bogota maintain regular contact with the Colombian Ministry of Defence to help Colombia fulfil its Ottawa convention responsibilities, and remove the landmines that illegal armed groups continue to use to kill and maim innocent Colombians.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence he collects on the effectiveness of the human rights training delivered to the Colombian military by the UK. (262018)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: We monitor civil society, media and UN reports on the Colombian military's human rights performance. UK co-operation with the Colombian Ministry of Defence strongly influenced their new Integral Policy on Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law, and reinforced their work with UN Agencies.

While these new policies are to be welcomed, we are concerned by recent reports of abuses committed or allowed by members of the Colombian army. I issued a statement on the issue on 30 October 2008:

“The Colombian government's decision to dismiss a number of army officers as a result of recent extra-judicial killings and cases of criminal conspiracy is important. It is vital, not least for Colombia's international reputation, that the government and courts continue to show a determination to deal with human rights abuses committed by members of the armed forces, and that those convicted by the civilian justice system are punished appropriately.”

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been spent on military aid to Colombia in each year since 1999. (262581)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 12 January 2009, Official Report, column 358W.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what requirements are placed on Colombian military personnel to adhere to human rights standards before they receive UK training. (262709)

The UK requires that Colombian armed forces personnel who undertake UK training courses do not have any formal human rights convictions or pending investigations. The current policy of the Colombian armed forces is that personnel with a formal human rights allegation against their name are suspended and therefore ineligible to receive UK or any other international training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on Cyprus. (262337)

While our Officials and Ministers maintain regular contact with their US counterparts on Cyprus, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not yet raised Cyprus with his US counterpart.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he is taking to encourage the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo to hold the local and provincial elections that have been delayed since 2006. (258847)

The UK is the largest bilateral donor supporting election processes in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). We have committed substantial funding in support of preparations for the local elections, and capacity-building for the Independent Electoral Commission. We have encouraged our international partners to do the same. Our ambassador in Kinshasa is a member of the Elections Steering Committee in the DRC, which met on 24 February 2009. There are currently serious funding gaps for local elections, which the Committee has undertaken to examine in March 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what scheme of compensation exists for his Department's officials injured in (a) Iraq and (b) Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. (261846)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: The Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme provides benefits to members (UK Civil Servants) who suffer injury, and to the families of those who die while on duty in the UK or overseas. These benefits are provided via two schemes, an injury benefits scheme and a personal injury compensation scheme.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) also makes ex-gratia payments to its staff, both UK Civil Servants and locally engaged staff, who suffer injury or death overseas in terrorist attacks as a result of their Crown service.

In addition the FCO reimburses staff for the cost of additional premiums imposed by life insurers because of service in Iraq or Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the Answer of 5 February 2009, Official Report, column 1409W, on departmental ministerial policy advisers. where Ravi Gurumurthy was seconded from; and on what date he became a special adviser. (260715)

Mr. Ravi Gurumurthy was seconded from the Department for Communities and Local Government on 28 June 2007, and is a strategic adviser and speech co-ordinator for my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 2 March 2009, Official Report, column 1240W, on departmental public expenditure, what efficiency savings have been (a) made in 2008-09 and (b) identified for financial year 2009-10; and what the estimated saving from each is. (261937)

I refer the right hon. Member to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s (FCO) 2008 autumn performance report published in December 2008, available online at:

http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-the-fco/publications/publications/annual-reports/autumn-performance1

This gives the actual efficiency savings, for each efficiency project, for the first six months of 2008-09 and forecast savings for 2009-10 and 2010-11.

The FCO’s departmental report, to be published in June 2009, will provide actual efficiency savings for the whole of 2008-09 and latest forecast savings for 2009-10 and 2010-11.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many locally-engaged staff his Department employs at each of its overseas posts; and if he will detail how many such staff at each post have been made redundant in the last 12 months. (261003)

Exact details on numbers of locally engaged staff at posts and redundancies are not currently held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which (a) commercial banks and (b) independent financial experts his Department consulted on managing its exposure to foreign currency movements following the Treasury’s withdrawal of support for the overseas price mechanism. (261824)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office consulted with commercial banks, the Standard Chartered Bank and the Royal Bank of Scotland. We also had discussions with the Bank of England.

We took, and continue to take, advice from independent financial experts HiFX Intelligent Financial Services.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how he plans to report to hon. Members the outcomes of (a) the 53rd Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and (b) the 42nd Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development. (260458)

[holding answer 4 March 2009]: The main outcome document of the UN Commission on the Status of Women is the agreed conclusions on the equal sharing of responsibilities between women and men, including care giving in the context of HIV/AIDS. This will be disseminated across relevant Government departments. This and all other outcome documents are publicly available on the UN Commission on the Status of Women website at:

http://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/csw/agreedconclusions.html

The outcome document of the 42nd Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development will be disseminated to relevant Government departments. This document will be publicly available on the UN Commission on Population and Development website at:

http://www.un.org/esa/population/cpd/cpd2009/comm2009.htm

I will arrange for copies of the Outcome documents of the 53rd Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women and the 42nd Session of the UN Commission on Population and Development to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the objectives were of the recent visit to Washington by his Department’s Senior Legal Adviser; and what meetings were held during the visit. (260256)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office Legal Adviser visited the US on 9-10 February 2009 to pursue Government objectives related to the legal aspects of a number of foreign policy matters including in relation to the former Guantanamo Bay detainee, Mr. Binyam Mohamed. He met with officials from the Department of Justice, State Department, White House Counsel, Office of General Counsel, Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Counsel and Department of Defence.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps his Department (a) has taken since June 2007 and (b) plans to take in the next 12 months to improve the flow of credit to (i) small and (ii) medium-sized businesses; what discussions (A) he, (B) other Ministers in his Department and (C) departmental officials have had with the Confederation of British Industry about the issue; and if he will make a statement. (256722)

On 19 January, the Government announced measures designed to reinforce the stability of the financial system, to increase confidence and capacity to lend, and in turn to support the recovery of the economy. Further information is available at:

http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/press_05_09.htm.

These build on measures announced on 8 October last year.

The Government intend to negotiate with the banks participating in certain facilities lending responsibility agreements that will have specific and quantified lending commitments and that will be binding and externally audited.

The Government are taking specific action to meet the needs of small and medium-sized enterprises. On 14 January 2009, the Government announced a package of support to address the cash flow, credit and capital needs of smaller businesses. This package implements and builds upon the commitments the Government made in the 2008 Pre-Budget Report. Details are available at:

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/realhelp/finance.

The Government meet with a wide range of stakeholders, including representatives of small and medium-sized enterprises. As announced in the 2008 Pre-Budget Report, the Government have established a new lending panel, which will improve monitoring of lending to households and businesses. The work of this panel is supported by the Small Business Finance Forum, established by the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform in November of last year.

The Government will continue to take all necessary measures to ensure the stability of the financial system, ensure lending to the economy, businesses and homeowners, and limit the depth and duration of the current recession and support the subsequent recovery.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to improve the speed and efficiency of processing claims for new mothers applying for child tax credits. (262062)

For information on HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) processing aims, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Northavon (Steve Webb) on 24 February 2009, Official Report, columns 534-36W.

HMRC provides helpful guidance for prospective new claimants on its website at:

www.hmrc.gov.uk/taxcredits/how-to-claim.htm

Tax credits helpline advisers also provide callers with tailored advice to help them complete their claims correctly so that tax credits are paid as quickly as possible.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what guidance his Department issues on whether its members of staff may claim for travel in first class carriages on trains if there are no seats in standard class; and what the policy of HM Revenue and Customs is on the matter. (262031)

The Treasury’s guidance to staff travelling on official business is that standard class should be used. However, first class travel may be used by staff at all levels where there is a business justification or when travelling at peak or other times when trains are likely to be crowded. In all such cases staff are required to provide an explanation for the use of first class travel when claims are made.

HM Revenue and Customs’ policy is that staff travelling by rail should use standard class. However staff at Grade 7 and above may travel first class if certain conditions apply. All staff may upgrade to first class on the day of travel if no standard class seats are available on the rail journey being taken.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his Department’s policy is on holding departmental away days outside the Department’s buildings; and what the policy of HM Revenue and Customs is on the matter. (262026)

The Treasury and Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs have no central policy on the holding of away days. The Departments both have a responsibility to provide their staff with the right skills and expertise and use a variety of means to do so.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the statement of 15 January 2009, Official Report, columns 377-80, on Equitable Life, what his estimate is of the length of time it would take to make compensation payments as recommended by the Ombudsman; and what estimate he has made of the time it will take for all compensation in accordance with the Government proposals to be made. (255751)

The Government intend to set up an ex-gratia payment scheme that can pay out as swiftly as possible, taking account of the practical considerations involved. The Government will work on these practical issues in parallel with the work that they have asked Sir John Chadwick to undertake. Until the work is complete, it will not possible to make an estimate of how long it will take to make payments under the scheme. The Government will keep the House updated and report back on progress at regular intervals.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will defer the changes to vehicle excise duty planned to be introduced in 2010 in order to assist the automotive sector. (261876)

The 2008 pre-Budget report announced both standard and first year rates of vehicle excise duty for 2010. Under the standard rates, no driver will pay more than £30 extra in any given band in 2010 compared with 2009 and many will see a reduction of £30.

Under the new first year rates, cars emitting between 100 to 130 grams per kilometre of carbon dioxide will pay no vehicle excise duty in the first year of registration and cars emitting up to 165 grams per kilometre will pay no more than under the standard rate.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the reasons were for his Department’s decision to withdraw support for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s overseas pricing mechanism; and when the decision was made. (262094)

The decision to abolish the Overseas Price Mechanism was taken in the autumn of 2007 as part of the broader agreement for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in the 2007 comprehensive spending review. The OPM protected the FCO from currency fluctuations but it did not provide the Department with the incentive to factor in medium-term changes in currency costs when it allocated its resources. As part of the CSR07 agreement, the Treasury allowed the FCO to engage in forward currency markets to better manage short-term currency risk. This change brought the FCO into line with practice in other Government Departments.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the weighted average for the (a) maturity and (b) duration of advances to local authorities from the Public Works Loans Board was in each month between 2000 and 2008. (258889)

The data are not collated monthly. The annual figures are as follows:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average (a) fixed and (b) initial variable interest rate applied to advances to local authorities from the Public Works Loan Board was in each month between 2000 and 2008. (258890)

The data are not collated on a monthly basis. The annual figures are:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much local authorities borrowed from the Public Works Loan Board at (a) a fixed and (b) a variable rate of interest in each month between 2000 and 2008. (258891)

Monthly data are available only at disproportionate cost. The annual figures are as follows:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much debt owed to the Public Works Loan Board was redeemed early by local authorities in each month between 2000 and 2008. (258892)

Monthly data are available only at disproportionate cost. The annual figures are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the package of delivery designed by Metrix for the Defence Training Review project will offer apprenticeships to the (a) standards and (b) accreditation delivered by the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering; and what provision will be made in the package for apprenticeship training to an accredited standard. (262635)

As part of the requirement for the Defence Training Review (DTR) Package 1, Metrix will transform and modernise existing training, which will involve the re-accreditation of any transformed modules. This re-accreditation will be led by Nord Anglia, the Open university and City and Guilds, who are all respected and leading accreditation specialists. For the Defence College of Aeronautical Engineering, and all the technical training under Package 1, any existing accreditation will remain in place until a re-designed package is approved by the Ministry of Defence, which includes any proposals for changes to apprenticeship training.

All Defence training (including accreditation implications) must adhere to a robust and established change process under the Defence systems approach to training to approve any change, and meet stringent defence and Government policy guidelines. The Department is recognised as an example of good practice with respect to apprenticeships and remains committed to maintaining this reputation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the current (a) outflow and (b) voluntary outflow (i) numbers and (ii) rates for each pinch point trade in the Armed Forces are. (257676)

As I set out in my answer of 15 May 2008, Official Report, columns 1704-05W, and 26 November 2008, Official Report, columns 1521-26W, some of the information requested is not available; this position remains the case. I have provided as much information as possible for the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force although it is not possible to provide inflow rates for the Royal Navy pinch points due to the configuration of the pinch point trades on the joint personnel administration (JPA) system. The Army is currently not able to provide any data of this kind as the information held on JPA has not been validated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will bring forward proposals to increase the number of military tattoos held each year; and if he will make a statement. (254927)

Military tattoos take place in a number of towns and cities across the UK and are generally organised on a commercial basis, although most are set up and run for charitable purposes.

The major tattoos that the services plan to support this year (as in previous years) include the Edinburgh Military Tattoo and the Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo and the Royal International Air Tattoo (held at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire). Units from the army supported the first Windsor Castle Royal Tattoo last year and it is planned to widen participation this year to include elements from the RN and RAF as well. Other tattoos, such as Birmingham, Aldershot and Durham, have also been supported by military assets in recent years and it is understood that the City of Cardiff are seeking to introduce a Cardiff tattoo in the coming years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what percentage of the Defence Training Review package he expects to be delivered outside the future Defence Academy at RAF St Athan. (262500)

All of the training in the scope of the Defence Training Review Package 1 will, by 2020, be delivered at St. Athan, with the exception of Royal Naval Communications training at HMS Collingwood which amounts to 2 per cent. of the total training requirement. In addition, about 30 per cent. of phase 3 (professional) training will be delivered away from St. Athan at remote learning centres around the UK to enable personnel to stay near home bases and families.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many staff of his Department were recorded absent for non-medical reasons on (a) 2 February 2009 and (b) 3 February 2009; what estimate he has made of the (i) cost to his Department and (ii) number of working hours lost due to such absence; and what guidance his Department issued to staff in respect of absence on these days. (260476)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many contracts (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have which allow contractors to store personal data of UK citizens overseas; for which contracts this applies; in which countries the data for each contract are held; and how many people have their data stored overseas in the case of each such contract. (245342)

The Ministry of Defence has identified eight contracts where personal data of UK citizens are held overseas. The following table provides the name of the contract, the country where the data are held and the approximate number of records.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with Treasury officials on the future of the Met Office as part of the Government’s Trading Fund Review; and if he will make a statement. (260205)

Officials from the Ministry of Defence and Treasury were represented on the Trading Funds Assessment Steering Group. As announced in the pre-Budget report the Met Office is now being examined as part of the Government’s Operational Efficiency Programme and officials from both Departments are meeting regularly to take this forward.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what the monetary value of the surface ship refitting contracts was at HM Naval Base Portsmouth in each year since 1997; (261789)

There is no requirement to keep contractual information for surface ship upkeep work (refits and docking periods) beyond seven years. The values of contracts completed prior to 2001 are, therefore, no longer held. The following table provides the costs for upkeep work carried out since 2001 on Aircraft Carriers, Type 42 Destroyers, Type 22 and 23 Frigates, Landing Platform Dock, Royal Fleet Auxiliary and Mine Countermeasure vessels:

The figures shown for years 2001 and 2004 include upkeep work packages for the aircraft carriers HM Ships Invincible and Illustrious.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what recent assessment he has made of the (a) capacity and (b) capabilities of (i) HM Naval Base Plymouth Devonport and (ii) HM Naval Base Faslane in respect of submarines; (261808)

The capacity and capability of all three UK naval bases (Clyde, Devonport and Portsmouth) are regularly assessed to ensure that they individually and collectively meet the requirements of the Royal Navy. The most recent assessment was carried out as part of the Naval Base Review (NBR), which concluded in July 2007 that all three naval bases should be retained but optimised. This optimisation work has begun at each naval base and forms an integral part of the Maritime Change Programme (MCP). MCP is developing an enduring maritime enterprise, commensurate with the Defence Industrial Strategy (DIS), that delivers affordable, sustainable and efficient Maritime build, equipment and through life support to meet the operational needs of the Royal Navy today and in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the monetary value of surface ship refitting contracts which will be awarded to UK naval bases in the next three years. (261981)

The MOD’s regular planning round is currently in progress. Until this work has been completed, it is not possible to provide a cost estimate for future Royal Navy surface ship upkeeps.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what standard of accommodation is being planned for Joint Helicopter Command under Project Belvedere; what criteria are being used to make the decision; and what the cost would be of upgrading RAF Lyneham to (a) Royal Air Force, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Army accommodation standards; (261906)

The Belvedere Programme is considering future basing options for the Joint Helicopter Command.

Under the strategic direction of the Defence Operating Board and a three Star military officer (the Senior Responsible Owner), the Belvedere Team Leader has day to day responsibility for the programme timetable.

The range of variables and programme uncertainties has been more complex than originally envisaged, and has inevitably had an impact on the time taken to undertake the work. The criteria against which judgments are made, for both individual airfields and combinations of airfields, include:

operating issues including aircraft numbers, command and control and flying hours; environmental issues including noise,

availability and standard of domestic and technical accommodation;

accessibility for aircraft and vehicle types; aircraft capacity of the airfield;

opportunities for efficiencies and rationalisation;

airfield location—low flying areas, training areas and local communities;

future requirements; and,

affordability and value for money.

The costs of Belvedere since it was reconstituted in June 2007 have been a little under £2 million. In addition, around £2 million has been spent on essential maintenance works at RAF Lyneham to ensure that its existing infrastructure can remain viable if Belvedere concludes that the station should be retained.

No decisions have been taken on the number of bases required, nor therefore, of any accommodation requirements at RAF Lyneham. Any new accommodation would be provided to common joint-Service standards.

Baseline noise and environmental impact assessments have been made for each of the sites being considered by Programme Belvedere. A full environmental assessment following selection of a particular option would take 11-12 months. The programme would then be delivered through a series of individual projects. Future costs would depend upon the option chosen.

The future of the Belvedere Programme is currently under consideration at senior levels within the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the (a) trained, (b) actual strength and (c) numbers fit for duty requirement is for each (i) regular and (ii) territorial infantry battalion of the Royal Regiment of Scotland. (262633)

Fit for duty has been interpreted as medically fit to perform any duty. Personnel unfit for duty in their primary role but who can perform a role in an alternative capacity are therefore included in the following tables.

As at 1 December 2008, the figures for Royal Regiment of Scotland regular battalions were:

As at 1 January 2009, the figures for Royal Regiment of Scotland Territorial Army battalions were:

Data concerning fit for duty personnel are not collected for the Territorial Army and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions his Department has had with the Shareholder Executive as part of the Government’s Trading Fund Review; and if he will make a statement. (260206)

Officials from the Ministry of Defence worked very closely with the Shareholder Executive on the Trading Funds Assessment.

Ministry of Defence officials with responsibility for the Department’s Trading Funds were represented on the Trading Funds Assessment Steering Group. There were discussions on the Assessment between officials and Shareholder Executive officials and MOD Ministers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what consultation his Department has conducted with external organisations as part of the review of Government Trading Funds. (260204)

Ministry of Defence officials with responsibility for the Department’s Trading Funds were represented on the Trading Funds Assessment Steering Group alongside officials from other Trading Fund owner Departments, HM Treasury, the Office of Fair Trading and the Office of Public Sector Information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects to answer Question 245342, tabled on 15 December 2008, on personal data stored overseas. (261528)

I replied to the hon. Member today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications for export refunds within the Common Agricultural Policy there have been for (a) pigmeat, (b) milk and milk products, (c) poultry, (d) beef and veal and (e) eggs under the EC regulation currently in force in the last 12 months. (262021)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: Commission Regulation 800/1999, which came into force on 15 April 1999, currently governs export refunds within the common agricultural policy. Since this date, the following number of applications for export refund have been made in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps the Government has taken to ensure the welfare of farm animals in the last 12 months. (261469)

[holding answer 10 March 2009]: The welfare of all farmed animals is protected by the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which makes it an offence to cause unnecessary suffering to any animal. The Act also contains a Duty of Care to animals—this means that anyone responsible for an animal must take reasonable steps to make sure the animal’s needs are met. The Act is backed up by detailed regulations for farmed animals and species-specific welfare codes.

Animal Health carries out welfare inspections on farms to check that legislation and the welfare codes are being followed. In addition to spot checks and planned visits, Animal Health follows up all complaints and allegations of poor welfare on specific farms as a matter of urgency. In 2008, Animal Health carried out a total of 10,159 animal welfare inspections on farms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effects of recreational bee keepers and their practices on the bee population. (262071)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: Recreational beekeepers, who form a substantial majority of beekeepers in the UK, play an important role in helping to combat the decline in the honey bee population, both in terms of ensuring that they practice good husbandry to maintain and increase bee numbers, and through recognising the risks of spreading pests and diseases to other beekeepers if they fail to take action. The recent National Audit Office report highlighted the large numbers of recreational beekeepers who are unknown to the authorities and so who could be unaware of the risks of spread of pests and disease. An additional £2.3 million funding was announced by the Secretary of State in January to support implementation of the initial phase of a 10 year plan to protect and improve the health of honey bees. This involves new work aimed at gaining a more accurate picture of the numbers and distribution of beekeepers and the status of the health of their colonies and increasing significantly the proportion of beekeepers registered on the National Bee Unit’s Beebase database in England.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his international counterparts on bee health. (261797)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: There have been no discussions in recent years at a ministerial level on the problems affecting bee health. At official level DEFRA is working closely with other EU member states and has been in regular contact with our United States counterparts about colony collapse disorder. Members of the National Bee Unit are involved in an EU Consortium of Bee Researchers, COLOSS, which has been established to facilitate the exchange of information about abnormal colony losses and a project funded by the European Food Standards Agency which is collecting data from bee surveillance programmes currently run by EU member states.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the details of the new bee health research programme to consider the wider problems facing pollinators to be finalised; and if he will make a statement. (262067)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: Negotiations with other potential funders are still continuing but we hope to conclude these in the next few weeks. Details of the programme will be published on the DEFRA website once these have been finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the international trade in honeybees on the spread of pests and diseases in the UK bee population. (262070)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: International trade in honeybees poses a risk of movements of pests and diseases. Consequently, imports are only allowed from a limited list of non-EC countries. Imports of honeybees into the UK are controlled by EC legislation which includes a requirement for each consignment to be accompanied by a health certificate issued by the relevant authorities in the exporting country. Imports from countries outside the Community are also subject to post import controls aimed at reducing the risk of introduction and spread of exotic bee pests, in particular, the small hive beetle and tropilaelaps mites, both of which are notifiable.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff of the National Bee Unit were responsible for research into bee health in each of the last 10 years. (262072)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: The information is not available in the form requested. Depending on the project, bee health research can involve any of the staff in the National Bee Unit, the bee inspectors and a range of researchers from various other disciplines within the Central Science Laboratory.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many seasonal bee inspectors were employed by the National Bee Unit in each of the last 10 years. (262073)

[holding answer 9 March 2009]: The number of seasonal bee inspectors employed by the National Bee Unit in each year since 1998 is set out in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many members of staff in his Department have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended and (c) dismissed for losing (i) memory sticks, (ii) laptop computers, (iii) desktop computers and (iv) mobile telephones belonging to his Department in each year since 1997. (248253)

No DEFRA employees have been (a) investigated, (b) suspended, or (c) dismissed for losing (i) memory sticks, (ii) laptop computers, (iii) desktop computers, and (iv) mobile telephones belonging to the Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff in his Department were disciplined for (a) bullying and (b) harassment of colleagues in each of the last three years. (254088)

Seven employees have been disciplined for bullying and harassment in the last three years. One employee was disciplined in 2007, five employees were disciplined in 2008, and one employee has been disciplined in 2009.

DEFRA'S procedures do not differentiate between bullying and harassment so I am unable to provide a further breakdown.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many and what percentage of letters sent by his Department were given to (a) the Royal Mail and (b) another postal services provider for delivery in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. (259962)

From information held centrally, the core-Department has not used any postal service provider other than Royal Mail in the last 12 months. For the period 1 February 2008 to 28 February 2009 inclusive, the core-Department gave the Royal Mail 2,037,695 letters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether a local authority which has adopted an alternate weekly collection of household waste will be deemed to have successfully implemented a waste management and strategy and initiative for the purposes of scoring a potential bid to become a pilot. (252323)

DEFRA has no plans to run weekly collection pilots.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what funding his Department has allocated for each category of research into improving the UK’s food security in each of the last four years. (257799)

[holding answer 23 February 2009]: Between 2005-09, DEFRA has invested in research activities associated with UK food security. Industry have joint funded some of the work within the LINK programme. The LINK Programme is a co-ordinated research and innovation framework programme funded in equal share (50:50) by DEFRA and industry. Its aim is to develop near-market products and practices, for subsequent progression to the market place under full industry funding.

Total spend for each of the last four years is shown in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make an assessment of the registers held by the Environment Agency of reports on incinerator bottom ash for the purposes of determining whether its composition exceeds permitted levels for harmful substances. (256565)

[holding answer 12 February 2009]: Monitoring data on certain heavy metals, loss on ignition (the change in weight recorded when the ash is heated to a high temperature) and the total organic carbon in incinerator bottom ash is provided by the incinerator operators. This is placed upon the Environment Agency public registers. These data are checked by the Environment Agency upon receipt. Limits are set on loss on ignition/total organic carbon to ensure that the incinerator is operating efficiently. No breaches of these limits have been reported hence no enforcement action has been taken. Limits are not set on the heavy metal content of the ash as a permit condition. The operator is expected to carry out more detailed analysis before the ash can be disposed of.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will consult (a) stakeholders, (b) experts and (c) other bodies on procedures for H14 ecotoxicity testing of incinerator bottom ash. (256566)

[holding answer 12 February 2009]: Incinerator bottom ash is not tested directly for ecotoxicity as this would involve unnecessary expense and unwarranted animal testing. Instead, chemical analysis is undertaken using standard methods and the ash is assessed for ecotoxicity by reference to the criteria for levels of dangerous substances given in the Environment Agency’s Technical Guidance WM2 “Hazardous waste: interpretation of the definition and classification of hazardous waste, 2nd edition, version 2.2”. The Environment Agency has been working with the Environmental Services Association to ensure that the procedures used to assess incinerator bottom ash are both robust and technically appropriate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much plastic foam insulation containing ozone depleting substances has been treated with approved methods of gas recovery in the last 12 months. (260964)

Ozone depleting substances are recovered from insulation foams in refrigerators, freezers and other equipment in specialist facilities. A small amount of insulation foam arising as construction waste is also treated in some of these plants but the quantity is unknown.

Annual reports on the tonnages of all ozone depleting substances recovered in the UK, including refrigerant fluids and halons from fire extinguishers, are provided to the EU but the Environment Agency does not hold information on the amounts derived from individual sources. Data are not yet available for 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) enforcement notices have been issued and (b) prosecutions have been brought in respect of improper disposal of plastic foam insulation containing ozone depleting substances in each of the last three years. (260966)

The National Enforcement Database is the main recording system for data on enforcement actions carried out by the Environment Agency. The database does not provide specific information regarding offences relating to the disposal of plastic foam insulation.

The Environment Agency takes enforcement action where necessary against people who have operated illegal transfer stations, unlicensed landfills for construction/demolition waste and those who have fly-tipped this type of waste.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what proportion and amount of revenue raised from landfill tax has been returned to local authorities in each of the last five years; (260447)

[holding answers 3 March and 6 March 2009]: The Government worked closely with local government in CSR07 to identify the overall pressure on waste management services, including the increase in landfill tax, along with the extent to which those pressures can be mitigated. Over the CSR07 period, the overall Government grant will increase by £8.9 billion which takes into account local government’s landfill tax liability, including the increased costs resulting from the rise in the standard rate escalator from 2008-09, and allows local authorities to deliver effective services including in the area of waste management.

DEFRA is also supporting local authorities to develop alternatives to landfill through the Private Finance Initiative (PFI). To date £2.02 billion PFI Credits have been committed to 33 projects which will divert waste from landfill. There are a further 11 projects in the application process, for the remaining £1.18 billion PFI Credits currently available.

In addition the Waste Infrastructure Capital Grant provides direct funding to help local authorities put in place the front-end infrastructure needed to help them meet their landfill diversion targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much liquid milk was imported into the UK in (a) 1997, (b) 2000 and (c) 2008. (261566)

[holding answer 6 March 2009]: Liquid milk imports are shown in the following table. Liquid milk is imported into the UK in two forms, as raw milk for processing by dairies in the UK, or as liquid drinking milk (e.g. pasteurised or UHT milk).

Most imports of raw milk come from the Republic of Ireland for processing by dairies in Northern Ireland.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many postcards supporting the designation of the South Downs as a National Park have been received by his Department since December 2008. (261957)

DEFRA has received around 17,500 postcards supporting the proposed South Downs National Park since 1 December 2008.