To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which hospital services the Government are obliged to maintain at the Mater Infirmorum Hospital, Belfast under the terms of the 1971 Deed of Arrangement. [47868]

The Mater Infirmorum Hospital entered the health service under the 1971 Deed of Arrangement, which secured the preservation of the Roman Catholic character and association of the hospital. The Deed set out specific requirements for the general administration of the hospital and provided for a review of the internal allocation of beds and facilities and for the preparation of a scheme for the initial reconstruction and modernisation of the hospital's buildings and facilities. The Deed of Arrangement does not require the maintenance of specific services at the hospital.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what arrangements the Government have to ensure the safe movement of air traffic during the next five years; and if he will make a statement. [48144]

The Government have played a full part in ensuring that an appropriate framework of aviation safety regulation is in place both nationally and internationally for the safe operation of air traffic, and will continue to do so. Safety concerns are paramount to both the Government and the Civil Aviation Authority, which is responsible for advising the Secretary of State on all civil aviation matters, including safety.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many overload reports have been filed at London Area Terminal Control Centre in the period 1 January to 30 June. [48696]

I refer my hon. Friend to the oral answers given on 22 June 1998, Official Report, columns 365–66. Additionally, there was one overload report filed at the London Area and Terminal Control Centre at West Drayton between 18 and 30 June.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many overload reports have been filed in each of the last five years at London Area Terminal Control Centre. [48695]

National Air Traffic Services Ltd., which is responsible for air traffic services at LATCC, has provided the following figures for overload reports filed in each of the last five years at the centre:

Year	Overload reports filed at LATCC
1993	18
1994	21
1995	27
1996	21
1997	14

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what recent advice has been issued to local authority environmental health officers on the risks of environmental contamination from, and the safe removal of, lead in older painted surfaces. [48038]

[holding answer 1 July 1998]: We have today published the Department's revised information leaflet on lead in old paint. Copies have been placed in the Libraries of both Houses.Although lead has not been widely used in domestic paint in the UK since the 1960s, some UK homes still contain old lead paint. All members of the public should be aware that this may pose a risk and that appropriate precautions need to be taken when redecorating.The new leaflet therefore seeks to raise awareness of lead in old paint and provide readily assimilated information to the general public on how to take effective safety measures when redecorating.The leaflet will be sent to local authority environmental health professionals. In addition, arrangements are being made for it to be displayed in DIY stores and sent to associations representing painting and decorating contractors and, in liaison with the Department of Health, General Practitioners.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what effect his proposals to privatise National Air Traffic Services will have on NATS's work to ensure millennium compliance within the organisation. [48637]

None. A copy of NATS' "millennium problem action plan" (26 February 1998) was placed in the Library in March. NATS have not indicated that the action plan will be amended in the light of the Public Private Partnership announcement.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will estimate the cost to London Underground of adapting ticket machines to take the new £2 coin. [48698]

The estimated cost is £1 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reasons he has discontinued the annual updates to "This Common Inheritance". [48798]

"This Common Inheritance" reported on the UK's Sustainable Strategy of 1994, which we are in the process of reviewing and revising in order to reflect changes that have taken place since 1994 and our distinctive approach to sustainable development. As part of the revised Strategy, we shall be announcing new arrangements for regular reporting.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what mechanisms are in place to measure the performance of area traffic commissioners. [48853]

Traffic Commissioners are independent quasi-judicial authorities appointed by the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and are classed as tribunals. Traffic Commissioners' main function is to administer the licensing regime for operators of heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches. The Commissioners' performance in fulfilling these functions is measured and reported against published service standards. Each Commissioner is required to submit an annual report of his licensing activities to the Secretary of State. These reports are published and copies are available in the Library of the House.In their capacity as tribunals, Traffic Commissioners are supervised by the independent Council of Tribunals which regularly sits in on Public Inquiries to observe proceedings. Operator licence holders can appeal to the Transport Tribunal against decisions of Traffic Commissioners. Traffic Commissioners and their Deputies held 1,700 Public Inquiries in the year ended 31 March 1998. In the same period, the Transport Tribunal heard 30 appeals, of which 19 were disallowed.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions for what reason different criteria are used to determine rural sparsity factors for standard spending assessments and the support for rural public transport. [48861]

To reflect the different purposes of the two schemes. The sparsity factor used for standard spending assessments was one of the options considered for the distribution of rural bus subsidy grant but was rejected for this purpose in favour of a method which reflected more directly the total population in each local authority living in a rural area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he will bring forward proposals for the rural bus challenge competition. [49241]

I have announced consultation with the Local Government Association, the Confederation of Passenger Transport and the Rural Development Commission on my proposals for the criteria and arrangements for this new competition. A copy of the consultation paper has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the progress being made towards introducing the new water regulations; and when he intends to begin the final round of consultation. [49411]

I will be launching the consultation exercise on the draft Water Regulations on Monday 6 July. Copies will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) for what reasons he has discontinued the annual updates to "Rural England"; [48797](2) when he will publish the Rural White Paper. [48799]

We did not wish to continue to report progress against commitments made by the previous Administration in their White Paper of 1995. We are considering the best way of taking forward and presenting our rural policy.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much National Lottery funding has been distributed by (a) the National Lottery Charities Board (Scotland), (b) the Millennium Commission and (c) the Heritage Lottery fund for projects in (i) Paisley, South constituency and (ii) Renfrewshire. [48486]

A breakdown of awards made by the National Lottery Charities Board, the Millennium Commission and the Heritage Lottery Fund in Paisley, South and in Renfrewshire is set out in the table. Information on the National Lottery awards is now available on the Department's website—www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

Distributor	Total amount (£)	Number of awards
Paisley South
NLCB	817,308	27
HLF	1,000,000	1
MC	0	0
Renfrewshire
NLCB	2,184,170	76
HLF	1,035,200	2
MC	64,714	1

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the deadline for the home country sports councils to identify prospective regional centres for the UK Sports Institute; and if he will make a statement. [47797]

[holding answer 30 June 1998]: We want to progress as quickly as possible, but it is important that detailed work is done so that the regional centres are selected as providing a good regional spread, meeting the needs of the local elite population and harnessing existing facilities and support services. I have received recommendations from the English Sports Council, but they will need careful consideration and discussion before any decision and announcement is made.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer of 24 June 1998, Official Report, column 519, what estimate he has made of the cost of the increase in prison population for each of the next 10 years. [48264]

The Government are reviewing Prison Service spending after 1998–99, including the long-term need for additional accommodation to meet the projected rise in the prison population, as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the projects undertaken by his Department since 1 May 1997 to research public reaction to (a) Government policies and (b) potential new policies; and if he will place the results of the research in the Library.[46684]

[holding answer 30 June 1998]: In line with the practice of successive administrations, the Department routinely consults the public, interested parties and client groups by way of consultation papers and research projects on a wide range of policies and proposed legislation. It is our normal practice to make the results of such research available to the public, including placing copies in the Library.I would refer the hon. Member to the answer my hon. Friend the Minister of State gave the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) on 23 February 1998,

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to collect statistics on the number of murders committed by people treated under the care in the community policy; and if he will make a statement. [47436]

[holding answer 30 June 1998]: There are no immediate plans for the Home Office to collect this information, but we shall keep the situation under review.The National Confidential Inquiry into Suicide and Homicide by People with Mental Illness, funded by the Department of Health, is conducting research in this area and published a progress report last December. This showed that 12 per cent. of homicides so far examined by them involved a person who had been in contact with specialist mental health services in the year before the homicide.Their next report is due for publication in 1999 and will contain additional information in respect of such homicides.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Newark (Mrs. Jones) of 1 June 1998, Official Report, columns 50–51, what in-cell television services are currently available for prisoners segregated under rule 43; and what special provision is to be made in respect of such prisoners as a result of the extension of in-cell television. [44607]

Comprehensive information on in-cell television provision to those segregated under Rule 43 is not held centrally. Prisoners are segregated under this Rule for a variety of reasons, including for their own protection. Future, detailed policy is under consideration but, broadly, those segregated for their own protection will normally keep their sets if practicable and those segregated for reasons of good order and discipline will normally lose them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prosecutions and (b) convictions there have been in each of the past five years in England and Wales for alleged breaches of section 161 of the Highways Act 1980. [48674]

Information collected centrally on the Home Office Court Proceedings Database cannot separately identify prosecutions for offences under section 161 of the Highways Act 1980 from other sections of the Act. Available information, including cautions, is given in the table.

Number of persons cautioned and defendants prosecuted at magistrates' courts and convicted at all courts for offences under sections 161, 162 or 163 of the Highways Act 19801, England and Wales, 1992–96
Year	Cautions	Prosecutions	Convictions
1992	150	126	82
1993	100	62	40
1994	124	133	87
1995	92	122	73
1996	81	92	59
1Sections 161, 162 and 163 of the Highways Act 1980 cover offences of: causing certain kinds of danger or annoyance to users of highways and streets (section 161); placing rope etc, across highway (section 162) and failing to prevent water falling or flowing on to highway (section 163)

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work has been carried out by the Ministerial Group on the Family on the institution of marriage; and what new measures have been proposed to promote and strengthen marriage. [48543]

The Ministerial Group on the Family has identified strengthening marriage as one of the key themes of its work. Proposals are being developed on measures to increase preparedness for marriage and to encourage couples to reflect on the commitment which marriage involves before entering into it.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times the Ministerial Group on the Family has met during 1998; when it plans to meet again; and how many times he chaired it. [48545]

The Ministerial Group has met twice since January 1998, chaired on both occasions by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State. Its next meeting will be on 13 July.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if the Ministerial Group on the Family has considered changes in the law with respect to pre-nuptial agreements. [48548]

The Ministerial Group has considered proposals from the Lord Chancellor's Department on whether there should be a reform of the law on ancillary relief. Such a reform might enable couples to make pre-nuptial agreements dealing with matrimonial property which would be legally binding on the courts and the parties to the agreement. No final decision has been taken on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what work has been carried out by the Ministerial Group on the Family on improvements to the quality of child care within families; and what research has been commissioned on this subject. [48549]

The Ministerial Group has looked in detail at measures to increase the support available to parents and improve parenting skills. The Government recognise that parents will always have the primary responsibility for the care and well-being of their children. The National Childcare Strategy will ensure that parents have access to services to enable them to make genuine choices about the sort of child care they want for their children, and to develop their own parenting skills.The Ministerial Group has commissioned no research on the subject, but has made use of existing research.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many reports have been (a) produced and (b) published by the Ministerial Group on the Family in 1998. [48544]

None. The Group's work is still in progress.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what was the total sum of public money provided to (i) Help the Aged and (ii) Age Concern over the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available. [48697]

The most recent period for which figures held centrally by the Home Office are available is the 12 months to March 1995. In that period, central Government provided funding of £331,906 to Help the Aged and £2,472,980 to Age Concern.I will write to the hon. Member with more up-to-date figures.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additional support other than from neighbouring prisons has been required at Altcourse Prison, Fazakerley; and at what public expense. [48335]

No additional support has been provided to Altcourse prison from any public sector prison.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what guidelines are issued to those local authorities which have responsibilities for maritime matters in relation to the medical and physical wellbeing of passengers on cruise liners; and if he will make a statement; [48560](2) what assistance is being given to Inverclyde Council in relation to the inspection and assessment of the water-supply system on board the cruise liner 'Edinburgh Castle'; and if he will make a statement; [48563](3) what steps he proposes to take to protect the health of passengers of cruise liners which operate out of, or call at, Scottish ports; and if he will make a statement; [48564](4) what plans he has to modify the rules and regulations governing the environmental health role played by local authorities which have responsibilities anent the inspection and quarantining of cruise liners; and if he will make a statement; [48565](5) what recent representations he has received anent the outbreak of Legionnaires disease on board cruise liners; and if he will make a statement; [48567](6) when his officials were first informed of reports of the existence of Legionnaires disease amongst passengers on board the cruise liner 'Edinburgh Castle'; and if he will make a statement; [48566](7) how many outbreaks of Legionnaires disease occurring on board

Information about the possible presence of legionella bacteria on SS Edinburgh Castle was first received by the Scottish Office Department of Health on 18 June. The ship was at that time at sea and due to arrive in Greenock on 21 June. On its arrival at Greenock, officers from the local port authority inspected the ship and took water samples. The analysis, which became available on 24 June, confirmed the presence of the bacteria in the water supply and remedial measures were set in train on the ship, which was by then again at sea. On return to Greenock on 28 June further action was taken to ensure the safety of the water supply on board. The work has been completed and the ship has now left port.In carrying out its public health responsibilities, Inverclyde Council has had assistance and advice from, among others, the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environment Health, Argyll and Clyde Health Board, the Scottish Legionella Reference Laboratory, the Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre and the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, who inspected the ship in accordance with the Merchant Shipping (Provisions and Water) Regulations 1989.The importance of maintaining health at sea is taken very seriously and, earlier this year, the Maritime and Coastguard Agency issued a revised Marine Guidance Note to all masters and operators about the risk of contamination of ships' air conditioning systems by legionella bacteria. Advice on other health matters including food hygiene has also been recently updated by the Agency. The Merchant Shipping (Provisions and Water) Regulations 1989 place a responsibility on employers and masters to ensure that ships' provisions and water do not contain anything which is likely to cause sickness or injury to health.My right hon. Friend has received no recent representations about outbreaks of Legionnaires Disease on cruise liners. Available information indicates that, in addition to the SS Edinburgh Castle, there has been only one previous case, in October 1997, which involved a Spanish trawler.The Public Health (Ships)(Scotland) Regulations 1971, as amended, which provide for the public health control of ships arriving at or leaving Scottish ports, are being reviewed as part of the general review of public health legislation in Scotland now underway.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how many jobs he estimates there are in Wales in the fishing industry. [47912]

At 31 March 1997 there were an estimated 1,700 fishermen in Wales, according to the MAFF "Survey on the Number of Fishermen in England and Wales".

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what is the average length of time patients currently remain on hospital waiting lists in each health authority in Wales; and if he will make a statement. [48188]

The most recent information is given in the table for the residents of each health authority.

Average waiting time in days for people admitted from waiting lists in 19971
Health authority
Bro Taf	88
Dyfed Powys	89
Gwent	101
Morgannwg	77
North Wales	88
1Welsh residents treated in Welsh hospitals as in-patients or day cases—these figures exclude Welsh residents treated in English hospitals

The combination of the additional –25 million given to the NHS in Wales to reduce waiting lists, and the recently formed Strategy Group which is looking at ways of prioritising those on waiting lists, together with the hard work being undertaken by health authorities and trusts convince me that both the numbers waiting and the time they spend waiting will both reduce in the near future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what were the qualifications, experience and expertise of the persons from Gwent Tertiary College who undertook the internal investigation of European funding; [48553](2) pursuant to the oral answer of 24 June 1998,

As my hon. Friend knows, an investigation by the Department for Education and Employment's Fraud Investigation Unit started on 24 June. The Gwent Constabulary are also investigating the matter. In these circumstances, no further public statements would be appropriate until these investigations are completed and the findings made public.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) how many licences have been issued under each sub-heading of category PL 5001 of the 1996 Export Control Order, for which countries; and for what estimated quantity (a) since I May 1997 and (b) prior to 1 May 1997; [46473](2) how many licences, for which countries and in what quantities, were issued under sub-heading C of section ML7 of the 1996 Export Control Order

I will write to my hon. Friend as soon as possible and place a copy of that letter in the Library of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if surveillance equipment exports are controlled under the Export of Goods (Control) Orders. [46480]

The export of surveillance systems specially designed for military use and intended for use in fire control and related alerting and warning equipment may be controlled under entry ML5 of the Export of Goods (Control) Order (1994), as amended; that of electronic surveillance equipment specially designed for military use is controlled under entry ML11; and that of specified imaging equipment specially designed for military use under entry ML15. The export of civil imaging equipment may also be controlled under entry 6A002 of Annex I to Council Decision 94/942/CFSP, as amended, that of civil imaging cameras under entry 6A003, that of civil radar equipment under entry 6A008 and that of civil radio surveillance equipment under 5A001.Other entries in the legislation may also be relevant to other types of surveillance equipment or to surveillance equipment for use in particular circumstances.Copies of the relevant legislation are available in the Library of the House.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what estimate she has made of the total costs of implementing the minimum wage in the public sector, assuming (a) half restoration of differentials, (b) three-quarters restoration of differentials and (c) full restoration of differentials. [47543]

[holding answer 25 June 1998]: The national minimum wage is likely to have only a small effect on public sector pay. Therefore, it is unrealistic to assume that there would be any significant demand to restore pay differentials. As the Low Pay Commission made clear,

"at the rate we recommend, restoration of differentials should be limited".

We also agree with the Commission's statement that

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what forecasts of potential job losses were available to her when deciding on a –3 an hour minimum wage for young persons. [47527]

[holding answer 25 June 1998]: The Government believe that their proposals for a sensibly set national minimum wage will not have an adverse effect on jobs. The Government, in their evidence to the Low Pay Commission, carefully considered the available evidence and noted that, where international studies have found adverse effects on employment, it has tended to be for younger workers. Hence, the Government propose that a lower rate should be set for young people. This proposal is consistent with our objective to give young people the skills and opportunities they need to progress.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade for which Latin American countries her Department has export promoters. [47982]

Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, Paraguay, and Uruguay.

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what proportion of small firms have made efforts to prepare for the introduction of the European Single Currency; what recent assessment she had made of the adequacy of training within small firms. [48055]

[holding answer 1 July 1998]: A recent survey of small and medium sized enterprises, commissioned by the Treasury's Euro Preparations Unit, found that only 5 per cent. of such companies had made any preparations for the euro. I do not have any specific data on the level of training on the euro within small firms. However, of the preparations that had been made, most were technical (changes to IT systems or opening euro accounts).The Government are committed to offer information to firms to increase their awareness of the implications of the single currency and to help firms to prepare. The Euro Preparations Unit in the Treasury has recently published the first ten in a series of fact sheets on the euro. Copies can be obtained from the dedicated euro telephone literature line 08456 01 01 99, or from the website http://www.euro.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to his answer of 7 May 1998, Official Report, column 488, how many of the 174 disappearances of British citizens in Turkey have been actively investigated; how many individuals have been found; how many are still missing; and what procedures and support systems exist for their families. [47864]

I refer my hon. Friend to my answer of 7 May 1998, Official Report, column 488. The prime responsibility for tracing missing persons rests with the UK police. When families report relatives missing they are advised to file a missing persons report with their local police station in the UK. The police then notify the UK National Central Bureau of Interpol who notify the police in the country where the person has been reported as missing, who institute inquiries. We also pass the families contact details of NGOs who can sometimes help in tracing missing persons.

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the options under consideration for the national domestic regulation of private military companies. [48904]

We are examining the possibility of regulating the activities of private military companies. As part of that process, the FCO is looking at the measures adopted by other Governments. Detailed Whitehall-wide consideration will be required before any decisions are taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what level of financial and other support his Department plans to provide to Mediation UK in the current financial year. [44950]

Employer/Employee disputes are a matter for the President of the Board of Trade. My right hon. Friend has informed me that her Department does not plan to provide any financial or other support to Mediation UK in the current financial year.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the local authorities participating in the New Deal programme for 18 to 24-year-olds. [46556]

All local authorities were invited to participate in the planning stages of New Deal. Subsequently many have become key partners in the local partnerships which have been brought together across the country to ensure that the New Deal fully meets the needs of young people. Many of those who are not key partners are participating through other means, such as providing New Deal vacancies or being represented through one lead local authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment on the basis of what formal competitive tendering process Capita won the implementing contract for the pilot New Deal scheme in Solihull; what was the role or task description defined for which bidders were to offer their services; and if the bidders included within their tenders a quantified costing for which those services were offered. [46932]

The competition which resulted in a decision to award the contract to the Capita Group Plc to lead and deliver 18–24 New Deal in Solihull was fair and open. It was conducted by Employment Service officials in line with Treasury procurement principles.In Solihull, as in the other areas where New Deal is to be led by a private sector company, bidders were asked to submit outline proposals for delivery which would be consistent with the requirements contained in the New Deal Design document for 18–24-year-olds. These bids were evaluated against pre-determined criteria covering quality and innovation. The funding arrangements were subsequently discussed with each of the successful bidders within the framework of the unit costs and anticipated client volumes for each delivery unit.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if the role or task description for the pilot New Deal scheme in Solihull has been altered or re-defined since Capita won the implementing contract for it. [46933]

No. The New Deal Design document for 18–24-year-olds formed the specification against which all bidders were invited to respond to the competition to identify private sector organisations to lead the 18–24 New Deal. The overall design and specification of New Deal in Solihull has not changed in the period following the decision to award the contract to Capita.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what is the (a) number and (b) percentage of New Deal special personal advisers who are from ethnic minorities. [45138]

The Employment Service (ES) currently has some 2,000 New Deal Advisers.ES collects data on the ethnic origin of its employees by pay bands (or grades) rather than by specific jobs such as advisers. The available data show that some 6 per cent. of ES staff in the relevant pay bands are from ethnic minorities. The ES therefore estimate that some 120 are likely to be from ethnic minorities. ES is undertaking a special exercise to obtain more precise data and I will ensure that this information is passed to my right hon. Friend once it is available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many personal advisers will be recruited to assist small and medium sized enterprises in recruiting under the New Deal; and how much will be allocated to the Employment Service in order to undertake the training of such advisers. [47757]

[holding answer 30 June 1998]: The New Deal personal adviser's primary role is to offer guidance and support to their unemployed clients throughout their time on New Deal. They will, however, monitor the progress of clients who are recruited by employers under the New Deal, and in so doing, offer both them and their employer assistance in relation to New Deal. There are as many as 1,500 Personal Advisers; whilst not recruited specifically to assist small and medium sized enterprises in recruiting under New Deal, all of them will be helping young people towards jobs and enhanced employability, including opportunities with small businesses.In addition to Personal Advisers, the Employment Service vacancy taking teams advise and assist employers who wish to recruit under New Deal. These teams deal directly and regularly with small and medium enterprises advising them about New Deal and help them in signing up for it. The total amount allocated to the Employment Service for training its staff for the New Deal was £9 million. This includes the commitment for all New Deal advisers to work towards S/NVQ Level 3 in advice, guidance and counselling. The allocation was not broken down into specific areas of work.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what estimate he has made of the number of teachers (a) required and (b) available to meet future demand in respect of science and mathematics in 1999 to 2005. [46843]

Estimates of the proportion of teachers working in maintained secondary schools who will be qualified in different subjects are produced as part of the Department for Education and Employment's teacher supply and demand modelling process. A summary of the process can be found in "Teacher Supply and Demand Modelling—an explanatory paper" produced in November 1997, copies of which have been placed in the Library; a fuller technical paper explaining the process will be issued by the Department in July.The assumptions underlying the targets for recruitment to initial teacher training courses that were issued in November 1997 indicate that the numbers of teachers working in maintained secondary schools in England and Wales who would have science and mathematics as the subject of highest qualification would be approximately as set out in the table.

Name	Date established	Chairman
Review of the National Curriculum 1994	April 1994	Sir Ron Dearing (now Lord)
A short study to investigate the potential of emerging technologies to improve the effectiveness of the learning process for pupils of statutory school age	January 1995	Peter Seaborne
Review of 100 NVQs and SVQs	March 1995	Gordon Beaumont OBE
Review of Qualifications for 16–19 year olds	April 1995	Sir Ron Dearing (now Lord)
The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education	May 1996	Sir Ron Dearing (now Lord)
National Record of Achievement Group	May 1996	Sir Nicholas Goodison
The National Advisory Group for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning (NAGCELL)	May 1997	Professor Bob Fryer
Further Education Student Support Advisory Group	December 1997	Graham Lane
National Skills Task Force	February 1998	Christopher Humphries
National Advisory Committee on Creative and Cultural Education (NACCE)	February 1998	Professor Ken Robinson
The Sustainable Development Education Panel	February 1998	Sir Geoffrey Holland
Review of the National Curriculum 1994	May 1998	Bill Stubbs
Numeracy Task Force	May 1998	Professor David Reynolds
Working Group to Advise on Effective Post-School Basic Skills Provision	June 1998	Sir Claus Moser

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the quinquennial research assessment exercises in supporting research infrastructure in universities. [47047]

Recent consultations undertaken by the higher education funding bodies elicited a strong response in favour of the research assessment exercise. The National Committee of Inquiry into Higher Education under Lord Dearing, the Select Committee on Science and Technology and a number of other bodies including respondents to consultations have made a number of recommendations aimed at improving the effectiveness of

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list, for each of the last four years, all departmental inquiries and reviews instigated by ministers which have been chaired by individuals outside his Department; and in each case if he will give the date of establishment and the name of the chairman. [46830]

In each of the last four years the Department has carried out the following inquiries and reviews:the exercise. The higher education funding bodies, which are responsible for the conduct of the exercise, are considering those recommendations.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what financial support his Department has provided, in each of the past five years, to the Engineering Council's WISE programme. [47512]

WISE receives core funding from the Engineering Council and sponsorship from employers. This Department has not provided financial support in the last 5 years to the WISE programme. DTI has provided some financial support for WISE through its Development Unit for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology and through the Action for Engineering initiative.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) male and (b) female students applied for courses of higher education in (i) biological sciences, (ii) physical and chemical sciences, (iii) medicine, (iv) engineering and (v) other sciences, in each of the last five years; and what percentage of applicants were (1) male and (2) female in each subject area in each year. [47558]

Numbers and percentages of applications/applicants to full time first degree, HND and DipHE courses in Science in UK by gender 1993 to 1997
	19931		19942		19952		19962		19972
Subject	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
Number
Biological Sciences	46,298	73,299	8,455	13,493	8,106	13,603	8,221	14,688	8,538	15,935
Physics and Chemistry	65,800	32,257	11,235	5,459	10,767	5,671	9,993	5,255	10,468	5,263
Medicine3	31,561	30,715	6,909	6,969	7,234	6,989	7,307	7,398	7,076	7,417
Engineering4	145,302	19,248	27,204	3,366	25,096	3,244	24,199	3,207	23,104	3,375
Other Sciences5	168,575	150,519	31,693	27,006	32,855	28,664	33,768	28,947	40,756	33,565
Total Sciences	457,535	306,039	85,496	56,293	84,058	58,171	83,579	59,404	89,942	65,555
Percentage
Biological Sciences	39	61	39	61	37	63	36	64	35	65
Physics and Chemistry	67	33	67	33	66	34	66	34	67	33
Medicine3	51	49	50	50	51	49	50	50	49	51
Engineering4	88	12	89	11	89	11	88	12	87	13
Other Sciences5	53	47	54	46	53	47	54	46	55	45
Total Sciences	60	40	60	40	59	41	58	42	58	42
1Figures for 1993 relate to applications made through either the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA) or the Polytechnics Central Admissions System (PCAS)
2Figures for 1994 onwards relate to applicants using the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)
3Medicine and Dentistry
4Engineering and Technology
5Subjects Allied to Medicine, Agriculture/Veterinary, Mathematics and Computing, Architecture, Building and Planning and Combined Sciences

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment how many (a) male and (b) female students took up courses of higher education in (i) biological sciences, (ii) physical and chemical sciences, (iii) medicine, (iv) engineering and (v) other sciences, in each of the last five years; and what

Full time undergraduates in United Kingdom higher education institutions 1993–94 to 1997–98, numbers and percentages by gender
	1993–94		1994–95		1995–96		1996–97		1997–98
Subject	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female	Male	Female
Number
Biological Sciences	6,435	9,301	8,210	11,766	8,403	12,188	9,077	13,060	9,807	14,685
Physics and Chemistry	12,426	6,317	13,043	6,765	11,748	6,523	11,150	6,385	11,489	6,268
Medicine1	4,028	2,941	3,209	3,325	3,503	3,738	3,240	3,621	3,327	3,730
Engineering2	34,043	6,852	34,723	5,578	32,374	5,296	30,146	4,951	29,397	4,801
Other Science3	35,194	24,938	35,111	28,571	36,661	30,505	37,138	36,029	38,625	39,830
Total Science	92,495	53,100	94,538	56,163	92,928	58,411	90,989	64,208	92,883	69,476
Percentage
Biological Sciences	41	59	41	59	41	59	41	59	40	60
Physics and Chemistry	66	34	66	34	64	36	64	36	65	35
Medicine1	58	42	49	51	48	52	47	53	47	53
Engineering2	83	17	86	14	86	14	86	14	86	14
Other Science3	59	41	55	45	55	45	51	49	49	51
Total Science	64	36	63	37	61	39	59	41	57	43
1Medicine and Dentistry
2Engineering and Technology
3Subjects allied to Medicine, Agriculture/Veterinary, Mathematics and Computing and Architecture, Building and Planning

The available information is in the table, covering applications through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) for full time first degree, HND and DipHE courses only. Applicant information for part time and postgraduate courses is not available centrally. Data for 1993 and those compiled by the Universities Central Council on Admissions (UCCA) and the Polytechnics Central Admissions System (PCAS) and are available for applications rather than applicants.percentage female students were of students taking up such courses in each subject area in each year. [47541]

The information covering the five years from 1993–94 to 1997–98, the latest date for which it is available, is given in the table:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what plans his Department has to increase the number of women students entering the professions of science, engineering and technology. [47516]

Between 1995 and 1996 the number of women studying for science, engineering and technology qualifications at 1st degree, postgraduate level and undergraduate level in the UK rose by 8 per cent. and from 1996 to 1997 by 14 per cent. In 1995–96, 43 per cent. of women graduating with a 1st degree in engineering and technology and 68 per cent. of women with a 1st degree in science went into employment in related occupations. However, women are still significantly under-represented in a number of areas of science, engineering and technology, particularly in engineering.This Government are committed to encouraging the full participation of women in all areas of life, including non-traditional areas. The Women into Science and Engineering initiative, which began in 1984 with contributory funding from the Manpower Services Commission and continues to be run by the Engineering Council with some contributory funding from Government, encourages young women to consider careers in engineering. We have also been concerned at the under-representation of women in engineering and some technical sectors on Modern Apprenticeships. We have therefore been working closely with the Local Government National Training Organisation to produce a good practice guide to challenge gender stereotyping in Modern Apprenticeships.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what was the expenditure by local education authorities on pupils and students with statements of special educational needs for the years (a) 1990–91, (b) 1991–92, (c) 1992–93 and (d) 1993–94. [47456]

Information on local education authority expenditure on pupils with statements of special educational needs was not collected before 1993–1994. The amount spent by LEAs on pupils with statements of special educational needs for that year was £1.13 billion.

Action zones
Name	Areas
Education Action Zones	Barnsley, Basildon, Birmingham (2 applications), Blackburn with Darwen, Brighton, Croydon, Halifax, Herefordshire, Hull Lambeth, Leicester City, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Newham, Norfolk, North East Lincolnshire (Grimsby), Nottingham City, Plymouth, Salford and Trafford, Sheffield, North Somerset (Bridgwater), Southwark, South Tyneside, Wigan
Employment Zones	Glasgow, Liverpool and Sefton, North West Wales, Plymouth and South Tees

Pilot schemes—Education
Name	Areas
Action Research Projects	Barnsley, Coventry, Derbyshire, Devon, Dudley, Islington, Lancashire, Leeds, Leicester, Manchester, Portsmouth, Rochdale, Sheffield, Solihull, Southwark, Tower Hamlets, Wakefield, Warwickshire, Wigan, York City

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment (1) if he intends to publish plans for action to improve mainstream provision for children with special educational needs; [47578](2) how he will define his objectives for the improvement during the next four years in the performance of children with special educational needs at mainstream schools, with particular reference to literacy and numeracy targets. [47579]

Following consultation on the Green Paper, "Excellence for all Children", we will publish an action programme in the early autumn. This will set out the steps we shall take to improve the provision for children with SEN, in mainstream and special schools, and to raise the standards they achieve. As one early action point from the Green Paper, we have increased support through the Schools Access Initiative for projects to increase disabled access to mainstream schools, from £4m in 1997–1998 to £l lm in 1998–99. We have also announced specific measures to promote literacy and numeracy for children with SEN, including pilot summer literacy schools for pupils with low literacy levels and in special schools; and guidance on the application of the literacy hour for children with SEN.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what studies his Department has evaluated into the placement of children into mainstream or special schools when a care home with education closes. [47887]

The Department has not commissioned work on this subject specifically. However, good practice in re-integrating looked after children in mainstream schooling is an issue we shall expect to address in new guidance in the next two years on educational provision for these children.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the initiatives undertaken by his Department since 1 May 1997 which have involved the establishment of (a) action zones and (b) pilot schemes limited to particular geographical areas, indicating the name of the programme and the action zone or pilot scheme areas covered in each instance. [47061]

Since 1 May 1997 the Department has established the following action zones and pilot schemes limited to a particular geographical area:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what percentage of further education staff in Hampshire are employed on temporary contracts. [47589]

Complete data are not available from Hampshire. Seventy-five per cent. of colleges then in the Hampshire Local Authority area had provided information for the latest analysis (1995–96) which indicates that 36 per cent. of those colleges' teaching, and teaching support staff, are employed on temporary contracts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will instigate schemes to recruit, train and employ unemployed people with computing skills to help tackle the Millennium Bug. [47700]

We are already providing £26 million this financial year to help small to medium sized organisations to train at least 20,000 people to tackle the Millennium Bug. The training is intended to help small to medium sized employers. We are encouraging them to work

Participation and labour market status of 18 year olds, England, end 1992 to end 1996
Percentage
	end 1992	end 1993	end 1994	end 1995	end 1996
Full-time education1	33	37	38	39	38
Part-time education or training: excluding job related training	8	8	8	8	9
Job-related training2	14	14	13	13	13
of which full-time education3	0	0	1	1	0
of which part-time education	7	6	5	4	4
Employment without training or study	28	26	28	27	28
ILO unemployment without training or study	12	11	8	9	7
Economically inactive without training or study4	5	5	5	4	6
1Includes those in education who are also in job related training, unemployment or inactive. The size of the overlap between education and job related training is shown at footnote 3
2Includes all in government supported training and employer funded training; including the overlap with those in full-time education
3Also shown in the full-time education category
4Those not in employment nor seeking work on the ILO unemployment definition

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what proportion of 18 year olds leaving (a) secondary school and (b) further education entered (i) full-time education, (ii) part-time education, (iii) unemployment, (iv) job related training and (v) employment without a training or study element in (1) the West Midlands and (2) Staffordshire in each of the last five years. [46306]

[holding answer 22 June 1998]: Data on destinations of pupils leaving school are not available and on students leaving further education are incomplete. Information on participation in education, training and employment of the 18 year old population in England is shown in the following table. It is not possible to indicate how many of these had previously been in further education, post 16 schooling or other routes. Participation of the 18 year old population by local areas could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what policies he is pursuing to raise the environmental awareness of further and higher education institutions, with particular regard to sustainable development practices and citizenship initiatives. [48075]

My right hon. Friend promotes awareness of environmental issues in the further and higher education sectors through the funding councils and sector representative bodies. The Further Education Funding Council has encouraged further education colleges to adopt sound environmental practices: it asks them in formulating their strategic plans to take account of the recommendations of the Toyne Committee on Environmental Responsibility. The Higher Education Funding Council for England has been carrying out environmental audits, in conjunction with the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals and the Standing Conference of Principals. In addition, the Sustainable Development Education Panel, an advisory group established by the Government, is considering these issues: we await their recommendations with interest.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will make a statement on the funding arrangements for (a) the Chair and Research Centre in Urban Regeneration and Change and (b) the provision of staff and student amenities at University College Stockton. [48269]

This is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions whose approval is required for the grants concerned, which were approved by the Board of the Teesside Corporation in March 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment if he will list the (a) first and (b) primary schools in North Tyneside which currently have classes of (i) more than and (ii) less than 30 pupils. [48540]

Information on class sizes for individual schools is not published centrally.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what expenditure he intends to incur in implementing the new income contingent student loan arrangements prior to approval of the Education (Student Support) Regulations 1998; and what parliamentary approval he has sought for this expenditure. [49410]

Parliamentary approval of this new service will be sought in a Supplementary Estimate for the DfEE Programmes and Central services vote (Class IX Vote 1). Pending that approval, urgent expenditure estimated at £335,000 will be met by repayable advances from the Contingencies Fund.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment when he expects all children in South Gloucestershire schools to have ready access to the Internet; and if he will make a statement. [48777]

The Government's consultation paper "Connecting the Learning Society" set out a target date of 2002 for the connection of all schools, colleges, universities and libraries and as many community centres as possible to be connected to the National Grid for Learning via the Internet.The Department is supporting £533,455 of ICT-related expenditure in South Gloucestershire in 1998–99 through Standards Fund Grant for the National Grid for Learning. The grant is to support networking and infrastructure, and is funded equally by the Department and the relevant local education authority.

To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Employment what assessment he has made of the effects of the merger between High Peak College and the University of Derby on post-16 education in High Peak. [48628]

My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State was satisfied that this is a unique development between a university and a further education college to improve post-16 educational opportunities for the High Peak area.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his American counterpart concerning the residue of depleted uranium shells in Southern Iraq; and if he will make a statement. [45275]

I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Dr. Jones) on 29 June 1998, Official Report, column 73.The use of DU-based ammunition in the Gulf, including these specific issues, have been discussed between officials in my Department and their opposite numbers in the US Department of Defense; neither my right hon. Friend Secretary of State for Defence, nor any of my other Ministerial colleagues have discussed this issue with his American counterpart.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the performance of his Department's Personnel and Pay Agency; and how many cases relating to (a) grievance and (b) disciplinary procedure took (i) six months or more and (ii) 12 months or more to reach a conclusion in (1) 1996–97, (2) 1995–96 and (3) 1994–95. [46494]

The Personnel and Pay Agency (PPA) is responsible for providing pay and personnel services for the Ministry of Defence. The Agency is responsible for the operation of grievance and disciplinary procedures covering its own staff, but not those covering the Ministry of Defence as a whole.The work and objectives of the PPA are set out in a corporate plan each year. This plan includes a number of key targets for the year which are agreed by Ministers.Performance against the key targets is recorded in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts which is presented in Parliament. The PPA was launched on 1 February 1996 and its Annual Report's and Accounts for 1996–97 showed that it largely achieved its targets for service delivery, efficiency, customer satisfaction, quality and information strategy; but that it missed 2 other targets relating to improving IT systems.Our records indicate that there were no disciplinary or grievance cases which were not dealt with by the Defence Accounts Agency (DDA) (the PPA's predecessor) within 6 months for the year 1994–95 and 1995–96. For 1996–97 all grievance cases were dealt with by the PPA within 6 months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list, for each of the last four years, all departmental inquiries and reviews instigated by ministers which have been chaired by individuals outside his Department; and in each case if he will give the date of establishment and the name of the chairman. [46829]

The information requested is as follows:

Committee	Date established	Chairman
Independent Review of Armed Forces' Manpower, Career and Remuneration Structures	April 1994	Sir Michael Bett
Review of Representational Entertainment	October 1994	Sir Peter Cazalet

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times Russian Navy ships have berthed at United Kingdom ports within the last five years [47587]

Since June 1993 there have been six visits to United Kingdom ports by Russian Navy ships; these were as follows:

Date	Port	Ship
25 May-1 June 1993	Liverpool	Sovremenny class destroyer
7–10 October 1993	Dartmouth	Ugra class training ship
20–25 May 1994	Portsmouth	Kilo class conventional submarine
27 March-1 April 1995	Portsmouth	A Survey ship
26 April-2 May 1996	Portsmouth	Udaloy class destroyer
3–4 May 1996	Plymouth
22–26 September 1996	Portsmouth	Sovremenny class destroyer

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many times the Royal Navy has conducted joint exercises with the Russian Navy over the last five years. [48152]

The Royal Navy exercise with the Russian Federation Navy under both bilateral arrangements and in multinational exercises. The term exercise can cover a wide range of activities and no single tally exists for all RN activities in which the RFN was involved. However, records show that over the past five years the following Royal Navy ships have participated in the following exercises with the Russian Federation Navy:

Period of exercise
August 1993	HMS Brilliant	Off Gibraltar
September-October 1994	HMS Newcastle RFA Olna	Skaggerak and off Norway
May 1996	HMS Gloucester RFA Black Rover	Off Portsmouth
June 1997	HMS Iron Duke	Off Severomorsk
May-June 1997	HMS Cromer HMS Walney RFA Orangeleaf	Skaggerak
June 1997	HMS Iron Duke HMS Bridport HMS Cromer	Baltic Sea
June 1998	HMS Somerset	Off Gdansk

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what abandoned ordnance was found at Home Farm, West Cottingworth, York, at RAF Escrit, at RAF Clifton, York and at Clifton Moor and Royde Mills, Huddersfield; if the ground has now been cleared; and at what cost. [43927]

[pursuant to his reply, 3 June 1998,c. 208]: I regret that a typographical error led to the date of the clearance operation, known as Operation CAPSICUM JAR, being shown as 1995. The date of the clearance was in fact 1991.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 18 June 1998, Official Report, columns 265–66, which organisation will own the Grob 115D aircraft fleet at the end of the 10 year contract; and if this is in accordance with conventional procurement practice. [48042]

The purpose of the Royal Air Force Light Aircraft Flying Task contract is to procure a service, including flying hours in aircraft provided by the contractor. The proposed contract is a Private Finance Initiative and, as is normal with such contracts, ownership of assets, in this case Grob 115D aircraft, will not rest with my Department. Ownership at the end of the contract period will depend upon the arrangements made by the contractor with his financial backer.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 18 June 1998, Official Report, columns 265–66, what proposals he has to dispose of the Bulldog trainer aircraft; and which department will receive the proceeds. [48041]

The RAF's Light Aircraft Flying Task contract will have a planned two year phase-in period during which existing Bulldog aircraft will be replaced by the Grob 115D. Disposal of surplus Bulldog aircraft will be organised by the Ministry of Defence's Disposal Sales Agency with a view to maximising receipts which will accrue to my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 18 June 1998, Official Report, columns 265–66, what incentives will be offered to the successful bidder to replace the RAF's Bulldog trainer aircraft to ensure the RAF receives a high-quality service. [48043]

Final negotiations with the preferred bidder are still underway but payments under the resulting contract will be dependent upon delivery of the required level of service.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 18 June 1998, Official Report, columns 265–66, what weighting was given to the impact on UK industry and employment in his decision on the award of the contract to replace the Bulldog trainer aircraft. [48039]

The impact of our decision on UK industry and employment was carefully considered and balanced against a number of factors, including cost and suitability of aircraft for our requirement.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to his answer of 23 June 1998, Official Report, column 459, concerning the lease of C-17s, what responses to the requests for proposals he has received; and what the timescale is for the responses. [48009]

No Request for Proposals for the lease of C-17 or equivalent air transport aircraft has been issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rugby league teams there are in each of the armed forces. [48443]

The information requested is as follows:

Service	Number of rugby league teams
Royal Navy/Royal Marines	12
Army	41
Royal Air Force	10

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Eurofighters the Government are committed to purchasing. [48626]

The Government are committed to the purchase of 232 Eurofighters.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security how many complaints have been received about the treatment of disabled people by officers of her Department in each of the last three years. [47999]

[holding answer 1 July 1998]: The information is not available in the format requested. Departmental Agencies can provide information on the number of complaints received from all customers but do not specifically record whether they are made by disabled customers.The Benefits Agency (BA) can however provide some complaints information about disabled customers. Since October 1997, the BA has received a total of 36,023 complaints. Of these, a total of 2,615 complaints have been received about the administration of Attendance Allowance and Disability Living Allowance. Additionally, there have been 59 complaints about customer service from people who have identified themselves as disabled.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what proportion of the Child Support Agency's resources are devoted to collecting maintenance. [48828]

Due to the complexity of the current child support arrangements, approximately 90 per cent. of the Agency's resources are spent on assessing maintenance and keeping cases up to date. This leaves only about 10 per cent. spent on debt management and enforcing child support liability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what research she has evaluated on the relative financial positions of separated mothers and fathers. [48829]

Recent research by Dr. Jarvis and Dr. Jenkins of the University of Essex quoted in "Real Choices—A Manifesto for Lone Parents and their Children" indicates that the median net income of mothers dropped on average by 15 per cent. in the year following separation—before allowing for any maintenance payments—while fathers' net income rose by an average of 15 per cent.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security (1) how many income support claimants there are whose claims are dealt with by the Sale office but who do not live in the Borough of Trafford; [47529](2) how many income support claimants there are in the Wythenshawe and Sale, East Constituency; [47530](3) how many income support claimants there are whose claims are dealt with by the Wythenshawe office but who do not live in the City of Manchester. [47531]

The administration of Income Support is a matter for Peter Mathison, Chief Executive of the Benefits Agency. He will write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Social Security what estimate she has made of the number of women in Wirral, South who will benefit from the minimum wage. [47457]

I have been asked to reply.The information requested falls within the responsibility of the Chief Executive of the Office for National Statistics. I have asked him to reply.

To ask the Secretary of State for Health what data from the Government's review of two-view breast screening have been evaluated in respect of future policy on the introduction of the two-view screening for every screening round. [48320]

In light of recent research evidence, the National Screening Committee have been asked to consider the introduction of two-view mammography for every screening round. In addition to any increase in the detection rate, the Committee will consider financial and workforce implications and the benefits and practicalities of introducing such a change.