To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what the estimated (a) amount and (b) cost was of energy used in his Department in each year since 1997; what proportion of the energy used was generated from renewable sources in each of those years; and if he will make a statement. (317234)

The Wales Office holds records on energy usage since 2006-07; on the cost of electricity from 2002-03; and on the cost of other fuels since 2005-06. The available information is given in the following tables. Figures before these periods are not held centrally and can be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

In 2003-04 and 2004-05, 10 per cent. of the Department's electricity was derived from renewable sources. Since 2005-06 this has risen to 100 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many and what proportion of staff in his Department are disabled; and what the average salary in his Department is of (a) full-time disabled staff, (b) full-time non-disabled staff, (c) part-time disabled staff and (d) part-time non-disabled staff. (317899)

The Wales Office is a small Department and in the interests of maintaining confidentiality we are unable to disclose the figures requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many designs for its website his Department has commissioned since 2005. (318643)

Since 2005 there have been no redesigns of the Scotland Office website.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many thefts from his Department have been recorded in the last two years. (318997)

No thefts have been reported or recorded in the last two years.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what steps the House of Commons Commission plans to take to enable the House to participate in the Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010. (319087)

The Commission has decided that the House will participate in campaigns only in exceptional circumstances and there are therefore no plans for the House to participate in the Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010. The event is understood to be taking place at 8.30 pm on a Saturday evening, so the potential for significant reductions in the House’s emissions during the event will be very limited. An action plan and targets for reducing the House’s carbon dioxide emissions are currently being drawn up.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission with reference to the answer of 2 March 2009, Official Report, column 1211W, and pursuant to the answer of 21 January 2010, Official Report, column 434W, on Members: email, whether Pretty Good Privacy (PGP) encryption is now compatible with Parliament’s current version of VPN (remote access) software; what methods of email encryption are compatible with the PICT IT system; whether (a) S/MIME and (b) Steganos can be used on hon. Members’ computers; and whether hon. Members and their staff can choose to install PGP encryption software on their computers without PICT exercising its right to remove it. (318316)

The House of Commons Commission does not release information relating to software configuration. For more information regarding Members’ rights to install software on parliamentary computers I refer the right hon. Member to the answer given to him on 2 March 2009, Official Report, column 1211W.

Members and their staff may install their own software on their parliamentary computers. Members are responsible for the licensing and maintenance of any software that they install and, as the conditions of supply provide, PICT reserves the right to remove any software that is found to interfere with the proper operation of the hardware concerned, or the parliamentary network.

To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what plans the House of Commons Commission has for the office space presently occupied by staff of the Department of Resources dealing with allowances of hon. Members following the transfer of such functions to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority. (319206)

The staff who will transfer to the Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority currently occupy space on the third floor of 7 Millbank. The whole of the third floor will be freed up later in the year when other staff in the Department of Resources move to accommodation in Tothill Street. This will begin a series of moves which will involve moving Department of Information Services staff from 1 Derby Gate into 7 Millbank, and will culminate in the conversion of 1 Derby Gate into accommodation for use by Members and their staff.

To ask the Leader of the House how many designs for its website her Office has commissioned since 2005. (318646)

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given on 25 January 2010, Official Report, column 534W, to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Grant Shapps). In addition to that reply, no designs for the Leader of the House of Commons website have been commissioned since 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many designs for its website his Department has commissioned since 2005. (318645)

During this period, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) website was redesigned in 2007.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to end the illegal drugs trade in Afghanistan; and if he will make a statement. (319543)

UK support is focused on building Afghan counter-narcotics law enforcement capacity, strengthening Afghan institutions, and providing alternative livelihoods for farmers. We are seeing progress. The number of narco barons being arrested and convicted, often by Afghan institutions mentored by UK experts, is increasing, This year, in Helmand, Governor Mangal has overseen the distribution of wheat seed to over 40,000 households in the ‘Food Zone' and is overseeing the distribution of seed for summer crops to 27,000 households.

There have been dramatic falls in opium cultivation in Afghanistan in recent years—19 per cent. in 2008 and a further 22 per cent. in 2009. Although we cannot be complacent, we believe farmers are at least in part responding to improvements in governance and security.

The UK remains committed to the fight against the Afghan drugs trade, as a key component of our Afghan counter-insurgency and state-building effort. The drugs trade creates and funds the corruption which undermines the legitimacy of the Afghan state and provides a critical source of revenue for the Taliban.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the political situation in the Great Lakes region of Africa. (319454)

Levels of conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) have dropped since late 2008, and improved relations between the DRC and Rwandan Governments have contributed to a stabilisation of the regional situation. However, violence, human rights abuses and displacement remain prevalent in eastern DRC in particular. The Government continue to work closely with the Governments in the region, as well as the UN and partners in the international community, to address these challenges.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on how many occasions his Department has made representations to a foreign government on behalf of a UK citizen convicted of crimes involving (a) drugs, (b) sexual offences, (c) violence and (d) computers in each of the last three years. (318590)

We will consider making representations to the local authorities, with the permission of the individual concerned, in any case where a British national detainee has not been treated in line with internationally-accepted standards. This may include cases where the trial does not follow internationally-recognised standards, or where there is a justified complaint about mistreatment or discrimination. We will make representations irrespective of the nature of the charges: our aim is to treat everyone in detention the same, no matter what they are being held for. However, we do not keep records in a way which can be readily searched to extract an overall figure for representations made on behalf of British nationals convicted of crimes overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2010, Official Report, column 416W, on Colombia: political prisoners, if he will make representations to the Government of Colombia on the fate of human rights defender Carmelo Agamez Berrio. (319463)

I have asked our embassy in Bogota to raise Carmelo Agamez Berrio's case with the Colombian Vice President's Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many (a) Canadians, (b) Australians, (c) New Zealanders and (d) Indians used UK consular facilities in absence of representation of their country in (a) each of the last three years and (b) 2010 to date. (319583)

From April 2008 we do not have figures available for third country nationals assisted by our missions overseas. Prior to this, our overseas posts were asked to provide, as part of an annual survey, the number of assistance cases handled, including how many cases involved unrepresented commonwealth nationals. These figures were not broken down by nationality. The figures for financial years 2006-07 and 2007-08 are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department plans to take to participate in the Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010. (319093)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has arranged to switch off the lights in its UK offices, and has encouraged its overseas network to follow suit, subject to local operational concerns.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many designs for its website his Department has commissioned since 2005. (318651)

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has commissioned two designs for its departmental website since 2005. The design was changed in March 2008 and again in October 2009.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much (a) his Department and (b) its agencies has spent on pot plants in 2009-10 to date. (319211)

Since April 2009 there has been no identifiable spend on the purchase of pot plants within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has made an assessment of the potential effects on (a) security and (b) levels of fraud in respect of his Department's operations of the replacement of management officers in UK overseas missions as part of the Corporate Services Programme; and if he will make a statement. (319446)

The localisation of management slots under the Corporate Services Programme has been extensively discussed with relevant departments at home and overseas. We are satisfied that the implications for our security and incidence of fraud remain manageable. We continue to work with all our missions overseas to support them in ensuring the right controls are in place to handle risk effectively.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 216W, on Government hospitality: wines, at which events between 25 November 2009 and 25 December 2009 wine from the Government wine cellar was served; and which of those events was attended by the Minister for Europe. (319372)

Between 25 November 2009 and 25 December 2009 Government Hospitality (GH) organised the following events at which wines from the GH cellar were used:

I hosted the lunch for European Union Ambassadors on 26 November and the Reception for the Overseas Territories Consultative Council on 9 December 2009. I also attended the reception for FCO Stakeholders and the dinner for the FCO ministerial team on 8 December.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what reports he has received on the (a) dates and (b) location of each terrorist attack in India in the last three years; how many casualties were sustained in each such attack; and if he will make a statement. (318681)

We do not have detailed records of all terrorist incidents in India for the period requested. However the significant terrorist incidents (for which we have information) since February 2007 are as follows:

On 13 February 2010, a bomb exploded in Pune, Maharashtra. Nine people were killed and up to 53 were injured.

On 16 October 2009, a bomb exploded in the town of Margao, Goa, killing one person.

From 26-29 November 2008, terrorists attacked a number of sites in Mumbai, including luxury hotels, a railway station and a restaurant. Over 190 people were killed and more than 325 were injured. British nationals were among the casualties.

On 30 October 2008, 11 bombs exploded in Assam. Areas affected were Guwahati and the Barpeta, Bongaigoan and Kokrajhar districts. 77 people were killed and over 300 were injured.

On 21 October 2008, a bomb exploded in Imphal, Manipur killing 17 people and injuring many others.

On 27 September 2008, a bomb exploded in New Delhi. Two people were killed and 24 were injured.

On 13 September 2008 five bombs exploded in New Delhi, 30 people were killed and 90 were injured.

On 26 July 2008, a series of bombs exploded in Ahmadabad, Gujarat and the surrounding area resulting in up to 49 fatalities and over 100 injured.

On 25 July 2008 there were a series of bomb blasts in Bangalore, South Eastern India resulting in at least two fatalities and multiple injuries.

On 13 May 2008, there were a series of bomb blasts in Jaipur, western India, resulting in 60 fatalities and 200 casualties

On 13 December 2007, a train travelling from Dibrugarh to Guwahati was the target of a bomb blast, which resulted in five deaths.

On 23 November 2007, there were a series of explosions in the state of Uttar Pradesh resulting in at least 13 fatalities with multiple injured.

On 26 September 2007 a number of bombs were discovered in the Andheri suburb of the city of Mumbai near areas where large crowds gathered to welcome home the returning Indian cricket team following their victory at the Twenty20 World Championship tournament in South Africa.

On 25 August 2007 at least 40 people were killed and 56 injured when two bombs exploded in Hyderabad.

On 19 February 2007 explosions occurred in two carriages of the Samjhauta Express, travelling from Delhi to Lahore. 66 people died and over 50 passengers were injured.

Accurate records of casualties incurred are often difficult to obtain. Therefore in many cases we can only provide estimates. The UK is working closely with the Indian authorities to address the terrorist threat to India and the region.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps his Department is taking to support the Government of India in combating terrorism in the subcontinent; and if he will make a statement. (318682)

The UK works with India to reduce the risk to India and to the UK and its interests overseas from international terrorism, through a range of operational and technical co-operation on counter-terrorism. We are closely engaged with India on tackling terrorism and developing our CT relationship, particularly in light of the devastating attacks in Mumbai in November 2008.

At my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Summit in January 2008, the UK and India agreed to co-operate on security for major sporting events, particularly on preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi this year. Indian officials visited the UK in July 2009 where a number of areas for co-operation were agreed, including assistance on crowd control and venue security management. A UK team subsequently travelled to Delhi in September for a Commonwealth Games security conference in Delhi. UK Assistant Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, John Yates, visited Delhi in January 2010 to discuss security preparations for the Games and offer UK support.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations his Department has made to the government of Indonesia on the treatment of Christians in Jakarta. (319653)

In general, there is a high degree of religious freedom in Indonesia, including for those practising Christianity.

We are aware of problems surrounding the forcible closure of and occasional attacks on places of religious worship, both Christian and Islamic. Our ambassador to Jakarta raised freedom of religion most recently when he met the chair of the Indonesian Parliament's Commission III on Law, Human Rights and Internal Security on 1 December 2009.

We, along with our EU partners, raise human rights concerns with the Indonesian Government and have pressed the authorities to ensure the rights of all religious minorities. We will continue to call for religious tolerance across Indonesia.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his most recent assessment is of the political situation in Iran; and if he will make a statement. (318946)

The political situation in Iran remains unsettled and many Iranians continue to believe that their political rights are not being respected. The Iranian authorities continue to clamp down on civil liberties and legitimate protest, and intimidate demonstrators, including using the death penalty against those accused of political dissent.

These problems are entirely of the Iranian government's own making and suggestions that others, such as the UK, are responsible are both disingenuous and wrong.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2010, Official Report, columns 836W, on the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Bill, what discussions he has had with (a) his EU counterparts, (b) the High Representative and (c) the European Commission on the proposed extraterritorial legislation; and whether a common position has been agreed. (318804)

The EU's opposition to extraterritorial legislation has been made clear on many occasions. There has been regular dialogue with my EU counterparts, including the High Representative's office on this matter, although as any legislation has yet to be finalised, there has been no EU common position adopted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of whether sales of refined petroleum products sold to Iran by companies registered in the UK or with headquarters in the UK will be affected by the US-Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Bill; and what guidance his Department has issued to UK companies on the matter. (318806)

We have been closely monitoring progress of different draft Iran sanctions Bills through the House of Representatives and Senate. The two Houses of Congress have not agreed a final version to send to the President. As this legislation is yet to be finalised, it is too early to determine the extent of the effect it may have on UK companies. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills provides clear guidance for exporters on extraterritorial legislation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 26 January 2010, Official Report, column 836W, on the Iran Refined Petroleum Sanctions Bill, what concerns he has about the use of extraterritorial legislation in respect of Iran's nuclear programme. (318807)

The UK and the US are united in their determination to address the challenge posed to the international community by Iran's nuclear ambitions. We are in constant dialogue with the US Administration to ensure that all our efforts are targeted on that rather than interrupting the sovereign right of nations to regulate activities within their own territory and interfere with the freedom of countries to conduct their own independent economic policies.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter of 6 November 2010 from the hon. Member for Woking concerning his constituent Mr. Brett. (319788)

We did not originally receive the hon. Member for Woking's letter of 6 November 2009, but have now had a copy faxed to us from his parliamentary office and will reply as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assistance is provided by (a) British consulates and (b) his Department to assist the next of kin of persons who have died whilst working overseas; and if he will make a statement. (319757)

When we are aware of the death of any British national abroad we will try to contact the person's next of kin as soon as possible. If the next of kin is in the UK we will ask the UK police to inform them. If they are overseas, our staff will try to contact them. We provide information about funeral options and on returning bodies and belongings to the UK. We provide a list of local and international funeral directors. While we cannot pay expenses, we can advise on how best to transfer money from the UK to pay any necessary costs. We advise families how to register a death and put them in touch with other organisations that offer help and support.

We also provide our publication ‘Guide for bereaved families'

http://www.fco.gov.uk/resources/en/pdf/2855621/bereaved-families

which brings together information that may be useful to families and friends of British nationals who die overseas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has (a) received recent representations on (i) child labour and (ii) access to the justice system for (A) minority groups and (B) those in poverty in Pakistan and (b) had recent discussions with the Government of Pakistan on child labour in that country; and if he will make a statement. (318617)

The UK is committed to working with the Government of Pakistan to address the challenges that are faced surrounding the issue of child labour. Together with our EU partners, the UK regularly raises child labour and has lobbied the Government of Pakistan to implement existing legislation which protects children from such abuse. The most recent EU demarche on this subject was in December 2009. The issue of child labour will also form part of the forthcoming EU-Pakistan Human Rights dialogue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which UN peacekeeping missions (a) do and (b) do not have a mandate to monitor human rights. (318503)

The following UN Peacekeeping missions are specifically mandated to monitor human rights:

The African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID)

The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)

The United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUC)

The United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT)

The United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH)

The United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL)

The United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI)

The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT)

The following UN Peacekeeping missions are not specifically mandated to monitor human rights:

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)

The United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO)

The United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF)

The United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP)

The United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO)

The United Nations Military Observer Group in India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP)

In Resolution 1244 the UN Security Council mandated the protection and promotion of human rights in Kosovo. While much of this work has now passed from the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) to local and other international institutions, the UN Secretary General continues to routinely report on human rights.

Additionally all UN missions provide regular in-country reporting which may include monitoring of human rights. Significant progress has been made in integrating the UN's human rights work: for example all resident co-ordinators of UN country teams must now receive human rights training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what his policy is on the proposed creation of a UN expert panel to investigate allegations of abuse of internally displaced persons by the Sri Lankan army. (318583)

We are not aware of any specific proposals for the creation of a UN expert panel to investigate allegations of abuse of internally displaced persons by the Sri Lankan army. We support the EU's call for an independent inquiry into allegations of violations of international law by both sides in the recent conflict in Sri Lanka. This could play an important role towards genuine national reconciliation. We continue to support the work of the UN in this regard, and have urged the Government of Sri Lanka to work constructively with them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent reports he has received on anti-Semitic hate crimes in Malmö; what recent discussions he has had with the government of Sweden on anti-Semitism in Sweden; and if he will make a statement. (318687)

While our embassy in Stockholm monitors the domestic scene in Sweden closely, they have, to date, not seen specific reporting on this issue nor have representations been made to our embassy in Stockholm.

To ask the hon. Member for South-West Devon, representing the Speaker’s Committee on the Electoral Commission whether the Electoral Commission undertakes impact assessments of its regulatory policies on small constituency associations. (318117)

The Electoral Commission informs me that it is mindful of the likely impact of its regulatory work on all those it regulates, including small parties and constituency associations staffed by volunteers. The Commission further informs me that when it brings forward substantive regulatory policy proposals that have not been considered in a previous impact assessment, it prepares an initial impact assessment and invites comments on this.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what reports he has received of the alleged killing by NATO forces of 10 people including eight schoolchildren in the village in Ghazi Khan, Narang District in the eastern province of Kunar, Afghanistan in late December 2009; (318431)

The International Security Assistance Force, of which the UK is an integral part, is deeply saddened by any incident involving civilian deaths. However, this incident occurred outside of the UK Area of Operations and no UK troops were involved. In light of this, and the ongoing investigations into the incident, it is not appropriate for me to comment further.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of his Department's budget has been spent on Afghanistan in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement. (318696)

The net additional costs incurred on military operations in Afghanistan (Operation Herrick) are met by the Reserve and are in addition to the defence budget. The costs that the Department would have incurred regardless of the operation taking place, such as wages and salaries, are not included. Savings on activities that have not occurred because of the operation—for example training exercises—are taken into account in arriving at the net figures. The costs of operations in Afghanistan over the last 12 months fall into two financial years, as set out in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of those who completed a course at the Defence Academy in the last five years (a) are serving in the armed services and (b) are working as civilian staff for his Department. (319260)

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

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 11 January 2010, Official Report, column 742W, on Colombia: military aid, how many UK service personnel are assigned to conducting counter narcotics capacity building activities in Colombia. (317580)

I am withholding the information as its disclosure would, or would be likely to prejudice the capability, effectiveness or security of the armed forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what proportion of gross domestic product is spent on defence. (319546)

An estimated 2.6 per cent. of UK gross domestic product was spent on defence in the financial year 2008-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has a procedure for (a) recording and (b) investigating complaints from members of the public. (319188)

Yes. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) has a complaints handling procedure that follows the Parliamentary and Health Services ombudsman best practice guidance.

Details can be found on the MOD website at the following link:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/Help/ModComplaints Procedure.htm

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether his Department has standards of service for responding to correspondence from (a) members of the public and (b) hon. Members. (319187)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) follows the Cabinet Office guidelines for answering correspondence from members of the public and hon. Members. The Cabinet Office target is for ministerial correspondence to be answered within 20 working days. However, the MOD has undertaken to respond to 90 per cent. of letters from MPs and Peers within 15 working days. The MOD also aims to respond to all correspondence from members of the public within 15 working days.

The Cabinet Office publishes on an annual basis, a report on Departments' and agencies' performance on handling ministerial correspondence, and the report for 2009 will be published once figures have been collated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department plans to take to participate in the Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010. (319091)

Ministry of Defence establishments will be encouraged to participate in the Earth Hour event on 27 March 2010, subject of course to operational and security considerations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department received from the sale of housing stock in Scotland in each of the last five years. (319353)

The Ministry of Defence has received the following receipts from the sale of surplus housing stock in Scotland in each of the last five financial years:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many designs for its website his Department has commissioned since 2005. (318654)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the armed forces collectively maintain four corporate websites. There have been the following designs commissioned across the four sites since 2005:

The MOD corporate website was completely redesigned in 2005-06 and re-launched on 1 February 2006. A series of minor design enhancements were made between June 2007 and March 2008:

www.mod.uk

The Royal Navy website was redesigned in late 2005 and re-launched on 6 February 2006. An additional refresh was carried out in 2007:

www.royalnavy.mod.uk

The British Army website was redesigned in 2008:

www.army.mod.uk

The Royal Air Force internet site was redesigned in financial year 2006-07:

www.raf.mod.uk

Information on designs commissioned for MOD websites other than the four corporate sites is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what guidelines his Department uses on public consultation; and whether those guidelines are published on his Department's website. (319054)

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to following best practice in conducting public consultations, and therefore follows the Government's Code of Practice on Consultation, which first came into effect from 1 April 2004.

The MOD's external website provides a link to the most recent version of the code, which is now displayed on the website of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether the Met Office Review Group continues to meet. (319152)

The Met Office Review Group continues to meet on a regular basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department last met the Shareholder Executive to discuss the future of the Met Office; and when he expects the next such meeting to take place. (319153)

MOD officials met with the shareholder executive and discussed the future of the Met Office on 23 February 2010. MOD officials and the shareholder executive meet on a regular basis to discuss the future of the Met Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will meet representatives from the private weather sector to discuss the future of the Met Office. (319154)

The Secretary of State for Defence has no current plans to meet representatives from the private weather sector to discuss the future of the Met Office. However, Shareholder Executive officials have met private sector weather companies as part of the Met Office Operational Efficiency Programme review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether he has made a recent estimate of the contribution of the private weather sector to the economy. (319155)

The Secretary of State for Defence has not made a recent estimate of the contribution of the private weather sector to the economy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what business models the Met Office Review Group is considering for the Met Office. (319156)

The recommendations of the Operational Efficiency Programme Asset Portfolio Document published in December 2009 outlined that the Met Office should pursue a range of value enhancing opportunities in terms of commercial business growth, improvement to its business model and efficiency through cross-government collaboration. There remains an option in the medium term that status should be kept under review as conditions and opportunities change.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 2 February 2010, Official Report, column 209W, on the Ministry of Defence Guarding Service Agency, if he will ensure that the Ministry of Defence Police remains part of the Ministry of Defence Police and Guarding Agency. (318618)

The agency status of the MOD Police and Guarding Agency is currently under review. Any changes to the structure of the agency would require ministerial agreement and also consultation with the trade unions and staff associations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence whether, as part of the programme to develop a successor to the Trident nuclear weapons system, his Department is carrying out any studies into the feasibility of using Astute class submarines as a platform for the launch of nuclear armed cruise missiles. (319193)

No. The 2006 White Paper “The Future of the United Kingdom’s Nuclear Deterrent” (Cm6994) concluded that a submarine launched ballistic missile system was the most cost-effective replacement for our existing nuclear deterrent. Cruise missiles have a number of disadvantages compared to ballistic missiles including smaller range and payload and increased vulnerability, and we are planning to replace the Vanguard class of SSBN by a new “successor” class of ballistic missile submarines.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many performance reviews were undertaken in respect of staff of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies in each of the last five years; in how many cases performance was rated as unsatisfactory or below; how many staff left as a direct result of such a rating; and what percentage of full-time equivalent staff this represented. (313836)

DEFRA and its Executive Agencies have undertaken annual staff performance reviews for all permanent staff over the last five financial years. These comprise formal reviews at mid-year and end-year and informal reviews on an ad hoc basis. Staff appraisal information is held as individual records; this means that collated data cannot be provided without incurring disproportionate cost.

A review of 'unsatisfactory' or similar rating does not directly lead to dismissal: DEFRA and its Executive Agencies have a specific process in place to manage under or poor performance which can be implemented at any time of the year and is not necessarily triggered by the performance marking.

The number of staff dismissals in DEFRA and its Executive Agencies, due to underperformance, over the last five years is in the table and also expressed as a percentage of FTE staff.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the proportion of staff of (a) his Department and (b) its agencies managed out in the last five years who remain working in the public sector. (313856)

The term 'managed out' is not used within the civil service, so we have considered this question as applying to redundancies.

Neither DEFRA nor its agencies record whether staff who have been made redundant have remained working in the public sector. We are therefore unable to provide the estimate requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department spent on (a) new furnishings, (b) works of art and (c) new vehicles in each of the last two years. (312428)

The Department spend was as follows:

The notable increase in furnishings for the 2008-09 year includes major new build and refurbishment projects throughout the DEFRA estate including:

Lion House, Alnwick

Dragonfly House, Norwich

Foss House, York

Refresh of the London Estate (smart-working programme)

Various Animal Health refurbishments.

Delivery and payment for new vehicles in 2007-08 was delayed into 2008-09, hence the increase in total spend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the cost to the public purse of international travel undertaken by his Department has been since May 2007. (318009)

From information drawn from the core Department's central booking system, the cost of international travel, which includes air, rail and hotels, is as follows:

The cost of international travel booked outside the central booking services could be determined only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average time his Department took to answer questions for (a) ordinary written answer and (b) written answer on a named day in the last 12 months. (313666)

It is not possible to provide an average time taken to answer parliamentary questions. During the period 1 January to 31 December 2009 DEFRA received 562 named day questions, 327 of which were answered on the named day and 2,387 ordinary written questions, 2,148 of which were answered within 10 days.

The Department strives to provide hon. Members with answers to all parliamentary questions as quickly as it can.

With effect from the current Session of Parliament, each department will provide the Procedure Committee with sessional statistics on the time taken to answer written questions. This implements recommendation 24 of the third report from the Procedure Committee, Session 2008-09.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what powers local authorities have to manage the number of foxes in urban areas. (318488)

There is no statutory duty on local authorities, or anyone else, to control foxes in their areas. In so far as authorities are owners and occupiers of property, they have the same powers to control foxes as any other owner or occupier. They also have a general discretionary power under the Local Government Act 2000 that enables them to take any action to promote social, economic or environmental well-being as long as there is no specific statutory prohibition.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assistance his Department provides to local authorities to tackle problems caused by urban foxes. (318489)

Natural England has published an advisory leaflet on urban foxes that describes a number of different approaches to control that are suitable in urban situations. The leaflet is available on the Natural England website or by contacting its Wildlife Management and Licensing Service.

If a local authority requested advice from DEFRA, we would recommend non-lethal methods to resolve fox problems (as territories made vacant by culling resident foxes are rapidly colonised by new individuals) and suggest the authority seeks further technical advice from a wildlife management adviser in Natural England if required.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many complaints regarding urban foxes his Department received in each year of the last five years. (318490)

DEFRA occasionally receives complaints regarding urban foxes among a large quantity of correspondence about foxes more generally. This information has been held only since 2007 and it would not be reasonable or cost effective to undertake a manual search of our records to distinguish those cases that are specifically complaints about urban foxes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures are in place to prevent instances of rabies among urban foxes. (318491)

The UK has strict controls on importing rabies susceptible animals from other countries—six-months quarantine for some cases, or vaccination followed by a six-month waiting period for certain travelling pets. These controls offer good protection against a rabies outbreak, whether in domestic animals, livestock or wildlife, including urban foxes.

DEFRA, with the Food and Environment Research Agency and other partners, maintains contingency planning arrangements for a rabies outbreak in wildlife, which are currently being reviewed and updated. Measures to tackle the disease in urban foxes would include targeted vaccination programmes, although specific control measures would be determined by expert veterinary and other advice in response to any rabies incident.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to reply to the email from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire, dated 11 January 2010, on litter and fly-tipping. (319458)

I replied to the hon. Member for West Worcestershire on 22 January and have arranged for a copy of the response to be sent to him.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 23 February 2010, Official Report, column 394W, on parrots: animal welfare, if he will bring forward proposals to establish minimum cage sizes and standards for parrots. (319256)

We consider that the requirements of the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to provide for the welfare need of animals, including a suitable environment, are sufficient to ensure the proper welfare of pet parrots. Therefore we have no plans to bring forward further proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (1) on what dates the joint working group on energy from waste policy has met; (318392)

The Energy from Waste Project Board held its first meeting on 27 January 2010.

The project is intended to provide clarity and guidance to those in local authorities and industry involved in waste management. In particular we shall be developing a more explicit hierarchy of energy recovery, seeking to define more clearly what constitutes “the right energy from the right waste”. End-of-waste fuels are one of the materials the project will consider.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when the three month period for consideration of comments made on the draft end-of-waste protocol under Article 8(2) of the Technical Standards Directive (98/34/EC) will conclude; and if he will make a statement. (318394)

On 23 and 26 November 2009 the European Commission and Austria respectively commented under article 8(2) of the technical standards directive on the draft end-of-waste protocol for fuel produced from waste lubricating oil that the UK notified under article 8(1) of the directive. The UK responded to both sets of comments on 15 February 2010. In doing so, it was confirmed that the UK intended to adopt the end-of-waste protocol on the basis notified to the Commission on 27 August 2009 and that the UK would communicate the definitive text to the Commission in compliance with article 8(3) of the directive. The Environment Agency expects to publish the definitive text before the end of March 2010.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what information his Department has collated on the risks posed by air-released Chinese lanterns for (a) grazing livestock and (b) ripening crops; and if he will make a statement. (318578)

DEFRA has made no formal assessment of the risks posed by air-released Chinese lanterns. However, we recognise there has been concern among farmers and livestock keepers about the effect of these lanterns on grazing livestock. Anecdotal evidence suggests that while few animals have been affected, the impacts can be severe.

We are not aware of evidence that Chinese lanterns have caused damage to ripening crops, but we appreciate concern over potential risks including fire, contamination, and litter.

We will be working with interested parties to consider how the risks may be mitigated.

To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, column 49W, on veterinary services: complaints, if he will (a) invite the group Rights 4 Pets (PrOtEcT) vets to participate in the meeting on 2 March 2010 and (b) meet that group to discuss its representations on the investigation of complaints against veterinary surgeons. (319020)

[holding answer 26 February 2010]: I am meeting representatives of the Action Group Against the Disciplinary Committee of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons on 2 March 2010. Rather than invite the Rights 4 Pets group to this meeting at this late stage, I would be happy to meet the group on a separate occasion to discuss their concerns.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport (1) what progress has been made on the sale of (a) Glasgow and (b) Edinburgh airports by BAA; when each such sale is expected to be completed; and if he will make a statement; (319595)

The Competition Commission's market inquiry into BAA's ownership of seven UK airports included a recommendation that BAA should sell one of either Edinburgh or Glasgow airports. I have had no meetings with either BAA or the Commission on this matter. The Commission's decisions are currently the subject of legal process and it would not therefore be appropriate to comment further at this time.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much the Government has spent on concessionary bus travel for pensioners (a) in England and (b) in the City of York in each year since such schemes were introduced. (318579)

Before 1 April 2008, funding for the statutory minimum bus concession was provided exclusively through the formula grant system. Formula grant is an unhypothecated block grant and as such it is not possible to identify how much formula grant has been allocated to local authorities for any particular service, such as concessionary travel.

When the statutory minimum concession increased from half-fare to free fare in April 2006, additional funding of £350 million in 2006-07 and £367.5 million in 2007-08 was added to formula grant to fund the additional burden to local authorities.

From April 2008, the Department for Transport has provided additional special grant funding to local authorities to cover the extra costs of providing England-wide travel of:

(a) £212 million in 2008-09 and £217 million in 2009-10 to the whole of England;

(b) £1,112,199 in 2008-09 and £1,138,431 in 2009-10 to the City of York council.

The Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) continues to provide the bulk of concessionary travel funding to local authorities through formula grant.

The following table shows how much was spent on concessionary travel by all local authorities in England and by the City of York council since 2000, when the Government first introduced a statutory minimum bus concession. These figures include spending on both older and disabled travel concessions and include any discretionary enhancements offered by local authorities.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Harrogate and Knaresborough of 5 January 2010, Official Report, column 90W, on departmental buildings, what the (a) book value and (b) estimated annual rental value is of vacant residential properties owned by the Highways Agency. (315966)

Property owner-occupiers who are unable to sell their homes because they are directly affected by a proposed Highways Agency road scheme (i.e. likely to have land acquired in the future) and are unable to sell it at a normal market price because of the scheme, can serve a blight notice on the Highway’s Agency under the blight provisions of the Town and Country Planning Acts. If the notice is accepted, the agency has to purchase the property in advance of its operational requirement. These properties cannot be sold immediately because any new owner would be able to serve another blight notice on the agency requiring it to purchase the property again. The properties could also not be sold at a normal market value. These properties are therefore held by the agency while the scheme is in the major projects programme and the route is protected from development. In some cases this can be for a number of years.

The potential annual rental income from the Highways Agency’s residential properties would be £3.4 million, if all the properties were let and in good tenantable condition. The net book value of the agency’s properties that are currently let is £67.3 million; the net book value of the empty properties is £22.9 million. This valuation takes into account current condition and the effect of the planned road improvement on the property.

The values and potential rental income are broken down in more detail in the following table.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what recent estimate he has made of the (a) potential annual rental and (b) total book value of (i) empty and (ii) occupied residential properties owned by his Department. (313740)

Information in respect of the Driving Standards Agency and the Highways Agency is provided as follows.

The Driving Standards Agency owns the freehold of the land for its Bournemouth Driving Test Centre. Above the centre are two residential flats. Both are occupied. The Driving Standards Agency receives a peppercorn rent of £20 per annum in total. The occupiers of the flats each own the leasehold of their flat.

Property owner-occupiers who are unable to sell their homes because they are directly affected by a proposed Highways Agency road scheme (i.e. likely to have land acquired in the future) and are unable to sell it at a normal market price because of the scheme, can serve a blight notice on the Highway’s Agency under the blight provisions of the Town and Country Planning Acts. If the notice is accepted, the agency has to purchase the property in advance of its operational requirement. These properties cannot be sold immediately because any new owner would be able to serve another blight notice on the agency requiring it to purchase the property again. The properties could also not be sold at a normal market value. These properties are therefore held by the agency while the scheme is in the major projects programme and the route is protected from development. In some cases this can be for a number of years.

The potential annual rental income from the Highways Agency’s residential properties would be £3.4 million, if all the properties were let and in good tenantable condition. The net book value of the agency’s properties that are currently let is £67.3 million; the net book value of the empty properties is £22.9 million. This valuation takes into account current condition and the effect of the planned road improvement on the property.

The values and potential rental income are broken down in more detail in the following table.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many driving offences of each type were committed by drivers of the Government Car and Despatch Agency while on duty in each of the last three years. (319168)

The Government Car and Despatch Agency does not hold information on driving offences.

The agency conducts an annual inspection of all driving licences of its drivers. Any driver with six or more points on his or her licence is reminded that the maintenance of a valid licence is a requirement of the job.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport if he will set out, with statistical evidence relating as closely as possible to Hackney, North and Stoke Newington constituency, the effects on that constituency of his Department's policies since 1997. (318375)

The Department for Transport (DFT) does not routinely hold transport statistics on a parliamentary constituency basis. The Department provides Transport for London (TfL) with a block grant to fund transport delivery in London. This grant has more than doubled in the last nine years, rising to almost £3 billion in 2009-10. Drawing on these and other resources, the Mayor is responsible for publishing and, through TfL, implementing a transport strategy for London, while the boroughs are required to publish local implementation plans which set out how they will contribute to the Mayor's strategy.

The additional funding that has been made available has helped deliver 1,089 million passenger journeys on the tube in 2008-9, the highest ever. London Underground's scheduled service is now its largest ever, and in 2008-09 96.4 per cent. was run, the best annual result for 14 years.

Bus services in London have also improved. 2,247 million passenger journeys were made in 2008-09 and patronage grew by almost 47 per cent. between 1997-98 and 2007-08.

Rail routes serving Hackney, North and Stoke Newington have also improved. Served by National Express East Anglia, this franchise has seen punctuality increase from 85 per cent. to 91 per cent. since 2004, over 450 carriages have been refurbished and many stations have been upgraded.

On the roads, national targets to reduce the number of people killed or seriously injured by 40 per cent. and reduce the number of “slight” casualties by 10 per cent. (compared to the period 1994-98) by 2010 were largely exceeded by TfL by 2004, leading to TfL setting themselves new targets of 50 per cent. and 25 per cent. respectively.

There have also been improvements to cycling across London. In May 2010 TfL will launch its cycle hire scheme and construction of the cycle superhighways is now under way; one route will run from Tottenham to the City through Hackney. TfL report that cycling now accounts for 2 per cent. of trips in London compared to 1.2 per cent. in 2000, and between 2000-01 and 2007-08 TfL's automatic cycle counters reported an increase in cyclists of 91 per cent.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport what research (a) his Department and (b) its agencies have undertaken on the effectiveness of (i) halogen and (ii) bi-xenon headlights. (318636)

The Department for Transport has commissioned two studies related to the effectiveness of halogen and bi-xenon headlights.

TRL carried out a review of existing research on gas discharge (i.e. bi-xenon) headlights in 1994 to assist in the development of European regulations on the subject.

In 2000, ICE ergonomics at Loughborough University studied headlight glare and driver vision to help establish a basis against which future headlamp performance requirements might be assessed.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how many new miles of railway track have been (a) brought into use and (b) laid at each location since 1997. (319072)

[holding answer 26 February 2010]: The Department for Transport does not hold information on when and where railway track has been added to or taken away from the national network.

This is an operational matter for Network Rail as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to this question:

Iain Coucher

Chief Executive

Network Rail

Kings Place

90 York Way

London, N1 9AG.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport pursuant to the answer of 22 February 2010, Official Report, columns 199-201W, on railways, if he will have discussions with the Association of Train Operating Companies on amending National Rail Conditions of Carriage to permit surfboards to be transported on trains. (319691)

Wider discussions are already taking place between the Department for Transport and the Association of Train Operating Companies about the National Rail Conditions of Carriage. At the same time a general review of the Conditions of Carriage is under way to ensure that they are in accordance with current consumer law.

The Association of Train Operating Companies has reviewed in particular the table in Section II Appendix B relating to the carriage of specified articles, including surfboards. The outputs of this review will be a proposal from the Association of Train Operating Companies on behalf of their members for the approval of the Secretary of State.

To ask the Minister of State, Department for Transport how much his Department has spent on repairs to flood-damaged roads and related infrastructure in each of the last five years. (318661)

Following the 2007 summer floods this Department allocated £41 million funding to 10 local authorities to assist them to repair damage to their local highways caused by flooding. In 2009 this Department allocated £2.6 million to Northumberland to assist them repair damage to their highways caused by flooding.

This Department is currently working with Cumbria county council to assist them to identify the full damage to their highways network caused by flooding in November. To date, the authority have been allocated £4.6 million to cover the costs of establishing a temporary road bridge in Workington over the River Derwent to replace those damaged or destroyed. In addition the Army erected a temporary footbridge also over the River Derwent in Workington at a cost to the Government of £1 million.

This Department has agreed to contribute £30,000 towards the costs of short-term project management for Cumbria county council to develop their transport infrastructure recovery plan.

Because of the closure of the road bridges in Workington a temporary rail station at North Workington has opened and additional rail services have been put in place to allow transport across the River Derwent. The estimated cost to this Department of funding the additional rail services until May 2010 is £1.2 million.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the report on Binyam Mohamed which the Intelligence and Security Committee has made to him. (318917)

This will be published alongside the Intelligence and Security Committee's views on the consolidated guidance to intelligence officers and service personnel on standards during the detention and interviewing of detainees overseas.

To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the answer of 1 September 2009, Official Report, column 1815W, on Civil Service: bullying, how many complaints of bullying in the workplace have been made by Downing Street employees in each year since 2007. (318322)

I refer the right hon. Member to the press briefing given by the official spokesman on 22 February 2010. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website at:

http://www.number10.gov.uk/Page22576

To ask the Prime Minister how many designs for its website his Office has commissioned since 2005. (318644)

My Office has commissioned one design for its website since 2005.

To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the statement of 18 March 2009, Official Report, columns 55-56WS, on detainees, when he expects to publish guidance to intelligence officers and service personnel on standards during the detention and interviewing of detainees overseas; and for what reason its publication has been delayed. (318802)

The Government remain committed to publishing the guidance as soon as the views of the Intelligence and Security Committee have been received.

To ask the Prime Minister with reference to the statement of 18 March 2009, Official Report, columns 55-56WS, on detainees, whether the Intelligence Services Commissioner has conducted his first annual review of compliance with the guidance to intelligence officers and service personnel on standards during the detention and interviewing of detainees overseas; and if he will make a statement. (318803)

Sir Peter Gibson's role in monitoring compliance with the guidance will commence when the consolidated guidance is published and in operational use.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will consider the merits of including in any referendum held on electoral reform questions to include public support for (a) the Lisbon treaty and (b) Trident replacement. (319669)

I have no plans to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what account will be taken of the mental health needs of adults with autism in the forthcoming adult autism strategy. (318965)

The autism strategy aims to ensure that mainstream public services become more inclusive of people with autism. This will mean ensuring that individuals’ needs—including mental health needs—are assessed and that people with autism get the right kind of support to address their assessed needs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health when he expects to publish the delivery plan for the adult autism strategy. (318973)

The delivery plan, scheduled for publication in March 2010, will set out in more detail the timescale for delivery in the first year. Further delivery plans will be prepared for the second and third years of the strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether he has commissioned an autism prevalence study; and if he will make a statement. (319257)

The NHS Information Centre (IC) issued invitations to tender to short list potential providers, to deliver much clearer information on the prevalence of autism in the population.

The procurement exercise is now nearing its conclusion and the NHS IC is looking to award the contract by the end of the month. The Department hopes to publish the findings in spring 2011.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 10 February 2010, Official Report, columns 1042W, on autism, when he plans to publish the delivery plan for the adult autism strategy to be produced under section 1 of the Autism Act 2009. (319640)

The delivery plan, scheduled for publication in March 2010, will set out in more detail the timescale for delivery in the first year. Further delivery plans will be prepared for the second and third years of the strategy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people there are with bleeding disorders infected with (a) hepatitis C and (b) HIV as a result of being treated with contaminated blood products. (318623)