To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list (a) the (i) task forces, (ii) review panels and (iii) advisory groups her Department has, (b) the remit of each and (c) the members of each together with their principal employment and their level of remuneration. [62813]

This information has been placed in the Library.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what has been the total expenditure and the breakdown of expenditure in her Department since May 1997 on (a) public opinion research, (b) television, radio and newspaper advertising and (c) direct mail. [63914]

The information for the Northern Ireland Office and the Northern Ireland Department is as follows:

(a) £447,837

(b) £2,883,221

(c) £966,887.

All figures exclude the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland, and

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what targets she has set for reducing the unemployment differential between Catholics and Protestants; and by what criteria she will measure the impact of fair employment legislation. [64209]

Government alone cannot reduce the unemployment differential. It also requires practical action and attitudinal change on the part of employers, educators and the unemployed themselves. To assess the rate of progress, the Government propose to commission the Equality Commission to agree with the representatives of employers, employees, political parties and other interests, benchmark measures for the future reduction of the unemployment differential, informed by up-to-date professional analysis. Moreover, the Equality Commission will be given a role in advising the Government on measures which they might introduce to reduce the number of, or religious imbalance in, the unemployed.The impact of the legislation will continue to be measured by changes in the composition of the workforce and by the comparison of the Community composition of those appointed to jobs with that of those applying.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if she will list the measures taken in each month since February to reduce security activity. [64205]

Since the reinstatement of the Provisional IRA ceasefire in July 1997, the Chief Constable has announced a progressive reduction in security measures in the Province. Each step has been fully consistent with the level of threat and taken after a review of the security situation.From February to the end of August, key factors which influenced the levels of security across the Province included the "tit for tat" killings following the murder of Billy Wright in 27 December 1997, devices in 5 town centres, attacks of security forces and the marching season.However, from September, the following measures have been taken:

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was for each police division in Northern Ireland for (a) 1996, (b) 1997 and (c) 1998 up to the latest available date the number of incidents of robbery and attempted robbery from the dwellings of persons of pension age and above where violence was used or threatened, the number of persons who have been made

The number of robberies in dwellings, recorded and cleared, by Division 1996, 1997 and 1998 to end November (where victim was aged 65 and over)
	Armed robbery		Attempted armed robbery		Robbery		Attempted robbery
	Recorded	Cleared	Recorded	Cleared	Recorded	Cleared	Recorded	Cleared
1996
A	1	0	0	0	4	1	1	1
B	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0
D	0	0	0	0	5	1	1	0
E	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
G	1	1	0	0	7	0	0	0
H	0	0	0	0	7	0	2	0
J	3	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
K	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
L	2	0	1	0	3	0	1	0
N	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0
O	0	0	1	0	4	0	0	0
P	1	0	0	0	4	1	0	0
Total	13	2	3	0	38	3	6	1
1997
A	0	0	0	0	5	0	1	1
B	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0
D	4	0	0	0	5	2	0	0
E	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0
G	0	0	0	0	5	0	3	0
H	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
J	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
K	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0
L	3	1	0	0	4	0	0	0
N	1	0	0	0	2	1	0	0
O	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
P	0	0	0	0	3	1	1	0
Total	9	1	0	0	33	5	5	1
1998
A	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
B	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
D	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
E	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
G	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
H	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0
J	0	0	0	0	4	0	0	0
K	2	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
L	0	0	1	0	4	0	0	0
N	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
O	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0
P	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0
Total	3	0	1	0	18	0	1	0

Statistical data are not maintained in a manner to indicate, readily, the number of prosecutions pending for such offences or how many persons have been made amenable through the courts. The following tables record the available statistics including information in relation to robberies and attempted robberies which have been cleared up by the police. The figures for 1998 require end-year verification and are therefore quoted on a provisional basis. For statistical purposes, a case is said to be cleared if a person has been charged, summonsed, or cautioned for the offence; if the offence is taken into consideration by a court; if there is sufficient evidence to charge a person but it is not proceeded with because, for example, the suspect is under the age of criminal responsibility; or if the suspect has died.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate she has made of (a) the cost of setting up a new department of Government in Northern Ireland and (b) the annual running costs of each such department. [64765]

Work on the costings of those new departmental structures in Northern Ireland which were agreed between the First Minister Designate and Deputy First Minister Designate of the new Northern Ireland Assembly on 18 December is proceeding but detailed estimates are not yet available.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what was the cost of the pigmeat imported from outside the United Kingdom for consumption in schools, hospitals and prisons administered by her Department in each of the last three years. [65119]

None of the pigmeat consumed in Northern Ireland schools, hospitals and prisons over the last 3 years has been imported from outside the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions (a) the opinion of a senior police officer has been given in court as evidence of a person's membership of a specified organisation, (b) a court has been asked to draw an inference from the failure of a person suspected of belonging to a specified organisation to mention a

I have been asked to reply.To date there have been no proceedings under section 30 of the Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions) Act 1996 in relation to specified organisations as defined by the Criminal Justice (Terrorism and Conspiracy) Act 1998 and so the answer to each of the questions is none.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will list the official visits which Ministers in his Department have paid to Buckinghamshire since 2 May 1997. [64132]

Since 2 May 1997, there has been one official visit made by a Minister from this Department to Buckinghamshire. The Lord Chancellor attended the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Conference in Chesham on 16 June 1998. Whilst I have made no official visits, I know the local area well.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what plans he has to include Irish as a category in his Department's ethnic monitoring of staff recruitment. [63873]

The over-riding principle of Civil Service recruitment procedures is that they should be fair, and selection should be on merit at each stage. Monitoring in this area is based on ethnic origin, and not nationality. The nine ethnic minority categories monitored by the Lord Chancellor's Department are based on those used in the 1991 census which did not include an Irish category. They will be reviewed in the light of any suggested changes in the 2001 Population Census.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what the failure rate is in legally aided personal injury cases; and what was the cost to the Legal Aid Fund of such cases in each of the past five years. [63942]

It is not possible to provide the information in the form requested. In cases that settle out of court, the terms of the settlement are not recorded on the Legal Aid Board's computer system, and it is therefore not possible to determine whether, in these cases, the plaintiff's claim was met in full. Information is available only in respect of cases where no damages were awarded. The proportion of cases receiving no damages in each of the last five years, was as follows:

Year	Proportion of cases without damages (Percentage)	Net cost of cases without damages (£)
1996–97	42	60,823,987
1995–96	43	54,642,081
1994–95	37	44,102,253
1993–94	38	37,482,163
1992–93	35	22,079,048

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how long the Legal Aid Board takes to process non-urgent applications. [64676]

In 1997–98, the Legal Aid Board processed 84 per cent. of civil legal aid applications within 2 weeks, and 94 per cent. within 4 weeks.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if solicitors receive acknowledgment letters in response to legal aid applications, and are kept informed of progress in consideration of the applications. [64677]

The Legal Aid Board does not acknowledge receipt of civil legal aid applications received, nor does it keep solicitors informed of the progress of the application. On average, the Board receives 450,000 applications for civil legal aid a year. In the majority of cases, a decision is made within one to four weeks. As the majority of applications are decided within a short period, sending acknowledgment letters would create additional costs and an unnecessary administrative burden.On request, the Board is able to inform the solicitor of the current status of any particular matter.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department if he will make a statement on the Corporate Information System of the Legal Aid Board. [64675]

The Legal Aid Board's Corporate Information System (CIS) was implemented on a phased basis which began with the first office going live in November 1997 and the final office in November 1998. The system is now fully operational in all Board offices. CIS is a fully integrated case management system for all types of legal aid with a single database. It replaces systems which were supported by increasingly ancient software and hardware which were not Millennium compliant. CIS provides the Board with more effective control over the management of the Legal Aid Fund and is an essential part of the Board's strategy for preparing for contracting with suppliers of legal services.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average level of debt write-off in (a) the Reading legal aid region and (b) nationally in the last year for which figures are available. [65100]

It is the Board's policy to pursue recovery of all debts unless it is evident it would not be cost effective to do so. The average value of debt written off nationally and in the Reading legal aid region in 1997–98, which are the latest figures available, are as follows:

	£
Reading	637
Nationally	700

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average amount of legal aid granted for claims in (a) the Reading region and (b) nationally in the last year for which figures are available. [65099]

In 1997–98, the average gross cost of legal aid claims paid in respect of civil and criminal legal aid and advice and assistance (green form) in (a) Reading and (b) nationally were:

	Reading legal aid region		National
	Total number	(£) average	Total number	(£) average
Civil legal aid	20,142	3,420	328,845	3,018
Criminal legal aid	35,311	470	494,130	496
Advice and assistance (Green Form)	84,611	91	1,586,764	106

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what protocols have been established (a) nationally and (b) in the Reading legal aid region on the length of time for which printouts showing the levels of client contribution should be kept. [65102]

Since the introduction of the Legal Aid Board's Corporate Information System (CIS) records of all contribution payments received from assisted persons, for both live and closed cases are maintained on the database. The Board's current policy is to maintain these records indefinitely and information can be printed out at any time.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what is the annual cost of the Legal Aid Service in the Reading legal aid region. [65241]

In 1997–98, the gross cost of legal aid services paid for out of the Reading Legal Aid Area Office was £105 million. The figure includes payments on account, final bill payments, VAT and disbursements, where applicable. It excludes the amounts that the Board received in contributions, costs paid by other parties and damages, all of which are sent direct to the Legal Aid Board's Financial Services at its Headquarters in London. The amount of gross costs paid to the legal profession nationally in 1997–98 was £1,612 million.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what systems are in place (a) nationally and (b) in the Reading legal aid region to ensure that client overpayments of contribution are returned. [65103]

Legal Aid contributions are paid by the assisted person by monthly instalments to the Legal Aid Board. Contributions are paid throughout the life of a case. Payments are normally sent direct to the Board's Financial Services at its Headquarters in London. All payments received are recorded centrally on the computer system. In the absence of information to the contrary, any excess contribution instalments received by the Legal Aid Board are treated as payments in advance of future instalments due. Repayments are not, therefore, made to the assisted person until the conclusion of a case unless specifically requested. Any overpayments made to the Legal Aid Board would be identified and accounted for at the end of the case.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department how many people are employed by the Legal Aid Service (a) nationally and (b) in the Reading legal aid region. [65248]

The Legal Aid Board has 13 area offices and two offices in London housing its central function departments. The average number of permanent staff employed by the Board from April to November 1998 is 931 nationally, with 70 at the Reading area office.In addition, the Legal Aid Board employs temporary staff on either a contract basis or for a specified period and who are included on the Board's payroll. The average number of temporary staff employed for the same period is 237 nationally and 6 at the Reading area office.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what sums are spent on training in the Legal Aid Service (a) nationally and (b) in the Reading legal aid region. [65249]

The Legal Aid Board provides a national training programme which ranges from the development of legal reference and training materials for caseworkers and quality auditors to senior management development programmes. During 1998–99, expenditure on the national training programme is expected to be £276,014.In addition, £158,000 is allocated to 23 area and central function offices to provide local training initiatives which fall outside the national training programme. In-house on-the-job training is also provided in each office, after which performance is assessed by staff trained as trainers to identify any further staff development needs. Expenditure on local training initiatives undertaken within the legal aid area office in Reading is expected to be £5,000 by the end of the 1998–99 financial year.

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what was the average level of non-collection of client contribution towards legal aid payment in (a) the Reading region and (b) nationally in the last year for which figures are available. [65101]

It is the Board's policy to pursue recovery of contributions in all cases unless it is evident that it would not be cost effective to do so. The average value of contributions written off during 1997–98, which are the latest figures available are:

	£
Reading	287
Nationally	245

To ask the Minister of State, Lord Chancellor's Department what arrangements have been made to monitor franchised legal aid firms (a) nationally and (b) in the Reading legal aid region. [65104]

The Legal Aid Board's arrangements for monitoring legal aid franchises apply nationally. Over a period of up to nine months, applicants for a legal aid franchise are subjected to two audits by the Board. A preliminary audit is carried out to ensure the applicants have developed appropriate procedures to meet the requirements set out in the Franchising Specification and to assess the effectiveness of implementation. If successful, a pre-contract audit will then be undertaken. The pre-contract audit will cover, in more detail, the requirements of the Franchising Specification, including the general and management requirements and transaction criteria, which are the Board's measure of the quality service process. Once a firm of solicitors has been awarded a legal aid franchise, the Board's liaison managers and franchise quality auditors will undertake regular audits of the firm's case files approximately every twelve months.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons CR gas was selected from the available riot control gases to be stockpiled for the counter-terrorist response capability. [63844]

CR gas was selected some decades ago as a potential counter-terrorist response capability and there are no surviving records of this decision. However, stocks of CR gas continue to be held as tests have confirmed it to be effective as a potential counter-terrorist response capability.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much CR tear gas has been manufactured by his Department since 1968; and at which establishment it was manufactured. [63843]

The riot control agent CR was only ever manufactured by the MOD at the Chemical Defence Establishment at Nancekuke, Cornwall, between 1962 and 1977. On the closure of Nancekuke and the subsequent return of the site to the RAF, the remaining stocks of CR were transferred to the Chemical and Biological Defence Sector of the Defence Evaluation and Research Agency at Porton Down.It is not possible to determine from the remaining records exactly how much CR was manufactured after 1968.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list the recruitment totals from 1990 to the present for each TA centre in Devon, Cornwall, Dorset and Somerset. [64464]

This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) if he will list the countries with which there are Government to Government Defence contracts paid for in oil in the last five years; and when the memoranda of understanding with those countries were signed; [64636](2) if there are guide prices for oil established within the memoranda of understanding with states purchasing defence equipment from the United Kingdom with oil risings; and what measures are in place to protect defence contractors and public funds from variations in oil prices. [64640]

There have been no Government to Government Defence contracts paid for in the last five years, which involve Her Majesty's Government taking oil as payment.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre for 1998–99. [65079]

The role of the Joint Air Reconnaissance Intelligence Centre is to produce imagery intelligence and imagery products and services to meet MOD and operational command requirements. The Key Targets for the Agency for the 12 months from April 1998 are as set out.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what key targets have been set for the Chief Executive of the Defence Animal Centre for 1998–99. [64742]

The Chief Executive of the Defence Animal Centre has been set the following Key Targets for 1998–1999.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on changes to the Strategic Defence Review decision to cancel the final tranche of Trident nuclear missiles; and what value of Trident missile components have been purchased from the USA since the Strategic Defence Review. [65042]

There has been no change to the Strategic Defence Review decision to cancel the planned final batch of Trident D5 missiles. Since the SDR, we have authorised $100.6m for US fiscal year 99 procurement of Trident missile components as announced in my written answer of 30 July 1998, Official Report, column 453. Some of these relate to the completion of earlier missile orders; of the remainder, some will be required as in service spares and the balance will be sold back to the US in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding that I announced on 30 July 1998, OfficialReport, column 453. Overall, our decision to maintain our Trident missile inventory at 58 is expected to save in the region of £50 million.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to store the warhead component separately from the missile delivery vehicles of the Trident nuclear system. [65044]

We concluded in the SDR that storing Trident warheads separately from the missiles would be incompatible in current circumstances with maintaining a credible minimum deterrent with a submarine-based nuclear system.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the arrangements for the provision of spare and replacement parts for the Trident nuclear missile system, indicating in how many cases there is a single supplier of spare or replacement parts. [65041]

The Trident missile system was procured off the shelf from the United States under the provisions of the Polaris Sales Agreement of 1963, as amended for Trident. Missile system components, including spares and replacement parts, are procured on our behalf by the US Department of Defence (DoD). For most elements of the system, the DoD uses Prime Contractors (for example, for the missile itself the prime contractor is Lockheed Martin Missile Systems) who in turn employ numerous sub-contractors. Because of the nature of the procurement, we do not have detailed visibility of the sub-contractor network, but I can say that for most major components single suppliers are employed because of the high costs of supplier qualification and the low levels of production now remaining.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make it his policy to rule out a first-strike use of the UK's Trident missiles. [65045]

In conducting the Strategic Defence Review, we concluded that such a policy of No First Use of Nuclear weapons would be incompatible with our and NATO's doctrine of deterrence, and that it would not further nuclear disarmament.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon will receive a substantive reply to his question to which a holding answer was given on 2 December. [64733]

I replied to the hon. Member on 16 December 1998, Official Report, column 520.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) what forces Her Majesty's Government have on stand-by for United Nations duty; how rapidly they can be deployed in an emergency; and what consideration he has given to improving their (a) training and (b) readiness; [64956](2) if he will make it his policy to support the creation of a permanent UN Volunteer Force. [64957]

The Government do not support the concept of a permanent United Nations Volunteer Force because it would involve duplicating expensive capabilities that already exist among member states, and because it would be impractical to create a single force that could cater for every eventuality. We believe the most effective way to provide the UN with military support is through the Secretary-General's Standby Arrangements initiative. Since 1994, the United Kingdom has declared a range of forces to be potentially available under the United Nations' Standby Forces Planning Arrangement to facilitate the rapid deployment of forces once political decisions on their use have been made. Following last year's Strategic Defence Review, we have decided to strengthen our commitment by declaring the whole range of our rapidly deployable forces as potentially available to the United Nations. This will be formalised in a Memorandum of Understanding which we plan to have ready for signature by March this year.The forces declared in the Memorandum of Understanding will be drawn from the new Joint Rapid Reaction Forces, which will have an initial operational capability available by 1 April 1999 and be fully operational by 2001. Each of the elements of this force will be held at graduated states of readiness, ranging from 24 hours up to and including 30 days.We believe the training and readiness of the United Kingdom's Armed Forces to be the equal of the best in the world. Nevertheless, we remain committed to seeking improvements to these high standards. That is why we announced, also as part of the 1998 Strategic Defence Review, that the Chief of Joint Operations will have increased authority for enhancing the training and preparedness of the Joint Rapid Reaction Forces.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for what reasons the computer files and research material of the author Tony Geraghty have been seized by Ministry of Defence Police. [65368]

This is a matter for the Chief Constable of the Ministry of Defence Police Agency. I have asked the Chief Constable to write to my hon. Friend.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will list by age the numbers of men and women aged under 18 years in the armed forces. [65004]

The number of men and women aged under 18 years in the armed forces is as follows:

	Male	Female	Total
Naval Service
16 year olds	268	49	317
17 year olds	693	128	821
Total	961	177	1,138
Army
16 year olds	1,083	99	1,182
17 year olds	3,449	428	3,877
Total	4,532	527	5,059
Royal Air Force
16 year olds	37	12	49
17 year olds	364	66	430
Total	401	78	479

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on what dates the Local Liaison Committee of the Atomic Weapons Establishment Committee (a) has met since 1 January 1997 and (b) plans to meet in 1999; and if the minutes of this committee are publicly available. [65056]

The Atomic Weapons Establishment has two Local Liaison Committees, one covering the sites at Aldermaston and Burghfield, the other covering the site at Cardiff which is being decommissioned.The Local Liaison Committee for the Atomic Weapons Establishment Aldermaston and Burghfield met on the following dates:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence (1) for how many flight hours during 1997–98 Government Ministers have used the aircraft of 32 (The Royal) Squadron based at Northolt Airport; which Government officers used it the most; how much per hour the RAF charges ministers; and how much of this figure relates to Northolt Airport costs; [63696](2) what estimate he has made of the cost of the Government chartering business jets when RAF jet aircraft of 32 (The Royal) Squadron Aircraft were unavailable in the last year for which figures are available; and if he will list the number of charters hired for that purpose; and the Ministers involved. [63695]

I refer the hon. Member to the replies I gave to the hon. Member for Stratford-on-Avon (Mr. Maples) on 19 November 1998, Official Report, column 711.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the term "average cost", with reference to flights taken by Ministers in his Department, refers to the average cost per passenger. [64726]

The average cost refers to the average cost per trip and not the average cost per passenger.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence when he will place in the Library a copy of a table listing ministerial flights on RAF aircraft. [64725]

A copy of the table was placed in the Library of the House on 19 November.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he and his NATO counterparts have taken to seek to ensure that civilian control over the military is maintained and enhanced in Turkey; and if he will make a statement. [62098]

The European Commission has made clear, in its recent report on Turkey's progress towards EU accession, that the strengthening of democratic institutions and civilian control of the military are vital components in bringing Turkey closer to its aspirations for full membership. We will continue to work with Turkey on this issue.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the harassment policy within DERA is applicable to other MOD employees; and if he will make a statement. [65031]

I will write to my hon. Friend and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in the last year RAF Leeming has put up a tour of their base as a prize in a charity auction; and for each occasion which charity or organisation was involved. [64760]

A tour of the base has been offered on sixteen separate occasions since 1 January 1998. The organisations involved are as follows:

• Easingwold Hospice
• Richmond School
• Shepway CAB
• Brompon on Swale Primary School
• Linton on Ouse playing field project
• Yorkshire Cancer Research
• Friarage Hospital Breast Care Unit
• RAF Leeming Child Care Charities
• NSPCC (Yorkshire)
• Bedale County Primary School
• Dr. Bamados (Darlington)
• Ripon Grammar School
• Thornton Watlass Primary School
• RELATE (Scarborough/Bridlington)
• Highcliffe Primary School
• Allertonshire School.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost was in staff time of the tour organised at RAF Leeming in January as a prize in a fund-raising auction for the British Field Sports Society. [64826]

There were no extra costs associated with this tour. It was a standard station tour, organised and conducted in the normal way by the station Community Relations Officer, and lasted approximately 7 hours. The value of the staff time of the Community Relations Officer and all other personnel that the locally based visitors met will have amounted to less than £100.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what (a) direct and (b) indirect costs to public funds were incurred as a result of the Sportsman's Bash held in February hosted by RAF Alconbury. [64829]

No direct or indirect costs were incurred by public funds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence on how many occasions in the last year RAF Alconbury has hosted events for charities or other organisations; and if he will list the organisations concerned. [64762]

Five outside functions have been hosted at RAF Alconbury in the last year, all of which have been at no cost to UK public funds. They were:

20 February 1998—Sportsman's Bash

21 February 1998—Huntingdon Cromwell Rotary Club—International Evening

21 March 1998—Friends of the 8th Air Force Dinner

20 June 1998—Friends of the 8th Air Force Dinner

13 November 1998—Cambridgeshire Constabulary Senior Officers Dining Club Function.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will estimate (a) the cost and (b) planned training days lost resulting from the re-opening of the public inquiry into his proposals for investment in improvements to the Otterburn ranges in Northumberland; and if he will make a statement. [65048]

It was originally estimated that training on the new developments at Otterburn would commence in 2001. When training could now start depends on the length of the re-opened Public Inquiry. Until we know the length of the Inquiry, it is not possible to give an accurate estimate of the effect on training nor of any associated costs.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he plans to take in respect of UK troop deployment following the announcement of the Under-Secretary General of Peacekeeping at the United Nations that under 18 year-olds will not be included on UN peacekeeping missions. [65010]

We fully accept the UN's undertaking that personnel under the age of 18 will not be included on UN peacekeeping missions. When my Department responds to a UN request for the deployment of UK troops to a peacekeeping operation, the Permanent Joint Headquarters (PJHQ) allocates tasks to the three Services as appropriate. UN requirements are of course complied with, including age restrictions. However, there may be occasions when Royal Navy units already deployed overseas, are called at short notice to such an operation. These units may contain small numbers of under 18 year-olds.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many reports in the two series of reports produced by the Mathematical Physics Division of the Atomic Weapons Establishment are currently unclassified. [65058]

A total of 130 reports in the two series produced by the Mathematical Physics Division of the Atomic Weapons Establishment are currently unclassified.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what was the cost of the pigmeat imported from outside the United Kingdom which was purchased for consumption by British service men and women in each of the last three years. [65121]

The procurement of food for the Armed Forces is contracted to Booker Foodservice who were selected and took over the contract on 1 October 1997. In the first year of the contract Booker Foodservice imported some £1.45 million worth of pigmeat, representing 50 per cent. of the Armed Forces' requirement for bacon and gammon. The balance of the requirement for bacon and gammon and all of the requirement for pork were obtained from UK sources at a cost of £4.25 million. Unfortunately, the cost of imported pigmeat for the previous two years, when NAAFI held the contract, is not available. We believe, however, that the proportion of imported pigmeat will have been broadly similar to that advised by Booker Foodservice.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if British cruise missiles have been used in the attack on Iraq. [65160]

No British cruise missiles were used during Operation Desert Fox, the 16–19 December air campaign against Iraq.

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will rule out the use of nuclear weapons by UK forces in the Gulf. [65043]

The United Kingdom would consider the use of nuclear weapons only in extreme circumstances of self-defence.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what changes he proposes to make to the way in which Government departments account for VAT on contracted-out services. [65410]

The 1984 Finance Act provided for Customs and Excise to make refunds to departments in respect of the VAT they pay on contracted out services. This was designed to remove a potential disincentive to contracting out services to the private sector, where this represented value for money for the taxpayer. Since 1996–97 these VAT refunds have been netted off against expenditure in departments' Estimates and Appropriation Accounts. The Government have reconsidered this approach and concluded that it is not consistent with the legislation governing the treatment of receipts, which requires most receipts of Government departments to be appropriated in aid or surrendered to the Consolidated Fund. We will therefore revert to the arrangements that applied prior to 1996–97. So long as cash based Estimates and Appropriation Accounts continue to exist refunds of VAT on contracted out services will be appropriated in aid, an approach which provides a greater degree of transparency.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to produce a Convergence Programme. [65411]

A Convergence Programme was submitted on 23 December 1998 to the European Commission. Copies of the Convergence Programme were placed in the Libraries of both Houses on that day.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he has produced written guidance for the creation of new public private partnership capital schemes; and when he expects to produce final written guidance for potential project sponsors. [64678]

Partnerships for Prosperity was published in November 1997. There is also a programme of guidance and technical notes for those engaged in the PFI in the public sector. Last year's publications were:

General

• Private Finance and IT: A Practical Guide
• A Step-by-Step Guide to the PFI Procurement Process

Policy Statements and Technical Notes

• Policy Statement No.2: Public Sector Comparators and Value for Money
• Policy Statement No.3: PFI and Public Expenditure Allocations for Non-Departmental Public Bodies
• Policy Statement No.4: Disclosure of Information and Consultation with Staff and other Interested Parties
• Technical Note No.2: How to follow EC Procurement Procedure and Advertise in the OJEC
• Technical Note No.3: How to Appoint and Manage Advisers.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if agreement has been reached with the Accounting Standards Board on the accounting presentation of PFI schemes in Government; and if he will make a statement. [64679]

The Government welcomed the publication by the Accounting Standards Board on 10 September of Application Note F—Private Finance Initiative and similar contracts to Financial Reporting Standard 5. Officials are preparing detailed guidance reflecting this document to replace the Treasury's current guidance on this subject.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will list the changed assumption and calculation methods used in Table B9 of the Pre-Budget report (Cm 4076), compared with Table 4.5 in the July 1997 Red Book, HC 85. [64637]

The conventions used in the July 1997 Red Book are set out in Annex B of Chapter 4. Those used in the Pre-Budget Report are described on pages 123–27 of that document.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer (1) what were the percentage increases in (a) the total expenditure of Department of Trade and Industry, Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, Department for Culture, Media and Sport and Department for Education and Employment in 1999–2000 and in the Welsh block for the same year, (b) each Department's expenditure relevant to the purposes of calculating the formula consequences for the Welsh block and (c) the expenditure within the Welsh block comparable to (b) above; [63613](2) what changes he has made in the method of calculating the formula consequences for the Welsh block of expenditure by the DTI, DFEE, DETR and DCMS; [63550](3) what comparability factor he used in calculating the formula consequences for the Welsh block of expenditure by the DTI, DETR, DCMS and DFEE in

[holding answer 14 December 1998]: No changes have been made to the method of operating the Barnett formula. The Government have already set out a statement of principles to govern changes to the devolved administrations' budgets in a reply by the then Chief Secretary to the Treasury to my hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms) on 9 December 1997, Official Report, columns 510–13.The Government maintained the 1997–98 and 1998–99 allocations to the Welsh Office determined by the previous Government in the 1996 Public Expenditure Survey.The percentage increases in the total Departmental Expenditure Limits can be derived from the tables in "Modern Public Services for Britain: Investing in Reform" (Cm 4011).Changes in the total departmental programme expenditure provide the basis for calculating formula consequentials for the Welsh Office budget. Each Departmental Expenditure Limit has a specific comparability determined by the coverage of Welsh Office services. In the Comprehensive Spending Review these are, for the Welsh Office:

	Percentage
DTI	27.0
DETR—non-local government	70.0
DETR—local government	100.0
DCMS	87.3	DfEE	75.8

As the Secretary of State for Wales, and in turn the National Assembly for Wales, are free to allocate expenditure within the Welsh block as they see fit, the structure of programmes within the Welsh block does not exactly mirror the departmental structure in England. It is therefore not possible to calculate the percentage increases in expenditure within the Welsh budget which are comparable to each Department's expenditure.

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many British people moved to other parts of the EU in the last year for which figures are available; how many of them were of working age; and how many moved from the West Midlands. [64479]

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

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will estimate the number of death certificates each year that refer to smoking as a cause of death. [64100]

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

To ask the Attorney-General if he will list the official visits paid to Buckinghamshire by Ministers in his Department since 2 May 1997. [64133]

The Solicitor-General visited the Buckinghamshire branch of the Crown Prosecution Service on 13 August 1997.

To ask the Prime Minister if he will announce the composition of the United Kingdom delegation for the January 1999 ordinary session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. [64792]

[pursuant to his reply, 17 December 1998, c. 646]: The right hon. Member for Strangford (Mr. Taylor) has been appointed as a full representative from the Minority Parties as a replacement for the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock), who becomes a substitute representative.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if the term average cost, with reference to flights by Ministers in her Department, refers to average cost per passenger. [64724]

The average cost refers to the average cost per trip and not average cost per passenger.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate she has made of the amount of her Department's expenditure overseas which was misappropriated through corruption or fraud in recipient countries in each of the last three years; and what action her Department takes (a) to monitor such activities and (b) to ensure that consequent losses are minimised. [64800]

The figures requested are as follows: nil in 1995–96; £6,287 in 1996–97, and £58,293 in 1997–98. This Department gives a high priority to ensure regularity, propriety and value for money in the expenditure of aid funds. Departmental staff and aid recipients are required to follow detailed procedures and to keep comprehensive financial records. Where fraud is discovered, staff are expected to take action to recover the amounts lost, and to pursue prosecution wherever possible. Our control systems are under constant review by our internal auditors and are subject to examination by the National Audit Office. Full details of DFID' s procedures for authorising and accounting for expenditure are set out in the Department's Office Instructions, copies of which are in the Library of the House.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what representations she has received concerning the number of her Department's contracts whose management is available for tender to UK based non-Governmental organisations; and if she will make a statement. [64797]

We have not received any such representations.

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list, for the latest year for which figures are available, the names of UK based non-Governmental organisations who acted as contractors or managers of her Department's projects, programmes and activities and the (a) number and (b) total value of contracts for each manager or contractor. [64798]

The table lists, for 1997–98, the UK based organisations registered as charities which we have been able to identify as having acted as contractors or managers of my Department's projects; the number of contracts awarded to each; and the total value:

NGO	Number	Total value (£)
Accord	2	31,156
Action for Disability	1	30,620
ACTIONAID	2	2,294,840
Active Learning Centre	1	44,775
Association of Commonwealth Universities	1	4,919
Bentham Moxon Trust	2	37,819
British Executive Service Overseas	1	1,987
British Overseas NGOs for Development	1	20,928
Care International UK		2	10,927
Charities Aid Foundation	2	98,150
Childrens Aid Direct	1	98,332
Christian Aid	1	45,484
Education for Development	1	12,486
Fauna and Flora International	2	202,525
Hamlet Trust	1	76,936
Henry Doubleday Research Association	1	22,650
International Alert	1	12,973
International Family Health	25	604,879
International Planned Parenthood Federation	1	78,800
International Records Management Trust	8	1,549,228
International NGO Training and Research Centre	1	249,717
Intermediate Technology Development Group	1	1,442
Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine	1	6,000
Living Earth Foundation	1	167,370
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine	34	875,819
Overseas Development Institute	21	1,254,506
Oxfam	3	35,291
Population Services International	1	1,587,019
Royal Agricultural College	1	14,288
Royal Botanic Gardens	2	168,867
Save the Children Fund	5	199,343
Scottish Council for Research in Education	1	25,654
Traidcraft Exchange	2	24,000
World Wide Fund for Nature	1	13,860
Zoological Society of London	1	30,246

To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will list the numbers of her Department' s contracts which were available for tender to UK based managers in each year since 1994. [64799]

The following table lists the number of contracts let in the UK, from 1994–95, for which we have sought proposals. These contracts cover a wide variety of skills including management. Disaggregated figures for contracts limited to management functions, contracts with management components and contracts not available to UK consultants could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Year	Number of contracts
1994–95	1,068
1995–96	1,512
1996–97	2,003
1997–98	1,995

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is the current estimated number of households which evade payment of a television licence in the Colchester constituency; and what plans he has to reduce the level of evasion. [62188]

The estimated national television licence fee evasion rate was 7.2 per cent. at the end of March 1998 and is expected to fall significantly by the end of the current financial year. Information below national level is not available in a comparable form. TV Licensing, which carries out the day to day administration and enforcement of the television licensing system as agent for the BBC, adopts all appropriate measures to minimise evasion throughout the United Kingdom.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate he has made of the proportion of girls who give up sport upon leaving school. [63432]

This Department has not made any estimate of the proportion of girls who have given up sport upon leaving school.The 1994 Young People and Sport Survey, which focused on ages 6–16 and was carried out by the then GB Sports Council, showed that, at age 16, the participation rate for girls in sport was 77 per cent. The 1996 General Household Survey, which focused on age 16 and over, showed that the participation rate in the age group 16–19 was 79 per cent. The same surveys show that the participation rates were 81 per cent. at ages 14–15, but fell to 70 per cent. at ages 25–29. However, direct comparisons are not appropriate because of the different nature of the two surveys.The English Sports Council (ESC) will be undertaking its next Young People and Sport Survey next year. The survey is likely to focus on the participation rates of girls in sport in more detail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives are planned by his Department to encourage more girls to become involved in sport. [63433]

I have made clear my determination to encourage more women and girls into sport at all levels and am working closely with my Ministerial colleagues and others to ensure this.The English Sports Council (ESC), through which this Department's funding for sport is channelled, had a range of activities designed to encourage and promote women and girls in sport. Initiatives aimed specifically at young people come under the umbrella of the National Junior Sports Programme which brings together education sectors and local communities to develop interest in sport at an early age and help young people develop basic sports skills. Specific initiatives include:

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the offices or agencies under his control which will be subject to L.2 of Head L in Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998; how many people are currently employed in these offices; and what equal opportunities practices are adopted in these offices. [63793]

[holding answer 15 December 1998]: All Non-Departmental Public Bodies falling under my Department are covered by the reserved matter of equal opportunities defined by Section L.2 of Head L of Schedule 5 of the Scotland Act 1998 and by the first exception to that. The following bodies may be designated as cross-border public authorities and therefore be subject also to the second exception:

Name of Body	Current number of UK employees
British Library	2,413
Theatre Trust	6
British Tourist Authority	161.5
Museums and Galleries Commission	43
National Heritage Memorial Fund	152

All these bodies are responsible for ensuring that they meet the equal opportunities requirements set out in law.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will list the organisations in England involved in reviewing world heritage site nominations as a result of the Government's recent consultation. [64423]

The Committee of experts set up at the request of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State to recommend sites in England for inclusion in a new UK Tentative List of potential World Heritage Sites comprised representatives from the following organisations:

• English Heritage (Chair)
• The Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England
• The Joint Nature Conservation Committee
• The International Union for the Conservation of Nature
• The Local Authority World Heritage Forum
• The Cathedrals Advisory Commission for England
• The International Council on Monuments and Sites (UK)
• The Countryside Commission.

Officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport also attended the meetings of the Committee.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans he has to ensure that New Opportunities Fund support for healthy living centres addresses issues of social exclusion in rural areas. [64472]

[holding answer 17 December 1998]: The Policy Directions issued to the New Opportunities Fund make it clear that the primary aim of the healthy living centre initiative is that the centres should target people in communities with the worst health and greatest health inequalities, including those in pockets of deprivation within rural areas which may not be readily identifiable as deprived under the current criteria for determining deprivation. A particular emphasis is placed on ensuring that the centres are accessible to people who experience disadvantage, or who have difficulty accessing existing health facilities and services.The National Lottery Act 1998 requires the New Opportunities Fund to draw up a strategic plan containing its assessment of needs and its priorities in dealing with them, on which it must consult the Secretary of State. This ensures that there is a proper strategy for distributing Lottery proceeds. The Fund is currently consulting on its draft strategic plan and looking at ways it will focus on the most disadvantaged 20 per cent. of the population. The Fund proposes to give particular priority to, among others, deprived rural areas.In addition, the Fund may encourage applications of particular types, or in particular geographical areas, and use the new power of solicitation where sufficient applications are not forthcoming.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what criteria are used to assess applications for funding of healthy living centres from the New Opportunities Fund. [64471]

[holding answer 17 December 1998]: The New Opportunities Fund is currently consulting on its application guidance and developing its assessment criteria, but for healthy living centres the criteria will include consideration of the benefit to deprived communities and groups; additionality to mainstream health provision; innovation and quality of provision; community and user involvement; equality and access to the project; links with local health improvement programmes and targets, and relevant national health strategies; links with broader local strategic planning and programmes (including community plans and regeneration programmes); and sustainability beyond the life of the grant.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent representations he has received on the future of John Boyd Textiles Ltd. of Castle Cary and the historic horsehair looms used by that company. [64474]

[holding answer 17 December 1998]: None. However, I understand that an application for planning permission for the conversion of buildings at the site to residential units has been submitted to South Somerset District Council. Oversight of the development control system is a matter for my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what protection is available for industrial machinery to ensure processes of historical and cultural importance can continue. [64473]

[holding answer 17 December 1998]: Where a building is listed as being of special architectural or historic interest any alteration to it, including the removal of machinery, would require listed building consent from the local planning authority. However, the refusal of consent to remove machinery would not necessarily mean that the machinery would continue in use; this is a matter for the owners of the buildings and the machinery.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on how the Government's objectives to eliminate social exclusion in sport are being realised. [63426]

[holding answer 14 December 1998]: This Government are committed to eliminating the barriers which prevent people from participating in sport. We believe that everyone should have the opportunity to participate in and enjoy sport, regardless of class, gender, ethnic background, age or ability.My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State announced on 14 December that as part of the Departmental Spending Review outcome sport will receive increased Government funding of almost £8 million over the next 3 years, some £2 million more than the £6 million already announced in July. The extra funding will not only help the UK Sports Council with the lead role we all want to see it play in UK sport, but will contribute to the existing range of provisions that the English Sports Council (ESC) makes in the field of social inclusion.The National Lottery is also making a major impact in addressing the needs of communities up and down the country, both in terms of sport and the other good causes. The Lottery Sports Fund has now provided grants totalling £900 million to over 4,000 capital projects. Sports projects in economically deprived regions can apply for additional Lottery support under the ESC's 'Priority Areas Initiative'. The recent reforms to the National Lottery will help to encourage distributors to consider how their strategies for the lottery will contribute to better access, neighbourhood regeneration, and the reduction of economic and social deprivation.We are working towards the goal of social inclusion in a variety of other ways. I am the 'lead' Minister for a Policy Action Team which has been set up to examine best practice in the use of arts and sports projects in deprived areas. The Team draws together officials from a number of government departments with practitioners in the field of community sports provision, and will report in May 1999. My Department is also developing a new strategy for sport, which will set out some clear principles

		£
Arts Council	Chair	8,751.99
Arts Council	Members	18,346.69
BBC	Governors	40,486.98
DCMS	2 posts	4,701.00
English Sports Council	Chair and Members	12,474.00
General broadcasting covering:		23,372.29
BSC	Chair and Members
ITC	Deputy Chair
Radio Authority	Members
National Lottery Commission	Chief Executive and Commissioners	19,387.50
National Lottery Charities Board	Chair	17,945.80
National Heritage Memorial Fund	Chair	5,883.28
New Opportunities Fund	Chair and Members	35,490.88
National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts	Chief Executive	14,057.21
	Chair and Members	23,536.00
S4C	Chair and Members	4,712.00
UK Sports Council	Members	28,972.29
Recouped from Welsh Office		-4,801.00
Recouped from Scottish Office		-7,039.00
Recouped from Northern Ireland Office		-3,132.00

No expenditure has been made on television or radio advertising or direct mail.

To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if he will make a statement on the method and formula used to determine funding for the regional arts councils. [63984]