To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, if the Church Commissioners have transferred since 1968 the trust owning Sandford Rectory, Devon to (a) other trustees and (b) other parties. [60200]

No. Since 1930 the property has been vested in the incumbent of the benefice of Sandford with Upton Hellions by virtue of his office.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the (a) total number and (b) percentage of currently active law lords who have professional experience of (i) human rights work and (ii) commercial law. [59601]

All sitting Law Lords have such experience.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what responses he has received to the consultation document "Improving Parole Decision Making"; and how he intends to proceed with the proposal to delegate authority in parole cases involving prisoners with determinate sentences of between four and 15 years. [60440]

The consultation period ended on 4 November 1998. We have received 38 responses to the paper: 33 supported the proposals in the paper in their entirety; five others offered differing degrees of support. Of these:

three respondents had no objections to the proposals but suggested that ministerial involvement in all parole and lifer cases should cease.

one respondent favoured further delegation to the Parole Board but suggested a cut-off point of 10 years rather than 15 years.

one respondent suggested that the number of previous parole reviews should determine which cases should he decided by the Parole Board.

In the light of the positive responses to the paper. I have today laid before Parliament a draft Order giving effect to the proposals.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of young offenders who have served a sentence at the Medway Secure Training Centre subsequently obtained a school place in each of the last five years. [59405]

Since Medway Secure Training Centre opened on 17 April 1998, a total of 29 trainees have been released to serve the second half of the Secure Training Order sentence under supervision in the community. At the time of release, arrangements were in place for eight to go straightaway into full time education, with 16 receiving part time tuition for several hours per week. The remaining five had no firm arrangements for education at the point of release, but provision has since been made for four of them to receive education, including two who have been placed in full time education.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is his latest estimate of the total cost of tackling the millennium computer problem including the embedded chip problem in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which his Department is responsible, separately identifying expenditure to date and future expenditure; and if he will make a statement; [60060](2) what assessment he has made of the extent to which the computer systems in

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle) on 21 October 1998, Official Report, column 1109, in which she announced the results of the latest quarterly review of Government Departments' and agencies' progress in tackling the bug. This also covered key organisations within the wider public sector. Departments' plans have been published in the Library. The results of the next quarterly review will be announced shortly to the House and the updates to quarterly plans will be placed in the Library and on the internet.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will list the problems which have arisen in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which his Department is responsible from millennium compliance; if he will make a statement on progress to date in tackling such problems; and what are the priority areas for remedial work. [60061]

Four millennium compliance problems have occurred in my Department, affecting management information, statistical and payroll data. Three of these were solved before December 1997. In the fourth case, the few statistical records affected are being dealt with manually while the software is corrected. This correction is due to be completed by the end of December 1998. The agencies and public bodies for which my Department is responsible have not reported any compliance problems.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the contingency plans drawn up by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies in relation to problems arising from millennium compliance including the embedded chip problem after 31 December 1999. [60063]

Contingency planning is a major element of the response of my Department and its agencies to the millennium date change problem. In line with recent Cabinet Office recommendations, the target is to have initial contingency plans in place by the end of January 1999.Chief executives of national departmental public bodies and similar bodies sponsored by my Department provided quarterly progress reports against their Year 2000 plans, for publication on the Internet. These refer specifically to contingency planning.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers ordinarily resident in a non-EU European country sought entry to the UK, by country of residence, in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and what were (a) the numbers of Roma people and (b) the citizenship of the applicants, within each of the individual country totals. [59906]

The available information regarding persons applying for asylum in the United Kingdom gives a breakdown only by nationality. I regret, therefore, that the information requested is not available.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum seekers have been provided with accommodation by local authorities in seaside towns since 1996. [60351]

This information is not held by my Department.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy on securing accommodation (a) directly and (b) by contracting with local agencies in seaside towns for asylum seekers under the proposed new national support scheme. [60350]

The project team is currently considering the issue of the provision of accommodation, but it is too soon to indicate precisely how accommodation will be supplied. The issue is appropriate accommodation availability, not proximity to the sea.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what discussions he or his Department have had with local authorities and other interested parties in seaside towns regarding the availability of accommodation for asylum seekers under the proposed new national support scheme; [60348](2) what assessment he has made of the availability of accommodation in seaside towns for asylum seekers under the proposed new national support scheme. [60347]

There has been no such assessment on discussions directed at seaside towns.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has for consultation on the operation of the proposed new national support scheme for asylum seekers with (a) local authorities, (b) housing associations, (c) voluntary bodies and (d) the private sector. [60352]

I have set up a stakeholder group, consisting of representatives of Government, local authorities, housing associations and voluntary bodies. That group will meet with the project team at key stages of the project. In addition, the project team will be consulting widely, including with representatives of the private sector, about the plans for the support system.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on his policy on directing local authorities and housing associations to provide surplus accommodation for asylum seekers under the proposed new support arrangements. [60349]

There will be a general duty on local authorities to assist the Secretary of State in discharging his functions to provide accommodation. That duty is to extend to registered social landlords, but only so far as is compatible with their memoranda and articles of association. A local authority is also to be under a duty to supply such information about its housing stock in such manner as the Secretary of State may reasonably direct. There will also be a power for the Secretary of State to direct local authorities to provide accommodation if he concludes that a particular local authority is unreasonably refusing to do so.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions have taken place between the Home Office and the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions on national standards of integrated emergency management. [59590]

Officials at the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) are aware that National Standards for civil protection in England and Wales are being developed. No formal discussions have taken place between the Home Office and DETR to date.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which Minister in his Department is responsible for the handling of the request from the United States of America for the extradition of Dr. Robert Gross; what discretion is available to him in extradition cases; and what are the factors which will influence the exercise of that discretion. [59525]

A request by the United States for the extradition of Dr. Gross is currently before the courts awaiting the hearing of a habeas corpus application. It will be my responsibility, if he is not discharged by the courts, to decide in due course whether his surrender should be ordered.At that stage, Dr. Gross would have an opportunity to make representations against surrender. In reaching a final decision under the Extradition Act 1989, I would have regard to all of the circumstances in the case, including any grounds for concluding that it would be wrong, unjust or oppressive to order surrender.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve the provision of services for offenders diagnosed as having both mental health and substance misuse problems. [59699]

The Prison Service is committed to improving services for prisoners with mental health problems who do not meet the criteria for transfer to hospital under the Mental Health Act 1983. A joint Prison Service/National Health Service Executive working group has considered ways of increasing the NHS input to services for prisoners with mental health problems. The Government will consider the working group's report and recommendations very carefully.Prison Medical Officers are encouraged to establish links with their catchment area psychiatric units to enable the assessment of mentally disordered prisoners and, if appropriate, their transfer to psychiatric hospital. The number of prisoners transferred under the 1983 Act has risen from 325 in 1990 to 745 in 1997.The Prison Service is to be allocated an extra £76 million over the next three financial years to help implement its drugs strategy. This will allow a major expansion of drug treatment services. It will also deliver the Government's manifesto commitment on voluntary testing and improve throughcare arrangements for drug misusers.Drug Treatment and Testing Orders were introduced by the Crime and Disorder Act 1998. The aim of the orders is to provide effective treatment in the community, with rigorous testing to evaluate an offender's progress. Pilots have started in three probation service areas and funding of £1.75m has been provided for these pilots, which will run until March 2000. In addition, probation services are being encouraged to contribute from existing resources to partnership work with other agencies to address the problems of other drug misusing offenders under their supervision.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to provide additional funding for probation services which have significantly greater than average workloads as a result of the supervision of paedophiles. [59702]

Over the next three financial years, we are providing an additional £127 million in probation grant, which takes account of the work which area services have to undertake in supervising sexual offenders; but we have no present plans to adjust the formula used to allocate grant to probation areas to reflect the number or proportion of paedophile offenders under supervision in each area.

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department (1) what is the average time currently taken to process claims under categories A and B of the Firearms Compensation Scheme; [59853]

Payments under Options A and B of the compensation scheme for large calibre handguns and the ex gratia scheme for small calibre pistols were completed at the end of May, apart from a small number of cases still under inquiry, in an average processing time of 19 weeks. Processing of the Option A and B claims under the statutory compensation scheme for small calibre pistols surrendered during February 1998 began in August, and around three quarters of these claims have now been paid in an average processing time of 30 weeks.The average processing time for claims processed so far under Option C of the compensation scheme for large calibre handguns and small calibre pistols is 53 weeks. In the great majority of these cases, payments have already been made under Options A and B. I regret that information is not available on the comparable processing times for earlier periods.Around 42,000 claimants under the large calibre and ex gratia schemes and around 7,000 claimants under the statutory small calibre scheme have received payment under Options A and B. Around 6,500 claimants under the large calibre and ex gratia schemes have received payment under Option C. Option C payments under the statutory small calibre scheme will begin when the overall work position permits.I outlined the measures we are taking to speed the processing of the compensation claims in my reply to a written question from the hon. Member for Tewkesbury (Mr. Robertson) on 28 October 1998,

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) if he will make it a requirement for junior football clubs that they provide adequate insurance against injury for their members; [59710](2) what representations he has received concerning the adequacy of insurance against injury for the members of junior football clubs; [59709](3) what requirements there are for junior football clubs to provide adequate insurance against injury for their members. [59708]

I have received no representations to date concerning the adequacy of insurance against injury for the members of junior football clubs. Responsibility for personal injury insurance for junior football club members rests with the clubs themselves. I understand that although there is no requirement for junior football clubs to take out personal injury insurance policies the Football Association is encouraging its County Associations to stress the importance of best practice in this area to their affiliated clubs. A number of County FAs are working closely with insurance companies to develop personal injury insurance schemes on a corporate basis for all their affiliated clubs. These pilot schemes are an encouraging development.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of lottery funds excluding Millennium Landmark projects has been received by coalfield communities in (a) South Yorkshire and (b) nationally. [59820]

[holding answer 16 November 1998]: In the coalfield communities of South Yorkshire, which comprise the local authorities of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield, there have been 608 non-Landmark awards worth £112,812,862. This represents 2.78 per cent. of the National total of over £4.25 billion awarded to 31,788 non-landmark awards.Information on lottery awards is available on the Department's website www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what has been the (a) average value and (b) number of lottery grants of less than £1 million received by coalfield communities (i) in South Yorkshire and (ii) nationally. [59822]

[holding answer 16 November 1998]: To date the National Lottery distributors have awarded over £5.07 billion to 31,788 awards. In the coalfield communities of South Yorkshire there have been 609 awards worth £162,812,862.The average value and number of grants in South Yorkshire coalfield communities and nationally are set out in the following table:

	Average value of all awards (£)	Total number of awards under £1 million
Coalfield communities in South Yorkshire	267,344	577
Nationally	159,684	31,111

Information on lottery awards is available on the Department's website www.lottery.culture.gov.uk.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what statistics are collected by, or reported to, his Department relating to minors sustaining personal injury while taking part in the activities of junior sports clubs. [59707]

I have been asked to reply.The Department does not collect information on injuries from sporting activities at junior clubs. Although the hospital episode statistics data system has information on injuries and accidents, these relate only to events which require medical treatment at a hospital. These do not specify the location of the accident. The Department of Trade and Industry's Home and Leisure Accident Surveillance System records treatment for injuries from sporting activities from a sample of accident and emergency departments in the United Kingdom. Under this system an estimated 215,000 children under 15 had sports injuries in 1996 in the UK. Although the database cannot identify whether they occurred in junior sports clubs, it can differentiate between organised and non-organised games.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what are the figures for (a) the public sector, including local authorities, grant-maintained schools and NHS trusts and (b) the private sector for days lost due to absence from work through sickness, expressed as a number of days per employee in each sector in the most recent available year. [59584]

Information about the average number of days lost per employee due to absence through sickness in the public and private sectors is not collected centrally. However, the Office for National Statistics estimate from the Labour Force Survey that in the United Kingdom 5.5 per cent. of public sector employees and 4.4 per cent. of private sector employees were absent from work due to sickness or injury for at least one day in an average week between autumn 1997 and summer 1998.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to his oral statement of 10 November 1998, Official Report, column 168, what the remit will be of the better regulation task force's assessment of SMEs; and when he expects them to report. [60150]

The statement of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to which the question refers was a reference to a review of the role of regulation in relation to productivity which will be undertaken by the Better Regulation Task Force, for which this Department has responsiblity. The review was first announced in the pre-Budget Statement on 3 November 1998. Official Report, columns 681–702.I can confirm that the Task Force has established a sub-group to take this work forward. They are currently agreeing the details of their terms of reference, including the timetable for this work. The review will examine the degree to which regulation acts as a barrier to business start-up, survival and growth. The Task Force will consider existing material and seek further evidence from a wide range of interested parties.I hope that the Task Force will present their first findings next Spring, and a final report as soon as practicable thereafter.

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office when the decision was taken to relocate parts of the Cabinet Office to Admiralty Arch, Ripley Block and Kirkland House; and if he will make a statement. [60470]

The relocation was announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 28 July 1998, Official Report, columns 132-33, in connection with the review of the Cabinet Office by the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Richard Wilson. The funding for the project was agreed as part of this Department's Comprehensive Spending Review, in collaboration with HM Treasury. The buildings will be occupied by civil servants. Although these decisions were taken before my appointment to the Cabinet Office, I fully support this initiative to create a focus for the drive to modernise Government and to tackle the new challenges it faces. Ministerial accommodation will remain at 70 Whitehall.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if British tanks fired depleted uranium shells during the Gulf War; and if he will make a statement. [59333]

The Main Battle Tank used by UK forces during the Gulf conflict in 1990–91 was the Challenger 1, armed with the 120mm rifled-barrel L11 gun. However, when planning Operation GRANBY, it was assessed that the existing tungsten-based armour-piercing rounds in use with Challenger 1 might not be sufficiently powerful to defeat the most modern Iraqi tanks—Soviet designed T72s. It was therefore decided that MOD should undertake the emergency development and deployment of a new armour-piercing round for Challenger 1.This new round was based on a 120mm armour-piercing round, containing a solid depleted uranium (DU) penetrator core with a protective (non-DU) coating and known as CHARM 1, which was already being developed for use by the more powerful gun on the new Challenger 2 Main Battle Tank, also then under development. In fact, the CHARM 1 round needed only minor modifications in order to fit the existing gun on Challenger 1, but a totally new charge needed to be developed. The new charge and slightly modified round, known as Jericho I and Jericho II respectively, were deployed to the Gulf and issued to UK armoured formations just before the start of Coalition operations against Iraq.The MOD's current assessment is that UK forces fired fewer than 100 Jericho II rounds against Iraqi military forces during hostilities, which equates to less than 1 metric tonne of DU overall, although additional rounds were fired during earlier work-up training to establish the round's Mean Point of Impact (MPI).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what factors were taken into account in deciding to reduce the size of the TA force; and if he will make a statement. [59695]

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will announce his conclusions on the future of the Territorial Army. [60246]

I refer the hon. Member and my hon. Friend to the statement I made earlier today, Official Report, columns 749-70.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Territorial Army building, Surbiton Road, Kingston-Upon-Thames. [59865]

I refer the hon. Member to the document concerning the future of the Territorial Army, placed in the Library of the House today.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he expects his Department to complete its review of its training methods. [56348]

We have completed our initial review of my Department's training methods and now plan a further study involving representatives of the Royal College of Surgeons and other bodies to determine appropriate means of providing necessary training in surgical trauma skills. We intend that the study should be led by an independent figure and should be completed in the first part of next year. Meanwhile, UK military participation in the Danish Armed Forces medical exercises involving the use of pigs remains suspended.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list those hon. Members who have made representations to him on behalf of constituents concerning Gulf War illness. [58808]

My Department's record show that, since 1 May 1997, the following hon. Members have made representations to Ministry of Defence Ministers on behalf of one or more constituents concerning Gulf veterans' illnesses:

• Adams, Mrs. Irene (Paisley, North)
• Anderson, Donald (Swansea, East)
• Ashdown, Rt. Hon. Jeremy John Durham (Yeovil)
• Ashton, Joseph William (Bassetlaw)
• Atherton, Candy (Falmouth and Camborne)
• Ballard, Jacqueline Margaret (Taunton)
• Barnes, Harry (North-East Derbyshire)
• Benn, Rt. Hon. Anthony Neil Wedgwood (Chesterfield)
• Betts, Clive James Charles (Sheffield, Attercliffe)
• Brazier, Julian William Hendy, TD (Canterbury)
• Breed, Colin Edward (South-East Cornwall)
• Bruce, Ian (South Dorset)
• Byers, Stephen John (Tyneside, North)
• Cann, Jamie (Ipswich)
• Chisholm, Malcolm (Edinburgh, North and Leith)
• Clark, Rt. Hon. Dr. David George (South Shields)
• Clifton-Brown, Geoffrey, ARICS (Cotswold)
• Cooper, Yvette (Pontefract and Castleford)
• Curry, Rt. Hon. David Maurice (Skipton and Ripon)
• Dalyell, Tam (Linlithgow)
• Darling, Rt. Hon. Alistair Maclean (Edinburgh, Central)
• Davies, Rt. Hon. Ronald (Caerphilly)
• Davey, Mrs. Valerie (Bristol, West)
• Evans, Nigel (Ribble Valley)
• Ewing, Margaret Anne (Moray)
• Fisher, Mark (Stoke-on-Trent, Central)
• Fitzsimons, Lorna (Rochdale)
• Foster, Michael John (Worcester)

• Foulkes, George (Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley)
• Gapes, Michael John (Ilford, South)
• Gilroy, Linda (Plymouth, Sutton)
• Griffiths, Winston James (Bridgend)
• Grocott, Bruce (Telford)
• Hancock, Michael Thomas, CBE (Portsmouth, South)
• Harman, Rt. Hon. Harriet (Camberwell and Peckham)
• Harvey, Nicholas (North Devon)
• Haselhurst, Sir Alan Gordon Barraclough (Saffron Walden)
• Heath, David Williams St. John, CBE (Somerton and Frome)
• Heppell, John (Nottingham, East)
• Home-Robertson, John (East Lothian)
• Hoyle, Hon. Lindsay Harvey (Chorley)
• Humble, Mrs. Jovanka (Blackpool, North and Fleetwood)
• Hunter, Andrew Robert Frederick (Basingstoke)
• Hutton, John (Barrow and Furness)
• Johnson, Alan Arthur (Hull, West and Hessle)
• Johnson, Melanie Jane (Welwyn Hatfield)
• Jones, Stephen Barry (Alyn and Deeside)
• King, Rt. Hon. Tom, CH (Bridgwater)
• Ladyman, Dr. Stephen John (South Thanet)
• Lawrence, Jackie (Preseli Pembrokeshire)
• Lewis, Terry (Worsley)
• Liddell, Mrs. Helen Lawrie (Airdrie and Shotts)
• Lilley, Rt. Hon. Peter Bruce (Hitchin and Harpenden)
• Linton, Martin (Battersea)
• Malins, Humfrey Jonathan (Woking)
• Mawhinney, Rt. Hon. Sir Brian Stanley (North-West Cambridgeshire)
• McCafferty, Christine (Calder Valley)
• McFall, John (Dumbarton)
• McIsaac, Shona (Cleethorpes)
• McNamara, Joseph Kevin (Hull, North)
• Moore, Michael Kevin (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale)
• Nicholls, Patrick Charles Martyn (Teignbridge)
• O'Neill, Martin John (Ochil)
• Paice, James Edward Thornton (South-East Cambridgeshire)
• Pendry, Thomas (Stalybridge and Hyde)
• Pickthall, Colin (West Lancashire)
• Plaskitt, James Andrew (Warwick and Leamington)
• Pope, Gregory (Hyndburn)
• Prescott, Rt. Hon. John Leslie (Hull, East)
• Quinn, Lawrie (Scarborough and Whitby)
• Randall, John (Uxbridge)
• Rendel, David Digby (Newbury)
• Ruane, Christopher (Vale of Clwyd)
• Russell, Christine Margaret (City of Chester)
• Shaw, Jonathan Rowlan (Chatham and Aylesford)
• Sheldon, Rt. Hon. Robert Edward (Ashton-under-Lyne)
• Smith, Rt. Hon. Andrew David (Oxford, East)
• Smith, Geraldine (Morecambe and Lunesdale)
• Smith, John William Patrick (Vale of Glamorgan)
• Smith, Llewellyn Thomas (Blaenau Gwent)
• Soley, Clive Stafford (Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush)
• Spring, Richard (West Suffolk)
• Squire, Rachel (Dumfermline, West)
• Stinchcombe, Paul (Wellingborough)

• Strang, Rt. Hon. Dr. Gavin Steel (Edinburgh, East and Musselburgh)
• Swinney, John Ramsay (North Tayside)
• Todd, Mark Wainwright (South Derbyshire)
• Yeo, Timothy Stephen Kenneth (South Suffolk).

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to set targets for pupils in schools operated by the Service Children's Education Authority; and if the Service Children's Education Authority is to be included within the inspection regime currently in operation for local education authorities. [59190]

Service Children's Education is an Agency of the Ministry of Defence charged with the provision of education services to MOD personnel serving overseas and with the provision of advice to service personnel in UK on educational matters. Key Targets for the Agency are approved annually by Ministers and those for 1998 were announced in the House on 25 June 1998, Official Report, columns 565-66. In addition, the current Key Targets are set out in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts which were laid before Parliament on 30 July 1998.Whilst SCE schools are subject to inspection by Ofsted, the Agency falls outside Ofsted's remit to monitor Local Education Authorities. However, the Chief Executive reports on a termly basis to an Owner's Board whose membership includes representatives of the DfEE, Ofsted and an LEA. SCE is also subject to MOD's own internal management inspection and audit as well as being audited annually by the National Audit Office for the production of the Agency's Accounts.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the future of the Officer Training Corps at Queen's University, Belfast. [57588]

The Department has no plans to make changes to the University Officer Training Corps. Queen's University Officer Training Corps will continue to provide an opportunity for students to undertake a wide variety of military training, which will enable them to develop their self-confidence and initiative and to gain useful skills for any future profession.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he (a) has taken and (b) proposes to take following the recent appearance on television of Major Eric Joyce speaking on behalf of the Scottish Labour Party; and if this contravened Queen's Regulations. [58791]

[holding answer 9 November 1998]: Serving members of the Armed Forces are not permitted under Queen's Regulations for the Army to take an active part in the affairs of any political organisation. Major Joyce's future in the Army is currently under consideration by the Army Board.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will undertake a study of the potential environmental effects of cruise missiles landing on (a) oil wells and (b) petroleum-refining complexes. [59547]

[holding answer 16 November 1998]: We have no current plans to undertake such a study.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what receipts were generated for the Defence Budget by 198 Field Park Squadron in financial years (a) 1995–96, (b) 1996–97 and (c) 1997–98. [59467]

There have been no significant receipts generated to the Defence Budget by 198 Field Park Squadron in the last three financial years.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his estimate of the marginal costs that will be incurred by the Ministry of Defence in assisting the provision of aid and relief to Central America following Hurricane Mitch. [59466]

Full details of the marginal costs to the Ministry of Defence of providing this humanitarian assistance are not yet available. We estimate, however, that the figure should be below £100,000, as help has been provided by forces which would otherwise have been engaged in operations or training in the Caribbean area.

To ask the President of the Council (1) what is her latest estimate of the total cost of tackling the millennium computer problem including the embedded chip problem in her Department, separately identifying expenditure to date and future expenditure; and if she will make a statement; [60052](2) if she will list the problems which have arisen in her Department from millennium compliance; if she will make a statement on progress to date in tackling such problems; and what are the priority areas for remedial work; [60053](3) what assessment she has made of the extent to which the computer systems in her Department will be modified and tested in relation to the millennium computer problem by January 1999; and if she will make a statement; [60054](4) if she will make a statement on the contingency plans drawn up by her Department in relation to problems arising from millennium compliance including the embedded chip problem after 31 December 1999. [60055]

Work on ensuring the Millennium compliance of the Privy Council Office's systems is being taken forward as part of the Cabinet Office's Year 2000 Programme. No insurmountable problems are expected for the Cabinet Office and its agencies arising from millennium compliance. Plans are well advanced to replace non-compliant systems as part of an ongoing programme of work. Business continuity is not believed to be at risk, but the Cabinet Office and its agencies nevertheless have continuity plans that cater for possible disruption. Details of the Cabinet Office's programme, together with costs, were published following my last quarterly statement to the House on 9 September and are available in the Libraries of the House.

To ask the President of the Council what estimate she has made of the cost to the UK public sector of tackling the millennium computer problem and the embedded chip problem; and if she will make a statement. [59945]

The latest estimate of the cost of tackling the Millennium bug across central government departments and agencies is £400 million. This figure is based on departmental returns to the September quarterly review.Forecasts which have been made by independent experts and companies with experience of the costs of tackling the problem have put the total cost of tackling the Millennium bug across the whole of the UK public sector in the range of £1 billion-£0 billion. These figures appear to be reasonable. For example, the NHS Executive has estimated the cost across the NHS in England at around £310 million, while the Local Government Association has put the cost to local authorities at £500 million.

To ask the President of the Council what action she is taking to increase the preparedness of (a) local authorities, (b) the Police, (c) defence forces and (d) the NHS in relation to the millennium computer problem; and if she will make a statement. [59946]

As the Cabinet Minister responsible for the co-ordination of Government policy in response to the Millennium Bug, I have been working with colleagues to drive forward action in both the public and private sector. As a key part of this work, I am responsible for monitoring and reporting on the progress across all central government departments and agencies and key parts of the wider public sector, including local authorities, the Police, the Ministry of Defence and the NHS. Details of the progress in each of these four sectors were included in the last quarterly statement which I issued on 9 September. I will be making my next quarterly statement on progress in tackling the Millennium Bug to the House shortly. Specific questions about progress in these four sectors are the responsibility of the Secretaries of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Home Affairs, Defence, and Health respectively.

To ask the Chairman of the Administration Committee if she will publish the total number of House of Commons passes issued for persons classified as assistants/research assistants to hon. Members, and the known number who work full or part-time in the above positions. [59944]

[holding answer 16 November 1998]: 448 photo-identity passes have been issued for hon. Members' research assistants. The numbers who work full or part-time are not known, as an hon. Member is not required to give this information.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons have been (a) killed by explosions caused by terrorists and (b) killed by bombs which they were constructing, transporting or placing in position, in each of the last 10 years and the current year. [59030]

The following table illustrates the number of persons killed by explosions caused by terrorists and by their own bombs over the period in question:

Year	Number of deaths Caused by explosions	Killed by own bomb	Total
1988	39	3	42
1989	16	1	17
1990	22	0	22
1991	18	0	18
1992	11	0	11
1993	17	2	19
1994	5	0	5
1995	0	0	0
1996	1	0	1
1997	2	1	3
19981	30	0	30
1 To 8 November

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the injuries suffered by the surviving victims of the Omagh bomb. [55477]

(a) The following is a list of the injuries suffered by the surviving victims, admitted to hospital, in the immediate aftermath of the Omagh bomb:

• Abdominal Organ Injuries: 4
• Amputees: 5
• Blast Lung: 1
• Burns: 8
• Eye Injuries: 2
• Fractures: 24
• Fracture and Eye Injury: 3
• Head Injury: 1
• Soft Tissue Injury: 10
• Wounds/Shrapnel: 77.

Many of the victims had multiple injuries. Injuries treated for those victims who were not admitted to hospital included wounds, shrapnel injuries, soft tissue injuries and ear injuries.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list (a) Ulster Scots and (b) Irish as two minority languages to benefit from the provisions of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages; and if she will make a statement. [59289]

The Government intend that the Charter will apply to the Irish language in Northern Ireland from the coming into operation of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In regard to Ulster-Scots, arrangements are in hand to commission independent academic research which will help to determine whether Ulster-Scots should be treated as a language for purposes of the Charter. The Charter does not distinguish between regional languages and minority languages.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what child care provision is made available by her Department for the use of staff; what is the cost to parents of this child care; how many parents used the facilities in the financial years (a) 1996–97 and (b) 1997–98; and what proportion of total staff used these facilities in the financial years (i) 1996–97 and (ii) 1997–98. [59730]

[holding answer 16 November 1998]: In Northern Ireland, current policy is that Departments can contribute to staff child care costs where this is justified on value for money grounds.The Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Departments do not provide child care facilities. However, child care provision in the form of subsidy based schemes is only one of a range of family friendly measures that are available to staff. Others include flexible working hours, part-time and job sharing arrangements, paid and unpaid special leave and career breaks and reimbursement of expenses when the normal working routine is broken by the job demands. Information packs from the Northern Ireland Childminding Association are also given to staff applying for maternity or paternity leave.In addition, some Departments provide a range of assistance schemes as follows.In April 1998, NIO (Belfast) introduced a child care voucher scheme for staff which provided a contribution of £60 per month towards pre-school child care costs. Initially places on the scheme have been limited to 23 (2.8 per cent. of total staff) but it is planned to extend it to all staff with pre-school children within the next four years. NIO (London) introduced a similar scheme in July 1997 at the rate of £100 per month per child under the age of 5. Prior to July 1997, the NIO (London) subsidised 5 places in a nursery close to the office. The total proportion of staff that used these facilities in 1996–97 was 3 (2.9 per cent.) and in 1997–98 was 5 (4.4 per cent.).

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will make a statement on the contingency plans drawn up by (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies in relation to problems arising from millennium compliance including the embedded chip problem after 31 December 1999. [60145]

Following recommendations made by the PAC, the President of the Council wrote to Cabinet colleagues and Ministers in October asking all Departments to complete risk assessments and have initial year 2000 business continuity plans in place by the end of January 1999. This has been conveyed to all Northern Ireland Departments and they have been informed that future quarterly surveys by the Cabinet Office will require reports on progress against targets in this area. Millennium contingency planning has to cover the eventuality of system failures due to embedded chip malfunction.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (1) what is her latest estimate of the total cost of tackling the millennium computer problem including the embedded chip problem in (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which her Department is responsible, separately identifying expenditure to date and future expenditure; and if she will make a statement; [60142](2) what assessment she has made of the extent to which the computer systems in

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle) on 21 October 1998, Official Report, column 1109, in which she announced the results of the latest quarterly review of Government departments' and agencies' progress in tackling the bug. In Northern Ireland, the Departments and their agencies are directly responsible for much of the services provided by local government and the privatised utilities in Great Britain—e.g., Health and Personal Social Service, Housing Benefits, Water and Sewage. Electricity is the only privatised service in Northern Ireland.The information that the hon. Member requests will be found in the copies of departments' plans which have been published in the Libraries of the House. The results of the next quarterly review will be announced shortly to the House and the updates to quarterly plans will be placed in the Libraries of the House and on the Internet.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the problems which have arisen in (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which her Department is responsible from millennium compliance; if she will make a statement on progress to date in tackling such problems; and what are the priority areas for remedial work. [60143]

The problems are the same for all organisations striving for millennium compliance and the Northern Ireland departments are working closely with their Great Britain counterparts, sharing information and advice, to address these. Specifically, some departments in Northern Ireland have lost skilled computer staff to the private sector and this has impacted on some compliance programmes. However, steps are being taken by the individual departments and centrally by the Northern Ireland public service to address the situation.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, pursuant to her answer of 26 October 1998, Official Report, column 34, concerning the human rights and equality provisions of the Northern Ireland Bill, if she will place in the Library copies of her correspondence with the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe. [60270]

Copies of correspondence between myself and the Secretary-General of the Council of Europe have been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when the final version of the Sustainable Development Plan for Montserrat will be published. [60359]

Agreement has been reached between the Government of Montserrat and Her Majesty's Government on the final text of the Sustainable Development Plan. This followed a wide-ranging consultation exercise involving Montserratians on island, elsewhere in the Caribbean and in the UK, and regional and international aid agencies. The plan reflects the shared priorities of our two Governments for the social and economic recovery of the island and sets out a plan for the future of the island and the strategies needed to achieve its goals and objectives.Copies of the final text will be placed in the Libraries of the House today. The formal published version will be made available in early December.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) what is her latest estimate of the total cost of tackling the millennium computer problem including the embedded chip problem in (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which her Department is responsible, separately identifying expenditure to date and future expenditure; and if she will make a statement; [60056](2) what assessment she has made of the extent to which the computer systems in

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right. hon. Friend the President of the Council to my hon. Friend the Member for Liverpool, Gartson (Maria Eagle), on 21 October 1998, Official Report, column 1109, in which she announced the results of the latest quarterly review of Government departments' and agencies' progress in tackling the bug. This also covered key organisations within the wider public sector. The information the hon. Member requests will be found in the copies of departments' plans which have been published in the Library of the House. The results of the next quarterly review will be announced shortly to the House and the updates to quarterly plans will be placed in the Libraries of the House and on the internet.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development (1) if she will list the problems which have arisen in (a) her Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which her Department is responsible for millennium compliance; if she will make a statement on progress to date in tackling such problems; and what are the priority areas for remedial work; [60057](2) if she will make a statement on the contingency plans drawn up by

We have recently reviewed the Year 2000 compliance programme. Work is well advanced on mission-critical systems and we have systems in place for testing at various milestone dates. Our key systems will be fully tested and independently audited before the Year 2000.Our current switchboard is not compliant, but will become so with the next installation of software which will be in place before the end of 1998. Our equipment to send telexes is not compliant, but is in any case to be discarded for more modern forms of communications. We shall provide fuller details in our next quarterly return.We have obtained assurances from our prime hardware and software suppliers. In several cases we are required to upgrade software to more modern versions. We have developed a programme of work to take this forward. Progress is reported in our quarterly return.Work will start in early December to develop a separate series of business continuity plans, which will complement the work already done on business critical systems. Progress will be reported in the appropriate quarterly return.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which forum the Government will propose as appropriate for future negotiations on a multilateral agreement on investment, in order to ensure (a) that the interests of developing countries are represented and (b) that developing countries are equal participants in the negotiations. [59183]

The Government, and the EU as a whole, have a long-standing objective of pursuing investment negotiations in the WTO, and have called for investment to be on the agenda of any future multilateral Round of negotiations. This objective was reflected in the White Paper on International Development in November 1997, underlining the developmental value of a stable and transparent framework for international investment.Any decision to begin negotiations on multilateral investment disciplines in the WTO will require consensus among WTO members. Over three quarters of WTO members are developing countries. We are committed to helping strengthen the capacity of developing countries—many of which have limited resources—to participate effectively in the WTO. Specifically on investment, we have already agreed a contribution of over £0.5 million for a programme run by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to provide advice and training to developing countries on the issues posed by a possible multilateral framework for investment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is his Department's current estimate of the cost to be borne by Scottish local authorities arising from new central Government initiatives in (a) 1998–99, (b) 1999–2000 and (c) the following three years, by initiative, indicating the contribution to be made towards such costs from central Government. [56952]

[holding answer 3 November 1998]: In 1998–99 the following amounts were added to the local government finance spending plans inherited from the previous Administration:

Additional resources for schools: £89 million (announced in the July 1997 Budget) plus £19 million (announced in March 1998 Budget).

Recommendations resulting from the Pennington Report: £2.6 million.

The cost of new central Government initiatives over the next three years was considered in the course of the Government's Comprehensive Spending Review. In total, following the review the following additional resources (each representing increases compared with 1998–99) have been provided over the next three years:

£ million
	1999–2000	2000–01	2001–02
Education	154	266	373
Social Work	51	94	130
Police	23.7	50.9	71.8
Fire	8.5	16.9	24.3
Other Services including Loans Charges	58.8	163.5	319.2

Decisions for subsequent years have not yet been made.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make more money available to youth clubs in areas with high levels of juvenile crime. [57609]

[holding answer 9 November 1998]: The Scottish Office does not provide funding for youth clubs. In the main youth clubs are run by local authorities or voluntary groups which have access to local facilities. The Scottish Office provides a grant to Youth Clubs Scotland, a national voluntary organisation which is involved with the informal education of young people. The grant towards headquarters expenditure is awarded under the Scottish Office community education recurrent grant scheme for voluntary organisations. Youth Clubs Scotland has been awarded a grant of £75,000 in 1998–99, an increase of 7 per cent..

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many and what percentage of young people who took up the employment option under the New Deal have secured full-time employment at the end of their placement (a) in total and (b) by local authority area. [58980]

[holding answer 11 November 1998]: The latest New Deal figures published by the Government Statistical Service relate to August, and information on those completing their placement is not yet available. We plan in future to publish figures by units of delivery which in Scotland are based on local enterprise company areas.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what is the purpose and scope of the reservation of intellectual property in the Scotland Bill. [60441]

The purpose of the reservation is to ensure the continuation of uniform intellectual property laws across the UK. This will avoid difficulties for owners of intellectual property rights arising from, for example, difference in what can be protected, the extent of the protection and remedies for breach of rights. Indeed, the benefits of harmonisation in this area are becoming increasingly recognised with the ever wider harmonisation of intellectual property rights and related matters across Europe and the rest of the world.Patents, designs, registered trade marks and copyright are well known examples of intellectual property rights and are reserved. The reservation also embraces all other existing and future analogous rights and matters, such as rights in performances and semi-conductor topographies, moral rights, the law of passing off and trade secrets, and the new database right. Moreover, rights such as those in utility models and matters such as technical measures for the protection of copyright works and information relating to the management of rights, all of which are included in recent draft EC Directives on intellectual property, fall within the scope of the reservation. Furthermore, all matters relating to the Patent Office are reserved, as are current and future ancillary matters.The existing major legislation on intellectual property, namely the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, the Patents Act 1977, the Trade Marks Act 1994 and the Registered Designs Act 1949, exemplifies but does not limit the range of provisions relating to 'intellectual property' which falls or may in the future fall within the reservation.There is just one exception from the reservation, that is UK plant breeders' rights within the meaning of the Plant Varieties Act 1997. Agricultural Ministers, that is the Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Secretaries of State for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, are jointly responsible for UK plant breeders' rights. Devolution in this one area of intellectual property is therefore consistent with the joint responsibility which already exists for plant breeders' rights.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what assessment he has made of the extent to which the computer systems in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies to which his Department is responsible will be modified and tested in relation to the millennium computer problem by January 1999; and if he will make a statement; [60136](2) what is his latest estimate of the total cost of tackling the millennium computer problem including the embedded chip problem in

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the President of the Council to the hon. Member for Liverpool, Garston (Maria Eagle) on 21 October 1998, Official Report, column 1109, announcing the results of the most recent quarterly review of Government Departments' and agencies' progress in tackling the Year 2000 date change issue and providing information on progress and costs. Information on progress in the wider public sector in Scotland, including the National Health Service, water authorities, nationalised industries and some non-departmental public bodies, is available on The Scottish Office's Web site. The results of the next quarterly review of progress will be announced shortly to the House and updates to quarterly plans will be placed in the Library of the House and on the Web.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the contingency plans drawn up by (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies in relation to problems arising from millennium compliance including the embedded chip problem after 31 December 1999. [60137]

My Department and Agencies recognise the need to review and keep up to date their plans to deal with threats to business community, including the millennium date change. I expect them to have completed a review of key aspects of their operations, and to ensure that appropriate plans are in place, by the end of January 1999.Planning to ensure the continued delivery of key public services is primarily the responsibility of those who manage these services. The Scottish Office will continue to encourage organisations in the wider public sector in Scotland to ensure that their contingency plans are adequate in the light of the millennium date change issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will list the problems which have arisen in (a) his Department, (b) its agencies and (c) other public bodies for which his Department is responsible from millennium compliance; if he will make a statement on progress to date in tackling such problems; and what are the priority areas for remedial work. [60135]

The Scottish Office has been working since 1996 to ensure that the service it provides to the public will not be materially affected by the Year 2000 computer problem. The Department expects that all of its important systems will be tested and proved to be Year 2000 compliant by March 1999. Agencies and other public sector bodies in Scotland including the water authorities, the NHS in Scotland, local authorities, the nationalised industries and certain non-departmental public bodies are responsible for ensuring that their services will not be materially affected by the problem. Their progress is monitored by The Scottish Office. A range of progress reports is published on the Web, including the Web sites maintained by The Scottish Office, the NHS in Scotland and the Central Computer and Telecommunications Agency.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) what plans he has to ensure adequate training in financial management of those in charge of the financial management of projects receiving Government funding as a condition of grant; [59630](2) what plans he has to insist on adequate external auditing and monitoring of projects receiving Government funding as a condition of grant. [59631]

Grant conditions, and monitoring arrangements for different grant schemes operated by The Scottish Office are set taking into account all the circumstances surrounding the individual scheme. The conditions and monitoring arrangements are kept under review.Where the grant is towards a particular project the conditions normally include a requirement for external validation that the grant has been used for the purpose for which it was provided. Alternatively, in the case of grants to local authorities, the Scottish Office may make arrangements directly with the Accounts Commission for Scotland for the external auditing of councils' grant claims.In the particular case of grants under the Urban Programme to local authorities, the standard terms and conditions require local authorities to establish effective appraisal, monitoring and financial systems.These conditions also require the local authority to ensure that the expenditure by third parties receiving funding from the Council is accounted for properly; and that the accounts of third parties are either audited statutorily, or in the case of unincorporated bodies, reported on by a qualified accountant.The reporting accountants have to report if they are not satisfied: that proper records have been kept; that the accounts are consistent with the records; that they have received all necessary information; and that other information in the annual report is consistent with the financial statements.Training in financial management is a matter for the bodies concerned.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what plans he has to ensure that councils arrange for adequate auditing arrangements and training in financial management when giving grants to projects receiving public funds. [59629]

Local authorities are fully responsible for ensuring that there is clear public accountability where they provide public funds to external bodies. I expect councils to follow the guidance laid out by the Accounts Commission and COSLA in the Code of Guidance on Funding External Bodies and Following the Public Pound. This sets out the procedures for specifying minimum standards of accountancy and audit arrangements in appropriate cases. Where these are found wanting in individual cases, I would expect councils to take firm corrective action.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will make a statement on the Government's response to the recent report by Edinburgh City Council into the financial management of publicly funded projects in the city. [59632]

The City of Edinburgh Council has identified weaknesses in the management of some projects. This is primarily a matter for the Council but the Government place the highest importance on the proper conduct and management of projects and organisations which are publicly funded and discussions are taking place with the Council on the issues raised in its report and the action it should take.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland in how many cases in Scotland in each of the past five years individuals have had to spend more than one night in hospital because of aspirin poisoning. [59638]

Information on the number of emergency admissions staying more than one night in hospital with a reported diagnosis of aspirin poisoning is shown in the table. The table refers to the number of emergency admissions during the specified year. It is possible that an individual patient may have had more than one admission in any year.The data exclude poisoning by compounds of aspirin with phenacetin-codeine which cannot be separately identified under the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision.

Year	Number1
1992	151
1993	179
1994	146
1995	160
1996	156
1 Diagnoses are coded to the World Health Organisation's International Classification of Diseases 9th Revision (1980–March 1996) code 965.1 and the International Classification of Diseases 10th Revision (April 1996-) code T30.9

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaths have been recorded in Scotland from aspirin poisoning in each of the past five years, and in how many of these cases aspirin had been taken (a) in soluble form and (b) in dispensable form. [59633]

The information available is given in the list. It is not possible to distinguish the form in which the aspirin had been taken.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many deaths have been recorded in Scotland from poisoning by paracetamol in each of the past five years. [59636]

The information available is given in the list.

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland (1) how many summary criminal trials in each Scottish sheriff court have been adjourned on more than one occasion in each of the past four years; [59627](2) how many summary criminal trials in each Scottish sheriff court have concluded at the first trial diet; and how many have been adjourned because of pressure of business in each of the past four years. [59628]

I have asked the Chief Executive of the Scottish Court Service to write to the hon. Member.