To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions 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. [42245]

I have today placed details of the consultation papers published by my Department since 1 May 1997 in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) what plans he has to establish a Motorcycling Strategy Group as part of the Integrated Transport Policy; [42314](2) what assessment he has made of the role for powered two-wheel vehicles in an Integrated Transport Policy; [42315](3) what assessment he has made of the contribution to

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: In developing our transport strategy we have had regard to all the implications of the use of motorcycles. Our conclusions will be published in the forthcoming Integrated Transport Strategy White Paper.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will encourage (a) powered two-wheel vehicle usage in employers' Green Commuter Plans as part of the Integrated Transport Policy and (b) parking schemes which encourage commuters to use two-wheeled vehicles rather than four-wheeled ones. [42327]

We are developing our transport policy for the Integrated Transport Strategy White Paper but Government guidance already recommends that local authorities should bear in mind the needs of motorcyclists when planning and designing on-street parking places. We will, when there is a suitable legislative opportunity, be taking forward measures that will make it easier for highway authorities to provide secure parking.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what assessment he has made of the relative environmental impact of powered two-wheel vehicles over other motorised transport. [42328]

Section 2 of Transport Statistics Great Britain 1997 sets out details of the energy consumption and pollutant emissions of various forms of transport. In particular, Table 2.9 shows the relative emissions of various pollutants for different vehicles in urban conditions.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many children under the age of 16 have been killed on farms in each year since 1990 as a result of an accident arising from agricultural work. [42609]

The numbers of fatalities to children aged under 16 in agriculture (i) are shown below:

Year	Fatal
1990–91	6
1991–92	2
1992–93	8
1993–94	3
1994–95	2
1995–96	3
1996–97	8
1997–981	5
Total	37
1 Provisional

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many accidents on farms there were in (a) 1995, (b) 1996 and (c) 1997; and how many (i) were fatal and (ii) involved children. [42582]

The numbers of injuries in Agriculture¹ are shown in the table:

Year	Total number of injuries	Number of fatalities	Fatalities involving children
1995–96	1,953	45	3
1996–97	2,548	64	8
1997–982	2,373	48	5
1 Agriculture is defined by Standard Industrial Classification 1992 code '0' Agriculture, Hunting, Forestry and Fishing
2 Provisional

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what measures he is taking to improve health and safety on farms. [42789]

The Government are actively promoting improved health and safety in agriculture by informing the industry of hazards and the practical steps to reduce the levels of risk. Most of this work is undertaken by the Health and Safety Executive and includes:

targeted enforcement action and inspection 'blitzes';

the 'Good Health is Good Business Campaign';

attendance at agricultural shows to publicise hazards and provide advice on reducing risks;

the production of guidance material, much of which is free; and

working through intermediaries, such as the Transport and General Workers Union and the National Farmers Union.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many fatal accidents there were involving tractors and how many of those involved children in the last 12 months for which records are available. [42773]

During the period 1 April 1997 to 31 March 1998 provisional figures for fatal accidents involving tractors in agriculture show that 6 fatalities were reported to HSE. Of these, 2 were to children, neither of whom were directly involved in operating the tractors.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what discussions he has had with the TGWU rural workers section on improving health and safety records on farms. [42790]

I last met the Transport and General Workers Union Rural and Allied Workers section to discuss health and safety in October 1997.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many environmental appraisals were produced by the European Commission to accompany proposals presented to the EU Environment Council on 23 March. [42666]

There were no presentations of new proposals at the EU Environment Council in March. However, all proposals for legislation are accompanied by an explanatory memorandum which sets out, amongst other things, the environmental justification for the proposal.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many copies of "Policy Guidance on Policy Appraisal and the Environment" have been printed. [42658]

11,000 copies of "Policy Guidance on Policy Appraisal and the Environment" (April 1998) have been printed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many copies of "Policy Guidance on Policy Appraisal and the Environment" have been requested by each Government department. [42659]

The number of copies of "Policy Guidance on Policy Appraisal and the Environment" which have been requested by Government Departments is as follows:

Department	Copies
Cabinet Office	125
Customs and Excise	20
Department for Education and Employment	150
Department for International Development	10
Department of Health	150
Department for Culture, Media and Sport	15
Department of Trade and Industry	1,000
Department of Social Security	100
Forestry Commission	125
Foreign and Commonwealth Office	10
Home Office	100
Inland Revenue	20
Lord Chancellor's Department	12
Law Offices	10
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food	700
Ministry of Defence	200
Northern Ireland Office	1,500
Scottish Office	250
HM Treasury	400
Welsh Office	270

This totals 5,167 copies. In addition, approximately 3,100 were distributed within DETR, its Executive Agencies, NDPBs and advisory bodies.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will publish a command paper listing, by Department, the environmental appraisals which have been produced in accordance with "Policy Guidance on Policy Appraisal and the Environment". [42661]

Arrangements for ensuring that environmental appraisals are undertaken in appropriate cases are primarily a matter for individual Departments. We shall, however, be considering systems for collective monitoring by Green Ministers in the light of the publication of Policy Guidance on Policy Appraisal and the Environment on 2 April.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what evaluation his Department has made of the medical effects of road humps on patients being transported by ambulance. [42698]

[holding answer 19 May 1998]: No evaluation of the medical effects has been carried out. However, in developing published advice for the design of road humps, my Department ensured that passenger discomfort was evaluated. My Department has produced a Code of Practice, agreed with the Ambulance Policy Advisory Group, for consulting on proposals to introduce traffic calming measures, and for agreeing the means of implementing those proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement about the future of the driving test examination centre serving Torbay and South Devon. [42628]

[holding answer 19 May 1998]: The Driving Standards Agency is required to vacate the driving test centre in Newton Abbott this August. The Agency is searching for suitable alternative premises.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the meetings which he has held to discuss biotechnology with (i) Greenpeace, (ii) Green Alliance, (iii) the Genetics Forum, (iv) Friends of the Earth, (v) Gene Watch, (vi) the Genetic Engineering Network, (vii) the Soil Association, (viii) the Consumers Association, (ix) Monsanto, (x) Zeneca and (xi) AgrEvo. [42774]

Maximum penalties for offences relating to waste
Offence	Magistrates' court	Crown court
Section 33(1)(a), (b) or (c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990
Unlawful deposit, recovery, disposal etc. of non-special waste	Imprisonment for 6 months and/or a fine of £20,000	Imprisonment for 2 years and/or an unlimited fine
Sections 33(1)(a), (b) or (c) of the Environmental Protection Act 1990
Unlawful deposit, recovery, disposal etc. of special waste	Imprisonment for 6 months and/or a fine of £20,000	Imprisonment for 5 years and/or an unlimited fine
Section 34(6) of the Environment Protection Act 1990
Breach of the duty of care or Regulations on retention etc. of documents	A fine not exceeding the statutory maximum	An unlimited fine
Section 1(1) Control of Pollution (Amendment) Act 1989
Unlawful transportation of waste	A fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale	n/a
Special Waste Regulations 1996
Unlawful movement or handling of special waste	A fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale	Imprisonment for 2 years and/or an unlimited fine
Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994; Regulation 20(5)
Failure to register as a waste broker	A fine not exceeding level 5 on the standard scale	n/a
Waste Management Licensing Regulations 1994; Paragraph 12 Schedule 4
Failure to register as a collector, transporter, dealer or broker of waste	A fine not exceeding level 2 on the standard scale	n/a

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what is his estimate of the total value of legal charges standing to the benefit of the Legal Aid Board, and of the notional or actual interest earned on that total, for the last five years for which figures are available. [41897]

It is not possible to give an estimate of the total value of charges, because in a significant minority of cases the amount is unquantified. Nor is it possible to give notional or actual figures for interest. No records are available of notional interest, and it is not possible to say how much interest will have accrued by the time each debt is paid off.

The Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions has not had any meetings to discuss biotechnology with any of the companies or organisations specified. The Minister for the Environment has however had meetings with Greenpeace, Green Alliance, Friends of the Earth, Gene Watch, the Soil Association and the Consumers Association, to discuss biotechnology.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will review the legislation governing fly tipping. [42490]

The Environment Agency has made clear its commitment to taking firm enforcement action on fly-tipping and we have no plans to review the already stringent controls. The main controls and the maximum penalties for contravention of those controls are set out in the following table:All information shown is taken from Note 10 to the annual accounts of the Legal Aid Board for each of the last five years. Interest accrued to the given date is recorded here.

£000
Date	Total value of quantified charges	Of which, Interest bearing	Interest accrued as at 31/3 of date shown1	interest recovered as at 31/3 of date shown2
1996–97	185,906	113,668	30,623	2,946
1995–96	170,516	98,790	23,987	2,124
1994–95	146,846	78,882	17,587	1,532
1993–94	128,872	62,132	12,517	1,085
1992–93	107,261	43,678	7,573	600
1 Interest received is paid back into the Fund for the benefit of public expenditure
2 These are voluntary repayments

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will set out his plans for a review of transfer and committal procedures in serious fraud trials. [43178]

The Lord Chancellor has directed his Department to carry out a Review of pre-trial procedures in serious fraud trials. The purpose of this review will be to conduct a detailed examination of trial procedures in these cases, from the decision to commit or transfer a case to the Crown Court right up to the commencement of the jury trial. The review will assess the extent of current compliance with existing rules and procedures, evaluating their effectiveness and considering whether changes to procedure and case management could aid the delivery of justice in serious fraud cases. The review will involve wide consultation with all bodies involved in serious fraud cases.The Terms of Reference of the review are as follows:

To ask the President of the Council if she will list the occasions since 1968 on which Standing Committee proceedings have not been reported by Hansard in their entirety. [42375]

There have been no occasions.

To ask the Minister without Portfolio if he will make a statement on the role of people aged 16 to 25 years in the millennium experience. [40812]

The Millennium Experience, incorporating the Dome and the national Challenge programme of events and activities around the country, will appeal to people of all ages, interests and backgrounds. There will be a number of opportunities available to young people. The project will create training and employment opportunities for people aged 16 to 15, both in terms of the Millennium Dome's operation and its central attraction, which will require performers with a range of skills. Education will also be central to the Experience as a whole, but particularly important in the context of the national Challenge initiative. The Company's regional Education Managers are working with local Further Education colleges to design courses linked to the Millennium Experience.

To ask the Minister without Portfolio if he will list the steps being taken to minimise release to the atmosphere of the gas HFC 134a from the proposed air-conditioning system within the Millennium Dome; and what weight of gas he expects will be released for each year of operation of the Dome. [40553]

[holding answer 7 May 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 17 March 1998, Official Report, column 602. The chiller units procured by the New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) are hermetically sealed and have been designed to be leak-free in operation.

To ask the Minister without Portfolio what assessment was made of the air-conditioning systems used by (a) the National Portrait Gallery and (b) the National Trust before deciding which system to use in the Millennium Dome. [40548]

[holding answer 7 May 1998]: The New Millennium Experience Company (NMEC) took advice from its professional consultants about the design of cooling systems and a wide variety of solutions were considered. The Company put this contract out to tender according to European public procurement requirements, and did not specify in the advertisement either the type of chiller unit or the choice of refrigerant. The Company concluded in the light of tenders received that, given the unique requirements of the Dome, which have no existing direct equivalent, the chiller units selected offer the safest and most flexible solution in the time available.

To ask the Minister without Portfolio what instructions he has given to the New Millennium Experience Company regarding the type of air-conditioning to be used in the Millennium Dome. [40547]

[holding answer 7 May 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave him on 26 March 1998, Official Report, column 247 and 6 April 1998, Official Report, column 77.

To ask the Minister without Portfolio if the Living Island within the Millennium Dome will provide information in respect of climate change. [40544]

[holding answer 7 May 1998]: Yes. The Living Island zone will explore the nature of mankind's relationship with the natural environment and examine the environmental challenges that face the world locally, nationally and globally. The New Millennium Experience Company is working with environmental non-governmental organisations in developing the zone's content.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what assessment he has made of the arrangements for providing information about changes in Civil Service pensions to the pensioners concerned; what representations he has received on this matter; and what plans he has to change these procedures. [42278]

Information provided to Civil Service pensioners is compliant with the requirements of The Occupational Pension Schemes (Disclosure of Information) Regulations 1996. I am aware that a number of pensioners were regrettably notified late of their increased rate of pension payable from April following the annual uprating exercise. Difficulties encountered by a contractor to Paymaster (1836) Ltd, the paying agent, resulted in a failure to ensure timely notification in all cases. Payment of the pension at the revised rate was, however, made to all pensioners on the due date.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when his Department's action plan for increasing the number of women holding public appointments will be published; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [42822]

My Department's action plan will be published shortly. Copies will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what is the number of staff (whole time equivalent) working on the Public Appointments List; [42623](2) what was the total cost to public funds of the collection of names, maintenance and updating of responses, and circulating to departments of responses to their requests for names, for the Public Appointments List in the last available year. [42619]

The Public Appointments Unit has one part-time and six full-time members of staff, whose duties include the maintenance of the Central List, and the provision of names from that List in response to specific requests from departments. In 1997–98, the cost of the Unit was £142,200.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (1) what is the average attendance fee of (a) male and (b) female members of boards of non-departmental public bodies responsible to his Department; [42821](2) what is the average salary of

The majority of board members of non-departmental public bodies give their time and services voluntarily and receive no payment other than normal travel and subsistence expenses. Where members do receive remuneration, this can vary between an annual salary, an honorarium or an attendance fee (which itself can be a daily rate or a half-daily rate, calculated on a per meeting basis). Individuals' remuneration therefore is not directly comparable. Full details of all payments to board members of non-departmental public bodies by gender, are given in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies". Copies of "Public Bodies 1997" are available in the libraries of the House.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what response he has received to the consultation exercise he held on the Government's green paper, Crown Copyright in the Information Age. [43280]

I am pleased to say that the consultation exercise on the Government's Green Paper Crown Copyright in the Information Age, received a good response with 70 replies drawn from a wide range of individuals and organisations. Many of the respondents praised the Green Paper for the clear and comprehensive way in which it covered the issues and options.I am today placing in the Libraries of the House a list of those who responded together with copies of their responses received (except where the authors requested anonymity). A paper copy of the set of responses is available from HMSO, within the Cabinet Office.The consultation exercise has been extremely valuable in identifying the requirements of the public and the information industry regarding access to government information. It also raised a number of issues which are linked to the Government's Freedom of Information initiative. I am now considering the main points arising from the consultation and how we will need to take account of them in developing an appropriate framework for accessing and disseminating official information.The breakdown of responses by user type is as follows:

User type	Quantity	Percentage of total
A. Private individuals	5	7
B. Business users	16	23
C. Media	3	4
D. Academic and library community	9	13
E. Legal	8	11
F. Public bodies	7	10
G. Trade and professional bodies	17	25
H. Private individuals with specialist knowledge	5	7

To ask the Prime Minister what changes he has made to the composition of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe. [43181]

Due to her Ministerial appointment Baroness Ramsay of Cartvale has resigned as a member of the United Kingdom delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the OSCE.I have appointed Baroness Hilton of Eggardon as a replacement representative from the Government benches.

To ask the Prime Minister for what reasons he has not yet replied to the question from the hon. Member for Gordon on No. 10 Downing Street staff costs, tabled on 27 April (40221); and if he will make a statement. [42891]

A reply will be issued shortly.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list his official engagements for Wednesday 20 May. [42395]

This morning I had meetings with Ministerial colleagues and others. In addition to my duties in the House I shall have further such meetings later today. And later today I will be visiting Northern Ireland to assist efforts in bringing about a decisive "yes" vote in Friday's referendum, which I believe to be the only result that can offer peace and stability in the future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will announce the requirements for school-level target setting from September 1998. [43104]

School based target-setting for pupil performance will be introduced in September 1998 for all maintained schools, including special schools, with a requirement for two targets for 11 year olds, in English and Mathematics at Key Stage 2, and three targets for 16 year olds at GCSE (or GNVQ equivalent) level. We are clear that this process should support school improvement and should not become a burdensome administrative procedure.All maintained schools (including special schools) with pupils at the appropriate ages will be required to set the following targets from September 1998:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will announce details of the applications to set up education action zones. [43281]

A total of 60 applications have been received. The areas covered are:

Region	Area	Total
West Midlands	Aston, Birmingham Hodge Hill, Birmingham Hereford, Herefordshire Sandwell Solihull Stoke-on-Trent Walsall Wolverhampton	8
South West	Lands End, Cornwall Camborne, Cornwall Weston Super Mare, Somerset Plymouth Bridgwater, Somerset S. E. Wiltshire	6
East Midlands	N. E. Derbyshire Leicester city Gainsborough, Lincs Corby, Northants Nottingham	5
South East	Brighton and Hove Aylesbury, Bucks St. Leonards, E. Sussex N. Guildford	4
North East	Middlesbrough Newcastle-upon-Tyne Redcar and Cleveland South Shields, S. Tyneside Sunderland	5
North West	Blackburn Bolton Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria S. Manchester Wythenshawe, Manchester E. Manchester Salford/Trafford Tameside Wigan Liverpool	10
East	Basildon, Essex Luton Thetford, Norfolk	3

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will publish a list of aggregated schools budgets for 1998–99 by local education authority. [37761]

The following table gives the information requested as a listing of local education authorities in England for 1998–99. The figures are derived from the budget statements produced by the local education authorities under section 122 of the 1996 Education Act.

Aggregated schools budget
£000
England—1998–99 (provisional figures)
City of London	658
Camden	51,934
Greenwich	85,900
Hackney	62,450
Hammersmith and Fulham	38,022
Islington	58,960
Kensington and Chelsea	25,292
Lambeth	49,288
Lewisham	81,984
Southwark	65,726
Tower Hamlets	86,720
Wandsworth	47,406
Westminster	43,932
Barking/Dagenham	58,978
Barnet	73,241
Bexley	63,821
Brent	48,976
Bromley	41,116
Croydon	74,029
Ealing	69,052
Enfield	82,059
Haringey	70,675
Harrow	58,962
Havering	66,874
Hillingdon	41,565
Hounslow	71,225
Kingston	29,433
Merton	46,347
Newham	89,123
Redbridge	79,079
Richmond	41,034
Sutton	39,235

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if any young person will be disqualified from receipt of benefit solely for refusing to take up the proposed New Deal option of serving in the Armed Forces. [42136]

There is no separate New Deal "option" of serving in the Armed Forces. That said, one of the opportunities which the New Deal for 18–24 year olds is able to offer to unemployed young people is the chance to consider a possible career in the Armed Forces. No one will face benefit sanctions solely for choosing not to do so. Employment Service guidelines make clear that entry to the Armed Forces must be voluntary.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education will be formally awarded university status. [42488]

Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education has not yet applied for university status. The Government have agreed with the recommendation of the National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education that there should be no immediate change to the current criteria for university status. Under these criteria an institution should normally have a track record of satisfactorily maintaining degree standards for at least three years following the award of taught and research degree awarding powers. Cheltenham and Gloucester College of Higher Education obtained taught course degree awarding powers in 1992 and research degree awarding powers in February 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will state for each NHS trust and health board the (a) names, (b) dates of appointment and (c) party affiliations of the non-executive directors who have (i) been appointed since 1 May 1997 and (ii) resigned since 1 May 1997. [37796]

[holding answer 6 April 1998]: As the information is rather lengthy, I have arranged to have a copy placed in the House Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement about the future of the Small Business Loans Scheme. [40645]

[holding answer 12 May 1998]: The Small Business Loan Scheme was introduced by the Scottish Enterprise network in 1994, with the aim of trying to encourage small businesses, when utilising banking facilities to finance investment, to place greater reliance on term loans and less on overdrafts. Having been introduced on a pilot basis, the scheme was discontinued last year after an independent evaluation concluded that the scheme had not sufficiently met its objectives.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to extend the Small Business Loans Scheme to the tourism sector. [40646]

[holding answer 12 May 1998]: The Small Business Loan Scheme has been discontinued. My right hon. Friend has no plans to extend it to the tourism sector.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what progress has been made towards introducing a weekend ban on prawn and scallop fishing off the west coast of Scotland; what measures are being taken to preserve stocks; and if he will make a statement. [41640]

[holding answer 19 May 1998]: The Government are keen to ensure that the scallop fishery continues to be conducted on a sustainable basis. With this in mind, a range of possible options for scallop conservation are being looked at. Conservation measures for the west coast prawn (nephrops) stock are already in place in the form of a total allowable catch set on the basis of independent scientific advice from the Advisory Committee on Fishery Management. The Scottish Fishermen's Federation and the Clyde Fishermen's Association have urged the Government not to introduce any sea-time restrictions on the nephrops fleet and we have no plans at present to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many women in Scotland waited over (a) one month, (b) three months, (c) six months and (d) 12 months for breast cancer treatment in the year ended 31 March (i) 1996, (ii) 1997 and (iii) 1998. [41721]

[holding answer 12 May 1998]: The precise information requested is hot held centrally since the waiting times data collected nationally do not explicitly identify patients waiting for breast cancer treatment. Information is collected nationally on the number of women who were admitted to hospital from the waiting list with a breast cancer-related diagnosis and who were later discharged following medical or surgical treatment. The relevant information for the years ending 31 March 1996 and 1997 and the latest available for the year ending 31 March 1998 is set out in the table.

	Year ending 31 March
Patients waited	1996	1997	19981
Over one month	390	357	283
Over three months	14	13	11
Over six months	9	5	2
Over twelve months	3	2	0
1 Data for year ending 31 March 1998 provisional.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many leukaemias were (a) observed and (b) expected in the 0–24 age group in the postcode sector DG7.3 (Castle Douglas) in the periods (i) 1990 to 1994 and (ii) 1995 to the present time; and if he will make a statement on the incidence of leukaemia in Castle Douglas relative to the rest of Scotland. [42135]

No cases of leukaemia were observed in the 0–24 age group in postcode sector DG7.3 during the periods 1990–94 or 1995–96 (the most recent year for which information is available). For postcode sector DG7.3, based on background rates in Scotland as a whole, the expected numbers of cases of leukaemia in this age group, by period of diagnosis are shown in the following table:

Observed and expected numbers of cases of leukaemia in age group 0–24 years in DG7.3 in the periods 1990–94 and 1995–96
Time period	Observed number of cases	Expected number of cases
1990–94	0	0.19
1995–96	0	0.06

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what steps he is taking to monitor the content of teaching and information materials about the Euro currency funded by the European Commission supplied to schools in Scotland and to ensure its compliance with the terms of the Education Act 1996. [42681]

The provisions of the Education Act 1996 do not apply in Scotland where education authorities and headteachers are responsible for the delivery and management of the curriculum. Guidance is, however, offered by the SOEID and this guidance provides adequate opportunity for issues relating to the Euro currency to be included in the curriculum.In the National Guidelines on Environmental Studies, 5–14, the European Union is a fairly common topic to select for study under the heading of People and Society. There is opportunity in the Modern Studies Standard Grade to cover currency questions relating to the European Union. This is also an option at Higher Grade and there are National Certificates that concentrate on Europe. Finally, under the Higher Still arrangements materials are being developed which will be sent to schools later this year. These also provide opportunity for covering issues relating to the European Union.In addition, the Scottish Consultative Council on the Curriculum have produced a Handbook entitled "Thinking European" which provides ideas for integrating a European dimension into the curriculum.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when the agreement was signed between the Forestry Commission and the Masters of Foxhounds Association incorporating standard terms and conditions for hunting with hounds on Forestry Commission land. [41887]

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: Although the Forestry Commission and the Masters of Foxhounds Association agreed the terms and conditions for licences to hunt foxes on Commission land earlier this year, the formal agreement has not yet been signed.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list (a) by Employment Service region and (b) in total (i) the number of personal advisers in post to administer the New Deal programme and (ii) the number of New Deal applicants expected in 1998–99; and if he will calculate by Employment Service region the ratio of expected New Deal applicants to personal advisers, indicating the average for Scotland. [42149]

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: The information for those eligible for the 18–24 programme by New Deal Units of Delivery within Scotland is tabulated. The planning assumption is that New Deal Personal Advisers will have an average caseload during Gateway of 33 clients with sufficient time being available to allow advisers to visit a further 12 clients a month who are on one of the 4 options.

Scotland: New Deal for 18–24 year olds
Unit of delivery	Number of personal advisers allocated	Projected new deal client group 1998–991
Ayrshire	18.91	2,749
Borders	1.36	303
Dunbartonshire	8.02	1,483
Dumfries and Galloway	4.71	790
Fife	13.49	2,261
Forth Valley	10.66	1,788
Glasgow	39.5	6,083
Grampian	6.34	1,210
Lanarkshire	24.03	3,981
Edinburgh East and Midlothian	16.3	2,965
West Lothian	3.06	750
Renfrewshire	10.18	1,893
Tayside	19.83	2,517
Argyll and The Islands	1.84	313
Caithness and Sutherland	1.3	193
Inverness and Nairn	2.45	437
Lochaber	0.48	94
Moray, Badenoch and Strathspey	1.61	378
Orkney	0.23	58
Ross and Cromarty	1.51	307
Shetland	0.2	57
Skye and Lochalsh	0.92	65
Western Isles	0.77	152
Scotland	187.7	30,827
1 Indicative assumptions based on current unemployment levels. These are not forecasts of the actual numbers who will participate but they do help to ensure that adequate resources are in place to meet potential demand

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many sites of special scientific interest there were in Scotland on 31 March; and what was their total area in hectares. [42443]

At 31 March 1998, there were 1,441 Sites of Special Scientific Interest in Scotland, covering 917,071 hectares in total.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he expects to receive the Fairweather/Skinner report on "Women in Jail"; and if he will make a statement. [42124]

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Kilmarnock and Loudoun (Mr. Browne) on 13 May 1998, Official Report, column 131. The high level steering group which will be set up to direct the work of the inter-agency project on women's offending in the Glasgow area will be chaired by Professor Sheila McLean of Glasgow University.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if Lord Cullen's recommendation for the development of a Scottish vocational qualification in respect of work with children has now been fully implemented; and if he will make a statement. [42419]

A considerable amount of ground work has been undertaken by The Scottish Office in considering Lord Cullen's recommendation on a suitable qualification. Scottish Vocational Qualifications (SVQs) are work-based qualifications derived from national occupational standards. The then SCOTVEC (now part of the Scottish Qualifications Authority) was therefore unable to develop an SVQ prior to the development of standards by appropriate lead bodies (the relevant National Training Organisations for the various sectors involved in work with children and young people). An SVQ, however, might not in any case be the most suitable approach to training for a sector with a high incidence of volunteers. To date, priority has been given to consideration of Recommendation 27 in Lord Cullen's report for the accreditation and vetting of adults working with children and young people, the outcome of which could have a significant bearing on the training and qualifications requirements. A consultation paper on various options for training will be issued shortly.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations she has received from the Scots Guards Association and Mr. Charles Turnock on behalf of the Commandos Old Comrades Association on the conduct of the trial of Guardsmen Fisher and Wright. [37144]

[holding answer 8 April 1998]: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has received a number of representations from members of the Scots Guards Association, and Mr. Charles Turnock, about the conduct of the trial of Guardsmen Fisher and Wright. However, questions as to what evidence to call were issues for the prosecution and defence to consider, and for the trial judge to decide.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if a resident of Great Britain may join a rifle or pistol club in Northern Ireland; if such a person may apply to have a firearms certificate in Northern Ireland on the basis of his firearm being kept in a rifle club premises with approved security facilities; and if she will make a statement. [40757]

A resident of Great Britain may apply to join any firearms club in Northern Ireland. Membership is a matter for individual clubs to decide.The firearms legislation provides that residents of Great Britain can apply to the Chief Constable of the Royal Ulster Constabulary for a Northern Ireland firearm certificate. When considering such applications the Chief Constable must satisfy himself that the normal legislative criteria for the grant of a certificate are met. These criteria comprise matters of suitability, good reason and public safety, including arrangements for the secure storage of firearms.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps a member of a licensed gun club in Northern Ireland wishing to carry his licensed firearm through other parts of the United Kingdom to compete abroad in competitions would be required to take; and if she will make a statement about the movement of licensed firearms for sporting competitions. [41142]

Under the Firearms (Northern Ireland) Order 1981 (Amendment) Regulations 1992, which implemented the requirements of EU Directive No. 91/447/EEC (on the control of the acquisition and possession of weapons) a resident of Northern Ireland wishing to take his legally held firearm to a EU country must first obtain a European Firearms Pass from the Chief Constable of the RUC. Persons travelling to a non-EU country should write in advance to the country of destination to ensure they satisfy the licensing requirements of that country.In Great Britain target pistols are prohibited weapons and as such their possession requires specific authority from either the Home Secretary or the Secretary of State for Scotland as appropriate under section 5 of the Firearms Act 1968. I understand that such authority would not normally be granted to private individuals, including those who wished simply to travel through Great Britain. In the absence of an authority, target pistols would be expected to be transported by carriers holding the appropriate authority under section 5 of the 1968 Act.

Year	UDA/UFF	UVF	LVF	PIRA	INLA
1998	3 years 1 month	3 years 8 months	—	7 years 4 months	4 years 6 months
1999	4 years 9 months	4 years 6 months	2 years	7 years 8 months	4 years 6 months
2000	6 years 8 months	6 years 2 months	3 years 6 months	7 years 8 months	8 years
2001	7 years 6 months	7 years 5 months	6 years 9 months	9 years 6 months	4 years 6 months
2002	6 years 10 months	8 years 5 months	7 years 8 months	9 years 9 months	—
2003	—	7 years	—	10 years 6 months	—
2004	—	—	—	12 years 3 months	12 years 6 months
2005	12 years 6 months	—	—	11 years 8 months	13 months
2006	—	—	—	12 years	—
2007	—	—	—	15 years	—

Note:The data in the table relate to those persons convicted of scheduled offences and sentenced to three years or more who were in custody in Maze on 26 January 1998. The complete record was not available for a small number of prisoners when the research on which this table is based was carried out and so the table does not include data on average years served for that small group.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when she expects the first release of prisoners under the terms of the Belfast Agreement. [41126]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland referred to those parts of the Belfast Agreement relating to prisoners in her statement to the House of 20 April 1998, Official Report, columns 479–482, and placed a document containing further details in the Library. If the Agreement is endorsed by the referendums to be held on 22 May, the Government said that they would seek to enact the appropriate legislation by the end of June. The timing of the first releases under the scheme will therefore depend on when the legislation is enacted, the procedures adopted by the review body once appointed and whether the necessary conditions for accelerated release are fulfilled.

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 or estimate for the 781 prisoners in custody who had been convicted of scheduled offences, how many had no connection with terrorism; of those how many will be eligible for release in (a) 1998, (b) 1999, (c) 2000, (d) 2001, (e) 2002 and (f) in the following five year period; and how many of those in each year are serving life or other indeterminate sentences. [41715]

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave him on 6 May 1998, Official Report, columns 412–13, which indicated that details provided on prisoners convicted of scheduled offences may include offences unconnected with terrorism. Data on the number of prisoners convicted of scheduled offences who had no connection with terrorism are not centrally recorded and can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

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 by the categories shown the average number of years served at the expected date of release. [41716]

The average number of years served at the expected date of release would be as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the prisoners convicted of terrorist offences who have been transferred to prisons in Northern Ireland from Great Britain in the last three years, indicating (a) the date of transfer, (b) the date of sentence, (c) the length of sentence, (d) the crimes for which convicted, (e) the organisation to which they claimed allegiance and (f) the date of release under the rules governing such release in (i) Great Britain prior to the recent agreement, (ii) Northern Ireland prior to the recent agreement and (iii) under the terms of the recent agreement. [41717]

Sixteen prisoners convicted of offences in Great Britain related to terrorism have transferred to Northern Ireland in the last three years. It is not normal practice to disclose the personal details of individual

Offence	Date of sentence	Sentence	Date of transfer to N.I.	Transfer status	Release under rules applicable in G.B.	Release under rules applicable in N.I. prior to Belfast Agreement
Conspiracy to cause and possession of explosives	20.1.1995	25 years	27.4.95	Permanent	11.4.2010	12.1.2006
Conspiracy to commit arson	5.10.1993	15 years	20.7.95	Permanent	6.11.1999	23.12.1997
Conspiracy to commit arson	5.10.1993	16 years	20.7.95	Permanent	20.2.2003	21.6.2000
Conspiracy to cause explosions	21.10.1994	25 years	21.7.95	Permanent	12.7.2010	14.4.2006
Causing explosions	16.12.1993	25 years	27.7.95	Permanent	10.10.2009	10.8.2005
Conspiracy to cause explosions	16.12.1993	32 years	27.7.95	Permanent	27.6.2008	27.8.2004
Explosive offences	8.11.1994	25 years	27.7.95	Permanent	25.10.2010	25.8.2006
Murder, attempted murder, explosive offences, firearms offences	11.5.1976	life	18.9.95	Permanent	Discretionary	Released on life licence on 14.3.1997
Attempted murder, conspiracy to cause explosions	19.10.1993	25 years	14.5.96	Temporary	Prisoner subsequently repatriated to the Republic of Ireland
Contravention of the Firearms Act	20.12.1995	5 years	12.6.96	Temporary	6.4.1998	129.1.1998
Conspiracy to cause explosions	20.12.1995	20 years	4.7.96	Temporary	19.11.2006	121.7.2003
Acquiring firearms etc.	20.12.1995	10 years	9.4.97	Temporary	8.4.2002	17.8.2000
Conspiracy to cause explosions	27.10.1987	25 years	10.6.97	Temporary	1.6.2003	115.2.1999
Conspiracy to cause explosions	20.6.1988	17 years	10.6.97	Temporary	30.6.1998	121.8.1995
Conspiracy to cause explosions	22.8.1994	25 years	14.8.97	Temporary	7.5.2010	126.12.2005
Conspiracy to cause explosions	2.7.1997	35 years	18.12.97	Restricted	19.11.2019	118.1.2014
Note:
Prisoners on temporary or restricted transfer to NI retain their GB date of release.
1 Indicates the date on which the prisoners would have been released had they been transferred permanently to NI.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the papers published by her Department in relation to salmon and sea trout in each of the last 10 years indicating which originated from work carried out at Bushmills. [41659]

The Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland has published 78 papers relating to salmon since 1987. All of them originated from the research work carried out at the Bush Salmon Station at Bushmills. A full list of the publications has been placed in the Library of the House. The Department has not published any papers relating to Sea Trout.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what (a) numbers and (b) percentage of police reservists have not had their contracts renewed in the last three years. [42165]

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: Over the last 3 years 25 RUC reservists were refused renewal of their 3-year contracts and 34 were refused one-year extensions. This represents an average of 1.62%. The renewals or extensions were refused for: (1) being medically unfit for the full range of duties; (2) poor attendance; and (3) unsatisfactory performance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps (a) the Police and (b) his Department are taking to investigate the death of Edgar Fernandes; [42101](2) if he will review the police investigation into the death of Edgar Fernandes; [42102](3) what representations he has received on the circumstances of Edgar Fernandes's death. [42103]

The investigation into the death of Edgar Fernandes is a matter for the police in Turkey, where Mr. Fernandes died. The United Kingdom law enforcement agencies which are assisting in the investigation in this country, the Metropolitan Police Service and the National Central Bureau of Interpol (part of the National Criminal Intelligence Service), are liaising with the authorities in Turkey, Malta and Egypt and the Consular Division of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.We have received no representations on the circumstances of Mr. Fernandes' death. My Department is liaising closely with the agencies involved in this country to ensure that all possible steps are taken to assist with the inquiry, but the responsibility for investigating the case lies with the Turkish police.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, (1) pursuant to the letter of 5 May from the Scottish Office, Home Department, Police Division, to Mr. T. McCarthy, Secretary Scottish SPA, regarding consultation on matters affecting the administration of Firearms Acts for what reasons Mr. McCarthy has not been (a) supplied with documents and (b) consulted by the Home Office Operational Police Policy Unit in London in connection with their review and proposed changes to the firearms rules or forms; [42411](2) what consultations the Home Office Operational Police Policy Unit held with

The Home Office commenced consultation on the revision of the firearms forms on 5 December 1997. In accordance with established practice, the Home Office consulted bodies representing shooting sports in Great Britain as a whole. Consultation between branches and affiliates of those bodies in England, Wales and Scotland is principally a matter for the bodies themselves.Consultation on the forms formally concluded on Thursday 5 May 1998. The Scottish Home Department informed the Home Office on that day that the Scottish Pistol Association wished to be included in future consultation exercises. This has been noted for future reference, but until then we had not received any suggestion that any specific Scottish group wished to be consulted independently of the Great Britain organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on asylum seekers from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [43105]

My right hon. Friend announced in his reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Nuneaton (Mr. Olner) on 16 May 1997, Official Report, column 3, that he had made a declaration under the Social Security (Persons from Abroad) Miscellaneous Amendments Regulations 1996, that the former Zaire had undergone such an upheaval that we would not seek to enforce the return of refused asylum seekers to that country for the time being.The new government of what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) have been in power for a year. The situation in the country has been carefully monitored and there have been consultations with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and with other European partners. Information has also been obtained from a range of sources, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Although there is conflict in the east of the country, security conditions in Kinshasa and in western areas of the DRC have been relatively stable for some months.The information received about conditions in the DRC enables me to make an informed assessment of the merits of asylum applications made prior to the upheaval and subsequently, in accordance with our international obligations. My Department will review all outstanding claims, including those which have previously been refused and are awaiting appeal hearings. Individuals whose claims have already been refused and determined by the independent Immigration Appellate Authority and who are either liable to removal or are awaiting further consideration will be able to submit fresh applications for consideration which, if refused, will attract a fresh right of appeal. If an applicant is able to demonstrate that his fear of persecution is well-founded then asylum will be granted. Also, consideration will be given where there are exceptional and compelling humanitarian reasons for not enforcing return. If asylum or exceptional treatment is not merited, the normal course will be to expect applicants to return to the DRC. We will continue to monitor developments in the region.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade how many (a) routine and (b) unannounced visits her Department's inspectors have made to British companies to verify the company's compliance with the requirements of Open Individual Export licences covering the export of military, security or police equipment since 1996; if she will provide details of action taken against companies or individuals found in contravention of the OIEL procedures; and if such information will form part of the Annual report to Parliament on arms exports. [40386]

Officials of Export Control Organisation have made 561 routine visits to British companies holding Open Individual Export Licences covering the export of military, security, or police equipment between 1 January 1996 and 28 April 1998 to verify their compliance with licence conditions. They do not make unannounced visits.A range of action has been taken against licence holders found to be failing to comply with such conditions, the strongest being revocation of the licence in full. Disclosure by the Government of the outcome of particular visits could reasonably be expected to harm the competitive position of the companies concerned. Therefore the information comes within the category of information 'third party's commercial confidences' which is exempt from the commitment to provide information in the Code of Practice on Access to Government Information.As regards the Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls and their application specifically, I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given by the Minister of State, Foreign and Commonwealth Office to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) on 8 April 1998,

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will make a statement on the European Patent Directive on Biotechnology. [41016]

[holding answer 7 May 1998]: The European Parliament voted on 12 May to adopt this Directive. The text adopted by the Parliament is identical to that of the Common Position which was agreed, with the support of the United Kingdom, by the Council of Ministers in February of this year. Formal adoption by the Council will follow, and the Directive will be published in the Official Journal of the European Communities. Member States have two years from the date of this publication in which to implement the provisions of the Directive into national law.It is nearly ten years since the European Commission first made its proposal for a Directive. Search for the correct balance between the needs of industry for patents to foster research, and genuine ethical concerns about commercial rights in the biotechnological field have occupied much of this time. Now consensus has emerged, the Directive will make a significant contribution in reducing uncertainties presently surrounding patenting in Europe.The Directive will not require substantial change to current United Kingdom law (the Patents Act 1977). In particular it would not render anything patentable which is not currently patentable in the UK. However, the Common Position does clarify that patents cannot be obtained in certain sensitive subject areas, that is human cloning, modifying human germ lines, and commercial uses of human embryos, thus strengthening UK law in these key areas of ethical concern. Patents will also not be obtainable for genetic modifications of animals unless there is substantial medical benefit.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what representations she has received regarding the eligibility for Objective 5b funding of projects involving the private sector. [42323]

[holding answer 18 May 1998]: Rules were published by the Department in May 1995 allowing private sector involvement in European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) infrastructure projects. These rules remain in place. We have not received any representations about them.Officials within the Department and Government Offices regularly discuss the eligibility of individual private sector projects and their compliance with the relevant Objective 5b programme. Of particular importance in these discussions is the European Commission requirement that public sector contributions to programmes are not replaced by private sector funds. Failure to achieve the expected level of public sector contributions is likely to lead to reduced payments of Structural Funds grant by the Commission. Private sector projects will not therefore be able to be supported if they replace necessary public sector contributions.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if she will institute inquiries under section 432 of the Companies Act 1985 into the price paid and arrangements made for the sale and distribution of the assets, including stock, of Cabouchon jewellery and the Cabouchon trade mark. [42565]

My Officials have liaised with the administrative receivers and a petition has just been presented in the High Court for the compulsory winding up of the company. The petition will be heard on 3 June 1998 and if, as expected, the company is wound up, the Official Receiver will have a statutory duty under the Insolvency Act 1986 to investigate the causes of the company's failure. In such circumstances no purpose would be served in using Companies Act inquiries to duplicate the Official Receiver's investigation.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what was the outcome of the Energy Council meeting on 11 May. [43180]

The Council considered several issues and received reports on matters of interest. I chaired the meeting.I am particularly pleased to report that the Council was able to adopt the gas directive following the European Parliament's second reading. I regard this as an important development towards the completion of the single market in energy. It will lead to a more competitive market and a better deal for consumers.The Council held a positive and constructive open debate on energy and the environment. It focused on three questions: enhancing renewable energies by making them cost competitive; promoting energy efficiency and CHP; and promoting environmental objectives. Member states underlined the importance of linking an energy response to Kyoto and outlined their actions at national level. My right hon. Friend the Minister for the Environment as President of the EU Environmental Council was able to attend for the open debate demonstrating a joint approach to environmental issues between Energy and Environment Ministers.Following the open debate Council adopted a Presidency proposal for Council conclusions on the energy response to Kyoto which agreed the need for action both at national and EU level in the areas of renewable energies, combined heat and power and energy efficiency. The Council also adopted a Resolution in response to the Commission's White Paper on renewable energy sources which urges Member States to develop national strategies with a view to bringing about a substantial increase in the use of renewables throughout the EU. The Council agreed that the White Paper's indicative target of 12 per cent. for the European Union as a whole by 2010 provides useful guidance for these increased efforts. I regard such action as a win win win situation where new jobs in new energy services and new technologies will be created as a result of tackling environmental challenges.The Council held an orientation debate on the energy framework programme to bring together all community energy specific programmes e.g. ALTENER, SAVE to support energy efficiency as well as a new programme to promote clean solid fuel technology. There was broad consensus on the approach and the text, and progress was made on technical aspects of the decision. The discussion on the budget was deferred until after the opinion of the European Parliament.The Council received presentations from the Commission on the development of the single market in electricity and harmonisation requirements following the electricity directive. The Commission also gave a progress report on the Energy Charter Treaty and presentations on a proposal for a Council directive amending the Directive on minimum oil stocks, a review on Coal State Aids Decision Coal and information on the oil refining market. Political agreement was also reached on the ALTENER II decision following the European parliament's second reading.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the most recent major unit overseas training exercise; and what was its cost (a) without and (b) including air movement costs. [41868]

The most recent major unit overseas training exercise was Medicine Man 1 which commenced on 14 April and will run until 25 May 1998. The exercise is being held at the British Army Training Unit in Suffield, Canada.The cost of the exercise without air movement charges will be approximately £12.76 million. Air movement costs will be a further £1.02 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what is the average attendance fee of (a) male and (b) female members of boards of non-departmental public bodies responsible to his Department; [42830](2) what is the average salary of

The majority of board members of non-departmental public bodies give their time and services voluntarily and receive no payment other than normal travel and subsistence expenses. Where members do receive remuneration, this can vary between an annual salary or an attendance fee, and in some cases, board members choose not to claim the attendance fees to which they are entitled. Individuals' remuneration therefore is not directly comparable, but is regardless of gender where made. Full details of all payments to board members of non-departmental bodies, by gender, are given in the Cabinet Office publication "Public Bodies". Copies of "Public Bodies 1997" are available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when his Department's action plan for increasing the number of women holding public appointments will be published; and if he will place a copy in the Library. [42831]

My Department's action plan for increasing the number of women and ethnic minorities holding public appointments will be published shortly. A copy will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Defence Bills Agency for 1998–99. [43078]

Targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Defence Bills Agency for the financial year 1998–99 in accordance with the Agency's aim of meeting the requirements of its Service Level Agreement with the Ministry of Defence in a manner which offers best value for money.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence at what time and on what date he first saw a copy of the letter addressed to the Foreign Secretary from S. J. Berwin & Co. on behalf of Sandline International dated 24 April. [42129]