To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants in his Department at grade 3 or above have (a) resigned, (b) retired before pensionable age and (c) moved to different responsibilities within the Department since 1 May 1997; if he will indicate the Ministers to whom each was responsible; and if he will make a statement. [26931]

For this purpose, the Cabinet Office includes the Prime Minister's Office and the Office of Public Service and its executive agencies. Grades 1–5 were replaced by the Senior Civil Service on 1 April 1996. One civil servant of grade 3 and above has resigned; none have retired before pensionable age; and five have moved to different responsibilities within my Department since 1 May 1997. The civil servant who resigned was responsible to me and, of those moving, three were responsible to me and two to the Prime Minister.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list by grade the number of officials in his Department at grade 3 or above who have (a) taken early retirement, (b) taken official leave, (c) been dismissed, (d) changed jobs within the Department, (e) moved to another Department and (f) been offered and rejected an alternative position (i) within the Department and (ii) in another Department since 1 May 1997. [27466]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: For this purpose the Cabinet Office includes the Prime Minister's Office and the Office of Public Service and its executive agencies. Grades 1–5 were replaced by the Senior Civil Service on 1 April 1996. The numbers relating to staff at equivalent levels to the old grades, for my Department, are as follows:

	Grade 1	Grade 2	Grade 3
(a)	nil	nil	nil
(b)	information not held centrally
(c)	nil	nil	nil
(d)	nil	1	4
(e)	nil	4	7
(f) (i)	nil	nil	nil
(f) (ii)	nil	nil	nil

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps he is taking to increase confidence in the Government's handling of the millennium computer compliance problem. [29509]

The Government intend to increase public confidence in their handling of the millennium bug problem by continuing with our policy of open public scrutiny. As I outlined in my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Dumfries (Mr. Brown) on 30 January 1998, Official Report, columns 403–04, I shall provide regular reports to the House.

To ask the Minister without Portfolio what assessment his Department has made of the advantages of installing photovoltaic solar cells in the Millennium Dome; and what proposals there are to use photovoltaic technology (a) in the Millennium Dome and (b) in the Millennium Experience exhibition. [28202]

The cladding of the Millennium Dome, which will house the Millennium Experience, is translucent, allowing through natural daylight. The New Millennium Experience Company considered installing photovoltaic cells but concluded that this would reduce translucency and hence increase the power needed for artificial lighting. The NMEC is, however, currently investigating the potential for using a number of sustainable power sources within the Dome for demonstration and educational purposes.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the greatest number of unsuccessful applications made for silk by a barrister in the last 10 years. [28500]

According to departmental records, the greatest total number of unsuccessful applications made by a barrister who has applied in the last ten years is twenty five.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the shortest time a barrister has practised at the bar before taking silk in the last 10 years. [28502]

According to departmental records the shortest time that a barrister has practised at the bar in the last ten years before taking silk is thirteen years.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many High Court judges had their applications for silk rejected at their (a) first, (b) second and (c) third attempt. [28506]

Of the ninety seven High Court Judges currently in post, nineteen had their first application for silk rejected, six had their second application rejected and two had their third application rejected. Nine High Court Judges did not take Silk.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the greatest number of applications for silk made by an individual who has taken silk in the last 10 years. [28501]

According to our departmental records, the greatest number of applications made by an individual who has taken silk in the last ten years is fifteen.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what estimate he has made of the number of QCs who are non-practising. [28503]

The Lord Chancellor's Department does not keep records of whether QCs are practising or non-practising, because the Lord Chancellor has no Ministerial responsibility for the practice of individual barristers.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what amount of Brazilian mahogany has been (a) acquired and (b) specified by his Department in (i) 1996 and (ii) 1997; and for what purpose. [28391]

No Brazilian mahogany has been acquired or specified by my Department in either 1996 or 1997.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department where members of the public can obtain access to comprehensively indexed collection of determinations by immigration adjudicators. [28303]

There is no collection of indexed adjudicator determinations in existence. Copies of adjudicator determinations are retained on tribunal files, and are available to members of the public with permission from an adjudicator.Immigration Appeal Tribunal Decisions can be obtained from the Supreme Court Library on demand. They will also soon be available to subscribers on the Electronic Immigration Network Database via the Internet. This service should be available from April.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many cases of abuse were reported against the elderly in private residential homes in Wales over the last five years. [26987]

While local authorities in Wales investigate all complaints made to them by or on behalf of elderly people in private residential homes, there is no clear or agreed basis for defining abuse in these circumstances. The information that is collected is therefore not available on a consistent basis but my officials will work with local authorities to examine how an effective reporting framework can be developed as an essential tool in helping to measure the quality of care provided for elderly people in residential homes.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he proposes to continue granting permissions for the establishment of wind farms; and if he will make a statement. [28615]

Responsibility for determining planning applications for wind farms rests initially with local planning authorities. The Secretary of State is responsible for determining appeals and applications which have been called in. Decisions on all such applications should be made in accordance with Government Policy set out in Planning Guidance (Wales): Planning Policy, Technical Advice Note (Wales) 8: Renewable Energy, and policies in development plans, unless material considerations indicate otherwise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on passport fees. [29769]

The Privy Council has approved an Order in Council, the Consular Fees Order 1998, which gives authority for an increase in passport fees on 26 March. The fee for a standard 32 page passport will increase from £18 to £21 and for a 48 page passport from £27 to £31. The fee for amending an existing passport will increase from £5 to £11, to reflect the economic cost. The cost of a separate passport for children will be £11 for a passport valid for five years. An additional charge of £10 will be introduced for those making applications in person in the United Kingdom and for applications made abroad to reflect the greater cost of providing these services. The fee for a collective passport, for organised trips for schools and youth groups, will remain unchanged at £40.This is the first general increase in passport fees since November 1992 and, for the over 80 per cent. of applicants who apply by post, is in line with the level of inflation for the period. In relation to the cost of travel abroad, a fee of £21 for a standard ten year passport still represents very good value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the resources available to the Prison Service. [29957]

Following the Audit of Prison Service Resources last summer, I made available to the Prison Service additional funding of £43m over two years to increase capacity and regime activity. In the event, the Service has done well in containing costs and has not had to call on the extra provision for 1997–98.I am now making available £112m in 1998–99 on top of the existing budget of £ 1,704m.This will be used to fund continued use of Her Majesty's Prison Weare, to build six more houseblocks, to fund conversion of accommodation to cell usage to hold extra prisoners in new prisons and to carry out repairs on the prison estate. It provides additional staffing and funding for regime activities, to keep prisoners constructively occupied.With this money, this Government have provided for 1,540 new places in prisons and have supported the placing of an additional 2,280 prisoners in existing accommodation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers are currently held in category A prisons. [29182]

[holding answer 12 February 1998]: The available information on persons detained solely under Immigration Act powers in those prisons in England and Wales that contain category A accommodation is given in the table.I regret that reliable information on the detention location of asylum seekers can be obtained only by examining individual case records and is, therefore, only available at disproportionate cost.

Persons recorded as being detained solely under Immigration Act powers in prisons in England and Wales which contain category Aaccommodation1 2as at 31 December 19973
Prison establishment	Total detainees
Belmarsh	9
Bristol	7
Doncaster	3
High Down	19
Manchester	2
Other	2
Total	42
1 These prisons may also contain accommodation of categories other than category A.
2 Detainees may be held in accommodation of a category other than category A.
3 Data are provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total cost in police time of detaining, arresting and prosecuting all those cautioned, prosecuted or convicted of offences involving cannabis in each of the past five years. [29138]

[holding answer 12 February 1998]: The information requested is not collected for any such offences either centrally or locally. The cost of doing so would be prohibitive in terms of money and police resources.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with European Union nations concerning asylum and immigration policy since 1 May; what decisions have been made on policy matters; and if he will make a statement. [28845]

Since 1 May 1997, I have attended two formal Justice and Home Affairs (JHA) Councils, on 26–27 May and 4–5 December 1997, and two informal JHA Councils, on 9–10 October 1997 and 29–30 January 1998. At each of these, asylum and immigration policy has been discussed, as it has usually been at regular bi-lateral meetings with my counterparts from other member states of the European Union.The decisions on immigration and asylum policy matters adopted by the Council since 1 May 1997 are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on Scottish local authority expenditure constraints in 1998–99. [29916]

The 1998–99 local government finance settlement is extremely tight and councils will have to make difficult choices when they set their budgets for next year. There is no scope to increase overall support for councils but, following discussions with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, I am pleased to announce a scheme which will allow many councils throughout Scotland to increase spending on front-line services by a further 0.25 per cent. of base budgets on top of the limits determined by my provisional capping principles. I hope that councils will direct this additional spending at our shared priorities, such as education. To offset this increase they will have to reduce their capital expenditure by the same amount.I am also determined to keep council tax levels down, so local authorities will be allowed to take up this flexibility only if they keep their Band D council tax increase next year below £60. Councils will continue to face difficult decisions but this scheme will allow them the flexibility to make their own choices suitable to their local circumstances.I have placed a copy of Scottish Office Finance Circular 3/98, which describes the details of the scheme, in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland which Scottish fox destruction societies have had their government grants cancelled. [28629]

None. Under a modified grant scheme to be introduced on 1 April 1998 the cost of the upkeep of hounds will no longer be supported, following a review which found these costs to be disproportionate to the benefits achieved.

To ask the Prime Minister when he last met representatives from the National Pensioners Convention. [29572]

While I have not had any formal meetings with the National Pensioners Convention (NPC), their representatives have met my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Social Security and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Social Security, my hon. Friend the Member for Southampton, Itchen (Mr. Denham), who is responsible for pensions. The most recent meeting was on 28 January.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list those items valued at more than £25 stolen or lost from his Department since 1 May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [27798]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: The following list has been compiled.

Item	Date	Value (£)
Telephone answer machine	June 1997	50
Computer printer and screen	June 1997	450
Computer processor	June 1997	1,000
Laptop computer	October 1997	3,000

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions on arms exports from Britain he held during his visit to South East Asia in 1997; and if he will make a statement. [29119]

Defence sales issues, including our new criteria for considering export licence applications, were discussed in Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines during my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary's visit to the region in August 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs when he expects to reply to the letter of 2 December 1997, from the hon. Member for South Suffolk regarding his constituent, Mr. Reginald Clarke. [29384]

We await further details from the High Commission in Nairobi about this case. The Migration and Visa Department will write to the hon. Member within the next few days.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 16 December 1997, Official Report, column 101, if he will list all such treaties subject to the Ponsonby Rule laid before Parliament since 1 January 1997 indicating the last date of the 21 day period; and what form notification of Parliament took in respect of each treaty. [26236]

A total of 15 treaties subject to the Ponsonby rule have been laid before Parliament since 1 January 1997. They are listed below. The last day of the 21 day period is indicated on the list. These treaties have all been laid with an Explanatory Memorandum (EM) bringing to the attention of Parliament the main features of the treaty with which it is laid.

• Convention on Social Security between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Canada.
• Publication reference: Canada No. 1 (1997) Cm 3582
• EM No. 1
• Presented to Parliament: 24 March 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 12 June 1997.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Performances and Phonograms Treaty.
• Publication reference: Miscellaneous No. 8 (1997) Cm 3728
• EM No. 2
• Presented to Parliament: 30 July 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 20 November 1997.
• Protocol to the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement, establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Russian Federation, of the other part.
• Publication reference: European Communities No. 8 (1997) Cm 3733
• EM No. 3
• Presented to Parliament: 13 August 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 24 November 1997.
• Protocol to the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and Ukraine, of the other part.
• Publication reference: European Communities No. 9 (1997) Cm 3734
• EM No. 4
• Presented to Parliament: 13 August 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 24 November 1997.
• Protocol to the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement, establishing a partnership between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Republic of Moldova, of the other part.
• Publication reference: European Communities No. 10 (1997) Cm 3735
• EM No. 5
• Presented to Parliament: 13 August 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 24 November 1997.
• World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Copyright Treaty
• Publication reference: Miscellaneous No. 9 (1997) Cm 3736
• EM No. 6
• Presented to Parliament: 13 August 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 24 November 1997.
• Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Antigua and Barbuda concerning the investigation, restraint and confiscation of the proceeds and instruments of crime.
• Publication reference: Antigua and Barbuda No. 1 (1997) Cm 3741
• EM No. 7
• Presented to Parliament: 20 August 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 24 November 1997.
• Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of Australia concerning the investigation, restraint and confiscation of the proceeds and instruments of crime.
• Publication reference: Australia No. 1 (1997) Cm 3742
• EM No. 8
• Presented to Parliament: 20 August 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 24 November 1997.
• Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Republic of Colombia concerning mutual assistance in relation to criminal matters.
• Publication reference: Colombia No. 1 (1997) Cm 3743
• EM No. 9
• Presented to Parliament: 20 August 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 24 November 1997.
• Protocol drawn up, on the basis of Article K.3 of the Treaty of European Union and Article 41(3) of the Europol Convention, on the privileges and immunities of Europol, the members of its organs, the deputy directors and employees of Europol.
• Publication reference: European Communities No. 12 (1997) Cm 3767
• EM No. 14
• Presented to Parliament: 8 October 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 24 November 1997.
• Treaty of Amsterdam amending the Treaty on European Union, the treaties establishing the European Communities and certain related acts including the protocols with final act, declarations and consolidated versions of the Treaty on European Union and the treaty establishing the European Community.
• Publication reference: European Communities 14 (1997) Cm 3780
• EM No. 16
• Presented to Parliament: 29 October 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 26 November 1997.
• Draft Agreement relating to the commission established by the convention for the protection of the marine environment in the North-East Atlantic 1992.
• Publication reference: Miscellaneous No. 11 (1997) Cm 3796
• EM No. 17
• Presented to Parliament: 12 November 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 10 December 1997.
• Convention between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the Government of the French Republic, and the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany concerning scientific personnel at the Max Von Laue-Paul Langevin Institute.
• Publication reference: Miscellaneous No. 12 (1997) Cm 3821
• EM No. 18
• Presented to Parliament: 10 December 1997
• Last date of 21 day period: 27 January 1998.
• Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China for the surrender of fugitive offenders.
• Publication reference: Hong Kong No. 1 (1998) Cm 3843
• EM No. 19
• Presented to Parliament: 16 January 1998
• Last date of 21 day period: 13 February 1998.
• Agreement between the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China for the transfer of sentenced persons.
• Publication reference: Hong Kong No. 2 (1998) Cm 3844
• EM No. 20
• Presented to Parliament: 16 January 1998
• Last date of 21 day period: 13 February 1998.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were diagnosed as suffering from asbestosis in 1996 in each (a) parliamentary constituency and (b) local authority area. [29234]

[holding answer 12 February 1998]: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to arrange for a reply to be given.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the rates of absenteeism in his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, for (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97 and (iii) 1997–98 to date; and if he will make a statement. [26573]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster to my hon. Friend the Member for City of Durham (Mr. Steinberg) on 10 February 1998, Official Report, column 116. The figures in the table are estimates of average days of sickness absence per member of staff for the financial years requested, and may not therefore be consistent with the published figures, which are on a calendar year basis.

Absenteeism rates Chancellor's departments and agencies
	Financial year
	1995–96	1996–97	1995–98(to date)
(a) Departments
Customs and Excise	11.8	12.6	10.3
Government Actuary's Department	11.5	12.6	6.4
Inland Revenue	9.5	10.1	9.6
HM Treasury	6	6.8	5.3
(b) Agencies
Royal Mint	4.4	4.3	4.9
National Savings Agency	13.6	11.4	9.6
Office for National Statistics	14	12.5	10.3
Valuation Office Agency	9.3	8.9	7.1

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 22 January 1998, Official Report, column 648, if he will list the (i) trade associations, (ii) public agencies, (iii) organisations and (iv) individuals who have contributed to the production of the report on alcohol and tobacco smuggling, cross border shopping and fraud currently being prepared by HM Customs and Excise; and if he will make a statement. [28527]

Seventy-one trade associations, public agencies and organisations contributed to the production of the review report. In addition 14 individuals contributed mainly from the fields of health and the off licence trade.

• Action on Smoking and Health
• Alcohol Concern
• Association of Alcohol Misuse Co-ordinating Committee
• Association of Convenience Stores
• Association des Brasseurs De France
• John Barker Vending
• BASS Brewers PLC
• The Benefits Agency
• Bonded Warehouse Keepers Association
• Bracken Bank Stores
• Brewers & Licensed Retailers Association
• British Institute of Innkeeping
• British International Freight Association
• British Medical Association
• British Retail Consortium
• British Tourist Authority
• British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association
• Campaign For Real Ale
• Cancer Research Campaign
• Castle Supermarket
• Caxton Tower Wines Limited
• Danish Brewers' Association
• De La Rue
• Department for Education and Employment
• Department of Trade and Industry
• Department of Health
• Department of the Environment Transport and the Regions
• DGXXI
• Dover District Council
• Dover Harbour Board
• Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency
• Duty Free Confederation
• E. T. Logistics Limited
• Faculty of Public Health Medicine, Royal College of Physicians
• Federation of the Retail Licensed Trade Northern Ireland
• Federation of Wholesale Distributors
• Freight Transport Association
• Gin & Vodka Association of Great Britain
• Glenwood Stores
• Hanslope Wines
• Health Promotion Wales
• The Home Office
• Imported Tobacco Products Advisory Council
• Independent Family Brewers of Britain
• Institute of Alcohol Studies
• Institute of Trading Standards Administration
• Irish Revenue Commissioners
• Kent County Constabulary
• Local Authorities Co-ordinating Body on Food and Trading Standards
• Maclay Group
• Merseyside & Cheshire Alcohol Services Limited
• Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries & Food
• Morison Stoneham Chartered Accountants
• Mulcaster Public Relations and Marketing
• National Association of Alcohol Misuse Co-ordinating Committees
• National Association of Cider Makers
• National Association of Cigarette Machine Operators
• National Criminal Intelligence Service
• National Federation of Retail Newsagents
• Oddbins
• The Offey
• The Portman Group
• Dr. Martin Raw
• Road Haulage Association
• John Sainsbury's Supermarkets PLC
• Scotch Whisky Association
• The Scottish Council on Alcohol
• Scottish Licensed Trade Association
• Scottish & Newcastle
• The Scottish Office (Industrial Policy Division)
• Shepherd Neame Master Brewers
• Small Independent Brewers Association
• Swedish Tax Administrations & Customs
• The Tobacco Alliance
• Tobacco Manufacturers Association
• Unite de la Lutte Anti-Fraude (UCLAF)
• United Kingdom Warehouse Keepers Association
• University of Nottingham—Division of Respiratory Medicine
• VIDS Off Licence
• The Wholesale Confectionery & Tobacco Alliance Ltd.
• William Grant & Sons Limited
• The Wine & Beer Company
• Wine & Spirits Association of Great Britain & Northern Ireland
• Yale Wines Ltd.
• Zenith Off Licence.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what methods are used to dispose of seized smuggled or bootlegged alcohol and tobacco and its products. [27926]

Customs aims to dispose of seized alcohol and tobacco by the most environmentally friendly means. Beer is recycled into agricultural products, and spirits into methylated spirits, although more recently Customs have set up arrangements which allow the resale of bulk consignments back to the originating UK manufacturer. Wine and tobacco products, because of their limited shelf life and the need to store them in the right conditions, are destroyed.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many WTE customs officers have been working on countering the smuggling or bootlegging of tobacco and alcohol in each year since 1991. [27931]

The following number of Excise Verification Officers have been deployed by Customs to counter excise smuggling at the beginning of each financial year since the advent of the Single Market on 1 January 1993:

• Year commencing: 1 April 1993: 230
• Year commencing: 1 April 1994: 230
• Year commencing: 1 April 1995: 240
• Year commencing: 1 April 1996: 260
• Year commencing: 1 April 1997: 330.

These frontline officers are backed up by specialist investigation and intelligence teams whose resources have been increased since 1993.Prior to the introduction of the Single Market on 1 January 1993, Customs staff at ports of entry dealt with the full range of social and fiscal prohibitions and restrictions; there was no separate group dedicated solely to countering excise smuggling.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what is the total budget of the National Investigation Service of Customs and Excise for the current financial year; and what is the anticipated end of year outturn figure. [28475]

The Budget for the National Investigation Service for the current financial year is £95,162,053. The end of year outturn is anticipated to be in line with this.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what would be the average council tax for each local authority in England if each authority's net revenue expenditure 1998–99 was set at the provisional capping level and, excepting the receipts from each local authority's share of NNDR, had to be met entirely from council tax receipts. [28285]

I have today placed in the Library of the House a table showing the information requested.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those items valued at more than £25 stolen or lost from his Department since 1 May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [27803]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: The total value of those items valued at more than £25 each that have been stolen or lost from my Department and its Agencies since 1 May 1997 is £15,427. The cases comprise 16 items of IT equipment, one electronic stapler, one dictating machine, one portable telephone, 16 pagers, nine radios, two sets of clothing and one pair of binoculars.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what is his estimate of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97 and (iii) 1997–98 to date. [27802]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: I am able to provide the following information about the cost of theft and fraud to (a) the Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97 and (iii) 1997–98 to date.

	1995–96 cost (£)	1996–97 cost (£)	1997–98 to date cost (£)
DETR (central)	112,510	148,219	52,256
Agencies	108,646	52,991	27,117
NDPBs	157,283	74,725	96,062

The information on agencies and NDPBs is that available centrally in DETR and the costs are the most recent estimate net of recoveries.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if HM Government have (a) made and (b) proposes objection to the contents of the draft Verwood, Three Legged Cross and St. Leonards and St. Ives Local Plan. [28523]

The Secretary of State made eight objections in January 1993. These objections have been maintained.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if the Government will direct East Dorset District Council to withdraw the Verwood draft local plan. [28482]

The Secretary of State has no power to direct withdrawal of a draft plan.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce a maximum period within which a local authority has to adopt a draft plan after completion of all stages prior to adoption; and if he will make a statement. [28481]

No, but we will be issuing a consultation paper on changes to development plan procedures shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress has been made on the public consultation on the Third Report on the Committee on Standards in Public Life (Cm 3702) announced by the Prime Minister on 8 July 1997. [28313]

Following the end of the consultation period on 31 October 1997, we have been considering carefully with the Local Government Association and other interested bodies how best to develop a new ethical framework designed to ensure the highest standards of conduct by all those involved in local government. We intend to publish our proposals in the next month or so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much money has been allocated by (a) his Department and (b) the Housing Corporation to support new social housing in the Portsmouth City Council area in each of the last five years. [27549]

[holding answer 6 February 1998]: The Department provides funding for new social housing through grant-in-aid to the Housing Corporation. The grant is allocated to Registered Social Landlords through the Housing Corporation's Approval Development Programme. Local authorities may also choose to invest in new social housing. Local authority spending on the provision of new social housing by Registered Social Landlords which meets the Housing Corporation's criteria is reimbursed by Local Authority Social Housing Grant from the Corporation.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what steps he is taking to encourage local authorities to choose a recycling route for waste management in place of incineration; [28509](2) what independent scientific advice he has sought in respect of the optimum size of a waste to energy facility which will not undermine the potential for mechanical recovery of recyclables; [28459](3) what steps he is taking to ensure that each local authority regularly receives the option of establishing a properly balanced waste management strategy. [28460]

The option to establish a properly balanced waste management strategy is open to all local authorities at any time. It is for each local authority to decide on its use of the various waste management options within its available resources.In October 1997 I announced that the Government accepted in full the recommendations of the Review Group on the Local Authority Role in Recycling, which reported in February 1997. One of its key recommendations was that Waste Disposal Authorities should work closely with their constituent Waste Collection Authorities to establish a fully integrated municipal waste management strategy.The Department is also shortly to issue revised guidance to local authorities on the preparation and revision of recycling plans. I hope that all local authorities will look at all the available options for managing waste in developing an integrated municipal waste management strategy with other authorities, the public, the private and voluntary sectors. Recycling is to be preferred to incineration with recovery if and when it represents the best practicable environmental option. Equally, incineration with energy recovery is generally likely to be preferable to disposal.That guidance also advises authorities developing integrated strategies that the high capital costs of energy from waste plants generally require long-term waste contracts to be agreed. Local authorities considering energy from waste will therefore wish to guard against over-reliance on this option, and will wish to take a view on likely future developments in waste management practices and technology. In particular, they will wish to ensure that the use of energy from waste plants does not divert waste from recycling and composting, and, indeed, allows scope for increases in recycling and composting activity.The Department has not sought independent scientific advice on the optimum size for waste to energy incinerators.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on accelerating public inquiry procedures for waste incineration at waste to energy plants. [28507]

I am not aware of any specific representations on accelerating public inquiry procedures for waste incineration at waste to energy plants, although my officials maintain a regular dialogue with the Energy from Waste trade association.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when proposals to reform the Housing and Local Government Act 1989 relating to politically restricted posts will be brought forward; and if he will make a statement. [28314]

The Government remain firmly committed to the principle of political impartiality among senior and other front line public servants, but we are reviewing the restrictions on political activity by local government officers to ensure that their detail and coverage are appropriate. We intend to publish proposals for consultation by the early spring.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the extent and cause of eutrophication in Langstone Harbour; and what counter-measures his Department has taken. [28705]

Advice from the Environment Agency indicates that Langstone Harbour is subject to effects of eutrophication such as regular and extensive dense weed growth. The Agency has identified water from the Eastern Solent as the major source of nutrients in the Harbour.The Environment Agency has not taken any counter-measures in the Harbour. However, the Agency has considered the case for designation of the Harbour as a eutrophic sensitive area as part of the first review of designations required by the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. We shall be considering the Agency's recommendations from this review shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the official water category status under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive of the Solent area; and what plans he has to alter this status. [28798]

The Solent is an estuarine water body under the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive. Sewage treatment works which serve a larger than 2000 population equivalent and which discharge into estuaries are required to meet the Directive's secondary treatment standards. The Environment Agency considered the potential for identification of the Solent as a eutrophic sensitive area, in order to make recommendations to Government on the first review of designations required by the Directive. We shall be considering the Agency's recommendations from this review shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what preliminary research his Department undertook prior to the determination of the standards required in the discharge consents granted to Southern Water's waste water treatment plants in the Solent; and by what means his Department evaluates the current discharge consents; [28799](2) what standards were applied to the procedures used to determine the standards required for the discharge consents for the proposed new Southern Water sites at Portsmouth and Havant; and what assessment he has made of the extent to which these standards were complied with; [28801](3) what assessment he has made of the ability of the proposed new Southern Water sites at Portsmouth and Havant to meet the required water quality standards; [28702](4) what assessment the Environment Agency has made of the compliance of the current storm overflow at Budds Farm with EU water standards; [28650](5) what account the Environment Agency took of representations from local people in determining the standards required in the discharge consent for Langstone Harbour and the Solent. [28800]

The existing standards for the discharges to the Solent were set by the Environment Agency to secure compliance with all relevant environment quality standards contained in EC Directives in force at the time. The Environment Agency is required to review discharge consents at least every four years.So far as the current proposals are concerned, the Environment Agency undertook a substantial review of existing data in 1993–94 to confirm that the Solent should be designated as an estuary under the terms of the Urban Waste Waster Treatment Directive. This means that all qualifying discharges into the Solent, including the Portsmouth and Havant schemes, are required to receive secondary biological treatment by 2000.The Environment Agency will derive the appropriate quality standards for the Portsmouth and Havant discharges by applying national policy and technical guidance relating to water services companies' discharges. This is currently set out comprehensively in the AMP2 Guidelines Version 2 in the Environment Agency's Discharge Consents Manual.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance his Department issues on the appropriate treatment of waste water in (a) estuaries and (b) sensitive water areas. [28707]

The EC Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive lays down requirements for treatment of waste water discharged to estuaries and designated sensitive areas. All discharges to estuaries serving population equivalents greater than 2000 must receive secondary treatment. Discharges to sensitive areas must receive more stringent treatment involving the removal of nitrogen or phosphorus. The Environment Agency is responsible for determining, through the discharge consent system, how these requirements should be applied in particular cases. However, in July 1997, my Department issued a Guidance Note for dischargers and regulators on the implementation and interpretation of the Directive's requirements, which had been developed in consultation with other Government Departments, the water industry and its regulators.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will enable housing corporations to use introductory tenancies and selective lettings in the way that local authorities were enabled to do under the Housing Act 1996. [28864]

Housing companies which are registered with the Housing Corporation as Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) are subject to the Corporation's Performance Standards and Regulatory Guidance. These will allow RSLs to use assured shorthold tenancies effectively as introductory tenancies, in defined circumstances.The Housing Corporation requires RSLs to seek the agreement of the relevant local authority when contemplating the use of such introductory tenancies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he is taking to ensure that standards of lead in water at the domestic tap meet future health standards. [28720]

Water suppliers must ensure that the water they supply complies with the standards that have been set for drinking water quality. New standards for lead will be introduced by the new EC Drinking Water Directive when it is adopted.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons the Government do not hold central records of planning permissions granted for major out-of-town retail developments. [28635]

Most decisions on planning applications for major out-of-town retail developments are taken by local planning authorities. They provide statistical returns of all major "retail, distribution and servicing" applications which they handle, in order to provide an overall picture of planning activity. These data do not classify applications by location. The Government are anxious to keep their requirements for data from local authorities to a necessary minimum. We do, however, propose to set up a system with the Planning Inspectorate, which should enable us to provide information on such permissions granted on appeal or following call in by the Secretary of State for recent and future development.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many planning permissions were granted on appeal or following call-in by the Secretary of State for major out-of-town retail developments (a) between January 1988 and April 1997 and (b) since 1 May 1997. [29210]

[holding answer 12 February 1998]: The information requested is not held on this basis. The results of appeals are not classified by size or by location. It is, therefore, not feasible at the moment to assemble such information, except at disproportionate cost. We propose to set up a system with the Planning Inspectorate, which should enable us to provide this information for recent and all future developments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many people are employed by Ordnance Survey in Scotland, broken down by job category; what facilities for map making the Ordnance Survey maintains in Scotland; and if he will provide a breakdown of Ordnance Survey spending in Scotland as a ratio of overall spending in each year since 1990. [28551]

[holding answer 11 February 1998]: Ordnance Survey in Great Britain currently employs 66 people in Scotland, 63 of whom are based in the seven Scottish field offices which are located in Inverness, Aberdeen, Glenrothes, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hamilton and Ayr. These people are directly involved in the surveying and capturing of mapping data to update the National Topographic Database (NTD) and other related products (eg ADDRESS-POINT^tm). In addition, Ordnance Survey Scottish Region is responsible for the re-mapping of parts of Cumbria. The data collected are sent to Ordnance Survey's headquarters in Southampton where they are incorporated into the NTD and related databases; no actual map making is carried out in the field offices.The table provides a breakdown of the types of jobs Ordnance Survey staff based in Scotland are engaged in:

Job title	Number of staff
Region Manager	1
Chief Surveyor	5
Surveyors	49
Administrators	5
Survey Assistants	3
Field Sales Executive for Scotland	1
Regional Account Manager for Scotland	1
Assistant Regional Account Manager for Scotland	1
Total	66

In addition to the people included in the table, many of 1,300 Ordnance Survey staff based at its headquarters are also engaged in activities related to the capture of mapping data (eg from aerial photographs, the taking of which is co-ordinated from Southampton and undertaken from an aeroplane which flies from Blackpool), and the production of maps and related products, of both Scotland and the rest of Great Britain.Ordnance Survey updates its maps primarily in relation to the local rate of change in the landscape. Thus more work is done locally where new roads, housing estates, etc are created than in mountain and moorland areas. No specific breakdown of effort has been made in the past between England, Scotland and Wales but systems will be put in place to provide such statistics to the Scottish Parliament (the hon. Lady may already be aware that the subject matter of the Ordnance Survey Act 1841 is reserved in the Scotland Bill published last December). The best estimates currently possible are that Ordnance Survey expends approximately 7.5 per cent. of its total out-goings on re-mapping Scotland and that this fairly reflects a combination of continuous revision caused by new developments in Scotland and periodic revisions to cover the whole country.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what the Social Services SSA for Buckinghamshire County Council for 1998–99 would be calculated on the basis of the composition and weighting of the SSA formula in 1997–98 (a) in cash terms and (b) per head of population in Buckinghamshire. [28738]

[holding answer 11 February 1998]: If calculated using the SSA formulae applicable for 1997–98, and the data and national totals applicable for 1998–99, the Personal Social Services SSA for Buckinghamshire Country Council would be: (a) £54.205 million; and (b) £114.22 per Buckinghamshire resident.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to introduce executive mayors; on what timescale; and if he will make a statement. [29228]

[holding answer 12 February 1998]: In our consultation paper "Local Democracy and Community Leadership", which we published on Monday 9 February, we recognised that there is a strong argument for councils' adopting political and management structures which involve a separation of executive and representational roles. It will be open to local authorities to pilot such structures, including those of executive mayors, if the Local Government (Experimental Arrangements) Bill is enacted. This Bill, to which the Government are giving all the support that they can, is currently being considered in another place. I will consider the responses we receive to the consultation paper, and we will publish our proposals in a White Paper later this year.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what projects his Department is funding to restore land previously used for industry to its natural state. [29374]

Through its programmes and agencies the Department of the Environment, Transport and Regions sponsors a range of projects in which the reclamation of land forms a part. Land is reclaimed for both hard end uses such as housing, commercial and industrial development, and soft end uses, for example parks and forestry. Further information is available in the Department's Annual Report 1997 (Cm. 3607), but it is not possible to list projects individually, nor to identify the previous land use.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral statement of 5 February 1998, Official Report, column 1258, on local government settlements for Derbyshire, on what evidence he based his statement that there were difficulties in financing Derbyshire for some years under the previous administration. [29140]

[holding answer 12 February 1998]: In their representation on the proposed settlement, Derbyshire pointed out that they had the lowest cumulative increase in cap limit of any shire county between 1989–90 and 1997–98; and among the lowest cumulative increase in Government assessment of need to spend over that period.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral statement of 5 February 1998, Official Report, column 1258, on Derbyshire's local government settlements, what plans he has to redress the effects of the discrimination in recent settlements which he has identified. [29142]

[holding answer 12 February 1998]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has made several changes to the distribution of Government grant to local authorities to improve the overall fairness of the local government finance settlement. He has also made clear his intention to passport a wider range of increases in SSAs through the capping guidelines. We shall hold discussions with local government during 1998 to identify further possible improvements to the way in which grant is distributed among authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his oral statement of 5 February 1998, Official Report, column 1258, on local government settlements for Derbyshire, what assessment he has made of the level of discrimination in local government settlements for those counties whose standard spending assessments are lower than Derbyshire. [29141]

Standard spending assessments (SSAs) vary between authorities for a number of reasons. These include variations in local circumstances, such as total population and numbers of children of school age; and the way in which those variations are treated in the calculation of SSAs.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what estimate he has made of the final cost of the Jubilee Line extension; and if he will make a statement; [29484](2) if he will make a statement on the problems causing delay in the construction of the Jubilee Line extension; [29486](3) when he expects that the Jubilee Line extension will be in operation; and if he will make a statement. [29485]

London Underground announced on Monday 9 February that it now plans to open a full through Jubilee Line service from Stanmore to Stratford in the spring of 1999.The Jubilee Line Extension is one of the largest construction projects in Europe. With a project of this size and complexity, problems are bound to arise. Serious delays arose when tunnelling on two contracts had to be stopped for some months as a precautionary measure following the 'New Austrian Tunnelling Method' collapse on the Heathrow Express project. Additional delays arose from construction problems at some stations, in particular the complex Westminster station where construction has taken place around the existing District and Circle Lines and very close to the foundations of Big Ben. Tunnelling and other civil engineering works are now complete, fitting-out is under way and the new trains are being introduced to passenger service on the existing Jubilee Line. Development of the high technology signalling system for the line is however taking longer than anticipated, leading to the need to prepare and install more conventional signalling for use until the new system is ready.London Transport currently estimate the total cost of completing the Extension to be £2.76 billion.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the function of the Sustainable Development Unit. [29437]

The Sustainable Development Unit is located in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. Working with the Scottish Office, Welsh Office and Northern Ireland Office, it has a Government-wide remit to promote sustainable development and concern for the environment across Government. The Unit's work programme includes the review of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy; the Greening Government initiative; Freedom of Access to Information on the Environment; Government promotion of Local Agenda 21; and sponsorship of and responding to the Government Panel on Sustainable Development, the UK Round Table on Sustainable Development and the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much compensation has been paid to British hauliers following the French lorry drivers' dispute in 1997. [29388]

This information is not available. Because British hauliers had advance notice of last year's dispute, most managed to avoid the disruption, and so it is expected that few claims will have been submitted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list each major new computer system that (a) his Department, (b) non-departmental bodies and (c) agencies under his responsibility have purchased in the last five years; what was the initial purchase cost and what was the final cost; what was each system's (i) planned and (ii) actual date of commissioning; what major computer systems will be purchased by bodies in categories (a), (b) and (c) in the next financial year; and what is their estimated cost. [27837]

The Ministry of Defence defines major computer systems as those whose estimated costs exceed £50m. Many of these systems are acquired in a phased manner, with delivery and payment occurring over a number of years. Projects which have completed their delivery over the past five years are shown in Table 1.

Table 1 Projects completed
System		In service date (ISD)	Total cost (£ million)
AD CIS	Air Defence Command and Control Information Systems (Army)	1995–96	71
BATES	Battlefield Artillery Target Engagement Systems (Army)	1996	360
DAWN	Delivery of the Abbey Wood Network (Procurement Executive)	1996	70

Table 2 contains projects which have delivered some elements during the past five years, with further phases to be delivered over the next financial year and beyond.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the cost of theft and fraud to (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies in (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97 and (iii) 1997–98 to date. [27762]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: The estimated cost of fraud and theft to the MOD, its agencies and non-departmental public bodies for the years 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1997–98 to date is as follows:

	Value £000
1995–96	506.5
1996–97	466.2
1997–98 (to date)	75.0

These figures relate to in-house cases of fraud and theft and are based on reported suspicions and proven cases. They are subject to change as investigative and disciplinary action progresses.The cost of fraud by contractors is difficult to quantify because it may not affect the Department's funds directly and may involve conjecture about what would have happened otherwise. Costs recorded in a given year may also relate to cases first identified several years before. Subject to these qualifications, the costs for the years in question (on conviction) were:

	Value £000
1995–96	2.7
1996–97	0.0
1997–98 (to date)	0.0

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those items valued at more than £25 stolen or lost from his Department since 1 May 1997; and if he will make a statement. [27763]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: Reported cases of loss arising from proven or suspected theft are held centrally on a summary basis. Items or groups of items valued at more than £25.00 lost through suspected or proven theft since 1 May 1997 are as follows:

	£
Batteries	110
Clothes	2,287
Arctic clothes	6,955
Bedding and furniture	150
IT modem	199
Tableware	1,400
Binoculars	519
Aluminium strips	2,187
Balances	997
Laser printer	800
Television	340
Lap top computers and computer parts	15,000
Tool kit	307
Vehicle straps	536
Petrol	120
	31,907

The MOD keeps no central record of items lost other than through theft or fraud. Potential losses are investigated by Commands and budget areas with a view to recovering the item in question and preventing a recurrence. Write-off action must be pursued where a loss is established. Individual losses are separately identified in Appropriation Accounts only where the value exceeds £100,000. Below that figure they are recorded in bulk, and the identification of individual cases valued at more than £25.00 could be undertaken only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate the rates of absenteeism in his (a) Department, (b) agencies and (c) non-departmental public bodies, for (i) 1995–96, (ii) 1996–97 and (iii) 1997–98 to date; and if he will make a statement. [26634]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster on 10 February 1998, Official Report, column 116. Information for 1997 will not be available until later this year. The Ministry of Defence has recently taken steps to raise awareness of the issue of absenteeism by producing a booklet for line managers and staff to encourage best practice in monitoring and improving attendance.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the (a) annual cost and (b) total value of the empty properties owned by (i) his Department, (ii) his agencies and (iii) other public bodies for which he has responsibility, in (A) 1995–96, (B) 1996–97, (C) 1997–98 to date and (D) 1997–98 full year. [26635]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: There are no central records held and the information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the cost of buildings refurbishment carried out by his Department in (a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97, (c) 1997–98 to date and (d) 1997–98 full year; and if he will make a statement. [26637]

[holding answer 5 February 1998]: The information is not collected centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if it is his policy to continue to implement the NATO standardisation agreements for small calibre ammunition by conducting in-service surveillance of ammunition at a NATO-certified test centre in the United Kingdom. [28042]

[holding answer 9 February 1998]: The Ministry of Defence's current policy on the implementation of NATO standardisation agreements for small calibre ammunition is that in-service surveillance is carried out at a NATO certified United Kingdom test centre. It should be noted that the policy also covers qualification approval and production tests at the test centre.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement about his recent initiatives concerning former Porton Down volunteers. [28897]

This is a matter for the Chief Executive of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency (DERA). I have asked the Chief Executive to write to the hon. Member.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 12 January 1998, Official Report, column 135, where each of the 23 UK personnel working in the US and the four US employees working in the UK are located; and if he will make a statement on their current duties. [28819]

As of 11 February 1998, the number of UK personnel stationed in the US reduced to 22, following the disestablishment of the Personal Secretary post in Washington. Of these, four are located in Washington and a further three in California with duties associated with the 1958 UK/US Mutual Defence Agreement: the remaining 15 are located at Crystal City, Arlington, Virginia (12), Kings Bay, Georgia (1), New London, Connecticut (1), and Laurel, Maryland (1), with duties associated with the Polaris Sales Agreement, as amended for Trident.Of the four US personnel serving in the UK, three are located at Bristol and one at Barrow. Their duties are related to the Polaris Sales Agreement, as amended for Trident.In this context it has been brought to my attention that in my reply to my hon. Friend's related question on 12 January 1998,

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what restrictions in respect of hunting are placed on armed forces personnel in the United Kingdom. [28631]

Participation in hunting may not take priority over military commitments. Personnel must be of an appropriate skill level and must wear the appropriate protective headgear. Transport of horse and rider, and any hunt subscription, must be met entirely at private expense.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on setting snares for fox control in areas of his Department's estate where there is regular public access. [29311]

Snares set for the purposes of fox control are not placed in areas of regular public access on the Defence estate.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his policy on the use of rifles as a means of vermin control at night in areas of his Department's estate which are being used for military training at that time. [29312]

For obvious safety reasons, access to areas of the Defence estate where military training is taking place at night is restricted.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many of the disability living allowance awards re-examined as part of the Benefit Integrity Project up to 31 December have been referred to a fraud officer; and of those how many have been (a) recommended for prosecution, (b) prosecuted for fraud and (c) cleared of fraud; [29180](2) how many

One of our key aims is to rebuild integrity in, and public support for, the Social Security system and the way in which public money is spent. Benefits should go to those who are properly entitled to benefit. This is why we have continued with Benefit Integrity Project.The administration of this programme is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to the hon. Member with further details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will review the disability benefits assessment made in respect of Mrs. Carol Preston of Stockport. [29205]

The administration of the Benefits system is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend with further details.

The BIP was conceived as a response to the Benefit Review which identified a potential for up to £499m DLA fraud annually; it is essentially a measure designed to secure benefit integrity—that is to get the right amount of benefit to the right people—rather than an explicitly anti-Fraud measure. The methodology adopted, which takes account of the sensitivities involved in approaching large numbers of the most seriously disabled people in society, makes it unlikely that overt fraud will be uncovered but maximises the likelihood of revealing incorrect provision.

As at 31 December 1997, the BIP has identified 89 cases in which fraud was suspected, of which 36 have been referred to the Benefit Fraud Investigation Service for further investigation, which have not yet been completed. In the remaining 53 cases, fraud staff in the Disability Benefits Directorate decided that there was no realistic prospect of determining whether fraud had occurred and the files were closed without further action.

Special action is taken to try and minimise unnecessary disruption to customers suffering from certain categories of illness so they will not be contacted as part of BIP. These include customers suffering from; a terminal illness (where life expectancy is likely to be under six months); quadriplegics; paraplegics; people who are both deaf and blind; double amputees and those within the BA definition of severe mental impairment. These categories were introduced following a meeting with Disability organisations in June 1997.

From June 1997 customers included in these categories have been identified from computer records. A small number of customers have more than one disabling condition and our computer records make provision for only one to be recorded, as a result some customers in the relevant categories have not always been screened out. Since November 1997 a clerical check of these records has been introduced to identify as many as possible of these cases. Regrettably there is a small number of customers whose clerical records do not provide sufficiently detailed information for us to identify them as persons who should not be contacted. I apologise for these errors.

The number of customers mistakenly contacted is set out in the attached table.

Whilst all efforts are taken to avoid these customers being contacted, should it occur, and evidence is gathered, the Adjudication Officer would have to take the information into account when deciding entitlement. Entitlement to DLA is based on the effects of a person's disabling condition on their day-to-day life, rather than on the basis of the disabling condition itself.

I hope you find the reply helpful.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security in how many cases in the last five years officials involved in assessing claims for disability benefit have been disciplined for reducing or refusing such claims. [29204]

The administration of Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Peter Mathison the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend with further details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many people have had their disability benefit reduced in the last 12 months. [29202]

The administration of Disability Living Allowance is a matter for Peter Mathison the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend with further details.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what plans the Government have to reduce the disability living allowance and which groups representative of disabled persons she has consulted. [29510]

Disability benefits, including Disability Living Allowance, are included in the Department's Comprehensive Spending Review, which was announced on 11 June last year. The review is an important step in our plan to modernise and improve the Social Security system, so that it helps people to work as far as they are able; provides appropriate support to those who cannot work; and makes the most effective use of the resources available.No decisions have yet been made. When we have identified specific proposals we will consult disabled people, their organisations and others with an interest. We will not implement any changes without first consulting them.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if she will revoke the Jobseeker's Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 1998 (S.I., 1998, No. 71) which were laid before the House on 23 January 1998. [29436]

We will be revoking the Jobseeker's Allowance (Amendment) Regulations 1998 (S.I. 1998 No. 71) in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security if it is her policy that social services should backdate financial assistance for elderly people living in residential or nursing homes who did not claim assistance when their savings fell below £16,000 because they were unaware that assistance was available. [28865]