To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how the UK Passport Agency performed against its targets in 1997–98; and what performance targets he has set for the Agency in 1998–99. [52006]

The UK Passport Agency performed very well in 1997–98. With demand 28 per cent. above forecast, it did not meet its target for processing properly completed straightforward applications within a maximum of ten working days. But customers' travel needs were met on most occasions, and customer satisfaction remained very high.The UK Passport Agency's financial target was to secure efficiency savings of 11.1 per cent. in the three year period 1995–96 to 1997–98 equivalent to £11.32 per passport service provided. The latest indications are that the Agency has achieved a unit cost of £9.90, which represents an efficiency saving of 10.3 per cent. for the year, and nearly 25 per cent. for the three year period.1998–99 will be a transitional and difficult year for the Agency, as it manages the introduction of new passport issuing arrangements and a more secure British passport from October 1998. Nevertheless, I expect the Agency to maintain a high standard of service throughout the year.I have set the Agency the following targets which take account of the special circumstances that apply in 1998–99, and the cost of the new arrangements:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what steps are currently being taken by the Fire Service to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of virtual reality computer simulation in operational command training; [50761]

The contribution that multi-media systems can make to the training and assessment of fire officers in the knowledge and skills they require to be competent in their professional role, particularly in the area of operational command, is recognised.Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Fire Services is already pursuing work with the fire service to develop the concept and principles of operational command appropriate for fire service officers. This includes an on-going examination of computer simulation systems which could support necessary training, and of reports of trials that are undertaken.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) how many asylum seekers in the United Kingdom are currently held in detention; [50832](2) how many asylum seekers currently detained in the United Kingdom have been detained for

As at 30 June 1998, a total of 775 persons who had sought asylum at some stage were detained solely under Immigration Act powers. A breakdown showing the duration of time those persons had been continuously detained is given in the table.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to his answers of 28 April 1998, Official Report, column 96 and 7 May 1998, Official Report, column 452, when he expects the casework programme system to be used to deal with asylum casework. [50974]

Officials are in discussion with Siemens Business Services about the date on which the new Information Technology system will be introduced. With effect from 17 August, some cases will be dealt with under new integrated caseworking procedures by a pilot group using currently available Information Technology support.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many motorists were (a) prosecuted for and (b) convicted for offences relating to the illegal use of bus lanes in the last year for which figures are available; and what were the figures for 1990. [51087]

Prosecutions and convictions for this offence cannot be distinguished from other offences connected with neglect of traffic directions in the statistics collected centrally.The Government are supporting the Traffic Director for London in developing a system whereby bus lane offences can be detected by camera.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many drivers have been (a) stopped for and (b) convicted of offences arising from excessive exhaust emissions in (i) the Metropolitan Police area and (ii) England and Wales in the last year for which figures are available. [51079]

Information obtained from the Vehicle Inspectorate (an executive agency of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions) shows that 111,865 vehicles were stopped for a specific excess exhaust emission check by the Inspectorate in England and Wales in the year 1996–97. 6,450 of these were in the Greater London area.There were 94 proceedings for this offence in England and Wales in 1996, of which 65 resulted in convictions. 17 of these proceedings and 11 of the convictions were in the Metropolitan Police area.Most offences of this nature encountered by the Vehicle Inspectorate are dealt with by the issue of a prohibition notice and 5,733 such notices were issued in England and Wales in 1996–97, 420 of them in the Greater London area.Under the Environment Act 1995, local authorities now have the power to conduct checks for excess exhaust emissions, and in trials taking place in seven local authority areas, figures provided by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions show that nearly 8,000 vehicles have been tested so far in 1998, resulting in 450 fixed penalty notices being issued.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the experimental schemes involving video cameras placed in buses to film those illegally using bus lanes; in which areas they are located; and if he will make a statement. [51086]

Following a pilot project in 1995, an on-board camera system for enforcing bus lane offences was "type approved" in December 1997, after being fully tested against a published specification as required by the Road Traffic Offenders Act 1988. It provides visual evidence of an offence with the exact time and location.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many times CS gas has been used by police forces; in how many cases medical attention was required; and how many incidents led to police disciplinary measures. [51083]

As the use of CS spray is an operational matter for chief officers, information is not kept centrally about how many times it has been used.During police trials of CS spray between 1 March and 31 August 1996, in which 3,818 officers carried CS canisters in 16 forces, CS was discharged 726 times. Everyone sprayed with CS, and most of the officers affected by cross-contamination, were seen by a police surgeon, resulting in 585 medical reports being submitted to the trial evaluators. These showed that further treatment was advised for a total of 14 civilians and three officers. The advice ranged from "to attend eye hospital (since previously partially sighted in left eye)" to "should wash face and eye area later". One person was taken directly to hospital and five more treated by a hospital in due course. The data from the trials showed that the risk of injury from CS was less than that from baton use.Police Complaints Authority figures show that, in the twelve months up to 31 March 1998, one case involving police use of CS resulted in a disciplinary charge, and a further ten in other disciplinary action.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the provisions in the Treaty of Canterbury that prevent the application of the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987. [51153]

There are no provisions in the Treaty of Canterbury which prevent the application of the Immigration (Carriers' Liability) Act 1987.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many expressions of interest he has received from prospective buyers of the Tote. [51018]

The Home Office has received three expressions of interest. However, no decision has yet been taken to sell the Tote. We have launched a review which will consider a range of options for the Tote's future.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps her Department has taken to improve the ambulance fleet in Northern Ireland; and when the decisions on these steps were taken. [50327]

Due to historical under-investment, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service inherited an aging fleet on its creation as an HSS Trust in 1995. In recognition of the particular problems faced by the ambulance service; the Trust was given approval on 3 September 1997 to draw on £200,000 of its 1998–99 capital allocation to address pressures on the ambulance fleet. Capital provision of £1.5 million was announced on 9 February 1998 for the urgent replacement of accident and emergency vehicles. This was in addition to the general capital provision of £500,000 approved for the 1998–99 year. As a result of this additional funding, significant improvements in the standard of ambulance services and patient care throughout the Province will be achieved. The position will be further enhanced by the PFI exercise being undertaken by the Trust to support the replacement of the remaining out of standard ambulances. This will mean the Trust moving from one of the oldest to one of the most modern emergency fleets in the UK.In recognition of the changing profile of ambulance services throughout Northern Ireland, a wide ranging review of the service will shortly be undertaken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has for future cancer treatment at the Belfast City Hospital. [50134]

The Belfast City Hospital, working closely with the Royal Group of Hospitals, is to be developed as the regional cancer centre for Northern Ireland; the centre will also act as a cancer unit for the local population. A Cancer Services Steering Group has been established at the Belfast City Hospital to oversee the development of cancer services, including the smooth transfer of radiotherapy and chemotherapy services from Belvoir Park Hospital to a new building on the Belfast City Hospital site. It is expected that the centre will be operational by the year 2003.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans she has for the provision of lung and oesophageal cancer services at the Royal Victoria Hospital. [50132]

The Royal Victoria Hospital currently provides a regional thoracic surgery service for patients with lung and oesophageal cancers. The Cancer Working Group Sub Group on Lung Cancer recommended that purchasers should make arrangements for the appointment of a third thoracic surgery consultant at the Royal Victoria Hospital and assess the need for the future appointment of a fourth consultant. The Royal Group of Hospitals and Dental Hospitals HSS Trust is currently advertising for a third thoracic surgeon. The need for a fourth thoracic surgeon will be kept under review in light of anticipated increases in the lung and oesophageal cancer workload.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what target her Department sets for the maximum time to respond to letters from hon. Members; what proportion of letters meets that target; and what is the average time taken to respond to a letter from an hon. Member. [49886]

[holding answer 13 July 1998]: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service, on 13 July 1998, Official Report, column 1.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what is the e-mail address of her Department's Ministerial Correspondence Unit. [49888]

[holding answer 13 July 1998]: The Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments do not have a central Ministerial Correspondence Unit. Each Minister's Private Office handles its own correspondence. Ministers may be accessed at press.nio@nics.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of the cost in a full financial year of Irish translation facilities in the new Northern Ireland Assembly. [50193]

[holding answer 14 July 1998]: The question of Irish translation facilities is a matter initially for the Assembly to determine. Should it decide that such facilities are required, the cost will depend on a number of factors related to the extent and type of service or services required. It is therefore not possible to provide any meaningful estimate at this stage.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many applications have been received by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive in the current year for relocation due to intimidation; and what were the figures for each of the previous five years. [51078]

This is a matter for the Northern Ireland Housing Executive whose Chief Executive has advised me that the position is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people are currently held in gaol in Northern Ireland; how many are remand prisoners; and how many of each are held for scheduled offences. [51080]

On 17 July 1998 there were 1,368 persons held in Northern Ireland prisons and 198 inmates in Young Offenders Centres. Of the total, 359 were on remand, 103 being held for scheduled offences.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what proposals she has for the Northern Ireland Assembly to exercise powers, functions and rights of debate as regards policy on abortion in Northern Ireland; what powers, functions and rights of debate on policy will be reserved for the United Kingdom Parliament; and if she will make a statement; [51565](2) what proposals she has to devolve policy as regards the application of the Abortion Act 1967 to the Northern Ireland Assembly; [51566](3) what proposals she has to devolve policy on abortion from the United Kingdom Parliament to the Northern Ireland Assembly; and if she will make a statement. [51567]

In Northern Ireland the law on abortion is currently classified as part of the criminal law and is therefore a "reserved" matter. This means that it can be legislated upon either at Westminster or, with the approval of the Secretary of State and Parliament, by the new Northern Ireland Assembly.

To ask the Attorney-General what representations he has received on the regional reorganisation of the Crown Prosecution Service. [50757]

Shortly after this Government were elected, I announced that the Crown Prosecution Service would be reorganised into 42 Areas, establishing a one-to-one relationship between CPS Areas and police areas (save in London where there will be a single CPS Area covering both the Metropolitan Police Service and the City of London Police).On 1 June 1998,

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will publish the Government response to the Fourth report of the Culture, Media and Sport Committee "The Multi-Media Revolution" (HC 520-I). [51924]

I have today, in conjunction with my right hon. Friend the President of the Board of Trade, published the Government response to the report "The Multi-Media Revolution" (Command Paper number 4020). We have also jointly published today a Green Paper "Regulating Communications: Approaching Convergence in the Information Age" (Command Paper number 4022).

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when he will consult the Board of the New Opportunities Fund on the policy directions which he proposes to issue to them; and if he will make a statement. [51922]

I have written to the Fund's Chairman with drafts of Directions I propose to make under my powers in section 26(1) and 43C(1) of the National Lottery etc. Act 1993. I have placed copies of the letter and drafts in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, pursuant to his answer of 6 July 1998, Official Report, column 344, on Millennium tourism, how many of the new millennium attractions, which are to appear in The New Map of Britain, are outside London; and if he will list those in the North West. [51184]

[holding answer 17 July 1998]: As I said in my reply of 6 July, the British Tourist Authority is now developing plans specifically to promote the Millennium celebrations. One of its proposals has the working title "the New Map of Britain", a shorthand description for a promotional document listing attractions open between 1999 and 2001. The list will include many projects including some funded by the Millennium Commission and other Lottery distributors. It will be at least 6 months before this list can be drawn up.I can, however, assure my hon. Friend that the list will contain a good regional spread of attractions, and that the North West will be well represented.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many new jobs he estimates will be created in the tourism sector over the next five years. [51032]

[holding answer 17 July 1998]: Tourism employment grew by 16 per cent. in the ten years to December 1997 and 1.7 million people (approximately 7 per cent. of the total of employees) are working in the tourism industry in Britain. Against that background, the World Travel and Tourism Council's prediction of 300,000 new jobs in tourism in the UK in the next decade, we are confident that the tourism strategy we shall publish later this year will help the industry maximise its undoubted potential for employment generation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the future of the English Tourist Board. [51033]

[holding answer 17 July 1998]: We will be announcing to Parliament on 24 July proposals for revising the structure and mechanisms through which Government support for all DCMS sectors is channelled. This will include domestic tourism in England.

To ask the Minister without Portfolio what criteria he uses to determine which lobbying firms should receive (a) solicited and (b) unsolicited information from his Department. [50735]

[holding answer 16 July 1998]: All contacts with outside interest groups are conducted in accordance with the principles set out in the Ministerial Code and the Civil Service Code.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, pursuant to section 9.21 of the White Paper on Open Government, on what basis he stated census returns contain an explicit assurance that records will not be released for 100 years. [50831]

Confidentiality of the information in decennial census returns is governed by sanctions against unlawful disclosure in successive Census Acts and provisions in the Public Records Acts as to custody, closure to public inspection and access to the records. However, as well as observing the legal constraints on disclosure, regard is also paid to the assurances of confidentiality given at the time the information was collected from the public. For example, the 1991 census form stated that

"The forms will be kept securely within my—the Registrar General's—Office and treated as confidential for 100 years".

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the accounts for the Duchy of Lancaster will be placed in the Libraries of the House. [51921]

I am pleased to inform my hon. Friend that the accounts of the Duchy of Lancaster for the year ending 31 March 1998 were laid before the House today.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what performance targets he has approved for the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency, the Central Office of Information and the Civil Service College for 1998–99. [51920]

I have approved the following key performance targets for my executive agencies for 1998–99:

Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency

1. to break even on an accruals basis;

2. to deliver CCTA services within voted provisions;

3. to achieve 75 per cent. of customers surveyed confirming that CCTA has operated within the terms of its Charter;

4. to secure a 5 per cent. reduction in the cost of support services;

5. to secure customer satisfaction at levels 1 and 2 (out of 5) on 85 per cent. of assignments and services delivered.

Central Office of Information

1. to achieve a financial surplus of £1 million on an accruals basis;

2. to achieve efficiency improvements of a unit cost reduction of 2 per cent.

3. to achieve a customer satisfaction index of 8.25 (out of 10)

Civil Service College

1. to break even on an accruals basis;

2. to achieve £900,000 of consultancy income;

3. to attract 1,500 students from the Senior Civil Service;

4. to attract 900 students from the private sector;

5. to earn 88 per cent. of student course evaluations in the highest two categories (on a 6 point scale).

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Government intend to publish their response to the Third report of the Select Committee on Public Administration's report on the Government's proposals for a Freedom of Information Act (HC 398). [52033]

I have today written to my hon. Friend enclosing a Memorandum which sets out the Government's response to this report. I am placing copies of my letter and of the Memorandum in the Libraries of the House. The Committee's inquiry into Freedom of Information has resulted in a constructive and well-thought through report. I am pleased to be able to respond both promptly and generally positively to the Committee, and look forward to working with the Committee when a draft Freedom of Information Bill is published, which we aim to do by the end of September.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list the taskforces and other groups composed of independent members which have been set up by the Government since 1 May 1997, with in each case (a) their remit, (b) their membership, (c) how many members are (i) scientists and (ii) engineers, (d) any remuneration members receive for their services and (e) their budgets. [49975]

The information requested on the remit of individual task forces, and details of their membership and budgets is not held centrally. The details for the task forces and advisory groups supported by the Office of Public Services are set out below.

To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if he will list for (a) his Department and (b) bodies listed in the National Asset Register, how many vehicles are currently (i) owned and (ii) leased; if he will indicate their (A)fuel types and (B) engine cubic capacities; and how many vehicles are expected to fall due for replacement in each of the years (1) 1998–99, (2) 1999–2000 and (3) 2000–01. [49234]

[holding answer 6 July 1998]:(a) This answer covers the Prime Minister's Office, the Cabinet Office and Office of Public Service (including its Agencies), but excludes vehicles from the Government Car and Despatch Agency, for which I have asked its Chief Executive, Mr. Nick Matheson to reply to the hon. Member direct.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department how many representations he has received on the introduction of commonhold tenure of property; and if he will make a statement. [49911]

Since 1 May 1997, I have received seven letters from Members of this House making representations about commonhold, and there have been three Parliamentary Questions, including the present one. Over the same period, it is estimated that my Department has received, on average, about one letter and three telephone inquiries on the subject of commonhold per week, although a number of these were repeat inquiries from the same people. Those making inquiries included individuals living in leasehold accommodation, residents associations, representatives of mortgage lenders, and others.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to extend support under the green form scheme to additional law centres. [49912]

For the moment, there are no specific proposals to extend support under the green form scheme to additional law centres. However, in June 1997, the Lord Chancellor issued a direction under Section 4 of the Legal Aid Act 1988 giving the Legal Aid Board the power to extend its pilot for the provision of legal advice and assistance by not-for-profit advice agencies, under the green form scheme, to allow the funding of salaried lawyers at law centres. The green form scheme will be replaced with fixed price contracts by the end of 1999. It will be open to law centres, along with other suppliers of legal services, to seek contracts.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what steps he is taking to make his Department more accessible to the general public. [49913]

It is the Lord Chancellor's policy that all new court buildings and existing buildings undergoing significant alteration or extension should enable disabled people, staff and court users alike, to gain independent access into and within the building.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for each court in Derbyshire, for the last year for which figures are available, how many (a) attachment of earnings orders were issued to collect (i) fines and (ii) reparation orders and (b) orders were made by each court to deduct fines and other money from social security payments. [51093]

These figures are not collected centrally, and a full answer could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. I have been informed by the Justices' Chief Executive for Derbyshire that currently in the Chesterfield PSD, 54 attachment of earnings orders and 50 orders for deduction from social security payments are in existence, and in the Buxton PSD there are 11 and 6 respectively. I have not been given a breakdown between fines and reparation orders. I have been further informed that it is difficult to extract the number of orders where full payment has been made and the file is now closed.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list for each magistrates' court in Derbyshire for the last year for which figures are available (a) the total amount of fines imposed, (b) the percentage of that money collected, (c) the amount of fines written off as uncollectable and (d) the criteria used for writing that money off. [51094]

Figures for (a) and (c) are shown in the table, together with explanations. The table also shows the amount collected in the same period. The percentage figure (b) has not been calculated because the amounts collected do not relate directly to the amounts imposed. Write off (d) is authorised only when all realistic steps to enforce sums due have been taken without success, and the circumstances fall within one of those listed in the note to the table.

To ask the Parliamentary Secretary, Lord Chancellor's Department what percentage of county courts in Derbyshire provide (a) wheelchair access, (b) disabled toilet facilities and (c) facilities for persons with seeing and hearing disabilities. [51089]

There are three county courts in Derbyshire: Derby (at the Combined Court Centre), Chesterfield and Buxton.At Derby there is a lift and wheelchair access by the front door of the court. A wheelchair is also available and there are toilets for the disabled. There are no special facilities for the hard of hearing and those with seeing disabilities.At Chesterfield, there is a ramp into the court building, a lift and toilets for the disabled. There are no special facilities for the hard of hearing and those with seeing disabilities.At Buxton, there is no wheelchair access. The court is situated above a shop and there is no lift. However, there is a door bell at street level by the entrance of the court so that users can summon assistance. There are no special facilities for the hard of hearing and those with seeing disabilities.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps her Department takes to help provide education facilities within the United Kingdom for young people from third world countries. [50903]

One of my Department's key objectives is to improve quality of, and access to, education within developing countries.My Department provides funding for about 3,500 scholars each year from developing countries to study at universities and other Higher Education Institutes, at a cost of £23 million in 1998–99.In addition, DFID supports a small programme of school exchanges through Education Partners Overseas, at an annual cost of £50K. This involves developing country children coming to this country for a short period.Within the UK, it is the responsibility of Local Education Authorities (LEAs) to ensure that there are sufficient suitable school places within their areas for all resident children, this includes those from other countries, and those with refugee status.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the Governments with whom she has discussed the use of child labour in their countries during the last 12 months. [51243]

In the course of her participation in the Oslo Conference on child labour in November 1997 and the Forum for the Global March Against Child Labour in Geneva last month, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State addressed representatives of the governments of many of the developing countries where child labour is a serious problem. Our officials are discussing with a number of them ways in which we can work together to help eradicate child labour. Currently our work on these issues involves the following countries:

• India
• Pakistan
• Bangladesh
• Nepal
• Thailand
• Cambodia
• Laos
• Vietnam
• China
• Kenya
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Zambia.

To ask the Prime Minister, pursuant to his oral answer of 8 July 1998, Official Report, columns 1071–72, what factors will be taken into account in deciding whether a freedom of information Bill will be included in the Queen's Speech. [50420]

[holding answer 13 July 1998]: Already this session, 32 Bills delivering our manifesto commitments have received Royal Assent. We will continue to put the Government's priorities forward in the next session.

To ask the Prime Minister when he plans to announce his response to proposals to create a new Ministry for Rural Development. [50572]

No decision has yet been reached.

To ask the Prime Minister how many letters per day his office receives; how many staff are employed to answer these; what targets are set in respect of such letters; and what is the current performance against targets. [50678]

I refer my hon. Friend to the reply given to him by my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary, Office of Public Service on 20 July 1998, Official Report, column 363.

To ask the Prime Minister what plans he has to discuss the issue of Gibraltar during his forthcoming meeting with Spain's Socialist Party Leader. [51304]

[holding answer 20 July 1998]: This was an introductory meeting with the new leader of the Socialist Party in Spain which was arranged on a party-to-party basis. Therefore, I did not discuss Gibraltar with Mr. Borrell.

To ask the Prime Minister how many reports the Social Exclusion Unit has produced to date; and what areas they are currently examining. [51311]

[holding answer 20 July 1998]: In the first phase of its work, the Social Exclusion Unit has produced two reports "Social Exclusion and Truancy" and "Rough Sleeping" and the Unit is now involved in following them up. Copies of the reports are available in the libraries of the House.The Unit's third priority for its first phase was

To ask the Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the work of the Social Exclusion Unit on the provision of furnished accommodation. [51447]

The Social Exclusion Unit has no specific remit to look at the provision of furnished accommodation. The Social Exclusion Unit has, however, recently published a report on rough sleeping. A copy is available in the libraries of the House.

To ask the Prime Minister what was the basis for the statement made on his behalf by his Chief Press Officer concerning ministerial responses to invitations to appear on "Newsnight". [51814]

The Government seek to field Ministers for interviews as requested by the broadcast media, and my Chief Press Secretary has a role in the co-ordination of this activity. Given the growth in outlets, and the number of bids received, judgments inevitably have to be applied about which interviews Ministers agree to. Ministers regularly appear on Newsnight and many other BBC programmes.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the members of the Social Exclusion Unit, indicating the special responsibilities and experience of each member. [51310]

[holding answer 20 July 1998]: The table shows the members of the Social Exclusion Unit at senior executive level and above. The unit works in teams on its projects, details of which were set out in my answer to my hon. Friend the Member for Putney (Mr. Colman) on 8 December 1997, Official Report, columns 408–10. Its next set of priorities will be announced shortly.

To ask the Prime Minister what estimate he has made of the likely timescale for the reform of the House of Lords. [51446]

The Government will publish their proposals on reform of the House of Lords in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which other European Union member states have introduced, or are planning to introduce, measures similar to the Air Carrier Liability Order 1998. [50820]

The United Kingdom is not notified of the actions of other EU Member States in relation to the implementation of Community law. However, I understand the Commission is considering writing to Member States to ask what steps they have taken, or plan to take, to implement Council Regulation 2027/97, which enters into force on 17 October 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimates his Department has made of the costs of maintaining the UK's national and local road network in the next five years: and what research his Department has evaluated into the value for money achieved by the current maintenance programme. [50883]

Future resources for maintenance of both the trunk and local road networks are being determined in the light of the Chancellor's announcements of 14 July 1998, Official Report, columns 187–94, on resources for transport and local government current spending (which includes maintenance of non-principal roads). We shall announce figures in due course.The Highways Agency provides advice on the value for money of maintenance activities in several documents, such as the design Manual for Roads and Bridges, the Trunk Road Maintenance Manual and the Value for Money Manual. The advice in these documents is based, among other things, on research carried out by the Agency. The Agency aims to improve continually the value for money of its maintenance and management activities, and its research programme plays a large part in this. Value engineering appraisals are carried out before any maintenance project is finalised.The Government are also developing a best value regime for local authority services. Under these proposals, each local authority will consult on its performance standards and each year report on their performance against those standards. There will also be periodic reviews within each authority for service to examine rigorously how performance can be improved. The best value regime will apply to highway maintenance for local authority roads.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how much has been paid by road authorities throughout the UK in compensation to road users for accidents or damage to vehicles as a result of poorly maintained roads in each of the last five years. [50884]

Responsibility for roads in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland rests with my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland, for Wales and for Northern Ireland respectively.Within England, information relating to compensation paid to road users on roads that are the responsibility of local authorities is not collected centrally.For trunk roads and motorways in England it is not possible to separate out the compensation paid specifically as a result of poor maintenance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the monetary value of the national and local road network in the UK. [50882]

The Highways Agency has undertaken a valuation of the 10,000 km motorway and trunk road network in England using both professional advisers and Agency staff. This evaluation was produced for the Department's forthcoming Resource Accounts and was prepared in accordance with the Treasury's Resource Accounting Manual. As at 1 April 1997, the network was valued at around £60 billion.No research has been commissioned by the Department on the monetary value of the local road network.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions (1) if he will list those organisations and individuals which have made representations to him about the use of Clause 33.3 in the Treaty of Canterbury; [51168](2) what discussions

My hon. Friend is the only individual or organisation to have raised Clause 33.3 of the Channel Tunnel Concession Agreement (there is no such clause in the Treaty of Canterbury) with the Government since the General Election.As far as I am aware, since the Channel Tunnel Concession Agreement was drawn up in 1986 the only discussions on this Clause between my officials, Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials, Eurotunnel and the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority have been in the context of preparing replies to Questions posed by my hon. Friends the Members for Crewe and Nantwich and for Thurrock (Mr. MacKinlay). There have been no discussions at Ministerial level or with the French Government or with the Kent Fire Service.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the names of (a) consultants and (b) legal advisers employed by London Transport to provide advice on the sale of London Underground and the estimated cost of employing each company. [51189]

London Underground is not for sale. Freshfields and PricewaterhouseCoopers are providing, respectively, legal and financial advice jointly to the Government and London Transport on implementing our plans for a Public/Private Partnership. Competitions are currently underway for other specialist advisers.For reasons of commercial confidentiality, it is not possible to give a figure for the estimated value of the contracts. We will, of course, report aggregate figures for the total cost of advice on implementing the Public/Private Partnership, in due course.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many companies to date have expressed an interest in taking a stake in London Underground infrastructure. [51193]

Companies will not be asked formally to express their interest in infrastructure contracts until next year. But London Transport has placed a notice in the Official Journal of the European Community inviting firms to take part in a consultation process on our proposals for a Public/Private Partnership. London Transport also hosted a market sounding conference on 16 July which was attended by delegates from around 200 organisations.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many additional staff have been employed by his Department to deal with the transfer of London Underground infrastructure to the private sector. [51173]

No additional staff have been employed by my Department to work on our plans for a Public/Private Partnership for London Underground.Internal reorganisation has taken place to ensure that adequate resources are in place to enable our proposals to be implemented as quickly and efficiently as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provision has been made for additional subsidies to be paid to London Underground to compensate for the additional costs of transferring infrastructure services to the private sector. [51192]

The aim will be to let contracts which are affordable from LU's own resources, on the basis of projected revenue flows. Unless it represents poor value for money, payments to the contractor or contractors will be profiled so as to avoid the need for subsidy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what will be the contractual basis on which London Underground staff will be transferred to the private sector for the purpose of the planned London Underground restructuring. [51209]

The majority of London Underground staff will remain with the publicly owned and publicly accountable operating company. It makes sense for some staff to transfer with their work to the private sector contractor or contractors. The means of transfer has yet to be decided but the Deputy Prime Minister has already given firm commitments on the protection of staff rights under the contracts of employment, covering pay, hours, leave, collective agreements and unions representation, as well as on issues such as pensions and concessionary travel.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those organisations invited to attend the seminar hosted by London Transport on the procedures to be adopted for the transfer of London Underground infrastructure to the private sector. [51376]

Around 200 organisations were invited, including rail industry suppliers and contractors, banks and other financiers, project management specialists, legal and financial advisers and consulting engineers. I shall write further to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he expects the contractual arrangements for the restructuring of London Underground to be completed. [51528]

We aim to award the one, two or three infrastructure contracts for the London Underground Public-Private Partnership by April 2000.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will make a statement on the outcome of the London Underground conference held on 16 July. [51737]

The conference was designed to start a consultation with potential bidders and their financiers about how best to implement the Government's Public-Private Partnership for the London Underground. Around 200 organisations were invited, including rail industry suppliers and contractors, banks and other financiers, project management specialists, legal and financial advisers and consulting engineers. The conference was welcomed by those present and represented a successful start to the more detailed consultation process which will now follow.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when (a) he or (b) other Ministers in his Department and (c) his officials last met BAA plc to discuss airport capacity in the South East of England. [51214]

I have met BAA plc on four occasions since 2 May 1997. None of these engagements was arranged specifically to discuss airport capacity in the South East of England. Discussions covered a range of issues. I understand the same is true for the other Ministers in my Department. Officials within my Department met BAA on 14 July 1998 and, among other topics, did discuss airport capacity in the South East of England.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many slots are operated by each airline at (i) Heathrow and (ii) Gatwick airports. [51149]

The Government do not collect this information themselves, but from reports prepared by Airport Co-ordination Ltd., I can provide the figure for the ten carriers that hold the most slots for the current summer season.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if his Department will carry out an assessment of the benefits and disbenefits of the three major South East airports being owned by the same operator. [51374]

I have no plans to do so. Under the Airports Act 1986 the Civil Aviation Authority can impose whatever conditions might be appropriate to remedy the effects of anti-competitive behaviour by an airport operator. In the 1996 quinquennial review, the MMC reported that it had not found any course of conduct by BAA London airports for which a change in the structure of their ownership would be an appropriate remedy.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what action he is taking or plans to take following the decision by BAA to give sole access to Terminal Five at Heathrow to British Airways and its alliance partners. [51375]

BAA announced in 1997 that it would provisionally be designating British Airways as the main user of Terminal 5. Decisions on the allocation of terminal facilities are a matter for the airport operator; I understand that BAA's announcement followed a process of consultation with all interested parties.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what conclusions were reached between Eurotunnel, the Kent Fire Brigade and the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority regarding the operation of a fire service by Eurotunnel in the Channel Tunnel. [51174]

No proposal has been received from Eurotunnel regarding the operation of the First Line of Response (FLOR) fire service in the Channel Tunnel. If such a proposal is made it will be considered by the Channel Tunnel Safety Authority who will advise the Intergovernmental Commission.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each DVLA office the number of staff employed on enforcement duties, the number of cases handled and the estimated income generated in each of the last five years. [51171]

The information is not available in the format requested for the full 5 year period. The VED enforcement breakdown for the current DVLA local office network for 1997–98 is as follows:

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the cost of introducing a mandatory mileage registration scheme for motor vehicles. [51178]

Although detailed costings have not been estimated, a mandatory requirement for the provision of mileage information on DVLA forms would have significant implications for the overall operating costs of the Agency's national vehicle register. Some 17 million transactions a year could be affected.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for each of the last five years the number of marine surveyors employed in each Marine Safety Agency office. [51180]

Figures requested are given in the table. Figures are the actual number of Marine Surveyor staff in post as at 1 April for each of the five years. The Marine Safety Agency merged with the Coastguard Agency to become the Maritime and Coastguard Agency on 1 April 1998. The Headquarters office is based at Southampton, along with the Regional Marine Office.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list by coastguard station for each of the last three months the number of days that the station was staffed below the minimum watch level. [51179]

There are no minimum watch levels for Her Majesty's Coastguard Co-ordinating Centres. Suggested watch levels were set out in the 'Focus for Change' review and can be varied locally following an assessment of perceived and actual operational demand and risk. I have placed in the Library a table which shows, by station and date, the number of hours when watch levels were below these levels for the months of April, May and June.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions when he plans to come to a decision on the legal case involving the BEST Pension Scheme. [51166]

Decisions will be taken at the appropriate time, consistent with our hope that all outstanding legal matters concerning the former National Bus Company pension funds are satisfactorily resolved as soon as possible.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list for (a) his Department, (b) its NDPBs and (c) its executive agencies, the target date for millennium compliance. [51191]

The Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions now publishes plans on the Internet which show targets for millennium compliance and progress made against the targets. These plans are reviewed and updated regularly.The plans show that the Department's centre has a target date of June 1999 for completion of its business critical systems. The Department's executive agencies are working towards target dates for business critical and operational systems which range from December 1998 to June 1999.Certain of the Department's key NDPBs will be contributing towards the next reports to be published on the Internet in September 1998.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many civil servants in his Department (a) have a degree in science and (b) have held a position using that expertise. [50891]

We do not hold any central Departmental record of the educational qualifications for staff. However, for the headquarters element of the Department, the personnel database records that 140 members of staff have a science degree and we estimate that 41 per cent. of these staff may be using their degree in their current post. Further information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions which sites of special scientific interest in England will be affected by trunk road and motorway schemes for which preferred routes have been announced. [51127]

Trunk roads and motorway schemes in England are subject to the Roads Review. We expect to announce the conclusions of this review later this month.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated into the costs of bringing an empty home back into a good standard of repair. [51116]

The Department's 1996 English House Condition Survey (EHCS) includes information on the repair costs for vacant dwellingsThe average expenditure required for the comprehensive costs of putting empty homes into good order is identified by the survey at just over £6,500.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what estimate he has made of the number of residential properties in England which have been empty for a year or more. [51118]

At the time of the 1996 English House Condition Survey, it was estimated that some 415,000 dwellings (2 per cent. of the total housing stock) had been empty for six months or more. The Survey does not provide figures on the number of properties empty for a year or more.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what provision has been made for cyclists on (a) the new Millennium Bridge, (b) the rebuilt Hungerford Bridge and (c) Southwark Bridge. [50952]

[holding answer 17 July 1998]: According to information provided by the London authorities with responsibility for these structures:

The new Millennium Bridge and the rebuilt Hungerford Bridge are for pedestrians. Cyclists will be required to dismount when crossing these bridges.

Provision for cyclists across Southwark Bridge is currently under investigation by the Corporation of London, to connect with the London Cycle Network on the south side.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what guidance he (a) has given and (b) intends to give for the control of emissions in respect of the incineration of specified risk material by power stations. [51242]

Specified Risk Material (SRM) is not incinerated in power stations, but is rendered to produce Meat and Bone Meal (MBM). The Environment Agency has published guidance for the control of emissions from the incineration of MBM. The Agency has no intention at present to issue any further guidance.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has evaluated regarding the effects of major inshore algal blooms on the distribution of pollutants in coastal areas with particular reference to the (a) metal absorbing capabilities and (b) bubble scavenging properties of algae. [51384]

My Department has not commissioned any research on these questions, and is not aware of any recent relevant work commissioned by others.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research his Department has evaluated on the potential health risks of foam and sludge deposits left by Phacosystic algae blooms on the shore line. [51385]

My Department has commissioned no research on this question.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what research he has evaluated into the impact of electromagnetic pulses from military craft on civilian airliners; and if he will make a statement. [51090]

As part of an international programme, the Civil Aviation Authority has undertaken research and implemented certification requirements to ensure that civil aircraft are immune to the adverse effects of exposure to electro-magnetic pulses and transmissions, from sources external to aircraft.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce regulations to give the Health and Safety Executive and the Environment Agency increased powers to withdraw licences for the operation of reclamation processes for reasons relating to the protection of human health and the environment. [51092]

The Health and Safety Executive has powers to prohibit any work activity which involves or will involve a risk of serious personal injury. The Environment Agency has powers, under section 38 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990, to revoke a waste management licence which has been issued for a reclamation process where the continuation of the activities authorised by the licence would cause pollution of the environment or harm to human health. We have no evidence that these powers are not adequate and we have no plans to increase them.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the occasions on which, and the locations where collapses of glass reinforced plastic tanks with PVC linings have been investigated by (a) the Health and Safety Executive and (b) the Environment Agency in the last 10 years; if he will publish their conclusions in each case; and if he will make a statement. [51055]

The information requested could be compiled only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions how many businesses have been prosecuted successfully for breaches of environmental standards since 1990 in Derbyshire. [51091]

This information is not held centrally. The Environment Agency took on responsibility for managing and regulating the water environment and controlling industrial pollution and wastes in England and Wales on 1 April 1996. Between then and 31 March 1998 it undertook 17 successful prosecutions for environmental offences committed in Derbyshire. Local authorities and other bodies also have responsibility for enforcing some environmental controls.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list those incidents involving the leaking of chemicals from tankers broken down by leakages which occurred while the tankers were (a) at the point of origin, (b) in transit and (c) at the point of destination which have been investigated by (i) the Health and Safety Executive and (ii) the Environment Agency during the past 10 years, indicating the conclusions of such inquiries; and if he will make a statement. [51056]

The Reporting of Injuries, Disease and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1995 (RIDDOR 95), require certain types of Dangerous Occurrence to be reported to the relevant enforcing authority. One category of Dangerous Occurrence concerns any incident involving a road tanker or tank container used for the carriage of dangerous goods where the tank or tank container overturns, is seriously damaged, is involved in a fire, or where the contents escape.A similar category of Dangerous Occurrence was also included in the previous regulations, RIDDOR 1985.During the last ten years the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has investigated 124 such Dangerous Occurrences which have involved a loss of containment of dangerous goods from tankers or tank containers, of which

To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will list the types of vessels required to carry survival suits for crew members; what regulations govern the provision of this equipment; and if he will make a statement. [50847]

Passenger ships of Classes I, II and II(A) and Cargo ships of Classes VII-VIII(A)(t) and XI are required to carry immersion (survival) suits. The carriage requirements for these vessels are detailed in the Merchant Shipping (Life-saving Appliance) regulations 1986, SI No. 1066.