To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list, in order, the London boroughs by (a) percentage change and (b) cash terms change, in council rent collected for each of the last four years. [41154]

The information requested is not collected in the requisite form by my Department.Data are collected through the Housing Subsidies and Grants Claim form by the Department on potential rent income and on actual rent outstanding at the end of the latest financial year. Deducting the latter from the former would provide an estimate of the current year's rent collected within the year. However, these particular responses on the form are not audited, the figures would not cover any rent collected after the end of the year, and not all authorities provide the rent outstanding figures.The Audit Commission's Citizen Charter performance indicators for local authorities include an indicator on the percentage of rent collected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what costs have been incurred so far in strengthening bridges to accommodate 40 tonne lorries; and what estimate he has made of the costs of works yet to be undertaken. [41902]

For Trunk Roads in England, where assessment indicates that bridge strengthening work is required for a bridge to carry 40 tonne lorries, the work is then grouped with nearby maintenance and construction works so as to produce a programme which is most economical and least disruptive to road users. Consequently, contracts specify a range of work and it is not easy to separate the costs attributable to strengthening work alone.The Agency estimated at the start of financial year 1997/98 that it needed some £240m to complete the bridge strengthening programme for Trunk Roads in England.In addition, over the period 1991/92 to 1998/99, central Government have made £913m available to Local Authorities for expenditure on bridge works. It is not possible at this stage to provide an accurate estimate of necessary future strengthening work.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts concerning hydrofluorocarbon emissions. [41905]

The Government are in regular contact with other European Member States to discuss how the European Community and its Member States can meet the targets that were set in the Kyoto Protocol. The Environment Council in June will consider how to develop measures to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases, including hydrofluorocarbons. The Government will be issuing a consultation paper later in the summer on policy options for meeting their commitments.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what representations he has received on the possible expansion and use of small airports to transport freight in Wales. [42240]

My Department has received no representations on this particular matter.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 6 May 1998, Official Report, column 392, which of the 11 certifying authorities listed in Annex A operate in the North of Scotland. [42127]

I refer the hon. Member to my previous answer of 6 May 1998, Official Report, columns 392–94.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with local authorities in London regarding the increase in provision of motorcycle only parking in prominent locations. [42227]

I and my officials have had a number of discussions with local authorities about parking in London although none specifically covered motorcycle parking. However, our new Traffic Management and Parking Guidance for London, a copy of which is in the Library, includes, in particular, advice that local authorities should consider the need for motorcycle parking in developing their approach to local traffic planning.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 28 April 1998, Official Report, column 88, on leaded paint, what are the terms of reference for the Building Research Establishment's consultation on behalf of the Department; and when its findings are to be published. [42263]

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: The Building Research Establishment was principally commissioned to:

1. Review the information and advice presented in the Department's current Lead in Paint leaflet (published March 1984), specifically with regard to modem methods of safe removal of leaded paint, taking into account waste disposal aspects and liaising with English Heritage, the British Coatings Federation and any other interested parties to be identified following discussions with the Department.

2. Draft the test for a revised edition of the leaflet and liaise with the Department in its production.

A subsidiary part of the commission was to:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what steps he has taken to permit powered two-wheel vehicles to use bus lanes, on a national basis. [42316]

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: The Government have said that they will welcome proposals from interested local authorities for fully monitored experimental schemes in which powered two wheelers were permitted to use bus lanes, so that all the implications can be studied. After such trials, it will take a view on whether or not the practice is one that might be encouraged on a national basis.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will raise from 13 years the age at which a person can lawfully drive a tractor on a farm. [42610]

The Health and Safety Commission is currently reviewing the legislation which sets the current limit at 13 years of age—the Agriculture (Avoidance of Accidents to Children) Regulations 1958. I am awaiting its advice on the outcome of this review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he will take to increase the numbers of new officer recruits to the Merchant Navy; and if he will make a statement. [42547]

We are committed to increasing the numbers of British trained seafarers. A new seafarer training support scheme—SMarT—began on 1 April 1998 which consolidates and expands on the previous training support schemes. For the financial year 1998–99, SMarT has a budget 30% greater than the total paid out in grants for seafarer training in 1997–98.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will take steps to reduce employment costs in the Merchant Navy; and if he will make a statement. [42548]

My right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister established a Shipping Working Group late last year to examine ways to promote the interests of British shipping and British seafarers. One of the areas the Shipping Working Group examined was the employment environment for British seafarers. The Deputy Prime Minister is currently considering the recommendations of the Shipping Working Group.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many responses he has received to the public consultation on his proposals for amendments to Approved Document B to the Building Regulations 1991; and if he will list the organisations and individuals who submitted these responses. [42697]

The closing date for responses to the public consultation on the proposal to revise Approved Document B was 31 March 1998 and a list of those who responded was deposited in the Libraries of both Houses on 6 May 1998. The number of responses on this date was 172.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action his Department is taking to address the concerns of fire service and insurance organisations regarding the practice of some water companies of reducing mains water pressure in order to reduce leakage rates. [42699]

My Department has set up a National Liaison Group to improve the way that the water industry and fire service work together. Representatives of the fire service and the water companies on the Group are preparing a Code of Practice to facilitate better co-operation. Water pressure will he one of the issues covered. Following the Water Summit, water companies are working towards meeting their mandatory leakage targets in a variety of ways including the repair of customers' supply pipes and repair and replacement of mains. The Office of Water Services continues to ensure that any reductions in water pressure do not jeopardize water companies' statutory duties with regard to mains pressure and the delivery of water.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what plans he has to restrict the access of delivery vehicles to Central London during daylight hours. [41846]

Traffic management on most roads in central London is the responsibility of the boroughs. The boroughs already have powers to restrict loading and unloading and the Government have no plans to change them. As noted in the White Paper on proposals for modernising the governance of London, the management of freight traffic on the capital's roads will be an important policy area within the integrated transport strategy for London that the new Mayor will have a duty to produce.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what directions he has issued to local authority engineers to require them to be more conversant with the needs and safety requirements of powered two-wheel vehicles and pedal cycles when planning road layouts. [42324]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has no power to issue such directions to local authority officials. A range of technical guidance exists on providing for the needs of two-wheeled vehicle users. This includes "Transport in the Urban Environment" published by the Institution of Highways and Transportation in collaboration with my Department, Design Bulletin 32 on the layout considerations of roads and footpaths, produced by my Department, and "Cycle-friendly Infrastructure" produced jointly by the Institution of Highways and Transportation, the Bicycle Association, the CTC and the Department. In addition, there is an extensive range of advice on providing for cyclists within our Traffic Advisory Leaflets and other material. This is listed in our cycling bibliography that is sent free to all local authorities.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what mechanisms he has developed to ensure that local authorities receive adequate funding for road maintenance, with particular reference to repairing the types of damage which are hazardous to cycles and motorcycles. [42326]

The Government are committed to making best use of the existing road network. Future levels of funding for local road maintenance are under consideration in the Comprehensive Spending Review. It is for local authorities to plan their road maintenance, taking account of the needs of all groups of road users.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, pursuant to his answer of 12 May 1998, Official Report, columns 65–66, on freedom of information, what factors determine which inquiries are monitored. [42687]

The responses to inquirers are co-ordinated when there are a number of inquiries from an individual, covering a range of topics, addressed to different parts of HSE and where there could be a risk that, inadvertently, inaccuracies or inconsistencies might occur.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when a decision will be reached on the designation as shellfish waters of each of the remaining major estuaries in Devon; and what factors underlie the delays in reaching the decision to date. [42624]

The EC Directive concerning the quality of waters for shellfish was formally transposed in England and Wales by means of secondary legislation in June 1997. The legislation replaced the administrative arrangements under which the Directive had previously been implemented and was the first step in a process to review implementation policy, including designations. Since the legislation was enacted, work has been proceeding with the review. A review of water quality standards for some of the Directive's parameters has been completed and discussions have been held with the shellfish industry, MAFF and CEFAS (Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science) to produce a candidate list of new areas for designation, and a public consultation paper on these issues is in preparation. We expect to issue this by the summer recess, but the timing of final decisions will be dependent on the response to the consultation exercise.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what mechanisms are in place to ensure safety in the Severn Rail Tunnel; what improvements have been made recently to the track in the tunnel and fire safety arrangements; and what further improvements are planned. [42701]

The responsibility for ensuring safety in the Severn Tunnel rests primarily with Railtrack plc. Railtrack is responsible for maintaining the track and structure of the tunnel as well as regulating the flow of rail traffic through it. Railtrack contracts the maintenance of the tunnel to specialist contractors who undertake inspection, testing, maintenance and renewal work. Railtrack has management systems in place which are aimed at ensuring that their contractors carry out necessary work to the required standard.A programme of major improvement works has been carried out in the tunnel over the past few weeks. This has included track renewal and drainage work. Following the completion of the work, Railtrack removed a temporary speed restriction which they had previously imposed because of poor track condition.I understand that the Health and Safety Executive's Railway Inspectorate is content with the arrangements relating to fire emergencies, introduced after the publication of its report into the accident in the Severn Tunnel on 7 December 1991.Railtrack has on-going arrangements in place for the inspection and maintenance of the tunnel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what progress he has made in obtaining an assessment of the amount of previously developed land available for housing, announced in his policy document, "Planning for the Communities of the Future" on 23 February. [42966]

My Department has worked with the Local Government Management Board, English Partnerships, Ordnance Survey and local authorities to establish a method of providing a consistent assessment of previously developed land which may be available for housing or other development, as the first step towards a complete Land Use Database for England.Key features of the approach are to meet the needs of a number of organisations from a single data collection exercise, and to use information already held by the local authorities wherever possible, to avoid duplication of effort. Local authorities will be asked to draw up a list of previously developed sites along with information about the location, area, planning status and other relevant characteristics of each site. This will be done to a common format and using standard definitions that will be set out in guidance being developed jointly by DETR, Local Government Management Board, English Partnerships and Ordnance Survey following consultation with a number of local authorities.English Partnerships will contract teams of surveyors which will visit each local authority to complete the data collection and to collect additional information about certain sites on the potential for redevelopment. Ordnance Survey will provide quality assurance on the geographical attributes of the data, and develop the list of sites into a `map database' showing the site boundaries. Ordnance Survey will also develop a plan for extending the coverage of the database to other land uses, and for keeping the resulting National Land Use Database up to date.

Cause of delay	1993–94	1994–95	1995–96	1996–97	1997–98
Broken/cracked rails	31	8	30	22	56
Signalling	1,783	1,718	1,862	1,891	2,181
Objects on track	217	208	248	327	314
All causes	35,952	34,150	34,463	34,767	38,840

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 30 March 1998, Official Report, column 441, if he will publish the findings of the public opinion research conducted by (a) Fishburn Hedges on presentational aspects of the individual savings account and (b) Ogilvy and Mather on presentational aspects of the working families tax credit. [38217]

[holding answer 7 April 1998]: The Chancellor announced in the Pre-Budget Report that he was considering proposals for an individual savings account and a working family tax credit, and that he would be consulting widely on these in the run-up to the Budget. Fishburn Hedges and Ogilvy and Mather were employed by the Treasury to look at the presentational aspects of the proposals. Their appointment was entirely consistent with long-established rules on the appointment of consultants by Government. The Chancellor drew on their work in preparing the Budget.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to his answer of 12 February 1998, Official

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many delays to London Underground services have been caused by (a) broken rails, (b) signal failures, (c) obstructions on the track and (d) all causes in total, for each of the last five years. [37271]

[pursuant to her reply, 6 April 1998, c. 6]: I understand from London Underground that the information requested is as shown in the table.

[holding answer 20 April 1998]: The Inland Revenue added questions to two Omnibus surveys, conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and MORI Financial Services (MFS); arranged for a follow-up survey by MFS; and purchased existing analyses from NOP's Financial Research Survey. The cost of the information was as follows:

• NOP: £1,350
• ONS: £24,400
• MFS: £14,500.

Details on the specifications of all the surveys and a summary of the main findings have been placed in the House of Commons Library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what further developments there have been on the Tax Law Rewrite Project. [42904]

The Tax Law Rewrite project aims to bring clarity to our direct tax legislation, making the tax system more accessible to taxpayers, and their advisers. The Inland Revenue have today published a document which reviews the recent progress of the project and outlines its work programme for 1998–99. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of the House.The Rewrite is a major task, and we are committed to doing it well. We are also committed to continuing on the basis of full and open consultation. Such consultation has been the hallmark of this project from the beginning and will, I am confident, ultimately ensure that it is a highly successful one.

Title	Publication date	Closing date for submissions	Number of respondents
Proposals for a new Industrial and Provident Societies Act	23 March 1998	1 May 1998	64
Innovating for the future: investing in research and development	17 March 1998	30 June 1998	25 to date
Bank of England powers to collect information for monetary policy purposes	13 February 1998	13 March 1998	12
Index linked gilt auctions	5 January 1998	30 January 1998	28
The future of UK Government debt and cash management: a response for consultation	22 December 1997	none	6
Cash ratio deposits	25 November 1997	20 April 1998	19
Pre-Budget Report	25 November 1997	17 March 1998	1,250
The future of UK Government debt and cash management: a proposal for consultation	29 July 1997	12 September 1997	20

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many and what proportion of his Department's appointees to non-departmental public bodies are (i) aged under 25, (ii) aged 25 to 30 and (iii) aged 31 to 35 years. [40736]

Since the publication of the Commissioner for Public Appointments' Guidance, statistics on the ages of appointees have been routinely collected. Details of the ages of those appointed before this date are not available in all cases.Based on the information available, four serving appointees are under the age of 35, of whom one person is aged between 25 and 30 and the rest between 31 and 35 years. This is approximately 1% of the total.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what briefings were given by Treasury Ministers on the funding of MI5; what meetings have taken place between Treasury Ministers and journalists at which MI5 was discussed; and which journalists were involved. [39197]

No such briefings or discussions have taken place about the Security Service's budget. As I announced in a written answer to my hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms) on 30 October 1997, Official Report, column 884, intelligence agencies are being reviewed as part of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review. The terms of reference have been placed in the library.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the consultation papers published since 1 May 1997 giving the date of publication, closing date for submissions and the number of respondents. [42246]

Following is a list of the public consultation papers published by the Treasury since 1 May 1997, with the publication dates, closing dates for submissions and number of respondents. It does not include consultations which have been announced, but for which no consultation papers have yet been issued; nor does it cover a number of taskforces and advisory groups which may also have a consultative role.These figures include all appointments which fall under my responsibility or where my role is to advise my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and, through him, Her Majesty the Queen. The figures include appointments made or recommended by previous Secretaries of State as well as by me.The Government are committed to encouraging a wide range of candidates to apply for positions on the boards of public bodies, reflecting the diverse society in which we live.This includes encouraging more young people to put themselves forward as potential candidates for public appointments. All appointments are made on merit, and candidates must demonstrate that they have the necessary skills and experience to match the needs of the public body on which they wish to serve.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of awards made by (a) the Arts Council and (b) the London Arts Board have been directed towards black and minority ethnic groups in each year between 1987–88 and 1996–97. [41359]

Figures for grant-in-aid awards from the Arts Council of England and the London Arts Board are not available under the Black and Minority Ethnic heading. However, figures are available under the broader Cultural Diversity heading.Figures for grant-in-aid awards, from the Arts Council of England and the Regional Arts Boards to the Cultural Diversity sector, are available only from 1990–91 onwards. These are set out in the following table:

	Number of Black/Minority ethnic awards	Total Black/Minority ethnic awards (£)	Total of awards	Total grants awarded (£)	Black/Minority ethnic (Per cent.)
A4E Main Scheme Rounds 1–3, 1996/97	35	4,382,453	278	38,421,000	14
A4E Express	65	296,961	2,070	8,437,760	3.2
Capital 1995/96–1997/98	29	1,420,000	1,794	842,000,000	0.2
Film 9.1995/1.1998	11	4,305,853	85	49,485,612	9

A number of other awards may have been made which benefited black and minority ethnic groups, but in which the primary applicant was not so identified.Figures from the London Arts Board for Cultural Diversity awards, where available, are set out in the following table:

Year	Total Cultural Diversity Expenditure (£)	Percentage of total grant expenditure
1995/96	2,237,102	17.9
1994/95	2,260,895	18.4
1993/94	1,817,614	19.4
1992/93	1,786,893	19.2

Listed Sites and Buildings

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many (a) listed buildings, (b) scheduled ancient monuments, (c) conservation areas, (d) local or national nature reserves, (e) sites of special scientific interest, (f) areas of outstanding natural beauty and (g) world heritage sites, are currently recorded. [42274]

The information requested, in respect of England, is as follows:

(a) Listed Buildings: 365,846¹ entries on the statutory list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest;

(b) Scheduled Ancient Monuments: 17,538² entries in the schedule of ancient monuments;

(c) Conservation Areas: 8,758;

(d) Local Nature Reserves: 593, National Nature Reserves: 194;

(e) Sites of Special Scientific Interest: 3,987;

(f) Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty: 37, and

(g) World Heritage Sites: 11 (the UK as a whole, including dependent territories, has a total of 17).

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the total (a) number and (b) value of the grants made by the Heritage Lottery Fund in the categories of (i) land, (ii) buildings, (iii) museums and galleries, (iv) industrial, transport and maritime and (v) manuscripts since its establishment in 1994. [42336]

As at 24 March 1998, the breakdown of awards made by the Heritage Lottery Fund since 1994 is as follows:

Heritage sector	Number of awards	Value (£ million)
Land	230	66
Buildings	905	308
Museums and galleries	349	432
Industrial transport and maritime	86	64
Manuscripts and archives	78	51

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the total (a) number and (b) value of the grants made by the National Heritage Memorial Fund in the categories of (i) land, (ii) buildings, (iii) museums and galleries, (iv) industrial, transport and maritime and (v) manuscripts since 1980. [42338]

Information on the number and value of awards made by the National Heritage Memorial Fund by heritage sector since 1980 is not readily available. However, the Fund has made 1,144 awards to date with a total value of £199m.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has for further Government support for the British film industry. [41876]

The recommendations of the Government's Film Policy Review Group were announced on 25 April. These set out an agenda for action by Government and industry in support of British film. Copies of the report 'A Bigger Picture' have been placed in the Library of the House.On 12 May, I co-chaired a meeting of an Action Committee, made up of representatives of key sectors of the British film industry, which will oversee the implementation of the report's initiatives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make an announcement about the Government's adoption of the 1994 Brighton Declaration on Women in Sport. [42967]

I am delighted to announce that the UK Government have adopted the 1994 Brighton Declaration on Women and Sport. I wish to place on record my thanks to my hon. Friend for all his assistance in the past for his role in meeting this objective.Our decision to adopt the Declaration further indicates our determination to improve opportunities for women at all levels in sport, whether as participants, competitors, coaches or administrators.Through our policy of 'Sport for All' we shall continue to work with the Sports Councils and others to promote and develop opportunities in sport for women regardless of where they live, social background, age or ability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to establish an independent Environmental Protection Agency in Northern Ireland. [41620]

No steps have been taken to establish an Environmental Protection Agency in Northern Ireland.The Environment and Heritage Service, a Next Steps Agency within the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland was set up on 1 April 1996 to assume operational responsibility for environmental issues.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her answer of 6 May 1998, Official Report, columns 412–13, on prisoners, if she will list for each of the years from 1998 to 2002 and for the following five years the number of prisoners in each category expected to be released who are serving life or other indeterminate sentences. [41712]

As a specific tariff is not set for individual indeterminate sentence prisoners in Northern Ireland, the information sought is not readily available. Figures provided previously have been broad approximations for indicative purposes. Given the small numbers involved, disaggregation of these figures by affiliation and by year of possible release could be misleading and could result in individual prisoners being identified or drawing incorrect inferences about the future handling of their cases.The table is an estimate of the number of indeterminate sentence prisoners at HMP Maze who could be released during the calendar years 1998, 1999 and 2000. The figures include prisoners in organizations which do not have a cease-fire and exclude prisoners who have already been given a provisional release date or are at an advanced stage of consultation about release.

	Number of indeterminate prisoners
Total number of prisoners	99
Estimated releases in 1998	0
Estimated releases in 1999	6
Estimated releases in 2000	14
Remaining after December 2000	79

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the average price paid to the producer for a (a) 400 kilogram and (b) 350 kilogram deadweight beef steer in each month of the last five years for which figures are readily available. [41658]

Information is not collated on the basis requested. However, details of the average deadweight price for all steers in each month since January 1993 are set out in the table.

Northern Ireland deadweight steer price (P/KG) 1993–98
	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998
January	212	222	230	223	178	155
February	230	222	225	223	169	156
March	245	228	224	220	169	144
April	234	230	228	187	164	142
May	257	245	225	196	162	—
June	249	232	227	190	167	—
July	237	228	226	187	172	—
August	226	227	226	174	169	—
September	214	221	227	173	171	—
October	208	222	226	172	171	—
November	219	226	228	179	167	—
December	225	233	225	187	159	—

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if beef exports to the European Union have been resumed; what assistance is being given to the beef industry to regain markets in Europe; and if she will make a statement. [41622]

I refer the right hon. Gentleman to the reply given to him on 11 May 1998, Official Report, column 26.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her oral statement of 22 April 1998, Official Report, column 940, if she will list the amounts paid or due to be paid to the various parties in connection with the forthcoming referendum. [42146]

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: The Government have no plans to give any money to parties in connection with the forthcoming referendum. The parties are, however, entitled to a free mail shot in the referendum. It is for the parties to approach the Post Office to arrange distribution of their material, and the Post Office then recovers the cost from the Government. Until that has happened, we do not know exactly how much money the mail shot will cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland in 1998–99. [42905]

For 1998–99, the following performance targets have been set for Ordnance Survey of Northern Ireland:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she has agreed to the retention of Next Steps Agency status by the Compensation Agency after 31 March 1998; what future plans the Compensation Agency has prepared; and when they will be published. [42906]

I have agreed that the Compensation Agency retains its status as a Next Steps agency from 1 April 1998 to 31 March 2000. The Agency will publish today its Corporate Plan and Business Plan. The Plans explain the Agency's business and organisation and set out the assumptions about workloads and resources which underpin the plans and targets.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Department of the Environment's Planning Service in 1998–99. [42907]

For 1998–99, the following performance targets have been set for the Planning Service:To publish the following development plans in draft form by 31 March 1999:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what performance targets have been set for the Department of the Environment's Environment and Heritage Service in 1998–99. [42908]

For 1998–99, the following performance targets have been set for the Environment and Heritage Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if her Department operates a monitoring exercise of persistent inquirers for information. [42641]

No.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make available the minutes of meetings of himself and any of his officials with President Kabbah or his representatives to (a) the public, (b) HM Customs and Excise investigation into the Sandline affair and (c) the subsequent Foreign Office inquiry. [42092]

To ask the Prime Minister who else was present at the meeting between himself and President Kabbah during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Edinburgh; what was discussed; and if the minutes of the meeting will be published. [41968]

[holding answers 14 May 1998]: Neither I nor my officials have had any formal meetings with President Kabbah, or his representatives. I met him at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Edinburgh last October, to which he was invited as my special guest. These contacts were informal and no minutes were taken.

To ask the Prime Minister whether briefing on the article published in The Observer on 8 March concerning arms sales to Sierra Leone was requested by his staff. [42058]

[holding answer 14 May 1998]: No.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had in 1998 with President Chirac about arms sales to Africa. [41915]

[holding answer 14 May 1998]: I have had no discussions in 1998 with President Chirac about arms sales to Africa.

To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with President Chirac about Sierra Leone in the past four weeks; and if he will give the dates and the main points of discussion. [41917]

[holding answer 14 May 1998]: I have had no discussions with President Chirac about Sierra Leone in the past four weeks.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will publish the guidelines currently used by Ministers and officials on the manner of responding to written parliamentary questions indicating any changes made since 7 May 1997. [42039]

[holding answer 14 May 1998]: Guidance to Ministers on their responsibilities to Parliament is set out in the Ministerial Code.Guidance to officials on drafting answers to Parliamentary Questions, including the responsibilities of civil servants to help Ministers fulfil their obligations, was set out as part of the then Government's response to the Public Service Committee's Report on "Ministerial Accountability and Responsibility" in November 1996. This advice has not altered. Copies of both documents are available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 11 May 1998, Official Report, column 20, what weight the Government place on the decision of the Lord Advocate, stated on 6 October 1995, that proof of the case against the two Libyans accused in respect of Lockerbie does not depend on evidence which may be given by Mr. James T. Thurman; and what independent assessment it has made of the relevance of Mr. Thurman's evidence. [42611]

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: The assessment of the evidence in any Scottish criminal case is a matter within the exclusive jurisdiction of my noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate. My noble and learned Friend the Lord Advocate exercises that jurisdiction independently and objectively and it would be quite inappropriate to invite another party to consider that which has already been properly considered.

To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to visit the Republic of Korea. [42360]

I have no immediate plans to visit the Republic of Korea.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on his discussions with the President of the Republic of Korea, with particular reference to his policy towards North Korea. [42359]

I discussed at length the situation on the Korean peninsula with President Kim at our meeting on 2 April. The Government believe that meaningful dialogue between North and South Korea is the best means of achieving peace and stability on the peninsula. We welcome President Kim's policy towards the North as a positive step towards this.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his answer of 18 December 1997, Official Report, column 265, on duty-free shopping, what estimate he has made of the potential number of job losses that will arise from the ending of the trade in duty-free goods; whether, during the UK presidency, the Commission carried out the proposed survey; and if he will make a statement. [42343]

The Department of Transport, Environment and the Regions has undertaken a study into the effect on the transport sector of the abolition of intra-EU duty and tax free sales in 1999. During the UK Presidency, the Commission has not undertaken a survey of the potential number of job losses that may arise from the abolition of duty and tax free sales within the EU. The position of the United Kingdom remains that it would not oppose a study should there be a consensus amongst member states in favour of such a study.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales in what ways he seeks to obtain the views of staff in the NHS; and if he will make a statement. [40826]

I have instigated regular meetings with representatives of NHS Staff Organisations, both at Ministerial and officials level where a wide range of issues are discussed. In addition, the Department will be undertaking public consultation on proposals to reconfigure NHS Trusts. Trades Unions in the health service will be consulted directly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what plans he has to involve parents in formulating policies for children with special needs; and if he will make a statement. [41649]

The Welsh Office Green Paper on special educational needs (SEN), "The BEST for Special Education", issued last October emphasised the key role of parents. The consultation attracted a large number of responses, including responses from organisations representing parents and individual parents. We are giving careful consideration to all responses in deciding on the way ahead.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list by unitary authority the incidence of breast cancer in women in Wales over the past three years. [41790]

The following table shows the number of new registrations of female breast cancer in each of the last three years for which data are available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will give a breakdown by age of the incidence of breast cancer in women in Wales over the last five years. [41789]

The following table shows the number of new registrations of female breast cancer in each of the last five years for which data are available.

New registrations of female breast cancer
Age	1987	1988	1989	1990	1991
Under 30	11	11	10	9	6
30–34	20	17	22	17	13
35–39	47	55	41	49	51
40–44	90	87	90	96	97
45–49	128	139	118	140	119
50–54	122	146	128	155	157
55–59	154	161	147	181	186
60–64	219	189	217	232	223
65–69	189	222	202	212	230
70–74	166	199	153	185	205
75–79	212	173	185	164	183
80–84	126	140	141	128	138
85+	134	151	150	168	144
Total	1,618	1,690	1,604	1,736	1,752

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what representations he has received on the possible expansion and use of minor airports in Wales to transport freight. [42158]

A number of the responses to the Government's consultation exercise into the development of an integrated transport policy referred to the importance of developing civil aviation services and airports in Wales, including the transport of freight. I am also undertaking a series of meetings with airport and airline owners and operators to assess the potential for establishing scheduled air services between north and south Wales.Our policies will shortly be set out in a White Paper, complemented to reflect the particular circumstances and needs of Wales by a Welsh Office Transport Policy Statement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what initiatives are planned to help reduce the amount of (a) traffic and (b) freight on Welsh roads. [42226]

Our plans to develop an integrated transport policy will be set out in a UK wide White Paper on transport to be published shortly. At around the same time, a Welsh Transport Policy Statement will be published drawing out those issues of particular relevance and importance to Wales including, of course, measures to reduce congestion on Welsh roads. On freight, we have already taken a significant step forward with this week's announcement of Welsh Office support for the creation of a new Eurofreight terminal in south Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what visits he has made to aerospace factories in North East Wales; and if he will make a statement. [42454]

My right hon. Friend visited Raytheon Corporate Jets on Friday 1 May of this year. I visited the British Aerospace facility in Broughton on 6 February. The aerospace industry is strategically important to Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on publicly funded assistance for people to participate in sport. [42451]

Welsh Office support for increasing participation in sport by people of all ages and abilities is channelled through the Sports Council for Wales. In 1998–99, the Welsh Office's grant to the Sports Council is £6.6 million.In addition, the National Lottery is providing excellent sporting opportunities for the people of Wales. Since it began distributing Lottery funds in 1995, the Sports Council has awarded around £30 million to local schemes which provide a wide range of new or improved sports facilities with long lasting benefits for schools and communities throughout Wales.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list the amounts of Sports Council, Wales money allocated to cricket clubs in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement. [42452]

The allocation of funds to individual sports is an operational matter for the Sports Council for Wales. I will ask the Chief Executive of the Sports Council to write to my hon. Friend with the information he has requested. A copy of his letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the impact of the current level of sterling upon export-dependent small businesses in Wales. [42449]

I fully recognise the worries of export dependent small businesses in Wales about the current level of the pound. In setting interest rates, the Bank of England takes into account the effect on exchange rates and on exports. The Government's aim is a stable and competitive pound over the medium term. The most important thing is to deliver a stable economic environment—sustained growth, low inflation and sound public finances—while at the same time introducing policies to promote enterprise and investment and raise Britain's sustainable rate of growth. The Government are determined to take a long-term view and not be diverted from this course by short-term pressures.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many health authorities in Wales funded hypnotherapy treatment in the last year for which figures are available. [42480]

Excluding GP fundholder referrals for which records are not held centrally, only North Wales Health Authority currently funds hypnotherapy treatment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if his Department operates a monitoring exercise of persistent inquirers for information. [42642]

No.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales if he will make a statement on the operation of the jobseeker's allowance in Wales. [41494]

I have been asked to reply.The Government are seeking to develop an active modern service that is flexible, efficient and easy to use. This will support promoting jobs not benefit dependency.The administration of Jobseeker's Allowance is a matter for Peter Mathison, the Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment for 1998–99. [42973]

The Royal Air Force Signals Engineering Establishment Agency's Key Targets for the Financial Year 1998–99 are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Codification Agency for 1998–99. [43072]

The Defence Codification Agency's Key Targets for the Financial Year 1998–99 are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Logistics Support Services Agency for 1998–99. [43073]

The Logistics Support Services Agency's Key Targets for the Financial Year 1998–99 are:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total value in real terms of (a) staff car mileage claims paid and (b) staff rail fares paid in each year since 1989–90; and what was the total amount of staff car mileage for which reimbursement was made and the percentage change in each year since 1989–90. [42554]

Unfortunately, the Department does not keep separate records for expenditure on these items back to Financial Year 1989-90. However, data have been retrieved back to 1991 for the amounts paid to civil servants in the Ministry of Defence as reimbursement for the use of their own vehicles on all forms of official duty, although mileage figures are only available since 1994. These are shown in the table; costs are given both as actual in-year figures and at constant 1997–98 prices (i.e. uplifted for inflation by use of the Treasury GDP deflator):

(a) Car mileage claims paid
£
Financial year	Actual cost	Constant price at 1997–98 values
1991–92	11,800,000	13,954,000
1992–93	11,840,000	13,437,000
1993–94	11,230,000	12,384,000
1994–95	11,500,000	12,493,000
1995–96	12,200,000	12,896,500
1996–97	12,700,000	13,043,000
1997–98	12,100,000	12,100,000

The cost of rail travel undertaken by civil servants on official duty over the same period and given in the same format is as follows:

(b) Cost of rail fares
£
Financial year	Actual cost	Constant price at 1997–98 values
1993–94	5,229,660	5,767,148
1994–95	4,140,617	4,498,253
1995–96	4,817,745	5,092,796
1996–97	4,888,864	5,020,863
1997–98	4,897,573	4,897,573

The total mileages, and percentage changes by year, which are reflected in the figures provided at

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the total number of staff of all grades employed by his Department; and what percentage of these staff were eligible to claim a car mileage allowance on 31 March in each year since 1990. [42555]

The total number of civilian staff of all grades employed by the Ministry of Defence on 31 March in each year since 1990 are listed in the table.

Year	Number
1990	139,100
1991	138,000
1992	137,300
1993	126,900
1994	123,900
1995	118,000
1996	111,600
1997	111,000
1998	105,900

For each year, all staff with a valid driving licence and vehicle insurance were eligible to claim a car mileage allowance while on detached duties. The Department does not record the number of employees who hold such documents.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what was the quantity of (a) oil, (b) gas and (c) electricity purchased for the heating, lighting and powering of all accommodation occupied by his Department within the UK in each year since 1989–90; and what was the total cost in real terms of (a) to (c) in each year;[42553](2) what proportion of his Department's energy usage was from

The MOD is committed to energy management and each major site is required to have an Energy Manager, amongst whose responsibilities is the collection of relevant data. However, this material is not held centrally in the form requested and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if his Department operates a monitoring exercise of persistent inquirers for information. [42629]

We do not monitor inquiries in such an exercise centrally. We do, however, monitor correspondence from the public sent to Ministers to determine our performance in responding to it. Where a correspondent has persistently corresponded with the Department on a particular issue and has been given the fullest possible answer, several times, it is our practice to send a formal letter stating that no further purpose will be served by continuing the correspondence. This decision is taken by an official at Grade 7 level or above and in accordance with Exemption 9 of the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information: Voluminous or vexatious requests.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he plans to reply to the letter of 17 March from the hon. Member for Totnes, about Mrs. K. Graymore and the Dartmouth Royal Naval College. [42696]

My office has no record of receiving the hon. Member's letter. We have, however, now obtained a copy and a reply will be sent as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Quinquennial Review of the Defence Analytical Services Agency; and what key targets have been set for the Agency for 1998–99. [43074]

The Defence Analytical Services Agency (DASA) was set up in 1992 and the Quinquennial Review of the Agency has now been completed. The Evaluation Phase of this Review concluded that the Agency had made remarkable strides in a short time, had succeeded in providing its customers with an improved standard of service and was well positioned to take advantage of the gains made in its first five years. I am placing a copy of this Report in the Library of the House.The Prior Options Phase of the Review concluded that the status of DASA as a Defence Agency should be extended for a further five years and that ownership of the Agency should be exercised by the Department's Principal Finance Officer. These recommendations have been accepted. A revised Framework Document for the Agency is being prepared and a copy of this will be placed in the Library of the House in due course.The following key performance targets have been set for DASA for 1998–99.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Ministry of Defence Police Agency for 1998–99. [43075]

The following Key Targets have been set out for the Ministry of Defence Police Agency:

By 31 March 1999 to have completed all remaining Service Level Agreements with the Agency customers.

By 31 March 1999 to have established an MDP Office Watch

initiative at a minimum of 20 MOD locations nation-wide.

In financial year 1998–99 to have in place local Policing and Security plans at each MDP policed establishment.

By 31 March 1999, in accordance with Her Majesty's Inspector of Constabulary's recommendations, to have put in place agreed Area Policing Teams (APT) performance indicators which will enable the Agency to set targets for APT performance improvement in financial year 1999–2000.

To achieve across Chief Constable MDP's retained element of the MDP budget, an overall efficiency saving of 2.5 per cent.

To contribute to the achievement of Departmentally Mandated Standards for project CAPITAL (introduction of Resource Accounting and Budgeting).

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the regulation of insolvency practitioners and of their charges. [42804]

Mr. Justice Ferris is chairing a working party on remuneration of office holders which is expected to report shortly. Their terms of reference are to consider and make recommendations concerning the basis on which the courts should fix remuneration in those relatively rare cases where the courts are involved. However, we shall give careful consideration to how any recommendations they might make may be applied in other cases.The fees of an insolvency practitioner are subject to approval by the creditors in most forms of insolvency procedure. The authorising bodies have issued practitioners with guidance in this area, directed particularly to ensuring that creditors are provided with sufficient information to enable them to form a judgment as to whether the fees sought are reasonable in the circumstances of the case.Under the Insolvency Act 1986, only authorised persons may act as insolvency practitioners. Authorisation may be granted either by a recognised professional body or directly by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Professional bodies are recognised on the basis that they have rules to ensure that practitioners have appropriate educational qualifications and experience and that they remain fit and proper.Practitioners have been subject to a formal programme of monitoring visits by their authorising bodies since 1994. These visits are designed to assess whether a practitioner is fit and proper and to promote compliance with statutory obligations and best practice. Monitoring has shown that the majority of practitioners now have acceptable procedures. Where failures in compliance are identified, undertakings are sought where appropriate and, in more serious cases, the authorising body will consider whether further action is required.In November 1996, a working party was established with representatives from the insolvency professional bodies and my Department's Insolvency Service, to review the current state of regulation and to consider how it might be made more effective in the public interest. The working party issued a consultative document in December last year and is now well advanced in reviewing responses and forming its preliminary views. They expect to submit their final report later this year and we shall certainly give their findings and conclusions very careful consideration.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade, pursuant to her answer of 29 April 1998, Official Report, column 151–52, what is the total value of Export Credits Guarantee Department claims made by manufacturers, but not recovered from the courts of (a) Venezuela, (b) Jordan, (c) Kenya, (d) Egypt and (e) Algeria. [41460]

From records readily available, the total level of ECGD claims outstanding on these markets as at 31 March 1998 was as follows:

	£ million
Algeria	172
Egypt	386
Jordan	278
Kenya	41
Venezuela	1

To ask the President of the Board of Trade when the United Kingdom Government were first approached for permission to build a rocket launch pad on Sombrero Island, Anguilla. [42133]

The Government first became aware of Beal Aerospace's proposal to build a satellite launch site on Sombrero Island in July 1997. This followed a letter from Beal Aerospace to the Government and Governor of Anguilla asking permission to lease the island.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how much has been paid to (a) widows and (b) miners who were in receipt of state benefits for chronic bronchitis and emphysema; how many (i) miners and (ii) widows are entitled to receive these benefits; when the final payments are to be paid; and what arrangements apply to the interest on this money whilst negotiations continue. [42341]

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: To date, over 200 interim payments of £2,000 have been made to miners in receipt of Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit for chronic bronchitis and emphysema (PD.D12). We have recently extended the offer of interim payments to widows whose husbands were in receipt of PD.D12 benefit and, to date, 5 payments have been made. However, the speed at which such offers can continue to be made is reliant on the co-operation of the claimants' solicitors who need to submit evidence of receipt of benefit and confirm acceptance of the offer on behalf of the claimant.The Department has also now extended the offer to all claimants currently in receipt of PD.D12 benefit, estimated to be in excess of 13,000. However, DSS are unable to provide a breakdown between miners and widows, whose husbands would have been receiving PD.D12 benefit.

Prisoners convicted of terrorist-related offences and repatriated to the Republic of Ireland
Offence	Date of sentence	Sentence	Date of transfer to the Republic	Release under rules applicable in England	Release under rules applicable in Northern Ireland prior to the Belfast Agreement
Attempted murder, conspiracy to cause explosions	19 October 1993	25 years	14 May 1996	15 July 2009	15 May 2005
Attempted murder x 3, conspiracy to cause explosions, conspiracy to murder, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition x 2, unlawful possession of explosive substances, unlawful imprisonment	11 May 1976	Life	21 May 1996	Discretionary	Discretionary
Conspiracy to cause explosions	21 October 1994	25 years	13 November 1996	12 July 2010	12 May 2006
Causing explosions, attempted murder, kidnapping, possession of firearms	10 February 1994	35 years	13 November 1996	27 June 2016	27 August 2010

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the prisoners convicted of terrorist offences who have been transferred from Great Britain to prisons in the Irish Republic indicating the (a) date of transfer, (b) date and length of sentence and the crimes of which they were convicted, (c) organisation to which they claimed allegiance and (d) date of release under the rules governing such release (i) in Great Britain prior to the Belfast Agreement, (ii) in Northern Ireland prior to the Belfast Agreement and (iii) under the terms of the Belfast Agreement. [41663] Ms Quin [holding answer 12 May 1998]: Since the Irish Republic ratified the Council of Europe Convention on the Transfer of Sentenced Persons in November 1995, 23 prisoners convicted in England and Wales of terrorist-related offences have been repatriated to the Republic.It is not normal practice to disclose the personal details of individual prisoners, nor does the Prison Service record centrally information on organisations to which prisoners may have claimed allegiance. However, the table lists for each of the 23 prisoners repatriated to date: their offences; date of sentence; sentence length; date of repatriation; non-parole release date in England and Wales; and, although the prisoners were not subject to the legislation applicable in Northern Ireland, dates of release, had they been so subject, prior to the Belfast Agreement.The release, under the terms of the Belfast Agreement, of repatriated prisoners is a matter for the Irish Government.