To ask the Prime Minister what is the cost to date of the reviews set up by the Government since 1 May 1997; and if he will list each review. [38078]

Information on the cost of reviews is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, in many cases reviews have been carried out as part of normal departmental business. A list of the reviews announced by the Government since 1 May has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to the oral answer of the Secretary of State for the Home Department of 30 March 1998, Official Report, columns 887–88, if he will discuss with each of the host countries during his forthcoming Middle East visit the extent to which (a) Lockerbie and (b) the case of WPC Yvonne Fletcher underlie United Nations sanctions against Libya. [38213]

[holding answer 7 April 1998]: Lockerbie is an issue of the greatest importance to this Government. During my visit to the Middle East I stressed the need for progress in implementing the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions. They relate to Lockerbie, not to the murder of WPC Fletcher. That tragic case, with Lockerbie, is a major obstacle in our bilateral relations with Libya.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will initiate a review of his decision to change Prime Minister's Question Time to one session a week. [38425]

As my right hon. Friend the President of the Council made clear when the changes to Prime Minister's Questions were made, the Modernisation Committee will be able to review the new arrangements as time progresses as part of their wide-ranging programme which is looking at many aspects of the machinery of Parliament. That remains the case.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his discussions with Premier Zhu Rongji; and if he will review the mechanisms by which UK-China relations are conducted. [38822]

On 2 April I held constructive discussions with Premier Zhu on a wide range of topics of bilateral and international interest. We value dialogue with China and aim to hold high-level discussions on a regular basis.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the criteria for determining the success of economic and monetary union in the context of determining a future United Kingdom application to join; and for how long that union must have been in operation in order so to judge. [39742]

The economic tests were set out in the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the House on 27 October 1997, Official Report, column 583.

To ask the Prime Minister what measures he is taking to ensure that the United Kingdom meets the five economic tests for participation in economic and monetary union. [39753]

The Government's reforms to the Bank of England and the Code for Fiscal Stability will help to deliver the macroeconomic stability the UK economy needs to demonstrate sustainable and settled convergence.In addition, the Government's programme of investing in education and training, helping people from welfare into work and improving the functioning of markets will deliver the flexibility the UK economy needs.

To ask the Prime Minister which Government Minister is answerable to the House for the performance of the Crown Office in Scotland. [39582]

[holding answer 24 April 1998]: The Government Minister answerable for the performance of the Crown Office in Scotland is my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate. Questions in this House will be answered on his behalf by the Secretary of State for Scotland.

To ask the President of the Council what is her most recent estimate of when the strategy of the United Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator will be published; and if she will make a statement. [39375]

1 announced to the House on 23 April 1998, Official Report, column 974 that it would be launched today.

To ask the President of the Council what estimates she has made of how much will be spent by the United Kingdom Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator in each of the three years of his term. [39381]

The UK Anti-Drugs Co-ordinator, Keith Hellawell, is a special adviser to the Government, and as such has no budget to spend. He has been tasked with overseeing a Comprehensive Spending Review of existing drug resources, which has informed the Government's new anti-drugs strategy, to be launched today. This shows that the Government currently spend about £1.4 billion a year on anti-drugs activity. An announcement on funding from 1999–2000 will be made later in the year, following the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the numbers of regular reserve forces in the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air Force in each year since 1988. [39634]

The information requested is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many RAF reservist role support squadrons have been established; for which aircraft; and what are their missions. [39623]

Four role support squadrons have been formed.The Helicopter Support Squadron, based at RAF Benson, formed on 1 October 1996. The Squadron provides manpower for augmentation and operational support for the Support Helicopter Force during contingency force, peacekeeping, humanitarian and disaster relief operations.The Offensive Support Role Support Squadron formed on 1 January 1998, and is based at RAF Cottesmore. The Squadron provides manpower for augmentation and operational support of the Harrier and Jaguar Force.The Strike Attack Support Squadron based at RAF Marham, formed on 1 April 1998. The Squadron provides a pool of manpower for augmentation and operational support of the Tornado GR 1/4 Force.The Air Transport and Air-to-Air Refuelling Support Squadron with an HQ based at RAF Brize Norton, and a detachment at RAF Lyneham, formed on 1 April 1998. The Squadron provides manpower to augment and support Air Transport at RAF Lyneham and Brize Norton and Air-to-Air Refuelling at RAF Brize Norton.A further Squadron, the Air Defence Support Squadron, is due to be established at RAF Leeming on 1 July 1998. The Squadron will provide manpower to augment and support the Air Defence Force.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what were the findings of the 1996 study into the demographic and geographical distribution profile of potential recruits to the reserves which was announced in the Government response to the Twelfth report of the Defence Committee in January 1996 (HC 188). [39636]

In 1996 my Department employed an independent consultant to conduct a detailed study into recruitment to the Territorial Army (TA). This study suggested that the approach to TA recruitment was insufficiently nationally co-ordinated, and that it was not therefore possible to make a proper assessment of the demographic and geographical distribution profile of recruits and potential recruits to the Reserves. Following the study's conclusions, my Department is developing a management information system which will allow analysis of geographic and demographic trends, and in turn enable us greater focus in TA marketing and recruitment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is (a) the establishment and (b) the strength of the Royal Marines Reserve. [39632]

The total establishment of the Royal Marines Reserve is presently 1,000, of which some 600 billets are for fully trained personnel. As at 1 March their total strength was 871, of which 525 were fully trained.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what new roles for RAF reservists have been (a) identified and (b) established since the enactment of the Reserve Forces Act 1996. [39630]

As the Reserve Forces Act 1996 focused primarily on terms of employment rather than types, no new roles have been identified or established as a direct consequence of the Act. However, since the enactment in April 1997, 3 further Role Support Squadrons have been formed to complement the first, the Helicopter Support Squadron, which formed in October 1996; a fifth squadron is to be formed in July 1998. Their roles reflect a new concept of operations which requires them to supply manpower to augment regular RAF units deployed on contingency force, peacekeeping, and humanitarian and disaster relief operations. Use has already been made of the new categories of reserve service introduced within the Act. All Reservist Aircrew have volunteered to serve as High Readiness Reservists, and some 17 officers and 18 other ranks are currently employed under the new Full Time Reserve Service terms in a range of posts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the (a) actual strength and (b) establishment of the Merchant Navy Reserve; what is the recruiting target; and what is the annual bounty payable. [39631]

At the end of March 1998 the actual strength of the Merchant Navy Reserve was 978 against an establishment of 1,000. There is no specific recruitment target at the present time. Members of the MNR receive an annual taxable bounty of £200.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the strength in (a) June 1997 and (b) March 1998 of the RAuxAF training and standardisation squadrons at RAF Halton and RAF Shawbury. [39625]

The strength of the Royal Auxiliary Training and Standardisation Squadrons at RAF Halton and RAF Shawbury in June 1997 and March 1998 were as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was (a) the establishment and (b) the actual strength of the Royal Naval Reserve in (i) 1994, (ii) 1995, (iii) 1996, (iv) 1997 and (v) 1998. [39628]

The establishment and actual strength of the Royal Naval Reserve for each year since 1994 are shown in the following table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the strength in (a) April 1997 and (b) April 1998 of the RAuxAF Air Transportable Surgical Squadron at RAF Leuchars. [39624]

The RAuxAF Air Transportable Surgical Squadron which formed on 1 April 1997 had on 1 April 1998 a strength of 39 personnel which includes three regular members of the RAF.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on trials being conducted on the feasibility of recruiting and training volunteer reservist aircrew for Tornado F3 fighter aircraft. [39622]

The trial into the feasibility of recruiting and training volunteer reservist aircrew for Tornado F3 aircraft is under way, with two pilots and one navigator currently undergoing refresher training.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Auxiliary Air Force aircrew have been recruited to fly Puma helicopters in each month since February; and if he will make a statement. [39621]

Since February 1997 no Royal Auxiliary Air Force aircrew have been recruited to fly Puma helicopters, although one pilot who was part of the earlier trial on the Wessex helicopter is currently undergoing Puma simulator training. Three further pilots are to be recruited by September this year, and two further applications are pending.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the United Kingdom chemical defence programme is in compliance with the terms of the Chemical Weapons Convention; and if he will make a statement. [40119]

The Chemical Weapons Convention, with which the United Kingdom is fully compliant, permits activities which protect against the use of chemical weapons. The UK chemical defence programme has been constructed to meet that need. In order to re-emphasise our commitment to openness, a copy of the 1997 summary outlining the UK chemical defence programme, which has been forwarded to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in the Hague, has been placed in the library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the quantity and content of files relating to the Astra Group taken by Ministry of Defence Police from RAF Weathersfield and returned to the Receiver subsequent to the conclusion of the Scott Inquiry; and what assessment the Government have made of the relevance of this material to the conclusions of the Scott Inquiry. [38780]

[holding answer 20 April 1998]: MOD Police Fraud Squad Officers seized documentation, between 1990 and 1992, from the Astra group of companies during the course of an investigation into corruption involving those companies. All the seized documentation that belonged to the Astra group of companies was returned to their Receivers in June 1993 and June 1995.Documentation held by the Astra Group's Receivers was examined by Sir Richard Scott's Inquiry and is catalogued at Appendix A Part C of the Inquiry Report; which is available in the Library of the House. Sir Richard Scott dealt with the relevance of the documentation to his Inquiry at paragraph D7.59 of his Report.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will take steps to ensure that files relating to the Astra Group taken by Ministry of Defence Police from RAF Weathersfield and returned to the Receiver subsequent to the conclusion of the Scott Inquiry are made available for scrutiny by interested parties. [38781]

[holding answer 20 April 1998]: MOD Police Fraud Squad Officers seized documentation, between 1990 and 1992, from the Astra group of companies during the course of an investigation into corruption involving those companies. All the seized documentation that belonged to the Astra group of companies was returned to their Receivers in June 1993 and June 1995.The availability of that documentation for scrutiny is a matter for the Receiver.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the Chemical and Biological Defence Establishment at Porton Down drew up its strategy and proposed work programme for its research into Gulf War Syndrome; if this document has been approved by his Department; and if he will place a copy of this document in the Library. [38929]

Outline proposals were drawn up at MOD's request by CBD Porton Down in May—July 1997 for a research programme into the possible health effects of the combination of vaccines and tablets given to troops in the Gulf to protect them against the threat of biological and chemical warfare. The proposals were described in the policy statement "Gulf Veterans Illnesses: A New Beginning" published on 14 July 1997.The proposals were subsequently developed into a programme document and detailed protocols which were submitted to an Independent Panel established to oversee the programme, prior to its first meeting on 18 December 1997. Some modifications have been made to the research proposals in the light of advice received from the Panel and further advice is expected in due course on other aspects of the programme. The programme documentation is, therefore, evolving. Our intention is to agree with the Panel a document summarising the revised programme and to place a copy in the Library of the House as soon as this has been done.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the cost of the C-17 aircraft; what tendering rules have been drawn up for the C-17; and what assessment he has made of the benefits to British industry of the project. [39565]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answers I gave on 5 November 1997, Official Report, column 255 and 19 January 1998, Official Report, column 415. We are still considering with partners how a competition involving other aircraft might be organised. I can assure my hon. Friend that any decision on future airlift will be subject to normal procurement rules and will take account of industrial issues as well as other relevant factors.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what contact Mr. Stephen Kock had with DESO between 1985 and 1991. [38862]

[holding answer 20 April 1998]: DESO may have had contact with Mr. Kock during this period in the course of its normal function of providing advice and support for defence exporters. However, DESO is not aware of any record of these contacts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the current expected cost to completion of the Challenger II programme and the change which represents in real terms over the original estimated cost of the programme. [39269]

The current estimate of the cost of completion of the Challenger II programme is £2,156 million, compared with the original estimated cost of £2,162 million, both at 1996–97 prices. A detailed breakdown of these figures is contained in Appendix 1 of "Major Projects Report 1996", a copy of which is in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many TA centres are also used by the cadet forces. [39498]

As at 1 April 1998, there were 376 TA Centres that are also used by the cadet forces. I have arranged for a detailed list to be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what evidence he has obtained of the effectiveness of the fifth year rate of bounty in improving the rate of turnover in the Territorial Army. [39627]

The Fifth year bounty for the Territorial Army was introduced in April 1996 and turnover figures since then are available only for the year 1997. It is too early to draw any meaningful conclusions on the impact of this bounty on retention.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Royal Auxiliary Air Force aircrew for Hercules squadrons have been recruited in each month since February 1997; and if he will make a statement. [39620]

30 reservist aircrew have so far been recruited for the Hercules aircraft since February 1997 as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the date for replacement of the air refuelling tanker fleet. [39771]

Plans to replace the RAF's air refuelling tanker fleet are at an early stage. Current planning assumptions, however, are that we will start to replace the fleet early next century.

Mr. Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what guidance is issued by his Department to local education authorities concerning the management of children with ME/CFS. [39864]

Guidance on good practice in arranging provision for sick children is contained in DfEE Circular 12/94, "The Education of Sick Children". Circular 14/96, "Supporting Pupils with Medical Needs in School", sets out schools' legal responsibilities for pupils with medical needs. Good practice guidance was also made available in October 1996 to help schools put policies and procedures in place.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many people are eligible in Chesham and Amersham for the New Deal. [39893]

I have placed in the Library a list of the client planning assumptions for each New Deal unit of delivery which the Employment Service is using to plan provision for young unemployed people aged 18–24.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many companies in Chesham and Amersham have signed up for the New Deal. [39904]

Since the national launch of New Deal for 18–24 year olds on 6 April, three companies in the Chesham and Amersham constituency have signed formal agreements for the employment option. There has been positive interest from other employers in the area who are expected to sign up for New Deal shortly.Young unemployed people in the constituency will also have New Deal employment opportunities through local branches of companies which have signed up to New Deal at the national level and also through vacancies notified at the local Jobcentres. Ten employers have currently signed Employers Agreements at Aylesbury Jobcentre and 14 at High Wycombe Jobcentre. Across the Slough unit of delivery, which includes the hon. Member's constituency, 65 firms have signed up.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans he has for improved child care for school-aged children during half-term and school holiday breaks. [38492]

Our national child care strategy will help parents, especially women, to balance work and family life. The aim is to have a range of good quality, affordable child care provision in every neighbourhood, meeting the year-round needs of children and parents. More than £300 million from public funds and from the New Opportunities Fund will be invested in developing child care over the next five years.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has to introduce a unified consent system for offshore wind generation installations. [39587]

Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 provides the legislative basis for an existing system for the construction, extension and operation of electricity generating stations exceeding 50 Megawatts of installed capacity. Offshore wind energy stations exceeding 50 Megawatts of installed capacity are embraced by these arrangements and separate arrangements exist under the Coastal Protection, Food and Environmental Protection, and Transport and Works Acts for offshore wind energy generating stations which do not exceed 50 Megawatts. I am currently considering representations I have received from the British Wind Energy Association on these arrangements.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans she has in respect of increasing the provision of parental leave. [38511]

The Government are committed to implementing the EC Parental Leave Directive by December 1999. The Directive will provide employees, both mothers and fathers, with a basic entitlement to three months unpaid leave on grounds of the birth or adoption of a child. It will also provide employees with the right to time off for urgent family reasons. We intend to consult fully on how we implement the Directive, in particular on the matters on which it provides options and flexibilities.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how the Government intend to encourage electronic commerce; and if she will make a statement. [40083]

The Information Age strategy launched by the Prime Minister on 16 April 1998 demonstrates the Government' s commitment to electronic commerce. Electronic commerce is crucial to the future prosperity of our economy and to the competitive position of our industries, and the UK is well placed to play a leading role. Building on the success of the Programme for Business, the Government are now putting in place the policy and legal framework in which electronic commerce can flourish. From schools to high finance in the City the Government are committed to ensuring everyone benefits from advanced electronic communications.It is also important to make electronic commerce more secure. Users cannot afford to let the information they transmit across the Internet (or any other network) be compromised. They must have confidence that both the integrity and confidentiality of their information will be protected. At the same time, users must be able to trust both the technologies which allow such security and the commercial organisations providing it. To that end, I am announcing today proposals for legislation to introduce voluntary licensing arrangements for bodies offering cryptographic services to the public to ensure that minimum standards of quality and service are met. They will apply to both Certification Authorities (providing electronic signature services) and other bodies providing encryption services. The arrangements will set minimum technical and competence standards for bodies that wish to seek licences. The legislation will also enable users to place greater reliance on digital signatures, through a presumption of legal recognition for those signatures generated by licensed Certification Authorities. Fuller details of this policy are set out in a Statement which is being lodged in the Libraries of both Houses.It is not, however, in the interests of business or the public for criminals and terrorists to be able to exploit these new technologies to disguise or conceal their activities. To meet these concerns, the Government will also introduce legislation making provision for law enforcement agencies to gain legal access, under a properly authorised warrant and on a case by case basis, to encryption keys or other information protecting the secrecy of stored or transmitted information. The purpose of these new powers will be to maintain the effectiveness of the existing legislation designed to protect the public from crime and terrorism.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what amount of export credits for each of the years between 1994 and 1997 was granted for defence-related business with (a) India, (b) Indonesia, (c) Jordan, (d) Kenya, (e) Malaysia, (f) Nigeria, (g) Pakistan, (h) Saudi Arabia, (i) Thailand and (j) Turkey. [39665]

From information readily available, the figures requested are as follows:

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the allocation of Objective 1 Funding per head in Merseyside for the current funding period; and what is the average figure for all European Objective 1 areas. [38989]

Structural Funds allocations per head to Merseyside for the period 1994–99 amount to some 615 ecu (in 1998 prices), £410 using current exchange rates. The equivalent figure for all European Objective 1 areas is 1,170 ecu (£780).

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what recent representations she has received from the European Business Round Table. [39327]

None. But the Chairman of the ERT has been invited to a dinner I am hosting in Brussels on 6 May for EU Industry Ministers and representatives of EU Industry to discuss competitiveness. In addition, my noble Friend Lord Simon, the Minister for Trade and Competitiveness in Europe, will be speaking at their colloquium on Innovation and Competitiveness.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received about the duty imposed by the European Commission on grey cloth imports; what steps she will take to enforce this duty; and what consultations she has had with the Commission on this matter. [39320]

I have received a number of representations from the UK textile industry and others about the provisional anti-dumping duty that the Commission, against the wishes of a clear majority of member States, has decided to impose on imports of grey cloth. When consulted by the Commission, we made clear our firm opposition to such a step, which we believe to be against the interests of both the Community textile industry and EU consumers and will cost jobs. Collection of the duty is a matter for HM Customs and Excise.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what contribution her Department made to the budget of the Overseas Trade Board in the last financial year. [38880]

My Department's expenditure on the British Overseas Trade Board during financial year 1997/98 was £229,000. This includes the salary of Sir Martin Laing CBE, Chairman of the BOTB, and the cost of visits both in the UK and overseas by Sir Martin and by the Vice-Chairman, HRH The Duke of Kent.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what is the present value of her Department's contracts with the National Engineering Laboratory. [38876]

The Department currently has contracts with the National Engineering Laboratory which, over financial years 1998/99, 1999/2000 and 2000/01, have a total outstanding value of £10.6 million.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many ex gratia payments have been made by her Department to individuals or organisations in each of the last three years. [39425]

The number of ex gratia payments made by the Department of Trade and Industry is as follows:

To ask the President of the Council what is the establishment of uniformed police officers assigned to Parliament; and what was the cost of this for 1997–98. [39728]

It is not the practice to state the numerical strength of the Parliamentary Security Force. However, the security costs for the House of Commons for the year 1997–98 were £12.64 million.

To ask the President of the Council if she will list the benefits and the monetary value of benefits granted to each opposition party, including details for both Houses of Parliament and both Short Money funding and other allocations, with special reference to (a) salaries of the Official Opposition Leader and whips, (b) salaries and costs of civil servants attached to the Official Opposition Whips' Office, (c) the provision of a car and driver to the Leader of the Opposition and (d) the supply of newspapers and other services to the Official Opposition Whips' Office for (i) 1996–97, (ii) 1997–98 and (iii) 1998–99. [38950]

[pursuant to the reply, 24 April 1998, c. 725]: The financial assistance to Opposition Parties in the House of Lords are as follows:

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if the review of the arrangements for reporting surveys on pesticide residues in food has been completed; and if he will make a statement. [40011]

The Government are committed to informing the public about all food safety matters. Following the changes announced last year, and the new arrangements announced for veterinary drug surveys on 6 April 1998, I have now agreed to further improvements in the reporting of surveillance results for pesticide residues surveys. To continue to improve openness and information to consumers, the brand names of products tested in future pesticide residue surveillance exercises will, subject to some minor exceptions, be published on a regular basis.The UK has in place a pesticide residues surveillance programme to fulfil its Community obligations to monitor pesticide residues in fruit and vegetables, cereals and products of animal origin. This programme is undertaken each year under the auspices of the Working Party on Pesticide Residues. The results are published in the Working Party's annual report although any results of public interest are published earlier together with any necessary advice to consumers.The publication of brand names will require some restructuring of the pesticides surveillance programme to ensure that surveys are representative of particular produce on the market. The new arrangements will, therefore, apply for surveys conducted from 1998 onwards. As with the other programmes there will be certain minor exceptions, such as surveys whose sample are pooled, where publicising brand information would be inappropriate.Planned surveys for residues of pesticides will continue to be announced in advance, as has been practice for some years. However, the sheer scale of this programme precludes releasing the brands to be sampled in advance.We are committed to giving consumers the maximum possible information on the presence of pesticide residues in food and will ensure that this is provided with appropriate advice on the public health significance of any results. Of course, we will make every effort to ensure the fairness of any tests and not seek to select one manufacturer or source over another. I believe the new arrangements will allow consumers to make a more informed choice about the food that they buy.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if all the proposals relating to the use of organophosphate pesticides, announced by the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food on 17 February 1997 have been implemented. [39651]

Following a review of the Certificate of Competence Scheme for the purchase of organophosphorus (OP) sheep dips in February 1997, the Veterinary Products Committee (VPC) concluded that the marketing of OP sheep dips should continue. A revised guidance leaflet, AS 29 Sheep dipping, produced jointly with the Health and Safety Executive and the environment agencies, emphasises the importance of the Certificate of Competence Scheme for the users of dips. The leaflet has been sent to known sheep farmers.The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons has agreed to ensure that veterinarians are aware that clients hold the necessary certificate and will amend the Guide to Professional Conduct when next reprinting it.There is no change in the legal classification of sheep dips, which continue to be available from pharmacists and registered merchants.The VPC is currently reviewing the labelling of sheep dips with a view to simplifying labels where possible.The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions has circulated proposals for new Groundwater Regulations which would require the environment agencies to be notified of sheep dipping activities and would apply new controls on disposal of spent dip.Research is underway to look at the nature and mechanisms of the toxicity of OPs. The Health and Safety Executive is conducting work on the measurement of urinary metabolites and on new forms of protective clothing. We are awaiting a report from a working party of the Royal College of Physicians of London and the Royal Colleges of Psychiatrists which will include advice on how clinical studies might be undertaken.A review by the VPC of non-OP sheep dips has been completed and the results were published with the Government's response on 29 January 1998. Legislation, which comes into effect on 6 May, will apply the certification Scheme to the purchase of all sheep dips from 31 December 1998.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food when he expects to publish the report of the inter-departmental committee on organophosphate pesticides. [39653]

The report of the interdepartmental committee of officials on organophosphates (OPs) has been submitted to Ministers in the group chaired by my right hon. Friend. It will be published when Ministers have considered its recommendations and reached their conclusions.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received following the March 1998 inquiry by the BBC Radio 4 programme, "Farming Today", into retail profits on beef sales; and if he will make a statement. [39652]

Although we have had representations from beef producers, who consider that the fall in producer prices has not been reflected in retail prices for beef, no one has raised specific concerns about the inquiry by the BBC Radio 4 programme, "Farming Today". We will continue to monitor movements in beef producer prices and in meat prices at retail level.

To ask the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food what representations he has received in respect of Denmark's policy towards imports of Russian fish from unregistered freezer trawlers; and what is his Department's policy towards such imports. [39319]

I have received a small number of representations alleging that Denmark has allowed imports of Russian fish from unregistered freezer trawlers in contravention of a European Commission Decision. In view of this substantiated allegation, uncertainty over the operation of the Decision by other Member States, and following discussions with the European Commission, we have recently decided to allow imports of Russian fish from unregistered freezer trawlers. This has been done as an interim measure, with enhanced checks at UK ports, until the European Commission can propose a satisfactory solution.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he expects the restriction on the export of Welsh beef to be lifted; and if he will make a statement. [39278]

We are doing everything possible to bring about the resumption of our exports from the UK as a whole. On 16 March the Agriculture Council adopted a Decision which would lift the export ban from beef from export certified herds in Northern Ireland.The Export Certified Herd Scheme is available only to animals whose history can be traced by computer—so it is only applicable in Northern Ireland initially, until the GB Cattle tracing system is fully functional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the extra amount of council house sales receipts made available for the current and the next financial year; and if he will make a statement. [39279]

Provision of £33.38 million has been made under the Capital Receipts Initiative this year. Capital expenditure provision in future years is being considered in the Comprehensive Spending Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) how many cases of bovine TB were recorded in Wales in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement; [39434](2) if he will make a statement on bovine TB in Wales. [39433]

The number of confirmed outbreaks of bovine TB in Wales is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the savings to date from his policy of reducing bureaucracy in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [39438]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave him on 17 December 1997, Official Report, column 209. I can confirm that I expect to be able to establish what savings have been made when the audited accounts of health authorities and trusts for 1997–98 are available in August.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what estimate he has made of the cost to (a) Welsh farmers and (b) his Department of the radioactive fall-out from the Chernobyl accident; and what are the figures for each year since the accident for the area determined as restricted in Wales as a result of the accident. [39674]

The main economic effect of the Chernobyl accident in 1986 has been on the sheep farming industry in North Wales. The direct cost to Welsh farmers, measured in terms of disruption to their enterprises and for which compensation has been paid since 1986, is over £8.9 million. Information on the specific costs to the Welsh Office arising from the Chernobyl accident is not available because staff and effort allocated to this work varies according to the circumstances.Figures for each year of the area determined as restricted in Wales as a consequence of the accident are as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if the computer systems used by the emergency services in Wales will be millennium compliant by 31 December 1998. [39895]

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to her today by my right hon. Friend the Home Secretary who has responsibility for some of the emergency services on an England and Wales basis. I will reply on the NHS Ambulance Trust and acute trusts in Wales.The Ambulance Trust and acute trusts providing accident and emergency services, in line with other NHS organisations, are making every effort to ensure their computer systems are millennium compliant by 31 December 1998. In particular, ambulance command and control systems have been given a very high priority in determining their compliance status and in undertaking the necessary replacements or upgrades. However, in some cases, it may not be possible to complete the latter until the first quarter of 1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to reform planning law relating to quarries and quarrying. [39357]

My right hon. Friend and I currently have no plans to reform planning law relating to quarries and quarrying in Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who will represent her Department at the Global Environment Conference in New Delhi; what new initiatives will be proposed; and if she will make a statement. [39577]

The first Global Environment Facility (GEF) Assembly took place from 1–3 April in New Delhi. It was preceded by a meeting of the GEF Council which formally concluded the second replenishment of the Facility of US dollars 2.75 billion and endorsed policy recommendations to improve further GEF activities.The policy recommendations cover: improved country ownership of GEF financed projects; better mainstreaming of global environmental objectives into the regular policies and programmes of the three Implementing Agencies, UNEP, UNDP and the World Bank; better involvement of the private sector and partnerships with them; enhanced monitoring and evaluation and the development of performance indicators; greater participation by other international and regional organisations, including the Regional Development Banks; further clarification of the application of incremental costs, that is, the costs to achieve global, as opposed to national, environmental benefits which the GEF is designed to meet.The UK has committed £85.25 million to the second replenishment, being the UK's full share of the replenishment plus an additional voluntary contribution of £2 million. The UK has offered to provide a further £4.25 million during the replenishment period to help fill the replenishment funding gap of some US$70 million if other donors make additional efforts to meet their shares. The UK is the fifth largest contributor to the Facility.DFID was represented at the Assembly by the head of Environment Policy Department (EPD) and other officials from EPD, the UK Mission to the World Bank and DFID's office in India. The British High Commissioner and a DETR official also participated.Representatives from 119 of the GEF's 164 countries were represented in the Assembly which was opened by the Indian Prime Minister and concluded with the New Delhi Statement. This reaffirmed the Facility's role as the multilateral funding mechanism dedicated to promoting global environmental protection and actions to improve the Facility's operations. Copies of the New Delhi Statement are being placed in the Libraries of the House.