To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the level of competitiveness in the farming industry; and if he will make a statement. (274932)

British farmers work extremely hard in challenging circumstances and the competitiveness of the industry is a key concern of the Government. Between 1973 and 2008, the productivity (measured as total factor productivity¹) of UK agriculture grew by 55 per cent.² In addition to productivity, the international competitiveness of UK farming also depends, at least partially, on the strength of sterling against the currencies of our major competitors. The recent weakening of the pound against the euro since mid-2008 has meant that British agricultural exports are priced more competitively against our European competitors thereby strengthening our position on the EU export markets. However, in order to maintain competitiveness in the longer term, the industry must improve its productivity performance relative to the farming industries in our main competitor countries, and the Government are committed to helping them do so.

¹ Total factor productivity is a physical measure of productivity and encompasses all businesses engaged in farming activities, including specialist contractors. Total factor productivity excludes subsidies.

² Source: AUK 2008 Chapter 10, paragraph 6.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the measures in the Animal Welfare Act 2006, with particular reference to the tethering of equines; and if he will make a statement. (273874)

We have not yet made a full assessment of the effectiveness of the Animal Welfare Act 2006, which came into force on 6 April 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs for which animal-borne diseases inspectors posted at UK points of entry are instructed to search. (275797)

For intra-community trade in live animals, there are no checks at point of entry. There are risk based post-import checks at point of ultimate destination (e.g. farm, market), which are carried out by Animal Health for diseases that are notifiable under EU and UK law.

Live animals can only be imported to the European Community from third countries approved as having equivalent animal health status to an EU member state for the species in question. They must be accompanied by veterinary certification which must confirm, among other things, that the live animals being transported have been examined by an official veterinarian within 24 hours of loading and showed no clinical signs of disease.

Live animals imported into the European Community from such approved third countries must enter at designated Border Inspection Posts (BIPs) where they are again subject to veterinary inspections by Animal Health for clinical signs of disease and the accompanying health certificates verified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) how many live wild animals have been imported into the UK in each of the last five years; (275938)

This information is not held centrally.

However figures are available for imports into the UK from non-EU countries of species listed under the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). Permits to allow the import of such species are issued by Animal Health's Wildlife Licensing and Registration Service. The vast majority of these relate to imports of species of the class Anthozoa, which includes sea anemones and corals.

These figures exclude some CITES listed leeches, which are measured in kilograms rather than number of specimens.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much expenditure was incurred by his Department in respect of the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009. (273907)

The total amount incurred by the Department for this trip was £1,309.92.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what expenditure on (a) travel, (b) accommodation and (c) food (i) he and (ii) officials in his Department incurred in connection with the Cabinet meeting in Glasgow on 16 April 2009. (273908)

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State's travel costs to and from Glasgow were £744.67. The Department incurred no accommodation costs or food costs associated with his travel.

One departmental official accompanied him, and his travel cost was £500.25. The official also stayed overnight in London prior to the meeting at a cost of £65.00. He incurred no food costs or other accommodation costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many (a) BlackBerry devices and (b) mobile telephones have been lost by (i) Ministers, (ii) special advisers and (iii) civil servants in his Department in each year since 2005. (274465)

The following figures show the total reported number of losses of BlackBerry, personal digital assistant and palm-top devices and mobile telephones since 1 April 2004.

These losses were reported by officials of this Department. There were no losses involving Ministers or special advisers.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on compliance with requirements of health and safety at work legislation in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. (274543)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many fisheries officers have been based in each principal coastal town in each year since 2004. (276706)

Data for the number of fishery officers in the principal coastal offices of the Marine and Fisheries Agency are contained in the following table. Details are only available from 2006 following the creation of the agency towards the end of 2005¹.

¹ Information sourced from internal Marine and Fisheries Agency staff lists.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what date he most recently discussed sea fishing quotas with his counterparts in the devolved administrations; and if he will make a statement. (276705)

I regularly discuss fisheries issues with my counterparts in the devolved Administrations; the most recent discussion was at the European Agriculture and Fisheries Council on Monday 25 May 2009.

The latest discussions I have had with my counterparts that focused specifically on quotas were in the run up to our joint announcement on 13 May 2009 to set up a quadrilateral Ministerial Working Group to deliver proposals for quota management and licensing reforms in the UK.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the number of mutual aid agreements established by local authorities following the recommendations of the Pitt report on flooding. (277444)

We estimate there are hundreds of such agreements in place across England and Wales. These agreements cover a whole range of aspects of mutual aid between local authorities and between organisations which might be called upon during wide-area emergencies. In December 2008, guidance to local authorities on establishing mutual aid protocols was published jointly by the Cabinet Office, the Local Government Association and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives. The impact of this guidance on the number and standard of mutual aid arrangements will be surveyed during the course of this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will publish the results of the first bidding round for the property-level flood protection grants scheme. (277404)

I intend to announce the results of the first round of bids for the property-level flood protection grant scheme shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the average time taken to process an abstraction licence application for hydropower schemes was in each of the last four years. (277436)

The Environment Agency has collected information on the time taken to determine hydropower permit applications since November 2008. The time taken to determine applications between receipt of the formal application to issuing a permit is as follows:

2008: Average time 133 days

2009: Average time 119 days

The Environment Agency did not record data centrally on the time taken to determine hydropower permits before November 2008.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the amounts of money raised from the disposal of waste by the (a) landfill tax and (b) Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme in the last 12 month period for which figures are available. (276891)

Landfill Tax is administered by HM Revenue and Customs. The Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme is a trading scheme between local authorities and as such the Government do not raise money from it.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make an assessment of the potential for the use of side-flapped, automatic sheeting systems for tipper trucks to contribute to a reduction in littering; and if he will make a statement. (276614)

I have been asked to reply.

Current regulations require all loads to be secured so that no danger or nuisance is caused to any person or property by the load either falling or being blown from the vehicle. Vehicle users are free to select the most appropriate equipment to meet these requirements and there are no plans to make an assessment of any new systems.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much the Marine and Fisheries Agency spent on hospitality and entertainment in each of the last five years. (276367)

The Marine and Fisheries Agency (formerly the Marine Fisheries Agency) was formed in October 2005.

The Agency may, with the prior approval of the chief executive and in accordance with DEFRA departmental policies, incur expenditure on hospitality in furtherance of its business including, for example, working lunches, dinners and similar meetings with external stakeholders and representatives of other countries’ marine and fishery authorities.

Since its inception, the Agency has spent the following sums on hospitality:

Information for 2005-06 relates to activities of the Agency from its inception on 1 October 2005. Data relating to previous periods are not readily separable from that of DEFRA.

The Agency holds no budget for entertainment, and has incurred no expenditure on entertainment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he plans to reply to the letter of 31 March 2009 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. M. Carey. (275149)

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State replied to the right hon. Member on 18 May.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent steps he has taken to support milk production; and what assessment he has made of the effect on dairy farmers of recent trends in the price of milk. (276196)

While the dairy sector is responsible for determining milk production, DEFRA helps the supply chain address issues through the Dairy Supply Chain Forum.

I am aware of the current prices and declining milk production, and their effect on the dairy sector at present. This is not specific to the UK, as other EU member states are also experiencing similar drops in milk deliveries. It is normal to see a fall in prices at this time of year due to seasonal production increases. This has been exacerbated somewhat by the high returns experienced in 2007-08 which resulted in an increase in supply, and the fall in global demand seen recently due to the current economic situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) what recent progress has been made in mapping large reservoirs; (277651)

Between May 2008 and February 2009 the Environment Agency undertook trial and pilot studies on 49 reservoirs. Based on the results of these, it is undertaking two phases of work:

Phase 1 (March to September 2009): low resolution assessment of downstream risk to life for all reservoirs covered by the Reservoirs Act 1975 (i.e. those over 25,000 cubic metres capacity). As at the end of May, 57 reservoirs had been mapped under this Phase.

Phase 2 (June 2009 to January 2010): higher resolution assessment on the higher risk reservoirs identified in Phase 1.

The handover process to Local Resilience Forums is still to be finalised.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage of rural England is served by Rural Housing Enablers funded by his Department. (276643)

DEFRA no longer funds the Rural Housing Enablers (RHEs). From April 2005 to March 2008, DEFRA had part-funded this scheme to allow a smooth transition to local authorities and other funding sources after the Countryside Agency withdrew from this area of work.

The vision for the long-term funding of RHEs was that they should be supported at a local level by the same local authorities and housing associations whose rural delivery they exist to support. This reflects the Government's desire to enable decisions about priorities to be taken at the local level in response to local needs. Hence, local authorities, housing associations and registered social landowners now fund the scheme.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had with local authorities in Devon on the disposal of small holdings in local authority ownership. (276199)

There have been no specific discussions with local authorities in Devon on the disposal of local authority smallholdings. However, in the foreword to the latest Annual Report on Smallholdings, a copy of which is in the House Library, I made it clear that DEFRA fully supports the continuation of the county farm system.

I understand that in Devon following a Best Value Review in 2001 the council firmly backed the retention of a county farm estate and that the current estate comprises 60 smallholdings, of which 20 are starter farms and 40 progression farms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 11 March 2009, Official Report, column 439W, on trade unions, what office facilities his Department provides for the exclusive use of each recognised trade union; and what the notional annual value of such provision is. (271931)

DEFRA and its Executive agencies provide trade unions access to appropriate facilities to enable them to carry out their duties effectively, provided this does not interfere with departmental work and they are not used excessively. Examples include:

accommodation

desks

computers

telephones

faxes

printers

stationery

notice boards

photocopiers

pedestals

filing cabinets

The notional annual value for accommodation (estimated property holding cost) is approximately £60,000 per annum.

However, the overall value for facilities could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects the first set of quarterly data from WasteDataFlow returns to be published following the Environment Agency’s issuing of guidance to waste disposal authorities on listing the final destination of waste. (269981)

The first data set of the Landfill Allowance Trading Scheme for quarter 3 of 2008-09 (October to December 2008) will be made available by the end of May 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Peterborough (Mr. Jackson) of 12 March 2009, Official Report, column 685W, on waste disposal: fees and charges, which local authorities made initial inquiries about participating in piloting a waste reduction scheme. (275775)

We are committed to releasing the names of any local authorities that come forward with formal expressions of interest in piloting a waste reduction scheme; none have yet done so.

To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners what representations the Church Commissioners have received on funding for repairs to the roof of St. Margaret’s Church, Westminster. (277282)

The Commissioners have received no such representations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what criteria his Department uses in assessing the merits of proposals to expand airports; and if he will make a statement. (277009)

The Department for Transport undertook a series of wide-ranging studies to assess the merits of alternative airport expansion options in developing the 2003 White Paper, “The Future of Air Transport”. The largest of these, the South East Regional Airports Study (SERAS) announced in 1999, looked in detail at a large number of options for expanding airport capacity in the South East and East of England. Impacts were assessed in accordance with “The Appraisal Framework for Airports in South East and Eastern Regions of England”, available at:

www.dft.gov.uk/consultations/archive/2002/fd/appraisal frameworkforairport1384

This appraisal framework follows that in the then Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions (DTLR)'s “Guidance on Methodologies for Multi-Modal Studies”, which formed the basis for the Department's current published transport appraisal guidance—available at:

www.dft.gov.uk/webtag/

which has been used, for example, in preparing the Impact Assessment accompanying the Secretary of State's decisions on adding capacity at Heathrow airport.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) scheduled and (b) charter flights there were from British airports to (i) the Netherlands, (ii) Luxembourg and (iii) Malta in each of the last five years. (276900)

The following tables show the number of scheduled and charter flights departing from British airports to the Netherlands, Luxembourg and Malta in each of the last five years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department spent on alcoholic beverages in the last 12 months for which figures are available. (277355)

Generally, the Department for Transport operates a no alcohol policy. In exceptional cases, where the Department is holding a special event or staff are attending a venue away from their normal office and working long hours necessitating an evening meal, some limited provision of alcoholic drinks at public expense may be permitted at the discretion of a senior civil servant. Spend incurred in such situations is not centrally recorded and this information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on office removal contracts in each of the last five years. (276458)

The requested information is provided in the following table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies spent on (i) standard and (ii) business class rail travel in each of the last three financial years. (276491)

The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) review and (b) taskforce projects his Department has commissioned in each of the last five years; what the purpose of each such project is; when each such project (i) began and (ii) was completed; what the cost of each such project was; and if he will make a statement. (275981)

Summary information on taskforces and other standing bodies is available in the annual Cabinet Office publication “Public Bodies”. Copies of “Public Bodies 2008” are available in the Libraries of the House. Detailed information on ad hoc advisory bodies is available in the Department’s Annual Report:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/about/publications/apr/ar2008/

Information about reviews commissioned in the last five years is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency spent on hospitality and entertainment in each of the last five years. (276366)

Expenditure by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) on hospitality and entertainment in each of the last five years is as follows:

DVLA adheres to the principles on the management of public money (as in HM Treasury’s handbook on Regularity and Propriety) and has very strict rules and cost limits on such expenditure. In the main, hospitality costs cover refreshments at meetings with external stakeholders and in relation to workshops held at DVLA premises.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many (a) injury and (b) non-injury collisions have occurred during module 1 motorcycle tests since the introduction of the test on 27 April 2009; and if he will make a statement. (276382)

The following table details how many collisions have occurred during the modular motorcycle test.

None of these incidents involved another person or vehicle. The Driving Standards Agency is working with the motorcycle training industry to improve the standard of preparation of candidates.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fraudulent applications for driving licences have been detected by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency in each of the last five years. (276821)

The following table provides the number of suspect driving licence applications detected by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) in the last four financial years:

This information was not collated prior to 2005.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many photographic driving licences issued to applicants have subsequently been withdrawn on the basis of (a) fraud and (b) ineligibility of the applicant in each of the last five years. (276822)

This information is not held in the requested format. The following table provides the total number of driving licences (paper and photocard) withdrawn in the last three full financial years, the applications having been found to have been suspect.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many fake photographic driving licences have been recovered by (a) the police, (b) the UK Border Agency and (c) HM Revenue and Customs in each of the last five years; and how many such licences were obtained using a (i) fake passport and (ii) passport obtained by fraudulent means. (276823)

The police, UK Border Agency and HM Revenue and Customs do not have statistics relating to the number of false driving licences seized.

The following table provides the number of fake driving licences referred to the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) after recovery by the police in the last three years. These figures refer to counterfeit documents, not issued by DVLA and therefore would not have relied on examination of supporting identity documents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what assessment he has made of the risk posed to drivers from left-hand drive vehicles not fitted with headlamp beam adapters; (277266)

It is generally recognised that the main risk if the headlamps on left-hand drive vehicles are not correctly adjusted is dazzle to other road users. No recent assessment has been carried out.

Vehicles used in the UK, including those visiting temporarily, must comply with the Road Vehicle Lighting Regulations which require that headlamps should not be used so as to cause dazzle or discomfort to other road users. It is the responsibility of those visiting the UK to make themselves aware of these requirements and to make any necessary adjustments to their headlamps to enable them to comply either by using “beam adaptors” or any other method recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

The Vehicle and Operator Services Agency is currently considering whether better information to drivers of large vehicles on how to adjust headlamp beam patterns could be provided.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of the sale of Eurostar UK on the likely price which will be obtained for the sale of High Speed 1. (277248)

The Government are not engaged in a sale of Eurostar (UK) Ltd.

The continued success and sustainability of Eurostar is an important factor in the value of High Speed 1. This is one of the reasons why the Government continue to examine ways to best further the development of Eurostar to the benefit of passengers and in relation to value for the UK taxpayer. We are doing so in conjunction with our international partners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the letter of 8 November 2008 he received from Colin Matthews of BAA on the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport; and if he will make a statement. (277251)

The chief executive of BAA, Colin Matthews, wrote to the Secretary of State for Transport on 28 November 2008. The content of his letter was widely reported in the media and BAA issued a press release on the matter which contains the substance of the letter. The press release is titled “Heathrow Airport puts environmental limits before new flights” and can be accessed in the ‘News releases’ section of:

www.heathrowairport.com

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how he plans to maximise the value to the Exchequer of the disposal of (a) High Speed 1, (b) Eurostar UK and (c) other property and remaining assets associated with London and Continental Railways Ltd. (277247)

The Government intend to secure best value in High Speed 1 through a public auction of a long-term concession, the timing of which will depend on an assessment of market conditions.

Similarly London and Continental Railways Ltd. will develop and dispose of its property assets in due course as is judged to deliver best value in the market.

The Government are not engaged in a sale of Eurostar (UK) Ltd. and continue to examine ways to best further the development of the successful Eurostar services to the benefit of passengers and in relation to value for the UK taxpayer. We are doing so in conjunction with our international partners.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make an assessment of the potential for the use of side-flapped, automatic sheeting systems for tipper trucks to contribute to road safety; and if he will make a statement. (276615)

Current Regulations require all loads to be secured so that no danger is caused to any person or property. Vehicle users are free to select the most appropriate equipment to meet these requirements and there are no plans to request an assessment of any new systems.

For information, the Code can be found on the Department for Transport’s website at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/vehicles/vssafety/safetyofloadsonvehiclescodeo4566

Recently our domestic code was complemented by a Code for Europe which can be found at:

http://ec.europa.eu/transport/roadsafety/vehicles/best_practice_guidelines_en.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on levels of congestion of the road-widening scheme between junctions 1b and 3 of the M25. (276464)

A Post Opening Project Evaluation, which includes the effects on levels of congestion, will be carried out in autumn 2009. The report will be available in April 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many automatic penalties the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) issued for failure to submit a statutory off-road notification in each of the last five years; in how many of these cases the Agency had not sent a reminder to the registered keeper previously; and if he will make it his policy that (a) DVLA issue reminders for renewal of statutory off-road notifications in all circumstances and (b) automatic penalties are not issued by DVLA unless a renewal reminder has been sent. (277519)

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency does not have details of the number of automatic penalties issued for failure to submit a statutory off-road notification. However, the following table provides the total number of automatic penalties issued for the combined reasons of failing to submit a statutory off-road notification or failing to relicense a vehicle.

Reminders are automatically issued to all customers before the SORN or tax disc expires. There may be occasions when a reminder cannot be issued, e.g. if the vehicle is stolen.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the frequency with which lag pipes are fitted to powered two-wheel vehicles other than those designed for racing purposes off the public highway; and if he will make a statement. (276297)

The Department for Transport has not conducted any assessment of the frequency with which modified exhausts are fitted to motorcycles in service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much his Department paid in fees to Pender Coucher Associates for work in connection with the establishment of Network Rail in 2002. (277365)

No payments were made to Coucher Pender Ltd. by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions for work in connection with the establishment of Network Rail in 2002.

However, the Strategic Rail Authority did engage Coucher Pender Ltd. as consultants in the work to bring Railtrack out of administration.

The amount paid can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much of the fees paid by Network Rail to Coucher Pender Ltd. between 2007 and 2009 was paid in salaries and bonuses to Iain Coucher and Victoria Pender; (277366)

Iain Coucher is an Executive Director of Network Rail. Details of his annual salaries and bonuses are published in the company's Annual Reports and Accounts, which can be found on the Network Rail website at:

www.networkrail.co.uk

Victoria Pender's employment conditions are a matter for her and Network Rail. My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail at the following address for further information on his questions:

Network Rail

Kings Place

90 York Way

London, N1 9AG.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) how much was paid by Network Rail to Coucher Pender Ltd. formerly Pender Coucher Associates, between 2002 and 2007; (277367)

These are commercial matters for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. My hon. Friend should contact Network Rail at the following address for a response to his questions:

Network Rail

Kings Place

90 York Way

London, N1 9AG

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which EU bodies have responsibilities relating to inter-operability of European railways. (277187)

The European Commission is responsible for policy on the Interoperability of European Railways. The Commission is supported on operational and technical matters by the European Railway Agency.

Technical Specifications for Interoperability are developed with the input of a variety of representative bodies.

Draft specifications are consulted on with European social partners:

BUSINESSEUROPE

the European Centre of Enterprises with Public Participation

European Trade Union Confederation.

Following consultation the drafts need to be agreed with member states and the European Parliament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what recent representations he has received on funding road improvement schemes administered by the Highways Agency. (277328)

The Department for Transport receives many representations on improvements to roads managed by the Highways Agency. Notably, the English regions (excluding London) submitted in February 2009 their regional funding advice on transport priorities in the period up to 2018-19 which included a number of proposed enhancements to Highways Agency roads of regional importance. The Department announced in January its planned programme of improvements to motorways and major trunk roads.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) what recent assessment he has made of the effect on levels of greenhouse gas emissions of (a) passenger aircraft and (b) cargo aircraft using Southend Airport; what representations he has received on this issue since January 2008; and if he will make a statement; (276871)

The Department for Transport’s latest assessment of carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions from passenger and freight aircraft using the UK’s main airports is published in Annex G of “UK Air Passenger Demand and CO₂ Forecasts 2009”. This is available at:

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/aviation/atf/co2forecasts09/

No assessment of greenhouse gas emissions from passenger and freight aircraft using Southend Airport has been made, nor has the Secretary of State received any representations on the issue.

There have been no discussions between the Department for Transport and BAA on proposals for the expansion of Southend Airport. London Southend Airport was purchased in December 2008 by Stobart Group Ltd. from Regional Airports Limited.

The Future of Air Transport White Paper identified Southend Airport as having a valuable role in meeting local demand and the potential to contribute to regional economic development. The White Paper supported further development in principle, subject to relevant environmental considerations. The two local councils, Rochford and Southend, have recently consulted on their preferred option for the development of Southend Airport. This consultation closed on 15 May 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much revenue from fines for motoring offences arising from detections by speed cameras was paid into the Consolidated Fund (a) directly and (b) from surpluses of safety camera partnerships in each of the last 10 years. (276454)

The Department for Transport only holds information about speed and red light cameras operating under the National Safety Camera programme which started in 2001 and ended on 31 March 2007. The Department does not hold details of fines imposed by courts and paid directly into the consolidated fund. The gross surpluses returned to the consolidated fund from the partnerships are shown in the following table. This surplus represents the difference between the total of fixed penalties paid for speed and red light offences detected by cameras, and the costs reclaimed by partnerships in the prevention, detection and enforcement of these offences. A portion of the amount shown will have been deducted prior to payment to Treasury in order to cover departmental costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent from the public purse on the (a) purchase and (b) maintenance of speed cameras in each year since 1997. (276455)

The Department for Transport only holds information about speed and red light cameras operating under the National Safety Camera Programme which started in 2001 and ended on 31 March 2007. Under the netting off funding arrangements, safety camera partnerships reclaimed expenditure directly attributed to the prevention, detection and enforcement of speeding and red-light offences from fines issued as a result of camera enforcement. The programme was therefore not funded from the public purse but by drivers who had been caught speeding or contravening red traffic lights.

Figures from the audit certificates for the partnerships in England and Wales for the seven financial years between 2000-01 and 2006-07 are contained in the table. These show the amount of fine revenue reclaimed by the partnerships and used for the prevention, detection and enforcement of speed and red light offences. The Department does not hold more specific information on purchase and maintenance costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what methodology his Department uses to estimate the number of lives saved attributable to the installation of speed cameras. (276467)

The independent evaluations of the National Safety Camera Programme assessed the effectiveness of cameras using a statistical model which took account of a range of parameters including the effects of long-term trends and seasonal variations. Details of the modelling approach are included in the Appendices to these reports.

The four-year evaluation, published on 15 December 2005 and available in the Library of the House and on the Department for Transport's website, found a 42 per cent. reduction in people killed or seriously injured at camera sites, that means around 1,745 fewer people killed or seriously injured per annum, including over 100 fewer deaths.

8. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of the military situation in Afghanistan. (277540)

Progress has been made, but the insurgency remains resilient. The majority of people can go about their daily lives, but in certain areas of the country, particularly in the south and east, significant security challenges remain.

10. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of (a) internal and (b) external threats to the security of Afghanistan. (277542)

25. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent assessment he has made of (a) internal and (b) external threats to the security of Afghanistan. (277557)

Our assessment is that Afghanistan faces a serious security challenge from within and outside its borders, and this threat will continue for the foreseeable future.

The NATO ISAF mission will continue to support the democratically elected Government of Afghanistan as it seeks to address these threats using a politically-led approach to dismantle the insurgency; and by building the capacity and capabilities of its security forces.

9. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what his Department's policy is on the present and future use of unmanned aerial vehicles by the armed forces. (277541)

On current operations, unmanned aerial vehicles are giving our troops vital information and are an invaluable asset for our commanders. They have a crucial role to play in future operations and we will continue to invest in them.

12. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidance he has issued to the armed forces on the application of human rights legislation to personnel on the battlefield. (277544)

I refer the right hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for West Chelmsford (Mr. Burns) and the hon. Member for Blaby (Mr. Robathan).

13. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been made for service personnel and their families overseas to vote in the forthcoming local and European elections. (277545)

For this week’s elections a Defence Instruction Notice was published notifying personnel of the date and nature of the elections with key dates by which they must be registered, and the Electoral Commission have distributed publicity campaign posters to all units during the past month. Those personnel overseas who are registered as ordinary or service voters can vote by post or by proxy in both the local and European elections. Those registered as overseas voters can only vote in the European elections.

14. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many (a) in-house and (b) private sector bids have been submitted for the army recruitment contract. (277546)

No in-house or private sector bids have been submitted in relation to the Army’s Recruit Partnering Project. An industry day was held on 28 May to provide information to companies who may be interested in submitting tenders in due course.

15. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place to provide that troops receive training on new equipment before deployment to theatre with such equipment. (277547)

I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today to the hon. Member for Bexleyheath and Crayford (Mr. Evennett).

16. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent discussions on burden sharing have taken place in the North Atlantic Council. (277548)

The North Atlantic Council routinely discusses all aspects of NATO operations, including burden-sharing. Last month, the issue of burden-sharing featured prominently at the Alliance’s Summit meeting, and it will do so again when NATO Defence Ministers meet on 11 to 12 June.

17. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent estimate he has made of the number of service personnel who are likely to experience long-term mental health problems. (277549)

Less than 0.1 per cent. of regular service personnel are discharged annually for mental health reasons, whatever the cause. The King’s Centre for Mental Health Research is undertaking an MOD-funded study looking at the prevalence of mental health disorders in both serving and veteran personnel. This study will inform our mental health care policies when the results are available towards the beginning of next year. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

18. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the main characteristic requirements are which his Department demands for military vehicles used in Afghanistan. (277550)

The requirements of vehicles for Afghanistan are primarily determined by the specific task the vehicle is to carry out and the threat it is expected to face. This means we need to find the right balance between capability, survivability, serviceability, mobility and physical protection for each task.

19. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans his Department has to mark Armed Forces Day; and if he will make a statement. (277551)

The MOD will be supporting over 80 community events across the country with major events in every region. The historic dockyard Chatham will host the inaugural Armed Forces Day National Event on Saturday 27 June. We have also invited all local authorities to fly a flag for our armed forces. So far 460 of the 480 borough, city, district and county councils across the UK have registered to take part as have the Governors of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands.

20. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the future role of the Defence Storage and Distribution Agency. (277552)

The Defence Storage and Distribution Agency is being reviewed under the Treasury’s Operational Efficiency programme in order to maximise value for money for the taxpayer. A progress report was published in the Operational Efficiency Programme Final Report in April 2009. Work to date has concentrated on identifying a range of possible business models to deliver its services while seeking to minimise its ongoing capital investment requirement. The next phase of work will also include a review of the boundaries, synergies and relationship with the Defence Support Group.

Further progress will be reported in the pre-Budget statement in the autumn.

21. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will hold discussions with the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on inclusion of the UK's future Trident nuclear deterrent in negotiations at the Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference in 2010. (277553)

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs and I regularly discuss a wide range of issues. The UK gave a detailed statement to the 2007 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Preparatory Committee on decisions regarding the future of the UK nuclear deterrent. We will make further statements to future NPT conferences as appropriate.

22. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many warships are in service in the Royal Navy. (277554)

The Royal Navy currently has 85 warships in service. These include aircraft carriers, amphibious vessels, destroyers, frigates, mine countermeasures ships, River Class offshore patrol vessels, inshore patrol craft, survey ships, and 12 submarines.

23. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department is taking to support the families of service personnel. (277555)

The Ministry of Defence takes very seriously its responsibility to ensure that service personnel, their families and veterans are properly looked after. We also accept our clear obligation to support their families and those who have left the armed forces.

The Service Personnel Command Paper sets out the nation’s commitment to our armed forces, their families and veterans. It is designed to end any disadvantage imposed by the unique demands of service life today, and to improve the level of support given to service personnel, their families and veterans.

24. To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans there are for his Department’s arrangements for provision of driving instruction. (277556)

In 2007-08, the last full year for which figures are available, the Defence School of Transport at Leconfield provided over 25,000 driving licences to trainees across the armed forces. In addition, a number of local contracts exist to provide driver training. The Army also conducts training for drivers of tracked vehicles. All these arrangements are kept under constant review, to ensure their continuing effectiveness and relevance to operational requirements.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many service personnel who have served in Afghanistan have been treated for post-combat stress disorder in each year since 2001. (276040)

Since July 2007 the Defence Analytical Services and Advice (DASA) organisation has reported on the Psychiatric Morbidity of the UK armed forces. Quarterly reports for the whole of 2007 and the first two quarters of 2008 are available in the Library of the House and on the DASA website found at the following link:

www.dasa.mod.uk

Equivalent verified data prior to 2007 are not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what estimate he has made of the cost of treating service personnel injured in Afghanistan in each year since 2001; (276042)

Medical policy for the Defence Medical Services (DMS) is overseen by the Surgeon General's Department (SGD). However, the organisational structure of the DMS means that comprehensive primary care and individual operational costs cannot be provided without disproportionate cost as they are disaggregated and embedded in the budgets of individual military units and overall operational budgets.

In Afghanistan, members of the DMS are deployed to provide the necessary in-theatre care and treatment for all our personnel. Funding for these personnel, and all associated treatment costs, are provided from overall operational budgets.

In the UK, the majority of secondary health care is provided in NHS hospitals by both DMS and civilian medical staff. The single service medical services are responsible for delivering primary health care to their respective service commanders-in-chief. This includes local medical centres, including GPs, Regional Rehabilitation Units (RRUs), and Departments of Community Mental Health (DCMHs). It is not possible to separate out costs from overall unit medical budgets without disproportionate cost.

The DCMHs provide out-patient mental health treatment for those requiring it, and, as noted above, funding for these falls to the single service commands. In the relatively few cases where in-patient care is required, this has since 2004 been provided under contract with external providers. The costs for in-patient care of UK service personnel in each year to date are provided in the following table:

The figures cover all service patients admitted for any mental health condition, not just post-traumatic stress disorder. They include the cost of assessing patients as well as any treatment provided, and also include services provided between 1 December 2003 and April 2004 prior to the formal contract start date.

Prior to 2004, in-patient treatment was provided by MOD's Duchess of Kent Psychiatric Hospital (DKPH) at Catterick. Although figures for each year since 2001 are not readily available, DKPH's costs in the final year of operation were some £10 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 18 May 2009, Official Report, column 1170W, on armoured fighting vehicles, how many Panther Command and Liaison vehicles have been modified for deployment to operations in Afghanistan in the last 12 months. (277337)

To date, 46 vehicles have been modified to a theatre entry standard, appropriate for deployment to operations in Afghanistan.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many members of the armed services of each (a) sex, (b) age cohort, (c) regiment and (d) service stationed in Iraq were (i) killed, (ii) seriously injured and (iii) otherwise injured in each year since 2007. (277235)

Since 1 January 2007, 52 UK service personnel have died while on deployment, or as a result of injuries sustained in Iraq. The figures presented for fatalities are correct as at 19 May 2009. Of the 52 service personnel who have died, information for three soldiers has not been publicly released and therefore their detailed information has been excluded from the tables.

Since 1 January 2007, three female UK service personnel have died while on deployment, or as a result of injuries in Iraq. These figures are correct as at 19 May 2009.

The following table provides a breakdown of fatalities by age-group and year.

The following table provides a breakdown of fatalities by service, corps/unit and year.

Since 1 January 2007, 79 UK service personnel have been very seriously or seriously injured (VSI/SI) while on deployment in Iraq. The figures presented are sourced from the NOTICAS reporting system and include casualties reported up to 16 May 2009. Casualties within the cause category of ‘natural causes’ are excluded from the figures.

Information on very seriously and seriously injured casualties by sex for the time period requested cannot be released without disclosing individual identities.

The following table provides a breakdown of very seriously and seriously injured casualties by age-group and year.

Information on very seriously and seriously injured casualties by regiment, or other service equivalent, for the time period requested cannot be released without disclosing individual identities.

A breakdown of very seriously and seriously injured casualties by service and year is provided in the following table.

Since 1 January 2007, 409 UK service personnel have been recorded on the NOTICAS casualty reporting system with a medical listing of Incapacitating Illness/Injury (III), Unlisted Condition (UL) or Minor Injury (MI) while on deployment in Iraq. The figures presented include casualties reported up to 16 May 2009. Casualties within the cause category of ‘natural causes’ are excluded from the figures.

Since 1 January 2007,13 female members of UK service personnel have been recorded on the NOTICAS casualty reporting system with a medical listing of III, UL or MI while on deployment in Iraq.

The following table provides a breakdown of casualties listed as III, UL and MI by age-group and year.